Her eyes opened to a dark, empty den. She recognized the peeling walls. For the first time in nights, Littlescent did not have a headache as she woke. She did not lean over to vomit, and felt as though she could stand without effort.

Across from her sat another with a dark pelt. It was coated in dust, and it had a hint of blue in it. The figure breathed lowly but steady.

Panzer's head rolled around to face Littlescent, who looked back at her through slightly blurred eyes. She had a large scratch that ran from her ear to her neck. It crossed one of her eyes and her nose. Two other claw marks were at its sides. It had bled on her.

"Panzer!" Littlescent scrambled to her paws, but did not stumble back down. She walked over to the injured medicine cat and inspected her. Up close, she found her body riddled with smaller scratches.

"Littlescent, your awake," she heard a familiar voice say.

Littlescent jumped at the sound, but turned around knowing who it was. A pair of bright, blue eyes stared into her own. Fleetheart ran up and nestled her friend's neck.

"I told you... it would work well," a raspy voice responded. Littlescent turned her attention back to Panzer.

"What... what happened? I saw you run inside. You were protected, weren't you?"

"Mouse-brained Littleone," Panzer said. "Didn't you see them come through the holes in the wall? They ran up to... that's not important right now. Now you can have that meeting. Stop making others wait on your shortcomings."

Before Littlescent could ask another question, Fleetheart rested her tail on her back. She looked over at her and saw a look in her eyes that she had never seen before in the usually cheery apprentice.

"She's right. Some of the remaining warriors want to have a meeting. We've just been waiting for you to wake up after giving you medicine. I'll get the others. Head up to... Longstar's den when you're ready."

Fleetheart padded out of the den and out of sight. Littlescent then noticed the things around her. Her neck felt lighter, but covered. She poked at it with her paw. The large pet collar had been removed, replaced by Twoleg fake-fur patches that wrapped around several times.

She perked her ears up, but heard nothing. The entire camp was quiet. Even the wind blowing through the camp was louder than the cats.

She examined the medicine den itself. It looked much like it had when she was first tasked with spying on LeafClan. It was empty except for Panzer and herself. The box of Twoleg stuff still lay on the ground. The Twoleg symbol was still scratched into it.

"Listen up, Littlething, because I'm only saying this once." Littlescent immediately turned back to the injured medicine cat.

"Panzer, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I was standing right there, and... I should've fought Horsepelt. I should've just gone through him and—"

"Shut up," she spat back. "That doesn't matter now; you would've just gotten killed, anyway. What does is that you stand there, not flapping your jaw like a pigeon wing, and listen to a wiser cat than you speak. Got it?"

Littlescent nodded her head in and leaned closer.

"All right then... I was injured doing what the other warriors couldn't. I tried to protect the queen and her kits. I swear I had them both whimpering like beaten war dogs until they wised up and attacked together. One put these lovely marks on my face and got my eye.

"What a devious thing to do. Claw at a cat when she's down. You know they killed her. Who knows what they did with the kits. That's why they should send you dirty warriors to deal with other dirty warriors. I can't keep up with those stupid battle tactics."

Littlescent dipped her head lower, away from Panzer's gaze. She let her words sink into her mind before the medicine cat snapped her from her thoughts with a quick hiss.

"Anyway, I'm done for. My insides were too old for that kind of thing. They're all messed up. And so are yours, Littlething. No cat just faints after doing nothing but standing around, battle or not. And I guarantee you it wasn't because of what Eagledirt did to you before you called those rouges. A quick trip here won't fix it, either."

She knows about the rouges, Littlescent thought to herself. Of all the cats who could just see it that easily, it would be her. She's probably told the others by now.

Panzer coughed, wheezing up nothing before continuing.

"I'm going to give you some advice before I meet Bonbon again: don't stop believing in StarClan, and take a good look at Longstar. He still lies where he fell; the savages took their own leader's body back with them... I want you to take a good look at his mutilated body and say to yourself 'I will not become like them.'

