The evening air was warm on Stormpaw's fur. The sunset was bright and rich, the few clouds illuminated from behind, and the golden light glimmered on the rocks and sand. On the breeze, he smelt flowers and freshly-killed prey.

His mentor was dying.

Jayfur hadn't gone down in battle like a warrior should. He hadn't given his life bravely for his clanmates, or saved the life of a kit. A few days ago he'd tripped and fell and sliced his paw on a sharp rock, and the wound had gotten infected. Cloverheart had nothing to treat it with. This morning, he was unable to keep walking.

"StarClan, please," Cloverheart's voice shook, over the ragged sound of Jayfur's breathing. Stormpaw wasn't looking at them. He couldn't bear to see his mentor like that. Or his sister for that matter. "Help us, please."

Lightningstar was sitting a long way off, looking at the ground, nearly expressionless. It's just cruel, Stormpaw thought. That he lost two siblings so close together. Graycloud was trying to comfort her brother, but he still didn't look up at her. Stormpaw felt sick.

Minnowfoot, He thought, Help us now. What good is this bond for if you don't help us? It was the first time he'd tried to contact her; usually she just appeared to him, advised him. She'd stopped him from letting Acornpaw absentmindedly walk off a cliff, once. He shouldn't be mad at her now, he knew, but he needed someone or something to blame.

"Stormpaw," Minnowfoot materialized next to him. He could see through her; she looked like a reflection on the surface of a puddle, but her odd eyes still shone. "I can't work miracles."

Stormpaw bit back an angry yell. The other cats couldn't see or hear Minnowfoot, and he made himself look absolutely batty in front of Lionpaw before. There must be SOMETHING you can do to help him.

"I'm sorry, Stormpaw." Minnowfoot shook her head. "StarClan doesn't control who lives or dies. He's my brother, Stormpaw, I don't want him die any more than you do, but it's just not possible."

A rough cry of pain sounded from Jayfur's direction, followed by the sound of Cloverheart trying to comfort him. Stormpaw wanted to lie down and wail, too, but the sounds of an argument further away distracted him.

"We can't afford this delay!" It was Rainfrost, as well as the WindClan deputy. Whiteflower stood her ground in front of them.

"The sun hasn't set yet," Whiteflower said. "The resting day isn't over." Her face was still.

"It will be over soon, and we'll need to move then," Rainfrost said. "Will we, or will you fools insist on keeping us here?"

"ThunderClan isn't going to leave a clanmate to die alone," Whiteflower said. "And then leave him without a vigil. It's not right."

"Rainfrost's right," The WindClan deputy said. He was a dark gray tabby tom, and his voice was soft. "We can't delay all four clans for one warrior. He's clearly suffering...and...well, Lilypetal said she'd be able to–"

"That is not your decision to make," Whiteflower hissed. "ThunderClan isn't leaving Jayfur, and that's final." Rainfrost clawed at her, but Whiteflower stepped back, avoiding it, and looking as if it hadn't bothered her at all. "Go back to your clans, Rainfrost, Dusktail."

"I know how to help," Minnowfoot whispered in Stormpaw's ear. He breath felt cold. Without saying anything else, she drifted away, towards Jayfur and Cloverheart. Stormpaw turned to watch.

She settled next to Jayfur, who was still wailing, and licked one of his ears, as gentle as a mother caring for her kits. Jayfur quieted. "Hey, mousebrain," She whispered, nudging him. "It's time to go home."

At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then Stormpaw saw a pale gray shadow rise out of Jayfur, the shape of a cat. It opened it's eyes, green, and Stormpaw realized that it was Jayfur's spirit. He blinked his eyes, looking around in confusion, before seeing his own body. He noticed Minnowfoot next to him. Unlike her shimmering pelt and eyes, Jayfur simply looked transparent and thin, like an old leaf or a cobweb.

"I'm…" He stopped. Minnowfoot dipped her head.

"You lived well, little brother," She said. "You deserve some rest now. Come to StarClan with me."

Jayfur looked around the clearing, at his clanmates, and then looked right at Stormpaw. Stormpaw startled. Jayfur knew he could seem him.

"Stormpaw," His mentor said. "I–I'm sorry I didn't stick around long enough to see you become a warrior."

"It's okay." Stormpaw couldn't help from saying it, under his breath. The rest of the world felt like it had fallen away. He didn't care if anyone thought he was batty.

"I'm proud of you." Jayfur smiled, and then Minnowfoot nudged him, and they walked up into the sky. Jayfur's pelt began to shine, brighter and brighter, and then he too was far away for Stormpaw to see details, just a glowing dot. A star.

Stormpaw heard Cloverheart yowl, but he stuck still, staring at the fading sunlight and the brightening stars.

…

All of ThunderClan kept silent as they journeyed that night. They held vigil in their own way, even if they couldn't spare the time to stay with Jayfur's body or bury him.

Stormpaw wasn't any stranger to loss; his parents had died together in battle when he and Cloverheart were just kits. But it didn't get any easier, it seemed. Cloverheart looked like she'd had the life drained out of her; she barely looked at him, her eyes on the ground. He made sure to keep close to her, as Lionpaw walked beside him. Lionpaw occasionally brushed whiskers with him. It was comforting.

The sun rose, and they stopped walking. Cloverheart flopped down on the ground and lowered her head.

"Hey," Stormpaw said, laying next her. "It's okay. You did your best."

