Disclaimer: I, KatieK101, do not own Warriors. If I did then SkyClan would've had their own freaken' arc, like, two years ago. Also, this fic should not be considered canon past the events of 'SkyClan and the Stranger'.

Special thanks to InkblotLeaf for creating this beautiful cover art! You're a gem!

Chapter Ten - Apathy (Or Lack of Thereof)

"Please, please tell me this isn't another one of your pranks."

Creekfeather looked down at the mewling, black kitten between his paws and asked, "What kind of prank would involve a newborn kit?"

"You've proven your creativity has no bounds," Leafstar replied, amber eyes weary. "Tell me the story again, Creekfeather. You said you found him in the forest?"

Creekfeather nodded. "I wanted to clear my head so I just started walking. Eventually I ended up near the Twolegplace, where I heard faint cries. I didn't scent any kittypets or loners nearby so I investigated, and I found a kit."

A frown tugged at Leafstar's lips. The fur along her back was ruffled and her amber eyes were dark. "I don't know what to make of this. I couldn't imagine just leaving my kits alone in the forest, but if there was no scent," she looked to Creekfeather for confirmation, to which he nodded, "then it seems the parent dumped it."

"Him," Creekfeather corrected her. "It's a tom-kit."

The correction seemed to catch his Clan leader off-guard, but she nodded. "Him. Of course."

A question was on the tip of Creekfeather's tongue, but he wasn't sure he wanted to voice it. "So, obviously I can't take him back, right?" he asked, cautious. "That would be dooming him."

Leafstar bent her head to sniff the kitten. He mewled feebly in response. "I honestly don't know, Creekfeather. There might be another explanation to why you didn't scent his parents, and I certainly wouldn't want to steal someone's kit. If they are looking for him right now, they must be worried sick."

"But what if they aren't?" Creekfeather protested. "It's going to rain soon, and if I leave him where I found him but no one is looking for him, he'll drown!"

Leafstar raised her tail. "You didn't let me finish, Creekfeather," she told him, and although her voice was calm, her expression made it clear that he wasn't to interrupt her again. The gray tom lowered his gaze to the kit, guilty. "Although he may have someone looking for him, I'm not willing to risk his life. He can stay in the Nursery until the rain passes, and then I will send patrols to search for his kin."

His head shot up. "Really?"

Leafstar smiled and nodded. "Of course. I'm not heartless, Creekfeather. I would never endanger a kit."

Suddenly, the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. A sigh of relief escaped his maw. "Thank you, Leafstar. You won't regret this."

The SkyClan leader didn't immediately respond. Instead she narrowed her eyes slightly and stared at him, like she beginning to notice things she never had before. The weight of her gaze made him shift uncomfortably. "So, do you think Cherrytail will agree to nurse him?" he asked, in an effort to break the silence. "I mean, four kits is a lot of work, isn't it?"

"It is," Leafstar agreed. "That's why Cherrytail won't be his temporary mother - you will be."

Wait. What. "Me?" Creekfeather echoed, incredulous. "I can't- I don't know the first thing about raising a kit!"

"Clovertail will help you, of course," Leafstar went on. "But you're the one who brought the kit to SkyClan, so he will be your responsibility. You'll be in charge of his bedding, his feedings, you'll have to make sure he doesn't wander off; and of course, if he crys at night one of the queens will fetch you from the Warriors' Den."

It was a lot to absorb at once. Creekfeather looked back down at the newborn kit - his newborn kit. This is what I get for having a good heart and saving his life. Punishment. But what was he supposed to do? No way in StarClan was he going to doom a helpless kit!

"Alright," he finally agreed, not without a touch of hesitance. "I'll be his temporary mother- er, father."

"Wonderful," Leafstar meowed, whiskers twitching, and Creekfeather swore she found amusement in his situation. "Stay here with the kit. I'll go tell the queens that that'll have a new family joining them."

The cream-and-brown she-cat stood to her paws and started to exit her den, only to pause at the entrance. She gently touched her tail to his flank and murmured, "Don't worry too much, Creekfeather. I think you'll surprise yourself over the next few days." Then she padded out into camp, and left him alone with his thoughts.

Just as quickly as it had dissolved, the weight of the world was back on his shoulders. As he laid down on the cool stone, Creekfeather expelled a sigh. "I guess it's you and me, now," he told the kit.

