"Tinycloud, get up!" Tinycloud blinked open her eyes dizzily. "Tinycloud, come on! Thorntail's been injured."

Tinycloud jerked her head up and stood up straight to see Brackenpelt. "Where is he?" she asked without hesitation. She quickly forced the prophecy out of her mind and returned the task set before her.

"He's with Echosong," Brackenpelt explained. "But there's no time to make sure he's okay. Let's go!"

Tinycloud gazed around the camp clearing. A swift wind blew across the gorge, setting a feeling of dreariness throughout the whole of SkyClan. Leafstar was perched atop the Rockpile, with the Clan gathered below her.

The battle had ended.

Oh, StarClan! Tinycloud thought, groaning inwardly. You kept me too long! Now how will I kill Sharpstar? She forced herself not to think of how she was going to kill Sharpstar when he still had all nine lives, but she wasn't about to doubt StarClan's words after all they had said that had been true.

"Cats of SkyClan," Leafstar began. "I know that young Flowerpaw's training has only begun, but with Thorntail's injury, and her undeniable skill for fighting and hunting, I am going to make her a warrior."

Tinycloud glanced at Flowerpaw, who was sitting with her tortoiseshell fur groomed slickly back. She also noticed that she was the only cat who looked healthy compared to the rest of SkyClan. All the other cats, including herself and Leafstar, were damaged and panting. But Flowerpaw looked unhurt and confident.

Leafstar limped down the Rockpile and stood before Flowerpaw, her tail drooping slightly. "I, Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Leafstar looked down at Flowerpaw, and Tinycloud noticed that her yellow eyes were dull and clouded. "Flowerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Flowerpaw smirked lightly, but not enough for Leafstar to notice. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Flowerpaw, from this moment you will be known as Flowerfrost. StarClan honours your strength and fighting skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan."

Tinycloud's ears prickled as her green eyes widened. She realized now what StarClan had meant! Frosted flowers will get in the way, and yet love will see through. Frosted flowers! Flowerfrost! She felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner, but it was too late to worry about that now.

"Flowerfrost! Flowerfrost!"

The tortoiseshell she-cat turned and nodded slickly to the other SkyClan cats. But before she could do anything, Flowerfrost shot a wicked glance at Tinycloud.

Oh, it's on, Flowerfrost, Tinycloud thought, digging her claws into the gorge floor. She narrowed her eyes as the tortoiseshell began padding coolly up to her.

"Hello, Tinycloud," she meowed smoothly.

"Hello, Flowerfrost," Tinycloud meowed with the same amount of smoothness.

"Would you like to go see Thorntail with me?" Flowerfrost offered, turning slightly toward the medicine cat's cave. "After all, you love him just as much as I do."

These words pricked Tinycloud like a bramble thicket. She loved him more than Flowerfrost did! And she was sure that Thorntail loved her, not the tortoiseshell.

But without sounding rude, Tinycloud nodded and meowed, "Of course." The two trotted over to Echosong's cave in silence.

Thorntail was rasping inside, Ivoryclaw and Echosong crouched above him.

"Ivoryclaw, go see how Puddlefoot and her kits are doing," Echosong ordered.

As Ivoryclaw nodded and slipped away, remembrance seeped through Tinycloud's mind. Puddlefoot! She was bearing kits just moments before. Was it possible that they had been born in SkyClan while she was sleeping?

"Hello Tinycloud, Flower…"

"Flowerfrost," Flowerfrost mewed.

Echosong nodded. "Flowerfrost. Congratulations." Flowerfrost nodded. "You're just in time," Echosong added. "I was just about to give him some poppy seeds. You can see him for a moment, but then you'll have to go."

"Tinycloud?" Thorntail croaked.

Tinycloud caught a glimpse of Flowerfrost's jealous expression before crouching down to touch noses with Thorntail. "How are you?" she asked.

Thorntail chuckled gently. "Echosong says I've broken my shoulder," he explained. "And it hurts."

Tinycloud quickly drew her tongue over Thorntail's ears. "I'm sure Echosong will stop the pain."

