"Duskall! Duskall, wake up!" a voice shrilled. Duskelle tried to go back to sleep. Then she realized where she was and sprang up. An noise of exclamation told her that Seapaw had been standing right over her. 

      "Oh, sorry!" she exclaimed, turning to see the cat. 

      "Whatever," she replied, brushing her tongue over her ruffled fur. "It's morning and you need to wake up and I have to show you Brookpaw and the training clearing and the rest of camp and the forest and-" 

     "Okay, Seapaw, okay!" Duskelle interrupted, amused. The young cat harrumphed and bounded out of the apprentice den, as they called it. Duskelle followed her and ducked out to see that the sky was a pale gray color. 

     "Come on, let's meet Brookpaw!" exclaimed Seapaw, running off again. Duskelle ran to keep up, and the other cats in the clearing gave her weird and confused looks, as if they were wondering why she was still here. She shook them off and continued after Seapaw. 

      The young she-cat finally slowed down at a pile of small rodents. A black, white, and orange calico she cat who seemed to be about Seapaw's age was sitting beside the pile, taking delicate bites out of a mouse. She had intelligent yellow-green eyes that lightened outwards to an amber color. She leapt up to her paws when she saw Duskelle. Her gaze took on a wary edge and she asked Seapaw, "Well, is this the Twoleg you were yammering about, Seapaw?" 

      "Yeah!" Seapaw said, oblivious to the other cat's obvious distrust. "Duska-" 

      "It's Duskelle," Duskelle muttered, correcting her. 

      Seapaw continued on as if she hadn't been interrupted. "Okay, so Duskelle, this is Brookpaw, Brookpaw, Duskelle." 

Brookpaw eyed her up and down, not saying anything, not making a welcoming gesture. Of course she wouldn't. Why would she? Duskelle was a freak, an oddity, a mishap in her life that would probably be leaving soon. 

    "Hey," Duskelle said. Brookpaw made no reply, only swished her tail. 

    "Okay," Seapaw said, drawing out the word. The tension between Duskelle and Brookpaw was finally getting through to her. "Let's show Duskelle the camp!" 

     Brookpaw didn't take her gaze off Duskelle. "You go. Fernbreeze wanted me to patrol with her after eating something." 

    Seapaw rolled her eyes and turned back to Duskelle. "Told you she was boring," she whispered, which Duskelle did not remember happening. Then she straightened and said out loud, "Come on!" She took off again. Duskelle sighed and followed her.