I apologize for any grammar mistakes or mistakes in general...

Peacepaw sat beside a lanky, pale silver tom, and Spottypaw could tell almost at once that this cat was dead. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. Rabbitpaw was gone. There was blood slowly oozing from a vicious wound on his neck, and Spottypaw assumed that was what had caused the older apprentice to pass away. His neck had been too badly punctured to treat properly.

Rainwing was slouched over Rabbitpaw's body, his head low and his face hidden away as he took gravely breaths. The tom's ear was torn, and he had a few minor scratches on his flank. Behind Rainwing were four other warriors, and all of them were in severe condition.

Jaybounce was wheezing with each breath he took, and his eyes were covered with chewed up herbs that stunk the place up. His whole face seemed to be bloody and scratched up. If he lived, he would hardly be recognizable...

Dappledeye's tail was bent in several places, and her body twitched and jerked around every other heartbeat. She had two major bite wounds on the top of her head, and each wound was smothered in pulp and wrapped with spider webs. Last was Beechdew, and he appeared to be hanging on by a claw. His bottom jaw was crooked, a few of his teeth were missing or stuck in his upper jaw, and his belly was badly clawed. Not even spider webs could hide the blood from his wounds.

Peacepaw had to deal with all of this on her own... I should have been here to help her. I could have helped her save Rabbitpaw. I shouldn't have left her alone!

Fury coursed through Spottypaw's pelt, but not because he was mad at himself. He was furious that Pondfrost would leave Peacepaw all on her own to do such a mighty task. He should have let Spottypaw help her. Now she would have nightmares about this for the rest of her life...

She doesn't deserve this burden. This isn't fair.

Spottypaw quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts, and he forced himself to gather his strength to speak. He wasn't sure what to say. Death was never something that he was fond of discussing.

"I... I'm sorry, Peacepaw," he whispered. His tail sank to the floor, and he blinked guiltily at his friend. "I shouldn't have left you. This is my fault."

"Don't," the gray she-cat murmured quietly, lifting her paw to gently rest it on his chest. "The only cat I blame is the cat that did this to him. Rabbitpaw knew that he wasn't going to make it... Moonpaw was able to say goodbye to him before he went to join StarClan."

Spottypaw internally cringed at the mention of StarClan, but he said nothing in relation to her belief. He simply nodded with grief.

"Have you told Shellwing yet?" He mumbled. He glanced sideways at Rainwing, and he felt a pang of sympathy towards him. Rainwing had raised Rabbitpaw for Shellwing due to her lack of care for her kit, and he had loved the apprentice as if he were his own son.

It must hurt to lose the only family member that cared about him. Now Rainwing only has Shellwing again.

Peacepaw furrowed her eyebrows with distraught at Spottypaw's question, and her neck fur prickled up by the slightest bit. Spottypaw was surprised by this small sign of anger from her. It was rare for Spottypaw to see her in such a negative mood.

"I did. And all she said was 'oh. That's sad.' She showed no emotion towards the death of her own kit," Peacepaw rasped.

Spottypaw's jaw almost dropped with shock at Peacepaw's alarming news. He hadn't expected Shellwing to be so apathetic towards her own kit. Sure, she hadn't been involved in Rabbitpaw's life or shown any interest in him, but Spottypaw still thought that she would feel crushed that her son had died so horrifically.

She's not right in the head. Something's wrong with that she-cat... There has to be something wrong with her.

Rainwing winced out of the corner of Spottypaw's eye, and he couldn't help but feel a little bit of pity towards the warrior. Rainwing didn't deserve to have such horrible luck with his kin. Spottypaw didn't know him very well, but he was aware that the tom was quiet, skittish, and that he didn't like to talk much. Spottypaw assumed that it was because his past involved lots of death and mainly losing family members.

Not that I really care about his past. That's his trauma, not mine.

"The worst part about it is that the last thing Rabbitpaw wanted was to tell her that he loved her. It kills me that Shellwing couldn't even bother to come see him one last time. He kept asking to see her, to talk to her... And she refused to see him." Peacepaw closed her eyes bitterly as her body began to tremble with emotion. It hurt Spottypaw to see her like this.

