MARTENFUR

   The flood ended as quickly as it came, tapering off to nothing but a trickle within minutes of it starting. When the water receded, it left a spectacle that made some members of the Clan avert their eyes, others crying out softly with grief.

Martenfur kept his eyes trained on the wreckage below. The river was still swollen to over half its size, but the Fallen Tree that usually marked its border had been washed away, along with the sandy floor around it. Bits of the rock cliff had been chipped away by the force of the water and now littered the ground of RockClan's camp.

What's left of it, the tom thought bitterly.

Beside him, Leafpelt's face held a stricken expression and he blinked his eyes now and then, as if trying to check if the scene before him was real. Beetlestar appeared on his other side, yellow eyes shining as he surveyed the damage.

Then, the voices of their Clanmates began to rise behind them, scared and quiet at first then panicked and urgent. Goldfur spoke first from his spot beside the shaking Starlingpaw.

"Thistleclaw's gone." His voice blended in with the soft whisper of the slowly diminishing rain.

Ripplestream's anguished voice was much louder, rising above the murmurings of the Clan. "Redblaze is gone too." She curled her tail more tightly around her kits, who stared around at the Clan with big, innocent eyes.

The last words came from Emberpaw, and the grief tinging her words surprised Martenfur. "Littlepaw didn't make it."

The Clan sat in silence, eyes either turned towards the water-logged earth beneath their paws or the dark red of their damaged camp. Finally, Beetlestar rose and padded over to the cliff path.

Through amber slits, Martenfur watched his leader pick his way down the slippery slope carefully, one small pawstep at a time. He poked his head into each den as he passed it, pausing at the apprentice den a little longer than the others before arriving on the floor of the canyon. He turned his head to the north, then to the south, and then back towards his Clan, gathered at the top of the cliff.

Martenfur stepped forward first, followed closely by Leafpelt. The path leading down the cliff felt foreign underneath his paws, its surface too smooth and the pebbles that usually littered it missing.

When he reached the bottom, he turned to see the rest of the Clan slowly getting to their paws and tentatively stepping into their changed camp. Pebblepaw was helping Kestrelpaw down the steep slope, while Morningbreeze and Ripplestream, each carrying a kit, moved along behind them. Mapleblossom walked alongside her mate, Runningheart, her belly already swollen with her own kits. Goldfur, the only remaining elder, leaned heavily on Gentlefern, his old aching joints making the descent a difficulty.

In the entire shocked, weary Clan only one cat did not accept help: Emberpaw. Even from his position at the foot of the path, Martenfur could tell she was limping, attempting to hide the toll yesterday's battle wounds took on her. He found himself wanting to help her, but knew she wouldn't accept it. Deciding it best to stay put, Martenfur waited.

"We need to get this camp back in order," Beetlestar began once the Clan had assembled. "I want all apprentices looking for bits of moss, grass or feathers to make new nests from. Palethorn and Silverhawk, I would like you to bury Littlepaw - you'll find him in the apprentice den."

The black tom blinked sadly at the pale warriors. Palethorn nodded, though he continued to stare straight ahead with a glazed look over his eyes while Silverhawk wrapped her tail carefully over his shoulders.

Beetlestar continued. "We also need some hunting patrols - Redblaze if you could..."

He suddenly drifted off, grief filling his yellow eyes. Clearing his throat he continued less confidently. "Gentlefern, Morningbreeze, Dapplefur, Runningheart and Leafpelt, see if you can find some prey. The rest of you, try shifting some of this rubble. Beartooth, I want to see you, as well as our guest."

The tom pointed his black tail at an unfamiliar ginger tom. Martenfur narrowed his eyes, noticing the new tom's broad and muscular build. He looked like he could cut an apprentice to pieces with just one swipe of his massive claws.

"Otterheart, Pebblepaw, see if there's anything left of your herb storage. We'll put a patrol together shortly to help gather new ones, if we can find any." With that, the Clan dispersed.

Martenfur rose to his paws, amber eyes searching the camp, unsure of a place to start. A boulder blocked the entrance to the nursery and the elder's den had chunks of rock missing from its entrance. The freshkill pile's usual niche in the rock had also disappeared, washed smooth by the fast-flowing water. He decided on the nursery, where Skykit and Brightkit pawed weakly at the boulder.

