Snakepaw was the only apprentice in ThunderClan who enjoyed cleaning out the elders' den and nursery. The silver tabby's mother, who she got her pelt color from, was the gentle queen Owlfeather. She stayed in the nursery even after Snakepaw was apprenticed three moons ago. But she got her golden eyes from Darkmist. The fluffy black tom was a great deputy and she was proud to be his daughter. Maybe if she followed in his pawstep then maybe she could become deputy one day too. The Clan liked her so they would be easy to please. If she must do the tasks that the other apprentices found annoying, then she didn't mind.
"Good morning Sneezefur," Snakepaw beamed at the cheerful black she-cat. The elder's amber eyes lit up when she saw the moss that Snakepaw carried in with her.
"Morning, young 'paw. Whiskertail, get up. Snakepaw came to change our nests," she nudged the gray tabby ball of fur snoozing beside her.
"Is that so?" the grumpy old tom's blue eyes were unfocused. "As long as it ain't those Wolfpaw and Frostpaw. No cat can get those two to shut up. Almost makes me want to go deaf."
"They'll learn," Sneezefur purred as she stood off to the side to let Snakepaw work.
"They better," Whiskertail growled. "They keep leaving thorns in. I think I must have visited Wetpelt and Leopardheart every day this moon."
"I thought maybe you just wanted to visit them. They'll be disappointed if you stop seeing them."
"Maybe you should see them, Sneezefur."
Snakepaw let the elders' conversation go on as she dug out the old moss, seeing what Whiskertail said about the thorns. Were the youngest apprentices trying to hurt the elders with all the thorns? She'd have to speak with them about how to get the bedding out cleanly. More of a reason to do the job herself. She let the old cats relax as she moved onto the nursery. She could see her mother and the heavily pregnant Softmoss sharing a rabbit outside. The white she-cat blended into the snow, her blue eyes closed.
"Would you like some help?" Owlfeather got to her paws, leaving the rest of the kill with Softmoss. "I can clean out the old bedding."
"Thank you, Mother," she made her way to where she left the moss for the nursery. She had a bit of peace as the other two queens took the kits to the elders den for Sneezefur's story-telling. Her early memories of kithood flooded her as she worked. She could still scent Wolfpaw and Frostpaw's scents.
She missed how the fluffy amber-eyed gray queen Mistyfern would scold any of the kits for bothering her while the other tortoiseshell queen with green eyes, Onetail, was more easy-going. Once she was satisfied with the bedding, she took a place near the apprentice den and took a thrush from the fresh-kill pile.
She watched as Darkmist dragged a rabbit over to where Mousestar and Wetpelt were discussing something light, the black and white medicine cat with a gleam in his blue eyes. Mousestar looked small compared to him, but the white she-cat was much stronger than cats thought. But most cats knew her for her two eye colors, one blue and one green. They purred as the deputy joined in with them.
The medicine cat apprentice, Leopardheart, was dipping in and out of the medicine den, nodding when she caught Snakepaw's eye. So she waved her over.
"Wanna share?" Snakepaw pushed the bird over as Leopardheart sat down.
"Oh, thank you. I've been on my paws all day."
"Another busy morning?"
"Yeah," Leopardheart swallowed. "I had to restock our herbs. Certain apprentices ruined my piles."
"Let me guess," Snakepaw shook her head. "Wolfpaw and Frostpaw?"
"Those two are really rowdy. Can you keep an eye on them for me?"
"I can do that. If some cat has to."
Later that day she found Wolfpaw and Frostpaw tossing a moss ball back and forth in front of the apprentice den, the mischievious twins as energetic as a pair of kits.
"Hey, Snakepaw!" Wolfpaw turned her amber eyes up at her, the gray tabby tossing the moss back at her brother, aiming it so that the white tom had to chase it. "You should join us!"
"Yeah," the blue-eyed white apprentice nodded and her eyes locked on the black heart shape on his nose. He was the only cat with his pattern.
"Where are your mentors? You know the cats that can keep you guys out of trouble?" Snakepaw turned around as her best friend spoke to the younger cat. Ravenpaw's smooth black fur stood out against the snowy landscape, green eyes in slits.
"We're done with hunting," Wolfpaw yawned. "We hunted all the prey in the fresh-kill pile."
"Is that why it was so short?" another apprentice joined them, the ginger-furred Greenpaw, Snakepaw's other best friend. He was a troublemaker, but not as bad as the youngest ones.
"It was not!" Frostpaw huffed.
"Maybe you just ate it all."
"There were thorns in the elders' nest," Snakepaw spoke up. "You need to be a bit better when you change the dens. You know Mistyfern will put you in the fresh-kill pile if any of the kits get harmed."
"Can't you just do them for now on since you are so much better than them?" Frostpaw whined.
"Snakepaw shouldn't do your work for you," Ravenpaw told them. "Who will do them once she's a warrior?"
"Yeah," Greenpaw stuck his tongue out at them. "Only so much Snakepaw can do."
"Are you saying I can't handle a little work," Snakepaw pushed him. "I don't mind. Really. And it means only I get to listen to the elders' tales." She smirked at them.
"No fair," Wolfpaw whined.
"Us too," Greenpaw purred. "And I know you guys don't want to know how the story of Blazefern's journey ends."
"No fair," Frostpaw echoed his sister.
"Why can't you be like Smokepaw?" Ravenpaw sighed. "My sister is every way a warrior. We'll be getting our names anyday now."
"You know it," the cocky gray she-cat purred as she pulled a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and dragged it to the apprentices' den. Smokepaw had her sister's green eyes but none of her warmth. "If you two don't take things seriously, Softmoss's kits will get their names before you and they aren't even born!"
The two toms following her into the den, Stonepaw and Birchpaw, said nothing as they passed by them. Stonepaw was a white tom with blue eyes, like Frostpaw, but strict like Mousestar. The ginger and white Birchpaw was more relaxed and obedient. They were Greenpaw's brothers, but they didn't hang out with him that much. Which is why Snakepaw and Ravenpaw took him under their wing. But Snakepaw couldn't help but wish she had a sibling too. The Clan spoiled her since birth, so that might be enough for her for now. They kept her from being lonely.
