Chapter 4

The camp came together quickly, much to Hollykit's delight. Now they were allowed to explore outside the nursery whenever they wanted—according to Ferncloud, she and Birchkit were getting too big and smothering her in the warmth of the nursery. They knew what that meant—they could become apprentices at any moment.

They sought advice from Whitepaw, but the fluffy white she-cat always seemed busy, only retiring to her den once the sun had set well below the clifftop. In fact, it seemed that no one had time to entertain the kits.

"How can we become apprentices if no cat has time to train us?" Hollykit sat heavily outside the nursery, completely ignoring the ball of moss that Birchkit rolled towards her.

"Hollykit," the lighter tabby flicked his ears irately. "You missed the ball."

"I know," she shot a withering glare at her brother. "Apprentices don't play moss-ball, mouse-brain!"

Birchkit rolled his eyes, completely unfazed by his sister's temper. "Oh calm down, Hollykit. We'll be apprentices soon enough. I'm nearly as big as Whitepaw, it won't be long now."

"You've always been a big lump of fur," the dark tabby she-cat growled. "I don't think that's going to make a difference." Birchkit rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to bring some mice to the elders, come find me when you're in a better mood." With a flick of his tail the bigger kit left Hollykit to brood in her fowl temper. She watched all morning as patrol after patrol of warriors came and went, some with prey, some with information about their new territory, all doing something important and useful. Is it such a crime to want to help?

She was surprised when she saw Firestar himself emerge from the thorn tunnel, Dustpelt, Cloudtail, and Ashfur on his heels. She had been so busy seething she hadn't even seen the flame-pelted tom leave the camp. Eager to know what her father was doing on a patrol with Firestar, the kit jumped to her paws and rushed to greet them.

"Dustpelt!" She careened to a halt at the warrior's wide paws. "Were you on patrol? Did you find something interesting?"

Firestar exchanged an amused glance with Cloudtail, and Dustpelt rolled his eyes. "Yes, I was on patrol. If you clean up that mess you call a pelt you might be able to go on a patrol today, too."

"Really?" She bounced up and down in excitement. "But you always said I had to be an apprentice before you took me out on a patrol!"

"That hasn't changed," Dustpelt gave her a gentle nudge. "If you get your brother and get cleaned up by sunhigh, you just might become an apprentice."

Hollykit froze, her jaw agape. "R-really?" She turned her wide amber eyes to Firestar, who gave her an encouraging nod. "I'll go get Birchkit right away!" She had never run so fast in her life as she did tearing across the camp to reach the elders' den.

Birchkit seemed surprised to see her, though his amber eyes sparkled with mischief. "Finally find a good mood?"

"Nevermind that!" She pounced on her brother. "We're going to be apprentices!"

"When?" He didn't struggle against his sister's soft paws as she pummeled him playfully.

"Today!"

Mousefur let out an amused purr. "Not looking like that you're not," she teased. "I bet even Longtail can see what a mess you kits are."

Hollykit slithered off her brother, lowering her ears sheepishly. "Dustpelt did say we had to clean up by sunhigh…"

"Come on then," Birchkit shook the dust from his ruffled fur. "Let's hurry and groom so Firestar will call the meeting!"

Hollykit nodded energetically and echoed her brother's farewells to the elders as she followed him back to their favorite spot outside the nursery. It was shady and cool, and they could observe the entire camp. Everyone seemed to be watching them, a mixture of pride and amusement in their eyes as they watched the kits hurry to smooth their pelts. It didn't take long for Ferncloud to join them and offer her help, though it was fervently denied.

"We're going to be apprentices." Hollykit complained as she ducked away. Ferncloud put her paw firmly on the stubborn kit's tail, preventing her escape.

"Yes, well right now you're still kits so settle down and let me help, just this one last time."

Hollykit sighed dramatically, but let her mother go to work. Only once their fluffy kit-fur was all smoothed out did she let them go. Firestar must have been watching, because as soon as Ferncloud gave them the okay, he ascended the highledge.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the highledge for a Clan meeting!"

