"Are you kits ready for your apprentice ceremony?" Asked Fallenstar licking Fawnkit's head relentlessly.

Opposed to her brothers, Fawnkit stayed very still while her mother groomed her. Fawnkit grinned and said, "I'm ready."

"I hope I get Starlingwing as my mentor." Said Flamekit excitedly, "He's just the greatest warrior alive!"

Fallenstar paused and said, "Well, cats don't usually mentor family. Clans don't do that because there's a very high chance that the mentor will go easy on their family member or make sure that they become a warrior, no matter what the assessment says about you." She rubbed her tail across Fawnkit's back, "Besides, I already know who your mentors will be."

Pinekit perked up and asked quickly, "Who!?"

Fallenstar purred in laughter. "Why would I tell you? It'd spoil the surprise."

"I think I already know who I'll get." Said Fawnkit happily as she turned her brown eyes to the apprentice den. She longed to just sit in the medicine den all day and organize herbs with Littlecloud or heal sick and injured cats.

Fallenstar smiled and walked out of the nursery with her kits following. She sat down at the root of the High Branch. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath the High Branch for a Clan meeting."

The cats emerged from their dens and quickly gathered. Fallenstar swept her gaze across the Clan and started, "In turn of apprentices, it proves that ShadowClan will always thrive and remain strong. Flamekit, Pinekit, and Fawnkit, step forward please."

Fawnkit stepped forward more slowly. She glanced at her brothers who looked so excited that they were in serious danger of exploding, as usual.

"Flamekit, from this day onward, you shall be known as Flamepaw." She turned to face her denmate, Ferretclaw, "Ferretclaw, you will train Flamepaw to become the great warrior from the skills you have learned from Oakfur."

Ferretclaw dipped his head and trotted to Flamepaw, and touched noses before sitting down together.

Fallenstar grinned and went on, "Pinekit, from this on until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Pinepaw. Smokefoot, you will mentor Pinekit and teach him everything you know about being a warrior."

Smokefoot did the nose-touch and then Fallenstar turned to her final daughter.

"Fawnkit, you are a special case.

Fawnkit's paws itched with excitement as her mother spoke of this 'special case'.

"…Until you receive your medicine cat name…"

Fawnkit's eyes got wide and she resisted bouncing high into the air. The sunlight dappled her fawn like fur and her brown eyes twinkled like stars.

"You will be known as Fawnpaw." She turned to the medicine cat who sat at the entrance of his den, "Littlecloud, you must teach my daughter how to be a medicine cat that the Clan will be proud of."

Littlecloud dipped his head, "I will do my best, Fallenstar." He pulled himself up and lugged over to the small acorn dappled she-cat.

"Fawnpaw, Flamepaw, Pinepaw!"

The Clan cheered out their names and Fawnpaw's heart tickled with pride. She's going to be a medicine cat just like Littlecloud!

"Clan dismissed." Fallenstar leaped down from the root and joined the afternoon patrol.

Fawnpaw looked happily up at her new mentor and said, "Aren't we going to learn about herbs now?"

Littlecloud chuckled, "You've been learning the herbs before you were even able to leave the camp. In fact, let's go out of the camp and I'll show you the territories."

Fawnpaw nodded and the two cats walked out of camp, nodding a hello to the deputy, Oakfur.

Fawnpaw's heart beat faster as she took her first few steps out of the camp. The ground was soft and mushy, and the sweet darkness comforted her. Littlecloud walked over to a bush covered in tiny white flowers.

"Let's take this feverfew back to camp." He said pulling off a clump, "This is where I grow most of my plants. It has the nicest soil in the entire Clan territory. I chose here so that warriors won't be trampling all over my plants."

Fawnpaw nodded, soaking in every little detail.

"Hey, Fawnpaw!"

Fawnpaw turned her head and saw Flamepaw greet her. Next to Flamepaw stood the cream and white warrior, Ferretclaw.

"Ferretclaw's showing me the territory." Flamepaw said happily, "It's such a huge place!"

Fawnpaw nodded in agreement. The two cats then went off into the pine trees. Fawnpaw then snapped out her claws and harvested a clump of feverfew. Littlecloud looked at her and muttered through a mouthful of herbs, "Don't gather too much. If you get too much, then it'll be just a waste of herbs because they'll wilt right after a few days."

Fawnpaw nodded and the two cats began to walk back to the camp. Along the way, she took moss off the roots of the trees for the elders, making her have to carry more than she could handle. The oak leaves crunched under their paws and the duo darted into the camp and walked slowly to the medicine den.

The warm scent of plants and berries sent a chill up her spin as she set down the plants.

"Now, I'll organize them while you give the moss to the elders to drink. Stempaw and his brothers cleaned out their nest yesterday, so don't mind that."

Fawnpaw took the moss in her jaws and took a few steps over to the elder's den. She spat out the moss in front of Snaketail and Whitewater as Tallpoppy was asleep.

