"StarClan, I ask you to take care of young Bramblekit. He did not get the chance to live the life he was meant to, but I hope his littermates can. Take him, watch him--watch us." Dawnstar dipped her head to the thin, dull body before her. Ashbreeze dropped her gaze, looking at her paws, before standing suddenly and going back to the nursery. Brackenfoot went forward, gave his dead kit a soft lick on his cheek, then followed his mate with a twitching tail, head down.

After a few moments of respectful silence, Clovertail stood up, shook out her light brown fur, and meowed, "mentors, head out with your apprentices. Try some battle practice then do some hunting. Maybe a big group is what we really need. Juniperfur, can you lead Hawktail and Hickoryclaw on a border patrol, then hunt on your way back?"

"Sure." Juniperfur nodded her head softly and gestured for the two cats. They followed her quietly for the camp entrance.

"Birchsplash, come with me hunting," Clovertail added.

"I'll come with," Dawnstar meowed, stretching out her fur and heading for her deputy.

"Can't I come too?" Brownear grumbled. "Send Withpaw with the others."

Dawnstar turned a cold gaze onto the tom. "Train your own apprentice, Brownear. I gave you Wishpaw to teach you respect for those different than you. If she fails, it's on you and nobody else. Now take a bit of responsibility." With a lash of her tail, she nodded to Clovertail and headed for the camp entrance. Birchplash jumped up and followed.

"May I come with?" Aspenheart looked after the three cats with a worried expression.

Clovertail and Dawnstar looked at each other. Both seemed extremely unwilling. "It'll be another set of paws," Birchsplash said softly to them. When they both stayed quiet, he added, "you have to give her a chance, right?"

Clovertail looked away, while Dawnstar lashed her tail and growled, "fine. Keep up, Aspenheart." She turned and headed for the camp entrance, where Juniperfur's patrol had already disappeared into the territory.

"Come on," Leafpelt meowed after a moment. "let's get to the pond." She shook out her bushy black fur and headed after all the other cats.

With a sigh, Rowanpaw forced himself out of his crouch and followed the large group, walking at the back. Blazepaw looked back and slowed enough that they could walk side by side. Feeling his brother's fur against his calmed him just enough so that he could stand to walk alongside the patrol without anger boiling in his belly.

He just wanted to be alone, to watch Hopekit as she struggled to move. She was so small, and just picturing her fluffy ginger pelt sent pains through his heart. She already looked so much like Emberheart, with every stripe just how he remembered it. He wondered if Hopekit's eyes would have that same yellow glow, shining with happiness and, well, hope.

He barely registered the jump down to the marsh but felt the wet ground curl around his paws with disgust. Bile rose in his throat as he looked at the territory around him. The dark trees, the hidden skies, the awful smell--what was the point of even staying, without Emberheart by his side?

But then Blazepaw dropped down next to him, once again brushing against his side. The others were already drawing ahead, with Carppaw and Frondpaw chittering like starlings. "Come on, let's catch up," Blazepaw muttered in his ear, quickening his step. Rowanpaw forced himself to follow, but as his brother got in line with the other two apprentices, he slowed so he was still a little behind.

"Do you think Leafpelt and Dustfang will let us work as a team? Maybe we can do a mock battle or something! Or pretend we're fighting foxes?" Frondpaw was saying, flicking her tail through the musty air.

"I can't wait to fight a fox! I'll send it running away with its tail between its legs!" Carppaw boasted.

"Have you ever fought a fox, Carppaw?" Rowanpaw growled. The tom turned in surprise, gaze darkening. "Because I have. I've fought them twice. And it's not fun. They tear and they snap and you'll be lucky if you get out alive. You should hope you never have to fight one, because I know they'll tear you apart."

Carppaw lowered his gaze, glancing at his sister briefly before racing ahead. He slipped in beside the warriors, and Leafpelt looked at him worriedly. Hazelfur glanced at him, then slowed until she was walking next to Rowanpaw. "You should try to be nicer. You'll spend the rest of your life with Carppaw, training and patrolling and hunting. You don't want him to hate you."

"I don't care if he likes me or not," Rowanpaw growled. "I just want this over with." He quickened his step in an attempt to get away from her, drawing closer to Blazepaw. His brother looked hesitant but moved slightly to let him close to his side, between himself and Frondpaw. But as he got close, the she-cat sent him a crossed look and moved faster to get to Carppaw.