"Actually, I don't think that will be necessary." The warrior stopped at the sound of Pebblepaw's voice. A couple of others had also halted and both the medicine cat and leader gave the apprentice a puzzled look.

"About the medicine storage, I mean. Emberpaw and I rolled a stone across it before the flood rushed in," Pebblepaw explained hurriedly. "I thought it might help protect the herbs."

Something like hope flickered in Beetlestar's eyes. "Martenfur, go with them and help roll the stone away. Report back to me once the herbs have been accounted for."

Glancing at the nursery, the warrior saw Badgerclaw approaching the kits and offering his help. Nodding respectfully to his leader, Martenfur turned to follow the medicine cat and her apprentice up to their den. Sure enough, a stone about the size of a hawk had been rolled in front of the storage's entrance, nearly covering the hole in the den wall.

"Where did it come from?" Otterheart asked, looking at it in amazement.

"The flood brought it," Pebblepaw replied. "I was helping Emberpaw up when it blocked our way, so we attempted to move it aside before the water rose too high. We shifted it over here and escaped while we still could." The grey tom licked his chest fur modestly and Martenfur noticed that his legs and belly were slightly darker where the water had reached him.

"I guess StarClan was watching over you," he said, thinking about how easily the two apprentices could have drowned. Their ancestors' guidance was the only answer to their survival - how did a medicine apprentice and his injured patient manage to roll a stone that size? Pebblepaw looked up to meet his eyes, gaze curious.

"Let's get this moved so we can find out what the damage is," Otterheart decided, pushing against the rock with her weight. It refused to move.

"Let me," Martenfur said, taking her place. He braced himself against the smooth surface, trying to find a foothold in the equally smooth rock under his paws, and pushed. Slowly, a mouselength at a time, the stone shifted, water dribbling out from behind it.

Even Martenfur, untrained in the art of healing, could tell that the herbs on the floor of the storage were damaged. The ones stored on the ledges above, however, seemed perfectly fine, their fragrant scents still rising into the air.

"Great StarClan," Otterheart breathed incredulously upon seeing this. "They really must have been watching over you, Pebblepaw." Martenfur couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw the apprentice's eyes flash at his mentor's comment.

Standing aside as the two medicine cats began their work cleaning the storage, Martenfur realized just how much a blessing this was for the Clan. With the recent storms and leaf-bare fast approaching, the Clan couldn't risk losing its entire herb storage.

"Martenfur, would you mind moving these?" Otterheart asked through a mouthful of herbs, pawing a ball of leaves towards the tom. The warrior clawed at the drenched herbs, putting them near the entrance to the den, where a small pool of sunlight had gathered.

In it, Pebblepaw laid out a few wet, but not entirely damaged, herbs. Martenfur watched with growing admiration as the apprentice worked, paws handling the leaves, roots and flowers with such loving care they could have been newborn kits. The grey tom, noticing Martenfur watching, twitched his whiskers warmly at him.

"I'm going to let Beetlestar know what herbs we need," Otterheart announced as the sun was beginning to disappear behind the red cliffs. "It looks like we only need to replenish the chervil, lavender, tansy and thyme."

Pebblepaw and Martenfur both nodded in response, though Martenfur did not truly understand what the words meant. His head was spinning with the scents of the herbs surrounding him.

When Otterheart left the den, Pebblepaw spoke. "We really are lucky to have our medicine storage." He sounded tired and weary, and much older than he appeared.

"We're lucky to have both of our medicine cats," Martenfur replied.

The grey apprentice nodded. "Thank you for putting your faith in both us and StarClan."

The tabby tom blinked, unsure what to make of the words. Where else would he put his faith but in his Clan and his ancestors?

"You're welcome," he finally said, amber eyes glowing. Though Martenfur had never spoken to the apprentice before, he felt a sudden understanding pass between them. Pebblepaw must have felt the same, as he gazed intently back at him.