Flowerfrost knelt down. "Is there anything we can do?" she asked, concern layering her mew.

Thorntail purred softly. "My Flowerpaw…" he rasped. Tinycloud felt a stab of envy at the prefix. "You're all grown up."

Flowerfrost purred with him. "I wasn't training with you for long," she meowed. "My name is Flowerfrost."

"So I've heard," Thorntail meowed. He turned slightly to Tinycloud. "Will you stay with me tonight? Here in Echosong's cave?"

Tinycloud nodded eagerly. "Of course."

Flowerfrost shifted uncomfortably. "Would you like me to stay as well?" she asked anxiously.

Thorntail chuckled. "I'm sure one cat will be enough."

The disappointment and anger showing clearly in her eyes, Flowerfrost scowled and turned away, leaving the cave.

"She'll never understand," Thorntail chuckled.

Tinycloud nodded and sat down beside him. She rasped her tongue over his battered fur for a long moment until she heard a tiny mewl from the other side of the cave.

"Do you mind if I…?"

"No, go ahead," Thorntail meowed. "I won't be going anywhere."

Tinycloud got to her paws and padded quietly to the back of the cave. She blinked her eyes tightly until they got used to the darkness. Ivoryclaw cast a warning glance at her for her to keep silent.

As Tinycloud crept forward lightly, she saw the blue-grey form of Puddlefoot's sleeping body in a mossy nest, three tiny kits snoozing around her belly. One of them was just opening its eyes, a silver she-kit with lovely pale green eyes.

"Puddlefoot quickly named them before I gave her some poppy seeds," Ivoryclaw whispered. "The silver one is called Featherkit."

Tinycloud bent down and blinked at the tiny kit, mewling crazily. "I think she's hungry," she whispered.

Ivoryclaw nodded. "Yes," she murmured, "but her mother's sleeping. She'll have to wait until Puddlefoot's awake to eat."

Tinycloud stared at Featherkit for a few moments. She couldn't help feeling sorry for the little she-kit. She looked desperate for milk, but couldn't get any. "You're just going to leave her to mewl the whole night long?"

Ivoryclaw sighed. "That's the only thing I can do. Echosong told me not to wake Puddlefoot at any cost. Her kits will have to wait."

"What are the others called?" Tinycloud asked quietly.

"The tom that looks almost exactly like her is called Riverkit, while the dark grey she-kit with a white belly is called Rushingkit."

"Beautiful names," Tinycloud remarked. She gazed at Featherkit for a moment longer before turning to return to Thorntail's side.

Bright sunlight streamed through the cave, causing Tinycloud to shield her eyes as she peeked them open. She knew that newleaf was approaching, as the sun grew stronger and brighter every day.

Thorntail was sleeping soundlessly beside her, his chest lightly rising and falling. But the sunlight wasn't the only thing that woke Tinycloud. She turned to hear multiple kits mewling in hunger.

"Hush, you three!" came the exasperated meow of Puddlefoot. "Just hang on."

Tinycloud left Thorntail's side and padded silently to where Echosong, Puddlefoot, and her kits were seated. Puddlefoot was brushing her pink tongue over each of her kits while Echosong looked on, no emotions playing on her face.

"Good morning," Tinycloud mewed cheerily to the cats.

Echosong turned to look at her. "More like good sunhigh."

Tinycloud started in surprise. "It's already sunhigh?" she gasped. "Have I been sleeping for that long?"

Puddlefoot chuckled lightly. "Yes, but no cat wanted to wake you. You and that deputy of yours look so cute together."

Tinycloud saw Echosong cast a sharp glance at the GroundClan queen and remembered that she was from a rival Clan—an enemy Clan. But the cheerfulness in Puddlefoot's mew couldn't sway Tinycloud into believing that she was any harm.

"How are your kits?" Tinycloud asked the grey tabby queen.

Puddlefoot collapsed onto her side and let her kits begin suckling hungrily. "They're perfectly fine," she meowed warmly, closing her eyes as the watery sunlight shined on her blue-grey tabby fur. "I've very pleased."

