One moon later, Crowsky's POV

"Tigerflower, Ravensong," Streamstar nodded to the two she-cats. "Please bring your kits forward."

I watched as Coaldapple puffed his chest beside his leader as he watched his two daughters step forward. Tigerflower purred as she licked their kits, bringing a warm stirring into my heart. In the time we'd been here, all my heart has felt is the stillness of an untouched pool in the dark, barely any twinges of fear stirred inside over the past moon. I watched as Ravensong bounced around her three kits, keeping up with their mother's energy. Klaus smirked as he stood beside his mate, glancing at Streamstar and Coaldapple.

"Emberkit, you are now Emberpaw," Streamstar glanced over at Summer. "Summer, I trust that your mentoring skills are just as good as your mothering ones. Perhaps even better."

"Thank you, Streamstar," Summer purred. "I won't let you down."

"Flamekit, you are now Flamepaw," Streamstar turned to Emberpaw's sister. "Tidepool, I will be giving you your first apprentice alongside your mother. Mentor her well."

"Yes!" Tidepool jumped, before glancing over at Auroradawn. "Can you believe it? My first apprentice!"

Auroradawn nodded, staring at the ground. My heart sunk, remembering waking up in the night to her sobs all those sunrises ago. I asked her what was wrong, and she wouldn't say anything, only shaking into my shoulder as she sobbed. It was only every few sunrises that I would see her pick anything from the fresh-kill pile despite Tidepool's insistence on filling up. Tidepool had specifically requested to be Auroradawn's "guardian" while the StormClan cats grew to trust us as warriors of their Clan. I would catch her trying to get Auroradawn to open up, and sometimes she would speak to Tidepool. It was only a few sunrises before when Tidepool pulled me aside, expressing that she was worried about what happened to Auroradawn before we came here.

"It was horrendous," I admitted. "Our families disowned us, her mate betrayed her and sided with DragonClan. She's been heartbroken, I think."

Tidepool's expression faltered as she shook her head.

"There must be more to it than that, she looks half-dead," Tidepool's eyes widened as her ears flattened. "I know it's my responsibility to watch over her, but if you could also talk to her, that'd mean a lot to me."

"You don't need to ask me twice!" I lifted my paw and rested it on Tidepool's shoulder. "She's my cousin, and I'll never stop trying to reach her."

Tidepool embraced me briefly, and I kept trying to reach to Auroradawn. A flicker of light sparked inside me as we maintained small conversations, but eventually Auroradawn would cut the conversation short in favor of a nap or a patrol.

Tidepool pressed her nose to Auroradawn's shoulder, and Auroradawn flinched just as Tidepool rushed over to Flamepaw, pressing her nose against her new apprentice.

"Honeykit, you are now Honeypaw," Streamstar looked over at Vanya. "Vanya, be sure to teach her all the ways of being a strong warrior. Sparrowkit, you are now Sparrowpaw. Five, I relieve you of your guardianship of Lazuli so that you may mentor this tom."

"I won't let you down," Five pressed his muzzle against Lazuli's shoulder, running over to his new apprentice.

"And with that said, all guardians are relieved of their duties to the former DragonClan warriors," Streamstar announced. "As you may all know, Lazuli killed one of her former Clanmates as she tried to rape one of our own. Nightkit, you are now Nightpaw. Lazuli, I extend this opportunity of mentorship to earn the trust of your new Clanmates."

"What?!" Birdskip gasped. "Streamstar, surely you're joking."

"I would not joke," Streamstar rolled her eyes. "I've already spoken to Nightpaw's parents on the matter, and they are willing to see what Lazuli is capable of."

"I'm sure they are," Frostbranch growled.

"Streamstar, I'm honored," Lazuli's eyes were wide, her body frozen for a few moments before her gaze landed on the small black tom. Getting up and stepping forward, Lazuli pressed her muzzle against Nightpaw's, and the Clan broke into chants.

