Foxwhisker and Sunstrike had a few moons of peace and quiet. Soon enough the kits all received their apprentice names and their mentors. Lilypaw became the new medicine apprentice. Birchpaw was the best fighter. Treekit, although the smallest and the runt of the litter, would never give up a fight and stood strong. Applekit became very cunning and strong. Flowerpaw was always very gentle and kind.
Their apprentice months were relitively quiet as well. Until they were almost warriors, that is...
One morning the kits woke up, happy and excited. They were about to be made warriors! It was just a matter of moments until Onestar would call them out in front of the whole Clan and make them warriors. They had all become strong warriors; all loyal to the Warrior Code and decent fighters.
"Where's paw...?" Flowerpaw asked, looking around the room. Her fur was dark, almost black, and her icy blue eyes still shone almost gray in the dim sunlight of the den.
Foxwhisker was also in the den with his kits, pride swelling in him. He became thoughtful when Flowerpaw said that.
"Eh, she's around here somewhere," Birchpaw said. He was snowy white with brilliant black stripes that made him truly look like a birch tree. His amber eyes signaled he wasn't worried about his sister.
"Well, she's gonna be late..." Treepaw said. He was a plain brown tom with bright green eyes. "Should someone go find her?"
"I'll go find her," Foxwhisker told his kits. He headed out of the den. He ran into a beautiful peach-colored she-cat with dark brown eyes. "Lilypaw."
"Father!" the she-cat greeted Foxwhisker. "I was just going in to wish the others good luck."
"Go ahead in. I'm just out looking for Applepaw. She's missing."
Lilypaw made a tsk-tsk sounds and said "and on one of the most important days of her life, too!"
Foxwhisker shrugged and said "that's Applepaw".
Foxwhisker left Lilypaw to wish her littermates good luck and started asking around if anyone had seen Applepaw anywhere.
Foxwhisker wasn't going to give up looking for his daughter. He became panicked. He convinced a few more Clan cats to help him find her. Onestar wouldn't start the warrior ceremony without Applepaw.
After searching for half the day in and out of the camp the entire Clan was searching. They had wound up searching all day, but she was yet to be found. By the time they stopped searching for the apprentice it was dark and everyone went off to bed.
Foxwhisker couldn't sleep. He was mystified to the point of distraction. He looked up at the Silverpelt, praying a silent prayer to StarClan asking for his daughter's safety.
"Father...?" he heard a voice say behind him. It was Birchpaw.
"Birchpaw," Foxwhisker greeted his son. "What is the matter?"
"Oh, couldn't sleep..." he said. "Mind if I sit with you for a few minutes?"
"Sure."
Birchpaw sat by his father, looking out at the stars with wonder. "I wonder if there's anything past Silverpelt..." he wondered out loud.
"Maybe nothing," Foxwhisker said.
After a few minutes of silence Birchpaw said good-night to his father and went to bed. Foxwhisker just stayed to watch the stars all night. It wasn't until they began to disappear, when he left his spot.
Onestar decided that Flowerpaw, Birchpaw, and Treepaw would have their warrior ceremony today, since he wasn't sure when- or if- they would ever find Applepaw.
After the ceremony the Clan chanted the young warrior's new names; "Birchstripe! Treefur! Flowerheart! Lilypetal!". Pride and sadness swelled in Foxwhisker's heart. He had lost his mate and now two of his kits. Who else was he going to have to lose to death? Was it StarClan punishing him for the death of Wolfheart or for the betrayal of Coyoteclaw? If it was Foxwhisker didn't know how to help it. He was convinced that it was StarClan blaming him for the death of Sunstrike and Oakkit- and now the disappearance of Flowerkit. It always my fault! he thought to himself hopelessly. I could have saved Sunstrike and Oakkit! And I shouldn't have let Applepaw out of my sight. They never deserved to die. It's all my fault!