"It's not as scary as it looks, I promise." Daisy mewed as she ran her tongue along Turtlekit's pelt, grooming him as though he were her own son to make sure he looked his best for his apprenticeship ceremony. "Bramblestar will call you up, give you your new name, the Clan will cheer, and then you'll get your mentor and touch noses with them."

Turtlekit had never felt so anxious in his life, it felt like his paws were buzzing like a bumblebee in excitement while his stomach coiled tight like a snake in its burrow. Today really was the day, he was going to become an apprentice of ThunderClan. He wasn't so upset about leaving the nursery, it was getting too crowded, especially with Dovewing having moved in two sunrises ago. He knew that he'd get to see his mother everyday and as an apprentice he could visit Daisy when he came to clean out the bedding, but what he didn't want was all the attention that was going to be placed on him. All his life all he every heard about was how special he was to be the son of two of the Risen. He knew that his parents were different, but why did that make him different too?

"Hollyleaf, I'm clean already!" Silverkit squealed just a few tail lengths away being groomed by their mother, Hollyleaf, and as always the silvery white and ginger kit had her long pelt ruffled in frustration at being given a bath. "I can't start my training if you're holding me between your paws like you're hogging a mossball!"

But the black she-cat handled her daughter's fussing like it was nothing, as she'd heard it loads of times. "Hush, if I let you go before the ceremony you'll tumble around in the loose sand and dust again. I won't have you looking like you've been rolling on the lake shore for a moon!" She growled but with warmth and love in her eyes. "You'll have to keep this beautiful fur of yours shiny on your own from now on, I'll have warrior duties again."

Turtlekit let out an amused mrrow as he looked up towards the highledge and saw Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, and Leafpool talking while they waited for the sunhigh patrol to return for the ceremony to begin. It was a warm day in mid-greenleaf, but not as hot as it had been, and the sun was shining into the stone hallow. Most of his other Clanmates were outside as well waiting for the ceremony. Across the camp sat Cinderheart and Lionblaze sharing tongues and watching their four-moon-old kits play fighting. The elders were sunning themselves in front of their den, Cloudtail arguing about something that happened in the old forest with Graystripe while their mates looked on amused. Blossomfall and Thornclaw were sharing prey under the shade of the fallen beech tree with Specklekit and Treekit, the latter complaining that the shrew he and sister were sharing was too chewy.

Soon they'd all be staring at him like he were a flying hedgehog stopping to rest in the middle of camp. He wanted to begin training, but he wished he could just be an apprentice from now on, did it really have to be such a big deal? Tomorrow no one would see him as anything other than another warrior in training, so why make such a fuss today?

As though she read his mind, Hollyleaf shifted her gaze to her son. "It's a tradition that goes back long before the Clans ever came to the lake," The black she-cat explained, the pride in her Clan shining in her leafy green eyes. "One of the duties of being leader is to assign mentors to train new warriors, and you'll begin to truly learn to live and breath the warrior code as you train. It's a milestone in every Clanmate's life we honor."

"I just don't want to make everyone think I'm a mousebrain for tripping over my own paws or saying something wrong or-or I don't know, getting the hiccups in the middle of it." Turtlekit muttered as Daisy ran a paw over his head gently to smooth the fur. He'd had been up half the night worrying about what could go wrong today.

"You'll do fine." Hollyleaf purred. "You're both going to grow up into fine warriors."

"Look! The patrol's back!" Silverkit chirped as Berrynose and Poppyfrost pushed through the thorn tunnel, followed by Lilyseed and Fallen Leaves, the pair's father.

The patchy ginger and white tom immediately headed toward the front of the nursery where his family were. Silverkit wriggled out of her mother's grasp and dashed toward the tom, and Turtlekit followed. The two kits pounced onto their father's back, who let out a fake wail as Turtlekit nipped playfully at his ears and Silverkit ordered him to surrender at once or feel the wrath of ThunderClan.

