The aureolin sun rose into the sky, the herald of a new day. Another chance to prove worth, to do something useful. Another morning, another day. Another day, another day.

Golden rays beamed onto a white pelt, which rippled slightly in the gentle, warm wind. Birds chirped in the forests outside, while the sounds of apprentices tussling could be heard from the other side of the camp.

Frostwillow yawned, blinking her pale, sage-green eyes slowly as they adjusted to the light. She didn't particularly like the dawn. She preferred evenings, of course, when the sun was setting and the sky was strewn with scattering hues of violet and gold-orange.

Yet she of all cats knew her responsibilities. Sleep was important, yes, but of course her agenda for the day easily outranked personal comfort any time.

She stood up slowly, arching her spine as she leaned back for a good stretch. The white she-cat swept her gaze around the warrior's den — only a few cats were left, basking in the flickering sunlight. Ambermoth had left already, Frostwillow noticed with a familiar twinge of not quite annoyance. Even after all this time, even with a sweet, wonderful cat like Ambermoth... she still couldn't resist the annoyance that someone had managed to do something earlier or better than her.

I should go find her, Frostwillow thought as she fixed her nest, making it nice and neat. Maybe we could go on a hunting patrol together.

A hunting patrol with Ambermoth. That would be an excellent way to spend the morning.

Frostwillow flicked her ears back as she stepped out of the den. The leaves of a tree above her brushed against her head, swaying in the sweet, comforting breeze. The sky was a brilliant azure blue, a few wispy clouds sliced by the wind as the sun blazed through it all.

"You're up," a voice commented. Frostwillow turned, her gaze meeting a pair of dark yellow eyes. It was Asterflight, the deputy of LuneClan. The one who accidentally made my parents hate me. Whatever. Also the one who accepted Ambermoth into the Clan... I shouldn't hold grudges. "Did you have a good rest?"

Frostwillow nodded. "Yes, you could say that. Have you seen Ambermoth?"

Asterflight glanced around. "I don't know — she might be somewhere around camp. I haven't sent her on a patrol yet, that's for sure."

"Oh. Alright, thank you." she dipped her head to the dark ginger tom, her heart skipping happily for just a beat. She hasn't left yet.

"You could ask Whitebird," Asterflight mewed, yawning. He flicked his ears back. "Maybe she's seen her."

"I will, thanks."

Asterflight flicked his tail in a way of saying "Alright, now go away." She smiled back politely, almost nervous, and turned to head for the medicine cat den.

I'm Frostwillow. I live in LuneClan, the most formidable and well-disciplined Clan in the forest. I am not nervous about striking a conversation with Ambermoth.

By StarClan, I'm being such an idiot.

As she padded to the camp entrance, she spotted two apprentices scuffling in front of their den — one a white-and-brown tom and the other a striped calico she-cat. Their identical, bright yellow eyes were narrowed on each other as they feinted, dodged, and tried to gain the upper paw in the heat of the mock battle as their parents called out suggestions and instructions with amusement in their eyes.

Frostwillow watched, almost wistfully, at the bond the apprentices shared with their parents. The father's eyes locked onto hers, the same gold eyes of both the kits, and he blinked at her, neither friendly nor hostile. More of a question. If you want this so badly, why hasn't it happened yet?

Crescentblaze and Maplerose complimented each other wonderfully. While Crescentblaze was prideful and hearty, Maplerose was clever and sweet. Their kits seemed to be a heartwarming mix of their parents — Sagepaw, the tom, was boastful, but protective and affectionate of his sister. Thistlepaw, the she-cat, was one of the most precocious and astute apprentices to have ever been born into LuneClan, as well as having a tongue as sharp as Skycurl, her mentor.

Frostwillow turned her gaze to the medicine cat den. It was shrouded with a canopy of rich green vines, which clung to a towering tree, snaking along the branches like hundreds of green adders.

She padded towards the entrance. She could see a white she-cat with a striped brown tail standing next to a small pile of herbs, perusing them carefully, but Frostwillow had eyes only for the small, pretty calico she-cat beside her.

