Nightpaw woke at sunrise to find Cinderpaw beside him, flank rising and falling softly as she slept. Flamepaw stirred not too far off, mouth stretched wide in a yawn, while Dapplepaw, Cherrypaw, Bramblepaw and Shadepaw continued to sleep peacefully. Wrenpaw was nowhere to be found.

    Rising to his paws, the tom let out a pained hiss as he stretched. He had forgotten about the wounds in his throat. The marigold paste and cobwebs Mothpaw applied the previous night seemed to be doing their work, but Nightpaw decided to give the healers a visit just to make sure.

    The camp was silent as he padded across it, entering the healer's den through the tunnel beneath one of the High Rocks. The den smelled both sweet and bitter, a strange mixture of tang and zest. He spotted Mothpaw's sleeping form near the back.

    Before he could reach her, Cedarheart stepped out of the medicine storage to block his path.

    "What did you need?" the healer asked politely, looking over the cobwebs around Nightpaw's neck. The brown tabby seemed impressed with his apprentice's work.

    "Just wanted to get my wounds checked," the apprentice replied. "I wouldn't want Mothpaw held responsible for any illness."

    Cedarheart seemed taken aback by Nightpaw's response, but did as told. Gathering some fresh cobwebs and marigold, he set to work removing the old bandage and applying a new one.

    Nightpaw flinched as the healer applied the marigold on the still stinging wounds, but the pain disappeared quickly as the herbs began to work their magic. Looking at the rows upon rows of herbs in the healer's storage, Nightpaw wondered about each of their uses and how the healers could possibly remember all of them.

    "You should be just fine," Cedarheart said, disposing of the old dressings. "Another three or four sunsets and you won't even need the cobwebs anymore."

    "Thank you," Nightpaw said, dipping his head. Again, Cedarheart seemed surprised, but the healer hid it with a flick of his tail.

    "It's my job," the tabby replied. "Or, it was."

    Nightpaw blinked his white-rimmed eyes, saddened by the fear and defeat in the healer's voice. The same thoughts that he'd battled with the previous night hit him once more, but the idea of saying StarClan out loud only made the danger more real.

    "Don't worry about Mothpaw," Cedarheart advised. "Until I'm gone, she gets no blame for any death or sickness. It is only after they dispose of me that she takes on full responsibility."

    "How long until that happens?" Nightpaw couldn't help but ask.

    The tabby's amber eyes regarded him with curiosity. "However long Dawnstar deems appropriate. Now off you go to your mentor. I wouldn't want you caught fraternizing with the likes of me."

    Deeply confused by the healer's choice of words, Nightpaw dipped his head. Careful to keep the new cobwebs clean, he padded out of the den slowly, catching sight of round, red berries near the storage as he left.

//

    The guardians kept an unbearably close watch on the truth-teller and his apprentice after Sedgecloud's attack, following them like shadows. Hailwatcher didn't seem to mind, but Nightpaw could feel his own frustration growing with each sunset. He longed to be given some respite from their over-protection, even though the thought of the caretaker's claws against his throat still sent chills through him.

    The apprentice finally got his wish a quarter moon later, when Hailwatcher sent the guardians away to hunt and led Nightpaw to Dawnstar's den. Inside, the tom was surprised to see Cedarheart, who dipped his head in greeting, and Sleetfur, the deputy.

    "I believe that completes our council," Dawnstar stated, rising to her paws as the truth-teller and his apprentice settled down. "It is time we decided on the pairings of next season-cycle."

    Confused, Nightpaw looked to his mentor for explanation, but the spotted tom remained still.

    "We need strong pairings," growled Sleetfur. "Ones that have resulted in fine warriors in the past."

    "Especially after Sedgecloud's attack," Cedarheart added, nodding an apology to Nightpaw. "More healthy kits will strengthen the Clan's resolve."

    "Why not you yourself, Sleetfur?" Dawnstar said. "Your first litter was a strong one and Swallowstorm is still young enough to bear healthy kits."

    "You wish for us to mate again?" Sleetfur asked.

    Dawnstar purred. "If this litter is as loyal to DarkClan as your previous one, I would be a fool not to."

    "How about Thistleshade?" Hailwatcher cut in. "She is the daughter of Sleetfur and Swallowstorm and a loyal member of DarkClan."

    "Who would she mate with?" Dawnstar asked, surveying the council.

    "Oakshade is young and full of spirit, as is Thistleshade," Cedarheart suggested carefully. "If their offspring reflected both their parents' qualities, DarkClan will have gained an asset."

    Dawnstar nodded thoughtfully, eyes bright. Nightpaw gazed around at the council, shocked by how easily these cats decided on matters that dictated the lives of their Clanmates. While he could see the advantage in pairing cats to produce strong offspring based on the pairing's assets, the idea that cats might be forced to mate repulsed him.

    "Blackstrike is another young and skilled warrior," Sleetfur said. "Perhaps he would make a match with Marshclaw?"

    "Not Marshclaw," Hailwatcher said. "She has her apprentice to attend to and, besides that, there are other, younger she-cats that might be paired. Sprucetail or Minkfur would do nicely."

    "Not Minkfur," Cedarheart protested abruptly.

    All eyes turned to the healer.

    "And why exactly not, Cedarheart?" Dawnstar growled.

    The brown tabby stared back at her with fear in his eyes. "She's t-too young. She might not survive the kitting and, even if she does, some or all of the kits might not survive either."

    "But losing Sprucetail for a couple of moons would impact the Clan's freshkill supply very negatively," Sleetfur argued. "She is one of our best hunters. Minkfur is younger and, therefore, not as important to the Clan as a more seasoned warrior."

