Graystripe sees a ripple of pale amber fur come out of the nursery. A mottled tortoiseshell and white kit dangles from her jaws followed behind by a dark tabby kit and his two kittens, one a gray tabby like Silverstream and one a dark gray like him. He purrs when he sees them and goes up to greet Goldenflower. Goldenflower gently puts Tawnykit down alongside her brother Bramblekit. The two, along with his kits, Featherkit and Stormkit start to play scuffle amongst themselves.
"Hello Graystripe. It's the first time they've all been out of the nursery. Speckletail is still keeping Snowkit inside for now though…."
"I'm just glad my kits have your kits to play with." Graystripe mews, fondness creeping into his voice as he looks down at the tiny kits playing in the earth. Goldenflower nods though she looks down anxiously at the kits as they play together.
"I know…. It's just… I am worried that the clan will only ever see him in them unlike you and only see Riverclan in your kits. I will protect them with my life if I have to. But Twanykit, Bramblekit, Featherkit and Stormkit have done nothing wrong and they shouldn't be punished for something they did not do. And I will not let them be."
"Will you tell them who their….."
"They think it's you because you spend so much time with them and with your own kits. In fact they think they are brothers and sisters."
He purrs, "I'm glad to hear it. But our kits will have to face the truth eventually. The clan isn't going to hide their disdain from them."
Goldenflower lashes her tail, "I know, but I can't….."
Whitestorm suddenly squeezes out of the nursery interrupting Goldenflower when he mews, "Brindleface thinks her two remaining kits are ready to be apprentices."
"Fernkit and Ashkit? They certainly are getting older and Cloudpaw is only a moon ahead of them…. Has Bluestar been notified?"
Whitestorm shakes his head, "No. Brindleface wanted to tell Bluestar herself, but…..She hasn't visited the nursery in days since Tigerclaw's attack."
Graystripe frowns. That doesn't sound like Bluestar. She usually is well integrated in the life of her clan. But she has been distant lately. Her deputy who she trusted did turn on her, and that's enough to make any cat become distant for a bit. But for a quatermoon? Granted some of the other warriors haven't gotten the bitter taste of Tigerclaw's betrayal out of their minds either. Neither has he, as yesterday he was worried for Cloudpaw ending up on the receiving end of the ex-deputies claws.
Whitestorm continues, "Though I guess it shouldn't be surprising, she is still recovering from her wounds after the battle…" But his mew has a hint of worry in his voice. Wanting to aleve the older warrior's worries he offers, "How about I go tell her now?"
Whitestorm smiles a little, his amber eyes showing Graystripe gratitude, "Some good news will perhaps cheer up a bit."
"I'm sure it will."
He then flicks his tail in goodbye towards Whitestorm and Goldenflower, padding the hard baked earth to Bluestar's den. Worry pricked him as he noticed Bluestar's small frame. He remembered that she had abandoned a piece of fresh-kill again and refused to share tongues with her senior warriors.
Bluestar raises her head as he comes closer to her and he is a bit relieved as a spark of interest shows in her blue eyes. Perhaps she hasn't become as distant as he thought.
Graystripe mews, after dipping his head respectfully, "Whitestorm visited the nursery this afternoon and Brindleface told him she believes her kits are ready to be apprenticed."
Bluestar widened her eyes in shock, "Has it been that fast already?"
Graystripe nods, "Yes, Cloudpaw has been an apprentice for at least a moon now, so his littermates should be about six moons."
"I see…." She murmurs. He waits for her to give him further instructions but when a moment of silence passes, he presses, "Who do you want their mentors to be?"
"Mentors," She echoes faintly. His pelt starts to prick with unease. Then a flinty hardness appeared in her gaze. "Who can we trust to mentor such innocent cats!?" He flinches at her harsh wording. Surely there are cats they can trust…..He thinks to himself.
"Can't you take one of them? Or Fireheart?" She asks, contempt in her mew. Though he has a feeling it isn't for him or Fireheart.
Gently he reminds her, alarm sinking through him "I have Cloudpaw currently and he's only just begun his training. And Fireheart, he….well….he isn't with us any more….Remember. Besides the only cat not fit to train the kits is Tigerclaw and he's been exiled. Moreover many of the clan hate him with every fiber of their being now since his betrayal a quatermoon ago."
Bluestar's closes her eyes and breathes out. But she opens her eyes, a daze has filled them and she doesn't react at all. Prompting her gently, "Brindleface would like to have a ceremony soon. Her kits are more than ready to have a mentor."
"Then we shall have a naming ceremony for them before we cat." He senses her distance in her words, as she didn't say them with much enthusiasm.
"And their mentors?" he asks gently.
"You decide."
