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7 Moons. LightningClan. She-Cat.

Minkpaw perked up her ears as she listened intently to Firestar, feeling a pent-up excitement and nervousness that sent her paws ashuffle. She glanced sideways at Batpaw, flicking her tail with agitation as she tried to see if her clanmate was as on-edge as she was. She wondered if it was her first gathering too, but could no longer ask as Firestar started the movement forwards and her world was filled with crunching snow and huffed breath from running cats.

The brown apprentice kept pace, falling into place next to Batpaw as they drew closer. She wondered if Badgerpaw would be there, and a fresh note of anxiety ran through her. What if he remembered her this time and went up to greet her? He wasn't the most canny cat and she thought it would be just like him to forget himself and great her if he remembered he knew her.

Should I pretend I don't know him? Should I avoid him?

She almost didn't want to go anymore, but it was too late as they came into sight of the gathering and arrived among the myriad scents of other cats. It was like a flood to the young she-cat, and her fur fluffed up against the onslaught as she froze and tried to take it all in. She had never in her life seen so many cats in the same place, nor smelled so many different family scents. She glanced around, startled as her gaze flitted from cat to cat.

Badgerpaw didn't seem to be there, and that comforted her at least, but she found herself looking at a bright red tom-cat who was chatting to a brown cat.

That's funny, he looks like a fox-coloured version of me

She mused, but then got jostled by a passing cat and brought herself back, seeing Batpaw nearby and skittering nervously over to stand next to her.

"There's so many cats!"

She mewed with amazement.

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Word Count:324
Tags:@marshymutt
Notes:

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9 moons. Apprentice. RainClan.

As Berrypaw sat listening to Stormstars speech, she squirmed uncomfortably. She could feel her brothers’ eyes on her, jealous and disappointed. Frogpaw would get over it, but Goldpaw she wasn't sure. She wasn't sure about him much these days. Realizing she had become distracted, she tuned into the last few words of Stormstar’s instructions and was ready when the gathering delegation trotted out of camp. It was an exhilarating experience, crossing over the streams and creeks with such a large group of cats. There had never been so many cats in one place outside of camp before… well except for when Stormstar came to the Wooded Cove to reunite the clan. But then she had been the outsider, and she took comfort and pride that now she was part of the ranks of the true Rainclan, and she felt the solidarity of all the pelts mixing around her and the kind paws which nudged her this way and that.

They arrived at Starclan’s claws first, and Berrypaw had to stop and stare in awe at the great stones. Suddenly she felt very small and insignificant compared to the rest of the world, and even to the other warriors. While yes she was bigger than most apprentices her age, courtesy of her parents’ large figures, she was still an inexperienced apprentice. Realizing that the other clans had started to file into the area and she was alone at the edge, the she-cat darted forward, only to find herself in the middle of a roiling mass of pelts, the scents of so many cats and the different cats overwhelming her. As she stumbled through, she finally found an opening.

Only to run into the figure of another apprentice. She backpedaled, spluttering an apology.

“Im s-so sorry I didn't see you, I was so overwhelmed… I've never seen so many cats with so many scents!”

She looked down her shuffling paws, ears twitching with embarassment.

“I bet it's obvious it's my first time.” Berrypaw looked up at the two other cats, clearly apprentices, and decided to try to start over. “My name is Berrypaw, from Rainclan. You two are...?”

The dilute calico waited in suspense, her fear and discomfort draining away and instead replaced with curiosity.

384. @sparrowkeeper @marshymutt. Notes: