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Leafkit wriggled with excitement as Moonwish's tongue rasped around her ears and neck.
"Keep still," her mother scolded. "You can't go to your apprentice ceremony looking if you've been pulled through the throne barrier backward!"
Thronkit looked over his shoulder from where he was crouched at the entrance of the nursery. "The cats are gathering out there already," he reported, his voice quivering with anticipation. "I think the whole Clan will see us become apprentices!"
Leafkit twisted away from her mother's tongue and scampered the mossy floor of the nursery to her brothers. "Lets go!" She urged.
"I don't think it's time yet," Patchkit told her innocently. "We have to wait until Dapplestar calls the Clan together."
"It won't be long." The gentle mew came from Autumnbreeze, the cat from the twoleg place. Leafkit understood that Autumnbreeze would never be a warrior; she stayed in the nursery to help each new queen with her kits.
Now Autumnbreeze was curled up beside Snowtail, who had moved to the nursery moons and moons ago, her belly round with Speckledheart's second litter, which puzzled Leafkit because Snowtail had kits only three moons ago.
"Are you going to see us be made apprentices?" She asked the she-cats.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlXuG521Bb
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"Of course." Snowtail heaved herself to her paws and gave herself a quick grooming to get rid of the scraps of moss that clung to her pelt. "We wouldn't miss it for anything."
Leafkit gave her shoulders another wriggle, she felt as if she couldn't keep her paws still for another heartbeat. She was so excited that she could forget how hungry she was. "I wonder who our mentors will be?" She meowed.
Before her littermates could reply, Dapplestar's dapple-brown figure appeared on the Elder Tree and her voice rang across the camp. "Let all cats old enough to swim in the Evergreen Pool gather here beneath the Elder Tree."
Leafkit sprang up, ready to bounce out into the clearing, but her mother's tail reached out and held her back. "Not yet," Moonwish murmured. "And you will walk out there like a sensible apprentice, not like a kit who doesn't know how to behave."
"Okay, okay," Leakkit muttered, trying to force down her impatience.
Thornkit and Patchkit echoed her, but Patchkit gaged, "I think I'm going to be sick."
"No, you're not," Moonwish mewed calmly. "You'll all behave yourselves and make me proud of you. Look, your father's coming to get you."
Mudfur had appeared at the entrance to the nursery, looking down at his kits, his eyes narrowed when they crossed Leafkit's. "Come along, the Clan is waiting for you. " Mudfur's meow sounded more like a growl.
Thornkit sprang to his paws, Patchkit shivering with excitement behind him, and Leafkit flexed her claws while Moonwish gave her own pelt a quick grooming and came to join them. By this time the whole of MoonClan had gathered beneath the Elder Tree. Leafkit felt the gaze of many eyes on her as she padded out of the nursery beside Thronkit and Patchkit, their mother and father following behind. Autumnbreeze and Snowtail brought up the rear and sat just outside the entrance.
Leafkit's heart was thumping so hard she thought it was going to burst out of her chest, but she kept her head and tail held high.
"I just know I'll forget what to do," Patchkit muttered to them.
Thronkit brushed himself against his brother's pelt. "You'll be fine."
Moonwish guided them toward the circle of waiting cats, who parted to let them in. Leafkit found herself standing between her brothers and Finchheart, who gave her an encouraging nod.
"I've called you together for one of the most important moments in the life of a Clan," Dapplestar began. "Leafkit, Thronkit, and Patchkit have reached the sixth moon, and it's time for them to become apprentices." She beckoned with her tail. "Come forward."
Leafkit wanted to do a big jump right into the circle but at the last moment, she remembered what mother had told her and made herself walk slowly forward beside her brothers.
"Leafkit," Dapplestar meowed, "from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Leafpaw."
"Leafpaw!" The voices of her Clanmates rang out around her, making her pelt tingle as she heard her new name for the first time. "Leafpaw!"
"StarClan, I ask you to guide this new apprentice." Dapplestar went on, gazing up at the cool blue sky above the hollow. "Set her paws on the path she must follow to become an apprentice."
Leafpaw suppressed a shiver as she thought of all the starry cats, her ancestors, looking down on her as Dapplestar spoke to them.
"Witheredface," Dapplestar flicked her tail towards the golden-furred warrior who stood close to the roots of the Elder Tree."You will mentor Leafpaw. You are a loyal and resilient warrior. I know that you will pass these qualities on to Leafpaw."
Witheredface? Leafpaw's heart lurched as she gazed across the clearing at the mangle-faced tom. What if he doesn't like me?
She bounded over to him, anxiously looking up into his green eyes. She was astonished and delighted to see how pleased he looked as he bent his head to touch noses with her.
