Wildflower couldn't remember the wild and rambunctious night as well she as hoped. Something told her that she ate too much prey than her stomach could hold and possibly, that was the reason for her slight amnesia. Her first instinct was to attack and scream but after looking at her paws, flashes of last night rushed back in leaps and bounds. She kept her scrambled thoughts inside her head, worried that might spill out.

     "Dreams get way too complicated," she sighed, getting up on her paws in her nest. Around her, the rest scouters were asleep or getting up. While the den wasn't big or fancy, she felt safe knowing she was surrounded by cats like her.

     She wasn't used to not having Lark and Cherry wake her up by clawing her in the pelt, something she had trained herself to be ready for as she slept. Going one night without a rude awakening felt nice and strange at the same time.

      Outside of the den, the sun peeked through the entrance. The familiar yellow streaked the ground, reflecting onto the stone ground like a reflection of water. Wildflower purred, stepping outside of the den, tasting the rays. 

     Some cats were already up and raring to go, waiting for a beta to give them orders. Blaze was by a group of cats, hunters, Wildflower guessed since a hunter's job was to get up early in the morning, catching enough food to feed the Alpha, betas, and the senior members, if possible. Being new, she stood no chance of eating first. If she ever hoped to eat first, she'd have to move up in ranks, but at least she wasn't in the same boat as the rest of the hunters, forced to wait until everyone ate before they could eat.

     How Lark wanted to eat last and wake up in the morning was beyond her understanding. Wildflower took a look at the healers' den and saw a small line of cats waiting outside. Her mouth dropped into a frown and then a sigh of annoyance escaped two seconds later.

     The part I don't get about this tribe. Why do I need to go to a healers' den every single day before I do anything? Nevertheless, Wildflower trotted over to the end of the line. 

     In front of her was a spotted white cat. She was grooming herself using her right paw and brushing it over her right ear first. Wildflower quietly approached her from behind and sat down, staring off into the camp as she waited. Blaze nodded at the group and the cats set off outside, marching in sync. 

     Then the energetic bunny arrived. Origanum bounced off of the ledge where her den rested. Wildflower expected the Alpha to crash. Instead, she landed on her paws lightly, acting as if it were nothing. Then she marched off toward the line and sat behind her, offering a sleepy yawn before she shook her head, shaking her drowsiness away. 

     "Good morning, Wildflower! How did you sleep last night?" She chirped like a little kit. Not knowing what to say, Origanum's attention drifted elsewhere, finding her next victim. "Morning, Thunder! Have you met Wildflower yet? She's a new scouter like you!"

     "Yes, I believe we shared a moment with one another last night at the ceremony." Wildflower turned around to see a taller tom than her, his dull, orange pelt contrasting her golden one. He looked fierce, but Wildflower wasn't scared of him. Even though the tom meant no harm, she didn't feel comfortable around him, especially since he was a Senior Member, finding herself constantly worry if he was judging her. 

     "You can skip ahead of the line, Alpha," the she-cat in front of Wildflower spoke, almost afraid to raise her voice. 

     "Yeah, I know," Origanum answered. Still, the Alpha made no direct move or desire that she wanted to go up in front of every cat. The silence in the air was long and seemed to drag itself to every cat in the line. Wildflower felt an awkward silence pass through the cats, nobody speaking up, only sharing confused glances. 

     There seemed to be a wall that blocked it from Origanum. The little Alpha kept smiling happily and continued to wait patiently, paying no attention to the blank stares.

     If Wildflower focused enough, it seemed like the silence spread from the front of the line all the way down the line like a river, and then Origanum's obliviousness blocked the flow. Like any other river, it flowed through the cracks, infecting other cats behind her. 

     Wildflower looked at her paws to avoid speaking or eye contact. I can't believe this. THIS is the Alpha? The one in charge of every single cat around here, able to do everything perfectly, command the battlefield like it was a walk in the forest, and able to sneak up on anything without the victim knowing, is this?! 

     The Alpha Wildflower had in her mind wasn't a kit that had so much energy, embarrassing herself just by laughing or talking, and oblivious to things around her. She guessed other cats didn't say a thing due to Origanum being able to kick them out with a single word. 

     She's... she acts like she doesn't care that she acts like this. Did she really mature throughout her life? It's not like the size she had helped matters... But is this a way she expresses herself...? Wildflower couldn't look at her, face as red as a cardinal.

     "Oh, you mean you want me to skip ahead of you guys?" Origanum asked, sounding disappointed, almost. Wildflower's ears filled with sighs of relief from multiple cats - all in sync. "Why would I go ahead? I'm just like you, I've gotta wait my turn."

     And there was a silent shout that spread amongst the cats.

