Badgerclaw paused outside of the medicine den to stretch before she headed to the nursery. Eaglekit was awake but had developed a cough, Spottedstream was hopeful she had just caught a chill from falling into the river during leaf-fall but she didn't want her going back to the nursery just yet, and had sent Badgerclaw to fetch Hawkflight so that she could see her kit. Applepaw was still sleeping, and because Sunheart's cough was improving she let the elder have a shift lying with her kit to keep her warm, which gave Badgerclaw time to get Hawkflight and speak to Tanglestar before resting for her next shift with the apprentice. Spottedstream did not want her left alone, and she was more than willing to sit with the brave apprentice. She poked her head into the nursery to check if Hawkflight was awake. The queen appeared to be resting, but looked up when she heard the den wall rustle as Badgerclaw looked inside.

"Spottedstream would like to see you," she whispered, trying not to wake the sleeping kits gathered around Splashfur. Hawkflight nodded and she backed up so that the queen could leave the nursery. As she hurried to the medicine den, Badgerclaw turned and padded to the rock fall. She jumped up, then called her name and waited for Tanglestar to invite her in before she padded into the den. Ravenfeather was sitting across from her and both looked at her when she stepped in. She dipped her head to them respectfully.

"Sorry if I am interrupting anything," she meowed as she looked back up.

"It's alright. What can I do for you, Badgerclaw?" she replied.

"I was wondering if I could be excused from patrols for a while," she meowed. When the leader looked confused, she continued. "Spottedstream wants someone to be with Applepaw at all times, and I volunteered to help so that she could sleep." Tanglestar looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

"I admire your wish to protect your clanmates, but you are not a medicine cat." she meowed. Badgerclaw dipped her head, disappointed, but she continued. "You may be excused from most of your warrior duties until Spottedstream no longer needs assistance, but I would like you to try to either join a hunting patrol or go out with another warrior if you can. We'll need all of our warriors to feed our clan as leaf-bare approaches."

"Thank you, Tanglestar." she meowed. The leader nodded and dismissed her, and she left the den. She hopped down the rockfall and padded into the medicine den. Sunheart was lying beside Applepaw, licking over her ears, and Spottedstream was trying to coax Eaglekit to eat some herbs.

"You need to eat these to get better," she meowed as the warrior padded in. The kit shook her head, doubling over as coughs wracked her small body.

"Spottedstream's right," she meowed, "you have to be strong to become a warrior, and that means listening to the medicine cat when you're ill." The kit screwed up her muzzle in distaste, but ate the herbs pushed toward her, then licked up a seed from the medicine cat's paw.

"That will help your cough and help you to get some rest," she explained gently. Eaglekit nodded, settling in her nest with a paw over her nose. She let out a weak cough as she closed her eyes.

"Tanglestar has excused me from my warrior duties to help you, as long as I join a daily hunting patrol." she whispered after the kit had fallen asleep. Spottedstream gently licked her cheek.

"Thank you, Badgerclaw. I do not know what I would do without you." she meowed. Badgerclaw dipped her head.

"If it's alright with you, I need to rest so I can watch Applepaw tonight,": she meowed. When Spottedstream nodded, she settled on Applepaw's other side and quickly fell asleep.

It was just over a moon before she could leave the medicine den. She spent her nights watching Applepaw and her days resting in the early morning, hunting during the day, and getting some more rest around dusk before she sat her nightly vigil with the apprentice. Sunheart and Eaglekit had left the medicine den after a few days, the elder with a lot of convincing that Applepaw would be fine and she could still visit, and the kits were as rambunctious as ever, even as leaf-bare approached. Applepaw had woken up a few days after the accident, and had been very quiet for the first few weeks. She had a lot of sleepless nights and seemed grateful that Badgerclaw was there with her. They spoke often in whispers, about how brave she had been and how proud everyone was. Badgerclaw told her what she had told the clan and reassured her often that she would be able to still become a full medicine cat. They'd spent the last half moon working on her balance when standing and trying to teach her how to walk. She still needed help getting around, but she was doing better, and when Spottedstream came to check on Applepaw one sunrise, she quietly told Badgerclaw that she had asked Ravenfeather to add her to the dusk patrol.

