Bright sunlight flitted through the walls of the nursery, casting a bright dapple of swaying sunlight onto the soft, moss-lined floor. Slightly blinded by the dazzling beams of light, a tiny brown tom waddled into the clearing. Leaf-green eyes screwed up against the light of sun-high, Pinekit blinked rapidly, before squealing behind him "It's nice out!" Several cats around the large camp turned their heads, some looking disapproving while others twitched their whiskers in amusement.
As the tiny dusky-brown tom stepped further, three bundles of fur tumbled out, a cloud of dust springing from the dry ground. A larger blue-gray tom with a white belly and a black-ringed tail rolled to his paws and mewed indignantly "Why couldn't you wait your turn, Blazekit?" A pale red she-kit, dappled in darker red replied crossly, "Because you're such a slow old furball!" The third kit rolled his eyes, and mewed sarcastically "Look at how well we get along." Pinekit watched his littermates argue, and shook his head. Sunkit lashed his short tail, amber eyes narrowed, and mewed crossly "Oh look how dusty my fur is." Stormingkit mocked a fake bow, stretching his paws out in front of him and bowing his dark head. "Our great leader can't look dirty, now can he?" Sunkit rolled his eyes, mewing "Whatever." Blazekit, regaining her enthusiasm, sprang to her paws and mewed "Hey! Why are we arguing?" Gleaming blue eyes growing wide, she mewed "Let's go see the elders!" Another voice cut in from the direction of the nursery. "Not looking filthy like that, you aren't!" Pinekit mewled happily as he recognized his mother Mossypath. She gazed disapprovingly at her kits, mewing crossly "Clean yourselves," spotting Blazekit's mouth opening, about to reply, she added "Unless you'd rather I do it?" Blazekit turned and licked her pelt instead, looking mutinous.
Turning back from his littermates, he heard another squealing coming from the nursery. Two of Pinekit's larger littermates scampered out, looking excited. Their white fur was groomed neatly, gleaming in the light. Both Birdkit and Snowkit looked about ready to explode. Solarillusion padded out slower, mewing warningly "Don't get your pelts dirty before Rosestar can even call the meeting!" Looking confused, Pinekit turned to look at the High-branch, the center of the Echoclan camp. His head tipped to the side, wondering what the pale brown queen meant. His eyes widened as he watched Rosestar leap onto the branch easily, her gaze raking the clearing. Pinekit heard a rasping mew in his ear. "Soon it'll be your turn." Turning, the small brown tom gave a squeal of delight. Before him stood his father Voidfreeze, the deputy of Echoclan. Mossypath purred and leaped over, nuzzling her mate. Voidfreeze purred, his sleek black fur brushing hers. The other kits, finished cleaning their pelts, leaped at their father, bowling him over. Determined not to appear as childish, he turned his attention to Hollowdawn picking her way carefully across the camp, a bundle of leaves in her jaws. Breathing deeply, Pinekit was able to distunguish the sharp tang of Dock leaves. Excitement pricked at his paws. He'd learned the smell of dock when Blazekit had gotten scratched by a thorn, and had never forgotten it. Pinekit got to his paws, sure that Hollowdawn would know what Solarillusion meant, and why Snowkit and Birdkit looked so clean.
Before he could call out, however, Rosestar's yowl silenced him. "Cats of Echoclan, gather to hear what I have to say!" Cats seemed to stream out of the shadows, slipping beneath their leader. Her gaze shining proudly, she watched as Birdkit and Snowkit were walked to the bottom of the High-branch by their father Blizzardheart. The tom looked like a larger version of his snowy daughters, with gleaming amber eyes instead of dusky gray. Rosestar waited patiently until they were ready. Pinekit watched with wide eyes, paws fidgeting. Beside him, he heard Sunkit whispered softly "Soon that'll be us." Though Pinekit nodded, he found it hard to be his ears, he looked up as Rosestar began to speak once more.
