"Mom, I don't need you to wash me! I'm clean enough!"
"That's what you said right before you ran off and got yourself all dusty again, Squirrelkit. Just sit still; this won't take much longer."
Fireheart watched in amusement as Sandstorm gave Squirrelkit a thorough washing. In just a few moments, Bluestar was going to call a Clan meeting, and their kits would finally become apprentices. Even the normally quiet Rainkit looked ready to burst out of her fur in excitement at the thought of getting to sleep in the apprentices' den for the first time.
Unfortunately, since Squirrelkit seemed extremely intent on fighting off her mother's attempts at bathing her, it looked as though they were going to be late for the meeting.
"There! You're all finished," Sandstorm meowed. Almost at the exact same moment, Bluestar's call summoned them to the base of the Highrock.
"Go on, then," Fireheart meowed encouragingly, ushering his and Sandstorm's children towards the rest of the Clan. "You're almost there."
Once Squirrelkit, Rainkit, Spotkit, and Redkit were settled down near the base of the Highrock, Fireheart and Sandstorm went to sit beside Whitestorm and Willowpelt to watch the ceremony. They were joined a few moments later by Ravenflight and Dustpelt. A few tail-lengths away, Fireheart could see Goldenflower and Speckletail sitting with Snowpaw, and he guessed that they would be translating the meeting for him. He suppressed a purr of amusement when he saw Bramblekit and Tawnykit poke their heads out from behind their mother. Technically, they were old enough to catch their own prey, but it was still quite entertaining to see kits at a Clan meeting.
"Cats of ThunderClan, the time has come to name four new apprentices," Bluestar announced from the top of the Highrock. "Fireheart and Sandstorm's kits have reached their sixth moon, and it is time for them to begin their training. Redkit, please step forward."
The small ginger tabby tom walked forward slowly, looking up at Bluestar with wide eyes. His legs were trembling slightly, but he did his best to stand tall. Bluestar looked down at Redkit, her blue eyes softening with amusement.
"Redkit, from this day on until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Redpaw," she meowed, her voice ringing out loud and clear. "Brackenfur, you will mentor Redpaw. You had an excellent mentor in Runningwind, and I trust that you will pass on all you know to this apprentice."
Brackenfur padded forward to touch noses with his new apprentice, looking even more excited than Redpaw. Fireheart purred slightly, remembering the delighted expression on the younger warrior's face when he told them that he would get to mentor one of his kits. The bracken-colored tom had been looking forward to receiving an apprentice for a while now. He helped with Snowpaw's training on occasion, but he admitted to Fireheart that it wasn't quite the same as having an apprentice of his own to train.
"Squirrelkit," Bluestar meowed, turning to the fluffy ginger molly next. "From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Squirrelpaw. Your new mentor will be Brightheart. Brightheart, you were trained by Ravenflight, and he did a wonderful job with you. I trust that you will pass on all the skills he taught you onto Squirrelpaw."
"Of course," Brightheart replied, dipping her head to Fireheart's mother. She walked over to touch noses with Squirrelpaw, who practically bounced over to meet her new mentor. The two walked over to sit beside Redpaw and Brackenfur, and Squirrelpaw waved her tail happily at Fireheart.
"Now, Rainkit," Bluestar meowed, looking down at the blue-gray kit. "From this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Rainpaw. Longtail, you will be her mentor. You have proven your loyalty to ThunderClan time and time again, and I trust you will pass on all the skills you possess onto this apprentice."
Longtail dipped his head and walked over to Rainpaw to touch noses with her. As he watched his daughter bounding over to join her siblings, Fireheart was once again struck by how uncannily she resembled Bluestar. They even had the same icy blue eyes, although Rainkit's were much softer than her grandmother's.
Several moons ago, Fireheart wouldn't have dreamed of asking Longtail to mentor one of his kits. But things had changed between the two of them, and while the pale tabby wasn't exactly a friend, he was far from an enemy. More importantly, there was already a bond between Longtail and Rainpaw that had started developing when he was serving his punishment in the nursery.
Now, it was Spotkit's turn. The speckled gray kit was looking up at Bluestar, his whiskers trembling with excitement. Yellowfang was standing there as well, and a murmur of excitement rose up from the surrounding cats. It wasn't often that a cat was chosen to be a medicine cat, and the former ShadowClan queen had gone a long time without an apprentice.
"We have a special mentor for our final kit," Bluestar announced, her eyes soft as she gazed down at Spotkit. "Yellowfang has informed me that she wishes to take on Spotkit as her apprentice. Therefore, from this moment on, he will be known as Spotpaw. At the next half-moon meeting, you will travel to the Moonstone with Yellowfang in order to receive StarClan's blessing. The good wishes of your Clanmates go with you."
As Yellowfang and Spotpaw touched noses, a chorus of cheers rose for the new apprentices. Fireheart joined in, his heart ready to burst with pride as he looked at his kits. They were going to make fine warriors, he knew, and Spotpaw was going to become a wonderful medicine cat. He got to his paws and walked over to his kits to congratulate them, all of whom raced over to him as soon as they saw him coming. Sandstorm padded after him, her flank brushing against his as she came to stand by his side.
"Dad, Mom, did you see? We're apprentices now!" Squirrelpaw meowed happily. "I'm going to be the best apprentice ever so I can be the Clan's leader one day!"
"No, you're not! I am!" Redpaw yowled.
"I just want to be a good warrior," Rainpaw meowed meekly.
"Well, I'm going to be the best medicine cat ever," Spotpaw meowed confidently.
"I'm sure you'll all do just fine," Sandstorm purred, giving each of their kits a quick lick on the forehead.
"Just make sure to listen to your mentors at all times," Fireheart added.
"Are you really going to be a warrior now?" Tawnykit asked, looking up at Rainpaw with wide eyes. Fireheart jumped slightly; he hadn't even noticed her and her brother coming.
"I am," Rainpaw purred, touching her nose to the younger molly's cheek. "But don't worry, you'll be with me again soon enough. And then we can play games together just like we used to."
"When will we get to be apprentices, Fireheart?" Bramblekit asked, turning to the ThunderClan deputy.
"Soon, Bramblekit," Fireheart promised. "We have a lot of things going on, but you and Tawnykit will both be ready in about a moon."
They continued conversing for a few moments until Fernpaw and Ashpaw came bounding over, eager to show their new denmates to their nests. Satisfied that his children were in safe paws, Fireheart turned to Sandstorm.
"So, what do you say we get some rest?" he suggested. "Brindleface and I prepared a nest for you in the warriors' den already."
"Well, I can't say no to that," Sandstorm purred, brushing her nose against his cheek.
Together, the two warriors walked across the camp to their den, pushing their way through the entrance. It was still relatively light out, so Fireheart knew he would have time for a short nap before he had to leave on the dusk patrol. As he closed his eyes, the last sensation he had before he dozed off was of Sandstorm's fur pressed against his, her flank rising and falling steadily as she slept on beside him.