The warm greenleaf wind tugged at Scorchstar's fur as he took a few steps towards the RiverClan border, excited to see his sister's kits. He and Shimmerstar had arranged this visit a couple of moons ago, and he was waiting to see Minnowflight's dark gray fur at the border. Shimmerstar had said that the RiverClan deputy would accompany him to camp. Scorchstar swept his gaze through the territory, and spotted Minnowflight's pelt slinking through the brown marshland. The RiverClan deputy climbed up the marsh and reached the scent line. She nodded to Scorchstar.

"You can cross," Minnowflight said.

"Thanks." Scorchstar leaped over the scent lines, his ginger-and-white paws landing onto the marshland. He winced as the squelchy mud lapped at his paws. Tension sparked between him and Minnowflight – it had not been that long ago when Minnowflight had been his enemy, and she had been fighting against his Clanmates. But the Clans are at peace. It's time I forgive Minnowflight. I can't lead my Clan in a united age of peace if I still hold grudges with their leadership. He blinked twice at Minnowflight, and the gray deputy held his gaze steadily. Then, at the same time, the two of them nodded to each other. Minnowflight plunged into the reeds, leading Scorchstar through the marshland and towards the island that made RiverClan's camp.

Scorchstar leaped over stalks of rush and reed, avoiding the deep streams and crossing the small brooks until they reached the two rivers that nestled the island, where RiverClan lived. Minnowflight shook out her fur and stopped at the bank of the river, waiting for Scorchstar to catch up. Scorchstar jumped next to her, wondering how Russetstripe had dealt with such a massive change of scenery. I hope she's doing well, he thought as Minnowflight led him over the river and into the island. The scent of RiverClan plunged into Scorchstar's nose as he pushed his way from the foliage and entered the island.

The first cat that greeted him was Runningflame, and Scorchstar tried to stop the growl that rose in his throat. He didn't know if he would ever forgive the ginger-and-white tom for taking Russetstripe away from him, but just as he had to forgive Minnowflight, he had to understand that Runningflame was his sister's mate and the father of her kits. He gave Runningflame a forced nod, while Runningflame blinked twice and lowered his head.

"Follow me," Runningflame meowed, flicking his tail. "Thanks, Minnowflight."

Minnowflight dipped her head and left the two cats. Runningflame led Scorchstar towards a thick bramble thicket and stopped at the entrance. Scorchstar looked at him, confused.

"You're not coming in?" he asked.

"No." Runningflame shook his head. "It's you who she's supposed to see, after all. She misses you."

"Oh." Scorchstar swallowed. Then why did she leave me? He could hear the mewling of kits from where he stood, and he forced himself into the bramble thicket, wincing as the thorns brushed his shoulders. Just as he entered the nursery, he allowed his eyes to settle into the pale light, and then looked down to see his sister lying down on her side, with three kits wrestling around her. One was dark ginger – the same exact color as Russetstripe, save for a few darker but faint stripes. The other was a pale ginger tabby, and all Scorchstar could see in that tabby was his mother, Sunleaf. The last kit looked like Runningflame, and by extension, Scorchstar and Swiftstar as well, thanks to her ginger-and-white tabby pelt.

"Scorchstar!" Russetstripe mewled, getting to her paws as she walked over and brushed her muzzle fiercely against her brother's cheek. A purr rumbled from her throat, unending and loud as she greeted her brother. Scorchstar's heart swelled as he took in the face of his sister, the bond that they shared, and how much he loved her. He shut his eyes as he dug his head into his sister's shoulder.

"Russetstripe," Scorchstar purred, opening his eyes to see the kits stop and glance at Scorchstar with intrigued eyes. "These are yours?"

"Of course they are, rabbit-brain." Russetstripe headbutted Scorchstar, and Scorchstar suddenly realized she had used the term 'rabbit-brain' – a WindClan term. Maybe… just maybe…?

"Wait, that's Scorchstar?" The voice came from the pale tabby kit, the one that looked so much like Sunleaf. The kit, with his broad shoulders and thick fur, like his mother's, bounded over to Scorchstar. "Hi! I'm Lionkit! I've heard so many stories about you!"

"Like the one where he fell into the pond?" the ginger-and-white she-kit meowed, laughing. "That's a good one!"

"Flamekit!" Russetstripe scolded the she-kit. "Not in front of him!"

"Sorry!" Flamekit flattened her ears and walked over to Scorchstar. "You're much bigger than my mom said you are!"

"Oh, she's just upset she's not as tall as me," Scorchstar joked, keeping his eyes peeled towards the last kit, who padded over to them, his dark ginger fur ruffled. "And what would your name be?"

"I'm Tigerkit," the tom said. "You're really Scorchstar? Our uncle?"

