So... I skipped over a few moons because honestly, there's nothing important besides the aftermath of the battle... but I suppose you could say that there is some aftermath in this...
Snowkit, Amberkit, and Dewkit get their apprentice names in this chapter! I got so many suggestions for who their mentors are, and people have already started recommending mentors for the CinderxLion kitties (If you peoples cousd continue doing so, I'd really appreciate it...)! Thank you peoples! A LOT of people wanted Whitewing to mentor Snowkit, but have you forgotten what Bramblestar told Lionblaze when he had gotten the looks of jealousy from the younger warriors? So Snowkit's is rather obvious... you may be suprised at Dewkit's mentor, but not as suprised with Amberkit's...
Disclaimer (I haven't done one in a while!): I don't own Warriors (Sob, sob)
"Snowkit, from this moment on, you will be known as Snowpaw. Icecloud will be your mentor. Icecloud, you are a good, smart warrior, and Snowpaw will have much to learn from you."
Dovewing watched Icecloud step up to Snowpaw and touch the young tom's nose. Three moons had passed since the battle, and ThunderClan was as strong as ever. She looked at Snowpaw as he stepped back with Icecloud.
"Amberkit, from this moment on, you will be known as Amberpaw. Blossomfall will be your mentor. Blossomfall, you are a courageous, skilled warrior. Pass on these qualities to Amberpaw."
Dovewing sighed and looked at Blossomfall as the young warrior touched noses with her new apprentice. She held her breath and looked up at Bramblestar, remembering what Dewkit had told her, about four moons ago. She liked the young tom, and would like to be his mentor.
"...Will be his mentor. Dovewing, you are a wise and skilled warrior with exceptional hunting skills. Pass on these qualities to Dewpaw."
Dovewing stood there, shocked.
Ivypool nudged her. "Go on, get your apprentice!"
Dovewing's heart soared as she stepped up to touch noses with her new apprentice.
"Snowpaw! Amberpaw! Dewpaw!" the Clan cheered. Bramblestar dipped his head. "This meeting is over."
Dewpaw ran rings around Dovewing. "What are we doing first? Huh? Can we explore the territory? Can you teach me how to fight? How to hunt? What's the best type of prey to catch? What's the best battle move?"
"Relax!" She had been a mentor for barely five seconds, yet Dewpaw was already making her stressed. "Go to the apprentices den and greet your new denmates. Then we'll go collect moss for your new nest, if someone hasn't already made one for you."
"Okay!" Dewpaw charged off.
Ivypool purred. "You'll have your paws full for the next few moons!"
Dovewing blinked anxiously at her sister. "You'll help me, right?"
Ivypool buried her nose comfortingly in Dovewing's shoulder. "Of course."
"I'm sorry Bramblestar didn't make you a mentor."
"I don't mind. Besides, Bramblestar matches up warriors and kits because they seem right for each other. I don't really think I was right for any of Brightheart's kits. But I'll probably get one of Cinderheart's kits when the time comes." Ivypool shrugged.
Dovewing nodded. "I suppose."
"Oh, Thistlekit, relax! You still have your littermates!"
Dovewing and Ivypool turned and saw Cinderheart's kits playing in front of the nursery.
"But Cinderheart, whenever I fight them, I beat them! I want a challenge!" Thistlekit whined.
Hollykit's eyes gleamed. "You want a challenge?" she growled.
Thistlekit groaned. "You are not a challenging opponent!"
"We'll see about that!" Hollykit leaped on her brother and pinned him down and then tickled his ribs.
Cinderheart snorted. "There's your challenge."
Thistlekit squirmed under his sister. "Aw, Hollykit, that tickles! Stop, stop!" he begged.
Sunnykit appeared next to them. "Yay, Hollykit!"
Thistlekit stopped squirming. "I'm doing this to see what it feels like to lose to my littermates," he muttered.
"Try to win!" Hollykit challenged.
"Nah, I don't want to."
"You're lying! You can't beat Hollykit!" Sunnykit squealed.
Blazekit trotted over. "I'm hungry," he complained.
Hollykit leaped off of Thistlekit. "You're always hungry. You're going to be like Graystripe the Pigeon any day now!"
Blazekit ignored his sister. Dovewing admired his self-control. When she was a kit, and if any of her denmates said that to her, she'd have been on top of them in seconds. "Can I get something from the fresh-kill pile?"
"You may," Cinderheart meowed. "But nothing too big! If you get something too big, you'll be sharing it!"
"He'll be sharing it anyways!" announced Thistlekit. "I'm hungry too!"
"Me too!" Hollykit squeaked.
"And me!" Featherkit mewed.
"Same!" squealed Sunnykit.
"Then all of you can go with Blazekit and decide on a meal." Cinderheart told them.
"Okay!" Hollykit yelped, and led her littermates to the fresh-kill pile.
"All right, I'm back!" Dewpaw bounded back over to Dovewing and Ivypool, Mosspaw at his heels. "I have a nest!"
"Made of my moss," Mosspaw pointed out.
Dewpaw purred. "And I've already thanked you about ten times already!"
"Can I come with you if you're going to show Dewpaw the territory?" Mosspaw pleaded, looking up at Dovewing with wide green eyes. "Please?"
