Twelve

The sun was just beginning to rise as a lithe cat moved through the thick undergrowth. Birds started calling out in alarm to one another when they picked up that movement. The cat wasn't on the prowl for birds. They were hunting smaller prey that could stock up the fresh-kill pile. Their tail made the slightest twitch, causing a frond of ferns to rustle. They stopped just as they picked up the scent of a mouse. It was less than a couple of tail-lengths away, but the mouse picked up on the vibrations. The cat lunged forward before the mouse could scurry away, delivering a killing blow in the process. Once they were sure that the mouse was dead, they buried it in a spot to dig up later.

Dovestar had been watching the apprentice for quite some time now. This was her third kill that morning. She could see how much better Olivepaw was getting at hunting since she became an apprentice. She still lacked the patience a seasoned hunter normally had, but she was considerably decent at tracking down her prey. More importantly, she was good at stalking her prey.

She'll make a fine warrior, she realized.

This was her hunting assessment. Olivepaw had already passed her fighting assessment with flying colors, not that Dovestar wasn't surprised. She practiced on a daily basis with Perchpaw and Nightpaw. Now that she learned to get along with other cats, or at least tolerate them, she was quick to pick up on newer fighting styles. She used that to her full advantage in her assessment, which meant this would be her final test.

She continued following Olivepaw's trail for most of the afternoon. It wasn't exactly a difficult decision to determine whether or not Olivepaw passed. The Clan needed more able-bodied cats anyways. Once Olivepaw and Perchpaw became warriors, she could hold a ceremony for Minnowtail's kits. They were six moons old after all, which meant they were more than ready to become apprentices.

Mothwing mentioned the fact that Rainkit had been especially interested in learning more about herbs. She wasn't the only one who noticed how the young kit spent a considerable amount of time in the medicine cat's den. While she hadn't said anything out loud, Dovestar suspected the kit wanted to become a medicine cat apprentice. It would be good for the Clan to have an extra medicine cat. While Mothwing was more than experienced in her duties, the Clan was also suffering at the claws of Lightning and his gang. The rogues had become a bigger problem over the last couple of days, and the Clan was far from ready to face them.

Dovestar was worried about how the Clan would handle their first real battle. It had been less than a couple of moons since LakeClan first formed. They were lucky they hadn't experienced anything like the Clans faced in the past. That was part of the reason she wanted to continue building the Clan up. She knew sooner or later the peace wouldn't last, and they would have to prepare themselves for war. The rogues sacrificed a life of freedom with the potential cost of their lives by joining LakeClan.

She pushed those thoughts aside as she tried focusing on the assessment. By now Olivepaw was almost finished. She just needed to retrace her steps and collect the prey that was caught, so Dovestar used that as an opportunity to return to their meeting place. Tigerheart was also waiting for Perchpaw to return. Since Hollyleaf was technically in charge of developing patrols, she requested that Tigerheart take charge of Perchpaw's assessment. He readily agreed after realizing she had a valid reason to put him up to the task. Their assessments had been held at the same time, but they were given different hunting areas. At one point the two apprentices met up, but Olivepaw was so focused on her assessment that she didn't give Perchpaw the chance to interrupt.

Dovestar also saw that as a good sign of progress the young cat made. At one point Olivepaw would've used that as an opportunity. Now she seemed more attentive to her training and her role as a Clan cat. Dovestar hoped that this would be a good sign for the future, though she still had her doubts about Olivepaw.

"I'm surprised neither of them tried working together," Tigerheart admitted when she reached him. "Perchpaw was rather excited to finish his assessment this morning."

"Olivepaw is definitely getting better at staying focused on the task at paw," she nodded in agreement. She gave her chest fur a few quick licks before glancing in his direction. "Do you remember your own warrior assessment?"

Tigerheart looked down at his paws thoughtfully. He and his littermates had been temporarily part of ThunderClan at one point. She remembered hearing stories of how Tawnypelt fled from ShadowClan during a time of trouble to keep her family safe. At the time, Brackenfur was his temporary mentor before Tawnypelt was welcomed back to ShadowClan.

"I remember Russetfur being in charge of our assessments," he explained. "She was hard on all of us, but then again, she was hard on everyone that didn't know her. Oakfur was my mentor, but Blackstar made a rule that cats who weren't are mentors had to lead our assessments." That made sense. It meant there couldn't be signs of favoritism for those who succeeded. "Of course we all passed with flying colors, but Russetfur made a show of it by making the assessment as difficult as possible. Plus we had to do our assessments at night for added difficulty."

A shiver of unease swept through her at the idea of working in darkness. She knew ShadowClan cats were known to work better at night. In the darkness they could see better. She hated the idea of being surrounded by darkness. She could never understand how Jayfeather dealt with being blind. He never made a show of it, but that was also because he had been born that way.

I can't imagine losing my vision entirely, she thought guiltily. What if I couldn't see my Clanmates? Or my own family?

A shudder swept through her once more, though she did her best to suppress those emotions.

Thankfully she didn't have time to dwell on the topic. Olivepaw and Perchpaw nearly arrived at the same time. They both had jaws filled with fresh-kill. The main difference was the fact that Olivepaw seemed to have more, as she had to leave and collect the rest of her catch.

