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Flamekit stood by his mother waiting near the Highrock. His brother looked at Sunstar while is sister stared at her paws. Goldenkit lifted her paw and batted at a tiny ant on the ground. Stripedkit had stopped looking at Sunstar and turned to his mother.
"These kits have become six moons old and are ready to become Thunderclan apprentices." announced Sunstar to the crowd of cats below. "Stripedkit come here please." Stripedkit bounded forward and Sunstar continued.
"From this day forward until he has earned his warrior name Stripedkit shall be known as Stripedpaw. Ghostfur you are ready for your first apprentice. You will take Stripedpaw, your mentor Grayfoot has taught you well pass on what you have learned to this apprentice."
Stripedpaw darted towards Ghostfur and they touched noses. Cats came to congraulate her and Stripedpaw. When the cats settled back down Sunstar went on, "Flamekit, come here." Flamekit was overjoyed at the thought of becoming an apprentice. He padded forward his eyes gleaming. "From this day forward you until you have earned your warrior name you shall be Flamepaw."
Flamepaw's naming ceremony was a little different than Stripedpaw's. "Snowpelt you tell me you are ready for your second apprentice. You will mentor Flamepaw. Brightfoot was your mentor and I want you to pass on all that you have learned to Flamepaw." Sunstar's voice was warm and kind
Flamepaw raced towards Snowpelt and touched her nose with his. He sat down beside his mentor and watched his sister get apprenticed. Goldenpaw got Bluetail. Cats crowded around her talking to her kindly. He to had gotten that kind of attention.
"Stripedpaw! Flamepaw! Goldenpaw! Stripedpaw! Flamepaw! Goldenpaw!" came the shouts of the cats as they chanted the apprentice's new names.
"Flamepaw! Hey Flamepaw, over here!" called a voice. Flamepaw turned his head to see Brightfur, his mother calling. He rushed over to her, seeing Goldenpaw by her.
Pride blazed in his mother's eyes and she showed happiness. Another cat called his name and he turned to see Snowpelt hopping in the snow covered camp. The only way he could tell it was Snowpelt was by her eyes. The movement couldn't be seen at all and she blended in with the camp.
"Snow's thick this leaf-bare. It'll be hard to hunt with all this snow. The mice will be hidden in the snow, I thought you might want to know before training starts." meowed Snowpelt.
"But you caught all those mice and that rabbit in this kind of snow!" complained Flamepaw.
"It didn't snow that hard in Tallpines." answered Snowpelt simply.
Flamepaw responded with a tiny 'Oh' and Brightfur bent her head and licked his ear. Flamepaw padded towards the apprentices' den grabbing a piece of fresh-kill along the way. His mouse wasn't much but it would do. His happiness had vanished and had been replaced by sadness.
Flamepaw went inside the den and found it quite warm. His paws felt as if they'd fall off and the warmth was welcomed on them. It had been a shock at first when all the warmth came to him, but he got use to it in a matter of seconds.
Flamepaw looked around spotting many places where other apprentices slept. Skypaw slept near the entrance to the den and Flowerpaw slept next to a corner with Runningpaw next to her. Flamepaw chose a nest to the back where it was warmest.
He settled down into it falling asleep.
When he awoke Goldenpaw was nestled deep into the moss, fast asleep. Her golden pelt was lit up by the small strands of light that had managed to break the thick covering of snow. Stripedpaw was just waking up, his eyes blinking furiously. A shaft of sunlight was covering his sleeping spot, twigs and snow surrounded him.
Flamepaw looked up and gasped. The roof had caved in! He rushed outside to fetch Sandfoot, the Thunderclan deputy. Her orange pelt could be seen through the warriors' den. Fresh snow was visible and thick layers of it cover the top of the apprentices' den.
On the warriors' den the snow was toppling off of it. Sandfoot could still be seen but she was now getting up. Flamepaw hopped through the huge amounts of snow towards her.
"Sandfoot! The apprentices' den caved through!" yowled Flamepaw. He wasn't speaking loud enough so Sandfoot didn't hear clear enough.
"What?" Sandfoot asked, her voice confused.
"The apprentices' den caved in!" Flamepaw repeated. Sandfoot had heard this time and shot up. Sandfoot raced towards the apprentices' den only to see that Flamepaw wasn't lying like she had hoped. The roof of ferns and twigs had broken under the weight of the snow and had fallen to the ground on top of some of the apprentices. But luckily, they had already pulled themselves out of the mess. "Flamepaw, go get Sunstar and Ghostfur, we need to rebuild this. If you see Snowpelt, get her and Darkfoot." Sandfoot instructed.
Flamepaw nodded and padded through the snow, his light weight not letting him sink all the way through. He reached Sunstar's den and called in to him.
