Mosspaw had been having a weird feeling for awhile now. And it was about Fernpaw. He didn't know why, but he couldn't get the she-cat's beautiful tortoiseshell pelt out of his mind. The way her green eyes sparkled and the way her laugh sounded like leaves falling from trees, it was beautiful.

Mosspaw wondered about Snakekit. He had never felt like this when he was with her. Did he really not love Snakekit?

Mosspaw shook his knew he loved Snakekit and Snakekit loved him. But Snakekit was in StarClan now…

Mosspaw awoke to another beautiful spring day, listening to the songbirds sing. He didn't know how to approach Fernpaw. How could he? What if she didn't feel the same?

"Hey, Mosspaw!" her familiar voice rang from across the camp.

Mosspaw turned and padded over to the she-cat. The she-cat was bigger than him, but she was almost a warrior and Mosspaw would grow.

"Hey," Mosspaw replied quietly.

"Hey! Waterdrop wondered if you wanted to come hunting with us," Fernpaw spoke.

"Uh, I don't know. I'll have to ask Smokestar."

"Better ask him quick," Fernpaw replied. "He's about to do the apprentice ceremony for Petalstream's kits."

Mosspaw nodded, padding quickly over to the spotted tom. "Uh, Smokestar?"

"Mosspaw? I'm afraid we can't do training at this moment. I'm about to perform a ceremony," Smokestar spoke, glancing over the cats that passed him.

"Yes, but Fernpaw and her mentor asked if I wanted to come hunting with them," Mosspaw replied.

"Waterdrop? My daughter? Sure. I'll catch up when I can," Smokestar replied, walking near the rock that was in the center of camp.

"Thank you," Mosspaw replied, padding back over to Fernpaw. "When do we go?"

He was shushed by Fernpaw. "The ceremony is about to start!"

"ALL CATS OLD ENOUGH TO CATCH THEIR OWN PREY JOIN BENEATH THE HIGH ROCK FOR A CLAN MEETING!" Smokestar yowled.

Cats began to gather and Mosspaw couldn't help but smile at the four kits who bounced around the camp, trying to dodge licks from their mother.

Mosspaw turned, seeing Foxflame, the kits' father, stand, proud of his four kits.

Smokestar turned the kits and motioned them up onto the rock. Swiftkit ran up first, Larkkit following her brother. Reedkit hesitated a little, but followed. It was Littlekit who stood, frozen in fear. She turned and looked back at her mother who nodded her forward. With much courage, the little runt bursted up the rock and stood alongside her siblings.

"Swiftkit, Reedkit, Larkkit, and Littlekit have reached six moons, which means they are ready to become apprentices," Smokestar announced. "Swiftkit." The white and gray tom stood, staring at his leader. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Swiftpaw. Graystorm."

The dark gray tom with his leaf-green eyes walked forward, dipping his head.

"Graystorm, you are strong and noble. Please teach everything you know onto Swiftpaw."

"I will do my best, Smokestar," Graystorm said, dipping his head and then running up towards Swiftpaw, touching noses with his apprentice.

"Larkkit," Smokestar spoke. The light ginger tabby she-cat edged forward, a smile lit up on her face. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Larkpaw. Blazeheart."

The muscular ginger tom padded forward, dipping his head to the leader.

"You are strong and a good fighter. Please teach this onto Larkpaw."

"I will, Smokestar," Blazeheart said, touching noses with the young apprentice.

"Reedkit." The brown tabby tom froze up, but with a little strength, he looked into Smokestar's eyes. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Reedpaw. Yarrowwhisker."

Mosspaw had never seen this tom before. He was pure black with one white ear. Dipping his head, he looked up at Smokestar.

"You are loyal and kind. Teach this onto Reedpaw."

"With all my might," the tom replied with his deep voice. He then touched noses with his apprentice.

Littlekit stood now, shaking from head to tail. Mosspaw turned, seeing Petalstream's expression. The cream cat was looking at her daughter, trying to make eye contact, but the little black kitten refused to look at her mother.

"Littlekit." The she-cat turned, still shaking. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Littlepaw. Cindertail."

Mosspaw growled a little when they called the she-cat's name. He was still furious with the way that Ashclaw and Cindertail had thought of his mother a few days previous. He hadn't spoken to his half-siblings since, and he didn't want to.

Cindertail seemed surprise at her name being called. She edged through the crowd and padded forward, bowing.

"You are kind and gentle, but you possess strength too. Teach this onto Littlepaw."

"I-I will," she stammered, touching noses with the young apprentice. Cindertail watched her turn and look at Yarrowwhisker.

They must be mates Mosspaw inferred.

"SWIFTPAW! LARKPAW! REEDPAW! LITTLEPAW!" The clan yowled. This was the first apprentice ceremony Mosspaw had ever witnessed, and he was surprised by how much noise the clan could make.

Mosspaw watched the apprentices exit, only to feel a tap on this shoulder. He turned around, gazing into Fernpaw's green eyes.

"We need to go," she said.

Mosspaw nodded, following after her and Waterdrop into the woods.

"How did you like your first ceremony?" Fernpaw asked.

"It was cool," Mosspaw replied.

"Squirrel!" Waterdrop hissed sharply, leaping into the air. She rose up a few seconds later with a dead squirrel in her jaws.

"How did you see that so quickly?" Mosspaw asked.

"Waterdrop and her siblings are really experienced. In fact, they were made a warrior two moons early because they were so good," Fernpaw replied. "Isn't that right, Waterdrop?"

Waterdrop nodded, though she didn't speak, as if she didn't like talking about the subject.

They hunted for awhile, Fernpaw and Mosspaw sharing laughs, Waterdrop chiming in at times too. Smokestar never came, and Mosspaw felt a pang of dissapointment. His mentor had promised, hadn't he?

As they walked back to camp, Mosspaw couldn't help but get lost in Fernpaw's eyes again.

"What are you doing?" Fernpaw asked.

"Looking at you."

"Why?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Mosspaw asked.

Fernpaw laughed at the tom's comment. "Well, you shouldn't," she sighed. "Moonpaw says my pelt color is the color of mud."

"What? No!" Mosspaw gasped. "Your tortoiseshell pelt is really pretty."

"Not as pretty as Moonpaw's amazing calico pattern."

Mosspaw rolled his eyes. "Who cares what Moonpaw thinks? You're you, and that's all that matters. And your eyes, they're really pretty too. You're beautiful, Fernpaw."

Fernpaw stopped at his words. "You think so?"

"I know so," Mosspaw replied. There was that feeling again.

"Thanks," Fernpaw purred, lightly beginning to entwine her tail with his.

And Mosspaw didn't resist. He purred as well, smiling at the she-cat. But for some reason, he thought of Snakekit when he glanced at her, and it was hard to continue smiling. But then he thought of Fernpaw again, and Snakekit's memory seemed to vanish. He didn't want this moment to end.