"Winged Claw, you were a fine mentor to Brave Lake and I am proud to give you Light Dream as your new cadet. Train her to be a fox the Tribe can be proud of." Moving Wind nodded and Light Dream rushed forward, touching her nose to Winged Claw's excitedly. "And last but most certainly not least, Badger Wing. Your trainer will be Arctic Sun, this is your first apprentice, train him well." Moving Wind dipped her head and the Tribe called out excitedly. "Badger Wing! Light Dream! Leaping Cloud! Hunting Creek! Swift Dream!" Light Dream circled Winged Claw excitedly. "What are we going to do first? Can I play with Brave Lake's kits first? I told her I'd go see them before I left camp." She plead, her blue eyes searing into his fur. "Alright, you may go see them, but hurry. I'm going to teach you battle moves with Arctic Sun and Wolf Dusk." Wolf Dusk nodded in approval and sat with his cadet, Hunting Creek, talking with him in hushed tones about how he is expected to behave now. Light Dream dashed off and skid to a halt outside the nursery, padding in slowly and he heard her greeting Brave Lake with an excited mew. Arctic Sun rushed over with Badger Wing and started bouncing around him, almost as excited as her cadet. "Can you believe it? I have my own cadet now, I've never been so excited!" She rubbed her muzzle against his cheek and he purred at her in amusement. "I'm happy for you, remember now though you're a trainer and can't afford to put up with foxes who don't listen." He nodded at her and she nodded in return, her white chest gleaming against the rest of her black fur. Weasel Roar padded over, his white fur gleaming and leaned down to whisper something in Arctic Sun's ear. "What? Since when? How far along is she?" She whipped around to face her brother, his eyes glowing. "I don't know but I'm very excited, Ivy Glow is going to make a splendid mother. I'm not the only to be father either. Lonely Sky and Misty Flower are expecting cubs."

Arctic Sun's ears drooped for a heartbeat then perked immediately back up. "I'm so proud of you, you're going to be an amazing father, and so is Lonely Sky." She licked her brothers cheek and Lonely Sky padded over to Winged Claw. "I'm going to be a father, Misty Flower is expecting cubs." He announced. "Yes I know, so are Ivy Glow and Weasel Roar." He dipped his head and congratulated his brother, keeping his eyes on Arctic Sun whose energy had disappeared. "Arctic Sun, allow me to speak with you for a moment." He called to her, her attention snapping to him almost immediately. "Yes of course, Badger Wing, sit here and call for us when Light Dream comes out of the nursery." Badger Wing dipped his head to his mentor and Winged Claw led her behind the medicine den, sitting down and wrapping his tail over his paws. "I wish you would tell me what's on your mind." He started softly. "I just really want cubs, and now that your brother and my brother are having kits, it just seems unfair." She sighed, letting her head hang. "Our time for kits will come soon enough, don't rush anything." Winged Claw licked her cheek and heard Badger Wing call out for them. "Now come on, let's go train our cadets." He padded back out into the clearing and Light Dream raced over to him.

Light Dream dashed at Winged Claw, her teeth bared and ears flat, at the last heartbeat, Winged Claw stepped off to the side and Light Dream stumbled, tripping over her own paws. "That's okay, Light Dream, it happens to the best of us. Why don't Wolf Dusk and I show you a simpler move." He looked at the older fox and he nodded approval. "Good idea, Winged Claw. It might be best this way." He agreed, his paws flexing as though excited for a scrap. "Remember. Claws sheathed and watch us as carefully as you can. I'm going to attack and he's going to defend." Winged Claw dropped into a sort of crouch and dragged himself closer to Wolf Dusk, baring his teeth and growling at him as threateningly as he could manage. He pounced and when Wolf Dusk moved out of the way, he pulled himself to his paws and swiped a paw out, catching Wolf Dusks front two paws and sending him crashing into the dirt. Winged Claw launched himself onto his back and scrabbled gently, allowing Wolf Dusk to throw him off when he was ready. 