     "Next, please!" A healer called. A brown tabby strode out and passed by, quickly catching on just by looks and Origanum tilting her head in confusion at the reactions she received. Thunder caught his eye and the two exchanged unspoken words. Then the tom walked by, pretending he wasn't there. 

     One cat lifted their tail to speak. Origanum nodded, eyes finally lighting up. "If I may, you are the Alpha and you're more important than us."

     Origanum let out an annoyed hmph. "So?"

     "So... you deserve to go ahead of us..."

     "Why?"

     "You're the Alpha, and..."

     "Oh! No, just because I'm Alpha doesn't mean I get special privileges! You go ahead - move it, Ripple!" From the front of the line, a tabby tom stumbled into the healers' den. The line inched up, whispering to one another. 

     "Okay! Now, I'll wait my turn as anyone else would!" Origanum declared, twirling her tail. "Does anyone have any questions or concerns?" Her voice dropped to a pitch that wasn't hers, making Wildflower freeze. Gaze darkening, venom leaked out, extinguishing any traces of her cheerful self. The rest of the cats straightened up and she quickly followed as the Alpha swept her icy gaze down the line. 

     With a single blink, the Alpha reverted back with the sun's aura surrounding her in an embrace. "Good!" Eyes sparkling, Origanum went back to waiting and staring at the sky, seeming to get lost in a daydream. 

     Are we sure this is the Alpha?

     "Next, please!" A different healer shouted. The line scouted forward just a bit and Wildflower moved forward. However, Origanum had other plans for her.

     "Hey, Wildflower," she started out slowly, looking up at her. "What do you think of the tribe? All you ever hoped for? Everything you dreamed it would be? Is it better than what you expected?"

     Well, this isn't what I expected, she thought, biting her lip and ignoring the curious glances from others. "It's amazing, better than what I hoped for!" Wildflower added more of her joy into the words than she hoped, almost gagging. "I just hope I'll be able to make the Tribe of Endless Stars proud of me."

     "I'm sure you will! Besides, Sabertooth made them proud and you have his blood! You shouldn't be any different!" Origanum answered, swaying side to side.

     Wildflower stopped, her late father coming to mind. She didn't worry that Origanum hadn't pointed out Dandelion - and she assumed this was because her father was one of the greatest warriors. Even though she thought of him yesterday, she couldn't help but remember the day she heard her own father had gotten struck down in battle. Dying around Lark's birth, unable to meet her and Cherry and never getting the chance to see the rest of his children enter the tribe. 

     She didn't hear the healer call for the next cat.

     "Oh... I just brought up bad memories, didn't I?" Origanum whispered, face turning to panic. "Endless Stars! I shouldn't have said that! Ahhh, I gotta go find something as an apology! Uh, uh... I got it!" 

     She sprang into the air and away from the line, causing the cats around her to part, avoiding damage. "A pretty wildflower! A nice, little wildflower will do the trick!" With that, Origanum burst away, blowing past the other cats staring at her, and out of camp. 

     The moment she was out of eyesight and ear-range, cats turned to her. She gulped and weakly expressed her side, which, luckily, satisfied them. There were some cats that stared at the entrance, hoping maybe their leader would come charging back in.

     "Origanum..." A cat called out, reaching a paw into the air. Then he dropped it, realizing the wild Alpha wouldn't return without a flower. 

     "Next, please!" A healer coughed, breaking the silence. The line moved again and Wildflower shook her head, trying to forget what just happened. The rest of the tribe recovered from the commotion, returning back to their daily routine without hesitation. 

     "Origanum's amazing," the she-cat in front of her said, eyes shining with admiration. "She may be wild and insane but she's the best Alpha ever."

     "She's our only one," Wildflower countered.

     "Well, that too." The white she-cat curled her tail around her paws. Chuckling, the she-cat said, "My name's Storm and I'm at the bottom of my rank like you."

     "What role?"

     "Warrior."

     "Ooh, nice!" Wildflower said. "I'm not one for fighting all of the time, but I'd be happy to fight to defend this tribe."

     "That's like every single one of us," Storm mimicked Wildflower's tone. "But most of the time the warriors just fill in spots in the patrols scouters and hunters don't fill themselves." 

     Interested in the she-cat, Wildflower and Storm conversed with each other as the line moved up and more cats left to join a patrol. They snickered and laughed, sharing past experiences as she listened to the warrior talk about her first battle with an Imperfect. Their conversation was cut off by a healer's call, and the white she-cat left her side.

     She's a lot like Cherry, now that I think of it. Shy but can have fun and possibly be wild. Wildflower hoped she made a possible friend; one that wasn't in her family. 

