#y2-lf

Redstar glanced towards the nursery. Goldenflower had kept her kits inside this morning, fretting about their appearances.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked softly. "No cat would judge you if—"

"He's just a kit," Whitestorm purred, licking Redstar's shoulder. "I'd be honoured to have him as an apprentice."

"I know. But I wouldn't blame you if..." Redstar sighed. Tigerstar had left deep claw marks in all of ThunderClan, but Redstar had suffered more than most. But one only had to glance at Bramblekit to realize he wasn't his father.

Still, Whitestorm knew many cats in ThunderClan struggled to look past Tawnykit and Bramblekit's parentage. Even if he wasn't excited to mentor another apprentice, he wouldn't want Goldenflower's kits mentored by someone who would judge them unfairly.

"Come on, Iciclekit!" Shadekit called. "We're all here."

"She's taking her time," Quailblossom said, licking Iciclekit's head. "Don't rush her."

Quailblossom crouched next to Iciclekit. "Do you want to know a secret, fledgling?"

Iciclekit nodded, staring at the entrance to the nursery. She couldn't see outside, couldn't see where her siblings were gathered. Whitetail was watching them, and she knew she was holding everyone up.

"You can always come straight back here," Quailblossom said. "But no kit ever wants to."

Iciclekit squared her shoulders. "I'm going to leave now."

Mudclaw tilted his head towards the sun. Deadstar was already wide awake — Mudclaw wouldn't be surprised if he had barely slept.

"So," Mudclaw said, nudging Deadstar slightly. "We are to battle?"

"The earth accepts all that is placed on it," Deadstar said. "Do you remember that one?"

"It is fed in our blood and sacrifice," Mudclaw continued. "And clensed by rain."

Deadstar closed his eyes, and Mudclaw sighed, unsure of how to respond. His leader was concerned of this battle, but why, Mudclaw didn't know.

"We will fight," Deadstar said. "That is the honourable thing." He inclined his head, the rain running down his nose. "WindClan will stand in defense of itself. We will."

Mudclaw stood, trying to give Deadstar privacy, but Deadstar's tail flicked before he could leave.

"Will you promise me something, Mudclaw?" he asked, his voice calm and steady.

"Of course," Mudclaw said, without hesitation.

because deadstar and bluestar do fight, mudclaw dies. deadstar appoints sorrelheart as his new deputy.

pinepaw is apprenticed to barkface, but droughtkit passes away.

quailblossom has a litter of kits, sapkit (white and red tom with a light undercoat), cresskit (tabby tom), heartkit (white and pale cream tom), juniperkit (mostly white tom), shadekit (mottled red tom), and iciclekit (pale ginger she-cat).

redtail is unable to talk bluestar down from fighting with windclan, and she dies in the battle, along with frostfur. redtail becomes redstar and appoints fireheart as his deputy.

sootkit dies.

brindleface has another litter of kits (pearlkit, willowkit, fiddlekit, slushkit, iriskit, and sleetkit).

clawface dies in a battle. or something.

orangepaw and sprucepaw die before becoming warriors, but their littermate, dawnpaw, becomes dawnflower.

mosspelt has a litter of kits, burdockkit (blue tom), rockkit (mottled she-cat), and baykit (blue calico she-cat with lighter and darker patches and long fur).