TWO DAYS LATER 🌓 

Crescentsky and Tinyflame were still confined to their nests in the warriors den. A dry, itchy scab had formed over most of the teeth-marks in Crescentsky's haunch, as well as the other wounds along her flanks, face and neck. Her tail-wound was still matted with old blood, and the missing patches of fur would take weeks to fully grow back. That isn't what troubled her most right now, though.

Houndspots passed from his wounds around early sun-high. Crescentsky and Tinyflame took a few weary steps past the den entrance together, to watch and participate in his vigil. After the tribute they both walked up and touched their noses to his cheek.

"Thank you for keeping my secret," Tinyflame whispered.

Crescentsky looked at her with quiet resonance, feeling regretful that she had forgotten to thank the tom herself. He'd never brought it up when they were healing together in the warriors den; most likely because he thought that Crescentsky didn't know. Tinyflame had never told him that it'd happened to her as well.

He held tight to Tinyflame's secret until the very end... He never told her she couldn't be a warrior because of her missing claws. What an amazing mentor. She wished she could say the words out loud.

Crescentsky's gaze then slid over to her chestnut sister, but she couldn't say anything right now out of respect for Houndspots.

Rowanpaw's been avoiding me for two days.

"Maybe there would've been a chance, if the medicine cat was appointed as soon as we got back." Tinyflame said when she stepped back, her voice thick with acrimony toward Starclan's lack of urgency.

No cat had challenged her. In fact, a few of them had agreed.

Crescentsky felt that it was too late for Houndspots either way. The raging infection had plagued his body for over a quarter moon. His belly had been swollen, red, and weeping with a foul-scented pus. No cat had known how to keep the wound treated or closed.

The next morning, when Rowanpaw still hadn't come to visit, Crescentsky left a grieving Tinyflame in her nest. She stretched out her damaged hind-leg, pleased to find that the pain was sort of bearable as she paused at the den entrance.

"Since Rowanpaw won't come to me, I'm going to go to her."

Her sister waved her tail placidly, then cozied into her nest and stared across at Houndspot's empty bedding. Frowning, Crescentsky left Tinyflame and padded into the weak sunlight.

The clouds were layered thick today, coupled with a strong and gusty wind. The outside air was moist and rich. Crescentsky thought she could smell rain on the breeze, and the treetops that rocked together sent a few half-brown leaves spiraling down.

Leaf-fall is coming.

She needed this fresh air. She'd hardly left the warrior's den for the past two days, except to make dirt or eat or drink. Cheetah and Trufflefur had been offering to bury her and Tinyflame's prey bones, or replace their cobweb dressings.

"Hey! Where's Rowanpaw?" She called to Alpinefog, who was headed for the camp entrance and followed by Jadestar, Sootface, and Racoonstripe.

"I've sent her out hunting for the clan on her own. She's had a bad attitude all morning." The grey warrior studied her, glancing down at the raised hind-leg that was slathered in cobweb.

"Shouldn't you be resting, though?"

"I'll rest after I've spoken to Rowanpaw. It's important." Crescentsky didn't explain any further than that. She just slipped past the tom.

Although she meant no disrespect, she was a warrior now; and she had been resting for two days. She could technically do whatever she wanted; within the confines of reason, of course.

The dark tabby-and-white warrior felt at ease as she padded into the willow tree forest. The skies began to turn dark as they grew laden with rain. Some of the branches in the tree-tops clattered raucously against one another, and birds shrieked as they took off for shelter.

Her thoughts were intent on finding her avoidant littermate. Tracking the she-cat's scent was growing harder on the fitfull, tossing wind- but when she brushed her whiskers against the earth she could detect trace of it.

Rowanpaw's trail strengthened as Crescentsky approached a deep-channeled stream that was far into their territory. Trailing ivy stems and thick belts of clover sprawled underneath lush-leaved tree-trunks. She pushed through some unfurling stems of timothy grass and padded downslope to the wide babbling stream.

A few ducks were quacking in the water a long ways off. They dipped below the surface and then rose up again, flicking their shiny beaks and shaking their tails as if they were ecstatic to be there.

Crescentsky caught sight of her sister when she turned her head after hearing a huge splash. Rowanpaw was farther upstream, pulling herself out with dripping whiskers and a giant, wriggling carp in her jaws.

"Great catch!" The tabby-and-white warrior gasped with her ears pricked, impressed.

Crescentsky skittered over there to help her pin it. The fish was nearly as big as Tinyflame was. She pressed her forepaws against its gills, but drew back in shock as Rowanpaw spat at her.

"It's mine! Get away!" Her sister kept one paw on the fish, and one unsheathed forepaw raised defensively.

"I wouldn't have stolen it. I'm your littermate and your clanmate." Incredulous, Crescentsky tried to catch her gaze.

