FYI, I hate people who read but don't review, it's just annoying, so thanks to all out there who review or at least PM with feedback! Love you all! ;-b

Okay, here are just some things you should know. Don't worry, Cloverpaw is not in love with a RiverClan tom. They are meeting secretly for a certain reason. Let me know if you think you can guess! Xxcrowysnextmatexx already got it! Oh, hey, just wondering, who is your fave apprentice, among the three? By the way, I have a new role playing forum for warriors. Check it out. And let me know if you want to be a moderator.

Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, but I do own the characters and plot.

Chapter 9

"From now on, you will be Eaglepaw." Smokestar gazed around the clearing, then mewed, "Feathercloud, you are now ready for an apprentice. You will mentor Eaglepaw. I'm sure you will pass on all you learned from myself to this new apprentice."

Dewpaw purred as her mother jumped up, surprised, and made her way to the Highrock. The silver she-cat touched noses with the light grey tom.

Smokestar nodded approvingly, then turned to Falconkit. "Falconkit, you will now be called Falconpaw." Without hesitating, Smokestar meowed, "Your mentor will be Shadowclaw."

The black warrior strode up and repeated the apprentice accepting ceremony with the new ginger apprentice.

"Flightkit," Smokestar said, calling up the nervous looking ginger and white she-cat. "You will be called Flightpaw. Your mentor will be Whitepelt."

Dewpaw turned to look at the surprised Whitepelt, who quickly got up and touched noses with Flightpaw.

"And last, but not least, Stonekit." The grey tom padded up to the Highrock, his eyes revealing calmness. "You will now be known as Stonepaw. And your mentor will be Berrytail."

Berrytail purred and rushed up to the Highrock, touching his nose with Stonepaw's.

Slowly, the Clan began to chant the names of the new apprentices. Dewpaw joined in. "Eaglepaw! Falconpaw! Flightpaw! Stonepaw!"

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

A few moons later…

"Thorntail, do you think Lightpaw is ready to receive her warrior name?"

Thorntail nodded, blinking at his apprentice. "I do. She has done more than enough to prove that."

Smokestar turned to Lightpaw. "Lightpaw, you have trained well. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and remain loyal to ThunderClan at all costs?"

Lightpaw nodded, her green eyes alight with pride. "I do."

Smokestar purred. "Then you will now be called Lightheart. You've shown that you're worthy of the name for your enthusiastic attitude during training all these moons. You will sit a silent vigil tonight."

Cloudpaw purred for his friend, and began chanting along with the rest of ThunderClan. "Lightheart! Lightheart!'

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Dewpaw blinked sleepily and saw Cloudpaw standing over her, his ears flat. "What's wrong?"

"It's Cloverpaw. She's not in her nest," Cloudpaw mewed. "I think she went to see…him."

Dewpaw sighed. They had been calling the mystery tom him. Looking around, she saw that Cloudpaw was right. "Oh, great," she muttered. She poked her head out of the den and saw her sister entering camp with fresh-kill in her jaws. "There she is."

Cloudpaw peeked out and nodded. "Right. But she could've been meeting with that tom, and just went hunting to cover up for it."

Dewpaw shrugged. "I don't think so. I was watching her lately, and she's never been missing. She always wakes up on time, and she's always training, so she can't sneak out at night, she'd be way too tired." She glanced at her brother before continuing, "Cloudpaw, I don't think she's the only one who's falling for a forbidden mate."

Her brother hissed. "What?"

Dewpaw purred, glad to have gotten his attention. "Well, you and Frostpaw seem to be spending a lot of time together."

Cloudpaw narrowed his eyes and turned away, shaking his head in denial. "We're just friends. Besides, stop changing the subject. We were talking about Cloverpaw."

Dewpaw yawned and shook her fur. "Cloudpaw, don't worry about it! It's been almost two moons, and she hasn't been seeing him."

Cloudpaw nodded. "Alright, but I'm still keeping an eye on her."

"Suit yourself," Dewpaw mewed, padding out into the sunlit clearing. She was sure that Cloverpaw wasn't breaking the warrior code anymore! She padded over to her sister and purred. "Hi, Cloverpaw! Where've you been?" "Hunting," Cloverpaw replied. "I…I woke up at dawn and couldn't go back to sleep." Sighing, she added, "I've had a lot on my mind lately."

