Chapter 15 (G):

Graystripe woke early the next morning. Shifting away from his Clanmates slowly, he slipped out from underneath the bramble bushes and stretched deeply. He looked around himself, willing himself to take a fresh look at their new camp.

It was still very early dawn. Pale sunlight had just begun to spill over the lip of the hollow and into the camp and was striking the ferns near the entrance. A soft wind had begun and it shook the leafless branches of trees outside the camp though the ring of undergrowth around the hollow hardly stirred. The great stone walls would shelter them well from harsh weather.

He stifled a yawn and made his way to the center of the hollow. There, he groomed his pelt and waited for his Clanmates to awaken. He could have woken them himself, he knew, but they all deserved a moon of rest after the journey that they had just gone through. It was unfortunate that they had a lot of hard work ahead of them still. It would be a long time before they could truly rest and relax.

He was pleased to see that it didn't take his Clanmates long to join him in the clearing. Dustpelt, Backenfur, and Thornclaw joined him first, soon followed by Sandstorm and Cloudtail. Brambleclaw joined them lastly, shaking his pelt vigorously in an effort to wake himself up.

Graystripe shared words with each of them casually before they started to focus on the day's events. Dustpelt was the first to suggest where to start.

"We need to get out there right away and mark our boundaries," Dustpelt began. "If we don't, WindClan and ShadowClan will claim all the woodland- and the prey- before you can say mouse."

"We need to explore the territory as well," Sandstorm pointed out. "For all we know, these woods could be crawling with foxes and badgers."

"Not to mention hawks," Thornclaw added.

Sandstorm murmured agreement. "I'll see to the hunting patrols, if you like," she offered Graystripe.

He gave her a grateful nod. "Thanks, that would be great."

Dustpelt flicked his ears. "I'll take charge of guarding the camp- I don't like the look of that entrance gap. I'll get the apprentices and see what we can do with some thorns."

"And I'll take care of the boundary patrols," Brambleclaw offered.

Graystripe glanced at the young warrior. He knew that Brambleclaw just wanted to find a way to help his Clanmates, but patrolling the boundaries was going to be a difficult task and he wanted to make sure that they had level-headed, confident warriors on the border patrols. "Thank you for offering, Brambleclaw. But I think that Brackenfur can sort those out." Brambleclaw looked as though he was about to protest, so Graystripe added. "Why don't you take a patrol and explore more of the territory? Stick close to the camp and report on anything you find."

"What about me?" Thornclaw asked. He and Cloudtail had not yet been assigned roles.

Cinderpelt limped into the circle of warriors. She had Leafpaw close behind her, who had a look of concern on her face. "Excuse me, Thornclaw." she began, "Graystripe, we have a problem." She quickly informed him of a puddle of poisoned water that Mothwing had shown to some cats the day before. Mousefur had been one of the cats who had drunk from it and had gotten sick last night but was recovering well this morning.

"I want to go out and find the right herbs," she explained, "and then take some to WindClan. All the Clans could have drunk the water, but WindClan is weakest, so they're most at risk."

Graystripe didn't want to spend too many of his warriors on helping another Clan, but he knew that helping WindClan would likely keep them looking at ThunderClan in a good light. There was a lot of instability in the Clans right now and he wanted to keep the peace for as long as possible. Besides, there was no point in allowing cats to needlessly suffer if Cinderpelt had found the cure to their illness.

"That sounds like a good idea, Cinderpelt," Graystripe told her. "Thornclaw, you can go with them. Keep your eyes and ears alert."

"Thanks. I'll just check on Mousefur and the others, and then we'll go." Cinderpelt excused herself from the warriors. Leafpaw stood and followed close behind.

"Alright, who's left?" Graystripe asked as he turned back to the others. "Cloudtail? Why don't we have you lead that exploration patrol instead of Brambleclaw. You have the best nose in the Clan, so I trust you'll find anything that there is to find. Brambleclaw, you can join one of Brackenfur's border patrols. You already have an idea of where the boundaries should lie, so it'll be best if you were there to lay them down."

With the big picture sorted out, Graystripe excused himself to check in with Mousefur. He found her asleep with Goldenflower, who apparently had also gotten sick from the water. Longtail was overseeing them and he shared some optimistic words with Graystripe before the deputy excused himself again.

He found himself momentarily lost as he looked around the camp. Part of him wondered if he should go out and help explore the new territory with his Clanmates. He wanted to make sure that they were safe in this new territory, and that any threats were dealt with swiftly. But he also wanted to stay in the camp to help hurry along with the building and make sure that everyone was doing their part.

