Golden Hour

Golden Hour is the first book in the trilogy series.

APPRENTICE: Shrewpaw

**Deputy:** Raptorswoop (Dark brown tom with glassy amber eyes; father to Shrewpaw, Volepaw, and Molepaw)

**Medicine-cat:** Swiftstone (Large brown tabby tom)

APPRENTICE: Rainpaw

**Mediator:** None

**Warriors:**

Freeflight (White she-cat with a long tail)

Snowbranch (White she-cat with blue eyes; sister to Freeflight)

APPRENTICE: Tornpaw

Starlingsight (Blue-grey tom; father to Rainpaw)

APPRENTICE: Molepaw

Duskwatcher (Black she-cat)

Russetberry (Dark red she-cat with a black stripe running on her back; mother to Shrewpaw, Volepaw, and Molepaw)

Sootmask (Speckled grey tom with a black face and paws)

APPRENTICE: Volepaw

Robinpounce (Brown tom with green eyes)

Ebonypatch (Shorthaired black tom with glassy yellow eyes)

Frondwing (White she-cat)

**Apprentices:**

Rainpaw (Long-haired dark blue-grey speckled she-cat with light blue eyes)

Tornpaw (Large dark grey tom with light amber eyes)

Shrewpaw (Light brown tabby she-cat)

Molepaw (Mottled brown tom with blue eyes)

Volepaw (Light brown tom with a cream underbelly)

**Queens/Nursery Toms:**

Embersong (Cream she-cat; expecting Robinpounce's kits, sister to Fernstar)

**Elders:**

None

### SkyClan

**Leader:** Turtlestar (Small calico she-cat with dark green eyes)

**Deputy:** Flameslash (Cream she-cat with amber eyes)

**Medicine-cat:** Fringewillow (Sleek brown she-cat with darker points and green eyes)

**Mediator:** Robinflight (Brown she-cat with a cream underbelly)

**Warriors:**

Bacontail (Black tom with a red tail, formerly a rogue)

Gorsetuft (Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes)

Featherflutter (Silver tabby she-cat)

Willowbush (Brown and white tom with amber eyes)

Riftleg (Grey tom with a twisted leg)

Clearday (Light grey tom with white speckles)

Sunfur (Downy cream she-cat with amber eyes)

**Apprentices:**

Petalpaw (Pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with sky blue eyes)

Stonepaw (Light grey tom with white patches and green eyes)

**Queens/Nursery Toms:**

Tinyfoot (Colorpoint she-cat with small feet; mother to Featherkit (Silver mottled tom), Cloudkit (Light grey tom), and Driftkit (Silver she-cat with black stripes)

Shadeshine (Black she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes; mother to Sparrowkit: Black tom with yellow eyes

Lilacstem (White and cream she-cat with amber eyes; expecting Bacontail's kits)

Duskday (Fluffy light brown she-cat with hazel eyes; expecting Willowbush's kits)

**Elders:**

Yarrowleaf (White she-cat with dark amber eyes, deaf in both ears)

Scorchpelt (Large ginger tom; father to Flameslash)

### ThunderClan

**Leader:** Snowystar (Tall white she-cat with grey ears and paws)

**Deputy:** Mossysong (Lithe light ginger she-cat)

**Medicine-cat:** Sagelily (Black she-cat with a cream underbelly and a light brown dappled back)

**Warriors:**

Morninghaze (Cream-pink spotted she-cat with glassy blue eyes; mother to Dawnshine and Duskshade)

Mapleflutter (Tortoiseshell tom; mates with Morninghaze)

Sparkflash (Bright ginger tabby she-cat with fierce amber eyes)

Snapshine (Black she-cat with cream spots and green eyes)

Foxfoot (Ginger tom with black feet and a white underbelly)

### Cats Outside Clans

Sunny (Large cream she-cat; mother to Butterscotch, expecting more kits)

Butterscotch (Ginger tabby she-cat with emerald green eyes)

# Golden Hour

## Prologue:

Fringewillow closes her eyes as the open air of WindClan territory hits her face.

*To the moonpool I go…*

She grumbles.

*Not as exciting as it felt as an apprentice…*

She trudged up a small lump in the earth, discomforted by the cold air instead of the warmth of SkyClan’s forest.

She narrows her eyes, focusing on WindClan territory, and something catches her eye; WindClan’s open camp.

*Their nursery…kits…* She sighs inwardly.

*Kits!* The brown she-cat is instantly reminded of the four kits in her camp, about to become apprentices this moon.