"Did you see how we did that move?" Winged Claw asked, tilting his head at his cadet who backed up a little bit before nodding. "Yes, you were terrifying. If I was an enemy warrior, I wouldn't want to meet you in a battle." Light Dream nodded and purred. "Good thing there's been no border scraps recently. With the cold weather coming it would do no good to be getting into fights." Wolf Dusk nodded in agreement and looked at Arctic Sun. "Would you like to take them around the borders so they know where they can and cannot go?" He asked, his head tilted. "Yes absolutely! I'd be glad to show them the borders. Come on cadets lets go." She led the way with the three cadets in tow and Wolf Dusk padded beside Winged Claw. "So, am I supposed to be expecting my kit to have cubs soon?" He looked at Winged Claw who fumbled over his words. "What?! No! Wolf Dusk come on now, we have apprentices now. She can't afford to be having cubs so early on, and neither of us are ready." Wolf Dusk let out a chortle of laughter and Winged Claw blanched. "Don't worry. You two will have cubs sooner than you'd like to think. She's had you wrapped around her paw since she was a cub, you've always let her get her way." Wolf Dusk teased. "She'd boss you around and you'd snarl and bark all you wanted but no matter what, you'd still look at me about my daughter with that moony little look in your eyes." Wolf Dusk gave him a friendly flick over the ear with his tail and ran to catch up with Arctic Sun.

When they returned to camp everything was torn up and cats were limping around camp. Wolf Dusk shoved his way through the barrier before Winged Claw and Arctic Sun, their cadets trailing behind. "What happened?" Wolf Dusk demanded, glancing towards Moving Wind. "The Tribe of Stealthy Catchers attacked us. They killed..." She looked at Arctic Sun, her eyes full of grief. "They killed Tiger Wing." She finished. Arctic Sun glanced at her father and then let out a loud cry of grief. Tiger Wing was one of her many brothers and she had loved him fiercely. "Oh, Winged Claw what will I do without him?" She looked at Winged Claw and then rushed over to sit with Tiger Wing's body in the middle of the camp. Wolf Dusk hung his head and padded slowly over to sit with his daughter and his dead son, Lonely Sky looked over at Ivy Glow and sighed. "I'm so sorry that this happened. We tried to send for you, but no fox knew where you went." Winged Claw looked horrified and dipped his head. "I am so sorry; we should've been here." 

Arctic Sun sat with her brother throughout the night and Winged Claw lay next to her, his body was cold by the time the sun went down, but there was no way he was letting them bury him before Arctic Sun was ready to let go of him. Moving Wind sat next to Arctic Sun for a little while and then left to go to her den. When Winged Claw opened his eyes the sun was coming up, Arctic Sun lay next to him, her eyes closed and her breathing deep as she was folded into a loaf. "Wake up Arctic Sun. It's sunrise, the elders will be burying Tiger Wing soon." He nosed her away from her brothers body when she stumbled to her paws and her shoulders sagged as she walked to her nest, looking at the elders as they carried his body out of camp. "We will start repairs on the camp soon, but for now, get some rest Arctic Sun. I will fetch you when you're needed." Arctic Sun nodded and laid her head down and closed her eyes.

Leaping Cloud padded over to Doves Ear, his ears twitching as he leaned down to speak to her. Winged Claw padded over to Ivy Glow and spoke softly. "Congratulations on the kits, I mourn the loss of Tiger Wing. What can I do to help my Tribe?" He dipped his head respectfully to her and she nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Winged Claw. You can help by taking Lion's Tail, Lost Flame, and Small Flower to gather materials to repair the camp walls, and if you could, please send Lonely Sky to see me." She dipped her head to dismiss him and he nodded, padding off to find his brother. "Lonely Sky, Ivy Glow wants to see you." He called to him as he passed him on the way to retrieve Lost Flame. Lonely Sky jumped to his paws and raced across camp.