He hated that she had to carry all of this on her shoulders.

I shouldn't have left her alone. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have listened to Pondfrost. I could have saved her from this. I could have at least taken responsibility for Rabbitpaw's death if anything.

"She's just in shock," Rainwing suddenly muttered. He lifted his head up to give Peacepaw a dark look. His tail tip flicked at a piece of leaf stuck to his flank. "You don't know anything about my sister."

"She left Rabbitpaw to die," Peacepaw growled back, not budging even in the slightest bit towards her feelings for Shellwing. "All Rabbitpaw wanted before he died was to say that he loved his mother, the only cat in the Clan that didn't deserve his time or love. But no. She refused to see him. Instead, she went to see Pinewater and Bramblefrost, and stayed outside the entire time!"

"Moonpaw was the one who stayed by his side while he died. Rabbitpaw didn't even ask to see Moonpaw because the only cat he wanted to see was Shellwing. He wanted her to know that he forgave her for abandoning him, and that he still loves her." Peacepaw raised her chin ever so slightly, and she narrowed her eyes at the young tom. "I don't know about you, Rainwing, but that doesn't sound like a cat in shock."

"It sounds like a cat who doesn't care about anyone except herself."

A sharp tension prickled in the air as the two cats had a stare off. Rainwing looked as though he were a heartbeat away from clawing off Peacepaw's whiskers, but Peacepaw stayed calm despite the disappointment and anger in her golden gaze. Spottypaw wasn't sure what to do exactly in that situation. He wanted to say something, but he didn't want to make the situation worse.

Suddenly, Rainwing rose to his paws and he snorted in contempt. "You don't know Shellwing like I do. And you never will."

And with that, Rainwing was gone. He padded out of the medicine den with his head low, his tail drooping, and a frustrated glint in his green eyes. Peacepaw had to hold back an eye roll as the warrior left the two apprentices alone, but her focus quickly shifted back onto Rabbitpaw's cold body. Spottypaw peered over at the other cats in the den, but they were all either unconscious or just trying to relax and rest after the brutal attack they had suffered. Relaxation, however, would never last long.

Not with the Saviors on the prowl.

Spottypaw looked back at his friend, and he sighed. Death and destruction hid from no cat. Not even the young could escape the darkness in life.

"... How's Featherheart doing?"

Peacepaw's tone had shifted from sorrow and irritation to worry. Spottypaw could also detect a bit of impatience and anticipation in her voice. She was one of the few cats in RiverClan that were excited for Featherheart's litter to arrive.

Spottypaw snorted. "I'd say it's going good, but that would be a lie. Bramblefrost wouldn't get out of her fur until I sent him on a hunting trip."

"He just can't help himself," Peacepaw muttered. "He's a bully."

"He's just anxious," Beechdew growled. The two apprentices looked his way, eyes wide with surprise by the deputy's sudden spark of life, and they met his sharp gaze with flattened ears. "You two should know better than to be gossiping about a fellow Clanmate."

"He's also new to being a father and a mate. He's... so young, too. You must have patience for him," Dappledeye added. Her voice was so raspy and low that it was almost impossible to hear her. Spottypaw could barely make out what she had said.

Peacepaw's whiskers twitched, a sign of disbelief from the young she-cat, but she refrained from saying anything. Spottypaw, however, did not.

"A lot of cats are new to being a parent and a mate, but I don't see or hear about them criticizing their mate while they're trying to have kits -"

Beechdew quickly cut Spottypaw off with a flick of his tail. "That doesn't mean that you should gossip like a pesky SkyClan cat. You two are old enough to know better. Your mothers raised you better than that," he added.

"And some parents react differently to things," Dappledeye chipped in. "It just depends on the cat... and the situation. We all know that Bramblefrost han... handles almost all situations very well. This is simply something that he's... new to."

After struggling to speak, Dappledeye burst into a fit of coughs, and Peacepaw quickly rose to her paws to go tend to the she-cat. Spottypaw was a little more than surprised that they had the strength to talk; their wounds looked excruciatingly painful.

Hopefully their wounds give them a new reason to shut up.

"Spottypaw!"