"First step to them is not believing in StarClan. And if I'm still alive by the time you've mustered enough of your pathetic sense of courage to look at that dead cat, you tell me about it. Then tell the clan about it. Do not let yourself become them. Bonbon would rather see this clan disbanded than turn into vicious leaf cats who ignore their ancestors."

Littlescent reimagined the scene in her mind. The struggling body of her former leader crunching down over and over on Eaglestar's neck as he screamed in pain. It still made her eyes narrow and her belly turn.

"You got all that. I know it. Now get up there to the leader's den. Don't make others wait for your comfort, you tiny excuse for crow scraps."

Panzer rolled her head back towards the entrance and away from the small warrior. She continued her steady breathing. Littlescent padded past her without looking back, knowing it would only anger her further.

She pushed open the heavy entrance to find a dulled and empty room. The sky still showed as grey clouds of ash and smoke through the numerous holes in the camp. She was almost unable to tell it was dusk outside.

Just four cats were on the camp grounds. As Littlescent walked through, she saw one of them grooming herself. Two were staring out different holes; their tails were curling and their fur shook. The forth was tearing pieces from a mouse and slowly eating them off the ground.

The grooming she-cat looked up at Littlescent as she started up the steps. She returned her gaze. For a moment she stopped her accent, studying the bright green eyes of the she-cat; she noticed they were much like her own. But hers did not reveal anything, nor did they stare at her, but past her. Littlescent cringed a little. The cat went back to grooming herself.

Littlescent continued up the steps, trying to make sense of the she-cat.

She hates me. I know it. Because of what happened over the past few nights. If that hadn't have happened, then maybe the others...

She cut herself off before she started naming her fallen clanmates. She tried to stay as focused as possible. But, even as her injuries began healing, the covered scratches on the back of her neck throbbed in quick bursts of pain with each shoulder movement. She no longer stumbled upon her lightheadedness; she had grown used to it.

Littlescent could hear the other cats murmuring to themselves at the end of the hallway. She stopped and looked to her left, where the queen's den was. It was empty. Save for a few blood stains, fur tuffs, and used Twoleg patches, it was vacant.

Her ears flattened and her mood quickly turned on her.

This is where Panzer got hurt... that's her blood on the ground. Or the queen's. The kits are gone. And it's all my fault that it happened. One of the screams I heard while I was outside was hers. It was her being killed by the wildcats. And if I was there I...

She tried to push the thought from her again.

If I was there... they might both still be alive. Now there will be no kits in this camp for a long time.

She continued slowly down the hall towards the leader's den. With each step, she could hear the thump and scratch of her paws. She looked down, noticing her claws had come out. Her heartbeat began to rise, and the blurred entrance seemed much further away.

Stop it, Littlescent, right now... right now, you need to ready your apology.

She took a deep breath and retracted her claws, waiting for her heartbeat to slow down before pushing open the entrance and walking inside.

Fleetheart, Heavyclaw, Shortpaw, and Wolfgang sat in a circle in the center. Christa was there as well, lying just outside the circle near Heavyclaw.

"Good, you're awake," said Wolfgang, looking towards his clanmate. "We didn't want to force you, since Fleetheart said you had it pretty bad. But I told her you'd be fine. You've got that StoneClan blood in you! Well not technically, since you were born outside of the clan. But you know what I mean."

Littlescent weakly nodded and crossed through the circle of cats, sitting between Shortpaw and Fleetheart. She was directly in front of the large hole in the den. The same hole that Longstar used to speak to the clan from above.

She saw the same, blackened skies that presided over the battle. She looked out of the same hole that Longstar had fallen from. The one he took three wildcats through to their deaths, along with his own. She knew there would be no going back after what he did to LeafClan by killing Eaglestar.

She looked around at the clearing below her. It was still covered in dried, red stains. They were sprayed all over the area. Some small wisps scattered around from ferocious claw-raking. Others were deep-red pools, from where several of the wildcats had bled out and met their end.

No more Horsepelt, no more meetings. Just apologies. And more blood.