*And with them being apprentices…that gives SkyClan the possibility of a new medicine-cat apprentice…*

She shivers, curling her fluffy tail around her flank.

*How can WindClan cats stand this cold, not in the warmth of trees?*

She stares ahead, narrowing her eyes at the moonpool entrance.

*And after walking through the cold, I have to go drink freezing cold water…* She cringes, rolling her eyes.

*So mouse-brained…*

A cream tom stalks up to her from behind.

“Boo.”

She yelps, jumping as she shoots him a gaze.

“N-Not funny, Swiftstone…”

The named tom snorted.

“Ol’ Fringewillow can’t take a joke?”

Fringewillow lashed out with sheathed paws. “Shush, you big heep of fur…”

Swiftstone blinked cheerily, his tail practically touching the moon.

“So, how’s WindClan?” Fringewillow mews, veering her gaze away from him and instead staring at some ferns.

“...I’d love to say good, but not currently…” Swiftstone sighs, a glint of grief welling in his eyes.

“Why?”

“Quailstar…s-she’s dead…”

“Oh StarClan, Swiftstone. I’m sorry.”

The brown tom nods in acknowledgement, though his head hung.

Fringewillow licks his cheek.

“Has Fernshadow-or star gotten their lives yet?” She asks gently, her brown fur slicked back by the wind.

“Yes, a quarter moon ago.”

Fringewillow nods, gazing at him sympathetically.

Swiftstone stares up at the night sky, stars the color of snow twinkling. “But I’ll move on.”

The brown-she-cat nods, flicking her tail.

*It isn’t as cold now that I’ve been walking for a while, thank StarClan…*

Swiftstone peers upwards, the moonpool moving closer.

“Do you think Sagelily’s there?”

The WindClan tom snorts. “Always the first one there.”

Fringewillow leans to both sides. “Yep.”

The warm, damp scent of the cave drifts into her nose.

“We’re here!” Swiftstone purrs.

*Finally.*

Fringewillow settles next to Swiftstone, curling up neatly.

“Hi guys!”

There she is; Sagelily, one of the most joyful cats in the history of ThunderClan.

“Hey, Sagelily.” Swiftstone responds with a friendly smile, curling his tail around his paws.

Sagelily blinks, mottled fur scruffy and ungroomed. “How’s SkyClan and WindClan?” She mews, batting a pebble between her paws.

Swiftstone stares at his paws, mouth quivering.

*He’ll probably be getting that question a lot tonight…*

Fringewillow nods respectfully, “SkyClan is doing wonderfully. How’s ThunderClan?”

Swiftstone glances at the SkyClan medicine-cat with gratitude, looking up.

“ThunderClan is awesome! We have two new apprentices!” She purrs, wagging her short tail like a dog in sight of terrified cats.

“That’s nice.” Swiftstone purrs, regaining his joyfulness again.

A sleek silver tom appeared like a shadow in the entrance.

“Apologies, did I miss anything?” He merrowed, padding closer with shimmering blue eyes.

Sagelily looked down, scrunching up into a tight little ball.

*Poor Sagelily…I don’t get why Minnowsplash is such a jerk towards her…*

“You didn’t miss anything, Minnowsplash.” Swiftstone meowed coldly, frowning.

Sagelily curled up beside the moonpool, glaring at Minnowsplash fiercely but returned her gaze to her tail.

Fringewillow patted the floor beside her with her tail, peering at Minnowsplash with a hard glance.

“Come sit here, Minnow.” She merrowed, trying to spread the RiverClan and ThunderClan medicine-cats as far away from each other as they can be.

Sagelily shuffled closer to Swiftstone, who gestured openly to her.

Minnowsplash sighed, flicking his tail.

“Hey Fringewillow, can I tell you something?”

“Uhm-sure.”

Minnowsplash closes his eyes.

“I feel like all the medicine-cats - you, Swiftstone, Sagelily, and Barkdrift act really cold towards me…” He mews, “I don’t know why! I’m probably the nicest tom to ever live!” He protested to himself and Fringewillow angrily.

*Because bullying a cat moons younger than you is ‘nice’*

She grumbled, slamming her tail on the floor.

“Maybe you should uh-uhm…” She trailed off, peering over her shoulder to Swiftstone.

Minnowsplash scoffs. “If you don’t want to comfort the *best* cat alive, just say so.” He turned away, stomping towards Sagelily.

*Oh no-*

Sagelily veered away, trotting in between Fringewillow and Swiftstone.

Minnowsplash rolled his eyes.