"There wasn't anything I could do," She was shaking. Stormpaw curled around her. "I knew all the herbs I that would help and I had none of them. I didn't even have any poppy seeds to help with the pain."

"It's okay. He's with StarClan now."

"I wish Raggedear was here." Her mentor, who died in the fire. "He'd know what to do. He's lost patients before, he'd be able to help me."

"We've...both lost our mentors now, haven't we?" Stormpaw said, half jokingly. "Guess we're just a couple of lost kits, now." His sister sighed.

"You know, I think Raggedear knew. About the fire, and dying, I mean." Cloverheart's voice was steadier now, calmer. "That's why he gave me my name so early. He wanted the clan to have a full medicine cat after he was gone."

"It wasn't a bad decision," Stormpaw replied. "You're a good medicine cat, Cloverheart. Even if it doesn't feel that way right now." He paused. "And soon I'm gonna get my warrior name and finally catch up with you, and what'll you do then?" He nudged her playfully. She laughed.

"Wonder what they'll name you," She said. "Storm-idiot-who-won't-tell-a-she-cat-that-he-likes-her?"

"I–well–Y'know, what does a medicine cat know about love?"

"Just because I'm not allowed to take a mate doesn't mean I'm blind. I'm pretty sure even cats in StarClan can see you have a thing for Lionpaw."

"Yeah, WELL,"

They argued and joked well into the day, until Whiteflower made them quiet down so "the rest of us can get some sleep!". Stormpaw didn't consider himself very lucky; he didn't have any strong talents, he missed more prey than he caught. He'd lost his parents, and he'd lost his mentor to bad luck. But at least he was lucky enough to have a sister like Cloverheart.

"Just because some ThunderClan mousebrain got dead from a rock doesn't mean we have anything to worry about," Coalnose said. Robinkit struggled to get a look at the older warrior; he was walking on the other side of Mama. "We're WindClan. We're better than that."

"I just want my kits to be safe," Mousestep said, not looking at him. Robinkit bristled. Coalnose couldn't tell her mother what to do! He wasn't the leader! Or the deputy, for that manner. Dusktail, the actual deputy, walked just ahead, but he wasn't looking at them.

"H-h-h-hey, Robinkit, calm down," Sedgekit whispered to her.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Robinkit mewed, a little louder than she intended to. Mousestep turned to look at her. So did Coalnose. The dark gray warrior sneered. She stuck out her tongue.

"Coalnose is just giving me some advice, that's all," Mousestep said, bending down to lick Robinkit's ear.

"Control your kits, Mousestep," Coalnose said.

"Quit talking like I'm not here!" Robinkit bristled and fluffed up her tail.

"R-r-r-robinkit!" Her brother mewed. "He's a warrior!"

"Sedgekit's right, Robinkit," Mousestep said. Her voice was soft. "You shouldn't disrespect warriors. Who knows, Coalnose might end up your mentor, and then how would you feel?"

"I'd scratch him," Robinkit said under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." Robinkit looked at the ground and didn't say anything. It wasn't fair. She hoped Coalnose tripped on a rock and died. Why did he have to be so mean?

Sedgekit nudged her and smiled apologetically, but she just pulled away and lashed her tail. He wouldn't stand up for Mama. Robinkit wished she had a father. Maybe then someone would stand up for her and Mama and Sedgekit when Coalnose was mean to them. When she was a grown warrior she could, but that was forever away. When it happens, though, she thought. I"m gonna kick Coalnose's tail.

"WindClan has a disrespect problem," Coalnose started talking again. "Don't you think so, Dusktail?"

"I don't know," The deputy said. "I'd like to think we're doing alright, considering the circumstances." Coalnose laughed.

"I don't like this deal you struck up with ShadowClan," Coalnose said. "It was your idea, wasn't it?"

"Their idea, actually," Dusktail replied. "And it was either this or go without a medicine cat indefinitely. And then we REALLY will die of tripping over rocks."

"I suppose," Coalnose said. "I'm just glad Flameleaf's gone. That little slime was never–"

Robinkit didn't even see Mousestep, strike out, but she heard her hiss. When Robinkit turned around, Mousestep was staring down Coalnose, her ears back and her tail lashing. Coalnose's orange eyes were wide, and his nose was scratched, dripping blood.

"You go, Mama!" Robinkit mewed, laughing. Sedgekit nudged her again, but none of the older cats seemed to pay her any attention.

"How dare you talk about Flameleaf like that?" Mousestep said. It was the first time Robinkit could recall hearing her mother angry. "He was a loyal, kind medicine cat. He gave his life for his clan! Saving my kits! I'm ashamed to be in the same clan as you if you're going to insult a cat as brave as him."

Dusktail stepped in before Coalnose had a chance to react.

"I think Mousestep is in the right here," Dusktail said, his tone even. "Although she shouldn't have hurt one of her clanmates, it's equally bad for you to disrespect our medicine cat like that. Walk farther away from her and we can call it even, alright?"

Coalnose grumbled something that Robinkit couldn't fully hear. She thought she heard "scum", but she couldn't be sure. She stuck her tongue out again at Coalnose when she was sure his back was turned to her.

All the rest of the night, Robinkit walked with a bounce in her step, and Sedgekit seemed happier too. Mama, though, walked slowly, and look at the ground, even when Robinkit tried her hardest to catch her eye.