The booming voice almost made Spottypaw jump out of his pelt, and he quickly scrambled onto his paws. His heart was pounding in his chest, his fur slightly spiked, but he forced his fur to lie flat as Bramblefrost came running into the den. The tom's eyes were ablaze with fury, but then he noticed the other cats in the den. His eyes narrowed, but he too made his pelt lie flat. He lowered his voice into a whisper.

"I thought that I told you to make her wait for me," he hissed. "I missed the birth of my kits."

Spottypaw frowned upon the tom's reasoning for the outburst, but he didn't get a chance to say anything. Peacepaw was right in front of Bramblefrost at once, with her eyes round and full of excitement and joy.

"The kits are here?! How many are there? Are they okay? Was it actually just two kits, or did she have more? Is she okay?"

Bramblefrost glanced away from Spottypaw and he shot Peacepaw a small glance, as if her harmless questions were causing him an intense headache.

"I don't know. All I know is that I missed my kits birth," he snarled. He turned his gaze back onto Spottypaw, and he forced a low purr. "Spottypaw, I thought that I said -"

"Spottypaw, let's go see them!" Peacepaw meowed. She rubbed her shoulder against Spottypaw's, but then she looked back at the injured cats. Her eyes then flickered with guilt as she looked down at Rabbitpaw's body. There was no warmth left in him... "Oh, wait..."

Beechdew stared at Peacepaw and Spottypaw for a single heartbeat, and then he let out a soft grunt. He closed his eyes and slumped down onto the floor. He crossed his paws and rested his chin on them.

"Don't be gone for long. Jaybounce isn't looking too good, and someone needs to bring Rabbitpaw outside so that we can mourn for him. Please go get your father."

"Mine?" Spottypaw asked.

Peacepaw glanced over at Beechdew, a question in her eyes as well. Was Beechdew speaking to him, or Peacepaw? Did he want her father, or his?

Beechdew opened his eyes, and he gave it a moment's thought. After a second of contemplating, he finally shrugged. "I suppose you should get both Rockfang and Oddtail. It might take both of them to carry Rabbitpaw out of camp."

Spottypaw looked over at Rabbitpaw's body, and he tilted his head to the side. It was so hard to believe that Rabbitpaw was just... Gone. He would never see this cat ever again. His deputy was already preparing for him to be buried...

Spottypaw didn't have much time to dwell on the fact that his Clanmate was dead. Peacepaw was already out of the den, and Spottypaw quickly pursued her. He could hear Bramblefrost following both of them. He could feel the tom's icy green gaze boring into the back of his head, and it made his skin itch with discomfort.

He's still mad at me about the kits...

He was glad that Peacepaw had unintentionally intervened. Even though he was with a group of cats, Bramblefrost always had a way to get back at him without getting caught. He was just sneaky like that.

"I wonder what Featherheart will name them," Peacepaw mewed excitedly. "She hasn't shared any ideas with me since she found out that she was carrying kits."

"She's not naming any of them," Bramblefrost growled from behind them.

Spottypaw shrugged his shoulders as they headed towards the warriors den. Peacepaw was ignoring Bramblefrost quite easily. Spottypaw was trying hard to ignore the older cat's presence.

"I guess we'll find out -"

"I just said that Featherheart isn't naming my kits, for StarClan's sake. Have you two got bees in your ears?"

Bramblefrost's voice became sharp with irritation as the two young apprentices carried on with their conversation. Or, at least they had tried to.

Spottypaw didn't want to cause an argument, but he glanced over his shoulder to finally acknowledge Bramblefrost. "Oh, really? I thought that it was tradition for the mother to name the kits."

Bramblefrost frowned almost at once as Spottypaw made his comment about the traditional naming system. Bramblefrost had an odd way of thinking, and the way that his lifestyle was didn't really suit well with the lifestyle that the Clan had now. Bramblefrost believed that she-cats should have never been allowed to become warriors or leaders, and that they were born simply for recreational purposes and raising the Clan's future generation. Toms were supposedly the only cats allowed to defend, hunt, and fight for the Clans, which didn't make much sense to Spottypaw. After all... Bramblefrost's own sister was Clan leader, and he seemed to admire her greatly and respect her above all other cats.