“Why are you so *scared* of me?” He sneered, lashing his tail.

Fringewillow let out a hiss.

“Stop it, Minnowsplash. You’re causing nothing but trouble.”

With a huff, Minnowsplash seats himself far away from everyone.

*Phew-*

Barkdrift stalks in, making his presence known with a cough and wheeze.

“Hey, guys,” He sneezes, “Did I miss anything?”

Swiftstone nudges his body towards Fringewillow.

“Are you alright? You probably should’ve…stayed at your camp.”

Barkdrift stubbornly shook his head.

“I wouldn’t miss these meetings for the life of me!” He hissed, “Who knows, this could be my last…”

He plops down next to Minnowsplash with a thump, hacking and sneezing in the RiverClan medicine-cat’s face.

“Ew.”

Fringewillow sighs.

“Alright, everyone here?” She mewed, glancing around at everyone.

“Yes, other than Rainpaw.” Swiftstone meows, blinking.

“Well, where is she?” Barkdrift rasped.

“Stayed back at camp; Snowbranch has a fever.”

Barkdrift nods.

“Let’s get it started, then.” Fringewillow meows, craning her head to take a sip from the pool.

She wakes with a jolt, leaves showering on her head as she clings to a tree.

She pricks her ears to the murmuring of cats.

*I’ll just go down this tree…at least I don’t have to walk tree lengths just to talk to some nonsense StarClan cat…*

She scrambles down the tree like a squirrel, looking wide eyed at three cats.

*“Run!”* Two of them scramble away; a white tom and a brown tom, but a cream she-cat stays put.

Fringewillow flattens her ears to her head defensively.

“I’m sorry about them, they’re just a little bit skittish.” The cream she-cat mewed, “I am Honeyhaze.”

*“I think I’ve heard about you before…”* Fringewillow murmured, flicking her tail.

Honeyhaze nods. “I was Quailstar’s mentor.” She purred.

“So you get to see her now, I presume?” Fringewillow merrowed, staring intently at the starry she-cat.

“Yep, but we aren’t here to chat about my apprentice…” She meowed, “Rather, we’re here to talk about her clan.”

“StarClan?”

“No, mouse-brain. WindClan!” Honeyhaze snorted, rolling her eyes.

Fringewillow twitched an ear, annoyance and embarrassment lingering in her chest.

*She’s a StarClan cat now-I’m not mouse-brained!*

Honeyhaze sighed, blinking. “Anyways, I’m tired, so I’m just gonna tell you now.”

Fringewillow surveyed at her paws, which were beginning to fade.

*Oh no!*

“Get on with it! I’m waking up!” She hissed, lashing her tail.

Honeyhaze ran her gaze up and down the transparent she-cat.

“I see. Well you need to warn Swiftstone about-”

Fringewillow lifted her head, the dewey scent of the moonpool filling her nostrils.

She lashes her tail.

"Are you okay, Fringewillow?" Swiftstone asks, yawning.

"Mouse-dung! I didn’t hear it!" She hissed, raking the stone ground with her claws.

"Hear what?"

"The warning for your clan!"

## Chapter One

Shrewpaw yawns as she arises from her sleep; she was curled into a ball, her downy tail around her face.

She leaped to her paws, licking her fur straight.

*Fernstar said she’d take me out for battle practice today!*

Tornpaw swallowed the air in a big gulp behind her.

“How are you up so early?”

Shrewpaw frowns.

*Is Freeflight not taking him out for training or something?*

“Because I can be?” She mewed, raising an eyebrow.

“Whatever…” He murmured, curling back up and dozing off.

Shrewpaw approaches the fresh-kill pile, before stopping dead in her tracks.

*Oh right-apprentices can’t eat until they’ve caught something…*

Resisting the urge to eat, she turned away and sat in a lush patch of grass, grooming her hind leg.

She jolts to a tap on her shoulder, turning around.

Fernstar.

“Oh-hi!” Shrewpaw exclaimed, getting to her paws.

“Hello.” Fernstar meowed, narrowing her eyes.

Shrewpaw ignores it with a flinch.

*Does she not trust me?*

Fernstar flicked her tail, “Let’s get out with it, then.”

“Okay…”

Shrewpaw peers up at the sky as her and Fernstar pad along.

*I almost caught it! It was just a tail length away-*

She imagines the hare from her dream, staring blankly at the ground.

*I was so good at stalking it! I couldn’t even hear my own pawsteps!*

She flicks her tail happily, grinning.

“Why are you smiling?” Fernstar merrowed, twitching a fly away from her ear.

