Chapter 4

Duskpaw lifted himself into the gap and layed panting for a while. Shallowpaw watched him as he rested from the climb to the leader's den. Duskpaw sat up and looked around the leader's den. The den was average sized with a moss nest at the end. The wall's rock formation seemed like ripples of a lake leading to a slightly visible hole in the floor disguised by shadows.

'What is that used for? Where does it go?' Duskpaw thought.

Duskpaw's amber eyes landed onto the four cats in the shadows of the den, near the nest. Shallowpaw stepped forward and without hesitation dipped her head to the big blue-gray tom with white and silver splotches and black spots over his body, then looked at Duskpaw and motioned for him to do the same. Duskpaw mimicked Shallowpaw's action and waited. The blue gray tom got up and walked towards Duskpaw and around him, inspecting the young brown tom with blue eyes scanning up and down. The tom stopped circling Duskpaw and then nodded.

"Welcome Duskpaw." He said in a gentle tone.

"Er…thank you?" Duskpaw replied not sure.

"Allow me to introduce myself." He said. "I am Rainstar, leader of RuneClan. The white she-cat with silver specks is the deputy of this clan, Featherwing. The white tom with the light cream colored flanks is our medicine cat Shellrise and the pale she-cat is his apprentice, Lightpaw."

"Welcome," Shellrise and Featherwing said.

"Hello" Lightpaw greeted. Duskpaw nodded his head at the three cats then focused his gaze on Rainstar.

"Rainstar is it true that…. That I was requested to-"Duskpaw stopped, not believing that one of his Clanmates would actually ask for a catnapping.

"Ah! So you've heard from Shallowpaw. She is a kind and energetic apprentice but too talkative and social for her own good." Rainstar sighed.

"Sooo sorry," Shallowpaw said sarcastically.

"Now why did you bring Duskpaw here Shallowpaw? I told no one to speak with him, nevertheless, bring him here." Rainstar calmly said.

"I thought that you would want to talk with him before the clan started to get noisy about him," Shallowpaw replied.

"Good guess, but you should not have taken action without word from me nevertheless back to Duskpaw's question. Sadly, maybe for you, Duskpaw you were indeed requested to be taken into our clan." Rainstar answered. Duskpaw was shocked at his words. He had believed Shallowpaw's words but he had hoped that it had been a lie, a hoax.

"Who?" Duskpaw asked.

"Hmm?"

"Who was it that wanted me away from IceClan!" Duskpaw shouted, feeling betrayed. He knew that he was an orphan, no one knowing who was his real mother or father, but the whole Clan hadn't shunned him for it, most not even knowing about his situation. Duskpaw thought that he was part of IceClan, accepted and with friends.

"They did not want to have you gone." Lightpaw said. The pale cream she-cat stepped towards him until she was in front. Her green eyes looked deeply into Duskpaw's amber ones. "She said that it was for the best."

"How can it be for the best without telling me?" Duskpaw said in an icy tone.

"She has the sight. Unclear but nevertheless, the sight." Lightpaw said, then returned to her mentor's side without a word.

"What's the sight?" Duskpaw asked Rainstar. Rainstar moved his blue eyes towards Shallowpaw.

"Would you care to explain?" he asked her.

"I suppose I would be the best to explain." Shallowpaw answered. "The sight differs. I have it, and I noticed you have it. Don't interrupt me now. My version of the sight is to 'see' auras. Your aura changes with your emotions and level of stress. I can also detect others that have this special ability since their aura is a bit different….multi colored."

"The cat that came here said that she couldn't 'see' the outcome, but just knew that the result would be good." Shallowpaw continued. "Should I tell him of the decision you made Rainstar?"

"No. Not now, he'll be told in time." Rainstar replied. "Thank you for that explanation Shallowpaw." Rainstar's blue eyes looked back to Duskpaw. "Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"What will happen to me?" Duskpaw asked a bit surprised at Shallowpaw's declaration of having a special power.

"You are one of our apprentices now. You will be mentored just like any other apprentice and become a warrior of RuneClan." Rainstar replied. "Featherwing choose. Firelight, Shadowwind, or Spottedpelt."

"I would suggest Firelight. He should be able to make Duskpaw feel comfortable with his optimistism." The white she-cat replied.

"Firelight it is." Rainstar said. "Duskpaw, later I will officially make a ceremony naming you one of our clan cats and with a mentor, but for now could you please go off and distract yourself with the other apprentices?"

