A/N: How's it going everybody? I know it's been forever since I uploaded the very first chapter of this story, but just so you know, I spend most of my time writing my other story, Embers and Ashes. It takes up most of my free time, so I apologize for the inconvenience. This story will be updated sporadically rather than periodically. Again, I apologize for those who hate infrequent updates. But, I'm here now! My hope is to have a regular schedule for this story now that Summer break has started for me. Crossing my fingers.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed, followed, or added this story as a favorite! I promise to do review responses after this chapter.

Let's get started!

…

The territory of the lakeside cats was haunting.

During Leaf-bare at least. The bare, white-cloaked branches of the leafless willow trees stretched in every way, the claws of ghosts reaching for the light of life. The branches that were once filled with a kaleidoscope of differing shades of both light and dark green- as well as a few yellows- were now empty, holding not leaves, but sharp-tipped icicles. The forest was large, one of the largest territories that rivaled in size with the woodland of Forestclan, and housed a variety of bodies of water.

Rivers that once ran wild now slowed to a complete stop, frozen over by the chilling temperatures. The small ponds that were seemingly spread out at random didn't appear any better, and not even the largest lake that they were named for was spared from Leaf-bare's icy wrath. Snow blanketed every surface from the blizzard the night before, the ground somewhere far below it in a state of temporary permafrost for the season. The meadows that were once in full bloom with flowers of all kinds- from roses to irises to lavender to so much more- now stood empty, lifeless.

Everything appeared to be at a standstill.

A peaceful standstill; like all living beings were just taking an interim rest before they burst with energy after the season of Leaf-bare. This momentary cold season of hardships was just that, momentary. This too shall pass, much like how night always turned to day and vice versa. Soon, the cold will trickle away with the rivers once they were reawakened.

For now, everybody could enjoy the peaceful standstill. Everybody planned to, at least.

Well… almost everybody.

"Go on! I dare you to say it again!"

The boisterous and booming voice contrasted greatly with the short-tempered she-cat's size. The small apprentice stood in the middle of camp, sharp ivory claws creating deep grooves where they raked across the blankets of snow. Her amber-green eyes, those of which contrasted greatly with her blue-grey pelt, at least in her opinion, flashed in what could only be described as pure rage. Her pupils were nothing more but slits of anger, her ears flattening against her head as a physical way of showing her discomfort. Her long, black-tipped tail lashed to and fro, disturbing the peaceful air around her. Puffs of her crystallized breath lingered in the air as she took in deep inhales and let go of heavy exhales. Her glare that stopped everyone in their tracks was directed at a large bundle of another blue furred apprentice.

Unluckily for him, nobody dared come to his rescue.

Because this situation arose daily.

"Temper temper, little kitty. Gee, I didn't know tiny cats could be so evil. Or is it just you?"

"I swear to all that is holy- I'm going to choke you if you don't shut up anytime soon."

"But can you even reach my neck though?"

A cry of pure outrage escaped the small she-cat's lips, her claws flexing once as she lunged forward, her paws outstretched and lips pulled back to reveal gritted teeth. For a few seconds, a brief flash of panic entered his dark green eyes as she charged towards him, but it disappeared as soon as she was suddenly halted in the air. A sharp tug at her scruff caused her to stumble to a complete stop, the grip of the peacemaker true and unwavering no matter how much she struggled against it. The brief inkling of white fur out of the corner of her eyes notified her in an instant who had stopped her.

It shouldn't have come to a surprise, though, considering he was always the one to stop her before things became too heated.

Still, it didn't mean she wasn't going to try and escape from his iron grip.

"Let me go, Icefang!"

"Rainpaw, do I even want to know why it seems that you want to skin your fellow apprentice alive?"

"I have a valid reason this time, I swear!"

"Oh? Do tell."

"He called me short!"

Icefang let out a heavy sigh, his teeth still firmly around her scruff as he spoke just loud enough for her to hear. The deputy of Lakeclan and Rainpaw's mentor showed a great deal of patience when dealing with the fiery apprentice. The complete opposite of her namesake. She showed great potential with her seemingly boundless energy and gung-ho attitude to match. It didn't come to a surprise that, despite her small stature, she was more than enough of a match for the large Bluepaw.