"Oh, hello Frostwillow!" the calico exclaimed, beaming at the white she-cat with all her sincerity and love written on her voice. "You're up. It's a lovely morning, isn't it?"

"Every day is a beautiful day to you, Ambermoth," Frostwillow purred. Her heart swelled in her chest and she almost felt her world brighten. She leaned in and groomed between Ambermoth's ears lovingly, gently plucking out a stray leaf from her pelt. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Whitebird sent me to gather some herbs — we were running out of marigold, I think," Ambermoth explained, as Frostwillow entwined her white tail with the calico's. "I got back just a few moments ago."

"Are you hungry?" Frostwillow purred with affection, gazing at her mate. "We could get some fresh-kill and then go hunting. I'll ask Asterflight, if you want."

Ambermoth mrrowed back. "That sounds like a wonderful idea."

"Thank you for gathering the herbs, Ambermoth," Whitebird mewed, her voice full of gratitude through a mouthfull of marigold.

"No problem," Ambermoth replied, before leaving the den, pressing her side against Frostwillow's. "Did you sleep well?"

The green-eyed she-cat felt a purr in her throat. "Yes, I did. Waking up was difficult, though... I never really like mornings."

It seemed like a funny coincidence that her mother's name was Morningstem, Frostwillow noticed with an internal tch of dry humor. Mornings and Mother. They usually came together, so she could hate both of them at the same time very conveniently.

"Maybe you should stop staying up so late then," Ambermoth scolded, with a playful spark in her eyes. "You know, going on the dusk patrol, and all that."

"Dusk is when my performance is highest," Frostwillow replied loftily as they padded towards the fresh-kill pile. "Such has it always been."

"Can't argue with that." the calico sighed. "But you do need to keep in mind that you need to get enough sleep. Ooh look, someone caught a squirrel."

Her worried expression immediately shifted as she leaned down to sniff the squirrel. Frostwillow almost laughed at how quickly her center of focus had shifted.

Maybe she would rather have unlimited food than officially being my mate, Frostwillow thought ruefully as Ambermoth picked up the squirrel delicately.

"Do you want to share it?" Frostwillow asked politely, but added quickly after seeing the look on Ambermoth's face, "Never mind, pretend I didn't say anything."

"You said nothing," Ambertmoth agreed, "I couldn't possibly share this squirrel with you. There wouldn't be enough for you to eat. You can get... um, this thrush. Yes. I am, of course, strictly in charge of looking out for you.."

"Yes, thank you," Frostwillow said, rolling her eyes and turning away to hide her big smile.

----

New-leaf was Ambermoth's favorite season. It was a fact, and Frostwillow knew this all too well. It wasn't her favorite, of course — Frostwillow's favorite was leaf-fall. After all, it was when she had first met Ambermoth. When her life had suddenly been worth living in.

And yet, Frostwillow still felt a strong appreciation towards new-leaf. It was one of the best seasons, that was obvious — prey was plentiful, the air was full of the rich scents of the forest,, and the forests themselves turned thousands of shades of vivid green. Flowers would bloom, dotting the woods with colorful patterns of lavender, red, and yellow. Additionally, it wasn't too hot, which was the main reason Frostwillow believed it was a better season than green-leaf.

Her awe of the season increased every time she went hunting. Mossy rocks were her favorite to see — she would sometimes lie on top of one, still as a stone, and wait for a small mouse to come skittering in, unknownst of the silver claws that were about to snatch its life away.

And this time was no different. Songbirds sung their melodies, twittering as they fluttered along the branches above. Rustling leaves dropped the morning dew onto the ground, enriching the earth with nutrients for more plants to grow. A small sprout stuck out of the soil, reaching for the light, soaking in the rays that had been filtered out by the foliage.

Frostwillow felt as if she was going on some sort of leisure trip instead of a hunting patrol. Her head buzzed with a sea of different scents, making it hard to concentrate on the aroma of prey.

Her mate had a different approach — Ambermoth had decided early on that pouncing on anything that moved was the best strategy. Frostwillow disagreed, of course, but what could she say?

A while had passed as Frostwillow tried to keep up with her ecstatic, energetic mate. She had caught and buried a mouse, while Ambermoth had probably caught at least five pieces of prey and released all but a shrew and a sparrow.

