Bluestorm relaxed slightly. "This is Leo." She told Fireheart. "He's not usually welcome 'round these parts because of his father's actions."
"What did your father do?"
"I think it was something along the lines of him managing to steal the wrong prey from the wrong creature."
"Yeah." Thunderflower came towards them. "That badger wasn't one to be trifled with." She flicked her tail.
"Well, you're alright to stay here. I don't know what the other cats around here think, but we won't kick you out because of your father."
The leaves in the medicine den rustled and Cinderpaw squeezed out of the den. Leo looked shocked, his claws curving out.
"What have you done to my daughter?"
"Pa!" Cinderpaw yelled, hobbling toward him. Leo snarled at the assembled group.
"What did they do to you?" Leo asked.
"Nothing. This was a monster."
"Didn't your mother and I teach you better than to run onto those Thunderpaths?"
"I didn't see the climbing points. There was a dog chasing me!"
"A dog?" Leo asked.
"Yes." Fireheart interjected. "We were lucky it was scared off by the monster. She got crippled, but it could have been much worse."
"Here. Bluestorm, can you fetch Thornpaw? I'll get Brackenpaw, he should be almost finished with cleaning out your bedding by now."
"Great!" Thunderflower exclaimed. "I can get it out myself. I know this'll be important to him."
Fireheart, meanwhile, moved to the apprentices' den, where he prodded Brightpaw.
"Huh? Is it dawn already?"
"No, but there's someone here I've got a feeling you'll want to see."
"Can it wait till dawn?"
"No." Fireheart gave her a shove towards the exit.
"Alright, alright." She mumbled, staggering towards the exit. A heartbeat later Fireheart heard an excited yowl.
"Thank you." Leo told them as they returned, eyes brimming with moisture. Brackenpaw and Thornpaw pelted down the slope, colliding with Leo.
After a while he emerged from the tangle. "Frost was taken. I can usually only visit some moons. Well, I came to visit and saw that she was trapped in a horrible Twoleg den. She's gotten skinnier each time I visit and it's only getting worse. I'll only trouble you for as long as it takes to get her out and then I'll leave again."
"You don't have to leave for your father's actions." Fireheart interrupted.
"Frost and I have gotten on fine in the past." There was a sad edge to his mew. "We'll get on fine again."
"Alright, if you're sure." Sandstorm told him. Cloudpaw, woken by the commotion, came down the slope.
"Fireheart, what's going on?"
Brightpaw hastily explained to him and he hung his head. "But - Brightpaw, I don't want you to leave!"
Sadness shimmered in Brightpaw's eyes as she touched her muzzle to his.
"Alright." Cloudpaw told her. "I-if you want to leave then I won't stop you."
Brightpaw whispered something – Fireheart strained to make out the words "don't want to".
Fireheart took a deep breath. "Alright. We'll take the rest of this night to rest and then we'll -"
Silverstream burst out of the nursery. "My kits! They're not in the nest!"
All else was forgotten.
"I told them to sleep, but they had to go exploring!"
"Alright, Sandstorm, you take the gorge. Graystripe, left forest. Ravenflight – waterf-"
Cloudpaw had raced off to the right of the gorge suddenly. Fireheart raced to keep up with his apprentice; he didn't need three young cats lost. Finally, Cloudpaw's scent led him to a clearing, and the sound of bodies colliding could be heard.
"What were you thinking?" Cloudpaw spat, bristling. "You should know better than to eat random berries in the woods!"
Fireheart pushed his way through the bushes, where sticky red juice stained the kits' paws and Cloudpaw's flank.
"I found these idiots about to eat deathberries!"
"Don't be too hard on them. You did the same yourself, as I recall."
"They could have been killed!"
The two kits trembled. "Really?" Stormkit asked.
"Really. You must never, ever touch those again. They can kill a cat easily." Fireheart responded.
"We're sorry." Featherkit said. "We just wanted an adventure, and then we got hungry-"
"There's a reason you kits aren't allowed out of camp and this is it. Without a mentor with you, you may run into something you can't handle."