"I was just stating the facts!"

Her sudden attempt at lunging forward once more nearly caused the deputy to lose his hold, but his quick reflexes were more than ready enough to hold her back once more. Another growl tore through her throat, this time directed at the white tom behind her.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you promise not to dismember your fellow apprentice."

Rainpaw's growl turned into a low rumble, mixing with her words as she sarcastically mimicked the deputy.

"I promise not to dismember my fellow apprentice," her eyes flashed as they narrowed at the cocky smirk on Bluepaw's face, her voice dropping in volume, "where everybody can see."

Those words instantly wiped the smirk off the tom's face, but he still held himself in an egotistical manner. He gulped audibly, the nervous sound that brought her own smirk on her face. She knew he was intimidated by her, but it confused her as to why he insisted on consistently picking on her everyday. Only a fool would believe she would remain quiet when others threw insults her way.

Oh, I forget who it is. Bluepaw is a fool.

"Bluepaw, promise me you won't call her short anymore."

"Icefang, I was only being honest-"

"You know how she feels about her size. Next time, I might not be around to stop her, and I doubt you have the strength I have to cease her anger."

Rainpaw felt her smirk grow at her mentor's words. In his own, convoluted way, he just called Bluepaw weak. There wasn't a doubt in anybody's mind that if the she-cat really had the chance, the tom would be in a world of pain. The blue furred tom let out a groan, rolling his eyes as he met her amber-green gaze.

"I promise not to call you short anymore."

"Very good. Now, run along now while I speak with my apprentice."

Bluepaw dipped his head respectfully towards the deputy and began trotting off in the direction where the warmth of the Apprentice's Den seemed to spill out of the entrance. The white furred deputy kept a firm grip on her scruff, practically holding her off the ground until the foolishly hard-headed tom disappeared from view. Now that he was a generally safe distance away from his apprentice and in the confinements of the den, only then did Icefang release his hold on Rainpaw.

The she-cat instantly shot forward, creating some sort of distance between the two, just in case the deputy changed his mind and grabbed her again. Facing towards him, a scowl formed on her face at the impish grin that appeared on his. His icy blue eyes twinkled with mirth as he tilted his head at her. His tone was smooth, gentle, but thoroughly amused.

"Come on. If you have enough energy to pick a fight with Bluepaw, you have enough energy to go training with me."

Try as she might, the glimmer of glee that brightened her amber-green eyes betrayed her huff of annoyance. Anybody who knew her, knew just how much she enjoyed training. But it wasn't the training itself that she adored the most, she could do it herself if she really loved it as much as everybody thought. No; what made her wake up in excitement everyday at the mere idea of going out of camp, what made her smile grow and made a purr rumble through her throat, was not the training.

It was having Icefang as a mentor.

The deputy who accepted everybody no matter what they did in their past. The one who (stubbornly) stayed right by her side no matter how much she tried pushing him away. The one who was the first to bring a smile to her face. The one who took over the role of a father for her…

"Come on, we're wasting valuable sunlight."

Rainpaw blinked out of her thoughts quickly, running after the white furred tom. She didn't have to run far, he always slowed down for her so they walked side-by-side. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, she felt a purr rumble through her throat when she noticed him doing the same to her.

Yes, having Icefang as a mentor was definitely the reason she was still around.

The reason she was still alive.

…

"Was it really necessary to nearly attack him in the middle of camp again?"

"Of course! He called me-"

"Short… yeah. I must say," a glimmer of mischief appeared in his icy blue eyes, a look that immediately made her groan at what was about to come, "despite his foolhardiness… I must praise him for his candor."

"Hey!" The she-cat nearly stopped walking, snapping at the tom while attempting to give a playful shove. But with their size difference, he hardly moved an inch as he let out a lighthearted chuckle with a grin on his face.

"You just have to accept the fact that you're small, Rainpaw."

"I. Am. Not. Small."

"Oh please, I've seen some kits larger than you."

"Yeah, maybe kits that were once badgers in their past life. I'll have you know that I'm growing. I don't even need to tilt my head all the way back to look you in the eyes anymore."

"That may be so… but the fact of the matter is, you still have to tilt your head back more than others."

"It's not my fault everybody was born with ridiculously long legs."