"I'm good as crowfood, I've been caught by the mightiest warriors in the whole forest!" Fallen Leaves purred as he flopped on the sandy ground of the camp.

"Oh don't be so dramatic." Silverkit mewed, clambering off him. "No real enemy would say that!"

"Yeah, we're not two moons old listening to elder's tales! We're much tougher!" Turtlekit tried to leap from his father's head but ended up tumbling over the tom's muzzle and landed in between his paws.

Fallen Leaves' eyes were shining with affection as he chuckled at his kits' antics. "You'll need to be tough if you're going to be picking ticks off the elders from now on!"

"Shh, don't ruin their enthusiasm telling them that." Hollyleaf meowed as she padded over, giving her mate's ear a small greeting lick.

Their father shrugged his shoulders and purred. "Well it's true..."

"We won't be picking ticks all the time," Turtlekit mewed as her shook the dust from his black tabby pelt. He paused as a fresh wave of anxiety crashed over him. "We won't, will we?"

"Of course not, don't be a mousebrain!" His sister hissed with a roll of her eyes. "Stop being so nervous already! We just sit there until we get mentors and touch our nose to theirs." She then softened her tone and pressed her muzzle against her brother's shoulder. "Look, whatever happens, we're in this together, okay?"

His stomach untightened a bit and he let a out a nervous laugh. "So if I trip and fall in a mud puddle, you'll jump in too?"

Silverkit's green eyes glowed in amusement. "Of course, just like you'll climb to the top of the Ancient Oak with me right after the ceremony!"

"You will do no such thing." Hollyleaf growled, her hard tone as serious as finding food in leafbare. Fallen Leaves just flicked his tail in amusement.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar's familiar gathering call rang out through the stone hallow, making Turtlekit feel frozen in place.

Silverkit padded forward with Hollyleaf beside her as the other cats gathered. Fallen Leaves gently nudged his son forward, giving him a comforting lick between the ears. "You're going to be fine." He whispered.

Turtlekit walked close beside the ginger and white tom like a kit their first time exploring the camp, trying his hardest to stay focused on Silverkit and Hollyleaf ahead of them to avoid the stares of all his congregating Clanmates. When they reached beneath the highledge, Hollyleaf smoothed his fur once more and pressed her muzzle against his shoulder.

"I'll always be proud of you." She whispered, the normally strong she-cat's voice wavering with emotion.

She did the same to his sister, then stepped back beside Fallen Leaves a few tail lengths back behind them. Bramblestar's amber gaze was fixed on Turtlekit and his sister and though he was large and intimidating to him most of the time, the black tabby could feel affection and pride in his eyes, which made him feel a bit better in an odd way. The leader shifted his glance upwards to the rest of the hollow and started to speak.

"Cats of ThunderClan," The dark brown tabby began. "We have weathered many hardships in the last seasons and lost many of our Clanmates. The Great Storm drove us from the stone hollow and took away one of our elders and two of our young cats." Turtlekit looked over his shoulder at Berrynose and Poppyfrost, who lowered their heads in memory of their daughter, Cherryleap, who had drowned trying to save the elder Purdy. Lilyseed's blue eyes a few tail lengths away also glowed with sadness remember her sister, Seedpaw.

"We lost many old friends to greencough, along with several young fit cats who deserved moons and moons more of life than they received." He noticed the elder couple, Brightheart and Cloudtail, entwine their tails as the memory of their son, Dewkit, who died a few sunrises before his siblings were apprenticed.

"And we battled the Dark Forest in leaf-fall, where many brave cats from all Clans gave their lives to keep the warrior code alive." The leader paused a moment as the stone hallow went eerily silent as the dead were remembered. "But also we have been blessed with the miracles of StarClan." His amber eyes opened again, his voice strong and echoing. "Hollyleaf was given back to our Clan for her selfless service to her Clanmates, and we welcomed to Fallen Leaves into our ranks as even from beyond life he aided cats in need and proved himself worthy of belonging to ThunderClan."