Snaketail looked up at her and didn't say anything.

Whitewater answered for him, "He's still upset about Cederheart's death just before you were born." She pawed the moss over to him, "Won't you drink some water, Snaketail?"

Snaketail huffed and turned away.

"Anyway, thank you, Fawnpaw. Are you happy being chosen for medicine cat apprentice?"

"Yes, it's a dream come true!" Fawnpaw exclaimed. Then she heard Tallpoppy snore and she quickly lowered her voice, "I mean, it's amazing."

Whitewater grinned, "That's good when you get the dreams you have hoped to catch."

Fawnpaw dipped her head. "Thank you, Whitewater. I'll see you later." Then she trotted out of the den and headed back to Littlecloud. The brown tabby has finished organizing the herbs and he turned to her with relief shining in his eyes.

"Oh, Fawnpaw," he started, "Just in time. We need to go back out into the woods and collect some oak leaves. It seems as though I've used them all when Pinepaw was attacked. I hope you don't mind."

Fawnpaw shook her head. "I don't mind at all. Let's go."

The duo headed back out into the forest and swamp mushed between their toes. Littlecloud looked down at her as the apprentice picked up several leaves with her mouth. Littlecloud pat her shoulder and said, "I suppose I should give you a grand tour of the territory."

Fawnpaw was about to say that the territory is way to big but it was like Littlecloud read her mind, "We can visit the ThunderClan border first and check out the lake. I'm curious if there's any frost there yet."

Fawnpaw nodded and they continued to walk. Eventually, the trees thinned out into oak trees and brambles. When they got to the scent line, Fawnpaw wrinkled her nose. She would have commented on the revolting stench of the other Clan if her mouth wasn't filled with oak leaves at the moment.

Along the border, she picked up more leaves, much more plentiful by now.

"The medicine cat of ThunderClan is Jayfeather right now. But I have a feeling that he's going to get an apprentice soon. Especially with Briarlight always in there with him."

"Who's Briarlight?" Muttered Fawnpaw through the leaves.

"When Briarlight was an apprentice, a tree fell down and broke her spine, paralyzing her from the waist down. So now she spends all of her time in the medicine den. This has happened before in ShadowClan with Russetfur's first litter of kits, including Rowanclaw. Russetfur and Rowanclaw were both deputies before Fallenstar took their positions. One of her kits had a falling log crashing down onto him, and it broke his spine. He didn't exercise enough, and he died of greencough."

Fawnpaw blinked with sympathy at the feeling of dread filling the area, Littlecloud obviously feeling guilty about what has happened.

"Let's check out the lakeshore." Said Littlecloud changing the subject. Fawnpaw followed her mentor deeper into the woods. She dropped two leaves along the way and she scrambled to pick them back up. Littlecloud got down and helped her and she grinned graciously.

The two cats finally reached the lake shore, and Fawnpaw set down the leaves. She stared out across the lake, many leaves speckling the lake. The water reflected the blue sky and the orange and green trees. She watched a small maple leaf land on the lake in front of her, causing endless ripples.

Littlecloud breathed out a sigh of relief, "Thank StarClan that leaf bare is late this year. We'll have more time to collect all the herbs we need before it hits us hard." He sniffed the air and went on, "Judging by the nip in the air, it's not that far off. It just might snow tomorrow."

"It'll be my first snowfall!" Fawnpaw bursted out.

Littlecloud nodded. "Fallenstar came to the Clan around this time of year as well, many moons ago." He drew a few circles on the ground and several half and crescent shaped circles, "I've been studying the moon patterns since the first blossoms of new leaf, and I've been counting the moons until new leaf blossoming time comes again. I'm curious how many moons there are in four seasons."

"That's a good experiment." Said Fawnpaw warmly, "How many have you counted so far?"

He thought for a moment and replied, "Nine moons so far. But I wouldn't go as far as give each moon a name. Wouldn't that be ridiculous and confusing?"

Fawnpaw chuckled, "It would, wouldn't it?"

"We'd lose track after a while." He went on. He blinked then said, "Look at me, rambling. I was talking about leaf bare and I find myself telling you about my moon experiment."

"It's fine." Fawnpaw said looking out at the lake, "elders told me that the snow is cold, fluffy, and white. So I'll know what it is when I see it, right?"

He nodded.

"I've heard about frost too. Is frost like snow?"

He batted at the maple leaf and said, "Well, frost is like a cross between ice and snow; ice being just a frozen version of water. Frost coats the surface of the lake, and when it gets cold enough, it turns to ice."

Fawnpaw picked up her oak leaves and flicked her tail.

He laughed a little, "You're right, it's time to head back to camp."

Littlecloud helped loosen the leaf load by carrying several for her. Fawnpaw smiled at Littlecloud, so far really liking her mentor.