Despite her concerns, the cats in the Clan managed to hunt enough prey to keep the whole Clan reasonably well fed throughout Leaf-bare, even though the Medicine Cats had to give out travelling herbs at the height of Leaf-bare. However, the Warrior life had become too much for Rosenose and Darkfall, particularly after the death of Littlefire, so they retired.
Over the coming moons, Palepaw continued to grow and grow in confidence and skill. She knew that he was due his full name. Watersplash had pointed it out to her repeatedly. But she was scared of what came after.
However, when the Medicine Cat and her Apprentice were out in the territory herb hunting, Palepaw spoke up.
"Vixensong, can I ask you something that may make you angry?" Palepaw asked, looking extremely tense.
Vixensong growled internally, annoyed at the way he spoke to her, but gave him a curt nod as her reply.
"I was wondering if I was ready for my full name yet...?" Palepaw asked, wincing slightly as she opened her jaws, but looking confused when she closed them again.
The calico had to look away so that he didn't see her conflicted expression.
What can I tell him?
"Do I know enough about herbs?" He questioned.
Vixensong had to admit that he did. His knowledge was greater than hers.
"Do I have enough experience?" He asked again.
The calico took the opportunity, shaking her head to her Apprentice, although she felt extremely guilty when he visibly sagged.
"Do I need much more?" He asked, smiling a little when she shook her head. "Thank you."
Vixensong nodded, taking some comfrey root from the shore with him and taking it back to Camp, letting him go to see the Elders while she sorted the herbs. He may have felt better, but she only felt more guilty as she added the comfrey root to the pile.
As she left her Den, she saw Cherryfang and Yellowclaw return with their new Apprentices, Heatherblaze's kits, carrying fresh kill. She remembered when they helped Heatherblaze have them, her stomach starting to twist.
Was that really six moons ago?
She vacantly watched the group of she cats put the prey on the pile, seeing Palepaw talking to his littermate, now named Darkstorm. She remembered when Dewkit hid in the Apprentice's Den during the greencough outbreak and she had been able to spend time with her own littermates just as an Apprentice.
Overwhelmed, she turned around and went straight to her nest in the alcove, sitting and trying to recollect herself and her thoughts. Palepaw looked so disappointed when she said no.
She shook her head, getting the bees out her brain. She had to give him his name. She couldn't be afraid of what was ahead.
Taking a deep breath in and out, she padded out the Den, going to see Whiteblossom and Woollyfur, who were laid with the Elders. For a moment, she saw the two of them as Elders aswell.
That night, as the cats went to the Gathering, Vixensong barely paid any attention to anything going on, putting on a face of normality as they arrived on the Island, going to join Swallowfang and Lionleaf while they waited for ShadowClan to arrive.
As they approached, it was painfully clear that Lionleaf wasn't as cheery as usual. She looked upset and exhausted.
"What's wrong?" Palepaw asked as the WindClan cats sat down.
"Newtdapple is getting sick." The gold she cat replied. "None of my herbs are helping her."
Palepaw touched his tail tip to her shoulder as Vixensong shared a shocked glance with Swallowfang, memories flooding back of the kind she cat.
"She's strong, Lionleaf. Just like you. She'll pull through." Palepaw told the RiverClan cat, who smiled gratefully back to him, though Vixensong could tell she wasn't convinced.
"Where's Newtdapple?" Mothspots strode up, looking mildly concerned.
"Sick." Swallowfang gently answered.
"Very sick." Lionleaf corrected, making the calico wince at her tone.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Mothspots asked.
"I don't think so, but thank you." Lionleaf looked away.
"Would she mind us visiting her before our next meeting?" Swallowfang suggested.
Lionleaf looked back up, smiling at her fellow Medicine Cats.
"I think she would love it." She replied, purring as Silverstar called the start of the Gathering.
Vixensong didn't pay attention to what the Leaders were saying, not that they reported anything out of the ordinary for a Gathering. The announcements of new Warriors and Apprentices made the Medicine Cat anxious, however, the news of Newtdapple pushed out of her mind for a while.
When the Gathering was finished, Palepaw and Vixensong rapidly caught up to their Leader.
"Silverstar, Newtdapple is sick. Very sick. Lionleaf has said it would make her feel better if the other Medicine Cats visited her." The cream tom explained.
"The two of you want to go to RiverClan?" Silverstar slowly asked, looking between the two cats.
"Yes." Palepaw mewed as Vixensong nodded.
"When?"
"As soon as we reasonably can in the morning."
"Both of you?"
"Yes."
"I'll never understand Medicine Cats." Silverstar sighed. "Does Reedstar know you'll be coming?"
"Lionleaf would have said something on their way back to RiverClan."
"Well, because you're Medicine Cats, you can go. But please don't stay out too long. Remember you have a Clan to take care of."
Vixensong huffed internally as Silverstar strode away arrogantly, but Palepaw sighed in relief.
"I thought she was going to say no for a moment." He grinned to his mentor as they finally arrived back at Camp.
Vixensong smiled a hollow smile, heading to her nest and quickly curling up to sleep.
Not long after the dawn patrol had left, Vixensong and Palepaw were finishing their travelling herbs and leaving Camp for RiverClan.
She could tell that Palepaw didn't want to say anything incase he disturbed her from her thoughts.
Even when they met a RiverClan patrol, the Medicine Cat was so deep in her own thoughts that she barely recognised that they had arrived at their Camp.
Leaving Palepaw to deal with Reedstar, Fallowwhisker and the other RiverClan cats, she quickly made her way into the Medicine Cats' Den, finding Lionleaf sat beside Newtdapple, who, while she did look sick, she didn't look anywhere near as sick as Lionleaf made her out to be at the Gathering.
