I hate being the only apprentice.

Morningpaw trotted into camp, still weary from the dawn patrol, and dropped her swallow on the depleting fresh-kill pile as she inhaled the still-early morning coolness that hung in the air. Cats enjoyed having a cool moment, for once, that was even scarce in the misted clearing of SwampClan who resided in the middle of the forest. Morningpaw looked around, searching for any cats she could talk to, but was left again with no one.

I hate how Birdstripe is the medicine cat's apprentice, cause now I'm left alone all the time. Morningpaw frowned, thinking of her sister who earned her medicine cat name before her own warrior name. Morningpaw was thirteen moons old now, and confused on why she was still an apprentice. Maybe Fawnstar just wants an apprentice around until more come in… but still, I want to be a warrior!

The dusky she-cat picked up the swallow she set down and began to trot towards the elder's tree trunk. Her mouth watered with the scent of the warm prey in her jaws, and she longed to sneak it away and eat it. She knew she wasn't supposed to, however, and continued to bring it to the elders.

"Morningpaw?" rasped the oldest elder whom was laying outside, Foldedears. He had joined the Clan as a loner, Morningpaw was told, which explains why his ears are oddly folded.

"I brought you some prey," Morningpaw mumbled through her catch.

"I've already eaten," Foldedears said happily. "but I'm sure the others would like to share it."

Morningpaw nodded with a purr and slid into the crevice of the large, hollow tree trunk. Mumblestep and Blueleaf were sharing tongues a bit farther away, and Rowanpelt was licking her paws in blissful silence. "I've brought a swallow," Morningpaw alerted, causing perks of ears from all the elders.

"Oh, thank you!" Blueleaf exclaimed, looking up from grooming her mate. "I've been a bit hungry since the dawn patrol left."

Rowanpelt, the youngest elder, stood from her position on the ground. She stretched stiffly and trotted over to the swallow to bring it to Blueleaf and Mumblestep to share. Morningpaw dipped her head. "Do you need bedding changed or anything?" she asked politely.

"I'm fine," Mumblestep said with a bite of his prey. "how about you, Blueleaf?"

The gray elder purred with a gleam in her eye. "I'm fine as well. Thank you, Morningpaw."

"Why aren't you a warrior yet?" Rowanpelt asked as she took a bite. Morningpaw shuffled her paws, beginning to grow embarrassed. It's so awful to be thirteen moons old and still an apprentice!

"Ask Fawnstar." Morningpaw shrugged, beginning to leave the tree trunk. "Send for me if you need anything."

The pale brown she-cat slinked out of the den, bidding a farewell to Foldedears, and beginning to go check on the nursery. I have to do all the apprentice duties alone.

The nursery was alive with the sound of mewls, warming Morningpaw's heart at how petite they were. The cream apprentice poked her head into the well-made den, catching bright glimpses from the kits as she did so. "Need anything?" Morningpaw said brightly as an orange tabby kit scrambled onto her legs.

"I think we're fine," meowed a black, white and brown she-cat with the name of Puddleheart whose tail was clutched around two sleeping kits. "I fed them this morning."

"How about you, Lakeflash?" Morningpaw meowed to a dark brown she-cat with a bulging belly, who was lazily lounging around by the corner of the den.

"I'm fine," she mewed tiredly. "Puddleheart fetched me a vole this morning and Lionfur said he'd share a thrush with me later."

Morningpaw nodded. "Goodbye, Foxkit." she mewed to the kit before ducking back out of the nursery and into the bright camp.

"Morningpaw!" meowed a call that seemed to get closer as Morningpaw looked around for the caller. It was her past denmate, Darksplash, who still was close with her even though the two were now in different dens. "I've been trying to talk to you all day." he meowed with a purr.

"Well I've been doing the duties of three apprentices," Morningpaw huffed. "why can't Fawnstar just make me a warrior and then make me do all the duties?"

"To keep the den filled, I guess." Darksplash meowed.

"I'm the only one there at night!" the cream apprentice exclaimed in frustration. "It's so lonely."

"I'll keep you company tonight." the black tabby replied with a grin. Morningpaw's ears pulsed and she felt her veins throb. Darksplash and I alone? Oh great… I hope I don't snore.

"Sounds good," Morningpaw said, casually. "tell me if I'm a loud sleeper."

Darksplash purred. "Will do," he chuckled.