"It's not their fault you were born with ridiculously short legs."

Rainpaw let out a low growl of annoyance, attempting to shove him once more before the two fell into a series of purrs. Their playful banter morphed into a peaceful silence as they continued walking at a leisurely pace, a stroll. They have been on many walks before, just the two of them. There was something about the white furred tom that brought ease to her nerves that always seemed to be on edge around the rest of her clanmates.

They could talk about everything and anything, or they could be completely silent with only their steady breathing being the sound shared between them. No matter what it was, Rainpaw enjoyed every second of it.

"You know… your mother has some concerns about your… behavior."

Except when he brought up her mother.

The blue furred apprentice let out a cross of a huff of indignation and a groan that pleaded him not to continue. If there was one thing Rainpaw hated the most, it was having conversations like these with the one she looked up to the most. She turned her head away for a few seconds before looking back at him, meeting his expectant gaze with narrowed eyes as she scowled with a sarcastic response.

"Then why isn't she the one that's talking to me about it? Because she's too busy leading a clan that she doesn't have time for her own daughter?"

"Because whenever she does try to talk you, you are always the one to push her away first."

This was another reason she hated these arguments. Icefang, whether she liked to admit it or not, was always right. Her eyes narrowed even more as she refused to look in his direction. Refused to let him see the frailness of her soul that shone through her amber-green gaze.

"All she wants to talk about is everything but him. She doesn't even want to think about him! How can she pretend that he doesn't even exist anymore?"

"You're one to talk. You aren't exactly innocent here either, Rainpaw."

Stopping in her tracks, the she-cat's temper boiled over as she whipped in his direction, her lips barring at the tom beside her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Icefang settled his gaze on her, his frosty colored eyes piercing through her as he spoke in a calming voice.

"When was the last time you said his name?"

Rainpaw's mouth opened, a sharp retort preparing itself to leap into the open air, but she closed it soon after. A sound came from the back of her throat, similar to that of a whimper as she turned away once more. With her back now to him, Icefang's frown only increased at the image in front of him.

Rainpaw was never good at dealing with her emotions. Throw a fox in her direction or a challenge that allowed her to show off her physical strength, she was all for it. She never backed down from anything that gave her the opportunity to prove she was strong. But force her to open up, force her to talk about her past and her emotions, and suddenly, that confident and fiery she-cat was replaced with what she truly was.

A fragile soul who felt as though the world was against her. A broken spirit that just wanted to protect itself from being abandoned by those she loved again.

Icefang let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head slightly. There was always a flicker of guilt in his chest whenever he backed her into a corner that forced her to talk about him. The deputy took a step forward, but did nothing more as he saw her shoulders stiffen at the sound of his paws crunching the snow underneath.

"Rainpaw… I just want you to be okay. It's a lot to take in, and you aren't as alone as you may think you are. There are those who care about you, but they can't do anything if you don't let them in. How can we be there for you if you don't let us?"

"Did you take me out here to lecture me, or did you take me out here to train?"

His frown increased once more before he let the conversation drop with a heavy sigh. There was no forcing Rainpaw to do something she didn't want to. If she wanted to talk, she would do it on her own accords. The apprentice did nothing more but stare at her paws, her tone as icy as the current state of the territory around them. Her ears flicked at the sound of his pawsteps, she did nothing more but absently follow his lead as they crossed over a small hill.

"Both. We're at our designated spot anyways."

Lifting her head, the she-cat blinked in surprise. It hadn't felt as though they walked very far.

"Wha- when? Ah, whatever."

Mere whisker-lengths in front of the duo of mentor and apprentice was the second largest body of water in Lakeclan territory. Despite its large size, it was nothing more but a pond compared to the lake they were named for. Her whiskers twitched in anticipation, her lips curling slightly and her mind finally at ease as she stared out at the white-coated water. The ice that clung to the surface of the lake blurred anything that looked at it directly, creating a medley of swirled colors of pale blue and white. A thin sheet of snow covered the surface of the ice.

There was something about this frozen wasteland of her home that was indescribably beautiful to her. Some viewed it in a somber light, the way the world seem to freeze in time. Others viewed it in annoyance, the cold unbearable and the moisture of the melting ice uncomfortable.

