"What a time to return with a kittypet." Alpinefog's mew was flat and sarcastic.

Rowanpaw looked smug about them being scolded, but their kin had the sense not to say anything out loud.

"We would've expected better of you two. But what's your name young she-cat?" Lagoonstripe asked.

Cheetah jumped up from her resting spot with her spotted tail waving eagerly behind her. Even in the moist moonlit night-time, her fur shone a simmering gold-lemon color.

"Hi, I'm Cheetah and I want to join Riverclan so that I can hunt and train with you guys. And become a warrior to fight off wolves and keep the clan alive, just like Tinypaw and Crescentpaw said!" There was an enthusiastic glint in her eyes, even through the haze of rain that screened them.

"W-well," Lagoonstripe seemed taken aback.

"We certainly like your enthusiasm," Houndspots put in.

"Right. The clans have accepted kittypets in dire times before, but it's really not our place to admit you. That would be Starclan's through a leader's approval." Lagoonstripe peered down at her with a serene olive gaze.

"And as you can see, none of us are a leader."

"So what's that mean for right now? Can I stay?" Cheetah mewed excitedly, her jaws moving fast. She hardly ever gave time for pause.

"Well... all it means is that none of us can tell you no. I guess it also constitutes that you can stay here and wait for some sort of apprentice tryout until we get a leader." Alpinefog affirmed for her. "But I have to admit that it's dangerous and we ain't living easy out here. Especially now." His fluffy cheeks portruded in a kind smile, even as he gave the warning. I knew that at least some cats would like her.

Before the even-tempered warrior had even finished Cheetah squealed. "Can my name be Cheetahpaw like theirs!?"

Crescentpaw shuffled her paws with embarrassment before leaning forward and laying her tail across her excited friend's shoulders. Lagoonstripe, eyes wide, leaned back. Alpinefog had a rumbling laugh as Crescentpaw drew her companion slightly away.

"We don't have any apprentice ceremonies right now because like they said; we don't have a leader." Crescentpaw explained patiently. "So no cat can appoint you as an official apprentice with the name 'paw attached yet. I'll explain it to you in full detail later."

Lagoonstripe nodded agreement at them while Quietdew glared from over the taller she-cat's shoulders.

"If you ask me, we don't need any kittpets in the clan right now. It's as worse a time as ever and we should be focused on training the apprentices that we already got! They're behind on training."

"We were almost of warrior age when we got taken," Crescentpaw meowed in warning tones. How did I forget how annoying Quietdew can be? She's got as many grievances as she does scars under her fur.

"That doesn't mean anything!" The dark grey-and-white warrior blatantly argued. "You're further behind than Rowanpaw is now." Rowanpaw puffed her chest from behind Alpinefog. "And without a leader to appoint you a new mentor, how will you be trained?"

Lagoonstripe had the decency to roll her eyes. Crescentpaw flicked her tail with satisfaction as the mature she-cat backed her up. "The least we can do is appoint her a stand-in mentor. I'll do it myself." Lagoonstripe shifted her paws and glanced over at Crescentpaw. Briefly, she felt reassured.

"Thank you, Lagoonstripe."

Quietdew kept her jaws closed this time. However, it was the previously-proud Rowanpaw that asked another question.

"Can we appoint a stand-in leader as well?" She  asked with huge innocent eyes that were round as a pair of double moons. The comparison was fitting, since they were yellow and nearly glowing in the dim light.

Tinypaw huffed, while Crescentpaw shot her sister a questioning look. Rowanpaw seemed to avoid it, angling her face away and leaning closer to Lagoonstripe.

"So that we have someone to organize patrols and den repairs," she further explained. Crescentpaw frowned. She just wants what's best for Riverclan, but she goes about it in the wrong way. Rowanpaw twitched both ears at once, water-droplets flicking from the tips. The beech leaves behind her were dripping with rain.

"No, I think Lagoonstripe has been doing her best at that job already. None of us have the authority to hand out such a title," Alpinefog meowed. "As it goes we're all equals until Starclan sends us a sign. That or some cat making it to the Moonpool and back. We need Starclan advice," he summed up with a glance back at his apprentice.

"All in good time," Lagoonstripe murmured. "We must make contact with the other Clans first. If we can get their remaining numbers on Riverclan's territory then we could use Rowanpaw's idea and send two or three cats after the Moonpool."