"I caught a bird!" Ambermoth exclaimed, her voice quivering with excitement. The calico's splotched ginger-and-brown tail was curled upwards through the bushes. Though the pile of prey Ambermoth caught was only growing in size, her enthusiasm and gratitude towards the forest for each one never diminished.

Ambermoth struggled as she untangled her fur from the brush, grappling with one thorn stuck persistently to her shoulder. Finally, she was able to release herself, and dropped something in front of Frostwillow.

She glanced over, and sure enough, there was a bird in front of Ambermoth's paws. It was plump and seemed to be a thrush. "Ooh, nice."

Ambermoth turned, hovering over her catch, and closed her eyes respectfully. "Thank you, StarClan, for this prey."

Frostwillow let out a quiet sigh. Thanking StarClan for the prey when it was Ambermoth who had caught it. Frostwillow's reverence for their warrior ancestors had ever decreased with each new moon. StarClan had left her, letting her parents hurt her over and over. What did she owe StarClan? What did anyone owe StarClan?

The calico then turned to the white she-cat standing in front of her, interrupting her thoughts. "Well, guess who caught more, hmm? Guess who's strategy is better now?"

"Still mine." Frostwillow scoffed as if it was completely and utterly obvious. "You've been wasting your energy and I still feel as fresh as that bird you just caught."

Ambermoth snickered. "Y'know, in my opinion, this thrush feels very dead."

Frostwillow rolled her eyes in exasperation. "StarClan... it's fresh-kill."

"Yeah, but it's dead." Ambermoth retorted, as she began digging a hole in the earth. "You said you feel like the bird."

The white she-cat rolled her eyes again, sighing in defeat. "Whatever."

It took a while for Frostwillow to catch something, but afterwards she was able to trap a bird and some mice. Although she caught quite a lot, she still didn't feel satisfied — after all, Ambermoth had caught more, and this seemed to prove to her that her strategy was superior.

Of course it's not, the white, wispy-furred she-cat thought as she followed her mate. The hunting tactics Cherrystrike taught me were clean, sharp, and the epitome of elite. It's just luck that Ambermoth's able to catch so much... After all, she could chase a mouse for hundreds of tree-lengths before getting tired.

The two padded around the forest to find their small prey pile. Frostwillow caught a squirrel on the way — Ambermoth had gazed at it with hungry, wistful eyes — and soon enough, they were on their way back to camp.

It hadn't been too long. As they stood in the clearing, Frostwillow saw that the sun had only risen into almost an imperceptible flat claw shape. The clouds were silvery-white wisps against the vast, cerulean-and-celeste hued sky, which was so vibrant that it made Morningstem's hydrangea eyes seem dull.

Frostwillow liked the color blue. It was calming and reminded her of the sea, a place that Raindapple had brought her to once when she was still a young kit. She had just watched as her father fumed over her battle skills, and had come crying to the grey tom. Raindapple had murmured assurances in her small ear, before asking her to follow him.

And so she had. And he had taken her to the sea, far beyond their territory. It was so beautiful it was forbidden and so forbidden it was beautiful. So tranquil yet chaotic, so serene yet furious. And even beyond that, Raindapple said, there was probably land beyond that. Frostwillow had never guessed there was so much beyond the Clans... so simple yet complex. So loving yet monstrous. Something that Frostwillow related to, something that calmed her in that moment, sitting with the only cat that had cared for her in the early times, and listening to the crashing of the waves.

And yet... Frostwillow had never gone back there. She couldn't remember the path, so she couldn't visit anyway. It had been so long, so long ago since that sweet nostalgic day. Besides, no matter how the world looked beyond the Clans, how could she leave? Those few precious moments stuck to her head persistently, an echoing memory that brought peace to her whirling, churning mind, but it was just that. A memory. A sweet dream of a deep, teal-hued blue far away from what her life meant.

She liked that shade of blue. She thought it was pretty.

But now, she thought amber was a better color.

