Hello, my readers! If you are reading this, I love you! It still sorta shocks me that people even read my works! Okay, I have a couple of announcements:

1) Emberpaw's warrior name POLL is NOW OPEN! So far, only one person has voted ._. you can find it on my PROFILE PAGE!

2) Want to be in the story? Comment at the end of a chapter with your warrior cat name, Clan, and your appearance, and you can be in it! SPOTS ARE LIMITED! Three more people have the chance, so HURRY!

3) as I promised, when I said I would do a special interview with Emberpaw and Stripepaw when I got 75 views. When I posted that, I had fifty. When I woke up the next day, 74 ppl had read it! WHOO HOO! Although, in hindsight, I should've raised the quota a bit higher! I didn't think it would happen so quickly =.=; OKAY! My stupidity aside, PM OR COMMENT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE EMBERPAW AND STRIPEPAW TO ANSWER! Questions unlimited! *but please, keep it a K rating!*

Comments? Requests? Don't like something? TELL ME! I will fix/do it to the best of my abilty!

Enjoy!

Emberpaw's eyes went round. So this was Riverclan? It was huge! At least as big as Thunderclan's camp, their hollow consisted of a bank; a small stream bordered one side, and she could tell that the medicine den was right next to it, due to the smell of herbs, and the fact that retrieving water would be no hassle for treating the sick and wounded. Next to the medicine den was a large holly bush, enforced with brambles and reeds. Faintly, Emberpaw could hear tiny mewls escape the tightly woven den. The Nursery.

Further on, close to the Nursery, was the warrior den. It was very big, as to accommodate all of the lithe, sleek fighters and hunters of the clan. Emberpaw could distinguish that part of it was an old, hollowed out log, but what seemed like a tree or large plant had started growing inside it, adding extra protection, and no doubt plenty of warmth in the cold leaf-bare months.

On the other side of the hollow appeared to be a pile of boulders; but on closer inspection, she saw small caves, each with the musty sent of moss and reeds. Clever, she thought. The apprentices and elders, which she assumed slept in these caves, could have some level of privacy, and they were well-protected and easy to defend.

Troutpaw took her out of her daze and nudged her.

"Pretty awesome, huh?" he purred, amused at my awed gaze.

"y-yeah!" I forced out of my nervous-locked jaw.

Reedstar, who had been talking to what she could guess to be his deputy, walked over, the she-cat he had been talking to on his heels. Troutpaw flicked my ear and walked off when her heard his name be called from the Nursery.

"Emberpaw, this is Robinflight, the Riverclan deputy. I bowed my head, peeking up to study her pale grey fur, which seemed to shimmer in the sun, that was beginning to shine through the angry, grey clouds.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emberpaw. Reedstar said I shall be your mentor. I look forward to training you." She padded over and touched her nose to mine, and I hesitantly licked her shoulder. So this was her new mentor? She wasn't too disappointed, Robinflight was a muscular she cat, with a fire in her eyes that made Emberpaw know she was a force to be reckoned with in a battle.

A cat called Reedstar over, and as he left, he nodded to Robinflight.

"Emberpaw, would you like to meet your clanmates?" Robinflight inquired.

She nodded, if she was going to live here, she should at least get to know everyone and try and make some new friends.

Her mentor, seeming pleased to know her apprentice wasn't shy. She padded over to a group of warriors.

"Maplebelly, Moonstream, Lilyflower, this is Emberpaw." They studied her with matching green eyes. Maplebelly, a light brown she-cat, was the first to speak.

"Welcome to Riverclan, Emberpaw."

Emberpaw nodded, uncomfortable with all the stares she was receiving from the cats around her, waiting for her reaction. Although she was content with just nodding, Emberpaw could tell everyone was waiting for her to speak.

"It's nice to meet you, Maplebelly, Lilyflower, Moonstream. Thank you for taking me in with such open hearts." Seeming satisfied with this answer, Lilyflower padded over. Emberpaw noticed the hints of a swollen belly, kits. Lilyflower began licking my fur.