The kit was practically a newborn - only a few days old, at most. He was still blind and deaf, and he squirmed helplessly on the stone ground, eyes squeezed. Creekfeather's heart clenched as he watched him squirm and mew. How could anyone leave him to die alone? He wondered.

He tried to be as gentle as possible as he grabbed the kit and placed him by his stomach. The kit continued to mewl, but he stopped squirming so much after he reached the source of warmth. I'll have to ask Cherrytail to nurse him, but I'm sure she won't mind since I'll be doing everything else. Maybe if I offer to bring her fresh-kill every morning…

He thought about something Leafstar said. "I'll go tell the queens that that'll have a new family joining them."

"I guess we are family - for now, at least," Creekfeather mused aloud. "Kinda ironic, since my best friend cut me off and my littermates recently decided that they want nothing to do with me anymore. Well, two of them did, but I don't think Plumwillow is in a hurry to patch things up with me right now. I kinda… I actually shouldn't tell you what I accidentally did to Cherrytail's kits, otherwise you'll never like me.

"Maybe it's for the best that we're fighting right now. If we were all on speaking terms, I can only imagine what they would think of me. Rabbitleap would be all high-and-mighty and tell me that I have no business taking care of my own kit when I can't even keep myself out of trouble. Nettlesplash would make remarks like 'oh, wow, Leafstar is really dooming this kit, isn't she?'. Plumwillow would be kinder, but she would have her doubts."

The kitten mewed sharply, almost like a response. Creekfeather couldn't help but crack a grin. He thought about Swiftleap and his grin faded. "And about that ex-best friend… I don't even know what to do about him. He said we couldn't be friends anymore because he didn't want to disappoint Sharpclaw, but I was ruining my reputation too!" A pause. "I think I worded that wrong. You get the point. Maybe. Probably not."

Another thought struck him. "Oh, Waspwhisker and Fallowfern! They're your grandkin now! Waspwhisker… he's going to be confused at first, but Fallowfern will love you! She's always pestering us about when we'll finally settle down and give her some grandkits." He looked down at the tom-kit. "I don't think this is what she had in mind, but they're used to me bending the rules anyway."

Just then Leafstar stuck her head back into the den. "Creekfeather," she called. "The Nursery is ready for you!"

He wasn't sure if it was because of his rambling, but the weight on his shoulders seemed a little bit lighter now. "Coming!" he called back. He bent his head, gently picked up the kit by its' scruff, and started carrying him to the Nursery.

The queens fawned over the kit, of course.

"Look at his fur!" Clovertail purred. "Why, it might be as black as Ebonyclaw's!"

"He's soo cute," Cherrytail coo'd, crouching down to his level. "Hi, little fella!"

The kits, however, were not thrilled that the attention was diverted from them. Sunkit and Driftkit watched the newcomer sulkily, and Mistykit looked downright offended that her mother would dare coo at another kit. "Where's his mama?" she demanded. "He can't have ours!"

"She's out there somewhere," Creekfeather meowed. "Until we can find her though, he's my responsibility."

Driftkit blinked curiously. "You mean you're his new mama?"

Cherrytail's cough sounded suspiciously like masked laughter. He ignored it, though, and replied, "Something like that."

"Well, your new responsibility is very handsome," Clovertail meowed. "Does he have a name?"

A name? He hadn't thought that far ahead. "Um, I guess not. Should we name him?"

"You should name him," Clovertail corrected him, smiling. "It's a big honor for a parent. Is there a name you've always favored?"

Creekfeather shook his head. "N-not really." He decided to not mention that Creekfeatherkit always sounded like a good name to him. "How did you pick your names?"

"Tinycloud was the smallest of her litter, so her name was easy. Bouncefire would never sit still, and Rockshade was named for his stone-black pelt," Clovertail explained. "For my second litter, Patchpelt wanted to name Sandytail after his mother, Sandy. We decided on Birdflight and Honeyflower's names together; Birdflight sounded like a baby bird whenever she cried, and Honeyflower was always the sweetest kitten - such a snuggler!"

Creekfeather nodded slowly, absorbing the information as it was fed to him. "Okay, that's not too complicated." He looked to Cherrytail. "What about your kits?"

"Yeah, mama, what about us?" Sunkit echoed.

