- Fireheart nods.

"Is this a very personal topic or something, I don't have a lot of experience with prophetic dream etiquette."

". . . It's not that it's a secret, really.  I just haven't discussed it with anyone else before, and I'm not sure whether you should be the first.  Maybe you should; you're very unusual, but - I'd have to think about it."

"Okay."

"Do you have any other questions or should I try to think of more background information."

"How long have there been clans of cats living around here?"

"I'm not certain."

"Would the elders remember?"

"They might."

"Maybe I will ask some."

"I encourage you to do so should you meet any."

"Am I not likely to?"

"Not necessarily unlikely.  It's only that many of them stay in their camps most of the time, and I'm not sure you'll be invited to any Clan's.  - I'm not sure you would fit in a camp, for that matter.  But elders do go to Gatherings and I suppose you may be attending at least one."

"Perhaps!"

"It's odd to think of inviting a Twoleg - or even a cat outside of a Clan - to a Gathering, and yet I can't imagine any cat agreeing to have the possibility of communications with other Twolegs discussed without them, and Gatherings are really the only time when everyone is together."

"When's the next full moon?"

"Between a quarter-moon and a half-moon away."

"Cool. I will hope to be invited."

Fireheart nods again.

"I'm not sure what Tigerstar - ShadowClan's new leader - will think of you.  I didn't speak to him directly yesterday."

"What's he like?"

"He's - a good warrior; skilled at fighting, cunning, clever.  I almost hope that his ambition may be sated now and we have nothing left to fear from him."

Cam is not really used to CAT POLITICS yet but he doesn't laugh. "Here's hoping."

"I'm not sure how realistic it is.  He is responsible for multiple deaths and many more attempts at them.  But he's very competent at what he puts his efforts towards, and at least for now it seems that his goal is returning ShadowClan to its former strength and health."

"Does that mostly mean - recruiting, or... managing prey populations, or... what?"

"I believe they lacked the healthy warriors to keep their elders and nursing queens fed.  He admitted rogues to the Clan - some of whom were originally from ShadowClan in the first place, and had been exiled - and, well, he's very charismatic and decisive, which are naturally important qualities in a leader for a Clan recovering from such a series of tragedies . . ."