The apprentice gave her chest a quick lick before looking back to see her mentor, Dawnstep, looking around with a puzzled glint in her eye. "I'll bet you a mouse she's looking for me," Morningpaw sighed, standing to her paws. "I'll talk to you later." Darksplash dipped a goodbye to the apprentice before turning away and trotting off to join a few cats below the willow tree.

"Dawnstep?" Morningpaw huffed as she approached her mentor. The cream cat was almost as tall as the lanky pale brown she-cat, if not taller. Dawnstep was exhausted having to train the cat who already knew everything about hunting and fighting. The two rarely had hunting and fighting lessons, and just mainly joined patrols.

I was looking for you, Morningpaw." Dawnstep replied. "I talked to Fawnstar about your warrior ceremony."

"You did?" Morningpaw said brightly with a chirp in her mew. Am I becoming a warrior today? "What did she say?"

Dawnstep's ears drooped. Uh oh. The brown warrior curled her tail over her nimble paws before repeating what the leader had told her. "She said she wanted to keep you an apprentice until Puddleheart's kits become apprentices."

Morningpaw felt the rage burning in her throat. But that's another moon! "That's another moon," Morningpaw spat. "I'll be fourteen moons old, and still an apprentice! That's embarrassing!"

"Tell that to Fawnstar." Dawnstep mumbled. "I'm tired of mentoring a cat who doesn't need it."

"I'm tired of doing all the apprentice tasks," Morningpaw added dully. "and I hate how Birdstripe got her full name before I did!"

Dawnstep rested her tail on the cream apprentice's flank. "Just follow what Fawnstar says," she whispered. "you'll be a warrior before you know it." Morningpaw felt the heat rising from above the treetops and seeping into her light fur. Another hot day again, I suppose. She gave one last displeased look to her mentor before trudging away into the midst of the camp.

"It's not fair," Morningpaw sighed under her breath as she approached the medicine cat cave. Her sister was inside, working diligently alongside Leapfoot, with her amber eyes ablaze with determination. The cream apprentice lowered her gaze solemnly, sighing, and beginning to turn away.

"Wait!" came a mew from inside the den. "Can I go speak to my sister?"

Morningpaw turned, seeing Birdstripe about looking down on the small medicine cat. Leapfoot was rather small, and Birdstripe had already exceeded the tom's size. "Sure, but count on me quizzing traveling herbs when you return!"

Birdstripe slinked out from the ferns that covered the cave entrance. Her eyes were tired, despite it being so early in the day, and her pelt was ruffled in all different directions. Morningpaw had always admired her sister for being so hardworking, but she had a sharp tongue that often made her sister think wrongly of her actions.

Birdstripe rushed forward, touching her nose to her sister's cheek. "Good morning, Morningpaw!" she purred, brushing flanks. "I'm so glad you've given me a break! Leapfoot's been quizzing me all morning."

The cream apprentice gave a slight purr, Fawnstar's words still pounding thoughts into her head. "Fawnstar told me I can't be a warrior until Puddleheart's kits become apprentices." she muttered with a halfhearted smirk that was painted with sarcasm. "I just want to be a warrior."
Birdstripe sighed, resting her wiry tail on her sister's flank. "It'll only be another moon," she mumbled. "and I would be there with you if I was training to be a warrior."

"But you're not." Morningpaw murmured.

Birdstripe frowned. "You can get through it." she said, somewhat cheery. "You'll be okay."

The cream sibling shrugged. "I do the duties of four apprentices by myself," she said with a sigh. Why am I telling Birdstripe this? It's not like she can relate. The tabby medicine cat apprentice gave Morningpaw a reassuring look.

"Sorry about your luck," she meowed, glancing back at Leapfoot's burning gaze from behind the palm fronds. "but I gotta go. Leapfoot has me on a sharp quizzing schedule today." Birdstripe nuzzled her sister before departing quickly, disappearing as she passed through the cover up of the den.

Morningpaw sighed and trudged back, unsure of what to do. The sun was now about fully over the dense treetops and beating down on her cream-colored back. She flashed her glance to the reed-woven warriors den with the circle of warriors sharing tongues around it. I could be there.

She noticed Hazelpatch and Crowclaw among the clustered group of warriors, a brother and sister duo that were once her denmates, who were purring with eyes bright with delight. Morningpaw quickly looked away once catching the glance of Crowclaw and padded on to the cluster of trees that made an enclosed den, where Fawnstar lay.