His thoughts were interrupted as he spotted Whitepaw and Spiderpaw chatting to one another leisurely. Birchkit was beside them, batting at Whitepaw's tail as she twitched it playfully. With their mentors busy, neither of the apprentices had been given orders.

"Whitepaw, Spiderpaw," He called to them. They looked up together, startled. "I want the two of you to help move the brambles and thorn bushes. Ask Dustpelt where you can help the most. But you two are not to leave camp without another warrior, got it?"

"Yes, Graystripe!" They both chirped and set off to get started off to find Dustpelt. Shrewpaw was already helping Dustpelt, carefully maneuvering a bramble stem with his jaws.

Birchkit, abandoned by the apprentices, looked at Graystripe hopefully. "Can I help too? I won't get in the way, I promise."

"We'll find you something to do," Graystripe meowed. He looked around the camp, watching how the majority of his Clanmates were heading out of camp on various patrols. Only the elders, kits, and a few warriors had stayed behind this morning. He was sure that he could find something for Birchkit to do within the camp walls. An idea came to mind. "Why don't you see how much ferns and moss you can find in the camp? Our Clanmates need nests and I don't see anyone making them. I'm sure Longtail especially would appreciate some new moss."

"Okay!" Birchkit's tail shot up in the air with excitement. He began to bound off at once, leaving Graystripe to call after him, "Remember to stay in the camp!" But he trusted that Dustpelt would spot the kit if he did try and leave the hollow.

Graystripe spent the majority of that day helping rebuild the camp and checking in with the various patrols that came and went. He consulted with Dustpelt on the best spot to make dens and had the apprentices start on moving the bushes in their way. He was pleased with their progress so far but was unfortunately slowed down by the number of times that he was interrupted.

The first patrol that had marked the WindClan border reported fox scent, though stale. And Brambleclaw's ShadowClan border patrol returned in a sour mood. Brambleclaw was covered in scratches and missing some fur. According to Rainwhisker's retelling of what happened, Brambleclaw had crossed ShadowClan's markers and argued with Rowanclaw until he was attacked. The rest of the patrol found him in time to stop the fight and they apologized and left.

Graystripe flicked his ear in rising annoyance. He had better things to worry about than a should have been an experienced warrior getting into border skirmishes. "Maybe I was wrong to put you on a border patrol, Brambleclaw. We don't want to be making enemies with ShadowClan so soon." He eyed the warrior's injuries. "Make sure that your injuries are looked at. I don't want any of those getting infected."

Dustpelt curled his lip at Brambleclaw. "You should make him stay in camp, Graystripe. Warriors who act like apprentices should be treated as such."

Graystripe nodded in Dustpelt's direction. "Good idea, Dustpelt. Brambleclaw, check-in with Brightheart. After that, you'll be fetching moss for the rest of the day. Get as much as you can until dark."

"What?" Brambleclaw exclaimed, his embarrassed expression melting into dismay. "But that's a job for an apprentice."

"Yes, well our apprentices have made themselves useful by helping build the camp entrance and someone has to do it." The three apprentices nearby looked up with unconcealed interest, their whiskers twitching as they stared at Brambleclaw. Graystripe turned away now, frustration still pricking at his pelt. "If you complain much longer I'll have you collecting moss all of tomorrow too."

He busied himself once again with moving thornbush stems and didn't see Brambleclaw's reaction to his stern words. He didn't have to see it though, the sound of Brambleclaw's mumbled apology and his shuffling away told him enough. With the warrior gone, Graystripe's anger edged and he simply felt tired. It wasn't like him to be so stern with his fellow warriors, but Brambleclaw should have known better to pick fights with Blackstar's cats. Especially not one day after their journey had come to an end.

"Graystripe, I've been meaning to talk to you," Dustpelt spoke up after a moment of quiet. His ear twitches as though unsure of what Graystripe might say. "I believe that Squirrelpaw is ready to become a warrior."

Graystripe dropped the stem that he was holding onto. He glanced at Dustpelt, "Have you tested her skills?"

"I don't think that I need to. You've seen how much she's changed since she disappeared with Brambleclaw. She hunts very well, alone and with others, and is more than capable of defending herself in a fight."

Graystripe turned back to his work, thinking this over. What Dustpelt said was true. He had also noticed the she-cat's growth since she returned to her Clan, and she was more than ready to become a warrior. Firestar would have been proud to see what his daughter had become. But Graystripe didn't feel right about the whole situation. He wasn't the Clan leader and he didn't have the authority to give an apprentice their warrior name. He tried telling Dustpelt this, but Dustpelt was having none of it.