"Emberpaw! Flamepaw! Honeypaw! Sparrowpaw! Nightpaw!"

I glanced at Lazuli, keeping myself seated as my former mentor started speaking to Nightpaw. I wanted to get up and congratulate her, but then I remembered Weak-Eye's scream and didn't move a mouse-length.

"She's got another apprentice."

I glanced over as Grizzlyheart sat down beside me, his fluffy tail wrapping around my haunches as he pressed his muzzle against my forehead.

"Yeah, that's…" I shook my head. "Good for her."

"Perhaps we'll mentor our own soon," Grizzlyheart commented. "Could you see yourself doing that?"

"Maybe?" I met my mate's eyes. "Although, I'd see myself as more of a…"

My heart skipped a beat as the image of kits bouncing around me flashed in my head.

"As more of a what?" Grizzlyheart tilted his head.

"Eh, I don't know," I shrugged. "I'm happy being a warrior right now."

"If you say so," Grizzlyheart replied. "I'd love to mentor someday, show a cat just how a real warrior defends their Clan."

I glanced up at my mate, his chest puffed out as he stared ahead. My heart skipped a beat, and my tail intertwined with his as I leaned against him. Perhaps I'd open up to him about it another time, and we'd laugh it off as a pesky impossibility and continue to be mates. Or I say nothing, and maybe move into the Nursery, watching over the kits as they grew up and became apprentices. My heart warmed at the thought, and the stirring in my mind settled back into a peaceful sensation once more.


Moonblaze's Whore's POV

"Up."

My eye opened as I stared up at the piercing amber eyes that I'd woken up to sunrise after sunrise. Only, there wasn't any feeling piercing my heart as I thought of the many ways I'd run away, never looking back. There was just an acceptance as I got up, staring at Moonblaze quietly.

"The Clan has eaten," Moonblaze told me. "There's half a sparrow left for you."

I felt my heart sink as I looked down at the ground.

"Don't be like that," Moonblaze growled. "You could have more prey if you'd just…"

Moonblaze drifted off, shaking his head as we both knew just what he was thinking. I wouldn't acknowledge the unspoken words, opting to get up and follow the tom as I sat down and stared at the pitiful morsels of feather and flesh in the grass. Leaning forward, I sank my teeth into the flesh and pulled my head back, allowing the flesh to roll down my throat. How I haven't choked on my fresh-kill without my tongue, I'd never know. Perhaps one day I'd swallow the wrong way and be spared of my existence. My heart stirred at the thought, staring off where my parents were, leaning towards each other and speaking out of earshot. Not once had they spoken to me since my punishment began, only giving me the rare glance before walking away. Perhaps if I just got this over with, started expecting kits, they'd speak to me again. Why haven't I done it already? This couldn't all be for nothing, I had to endure and get it done.

Swancry and Sandypelt stepped out of the warrior's den, leaning close and nuzzling each other. After she left, Swancry had spent sunrise after sunrise sobbing about the grandkits she'd never have. And Sandypelt provided her a shoulder to cry on, talking to her about his dead daughters and former son. Eventually, the two became mates, with Sandypelt expressing that he still intended on being mates with Ursula. Swancry would skip out of the warrior's den each day, greeting her Clanmates as she glowed in a way that I'd never seen before. She had started eating before the rest of the warriors, mentioning a heaviness in her belly that she'd felt the past couple of sunrises. Silverskip and Mothfeather checked her out, confirming that she was indeed expecting kits. The whole of DragonClan celebrated with a huge feast brought in from two patrols, and that was the most I'd eaten since my punishment began.

Goldenstar stepped out of the warrior's den, and my heart flickered briefly, only to die out as she collapsed to the ground. Writhing, Goldenstar called out for Silverskip and Mothfeather, and yet her voice carried no panic. No, it carried the yowls of a she-cat who was about to have it all. The yowls of a Queen, a leader, about to bring new life into the world.

It was finally the moment, the time. And there was nothing I could do to stop it.