Wrenpaw returned to Twistedcall's side as Tallfrost ordered Blazepaw and Peachpaw to sparr. Before he went, Blazepaw nudged her damaged flower crown toward her sympathetically. She hadn't even realized she had been wearing it during their match and gasped in shock and regret.

"I-I'm so sorry, Blazepaw!" she apologized, repeating it several times. But Blazepaw smiled, placing the broken crown on her head.

"It's okay, Wrenpaw. Even broken things can be beautiful," he interrupted gently before turning to face Peachpaw. Wrenpaw felt her pelt heat up in embarrassment--had Blazepaw directed his words toward her instead of the crown? Or was she overthinking his words?

"Wrenpaw," Twistedcall nudged her apprentice to the side to speak privately. "I've been trying very hard now. I know you're stronger than you pretend to be, I've seen you complete the moves. I know you know them. So why do you refuse to fight?"

"B.. because...." Wrenpaw breathed deeply, wondering if it was finally time to tell Twistedcall. The large she-cat was like a mother in her eyes, much better than Doestar. She had never intended to disappoint her. She lowered her head, dropping her gaze to her delicate paws. "Ever since Falconkit... I've been having nightmares, too. I just don't want to hurt anyone. Hitting a stick is different from a cat."

Twistedcall's face fell to thought as she studied her apprentice intently. The silence unnerved Wrenpaw and she instantly wished she had just kept quiet. Then the she-cat dismissed Wrenpaw, sending her to hunt before returning to camp.

Wrenpaw, surprised and relieved and suspicious, trotted deeper into the valley. She was heading toward the stream for a drink and possibly to find prey nearby. The stream was the valley's only water source.

As she shoved passed the long stalks of grass, stepping out onto the pebbled shore, she gasped. The stream appeared to be drying up, only half of what it usually was. The climate wasn't consistently hot enough to cause it, besides the fact that it hadn't  been very warm lately.

Carefully lapping it, Wrenpaw thought she should tell Doestar, but was reluctant to face her mother. Still..

The small apprentice entered camp with a vole and a rabbit swinging from her jaws. She hurriedly set them in the prey pile, fixing her broken crown as a few petals fell from it, then grudgingly shuffled toward the leader's den.

"Doestar?" she called into the dark den, half hoping there would be no response, but her mother's voice rang, giving her permission to enter. With a gulp, Wrenpaw stepped lightly into the den, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness.

Wrenpaw saw the outline of her mother, her green eyes reflecting light eerily. It gave her appearance an intimidating aura.

"What is it, Wrenpaw?" she demanded after her daughter fell silent. "You seem... distracted." Doestar observed, shifting to pad silently around her.

"T-the stream...." Wrenpaw mumbled, shrinking beneath her mother's stern glare.

Doestar prompted, "go on and spit it out."

"I-it's drying u-up."

"I know this already," Doestar remarked as she swept gracefully in front of Wrenpaw, taking a seat and laying her tail across her paws. At Wrenpaw's wide eyes, she added, "the dawn patrol arrived before you did."

"Well.." Wrenpaw blinked, shrinking slightly into herself, "i-it hasn't been hot enough t-to dry up."

"Another thing I already know. I believe there's something blocking the flow, and when Tallfrost gets back, I will discuss with him on what to do. Is that all?" Doestar waved her tail toward the entrance of her den dismissively.

Wrenpaw nodded, rising and padding stiffly out. Her chest felt heavy with the disappointment of being treated like a stranger by her own mother. Was she the cause of her mother's withdrawal?

"Hey, Wrenpaw," a voice startled her out of her bitter thoughts and she whipped around to find her brother with a bundle of herbs at his paws.

"Hi, Owlpaw," Wrenpaw relaxed, touching her nose to his shoulder in greeting.

"How was training?" he questioned idly, glancing toward the medicine den, which Wrenpaw assumed he was waiting for Stagleap or Dreamberry to call for him.

Wrenpaw sighed and gave a half-hearted shrug, turning her attention elsewhere. Owlpaw chuckled humorlessly, "that bad, huh?"

"Made a fool of myself in front of Tallfrost, Blazepaw, Peachpaw, and Twistedcall, so yeah, that bad." Wrenpaw retorted quietly, shifting her attention toward the entrance of camp as the said cats returned. She ducked behind her brother to avoid confrontation from any of them.

Owlpaw sighed stressfully, "Maybe you should have been the medicine cat apprentice. If I had known.."

"No, no!" Wrenpaw shook her head vigorously, "Don't regret that. You're happy!"

"But you aren't," Owlpaw pointed out with a concerned expression.

"Stop worrying about me," Wrenpaw told him, nudging his shoulder reassuringly, "I'm going to be okay. Now you should go, Dreamberry's waiting for you." She told him as the female medicine cat appeared in the entrance of the medicine den.

Owlpaw rubbed his side against hers as he gathered his bundle of herbs and trotted to Dreamberry, who appeared pleased.

Wrenpaw felt a pang of envy. She longed for her mentor to look at her with that approval and pride. She wanted to be acknowledge for her abilities.

What abilities?

Wrenpaw's shoulders slumped with the negative thought. She didn't stand out in any particular skill, and she refused to fight. She had to be one of the worst apprentices ValleyClan had ever seen.

"Wrenpaw?" a soft, prompting voice pulled the small she-cat from her wallowing and she lifted her head to find Dewpaw and Foggypaw, their eyes twinkling with unsaid sympathy.

"We were going to go play in the flowerbeds," Foggypaw commented, "would you like to join us?"

"You have no choice," Dewpaw added, nudging Wrenpaw toward the tunnel of camp.

Wrenpaw couldn't resist the warming feeling of inclusion as she followed the duo outside of camp, however she couldn't completely suppress her dislike of herself.

"Did Blazepaw make you that flower crown?" asked Dewpaw idly as she led them toward a particularly large swath of fragrant flowers.

Wrenpaw had once again forgotten she was wearing the broken crown. She nodded shyly.

"Rumors say Blazepaw has taken a liking to you," Foggypaw bumped her shoulder against Wrenpaw's with a wink.

Wrenpaw felt heat rising within her, "R-really?"

Foggypaw and Dewpaw both nodded cheerfully. They shared a meaningful glance and Foggypaw pressed herself against Dewpaw with a purr.

As they neared the flowerbeds, Dewpaw bounded forward to throw herself into the flowers, rolling with a laugh through the colorful plants.

Foggypaw hurried to join her, lepaing on top of her and they tumbled together.

Wrenpaw chose to pad through the flowers instead, sniffing their beautiful scents. Distracted by the flowers and her thoughts, she didn't notice the new, fresh scent at first.

Gradually, this new scent drew her attention and she searched for the source, becoming frantic.

Her paw landed in something slick and she slipped, tumbling gently down a hill.

She landed beside the mutilated body of Stagleap.