Rainpaw found it beautiful, magnificent, divine. Every surface glimmered in the sunlight, the white snow appeared silver in the moonlight. Her favorite pastime during the season of Leaf-bare was to simply sit back and watch the snowflakes fall from the sky. A pang of longing wormed its way into her chest as her easy smile erased, being replaced with a wistful frown.

"Did you know that every snowflake is different?"

"But… they all look the same to me."

"Well, of course. They're going to fast for you to see every little detail. They're too bunched together for you to see each one. But, if you focused on just one, you can see just how beautiful they are."

"And… they're all… different?"

"If they were all the same, then they wouldn't be as beautiful. There is beauty in being different from the rest, don't you agree, my little snowflake?"

"Rainpaw, everything okay?"

Blinking the unwanted memory away, the blue furred apprentice shook her head in an attempt to erase the images from her mind. His voice had been so clear, the deep rumble that always rose a purr from her flowing smoothly from his lips. The glimmer in his eyes as he spoke to her only made her own smile grow just as wide as his. It wasn't often Rainpaw found herself lost in her memories, but when it did happened, it always left her body shivering and her heart aching for more.

Don't make Icefang worried. Just forget about it.

"Yeah, what are we doing out here again?"

Icefang's frown didn't go unnoticed by her careful gaze, but he said nothing more as he looked out at the frozen water once more.

"What is our location, Rainpaw?"

"We're… at the lake… where every new apprentice begins to learn how to swim."

"The name?"

"Minnow Lake."

"Minnow Meadow, actually. But yes."

Snorting at the name, Rainpaw turned her gaze to his in confusion. "Instead of making fun of that ridiculous name, I'll say this instead. Why did you bring me here? I already know how to swim, and besides… I can't exactly swim in water that's frozen."

"Do you see the island up ahead?" The deputy continued, ignoring her sarcastic remark, but it did make the corners of his lips quirk upwards.

Rainpaw followed his gaze in interest, but found that she had to squint in order to see something besides a sea of white. 'Island' wasn't the word that she would've used. The area itself seemed barely large enough to hold two warriors, though she guess- and hoped- it was because they were far from it. A few thin-branched bushes protruded from the ground of the 'island' as snow weighed it down heavily.

"If by island you mean that miniscule patch of dirt with a bush on it, then yes, I see it."

"Rainpaw. You have what it takes be a wonderful warrior… perhaps the best out of your generation. But, like everybody else, even the greatest of warriors have flaws, yourself included."

"Name one!"

"Hmm…" the tom gave her a cheeky smirk as he spoke. "You're impatient, you're reckless. Hot-headed, impulsive, you never know when to hold your tongue-"

"Okay okay, I said name one! I get it. I have a lot of flaws." She cut him off before he could say anything else. Icefang chuckled in response, but continued speaking nonetheless.

"It's better for you to be aware of them, that way, you can learn how to reduce them. Or, if you're lucky, get rid of them completely."

"Alright, oh wise one, but what does that have to do with Minnow Lake?"

"Minnow Meadow." The deputy corrected her offhandedly. "Those bushes growing on the island are currently growing a few blackberries that the elders and I have been craving for quite some time."

"Okay…"

Rainpaw only grew more and more confused by the second. Surely not… surely he wouldn't-

"Go get a branch."

"Excuse me?"

"Go get a branch and bring it back to camp."

"You're joking, right?"

"The only thing we joke about is the fact that you're small." His smirk grew as she let out a low growl in response.

"I'm not small," she said immediately before looking back out at the lake. "You do realize you're asking me to cross a frozen body of water?"

"Precisely."

"Apprentices, even young warriors aren't allowed on the water when it's frozen-"

"Not unless you have permission from the deputy or the leader. And… would you look at that, the deputy is giving you permission."

Rainpaw could only stare at him, dumbfounded that this conversation was even happening in the first place. Of all things he could've told her to do, crossing a lake in Leaf-bare certainly wasn't what she was expecting. Raising an eyebrow, she gave him an incredulous look.

"You're really asking me to walk out on the ice just go get a couple of berries to cease your cravings?"

"I'm not asking you to, I'm telling you."

"As my mentor? Well, isn't that an abuse of power."