Cherrytail purred as she returned to her nest and wrapped her tail around her kits. "We named Driftkit because his pelt is the same color of driftwood. Sunkit was named after our favorite season, green-leaf. Sharpclaw is the one who thought of Mistykit - he had always liked the name, and we thought it fit her."

"Makes sense," Creekfeather remarked. He looked back down at the black tom-kit and wondered what name would eventually come to mind. Stonekit? Black-kit? Thornkit? This would be more difficult than he thought…

Cherrytail announced that it was time for naps, and even though her kits protested, Creekfeather chuckled as they all began to yawn. Clovertail gestured for him to follow her to a corner of the Nursery. He picked up the tom-kit and followed her.

"We made him his own nest," Clovertail explained. So they have.

It was much smaller than a regular nest, but that was a given. It would fit the kit nicely, and the compact would keep his heat in. Still, Creekfeather thought it looked a little lonely; a newborn kit sleeping by himself.

As if reading his mind, Clovertail added, "Leafstar wanted him to have his own nest for health reasons. We don't know where the kit is coming from, or if he has any sickness that could spread."

"That's understandable," Creekfeather reluctantly agreed. He set the kit down in the mossy nest, and it instantly began to cry. He turned his wide-eyed gaze to Clovertail. "Uhh…"

"Curl up around the nest," she advised him. "He doesn't understand why he's suddenly alone."

The warrior did as he was told, and sure enough, the tom-kit calmed right down. Creekfeather watched, mesmerized as a silent yawn escaped his tiny mouth, and then he stilled. Soon his chest rose and fell, as soft snores filled the Nursery. Softkit? Yawnkit? No, that's bird-brained.

"It's strange to think that you're taking care of a kit, Creekfeather," Clovertail remarked, fondly. "I remember when you were just a kit yourself. You were always finding trouble, yet you somehow managed to talk your way out of it."

He managed a sheepish smile. "Not much has changed, then."

"That's not a bad thing," she replied. "You were a delightful kit. Very charming, very sweet. It's no wonder you're so popular within the Clan."

So popular, and yet my best friend and my littermates want nothing to do with me. He had other friends, of course. Very rarely was he ever alone. But sometimes, he felt like he was.

Just then the kit started moving in his sleep. He began squirming closer towards Creekfeather, and didn't stop until he was nestled comfortably into his fur. He released another tiny yawn, then went back to sleep.

It did something to Creekfeather. His entire body felt warm, like he was basking in a pool of sunlight. His heart felt fluttery, like a hummingbird's wings.

"He's taken to you very quickly," Clovertail observed. "You know, I've always called Tinycloud, Bouncefire, and Rockshade my kits, but that's not completely true."

The gray tabby warrior nodded. "Right. Didn't you find them in the woods or something?"

"Their mother was been killed on the thunderpath," she agreed, a mournful note in her voice. "We were friends, actually, so when I found her body I knew that someone had to take care of her kits. They were newborns; she hadn't even named them yet. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to care for three helpless scraps of fur, but," a smile played across her lips, "I'm so glad that I did. For a while I was scared that they would never feel like my own, but that was just my paranoia. Even after Patchfoot and I had our litter together, they feel no different. I will always be their mother."

Creekfeather's gaze fell back to the tom-kit. It seemed he couldn't look away from him for long. "I feel like you're trying to tell me something."

The brown-and-white queen offered him a smile. "It's going to rain soon. Go ahead and start towards the Warriors' Den; Cherrytail and I will keep an eye on the kit."

Creekfeather was reluctant to leave the kit alone. What if he gets cold? What if he misses me? But at Clovertail's insistence, he complied. Although he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder a pawful of times as he padded towards the Warriors' Den.

Whispers floated around camp that a storm was brewing, and Nettlesplash was inclined to believe they were right, if the howling wind and onslaught of rain was anything to go by.

"Great StarClan!" Petalnose exclaimed as she burst into the Warriors' Den. She was drenched from her ears to her toes. "That's some storm!" She shook her pelt dry, and Nettlesplash hissed when droplets splashed him.

"The first storm of green-leaf is always the worst," Shrewtooth meowed wearily, gazing outside the den.

"I hope so," Waspwhisker replied, as he curled his tail around Fallowfern. "We might have some new dens after this one is over!"

"One can only hope," Plumwillow murmured. "The Warriors' Den is so full these days, it's impossible to leave the den without stomping on somebody's tail!"

Yeah, usually my tail.