Duskpaw nodded slowly, the shock of joining another clan still in his mind.

"Good. Featherwing could you get Firelight, and Shellrise you may leave." Rainstar ordered.

"C'mon." Shallowpaw whispered. Duskpaw started to follow her, but watched as Shellrise and Lightpaw disappeared in the shielded hole.

'That must lead to the medicine cat's den,' Duskpaw thought. Featherwing passed Duskpaw and hopped down the slanted boulder, pebbles falling as the deputy jumped from place to place.

"Do we have to do that?" Duskpaw asked.

"Let's get started," Shallowpaw replied and started jumping just as Featherwing had. Duskpaw groaned and slowly tested the pebbles in front of him. Each step increased Duskpaw's level of fear. Duskpaw heard Shallowpaw laugh ahead of him and quickened his pace in humiliation. Duskpaw almost tumbled as a pebble gave in to his weight but he jumped before falling and landed on the ground rather roughly.

'Ow!' Duskpaw yelped in his thoughts. 'My pads hurt.'

"Whoa! That was amazing! I've never seen a cat jump from the middle of the pile of pebbles to the ground but Rainstar!" Shallowpaw exclaimed. Duskpaw blushed underneath his fur. Duskpaw tried to look somewhere else but at Shallowpaw and realized that some of the Runeclan cats were staring at him making Duskpaw blush even more.

"Let's go." Duskpaw said.

"Okay," Shallowpaw replied rather happily. Duskpaw followed the tortoiseshell apprentice to the boulder where the apprentice dens where located. Oceanpaw was stretching when Duskpaw and Shallowpaw got there. Oceanpaw glanced at Duskpaw for a moment with her vivid green eyes the bounded over to the two.

"I don't suppose you know the whereabouts of my mentor." Oceanpaw asked Shallowpaw in a drowsy uncaring voice. Shallowpaw shook her head making Oceanpaw sigh. "Well, I guess I could go hunting for some lizards or maybe get an owl." Oceanpaw chuckled to herself. "Well, see you little sister and stranger." Oceanpaw said moving to the exit of the camp.

"Lizards? Owls?" Duskpaw looked at Shallowpaw questionably.

"Those are territorial prey. Lizards, snakes, hares, mice sometimes but they live in the ground, sparrows, and if we're lucky owls." Shallowpaw listed. "Also, some prey from the other territory may wander here and we get to enjoy the delicious taste of different food." Duskpaw looked at Shallowpaw and laughed to himself at how she seemed to be dreaming of food.

"Shallowpaw!" a beautiful silver tabby with a white chest called out. The tabby strode over to the apprentice. "What are you doing? I've been waiting for you to start your battle traini-who's this? Is this the IceClan cat?"

"Yes Risingmoon. I was attending him and trying to make him feel welcome. It's quite hard to be in a new clan alone, you know?" Shallowpaw replied.

"Well…I suppose I can let you have the rest of the afternoon to show him around, but at dusk be ready to hunt." Risingmoon told her apprentice.

"Yes Risingmoon," Shallowpaw dipped her head in respect. Duskpaw watched Shallowpaw's amber eyes as they brightened up. Shallowpaw opened her maw before Risingmoon was out of hearing range "Risingmoon?"

"Yes?" the beautiful warrioir turned.

"Could we bring Duskpaw? Possibly get him used to our territory?" Shallowpaw asked. The silver tabby glanced at Duskpaw with her brown eyes then looked back at Shallowpaw.

"I think that would be best for him." Risingmoon agreed.

"Thank you Risingmoon," Shallowpaw turned to Duskpaw and motioned for him to dip his head. Duskpaw bowed to the warrior, unsure why Shallowpaw would ask to take him with her so soon. Risingmoon walked away to talk with some warriors and Shallowpaw swatted Duskpaw's ear playfully.

"C'mon! Let's go play in the meantime." Shallowpaw proclaimed. Duskpaw looked at her, confused.

"What is there to play? Maybe you haven't realized Shallowpaw but I'm not one of you. I don't know anything of anything around here." Duskpaw projected his thoughts.

"So? Today, this is your home. And soon everyone will know you as a friend and you to them, but we need to start somewhere." Shallowpaw replied. Duskpaw realized that there was truth to her words. He looked at the tortoiseshell apprentice.

"What are we going to play?"

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