Windkit woke the next day to see Snowpaw missing and the patrols for the day rushing out of camp. Echostar sat on top of High Rock, looking down on the clan. Before anymore patrols could leave she called, "Let all cats old enough to hunt gather around the High Rock." The cats that hadn't left yet moved to sit in front of the leader. Windkit knew what was to come so she quickly cleaned her fur and stood at the back of the crowd.

Echostar looked at the cats gathered then spoke, "Today, one of our kits has reached the age of six moons and is now ready to become an apprentice. Windkit, please step forward."

Cats parted to let the silver and blue tabby to the front. Windkit felt many jab her with their paws and as she was about to be in the front someone nipped her leg. She growled and whipped around to stare into the amber eyes of Tawnytail. He sneered and she glared at him before turning back to her leader.

Echostar seemed amused but it disappeared when she met the blue-gray gaze of Windkit, "Windkit from this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Windpaw. Your mentor will be Fastfoot."

There were murmurs of "Windpaw. Windpaw." That stung, thought Windpaw, I'll show them that I can be a great warrior!

She looked around for her new mentor but stopped when Echostar sneered, "He's on patrol. You'll have to catch up!"

Windpaw merely nodded and dashed out of camp, following the scent of the patrol. She ran into their bit of the forest on the border with Thunderclan and practically ran straight over the patrol. Fastfoot hissed and meowed sternly, "Windkit! What are you doing out of camp?"

Windkit gasped out, "My apprentice ceremony was today. You're my... Mentor. I was told to catch up with you and the patrol."

Fastfoot nodded and turned to the rest of the patrol- which consisted of Gorsegaze, Morningsun, Redfeather, and Snowpaw- and gave them an explanation for why the new apprentice had come dashing over to them. Snowpaw's eyes lit up when he heard of Windpaw's apprentice ceremony and as she padded to his side he murmured, "Sorry I missed your apprentice ceremony!"

Windpaw whispered back, "It's okay. There's always my warrior ceremony!" Snowpaw purred and they continued on through the territory. Eventually they reached an area that smelled of twolegs and a strange scent that definitely wasn't cat. Windpaw padded over to Morningsun and asked, "What's that strange scent?"

The silver and gold tabby she-cat narrowed her bright amber eyes and meowed, "Those rabbit-brained horses are what you're smelling. They rampage through this area every day." Windpaw nodded and turned back to the patrol. They passed an area full of what Quietclaw had once told her were 'sheep'. They made a Baaaah sound and turned away from the cats.

Redfeather hissed back at the sheep and turned to Fastfoot, "Those dumb sheep just eat, sleep, and make dirt all day. I bet they'd be easy to catch..."

Fastfoot cuffed the young warrior and hissed, "We have a agreement with the farm cats, remember? So long as we do not hunt the sheep they shall not hunt the rabbits. Besides, those sheep would trample you before you could say 'rabbit'."

Redfeather scowled and dropped to the back of the line. Then, they headed home...

Windpaw padded into camp with sore paws as everyone went to greet the patrol. She blinked the sadness from her eyes as her clan mates brushed past her. She looked to Fastfoot for permission before grabbing a rabbit from the fresh-kill pile and sitting outside the apprentice den. Mousepaw, Grasspaw, and for the first time Tinypaw, the apprentice Medicine Cat, padded over to her.

Grasspaw darted forward and stole the rabbit Windpaw was about to dig into and ate it herself. Windpaw held her tongue, thinking, there are plenty of rabbits on the moor. I'll catch one later.

Mousepaw sneered as Grasspaw ate the last of the rabbit and turned to Tinypaw, "Show us what you got."

Tinypaw sneered and licked her teeth before sinking them into Windpaw's tail and yanking. Windpaw grimaced and held back a yowl as Tinypaw dug her teeth in until they hit bone and finally she couldn't take it anymore and yowled.

Echostar looked out of her den to the source of the commotion. She narrowed her eyes as she saw the apprentices crowded around Windpaw and called them all into her den. Mousepaw hissed and followed Grasspaw and Tinypaw while Windpaw took the rear.

Echostar glared at them all as they sat in her den, circling them. She stopped in front of Tinypaw and growled, "You swore to never do harm to any clan mate and yet I saw you biting and yanking a fellow apprentice's tail! You would be very, very lucky if I didn't go straight to the Moon Pool and ask Starclan to stop your training."

Tinypaw whimpered pleaded, "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I'm sorry!"

Echostar glared down at the small apprentice before nodding and sending her out after making her apologize to Windpaw. The leader then turned to Grasspaw who immediately began to apologize to her and Windpaw.

Echostar sneered, "You would be lucky if I let you become a warrior! Is that rabbit I smell on your breath?"

Windpaw spoke up, "I got a rabbit after I got back from patrol and she stole it from me and ate it."

Echostar turned back to Grasspaw, "How dare you! I saw you have a magpie earlier! You are not going to have any food until after sun-high tomorrow. Understand?"

Grasspaw nodded and apologize to Windpaw once more before dashing out. Echostar finally turned to Mousepaw. The black and cream tom cringed in fear but then he suddenly stood tall and looked Echostar in the eyes, "You can't do anything to me!"

Echostar hissed and called his mentor, Plumwillow, into the leader's den.

Plumwillow glared at her apprentice before turning to Echostar, "What has Mousepaw done?"

Echostar told the young warrior of her apprentice's wrong-doings and then told her of what he had just said to the leader. Plumwillow growled viciously and swiped at Mousepaw's nose.

Echostar asked, "What do you think would be a proper punishment?"

Plumwillow glared at her apprentice and meowed, "I believe that he should clean the elder's den on his own for two moons, clean the nursery for two moons on his own, and catch fresh-kill for the apprentices for a moon."

Echostar nodded as Mousepaw began to tremble in fear and murmured to the mentor loudly, "Maybe I should make his warrior ceremony come a moon late?"

Mousepaw cried, "No! Please no!"

Echostar sneered, "I'll have mercy on you this once. But," she added as he got up to go, "You still need to do all the things Plumwillow listed. Understood?"

Mousepaw nodded and left with Plumwillow following. Echostar then turned to Windpaw, "I'm going to make this right. You'll see. No one will treat you badly anymore."

Echostar padded onto High Rock and looked down on the clan, "From this day, anyone who treats Windpaw with disrespect will be punished. Tawnytail!" The tom looked up from his finch, "You nipped Windpaw on her apprentice ceremony. Go catch her a rabbit."

Tawnytail's eyes widened and he dashed out of camp. Echostar turned to Berryfeather, "You scratch Windpaw's nose every time she comes to you for help. Even after you knew there was going to be someone like her to come along, you did it anyway. Treat her with more respect or you'll have no honour left when I'm finished with you."

Berryfeather nodded and looked at her paws. Echostar glared at the rest of the clan and called, "I will be Windpaw's mentor so that no one will treat her un-kindly anymore. Fastfoot, thank you for accepting her when you first had her as your apprentice. As a reward, you won't have to go on any patrols tomorrow."

Fastfoot nodded and looked to Fallenclaw, the deputy, to see if it was okay. Fallenclaw dipped his head and looked back to Echostar. The gray tabby ended the meeting and Windpaw finally let out a breath of relief.

Next Chapter! Another chapter is coming up in literally not even 5-10 minutes after this one so I will answer reviews then!