Darkpaw sighed miserably. They were no closer to finding the apprentice, and she hadn't been chosen to go to the gathering. She didn't know when she would see Arrowheart, and if he would be at the next one. "I think it would be someone we know," she decided to herself. "Otherwise, it would be too vague a clue. But it could be Orangetail, still, and, I guess, Arrowheart. So now it isn't just apprentices." She lowered her head. 

I need help. But Shadeflight is at the gathering, and I don't want to talk about it with Tallmeadow. She sighed again. "So which apprentices do I know?" Including Arrowheart and Orangetail, she added silently. I guess... Shadeflight. But that's... No. Especially with all this, he would be careful. But technically I have met Bushpaw and Slatepaw. She shook herself. "So I guess I won't give up." Not Bushpaw. He was outwardly friendly, but Slatepaw... She licked her paw, which she had impaled on a thorn a few sun-highs ago. But I shouldn't take any chances. The choices are Shadeflight, Orangetail, Bushpaw, Slatepaw and Arrowheart. She looked up at the sky, exiting the den. They'll come back soon. She took a piece of fresh-kill and sunk her teeth into it, savoring the taste.

"Huh. So five cats." She finished her scrawny toad. "But I think I can put that aside for now. I want to know how the lake could die. I guess flooding and it drying up?" She looked up at the sound of cats. "Anything ha-" Her eyes widened. Treestar was carrying a limp body in his teeth.

"Tallmeadow is dead!" 

"What?"

"And so are some other cats," Shadeflight put in. He looked devastated. "It wasn't her time! She wasn't that old; she had moons left!" Orangetail was shaking.

"How?" Grassfang demanded. Yowltail lowered her eyes in sadness.

"The tree to the island was rotten. It broke as we were coming back. And RiverClan had reported that the fish were all gone. Could this have to do with the lake dying?" Shadeflight was dragging Tallmeadow's body onto a pile of moss he had quickly taken from his den.

"Maybe," he admitted, lowering Tallmeadow. "But we have to do a ceremony. We must honor her spirit." He bent his head to share tongues with his former mentor one last time. Darkpaw bent her head to join him, followed by Treestar, who had been littermates with Tallmeadow.

...

Darkpaw felt excitement course through her. Ever since Tallmeadow's death, she and Shadeflight had focused even more on which apprentice it could be, paying a visit to Bushpaw and Slatepaw. They had decided against Bushpaw being the apprentice, but they weren't sure about Slatepaw. But now, Darkpaw was taking her warrior assessment, and she had erased everything else from her mind. She knew her mentor, Grassfang, was watching her from somewhere as she prowled through the forest. Her ears pricked, she sniffed the air. Is that the scent of vole? she wondered. The prey had become so scarce that most patrols returned with a single toad, and she would leap at the chance of vole.

Spotting the brown creature, she stalked forward, her haunches light and her scent drifting away. She bared her fangs, preparing to leap, when a loud monster let out a roar. She jumped, and the noises scared her prey. She scowled and raced after it, knowing she wouldn't catch it. Her eyes lost sight of it. "Fox dung!" she swore. 

This time even more careful, she spotted the vole again, and lightly walked towards it. Unaware, it continued to nibble at the grass. She pounced and her teeth met the warm body. She smiled to herself. Although it was skinny, the vole was prey, and that was what counted. She continued to look for prey, unsuccessful, and returned to the camp. "You caught something!" Orangetail exclaimed. 

"Yep. I  hope it's enough..." Grassfang appeared behind her.

"That was great!" he praised. "You're a natural hunter!" I wish Thinfur was here to see my ceremony. He'd be so proud. She sent a silent prayer to her father, hoping he would return soon. 

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather at the Pinebranch for a clan meeting!" Treestar yowled. He glanced at Grassfnag, who nodded slightly. Does that mean I passed, with only one piece of prey? Darkpaw wondered. She looked up at Treestar, and Shadeflight nidged her.

"Finally! We'll both have our full names!" he murmured. Darkpaw smiled at her littermate's support.

"We gather today in honor of an apprentice. I, Treestar of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Darkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your territory, even at the cost of your life?" 

"I do," Darkpaw answered nervously, lifting her head to meet her leader's friendly gaze. She knew what she was promising. That she would be a true warrior of ShadowClan.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Darkpaw, from this day on you will be known as Darkstorm. StarClan honors your perseverance and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Darkstorm licked Treestar's shoulder.

"Darkstorm! Darkstorm! Darkstorm!" Darkstorm shyly leaped down to the ground and closed her eyes, letting the praise wrap around her, brushing all her worries away. As she opened them, she gasped. 

Thinfur! She glanced at the Clan, who had met with where she was staring. Thinfur, bleeding with a scratched eye and a scratch on his throat, was leaning against a tree. He stared back.

"Help," he croaked weakly. "I need your help..."