The morning wasn't different to any other Birchstar had seen, but she felt a pit in her stomach as she watched the light blue dapples of dawn break their way into her den. It wasn't very long until Rainsplash woke up. For a while they stayed there, neither saying anything. Neither had really processed the events of yesterday.

"Birch," Rainsplash rasped. Birchstar immediately stroked her tail over his back.

"Splash…."

"I've had the worst night of sleep in years," he confessed.

"I can imagine…"

"I was… thinking," he coughed, "A deputy's biggest job is organizing patrols, and a leaders main job is doing ceremonies. I can't hardly speak anymore, and… Birch, I'm sorry, but I have to resign as your deputy."

If Birchstar's heart wasn't already shattered, it sure was now. Her paws shook and for several seconds she couldn't respond. Rainsplash's eyes looked just as dull and shattered as they did when Dew Petal, Fritz and Flower Foot died.

"...so what would you like to do?"

"I'd like to become an elder," he mewed, "No respectable SkyClan warrior would execute me. Could execute me."

"I'd execute them, first," Birchstar snarled. Rainsplash smiled and purred, so much more raspy than it had ever been it- it sounded just like Fritz's.

"...I think you should make Beechpelt deputy in my place," he informed, "I know Featherstar made it law you need an apprentice before you can become deputy, but we haven't had a new litter in… years."

Birchstar nodded. "I was thinking about Rowanfang, honestly."

"I mentored Rowanfang," Rainsplash reminded with a laugh, "She wouldn't do well."

Birchstar dipped her head. "Okay. I'll make Beechpelt deputy, for you. But, just so you know, you can just… step down. You don't need to become an elder."

"I want to," Rainsplash admitted.

Little did either of them know, Beechpelt had slipped out of camp when the first strings of sunlight split the sky. He was bolting across the stepping stones and through RiverClan territory, really buying into the WindClan blood every clan's apprentices rumored him to have. Until, eventually, he stopped.

He was on the border between RiverClan and WindClan. He slipped out from a heather bush and made his way toward a yellow Twoleg nest, then turned. Regaining his breath, he ran again, through another treeline and to a plain over a cliff. There sat three cats, one laying on her side, sobbing.

The tortoiseshell looked up from her stomach, in Beechpelt's direction.

"I kit two weeks ago," she snarled, "And this is the only time you visit me!? I had three kits! Two of them are dead!"

"Mama…?" whispered a small bundle, at her stomach, "Why are you scweaming?"

The beige tom in front of her turned to face Beechpelt, "Is this him, Quest?"

Quest nodded. The black-and-gray tom beside him, who looked strikingly like a WindClan cat, stole a glance.

"Are you the one who murdered Tango?" asked the black-and-gray tom.

"Who?" replied Beechpelt.

The beige tom shifted. "My name is Talon. And this is Spider… we… we suppose you already know Quest."

"Very well," Beechpelt mewed, "The little one. That's mine?"

"If you'd care to parent her," Quest spat.

"I sure would. What's her name?"

"It's Moth," Talon mewed, "Tango named her before she died."

Quest picked the kitten up, dropping her at Beechpelt's paws.

"Here's your stupid kit," Quest mewed, "I never want to see the either of you again."

With that, Quest stood and left, leaving Talon and Spider with him. Talon licked Moth's back.

"This is your papa," he mewed, "He's gonna raise you from now on."

Moth blinked her wide eyes up at Beechpelt. "Do you have milk?" she asked hopefully, "Because I'm weawwy hungwy…"

Beechpelt narrowed his eyes. "SkyClan doesn't have any queens," he mewed quietly to Talon and Spider. "How old are either of you?"

"Too young to have kits!" Spider exclaimed.

"We're two moons," Talon admitted at the same time.

Beechpelt sighed, "Okay. I'll tell you all right now, when we get to SkyClan, you're getting renamed Mothkit, Talonkit and Spiderkit."

"I like Mothkit…" said his daughter. Beechpelt felt his heart swell.

(...)

Unbeknownst to Beechpaw, SkyClan did have milk. Cherrystep had finally managed to deliver a litter successfully. SkyClan was ecstatic, sending Cherrystep and Rowanfang very happy well wishes. The kits were the same ginger as the dawn sky, one lighter. She had a black spot just before her tail and the tail itself, but the end was cream like her chest.

"Tortoiseshell and ginger," Dashtail announced, rather proud of himself for delivering kits despite never having the ability to be trained in such, "Girl and a boy. Congratulations."

Rowanfang purred and licked behind Cherrystep's ear. "What should we name them?" she asked softly.

Cherrystep purred. "I think we should name the tom Robinkit."

Rowanfang nodded and her purr went louder, "What if we name the she-kit Maplekit? Her spot looks a bit like a maple leaf, don't you think?"

"Oh!" Cherrystep exclaimed, laughing, "It does, doesn't it!"

Birchstar backed happily way from the entrance of the den. It was suddenly so bright and warm in there, it reminded her of the fluff on Dew Petal's chest she'd always curl into in leaf-bare. Rainsplash flicked his tail to catch her attention. He was staring at the old warriors den that had long been abandoned for the bigger one not very far away.

"Yeah?" she asked. Rainsplash slunked under the holly bush and curled up on a spot of dirt- just where the two of them used to sleep.