It took everything Hollykit had not to rush to the front of the gathering Clan, mindful that she had to keep her fur looking nice for the ceremony. She and Birchkit padded forward side by side, Ferncloud close behind them. Once he saw them take their places towards the front, Firestar continued.

"It was brought to my attention today that we have some kits that are outgrowing the nursery." Firestar announced warmly. Excited murmurs rippled through the crowd. "They were born in the old forest, and they are well past their sixth moons. Birchkit, Hollykit, step forward."

Hollykit lifted her head high as she stepped forward, squaring her shoulders to try to seem as big as Birchkit, who was nearly twice her size.

"Birchkit, from this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Birchpaw." He paused, his green eyes locking with something over Hollykit's head. "Ashfur, Dustpelt trained you well, and it is beyond time for you to have your first apprentice. I trust you will pass all of your knowledge and loyalty to young Birchpaw." The speckled gray warrior stepped forward proudly to touch noses with his new apprentice, and Hollykit watched curiously as Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes. He must have been hoping to mentor Birchpaw…

"Hollykit," Firestar's voice shook her from her thoughts, and the kit straightened up under his warm green gaze. "From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Hollypaw." The newly-named apprentice held her breath as Firestar sought out her mentor in the crowd. "Cloudtail, you did an excellent job training Rainwhisker, and I believe it's time for you to take a second apprentice. Pass on all of your strength and knowledge to young Hollypaw."

Hollypaw's eyes stretched wide as the white warrior stepped forward, but she refused to shy away, stretching up on her toes to touch her nose to her new mentor's. His dark blue eyes were full of pride, and Hollypaw felt her paws tingle with excitement. I'm an apprentice!

"Birchpaw! Hollypaw! Birchpaw! Hollypaw!"

All of ThunderClan pressed around them, congratulating them warmly. Whitepaw seemed particularly eager.

"Come on," as the cheers died down, the snowy apprentice nudged her new den-mates towards the apprentices' den. "You're going to be exhausted by the end of your first day of training, you should go ahead and make your nests now."

"Alright!" Hollypaw started to bound away after Whitepaw, but she hesitated as she saw Birchpaw turn to ask Ashfur for permission. "O-oh," she turned to Cloudtail sheepishly, but the warrior rolled his eyes.

"Go ahead, meet me by the thorn tunnel when you've finished."

"Yes, Cloudtail!" Hollypaw hurried after Whitepaw and Birchpaw. It didn't take long for them to scrape together nests out of what was left of Spiderleg's nest, carelessly distributing it as if it hadn't been stale for moons.

"That's fine for now," Hollypaw stepped back, proud of her little nest between Whitepaw's and Birchpaw's. "I'm going to go ahead, Cloudtail's waiting!" She felt a fresh thrill as she remembered that the proud white warrior was her mentor. When she joined him at the thorn tunnel, he stood and stretched.

"Are you ready?"

Hollypaw blinked curiously up at him. "For what?"

Cloudtail's whiskers twitched. "To see our territory. If we hurry, we'll be able to work on your hunting crouch this evening before the sun goes down."

"Okay!" Hollypaw shifted her weight anxiously from paw to paw. "Let's go then!"

Cloudtail flicked his ears for her to follow and pushed his way out into the forest. It was hard to keep up with the warrior, even when it seemed he was slowing his pace for her, but Hollypaw was determined to make a good impression. Rainwhisker was a warrior any mentor would be proud of—but Hollypaw wanted to make Cloudtail even more proud of her. That in mind, she never complained. She obediently took in the sights and smells of every border, committing them to memory. When they finally made it back to camp, Hollypaw felt like everything she had just learned was going to start spilling out of her ears.

"You kept up well," Cloudtail meowed as they padded into camp. "Go grab something to eat and get some rest. You've earned it."

Hollypaw sat beside her mentor, panting. "But what about… my hunting… crouch?"

Cloudtail's eyes rolled to Silverpelt, though they sparked with amusement. "You're exhausted, Hollypaw, we'll work on your hunting crouch tomorrow."

The tabby apprentice opened her mouth to object, but Cloudtail cuffed her heavily over the ear with his wide paw. "No objections. Now go eat before I change my mind and have you searching the elders for ticks tomorrow!"

