Shoka watches him sidelong, studying him as he talks. She knows that's just how he is—selfless, preoccupied with proving himself and making himself useful—but it still amuses her. She's always considered slacking off to be something cats do best, but she could never call Firepaw lazy.

"Y'know, when I first got here, Ribombee tried to recruit me, too. But Mightyena beat him to the punch... Literally. Slammed right into him and sent him flying before he could even get to me." The memory makes her snicker. "She said he'd run me into the ground without looking back... So what you're saying kinda tracks."

She can put the effort in when it counts, even if it means she'll get hurt—but working that hard all day every day isn't her style.

She thinks for a moment, then asks, "Do you still miss it? ThunderClan and everything."