Ebonyclaw huffed as she shifted beside Shrewtooth. "Maybe Leafstar will order a new den for the younger warriors."

"How young is young enough?" Bouncefire asked.

Who cares?

"You would definitely be in the new den," Ebonyclaw replied. "Rockshade and Tinycloud can stay though."

"Hey!"

"It's not our fault you're so immature, Bouncefire," Tinycloud shrugged, smirking.

"I am not immature!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Am not!"

This time several warriors called, "Are too!"

Bouncefire looked shocked, then personally offended. "You know what, after this storm is over I'll go find a den by myself! Who wants to share a den with a bunch of haters anyway?"

"I don't hath you, Bouncefirth."

"Shut-up, Sandytail," he mumbled.

Conversation flowed lazily. Nettlesplash wished everyone would stop pretending they weren't utterly miserable. The storm raged outside; the den was too small, so everyone was cramped together; cats who returned from patrolling got hit by the first wave of rain, so they were wet to the bone.

It didn't help that everywhere Nettlesplash looked, he locked eyes with one of the littermates he was supposed to be ignoring. Rabbitleap was in the back of the den, Plumwillow was pushed against one of the walls, and Creekfeather was near the front. So unless he wanted to make things more awkward than they already were, Nettlesplash had to stare outside the den and count the heartbeats until the storm finally ended.

"Ugh!" Mintfur growled, as she squeezed between cats. "There is no room! I can't even reach my nest!"

Right, we already established that.

"You could share Rabbitleap's nest," Sagefoot suggested. Even Nettlesplash couldn't refrain from flashing the gray tom an are-you-out-of-your-bird-brained-mind look.

"Why would we share a nest?" Rabbitleap asked, voice tense.

Sagefoot shrugged. "Sorry, I just thought you two were working on getting along. If I was trying to be nice to someone, I would offer to share my nest so they could lay down."

Admittedly, Rabbitleap's reaction was hilarious. "I- we- that's not…" he sputtered until he trailed off. By this point, the entire den had turned to stare at the brown tom, and Rabbitleap never was the smoothest in front of a crowd. Voice deflated, he mumbled, "Fine. Mintfur, would you like to share my nest?"

The she-cat scoffed. "Over my dead body-"

Sagefoot cleared his throat.

"... will I pass up that offer."

Every warrior of SkyClan watched in amazement as Mintfur dragged her paws to the back of the den, where Rabbitleap reluctantly scooted over in his nest to make room for her. Of course, the nest was crafted for only one cat so it was a tight squeeze, and the result was-

"Waspwhisker," Fallowfern hissed, "Rabbitleap and Mintfur are snuggling!"

Nettlesplash's father shook his head, dumbfounded. "I don't know if I want to yank Mintfur off of my son, or yank Rabbitleap off of my apprentice."

The weight of their Clanmates' stares made both warriors shift uncomfortably. Finally, Mintfur snapped, "stop looking at us like we've got rabies and mind your own business!"

"We're only sharing a nest because we're wet and cold," Rabbitleap added, voice pitched.

Patchfoot snorted. "Sure. That's it."

"Hey Creekfeather," Petalnose called from the back of the den, playfully, "if you're cold, you can always share my nest!"

"Mother!" Mintfur hissed.

Creekfeather shot the warrior a grin and hollored his response, but Nettlesplash was too distracted to catch it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sagefoot slink through the den towards Plumwillow. When he finally reached her side, they began whispering frantically.

Nettlesplash blinked as if he were seeing things. Wait. Rabbitleap and Mintfur are sharing a nest; Plumwillow and Sagefoot are suddenly friends… they're taking this fight a lot harder than I thought they would.

All of a sudden, lightning rippled across the dark sky and illuminated a figure standing in front of the den. Sharpclaw emerged moments later, and thunder followed his appearance.

"That," Swiftleap murmured, "was an awesome entrance." Bouncefire nodded in agreement.

The SkyClan deputy shook his soaking wet pelt dry, splashing a few unfortunate souls in the process. No one dared breathe a complaint, though, as he scanned the crowd with narrowed eyes. When they landed on Creekfeather, he ordered, "Go."

Creekfeather peered past Sharpclaw, into the raging storm. "Yeah, I think I'll pass on that. I kinda enjoy being alive."

