AN: Next chapter!

And thanks to everyone who offered me their ideas on kit games! Cookies to you! ^.^

The grass blade waved tantalizingly. Whitekit crouched, preparing to spring. She swayed, bunched up her muscles, and pounced, landing with an 'oomph.' Brownpaw pounced a moment later, ensnaring the imaginary vole and delivering the killing bit to it's neck. Then her looked up at her with the playful gleam in his eye she had come to recognize.

"Great timing," he purred. "I couldn't have caught it without you, Whitekit."

Brownpaw had been apprenticed for nearly a quarter moon to Rockpad. Whitekit had thought she would miss him, busy as he was with apprentice duties and training. But he had proven her wrong by playing their old games with her just as though he had never left the nursery.

"Shall we take it back to our fresh-kill stash, or eat it now?" Whitekit asked.

"We should take it to the stash," Brownpaw replied, picking up the imaginary prey. "You never know when badgers or foxes will attack the nursery."

The two young cats started back towards the camp, following the narrow dirt path that wound down the hillock and near the stream. As they passed it, Whitekit let her gaze wander down to the clear blue water swirling below her. Most cats in StoneClan knew how to swim, though none so well as WaterClan. She wondered when she would be able to plunge into the tranquil water and propel herself strongly through it during the hottest days of green-leaf. But first things first, she thought. I'll have to learn how. But would Firedapple teach her? She didn't know if medicine cats learned how to swim.

"Whitekit, look out!"

Startled by the yowl, Whitekit's head jerked up and she looked around. Softstep and was racing toward her, flanked by Blacktail and Finchpaw. At first, she wondered why they were running so fast. Then a fox thrust its pointed head out of the bracken in front of them. It sniffed, turned, and saw her, paralyzing her with fear. If she dodged to the right or left, it would have her before she could say "StarClan." But the only other option was to back up-right into the stream.

Before she had a chance to ponder what would be worse, being eaten by a fox or possibly drowning, Brownpaw leapt in front of her, snarling. Then he attacked the fox's face with teeth and claws made sharp from training. He was joined a moment later by Finchpaw. The fox howled and shook them off. With a final look at Whitekit, it spun around and dashed away into the forest.

"That's right!" Finchpaw yowled after it. "Run back to your den!" He turned back to Whitekit. "Are you alright?"

Whitekit nodded, and the worry faded from the ginger apprentices eyes.

"Lets get back to camp in case it comes back," Softstep panted, and he lead the way though the bracken and ferns into the camp. Brownpaw and Finchpaw remained by Whitekit's side while Softstep and Blacktail reported the fox to Wolfstar.

"Whitekit!" Briarpelt's yowl made Whitekit jump. Her mother dashed out of the nursery and to her kit's side, where she promptly began licking Whitekit's head and asking such questions such as, "Are you alright? Did it hurt you? Have you seen Firedapple yet?" and so on. Whitekit let herself be fussed over, ignoring the queen's torrent of questions, turning her attention instead to Wolfstar. The clan leader had leapt up to the highrock and was calling the clan together. Most of the warriors who were not on patrol had already gathered beneath her, but the elders had been napping, and ambled slowly out of their den into the clearing. Firedapple, too, had been in his cave. When he emerged, dried stems still clung to his fur.

"Finchpaw," Wolfstar meowed, "come forward."

Finchpaw's eyes widened. He padded dazedly towards the highrock to stand beside his mentor, Blacktail.

"I, Wolfstar, leader of StoneClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice . He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." She turned her eyes gaze at the ginger apprentice before her. "Finchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Finchpaw replied solemnly. Wolfstar jumped down from the highrock.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Finchpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Finchfang. StarClan honors your courage and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StoneClan."

"Finchfang, Finchfang!" Whitekit called out with the rest of the clan as Finchfang licked Wolfstar's shoulder respectfully.

"Tonight, you will sit silent vigil until dawn," she told him, and dismissed the clan with a wave of her tail. Whitekit padded up to Finchfang, dodging around warriors and apprentices.

"Congratulations, Finchfang!" she mewed once she was close enough. He purred.

"Thank you Whitekit." He licked her head. Brownpaw padded up behind her.

"Can I have your nest in the apprentice den?" he asked, eyes shining with mischief.

"Sure, if you want," Finchfang replied, a mildly surprised expression on his face. Brownpaw purred.

"Come on Whitekit." He tapped her with his tail. "The stash awaits."

Whitekit followed Brownpaw to the nursery. She pawed one corner of her nest aside and watched Brownpaw place their imaginary vole into the hollow space they had dug out days ago.

"There. All ready for the next badger attack," he told her.

"Good. Only, lets hope it's not too soon," Whitekit mewed.