"I guess I should add disobedience to your list of flaws."

"T-The ice is very thin. I could fall in!"

"Hmm, yes, that is a possibility. Go too fast, you fall in. Go too slow, you fall in. Put too much weight on one of your paws, you fall in. It certainly is very likely that you'll fall in."

"Exactly!"

Rainpaw glanced out at the lake once more, letting out a silent sigh of relief that she managed to get her point across. Icefang, too, remained quiet. His tail flicked against his side indolently, his head tilted innocently as he let out a heavy sigh. For a brief second, neither of them moved. The two sat in silence, enjoying the scenery with fond smiles, pride for their beautiful home making their chests puff out slightly. And just like that, it was over as soon as the tom stood up and turned away easily.

"Well, good luck. I expect you to be back before sunset."

"W-Wait, that's it? You're not gonna give me some spectacular advice? Some… I don't know… hints on how to do this?"

"Hmm… advice?" Icefang looked behind his shoulder at her, his gaze briefly flickering towards the lake before focusing back on her again. The mischievous smirk on his face certainly didn't go unnoticed by her eyes. "Don't fall in."

"Wha-"

With a growl of disbelief, she turned back around, eyeing the distance between her position and the 'island' with calculating eyes. Realistically, if the lake wasn't completely frozen over, she could have swam there in a matter of seconds and back. But what Icefang said was true. Go too fast, I fall in. Go too slow, I fall in. How in the world can anybody do this?

"What if-" The blue apprentice's voice caught in her throat as she whipped around again, only to find that her white furred mentor was nowhere to be seen. With her ears flattening against her skull, Rainpaw let out a yowl of frustration. "Thanks for the help!"

Turning back around, her voice dropped to below a whisper, her breath leaving with the wind that blew by. "Not."

Her brows furrowed in careful concentration as she stepped closer to the lakeside, hesitantly reaching out one of her paws and daintily placing it against the ice. Her body instinctively told her to step away, that moving forward would cause her to be in immediate danger. Gritting her teeth together, Rainpaw continuously added pressure to her single paw, testing the durability and hearing the ice groan against the force before ultimately snapping. Letting out a sigh, the she-cat moved along the bank before swallowing her nerves.

The apprentice shook out her body, getting rid of the shivering that had racked her spine before lifting her head higher, her eyes narrowing in determination as she stepped out onto the ice. Her paws froze when the ice groaned in disagreement, but after it stopped, she hesitantly began moving forward step-by-step. Her claws unsheathed to create some sort of traction as she continuously and cautiously moved forward, willing her paws not to slide along the slippery substance.

Her legs and shoulders screamed in exertion as she held herself as light as possible, her muscles clenched as she took another step forward. The creaking and groaning of the ice underneath her made her ears flick to and fro, swiveling on top of her head at every sound in discomfort. Rainpaw felt her heart racing in her chest as she bit her lip, hesitantly moving farther and farther away from the forest behind her.

I think I'm getting the hang of this!

As soon as that thought swept through her mind, another step forward proved her wrong. Unlike before, the ice didn't hold her weight like she expected it would. Her paw went straight through, touching the freezing water just below the surface. Her body slipped, not prepared for the lack of surface area, and before she knew it, her head dipped below the water. For a few seconds, she could only remain frozen in shock of what happened. Only when Rainpaw became aware of the cold seeping into her skin did she react. Kicking out against the water, her head erupted through the surface as she let out a gasp.

Reaching blindly, she flailed with no success of grabbing the edge of the ice. After what felt like eternity, but was really only a matter of seconds, she found just enough grip to pull herself out of the water. The apprentice didn't have the luxury to toss herself haphazardly on the frozen lake, so instead, she flattened herself as much as possible, spreading her weight evenly amongst her four paws as she shivered against the wind.

You're okay, you're okay, you're okay.

She took in deep breaths in an attempt to calm her rapidly beating heart. Swallowing once more, the she-cat turned her head until she found the 'island' once more. It suddenly dawned on her why Icefang told her to do such a dangerous task.

One of my flaws; I'm impatient. I can't move too fast here, I can't move too slow. I need to create a steady pace, both for my mind and my body.

I can't get overconfident.

