The rain tapered off throughout the night. A warm, humid draft ruffled Crescentsky's ear-fur during mid-morning the next day. Emberfawn and Cheetah had a break from training and patrolling, so they were sitting close and chatting together.

Crescentsky had just devoured a tench
when Jadestar and Rainstrike padded into camp. They held no prey in their jaws, and were alone.

"Rainstrike. Seriously? I could've picked a better name than that."

"And why didn't you? It's not like you haven't had time to think of it!"

"Don't get drab with me, Rainpaw." Jadestar growled, but her daughter growled right back.

"Don't call me that. I deserve my warrior name. It's been six moons that I've been waiting, mother. I won't do it anymore."

"You will if I say." The Skyclan leader's ears went flat, but Jadestar flicked them straight again and softened her tone.

"Look. I'm not going to argue all morning. Give back the warrior name that Crescentsky gave you, and we'll talk about this later." The dappled grey she-cat approached the fresh-kill pile and hooked a chub with her paw, grimacing as she held it up and examined it.

"No!" Rainstrike turned and snarled into Jadestar's face so fiercely that her mother's whiskers blew back. The Skyclan leader dropped the chub.

"No? Seriously?"

"Starclan, help me control my temper," Crescentsky growled under her breath. The fur along her spine was starting to lift.

I'm not in Jadestar's position, but I don't think that I could ever act that way if I had a daughter.

She's never gonna stop disturbing the peace or get out of Rainstrike's fur, is she?

I have to say something.

She rose to her paws and began to approach them, but Rainstrike wasn't done yet.

"Don't make a scene-" her mother began, as Rainstrike spat and snarled, swiping at some creeping bindweed that was laden with dewdrops. Clearly it was her way of letting the anger out.

"You refused to let me take my warriors vigil last night. I'm taking this warrior name, and I'm finishing my vigil outside the camp tonight!" The young warrior's voice was strident.

"Whether you like it or not."

She stalked away. Her mother's apprehensive green eyes followed her every move. As Rainstrike made way for the apprentices den, tail twitching in fury, Jadestar called out to her again.

"Wait! We're expected on border patrol with Alpinefog."

"I don't want to go with you." Rainstrike's tail was swallowed up by the den's darkness. Jadestar eventually got up and followed her in. The last words Crescentsky heard them exchange was; "Calm down, Rainpaw. If it's really that big of a deal you can keep the stupid name, but you're not performing your vigil alone." Her voice was high-pitched in annoyance.

"My name is Rainstrike! You know what? Nevermind. Just leave me alone!"

The Skyclan leader finally fell silent.

"I feel bad for Rainstrike. She never gets to be happy, or do what she wants," Crescentsky heard Emberfawn say.

🐈‍⬛

Crescentsky decided that she wanted to perform Oatkit's apprentice ceremony outside, instead of in the stuffy warriors den.

"Let's go." She called him out of the den with a limp later that evening.

Tinyflame followed her. The little black she-cat's tail was waving. She seemed in better spirits after receiving her shell-gift.

"Crescentsky!" Cheetah raced over, her pawsteps pounding against the well-drained earth. She lept for a peaty mound of tall grass before reaching them, shredding the tips with her outstretched claws.

"Neat move," Tinyflame complimented their friend. For once there was no trace of sarcasm in her voice.

"Thanks. I've missed you guys in the apprentices den."

"Oh, Cheetah! I forgot to show you the shell that I made you. It's over here beside the den."

She'd put it there so that it wouldn't get stepped on. Plus, the sap needed to dry and harden in the sun, and it had been foggy for most of the morning.

Cheetah's tail bristled with excitement, and her eyes grew wide as twin moons before she squeaked, "You made me something!?"

"Yeah, Riverclan apprentices sometimes make shells and-"

She was interrupted as Cheetah leaned down and studied the shell. "That's amazing! Wow, Crescentsky! No cat has ever made me anything before; that is so nice. It's so pretty..." Her eyes glimmered as she stared at the shell admiringly.

"Now I need to make you one! I'm going to find some stuff right now. Be right back!" She dashed off, causing their fur to flutter in her wake.

"Hurry up, please! I want to know who my mentor is." Oatkit complained. Crescentsky had nearly forgotten that he was there.

"You should've had your apprentice name by now, Oatkit. You're almost bigger than I am." Tinyflame followed behind as they made their way to a secluded open space behind the leader's rock.

"Yeah, I know. I just passed nine moons old!" He spoke indignantly. "Why are we going over here, though?"

"It's so that no cat can interrupt us. Sootface is in camp right now, you know, and he's your deputy. He might not like Crescentsky giving you your warrior name."

"Should've had our leader do it herself then," he muttered scornfully.

"We agree completely." Crescentsky raised her head. She felt sympathy for the pale yellow tom. It was disarming to even her, saying the word "Oatkit" aloud and then looking over to see a maturing young cat standing there.

"He's only got a few moons left for training, as well. If he learns quickly."

Crescentsky didn't mention that he might be late on getting his warrior name. It would only make him resent Jadestar even more.