Rowanpaw visibly quivered at that. "See? I knew we could figure something out if we worked together!" She mewed proudly with her chest puffed out again. Crescentpaw thought she was trying too hard to get the warriors approval.

"Well- since we've now decided that some cat is going by the second sunrise after tomorrow, I'm going to my nest." Quietdew grumpily announced. She was one of the few Riverclan cats who didn't like rain. Emberfawn followed behind her, but stepped out of camp and into the guard's position just outside. Raccoonstripe and Houndspots were having an urgent discussion, both seemingly unwilling to head for their nests.

"Hey Alpinefog, you want to share that mouse I caught earlier?" Rowanpaw asked her mentor hopefully. She seemed to be bragging at the same time as offering, her mew loud enough for all of the other cats to hear.

Alpinefog shook his sopping-wet head. "I fancy a salmon tonight, actually. And thank Starclan it's Greenleaf, about the only time that I could hope to find one on the fresh-kill pile." Rowanpaw glanced over at her watching kin uncomfortably, then followed Alpinefog over to the pile of prey.

"Well I had a question to ask about my warrior assesment. Even though we don't have a leader right now, could I still go ahead and get a mock-assesment? Like a practice one just to prove my skills would be good enough to pass?" Alpinefog fumbled his words as he searched for the right response, distracted from his picking through the pile of prey. Before Crescentpaw could catch his answer she turned away.

"Let's just go to our nests as well, Tinypaw. I'm tired anyways." Crescentpaw commented airily and lifted her tail, as if she weren't at all bothered by Rowanpaw's obvious avoidment of them.

She beckoned Cheetah with her tail-tip, but was interrupted by Lagoonstripe's mew. "Be ready for the dawn patrol tomorrow, Crescentpaw. We'll take your friend with us."

"What about me?" Tinypaw mewed, swiveling her head back towards the three warriors.

"Houndspots will decide what to do with you after I assign the sunhigh patrols. I imagine he's got some training to catch you up on." Houndspots nodded, to which Tinypaw nervously gulped. "You three just make sure to get some rest."

After they ducked into the apprentice's den Tinypaw nudged her aside. The still air felt snug and warm against their pelts, which immediately began drying in the pitch-black darkness. There was a blanket of Rowanpaw's hair amongst each and every nest, as if she had slept in all of them while they were gone. It smelled like no cat had cleaned in here since before they were captured.

"How am I supposed to train with Houndspots tomorrow?" Her sister's violet eyes were clouded with anxiety. They searched Crescentpaw's gaze desperately. "If he starts saying something about my claws I don't know what I'll do!" She shivered, her small paws digging rivulets into the moss.

Crescentpaw laid her tail-tip on Tinypaw's shoulder, bringing her down as she laid upon the moss.

"It's alright, calm down. We got away with it for one day didn't we? We can hide it for another." She stroked her sister's shoulder with a paw, trying to provide reassurance. "If Houndspots asks you to hunt try and convince him that you're more comfortable doing it alone. Miss kills in front of him, pretend to be clumsy. Then go off and try to catch something with only your jaws, like I told you. He won't think your skills are completely gone- just dampened." She met her sister's panicked gaze. Cheetah laid down beside them, her eyes wide as she watched the kin communicate.

"What about battle training?" The spotted she-cat asked, to which Tinypaw sniffled a "Thanks." She didn't seem offended about Cheetah butting in for once.

"We don't have to use our claws while battle training. Our claws are kept sheathed, so that's not much of a problem."

"Oh, okay. Wow, I'm learning so much!" Cheetah blinked her yellow eyes rapidly. They were barely visible in the jet-black denspace.

"Well if we have to be awake at dawn should I probably try to get some sleep? Even though I won't be able to because all of that was SO EXCITING and I had no idea so many cats could live outside in a place like this!"

At that, Tinypaw stuffed her head into the fluffy moss beneath them. Crescentpaw laughed.

Her worries weren't all gone, though. She found it hard to sleep that night as well. The apprentice couldn't help but wonder whether she'd hear a guard's warning yowl split the silence at any moment.

Crickets chirped amongst the overgrown reeds. They competed with the sound of rain hitting the earth, each struggling to be the highest voice. Very faintly, the cats heard sloshing and gurgling from the fast-paced streams on the edges of their camp. Riverclan's wetland forest was never fully quiet.

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Tinypaw