It had been nearly a moon since Clearbrook and Patchfur had joined the Clans, and only now was the mating ceremony dying down, Feathertail giving her brother a loving lick on the cheek as she turned back for WindClan. In the nursery, Berrykit, Mousekit and Hazelkit were squealing excitedly – they had received the news that their apprentice ceremony would be in the morning. But now, it was nearly sunhigh, and Brambleclaw had an apprentice to train. Squirrelflight and Brightheart had some time off – in a tracking exercise a quarter-moon ago, they had discovered both Larchpaw's aptitude for tracking and Hollypaw's skill for stealth, so they were being trained by the best warriors in those skills – Cloudtail and Snowtalon were tutoring Larchpaw, and Ravenflight and Barleypelt had taken charge of Hollypaw for the time being.

"Why didn't I discover a special skill?" Birchpaw asked, as they started to exit the camp.

"Not all cats have tracking-related special skills. Some are good hunters, some are good fighters, and others have the speed or climbing abilities that most can only dream of. You'll find your specialty soon."

"But Hollypaw and Larchpaw are as good at hunting, fighting and running as I am!"

"It's not about your siblings, it's about you being the best warrior you can be. As long as you try your best in every situation, you will be a warrior that ThunderClan will be proud of."

"What do you know about that? You came from another Clan!" Brambleclaw stopped and gestured for his apprentice to sit.

"Yes, I was born in SkyClan. But so were Sandstorm, Ravenflight, Graystripe. Cloudtail was raised there, and Silverstream came from RiverClan. Are any of them less loyal?"

"You came when it was all said and done!"

"Every kit in the nursery comes to a fully-formed Clan. What matters is that they help it through its issues. I came here because of love, and my sister left for ShadowClan because of discord. We both are happy and loyal. I would rip out every last claw I have to protect my Clan."

"I- I just..." Birchpaw broke down sobbing, leaving Brambleclaw to awkwardly comfort his apprentice. "I don't want to be useless! I don't want to just 'try my best', I want to help!" Brambleclaw stroked his apprentice's back with his tail, allowing the apprentice to cry.

"You won't be useless." Brambleclaw said, once Birchpaw's crying subsided to sniffles. "Some cats are more all-rounders – reasonably competent at everything. Would you dare call Doeflower, Thornclaw or Mousefur useless?"

Birchpaw giggled. "I think at least the latter two would rip my ears off!"

"They would. And they're not useless. They bring in prey, they fight ThunderClan's enemies and they help to man the borders. And they are valued members of the Clan."

"I just want to be just as good as my siblings." Birchpaw said.

"You are. You bring in just as much prey as them, learn just as quickly – you have the makings of a fine warrior. And I'm not just saying that because I'm your mentor. Go and ask any cat in camp."

"Even Firestar?"

"Even Firestar thinks you'll be a fine warrior. Do you not see the small spark of pride in his eyes every time one of you apprentices bring in prey or learn something new? He's proud."

"Thanks, Brambleclaw."

"It was no problem. You have no reason to be insecure. I think Leafpool's also available to talk, if you want another perspective."

Birchpaw gave a small smile, which was Brambleclaw's cue to stand up and gesture to his apprentice.

"Now come on, I can see you're getting your father's frame, and I'm going to teach you how to use it to your advantage in battle."

Brambleclaw got back, letting Birchpaw meet his siblings in camp, and picked out a young thrush.

"I would've thought you would go for the pigeon." Firestar settled next to him, holding a shrew himself.

"Variety is the spice of life." Brambleclaw said, trying not to let on how nervous he was around his leader. Was he going to threaten him for being with Squirrelflight? No – Squirrelflight could take care of herself, and he would have done that already.

"Anyway, I've been noticing you've been having a bit of trouble with adjusting to the dense undergrowth. Would you like some pointers?"

"Yes, please." His nerves must have shown, as Firestar's mouth upturned at the corners.

"Don't worry about not getting it right the first time. Thunderflower, Bluestorm, Whitestorm and Snowfur had to teach us all how to properly hunt in the undergrowth."

Their meals finished, Firestar and Brambleclaw headed out.

"Now first, you need to go into the undergrowth. Avoiding it may seem nice, but it's useful once you get to know it..."

Brambleclaw stood up with a vole in his jaws, which he had successfully chased into the undergrowth and entangled.

"Well done!" Firestar purred.

"I did it!" Brambleclaw enthused, trying to keep his voice low.

"You did." Firestar settled nearby on the plush grass, his own catches neatly buried behind them. Brambleclaw, too, was no slouch; he had managed to snag a few birds.

"How are you settling in?" Firestar asked.

"I think I've settled well. Birchpaw is coming along well – though he's still a bit insecure being the only one in his litter to not discover his 'talent'- and Squirrelflight... well, I'll spare you the details."

"That would be wise. But I'm asking about you, Brambleclaw."

"Oh! Um, I'm adapting well and I think I'm making friends."

"That's always good. I've noticed you've been a bit tired recently. Don't overwork yourself, okay?"

Brambleclaw was surprised to hear a liberal dose of concern in his leader's voice. "I won't. I think Squirrelflight, for one, would sit on me until I slept if I tried to take on more than I could handle."

"I know why you're going on all these patrols. I can relate; I always wanted to prove myself too. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that if you don't overstretch yourself, you get a lot more done."

"I just -" Brambleclaw stammered, then paused and started again. "I just want to prove that I'm loyal... and that I'm not like my father."

"You don't need to kill yourself to do that. The cats that matter already know, whether inwardly or outwardly, that you're loyal. The cats that try to demand more of you for the same level of trust – well, ignore them."

"Thank you." Brambleclaw flopped onto the grass. "Why are you going to all this effort for me?"

"I want to make sure you don't make my mistakes. Besides, it's a leader's job to make sure their cats are happy."

"Would you like to hunt again sometime soon?" Brambleclaw asked.

"That would be nice." Firestar replied.

Brambleclaw: *Gives good life advice*

Firestar: Right back at ya, buckaroo.