He knew it should've bothered him, but he realized quite quickly that he truly didn't care. Frondpaw and Carppaw could treat him however they wanted--he really just wanted to get away. He wanted to slip away back to camp, to sit and watch Hopekit forever. He hated leaving her, having no idea whether she was alright or not. What if she had died already, and lay dead in camp?

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts. She was okay, she had been just fine before he left. She had been with Flintkit, pressed up against Rainsong's belly. Hungry, but not starving. She's okay, Rowanpaw told himself. She'll be okay. She has you. She'll always have you.

He barely realized they had reached the end of the marsh, and only looked up when the group slowed to a stop. The soil was wet yet solid under his paws, and he could smell the dirty tang of the pond not far away.

"Gather around," Brownear grumbled, getting into a sit. The other warriors sat beside him, while the apprentices lined up in front of them. Rowanpaw instantly noticed he was on the edge of the group with Blazepaw by his side, while Carppaw, Frondpaw, and Wishpaw sat a little away. Carppaw shot him an uneasy glance, while his sister looked furious.

He scratched the ground with his claws, then looked forward again.

"We're going to teach you to work together today," Leafpelt began, and Frondpaw instantly shivered in excitement, forgetting her earlier anger in an instant.

"The move we'll be showing you works with three cats," Bloomcloud meowed, forcing herself to her paws with a light groan. She looked very skinny, ribs obvious under her dull tortoiseshell and white fur. Her eyes had a strange, weak glow, but she forced herself to stand tall. "We'll show you how it's done first."

"It would be used to fight a bigger opponent," Hazelfur meowed, standing smoothly. "Ideally, a fox or a badger, but a cat, too, if absolutely needed, but remember this is a violent attack. How it works is that the slowest cat, probably the biggest cat, attacks from the front. They slash and growl and snap and takes the complete attention. They are the main attack."

"But also the main distraction," Duskfang growled.

"Exactly." Hazelfur nodded to the tom. "While the cat takes the attention, the other two go in for the attack. One jumps on the back and does as much damage as possible, and the last, the smallest, goes underneath and claws at the stomach. As long as it's not a badger, when it leaves the first cat behind to protect itself, the cat underneath rolls out of the way and drags the legs with it. The attacker will fall, and the cat on its back jumps away then goes back and pins the creature down, along with the first cat. The smallest cat attacks the face, going for the eyes. Understand?"

Carppaw purred. "Can we try it?"

"You'll watch us do it first," Hazelfur meowed. "Brownear, thank you for volunteering as the fox." The tom huffed in response. "Dustfang, you'll be the diversion, Leafpelt, you'll be the first attacker, and I'll be the small one. Give us some room."

The apprentices followed Bloomcloud back to the edge of the small clearing they were in. Duskfang, Leafpelt, and Hazelfur backed up, beginning to circle Brownear. The tom shook out his fur, licking his jaws, before forcing himself to bristle his fur, square his shoulders, and snarl. His ears flattened and his tail lashed. Duskfang launched forward, swiping skillful blows at Brownear's face with sheathed claws. The brown tom swiped back, avoiding the blows with ducks and dodges.

After a few more moments of the toms exchanging blows, Leafpelt flashed forward and jumped onto Brownear's back. The tom already seemed to struggle to hold up the cat on his back, while she struggled to stay on because she could not dig in her claws. She faked biting his scruff and tearing up his sides, while Hazelfur raced forward, dropped down and slid over the wet grass. She slid under Brownear's stomach and pretended to slice open his belly. The tom turned to snap at Hazelfur, but she rolled away, wrapping her paws around his legs. In an instant, he collapsed. Right before he hit the ground, Leafpelt jumped away then instantly pounced back, holding down his flank. Duskfang joined her, while Hazelfur went to Brownear's face and pretended to slash at his eyes.

Panting, the cats backed away. Brownear struggled to his paws, shaking his fur. "Ouch," he murmured. "I think you hurt my back," he added to Leafpelt. Purring, the fluffy black she-cat curled her body under his chin.

