"Let all cats old enough to dig for sand crabs join here beneath the willow tree for a Clan meeting!" Midgestar yowled, her voice carrying far across the beach and startling a flock of gulls. They retreated into the sky with the sound of fading wingbeats.

Sharpthunder was relieved that Midgestar had remembered to hold the ceremony at dusk, and that she took the time to groom herself beforehand. She looked tired, but more like a leader than she did when he saw her this morning.

The able cats assembled in front of their leader. Sharpthunder watched discerningly from his place just below the base of the stone ring, his striped tail tucked neatly around his paws. He sat a little farther away than usual, pushing the crowd back in turn, to help conceal the stench of sickness that seemed to be wafting off of Midgestar. Twigpaw, her brown tabby coat freshly groomed, was at the edge of the crowd. Her whiskers were vibrating with excitement.

"Today I get to perform one of the most sacred duties of a leader," Midgestar began. The murmurings of the gathered cats immediately fell silent. The rasping of Midgestar's labored breathing became audible as she paused to gather her thoughts. "I only wish that Silverhare was here to see it. He did a fine job mentoring you, Twigpaw, and his memory will live on each day that you use the skills he taught you in service of your Clan."

Twigpaw bowed her head solemnly, struck briefly with grief for her dead mentor.

"I, Midgestar, leader of WillowClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I present her to you as a warrior," Midgestar meowed. She gazed down at Twigpaw with pride in her cobalt eyes. "Twigpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Twigpaw nodded vigorously. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, from this moment on you will be known as Twigvalley. StarClan honors your cleverness, and how selflessly you work to support your Clan. We welcome you as a full warrior of WillowClan."

Twigvalley had always been a popular apprentice, and will now be a popular warrior. The Clan didn't waste even a second before they swarmed her, Ravenbloom leading the charge, calling out her new name and pressing her forehead against her flank.

Sharpthunder joined in for a few cries of "Twigvalley!" before watching the crowd dissolve. Ravenbloom led Twigvalley to the warriors' den to make her nest. Sharpthunder was glad that Ravenbloom had found a good friend in the young brown warrior.

The deputy waited for Midgestar to share tongues with her warriors, or perhaps bask in the dying sunlight as Cinnamonholly was laying down to do, but she turned tail and disappeared into her shadowy den immediately after the ceremony. Sharpthunder sighed, scenting the air, and caught another whiff of sickness as Midgestar departed. He pricked his ears as he heard the sound of retching coming from inside the leader's den. He knew that Rindlebramble really needed to look in on her as soon as possible.

He rose to his paws and crossed the camp to the nursery in a few strides. The nursery was on the same side of camp as the warriors' den. It was a well-protected structure, nestled inside the dense roots of the mangrove trees bordering camp. Moss had been packed into the outer branches for insulation, and palm fronds were woven in for weather protection. It was fairly soundproof, too, as Sharpthunder didn't even hear the mewling of kits until he ducked inside.

The nursery was warm and dim in the dusk light, and it smelled comfortingly of milk. Sharpthunder was reminded of his days in the nursery with his mother and littermates. In a large nest towards the back of the den, Rindlebramble laid on her side, watching as a white kit and a sandy brown kit batted at a loose feather that is fluttering around inside the den.

As Sharpthunder walked in, Rindlebramble looked up and purred, "Hello, deputy."

He dipped his head awkwardly. At his arrival, the kits stopped playing and sat up beside their mother, looking at their visitor curiously, Sharpthunder looks around for the other kits, but doesn't see any more.

"This is Mudkit," Rindlebramble purred, swishing her dark tail over the stark white kit. His fur was a harsh contrast to his mother's, with just one paw-sized spot of brown on his flank. "This is Ganderkit."

"Hello," Sharpthunder murmured. He had been under the impression that Rindlebramble had a bigger litter. He realized he had just assumed as such. "They look strong and healthy already."

"Yes," she purred as Mudkit went back to swiping at the feather. "They have all my milk to themselves, so I would hope so. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to check in on the newest members of WillowClan," Sharpthunder mewed, flicking his striped tail as he noticed Ganderkit staring at it. The kit crouched and wiggled before pouncing on his tail. Sharpthunder let him meow triumphantly before he snatched it away and the kit resumed chasing it. "Oh, and I was wondering if you knew how Midgestar was getting on. She seems sickly."

Rindlebramble furrowed her brow. Ganderkit pounced on Sharpthunder's tail again.

"She was fine last I saw her a few days ago," the medicine cat murmured, "Grieving, sure, but fine. She was thrown into leadership far earlier than she expected. She had only been deputy for two moons. I'm sure you recall."

