Wake up.

Something brushed her cheek, and Featherpaw stirred.

There was something in front of her face, but she couldn't bring herself to care, as she was so incredibly tired. Weariness seemed to crash down upon her shoulders, and her mind was in a haze.

"Psst, hey, Featherpaw!" a voice suddenly whispered in her ear.

Her ear merely twitched in response, and Featherpaw was content to ignore the voice until it left.

There was a brief silence.

Then-

"Wake up, Featherpaw!" the voice murmured harshly.

Her entire body jerked in response, and her eyes snapped open. Her vision was blurred, as if she were gazing out into a misted clearing.

A familiar white and black-striped face pressed their face to hers, wide amber eyes peering into her own.

"Are… are you awake yet, Featherpaw?" Swiftpaw asked, and Featherpaw had the vague thought that it had been him who had so harshly whispered into her ear only moments before. But as soon as that thought entered her mind, she discarded it almost immediately- it would have been incredibly out of character for Swiftpaw if he had. After all, he didn't seem to possess that kind of confidence, so wrapped up in his shyness he was.

In response to his question, Featherpaw yawned, stretching her body as she did so, and inclining her head, popping the kinks from her neck. "Hm," she murmured. "I'm very tired. Why did you wake me up, Swiftpaw?"

The tabby in question merely blushed furiously before casting his gaze down to the ground. "Darkpaw, uh, I mean, all of us were wondering if you wanted to, uh," this time, he hesitated even more, his voice going progressively softer, and with the softer tone, it was also incredibly shy, as if he expected her to refuse him right then and there. Swiftpaw swallowed heavily, then blurted, "We were all wondering if you wanted to come hunting with us!"

Featherpaw regarded him curiously. "With who?" she asked.

Swiftpaw chewed his bottom lip, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but where he was at that moment. "Mudpaw, Darkpaw, and me," he murmured.

"What about Swallowpaw?" Wasn't she his sister? If so, then why wasn't she coming? "And Sootpaw?"

Swiftpaw jerked back from her, as fast as the bird for which he had been named for, horror stricken across his face. "Sootpaw?!" he yelped, his voice filled with alarm. He blinked rapidly, as if to ascertain that what she said was a complete and utter joke.

Featherpaw blinked. She had a feeling, then-

"Are you afraid of Sootpaw, Swiftpaw?"

Ever so slowly, the incredulity faded from his face, to be replaced with a strangely neutral look. "No," he replied, though somehow, Featherpaw found that hard to believe. "Why- why would you think that?"

"The look on your face just then," Featherpaw pointed out, "was one of incredulity, of horror. And maybe even fear."

The neutral expression on Swiftpaw's face quickly turned to one of resignation as he whispered, "You… you don't know what Sootpaw is really capable of, Featherpaw."

Featherpaw merely sighed in reply, getting to her paws and gazing down at him. The white and black-striped tabby was unusually small for his age, or maybe that was just her speaking- after all, she was bigger than average.

The silence that brew between them was awkward and stifling.

Featherpaw wanted it to end as soon as possible.

Still feeling unbearably drowsy from having been woken up so suddenly, Featherpaw discreetly glanced toward the entrance of the den. "What time is it, anyway?"

There didn't seem to be any light spilling through the entrance, either. It had to be before dawn then.

Swiftpaw woke me up to go hunting, she thought somewhat lividly, at this hour?! Just what was he thinking?!

"You do realise that it's not even dawn yet," she pointed out, and Swiftpaw flinched in response, still looking as if he wanted to be anywhere than where he was at that moment.

"I-I know," he murmured shyly, directing his glance to the ground as his customary shy and bashful demeanour came to light. "But… but Darkpaw wanted me to wake you," seeing her look, he added desperately, "he's waiting outside along with Mudpaw."

Featherpaw still felt grumpy, despite Swiftpaw's explanation. She estimated that she'd only been sleeping for about four hours until Swiftpaw had woken her up.

And for what?

A moonhigh hunt?

She'd already experienced one of those, back when she'd first met Darkpaw- back when she'd still been in ThunderClan.

She shuddered, hating how the memories of her time there came flooding back. She could still remember Snowfall's disregard of her, Snowfall's disgust. Even her hatred.

Featherpaw may not know how to feel love, but she could still feel hatred.

And she hated her mother- no, not her mother. She hated that Cat.

That Cat who was all the way in back in ThunderClan, and that Cat that she would never again talk to.

Ever.

Because Featherpaw was all the way in WindClan- she had a home (however temporary that may be), and she finally had cats that she could call friends.

She was okay.

So, with a small, soft smile creasing her lips, Featherpaw looked down at Swiftpaw. "I'll come," she said, and Swiftpaw beamed.

"We have to be quiet, though," the white and black-striped tabby cautioned, "else Swallowpaw will wake up, or, even worse: Sootpaw."

Swiftpaw made a habit of shuddering, and the pair laughed quietly at his jab.

"C'mon," Featherpaw murmured quietly. "I really want to see Darkpaw right now."

Swiftpaw merely smiled sweetly, and he let her exit the den first, following on behind her with carefully exaggerated paw steps of quietness.

Featherpaw saw Mudpaw first, and she couldn't help but note that the other apprentice seemed so unsure with her presence, as if she thought that she didn't belong there.

But one look from Swiftpaw instantly brought the brown apprentice smiling- and it was beautiful, the way she smiled, Featherpaw noted absently.

Darkpaw blended so well in the shadows that Featherpaw had nearly missed him, and if his pelt had been darker, then she really would have missed him.

"Hey," he said quietly, so as to not disturb the other apprentices in the den sleeping.

"Darkpaw," she murmured in return, and for a second, they just stood there, staring at each other, and then simultaneously broke out into smiles. Not the kind where teeth were exposed and lips parted, but small, soft smiles that just creased the edges of their mouths.

They then turned to face the other two.

Swiftpaw, who was much smaller than Mudpaw and had to look up to glance at her, was looking down at his paws, smiling more sincerely than Featherpaw had ever seen. Mudpaw was the same, and for a second, she didn't seem like that timid apprentice anymore. But as soon as that smile disappeared, she went back to that countenance.

"Their smiles are so beautiful," Featherpaw said, her own smile still in place.

"So is yours," Darkpaw said suddenly, and she froze, turning her head to face him, her smile faltering.

But then, her smile grew even bigger, and she said, "Yours is even more beautiful."

Featherpaw didn't feel an ounce of shame admitting that fact, and she saw that, while Darkpaw had seemed embarrassed by his own admission, he felt no shame either.

"Swiftpaw and Mudpaw really do like each other, huh?" Darkpaw mewed, their eyes once again caught on the pair just a few tail-lengths away.

Featherpaw smiled again. "Yeah," she agreed.

Eventually, Swiftpaw and Mudpaw turned to them, a question in their gaze.

"Yes," Darkpaw agreed immediately. "Let's go."

And so they did.

And when they returned, Featherpaw had to admit that she had fun, even if the WindClan leader met with them at the entrance, her eyes cold and furious.

And all Featherpaw could say was: "I don't regret it."