After all, her mate's eyes were amber. No one could deny it, Ambermoth's eyes were beautiful. Beautiful like Dovefall's, which were as blue and intense as the sky. Maybe even prettier, Frostwillow thought sheepishly as she willed her eyes not to immediately wander to those bright, sunset eyes. Ambermoth had a pair of sweet honey-colored eyes that were fiery in the middle and soft towards the rims. They blazed like flames when she was angry, and shimmered like morning dew when she was happy.

Amber was a color that made her feel warm and tingly inside. A color that she recognized all too well, a color that brought laughter and love and a life maybe even beyond the Clans.

A color and a cat I would leave the Clans for if I had to, Frostwillow realized, staring absentmindedly at that wonderful amber color.

The color that she was gazing into, smiling as she did, feeling her pelt heat up as the calico met her eyes.

"I-I think I caught more than you," Ambermoth whispered under her breath, flushing as she turned away.

The calico ducked her head, ears flattened, padding slowly after Frostwillow as they followed the trail back into the forest. The sunlight dwindled as the foliage shrouded them from the rays, trees beginning to clump closer and closer.

"Oh, right," Frostwillow began, suddenly remembering something. "Hey, Ambermoth?"

The tabby calico tilted her head, ears alert. "Y-yeah?"

"The Gathering is in a few sunrises, I think," the sage-eyed she-cat stated, grooming her chest fur bashfully. "Do you know if you're going?"

Ambermoth thought for a moment, glancing upwards as the sunlight flickered and dimmed until only a few straggling rays were left to illuminate the forest floor. "No, sorry, I'm not sure. I think Crescentblaze and Sableheart are staying back, but I don't know anything other than that."

"I haven't gone to a Gathering in a while." Frostwillow sighed softly. "I'm not trying to sound whiny, but I do hope that Bloomstar lets both of us go."

Ambermoth nodded, tail curled on her back. She began to skip, paws dancing on the earth as her head bobbed up and down. Clearly, she was excited to get back. "I wonder how the other clans are doing."

Frostwillow mrrowed. "Well, GladeClan's obviously doing amazing. I just hope they don't want to invade our territory."

"Ugh," Ambermoth scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I don't like GladeClan. They're bossy and think they're so much better than everyone."

"You're not wrong," Frostwillow added, trying to keep up with the prancing calico. "But better GladeClan than MistClan..."

Ambermoth stopped skipping and reduced her pace to a trot. "Ew, MistClan. Ew. Disgusting... they're so obsessed with family and all that mousedung. You'd think they'd treat their kits better, bleh."

"Definitely," Frostwillow nodded in agreement.

MistClan. Ambermoth's home clan, the place she had come from. The place that she no longer belonged, the place that brought painful memories back like hawks after a rabbit. Frostwillow could still remember that day. When Ambermoth had woken up in the medicine cat den, bewildered, confused. Unsure that she was actually in LuneClan, unsure that what she was doing was right — unsure what would happen to her.

Her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the thuds ringing in her ears, dizzying and painful as she screwed her eyes up.

Was she going to be okay, the MistClan apprentice? Was she safe?

Why did she, Frostpaw of LuneClan, care?

Frostpaw spotted Whitebird, who had a bloody wad of moss in her mouth. The white-and-tabby medicine cat padded across the camp, trying to seem nonchalant, and spoke quietly to Bloomstar, her face scrunched up in a blur of worry and discomfort.

She doesn't want to keep a MistClan apprentice in our medicine den, Frostpaw realized. She's not sure if it's the right way to be using our resources... What's wrong? Frostpaw thought, catching the worried look the leader sent towards the medicine den. Is she going to...

Without a second thought, the small white apprentice slipped into the medicine cat den. Almost immediately, the smell of blood hit her nose. She winced, ducking below the leaves of the tree, and made her way past the herb storage to where she could see the calico on a small bed of moss.

Frostpaw didn't like the scent of blood. It was just so... disgusting. So unnecessary. And it reminded her of her parents, who spent hours of their lives training her to be the best warrior in the Clan.

She was alive. Frostpaw sighed in relief as she saw the calico's flank rising up and down in hollow, shallow gasps. "Hey."

The small apprentice turned her bleary gaze to Frostpaw. "Oh... hello."