Sharpthunder nodded. The old deputy had died in a battle over the Fishing Tree, a contested landmark between HeatherClan and WillowClan territory. Beside the lake at the center of the territories, there was an abandoned Twoleg nest, with a garden full of catmint and other valuable herbs. The fishing tree, a long wooden structure extending out over the lake, makes the perfect spot for swiping fish right out of the water. The two Clans have been warring over the valuable place for seasons, longer than Sharpthunder has been alive. WillowClan held onto it by a thread after the last battle that claimed the old deputy's life. Sharpthunder noted that if HeatherClan were to challenge them for it right now, he may very well have to let it go to them.

"I see. Well, she smelled sick when I saw her earlier today," Sharpthunder mewed. "If you could look in on her when you have the chance, I would appreciate it."

Rindlebramble nodded. Ganderkit stopped playing and looked up at Sharpthunder with his wide, kit-blue eyes.

"Let me know if you need anything," Sharpthunder said in farewell before ducking out of the den.

The deputy made for the prey pile, his stomach rumbling, when a rustling at the root tunnel caught his attention. An unfamiliar profile staggered through the entrance, muttering as his fur got caught on the roots. A dark gray and black tom finally emerged into camp, his amber eyes scanning curiously.

Sharpthunder unsheathed his claws and bounded toward the entrance. Cinnamonholly and Dawnlight did the same, and they soon had the newcomer surrounded.

"Intruder!" Cinnamonholly hissed, his lush tail lashing furiously.

"Hold on now!" the newcomer shrunk down to the ground, making himself appear small and less threatening. His white paws gripped the compacted sand underneath him, his claws sheathed. "I am no threat."

"Then what are you doing on WillowClan territory?" Dawnlight hissed, stalking forward. The fur on his spine stood straight up, his lips curled in a snarl.

"There is no need for hostility," the cat insisted, sitting down slowly as if afraid he would be jumped on. "I come here because I wish to join WillowClan."

"Dawnlight, escort him to my den at once," Midgestar called out.

Sharpthunder whipped his head around to see his leader standing tall outside of her den. The willow fronds cast wavering shadows over her form as the sun dipped below the horizon line. She was frantically swiping a paw over her face, as if trying to hide the signs that she had just vomited a few moments before.

"Yes, Midgestar," Dawnlight meowed tensely, and then flicked his tail at the newcomer. "Come."

Sharpthunder stood, shocked, as the dark tabby tom was escorted into his leader's den. Their hushed conversation was not audible from where he stood. He felt a flash of indignation, hot as fire, for being left out of the conversation. He was deputy, after all! He had been running all the other aspects of the Clan! How dare Midgestar ignore him now when a stranger waltzes into the camp?

"Cats of WillowClan!" Midgestar yowled, emerging from her den.

Behind her stood Dawnlight and the other tom, looking unsettled and pleased respectively. There was no need to call a meeting. The cats had already assembled due to the clamor of the tom's arrival. Sharpthunder slipped to the front of the crowd and looked up at his leader, but she did not spare him a glance.

He noticed that while she stood tall, her ears were angled back, and her cobalt eyes were glazed with exhaustion. A spot of dark brown vomit, like soil, was crusted on her chest.

"It is no secret that we have lost many cats recently," Midgestar began, her voice seeming distant even though she was right in front of the Clan. "And those that remain are weakened by the illness. WillowClan cannot afford to be seen as, or to truly be, weak. I graciously accept any offer of help from StarClan, who must have guided this loner into our camp. We will be accepting him, Wren, into WillowClan."

Sharpthunder expected outraged yowls to explode out of the gathered cats, but they were all silent as a mouse. The implication that StarClan had sent this longer- Wren, was it?- to WillowClan to strengthen them in a time of weakness sent Sharpthunder's mind spinning. He never thought that StarClan would be so obvious with their signs. They never had been, at least… but now, he thinks about Flailpaw, and the ominous thunder that Midgestar had heard on her way back from the Falls, the whole reason he was appointed deputy. He decided he would be better off not questioning things. When had anything like any of the recent events happened, anyways? What's one more oddity?

"Welcome, Wren," Sharpthunder called, forcing his voice to sound friendly. "WillowClan is pleased to have you."

Wren's striped plume of a tail shot up instantly. "Thank you."

"From now on, this cat will be known as Wrenpaw," Midgestar decreed. "All of my senior warriors will share in his training. I trust that you will all help him become a valuable warrior of WillowClan."

A few cats glanced at Sharpthunder questioningly, as if trying to gauge how they should react. He forced his expression to remain encouraging and nodded, before being the first to call, "Wrenpaw! Wrenpaw!"

The Clan slowly but surely joined in, and Midgestar slipped back into her den as Wrenpaw leapt down into the fray to introduce himself to his new Clanmates. Over the heads of their peers, Dawnlight and Sharpthunder exchanged a worried glance.