[occultation]

✰ S L A T E S T R I P E ✰

[ @Wingnettle ]

Slatestripe swiftly padded out of the warriors' den at Pikestar's call. Excitement danced through him like embers; if this meeting went as planned, then Mintpaw would be earning her warrior name.

He scanned the group of gathered cats, searching for her familiar white fur. When he spotted it, he bounded over with a gleam in his amber eyes. "Mintpaw!" he purred. "I imagine you're excited. Once this meeting is over, you'll finally be a warrior."

Spotting a stray tuft of fur behind her ear, he leaned forward to try to tame it with a swipe of his tongue. "I'm very proud of you. You deserve this. You've worked hard throughout your entire apprenticeship. I've been lucky to get the chance to be your mentor."

He turned his gaze back toward Pikestar as the leader started to speak. The oriental tom began with an announcement about plans for moonly search parties, given how many of their Clanmates had been going missing. The announcement brought memories of Slatestripe's first apprentice, Autumnpaw, back to him for not the first time that day. He'd been thinking of her often as of recent; if she had stuck around RiverClan, she'd likely be becoming a warrior today as well. She'd been apprenticed at the same time as Mintpaw.

I hope you've found peace, wherever you are. Perhaps I'll see you again one day, he thought wistfully. Briefly, he wondered if she was in StarClan with his mother. The thought comforted him.