Her voice rumbled, a purr in the back of her throat. Pinekit remembered that Solarillusion was her sister, and he was sure that she must be proud. "It's my pleasure to preform one of the more important duties of a Clan Leader." She blinked as Snowkit and Birdkit padded up. Pinekit watched intently, determined to make sure he didn't do anything when he became an apprentice. Both of the snowy she-cats looked like they were trying hard not to dance around. Rosestar looked towards the bright, clear blue sky and her voice rang out clearly, "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, train and fight for your clan, even at the cost of your life?" Snowkit blinked slowly before mewing clearly "I do." Birdkit said in a slightly more high-pitched voice "I do!" Nodding, Rosestar mewed "Then I, Rosestar, leader of Echoclan, commend you both to Starclan as apprentices. Birdkit, from this moment until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Birdpaw." The clearing rang out with calls of "Birdpaw! Birdpaw!" Rosestar paused once more to let the chanting die down, then mewed "Your mentor will be Galefrost." The stone-gray she-cat stepped out of the crowd, purring. Her blue eyes gleamed as the sun bounced off her white and gray stripes along her pelt. Birdpaw and Galefrost touched noses and drifted off to the side to leave Snowkit looking nervous just below her leader. Rosestar mewed "Snowkit, you will be known as Snowpaw. Your mentor will be Crystalgleam." Pinekit started in surprise, and looked towards his mother as the warrior and newly named apprentice touched noses. He hissed to his mother softly "Didn't Crystalgleam just recently become a Warrior?" He jumped as another voice answered. "Snowpaw and Birdpaw will be at a disadvantage with their snowy pelts." Pinekit recognized Siftedwing, a senior warrior. He turned to look at the tom, blinking his wide eyes. Siftedwing looked menacing, his large battle-scarred muzzle towering above Pinekit. Scars were laced along his sandy-ginger pelt, but his green eyes had a friendly gleam. He continued, "Since Galefrost and Crystalgleam both have light pelts, they'll know how to teach them how to hunt in greenleaf." He broke off as Rosestar kept talking.
Hollowdawn had stepped forward, gray eyes gleaming. Padding to the center of the clearing, she mewed "I have another ceremony to perform. Aurorapaw?" Hollowdawn's silvery-gray apprentice stepped forward, head tipped slightly. Her pale gold eyes were inquisitive, but she kept quiet, contenting herself with a twitch of her tail. Hollowdawn raised her pale rusty head and mewed "Aurorapaw has shown her compassion and dedication to being a medicine cat many times over, and I wish to give her the name she deserves." Aurorapaw's look didn't change, but her eyes gleamed with excitement. Pinekit personally though she was keeping herself under control rather well, but didn't say anything. Hollowdawn looked to the sky and mewed "I, Hollowdawn, healer of Echoclan, call upon my Warrior ancestors to gaze upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of healing and medicine.." Blazekit fidgeted, and hissed "Get on with it!" but was silenced by Venomglare. Hollowdawn paused a second, and continued "And I commend her to you as a medicine cat in her turn. Do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to step beyond clan boundaries and to heal all cats, regardless of birth or heritage, even at the cost of your life?" Aurorapaw nodded and spoke solemnly "I do." Hollowdawn blinked, almost sadly, then mewed "Then from this moment on, you'll be known as Auroragleam. Starclan honors your dedication and your skill, and welcomes you as a full Medicine cat of Echoclan." The clan yowled in approval, and Pinekit joined in.
Rosestar leaped down, and cats began to cluster around Voidfreeze. Galefrost and Birdpaw slipped out of camp, towards the forest. Crystalgleam and Snowpaw headed for the exit as well, both looking equally excited. Pinekit jumped as someone said his name. He whirled around to see Thrushpaw beckoning him over from the apprentice's den. Pinekit skipped over, twitching his ears in curiosity. Thrushpaw purred in welcome, and mewed "Are you looking forward to being an apprentice too?" Pinekit tipped his head, and mewed uncertainly "I guess." Deep down, Pinekit wasn't sure if he was ready. Thrushpaw turned onto his back, pale brown belly to the sky. Blinking drowsily in the warm green-leaf air, the brown tom mewed "Don't worry.. When you get older, you'll really feel the excitement." Pinekit mewed in agreement, then turned and pelted over to the Elder's den at the call of his littermates.
All worries flew from his mind as he listened to a story Ghostwish told, listening intently. As the old elder told the kits about a fox that had once broken into the nursery and almost killed a whole litter of Echoclan kittens, Pinekit noticed how plump the old tom was, his battle-scarred body coated in thick fur. Letting his mind drift once more, the tom's eyes wandered the camp. Driftingpaw and Thrushpaw were wrestling near the thorn patch, while Hiddensong and Flightcrack looked on approvingly. Voidfreeze was at the head of a hunting patrol stalking out of camp, his tail held high. Pinekit recognized Sandflash by his dusky-brown pelt, streaked with gold. Secludedblizzard followed, creamy fur spiked in excitement. Rosestar was deep in conversation with Venomglare, a jet-black senior warrior with venomous green eyes. Both cats nodded to the patrol, but didn't break from their talk. Pinekit settled down comfortable as Ghostwish shifted his story to one describing how Spiritclan had once tried to claim the Lightstone territory. The brown kit's attention strayed briefly as he thought to himself 'This is how life should be.' He wasn't looking forward to Leaf-bare, slightly afraid from the stories of hunger that Sleetdrift had told him, but knew it was moons away. He yawned, and decided not to worry. He put his head on his paws. 'Besides,' he reasoned with himself, 'I'll be an apprentice by then. I'll be able to help my clan, no matter what.'