"Alright, Lost Flame and Small Flower, I want you two to weave from outside the camp and Lion's Tail and I will weave from the inside." The two foxes dipped their heads and padded out of the camp. "Alright, we're ready!" Lost Flame called from the other side. They spent the rest of their day repairing the walls and only stopped when Moving Wind called for a meeting. "Good evening my foxes." Winged Claw raced to sit next to Arctic Sun before hearing anything more. "It has been brought to my attention that Running Fern's kits are ready to be cadets. Gentle River, Standing Mist, Grumpy Lake, Small Willow, and Little Sea have reached their sixth moon it is my duty to welcome them into our Tribe." She looked down at the small cubs and their eyes gleamed with pride. "Lonely Sky, please come forward." Lonely Sky padded forward quickly, he was getting his first apprentice. "Lonely Sky, you will take Small Willow as your cadet, I trust you to pass on all the courage and wisdom that Leopard Song passed to you." Leopard Song purred softly, leaning into Free Fire, his denmate.

The naming ceremony of all the cadets was successful and all the new trainers led them out of camp. Winged Claw leaned into Arctic Sun and she licked his head. "I am truly sorry about Tiger Wing, I should've been here to protect them." He apologized and she flinched away. "I don't need your pity." She pushed away from him and ran across the camp to her father, burying her face into his side. Winged Claw sighed and padded over to Missing Bird. "Oh Missing Bird, how am I supposed to comfort her if she doesn't wish to be comforted?" He whimpered, seeking his mother for comfort. "Oh Winged Claw, she just lost her brother, you can't be too quick with your own emotions. Let her figure out her feelings first." Missing Bird licked her sons ear and then padded over to join Badger Wing beside the fresh-kill pile.

Winged Claw dipped his head and followed her, picking up a fat rabbit from the fresh-kill pile and sulking back to his nest, eating it gloomily. Marigold Breeze sat next to him, her gray fur brushing against his. "I'm sorry to hear about your quarrel with Arctic Sun." Was all the gray fox said, eating her fresh-kill silently next to him. He finished his prey and he padded over to the nursery to see Brave Lake, her cubs curled up at her side. "Brave Lake, it's time you told me who the father of these cubs are." He sat in front of her, holding her stare until she sighed and shook her head. "It's Rapid Lightning. The leader of the Tribe Where Thunder Cries." He practically lost his balance when he heard but he took a deep breath and nodded. "The same fox who injured Arctic Sun, is that correct?" He asked, trying to keep his cool. She nodded. "Yes, oh but please don't tell no fox! They'll never forgive me and they'll send my cubs and I to live with their father!" She flattened her ears and Ivy Glow pushed her way into the nursery immediately after. "Brave Lake, Moving Wind wants to see you." She slid back out and Winged Claw padded after her.

He found Arctic Sun hanging around Arctic Fire, their pelts touching and they were speaking in hushed tones to each other. He started to pad towards them but Dawn Night slipped in front of him, shaking her head. "Don't disturb her now, Winged Claw. Come with me, it's been a long time since I left camp." She beckoned him and left the camp, slipping through the entrance as though it wasn't there. He took a glance at Arctic Sun and hung his head as he followed the elder, hoping he wasn't about to get lectured again. "I won't bite your head off, Winged Claw, come. I just wanted to talk to you." She coaxed, Winged Claw followed reluctantly, his heart pounding. "Arctic Sun needs time to herself right now. Moving Wind is growing old and Ivy Glow is to have kits, we will need a new Tribe leader, who do you think it should be?" She asked nonchalantly. "Wolf Dusk would be a fine leader and I would be proud to server beside him if so." He dipped his head to Dawn Night, Wolf Dusk was her kit. "It's not me you need to be making up with, Winged Claw." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "It's your mate you need to apologize to." She nodded her head towards the camp and left him to his thoughts.