Badgerclaw had nodded and stood, dipping her head when Spottedstream thanked her for all of her help, and gently pressed her nose to Applepaw's cheek before padding out of the medicine den. She quietly made her way into for the warriors den and slept in her old place beside her brother for the first time in over a moon. After a short rest and some fishing, she came back to camp around sunhigh to put her catch on the fresh-kill pile. It was late in leaf-fall, but luckily the fish were still plentiful for now, and the warriors were trying to catch as much prey as they could so the clan could make it through leaf-bare. She yelped in surprise when she dropped her fish and a weight hit her side, letting it knock her to the ground. It was a group of kits: Ferretkit, Eaglekit, Vinekit, Ferretkit, Honeykit, and Carpkit. She gasped dramatically when they pounced on her, whiskers twitching with amusement.

"We killed the badger!" Vinekit squealed excitedly. Badgerclaw sat up, shaking them off.

"Where's Lionkit?" she asked. Carpkit made a face.

"He's too small to play!" he meowed. Badgerclaw gently batted him away with a paw.

"Go play with another warrior, then. I'm going to play with Lionkit." she meowed. The kits looked at her in surprise, watching as she went to the nursery. She walked past Leopardclaw and Splashfur sharing tongues in the sun outside and pushed into the nursery. Hawkflight was laying on one end while Lionkit stood on the other, the two batting a ball of moss across. He stopped when Badgerclaw pushed her way in, dropping his gaze to his paws. Hawkflight looked at her curiously.

"What can I do for you, Badgerclaw?" she asked. She looked at her, eyes glowing with excitement.

"I was wondering if Lionkit would like to practice his pouncing with me. The other kits jumped me, but I think he could do better." she explained. Lionkit squeaked in surprise, looking up at her.

"But I'm too small," he protested, "everyone says so."

"It is true that you're small, but I think you'll make a great warrior someday." she meowed. "I lost my tail in a fight, and I'm still learning how to balance without one, but I know that many cats think that I am one of our best fighters. And Tanglestar lost her eye, but she fights with all the power of Starclan. And Applepaw is small, but she took on two dogs at once."

"Two dogs?" he meowed, eyes wide. She nodded.

"Two dogs. She lost her leg, but she's starting to walk again. She'll make an amazing medicine cat." she meowed.

"I want to take on a dog!" he meowed. She chuckled and nudged him with her nose.

"When you're older, maybe. For now, you can practice your pouncing with me, okay?"

"Okay!" She led him gently outside the nursery and Hawkflight followed, sitting next to Lionkit's parents. She could hear her murmur to them to watch, and the three cats looked on as Badgerclaw stood in front of Lionkit.

"Now, the most important thing for a small cat going against a big dog is jumping height," she meowed, turning so her side was facing him to keep him from clawing her face if he missed, "try to jump up and land on my back." He jumped and knocked into her side before hitting the ground. He let out a tiny wail and she quickly sniffed him over.

"You're alright," she meowed gently, licking his head as he quieted down. "Just a bump." He nodded a little, scuffing the dirt with his paw in embarrassment. She turned so her side was to him and crouched a little to be shorter. "Try again." He crouched and wiggled his hindquarters before jumping as high as he could and landing square on her shoulders, digging his claws in with a squeak when she stood.

"That's it!" she meowed, proud of the young kit, even if his tiny claws pricked her beneath her fur. He held his head proudly, but let out a small yowl when Badgerclaw gently rolled onto her side, dislodging him. She batted at him gently with a paw then, before taking a few steps back and letting out a mrow of amusement when he charged her again. She play fought with him, careful to keep her claws sheathed and be gentle with the tiny kit. It didn't take long for him to tire himself out and lay panting, his eyes bright.

"No one ever plays with me." he mewed once he had caught his breath, "The other kits like play fighting and I'm too small."

"Well no one can say you're too tiny now." She replied, whiskers twitching a little. "You took on a warrior." He nodded, scurrying over to his mother.

"Did you see me?" he asked, bouncing in front of him. She mrowed and gave his head a lick.

"I did and I am very proud." she answered, gently steering him toward the nursery as Hawkflight collected the other kits. Clouds had appeared above and now that she was no longer playing with the kit, she could feel the cold of leaf-fall cutting through her fur. She shook herself and padded to the fresh-kill pile. It was nearly time for the dusk patrol to leave and since she had already hunted for the clan that morning she was allowed by the warrior code to eat so she would have strength for her patrol. She selected two fish, carrying them to the medicine den so she could eat with Applepaw. She was no longer needed to watch her, but she'd gotten used to the apprentice's companionship. She flicked her good ear in a friendly greeting when she approached, the best she could do without a tail, and saw the excitement as Applepaw stood and hobbled over to her. She was getting stronger every day.