Spottypaw wasn't sure where he heard such ridiculous rules, or who he had picked up these 'traditional' ways from, but a lot of cats fortunately found it to be a little extreme. Of course, there were a few cats who seemed to like the idea of Bramblefrost's way of how Clan life should be.

Spottypaw looked away from Bramblefrost just as the tom's brows furrowed with offense.

"Featherheart can't come up with any names that are suitable for my kits. It's different when the mother of your kits has horrible taste in names," Bramblefrost argued.

"Ah. That makes sense." It didn't. Spottypaw knew that it didn't make sense. It didn't apply to Bramblefrost's beliefs, but he was willing to tweak it slightly or change the rules or conditions when it came to him.

Stupid fish-face.

With Spottypaw and Bramblefrost on her heels, Peacepaw led the two toms into the warriors den, and she made a bee-line straight towards her father's nest, where the dark furred tom was speaking in a hushed voice with Deepfang. Spottypaw left her to speak to her father, and he quickly made his way towards his own father. Bramblefrost followed him, slipping past cats and ignoring those who tried to congratulate him on being a father.

Spottypaw passed Oakwhisker, who slept with Mothshine in the corner of the den by themselves, and he finally approached his father, Oddtail. The dark tabby's back was to him, and so Spottypaw came up to him and nudged him lightly with his nose. Oddtail lifted his head from his paws, and he looked up at Spottypaw with hooded eyes. A clear liquid dripped from his nose, and his breath was hot and ragged.

Spottypaw's brows furrowed with concern, but he wasn't given a chance to say anything before his father sighed and sat up.

"Don't lecture me right now. I'm fine, Spottypaw. It's just a small... Whatever," he mewed gruffly. As Oddtail spoke, Bramblefrost leaned down and whispered in Spottypaw's ear, "I'll go tell Grayfeather that Rockfang'll need help with moving the body."

Spottypaw hesitated for a moment. He knew that the Beechdew wanted Rockfang and Oddtail to retrieve Rabbitpaw's body, but surely he would understand why Oddtail couldn't help out in this case. He was clearly sick, whether the warrior wanted to admit it or not.

Spottypaw gave Bramblefrost a small, curt nod. The warrior didn't say or do anything back. He simply turned around and left the two kin alone. Oddtail raised a brow as Bramblefrost left, and he followed the warrior with his one eye. He looked suspicious. But when was he not suspecting something of someone?

"What's going on? Besides the obvious, of course," Oddtail meowed. He turned his attention back onto Spottypaw, and his voice softened slightly. Just by the tiniest bit, of course, but Spottypaw could notice it.

"It's... It's just..." Spottypaw stopped himself for a moment, and he felt his mouth go dry. He didn't want Oddtail to know that Beechdew wanted him to get the body. He would leave that part out. Spottypaw hung his head, his tail tip twitching with guilt and hurt all over again. "Rabbitpaw didn't make it. Rockfang and Grayfeather are going to bring his body out for us to say our goodbyes. I thought that you should know that in advance."

"Mm. I am... Sorry to hear that," Oddtail murmured. "I know that he was a good friend to you and Peacepaw."

Spottypaw nodded stiffly. It was still hard to believe that the tom was dead. Spottypaw used to get so jealous of the young warrior, and it was always over silly reasons. Now, Spottypaw would never get the chance to apologize for their skirmishes and arguments.

All because I was too proud to say sorry and admit that I was in the wrong. I was just making something out of nothing most of the time because of my own insecurities...

"Yeah. He was," Spottypaw agreed.

There were a few heartbeats of silence that they shared, but Oddtail eventually broke the silence. The scarred warrior cleared his throat, and he dipped his head.

"Thank you for telling me, Spottypaw."

Right. You're done with this conversation.

Oddtail had always hated to discuss death with others, but he absolutely hated it when it came to the death of young cats and elders. It seemed to make him hurt even more knowing that a cat so young and lively still had so much to live for, and a cat so old couldn't live the rest of their life in peace. Spottypaw grieved for everyone equally, but his father? His father just had a soft spot for the young and the old apparently.