"Maybe you need some rest, old tom," Leafpelt taunted playfully. "Maybe you should ask Dawnstar to make you an elder? You can finally get away from all this training."

"You wish," he muttered back, eyes shining. "I'll become an elder when you do."

Leafpelt's eyes shined. "Never," she purred.

"You two done?" Hazelfur sighed.

Snorting, Leafpelt led Brownear away to the side of the clearing, sitting down against his side. Duskfang watched them with a dark look in his eyes, until Brownear noticed his gaze. "Have something to say?" he growled. Instantly, Duskfang turned his eyes away and headed to the other side of the area, sitting gruffly.

"Bloomcloud, you can act as the fox this time," Hazelfur murmured after a moment. "Carppaw, you attack from the front, Blazepaw you from the side, and Frondpaw from underneath."

The four cats set themselves up quickly, with Bloomcloud looking surprisingly small next to the growing apprentices.

"I promise I won't hurt you," Carppaw said humorously.

Bloomcloud's eyes glowed briefly as she looked at her son. "Give me all you got."

Carppaw let out a huff to brace himself, then began to swipe at his mother's face. She responded, managing to catch him with a soft blow to the ear. He responded by managing to swipe her muzzle. Frondpaw hurried to leap on her back, but overshot and flew over the tortoiseshell. She quickly scrambled to her paws and jumped again, managing to land where she planned, squarely on Bloomcloud's shoulders.

She pretended to rake her claws down her mother's sides, while Blazepaw raced forward, copied Hazelfur's drop perfectly, and stopped directly under Bloomcloud's stomach. He pawed at her fur, and when she backed up and turned her head to snap at Frondpaw, Blazepaw rolled away. He missed Bloomcloud's farthest paw, and instead pulled the closer one. Bloomcloud was unsteadied, but she managed to right herself and shook Frondpaw clear, then smacked softly at Carppaw's muzzle.

"Good try," Hazelfur meowed. "Let's go again."

Rowanpaw shifted as the cats got back into their places. He wanted to join, to try to fight himself. He knew he could do better. But he forced himself to stay where he was, watching as Carppaw swiped at Bloomcloud's muzzle, while Frondpaw quickly went for leaping onto her back. She landed correctly the first time, and not soon after Blazepaw slid under her stomach. When the warrior tried to snap at him, he quickly rolled away, barely managing to grab her paw.

Bloomcloud collapsed, and Frondpaw stumbled away just in time. She turned to hold Bloomcloud down, but she paused quickly when she saw her mother, groaning, coughing, struggling to breathe.

In an instant, all the warriors raced forward. "Bloomcloud!" Hazelfur cried. Carppaw and Frondpaw mewled scaredly, while Blazepaw already started to pace anxiously. Rowanpaw watched coldly as Wishpaw hurried forward. She nosed past Leafpelt, who was sniffing anxiously at Bloomcloud's face.

"Get back! She needs room!" Wishpaw growled, sounding surprisingly commanding. The warriors drew back, and Leafpelt hurried to curl around Frondpaw and Carppaw, murmuring softly into their ears. Quieting her voice, Wishpaw murmured softly to the she-cat, "just breathe, Bloomcloud. Feel the air in your chest, let it fill you."

The she-cat struggled for a few more moments, huffing breathlessly, before managing to her rushing breathing. Finally, her belly filled with air, and she sighed in relief. "Thank you," she murmured.

"No problem," Wishpaw meowed, stepping back softly. Instantly, Carppaw and Frondpaw raced forward, each giving her a lick on the cheek. Blazepaw hurried forward as Bloomcloud struggled to her paws.

"It's alright, little ones," she murmured, touching both her kits on their foreheads. "I'm just a little weak."

"I'm so sorry!" Blazepaw cried, tail flicking fearfully.

Bloomcloud's gaze softened, and she rubbed her cheek against his. "It's okay, it's not your fault. You did very well." She gazed proudly at Blazepaw. "Just as I always thought you would."

Rowanpaw felt anger grow inside him. Bloomcloud was speaking like she was their mother. And she wasn't. He remembered feeling her warm fur as a kit, pressing against her fluffy white stomach on cold nights, her sweet yet musky smell surrounding him as he fell asleep. But she wasn't his mother. No matter how hard she tried.

The only mother I'll ever have is Emberheart.