"This will make a good elder's den, I think," he mewed, "I've missed this place."

Birchstar flexed her claws and felt her heart swell. Before she could step forward and curl up beside him, all the happy chatter in the camp stopped and bushes rustled. Birchstar straighten and turned around, facing the bramble tunnel behind them.

Who else was standing there than Beechpelt, black bundle in his jaws and flanked by a skinny gray-and-black cat and a fatter pale cat, eye swollen shut from the brambles. Every cat's eyes were on the crowd, aside from Cherrystep's, who was asleep in the nursery. Rowanfang had slinked out and was staring down at him the hardest.

The two cats on either side of Beechpelt were tiny, not even apprentice-sized. Birchstar stepped closer, noticing their eyes were still blue and their faces were still ripe with kit-fluff. Beechpelt set down the bundle and it looked up at Birchstar with its own wide, blue eyes. This wasn't a kitten that should be weaned yet.

Rowanstep immediately stepped forward and picked up the kitten by the scruff. Dashtail stepped forward from the nursery and Blossom shifted so she could enter. Dashtail tapped his white tailtip to the pale tom's shoulder and led him under the ferns and into the stone of his den. Beechpelt cast him a glance and the young tom reluctantly followed.

"Beechpelt," Birchstar commanded, making the tom snap to attention. The kit on his other side slunk under his muzzle and followed the first to the medicine den, eyes wide. "Care to explain yourself?"

Beechpelt sat upright and held his leader's gaze. Suddenly he looked more like the deputy that Rainsplash saw in him than he ever had. Maybe that was because, for once in his life, he wasn't slouching.

"The kit that Rowanfang took is mine," he admitted, "Her name is Moth and her mother had abandoned the both of us. The tom Dashtail took is named Talon and the one who followed is his brother named Spider."

Birchstar's gaze hardened, "You know it's against the code to have half-clan relationships, don't you, Beechpelt?"

"Of course I do," Beechpelt snarled, "SkyClan has been without kits for three leaf-bares. No one else has tried to bring new cats into our clan, and without warriors, we will not survive. If I must break the code to secure our clan's longevity, then sobeit."

Birchstar was a bit taken aback at his anger. She blinked and took a step back as Beechpelt slouched again, but the fire in his eyes still held strong.

"...I'm impressed with you, Beechpelt," she admitted, "You've managed to give SkyClan three more potential warriors. Good job."

Blossom straightened and flexed her claws, "Surely you will be punishing him for breaking the warrior code?"

Birchstar faced her, gaze still hard, "We will not be around forever," she snapped, "Cats die and our clan will not live if we don't have warriors," with that, she turned back to Beechpelt, "I want to to collect bedding for Rainsplash and Cherrystep."

Beechpelt blinked, surprised, "What happened to Cherrystep and Rainsplash?"

"She had kits," mewed Rowanfang, standing outside of the nursery and tapping her stumpy tail on the ground, "Mine. Your daughter will have milk, thank StarClan."

Beechpelt softened his gaze as he gazed at her. He smiled and a raspy purr rumbled in his throat. Then Honey Pelt stood up.

"What did happen to Rainsplash?"

Rainsplash slunk out from under the holly bush, looking as old as Fernleaf and like he'd just woken up. Instead of verbally responding, he sat down and rose a paw to his throat. Honey Pelt didn't understand what he meant. Birchstar turned to Rowanfang. The large she-cat nodded and ducked into the nursery.

Birchstar stepped up onto the Highbranch. The clan was already gathered and looking up at her expectantly. Talon, face half-covered in cobwebs, cowared into Spider while Dashtail had his tail curled around their haunches. Rainsplash stepped closer.

"We all remember what happened yesterday," Birchstar started, "In our attack against RiverClan, Rainsplash nearly drowned to death- thank StarClan he's still alive- but it ruined his voice terribly. Part of a leader and deputy's jobs are to address the clan… and that's not something he believes he can do effectively anymore…"

Rainsplash closed his eyes and nodded. Birchstar dug her claws into his branch and resisted the wail in her throat at the thought of her brother- her best friend- wouldn't be beside her anymore.

"Rainsplash… is it your wish to give up your name as a warrior and become an elder."

"It is," he rasped, voice hardly carrying. Honey Pelt's eyes went wide.

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

Rainsplash smiled and stepped forward, tapping his nose to her paw before slinking back under the holly bush. Birchstar let out a breath and stepped down, devastated.

"Now if… Moth, Spider and Talon would join us." The kits stepped forward, Moth on wobbly legs. Beechpelt helped nudge her along. Birchstar turned her gaze to the two older kittens, "Is it your wish to join SkyClan?"

"It is," Spider mewed, Talon nodding.

"How old are you?"

"Two moons."

"You hold yourselves well," Birchstar hummed, "If I were less of a leader, I would make you apprentices. But I will respect Hazelstar's law. From this moment on, until you earn your apprentice names, you will be known as Talonkit and Spiderkit."

Moth straightened herself a bit, completely ignoring the leg of the brown tom behind her. Birchstar crouched down to face the tiny thing closer.

"And you will be known as Mothkit." She beamed, so Birchstar sat back up and looked to Beechpelt. "I believe you have a job to do."