The next few days seemed to pass in a blur. She spent her time with Mosspaw, Seapaw, the elders, Lilacfeather - but most of all, Stormpaw. It was only them that were confined to the medicine cat den and so only they that were forced to weather the lack of training and stimulation - what else could they do but bond together in the struggle?

Stormpaw was similar to Mosspaw and yet different in many ways. They both had the penchant for humor, the kind of mind that came up with a witty remark on the spot, and they both had the tendency to ask after others' comfort before remembering their own. But Mosspaw's humor was often light-hearted whilst Stormpaw's tended to be more wry. They were well suited to each other as brothers.

Duskelle sat on the rock shelf and watched as Lilacfeather watched Stormpaw, who now could limp without someone's support and insisted that he go everywhere by himself. Sunlight streamed in through the den entrance. She'd just eaten and was content, warm.

"Cats of RiverClan, gather!" came a cry from outside, and she rose, ignoring the sliver of pain that still cut through her as she limped towards the entrance of the den.

"Oh!" came a gasp from Lilacfeather, and Duskelle snapped her head back to see that her eyes were opened wide. "I'd almost forgotten!"

The medicine cat increased her pace until Stormpaw had reached the entrance and she stopped.

"Watch from here, Stormpaw," she told the young tom and he nodded at her in return. "Duskpaw! Come on," she called back to Duskelle, who shared a confused smile with Stormpaw and hobbled after her.

The Clan had already gathered under the leader's perch, where Minnowstar stood, outlined by the rising sun behind her. Even through the shadows, her features were beautiful.

"RiverClan!" she cried. "I call you today to witness the rising of the kits of our Clan to apprentices, to witness as they begin their journey to become warriors." Her eyes flitted towards Icebreeze, who walked pridefully towards the leader, her three kits trailing behind her. The crowd cleared a way for them to pass through and the four of them stood under Minnowfrost, waiting, expecting.

"Ashkit, Stonekit, and Hawkkit," the leader began, her eyes flitting from the gaze of each kit in turn. "Sons and daughter of Hawkripple and Icebreeze, brave warriors of RiverClan. Each of you reach the age of six moons today and StarClan has deemed that you will become apprentices today. You will begin the journey to repay everything the Clan has given you, with prey from your hunt, with protection from your claws. Today, you will receive your mentor - someone who will shape you into the warrior you are destined to become."

Minnowstar paused, and her icy gaze slid to Icebreeze. The queen's expression was fierce, but also pained, and Duskelle realized how awful it would be to watch your kits grow up without your mate beside you.

The ceremony continued. "Ashkit! Step forwards."

The small gray tabby tom obeyed and the energy that broiled in his paws was clearly visible as he rocked forwards and backwards, the eagerness, the excitement blatant. Minnowstar stared down on all of them and Duskelle could almost feel the power that crackled around her, as if StarClan themselves stood besides her in their starry ranks.

"From this day forwards," she began, meeting the kit's gaze. "You will be known as Ashpaw of RiverClan. I look up to StarClan and implore them to guide your young paws. Your mentor will be Nightstone." The pitch-black she-cat padded to the center of the clearing, and the tom-kit seemed to swell in pride as he stepped forwards again and Nightstone touched noses, a soft smile hesitant on her muzzle.

Ashkit - now Ashpaw - returned to where he'd stood earlier and Minnowfrost called out to the tom next to him. "Stonekit! Come forwards and claim your name!"

He did, and Duskelle could see his nervousness even through the stoic calmness that seemed to prevail in the stocky tom.

"From this day onward," Minnowstar said again, repeating the ceremony. "You will be known as Stonepaw of RiverClan. I look up to StarClan and implore them to guide your young paws. Your mentor will be..." The leader paused.

Cats began to murmur around her and she caught the word "medicine cat" more than once. She turned to see that Lilacfeather was smiling, wider than she'd ever seen her do so before — the she-cat was always reserved, always quiet, and Duskelle couldn't understand what was making her so happy.

"Lilacfeather," finished Minnowstar, and understanding swept over Duskelle as Lilacfeather practically bounded forward. The medicine cat was getting an apprentice! Her elation was palpable.

Stone returned to his place and Hawkkit came forwards next, standing tall and walking slowly.

Duskelle strained to see her ceremony - this was the kit that she'd gone through so much trouble to find, to save.

Icebreeze's expression was frozen in pain, as if sharp memories dragged at her mind. Duskelle smiled sadly as she thought once more of the she-cat's pain, so ever reaching and always present. The name Hawk was a tribute to the she-kit's father, but it would still always pain Icebreeze, always bringing back memories of someone she would have to wait until death to see once more.

"From this day forwards," Minnowstar began. "You will be known as Hawkpaw of RiverClan. Your mentor will be Graysplash."

The tom and the she-kit touched noses. When Hawkpaw returned, her mother wrapped her tail around her in a tight embrace.

Minnowfrost dipped her head to the crowd. "May you three prosper as apprentices! That concludes our meeting. Thank you for gathering." She leaped off the large rock and disappeared amongst her warriors.

Duskelle made her way through the dispersing crowd towards Lilacfeather and the newly named apprentices, grinning widely. She glanced back at Stormpaw, who looked both happy at the proceedings and pained that he couldn't join the rest of them.

She reached Lilacfeather, who was speaking in soft tones to Stonekit - no, Stonepaw - who seemed to have calmed down.

"Congratulations, Lilacfeather," Duskelle said, and the she-cat looked up.

She smiled back. "Thank you, Duskpaw."

Stone watched her with an observatory gaze, as he seemed to with most cats - a gaze that she had no doubt would be able to take in wounds and think up the necessary ways of healing in detail in seconds.

Happiness welled up in her - this was her Clan that was prospering, her Clanmates that were becoming apprentices alongside her.

She wondered if maybe StarClan had made the right choice after all. When they'd told her that they saw something that spoke of RiverClan inside of her, she'd questioned them in her mind, unsure of the truth of their words - what semblance of the wild could be found inside of her, inside of a creature?

But maybe she was more than just a creature.