"I'll work really hard," she promised him in a whisper.
"So will I," Witheredface replied.
Leafpaw stood proudly beside him and listened to Dapplestar repeat the ceremony for her brothers.
"Patchkit," Dapplestar meowed, "from this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Patchpaw. May StarClan watch over you and guide you in your journey to become a warrior." She paused for a heartbeat for the Clan to call Patchpaw by his new name, then swept her tail toward Goosetail. "Goosetail, you have shown great courage and endurance in your apprenticeship, and I trust now that you will teach Patchpaw to follow in your path."
A murmur of approval rose up from the surrounding cats as Patchpaw scampered across the clearing to touch noses with Goosetail. The silky white warrior's green eyes shone with joy as he welcomed his new apprentice.
Thronkit looked lonely and nervous all by himself in the middle of the circle of cats, but he kept his head up bravely, his gaze fixed on Dapplestar.
"Thronkit," Dapplestar meowed at last, "from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thornpaw."
Dapplestar paused again as the Clan called out Thronpaw's new name. "Thornpaw! Thornpaw!" Once it died down Dapplestar flicked her tail. "Sootfang," she called the black-and-gray warrior. "You will be Thronpaw's mentor. You have shown trustworthy skill and determination, and I know you will pass these qualities down to Thornpaw."
Thronpaw padded over to Sootfang and touched noses with his mentor.
"Leafpaw! Thronpaw! Patchpaw!" The Clan's cheers rang out.
Leafpaw felt as if she were going to burst with pride and happiness as her Clanmates crowded around to congratulate the three of them.
"Can you believe it?" Patchpaw ran up to her, Thronpaw at his tail.
Larchkit, Stormkit, and Mousekit came dashing across the clearing, mewing excitedly.
"You're apprentices!" Mousekit squealed.
Stormkit skipped around them. "We'll miss you in the nursery."
Larchkit's eyes were dark with annoyance. "If you're apprentices, I don't see why I can't be. I'm almost as big as you."
Mousekit rolled her eyes. "No, you're just always boasting!"
"Don't worry, Larchkit!" Patchpaw reassured him. "I'll teach you every battle move I learn."
Larchkit stuck his nose in the air. "I'm already better than you'll ever be!" he huffed.
Leafpaw's claws itched. she wanted to cuff him around the ear. He would show more respect to the apprentices in his Clan!
"Congratulations!" Bluewhisker trotted toward them with her tail straight up.
Leafpaw purred, looking around for her mother.
Moonwish had stopped to talk with Mudfur but, catching Leafpw's eye, she broke away and hurried to join her kits. "I'm so proud of you!" she glanced back at Mudfur. "I think your father is too..." she meowed uncertainly.
Almost as though she had beckoned him, Mudfur padded toward them. Spidertail followed, his eyes narrowed as though something was troubling him.
"You better work hard." Mudfur's gaze flickered to Leafpaw's muddy paws, she sat down with a bump, tucking them as far out of sight as she could.
"We're going to be the best apprentices!" Thronpaw boasted.
Mudfur flicked his tail with a grunt. "I expect nothing less."
Speckledheart joined them with Pinefur beside him. "Congratulations, you three," he meowed warmly.
"Thank you," Patchpaw dipped his head respectively.
Speckledheart nodded to Mudfur. "You must be very proud."
Mudfur's claws twitched dangerously, but he said nothing.
Spidertail wiped a paw casually over one ear. "It's interesting that Dapplestar chooses now to make you apprentices." he paused, his paw in midair, and looked Leafpaw up and down. "One might think it was unplanned."
Leafpaw tipped her head to one side. "What do you mean?"
"He doesn't mean anything," Moonwish meowed quickly, she glared at Spidertail. "Do you?"
The black tom met her gaze without flinching. "Well, it certainly distracted everyone from starvation and battle."
Speckledheart flicked his tail. "If there's going to be a battle, Spidertail, then we need all the warriors we can get."
Spidertail shrugged. "Warriors, yes. But apprentices?"
Thronpaw fluffed out his fur. "We'll fight as well as any cat!"
Spidertail's whiskers twitched. "I'm sure you'll try your best, but only training will make you a warrior, and you've had none."
Leafpaw suddenly felt very small. What in StarClan had made her think she could help her Clan? Coldness crept under her pelt. Was Spidertail right? Had Dapplestar really made them apprentices only to stop the Clan from thinking about starvation, and battle with the Clans over every morsel of prey?
Withereface's mew shook her from her thoughts. "Are you ready to see our territory?"
She stared at him. "Are we going right now?"
"The sooner the better." He shrugged.
Leafpaw felt relieved as Witheredface led her out of the camp entrance.81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yIMwdnWMz
