What Makes Them Special?

"All I am is a waste."

They couldn't help but repeat the harsh words that they were told by their mother when they were just a kit, before they had found Shoreclan. Despite her disappearance and his detachment from her, this statement circled in his mind. He was a waste -- a waste of space, a waste of time, a waste of energy, a waste of effort.

They would prove to their clan that they were not a waste.

The young cat worked hard with his new mentor, and the warrior often praised him. That was an odd feeling... validation for what he was doing, even if he failed at his task? They even discovered that they had a knack for tracking and hunting. In the forest of the territory, it was easy for him to scent prey nearby in the trees or the bushes. On the beach, it was much easier to see animals in the sand or within the waves of the ocean. They enjoyed hunting for crabs the most.

One day, he returned with five pieces of prey in his jaws. Their pride would not allow anyone else to carry the prey that they had rightfully caught when they walked back to camp.

His mouth ached as he placed the prey onto the pile on the side of the clearing. He stared down at his catches with ambition and a large sense of achievement. He had done that by himself! Their mentor even said so (although it was in a joking manner) -- "Perhaps I don't need to train you anymore... perhaps it's almost time for your warrior name. Maybe your suffix will be about how skilled you are in hunting? Iristooth?" His mentor continued to suggest more suffixes, and admiration filled inside his chest.

Irispaw's head was filled with dreams of becoming the best warrior, the best hunter. An asset to his clan. A useful cat. Worthy of taking up space... not that they ever did. In fact, he would grace the other cats with his presence. Everyone would all come to love them as much as they was learning to love the cats. He would give as much as he was given, never taking more than what was necessary.

Irispaw would do anything for the sake of their clan, for the sake of their new home, for the sake of their found family.