"Your kit won't stop whimpering, and Leafstar said he's your responsibility now," Sharpclaw meowed gruffly. "He's keeping my kits awake."

Wait a moment, Creekfeather has a kit?!

"You have a kit?!" Fallowfern cried. Waspwhisker's face was blank with shock. It seemed none of his littermates were keeping their parents in the loop.

A dopey grin played across Creekfeather's lips. "I have a kit," he echoed to himself. He jumped adruptly to his paws and raced into the storm, shoving past Sharpclaw on his way out and leaving confusion in his wake.

"Hold on, when did this happen?!"

"Is that why he was in the Nursery all day?"

"Which one of you thought it was a good idea to let Creekfeather reproduce?" Mintfur demanded. Sharpclaw looked from speaker to speaker, though his gaze hesitated when it came to Mintfur and Rabbitleap. He stared at the "snugglers" in confusion for a few moments, before he shook his head.

"Calm down, all of you. The kit isn't actually Creekfeather's; he found it near the Twolegplace and brought it back with him, and Leafstar has given him the responsibility of taking care of it."

"I'm a grandpaw," Waspwhisker muttered in awe, mostly to himself. Fallowfern was whispering furiously underneath her breath; Nettlesplash caught snippets like "what will it call me?" and "I always thought Plumwillow would be first…"

"Is it really a good idea to let Creekfeather raise a kit?" Mintfur called from the back of the den.

Sharpclaw glanced at her, still seemed shaken by her predicament with Rabbitleap, but ignored it. "Probably not, but those are Leafstar's orders. She also ordered me to do roll call, and make sure each warrior is accounted for. Creekfeather is in the Nursery; Sparrowpelt is in the Medicine Cat Den; Billystorm is with Leafstar, but everyone else should be present."

"Really, Sharpclaw?" Rockshade scoffed. "Rolecall? What are we, apprentices?"

"So, Rockshade is present," Sharpclaw noted. "What about Patchfoot?"

"Present."

"Good. Petalnose?"

"Present!"

"Waspwhisker? Fallowfern?"

"Present, and apparently a grandpaw?"

"Apparently so. Ebonyclaw?"

"Right here, Sharpclaw."

"Shrewtooth?"

"Oh, uh, here! You know that storm looks like it's not going to end soon, what will we do if we're not able to hunt? We would starve to death! And I-"

Sharpclaw interrupted him, "Yes, Shrewtooth, and your paranoid rambling would only make our deaths feel slower. Kindly shut-up." He cleared his throat. "Tinycloud?"

"How can you not see me? I'm the only warrior with a white pelt."

"Stop acting like that makes you special," Plumwillow retorted.

Before a fight could break out, Sharpclaw raised his voice. "Alright, Tinycloud and Plumwillow are both present. Bouncefire?"

"Welcome to the Warriors' Den, how may I serve you today?"

The ginger-furred tom rolled his eyes. "Hilarious. Swiftleap?"

"Yes, Sharpclaw, right here!"

"Good, good. Sagefoot?"

No response.

"Sagefoot?"

"Oh, here!"

"Mintfur?"

"Present!"

"Rabbitleap?"

"Present!"

The deputy stared at the duo for a moment, then finally demanded, "Alright, I'll bite. Why are you two sharing a nest?"

"Mintfur couldn't reach hers and needed somewhere to warm up," Rabbitleap quickly supplied. "I couldn't let her shiver and catch a cold, so I generously offered her my nest."

"And I so generously accepted his offer," Mintfur added, an edge to her voice. The two warriors glared hatefully at each other, muzzles only a hair apart.

Sharpclaw looked like he regretted asking. "Uh-huh. Sure. Nettlesplash?"

Nettlesplash locked eyes with the deputy and flashed him his signature I-would-rather-claw-my-own-eyes-out-than-do-this look. Sharpclaw returned it with something similar.

"Honeyflower?"

"Here!" The gray she-cat sang, snuggled into Rockshade's side.

"Sandytail?"

"I'm herth, Sharthclaw!"

"... great. And finally, Birdflight."

No response.

"Birdflight?" Sharpclaw repeated, voice sharper.

Still no response.

There's no way... No way is she that bird-brained.

Concerned murmurs filled the tense air. Nettlesplash tilted his head to-and-fro, scanning the den for the black she-cat. He didn't see her, and it was impossible to distinguish her scent from the many others.

