"Why weren't you good enough?" Owlpaw yowled through his tears, spitting in Silverpaw's face.

    "I-I tried, Owlpaw. I swear!"

    "As if!" You sat there like a frightened kittypet and made me do all of the work. Now look at where I am! I'm dead, and it's all your fault."

    "I didn't mean to, Owlpaw. I'm so sorry, I never should've taken you out of camp..." Silverpaw's voice trailed off as a sob wracked her chest.

    "You're right. You never should've made me leave."

    "Owlpaw..." Silverpaw took a step forward, but the tom reeled away with a snarl. His body slowly warped, unscarred and slick, now growing bloodied and unkempt.

    "Nothing you say will bring me back. You're the one who led me away. And for what? To chase after rogues?" He laughed bitterly, stepping forward again, scoffing down his muzzle at his sister's trembling figure. "I said this before, and I'll say it again. We're not warriors, and now, I never will be. Thanks for nothing, sister."

    Scratches continued to spread across his pelt until eventually, a gash gaped upon his throat. Blood oozed from the horrific injury and more dribbled down his chin, plopping painfully to the floor as a puddle of crimson grew and grew.

    Silverpaw staggered backwards as sticky redness swallowed her paws. "No!" She cried, blood sweeping her off her paws and dragging her along in its violent flow, pulling her further and further away from her brother. "Owlpaw, wait! I'm sorry," she wailed, fighting fruitlessly against the river of blood. "Please don't make me leave. I need you. I miss you! Let's go back to RiverClan—together!" Her voice cracked. "I can't lose you again."

    "It's too late," Owlpaw's voice echoed across the infinite chamber, painfully splitting open her skull. "You already left me behind. And because of that, I'll never return."

    Silverpaw screamed wordlessly to the air, sucking in one final breath as the crimson ooze closed over her head. This isn't fair! She thought as tears seeped down her cheeks, mingling in the river of horrors.

    "Life isn't fair," Owlpaw's voice hissed past the roaring of blood. "You of all cats should know this. After all, I died to a failure like you."

❀

    Silverpaw woke up with a start. Her pelt was sticky and warm, and her breathing came in labored gasps. Her entire body trembled as the metallic tang of blood faded from her tongue.

    Her eyes, darting frantically along the walls of the den, finally settled to the side where Owlpaw's nest lay. Grief smothered her lungs. She sucked in a painful gasp, struggling to keep her sobs at bay. Instead of distracting herself, she focused single-mindedly on the moss. It was still trampled from when she woke him, contrary to his normal state. Always immaculate, fixing his bed nicely before grooming himself in preparation for the day. And his scent... it was just as fresh as it had been on that fateful night.

    She breathed deeply, her brother's distinguished smell nearly overwhelming her in its intensity. That must be why the nightmare was so real, she realized, closing her eyes to steel herself. It's as if he never left.

    When she reopened her eyes, Silverpaw found herself dazzled by her brother's nest. Little flecks of silver sparkled lightly up at her, reflecting moonlight and bringing back the memory of when they'd gone to collect decorations for their nests. Silverpaw had wanted pink seashells. The color always appealed to her, and she admired the shell-strewn nests adorning the nursery. Her mother's own nest was decorated with white, while Owlpaw wanted something different. He'd wanted fish scales.

    The brown tom had spent weeks devoting himself to the activity. Every meal, he'd pluck scales off his fresh-kill; primarily silver minnows, to add to his nest. Silverpaw had always found it strange. In fact, she'd continuously teased him about it. But as usual with his carefree self, Owlpaw had shrugged her off.

    "You're such a weirdo!" Silverpaw laughed, watching her brother meticulously dig his claws into the fish's flesh, peeling away scale after scale with delicate shifts of his arms.

    "Am not," he retorted quickly, batting her nose with his tail.

    Silverpaw swatted him away. "Are too! Look at you, you're literally dissecting a fish. It's so gross."

    "It'll be worth it. You'll see." Owlpaw smiled eagerly, maintaining his focus.

    Her shoulders sagged. I can see it now. But why not before? Why couldn't she have appreciated him while he was still alive? "I'm sorry," she whispered, pressing her nose to the rim of his nest. "I'm so sorry."

    Her eyelids were heavy, slowly slipping shut. As darkness crowded the corners of her vision, so did her nightmare, and her eyes snapped back open.

    Though exhaustion weighed at her limbs, fear entrenched her body at the thought of returning to the horrors that haunted her dreams. The tang of metal had returned to her tongue, and she could nearly taste Owlpaw's fury as he itched at the barest corners of her consciousness.

    She lay still for what felt like moons, until finally, she hauled herself to her paws. Giving her pelt a furious shake, Silverpaw crept silently into the moonlit clearing. The sky was clear and the moon was a little ways past its halfway point. She was met by a nearly deafening silence, interrupted by the softest gurgle of the river. Studying the area around her, she noted that nobody else was awake, other than the camp guard.

