"We could meet here every moon, when the forest is light enough to walk easily, and come in peace to share are news," Birchstar mewed.

WindClan's incident was that Ryewhisker had been killed in a battle with RiverClan. He had been protecting his mate, Cloudberry, and had paid his life to do it. Emberstar had suggested the utmost loyalty to your clan, and the other leaders had agreed.

"A truce?" asked Duststar. Then an angry murmuring broke out in the cats who had come before it quickly turned to yowls. Birchstar shrunk back, a bit surprised at their ferocity.

"SkyClan finks," spat Hollystar's deputy, Brindlethroat, "Keeping peace now won't undo what Clear Sky did."

Cherrypaw bundled her legs under herself, ready to spring. Rowanpaw stepped in front of her before she could make any move. Rainsplash and Acorn Fur, who were sitting in a line beside Vinetail and Shivering Rose, raised their hackles.

"Enough!" yowled Duststar. He stretched up and for a moment, he was as tall as Gorsestar had been. He turned angry amber eyes into Birchstar's dark blue ones. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rainsplash bare his teeth. "Birchstar, I see more clearly than ever that your suggestion is wise. Though I doubt any peace will hold for even one night," he growled, changing glance to Hollystar, who in turn stared down her deputy, "Let us try it and see what it brings."

"...that's all I ask," Birchstar mewed, a bit out of breath.

So the Warrior Code was formed.

(...)

The next day was a nice and warm new-leaf morning.

"Let all cats join here beneath the Highbranch for a clan meeting," Birchstar called.

Just as she announced, Thorn, Rainsplash and Rowanpaw returned from a hunting patrol, Rowanpaw carrying a squirrel as fat as her fluffy, stubby tail. She slid it under the elderflower bush and the three sat right in front of it. The hunters- well, warriors, now, Birchstar supposed- groggily emerged from their big bramble den and spread out in the clearing. Beechpaw and Cherrypaw came out from their bundle of ferns from beside the bramble tunnel.

They took a place beside Rowanpaw. Beechpaw wrapped his long, brown tabby tail around Cherrypaw. She shifted uncomfortably and Rowanpaw cast her nurserymate a hateful glance. Birchstar tapped her own stubby tail on the thorn branch to summon the three.

She gulped and took a breath, hoping to remember the same words Sparrowstar had used on her.

"I, Birchstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of our noble clan, and I commend them to you as... warriors in their turns." She cleared her throat, "Apprentices, do you promise to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do!" exclaimed Cherrypaw.

"Of course," mewed Beechpaw.

Rowanpaw, the most quiet of her nurserymates, simply nodded.

"Then by the powers of StarClan," Birchstar continued, "I have you your names. From this moment on, Beechpaw will be known as Beechpelt, SkyClan honors your determination and courage. Rowanpaw will be known as Rowanfang, SkyClan honors your strength and skill in battle. Cherrypaw will be known as Cherrystep, SkyClan honors your charisma and enthusiasm."

"Rowanfang!" exclaimed Rainsplash, "Beechpelt! Cherrystep!"

Soon enough, the whole of SkyClan was chanting their names. Once it died down, Birchstar stepped down from the thorn branch and Rainsplash stepped up under her. Birchstar briefly touched her nose to his cheek before returning to her den.

Rainsplash organized patrols, leaving the three new warriors out of anything. Cherrystep stood and padded toward the bramble tunnel as Thorn's thin brown tail disappeared.

"Race you to the tallest maple on the riverbank!" she exclaimed, running.

"Hey!" Rowanfang called after her, "No fair!"

Beechpelt shoved after her, and Rowanfang was running last. The three dashed through the forest, and soon enough, Beechpelt had overtaken Cherrystep by a fox-length. Making one more SkyClan leap forward, Beechpelt touched a paw to the tree. Cherrystep hit it next. Then several heartbeats later, Rowanfang, her pelt dappled with the brown speckles of burrs and panting, touched the trunk.

"Windcat," Rowanfang insulted after she gained her breath.

Beechpelt purred, "And you look like a regular Thundercat."

"And I'm going to become a Rivercat!" Cherrystep exclaimed, "I'll be back in a sec."

She padded away into the ferns toward the riverbank. Once she was out of earshot, Rowanfang turned to Beechpelt.

"What was that?"

"Hm?"

"You putting your tail around Cherrystep at the ceremony."

Beechpelt smirked, "I fancy her, you know."

Rowanfang flicked her tail and bared the rest of her teeth, "She's uncomfortable when you do things like that, you know. If you really fancied her, you'd know that."

Beechpelt frowned and flicked his long tail before smirking again. "Tell you what. We'll race to the top of the tree. If you win, I'll stop. If I win, I won't."

"That's not for you to-"

"What's wrong?"

Cherrystep came back then, sitting beside them. Rowanfang scowled.

"Rowanfang and I are going to race to the top of the tree. Will you stay down here and spectate for us?"

"Sure!"

Beechpelt bundled his legs under himself, preparing for a leap. Rowanfang sighed and got into her own position.

"Ready!" Cherrystep exclaimed, "Set! Go!"

Beechpelt was the faster of the three, but Rowanfang had the stronger haunches. Her SkyClan leap was a tail-length further than any other SkyClan cat's.

She landed on a branch and bundled to take another leap. Beechpelt was off his branch and scuttling up the tree like a squirrel, determination in his eyes. Rowanfang suppressed a retch and leaped, not caring to wait the few seconds it took to make sure her leap was higher.

Eventually, she was right under Beechpelt. He was bundled up on a branch. When he leaped, he smacked a hind paw into Rowanfang's face. Rowanfang let out a screech and, in surprise, jumped away from the branch. Beechpelt quickly turned and watched, frozen, as she fell. They were at least half-a-tree-length up, and neither Beechpelt or Cherrystep knew what to do to help her.

Rowanfang landed with a snap and a yowl. Beechpelt was quickly making his way down, ears flatten and eyes wide in guilt.

Cherrystep panted, "Stay here!" she called, Rowanfang giving her a glare, "I will go and get help!"

Beechpelt landed long after Cherrystep had gone. Paws heavy as stones, he buried his muzzle into her pelt and started to sob.

"Get off me," Rowanfang commanded.

Beechpelt jumped back, "You're alive?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you."

Beechpelt sat up and hung his head. "Could you ever forgive me…?"

Rowanfang rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, smirking, "I suppose."

(...)

Rowanfang's leg was broken and Cherrystep hadn't left her side once. Beechpelt couldn't enter the den, it hurt him too much. He couldn't hardly speak to Cherrystep, either.

Beechpelt would never admit it, but it hurt his heart to see how Cherrystep would lick behind Rowanfang's ear and sweep her tail lightly over the leg that still had a leaf and stick wrapped around it.

"I have news," Rowanfang mewed to him one day in leaf-fall.

"Yeah?"

"Cherrystep and I are mates!" she announced.

"Oh," Beechpelt mewed, "Well, congratulations."

Rowanfang nodded, "We're going to have kits come next greenleaf."

"Good."

That was the last happy news that SkyClan had received for a long time.

A few weeks later in leaf-bare, Acorn Fur wheezed and collapsed, and only stopped spasming when the life drained from her eyes. Rowanfang and Peppermint assisted Dashtail in his duties- suddenly more stressful and grief-stricken.

The only hope the clan was riding on were Cherrystep's kits. Unfortunately the leaf-bare was hard and Cherrystep had given up one too many prey pieces. The kits seemingly froze inside her and bleed out when the warmth came back.

SkyClan was devastated. But no cat was more devastated than Cherrystep and Rowanfang.

Beechpelt brought them a bird every day. He'd made a point of bringing doves.