Morningpaw felt her paws grow light and airy. Am I really doing this? Am I really going to talk to the leader? She had never spoken directly to Fawnstar before, and frankly was a little nervous. I have to. I can't sit around on my lazy tail and wait until she's ready to make me a warrior.
Morningpaw took a deep breath of leaf-green air before calling to the leader in the shady den. "Fawnstar?" she called with a shaken voice. There was a pause, and Morningpaw could almost hear the beating of her heart in the humid silence hanging around her.

"Yes?" spoke a worn but bright voice from inside the circle of trees. "Come in."

Morningpaw took another quick breath before entering the den, instantly cooling down in the shade. Fawnstar was seated on a bed of freshly picked moss with her pelt drenched in the darkened shade. Her freckled pelt was nicely groomed and her amber eyes were soft and polite. "Morningpaw?" spoke the young leader. "I just spoke to your mentor today, what do you need?"

The apprentice dipped her head, quickly seating herself at a distance from the leader. "I just came to talk to you about my warrior ceremony." she said, looking at her paws in fear of a fierce retort by Fawnstar. Morningpaw shuffled her paws as she could almost hear the blank stare from her leader.

Fawnstar smiled. "I told Dawnstep this earlier," she said, standing from her bed of moss. "you'll be made a warrior when Puddleheart's kits get to six moons. I need someone to do the apprentice tasks, and your sister is in the paws of a medicine cat."

Morningpaw felt the anger boiling her veins. That doesn't mean I have to work my tail off all day! "I'm doing the duties of four apprentices!" she exclaimed, voice growing louder and attracting a stare from Fawnstar. "It's not fair that I have to work all day when I'm old enough to be a warrior!"

Fawnstar blinked solemnly, giving her slender paw a quick lick before speaking. "I understand," she said, growing annoyed, "but what I'm saying is final. You'll be made a warrior soon, but not now. I apologize."

Morningpaw stiffened, flicking her tail in annoyance. How dare she! "Thank you, Fawnstar." she said in a dull tone before calmly getting to her paws, trying not to show her immense discontentment. Dipping her head, the cream apprentice turned tail and began to leave the shade of the den.

Morningpaw felt the sunlight hit her eyes as the sharp gaze of Fawnstar lingered in the air behind her. I'll be a warrior, just not now. The apprentice sighed, but shook off her anger and padded forward into the sunlight of the camp. She noticed Lionfur, the Clan deputy, there along with a few other warriors.

Morningpaw watched them silently. Lionfur looked like he was explaining something, his gaze flickering to the entrance of the camp with every word. The two warriors, who Morningpaw recognized as Duckflight and Blackstorm, had their gazes intently fixed on the tom in fascination. I wonder what's going on. Morningpaw shuffled her paws. It's none of my business anyway.

"Did you just talk to Fawnstar?"

Morningpaw jumped as a voice, seemingly close to her ears, sounded in the blissful silence. She saw the familiar dark figure of Darksplash behind her, tail lashing and blue eyes bright and glossy in the sunlight. "I've never even talked to Fawnstar directly before. Was it about you becoming a warrior?"

Morningpaw frowned. "Why did you pop up behind me like that?" she said with a sarcastic glare. "You nearly scared me out of my pelt!"

Darksplash purred lightly. "Oh, I'm sorry." he said with amusement heavy in his voice. "I didn't think an apprentice would be bothered by that."

"Oh, you have it coming to you now." Morningpaw said with a frosted yellow gaze. "I'll have your pelt hanging on the apprentice den."

Darksplash backed away, tail lashing to the side of him. "Pardon me, but can an apprentice take on a dashing warrior like myself?" he said lightly with his usual smirk. Morningpaw scowled, lightly swatting her paw past his cheek.

"In all seriousness," Morningpaw said with a purr, "yes, I did talk to Fawnstar about me becoming a warrior."

"What did she say?" Darksplash said, intrigued, as he sat down and began to groom his sleek, dark fur. Morningpaw was silent for a moment, recalling her conversation with the leader, and took a deep breath before explaining.

"She told me it was final," the cream apprentice began with a firm voice. "which I don't mind, I guess. Maybe it'll benefit to me in the future."
Darksplash smirked, giving Morningpaw a slight lick to her ear.

That's the spirit," he meowed happily. "now, how about we go out for a hunt?"

Morningpaw nodded excitedly and padded away with the dark tabby warrior into the luminous forest, painted with green.