"Vanstar," the large ginger tom perked up his head when he heard the familiar voice of his mate.
"Wishfeather," he began. "I told you many times, you don't have to ask to enter our den." He heard the brush of her pelt against the overhanging ferns and soon the fluffy tortoiseshell was standing before him, her olive green eyes full of affection.
"My den is in the nursery with our sons," she let out a purr.
The tom stood up, shaking the twigs and dust out of his pelt. "Steelkit should be apprenticed soon," he meowed.
Wishfeather let out an amused purr-like laugh. "You know very well that he takes after his father. Steelkit had said himself that he will not be apprenticed without his younger brother."
"He's nine moon's old for StarClan's sake!" Vanstar protested.
"And Soulkit's only three," she reminded her mate. "He's also very small for his age, smaller than Soulkit. It won't make a difference if they are apprenticed at the same time."
"Be careful that Steelkit doesn't hear you say that," Vanstar purred with amusement. He knew how much his son hated being called small. Despite his size, Steelkit had a temper that would out five angry badgers.
Vanstar opened his mouth to add something else, but Greedclaw burst into his den, looking furious.
"Vanstar!" The black tom meowed. "Three cats have entered our territory. Hawkeye and Redclaw found them and brought them back to camp. They're waiting to speak to you."
Vanstar let out an annoyed grunt before making his way out of his den, Wishfeather following close behind. The sunlight shown through the tree canopy like a spotlight, and he had to blink to adjust his eyesight.
As soon as he did, he spotted three cats, just as Greedclaw said, sitting in the middle of the clearing.
Vanstar approached the cats carefully. "What brings you to StellarClan?" He meowed, his eyes drilling into theirs. He turned his intense gaze on, what he seemed was, the oldest she-cat.
The she-cat looked at him blankly. How was she supposed to explain it to the tom?
Instead of the skinny ginger she-cat answering, the black tom did. "We want to join your Clan."
"Welcome to StellarClan," Wishfeather meowed with a warm smile. "I'm Wishfeather."
Vanstar smiled as he stood beside his mate. "Yes, welcome to StellarClan. I'm the leader, Vanstar."
"I'm Ghost and this is Ivy and Ash!" The lean black tom meowed.
As the three began to be welcomed by the rest of the Clan, Vanstar leaped onto the Highstone and looked down at his Clan.
"StellarClan!" The ginger tom yowled, his voice echoing throughout the clearing. Steelkit and Soulkit, who had been inlocked in a play fight, broke apart and sat beside their mother. "Tonight, we welcome Ivy, Ghost, and Ash as members of StellarClan. Ivy, you will be now known as Ivyflight," he meowed. The she-cat nodded to him from where she stood. He had figured out that she was a mute from the two younger cats.
"From now until you recieve your warrior names, Ash you will be known as Ashpaw and Ghost, you will be known as Ghostpaw. Smokepelt, Redclaw, please step forward."
The dark copper tom stepped forward, standing beside the dusky gray tabby. Smokepelt, you shall mentor Ghostpaw. Redclaw, you shall mentor Ashpaw. That is all, meeting dismissed!"
Vanstar leaped from the Highstone as the rest of the clan cheered for their new clanmates. He was about to congratulate the cats himself, but there was a crash from behind the warriors den, and suddenly, the clearing was a blur of red as a group of foxes, about five or six, came tearing into the middle of the camp.
Vanstar's immediate reaction was for his family, but Wishfeather was ushering a reluctant Steelkit and a terrified Soulkit into the nursery.