"Well done, both of you," Dovestar congratulated the both of them. "You've done an exceptional job at catching prey this morning."

Olivepaw beamed at her praise, while Perchpaw's tail curled with excitement. Both Dovestar and Tigerheart helped carry the rest of the prey back to camp.

It was already bustling with activity by the time they arrived, and Dovestar wasn't all that surprised. Flosspelt had gone into labor earlier that morning. With new kits along the way, everyone was eager to greet them. Dovestar spotted Mothwing sitting outside the nursery with a look of relief written across her face. Her own shoulders sank with relief when she guessed the delivery went well.

"She had three healthy kits," the medicine cat announced once they dropped off the fresh-kill.

"That's excellent news," Dovestar purred. She spotted Hollyleaf giving out directions on who should be on which patrol. "How is Smoketuft handling it?"

This wasn't his first litter of kits. He had been the father of Daisy's kits in the past. She was certain he had more litters with Flosspelt as well, but those kits had been taken away by Twolegs. This would be his first time getting to watch the kits grow up. She could already imagine the excitement both he and Flosspelt were experiencing.

"Surprisingly well considering," Mothwing replied with a wave of her tail. "I think he's more excited about this than Flosspelt."

Dovestar purred in amusement at that. She had a feeling that the kits would make a fine edition to the Clan, even if they were former kittypets. Then again, she technically had kittypet blood through Firestar. It was a very distant memory, but it existed nonetheless.

Once that was settled, Dovestar pondered over what names to give Olivepaw and Perchpaw. She wanted both cats to have names that suited their personalities and the progress they made. Olivepaw had shown good potential over the last couple of days. She saw something in the young cat that she hadn't seen when Olivepaw first joined the Clan with her father.

"I can see how much stronger the Clan is getting." Dovestar glanced at Hollyleaf when the deputy joined her. Tigerheart had gone off to see how his own apprentice was doing since he took charge of Perchpaw's assessment. Fortunately, Forestpelt was more than willing to temporarily take over his training for the day. "It's good to see that everyone is getting along, even Olivepaw and Maroonpelt."

"I'll admit, I had my doubts about Olivepaw, but she's grown since she and her father joined the Clan," she admitted guiltily. Hollyleaf nodded in agreement, though it was clear that wasn't the only thing she had to say. "I'm guessing you didn't just come here for small talk though."

The deputy let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her paws, "I'm worried about these attacks from Lightning. They're getting bolder each day."

A knot formed in the pit of her stomach when Hollyleaf voiced her own concern. She knew sooner or later they would have to face those rogues. A battle with them was inevitable, especially since Lightning seemed so persistent in attacking patrols. He and his cats didn't understand the meaning of boundaries, and it was beginning to show.

"We can't just flat out attack them without a reason," she murmured.

"If we don't do something than they'll force us to make a reason," Hollyleaf warned her. "I've seen cats like Lightning before. They're battle hungry and always itching for a fight. My guess is he won't stop until he has control over our territory, and until our Clan has merged with his gang."

That was enough for her fur to stand on end.

"Then we need to step up patrols and put on a show of strength," she deadpanned. She doubted that would deter Lightning from his attacks, but it would give them the chance to prove themselves as a Clan. The only reason Lightning had become more aggressive was because the rest of the Clans had been wiped out. He saw that as an advantage to take more territory, and Dovestar wasn't going to put up with that. "Make sure you add more patrols where his cats were last seen, and make sure that there are more than two cats. With Olivepaw and Perchpaw becoming warriors, that will make the task easier."

Hollyleaf nodded in agreement, though she didn't look any happier with the idea of adding to her already long list of things to worry about. Dovestar held back a sigh of relief once she left it at that. She knew she would have to deal with Lightning and his rogues sooner or later, but hopefully for now this would buy them some time.

"I'm so proud of you," Forestpelt purred after reaching Olivepaw. "You've grown up so much."

"Unlike the rest of my family," Olivepaw muttered under her breath. Forestpelt stiffened when Olivepaw brought up that uncomfortable topic. Dovestar watched the pair warily, knowing full-well that Olivepaw hadn't let that memory go. This confrontation was long overdue, and it was time they got it out of the way. "At least unlike them, I had the chance to grow up."

"Olivepaw, you know—"

"I know what? That you fled before they had the chance to escape?" the young cat snapped. "You were nothing more than a coward for fleeing with me!"

Forestpelt was ready to argue when he realized that she had a valid point. Dovestar thought back to how angry Olivepaw was over the fact that her family was gone. She never had the chance to make peace with their loss. She couldn't imagine what that was like. While she lost her own family during the Dark Battle, she was still given the chance to mourn their loss.

"Olivepaw, your mother was already dead before Lightning ambushed us," Forestpelt let out a heavy sigh after dropping his gaze. Olivepaw's eyes widened in disbelief. "And your siblings were long gone as well. I only told you that they were alive to keep you from making guesses; you were too young to understand what happened to them."