"Badgerclaw! Is that for me?" greeted her friend with a purr. She set down the fish and nodded.

"Spottedstream is eating with Tanglestar, and I have to leave on patrol soon, but I thought you'd want some company." she explained. The apprentice gently touched her cheek with her nose before sitting beside her.

"Thank you," she meowed, "it gets so lonely without anyone else here." Badgerclaw nodded and pushed her a fish before settling beside her. They ate in companionable silence, listening to the soft patter of rain on stone as it began to rain outside. When she had finished, she stood, licking the last scraps of fish from her jaws.

"I have to leave with the patrol," she meowed, "but I'll come by to visit tomorrow?" Applepaw nodded, gently touching her back with her tail as she got shakily to her feet as well.

"I'd like that," she meowed. Badgerclaw dipped her head in farewell and padded out into the clearing. The other cats from the patrol, Pebblefall, Mousestep, Batwhisker, his apprentice Flamepaw, and Tanglestar herself, were just starting to gather at the entrance to camp. Mousestep was the last to arrive, hurrying out of the elders den as Badgerclaw joined the patrol. He must have been visiting with his mate, Sunheart. Tanglestar signaled with her tail and the patrol took off. They headed for the small stream and circled around from there to go along every inch of the border. As they were heading back to camp the rain let up, although by then they were all soaked through. Badgerclaw padded up to Tanglestar before they entered camp, dipping her head.

"Tanglestar, may I speak with you?" she asked. The leader looked curious, but nodded to the patrol to continue without them. She led Badgerclaw a bit further from camp, sitting down once they were far enough away to not be heard. She gestured with her tail for the warrior to speak and she took a breath.

"I know it is not my place, but I wanted to ask that you let Lionkit become an apprentice with his siblings," she meowed. Rumors spread like wildfire through the camp, and many cats were certain that Tanglestar would be postponing his ceremony, if she let him be an apprentice at all. Pebblefall had even remarked that if Applepaw had chosen to be a warrior, Lionkit could be a medicine cat and no one would have to worry about him in combat. She waited for Tanglestar to be angry, snap that she should not question her leader, or that the rumors were false, but she didn't. She simply blinked at her.

"And may I know why?" she asked after a moment. Badgerclaw should have guessed that was coming.

"It is true that the other kits won't play with him because of his size. While his siblings were stalking warriors around camp today, he was playing mossball with Hawkflight. He looked so sad, I think he's convinced he'll never get to be a warrior. But I let him pounce on me and after a few tries he was able to play fight with me no problem, as long as I was careful. He's a quick learner, and I think he could be a great warrior if given a chance. I mean, Applepaw was small, but even as a medicine cat she was able to take on two dogs." After her explanation, she looked down at her paws. "I know she lost a leg, but she was holding her own. Imagine what she could have done had she been a warrior apprentice." There were a few long moments of silence, and when she glanced up Tanglestar was looking at the stars and not her as she thought it over.

"I was going to postpone his ceremony," she meowed softly. "I worry that with his size and how sickly he was when he was born he won't be able to defend the clan. But if he's as willing to learn as you say, I do not think that I could in good conscience." She paused for a moment, then looked to Badgerclaw. Her eyes were fierce, but held a warmth in them that she could not explain. It was almost as if she was talking about her own kit.

"I want you to come with me to the cove," she continued after a moment, "I must speak with Starclan about this." Badgerclaw could feel her whiskers twitching with excitement. She had traveled to the cove once as an apprentice, as most did before becoming warriors, but to be going alone with her leader as a warrior felt special. She dipped her head respectfully.

"Of course, Tanglestar." she answered. Her leader gently touched her shoulder with her tail.

"Tonight is the half-moon, so Spottedstream is visiting starclan alone. But we shall leave tomorrow evening." she meowed, and once Badgerclaw nodded, she added, "And do not tell anyone why we are going."

"Yes, Tanglestar." she meowed. She followed as her leader headed back to camp, padding away to the warriors den. The camp was asleep save for Froghop who was on guard, and Rippletail did not stir when she curled up beside him and Hailstripe, and it did not take her long to fall asleep as well.