"Come on Nightkit!" Cherrykit yelled. "Hollyfoot said that our apprentice ceremony is today!"

Cherrykit ran over to sit next to her mother, Raindream. Nightkit sprinted over with his brother, Sunkit, close behind.

"I wonder who my mentor will be." Sunkit meowed.

The two kits sat with their sister next to their mother, as she groomed them. Stormstar, the leader of CloudClan, strood out of his den and leaped onto the Highbranch of the birch tree in the front of the clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to Climb the Great Birch gather beneath the Highbranch to hear my words!" Stormstar's strong voice boomed across the entire clearing as cats began to file out of their dens. "Cats of CloudClan, three kits have recently reached the age of six moons, and it is there time to become appren-" Stormstar was suddenly interrupted by one of CloudClan's warriors, Berrystripe, running into the clearing with deep wound.

"Foxes!" He yowled. "There are four foxes in CloudClan territory!"

The other cats of Berrystripe's patrol burst through the barrier of brambles, two foxes in pursuit. Stormstar yowled a battle cry and leaped onto one of the fox's back. Other warriors followed and started attacking the beasts. Raindream had already started pushing the three helpless kits towards the nursery.

Suddenly, two more foxes burst through the thick tree line, and lept right for the kits. Nightkit yowled in fear as one of the fox's razor sharp claws barely missed his ears. Raindream jumped in front of the kits and started swiping at the fox's legs. Tornfur, their father, and Featherwhisker came to her aid and started driving the fox back into the undergrowth.

Cherrykit and Sunkit huddled close to Nightkit's side, shivering in fear. The other fox leapt at the kits. Cherrykit and Sunkit ran and climbed up onto some low lying branches, while Nightkit stood rooted to his spot in fear. The fox advanced on him and wiped it's claws across his face. The razor thin claws dug deep into the fur on his face and both his eyes. Nightkit stumbled backwards, yowling in pain.

"Nightkit!" Raindream screeched.

Whitenose, the CloudClan deputy, barreled into the fox, knocking it off it's feet and into the brush. A few warriors ran after it to lead it away from the camp. Cherrykit ran over to Nightkit's side.

"Nightlit! Nightkit, wake up!" She mewed.

Mosspelt, the CloudClan Medicine cat, walked over with a bundle of herbs and began treating the wounds on his face.

"Will he be alright?" Raindream asked.

"He'll live, but I won't be able to tell the damage for a while. Nightkit will have to stay in my den." Mosspelt picked Nightkit up by his scruff, and carried him to his den for further treatment. All the injured cats settled out in the clearing as Mosspelt came out of his den with more herbs to treat them.

Raindream walked over to Sunkit and Cherrykit, settling down next to them.

"Did either of you get any injuries?" She asked.

Sunkit shook his head.

Cherrykit stared at her paws, tears streaming down her face.

"Will Nightkit really be alright?" She asked her mother, voice still quivering.

Raindream curled her tail around her kits. "I sure hope so."

Stormstar jumped up onto the Highbranch and called his Clan. "Cats of CloudClan," she began. "We have some unfinished business to continue. The apprentice ceremony for two kits. Sadly Nightkit won't be getting his apprentice name because of his injuries, but Sunkit, Cherrykit come here." Sunkit bounded forward, Cherrykit close behind him. They scrambled up onto the Highbranch to stand next to Stormstar. "Cherrykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Cherrypaw. I ask StarClan to watch and guide you until find your strength and courage as a warrior." Stormstar bends down and touches Cherrypaw on the nose, Cherrypaw then licks her shoulder respectively.

"Cherrypaw! Cherrypaw!"

The Clan yowls her name weakly.

"Whitenose, you are ready to take on your next apprentice. You will be the mentor of Cherrypaw, and I expect you to pass on your courage and wisdom to her." Stormstar meowed. Cherrypaw jumped down from her perch and scurried over to her mentor and touched noses with him. Stormstar turned to Sunkit. "Sunkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. I ask StarClan to watch and guide you until find your strength and courage as a warrior." Sunpaw reached up and touched noses with Stormstar and then, like his sister, lick his leader's shoulder in respect.

"Blackwillow, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You will be the mentor of Sunpaw, I expect you to pass on your fighting techniques and strength to him."

"Yes, Stormstar." She mewed.

Sunpaw skidded down the trunk of the Great Birch, and ran eagerly to his mentor and touched noses with her.

"StarClan I give you these two apprentices to watch over, Sunpaw, Cherrypaw, do you agree to do your share of work around the camp and protect it with your life until you get your warrior names?" Stormstar asked.

"We do." The two apprentices said in unison.

"Than I wish you got luck on your training." Stormstar jumped off the branch and landed on the mossy grass below. Sunpaw and Cherrypaw did the same, but a lot less gracefully.

"Cherrypaw! Sunpaw!"

"Cherrypaw! Sunpaw!"

The Clan chanted their new names. Sunpaw held his tail high as they walked to their mother and father.

We're finally apprentices. He thought.

"Cherrypaw! Get up, we're going hunting!" Whitenose meowed.

Cherrypaw yawned and stretched out, her joints aching a bit. She walked out of the apprentice den, blinking at the sudden bright light. It was already sunhigh! A yowl broke out across the clearing.

"Let all cats old enough to Climb the Great Birch gather beneath the Highbranch to hear my words!" As the Clan began to assemble Stormstar started talking. "Yesterday, we had a terrible disaster with the foxes, sadly we lost Blossompaw. She walks with StarClan now, and we will all grieve for her."

Berrystripe had brought his daughter, Blossompaw body out into the clearing and was sitting next to her with his mate, Blueivy.

"Tonight we keep vigil for our fallen Clanmate. This meeting is over." Stormstar jumped down and entered his den.

"Cherrypaw, Sunpaw, come here." Mosspelt called.

"You better go," mewed Whitenose. "Mosspelt will claw my ears if she found out I kept you from her."

Cherrypaw nodded and ran over to Mosspelt's den. Sunpaw was already sitting outside den along with Raindream.

"Good you're all here." Mosspelt meowed. "Nightkit has woken up, but, well why don't I just show you." Mosspelt motioned for them to follow her into the den.

Nightkit was sitting up in his moss nest licking his back. He pricked up his ears when he heard them come in.

"Nightkit, do you know who I've brought with me?" Mosspelt asked.

Cherrypaw tilted her head in confusion. Why did he ask that?

Nightkit sniffed the air. "Raindream, Cherrypaw, and Sunpaw. Right?"

Mosspelt ran his tail over Nightkit's spine.

"Yes, right indeed." He mewed. "As you can see Nightkit is blind." Mosspelt pointed at Nightkit's wounded eyes with his tail.

Cherrypaw took a step back.

Nightkit's blind?