Martenfur was suddenly reminded of the trip to Moon Cliffs with Asterpaw and the way her unwavering faith in StarClan had astounded him. Pebblepaw, like his sister, held this same faith and the warrior respected him greatly for it. Being born outside of the Clan, they could have easily pushed RockClan's warrior ancestors aside.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, please come gather at the foot of the cliff!" Martenfur averted his gaze, though he could still feel Pebblepaw's eyes on him. Excusing himself, the warrior stepped out into yet another changed camp.

Most of the rubble had been shifted, forming a neat pile of rocks near the nursery that Skykit and Brightkit already sat atop, claiming as their own. A makeshift freshkill pile of lizards and mice that would keep the Clan from going hungry tonight lay near its original place.

Beetlestar stood on a ledge within the cliff, facing the river with the Clan before him. Martenfur took a place beside his brother, Leafpelt, who nudged his shoulder affectionately. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pebblepaw weaving his way through the crowd to sit beside Asterpaw, leaning in to whisper something in her ear.

"Today, some of our own were taken from us. Thistleclaw and Redblaze, though their bodies were not recovered, will always be remembered as strong, faithful members of RockClan."

Beetlestar dipped his head and the Clan followed his lead, a moment of silence passing over them.

"Littlepaw's vigil will take place atop the cliff for anyone who wants to join it, closer to the stars and our warrior ancestors," he continued, yellow eyes pausing on Palethorn, Whitepaw and Emberpaw.

"With the passing of our deputy, a new deputy must be appointed before moonhigh." The black tom paused, as if searching for the correct candidate. The scene seemed rather familiar to Martenfur, with Palethorn straightening slightly at the mention of a new deputy, though his grief showed in the slouch of his shoulders.

"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of RockClan will be Beartooth. May you serve the Clan for many moons to come." The senior warrior stepped forward, bowing his head gratefully before melting back into the crowd to sit beside the giant ginger tom he seemed to be guarding.

"There are two among us who have served the Clan greatly today and it is time I gave them their full names." The announcement caused the Clan to erupt into hushed speculations. Martenfur turned to whisper his own to Leafpelt, but found the tabby's green eyes fixated on Asterpaw.

Shifting to hide his purr of amusement at the look of admiration in the tom's eyes, Martenfur wondered when the she-cat caught his eye. It took all of his will power to restrain himself from teasing Leafpelt about it.

"Asterpaw, please step forward." The cream she-cat moved almost regally, but the excited glimmer in her eyes was hard to miss.

"I, Beetlestar, leader of RockClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Asterpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," she replied and the whole Clan held its breath.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Asterpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Asternose. StarClan honours your determination and skill in hunting, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RockClan."

Pebblepaw's voice rose into the air first, joined by everyone else's moments later as they chanted her new name.

"Now I will ask Pebblepaw to step forward," Beetlestar said, flicking his tail to silence the crowd. Surprised, Martenfur turned to look at the medicine apprentice to see that the tom looked equally shocked.

"I'd like to give you your full name now, though you will still travel to Moon Cliffs with Otterheart at the half moon to receive it before our ancestors," Beetlestar explained. Again, that flash in Pebblepaw's eyes, but Martenfur put it down to anxiety.

"I, Beetlestar, leader of RockClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help he will serve his Clan for many moons." The leader's eyes filled with warmth as Pebblepaw looked up at him.

"Pebblepaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clanmates and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," the grey tom replied without hesitation.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Pebblepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Pebbleheart. StarClan honours your organization and dedication and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of RockClan."

This time, Martenfur chanted first and when the newly named Pebbleheart turned, whiskers twitching excitedly, their eyes met again. A current rushed through the warrior and his ears filled with the sound of soft voices, like rain, whispering words he couldn't quite hear but knew were important.

When he blinked, they faded and Pebbleheart's yellow eyes had been replaced with fiery amber ones, a hungry fire flickering in their depths. Looking away from the strange ginger tom, Martenfur shook his head, wondering why he suddenly felt so uncomfortable.

A/N: I've been having a bit of writer's block with this story - but don't worry just yet! I have a couple more chapters pre-written. I've started a new novel, though, which I would love all of you to check out! //Un//masked can be found on my profile page.