▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

"So you and Trufflefur, eh?" Crescentsky poked around at conversation as soon as he'd left. She let a bit of warm amusement creep into her tone.

"Yeah." Rainpaw looked down. The she-cat drew one of her claws in the dust.

"He's such a great cat," she sighed dreamily. "He sees and acknowledges the good in others. But this is part of why my mother doesn't trust me..."

Crescentsky pricked her ears.

"When did you guys get together?" She tried to sound like she wasn't all that interested to know, but really she was.

"About a moon before you came, I was sneaking off to Thunderclan territory to meet him. I waited until after sunfall, when my mother and Sootface were asleep."

Crescentsky looked at her for a moment. "Seems risky. Not just because they could've caught you, but because of the wolves and all," was all she could say. She didn't want Rainpaw to think that she had any opinions on their half-clan relationship.

Truthfully, she didn't. It was their business, not hers.

And when she really thought about it, love was love. The warrior code allowed for a clan change, but Jadestar would never agree to it- even if Trufflefur did want to join Skyclan as Rainpaw's mate. And so Crescentsky could see what predicament they were in.

"I was careful, at first. Trufflefur and I used the trees to travel most of the way, so that we didn't leave a scent trail or run the risk of coming across a wolf." Rainpaw looked reminiscent as she peered toward the lush rowan leaves hemming in on one side of their secluded shelter.

"We made plans to see each other every few days, and only if the weather was well enough to do so. I covered his Thunderclan scent with sage leaves."

Crescentsky nodded as she listened avidly. She had never heard Rainpaw talk this much.

"But then I started being more reckless about it. I couldn't resist sneaking off to see him more often... it just felt like the gaps between seeing him got father and wider." The she-cat sighed.

"I was caught one night while returning. And I'd forgotten to cover the scent of Thunderclan tom on my pelt, so Jadestar didn't believe any of my excuses.

After that she began watching my every move. She even checks on me in the apprentices den throughout the night. In our old camp, and here, too. I've woken up and seen her peering through the entrance." The blue-gray she cat crossed her paws.

"So that's why Jadestar doesn't like Trufflefur. She knows it was him you had snuck off to be with."

"I admitted it to her, after she yowled at me and pried it out of me. But yeah, it was kind of obvious in the first place. Thunderclan scent; he was the only Thunderclan cat left. We had spoken to Trufflefur a few times on border patrols, so Sootface and Jadestar knew of him. And his personality always drew me in, even from afar."

Crescentsky mewed her understanding.

"My mother doesn't want to embarrass me or show any sort of disorder in front of the other clans, you see- as wild as that sounds." Her tone turned sour as a lemon.

Isn't that what she's been doing, though?

"So that's why she won't openly share why she doesn't like him."

Crescentsky nodded.

"...I've actually been wanting to ask you guys something. You and Tinyflame, I mean."

Crescentsky waited for her to continue, but when the she-cat didn't she looked down at her shells and asked "What is it?"

"Well... I wanted to know if you could give me my warrior name." Rainpaw then rushed to explain herself.

"I know I don't know you all that well, and you're a Riverclan cat and not Skyclan or a clan leader. But you're the only one who's come into contact with Starclan recently."

Despite that reasoning, Crescentsky was still put off by the proposal.

"Won't Jadestar and Sootface just revert it back to your apprentice name? They don't exactly like me, nor my ideas..."

"I'll make sure they know that it was my idea. They definitely won't like it, or agree with it, but if you and Tinyflame could do it then who's to say I can't?"

That was a different situation. And my parents aren't around anymore, like yours are.

But... I can't let her down. Not when she's looking at me like that.

Rainpaw's eyes shone with hope as a fat raindrop made its way through the hanging vines above them. It landed on her nose, causing her to sneeze.

"Well, then. Why not?"

"Great!" Rainpaw's tail lifted in delight.

"So how do we hold my assesment? How would I get some cat to judge my skills?"

Crescentsky studied her. She wished she could do it herself, but her wounds were still bothering her. Doing too much too soon wasn't worth the risk of infection.

Plus, Jadestar was always watching Rainpaw's every move. Especially out in the forest. It seemed like the only alone time Rainpaw ever got was when her mother left her behind in camp.

"I could sneak off," Rainpaw began, but Crescensky had already come up with a solution.

"I can be the judge of your assesment, if I set a task for you to complete. It won't be a test of examining your hunting skills but rather; what you can accomplish while using them."

Rainpaw's whiskers quivered with excitement. "Okay. Whatever it is, I'll do it."

"Next time you go out hunting-" Crescentsky heard indistinct voices passing by on the other side of the elder's den wall and lowered her voice. "-your test will be to catch two squirrels and two birds in our territory. That's all."

"Really? Do you think that's hard enough?"

"It's perfect." Crescentsky licked a forepaw and drew it over one ear as she explained herself.

