"No more fresh-kill?” Tigerpaw grumbled, staring at the empty pile with hungry eyes. His stomach growled, almost as loud as a ShadowClan warrior in battle.

Gorgepaw stretched, ear twitching. “Clayfur said he’s taking me on a hunting patrol. I’ll try my hardest to catch a rabbit for us all!” Tigerpaw licked his lips, “a rabbit sounds amazing right now… StarClan! I’ll eat grass I’m so hungry!”

Four sunrises had passed since the apprentice ceremony, the excitement had died down and the night Silentstar and Frozensight were meant to go to the Moonpool, Applepaw and Goldentail both had come down with greencough. With no supplies, all now gone, Frozensight had to travel all around the lake to get Catmint.
They first had gone to ask ThunderClan, but as soon as they took a paw-step over the border, three ThunderClan warriors emerged from the undergrowth and told Frozensight to go right back home, threatening to claw the silver-blue cat’s flank if they didn’t leave. Frozensight then tried RiverClan and Rapidstar and Mothpool were generous enough to give the WindClan medicine cat as much as possible when they heard what was going on with WindClan.  When Frozensight returned with barely a mouthful of catmint, sore on their paws from walking all day, the clan was beyond ecstatic.

Silentstar leapt down from Tallrock, padding over towards Tigerpaw who talked to Gorgepaw as if chattering like a starling could fill his empty belly. “Tigerpaw, come on. We’re going to practice battle moves.” Tigerpaw leapt to his paws as soon as his name was called, Silentstar watched Tigerpaw. A sinking feeling formed as she noticed some stray kitten fluff peeking up from behind his ears. Was she wrong to make Tigerpaw and littermates apprentices a tad early? She shook the thought from her head, she was doing it for her clan. They needed more ‘paws than ever.
When Tigerpaw approached, he paused, staring at her. She tilted her head, “What? Do I have a piece of moss behind my ear?” she mewed, whiskers twitching. Tigerpaw’s gaze flickered away. “N-no.” the dark tabby hesitated, “it’s just…” he paused again, ear flicking nervously. “You looked half-starved.” Silentstar blinked slowly.

She knew she hadn’t eaten in a few days, giving all of the prey to those more in need, plus, she had more lives than the rest of her clanmates— but surely it wasn’t that noticeable... Right?
She dismissed Tigerpaw’s comment with a flick of her tail. “Come on. We have training to do.” she meowed a bit harsher that she intended. Tigerpaw looked down, nodding.

“Okay.” he agreed.

~

“Good!” she nodded approvingly as Tigerpaw landed on his paws. She had been his oppented for a few turns but when she suddenly felt dizzy and weak on her paws she had to sit down. Now she sat nearby, instructing Tigerpaw what to do instead. “Now, let me see your half-turn belly rake.” Tigerpaw looked up, smirking confidently. Silentstar stood up, she wasn’t as dizzy anymore, and watching her apprentice with interest. She had only shown Tigerpaw how to do the move a few times and now she wanted to see if Tigerpaw had mastered it.

The dark tabby crouched, shoulders squaring. His big paws shifted as he thought of what to do as he focused on a strand of stray, rotting, tall grass in the middle of the clearing.
In a flash, Tigerpaw ducked forward, turning like an adder aiming for prey and raked his hind claws against an imaginary warrior's belly. He rolled over a few times before landing in his paws, blades of grass being torn from the frost covered dirt as he landed. Lips pulled back in a fierce snarl, his belly pressed to the floor, hind up in the air with a spiked, bristling tail. Silentstar purred, he was a natural at fighting and he looked surprisingly dangerous for being only 5 moons old. Tigerpaw stood up, shaking his fur out.

“Can we practice another move?” he was cut off by his stomach rumbling angrily again. Silentstar’s ears pricked, swivling towards her third apprentice. “Do you think Clayfur’s patrol caught something?” he mewed shyly, pawing at the ground. “I pray to StarClan that they did.” the silver tabby mewed, brushing a comforting tail on her apprentice’s flank. “We won’t practice anymore fighting until later. Training’s over. You can boast about how amazing you are back at camp.” Tigerpaw’s amber eyes flashed with excitement as he raced ahead. Silentstar watched him race off, she wasn’t sure where he was storing that energy.

Silentstar followed, her walking slowed as she saw Tigerpaw frozen in fear as he stood in front of the entrance. “Tigerpaw?” she mewed, quickening her pace. “I-It’s Applepaw.” he meowed, his pale ears pulled back as he stared in horror.

Silentstar pushed through the tunnel entrance. “What’s going on?” she called, staring at a group of crowded cats. Heatherbreeze was sobbing into Stalkpelt’s chest fur, body trembling as she wailed. Stalkpelt just stared with glossed, saddened eyes up at Silverpelt. Though it was still covered by wispy, long clouds.

Grazeheart slowly padded over, walking heavy pawsteps, Swiftfire trailing close behind his mate. “Applepaw, she fell in the middle of the clearing. She just dropped and won’t wake up...” the elder meowed grimly, informing the WindClan leader of what had happened.

Silentstar head lifted higher than it was, her ears falling flat.  “Will you give a dying apprentice ceremony?” Swiftfire whispered, his fur fluffed up against the cold as a still breeze fluttered through camp. Silentstar nodded, “I’m required too.” she meowed flatly. Spikefoot shuffled out of the way as she approached, Goldentail was peering out of the medicine cat den, looking horrified and heartbroken, she was a close warrior to Applepaw. A young apprentice when she was born the the two instantly clicked and became best friends.

Silentstar walked through the crowd and it was there she saw it. Duskleap, WindClan’s former medicine cat, stood over his grandkit’s body. His paw dragging along her flank, “StarClan, please take this young spirit with you. Send Buzzardrunner to bring her home to live with you in Silverpelt.”
Heatherbreeze’s shaking, heartbroken whisper was the only thing heard echoing around the camp. “My baby girl! My precious kit!” Stalkpelt tried to sooth her with a “shh.” and pulling the dark furred she-cat closer to him. Heatherbreeze trembled as she sniffed, sucking in a deep breath of air. The camp was suddenly covered in darkness by thick, dark clouds. A breeze stirred through camp, carrying the deep, fresh scent of rain. Far away, trees and tall grass turned pitch black.

A thunderstorm.

Was this StarClan’s way of showing remorse?

“Poor Heatherbreeze.” Lightsong whispered, looking over at Lichenstep, “don’t you remember what happened to Cricketflight and Quailnose? She must be devastated, three of her kits in StarClan...” Lichenstep hummed in agreement, amber gaze darkening. Silentstar stopped at Applepaw’s body, it was still. Wind whiping her brown fur around. She touched her nose to the apprentice’s cheek. A flash of light appeared into the sky, followed by a booming crack. Illuminating the camp in a split-second of white.

“StarClan!” the WindClan leader called, looking up into the dark-rain heavy sky. “I ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has learned the warrior code and has given up her life in service of her Clan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. Her name will be Appleheart, because she showed true heart even despite the terrible cold and difficult challenges presented. WindClan would've been proud to have her as a warrior! Now, I let you, StarClan, receive her as a warrior by the name of Appleheart.”