"In the flesh," Scorchstar meowed. "Why? What has your mother said about me? I want to know."

"Scorchstar!" Russetstripe grumbled.

"She said that you've gotten in trouble more times than she can count!" Tigerkit squealed.

"Oh, really?" Scorchstar leaned down, glaring at Russetstripe through narrowed eyes. "Sure she wasn't talking about herself? Did she ever tell you she snuck out of camp as a kit, into ThunderClan territory?"

"Wha?" The kits gasped in unison and parked themselves at Scorchstar's paws.

"She didn't!" Tigerkit exclaimed.

"Tell us more!" Flamekit begged.

"Hey…" Russetstripe protested. "That was a while ago. They don't need to—"

"Do you want to know, kits?" Scorchstar purred as the three kits stared at him, their eyes wide with awe.

"Yes!" Flamekit exclaimed. "Please, tell us!"

"Gah…" Russetstripe turned her back to her kits while Scorchstar purred. This reminds me of when Hawkfire, Redmoon, and Mallowleaf were kits.

"Well, you see, your mother was just a kit at the time. She had a friend, Blackdove, and her name was Blackkit then. Your mother convinced Blackdove to leave WindClan's camp and cross the stream to ThunderClan territory, and then they would take a leaf from the forest and bring it back to WindClan camp." Scorchstar felt a purr of laughter when every word he said made the kits' eyes stretch even wider, until he could see the whites of them. "Our father was furious. He delayed her apprentice ceremony."

"Wow!" Flamekit breathed. "She never told us that! How did she become an apprentice, then?"

"The next day, she tried to leave the Clan," Scorchstar recalled. "Since she was upset about her apprentice ceremony being delayed. But…" He halted, knowing that these kits were RiverClan now – and so was Russetstripe. He'd have to find a way around this. "A group of cats came to invade WindClan, and Russetstripe saw them before they could take us by surprise. She came back and warned the Clan leader. After the fight, he made her an apprentice, rewarding her bravery."

"Mom!" Tigerkit whined. "Why didn't you tell us this? This is the best story ever!"

Russetstripe's face was turning red with embarrassment as she glared at Scorchstar, her tail-tip twitching. "Well, because some stories are private!" Scorchstar was relieved when he didn't detect any genuine anger in her voice – just bashful embarrassment. "But I guess not so much anymore. Don't think you don't have any skeletons in your closet, Scorchstar!"

Scorchstar purred. "She's right, kits. I'm not as innocent as I say I am."

"So, tell us something you've done," Lionkit said, tugging at Scorchstar's paws.

"Or what?" Scorchstar tilted his head.

"This!" The voice came from behind him, and Scorchstar looked up, seeing Tigerkit haul a moss ball towards him. Scorchstar ducked before the moss ball could hit him, and a purr of amusement escaped his body as Tigerkit jumped on him, holding onto his back. Oh, how I've missed this! If only we were doing it at home…

Russetstripe opened her mouth, but Scorchstar shot her a glance, to tell her it was fine. This was just how kits acted, and it wasn't any good to scold them. They were at this age, anyway. Scorchstar sat down, with Tigerkit still holding onto him, and rummaged his mind for a good story to tell these kits about him.

"Well, there was this one time your mother and I ran through the wall of flames to rescue one of our Clanmates," Scorchstar mused. "We burned our paws trying to get to him, and then we were stuck in camp with him. Your mother found a tunnel in the camp wall and helped us both out of there."

"You both were in a fire?" Flamekit gasped. "And you escaped it?"

Scorchstar glanced at Russetstripe. "We've been through so many things together, and you're not telling them?" he asked, light-heartedly.

"I didn't want to tell them about anything bad," Russetstripe said, coming over to sit next to Scorchstar. "Both of us got hurt in that fire."

"But we're both here now," Scorchstar meowed. "Here and well, to tell your kits stories of what we've gone through."

"Scorchstar?" Tigerkit meowed. "What's WindClan like?"

Scorchstar's amber eyes stretched wide. Right, he must know he's half WindClan. But… "Why do you ask?"

"Because we know our mom is from WindClan," Flamekit said. "We just wanna know what WindClan is like. Is it true that you eat rabbits, and that you run all day?"

"Well, we do eat rabbits, but if a cat was to run all day, I think he'd collapse on his paws the moment sunhigh hit," Scorchstar meowed, wrapping his tail around his paws. "We live in the moors and we enjoy the sun. It's the same as RiverClan, really, just in a different territory. Since the Clans are at peace, maybe you'd like to come pay a visit one day. To see where your mother grew up, or to see your other kin. I have two kits, too. Their names are Hawkfire and Redmoon."

"What do they look like?" Flamekit asked.