"Littlescent?" She looked up from the floor to see the other five cats staring at her confusedly. Shortpaw had moved over and rested her small paws on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Littlescent said. "Please continue."

They briefly looked around the den before Heavyclaw sat up straighter. "We're it. The senior warriors are now the only surviving leadership for the clan. So we're going to have to formally decide on a few things.

"First, I want to propose a promotion of our apprentice, Shortpaw, to a warrior."

The others murmured to each other. Shortpaw looked towards her mentor, her eyes wide and pupils small.

She's just too young. She's barely old enough to mate, and they want her to fight like the others?

"I don't think she's ready," Wolfgang responded. "She's only four and a half moons old and hasn't finished her training. There's still so much I need to teach her about fighting wildcats."

"I believe this is necessary." Littlescent looked over at Fleetheart, giving her a questioning stare. Fleetheart glanced over the room before continuing.

"Last night, after the battle, Poule died in front of Longstar's den. His mentor was with him. She was also killed. Leaving Shortpaw the only surviving apprentice in the clan. I have..."

She stopped, taking her eyes away from the others as she dipped her head. Her tail curled and shook around her legs as she hesitated to speak again. The other cats looked away from each other as well. Littlescent knew all had been informed about Panzer's condition.

"Panzer has been made an elder. I have been made the new medicine cat. With Shortpaw's promotion, there will be no more apprentices. Wolfgang, I know you must feel scared for her—"

"She's four. Moons. Old." He straightened himself. "We usually wait until they're twice her age to make them warriors! I still have to teach her how to hide from war dogs, and grapple other cats. And she's just a little smaller than Littlescent. Some of those wildcats are three times her size."

"But I could grapple Eaglestar just fine!" She said loudly. The other cats stopped speaking. Shortpaw had their attention. "I jumped on his back and held on tight, biting him somewhere important. I couldn't tell where. I injured him. He was limping after that. But I did defy Longstar's orders to run away until he threw me off his back... I swear its true, I think I'm ready!"

Littlescent stared into the eyes of the tiny she-cat. Her pointy, brown fur was ruffled and messy. She had not removed the patch from her missing ear yet; Fleetheart seemed to put a fresh one on. But it did not seem to hinder her spirit. In her dark-orange eyes she saw herself. The same look she herself had when she was made a warrior. Eyes of fear and anticipation.

Heavyclaw nodded his head. "We don't doubt your word, Shortpaw. You were brave to do that. And we need all the able warriors we can get right now."

"No," snapped Wolfgang. "Even if she did that, she's still too young. One wrong move and Eaglestar could've crushed her against the wall! I don't want her out there just yet. Not until she's completely healed and done training—"

"I want to do this, Wolfgang." All eyes turned back to Shortpaw, now directly addressing her mentor. "Fleetheart said my missing ear could take moons to heal over. And we need more warriors, especially now. I... I don't want special treatment because I'm younger and smaller than everyone else. I want to help just as much as the others."

"But this isn't the way," said Wolfgang. "I haven't taught you everything yet... and with your size I'll have to give you special training—"

The apprentice shook her head. "Littlescent's the smallest warrior in the clan. Every wildcat's twice her size and she had no problems becoming a senior warrior. If she can do it, so can I."

As the others went back to whispering, Littlescent dipped her head again at the acknowledgement. She looked back towards the floor, right at the largest of the red marks. She could feel her pulse rising again.

If only that were true, Shortpaw. I've been a pretty sorry excuse for my rank so far...

"Please, Wolfgang. Let me become a warrior so I can help the clan like everyone else, without getting in the way."

Wolfgang stared down at the numerous red marks. His mind was going over the fact that she had caused some of them in her first battle. He sighed, without taking his eyes off the ground.

"I don't want you to end up like the others... between the sky-monsters and that attack, we've lost well over half our clanmates. And those wildcats are heartless. I can't imagine what would happen if they got a hold—"

Shortpaw hopped next to him, resting her paw on his shoulder and staring straight at his averted face. "I have you to fight with. You said it yourself, remember? I'm going to surpass everyone at fighting... I don't know about that, actually. But we're great together. That means something, right?"