Cats called out in approval all around them, chanting Turtlekit's parents names. "Hollyleaf! Fallen Leaves!"

"And today, we celebrate the new life their return has brought to us. Their kits are ready to become apprentices of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar looked back down at Turtlekit and Silverkit. "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these kits. They have grown old enough to learn the ways of your noble code, please help guide their paws along the path of the great warriors of old. Silverkit,"

Silverkit's ears pricked and she stepped forward. Turtlekit could tell that his sister was just as nervous as he was despite her bold nature, as she was twitching her tail anxiously and her haunches trembles ever so slightly as she fought to keep her long pelt from bristling.

"Is it your wish to train as a warrior of ThunderClan?"

"It is." Silverkit responded clearly, raising her head to look her leader in the eye.

I'm next... Turtlekit thought as his neck fur ruffled.

"From this point forward, until she earns her warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Silverpaw." The great tabby tom meowed.

"Silverpaw! Silverpaw!" The chorus of their Clanmates yowled out. Turtlekit added his voice as well, though he felt drowned in all the noise.

Bramblestar raised his tail to silence the crowd. "Icecloud, you have served your Clan with pride and dedication throughout even our darkest days. You have always persevered and are a skilled hunter and fighter. I know you will be a great mentor of Silverpaw."

The pure white she-cat padded forward to his sister and touched noses with the newly named Silverpaw, both their eyes glistening with excitement. The new pair stepped aside and Bramblestar spoke again.

"Turtlekit, is it your wish to train as a warrior of ThunderClan?"

It felt as though time stopped as Turtlekit stood and took what seemed to be huge steps forward. He could feel the heat of all his Clanmate's gazes along with the midday sun blazing against his dark pelt, but he was determined to make his parents proud and impress his new mentor, so he opened his jaws and replied as calmly as he could. "Yes, it is."

Bramblestar twitched his whiskers at the young tom, seemingly especially pleased with him. "From this moment forward, until he earns his warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Turtlepaw."

"Turtlepaw! Turtlepaw!" His new name rang in his ears and his heart soared as high as Silverpelt. Turtlepaw could hear his parents calling out especially loud behind him and he knew that the worst of the ceremony had passed, and even more miraculously, it hadn't been as bad as he thought.

Their leader silenced the hollow again with a swoop of his great tail. "Ivypool," Turtlepaw turned around and saw the silver and white tabby padding forward. "No cat could ever deny your unfailing loyalty and bravery. You are a brilliant fighter and hunter, and I know you will pass your skills and knowledge on to Turtlepaw."

Ivypool dipped her head to her leader and turned to Turtlepaw. He knew how respected Ivypool was by all the Clans and how brave she'd been to spy on The Dark Forest, which always made him feel a little frightened of her. But her dark blue gaze was full of nothing but kindness as she leaned her head down to touch noses with Turtlepaw.

They stepped aside together as Bramblestar finished. "ThunderClan is as strong as it was in the golden days of the old forest, and growing all the time! Let all of you be praised for doing your part to make our Clan great!"

Yowls of approval rang through the hollow as the meeting ended and the cats dispersed. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight leapt off the highledge and the dark ginger deputy called for Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves, asking if they'd like to join them for hunting to celebrate their kits apprenticeship. They couple agreed, but not before they padded over to Turtlepaw and Silverpaw and embraced them for a few moments.

"Listen to your mentors, and enjoy the forest." Hollyleaf said as she nuzzled Turtlepaw's scruff like she did when he was a small kit.

Fallen Leaves draped his tail along his shoulders and purred. "Have fun! We'll always be around if you need us."

As their parents padded off, Silverpaw let out an over the top groan. "Did your parents fuss over you so much when you got apprenticed?" She asked their mentors.

The warrior she-cats exchanged an amused glance.

"I was so excited that day I don't remember..." Ivypool meowed, studying the siblings thoughtfully.