"Sharpclaw?" Patchfoot prompted, eyes wide. "Where is Birdflight?"

Nettlespalsh watched as his jawline tensed. "I've already checked on the Nursery and the Medicine Cat Den; if she isn't here, then she must be outside the camp."

The declaration hit Nettlesplash unexpectedly, like a kick to his gut. He didn't anticipate the initial wave of guilt that rolled over him. I was supposed to be shadowing her. She's not supposed to go anywhere without me...

"We have to send patrols after her!" Honeyflower meowed. Concern for her littermate caused her voice to waver.

"In this storm?" Swiftleap cried.

"I'll take my chance starving to death," Shrewtooth added. "The odds of Birdflight surviving the elements are slim to none, and if you send out an entire patrol then someone will surely get injured, or worse."

"And?" Waspwhisker challenged. "She's still a Clanmate!"

Rabbitleap nodded fiercely. "SkyClan doesn't just forget about its' warriors!"

Ebonyclaw shook her head. "Everyone knows how Birdflight is. She probably leaped at the chance to explore during a storm! This is on her, not on SkyClan."

"I have to agree with Ebonyclaw," Sharpclaw rumbled. "I don't like leaving Birdflight to fend for herself, but I'm not risking an entire patrol in this weather."

"What if she was your kit?" Patchfoot argued. He pushed his way to the front of the den until he was nose to nose with the deputy. "You would never quit searching for her, and you know it!"

There were very few things Sharpclaw hated more than having his authority challenged, but fatherhood had shaped him in many ways. His tail-tip flicked irritably, but he didn't immediately put the senior warrior in his place. Tension filled the crowded atmosphere, almost suffocatingly so. Nettlesplash found himself leaning forward, anticipating the deputy's response.

Finally, Sharpclaw asked, "Will you lead the patrol?"

Patchfoot didn't hesitate. "Absolutely."

Sharpclaw nodded, thoughtful. "Alright. If you can get four other warriors to join you, then you may search for her. I won't force anyone to risk their life, though."

"I'll go," Honeyflower immediately volunteered.

"If you're going then I'm going too," Rockshade meowed. Honeyflower nuzzled the tom's chin, gratefully.

"Me tooth!" Sandytail cried.

Sharpclaw shook his head. "Not you, Sandytail. With your tongue swollen, you won't be able to scent properly. You'll be more of a liability."

The light brown tom visibly deflated. "But- she's myth littermate tooth!" Patchfoot licked the top of his head and whispered something into his ear. Idly, Nettlesplash wondered if he was lost in the storm, would any of his littermates bother to volunteer?

"I'll go, Sharpclaw," Waspwhisker meowed.

"Are you sure?" Fallowfern asked, green eyes wide. "Waspwhisker, the storm-"

"What if it was one of our kits?" Waspwhisker gently interrupted her. He licked her muzzle and meowed, "I'll be safe, I promise."

Of course Waspwhisker is going, Nettlesplash thought. He's everything a warrior should be. Strong, intelligent, brave, considerate… if he was in charge of shadowing Birdflight, he never would have let her out of his sights.

Guilt continued to gnaw furiously at his stomach. I can't stand Birdflight, but I don't want her dead. And if she does die then it'll be my fault.

Nettlesplash waited with bated breath for one more warrior to volunteer; just one. But as the four volunteers locked eyes with each of their Clanmates, they ducked their heads shamefully. No one wants to risk it in the storm.

"What if we sent the patrol after the rain calmed down, just a bit?" Mintfur suggested. "I don't trust all that lightning."

"What if that's too late?" Patchfoot challenged.

"I'll do it," Rabbitleap suddenly meowed, his voice carrying across the den. Heads turned as the young warrior stood to his paws, eyes steely with determination. "Birdflight is a Clanmate. This is what warriors do."

Approval was murmured into the air as Rabbitleap raised his chin bravely. Mintfur glowered at her rival, and Nettlesplash wondered why, of all cats, did Rabbitleap have to be the one to volunteer?

As Rabbitleap made his way to the front of the den, the guilt inside Nettlesplash's chest seemed to grow more unbearable with every step he took; it was vile and hot, it rose in the back of his throat, spread all the way to his claws, until Nettlesplash felt like roaches had infested every hair on his pelt.

He shot to his paws so suddenly he surprised even himself. "I'll go!"