Frostpaw padded next to the she-cat before wrapping her tail around her paws. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible," the calico sniffed, wincing. "Who're you?"

"Nobody important." mewed Frostpaw, glancing away. What am I doing with my life, exactly?

The MistClan apprentice blinked, opening her mouth to say something, before stopping abruptly as she coughed stray drops of blood. "Ah — I meant your name."

"Oh." Frostpaw felt stupid. Her pelt flushed, and she ducked her ears. "I'm Frostpaw."

"Amberpaw." the calico said, tapping the ground with one paw. "You have a pretty name. It suits you well."

"Thanks."

They both glanced around sheepishly in the awkward silence. Neither knew what to say.

Should I go? Frostpaw wondered. No... I brought her here. She's my responsibility.

"So, what brings you here?" Frostpaw asked awkwardly, after a long pause.

Amberpaw groaned. "It's embarrassing."

"I don't mind," Frostpaw stated quietly. The curiosity was getting to her. Why would a fox attack a MistClan apprentice deep in LuneClan territory?

"I ran away from camp, and then a fox got me," the calico muttered, her voice sheepish as she tried to bury her face into her paws.

Frostpaw took a moment to reflect on this. She couldn't imagine running away from LuneClan, not even after everything she had gone through. "Why did you run away?" she inquired genty, not sure whether it would be kind to bring up the apprentice's experience when she was certain she'd never be so open with her own.

She felt as if she was treading on a rotting tree over a river. She had to be careful about what she said. After all, who knew that this MistClan apprentice wasn't a spy, or that she had ulterior motives for suddenly appearing in LuneClan territory without warning?

"It's stupid, really," Amberpaw mewed, her eyes darting across the den floor. "I was angry... I guess, because I wasn't getting enough attention..."

The white she-cat settled down next to the calico. "Really? Why not?"

"My mother — Cinderbright, I mean, well, you probably don't know her anyway, but she doesn't like me," explained the calico, who glanced up wistfully at the den ceiling. She had a sad, helpless look in her eyes, and Frostpaw couldn't help but feel pity for her, an empty space in her heart already yawning open for this poor, tragic apprentice. Screw it, she thought frustratedly. Why do I care? I would never run away. Never. Not even if my parents actually, literally hate me. "I guess it's because I look too much like Birchwing — he's my father."

"Do you parents not like each other?" Frostpaw asked. She didn't know if she could relate, experience-wise. Although her parents didn't hate each other, it was obvious they had a romantic relationship.

Amberpaw sighed the loudest she had yet, and shuffled around to look again at Frostpaw. She has pretty amber eyes, Frostpaw thought bashfully.

"Quite the contrary, in fact." Amberpaw lashed her tail, locking gazes with the white she-cat in front of her. "Cinderbright was the one who confessed. Now, I'm pretty sure the only reason Birchwing agreed to be her mate was out of pity and kindness. He realized, after I began to exist, that he didn't like my mother. Well, at least not in that way," the calico rolled her eyes. "Cinderbright was pretty upset. Even better, I just so coincidentally have his eyes, and I look similar, apparently. So every time she sees me, she's reminded of her woeful heartbreak, or some other stupid mouse dung."

"Oh." Frostpaw shuffled her feet, flustered. "I'm sorry I asked."

Amberpaw shook her head hastily, eyes wide. "Oh, no, no, don't be sorry. It's actually nice to talk to someone like this for once."

"Did you not have any friends in MistClan?" As if you can ask that, a voice in her head spoke shrilly. Look at you. You don't even have any friends here.

"Not really."

Frostpaw paused. Should I ask her? I've never asked anyone like this before... but it's nice to talk like this. I've only ever talked like this to Raindapple. And Maplepaw. Maybe I should ask her.

Screw it, Frostpaw thought, wiping away her worries. Enough uncertainty. I want to take control of my life. This is the first step.

"Amberpaw?"

"Yeah?" the calico turned, her full, vibrant eyes boring into hers. "What?"

"Will you..." Frostpaw inhaled deeply, flushing madly under her pelt. "Will you..."

"Will you be my friend?"

┌──────────┐

word count: 3739

└──────────┘