"Wait, now?" Fang exclaimed, her green eyes filling with surprise "B-but I just woke up! I don't look fit enough to meet your leader!" The black she-cat frantically began grooming her fur, ignoring the stinging sensation when she rasped her tongue over an open would. "Calm down!" Starlight mewed, amusement lighting her amber eyes. "Riverstar is a cat, just like you and me. The only difference is that she leads this clan. Don't be nervous." The tabby got to her feet, stretching, then turned to Fang. "Come on then. You look fine enough." Without looking to see if she was following, Starlight padded out of the small cave. "Such sudden notice..." Fang thought, then shook her head. "Oh well, a leader is a leader; I'll have to meet her eventually." She stumbled from her nest and padded quickly after Starlight, and glanced around. She saw a large clearing with several different sized caves. "If you stay here, we'll show you around." Starlight meowed as Fang caught up. They were padding towards the largest den up ahead, but this one was different than all the others; It was higher. Along the side of it though, were something that looked like a narrow pathway leading up, naturally smoothed down from cats who had tread on it long ago. "Careful." Starlight cautioned as Fang followed behind, beginning to climb the steep narrowed out slope. Fang picked her way up carefully, wary of every paw step, and the second she reached level ground again, she let out a sigh of relief, felling slightly dizzy as she glanced down to the ground below her. "Riverstar?" Starlight mewed from outside the den, squinting her eyes to peer into the darkness. "Have the loner come in; you can wait for her outside Starlight." came the reply, a voice that sounded young, but full of wisdom. Fang felt her heart pounding nervously as she glanced at Starlight helplessly. The medicine cat merely shrugged and nudged Fang farther into the cave. "Thanks for the help." Fang thought, slightly annoyed. Taking a breath in, she padded into the dark cave, surprised as it suddenly began to become lighter and lighter, noticing a large gap around the top of the caves roof. Looking inside, she spotted a tortoise-shelled colored she-cat sitting in a soft looking nest made up of moss and feathers. "Hello. I assume you know who I am; but if you don't, I am Riverstar. Do you mind telling me your name?" The leader purred, looking at Fang with a steady gaze. Fang gazed back nervously. "I-I-My name is Fang." she stammered, looking at Riverstar. "No need to be nervous." Riverstar meowed. "So tell me; what were you doing on Pebbleclan territory?" Fang gulped. "Well, I was just passing through and suddenly a cat dropped down on me and knocked me out." "Sorry about that." the leader meowed, and apologetic look crossing her face. "It's not every day I come across a rouge on our territory." "So thats who it was..." Fang thought. Settling down on the stone floor, she looked at Riverstar. "Starlight told me all about the clans. They seem interesting." she meowed casually, trying to hint that she wanted to join. Riverstar grinned. "Is that so?" The she-cat meowed back, her eyes seeming knowing to the point that Fang was trying to get across. "Maybe you would like to stay a bit longer, and if you like it, you could join." "Really? Thanks!" Fang purred, unable to keep the happy kit like squeak from her voice. She hadn't expected it to be that easy. "No problem. But just one thing; first, you will start as an apprentice, and second, your name would change to Fangpaw." Fang nodded, not caring. Atleast she got to keep the first part of her name! "Then it's settled; I'll have your ceremony at sundown. For now, I'll have a nest made for you, and another apprentice to help show you around." Riverstar meowed concludingly, hinting that the conversation was over. Fang dipped her head respectfully and meowed a last thank you, backing out of the large spacey den. As Starlight and Fang picked their way down the steep pathway once more, Starlight finally spoke. "Soo...what did she say?" She meowed excitedly. "That I am going to have my apprentice cerrimony at sundown, and will have another apprentice show me around for now." Starlight grinned at Fang, her amber eyes twinkling. "Must be exciting!" "Of course it is!" Fang thought, but deciding to be mature, she simply meowed, "Yeah, it is." "Well, I gotta get back to my work, y'know; sorting herbs and that kind of stuff. See ya around, clanmate." she purred, putting emphasis on "clanmate." With that, the she-cat turned and padded into the medicine cat den.