"Your fur's a mess! What have you been doing, fighting a badger?" she purred and continued grooming her pelt. Embarrassed, Emberpaw ducked her head and looked for any way to escape the soon-to-be queen's motherly instincts. Emberpaw's only escape, Robinflight, was called by a tom, who padded over to her and licked her ear affectionately. She nuzzled the tom back, but then she seemed to remember I was there, still.

"I'm sorry, Nighttallon, I have to give Emberpaw the grand tour still… can I meet you later?"

Her mentor looked so disappointed that she couldn't be with Nighttallon, But Emberpaw didn't want to follow in the Love-birds' path, so she settled for the next best thing, even if it wasn't very helpful, in her case.

She struggled to put on a passive expression. "It's fine, Robinflight. Go share tongues with Nighttallon."

If her expression wasn't good enough, Robinflight didn't say anything.

"Oh! Thank you, Emberpaw! I'll send someone to take over for me!" and with that, she padded off with her mate, and Emberpaw was left to be groomed/mauled by three she-cats. Great way her day was going.

Emberpaw wondered who would be taking over her tour. Reedstar? The medicine cat? Who was Riverclan's medicine cat, anyways? She knew it was a tom, but that was it. As my thoughts began to wander, my tour guide came over.

"Hey, Emberpaw! I see Lilyflower has gotten to you!" Troutpaw.

Emberpaw felt a spot of warmth, inside her chest. What was it? was she becoming sick? oh, that would be horrible, she thought, to be sick and make the clan take care of me the first day she was here!

To escape these thoughts, she studied Troutpaw. His grey fur was long, a bit unruly and all over the place. His eyes, a deep blue color, were exactly like the swift, moving river she had passed over earlier. He looked intently into my eyes, and Emberpaw realized she had zoned out. She did that a lot, sadly. She was such a mouse – er frogbrain.

"Im sorry, Troutpaw, I wasn't paying any attention. What did you say, again?"

He purred, and that bit of hear in her chest flared a bit. "I asked if you needed me to rescue you."

Emberpaw almost, almost said something sharp, but she didn't want Troutpaw to ever have the look in his eyes again, from when she was crossing the stepping stones. That look of hurt, of sadness.

"If you rescue me, what will I owe you?" she said, purring loudly. Emberpaw noticed the three warriors, Lilyflower, Moonstream, and Maplebelly, watching Troutpaw and her conversation with interest, but she ignored them and warily waited for Troutpaw to come up with a request.

"I... You have to let me teach you how to swim!" this surprised her, and her limbs locked.

"I... so soon?!" I stuttered, resisting purring at the sight of his amused, sparkling eyes.

"Yes, and don't worry! I'll keep you safe, if that's what you're worried about!" with that said, he puffed out his chest, flicked her ear with his tail, and intertwined it with his.

"I'll show you to the apprentice dens! Come on!" Emberpaw was enraptured with his care free attitude, she naturally gravitated to him, it seemed.

She padded in step with him, soaking up the last rays of sun, before feeling the loss as it sunk behind the trees for the night. Cats around her began to head towards their dens, and she could hear small yawns coming from the nursery. Emberpaw began to feel the beginnings of sleep coming down on her, the long, confusing day finally taking its toll on her. She sleepily followed Troutpaw to a small opening in the rocks.

It smells like him, she thought drowsily.

He looked embarrassed as he spoke to me. I noticed a nest, next to his. It had fresh moss and woven with reeds, and it looked so comfortable, she almost feel asleep just looking at it.

"I made it for you, while you were with the warriors. There was no other space, so…" he shuffled his paws, but I calmed him with a lick to his ear.

"Thank you, Troutpaw. It means a lot, after a day like today."

He seemed to remember what Emberpaw had gone through since the sun had risen, and he looked embarrassed once again. He began nudging her towards the nest.

"About that… if... if there's anything I can do, you know, if you want to talk about it, I'll always have an ear out for you."

Emberpaw, who had been trying to ignore that warm, fuzzy feeling inside her chest, let it flow free as she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep, Troutpaw's warm pelt rubbing comfortably next to hers.

Comment! Request! Vote in the poll on my page!

Until next time,

~ME!