Narrowing her eyes with newfound determination, the competitive fire within her warmed her, almost as if it was evaporating the droplets of water that stubbornly clung to her fur as a smirk made its way to her face. An acceptance of her mentor's challenge.

Alright, Icefang. I'll get your stupid berries for you.

…

"Icefang… the sun is almost completely set. You're just returning now?"

The deputy respectfully bowed his head in his leader's direction. Creekstar, despite her small stature, held herself taller than the others. Her dark green eyes stared curiously at the tom, her light grey fur bristling against the cold winds of the approaching night. Icefang found himself staring momentarily, an almost sad smile appearing on his face. It was almost too easy to imagine Rainpaw in her mother's place. Despite how much the apprentice denied it, her similarities to her mother were uncanny; both in physical appearance- not including fur color- and attitude. Although, Creekstar was much calmer and more mellow with age, it wasn't difficult to see where the apprentice got her character from.

"Oh, you know, just keeping an eye on my apprentice."

"Well, if you're here, where is she?"

Icefang opened his mouth to respond, a smile making its way onto his face as the playful spark in his icy blue eyes returned. Before he could even utter a sound, a yowl from the entrance of camp pulled everyone's attention towards the source of the noise.

"Icefang!"

The deputy turned around innocently, his smile breaking through and appearing full-fledged and unrestrained. Standing just at the entrance of camp was a shivering mass of blue fur, the water clinging to her pelt despite how much it was meant to be 'water-repellent'. The apprentice appeared much smaller, what with her fur flattened down with the water, but just like her mother, the she-cat held herself taller than most. Held between her teeth were two- albeit thin- branches, each holding a few of the delicacies he claimed to have been craving earlier.

The she-cat rushed forward, quickly picking up her mentor amongst the small crowd of gathered warriors. Icefang frowned, seemingly the only one to notice how some of the warriors flinched as the apprentice ran forward. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing as he turned towards his apprentice with a smile. Rainpaw slid to a stop in front of him, dropping the branches at his paws and lifting her head with a proud smile.

"I got you not one, but two branches!"

"Great job, Rainpaw. Why don't you go to the Cleansing Pool? Wouldn't want you to become ill from this… experiment."

"It was actually… very fun."

"Despite how many times you fell in?"

"How would you know, you weren't even there!"

"Well… considering how drenched you are, it isn't very hard to guess."

"Psh, whatever. Like you could do better!"

With those words, the she-cat enthusiastically ran in the direction of a small den just at the corner of camp. Inside, a small pool of warm water was housed. Nobody understood how the water itself became warm in Leaf-bare times and cool during Greenleaf, but especially in those times, nobody dared to question it. Icefang felt his smile slowly fade as she disappeared from view, the tense air hovering over the heads of the warriors slipping away gradually.

Try as he might, he could never understand how the warriors could view such a cat so negatively for nothing they had no control over. It wasn't her decision for him to leave… it wasn't her decision for him to kill the Medicine Cat…

"She doesn't know?"

"Know what, Creekstar?"

"That you were actually keeping an eye on her the entire time while she was out there?"

Icefang remained silent, glancing at his leader out of the corner of his eyes. The leader of Lakeclan held a conflicted look on her face, watching almost longingly in the direction her daughter had run off to. Deep down, the deputy was convinced that Creekstar was envious of the relationship he held with her daughter. The two were as close as any mentor and apprentice, but in the eyes of those around them, it was almost like a father-daughter relationship. The deputy bit his lip, his brows furrowing slightly, much like they always did when he contemplated over thoughts.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

His leader could only hum in agreement, frowns now evident on both of their faces.

I could never replace her father.

But the question still remained…

Did he want to replace Stormbringer?

…

A/N: About damn time I finished this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed, again, sorry for the extremely long wait. I'll try not to make you guys wait so long for the next chapter, which will be introducing our last main character. Btw, I was trying to come up with a saying that is similar to "pot calling the kettle black" but in Warrior's world, as you can see, I didn't have much luck. Oh well.

If you have time: please consider reading my other story alongside this one. It is called Embers and Ashes.

Please review, favorite, and/or follow!

Let me know what you think of this story and please give constructive criticism to where you see fit.

Thank you and peace out!

~Wolfcreations18