The golden rays of sunlight flooded the camp of TimberClan, arousing Owlfeather from his sleep. The breeze rustled the branches as the tabby cat came out of the knothole that made up the warrior's den. Leaping onto a nearby branch, Owlfeather sat down and started licking the fur on his tail.

"Owlfeather," a voice said. The yellow-eyed mackerel tabby looked to his left to see an all-black cat with orange eyes.

"Hello," he greeted. Twigsnap walked over and sat down next to Owlfeather.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Well enough," the tomcat answered. Twigsnap nodded his head. As they looked down at the camp, Swiftpaw and another apprentice with a light brown pelt came out of a knothole in the tree and made their way to another hole.

"Would you like to accompany me on a hunting patrol?" the deputy asked.

Owlfeather purred and replied, "okay..." then followed Twigsnap down the branches until they got to where Swiftpaw and the light brown apprentice were.

"Good morning Twigsnap," the brown cat told his mentor. "What is today's assignment?"

The black tomcat purred. "We're going on a hunting patrol. We need all the fresh-kill we can get. It's Leaf-bare."

As if to prove his claim, the chilly wind blew, stirring up the red, yellow, and orange leaves.

"I didn't think we were properly introduced. I'm Twigsnap, Timberstar's deputy." He mewed, then pointed his tail toward the two apprentices. "This is Swiftpaw and Berrypaw."

Owlfeather and the two apprentices touched their noses together before looking into the knothole. A couple of sparrows and a thrush lay in the pile, the scent making Owlfeather's mouth water.

No, they need the prey more than I do, he thought. I'll eat later.

"Copperwing," Twigsnap called. A dark ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes padded over with a grumble.

"What?" she hissed. Owlfeather flinched a little at her harsh tone. Surely this couldn't be the same cat that supported the leader yesterday?

Berrypaw took a step toward him. "Copperwing has a bit of a temper, especially at dawn," she explained. After the deputy explained what they were doing, the patrol ran out of the camp.

Owlfeather tasted the mist in the air as he opened his jaws and Twigsnap halted to look around. Copperwing went in another direction and Swiftpaw stayed with his mentor.

"I smell squirrels," Twigsnap meowed. The brown mackerel tabby padded forward and tasted the air again. "I do too."

The cats followed the scent as they ran along the limbs of the trees. Owlfeather slid off the side of the branch and he dug his claws into the bark.

"Twigsnap, help!" he yowled.

The deputy skidded to a stop and spun around, then ran back to the mackerel tabby. He and his apprentice bit Owlfeather's scruff and pulled him up. The half-Clan got a grip on the bark while his tail was tucked under him.

"Are you okay?" Swiftpaw asked. After receiving a nod from Owlfeather, Twigsnap gave him a lick on his ear.

The black tomcat pointed in the direction they were going with his tail-tip. "Come on, we need to continue hunting."

. . .

A yellow leaf danced in the air and landed on Owlfeather's head. He shook it off as Timberstar climbed up and branch and sat down. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join here beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting."

The tabby waited for every cat to turn their attention to him. Twigsnap and Copperwing sat down next to Owlfeather on the branch.

"I, Timberstar, leader of TimberClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Berrypaw," Timberstar meowed, beckoning the she-cat forward with his tail. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" the leader asked.

"I do," the light brown she-cat purred.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." The tomcat made his way down the branch and stopped in for of the apprentice. "Berrypaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Berryleap. StarClan honors your spirit and your playfulness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of TimberClan."

After the leader rested his muzzle on the new warrior's head and Berryleap licked his shoulder, the Clan welcomed her by chanting her new name.

Timberstar got back on the Highbranch as two kits came out of a nearby knothole, followed by a white she-cat.

"Hollykit and Jaykit have reached their sixth moon, and it's time for them to become apprentices. Hollykit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Hollypaw. StarClan, I ask you to guide this new apprentice. Set her paws on the path she must follow to become a warrior. Specklestream, you will mentor Hollypaw. You are caring and a good hunter. I know you will pass on these qualities to young Hollypaw.

Jaykit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Jaypaw. StarClan, I ask you to guide this new apprentice. Set his paws on the path he must follow to become a warrior. Mistytail, you will mentor Jaypaw. You are wise and confident. I know you will pass on these qualities to young Jaypaw."

"Hollypaw! Jaypaw! Hollypaw! Jaypaw!" TimberClan yowled.

"Meeting dismissed," Timberstar ordered, then pelted down the branch to his son.

"Hi... father," the yellow-eyed cat greeted.

Timberstar purred as he and his son touched their noses together.

"Do you know where my friends are?"

Timberstar's eyes became clouded for a minute then he nodded. "I do know that your friend... Clawdawn, was her name? She's in the medicine cat's den. Follow me."

Doing so, the two cats clawed their way down the huge tree trunk and landed by the roots. There was a hollow under the roots of the tree and Owlfeather made his way down.

Clawdawn laid in a nest made of bracken and brightly colored leaves as a black she-cat with hazel green eyes pressed a paw to her belly. Voleflight, Kinktail, and Shadespring all sat by the ThunderClan warrior, excitement on their faces.

"Robinflight," Timberstar said. The medicine cat looked up at the dark tabby.

"Hello, Timberstar," she meowed. Turning back to Clawdawn, she purred.

"Congratulations Clawdawn. You're going to be a mother!"

"You're having kits?!" Owlfeather's eyes went wide. Clawdawn purred and gave her belly a few licks.

"Who's the father?" Kinktail asked. The queen closed her eyes and flicked her tail.

"Flamestep."

Please review!