Newtdapple ate some feverfew as Lionleaf looked up, seeing Vixensong stood in the entrance and smiled in delight.
"Vixensong! You came!" She mewed, purring. "Did Palepaw come too?"
The calico nodded, pointing out into Camp where Palepaw was talking to Reedstar.
"Someone needs to do the checks, Lionleaf." Newtdapple mewed, starting to stand up, but was firmly pushed back down again by her Apprentice.
"I can do it, Newtdapple. You need to rest."
Newtdapple nodded with a small chuckle as Lionleaf took some herbs and went out into Camp.
Vixensong went to sit next to the kind old she cat, remembering just how accepting she had been of her when she was a new Apprentice.
She became aware that Newtdapple was staring at her, so the calico gave her a questioning look.
"You have his eyes." She stated.
Vixensong looked puzzled. She didn't have Woollyfur's eyes. She didn't have either of parents' eyes. Neither did Doepounce or Nighttail.
"He's so proud of you." She added, smiling an old, wise smile.
She must be delirious. Vixensong thought. Lionleaf has her father's eyes.
She got up and went to the RiverClan herb store, picking out some borage and a poppy seed for the old Medicine Cat just as Lionleaf returned with Palepaw.
"She thinks I'm delirious." Newtdapple mewed before her Apprentice could ask what was happening.
She saw Lionleaf open and close her jaws, but it was clear from her expression that she agreed with Vixensong.
"However, I will have that poppy seed." Newtdapple added, but Lionleaf shook her head.
"You've just woken up." Lionleaf argued. "I think some lavender would probably help you more."
As Newtdapple laid in her nest, inhaling the lavender, it occurred to Vixensong that Newtdapple might not be around much longer. Her mind clouded as Lionleaf and Palepaw talked quietly nearby. She didn't want to have the RiverClan cat missing from Palepaw's ceremony. She had to give him his name at the next meeting.
Her thoughts were broken as Mothspots arrived, which Vixensong used as an excuse for the WindClan cats to leave.
When they returned to Camp, she allowed Palepaw to go back to sleep while she went to see the Elders.
However, she didn't get very far before Silverstar intercepted her, taking the Medicine Cat to her Den.
"Is Palepaw ready for his full name yet?" She asked, seeming surprised when she nodded. "What will his name be?"
Vixensong turned her head to lick her fur.
"Palefur?"
Vixensong shook her head, repeating the motion.
"Palepelt?"
Vixensong nodded this time and Silverstar purred in delight.
"That's wonderful news! The Clan will be stronger with two Medicine Cats." She purred. "How is Newtdapple?"
Vixensong shrugged and quickly excused herself before Silverstar could distract her anymore.
The Moonpool meeting came and Palepaw seemed none the wiser as to what was going to happen.
Thankfully, Newtdapple had made it to the meeting and arrived with Lionleaf not long after they did.
She lead them down into the hollow with a little urgency, partially due to her own excitement, getting the Medicine Cats to start their dreams.
Vixensong couldn't help grinning as the other Medicine Cats woke up in their shared dream, confused and looking to her for answers.
"Don't worry, she's just excited. It's not every sunrise your Apprentice gets their full name." Watersplash mewed as he padded up.
The other Medicine Cats nodded in collective realisation, while Palepaw turned to Vixensong with wide, shocked but joyful eyes.
"I thought you said I wasn't ready?" Palepaw mewed.
Vixensong looked guilty, shaking her head, but smiled again when Palepaw put his head against hers, purring loudly.
"I'll take the best care of the Clan that I can." He vowed to her, quiet enough so that only she heard him.
Stepping back, she joined Watersplash and the other cats in their arc as their mentor started the ceremony.
"I call upon StarClan to look upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of a Medicine Cat and, with our help, he will serve his Clan for many moons. Palepaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a Medicine Cat, standing apart from Clan rivalry and protecting all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"
"I promise." Palepaw replied, his eyes still wide, but now they shone with joy alone.
"Then, by the powers of StarClan and on behalf of Vixensong, I give you your true name. Palepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Palepelt. StarClan honours your compassion and enthusiasm, and we welcome you as a full Medicine Cat of WindClan."
As the other Medicine Cats chanted his name, Palepelt went first to Watersplash and then to Vixensong, his mentors resting their muzzle on his head as he licked their shoulders in turn, making the calico beam as he couldn't stop purring.
The Medicine Cats separated for their dreams, Vixensong leaving Palepelt with Watersplash once more, meeting Ryeflower who had the same unnerving expression as she did when the calico first brought Palepelt as her Apprentice.
The day after getting his name, Palepelt still seemed to be running on joy alone, a spring in his step as he went to see the Elders, which kept Vixensong's mood high too. Even the whole Clan seemed happy.
She saw Brownfoot and Mistspeckle enter the Nursery and her mood got even brighter. She knew that the grey she cat was having kits. However, she saw Silverstar watching with a completely flat expression, which Vixensong put down to worry.
That evening, Silverstar called a Clan meeting.
"Is she announcing Mistspeckle's pregnancy?" Palepelt wondered aloud, echoing the Medicine Cat's thoughts.
However, as soon as the calico saw the Leader on Tallrock, her heart stopped for a moment from the pure ice in her gaze.
"What is she so angry about?" Cats murmured as the two Medicine Cats joined the crowd, but were silenced by Silverstar's rage filled yowl.
"Vixensong!"
Her paws trembling and the murmur between the other cats starting up again, the calico made her way in front of the crowd and to the base of Tallrock.
Silverstar seemed to be shaking now from her anger.
"You murdered Stagstar!"