That kind of news isn't any better, Dovestar realized as Olivepaw's claws unsheathed with fury.

She tensed, wondering if it was right to intervene before things escalated to a full-blown fight. She doubted either cat would thank her for interfering with their argument. It was clear this was something that Forestpelt had been holding back since they joined the Clan. Olivepaw, on the other hand, didn't take the news well. She had been holding on to all that rage and grief, only to find out that their family was already dead.

"Then you might as well consider me dead as well!" she spat. Forestpelt just stared at her as if she'd grown wings, and Olivepaw bared her teeth. "You've been lying to me all this time! You're nothing more than a foxhearted coward!"

By now, everyone overheard the argument brewing around camp. Dovestar glanced around warily, not missing the fact that some cats agreed with Olivepaw, while others complained over the fact that she was treating her father with such cruelty. They were both cruel to each other in their own way. She knew better than to act that way around her own family, especially given how close they were at the time.

Well, that's one way to end a confrontation.

She shook her head and made her way to the clearing where ceremonies had been held since the Clan first formed. She didn't exactly have a special area where she held Clan meetings. Her den might have made a suitable meeting spot, but the clearing seemed like a better fit. Plus the newcomers had only just begun getting to know the layout when she started holding said ceremonies. The last thing she wanted or needed was to overwhelm them during their first couple of moons in the Clan.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the clearing for a Clan meeting!" she called, using the familiar terms Firestar used to use when he was leader. She watched as everyone did just that. Fortunately everyone was back in camp after a long day of patrolling the borders and hunting. "We're here today to name some new warriors. Both Perchpaw and Olivepaw have finished their training and are ready to receive their warrior names. Step forward."

She flicked her tail, signaling for the two young cats to do just that. Perchpaw practically skipped ahead while Olivepaw was a bit more reserved. Her argument with Forestpelt was still fresh in her mind. Dovestar hoped that this ceremony would help, though she doubted that would change the fact that it happened in the first place. It was the kind of argument where only time would heal their wounds.

Not for the first time, she found herself thinking of the arguments she used to have with Ivypool.

They seemed so petty now that she thought about it. Ivypool had always blamed her for getting special attention from Lionblaze and Jayfeather, and eventually Firestar. It wasn't until Ivypool finally explained why she was so annoyed that Dovestar understood the situation. Her sister had begun to feel alienated. Before they became warriors, they were still close. She was suddenly grateful over the fact that they recovered from that argument, especially after seeing the argument that went on between Olivepaw and Forestpelt.

"Perchpaw, Olivepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

"I do," Perchpaw chirped with the same enthusiasm he had when he first joined the Clan.

"I do," Olivepaw replied.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Perchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Perchfang. StarClan honors you for your enthusiasm and your loyalty."

Perchfang stood there with wide eyes before doing something Hollyleaf taught him. Dovestar was even more amused when he tentatively approached her and gave her shoulder a quick lick before returning to his spot. The newcomers looked even more confused over this process. The official ceremony hadn't exactly been explained to them, so she knew it would take time for them to get used to such strange traditions.

"Olivepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Olivelight. StarClan honors you for your courage and for your prowess."

The she–cat blinked in confusion as Perchfang looked at her expectantly. It took a few heartbeats for her to register that she needed to make the same gesture Perchfang made just seconds before. Her fur suddenly felt warm with embarrassment as Olivelight finally stepped forward and gave her shoulder a reluctant lick, though not without looking annoyed with the prospect.

"Perchfang! Olivelight!" At first it was just Hollyleaf, Tigerheart and Mothwing who called out their names. Then the rest finally joined in. Even Minnowtail joined in after some hesitation. "Perchfang! Olivelight!"

Both newly named warriors looked more than awed over the fact that their names were cheered. Even Olivelight, for all the anger she showed just moments before, was practically bursting with pride now.

"As new warriors, it will be your duty to guard the camp for the evening as a vigil," Dovestar meowed once the initial ceremony was over. "You won't be able to speak, but you'll at least have each other's company."

She glanced at Perchfang pointedly, knowing full-well how difficult it was for the young cat to sit still. Perchfang was practically bursting with excitement before he realized what his leader was implying. She almost smirked at the prospect of dealing with a full night of silence. Fortunately, Olivelight was better at keeping herself reserved. She hoped the two of them could keep each other company throughout the night.

To her relief, Olivelight took her duty seriously once she found a good position. Perchfang on the other paw seemed to have a harder time trying to sit still and stay quiet as the moon began to rise. Dovestar shook her head in amusement as she retreated to her den. So much had happened that day that her head was practically spinning. Between the assessments, Flosspelt's kits and the argument with Olivelight and Forestpelt, she wasn't sure what was more interesting.

Exhaustion swept through her as she curled up in her nest, though not without feeling Tigerheart's body press against her. She let out a sigh of satisfaction at the feeling of his warmth, letting it wrap around her. In spite of her growing concern for Lightning and his constant attacks, she felt content laying there with Tigerheart beside her. She wished the peaceful moment would last, more so for the sake of the Clan than anything else, mostly because she knew that nothing good would come from an attack by Lightning or any other cat for that matter.