    "Sorrelmouse?" She mewed in surprise, recognizing her mentor's slim red form, nestled beneath a shelter of ferns, her keen eyes turned outside the camp.

    Sorrelmouse shifted, glancing over her shoulder. "What are you doing up so late?" She asked, beckoning the apprentice to her side.

    Silverpaw cautiously approached, her tail dragging along the ground behind her. "I couldn't sleep."

    Sorrelmouse studied her. "Nightmares?"

    Silverpaw nodded.

    Sorrelmouse's golden eyes flickered around the clearing. Abruptly, she stood to her paws. "Come," she hummed thoughtfully, giving Silverpaw a prompting nudge. "I need to take you somewhere."

    "Don't you need to guard the camp?" Silverpaw asked leerily.

    Sorrelmouse's eyes gleamed. "Our Clanmates will be fine for one night. RiverClan is the strongest Clan around the lake, after all."

    Silverpaw hesitated. She wanted to protest, but Sorrelmouse did have a point. What were the chances that the one night the camp guard left their duty would be the night an intruder came?

    "Okay..."

    "That's my girl," Sorrelmouse purred. "Come on, I have something I need to show you."

    With a warm smile, the red warrior slipped out of camp. Silverpaw followed a few tail-lengths behind, casting a worried glance back at the empty camp. Sorrelmouse said they'll be fine, so they'll be fine, she reassured herself.

    Silverpaw leaped from stone to stone, her mind flashing to her dream as she studied the running water. She recalled the blood rising around her, the wound tearing across Owlpaw's throat, and the fear shining in his eyes. His fear, and the anger.

    She was ripped from her thoughts as Sorrelmouse touched the tip of her ear with her nose. "Get your head out of the clouds and pay attention," she murmured. "You were about to wander off."

    Silverpaw blinked, stopping in her tracks. "Sorry," she mumbled, falling back into step with the red warrior.

    "Don't apologize," Sorrelmouse chastised lightly. "It's the middle of the night. I understand you're tired."

    Silverpaw opened her mouth again, but caught herself, biting her tongue instead. She hurried to keep pace with her mentor.

    As they padded through the woods, her eyes flashed around. The forest was an entirely different beast at night. Shadows flooded the earth, covering anything that might be hiding inside. She watched the darkness, an anxiety growing in her chest, waiting for the faintest flicker of eyes or claws.

    No. The rogues can't be here. Not in the heart of the territory. She forced her eyes ahead, the tip of her tail twitching minutely with every step.

    The two cats grew nearer to the edge of the territory, the last place Silverpaw wanted to be. Her pace slowed significantly. Sorrelmouse, however, kept moving, not even glancing back at the apprentice. Swallowing her fear, Silverpaw proceeded, keeping close to her mentor. It was only a moment until she pulled her tail across Silverpaw's path.

    "We're here," Sorrelmouse mewed softly.

    Silverpaw frowned. There was nothing special about the moonlit clearing. A few bushes lay scattered about, and the trees stared intimidatingly down at them, silhouetted by the night sky, but that was it.

    "I don't understand."

    Sorrelmouse looked at Silverpaw. She gave a small smile, she pushed through a thicket. Silverpaw slowly followed after her, the soft tufts of grass smoothing into bare stone. The rockface ended a few tail-lengths ahead, displaying a canvas of treetops.

    Silverpaw froze for a few stunned heartbeats.

    "Come on," Sorrelmouse encouraged softly, beckoning the apprentice with the slightest tilt of her head.

    Silverpaw obeyed. Her tail hovered close to the ground and her ears remained pressed against her skull. Wind bit at her skin, whisking chillily through her fur and into swirling patterns in the sky. When she reached the edge of the cliff, she folded her paws beneath her and sat down, but her joints remained stiff and ready to bolt.

    Sorrelmouse still hadn't said a word, so Silverpaw took the moment to survey what lay beyond the rocky outcropping. Frankly, the view was stunning, giving her a bird's eye view of RiverClan territory. The woods stretched on for what appeared to be forever, the colorful trees split apart by woven veins of water. Even further beyond, Silverpaw could see the lake, the quartered moon an ominous reflection across its shimmering surface.

    "Relax," Sorrelmouse purred, running her tail along Silverpaw's spine, "and breathe. What do you smell?"

    Silverpaw inhaled deeply. Scents flooded into her lungs like never before, crisp and clear without the density of the canopy to contain it. "I smell trees, birds, water... our territory." She paused, allowing her nostrils to flare. "What's so special about it?"

    "It's special because it's our home," Sorrelmouse explained simply. "We belong here. No other cats, no other animal, not even the twolegs. It offers us warmth in leaf-bare, shade in green-leaf, and food when we need it.

    Silverpaw frowned. "I know that already."

    "You may know it, but you've yet to embrace it."

    "What do you mean by that?"