"I understand that this is a difficult position, Graystripe." Dustpelt's voice hardened. "But you can't expect these apprentices to stay apprentices for much longer. Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw are almost ready for their ceremony too. You've seen what cats do when their ceremonies are ignored. They want to prove themselves and they do stupid things." Dustpelt looked across the clearing to where Brightheart was taking a break from her duties to eat some fresh-kill. The ravaged side of her face was towards them and he could see the furless skin and empty eye socket from across the camp.

Graystripe sighed with remembrance. When Brightheart's warrior ceremony was ignored, she and another apprentice by the name of Swiftpaw decided that they had to prove themselves to Bluestar, who had been leader at the time. They came across a pack of vicious dogs and Swiftpaw had died. Brightheart nearly had the same fate. Graystripe didn't want another cat to end up how she or Swiftpaw did.

"Squirrelpaw is smarter than that," Graystripe said. "She knows better than to put herself in danger."

"Does she? This is Squirrelpaw that we're talking about."

"Right," Graystripe flattened his ears. She was a little hot-headed, taking after her mother, but still experienced enough to become a warrior. It was guaranteed that she'd soon become impatient with her role in the Clan. He doubted that Shrewpaw would try anything, but the same couldn't be said for Spiderpaw. That tom was often just as stubborn as Squirrelpaw was.

His pelt began to bristle. Even if he wanted to give these apprentices their ceremonies, he didn't have the authority to do so. "What would the Clan say though, if I did make her a warrior? I'd really be taking over Firestar's responsibilities then."

"I think that they'd understand your position," Dustpelt told him around a thornbush stem that he was carefully maneuvering. "These are unusual times, Graystripe. Someone has to step up to the role. If it makes you feel any better, I can put her through the final assessments."

"Would you? And would you test Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw too?" Graystripe pleaded. "It would give me some extra time to at least come up with names." There was a pit in his stomach as he thought about coming up with three new warrior names himself. What would fit Squirrelpaw? Squirreltail? Squirrelpelt? Squirrel… leap? A warrior's name was meant to be unique and important to the cat. She deserved more than just a -pelt or -tail ending after all that she had done for ThunderClan. But Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw's names would be difficult to think of too. He wasn't sure if he knew either of them well enough to come up with a fitting name.

"You should talk to Sandstorm about Squirrelpaw's warrior name," Dustpelt told him. "I think Firestar shared some ideas with her. She should remember what they are."

"That sounds like a good idea," Graystripe agreed. "I'll talk to her when she gets back from hunting. I think-" he cut off as he heard footsteps approaching from just outside the entrance. He stepped back, holding a thornbush stem between his teeth, and let Leafpaw through. Close behind her was Crowfeather, striding into the camp with a scowl on his face.

"Leafpaw, you're back." Graystripe released the stem and followed them into the hollow. He nodded diplomatically to the warrior beside her. "Welcome to ThunderClan, Crowfeather. How is everything in WindClan?" Cinderpelt had returned from herb hunting earlier in the day, but she had informed him that Leafpaw continued on to the WindClan camp to help heal the sick cats. Crowfeather must have been her escort back.

"Leafpaw helped Morningflower." Crowfeather sounded distinctly ungrateful. "And Onewhisker asked me to tell you that ThunderClan can be the first to set scent markers in the woodland across the stream. He's happy for WindClan's boundary to be set at the edge of the trees."

Graystripe's ears pricked at this. He had expected WindClan to jump at setting down borders just as fast as ShadowClan had, but perhaps Onewhisker felt that this was a way to pay back ThunderClan for all that they have done.

"I'll tell my warriors," Graystripe meowed. "Thank Onewhisker for me."

"And thanks for bringing me back," Leafpaw added, though all she got in return was a long, hostile look from Crowfeather. He seemed about to say something, but instead just nodded and headed out of the camp.

"Hey!" Squirrelpaw called after him. She had returned from her own patrol earlier that day and was now helping Ferncloud with hollowing out a space for the nursery. "Ignore your old friends, why don't you?"

The WindClan warrior didn't look back and vanished among the ferns.

"At least WindClan has the sense of staying peaceful," Dustpelt muttered, going back to his work on the entrance. "Unlike ShadowClan."

"ShadowClan?" Leafpaw asked.

"There was nearly a fight!" Squirrelpaw bounded over and told her excitedly. "Brambleclaw crossed ShadowClan scent markers, and a ShadowClan patrol attacked him."

