Fernstar's words had been ringing in Fogface's head for days. Her guilt clung to the back of her throat, an aftertaste more bitter than herb bundle Fernstar would give her after attacks. Fernstar always took care of her, even when the weight of the Clan was on her shoulders. How could Fogface have gone and attacked Rainstem behind her back?

At the time, she'd felt justified. Walking back to camp, she'd felt powerful, a feeling she hadn't felt after Frecklepelt's abuse. But that hot feeling gave way to cold ice when she saw Fernstar's face after Stormspark reported what they'd done. It was like plunging into the river in the cold season, when the chill met the bone.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say. "I know you're stressed. I know what we did will make things worse for you. But we had to do it; we had to teach Rainstem a lesson! Now she and anyone else from ForestClan will think twice before coming onto our territory."

For moments, Fernstar said nothing. Fogface stared at the ground as time stretched on until her sister finally spoke. "I'm not stressed. Stressed doesn't even begin to cover it," she snapped. "Half this Clan sees me as weak because I don't want to jump claws first into a battle we can't win. They think I'm not doing enough, while the other half are so scared any major action would send them spiralling. I'm stuck between not doing enough and doing too much. The pressure on me right now is killing me! The future of this Clan rests on what I do. How am I supposed to handle that? Now you've taken the options out of my paws and straight into ForestClan's. I thought I could count on you." She whirled away, striding into her den.

Fogface watched her retreating form, watching Mudfishleap give her a soothing lick. She growled. Having your friend be mates with your sister was so annoying. He could never be on her side! And Softears wasn't any better. She was too caught up in her worry about her kits and her mate to see much of Fogface these days.

So since then, Fogface had kept to herself. She doubled down on her training with Dawnpaw, and spent her nights curled around Stormspark, trying to live life as normally as she could.

-

Fogface watched her reflection in the river ripple in the cold wind,

"There's no fish! Why are we even doing this? We should be doing battle training." Dawnpaw swiped a paw at the water, sending a spray across Fogface's muzzle. 

She shook her head. "We'll never catch anything if you do that," trying to keep her voice calm. An apprentice acting out might mean there was some kind of problem going on. Snapping at Dawnpaw might frustrate her more. "We've been battle training for the last few days and we need to keep up your hunting skills. We can't fight ForestClan on an empty stomach, and we might not even fight them at all."

Dawnpaw huffed. "I guess. It's just... Morningpaw's doing battle training right now, and she's already so much better than me."

Fogface looked at her. So this was what this was about. "You'll soon catch up. And hey, if you spend more time hunting, you might become a better hunter than her."

Dawnpaw's whiskers twitched. "Maybe you're right!" She bent closer, whiskers dipping into the river. 

Fogface stretched out a paw, pushing her backwards. "Don't get too close to the river, the fish will sense you. You need to be as still and silent as possible so the fish will swim within your reach."

Dawnpaw nodded. In silence, the two sat. Fogface kept one eye out for any flashes of iridescent scales, and the other on her apprentice. A gleam of silver rushed beneath the surface. At the same moment, Dawnpaw hissed: "There's a salmon!"

Fogface smiled. Thank Mother, she was worried there'd be no fish today. Dawnpaw needed a pick-me-up. "It's yours," she whispered back. 

Dawnpaw's eyes narrowed, following the salmon's every movement. Fogface noted how she tracked the fish, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. She leaned back, making sure she didn't cast a shadow over the water. In the blink of an eye, she lashed out a paw, hooking the fish on her barbed claws. Dawnpaw flung it out of the river, its limp body flopping on the grass. Its gills gasped for air as Dawnpaw sunk her teeth into it. Blood trickled from the punctures, pale and watery. The salmon's frantic movements stilled, and Dawnpaw dropped it from her maw.

"That was a great catch!" Fogface praised. "You waited just the right time to hook it, and you caught it with accuracy. Well done!" 

Dawnpaw's smile stretched, teeth stained with blood. "Thanks! This will feed the elders for sure!"

"Anttail will be pleased. You know how she loves her salmon!"

They moved upstream. Bent over, Fogface's eyes followed every shadow and shimmer. Scooping a lamprey out, she slashed open its stomach, tearing the scales into shining slivers. As blood pooled from its stomach, the fish stilled. 

  "You know, I don't envy you being an apprentice with all this ForestClan business going on. You don't have time to have fun."

"what was it like when you were an apprentice?"

"We had no responsibilities, no worries...we hunted and trained, competing with each other, competing with RimuClan and BeechClan apprentices...we got up to all sorts of trouble. It was the happiest time of my life."

They walked into camp, two fish wedged between Fogface's jaws. Giving Dawnpaw a side glance, she was happy to see her holding her head high. As they dropped the fish on the fresh-kill pile, Smokepaw called out to them.

"Nice catch, Dawnpaw!"

Fogface purred as Dawnpaw's face lit up. She looked around, hoping to see other cats noticing her apprentice's good work. She furrowed her brow. Camp was strangely empty. No one gossiping or sharing tongues. There was a charged energy around camp.
Muzzles poking out of dens, eyes peeping around.

