"They need mentors." Fernstar declared. "Real mentors. You've done all you can as their guardians, but they must learn what it is to be a cat of our cynn without you."

Bearstrike's tail flicked in annoyance. "But we're what attaches them to Whispering Brook!"

"And that's exactly why they need to interact with mentors. Seasoned cats who can show them that the path of the warrior is noble. One day you will have an apprentice, Bearstrike. But that day is not today."

Relief flooded over Yarrowbreeze. I can finally be a regular warrior. As much as she loved Willowkit and Sunkit, the two had become a handful. Yarrowbreeze dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Yes, Fernstar."

Bearstrike dipped his head reluctantly. "Good. There will be a Cynn Gathering tonight to announce their apprenticeship." Fernstar stated before flicking her tail for the two cats to leave her den.

Yarrowbreeze padded out behind her brother, who was sulkily staggering down the slippery rock trail leading to Fernstar's den. She watched as each paw hit the mossy rock, causing water to well up around his paws. "I've had it with this weather." She huffed, hoping to bring her brother's mind to another topic.

"I can't believe she won't let us mentor them!" Bearstrike whispered angrily, his tail lashing. Clearly, her tactic didn't work. "At least we'll get to see them get approved by the other cynns." She replied hopefully.

Bearstrike whisked around and padded toward the fresh-kill pile. Yarrowbreeze wasn't hungry, but she could tell that even to a hungry cat, fish and frogs were getting old.

"What I'd give for a warm mouse or finch." Sprucefur remarked, padding up to Yarrowbreeze. She nodded in response, confused by how much she enjoyed being in the tom's presence. He put a paw out to get her to stop walking. "What happened to your muzzle?" he asked, staring at her inquisitively. "Just a scratch from the kits." she lied, " They can't seem to keep their claws to themselves these days." The all black tom's eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah. Forgot you were a fake queen for a moment."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The she-cat asked defensively. Sprucefur shook the rain from his pelt and licked his paw. "You just aren't a real queen. It's weird that you act like their mother. You don't owe them anything, you know."

Yarrowbreeze felt anger building inside her. How could he say that? She had taken on so much responsibility when those kits were rescued. How would he like being a stand in queen? A low growl rumbled in her throat as she stared at the smug face of the tom in front of her. "You're no better than your sister." she spat. Yarrowbreeze nipped a small fish from the fresh-kill pile to bring back for the kits.

"Fish again?" Sunkit whined. "I'm sick of slimy fish." The young tom stuck his tongue out as he sniffed the prey.

Yarrowbreeze sighed and slumped down into her nest. She didn't have the energy to bicker with the kit who's personality matched his name. Sunkit had quickly become the most outspoken kit Whispering Brook had seen. He had no problem giving his opinion about everything. It was too rainy in camp, the leader shouldn't get a den all to herself, the fresh-kill pile had too much fish, his nest was too damp. "You're going to end up in the Teller's Den before you're even apprenticed." Larkbelly joked to him after one complaint or another. Though, the Tellers wouldn't mind. Sunkit had become a quick favorite of theirs, his snappy attitude reminded them of a Teller who had passed seasons ago.

Willowkit said nothing, just lowered his head to eat. Yarrowbreeze was concerned about the young tom, the fact that he didn't talk and stayed in the den most days worried her. "I just don't want to." He said when she asked why he didn't play with Sunkit often. When he did leave, he was very thoughtful and curious. He would slowly wander around camp, observing every little thing he could. Yarrowbreeze fondly remembered a time where she watched him stare at a worm digging it's way into the earth until it had completely disappeared. Even though she was sitting in their den, she could hear the distant sound of him purring in the rain.

Yarrowbreeze looked down at her muddy paws and groaned. Even though the taste of the mud wasn't bad, the texture made the she-cat want to gag. Small lumps of hardened mud or other unidentifiable material clung to her toe fur in clumps. "I'm ready for this storm to end."

A murmur of agreement came from the cats around her. The rain had pelted on for nearly a full moon, and even the most skillful swimmers in the cynn were growing sick of the constant downpour.

Redstripe sat up in his nest. "We ran into a Boulder Ridge border patrol last night, they didn't look too good."

"That's because they're not used to getting this wet." Mousenose chirped.

"Something tells me the Gathering tonight isn't going to go very peacefully." Redstripe continued. "Prey has practically been washed away in the flood, everyone is feeling the effects. I'm surprised we haven't noticed any prey stealing."

"The scent would get washed away in the rain anyways." Greywhisker murmured with half shut eyes.

Yarrowbreeze tucked her paws beneath her and sighed. How much longer would they have to live like this? She felt bad for Birchpaw and Oakpaw, most of their apprenticeship had to be carried out in camp as the flooding was too dangerous. She watched as the two young cats splashed in the rain, practicing fighting skills while their mentors watched on.

Sunkit watched the fake battle intently, as he always liked to do when they were training. Willowkit watched too, and his little tail trembled with anticipation at who the winner would be. "I'll give you a bite of my mouse if Oakpaw wins." The grey kit whispered loudly. Sunkit's eyes brightened. "You're on."