Graystripe dips her head, not asking her for more clarification on what she meant. Since she seemed out of it and her response was barely audible to him. Ducking out of the den, he sits in the shade of Highrock to gather his thoughts. The attack with the rouge cats must have damaged her more than anyone thought. But she'll get over it soon. For now as her deputy he must follow her instructions which means finding mentors for Ashkit and Fernkit before this evening. Most of the patrols have gone out by now and he can't alert them that he has to make the decision since Bluestar is out of it since that would only make them alarmed as well.
Should he ask Brindleface about who should mentor the kits? She did want a naming ceremony soon. But….. with Bluestar's anxiety and distance should he really alert one of the queens that something is wrong. Flexing his muscles, he decides to try anyway.
Walking over to the nursery he spots Willowpelt sunning herself outside the den sheltered with brambles to keep queens and kits safe. "Hello Willowpelt," He mews in greeting.
"Graystripe, hello. How's being a deputy?"
"Good so far. I just wanted to give Brindleface some good news."
"Her kits are being apprenticed?"
He nods.
"Good, those two are too big for the nursery anyway." Chucking, he mews, "Not enough room?"
"With me expecting kits, and Speckletail with hers, plus Goldenflower and her two plus yours and Brindleface with apprentice ready kits….. Yeah it is a bit crowded." "Well you won't have to wait long."
He then pads into the nursery without waiting for a response. His deputy has gone pretty well all things considered and he doesn't mind Bluestar taking her time to recover and asking him to choose mentors. Goldenflower isn't there, but Speckletail, Snowkit, Brindleface, Fernkit and Ashkit are.
"Goldenflower took your kits to the elders' den, so they aren't here if you want to visit them." Speckletail mews, irritated by his presence.
"I didn't come here for that, I wanted to tell Brindleface the good news."
Turning his attention to the pale gray tabby queen who has her two kits clambering over her, he continues, "Bluestar is holding the apprentice ceremony before we cat this evening."
Brindleface mews in relief, "Thank goodness. These two are too big for nursery."
The kits tumbled and rolled against their mothers back in a tangle of paws. She gently shoves the kits away from her with her nose. "Do you know who their mentors will be?"
"Bluestar is still deciding and I was wondering if you had any cat you'd prefer for the role."
Brindleface's green eyes widened in surprise, but mewed calmly, "Bluestar will decide who is best."
He dips his head, "Yes. I was just curious." So much for that. It is traditional for the clan leader to select mentors, so it would make sense that she hadn't thought about mentors for her kits.
Graystripe flicks his tail in good-bye and heads out of the nursery where Willowpelt is still soaking up the sun on her pale silver gray pelt. When she notices him she asks, "So do you know who….."
But instead of answering her question he heads to the Medicine den. Maybe Yellowfang or Cinderpelt will have an answer. He purrs as he remembers Cinderpelt's excitement to receiving her Medicine cat name a few days after the battle with the rouges. Fireheart would be proud of his former apprentice.
Focusing on his task he enters the den, seeing Cinderpelt putting away and sorting some herbs. When he goes closer to her, her head turns and she asks. "Graystripe, what are you doing here?"
"I was hoping you and Yellowfang could help me with a conundrum. Bluestar asked me to pick mentors for Fernkit and Ashkit. I know it must be one of the cats who had close relations with Tigerclaw…So maybe Darkstripe would work and…" Sandstorm hasn't had an apprentice yet, but he doesn't want to trust some cat else with his kits when they come of apprentice age.
"One done. Who else did you have in mind?"
"Well….Dustpelt hasn't had an apprentice yet…."
Cinderpelt giggles, "Looks like you didn't need me or Yellowfang's help after all."
"Well it helped me think when talking to you."
"I'm glad, but unless you have a thorn in your paw, I think you should tell Bluestar your decisions."
Graystripe nods. Relief courses through him and he mews, "Fireheart would be proud of you."
Cinderpelt ears fold back in embarrassment and he flicks his tail in goodbye. Padding to Bluestar's den he's happy that it hadn't taken him long to come up with mentors to the apprentices. Though he isn't sure if Darkstripe is completely loyal to the clan after he stammered like a mouse when Tigerclaw asked him to leave. But the clan needs to be eased that they can trust their remaining cats and put Tigerclaw's betrayal behind us.
Author's note: The reason I had Graystripe be able to think of mentors on his own for Fernkit and Ashkit is because I wanted to highlight the differences between Fireheart and Graystripe. Graystripe isn't as bogged down by Tigerclaw as Fireheart was and so his feelings aren't swirling around him in a confusing mess clouding his judgement. Besides he must have had mentors in mind for his kits even if Bluestar was sane enough to decide who would mentor them in a Dangerous Path. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter:)