Fogface paused. What was going on?

Fernstar's lithe body emerged from her den. She stood tall, ears erect. Each stride pushing her forward. Fogface straightened up. This was the Fernstar that came out whenever she needed to be a leader.

Behind her, out padded two strangers. One tortoiseshell with her head down, green eyes fixed on her paws, sporting a long scratch on her shoulder. What was Rainstem doing here? The second cat stalked out, equally as tall as Fernstar, eyes as sharp as flint. Fogface shivered. Greeneyes, BeechClan's former deputy, one of ForestClan's leaders. The cat she'd seen plenty of times at gatherings. She'd first heard of her as an apprentice. Every cat was curious about the apprentice Spiderstar was mentoring. What did little Greenpaw have that made her so special? As a young warrior, it became obvious. She developed a reputation for a strong, powerful warrior. Fogface had heard rumours about her skill in battle, her natural leadership, the respect she'd earned among clanmates. She kept an eye out for her at gatherings, hoping she'd never have to tangle with the other feline.

Fogface glanced at Fernstar, trying to catch her eye. She didn't respond. Instead, her gaze was fixed on Rainstem. "You're going to hunt for us, a piece of prey for every one of our elders. If my Clanmates ever see you or anyone from your Clan snooping around on our territory, your punishment will be much harsher than hunting."

Pushing her chest out, Fogface tracked Rainstem's miserable exit from camp, drooping tail leaving a furrow in the grass, off to complete her punishment. Her eye strayed to Greeneyes. Everything from her wide-legged stance and the noble incline of her head asserted a commanding presence. Fogface bit her tongue. Fernstar postured next to her, but her pale eyes never met Greeneyes's stare. They shared words too soft for Fogface to catch, and when the ForestClan deputy marched out of camp, Fernstar's sigh of relief was just a little too noticeable. 

-

"Hey." Stormspark nipped at her ear. "I know things have been tense lately and you've been distracted, but have you really forgotten what day it is?"

Fogface looked up, frowning at her mate. "What do you-ohhhh." The realisation hit her. The Gathering was tonight! How could she have forgotten and lost track of time so badly? "I take it neither you or I have been chosen?"

Stormspark shook her head. "I don't think Fernstar wants us causing more fight with ForestClan!" She pushed her muzzle into Fogface's, breath warming her nose. "So you know what that means, right?"

A humming purr vibrated in Fogface's chest. When they first fell in love, they'd take the time whenever camp was quiet to sneak away and enjoy each other's company. It had been so long since she'd been able to spend time with Stormspark like this. 

"I was thinking we could go for a little moon-high swim." Stormspark suggested, the flecks of brown in her hazel gaze smouldering. 

Fogface closed her eyes, in bliss, already picturing it. The water would be cold - this would probably be the last full-body swim she'd have until the Growth Season. "That would be amazing," she whispered to her.

When RushClan left for the gathering, a pack of bodies chattering louder than blackbirds in the early morning, Fogface and Stormspark listened to their voices fade, snatched away by the wind as they got further away from RushClan territory. After a short while, Stormspark nudged her to her feet, and they tiptoed out of the warrior's den. They didn't need to hide their relationship, not in the way they'd first done when they were falling in love. Fogface had been too frightened to commit to Stormspark after her last relationship, and telling the Clan would've made it feel too real. Now, sneaking around with Stormspark was just fun. 

Paws gliding over the grass, a voice interrupted her thrill. "Are you two sneaking out?"

 Fogface blinked in surprise at the deep, melodic voice. Dotterelsong never left Fernstar's den, not unless she was doing her exercises. "Yes, we're going for a swim." 

Dotterelsong's shoulders slumped. "I miss swimming. I hope my leg heals enough so I can walk far enough out to the river again."

She didn't know how to reply. She'd never been close to Dotterelsong. Even though she was Mudfishleap's apprentice, she'd always been annoying. Shallow, caring about nothing except how pretty and skilled she was. And then she got overconfident and tried to chase off a wild dog alone, getting herself mauled in the process. Now, she was permanently injured. None of the Clan knew how to talk to her now. But Fogface saw more of her than anyone else. She was there in Fernstar's den, witnessing Fogface's most vulnerable moments. Out of all the cats she wanted by her side during her panics, Dotterelsong wasn't one of them. She took a halting breath. "I'm sure it will. You'll be out swimming like a fish again in no time."

"It's great to see you out of Fernstar's den, I feel like I never see you anymore. Why are you out now?" Stormspark chipped in. The gentleness in her tone surprised Fogface. Stormspark was usually a pretty blunt cat, except around herself. Since when had she been so close to Dotterelsong? Her heart skipped a beat. No cat will ever love you after me. You're evil, and everyone can see it. Everyone sees you lying about me, ruining my life, and they'll be scared you'll do that to them too. She ignored Frecklepelt's words and her fears. She trusted Stormspark and their love. And anyway, wasn't Dotterelsong part of Stormspark's team? No wonder they knew each other well. 

Dotterelsong looked down at her paws. "I don't want anyone to see me with my limp, half-hairless, and all these scars. I look hideous."

