Love is wonderful, but sometimes heartbreaking. (TOMS ONLY)

"You found it!" Pepperpaw squealed as his mentor padded in. "Did the loner have it?"
"No." He spat the catmint into his store. Rosette. She didn't seem to have a home. He wondered if she would like to be in ThunderClan.

"Silverstar? Silverstar?" Flamewhisker nudged the lichen that hung in front of the leader's den with his nose. A silver she-cat looked up at him, barely a shadow, her blue eyes glowing. She purred when she saw her medicine cat.
"Flamewhisker! Come in. Is it something important?" she meowed once he sat in front of her.
"There's a loner on our land. Name's Rosette. Um, I was just wondering if maybe we could let her join our Clan...I feel sorry for her. She doesn't seem to have a proper home." He stared at his paws, embarassed.
"Oh, you're so kind. And thoughtful. I'd like to meet her first," Silverstar meowed.

Silverstar purred. "I think that's her now," she meowed, sniffing the air. Flamewhisker turned and slunk out of her den, heading for the camp entrance. His apprentice came out of nowhere, running in front of his paws and tripping him. He growled. "Whatcha doin'? Where ya goin'? Can I come?" Pepperpaw meowed. Flamewhisker stopped growling. He purred. "Okay. But watch it next time." He got up, shook dust out of his orange pelt, and padded out. "Rosette?"

"Wow! A loner! Are you--" Flamewhisker slapped his tail over Pepperpaw's mouth, and dipped his head towards Rosette. "I know that as a loner, life can be hard, and lonely," he began, his green eyes boring into hers. "But in ThunderClan...we live together. Life is easy, given you follow the warrior code, and prey is always there. And we could do with more warriors. I mean, it's your choice. We'd be happy if you'd join ThunderClan."

"Oh, great!" Pepperpaw meowed. "Let's go to Silverstar!" The fluffy gray tom pelted off, yowling, and Flamewhisker watched, whiskers twitching with amusement, as he scrambled into their leader's den. He turned to Rosette. "I'll show you around. And, in case you forgot, I'm Flamewhisker, the medicine cat. That gray tom is my apprentice, Pepperpaw." He took her inside. Silverstar walked out of her den, and beckoned the two inside with her tail. "Rosette," the Clan leader meowed, "as you know, we are in need of warriors. And our Clan is very welcoming. I'm sure you'll like it here. I'd like to give you a warrior name. Is it OK iwth you?"

Silverstar led Rosette out. "Let all ctas old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Halfrock for a Clan meeting." The cats quickly gathered, curiousity lighting their gaze as they took in their leader, medicine cat, and a loner. "As you all know, we are in need of more warriors. The nursery and apprentice den have been emptyt for nearly three moons. I'd like to welcome this loner into ThunderClan." She turned to Rosette. "I'll give you an apprentice name even though you're past six moons, but you won't be accepted as a warrior yet until you learn. From this moment on, Rosette, you will be known as Rosepaw. Flamewhisker you will be her mentor." The cats fell silent. "M-Me? Im not a warrior, I'm a medicine cat!" he protested. "She seems comfortable with you already," Silverstar retorted sharply. "Train her with what little stuff you know. You are dismissed." She llashed her tail and stalked back to her den, leaving Flamewhisker staring. She'd seemed OK before; why was she acting mean all of a sudden?

"Oh, yippee!" Pepperpaw meowed. "Another apprentice. But I sleep with Flamewhisker, so you're gonna be all alone." He looked at his mentor as they hopped down. "Whatcha gonna teach her?" "The basic moves," he replied, sighing. "I'll have to ask Venomfang and Leopardheart for help." He looked at Rosepaw. "They're my warrior brothers."

He affectionately nudged her with his shoulder. "What are you so quiet for? They don't bite--at least not when they're angry," he purred. "Want to eat before we start? I don't have long. Pepperpaw, when I'm away, stay in my den, OK?" "No problem!" He walked away.

"Anyway, let's go." He padded out of camp, and into the training hollow. "You know the basic stuff for survival, right? Hunting crouch, battle moves..."

"I guess...I'll teach you some ThunderClan moves. We depend on the thick undergrowth here. This is the frontal swipe. You bring your unsheathed claws down on your opponent's head hard like this." He raised his paw, claws flashing in the sunlight, and sliced it downwards, so that it landed hard on a flower. "You try."