The sun shone high above OceanClan camp, giving great greenleaf warmth to the cats inside the camp as well as out. There was barely a single beak of wind in the air. Birds chirped and bees buzzed. All was peaceful that day for OceanClan.

Inside the nursery, a queen and her three kits lay sleeping inside. A mass brown tabby tom made his way inside, his shoulders rustling the branches that helped make up the nursery walls. The white queen was stirred from her deep sleep. She lifted her head to look at her mate with half-closed eyes.

"Good morning, Cliffwind," Whitefeather greeted her mate drowsily. Cliffwind shrank back a bit when he apologized in a silent whisper, "Sorry I woke you up, I just couldn't wait to see my kits again." He looked at the three of his kits-Mintkit, Milkkit and Owlkit. "They're just so beautiful!" Whitefeather nodded, saying, "They will make fine warriors. I can tell already."

"You've had a long night," Cliffwind said apologetically. "I'll go now and let you sleep." He started to back out of the nursery when Whitefeather whisper-shouted," Wait! Mintkit is waking up!" Cliffwind turned back to see the the largest of the three kits start to stir. Her jaws parted in a huge yawn as she stretched her pale gray legs. She let out a tiny new when she was done her rather long yawn and started to purr as she inched her way to her mother to get milk.

The other two kits soon awoke and copied Mintkit's stretch. They started to suckle their mother's belly for her milk. Whitefeather's eyes shone warmly with delight and pride as she looked lovingly at her kits. She started to gnaw on a borage leaf Nightleaf had left for her.

Cliffwind admired his kits in silence for a moment then told his mate, "Its almost sunhigh. I'm due for the patrol. Goodbye, my sweet kits." Whitefeather smiled at him then rested her head to sleep as Cliffwind backed slowly and cautiously out of the nursery.

Cloudpool and her two kits, Snowkit and Rainkit, were outside the nursery in the clearing. Rainkit and Snowkit were six moons old today-this was the day they'd become apprentices.

Cloudpool saw Cliffwind watching the kits and padded over to say hello. "Hello, Cliffwind. How are your kits?" Cliffwind smiled back at her and replied, "Oh, they're fine! I see your kits are doing good as well." Cloudpool nodded. "Today's the day they'll be apprentices... I'll go back to being a warrior as they start training to become warriors themselves. This is going to be their last time playing together like this as kits... they're just cherishing the memories this way, I suppose."

Just then, Robinstar padded slowly out of the den, her black and brown fur messy. Cliffwind knew that she was on her last life and she was getting to be an old cat. Soon she would have to join StarClan soon and Tinyflight, her deputy, would take her place as leader.

Robinstar struggled to leap on the top of the Searock, the place the leader stood to announce clan meetings, and she had to pull herself with her paws and claws to the top when her hind legs didn't totally reach the top. After she had made it to the top, she took a few breaths, then turned around to face the clan and called with her raspy voice, "May all cats old enough to frolic in the waves gather beneath the Searock for a clan meeting!" She coughed a few times after the painful yelling then waited for all the cats of OceanClan to gather.

Cliffwind took his regular seat near the middle of the crowd, and Whitefeather soon padded out of the nursery to join him, still half-asleep. Rainkit and Snowkit were ushered over to the crowd by Cloudpool, where they then realized what was going to happen now.

"Ahem," Robinstar cleared her threat and continued, "Today we have two kits here ready to become apprentices. Rainkit, please step forward." The blue-gray tom kit took a step forward and sat, a smile plastered on his face from ear to ear. "Rainkit, do you promise to train under the guidance of all the cats here and the warrior code?" Rainkit stood up excitedly and nodded his head vigorously saying, "Yes-er-I do!" Robinstar let out a wary smile that stayed for a few seconds but faded almost as quickly as it had appeared on her face.

Robinstar spoke, "Then from this day forth, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Rainpaw, and Rockwhisper shall mentor you." She stepped forward and rested her chin on the new apprentice's head, then stepped back. Rainpaw darted back to sit by his mentor. They touched noses. "Snowkit, step forward," Robinstar rasped.

The white she-cat paced forward and sat, a slightly smaller smile on her face, but she still seemed just as excited as her brother was. "Snowkit, do you promise to train under the guidance of all the cats here and the warrior code?" Snowkit collectively said, "I do." "Then from this day forth, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Snowpaw. Shadefall shall be your mentor."

With that, Snowpaw padded back and sat by the gray tom Shadefall. They touched noses in greeting. Robinstar coughed, drawing attention to her, and then rasped, "Clan dismissed!" She slithered off Searock and limped inside her den.

