"You are now renamed Bearpaw, Mossypaw, Swiftpaw, Starlingpaw, and Owlpaw. You may join your mentors. Hazelpaw and Starlingpaw, Duskstar and I would like to see you." Olivestar looked at Starlingpaw and for a split second, the she-cat was sure she saw her leader wink at her.
"Come on, we don't want to get in trouble for being late." Starlingpaw turned to look at a tortoiseshell she-cat who had caught up to her. She gave a slight smile. "I'm Hazelpaw, by the way. Olivestar's apprentice." Starlingpaw smiled back.
"Starlingpaw. Duskstar's apprentice. But you already knew that..." Her voice trailed off as she looked back in front of her. Hazelpaw laughed. Confused, Starlingpaw looked back up to meet the soft amber eyes of the she-cat. Did she find it...funny? Nobody had ever found Starlingpaw funny. That was...different. Maybe she had found a friend after all.
"So, what exactly are we doing?" Starlingpaw asked after a moment of silence. Hazelpaw thought to herself for a second and looked back at the younger she-cat. Starlingpaw fluffed up her white and brown pelt before laying it down flat again.
"Well, it really depends. Olivestar and Duskstar like to surprise us. Maybe we're going to take a trip to the South Side Waters. Or maybe we're going to help choose the next apprentices and their mentors. It really varies by the mood the leaders are in." Starlingpaw nodded in understanding as they reached Duskstar's branch den.
Hazelpaw stepped in, followed by Starlingpaw, who made sure to stay at the she-cat's heels. Poppywind and Sparkfire stayed behind them, making sure no other cats were following.
Duskstar's den was nothing like Olivestar's. The floor was rough and sharp, rocks poking out in the most unexpected places. It was cold, the wind easily blown in through the thin layer of branches that made up the walls. A simple moss bed lay in the middle of the den, and a small pile of prey lay scattered next to it. The only source of water was water-soaked moss, and puddles pooled around the moss.
"So, welcome to my den," Duskstar padded out from around a corner that Starlingpaw hadn't noticed before. I wonder where that came from? She thought silently. "Most cats rarely get to see this den; it's a bit of a sacred place. This will end up being your den one day, so learn where everything is." The brown tom said. There's not much to learn, Starlingpaw thought again. I know. Wait. Who was talking? Nobody seemed to hear anything, so Starlingpaw just assumed she was paranoid.
"Now, we wait." Olivestar came out from the same corner Duskstar emerged from.
"Wait for what?" Starlingpaw asked, her fur slowly rising as she questioned a leader.
"For the medicine cats, deputies, and Guardians," Duskstar replied.
No sooner had his words been spoken, two cats padded into his den. One was a white tom with brown flecks on his back and paws, and he had brown eyes like tree bark. He looks like me, Starlingpaw said to herself as he seated himself and waited for the rest of the cats. The second cat was a black cat with blue eyes like the sky. They were incredible. The scent of herbs clung to her pelt, so Starlingpaw assumed that she was one of the medicine cats.
After a short while, the last two cats joined the group, and the Guardians stayed at the entrance to the den. The she-cat, Yewsong, was one of FallenClan's deputies, and a very respected one. Everyone knew about her, and if they didn't, they would find out soon enough. The second medicine cat, Cedarshine, was highly favored among all the cats in the Clan, and always managed to heal a cat, no matter the cost.
"Now that our group is complete," Olivestar spoke, "We can discuss the pairings of this season." Starlingpaw tilted her head in confusion, and was about to lean over and ask Hazelpaw what pairings were, but stopped herself before she was punished.
"I for one think that Ebonylight should be paired this season," The black she-cat said, her eyes flickering back and forth between all of the cats.
"And why should that be, Tallwatcher?" Olivestar gazed at the she-cat with a dark hazel glare.
"Well, she is one of our youngest warriors, and she is very skilled in hunting and fighting. Her kits would be very strong and healthy." Olivestar nodded as Tallwatcher made her points, and she finally spoke when nobody else did.
"Very well then, Ebonylight will be part of a pairing. But who will she mate with?" Nobody spoke, so Starlingpaw figured she should step in.
"What about Elmthroat or Leopardstorm?" All eyes turned to the she-cat, and when nobody interrupted her, she figured she should keep speaking. "Well, Elmthroat is an amazing warrior, and he is very swift, too. He and Ebonylight would have good kits. And if that doesn't work out, Leopardstorm would work too. He is very strong and has great fighting skills. His kits would be stronger than their father." Duskstar nodded in approval and spoke.
"Starlingpaw has a point. I think Elmthroat would make a good pairing for Ebonylight." Olivestar and the rest of the cats nodded to show their agreement. "I also think that Emberwillow or Sableleap would make a good pairing with Batwatcher. They are healthy warriors that have good qualities." Cedarshine responded with his thoughts.
"Sableleap is a good warrior. We can't lose her abilities in the Clan at this time. We need to stock up on prey for leafbare. Emberwillow is tough. She would be able to pull through the kitting, and manage to deliver healthy kits, even if she dies." Olivestar stopped him before he could say any more.
"Yes, but Sableleap would deliver better and stronger kits."
"But we can't afford to lose her for that long. The Clan needs her skills to survive." Olivestar sighed.
"Fine. Our pairings for this season are Ebonylight and Elmthroat, and Emberwillow and Batwatcher?" The group nodded. "Very well then, I will announce the pairings at sundown. Pineflight, make sure our borders are marked and don't forget to send out the hunting patrols." The white and brown tom nodded. "You are dismissed."
Starlingpaw exited the den with Hazelpaw at her side.
"That was cool," she said. "Now what?"
Hazelpaw gave a sly smile.
"We could go and eat," She widened her eyes as she spoke. "Or, we could take an adventure."

A/N||
Hey, Lovelies! I really should wait to post this in a few days, but I really love this story and the characters, and the ideas just keep coming! I really do want to hear your ideas on the book; I'm working really hard! This book is just the slightest bit better than Lost (but you might have your own opinions) because the book has fewer plot holes and makes more sense. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it, and thank you for reading, voting, commenting, and sharing, and I hope to see you soon!
Love Ya,
~Briar