"Alright." They nodded in unison.
"Cloudpaw, well done. If you could carry a kit; I'll take the other. Once you've cleaned the juice off yourself, I think it may be time for your warrior ceremony."
Cloudpaw's eyes lost some of their worry and sadness as he picked up Stormkit. Fireheart took Featherkit into his jaws and headed back to the gorge. Once there, Silverstream gave a trill of delight. "You found them! Wait – what is that on their fur?"
"These idiotic furballs nearly had deathberries." Cloudtail mumbled through Stormkit's scruff.
"Brackenpaw, would you be so kind as to fetch Graystripe? And Brightpaw, can you please fetch Ravenflight?"
The two youths nodded and headed for their assigned locations. Fireheart placed Featherkit into the cool water, hearing her squeak and squirm. "It's cold!"
"You should have thought of that before you ran off, hmm?" Finally, the red disappeared from her coat and washed downstream. He placed her on the bank, where she shivered. She was quickly joined by her brother, both of whom Fireheart carried to Silverstream.
"You're not leaving the nursery tomorrow. Both of you."
"Aww, but - "
"No buts, Stormkit!"
"Alright." Stormkit told his mother before padding into the nest and gaping his jaws in a yawn.
"And you, Featherkit."
Said kit lay beside her brother; a heartbeat later there was soft breathing coming from the nursery.
Cloudpaw emerged from the water, eyes glowing. Fireheart nodded to his apprentice.
"Silverstream, you may want to watch this." He whispered. She nodded and moved away from the kits stealthily.
He bounded onto the rock; Leo watched with interest as he summoned the Clan.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!"
The clan gathered; Featherkit and Stormkit did not appear. Graystripe, Brightpaw, Brackenpaw and Ravenflight raced to the rockpile; relief shone in both warriors' eyes.
"We have two ceremonies to perform tonight. Cinderpaw, you have been mentored well by Bluestorm, but you are walking the path of a medicine cat now so unfortunately, she is unable to mentor you. I call upon StarClan to guide you into the role of a medicine cat."
"Cinderpaw!" The assembled cats called, Bluestorm's voice tinged with sadness but not shock. Fireheart guessed that Cinderpaw must have broken the news to her.
"Secondly, Cloudpaw, please step forward." Cloudpaw, white coat groomed to perfection with a hint of shine from the river, sat at the base of the rock.
"I, Fireheart, future leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."
"Wait!" Cloudpaw burst out. "I don't want to be a warrior if Brightpaw can't be one."
"Mouse-brain." Brightpaw purred. "I haven't gotten as much training as you. And I can wait for the time it takes until I'm a warrior."
"If you're sure..."
"I am."
Fireheart resumed. "Cloudpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do." Cloudpaw solemnly said, glancing at Brightpaw again.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Cloudpaw, from this day on you will be known as Cloudtail. StarClan honors your courage and enterprise and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." He leapt down, pressing his muzzle to Cloudtail's while Cloudtail licked his shoulder. He stepped back to allow the Clan to congratulate him.
"Cloudtail!" Brightpaw yowled, pressing her cheek to his.
"Cloudtail! Cloudtail!" The cry was taken up by each of his Clanmates until it filled the gorge.
"It's almost dawn. Your vigil shall be tomorrow night."
"Great, I'm exhausted." Cloudtail stretched, making his way to the apprentices' den out of muscle memory. He came out with moss in his mouth and carried it to the edge of the warriors' den.
"Fireheart..." Brightpaw approached him. "Even if Father decides to leave, I'm staying."
"And Cloudtail has something to do with it?"
"Do I have a chance with him?"
"Brightpaw, he's crazy for you." Brightpaw's tail curled up in delight and she raced into the apprentices' den.
"She seems smitten." Leo said, approaching from behind.
"Oh, they both are."
"Am I to guess that she's staying?"
"You guessed right. Now come on, we'll get you a nest for the night."