Fernkit pawed the ground impatiently. She was five moons now, and there was one last restless moon to go before her and Hailkit's apprenticeship.

"Bored?" Patchheart asked her.

She nodded with a sigh. "Why you we have to be six moons before becoming apprentices?" she asked. "How did it become part of the warrior code?"

"Well..." Patchheart mewed, wrapping his tail around her. "The details were lost over the many moons. All that I know is that, there was going to be a battle between two Clans. A mother, whose kit was under six moons, didn't want to see her kit to get injured. When the battle was starting, she and a queen from the opposing Clan convinced their leaders not to fight. That came to be one of our warrior code today."

Fernkit mewed in amazement, "The queen is so brave!"

"Indeed," he purred. "We all have to be brave one day."

She looked at Froststar in awe. "She was brave too. Like in that story that you told us."

Patchheart smiled and mewed, "Silvercloud is calling for me now. Go and play with Hailkit, and don't get into trouble."

"Okay," Fernkit promised as her father went to join a patrol.

~~~~

"What is the message that you bring me?" a ginger tom asked a gray one. The other tom closed his eyes and mewed, "As you know, the prophecied cat was brought for a reason. The other four Clans need help. A dark force is coming, and your help will not be the last."

"I see, Stormstar," the tom mewed. "I will take the message to my Clan."

Stormstar's gaze turned to a she-cat, who wrapped her tail around her in thought. "Songbird," he mewed.

The she-cat slowly looked at him questioningly.

"Why didn't you go back to the forest?" Stormstar asked. "Your kin are there."

"They will find their strength on their own," Songbird mewed quietly. "There has been too much grief, too much suffering, and betrayals. I stayed here in hopes of living in StarClan where I have less worries."

"I understand," the ginger tom spoke.

"You have chosen your successor well, Dragonstar," Songbird mewed. "He has the ability to run the Clan efficiently."

"I knew much of his past," Dragonstar mewed. "And from those experiences, from his kin, I knew that he would be a good deputy, then leader. Although the previous deputies are just as great, it was their time."

"It's almost sundown," Stormstar reminded him. "Send the sign quickly. You must not delay."

"I won't," Dragonstar mewed.

~~~~

As soon as the tom fell alseep, he saw the noble former leader. He ran towards him. "Dragonstar!" he called out.

"As much as I wish to talk to you, I cannot delay," he mewed briskly. "When moon becomes bright and the stars shine, go to the forest where the other four Clans live. They will need our Clan's assistance."

"Is that why Frostleaf came to us?" the tom asked.

"Froststar," Dragonstar corrected.

"So that's why..." the tom muttered.

"Farewell," Dragonstar mewed. "It is time for me to go. We will meet soon again, whether bad or good."

"Thank you for the sign, Dragonstar," the tom called out.

"You're welcome," the ginger tom purred, "Goldenstar."

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A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. Did you expect Goldenclaw/ Goldenstar to become leader after Dragonstar?