Brindleface was waiting for her at the camp entrance. There was a mischievous spark in her green eyes. Goldenflower had a good guess as to why and simply flicked her friend's nose with her tail. Brindleface sneezed and followed her, scurrying up the slope of the ravine.

"So Patchpelt tells me he wanted to help you get settled in the nursery, but apparently I'm too busy helping you for him to be of any help," Brindleface puffed as Goldenflower strode ahead.

When Goldenflower didn't respond, her friend continued. "Why didn't you want his help? He still cares about you."

Goldenflower hesitated before answering, pretending to consider the moss on the trees around them. "It would have felt too much like being mates again," she murmured.

Brindleface was silent as they moved on. When then finally stopped in a glade of trees that had some moss clinging to them, the she-cat begin to strip the moss from the bark. "I still don't understand why you ended things," she admitted.

Because I'm vain. Narrow minded. And selfish. Goldenflower pushed aside her thoughts and collected a scrap of moss. "Because I am not ready to go to the elder's den. I don't know why Patchpelt decided to retire early. He's not that much older than us."

"He's gotten hurt pretty badly through the seasons," Brindleface pointed out. "It's your life, your choices."

"Are you done commenting on them?"

"Never," Brindleface purred, her whiskers twitching with amusement. "You're stuck with me."

"Thank StarClan for that. Sometimes," Goldenflower meowed back.

Returning to camp, burdened with moss, Goldenflower found that Speckletail had cleared a scoop in the nursery for her. The pale golden tabby was weaving twigs together, reinforcing the back of the nest. "You're back," she meowed, delight in her eyes. "I thought I'd help you get a head start on your nest."

"Thank you," Goldenflower purred, blinking warmly at her mother.

"Of course! I'm excited for you!" Speckletail tucked the twig she was weaving neatly away. "Let me know if anything pokes you."

"I will, thank you." Goldenflower dropped the moss into the scoop and began to spread it out.

Speckletail stopped her, one paw gently on top of her. "I know what this means to you." Her amber eyes search Goldenflower's own. "It means a lot to me as well."

"I know." Goldenflower knew her mother shared her struggles and sorrow. She had never conceived again after Lionheart and Goldenflower and had long ago resigned herself to them being her only kits. Speckletail pressed her head against Goldenflower's before slipping out of the den, leaving Goldenflower alone with Brindleface.

Ravenkit, Dustkit, and Sandkit were tussling outside under the watchful eye of Willowpelt, who was grooming Graykit by the sounds of his protests. This was going to be her life soon. A gentle nose to her ear brought her out of her thoughts.

"You okay?" Brindleface mewed.

At the same time, there was a sharp squeal from Ravenkit outside. Willowpelt's sharp scolding quickly followed. Brindleface followed the tilt of Goldenflower's ears. "It's pretty overwhelming, isn't it?" she meowed.

"Very," Goldenflower admitted.

"If we hurry, we can finish before the ceremony!"

"What ceremony?"

"Oh! You were hunting!" Brindleface tripped over her words in her eagerness to share the good news. "Longpaw passed his assessment. And Bluestar says Dustkit and Sandkit are ready to be apprentices."

"Not Ravenkit, too?" Goldenflower asked, puzzled.

"Bluestar says he has some growing to do. Besides, he and Dustkit aren't that close. He's closer with Graykit and it would be good for Graykit to have a friend with a… quieter personality."

"I see." Goldenflower wasn't sure what to think. She and Lionheart had always been so close. There was no question of them being good friends. She didn't understand the enmity between the brothers. Dustpaw to Redtail, Sandstorm to Whitestorm Longtail was Darkstripe's apprentice

Bluestar's call rang out, summoning the clan. Brindleface quickly slipped out of the den. Goldenflower glanced back at the nest in the nursery before stepping out to join the clan. The clan deputy was seated beneath highrock, his bushy red tail wrapped over his paws. The tom's eyes were half closed, but Goldenflower knew he was watching the clan. Whitestorm touched noses with Willowpelt briefly and affectionately nudged Graykit with his paw. The little gray tom looked up at his father with wide eyes and buried his face in his mother's flank. Willowpelt purred.

"Darkstripe's first apprentice is going to be a warrior today," Whitestorm murmured.

Willowpelt' s eyes darkened and her purr faded.

"It seems that whatever his other qualities, he is a decent enough mentor." Whitestorm offered.

Willowpelt nodded. "Perhaps it is a blessing that he is not more like his father."

Goldenflower's ears pricked. Willowpelt had never confessed who Darkstripe's father was, though every cat knew it was not Whitestorm. The noble warrior had never claimed Darkstripe as his own.

"Indeed." Whitestorm blinked at Willowpelt and dipped his head to Goldenflower before joining the rest of the warriors.

"I can't believe you let him go," Goldenflower hissed under her breath to Willowpelt.

The she-cat turned her head aside. "I have my reasons. And he will be happier with Brindleface."

Indeed, the white warrior was sitting next to the pretty gray she-cat. Brindleface caught Goldenflower's gaze and beckoned for the ginger queen to join her. Goldenflower shook her head and remained where she was with Willowpelt. She was a queen now.

"Cats of Thunderclan! We have made it through leaf-bare. Though we will always miss those who we've lost the life of the clan moves on." Bluestar's commanding voice captured the attention of every cat. "Two of our kits are ready to be apprentices. Dustkit, Sandkit, come forward."

The dark brown tom stepped forward, the light ginger she-cat trembling with excitement at his side. Her green eyes were bright.

