FYI: I skipped one moon (and a few sunrises) ahead since the Gathering, and several things have happened...

Also: Tansypetal, Rosepaw will be made a warrior in the not-too-distant future, however she has only been training for (almost) 4 moons, out of the usual 6-12. Bear with me! There will probably be a lot of time skips in the next 10 chapters or so.

A few people have asked about the prophecy, and if I'll be doing anything about it soon. Well, to answer your question, the 'four cats with crossing skills' will 'journey to the land of hills' a little after (maybe a moon?) Rosepaw and Nightpaw receive their warrior names.

Anyway, here's Chapter 37!

Chapter 37:

"Let all cats old enough to gather their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" a yowl woke up Rosepaw a moon later.

She opened her eyes, looking up at the bright rays of early sunlight filtering through the entrance to the apprentice's den.

"What's going on?" Nightpaw stretched in his nest beside her.

Owlpaw had already left, his nest cold.

"I don't know." Rosepaw replied, getting up. "Let's go see!" she pushed out of the den. In front of her, most of the Clan had already gathered under Dawnstar.

"Can we watch?" Sunkit, Beekit, and Acornkit asked, tumbling out of the nursery, with Heartsong on their heels.

"Of course." she smiled fondly at her kits.

"I have gathered you here for a very important and happy ceremony in a Clan." Dawnstar scanned her Clan proudly. "Apprenticing kits."

A sharp gasp escaped from Heartsong's three kits.

"Us?" Sunkit squealed excitedly.

"Who else?" Beekit cuffed her on her head with his paw.

Acornkit was soundless, but raced up to the front of the group.

After a few heartbeats of hesitation, his littermates raced after him.

"Acornkit, come forward." Dawnstar ordered, and the small kit obliged nervously. "From this moment on, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Acornpaw." Dawnstar looked to Specklenose. "Specklenose, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You will be mentor to Acornpaw. Specklenose, you have shown yourself to have strength and patience. I'm sure you will pass those virtues on to Acornpaw."

"Acornpaw! Acornpaw!" the Clan chanted as Acornpaw and Specklenose touched noses excitedly.

"Beekit, come forward. From this moment on until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Beepaw. Rockfall, you are now ready to take on your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Beepaw. Rockfall, you have shown yourself to have determination and be skilled in fighting. I'm sure you will pass those virtues on to Beepaw."

Beepaw touched noses with his new mentor as the Clan chanted his new name.

"Sunkit, come forward." Dawnstar's eyes glittered with happiness as she looked proudly at her Clan. "Sunkit, come forward. From this moment on until she has earned her warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Sunpaw. Wingfeather, you are now ready to take on your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Sunpaw. Wingfeather, you have shown yourself to be loyal and courageous. I'm sure you will pass those virtues on to Sunpaw."

"Sunpaw! Acornpaw! Beepaw!" Rosepaw yowled as loud as she could.

Dawnstar leapt down from the Highledge and dissapeared into her den, as Sharpeye went to the front of the Clan to organize the patrols.

"Specklenose, Rockfall, and Wingfeather, are you taking your apprentices to tour the territory?"

"Yes." Wingfeather replied.

"Good, but stay away from the ShadowClan border." Sharpeye nodded. "Hollowfur, will you lead a hunting patrol over to the Ancient Oak? Take Greyfoot, Dewtail and Rosepaw."

"All right, Sharpeye." Hollowfur dipped her head.

"Voletooth, why don't you lead a hunting patrol too? Take Mosswater and her apprentice."

"Okay." Voletooth nodded.

"Jaggedwing, you lead a patrol over to the WindClan border at sunhigh. Take your apprentice and Leopardshine."

Jaggedwing flicked his ears in acknowledgment.

Dawnstar padded out of her den. "I'd like to lead a patrol over to the ShadowClan border with Clawfoot, Heartsong, and Petalsky."

Sharpeye nodded. "And I'll lead the moonhigh patrol to the ShadowClan border. I'll take Flowerstream and Adderstrike."

"Rosepaw, why don't you bring some fresh-kill to the elders and Fawnspots before we leave? Oh, and Foxtail, too." Hollowfur mewed.

Rosepaw dipped her head. "Fine." she replied, heading for the fresh-kill pile. "I'll see you later." she added to Nightpaw, who flicked his tail to show he heard her. At the fresh-kill pile, she picked out a rabbit for Foxtail and Fawnspots, and two mice for Frostwhisker and Lionstripe. First, she carried the rabbit over to the nursery. "Here you go!" she mewed, dropping the rabbit between the two queens.

"Thanks." Foxtail purred.

"Yeah!" Willowkit squeaked.

"Thanks!" Squirrelkit stepped on top of her sister, who protested loudly.

"How're you doing, Fawnspots?" Rosepaw asked.

"Fine." the light brown she-cat purred, looking down at her swollen belly fondly. "They'll be coming any day now."

"That's great." Rosepaw mewed, backing out of the den to deliver the mice to the elders.

"Can I come in? I have two mice to give Frostwhisker and Lionstripe." she paused outside the entrance to Snowbelly's den.

"Yes." came a reply from inside the den.

Rosepaw pushed through the leaves and padded forward, dropping the two mice at each elder's nest. "How're they doing?" she asked quietly.

"Not good." Snowbelly replied. "Frostwhisker's developed a cough, along with the other symptoms, but Lionstripe only has a fever and a runny nose and eyes."

Rosepaw nodded. "Well, I'm sure you're doing the best you can." she backed out of the medicine cat's den, her mind clouded with thoughts of sickness.

"Rosepaw! Have you finished?" Hollowfur called.

"Yes!" Rosepaw shook her head, clearing it, and bounded up to her mentor, who was standing alongside Dewtail and Greyfoot.

Hollowfur nodded. "Then let's go."

One by one, each member of the patrol squeezed out of the camp and into the sunny forest.

"Sharpeye said we should hunt by the Ancient Oak. Greyfoot, why don't you take the WindClan side, and Dewtail, why don't you and Rosepaw try your luck at the base of the Ancient Oak? I'll go to the ShadowClan side. We'll meet back here at..." Hollowfur checked the sky. "...sunhigh. Okay?"

"Fine." Greyfoot nodded, and the cats veered off in different directions.

"Rosepaw, there's a vole." Dewtail whispered. "Go ahead."

Rosepaw nodded and crept forward, never taking her eyes off of the small vole scrabbling for food at the base of the tall oak tree. Soon she was only a tail-length away from her prey, and without hesitation, she pounced on top, administering a bite to its neck before the vole even knew what had happened.

Thanks for reading!

*Tansypetal, Silverheart24, and Mudsky76, you have my gratitude for reviewing!*

Tansypetal, eventually, they will learn more about Cassie.

Also, I have not forgotten about Rosepaw's warrior name! As of right now, the contenders are: Roseheart and Roseleaf. I would love to use Rosepetal but since it's actually a real thing, I think it would be better not to.

If you liked this chapter, please don't hesitate to write a review! They are greatly appreciated :)