    Sorrelmouse closed her eyes peacefully, a soft smile playing at her lips. "Let the scents and smells of the territory, of your home, soothe your mind. It will always be here for you, even in your darkest of hours. Regardless of how many times the seasons change, of how significantly your life may change, your home will forever remain. You'll always belong in RiverClan, no matter what happened before, nor what comes next."

    Silverpaw shivered as the wind chilled her. "No matter what happened before?" she whispered. "I... I can't keep from worrying, Sorrelmouse. The thought can't soothe me, not when Owlpaw is gone."

    "Yes, it can." Sorrelmouse gave Silverpaw a comforting lick between the ears.

    Struggling to conform her thoughts to words, Silverpaw tucked her tail tightly around her. She turned her head away from her mentor. "I don't feel safe in my own nest anymore, Sorrelmouse," she bit out. "Those rogues weren't just there to hurt Owlpaw. They said he was a message." Her eyes flashed desperately. "Doesn't that mean they'll attack again? Who will die next?" She trembled. "I've already lost my brother, and... in a way, Lionpoppy. What if I lose you?"

    "Your mother... is a tough one." Sorrelmouse's eyes softened affectionately. "Though she may be blinded by grief, deep down, I know she still loves you. A queen's love isn't so easily forgotten. And as I've told you before," she continued, "loss is something we as warriors must learn to face. Even if, physically, I've left you, I'll still be by your side, no matter what." She indicated to the stars above. "Your brother is, too. I'm sure of it."

    "And what about the rogues?" she mumbled. "They'll be back, I'm sure of it."

    "Perhaps they will, but you can't let that drag you down, Silverpaw. Especially not while we're here." She hesitated. "This place... I come here when I'm at my lowest, whenever I'm blaming myself for the loss of my kits. It makes me feel at peace, as if they've finally chosen to forgive me."

    Silverpaw's eyes flashed to her mentor. "Why would they need to forgive you? It's not your fault they died."

    Sorrelmouse chuckled, flicking her tail over Silverpaw's ears. "That's exactly what I've been trying to tell you, Silverpaw. Though it's easy to blame yourself for actions outside of your control, your mind will always attempt to. You must push through it and see the reality."

    Silverpaw's mouth bobbed. Unsure of what to say, she uttered, "I'm sorry."

    Sorrelmouse snorted. "What did I say about apologizing? Cut it out."

    "I—" Silverpaw stopped herself. "Yes, Sorrelmouse."

    Sorrelmouse gently bumped the apprentice with her shoulder, a small laugh bubbling from her chest. Silverpaw couldn't help but smile in response, her grief melting for only a moment as she looked up at her mentor's glowing expression.

    Sorrelmouse leaned close to Silverpaw, curling her tail around the apprentice. Silverpaw gradually relaxed under her mentor's embrace, a sigh fleeing her lips as she lifted her gaze to the star-spangled sky. Her eyes lingered over Silverpelt, the thickest stretch of stars in the night.

    "You think he's watching me?" She whispered.

    "Of course he is," Sorrelmouse mewed. "He's your brother."

   "And your kits. Do you think they're watching, too?"

    Sorrelmouse hesitated. "Yes, I think so. That, or they're keeping a close watch on their father. He needs their guidance more often than I do."

    Silverpaw chuckled softly, and the two eased into silence. Scents wreathed around her, and gradually, she felt herself completely relax. The smell of the lake, the land, and the creatures that roamed soothed her thoughts, just as Sorrelmouse said they would.

    It felt like moons had passed when Sorrelmouse finally stretched to her paws. "I think it's time for us to head back. We have a busy day tomorrow—you don't want to doze off in the middle of repairs, now do you?"

    Silverpaw shook her head. "I'd rather not," she purred.

    "Good." Sorrelmouse bounded back down the rocky incline with a light smile, disappearing through the brush and back into the trees.

    Silverpaw lingered for a moment longer, staring at the stars. Please, forgive me, she silently prayed. Flicking her tail, she rose to her paws and eagerly followed. Her pawsteps were lighter than they had been since Owlpaw died.

    "Thank you," she mewed once she caught up to her mentor. She brushed her pelt against the red warrior's fur.

    Sorrelmouse glanced down at her. "I'm glad I could share this place with you, Silverpaw," she said softly. "It was meant to be for Evefrost eventually, once she expected her first litter, but... some moments will forever be lost, and instead can be shared with others."

    Silverpaw blinked up at the warrior. Sorrelmouse's golden eyes were glittering with unshed tears. Gratitude swelled in the apprentice's chest as she realized the true meaning behind this moment, and she pressed closer to the warrior, unable to put her appreciation into words.

    A warm, motherly smile crested Sorrelmouse's face, fueling an expansion of love in Silverpaw's chest. The silver tabby released a contended purr.

    A familial tranquility hung over the two as they made their way back to camp, their tails entwined.