     "Next, please!" 

     Wildflower walked forward and the brown healer guided her to a nest. Around her, multiple nests were set up with cats laying in them, Storm was in the far corner speaking to a gray tom. Her healer pointed to a nest with her tail. As instructed, she sat down and the Healer greeted her with a friendly wave.

     "I know you might think these questions are strange since you haven't really done anything in this tribe quite yet," the healer started. "But it makes more sense once you do patrols or get into a battle with an Imperfect or fox."

     "That's okay with me," Wildflower said. 

     "Then... has anything happened to you in the past night?" 

     Does questioning Origanum count? "No, nothing out of the ordinary." 

     "Did you get enough sleep last night? Feel tired or wide awake?"

    "Wide awake."

     "Any strains or injuries you have?"

     "No."

     "Has anything been troubling you lately?"

     Origanum. "No."

     "Are you being honest with me?"

     "Yes."

     "Anything bothering you?"

     Origanum. "No."

     "What about you on the inside? Feel rage, sorrow, or joy?"

     "I don't know. I feel okay, relaxed right now," Wildflower answered, questioning how that kind of question would benefit her. She never liked sharing her feelings with other cats, even when it came to her family. Perhaps growing up with two very judgmental siblings, one that did offer to listen yet couldn't provide advice, one that did and could help her, and another that struggled talking about herself even when it came to normal activities. 

     "That sounds forced," the healer reported. "Your eyes shifted and I feel like you said that just to make me happy. Do you doubt some cat right now?"

     Origanum. "No."

     "I feel like you're lying to me."

     "I'm okay, it's nothing to worry about."

     "I'm a healer; it's my job to worry about you and your health, physically and mentally."

     "I think I'm good. I feel like I'm overwhelmed then from last night if you're looking for another word besides 'good'."

     The healer hesitated, pondering. Wildflower glanced over her shoulder, noticing Storm leave the den, trailing behind another tom. Nervous, she curled her tail around her paws, trying to keep her fidgeting to a minimum.

     "Your physical health is fairly good. No injuries are present. Mentally is the hardest. It might just be that you're new here," she mumbled. 

     Can I go now?

     "So... yes, everything is perfect! You're free to go!" Wildflower sat up, thanked the Healer, and left the den. She passed by Dandelion and the two shared a brief look. 

     She found herself wandering towards the souters' den. Inside, some cats were still asleep. Most of them were up and lazing around the den, still trying to wake up or stretching. She recognized Shade, the top scouter, and hesitated, debating whether to step closer. The black she-cat coughed and noticed her and frowned, eyeing her. Wildflower went still until the calico finally clicked the pieces together, her gaze becoming friendlier. 

     Wildflower crept closer, her fur standing on the edge. Brook and Clover looked over from their conversation and greeted the newest scouter momentarily before returning to their conversation. Shade didn't lift a paw or bother with her, leaving Crow the only scouter who hardly budged. With Thunder in the healers' den, the scouters didn't talk to each other, making her a little disappointed.

     Refusing to let it get to her, Wildflower found herself a spot and sat down, eyes scanning the camp as commotion started to rise. She spotted Maple by a spotted gray tom, seeming to teach him something. Her older brother disappeared somewhere and her mother was still waiting in line, conversing with another she-cat peacefully. 

     Then a shout rang over the camp. "I found a wildflower!"

     Origanum?

     Wildflower turned around to see the Alpha bolt into camp, a flower in her jaws. The Alpha looked right and left, eventually spotting her with the rest of the scouters. Like a bird, she floated closer, blue eyes sparkling as she neared, the flower swinging haplessly. Now standing in front of her, the tiny she-cat offered the flower.

     A long, green stem with a few leaves hanging off it. The small, purple blossom had a few specks of dirt on it and some parts were chewed off by rodents. Wildflower, not wanting to refuse the gift from the Alpha - and also didn't want to look bad in front of everyone - thanked Origanum and took the flower. 

     "I hope you have a good day!" With that, Origanum trotted towards the line, not bothering to skip ahead. She sat behind the last cat and engaged a conversation, her bubbly nature shining. 

     A cat behind her spoke up. 

     "Wildflower." A black tom stepped up to her with a white ear tip. "We're going to just scout the main territory. Be ready once Thunder's done, okay?"

     "Of course," Wildflower replied. It may not be to the Training Den, but I still can't mess up now!  Though going to the Training Den would be better... but I guess they don't want new scouters to take that kind of patrol? 

     "Don't get ahead of yourself," she whispered to herself, closing her eyes. "Excitement can be the biggest downfall of your life. Don't let a single mistake screw up your entire life or else you could be a lowly Imperfect."