Tinyflight, OceanClan's deputy, stood at the foot of the Searock, his worried gaze following Robinstar as she disappeared into her den. He looked away, worried, and saw Cliffwind, padding over to him. "I worry Robinstar won't be able to lead OceanClan much longer. She may have two lives left, but oh, how long will they last?" Tinyflight said as he hung his head in sorrow. Cliffwind placed his tail on the young deputy's shoulder and told him, "Whatever happens to her, we have the perfect cat to take her place." Tinyflight looked up at Cliffwind and smiled.

The smile faded as Tinyflight couldn't help but continue, "She's the oldest cat in OceanClan; the elders are younger than her!" He wailed; Tinyflight had a very close bond to Robinstar as she was his mentor. Then, Robinstar emerged from her den and flicked her tail, beckoning for Tinyflight to go inside. He gave a worried glance to Cliffwind, who was not sure if the deputy was worried for himself or his leader.

Cliffwind waited patiently outside the den, while other cats either stayed out in the clearing doing their own thing, or were in their dens. A few moments later, Tinyflight emerged, with a half-relieved and half-worried expression on his face. He padded up to Cliffwind and sat, and started telling Cliffwind everything.

"Robinstar wants to retire and move to the elders' den. She knows she isn't fit to lead her clan for much longer and she wants to enjoy the rest of her life peacefully. I'm relieved to hear that she has decided to move to the safer elders' den, but I worry she won't be able to travel to the Mooncliff to give up her lives and leader name... it's a long way for her, Cliffwind..."

Cliffwind frowned and then told Tinyflight, "I'd be happy to come along and help." Tinyflight looked into Cliffwind's eyes and did not speak-Tinyflight's gratitude was beyond words.

***

"All cats old enough to frolic in the waves gather beneath the Searock for a clan meeting!" The leader's voice rang confidently across the clearing. Some cats knew of Robinstar's retire, others were confused by the new voice on the Searock.

One by one, cats gathered beneath the rock used to address the clan. The white cat began to speak. "As some of you may already know, Robinstar has decided to resign as leader of OceanClan, and that leaves me to take her place. I am not Tinyflight anymore-I received my leader name and lives when Robinstar gave up her name-she lost a life on the journey to the Mooncliff-and she is now Robinfur." Tinystar paused for a moment as the clan exchanged shocked looks as they heard of Robinstar having lost a life on the journey to the Mooncliff, the place where leaders and medicine cats shared tongues with StarClan.

When the clan had settled down, Tinystar continued. "We all honor Robinfur's service as leader, but now she is retiring to the elders' den. Robinfur, we welcome you with open arms to your retire." Robinfur nodded with a weak smile. Her fur was more ragged than usual from the journey. She appeared very tired; she had not slept since she got back.

"Now, I must appoint a new deputy," Tinystar continued. He paused, letting his gaze travel over the cats. Both Cliffwind and Shadefall would have been good choices-they were some of the most experienced warriors in the clan-or perhaps Dusksplash, a smoky-black she-cat. She was very dedicated and loyal. Maybe Foxgorse, the dark ginger she-cat training the apprentice Blackpaw... there were many good choices for deputy.

Tinystar's gaze rested on a certain cat. "Cliffwind," he began, "you have shown your commitment and loyalty to OceanClan, and so I would like to ask you to be my deputy. Do you accept?" Cliffwind's eyes widened for a second and he thought for a moment, then looked Tinystar in the eye and told him, "I'm sorry, but no. I'm not the right cat for the job-there are better cats here for that position." He shot a quick glance at Shadefall, then returned Tinystar's slightly disappointed look and continued, "Even if I was that cat, if I were deputy, I would have no time for my mate and kits." He looked to the nursery, where Whitefeather looked at him wth living eyes as Mintkit, Milkkit, and Owlkit snuggled to her belly, clueless about what was going on.

"Wise words, Cliffwind." Tinystar nodded and his gaze rested on Shadefall. "Shadefall, I ask you to be my deputy. Do you accept?" Shadefall got to his feet and nodded. "I accept." Tinystar smiled and continued, "Then I name you deputy of OceanClan."

Shadefall thanked Tinystar and got to his feet, padding to the smaller ledge next to the Searock where the deputy traditionally sat. Tinystar looked too him for a moment, pleased with his second choice, then returned his gaze to the cats below. "Clan dismissed."

A/N
Sorry if this was a boring first chapter, I know there was nothing to do with Owlkit and his sisters, but I wanted to kind of give you an idea of life in OceanClan during Owlkit's time. I promise to try and make the second chapter a better one. If you have survived the seven pages in this chapter on torturous reading, then I salute you. See ya next chapter!