"Dustpelt was always so stern and serious, except when it was time for his kits to leave the nursery." Icecloud replied warmly. "He squeezed me so tight before my ceremonies I thought he'd flatten me!"

Turtlepaw let out a small laugh and shifted his paws awkwardly. What now?

Ivypool answered him almost immediately after. "I think there's still enough time to give them a full tour of the territory."

Silverpaw practically buzzed with joy. "Oh yes yes please! I want to see the Ancient Oak!" She bounced on her toes like a kit badgering the senior warriors coming home from a Gathering. "And the lake, and the ShadowClan border, does it really smell as bad as Spiderleg is always complaining?"

"They'll be plenty of time to see everything." Icecloud purred, putting a her paw on her new apprentice's shoulder gently. "Should we take them together or separate? Foxleap and I went with our mentors and another warrior to see one side of the territory and then met at The Ancient Oak and lake. Then we explored the other half, it was fun."

Ivypool nodded. "That sounds good." She turned to Turtlepaw. "Which border would you like to see first, ShadowClan or WindClan?"

Turtlepaw was caught off guard by the question as he thought their mentors would be decided everything for them from now on. "Er...WindClan I guess."

The silver and white tabby flicked her tail in acknowledgment while Icecloud purred to her own apprentice. "Guess you're going to find out what the ShadowClan border smells like first!"

Silverpaw nodded excitedly and trotted off beside the pure white warrior. She turned and called over her shoulder farewell to her Turtlepaw and that she'd see him at the Ancient Oak.

After they were gone, Ivypool beckoned him to follow her. "It's faster this way," She mewed. "You already know where the thorn barrier is to lead out of camp, but the dirtplace tunnel can be quicker if you had to hurry to help somewhere on this side of the territory. Or if you had to evacuate the camp during an attack."

Turtlepaw nodded as they followed the narrower tunnel past the dirtplace. Beyond some holly bushes, the forest in all its glory shown in the midday sun, making Turtlepaw's mouth gap wide as all the sights, sounds, and smells overwhelmed his senses.

"What do you smell?" Ivypool asked, slowing her pace beside the black tabby.

What do I smell? Turtlepaw's pelt prickled with anxiousness. Was he supposed to answer something in particular? At first he thought of not answering at all, but he didn't want seem unready for his training already. Stop acting like a shy kit! He hissed internally at himself.

"Well...I can tell that there are some birds up in the trees." He began, staring up into the boughs of the oaks and sycamores that stretched above them. "Some sparrows, wood pigeons...maybe a black bird. I know their smells from the freshkill pile and the feathers Fallen Leaves would bring for our nests in the nursery. There's another scent...stronger and more musky..."

Ivypool nodded. "That stronger one is squirrel. They get that musky edge from their nests full of dead leaves." She let out a small purr. "Good. You already can distinguish between some different prey scents."

She stopped for a moment and beckoned Turtlepaw to stand in front of her with her tail. The warrior bent her head down towards the ground. "See here, the earth is more uneven than in the hollow," She meowed. "It's because of all the roots from the trees and the underbrush. It rained the day before last, so the ground is still a bit moist. It's good for hunting because you can unsheathe your claws without it cracking under dry soil."

Ivypool slid out her claws and raked them over the brown earth slowly to make her point. Turtlepaw did the same, pelt prickling with excitement all over again as he realized he was learning real warrior skills.

They continued through the forest, with Ivypool pointing out different things along the way. Turtlepaw just took everything in, nodding or giving a simple response to his mentor. The trees thinned as they reached a small, fast moving stream.

"This is the edge of ThunderClan territory, further past the stream here is no Clan's territory because it leads to the Moonpool." Ivypool explained. "We usually don't set border markers here because you'd have to already be deep in our territory to cross it."

The water glistened in the sunlight and a small green lizard was sunning himself on a flat stone near the stream's edge. It scampered under a crag in a bigger rock a tail-length away when the pair of cats got closer. Turtlepaw curiously sniffed the stone where the scaly creature had been sitting; it smelled odd, rough and cold like tree bark soggy from rain.