Goldenflower contemplated the young she-cat. There were cats in the clans who suspected that she was Sandkit's mother. They shared the same pale ginger tabby pelt and Sandstorm's gaze was twin to Lionheart's own. Through her own charm and fierce nature, the she-cat had integrated herself into the clan. Goldenflower doubted she remembered a time before ThunderClan. Her eyes had not been open when Redtail brought her to the camp. She hoped that Bluestar would give the kit a mentor that would treat her fairly, whatever her origins.

"Dustkit, from this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Dustpaw. Your mentor will be Redtail." At those words, the clan deputy rose to his paws and silently padded towards the apprentice. "Redtail, you were an excellent mentor to Mousefur. I expect that you will pass your skills on to Dustpelt and teach him what it means to be a true warrior of ThunderClan."

Redtail touched noses with his new apprentice and they remained standing together, while Sandkit stood alone.

"Sandkit, from this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Sandpaw. I have asked Whitestorm to mentor you. I expect that he will pass on all he knows to you, teaching you what it means to be a ThunderClan warrior." Whitestorm rose from where he sat next to Brindleface and gently touched noses with the young apprentice.

"He will be a great mentor for her," Willowpelt murmured next to Goldenflower, who nodded her agreement.

Bluestar's attention turned to Longpaw, who was sitting next to his mentor, Darkstripe. The pale tabby tom's eyes were shining with excitement. Even Darkstripe looked lively.

"Longpaw has finished his training and his mentor, Darkstripe says he is ready to become a warrior." Bluestar beckoned the pale brown tabby forward and lifted her head to the sky.

"I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn.

"Longpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Longpaw trembled but nodded. Bluestar gazed down at him expectantly, her blue eyes shining with warmth. "If you promise this, then say I do," the ThunderClan leader prompted gently.

"I- I do!" Longpaw meowed, his voice shaking.

"Longpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Longtail. StarClan honors your devotion and tireless energy. We welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

The new warrior's blue eyes were gleaming as his name was chanted by the clan. Longtail at last was taking his place among the ranks of the warriors. Goldenflower joined the swarm of warriors to offer her congratulations to the young tom.

Picking her way out of the throng of cats, she found herself face to face with Bluestar. Goldenflower dipped her head out of respect, but Bluestar touched her tail to Goldenflower's shoulder. "No need, old friend," she murmured. "I wanted to see how you were getting along. I had kits once and I remember the shock I felt when I found out." There was a sad glimmer in those blue eyes.

"We were young then," Goldenflower whispered, remembering Bluestar's grief. And Thrushpelt's, her old mentor. "That was a cruel leaf-bare."

"ThunderClan would never let anything happen to your kits," Bluestar promised. "Kits are the future of the clan."

"Indeed," Goldenflower agreed, curling her tail around her swollen belly.

—

The stick splintered in her jaws as another powerful contraction rippled through her. Gentle paws pressed on her side, moving with the contractions. Goldenflower groaned as her muscles tensed.

"You're doing well," Spottedleaf, the medicine cat, soothed.

Goldenflower didn't have the energy to tell the she-cat she wasn't doing well. She had always wanted kits, but never knew kitting would be so rough. There was a rare look of sympathy in Speckletail's gaze. For a moment, Goldenflower wondered what she looked like to her mother and Spottedleaf.

"Almost there," Spottedleaf meowed. "This first kit is a big one. Push hard."

Goldenflower bit down on the stick again and pushed with the contraction. Pain tore through her and the world stopped as she waited. A tiny shrill cry sounded and she breathed with relief. "Well done!" Speckletail purred.

"It's a tom," Spottedleaf mewed. "And there's one more on the way."

The second kit came easily.

"A she-kit!"

The two kits nestled into her side, seeking the milk that only she could provide. Goldenflower purred as they kneaded her side. The tom was Patchpelt's miniature.

The she-kit was a light ginger tabby with black splotches. "They're beautiful," Goldenflower whispered.

She was shocked by the burning emotion she felt. These were her kits. She loved them wholly and completely and immediately. It was far different than the affection she once had for Patchpelt. At the thought of her former mate, she lifted her head up.

"Can you get Patchpelt?" she asked her mother.

Speckletail nodded, compacting the soiled bedding. "I'll dispose of this and let him know you want to see him."

"I'll go too," Spottedleaf said. "I'll check in on you later."

"Thanks."

Goldenflower soaked up the few precious moments she had alone in the nursery. These were her kits. A miracle from StarClan.

Patchpelt's familiar scent washed over her and the elder stepped delicately over Willowpelt's nest and crouched before her. His amber eyes shone with delight. "They're beautiful."

"Of course they are." She flicked her tail. "They're my kits."

A flicker of amusement appeared in Patchpelt's gaze. "What did you name them?"

Goldenflower hesitated a moment. "I thought we could name them together. If you want. They're your kits too."

Patchpelt's purr grew deeper and louder. "Thank you, Goldenflower."

The tiny tom mewled and snuggled closer to Goldenflower.

"I've always wanted to name one of my kits after my mother."

"Swiftbreeze would love that," Goldenflower purred. She lightly stroked the tom kit's spine with his tail. "Swiftkit?"

Patchpelt nodded. "And what about her?" he asked, nuzzling the tiny she-kit. The little ginger and black kit did not mewl in protest. "She needs a strong name."

Goldenflower nodded. There had been a name she'd been carrying in her heart since she was an apprentice. "I was thinking Lynxkit."

Patchpelt did not comment on the origin of the name. "Lynxkit will be perfect."

As happy as she was, Goldenflower felt that the chasm between her and Patchpelt had never been wider. He should have been a warrior still, her mate still. But he made his choice and she made hers.