"Foolish tom," Dustpelt spat. "I don't know how he survived on that journey of his if that's how he acts."

Graystripe waved his tail now, "Enough of this. Leafpaw, go and let Cinderpelt know that you're back. Squirrelpaw, go back to helping Ferncloud. I want to get this camp set up as soon as possible."

The day was coming to an end though and the last of the patrols were returning to camp. Graystripe dismissed Dustpelt and the apprentices from their tasks and excused himself as well, grabbing a blackbird from the fresh-kill pile to share with Sandstorm.

The ginger warrior agreed to eat with him and they found a nice shaded spot along the hollow's far wall to share. Graystripe tucked his paws under him and didn't touch the prey. Nervousness was still tugging at him and he didn't know what to say. He truly wanted to give the three apprentices their names, but he didn't feel that he could be the one to carry out the ceremony.

Sandstorm took the bird for herself, not commenting on his quietness as she began to pluck out the feathers. She glanced at him invitingly as she took her first bite.

"So, Dustpelt talked to me earlier." Graystripe began, tail twitching. "He told me that Squirrelpaw was ready to become a warrior."

"He did?" Sandstorm's eyes light up with pride. She looked out across the camp to where Squirrelpaw was chatting with Leafpaw now, talking rather animatedly despite Leafpaw's more somber appearance. Graystripe wondered what had gotten the medicine cat feeling so down all of the sudden.

"He did," Graystripe echoed. "He said that I should talk to you first though. It sounded like Firestar might have had some ideas for her warrior name."

The pride in Sandstorm's eyes wavered at the mention of Firestar. "Yes," she said, voice thick. She paused, then shook herself as if willing herself to focus. "There were some names that he had in mind, though they were pretty creative. You know how Firestar is with these things."

Graystripe purred weakly. Firestar was always worrying himself with finding the perfect name for each cat. Graystripe had teased him about it in the past, but now he found himself understanding the pressure.

As he continued to pull feathers from the bird, Sandstorm thought back. "I remember a couple of them were Squirrel-leap and Squirrelheart. But I think that my personal favorite was Squirrelflight."

"Squirrelflight," Graystripe tested the name carefully. It sounded good and felt right. The word -flight wasn't a common name ending, but it fit a cat such as Squirrelpaw. She was quick, agile, and adventurous, just as the name suggested. "I think it fits her perfectly."

"I'm glad you think so," Sandstorm purred. She tugged off a few more feathers then tried to nudge the prey towards him so that they could share. "I'm just glad that you are willing to perform the ceremony. I was worried that you might make her wait until Firestar returns home."

Graystripe didn't respond and Sandstorm's eyes narrowed. "You're going to do it, right?" Graystripe didn't say anything and she sat upright. "Graystripe, she deserves this more than anyone. You know that."

"I know," Graystripe flattened his ears. "It's just that I'm only a deputy…" He fought for the right words to explain the issue. "There's never been a deputy in all of Clan history who has performed the ceremony. It has the words, 'by the power of StarClan' and I've never even spoken to StarClan. How can I truly make them warriors?"

"But I thought that you did meet StarClan," Sandstorm said, puzzled. "You went with the leaders to the Moonstone before we left."

Graystripe didn't respond for a long moment, shame washing over his pelt when he remembered his ancestor's silence. Cinderpelt had tried to tell him that it wasn't his fault that StarClan was unusually quiet, but he couldn't help but doubt her words. Maybe if he hadn't been there, someone would have come to greet Cinderpelt. He wasn't a leader or a medicine cat; he shouldn't have tried to speak with them.

Realization dawned on Sandstorm. "Did they not come to you, Graystripe?" Her voice was softer now, lowered so that none of their Clanmates could hear.

He gave a small shake of his head. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone what had happened, but he knew that Sandstorm wouldn't go blurting his secret out to the Clan.

Instead, Sandstorm stared at him thoughtfully for a long moment. "Well, you may not have met StarClan," she said, "But Cinderpelt has."

Graystripe looked up at this. "Do you think that Cinderpelt would do the ceremony?"

"Of course," Sandstorm said. "And I'm sure the Clan wouldn't have an issue with it. She is the medicine cat after all." She stood now and grabbed her bird. "Why don't we go and talk to her?"

Graystripe chirped his agreement and they trotted across the camp to where they found Cinderpelt. The she-cat's eyes were sparkling with amusement as she helped pull a stubborn thorn from Cloudtail's pad. The white warrior was purposefully overreacting, closing his eyes as though he could hardly stand the sight.