He wrinkled his nose. "Does ShadowClan really eat those things?" He mewed. He flattened his ears after the words left his mouth, worrying if it was a dumb thing to ask.

Ivypool laughed. "Not usually, but they will if there's nothing much else." The silver and white tabby gently touched her chin to his shoulder. "I know it's a lot to take in at once, but you're doing really well...I know it's all a bit overwhelming to go from kit to apprentice. I want you to know that I'm not just here to boss you around. I'm here to teach you, but also be here for you."

Ivypool's words made a comforting warmth rise in his chest. "Thank you, I just didn't want to sound like a mouse-brain chattering on like a woodpecker my first day..."

The she-cat nodded as they began to walk along the stream. "You aren't as talkative as your sister, I get it. That's not a bad thing. It means you listen and watch more while Silverpaw likes to ask questions and get answers directly. You learn by seeing and doing. Just because you aren't the most chatty cat doesn't mean you are any less dedicated to your training."

Turtlepaw felt a weight lifted from his shoulders as he padded beside his mentor; Ivypool had just voiced how he felt in such a way no cat ever had before. His parents had always had a silent understanding of how he was compared to his sister, but they'd never said it. It made him feel more at ease with the silver and white tabby as well.

After awhile, the trees on the other side of the stream thinned into nothing by low bushes and the earth sloped into high hills. Along with the terrain change, a new odor filled Turtlepaw's nostrils. It was strong, like fresh grass seed and dust.

"WindClan." His mentor mewed. "This is where our border with them begins. It follows this stream all the way to the lake. A border patrol must have just come through here, the scent markers are fresh."

Turtlepaw gazed out onto the open meadow and pasture of WindClan's territory. He wondered how they hunted with nowhere to hide. Then he remembered that his Clanmates sometimes called WindClan members "rabbit-chasers".

"Do they really run to catch all their food?" Turtlepaw asked, feeling more comfortable asking a question than before.

"Yes, that's their specialty. They're the fastest cats in all the Clans." Ivypool confirmed, flicking her tail towards a low, flatter part in the stream ahead of them. Turtlepaw's own forepaws would barely be submerged in the thin sheet of fast moving water. "Rabbits don't mind getting their paws wet to escape and neither do WindClan cats to get a meal, so this is where our border patrols come to make sure WindClan isn't crossing."

"Is it our prey after it crosses the stream?" The rocks and bushes that lined ThunderClan's side smelled equally as strong as the WindClan side.

Ivypool thought for a moment before answering. "Technically yes, but sometimes we will let them have it as a sign of good will. But other times we keep it, especially in leafbare when prey is stretched so thin."

Turtlepaw nodded as they continued onwards. They followed the stream all the to the lake, which shown bright blue in the sunshine. The new apprentice marveled at the size of the lake as Ivypool pointed out the Gathering island and RiverClan territory across the great body of water.

They ran into a hunting party made up of Ambermoon, Bumblestripe, and Molewhisker all carrying prey in their jaws as they headed back towards camp. The warriors gave them a nod of acknowledgement before they disappeared through the undergrowth. By the time they reached the Ancient Oak, Silverpaw and Icecloud were just arriving as well, the silvery white and ginger she-cat walking proudly with a vole between her jaws.

"Turtlepaw! Look!" Silverpaw meowed around the prey as she bounded over to Turtlepaw. She dropped it at her paws and continued. "We were just at the ShadowClan border and this vole scurried right out in front of us! I leapt forward and wham!" His sister swatted the air in front of her. "Icecloud said she'd never seen such a dumb vole!"

"Or such a lucky apprentice her first time out." Icecloud purred, blue eyes bright with pride.

"That's great!" Turtlepaw meowed, not wanting to sound disappointed that his exploration of the WindClan border hadn't been nearly as eventful.

