Blue had noticed almost immediately when Spottedflight had fallen. That was two cats down; five couldn't take on the nineteen that stood tall against them. Her yowled retreat sent the remaining Horseplace cats chasing after her, nursing a satisfactory variety of injuries that the Clan cats had given the. Bristlehaze and Willowmist had moved towards the golden-yellow body, but Ravenstar raised his tail. "We will bring them the body later on."

Every cat had seen the battle; there was no point in calling a meeting. Despite still having eight lives, the massive black cat looked terrible for wear. His face was covered in blood, a few strands of flesh hanging off in jagged ribbons. The gash on his shoulder was still bleeding rather heavily, drying on his disheveled fur. Tawnythroat dashed over to him and coaxed him into leaning onto her sandy-colored shoulder. A gaping, bloody hole had replaced his left eye. Haypaw squeaked and looked away when she noticed it, and the aversion to the wound was clear on the faces of the other cats.

The awkward silence was broken by a loud wail. SkyClan turned to see Puddlefrost, beginning to show signs of the kits she was carrying, with her nose buried in the bloodied fur of her fallen sister, Spottedflight. A few cats scowled and turned away when they saw that the gray she-cat still cared for the traitor. None of the cats of SkyClan had died, and no real damage had been dealt to the camp. As far as they were concerned, it was just a regular dawn as the sun began to light up the blood-streaked clearing.

Slowly, Spidersun padded over to his mate. He did not touch his nose to the fur of the dead she-cat, but merely sat by Puddlefrost as she mourned. He stroked her gray flank with his tail, watching the queen with sad eyes. At an equally slow pace, Mistsong and Lionfang stepped forward. Mistsong lay beside her two sisters, one breathing and one still, and buried her nose into the already icy cold flesh of her slain sibling.

"My baby!" Sagepatch moaned, forcing her way through the crowd. She joined the four cats already crowded around Spottedflight. "She was so sweet! So gentle! What h-happened?" She collapsed to the ground, staring forlornly at the second kit to die of this litter. "Do you think she is with Beetlepaw?" she asked quietly.

Creekstone moved to lick Sagepatch's shoulder. He did not regret the gash on Spottedflight's face that his own claws had created. "No," he told his mate bluntly. "She was a traitor and if StarClan welcomes her, I don't want to join them when I die."

"H-how can you s-say that?" Sagepatch asked incredulously, her green eyes wide with sadness.

The deputy said nothing, fixing his eyes away from his chilling daughter.

Haypaw and Birchpaw padded up warily together. Their older sister—dead? "I wish I could have saved you," Birchpaw whispered earnestly into her fur, so quiet that he knew no one could hear him. "I always liked you best."

Silence hung in the air as the family accepted to loss of Spottedflight. The Clan looked on, unmoving, as one by one the cats drifted away from the body. Finally, the tortishell she-cat lay alone, encircled by her former Clan. Pika's body lay forgotten at the edge of camp.

Limping, Ravenstar stepped forward. He glanced up with his remaining eye at LoneTree and winced at the thought of climbing it. "Cats of SkyClan!" he called from where he stood, his voice trembling slightly from the pain in his face. "Spottedflight was a traitor, I won't deny. It is unclear where she went wrong, as most of us remember her has a sweet and selfless cat. Regardless of the fact that she went sour, we will bury her here. Smudgenose and Jayspots, would you be so kind as to take her body and bury her outside camp?"

The two toms nodded wordlessly and stepped forward. SkyClan stayed silent as the two hoisted Spottedflight's body between them with little difficulty and exited the camp. A lone whimper escaped Sagepatch's lips as they disappeared from sight.

"Bristlehaze and Darkmoon," Ravenstar continued weakly. "You are to take the dead she-cat of the attackers and leave her on the fenced side of the thunderpath. Do not approach the cats; they may still have some fighting spirit.

"SkyClan is not ready to fall. We have suffered much in these past moons, but we are stronger than ever because of it. We did not come so far just to be stamped out by hostile loners, rogues, kittypets, or Clan cats. I am very proud by the way all of you fought today. It is something I will never forget."

A bitter silence fell as it was realized that Ravenstar never could forget. His eye was lost in the battle today. The hardships of SkyClan would forever bear their mark on his torn face.

"That being said," the tom continued, "I have one last announcement to make." Ravenstar turned to face Creekstone, now speaking only to him. For a few moments they merely watched each other, Ravenstar relaxed as Creekstone shivered in anticipation of the leader's words. "It is my wish to retire as leader."

Yowls of protest sprung up around the camp, but the tom waved his tail for them to cease. "It is silly for me to believe that a half-blind cat can provide the leadership SkyClan deserves." Creekstone looked both mortified and flattered, but he was clearly trying his best to keep a straight face. "I would like for you to accompany me to Moonpool as soon as possible so that I may relinquish my name and extra lives. Do you accept this?"

Creekstone nodded once, his expression set.

SkyClan had been expecting new beginnings when they joined life by the lake. They had all known that life would never be the same as it was in the gorge. None could say that they could have ever foreseen this, but every last cat knew that everything that had happened was for the best.

AN: Reviews are always lovely to receive.