Wolfgang continued to stare at the stains until Shortpaw tapped his face with her paw. The others waited for an answer as the two cats stared into each other's eyes.

"It's your call, Wolfgang." Heavyclaw said. "There is no leader to force this decision away from you."

I've never seen Wolfgang so protective before. Littlescent thought. He's usually the first to drag Shortpaw into trouble. Now he won't let her out of his protection... I didn't think it was in him to actually bond with others. If Panzer were in this meeting, I bet she'd start laughing at him...

Littlescent broke her thoughts at the small joke, her focus shifting back to the red stains on the ground. She ignored the others, unable to focus on anything else.

"I'm sorry," Wolfgang finally responded. "I was being selfish there. Is this really what you want?"

Shortpaw eagerly nodded her head in response.

"Then I, Wolfgang, senior warrior of StoneClan, call upon the warrior ancestors of my companions 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 turn.

"Shortpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Shortpaw said.

Wolfgang nodded. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warriror name. Shortpaw, from this moment on you will be known as... umm... Short... Shortfang. StarClan honors your loyalty and newfound, open spirit. We welcome you as a full warrior of StoneClan."

The newly dubbed warrior purred against her mentor's shoulders. He rested her muzzle on her head, and she licked his cheek in response.

"Congratulations, Shortfang," Fleetheart said, trying to put some energy in her voice. "At four and a half moons, you're the youngest cat to ever be called a warrior. We know you'll grow and serve the clan well by Wolfgang's side."

The others nodded their heads in agreement, though the mood was still tense. Littlescent looked up at Shortfang, who was now sitting very close to her former mentor. The white patch tied to her ear took her attention.

This... this just doesn't feel right. She's still injured. She's missing an ear, underage, and now a warrior. I don't think I can take any more cats dying from what I started. And not one who's still so young.

Heavyclaw tapped the ground to get everyone's attention back. "We should move on to the next topic. Our most important one. We need to decide a new leader."

Wolfgang and Fleetheart looked towards Heavyclaw. Littlescent watched the other cat's eyes move around the den uncomfortably. All took a glance towards the hole that she sat in front of. Littlescent lifted her head and also stared at the bulky, grey-brown tom.

"It should be you," she said. "You're now the best warrior we have when it comes to fighting. Also, you were born during the war. So that makes you the eldest of the senior warriors."

The den fell silent, save for the wind whistling in the background. The ash had begun to stir again. Small clumps of it fell onto Littlescent from the hole. She did not move, though. Christa sat her head up, waiting for a response from the group of cats.

"No," Heavyclaw responded.

Littlescent narrowed her eyes at him. "No? What do you mean 'no'? You're the best of us here right now. You're obligated to lead us into battle."

"I wasn't even an apprentice before the war ended. So I never fought in it. I can't rightfully claim to be the 'best warrior' because of my age, or size."

"That's not the point," Littlescent snapped back. "You've spent the most time with Longstar, and even lived to see Bonbon as leader. You have to know the most out of us about her. You're the only one of us here who's even seen her!"

"Just because I saw her in action doesn't mean I was completely moved by her." He took a deep breath. "You know, as an apprentice, I did oppose bringing a certain she-kit runt into the clan." Heavyclaw paused momentarily, letting Littlescent take his words in and calm down before continuing.

"I see now how wrong I was about you. However, I was the biggest supporter for fortifying the clan with Sharptooth. Defenses that kept us a clan yesterday. But we don't need a leader like me, not a fighter. We need another leader like Bonbon."

The den stayed silent. Littlescent looked around the room. Each of them was looking towards her direction. She shook the warm ash from her pelt and averted her eyes from them.

"It's true," Heavyclaw continued, "Longstar had grown weak as a leader while he grieved. He and Yellowstar felt the reason so many cats died that night was because of their desire to put StarClan before their own clans. I watched as Panzer began to take his role, ordering the cats to prepare for a