"My name is Softpetal." Softpetal purred. My heart raced, I turned to Mistycloud but she kept her gaze on one of the Clan leaders. A large black tom with amber eyes. Shadowstar! I thought I would never have to see my father again!
"What if they find out?" Foxpaw whispered, his fear scent growing.
"They won't. Littlestar won't let them." Nightpaw whispered, reassuring his brother.
"But what if Cindertail and Pebblestar recognise us?" Foxpaw mewed.
"They won't." Nightpaw insisted.
"Why don't the three of you head back to camp? We'll talk to these cats." Foxfoot told us, we nodded slowly.
"I'll go with them. I'll tell Littlestar about our visitors." Mistycloud said, turning away. I padding along-side my mentor until we were out of ear shot.
"What are we going to do?" Foxpaw asked.
"I thought you said our old Clan mates would never find out about us?" I hissed, remembering our conversation when we received our apprentice names and mentors.
"I did say that, and they won't find out. Littlestar will have a plan. She won't let them find out about all of you." She hissed as we padded into the hollow.
"Rivermist! Are any apprentices out of the camp?" Mistycloud asked the deputy.
"No, we were waiting for the dawn patrol to come back before sending out any other cats. Where's Foxfoot and Softpetal?" She narrowed her eyes.
"We have some visitors. Perhaps you know them, Rabbitstar, Runningstar, Pebblestar and Shadowstar." Mistycloud hissed.
"What are they doing here? They can't possibly know!" She gasped.
"By the looks of it, they don't. But they'll know soon when Softpetal and Foxfoot bring them here to speak to Littlestar. What do you think they are going to think when they see the kits they cast out alive and well walking among them?" Mistycloud asked her.
"They'll kill them. We can't have them in the camp when they arrive." Rivermist said, disappearing into Littlestar's den. She appeared moments later, the UnwantedClan leader at her side.
"Let all cats who have been marked Unwanted by their previous leaders, gather here beneath the rock to hear my words!" Littlestar called. Warriors piled out from the warriors den. Next to it, apprentices piled out from our den. Everyone was confused as to what was going on.
"You need to know the truth, Rabbitstar, Runningstar, Pebblestar and Shadowstar are near by. Softpetal and Foxfoot are with them." Littlestar mewed. The Clan was dead silent. I could hear a mouse scurry near by.
"What are we going to do? What if they recognise us?" Thornpaw, Rosepaw's brother called out, breaking the silence. I could see the apprentices faces, they were all frightened.
"They aren't going to recognise you because you aren't going to be in the camp. You will all hide out somewhere until they leave." Rivermist mewed.
"Rivermist, what about you?" I asked her.
"I'll be fine." She smiled.
"That's not what she means, you're the cat who comes to collect the Unwanteds every year. They think you're a BrightClan cat, they'll know somethings up when they see you." Nightpaw mewed.
"Nightpaw is right, you'll have to come with us." Nightpaw's and Foxpaw's sister, Tigerpaw mewed.
"Rivermist, quickly! We don't have much time before your daughter comes back with the four leaders and their Clans." Shadowstrike mewed urgently.
"Apprentices! Follow me!" Rivermist howled, padding towards the dirt place.
"What about you and the other warriors? What will they think if they recognise you?" I asked her.
"They won't." Mistycloud mewed.
"But what if they do?" I prompted.
"Just quit asking questions, alright?" She smiled, remembering our conversation when she had been given me as an apprentice,
"Okay." I smiled, following Heatherpaw and Rosepaw out of camp.
"Where are we going?" Frostpaw whispered as a white she-cat and a big ginger tom lead us through the forest.
"I don't know." I whispered back.
"Hey, your Ashpaw right?" The ginger ShadeClan apprentice, Flarepaw mewed.
"Yes, what do you want?" I hissed at her.
"Someones in a bad mood." Graypaw, the gray tom beside her mumbled.
"I thought about what you said, about the Unwanteds. You don't possibly mean that do you?" She asked.
"Of course I do. They're nothing but filthy Unwanteds. They deserved what they got. You should be happy, you overcame the stigma of your two worthless brothers. It's an honor." I scoffed.
"But they're our littermates! Don't you care about them?" Flarepaw gasped.
"It's not my fault they couldn't follow the rules of the forest. They knew from birth what the consequences were but still they refused to listen. They were worthless, the Clans are richer without them." I hissed.
"Ashpaw, you truly have no heart." Flarepaw growled, padding away. Graypaw padded after her. That's not true. I just don't mourn for Unwanteds, they were weak. I hate them. I'm glad they are gone.
"Here we are." Softpetal, the white she-cat purred as we entered a large hollow. The dens were huge, there stood a group of cats waiting for us. A blue-gray she-cat stepped forward.
"Hello, I am Littlestar." She mewed.
"I am Shadowstar." My father mewed.
"I am Rabbitstar of ShadeClan."
"My name is Pebblestar."
"And I am Runningstar, leader of BreezeClan."
"Welcome. My warrior tells me you were sent here by BrightClan." Littlestar mewed.
"That is correct." Shadowstar dipped his head.
"Let us speak in my den alone, you may bring your deputy's if you wish, I will bring mine. Larkpool!" Littlestar called a large tom. He padded over to her.
"Your Clans may eat from the fresh-kill pile and sleep in the dens. Puddlewhisker and Dewdrop will show you where everything is." Littlestar mewed before disappearing into her den with the other leaders and deputy's.
"Follow me." A white and black tom, Puddlewhisker mewed. He pointed out the fresh-kill pile and the dens.
"Excuse me, but does your Clan have a medicine cat?" Fuzzynose asked.
"Of course." Dewdrop, a white she-cat purred.
"Could I possibly speak to your medicine cat? Perhaps we can exchange poultrices. I want to teach my apprentice a few things, perhaps they could help me." Fuzzynose mewed.
"Of course, follow me." Dewdrop purred, leading Fuzzynose and Frostpaw away.
"Ashpaw, let's go to the apprentice den." Rainpaw mewed.
"Okay." I mewed, following her.
"Wow!" Fernpaw mewed, the apprentice den was huge.
"Where's all the apprentices? I haven't seen any yet, besides the three who were on the patrol but I haven't seen them around." Hollypaw, a BreezeClan apprentice frowned.
"Who cares?" Shrewpaw scoffed, curling up in a random nest. The other apprentices shrugged before picking out a nest. I chose one fairly close to the exit, and closed my eyes. This place is strange!