"Hawkfire looks just like you, actually," Scorchstar meowed, addressing Flamekit. "But she has short fur. And Redmoon looks a lot like you, Tigerkit. He just doesn't have any stripes."

"What about me?" Lionkit asked. "Does anyone in our family look like me?"

"My mother looked like you," Russetstripe meowed. "Her name was Sunleaf."

"Cool!" Lionkit exclaimed. "Maybe my warrior name will be Lionleaf. Although I'm not sure I like that. Maybe Lionsun?"

Russetstripe purred. "You're always so ahead of yourself. You're three moons. It'll be a while until you're an apprentice – or a warrior."

"Then I'm going to practice right now!" Lionkit surged out of the nursery, running between Scorchstar's legs and plunging out of the bramble thicket. Scorchstar watched him go, a blur of pale ginger fur.

Flamekit darted after him, yowling over her shoulder, "Bye, Scorchstar! I want to see you again!"

Tigerkit followed Flamekit, mewing a goodbye to Scorchstar. Scorchstar smiled at Russetstripe. "They're cute."

"A pawful," Russetstripe purred, "but I do love them. I wouldn't trade it for the world." Suddenly, her green eyes darkened. "Scorchstar, what's the matter?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Scorchstar asked.

"Don't 'what do you mean' me." Russetstripe's thick tail twitched in thinly veiled irritation. "We may not have seen each other for a few moons, but I know you and I always will. When you mentioned Hawkfire and Redmoon, your voice dropped. What's wrong? Are they okay?"

Scorchstar sighed. He might as well confide in Russetstripe. Surely his sister could give him advice. "Listen, Russetstripe. Harewhisker is ill."

Russetstripe gasped. "Is he going to be okay?"

Scorchstar flexed his claws. "I don't know," he confessed. "I really don't. But the time may come, sooner than later, when I will need a new deputy. My options are limited. Too many of my cats are old, too many of them are too young, and some don't fit the criteria. I've given Hawkfire and Redmoon Rainpaw and Brightpaw as apprentices, and they're the only two who I can think will be my deputy. But… who?"

"What exactly are you looking for, in a deputy?" Russetstripe asked.

"A smart cat," Scorchstar said. "Strong. With lots of energy, courage, confidence, and integrity. The problem is both of my kits have all of those traits. If I pick one, will the other forgive me? Will we have another repeat of Adderstripe and I?"

"Not if you can nip it in the bud," Russetstripe said. "I know those are the qualities you want, but what qualities does a leader need to serve in this era? Where the Clans are at peace, and to prevent any war from happening again?"

"A level head," Scorchstar suggested. "Resolution skills, communication. Maybe charisma, and the most important of all… the vision of a future with peace. They can't do anything to cause a war and have to actively pursue a path that will avoid it. We can't have another senseless era of war. It's in my power to pick a cat who will not let that happen. Redmoon is so strong-willed, there was that time he went into ShadowClan territory just to pick a fight with Nightfire… but Hawkfire went with him, too!"

Russetstripe blinked, saying nothing.

"Redmoon is strong and smart," Scorchstar meowed. "He protected Hawkfire, Frostpetal, and Iceheart when they went to find Hotaru. He's determined to protect his Clan, no matter what, and he's incredibly charismatic. But he thinks with his claws before anything else. He doesn't have the hindsight necessary."

"But…?" Russetstripe tilted her head.

"Hawkfire is intelligent, keen, and bright," Scorchstar went on. "She was the cat who led the journey to find Hotaru, she's close friends with Icefrost, and she sees the way to peace is by making allies with the other Clans. She has a future in mind, and it's a peaceful future, with no wars."

"It seems like you've made up your mind already, then," Russetstripe remarked. Scorchstar winced. Russetstripe was right. He had already decided that he had wanted Hawkfire as deputy, but he had never went out and said it, in fear for reprisal from Redmoon.

"But, what about Redmoon?" Scorchstar asked despairingly. "Won't he be upset? I… I think he killed Peartuft, Russetstripe. But he didn't tell that to me, and I was too afraid to ask. Even when we said we'd let Peartuft go, I'm convince he killed him."

Russetstripe leaned into Scorchstar. "Tell him the story of Adderstripe," she said quietly. "Tell him that he can still be a good warrior and a good brother, but there was only one of you that could be deputy, and it's Hawkfire. Redmoon is a good cat, and I don't think he'd hurt his sister – or you. But he does need to be spoken to before anything happens."

Scorchstar blinked at Russetstripe, feeling a weight being taken off his shoulder. Russetstripe was right. Hawkfire was going to be his future deputy, but he would have to talk to Redmoon, to tell him that it was not favoritism on his part. Being deputy wasn't a reward or a prize, it was a challenge given to the cats that had the qualities to meet it. Just because Redmoon was unable to become deputy did not mean that Scorchstar did not love him or feel that he was an unworthy warrior. Maybe this is what Adderstripe needed. Someone to talk to him.