Every head turned to stare at him in shock. "You want to go?" Rabbitleap echoed, tone thick with disbelief. It was that self-righteous tone that gave Nettlesplash the final shove he needed.

He looked his littermate in the eye and said clearly, "I was supposed to shadow Birdflight wherever she went. If she… escaped my watch, then it's my fault."

"Escaped? For StarClan's sake, Nettlesplash-"

"Great!" Honeyflower cheered. "The more eyes, the better!"

"Not necessarily," Sharpclaw interrupted. "In this weather, too many warriors is a liability. What is Patchfoot supposed to do if one of you get seperated from the patrol? No. The more qualified warrior will join the patrol."

"Then that's me," Rabbitleap meowed as if it were simple. As if Nettlesplash was just a lazy lump of fur who had no goals, no ambitions, who didn't care if a Clanmate lived or died-

"Patchfoot knows I'm the better choice," Nettlesplash argued. "Ask him - I was always the better tracker. You know it too, Sharpclaw."

Patchfoot and Sharpclaw exchanged glances. "Nettlesplash is right," Patchfoot agreed. "Granted he didn't try often, but when he did, Nettlesplash could track a scent through water."

Sharpclaw eyed his former apprentice. "You always did struggle with it…"

The fur along Rabbitleap's spine bristled. "Maybe when we were apprentices," he snapped, face flushed. "I've gotten better, and-"

"We don't have time to sit around and debate it," Waspwhisker interrupted. "Birdflight is out there now, and we don't know if she's found shelter or if she's injured."

"We don't have time to waste," Honeyflower added.

Sharpclaw nodded. "You're right. Rabbitleap, sit down. Nettlesplash, I expect effort from you. Find her."

Nettlesplash didn't realize how badly he needed to be chosen until Sharpclaw nodded at him. At that instant, relief flooded his entire body until it made his bones weak and he wanted to sink into his nest. "Thank you," he exhaled.

Rabbitleap took a step backward, stunned. "But… Sharpclaw, I-"

"A good warrior knows his strengths and weaknesses, Rabbitleap," Sharpclaw said sharply. "I've told you that since you were an apprentice." Nettlesplash didn't feel a prickle of pity as Rabbitleap clamped his jaws shut, and nodded mutely.

"Come on," Patchfoot meowed urgently. "We need to leave."

Nettlesplash nodded, gathering all of his nerves. "Lead the way."

Patchfoot took a moment to compose himself, then leaped boldly into the storm. Waspwhisker followed him a heartbeat later, with Honeyflower and Rockshade right behind him.

Lightning lit up the sky and thunder crashed, and after he sent a silent prayer to StarClan, Nettlesplash walked into the middle of the hurricane.

Question of the Day

What should Creekfeather name the kit?

# Read the AN for more info.

This is the third time I've updated this fic consistently... I don't know where my sudden motivation came from, but pray that it never leaves!

So, silly me, I didn't realize that Rockshade and Honeyflower are half-siblings until the last chapter :) I've already revised this entire fic once and I'm not eager to do it again, so that's why I decided that Clovertail isn't the real mother of Tinycloud, Bouncefire, and Rockshade. By this point it's common knowledge in SkyClan that she isn't their mother, so no one views Rockshade/Honeyflower as legitimate siblings. It would be similar to Cloudtail/Ferncloud starting a relationship.

The title for this one was a pain, but I kinda like it. Up until recently, Nettlesplash has done a good job of smothering his emotions and coming across as very apathetic, but now his walls are crumbling! :D Meanwhile, Creekfeather doesn't even know how to turn his emotions off.

Next chapter: Whatever Birdflight has planned, Nettlesplash is 1483% sure he isn't ready for it. Meanwhile, Rabbitleap and Mintfur try to be nice and it's cringy.

Name That Kitten

Creekfeather is a temporary daddy! I don't have a name picked out for the little kitten yet, so I'm going to let you guys name him! To participate:

- Leave no more than THREE (3) name suggestions in your review.

- I will pick my favorites.

- I will create a profile poll with the finalists and let you guys vote for the winner.

- There is no solid date for the deadline. The contest will close once the next chapter (10) is published. The poll will be posted at that same time.

- The winner will be announced in Chapter 11.

- Protip: I lean towards names with meaning, like Clovertail and Cherrytail described... it's time to see how well you guys know Creekfeather!

- Have Fun!