"No, you don't. You look as pretty as ever, just a little more interesting now."

"Are you hitting on me in front of your mate?"

"Oh, you wish. One day you'll see that not every cat in the Clan has a crush on you!" 

The river danced in the dark, no moon to illuminate it. The moon hid that night, concealed behind a thick mask of clouds. The deep black water gurgled as it flowed, wavering and trembling under the empty sky.

Fogface slipped into the river, the current licking at her body. The chill seized her chest, pressing down on her ribcage. Sharp pinpricks crawled down her body. The icy river filled in her empty spaces, lit a freezing flame in her heart. Each nippy wave washed away a part of her. This was how she'd washed away Frecklepelt, the first time her words hollowed out her head, the last time her claws had opened her underbelly. The river was healing. In a liquid-smooth body, aches dulled. Droplets of water sprinkled the water, billowing clouds giving way to rain. The sky collapsed as the downpour cascaded down on them.

Beside her, Stormspark laughed as she dove into the midnight-black water, dipping below the surface until her lithe, serpentine body resembled a Dweller. As she resurfaced, gasping in the sweet air, Fogface jumped on her, pushing her below the surface.

"Hey!" Stormspark spluttered, paws floundering to keep herself afloat and dislodge her from her back. Stormspark rolled, plunging Fogface under the icy waves for a moment, pulling her back up before she could even think about drowning. They played around together, splashing in the bottomless river, rain running down their exposed shoulders and spines. But the cold threatened to close her chest, and her shivers grew violent, rattling her teeth. Fogface clambered out of the water, slick pawpads slipping on the stone bank. Stormspark followed her out. They huddled together as if their sodden fur pressed against each other would protect them from the cold air, and the chill already deep inside them.

"Hey." Stormspark shifted beside her. "Do you ever-do you ever think about having kits?"

Fogface twisted to stare at her. "Kits?" She echoed her words back.

"Yeah...kits."

Did she? Of course. Ever since she was a kit herself, she'd been told she needed to have her own when she was older. Fogface had Spirit devouring her body, inherited from her father, Seedstar. She had to carry on his linage. As as apprentice, she realised she didn't like toms. So maybe she was free from that expectation. But Anttail didn't like toms, and she'd still given birth to Fogface's mother. Having kits had never felt like a choice. In the early days with Frecklepelt, she'd imagined them looking after a litter of hungry mouths. But after Frecklepelt became abusive, that possibility was snatched away. And after Frecklepelt was exiled and the Clan new of the abuse, no one expected anything of Fogface anymore. Everyone just wanted her to heal. Even when she fell for Stormspark, no one expected her to have kits. The one good thing Frecklepelt was free her from being forced into motherhood.

But looking at Stormspark's bright hazel eyes, blinking away the raindrops the thought of having kits with her didn't seem like a burden. It was her choice. What she wanted. She wanted them to be mothers, raising their kits together. Fogface had to be honest, she'd thought about it. And not having kits didn't feel like rebelling anymore. Fernstar was the Chief, after all. She was the important sister. Maybe it was selfish, but Fogface revelled in her quiet life.

"I want to have kits with you," she whispered back.

Stormspark's face lit up, her smile glowing in the darkness. "Are you sure? Don't feel like you have to. I won't leave you if you say no. I'd rather have you than kits."

Fogface shook her head, scattering droplets over her mate. "No. I never feel like I have to do anything I don't want to do to keep you." As she said those words, Fogface felt the weight of them. She was anxious and insecure all the time. That Stormspark loved someone else, didn't truly love her, that she would eventually leave her. But Frecklepelt was wrong. Everything she'd told Fogface had been wrong. She'd lived that relationship on an edge, one wrong move would've sent them falling. Frecklepelt would take any excuse to lash out. But Stormspark was stable. Those fears were there, but they were just thoughts now, not a reality. Reality was comfortable.

"I never thought I could have kits after Frecklepelt. I thought I'd be broken forever. But you, Fernstar, Mudfishleap, Softears, Greyheart, Anttail ...you've all made me feel so safe and loved. Inside, I feel so much better about myself. After everything with ForestClan settles down...I want to have kits with you."

Stormspark's purr could've scared the sun from the sky. Perhaps that's what the moon was hiding from that night.
"I'd love that. I'd love that more than anything. I want us to be a proper family."

"Could I carry the kits?" She asked. Her stomach could be more than a grave, haunted by the scars from her ex mates claws. It could grow life.

Stormspark nodded. "I was hoping you'd want to. I want kits, but I don't want them growing inside me." She wrinkled her nose. "But who's father them? Not Mudfishleap, half the future kits in the Clan will be his as it is!"

Fogface laughed. "I think I'll talk to Greyheart and Anttail about it. You know the father will have to be someone from a good lineage. He'll have to have a lot of Spirit."

"I can't believe it." Stormspark nuzzled her, water trickling down her muzzle. "We're gonna be mothers."

When they fled back to camp, sodden and freezing, Fogface's legs seemed to skip underneath her.  Once this ordeal was over, she and Stormspark were going to have kits!