Her sister reeled back after giving the carp a killing bite.

"Oh, really? I thought you wanted to steal more glory for yourself," Rowanpaw growled, her yellow glare accusatory as she finally met Crescentsky's offended stare.

"What's the deal, Rowanpaw? Why are you acting jealous of me specifically?"

It took Rowanpaw a minute to respond. She seemed to be deciding what she wanted to say. Her gaze was lit with a fuming, rageful desire, as if she couldn't wait to do so.

When she finally broke the silence, her meow was spiteful.

"I'm not jealous. You get everything you want by breaking all the rules. And every cat lets you! Because they're just as foolish as you are," she said passively.

"So how can I be jealous of that?"

Wind tossed Crescentsky's neck-fur up and around her face. She blinked, taken off-guard.

"Then there's the cats like us," Rowanpaw carried on.

"Cats like me and Rainpaw, who follow the rules and get nothing out of it." As she kept speaking, the brown she-cat began to tremble and flatten her ears.

"No praise. No warrior name. No friends, or clan approval, or toms padding after us!"

What's she saying on that last part?

"Let me guess, you're slow on the uptake? Like I've always said," Rowanpaw crowed, a small smile playing on her muzzle. The insult caused Crescentsky's hackes to rise.

"You can't see that Trufflefur is being friendlier than he needs to be. Offering you prey and wanting to eat with you, or jumping on the opportunity to bury your prey bones."

All of a sudden her condescending grin turned into a sneer filled with disgust.

"That stupid Oatkit talks about you, too. Says you've done more to unite the clans than any other cat so far. And your desperate kittypet friend, and Tinyflame. She's always favored you over me." Rowanpaw began to stalk around her, taking long, slow strides, and flicking her tail back and forth as if she were annoyed.

"When all you've done is broken the rules." The brown she-cat shook her head.

"That's not-"

"Lagoonstripe and Alpinefog are such senile leader-figures, letting you keep your warrior name."

"So you want your warrior name." Crescentsky stated mildly, still fighting to keep her fur flat.

She doesn't really mean it. She's just jealous of what you've accomplished. She's your sister. Don't get angry.

A sister that doesn't know how to be a sister. Crescentsky took a deep breath.

"Look... I can give it to you, Rowanpaw. I can give you your warrior name."

She tried to let some excitement creep into her voice. One of the ducks quacked from farther downstream, nearly interrupting her.

"We can hold an assessment for you. Alpinefog doesn't even have to know until it's over. Racoonstripe and Emberfawn could come. I could get a few cats there to call your name. Cheetah would love to come as well. I-"

Rowanpaw leaned forward, her fishy breath bathing Crescentsky's muzzle.

"I don't want an assesment from you. I don't need an assessment with all of your friends watching and cheering!" Her trenchant yellow eyes were narrowed.

Across the flowing grey water, bright yellow marigold grew in clusters along the topmost edge of the riverbed. They nearly matched the color of Rowanpaw's eyes.

"But why? I... we could-." Crescentsky was struggling to find the right words.

Or rather, to say them out loud.

I want my second littermate back. We used to be a trio, not a duo. I never pushed you out, did I? So where did all of these random grudges come from?

"Look, I can tell you feel strongly about this." Though it pained her to do so, Crescentsky prepared herself to say sorry for doing nothing.

"I'm sorry. Can't things be how they used to, when we were young kits? When we actually talked about stuff and-."

"Save it. I'm my own cat now. And I'm not going to pad around in your shadow."

Without another word, Rowanpaw ended the conversation, bending down to pick up her cumbersome carp. She padded off with its heavy corpse spilling from both sides of her jaws.

"I never said that you weren't." Baffled, Crescentsky reared back.

"And uh, why would you? What shadow?"

Crescentsky was frowning. I sort of get it now, but I also don't.

"So much for that," she muttered to herself. Tinyflame was right. It was exhausting trying to figure out Rowanpaw.

Then her thoughts flew to something else.

I wonder if Trufflefur really likes me.

Was it wrong that she sort of wanted him to?

But he's a Thunderclan cat! And I've never thought of having a mate before, besides 'no thanks, not really by style!,' But... it's... Trufflefur...

She pictured his round, soft face and his friendly, cerulean-blue eyes.

He was outwardly friendly towards her in particular, but hadn't displayed any romantic feelings yet. She would have to get to know him better, and found herself excited at the prospect of it.

Trufflefur seemed like a cat that she could trust, a cat that she could share her secrets with. A cat that would support her to the end.

But really, she was getting ahead of herself. Rowanpaw had put these thoughts into her head.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

A/N: Thought-Provoking Questions

Q1: Do you think Rowanpaw's jealousy is justified, given how her sisters leave her out of everything? Or is that her own fault?

Q2: Do you want Nighthowl to make another appearance?