"Echokit!" Echokit looked up from the sunny patch where he was laying and saw Rushingriver bounding over to him. "Echokit, Frecklestar says it's time for the apprentice ceremony." Echokit smiled feebly at him.

Rushingriver practically pranced over to the Highrock. Echokit dragged his paws. His legs shook and it was hard to stand. It shouldn't be this hard. I'm finally going to be an apprentice! he forced himself to think. That's a good thing, right?

Frecklestar leaped up onto the Highrock. Echokit sat down heavily, trembling slightly, putting enough distance between himself and Rushingriver to feel somewhat comfortable. Frecklestar cleared her throat and called, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

This is it, Echokit thought as Owlkit and Mintkit sat on either side of him. Robinkit padded over to the three of them and smiled encouragingly at Echokit. Echokit tried to return the smile, but it ended up as more of a scowl.

"Owlkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed," Frecklestar began after all the ThunderClan cats had settled. Owlkit straightened up proudly at being the first to get his apprentice name. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Owlpaw. Your mentor will be Parsleyshine. I hope Parsleyshine will pass on all she knows to you." Owlpaw glanced proudly and apprehensively at his new mentor, who was beaming.

"Parsleyshine, you are ready to take on an apprentice," Frecklestar continued, addressing the warrior. "You have received excellent training from Meadowmoon, and you have shown yourself to be loyal to your friends and to your Clan. You will be the mentor of Owlpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Echokit watched as Parsleyshine and Owlpaw touched noses, then joined the Clan in shouting his new name.

Echokit zoned out while Frecklestar repeated the process with Mintkit, who was apprenticed to Lightdawn, and Robinkit, who was apprenticed to Mousepounce. "Mintpaw! Robinpaw!" Echokit shouted with the rest of ThunderClan. Finally, it was Echokit's turn.

"Echokit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed," Frecklestar meowed, smiling at him. Robinpaw nudged him excitedly.

"You're going to be a medicine cat!" she whispered.

"Just a medicine apprentice," Echokit corrected her. "It's going to be a loooong time before I'm a full medicine cat." Longer than I want…

"From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Echopaw," Frecklestar continued. "Your mentor will be Rushingriver." Many heads turned to look at Echopaw.

"New medicine apprentice," Echopaw heard a cat behind him whisper. He didn't bother looking to see who it was. He didn't care.

"I hope Rushingriver will pass down all he knows to you," Frecklestar finished. Well, there's no going back now, Echopaw thought, looking around at all the pleasantly surprised faces. I can't disappoint my Clan.

Rushingriver looked at him, eyes glittering with emotion. Echopaw got to his paws shakily and touched noses with him.

"Echopaw! Echopaw!" The Clan chanted his name loudly. Mintpaw and Owlpaw were chanting the loudest of all. Mossyspots ran over to them and meowed, "You're going to be a medicine cat? Why didn't you tell me? This is great!"

"Can we go to the medicine den?" Echopaw whispered to Rushingriver.

"But they're not done celebrating yet," Rushingriver replied, looking confused.

"I can't stay here," Echopaw pleaded. Rushingriver sighed, but he flicked his tail for Echopaw to follow him.

When they got inside the medicine den, Echopaw instantly felt better. He took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can do this, Rushingriver," he admitted.

"Calm down, Echopaw," Rushingriver meowed. "Would you like a poppy seed to help?" Echopaw nodded gratefully. Rushingriver went to the place where he had been sorting herbs the day that Owlpaw and Mintpaw found the snail.

"Thanks," Echopaw muttered before licking up the small seed. He sighed.

"You know," Rushingriver meowed, "tomorrow is half-moon, so it was actually great timing for you to begin your apprenticeship today."

"What?!" Echopaw exclaimed. "That is not great timing! The other medicine cats will think I'm stupid! There's hardly any time between now and tomorrow night for me to learn anything!" he wailed. He laid down on the medicine den floor, curling his tail over his nose.

"They won't think you're stupid," Rushingriver scoffed. "You're the smartest cat I've ever met."

"Smarter than Blizzardleaf?" Echopaw asked. Rushingriver hesitated. "See, I'm an idiot!" Echopaw cried. "You're hesitating!"

"It's not that—" Rushingriver began.

"Then what is it?" Echopaw demanded, getting to his paws angrily. Rushingriver sighed.

"You're definitely smarter than Blizzardleaf. I hope she doesn't mind me saying that," he muttered. "It's just that… Blizzardleaf and I didn't have the best… relationship?"

Echopaw forced his fur to lie flat, although he wasn't sure if he believed Rushingriver. What if he's just saying that so I feel better about tomorrow? he wondered, laying down again and closing his eyes. He felt a tail wrap around his shoulders. Oh, please, don't let Rushingriver be trying to comfort me!

But when he opened his eyes, it wasn't Rushingriver who was sitting there. It was Blizzardleaf.