"Thanks, Russetstripe," Scorchstar said. "I've got to go now. I told Harewhisker I'd be back. When the time comes, I'll talk to Redmoon."

"Ask him about Peartuft," Russetstripe said.

"I will." Scorchstar nodded. Although I'm afraid to hear the answer. He licked his sister's head roughly. "I hope I'll see you again. Maybe at the next Gathering?"

"Maybe," Russetstripe agreed. "Don't worry, Scorchstar. We will talk again soon. It's just a matter of time." She butted her head against her brother's. "My kits really liked seeing you. I've told them a lot about you."

"I want to say bye to them," Scorchstar meowed.

"They're outside." Russetstripe got to her paws and led Scorchstar out of the nursery. Scorchstar followed her to see her kits practicing fishing in the stream. Runningflame was instructing them closely, and the kits were listening to every word. Russetstripe cleared her throat. "Scorchstar is leaving. Say goodbye to him!"

"Aww!" Flamekit turned on her heel. "So soon?"

"You're the one that ran out," Scorchstar pointed out mildly.

"I wanted to fish!" Flamekit walked over to Scorchstar, rearing on her hind legs to lick his shoulder. "Bye, Scorchstar! Come back again to tell us stories!"

"See you!" Lionkit nudged Scorchstar's side, and Tigerkit pawed at his arms.

"Bye!" Tigerkit exclaimed.

"Be good," Scorchstar meowed, tousling the head of all three kits. He walked over to Runningflame, who met his gaze steadily. "Take care of them. And Russetstripe."

"What do you take me for, some layabout?" Runningflame chuckled. "See ya, Scorchstar."

I guess I could learn not to despise him, Scorchstar thought to himself. When he padded over to the entrance of the camp, he could see Shimmerstar's big tawny figure. He walked over to the RiverClan leader, dipping his head. "Thank you for letting me see my sister and her kits."

"Of course," Shimmerstar said. "You can come see them any time. I know just how important family is." Shadows of grief hung in her blue eyes, and Scorchstar recalled hearing that her sister, Brightpool, had died in ThunderClan. He blinked at her, giving her a small nod before brushing past her and exiting her camp. He followed the trail that Minnowflight had used to get here, and as he swerved through the marshland, he spotted the scent line that marked WindClan's borders. Thank the gods. On the scent line, he recognized a big, bulky red pelt. Redmoon?

Scorchstar quickened his pace, crossing the border to meet his son. Redmoon's green eyes widened as he padded over to his father. He brushed his muzzle against his father's shoulder and looked up to meet his amber eyes.

"You were gone so long, I was about to go and look for you," Redmoon said.

"I'm a big cat, Redmoon," Scorchstar told him. "I don't need anyone to come get me. They wouldn't hurt me, after all. The Clans are at peace."

Redmoon narrowed his eyes. "Is Russetstripe okay?"

"She's great," Scorchstar said. "Her kits are named Tigerkit, Lionkit, and Flamekit."

"Cute." Redmoon nodded. "Just wish she was here instead of there."

Me too. Scorchstar gazed at Redmoon. "Redmoon, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Redmoon said. "What is it?"

"Did you kill Peartuft?" Scorchstar met his son's gaze steadily.

"Wha…" Redmoon flattened his ears.

"Even after Rootstar said we were to show him mercy?" Scorchstar pressed.

"You don't get it!" Redmoon lashed his tail. "I followed him after he left. He had just finished fighting Rootstar, and he was tired and exhausted out of his mind. He still had Aspenfrost with him. I saw him, and all I could think about was the damage he caused WindClan. All the cats he killed, how he nearly destroyed us, how his alliance with Dapplestar ruined everything! You think I was gonna let a cat like him live? He was the one who told me his name and told me to kill him! I wasn't gonna let that opportunity go to waste."

"Redmoon…" Scorchstar flattened his ears. "Listen, I didn't like Peartuft either. I hated him. But we leaders voted to keep him alive! If he was defeated, then why did you kill a surrendering cat?"

"Because of what he did to WindClan!" Redmoon repeated, anger blazing in his green eyes. "No one is gonna hurt the cats I love and get away with it!"

"But he—"

"I heard you," Redmoon growled. "He was granted mercy. But it was a stupid decision, and so I ignored it. He's dead now, and it's better off that way. Just like Dapplestar is dead, so is Peartuft. And that's the way things should be." The tom turned on his heel and marched off angrily, his tail lashing back and forth. Scorchstar watched him go miserably.

Even now, he still defies my orders because he thinks that they're 'stupid.' What kind of leader would Redmoon make?