Shrewpaw jolts, forcing a stone-face.

“I was thinking…”

“...About a tom?”

“No! About a dream I had!” Shrewpaw gasped in astonishment.

*I’m only eight moons old!*

Fernstar grunts. “You never know with apprentices.”

Shrewpaw glanced down at the ground, nodding slightly.

“Anyways, we’re about there.” Fernstar mewed.

*Huh?*

“Where?” Shrewpaw asked, flicking her tail.

“The moon!” She mocked, “The training curve; where do you think?”

Shrewpaw nods guiltily, lapping at her chest fur.

Fernstar sighed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you to be more intelligent.” She reassured slyly.

Shrewpaw gulps.

*Am I stupid?*

Fernstar scoffed.

“I’m going to be teaching you playing dead, and then taking your attacker off guard.”

Shrewpaw blinks.

“Okay, cool…claws sheathed?”

Fernstar looked at her as if she had just offered her a pouch of deathberries.

“Of course not!” She hissed, “You can never go easy on your enemies, Shrewpaw. You should know that by now.”

Shrewpaw flattens her ears.

“But you’re my clanmate…why must I hurt a clanmate?”

Fernstar frowns.

“In this situation, I’m your attacker! If you’re gonna be so soft, why didn’t you train under Stormwatcher instead?”

Shrewpaw whimpered quietly, dropping her head.

“I don’t know…”

Fernstar stomped ahead, huffing.

*What did I do?*

Fernstar brushed the ground with her paws, dust flying into Shrewpaw’s face.

The brown she-cat coughed, blinking repeatedly as her eyes watered.

“Oops.” Fernstar merrowed coldly.

Shrewpaw gathered herself, wheezing.

Fernstar rolled her eyes, flicking her tail tip.

“We must get on with your battle training, Shrewpaw.” She meowed firmly, “A sprinkle of dust in your eyes isn’t the end of WindClan.”

Shrewpaw nods half-heartedly, licking her flank fur straight.

“Allow me to demonstrate.” Fernstar merrowed.

“Okay…”

Fernstar collapses, holding her breath.

Shrewpaw stalks closer cautiously, leaning down to sniff the leader’s pelt.

Suddenly, the cream she-cat sprang up, pounding Shrewpaw to the ground.

The apprentice squeaked, bristling her tail.

Fernstar raked her claws on Shrewpaw’s flank, snickering with satisfaction.

*Ouch!*

The injured she-cat rolled away, breathing heavily.

Fernstar stuck out her tongue, scoffing, “If you wanna be my apprentice, you’re gonna have to be stronger.”

Shrewpaw narrows her eyes, nodding half-heartedly, “O-ok…”

“Do you see now?” Fernstar asks firmly, brushing her tail on the ground.

Shrewpaw staggered to her paws, breathing in-and-out.

“Y-yeah…”

Fernstar tilts her head questioningly.

“You sure?” She nodded to the oozing blood running down her flank.

Shrewpaw winced, “Yup.”

*She’d probably yell at me if I didn’t*

Shrewpaw got to her paws, twitching slightly.

“So, I have to replicate what you just did, but on you?” The apprentice asked curiously.

Fernstar nodded, “Mhm. Remember, claws unsheathed!” As she finished speaking, Shrewpaw felt her claws easily slide out from her toes.

*Game on, Fernstar!*

Shrewpaw tumbled forward before collapsing, closing her eyes.

Fernstar tapped her with a claw.

“Oh no, I’ve killed her! Whatever shall we do?” The cream leader sliced her claw across Shrewpaw’s cheek.

*Ow!*

With new-found energy, Shrewpaw burst up, pouncing on Fernstar and battering her mentor's belly like painful raindrops.

Fernstar snorted, “If you wanna hurt an attacker, you’re gonna have to try harder than that!”

Shrewpaw wheezed, adrenaline slowly fading.

“Try again.” Fernstar instructed firmly, flicking her tail.

Shrewpaw nodded, closing her eyes and catching her breath.

Fernstar sighed, sitting down.

“You’re tired, aren’t you?” She mewed accusingly.

Shrewpaw’s pupils form into the shape of a full moon as she flicks her gaze towards her mentor.

“Just a bit…fatigued.” She merrowed, desperately trying to ease her heavy breathing.

“If you try again, I’ll let you have first pick off of the pile.” Fernstar reasoned, a cold glare hardening in her gaze.

Shrewpaw nodded, staggering to her paws and mewing, “Alright.”