"Riverclan is mainly maple and willow trees. Compared to Skyclan's oak and spruce trees, our trees are harder to grip, and thinner. Your Skyclan skills will aid you. It shouldn't take long to find and catch two squirrels in some hollowed-out willow tree trunks, but the two birds will be a harder task."

"That's brilliant. Thank you."

The two she-cat's eyes glimmered as they looked across at one another. Rainpaw looked so appreciative that Crescentsky began to feel embarrassed all over again.

"After you've done it, and your parents are away on patrol, feel free to visit me in the warriors den. We'll hold the ceremony then." It felt weird to be telling Rainpaw this, especially since the blue-gray she-cat was older than her.

She could hear soft rain pattering against the earth. The Riverclan warrior felt a few misty droplets land on her back-fur, and quickly reminded herself not to shake off while she was in camp.

I have to return to Tinyflame soon. But first, she had to gather the rest of her stuff.

Crescentsky leaned forward and examined her shells for damage. There was no blemishes on either one. She bent down to begin picking up her crafts, and Rainpaw generously stepped forward to help.

"Wait, your leg is hurt. I can get that." The she-cat picked up a pink shell in-between her teeth, tail waving as she mumbled around one edge of it.

"I'd like to make a shell for Trufflefur as well, I think. Even though it's a Riverclan thing." Her eyes twinkled as she looked over at Crescentsky shyly, and the tabby warrior trilled.

"You totally should! Some cats use feathers or fish scales for decorating, too. My mother once used a pearl. She found it in a cracked clam at the bottom of a sandy stream."

"I don't know what a clam or a pearl is, but who'd she give it to?" Rainpaw sounded genuinely interested.

"My father, Echofrost. Before he died..." Crescentsky turned her face away.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Crescentsky mewed.

"If you want to, you can use one of the shells that I have here for Trufflefur. I can always gather more later."

Rainpaw nodded gratefully, and picked up the rest of the items. Crescentsky helped her finish, temporarily cutting off her speech as they exited the space behind the elder's den.

The two she-cats made way for the apprentices den instead, an area that should be relatively cleared out for shell-decorating. Crescentsky kept her injured hindpaw raised high off the ground, but it still festered with a staunched agony.

I hope my wound isn't becoming infected. Rain fell across their backs and shoulders, while stormy grey clouds traversed the skyline above.

Rowanpaw was inside, and as soon as the she-cat saw them coming she began grumbling and headed for the exit. A dark look crossed her face as she passed Crescentsky.

Rainpaw tossed her a concerned look. Crescentsky found herself waving it off with a paw.

"Pay no mind." She sighed, still not knowing what she would do about it later.

I suppose I'll have to try and reconcile again. But it's so exhausting when the other side just wants to argue and point paws.

Rainpaw spat out the shell in her mouth, dropping a curled spotted yellow leaf and a smooth shiny rock beside it.

"You know, I realize now why Trufflefur likes you." Rainpaw gazed her over.

There was no jealousy in her voice, and clearly she'd meant it in platonic way.

"He looks for a friend in you because you're the most pro-active cat in Riverclan. You have a take-charge way of doing things. And you're clan oriented, but you don't want to influence or control in the ways that some other cats do."

"Thanks," Crescentsky grinned with her dripping whiskers twitching.

"The feeling is mutual."

"I'm going to look for some more items around camp real quick. Maybe I can find something like this beside the reed-beds." Rainpaw shyly poked at the azure rock with her forepaw, and Crescentsky smiled. She found herself wanting the she-cat to return and spend more time with her.

"Go ahead. I have to stay in here or the sap will wash off my shoulder. The drizzle already washed half of it off."

When Rainpaw returned, though, Crescentsky's heart sank to hear her newfound friend being called out of the den.

"Rainpaw! Come and share this squirrel with us." It was Sootface. And clearly, he had returned from their hunting patrol with Rainpaw's mother, Jadestar.

Crescentsky saw Rainpaw turn around with a disappointed expression. The she-cat dropped a few pretty striped pebbles that she had found, and a soft, downy duck feather. The feather flitted from the den behind Rainpaw's retreating hindpaws, disturbed by the rush of wind that her shuffling back legs kicked up.

Crescentsky made a grab for it, but the feather slipped out of her clawless paws. It lifted and twirled away on the wind as the she peeked around the edge of the den entrance.

She watched Rainpaw plodding toward the fresh-kill pile with her tail-tip dragging. Trufflefur was nowhere to be seen now, most likely hiding himself so that he wasn't seen too close to Rainpaw.

A/N:

Thought-provoking questions:

Q1: Do you actually want Crescentsky to have a mate one day, or is she better off without one?

Q2: Now that we know another reason why Jadestar is so protective of her only daughter, do you think she's justified since Rainpaw was previously sneaking off and lying to her?