    "You would have a she-cat die to keep the Clan from losing a warrior for a couple of moons?" Cedarheart growled back, fur bristling. "If Minkfur dies you lose a warrior forever!"

    "Watch your tone, healer," Dawnstar hissed, jumping in between the two. "Remember that you're only here to give advice on health risks."

    "Respectfully, Dawnstar, that is exactly what I'm doing." Cedarheart sat up, flattening his fur with a lick. It sprang up again when Hailwatcher spoke.

    "Do you know the story of Ashfang?" Nightpaw brightened at the sound of his mentor's voice.

    "Refresh our memory," Dawnstar mewed, settling into her moss nest. Cedarheart looked ready to protest, but let Hailwatcher continue.

    "Like you, Cedarheart, Ashfang protested a match when he found out one of the she-cats would be mated with a tom over twice her age. He believed her too young to have kits, especially with a tom that old." Nightpaw looked over to Cedarheart, noticing that the healer refused to meet anyone's gaze.

    "Of course, no one understood why he picked that particular she-cat to defend," Hailwatcher continued, tone growing dangerous. "It was only later that we discovered she was his daughter, born outside of a pairing."

    "We can't have kits outside of pairings?" Nightpaw blurted out before he could stop himself, shocked.

    "It's how it's always been," Dawnstar replied, amused. "And, besides, you have no need to worry about that. Truth-tellers are not allowed kits anyways."

    For reasons unknown to him, Nightpaw felt his heart sink at the words. "What happened to Ashfang, then?" he asked. The answer seemed obvious enough, but the tortoiseshell's response hit him hard.

    "I killed him," Dawnstar said, lips curling over her fangs. Her amber eyes lit up with blood lust and it was all Nightpaw could do not to look away in disgust.

    "I trust you have nothing to hide and that you've learned from your mistake?" Sleetfur cut in, directing his words to the healer. Cedarheart nodded in understanding, though Nightpaw could see his eyes shining in disdain.

    "It has been decided then," Dawnstar said, getting up from her nest and shaking out her pale tortoiseshell fur. "Sleetfur, you will mate with Swallowstorm once more, Thistleshade and Oakeshade will be paired, and Blackstrike and Minkfur as well."

    The rest of the council nodded, some more enthusiastically than others. Nightpaw fluffed up his fur to get rid of the feeling of disgust that crawled through his fur like an insect.

    "And one more pairing," Dawnstar added just as the others rose to leave. "I wish to have my own litter of kits."

    Hailwatcher's voice was steady as he spoke but his fur, not quite flat, betrayed his opposition to the idea. "Our leader having kits at this time of year? If you have them any time soon, it will be the middle of leafbare and that could be dangerous to both you and the kits." Cedarheart nodded in agreement.

    "Then I will wait," Dawnstar replied simply. "But I need to set an example for my Clan and having kits with a strong, trusted warrior of the Clan will cement my role as leader and DarkClan's trust in me."

    "You speak as if the Clan has lost their faith," Sleetfur said carefully.

    Dawnstar paused. "No. They are as loyal as ever. But I've been plagued by unrest lately, as if something is coming to tear DarkClan apart, and I won't let that happen."

    The entire council stayed quiet, waiting for the tortoiseshell to continue. Nightpaw's fur pricked uncomfortably in the silence.

    "I will mate with Spiderthorn." Nightpaw's eyes shot up at the mention of his father's name and he found his leader staring right back, as if challenging him to refuse her. He lowered his eyes, fixing them on his black paws.

    "A good choice," Hailwatcher said, nodding his head as he excused himself. Nightpaw, unsettled by Dawnstar's continued stare, did the same and followed his mentor out.

    "I'll announce the pairings at sundown!" the tortoiseshell called after them. Both mentor and apprentice flicked their ears. Though Nightpaw couldn't be sure, he thought Hailwatcher was unhappy about Dawnstar's decision and, as hard as he tried, he couldn't bring himself to approve the match either.

    The moment the two stepped out of the den, guardians moved forward to flank them. Sighing, the apprentice resigned himself to their constant watchfulness, giving Pebblefur a nod as he walked past her. The she-cat nodded back, but remained as silent as always.

    Dismissed by Hailwatcher, the black tom gazed around the camp, wondering if there was anything he could do to keep his mind off the council's decisions. The idea of cats being paired each year to produce offspring continued to irk him and he wished the thought had never entered his mind.

    Too late now, he thought with ire.

    His yellow eyes settled on the grey form of Webkit, who sat near the nursery entrance, gazing up at the sky. She seemed upset, or else bored, and Nightpaw decided he would spend the day keeping her company. With some guilt, he realized he hadn't been to see her since Sedgecloud's attack a quarter moon ago.

    "Nightpaw!" Webkit cried happily when she spotted him padding over. Her little kitten tail wiggled in happiness and she bared her teeth, growling as she leaped at him. He purred, batting her away playfully with a paw. It amazed him how resilient kits could be.

    "You're getting as strong as Lionmask," Nightpaw purred, referencing the Clan's strongest warrior.

    The she-cat purred. "I'm going to be one of the best warriors in DarkClan!" she said proudly.

    Watching her tumble over the ground, engaged in mock battle, Nightpaw couldn't explain the sudden feelings of guilt and anger that welled up inside him, or the loss that hit him when he pulled her back to her paws.

A/N: And now you know... Did the pairings catch you off-guard or was anyone expecting things to turn out this way? I've been drawing on a lot of dystopian influences (in case you couldn't tell), so maybe it wasn't too out there.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and that the rest of winter break will be restful! Next update in the New Year!