Spottypaw turned around, leaving his father to think about the unfortunate events of the day. He could see Bramblefrost speaking to Grayfeather, but once the tom noticed that Spottypaw was leaving he quickly cut Grayfeather off with a lash of his tail. Spottypaw tore his gaze away from the tom, and he hurried out of the den without waiting to see if Peacepaw was still speaking to Rockfang or not.

Cold air hit his pelt as soon as he stepped out from the den, and he took a deep breath to clear his lungs. He hadn't realized just how hot and muggy it was in the den in comparison to the outside world. It was refreshing, to say the least.

Without wasting another moment, Spottypaw then headed towards the nursery, and he didn't dare look back. Bramblefrost probably wasn't that far behind him at this point.

"Spottypaw, you walk much too fast," Peacepaw chirped as she came up on his left. She leaned close to him, her whiskers brushing against his cheek. "Don't make it so noticeable," she murmured in a lower tone, "you'll make him suspicious."

Spottypaw flicked an ear in understanding, but he said nothing in response. He knew that she had a point... But he couldn't help himself sometimes. Bramblefrost just made his pelt crawl in the most uncomfortable way.

Without saying anything else, the two young cats entered the nursery, and they were greeted with the smell of warm milk and moss. The fragrance was comforting... It reminded him of when he was being nursed by his mother, Dewbloom.

"Move out of my way," Bramblefrost snapped from behind them.

Spottypaw didn't have any time to move before the striped tom came shoving past them, causing Spottypaw and Peacepaw to split up. A prickle of anger stirred within Spottypaw as he watched the tom walk past Skywish and quickly take a seat behind Featherheart.

Peacepaw looked just as annoyed, but that feeling seemed to disappear as soon as her eyes settled on the two tiny bundles of fur laying at Featherheart's belly. The dark furred cat bounded forward, her eyes shimmering with excitement.

"Great StarClan, they are so cute! I was expecting them to be a little smaller, but they're perfect!"

Peacepaw's voice held an overwhelming amount of love and pride as she crouched down to sniff the kittens. Spottypaw came up beside her, and he looked down at the two kittens with slight interest. He watched them suckle on their mother, their tiny paws kneeling her belly as they fed.

He didn't like the way they smelled...

"They are perfect in every way," Featherheart whispered lovingly. "Aren't they, Bramblefrost?"

The she-cat looked up at her mate with weary but excited eyes. The birth had taken a lot out of her, but she was slowly regaining her strength.

Bramblefrost let out a small grunt. "They don't look anything like me..."

"Well... No, but they're still perfect," Featherheart murmured, her ears flattening with doubt. "They're exactly what we wanted -"

"Did you give birth to a tom?" Bramblefrost leaned over her, giving each kit a quick look over. He appeared to be skeptical about something.

But what?

"Yes, Bramblefrost, she gave you a son," Skywish grumbled. The plump she-cat sat a few nests away from them, her leg propped up so that she could clean herself. "Can you shut up now and show some excitement for your mate?"

"Which one is it?"

The tabby's ears were now perked up with interest, and he glanced at Featherheart as he waited for her answer. Featherheart gave one of the kits, a dark tom-kit with darker spots, a gentle nudge with her nose.

"That's Spotkit."

"Moldkit," Bramblefrost corrected. "I want his name to be Moldkit. Our daughter... Her name will be Pebblekit. Or perhaps Ashkit. I will have to think about it."

Peacepaw frowned at Bramblefrost, lifting her head up to give the tom a dirty look.

"Featherheart already has names picked out for the kits, Bramblefrost. I don't believe -"

"No, no, they're perfect! I love the names," Featherheart interrupted quickly, her eyes flickering onto Peacepaw for a moment to stare at her. She gave a slight tail twitch in her direction, and then she looked back up at Bramblefrost with a smile. "Moldkit and Pebblekit. Lovely names, dear."

Spottypaw glanced over at Featherheart, and then down at Peacepaw. There was a temporary tension between them that any cat with a brain would be able to notice, but it didn't last for long before a deep voice called into the nursery.

"It's time to bury the dead."

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