"There we go, Cloudtail," Cinderpelt said as she pulled it out. "Now give your paw a good lick. I don't think you'll need herbs for that, but keep an eye out for any more stray thorns."

"I will," Cloudtail promised. He blinked as he saw Graystripe and Sandstorm. "The camp is coming along well, Graystripe. You are sure putting those apprentices to work!"

The ginger warrior set down the bird and said, "The apprentices are actually what we wanted to talk about."

"Oh?" Cloudtail said, ears pricking in interest. He raised his paw and began licking it vigorously. "Did they get into trouble?" He asked between licks.

"No," Graystripe waved his tail dismissively and looked to Cinderpelt. "Squirrelpaw, Spiderpaw, and Shrewpaw are ready for their warrior ceremonies. I was wondering if you'd perform them."

Cinderpelt's eyes widened with surprise. "Me?" she said, "You don't want to be the one to perform it?"

Graystripe explained his concerns to the medicine cat and she nodded slowly. He vaguely mentioned what had happened at the Moonstone, but did not directly mention it. He was extremely aware of his nearby Clanmates. But luckily Cinderpelt seemed to catch on.

"I understand," She said once he'd finished. "Of course I'll perform the ceremony. Shall I do it now?"

"No," Graystripe said. "I asked Dustpelt to assess the three of them tomorrow. He should be done by sunfall."

Graystripe continued to discuss the ceremony with Cinderpelt while Sandstorm and Cloudtail finished the blackbird. They decided to hold it at the end of tomorrow's light, as long as the three of them passed their assessments fine, and tried to settle on names. Squirrelpaw's had already been chosen, but Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw needed their warrior names still. They decided on something simpler for Shrewpaw, but Spiderpaw took more thought.

"Have you seen how tall he's gotten? He's even taller than I am." Cloudtail offered between bites. His whiskers twitched with amusement. "No name would fit him more than Spiderleg."

After some more discussion, Graystripe eventually had to say goodnight. It was dark and that day had been filled with work and worry. He was more than ready to retire to his shared den. Crawling into his thin makeshift nest, Graystripe curled several times before settling down. He fell asleep easily that night.

The next morning while Graystripe was setting up the plan for the day with his warriors, Dustpelt excused himself from building the camp. Brackenfur was surprised by this, until he was informed that it was time for the three apprentices' assessments. Squirrelpaw was crouched beside her mentor at the meeting, her eyes alight with excitement. Dustpelt sent her off to go and retrieve the other two. They all knew that she would perform well.

And without surprise, Dustpelt returned to camp at the end of the day with the three young cats at his heels. The Squirrelpaw's chin was high as Dustpelt relayed all of the apprentices' progress to Graystripe. He nodded along, knowing already that Squirrelpaw had exceeded with her tasks. He had seen her haul prey back into the camp after her hunting assessment and had been quite impressed by it. And then not long after that, Cloudtail came back to camp after sparing with her. His white pelt was wild and covered in dirt from their battle, but his eyes were alight and he could only compliment her on how far she had come.

It sounded as though Spiderpaw had gone particularly well in his fighting assessment too, and that Shrewpaw had caught a bird with an impressive leap. Graystripe was pleased by their results.

"I'll let Cinderpelt know that we are ready then." Graystripe decided. Ignoring Shrewpaw's confused questioning, Graystripe trotted over to Cinderpelt and let her know that the three had returned to camp.

The sky was turning dark and all of the patrols had returned to camp. Everyone was present, sharing tongues with one another with prey between them. They were well-fed and happy, a perfect time for a ceremony. Cinderpelt looked pleased by his news and stood up to call the Clan together.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around for a Clan meeting!"

Graystripe backed away from her to join his Clanmates in forming a half-circle around Cinderpelt. They didn't have a good spot for him to make announcements from yet, but he supposed that they didn't need a Highrock to make cats into warriors.

Dustpelt wove his way through the gathering cats to stand beside Sandstorm, who looked on with pride. On his other side was Ferncloud, who was holding Birchkit back with her tail. It looked as though Goldenflower had recovered from her sickness, for she had guided Longtail over to attend the ceremony too. Mousefur was limping slowly behind, pained yet determined to join her Clanmates. Leafpaw was crouched nearby too, looking on with approval. And beside the apprentice was Brambleclaw, a strange emotion in his eyes as he took in the sight of Squirrelpaw about to get her warrior name. Everyone had come together now, and Graystripe knew that it was time.