"Yes, Cloudtail!" Hollypaw squeaked, wrinkling her nose at the thought as she scampered to the fresh-kill pile. She picked out a plump thrush and padded towards the apprentice den, where Whitepaw was already eating.

"Hey!" The white she-cat greeted Hollypaw warmly. "It looks like Cloudtail drug you to Highstones and back!"

"It feels like it, too," Hollypaw admitted, dropping heavily beside her friend to stuck plucking feathers from her meal. She was fascinated by feathers, and tucked a few of the particularly soft or shiny ones aside to line her nest with. "We went all the way around ThunderClan's territory today."

"It's not a short walk, huh?" Whitepaw sympathized. "It gets easier though. You were always really sickly as a kit, so it might take some time for you to build up muscle."

Hollypaw didn't remember a lot of her younger moons—the memories were clouded and full of a numbing cold that she didn't like to dwell on. "It won't take that long," she defended herself meekly. "Even if I was sickly, I'm healthy now."

"I know, I know," Whitepaw purred, soothing Hollypaw's bristling pelt with her long, plumy tail. "You're going to be fine."

"There's Birchpaw," Hollypaw perked up as her brother padded through the thorn tunnel behind Ashfur, both toms carrying large wads of moss. The she-cats watched as the mentor and apprentice disappeared into the elders den, then reemerged moss-free. Birchpaw nodded at something Ashfur meowed at him, then hurried to the fresh-kill pile to scoop up a squirrel before joining the other apprentices.

"Hey, Birchpaw," Hollypaw purred, scooting over to make room for Birchpaw between her and Whitepaw.

"Hey," the light brown tabby sighed as he lay between them, tearing into his squirrel without a moment of hesitation.

Hollypaw wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Are you even chewing?"

As if to answer her question, Birchpaw opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out, showing off a mouthful of half-chewed fresh-kill. Hollypaw hissed and swatted as her brother, who ducked away laughing.

"I hope you choke," the darker tabby seethed, turning back to her own meal.

"You don't mean that," Birchpaw teased as he swallowed the bite he had been displaying. "Anyways, how was your first day?"

"I saw all of ThunderClan's territory," Hollypaw's mock-anger was quickly forgotten. "What about you?"

"We saw you carrying moss," Whitepaw added.

"Yeah," Birchpaw huffed out a sigh. "Ashfur only showed me one border today, then he taught me the 'best way' to collect moss."

"Well?" Whitepaw blinked expectantly. "Aren't your claws sore?"

Birchpaw seemed surprised by the question, flexing his claws experimentally and wincing. "Yeah," he grimaced. "They actually are."

Whitepaw nodded importantly. "That's how a lot of mentors start teaching basic claw techniques. Brackenfur did it to me, too. I would spend from dawn 'til sunhigh swiping at moss, then he was surprised when mice were slipping through my claws!"

Hollypaw purred in amusement. "That's awful! But it worked, didn't it?"

"Mhm," Whitepaw hummed around a bite of mouse.

Birchpaw still seemed amazed, unsheathing and sheathing his claws over and over as he ate. As she finished her thrush, Hollypaw yawned.

"Well," she sighed, "I'm going fall asleep with a face full of feathers if I stay up much longer, I'm going to sleep."

Whitepaw stood as well. "I'm right behind you," she yawned.

"I'll catch up in a minute," Birchpaw called as the she-cat slipped into the apprentices' den. Hollypaw took a moment to weave the feathers she had set aside into the moss, purring contently as she curled up in her new nest. Whitepaw stretched out in her own nest, her tail curled so that it brushed Hollypaw's striped flank. The dark tabby she-cat didn't manage to fall asleep until Birchpaw joined them, though, letting out a peaceful sigh as her brother pushed his nest closer against hers and curled up beside her.

A/N: I am currently taking suggestions for Hollypaw's warrior name, and any pairings you'd like to see happen! I haven't decided yet if I even want to bring Daisy into the Clan (I'm personally not fond of her, sooo...) Anyways! I hope you're enjoying the story, and feel free to send your suggestions via review or pm!