The Village

Sinking Under

One moon later, Crowsky's POV

"Tigerflower, Ravensong," Streamstar nodded to the two she-cats. "Please bring your kits forward."

I watched as Coaldapple puffed his chest beside his leader as he watched his two daughters step forward. Tigerflower purred as she licked their kits, bringing a warm stirring into my heart. In the time we'd been here, all my heart has felt is the stillness of an untouched pool in the dark, barely any twinges of fear stirred inside over the past moon. I watched as Ravensong bounced around her three kits, keeping up with their mother's energy. Klaus smirked as he stood beside his mate, glancing at Streamstar and Coaldapple.

"Emberkit, you are now Emberpaw," Streamstar glanced over at Summer. "Summer, I trust that your mentoring skills are just as good as your mothering ones. Perhaps even better."

"Thank you, Streamstar," Summer purred. "I won't let you down."

"Flamekit, you are now Flamepaw," Streamstar turned to Emberpaw's sister. "Tidepool, I will be giving you your first apprentice alongside your mother. Mentor her well."

"Yes!" Tidepool jumped, before glancing over at Auroradawn. "Can you believe it? My first apprentice!"

Auroradawn nodded, staring at the ground. My heart sunk, remembering waking up in the night to her sobs all those sunrises ago. I asked her what was wrong, and she wouldn't say anything, only shaking into my shoulder as she sobbed. It was only every few sunrises that I would see her pick anything from the fresh-kill pile despite Tidepool's insistence on filling up. Tidepool had specifically requested to be Auroradawn's "guardian" while the StormClan cats grew to trust us as warriors of their Clan. I would catch her trying to get Auroradawn to open up, and sometimes she would speak to Tidepool. It was only a few sunrises before when Tidepool pulled me aside, expressing that she was worried about what happened to Auroradawn before we came here.

"It was horrendous," I admitted. "Our families disowned us, her mate betrayed her and sided with DragonClan. She's been heartbroken, I think."

Tidepool's expression faltered as she shook her head.

"There must be more to it than that, she looks half-dead," Tidepool's eyes widened as her ears flattened. "I know it's my responsibility to watch over her, but if you could also talk to her, that'd mean a lot to me."

"You don't need to ask me twice!" I lifted my paw and rested it on Tidepool's shoulder. "She's my cousin, and I'll never stop trying to reach her."

Tidepool embraced me briefly, and I kept trying to reach to Auroradawn. A flicker of light sparked inside me as we maintained small conversations, but eventually Auroradawn would cut the conversation short in favor of a nap or a patrol.

Tidepool pressed her nose to Auroradawn's shoulder, and Auroradawn flinched just as Tidepool rushed over to Flamepaw, pressing her nose against her new apprentice.

"Honeykit, you are now Honeypaw," Streamstar looked over at Vanya. "Vanya, be sure to teach her all the ways of being a strong warrior. Sparrowkit, you are now Sparrowpaw. Five, I relieve you of your guardianship of Lazuli so that you may mentor this tom."

"I won't let you down," Five pressed his muzzle against Lazuli's shoulder, running over to his new apprentice.

"And with that said, all guardians are relieved of their duties to the former DragonClan warriors," Streamstar announced. "As you may all know, Lazuli killed one of her former Clanmates as she tried to rape one of our own. Nightkit, you are now Nightpaw. Lazuli, I extend this opportunity of mentorship to earn the trust of your new Clanmates."