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

Stonekit bounced with excitement. Today was his apprentice ceremony! He was sad to leave his friends behind, but he had anticipated this moment forever. He would still see Ivykit and Cottonkit though. When he wasn't doing some training, he would go play with them. He had promised he would, and Stonekit never broke his promises.

"Stonekit has reached six moons which means he is ready to become an apprentice," Icestar began.

As if on cue, Stonekit padded up the rock, smiling at the cats before him. Icestar smiled down at him.

"Stonekit, from this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Stonepaw. And now for your mentor."

Stonepaw looked into the audience. Who would his mentor be? Cloudfur? Largefoot? Oh, there were so many choices! He was hoping he'd get a good warrior.

"I have decided that since you seem to listen well and take advice from me, I will mentor you," Icestar said.

Stonepaw gasped. "Really?" He had never expected Icestar to mentor him! He knew he would enjoy his apprentice days with her, especially since she acted like a mother towards him.

Icestar nodded. Full of excitement, Stonepaw touched noses with Icestar and the clan began to yowl,"STONEPAW! STONEPAW!"

Stonepaw smiled to the clan, them smiling back at him. He noticed Cottonkit and Ivykit looking at him as well. He waved his tail and they waved back, proud of their friend.

Two weeks had passed since Stonepaw had become an apprentice. He had only learned some hunting and fighting moves, mostly just being taught to gather moss for the elders.

As for his friends, he barely saw Cottonkit and Ivykit anymore. He missed them terribly and at often times was lonely, even with Icestar around.

Stonepaw padded out of the apprentice den to see another new sunny day. One of the last sunny days of green-leaf. Leaf-fall would be upon them soon and then leaf-bare.

Stonepaw spotted Icestar and padded towards her. "I'm ready to work," Stonepaw said.

Icestar smiled. "We're going to practice some tree climbing moves today. After that we can just head back to camp. I know you haven't talked to Cottonkit and Ivykit in awhile, so I want you to have a chance to talk to them again."

"Thanks!" Stonepaw exclaimed. He had been waiting to speak with his friends for awhile now and he appreciated that Icestar was going to let him.

He followed his mentor into the woods until they came upon a large tree, full of thick branches that a cat could easily sink its claws into.

"Watch carefully," Icestar said. She began to climb up, branch by branch, sinking her claws into the tough bark. She got up about halfway, then carefully came back down.

"Climb onto each branch," she said. "If you can't reach a branch, then jump. Sink your claws into the bark -make sure you can first- and then jump onto the next branch from there."

"Okay," Stonepaw said. He felt apprehensive about this. What if he fell? He knew Icestar would be there to catch him though. She was always looking out for him.

Stonepaw nervously climbed onto the first branch. Then the second. When it came to the third, he couldn't reach. He sunk his claws into the bark. It was steady enough to hold him. Stonepaw jumped, sinking his claws into the bark, then the branch. He did this continually until he was at the same spot that Icestar was.

"Great job, Stonepaw! You are a great tree climber! I've never seen an apprentice do that in one try. You've got some real talent."

"Thanks!" Stonepaw said.

"Now ease down," Icestar said.

Stonepaw carefully climbed down each branch. He jumped onto one branch, but lost his footing. He hung with his claws strapped to a branch. "HELP!" he mewed.

Icestar quickly climbed up the tree as Stonepaw held on for dear life. She stood on the branch beneath him. "Let go!" Icestar said.

"Are you sure?" Stonepaw asked.

"Trust me," Icestar said. Stonepaw gulped, and let go, landing on the she-cat's back.

"It can be tricky sometimes," Icestar said. "Just stay on my back as we get down."

Stonepaw felt like a kit as Icestar carried him down. Suddenly, Stonepaw gasped. This felt familiar, except he wasn't on Icestar's back. He must've been on his mother's back! He remembered something! He remembered riding along his mother's back in the woods at night! Was she taking him to SnowClan? Maybe it was somewhere else. All Stonepaw knew was that this memory was real. He had kept one memory! Hi, I'm Stonepaw. I was born in a different clan. Many cats kept secrets from me. I rode on my mother's back on the way to SnowClan. My mother had a ginger pelt. I was left in SnowClan and my mother didn't come back because she wanted me to be safe he thought. The clues were coming together now!

Stonepaw got off of Icestar's back. "Well I think that's enough for today," Icestar said. "Let's head back to camp."

The two headed back to camp, padding through the forest. Once Stonepaw set foot in camp, he ran to the nursery. "Cottonkit! Ivykit! Let's play!"

Cottonkit and Ivykit smiled and ran out of the den. They would be apprentices in a few weeks, so then they would be able to train with him quite soon.

"How come you aren't doing apprentice duties?" Cottonkit asked.

"Icestar decided to let me see you guys today since I haven't talked to you in a while."

Ivykit smiled.

"Ivykit's happy," Cottonkit said.

Ivykit nodded.

"Want to play mossball?" Stonepaw suggested.

Cottonkit nodded. "I'll get the moss."

Cottonkit padded off while Stonepaw was left with Ivykit. The two had grown on each other, becoming better friends each day. "So, Ivykit," Stonepaw said. Ivykit looked at Stonepaw with her bright eyes. "Do you have a crush on anyone?"

Ivykit laughed, her whiskers twitching in amusement. She pointed her tail at Stonepaw.

"So you don't?" Stonepaw laughed.

Ivykit laughed again and pointed to Stonepaw.

"I like you too, Ivykit," Stonepaw said.

Ivykit smiled as Cottonkit returned with moss in his jaw. He shifted the moss into a ball with his claws and tossed it around.

"Is being an apprentice cool?" Cottonkit asked.

"I guess," Stonepaw said, tossing the ball to Ivykit. "But you have to do a lot of stuff. I had to pick ticks off of Blossom all morning yesterday. She kept complaining about her moss."

"What about fighting and hunting moves?" Cottonkit asked.

"I've only learned a few," Stonepaw said. "I learned some tree climbing moves today."

"Did you fall?" Cottonkit asked.

"Well, almost. I climbed up the tree no problem. Getting down, I slipped. Icestar caught me though. She said I had a natural instinct of climbing trees," Stonepaw said.

"Well you must've gotten that from your old clan. Us SnowClan cats aren't very good at climbing trees," Cottonkit said.

"I am a SnowClan cat!" Stonepaw hissed.

Ivykit put her tail on Stonepaw's shoulder to calm him down. "I mean, it doesn't matter where you are born. It matters which clan you are loyal to," Stonepaw said.

"I guess," Cottonkit replied.

Ivykit nodded.

"Ivykit agrees with you, by the way," Cottonkit said.

"Thanks," Stonepaw said to Ivykit.

He couldn't understand why Cottonkit had called him a cat from another clan today though. He was a SnowClan cat. Sure he hadn't been born here, but he had spent all his life here. It didn't matter what Cottonkit said, he was a SnowClan cat through and through.