"I don't see why not," Dustpelt padded up just in time to hear her ask. "I'll come with you."
"Yes, please." Dovewing glanced at the young cats, who were now chasing each other around the clearing.
"Relax!" yowled Dustpelt.
Mosspaw rolled her eyes, but bounded back over to them, Dewpaw following. "Why?"
"Oh, I don't know, you have been an apprentice for more than three moons, yet you still have the self-control of a kit!" Dustpelt scoffed.
Dovewing glanced at the fresh-kill pile, where Blazekit was sorting through the prey, while his littermates argued over who got the plump mouse that was there. "Even kits have more self-control than her," she whispered to Dustpelt.
The senior warrior followed her gaze. "I suppose," he admitted.
"Can we go now?" Dewpaw begged.
"We were waiting for you!" Dovewing meowed happily.
Icecloud bounded up to them. "If you're showing Dewpaw the territory, could I come with you? Blossomfall's already left with Bumblestripe and his apprentice, and Bramblestar and Squirrelflight still don't trust ShadowClan, although the battle was a while ago. Apparently, they are sniffing around the border. Again," she groaned.
"Sure," Dovewing meowed.
Dewpaw purred. "Can we go to the ShadowClan border first?" he begged.
"I don't see why not," Dustpelt shared a glance with the other mentors.
Dovewing shrugged. "Sure."
With the apprentices at the lead, they bounded out of camp. Snowpaw and Dewpaw gazed at the forest in awe.
"Wow." breathed Snowpaw.
"So many trees!" Dewpaw gaped in surprise.
"Let's go to the border," Dustpelt meowed.
Dewpaw gave a yowl of excitement. "Yes, lets!"
The mentors led the way now.
They reached the ShadowClan border. Dustpelt tasted the air, and then he stiffened. "They wouldn't dare," he growled.
Dovewing tasted the air. ShadowClan had taken the twoleg clearing!
"How dare they!" screeched Icecloud.
Dewpaw cocked his head. "What?"
"Remember the battle, three moons ago?" Dovewing meowed.
"Yes."
"Well, it was for territory. ShadowClan had lost, but now they stole it!" Dustpelt bristled.
"We need to go back to camp and report this to Bramblestar. I'm sorry, Dewpaw, I'm going to have to show you the rest of the territory some other time. This needs to be dealt with immediately," Dovewing meowed.
Dewpaw didn't answer, but his eyes glittered with excitement. They raced back to camp. Dustpelt, Icecloud, and Dovewing ran over to Bramblestar, who sat beside Squirrelflight, listening to Bumblestripe and Blossomfall tell something to them. "ShadowClan has taken our territory!" Icecloud burst out.
Bramblestar nodded. "Bumblestripe and Blossomfall say the same thing."
"What are we going to do about it?" Dustpelt demanded.
"Well, we aren't going into their camp to sensibly talk about it, because I don't think we will be invited there. So the only thing we can do is send a strong patrol to replace the markers, and then have guards, who will challenge the ShadowClan patrols when they come to patrol."
"Do we really need more fighting over such a prey-poor piece of territory?" asked Dovewing.
"You remember Ivypool's dream!" Dustpelt nudged her.
Ivypool padded over. She looked at Bramblestar. "I'm sorry, but I eavesdropped. I heard everything of your conversation. There's no need for more blood to be shed over the clearing. The Dark Forest had come to me in a dream and told me that ShadowClan was trying to take over us. But they weren't." her voice shook, but she went on. "They wanted to see blood spilled. They lied. There is no need for us to take the clearing back."
The cats stared at her in surprise.
Ivypool's eyes widened. "I'm going to be punished now, aren't I?"
Silence.
Ivypool's tail drooped. "What is it?"
More silence.
Ivypool bowed her head. "I'm going to be exiled now, aren't I?"
The whole Clan was staring at Ivypool. They had heard everything.
"Stop staring!" Ivypool burst out. "I made a mistake that cost lives! I know! But that doesn't mean you can stare at me like I'm a squirrel that just strutted into camp speaking cat tongue!"
Anxious murmurs filled the hollow.
"Oh, great StarClan." Ivypool growled, and stormed towards the camp's entrance.
Bramblestar and Dovewing chased after her. "No, wait! Come back!" they cried in unison.
Ivypool stopped and glared at them. "What?"
Bramblestar dipped his head. "Thank you, Ivypool. They tricked you, and we've known that for moons. You will not be punished, you will be honored. Although you caused deaths, you saved lives. We may not be talking if it wasn't for you."
"So..." Ivypool's voice quivered.
"You're not going to be punished, and we will not fight for the clearing. We will let them have it, and we will tell them that at the Gathering tonight."
Silence from the whole Clan. The there was a yowl. "Ivypool!"
Slowly, the single yowl turned into a chant. "Ivypool! Ivypool! Ivypool!"
So... who was suprised that Dovewing got Dewpaw? I just felt like after Dewkit told Dovewing that he wanted to be her apprentice, I couldn't pass that by. Besides, why can't Dovewing get an apprentice when Graystripe betrayed the Clan for Silverstream, yet he became deputy?