Silverpaw sensed what was unsaid though, and gave him a friendly shove. "Oh don't look like that." She chided playfully. "You'll be able to catch more prey than me within a moon with your sleek pelt and small frame! All the mice will just think you're an otter lost from the lake!"

All four cats laughed before they moved on. Ivypool and Icecloud showed them the base of Sky Oak, explaining that they'd practice climbing here a few times during their training but sternly warned against the apprentices ever trying to climb it unsupervised. Silverpaw gave a mischievous glance at Turtlepaw, obviously remembering their conversation before their ceremony. Turtlepaw twitched his tail anxiously and hoped to StarClan she hadn't been serious, as seeing how high the Ancient Oak was had made him far less enthusiastic about following his sister to the top.

After the Ancient Oak, the pairs separated again to see the other half of the territory. The sun was slinking beneath the treeline by the time Turtlepaw was pushing his way through the thorn barrier, feeling as though boulders were stuck to his paws. ShadowClan's border hadn't been as smelly as he was expecting and no prey had jumped out in front of him like when Silverpaw had been there.

His mentor seemed to sense his deflated enthusiasm. "Not every day will be as exciting as this, but you'll still be learning valuable skills all the time, whether you know it or not." Ivypool meowed warmly as she turned and went to go sit with Dovewing and Bumblestripe by the nursery. "Go get something to eat and rest. You've done well your first day. And this is only the beginning!"

The beginning... His mentor's words brought back the spark of excitement and anxiety that had filled him this morning. Only the weariness of having walked more than any other day in his life kept him from bouncing like a kit as he padded to the freshkill pile where Silverpaw, Mudpaw, Yellowpaw, and Stormpaw were all sitting together already, sharing tongues and prey.

"There you are!" Silverpaw purred. "I've been dying to sink my teeth into this rabbit!"

From the ferns to the side of the pile the silvery white and ginger she-cat pulled out a small but plump rabbit.

Turtlepaw licked his lips. "Was the WindClan border as kind to you as that vole by ShadowClan?"

His sister rolled his eyes. "No mousebrain, Hollyleaf and Fallen Leaves caught this special for us!"

The juicy meat tasted even better than usual. No wonder the warriors and apprentices get grumpy about feeding the cats in the nursery and the elders first. As they ate, twilight shone brightly on the stone walls of the hollow as cats lounged about and began to head to their dens for the night. Squirrelflight called for Snowbush to stand guard for the night and most of his other Clanmates were headed into their dens for the night. It felt unnatural for Turtlepaw to follow his sister to the cave where the apprentice's slept instead of the bramble bush of the nursery.

"Stormpaw and I made you both nests." Mudpaw meowed as she groomed her long pelt from her own nest. "Once you start hunting you can take a feather from each bird you catch to keep count, that's what we do!"

"We also like to sleep." The brown she-cat's brother, Yellowpaw, grumbled from his own nest, swooping his tail across the den floor and around himself to make his point.

Stormpaw chuckled as he circled around his own bundle of moss. "He really is Spiderleg's son."

Yellowpaw flattened his ears in irritation and huffed, but said no more. Turtlepaw and Silverpaw laid close together, the she-cat curling her fluffy tail around her brother's side like she used to when they were small kits in the curl of Hollyleaf's belly. It made the black tabby tom wonder if under her tough and eager front she was feeling overwhelmed by the sudden change from the first to be fed to one of the providers for the rest of ThunderClan.

This is just the beginning... Ivypool's words rang through his mind as he closed his eyes and slipped into a deep, well earned sleep.

WEW, first chapter done at last! Sorry for the delay, I've been busy finishing up this semester at school. This chapter was a lot of exposition obviously, so I'm dying to know: what do you think of Turtlepaw? He'll be our main protagonist for the rest of this book, so I want him to be likable and not a total Gary-Sue type. The same goes for Silverpaw. Let me know in a review! Chapter 2 will be here soonish!