"What?" Mother said. "How can she be gone? She was just over by the fresh-kill pile." As she said that she looked at Rippedkit and me. We quickly ducked away.
"I don't know," Squirrelflight replied, "But I went to her den to take her some fresh-kill and she wasn't there. Jaypaw said that she hadn't mentioned going to collect herbs, so I don't know where she is!"
"You know, Leafpool doesn't have to tell everyone where she's going. She's not a kit. For all you know she just went to have some quiet time," Firestar said as he walked up to us.
I knew in an instant he was right, because just then Leafpool walked into the camp. Seeing everyone's concerned faces, she said, "What's wrong! Has something horrible happened?"
"Yes," Squirrelflight said, "You disappeared."
As Squirrelflight told her the details, I headed back to the nursery, where I saw Ferncloud giving Icekit and Foxkit a through wash. "Why are you doing that? Are they doing something special?" Then I remembered. Foxkit and Icekit had reached their sixth moon! They were going to be apprentices!
"These two are going to be apprentices! Are you ready, you two?" Ferncloud answered. They nodded their heads. Foxkit and Icekit looked really nervous. I wonder why? I can't wait to be an apprentice! Then I heard a familiar yowl. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting," Firestar yowled.
"Grrr," I heard from behind me. It was Rainkit.
"What's wrong, Rainkit?" I asked.
"I wish we could go to the meeting, but we can't because we haven't caught our first prey yet!" Rainkit answered, and then she stomped away to our corner of the nursery. But I stayed near the entrance and listened to the ceremony.
"We have come here today to give two kits their apprentice names," Firestar said. He continued, "Icekit!" There was pause and then, "From this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you will be Icepaw. Brightheart," He paused again, and then, "Your mentor was our lost friend Whitestorm. And Cloudtail helped you become a warrior again after the terrible dog attack. You mentored Jaypaw until he decided to become a medicine cat apprentice, and I know you will be a fine mentor to Icepaw." Then I heard everyone chant Icepaw's new name. There was a pause again, and then Firestar said, "Foxkit!" Fox dung! Since I wasn't out there I was hearing pauses when things were happening. "From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be Foxpaw. Birchfall," Pause! "Ashfur was your mentor and I hope you pass on all the skills you learned from him onto this apprentice." Then every one started chanted Foxpaw's new name, then Icepaw and Foxpaw's new names.
Daisy, Brook, Whitewing, and Mother all then came back into the nursery. It felt strange that they didn't have Ferncloud with them. I bet Fernkit feels very bad because she and Ferncloud are very close since Fernkit was named after her. And I was right. When all the rest of the kits, besides me and my sisters, left to go play, and their mothers to go watch them, Fernkit came up to us and Mother. She said, "Mother, Cloverkit, Rainkit, and Wildkit, I miss Ferncloud!" Mother replied,
"Fernkit, you know Ferncloud has to sleep in the warriors' den now because her kits are apprentices. That's how it works. I miss her too; she is one my closet friends and I cannot sleep in the same den as her now because of you four!" Mother said that laughing, so I knew she wanted to be with us.
Fernkit said, "I guess its ok. I can still see her, just not as much as I used to." I was glad that Fernkit was ok.
Mother exclaimed, "Now go play! Play why it is still light outside!" And with that we started to head into the clearing, but we were interrupted by Hollypaw. She was running like the wind, headed towards Leafpool's den. I knew she had been on hunting patrol with her mentor Brackenfur, Spiderleg, his apprentice Mousepaw, and Cinderpaw, since Poppypaw had told me. But why was she alone? I bounded after her and asked, "What's wrong Hollypaw?" She replied,
"I have to fetch Leafpool and Jaypaw! Cinderpaw is badly hurt!"