"Cats of ThunderClan, I have gathered you for an important ceremony." Cinderpelt began. Excited whispering broke out amongst the cats, but it died down as she continued. "I have been informed that Squirrelpaw, Spiderpaw, and Shrewpaw are ready to become warriors. I am proud to say that this ceremony will be the first of many in our new home."

She raised her head, looking past her Clanmates and at the sky above the hollow. "I, Cinderpelt, medicine cat of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."

She looked at Squirrelpaw first. The apprentice was standing very still, though her eyes burned with a dedicated intensity. She had gone through so much for this moment, Graystripe knew. She more than deserved this name.

"Squirrelpaw," Cinderpelt said, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Squirrelpaw's reply rang out clearly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Squirrelpaw, from this moment you will be known as Squirrelflight. StarClan honors your spirit and your determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Cinderpelt rested her muzzle on Squirrelflight's forehead and she licked the medicine cat's shoulder appreciatively.

"Squirrelflight! Squirrelflight! Squirrelflight!"

Squirrelflight rose her head and looked at all of her Clanmates cheering her on, her green eyes shining with pride.

Cinderpelt moved onto Spiderpaw next. "Spiderpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Spiderpaw said eagerly. He was quivering from nose to tail, far too excited to stay still.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Spiderpaw, from this moment you will be known as Spiderleg. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and your determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

She touched her nose to his head and he gave her shoulder a respectful lick.

"Spiderleg! Spiderleg! Spiderleg!"

Lastly, Cinderpelt approached Shrewpaw. "Shrewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Shrewpaw's voice came out just above a whisper, but Graystripe still heard the dedication in his words. He looked on with a strange feeling as he recalled that Shrewpaw was only receiving his warrior name today because Graystripe had saved him from not long ago from being crushed by a monster. His shoulder still ached in the mornings from his old injury.

He caught the eye of Ferncloud a few tail-lengths from him. Her green eyes were pools of sorrow and love as she looked at her two sons standing before the Clan. She had already faced so much loss. She dipped her head with deep appreciation to Graystripe.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Shrewpaw, from this moment you will be known as Shrewpelt. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and your determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Shrewpelt! Shrewpelt! Shrewpelt!"

The three newly named warriors stepped back to join the other ThunderClan warriors and they were greeted with great enthusiasm. Leafpaw wove her way through the cats to touch noses with her sister, Brambleclaw on her heels. He pressed his muzzle to Squirrelflight's as Leafpaw pulled back.

"Well done, Squirrelflight," the tabby warrior murmured. "Mind you," he added teasingly, "you'll still have to pay attention to senior warriors."

Squirrelflight's eyes gleamed with amusement. "You can't order me around now- I'm not an apprentice anymore!"

"I can't see that it will make much difference," Dustpelt put in, padding over to her. "You never did as you were told anyway."

Squirrelflight let out a mrrow of laughter and affectionately butted her former mentor on his shoulder. "I must have listened to something," she meowed. She blinked, and added, "Really, thanks for everything, Dustpelt."

Cinderpelt waved her tail and called the attention back to her. "That isn't the only ceremony that I have to perform tonight."

Graystripe blinked in surprise, but it faded with her next words.

"Mousefur has come to Graystripe and I with a decision that she has made. Mousefur, is it still your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?"

"It is," There was a tremor in the dusky warrior's voice.

Graystripe looked at Mousefur with sad acceptance. He had been part of the conversation between her and Cinderpelt earlier that day. With a combination of the great journey and her most recent illness, the proud warrior had been forced to face the fact that she's not as strong as she used to be. He knew that this must be extremely difficult for Mousefur. But the proud warrior had toughened through it and managed to keep her energy up until her apprentice was made into a warrior.

"Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest."

Cinderpelt walked forward and touched noses with Mousefur. The elder blinked back appreciatively. "Don't think that I need too much rest, though," Mousefur rasped. "I'll still keep my claws sharp, and if trouble comes I'll be ready."

A murmur of amusement and admiration rose from the cats around her, and one or two of them called out, "Mousefur! Mousefur!" as if they were welcoming a new warrior.

I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It is a bit longer and pretty calm, but it got a lot done. I want to thank Buckhunter the Racing Horse and Kalum16 for letting me know about my mistake in the last chapter. As soon as I saw your reviews, I went back and fixed it. Thankfully, after this chapter, I won't be making that mistake again. Also, I'm sure that you'll all be glad to hear that we're going back to Firestar's point of view next chapter.

Thank you all for reading. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the reviews!