Tinycloud nodded. "That's good," she purred. "At least some cat is happy."

Echosong cast her a long glare.

With a slight laugh, Tinycloud meowed, "I hope you get along well with you kits, Puddlefoot," and trotted out of the medicine cat's den.

The sunlight shone brightly on the gorge floor, but all the warmth and happiness war jerked almost immediately from Tinycloud's heart as she remembered back to her encounter with Rainfur the night before. He had told her kill Sharpstar! How was she supposed to do that? It seemed almost impossible giving the conditions.

She was also reminded of Flowerfrost's warrior ceremony after such a short training period, and how she had looked uninjured compared to the rest of the Clan. She saw the beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat trotting merrily down the rocky path of the gorge wall.

Realization struck Tinycloud like a chord. Quickly, she sprinted up to where Flowerfrost was picking out a shrew.

"How'd it go last night?" she asked the tortoiseshell warrior.

Flowerfrost blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Did Sharpstar come back to raid the camp?" Tinycloud asked, pretending Flowerfrost knew what she'd done. "I bet he had no idea Leafstar would appoint a new warrior last night."

"Well how should I know?" Flowerfrost snapped. "I was sleeping like the…rest…of you…" The new warrior's voice faded as she finished the sentence, realization replacing the sharpness of her tone.

Tinycloud nodded smugly. "I bet Leafstar would like to know."

Flowerfrost's eyes widened as Tinycloud trotted away soundlessly toward the leader's cave. When she got there, she clawed the cave entrance loudly, SkyClan's new signal that a cat was waiting outside.

"Come in," Leafstar called.

Without hesitation, Tinycloud padded smoothly into the small, cosy cave. With a slight shock, she realized that she had never been inside the leader's cave before. The floor was sandy, unlike the rest of the gorge, while the walls were an amber colour. Leafstar was settled into her mossy nest, an eaten thrush set beside her.

"Hello, Tinycloud," Leafstar meowed warmly. "I suppose you were wondering why I'm in here."

Tinycloud nodded. She did want to know why Leafstar was in her cave.

"As you probably know, I lost another life last night," Leafstar explained. Echosong received a dream from StarClan last night from Skywatcher. He said that it wasn't healthy for a leader to lose too many lives at the same time. Therefore, Echosong being the one to worry, told me to rest as much as possible today."

Tinycloud chuckled. That was very much like Echosong. "I was concerned, Leafstar, but that's not entirely why I came to see you."

Leafstar nodded, but Tinycloud realized something vital. If she told Leafstar of Flowerfrost's lack of understanding the warrior code, she could only imagine how the she-cat would get her back. It would probably only result in a harsher relationship between them, and that was last thing Tinycloud wanted. She opened her mouth to tell her leader that she had forgotten what she was going to say when Bouncestep came rushing into the cave.

"Leafstar!" he panted. "Flowerfrost broke the warrior code!"

Both Tinycloud and Leafstar blinked at the ginger warrior. "Whatever do you mean?" Leafstar asked.

"She didn't stay up last night to guard the camp," Bouncestep explained. "She was sleeping in the warriors' cave."

Leafstar's surprised expression faded as she chuckled lightly. "Every cat was exhausted last night. I'm sure StarClan will forgive her."

Tinycloud blinked in awe at her leader. Breaking the warrior code usually resulted in punishment. Why was Leafstar being so lenient?

Bouncestep nodded. "Very well, Leafstar," he meowed and left the cave.

Leafstar turned to Tinycloud. "What is you wanted?" she questioned.

Tinycloud shook her head. "I forgot," she lied and turned to pad out of the cave, tail drooping with confusion and wonder. Was StarClan right to chose Leafstar as SkyClan's leader after all if she was going to chuck the warrior code away so often?

But Tinycloud forced the thoughts out of her mind. Leafstar had been her leader for a whole season now. Surely she wasn't going to doubt her now.


A/N: I hope this chapter will answer a few questions. If not, reviews are always welcome...:D

Wow, I've already come up with an idea for a sequel. What do you say? Should there be a sequel or not?? ;D