Warm breath on the top of her head, followed by a gentle touch, had Frostpaw’s eyes lifting from where they had been fixed on her toes to meet Owleye’s gaze. She blinked sadly at his words, but deep down, they did help with some of what she was feeling. Grief, After all, was a new feeling for the young cat. Head turning to look at Badgerclaw’s still form, his mate and her mother close by, she swallowed hard before giving her head a quick, nervous, nod.

“Thank you Owleye,” she whispered, leaning into lick his shoulder respectfully  before she rose to her paws. “I’ll go straight to the apprentices then after I do that. And I’ll make sure to bring Cinderpaw with me.”

As her mentor moved away after one more gentle touch of his nose on the top of her head, Frostpaw took a deep, shaky, breath before she started forward on legs that trembled slightly. approaching the dead warrior seemed to be one of the hardest things she had ever done. Even her apprentice ceremony hadn’t been this difficult, and it felt like a moon had passed by the time she finally reached Badgerclaw’s body. Crouching down near his head, she gazed at his peaceful expression for a few moments before she tentatively licked his cold cheek.

“Thank you for saving my brother,” she breathed into the deputy’s ear.

Unable to handle The sorrow that the proximity was making her feel anymore, Frostpaw rose, pausing only long enough to touch the tip of her tail against first Laurelcloud’s and then Silverstar’s shoulders before she was padding quickly away, heading towards her brother. lowering her head respectfully to Foxfur and Brindleheart, she sat close to Cinderpaw, his familiar scent washing over her.

“Are you alright Cinderpaw?” the White and ginger she cat asked gently, touching her nose to her brother‘s ear. “Owleye says I should get some rest... and I think you should too.”

“That sounds like a good idea. We still have training to do tomorrow,“ a deep meow spoke up softly.

Frostpaw looked sideways to see that Foxfur was looking down at them, his sorrow filled gaze softened with gentleness.

“Life still has to go on for the rest of us,“ he added with a sigh, running his tail comfortingly over the two apprentices’ backs briefly.

Rabbitkit spoke up then, his tiny meow only partially successfully lowered. “Can I sit vigil all night?”

“Me too?” his sister Rainkit chimed in immediately, bouncing to her paws.

Brindleheart placed her tail over the kits mouths quickly, giving her head a shake. “No, you can’t. It’s time we were all heading back to the nursery for sleep.”

“Do what your mother says,“ Foxfur meowed firmly as the kids began to protest, quieting their complaints to soft grumbles as they were herded away. Casting a last look of fondness after his family, Foxfur looked back towards the apprentices. “Really though, morning will be here sooner than you think,“ he added meaningfully.

Frostpaw fluffed out her fur, rising to her paws and giving her brother a gentle nudge. As she started off in the direction of the apprentices den, she hesitated just long enough to look once more at Badgerclaw. “...May StarClan welcome you home.“