[pomegranate]

Shadepaw bounced up and down, her paws unable to hold still. It felt strange not to be walking near her mentor. Instead, Buttercupbreeze was striding near the front of the pack, her creamy fur a ghostly figure in the moonlight. Shadepaw blended right in. She barely was a flicker of movement, aside from her eyes. The whole clan was bristling with unrest. Shadepaw hadn’t taken place in the war, but her clanmates had come back with enough scratches and bloody wounds to show her how deep the clans resentment ran. She herself had witnessed the battle patrol go out, and return after a day’s of fighting, battered and bloody. She was just glad she hadn’t had to take part in it. But, tonight would be worse. Nothing was worse than losing. Even being bloody and scarred never stung as much as the bitter wounds of defeat, especially when you were the invader. She looked around at the other apprentices, hoping to see the friendly gaze of Silentpaw. Shadepaw couldn’t wait to go to her SECOND gathering! If it was as fun as the first, she would definitely enjoy it.