Autumn Leaves stared at her sister in disbelief.

"Please, I love him!" Autumn Leaves pleaded. "And he loves me!"

Holly Leaves stared at Autumn Leaves – her eyes filled with pain – for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Fine, you can keep the tom," Holly Leaves signed. "But please be sensible!"

"I will," Autumn Leaves vowed. "I promise."

. . .

A moon passed and Autumn Leaves jumped with joy as she saw Pigeonwing, Echodawn and three other cats that she didn't know.

"Pigeonwing! Echodawn! Look how big I am now!" Autumn Leaves mewed running up to them. "Who are they?"

"They're our kits," Pigeonwing replied.

"We're 'paws now!" the dark brown tom growled. "I'm Tunnelpaw!"

"And I'm Hollypaw!" the dark grey she-cat mewed.

"Eveningpaw..." the grey she-cat with pale brown patches whispered.

"Nice to meet you all!" Autumn Leaves replied.

"How is tunnel-life?" Echodawn asked.

"'Tunnel-life' is great!" Autumn Leaves turned to see Holly Fall. "Good to see you, sister."

"It's nice to see you too."

"How is WindClan?"

"Same old. Same old."

"Nice."

"Where's Fallen Path?" Pigeonwing asked.

"I'm right here, brother," Fallen Path padded up to his brother and nosed him. "How are your kits' training going?"

"They're going well---"

"And we're 'paws!" Tunnelpaw growled again. "Stop calling us kits!"

"You'll always be your parents' kits, Tunnelpaw," Fallen Path mewed. "Even when your elders and they're in StarClan watching over you."

"But we're 'paws! We should be called 'paws!"

Echodawn rolled her eyes. "Apprentices!" she muttered.

"Finally!"

"Well, it is time you met the others," Fallen Path meowed. "Come on, Tunnelpaw, Eveningpaw and Hollypaw, come and meet Holly Leaves and Shadow Leaves."

Autumn Leaves followed her father and the 'apprentices' back into the cavern-camp. Shadow Leaves was sorting herbs with Ginger River and Holly Leaves was putting fresh-kill on the pile with Heart Willow.

"Hello, Pigeonwing," Ginger River dipped his head. "These your kits?"

"We're---" Tunnelpaw was cut off by Pigeonwing's reply.

"Yes, and they're apprentices now."

"Well, this is Shadow Leaves," Ginger River told the apprentice and flicked his tail to his softpaw. "Say hi."

"Hi," Shadow Leaves mumbled. "Sorry, I'm busy."

"That's okay," Hollypaw replied. "I'm Hollypaw."

"Hi, Hollypaw, and I assume your sister is Eveningpaw?"

"That's right, don't worry if she doesn't talk to you... she's shy."

"Hi!" Holly Leaves mewed. "I'm Holly Leaves, nice to meet you, Eveningpaw."

"I, um... hi," Eveningpaw whispered, staring at Shadow Leaves.

"Now that you've met every cat, it's time we went home," Pigeonwing meowed.

"It was nice to meet you," Hollypaw mewed.