She breathed, toppling over with a heaving stomach.

Fernstar rolled her eyes.

“So you don’t want first pick off the pile? Okay.” She began to head for the exit. Shrewpaw sprang up, taking her mentor off guard.

Winded, Fernstar rolled over and pushed Shrewpaw off of her.

“-Good job!” She merrowed, a glint of pride flickering in her gaze.

Shrewpaw grinned slightly, padding closer to her mentor’s side.

“Let’s get to camp, then.” Fernstar mewed, stalking through the exit and narrowing her eyes at the breeze.

“Okay!” The brown apprentice squeals, bounding ahead with a mix of excitement and relief.

Fernstar trailed behind unexpectedly, seemingly tired.

Shrewpaw craned her neck to look over her shoulder, stopping and plopping her haunches down.

“Are you okay?” She asked, half worried and confused at the same time.

Fernstar sighed, “I’m fine, Shrewpaw.”

The apprentice got back to her paws, returning to the silent amble back to camp.

Shrewpaw bounded over the fresh-kill pile with a squeal, now noticing her growling belly.

She pulled an enormous hare off of the pile, dragging it towards Fernstar, who had just arrived back into camp.

“Want to share?” She mewed, staring hopefully at the dull cream she-cat.

“I’m good, thanks.” She meowed.

Shrewpaw frowned.

“Okay…"

## Chapter Two

Rainpaw prodded some cobwebs stuck to a rock, trying to twist them off of the gritty stone.

The glossy, sticky strands flew off of the rock, clinging onto the stick.

*“Gotcha!”* She whispered victoriously, lifting her head and padding away from the now-bland stones.

*Right, right…Swiftstone told me to get some catmint from the horseplace!* she reminded herself inwardly. *Maybe I could get some other herbs, too!*

Trudging through grass and stepping over stones, she makes out the horseplace in the distance.

“Finally!” She thinks aloud, relieved.

To catch her breath, she drops her paws and lays down under the shade of a RiverClan mangrove tree.

Her eyes cracked open when she was tossed over by another cat.

She yelped, unsheathing her claws and scoring at the attacker’s ears weakly.

The cat squeaked frightfully dashing behind the tree and trembled loudly.

Rainpaw steadies herself.

*Who was that?*

“Hello?” She yowled softly, padding closer to the cat that had attacked her just moments before.

Slowly, a ginger tabby she-cat crept out from behind the tree, wide green eyes locked on Rainpaw’s.

*Oh, she doesn’t look too hostile…*

“Why are you at the stables? In my friend and I’s territory?” They meowed fiercely, though their tone quivered and their tail was twice its usual size.

*The stables?*

“You mean the horseplace?” Rainpaw asked, curious.

The barn cat shook her head, “No, the horse stables.” She corrected.

*I’ll just call it that so I don’t start I fight-*

“Apologies! I was collecting herbs for my clan.” Rainpaw dipped her head.

The light ginger she-cat nodded, “I’m sorry for attacking you…” She meowed, tail fur beginning to flatten and starting to feel at ease, “My name's Butterscotch, by the way.”

*Must be a twoleg thing.*

Rainpaw nodded, “That’s a nice name. Mine’s Rainpaw.”

Butterscotch looked as if she had been told something by StarClan, “-Sorry for asking, but aren’t the clans’ those really mean wild cats that kill other cats just for fun?” She merrowed.

*Is that really what kittypets see us as?*

“No…we don’t really do that anymore…” Rainpaw whispered.

*Did we ever?*

“Anyways, you said you were getting catni-mint, right?” Butterscotch mewed, changing the subject hopefully.

“Yup, a lot of it grows near here.” Rainpaw nodded, “My mentor, Swiftstone sent me to get some.”

Butterscotch nodded slowly, though it was clear that she didn’t know who that was and what a mentor was.

“Please don’t pick it all…” The cream tabby merrowed, staring at her paws.

“I know,” Rainpaw mewed, “-it won’t grow back if I pick it all.”

*I’m a medicine-cat…I know this…*

Butterscotch purred feebly, “Yup! Want some help?”

Rainpaw’s eyes widened a bit, but she blinked to hide it.

*Doesn’t sound too bad, actually.*

“Sure!” Rainpaw merrowed, swishing her downy tail.

Butterscotch turned and padded toward the horseplace.

Rainpaw trotted after the tabby, a bit worried entering the barn.

*I thought it was outside..?*

Rainpaw entered the dimly lit barn, pupils dilating as she tried to make out the den.