Yarrowbreeze purred with amusement and sent a gentle thank you to the Great Pool that the kits could find ways to entertain themselves in the storm.

She turned to face the back of the den. Who will their mentors be? Redstripe would be a good mentor, he was strong and had good sense. Mintbranch was a strong hunter… As she looked around the den she caught her brother's eye. His eyes were narrowed, focused on something that didn't seem to be there. His tail flicked angrily. She shot him a sympathetic glance, but she didn't understand why he was so upset. Surely he didn't think they'd mentor the kits? They were the least experienced warriors in the clan.

Leapfoot coughed and curled up tightly in her nest. Mintbranch nudged her gently. "Your pelt is so hot! You need to go see Beetlespots."

Leapfoot opened one eye to look up at the pale she-cat. "It's just a cold. I'll be fine." She rolled over again, clearly stifling a second cough.

"Don't be selfish." Redstripe snapped. "Getting everyone else sick, even if it is just a cold, isn't going to help Whispering Brook right now."

Leapfoot let out a heavy sigh but relented, heaving herself out of her nest and trudging out into the rain across to the mending den.

Yarrowbreeze turned in the direction she heard a soft thud come from. Willowkit won the bet. Birchpaw had pinned her sister to the muddy ground.

"You can still have some." Willowkit meowed, pushing his meal over to Sunkit. The kit shook his head. "I lost." The orange tabby crouched down and continued eating his fish without complaint.

The damp warmth of day slowly cooled as the sun set deep below the distant mountains. Yarrowbreeze could feel the cold even under her heavy pelt, and she shivered. The rain was lighter now and gave Yarrowbreeze hope that it would settle soon.

Fernstar bounded delicately down from her den and into the willowy clearing. "All cats who have been invited to this evening's Gathering, we are leaving. Minnowpelt, Mousenose, you'll stand guard while we are out."

The patrol splashed through the forest, their traditional path was now warped with flooding and new plant growth. More than a pawful of cats had skidded in the mud.

Bearstrike and Yarrowbreeze were the last in the patrol, helping Sunkit and Willowkit to navigate the soggy landscape. At some points the warriors had to pick the big kits up, and Yarrowbreeze's neck ached with how heavy Willowkit had become.

Finally, Whispering Brook reached the lush clover clearing. The new-leaf clover blossoms filled the Gathering with a honey sweet scent, an unsettlingly pleasant aroma. "Woah." Willowkit said, taking in the sight of the other clans.

"Stay by Yarrowbreeze and I. These cats don't know you." Bearstrike directed, gently pushing the kits forward.

Sunkit and Willowkit stumbled forward, too enamored with the sight of so many cats to give much thought to putting one paws in front of the other.

Yarrowbreeze sat with Bearstrike and the kits toward the front of Whispering Brook. She looked around the clearing anxiously. Most of the cats looked fine, if a little thin and cranky. But the Meadow Grove cats were as thin as a honey locust thorn. Even their leader Tansystar's pelt was hanging loosely over her frame, as if she had pelted another cat and wore it's fur as her own.

"They don't look so good." Bearstrike whispered to his sister. Yarrowbreeze let her gaze drift guiltily past the scrawny cynn, not wanting to be rude. "Wow! They're so skinny!" Cried Sunkit, gazing with huge eyes at a group of Meadow Grove warriors.

"Shhh!" Yarrowbreeze hissed, cuffing him on the ear. "It's rude to stare."

Sunkit shut up but kept looking at the ghostly cynn.

Bearstrike was kneading the ground. His eyes glittered with anxiety, the tom was still thinking of who the kits mentors would be. But Yarrowbreeze was anxious for a different reason. How would Boulder Ridge react? Tensions were already clearly high in the cynns. No cat was straying very far from their own, and there were more aggressive tail flicks in the clearing than Yarrowbreeze thought possible. How would they react to more outside cats?

"Who's that?" Willowkit asked, looking towards Boulder Ridge's leader. "That's Pebblestar. He is the leader of Boulder Ridge." Bearstrike explained.

"He's huge." Sunkit remarked with wide eyes.

"Cats of all cynns, tonight's Gathering has started." Fernstar called.

Pebblestar spoke first. "All cats know of the incessant rain that has plagued the cynns for nearly a moon," he began. Cats from all clans grumbled, clearly in agreement about the rain.

The large tom turned his head to the clump of Gazers that sat nearby. "Has the Great Pool mentioned anything about how to stop it?" The Gazers all shook their heads slowly.

"We haven't seen flooding like this since before I was kitted!" Cried a cat from the crowd.

"Will enough prey survive the flooding?" Wailed another.

The thought of an even harsher leaf-bare than the last sent a chill down many of the cynn cat's spines. Every Cynn lost cats, even strong warriors to the harsh leaf-bare. The Gathering suddenly exploded, a sea of ruffled pelts threatened the sanctity of the ancient willow.