"Yeah, so my mentor needs to hurry it up!" Though he was rushing them, the yellow-orange tom grinned with his whiskers twitching friskily.

"You told him we were meeting him here, right?"

"Yes! He'll be here any minute now."

Crescentsky thought it was convenient how Oatkit automatically expected a tom-cat to be his mentor. She smothered a grin.

I was right. I knew he wanted a tom as his role model. And not Sootface, she mused.

Oatkit's excitement was contagious, as he kneaded his paws into the grass with a warm purr. His eyes were brimming with anticipation.

They heard the cat before they saw him. He passed around the coal-grey leader's rock with his tail lifted and his eyes shining with reverence.

"Emberfawn! I thought he might be a cool mentor." Crescentsky watched as Oatkit beamed. She loved how the tom was so unbiased towards the other clans.

"Really?" Tinyflame asked.

"Yeah!" Oatkit mewed.

"He's always doing something, so I never really get to talk to him, but I've always wanted to." Oatkit gazed at him with an excited grin.

"Raccoonstripe just likes to lay around when he's in camp. I feel like Emberfawn takes clan responsibility more seriously."

He sounds more mature than he usually comes across as. Oatkit really needed this.

"I can teach you whatever you want to know, Oatkit." Emberfawn rumbled. "The values of a warrior are all laid out at your expense. I only have one rule."

"What is it?"

"To be patient and positive while you learn, because I'll be learning with you." Emberfawn curled his tail and gave a hearty smile.

"I can do that!" Oatkit said, then wrinkled his nose.

"Unless I'm cleaning out old stinky nests."

"Don't worry, I'll do it with you each time. It doesn't have to be a bad experience." Emberfawn looked at Crescentsky and then slow-blinked at her, as if giving her thanks. She did the same back.

I knew Emberfawn would love an apprentice. And he seemed to know as well that this was his only foreseeable chance at mentorship, at least for now.

Even though they're Riverclan and Skyclan, they're the only choice each other has. And that's perfectly okay.

"You both look pleased," Tinyflame chuckled. "I guess we chose well."

Oatkit's peachy-colored pelt was reflecting a sinking orange sun. It shone like fire in the dying light, as the soon-to-be apprentice cocked his head.

"Will I get to know Riverclan secrets?"

"Uh, well. I suppose a few of are unavoidable, yes," Emberfawn said with an amiable chuckle.

"I can't avoid teaching you how to fish, or where the best places for prey in Riverclan territory are. And our battle moves are likely to be different from Skyclan's techniques."

"Crescentsky! Please hurry and make me an apprentice now please!" Oatkit meowed loudly, and she jumped.

"Okay, but hush. Not so loud," she tried to stifle her laugh.

Crescentsky performed the ceremony in low, quiet tones. When Oatpaw's apprentice name came, they whisper-yelled it to him.

His ears were so pricked that they almost looked like they were escaping from his head. He kneaded the grass underpaw in elation.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! Nobody can keep it from me now. And I'm going to tell my mom tonight, right before we go to sleep, so that she'll be too tired to argue."

I don't think that's how that works. Crescentsky suppressed a grin.

"Emberfawn, we're going out first thing tomorrow aren't we? So I can tour the territory?"

He didn't wait for an answer.

"My first time away from Pepperpelt. This is going to be awesome, yay!"

"I'm sure she will still argue." Tinyflame spoke up.

"And Jadestar certainly will when she hears of it. That's two Skyclan cats that Crescentsky's named behind her back now."

Crescentsky shot her sister a look. Don't crush his happiness. And if you disagreed with it, you should've said something instead of helping me pick his mentor!

"I'm not saying it's wrong." Tinyflame caught her look and spoke up again, as Oatpaw lept up the leaders rock and began climbing it victoriously. Emberfawn harrowedly followed behind him.

"Uh, wait!"

"I think it was a good thing to do, Crescentsky. On both ends. Rainstrike was waiting for two seasons, and we only waited for half a moon."

🐈‍⬛  on the 2nd day of more den-rest

Before the darkness tucked them all into its cryptic embrace, and Crescentsky headed to her nest, she saw Rainstrike padding out of camp with her mother.

She must be heading out there to perform her warriors vigil.

Sootface watched them both with a disapproving expression from beside the warriors den. After a moment he lifted his chin and followed them out.

"You two shouldn't be alone out there. I'll protect you."

"Go back to the warriors den. I can protect my daughter." Jadestar turned and flicked a forepaw out so fast that it brushed Sootface's whiskers. Her claws caught the moonlight and glinted, before she sheathed them just as quickly.

Despite Sootface being the bigger and bulkier cat, he'd flattened his ears and stepped away at the first sign of Jadestar's aggression. He now cowered with his tail held close to his flank.

She didn't actually hit him. That was a warning.

Her own deputy and mate. Or... former mate, I guess. It seemed there was always some kind of controversy when it came Jadestar. Whether it be against her own clanmates or Riverclan's warriors.

"She's my daughter too," he muttered, but the tom sounded more hurt than anything.

When it was beyond clear that Jadestar wasn't going to respond, Sootface lumbered away with his shoulders hunched.

Jadestar