“Butterscotch?” She mewed, drifting closer on light paws.

“I’m here.” The named she-cat merrowed, a crunching noise ringing in Rainpaw’s ears.

She makes out the cream she-cat on top of a stack of hay.

*Interesting...*

“Where’s the catmint?”

Butterscotch giggled, flicking her tail.

“It’s back here!” She nodded toward a dark entrance.

Rainpaw bounced forward, hurrying after her new friend.

Butterscotch thrust her body into another den, revealing a box with herbs growing from the top.

Rainpaw gasped audibly, padding forward to sniff it.

“How is it so neat?”

Butterscotch shrugged, staring blankly at the herbs.

“Don’ know, twolegs.”

Rainpaw crept forward, tugging at a sprout of the violet-and-green plant.

Butterscotch leaped next to her, crouching on the scratchy edge of the wooden frame.

“How much can I take?” Rainpaw meowed, clenching onto a couple sprigs of catmint.

Butterscotch glanced at her paws, “Uhh-maybe like…a quarter?”

Rainpaw nodded, flicking her tail as she piled a fourth of the herbs neatly next to her paws.

“Alright…hey,” She mewed, “Wanna help me get some cobwebs? I’d really appreciate it.”

Butterscotch stared blankly at the air for a moment before nodding, “Sure!”

Rainpaw trekked up a hill, staring at the beaming sun with determination.

Butterscotch trotted behind her, staring at seemingly nothing.

“Okay…spider webs, you said?” The barn cat mewed, glancing at Rainpaw.

The blue-grey she-cat stared at her paws, “Cobwebs? Yep.”

Butterscotch nodded, hustling forward.

“You could probably find some on any trees…but we’d have to go into the forest for that.”

Rainpaw shook her head, “That’s SkyClan territory. You could probably go there, but they’d absolutely destroy me…” She mewed, shuddering at the thought.

Butterscotch shrugged her shoulders, “I could try and go.”

Rainpaw nodded, though uncertainty made shivers run down her spine.

*I don’t want her getting hurt just for a couple measly cobwebs…* She sighed inwardly, flicking her ear.

“-As long as you think it’s safe…” Butterscotch added, sharing the same nervousness.

Rainpaw peered up at her, intense thoughts whirling through her head.

*SkyClan is under Turtlestar’s reign, and she’s pretty nice…so would it be okay?*

She turned back to Butterscotch, who was staring at her with confirmation.

“It’d probably be safe if you go…” Rainpaw decided, “Just don’t be hostile-if you meet a patrol, just be friendly.”

Butterscotch nodded her head half-heartedly, dashing for the trees.

Rainpaw sighed, shuddering.

*I hope she’ll be okay…*

After what seemed like a moon, Butterscotch returned with a large stick covered with cobwebs.

“Rainpaw!” She called, trotting forward.

The named she-cat turned, poised comfortably under a ledge.

“Hi, Butterscotch!” She emerged from her hiding place, flicking her tail in greetings.

Butterscotch lifted her stick, eyes glimmering.

“I got some cobwebs!” She purred.

Rainpaw flicked her gaze towards the cobwebs, pupils dilating with appreciation.

*There’s a lot of them!* She thought to herself.

“Thank you so much!”

Butterscotch nodded, mouth quivering happily.

Rainpaw glanced up at the sky which was turning purple, soon-to-be black.

“I gotta go…” They mewed simultaneously.

Surprised, they laughed it off.

“Okay, for real now.” Rainpaw mewed, yawning.

“Bye, Rainpaw!” The farm cat dashed off, eventually disappearing under the horizon.

Rainpaw yawned again, this time audibly, ambling up the hill.

Rainpaw ducked under the hanging moss, blinking.

“Swiftstone?” The brown tom glanced at her briefly. His paws were midway through a pile of herbs.

*I can’t tell him I was hanging out with Butterscotch-I’d have to go out with a clan cat every time…*

“Hi, Rainpaw!” He purred, sitting up.

The she-cat dropped the cobweb covered stick and clumps of catmint.

“I got these.”

Swiftstone’s eyes seemed to radiant the sun’s light as he stared at them.

“That’s a lot, Rainpaw! Good job!”

The blue-grey she-cat dipped her head in appreciation, pride pounding in her heart.

*Too bad it was really Butterscotch…I feel so bad taking the credit…*

“In reward, you can rest instead of helping me.”

She nodded, padding towards the sleeping chamber.

She curled up in her nest; it was soft and dry and lined with flowers.

Closing her eyes, she eventually fell asleep.