"This does not mean that we should turn against one another." Interjected Tansystar, who, despite how thin she was, caused cats who dared to be hostile to wince as they met her piercing gaze.

"Tansystar is right. We must come together in order to survive. This is a problem for every cat, not just a single cynn." Boulderstar agreed.

"I propose the leaders of all Cynns meet here again tomorrow with their deputies to discuss what should become of the cynns should the flooding worsen." Tansystar continued, "The life of every cat is above the borders that separate us."

The leaders all nodded in agreement, and the Gathering continued. Most leaders only had news of poor hunting and damaged dens. Meadow Grove had clearly been hit the hardest, but Whispering Brook was a close second, every cat was clearly feeling the impact of the fierce storm.

Fernstar stepped forward to speak. The hollow of cats looked up at her expectantly. To Yarrowbreeze and Bearstrike, the silence lasted an eternity, and they looked down at the kits they had protected for the last moon with hope and worry in their eyes.

"Cats of all cynns," the calico leader began. "We are all struggling to keep our cynnmates healthy. Now more than ever, is a time to focus on the strength of our cynn." A pregnant pause filled the air.

"During a patrol when the storm first hit, my warriors found two kits, who, upon searching, had been left without a mother."

Cats began to shift uncomfortably on their paws, anticipating the next words from the Whispering Brook leader.

"Sunkit, Willowkit, will you please step forward?"

The two kits whirled their massive eyes toward Bearstrike and Yarrowbreeze.

"Go, you'll be fine." Yarrowbreeze purred, nudging the kits forward. Bearstrike nodded; a deep, melancholy purr rumbled in his throat.

The kits awkwardly padded forward, the heavy gaze of every cat weighed on their backs. Sunkit's ears were flattened against his head, as if he had just been scolded.

"You can't possibly be thinking of adding these sorry scraps of fur to your cynn?" Spat Pebblestar. "Every cat is struggling to find enough food and you want to burden the valley even more?"

"I'm not normally one to agree with Pebblestar, but I think he's right." Adderstar agreed.

Fernstar's tail lashed. "Wasn't it just last Gathering that you allowed a pregnant rogue to join your cynn? These kits are old enough to learn to hunt, to contribute to the wellbeing of Whispering Brook. No cat here will deny them a place among the Cynn of the Valley." She hissed.

The other leaders were silent. No cat dared to speak, the sound of cats shaking water from their pelts was all that could be heard.

"Sunkit, please step forward." Fernstar directed, her tone smooth now.

The young cat shakily stepped forward. Yarrowbreeze could see that the outspoken kit she loved was terrified, and her heart hurt for him. Bearstrike's tail could barely hold still.

"You are young. Although you haven't yet completed your six moons of training as is tradition according to the code, you have the bravery of a cynn cat. I know you will prove yourself to be a worthy member of our cynn. Salmonshine, please step forward."

Yarrowbreeze's heart sank, and she could hear a growl emanating from her brother. Sunkit had a tough apprenticeship ahead of him.

Salmonshine strutted up to the base of the Great Willow, and looked down at Sunkit. She's looking at him like he's lunch!

"Salmonshine, Sunkit will be your first apprentice. You are a loyal and clever warrior, and I know you will pass on what your mentor, Mintbranch, taught you. Sunkit, from this moment forward you shall be known as Sunpaw. Do well to follow your mentor's teachings."

Salmonshine bent down to touch noses with her new apprentice, and the two cats moved back to sit with their cynn.

"Redstripe, please step forward."

The handsome long furred tom padded gently up to where Willowkit stood. "Willowkit will also be your first apprentice. Your mentor, Larkbelly, is a strong and smart cat, and I know you will pass on all you know to this apprentice. Willowkit, from this moment forward, you will be known as Willowpaw."

The two cats gently touched noses, and Yarrowbreeze could hear the faintest purr as the pair walked back into their cynn.

"Our ancestors walk together now." Fernstar concluded. Yarrowbreeze felt her pelt tingle, as if another cat had brushed her fur with their pelt. Bug, is that you?

"Sunpaw! Willowpaw! Sunpaw! Willowpaw!" Tansystar yowled, and the clearing burst with her echo. Fernstar shot the skinny leader a grateful glance. Yarrowbreeze noticed that Pebblestar's cynn did not join the celebration.

"The four cynn leaders will meet here again tomorrow. Until then, may the Great Pool guide your paws safely."

Cats began to disperse, and the moon shifted slowly in the sky. Long shadows cast over the cats, like claws grasping wildly.

A horrifying shriek filled the air, stopping every cat in their tracks. Immediately, every warrior from every cynn whirled around to find the source of the screech. Rainwhisper, Wandering Marsh's Gazer, stood in the center of the clearing. Her pelt was ruffled and her chest heaved as though she had just run from the Great Pool and back.

"Rainwhisper! Are you alright?" Adderstar asked, rushing to his cynnmate's side. "What did you see?"

Rainwhisper's eyes were glossy, and she trembled. "We are doomed."