Dewpaw waited. Cloverpaw looked like she wanted to say more, but she fell silent. She sounds so sincere, as if something really is bothering her… "Are you okay, Cloverpaw? Do you want to talk about something?"

Dewpaw could see that her sister was hesitating. "Um, no, I'm fine. I'm going to find Smokestar." The white and black she-cat lowered her head and padded away slowly, flicking her tail.

For a moment, it seemed like she really wanted to tell me something, but she was too…afraid… What's going on? Dewpaw stared after her sister, then bent over to pick up a mouse from the fresh-kill pile.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Dewpaw hissed playfully and kicked her attacker off with her hind paws. Falconpaw fell to the ground, but he leaped back up immediately and jumped at her again. Dewpaw slid out of the way, purring with satisfaction as the ginger tom stumbled to the ground and whipped around, his fur bristled. He growled and jumped again. This time, he managed to trip her and she stumbled, landing on the soft grass, panting.

"Got you," Falconpaw purred, standing over her.

She narrowed her eyes. "You got me, but it took you long enough."

"Good job, Falconpaw," Shadowclaw meowed.

Hazelstep nodded in agreement. "You did well, too, Dewpaw."

The black she-cat purred. "Thank you, Hazelstep." She flashed a triumphant glance at Falconpaw, who let out a low growl.

Shadowclaw cuffed him on the ear. "Don't be a sore winner," he growled, his tail twitching.

Hazelstep purred. "Hey, Dewpaw, why don't you try to attack Falconpaw?"

Dewpaw nodded and glanced at Falconpaw. The mentors stepped back to give them space. She circled the ginger tom, whose green eyes were observing her every move. She hissed and leapt at him. He quickly moved out of the way, but she snagged his leg with an outstretched paw. He tripped, but regained his footing and crouched.

Dewpaw lunged, and knocked the tom off his paws. She purred and sat back, watching him scramble up to his paws and flatten his ears. "I beat you," she said simply.

"Good job, Dewpaw," Hazelstep purred, glancing at Shadowclaw, her father. "What do you think?"

Shadowclaw shrugged. "I knew Dewpaw would win. She's had much more training. But Falconpaw, you did well, too. A warrior should always have determination, like you did."

The ginger tom purred gratefully at the praise and shot a glance at Dewpaw. She merely shrugged.

"Well, Shadowclaw, maybe you can teach Falconpaw some more moves so next time, he might have a chance at winning. Dewpaw, let's go, we're hunting," Hazelstep meowed as she got up and began walking back toward camp.

Dewpaw got up and padded after her mentor. "Who are we going hunting with?"

"Smokestar and Cloverpaw," Hazelstep informed.

"Okay," Dewpaw replied. She wanted to talk to Cloverpaw, something was surely bothering her. She quickened her pace and entered camp before Hazelstep. Looking around, she saw that Cloverpaw was speaking to Lightheart. She bounded over to them.

"Hi," she mewed.

Lightheart purred. "Hi, Dewpaw."

Cloverpaw flicked her tail in greeting.

"Hazelstep said we were hunting together," Dewpaw mewed.

"Yeah, Smokestar told me the same thing," Cloverpaw replied. "Are you ready?"

Dewpaw nodded. "Yup, let's go!"

"Lightheart, do you want to come?" Cloverpaw offered. "I'm sure Smokestar and Hazelstep won't mind."

Mouse-dung! I was going to try to talk to Cloverpaw, but if Lightheart comes… To Dewpaw's relief, the grey she cat shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm going on a border patrol later. Maybe next time."

Cloverpaw shrugged. "Okay, then. Let's go, Dewpaw."

The two sisters made their way toward the thorn tunnel. Hazelstep and Smokestar were already waiting for them.

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

"Hey, Cloverpaw, are you alright?" Dewpaw mewed quietly as she padded alongside her sister. Smokestar and Hazelstep were ahead, talking about the Clan's apprentices and their training.

Cloverpaw glanced at the black she-cat and shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, it just seemed like…well, this morning, you were…" Dewpaw swallowed, unsure of how to go on.

Cloverpaw gave her an annoyed glance. "What? Spit it out."

"Um, I don't know, you just seemed like you had something to tell me," Dewpaw blurted out. She glanced at Cloverpaw curiously.

Cloverpaw's green eyes flashed, as if she was flattered at her sister's caring attitude, but then she hissed. "I'm fine, Dewpaw, why do you have to be so nosy? Can't you see that I just want to be alone with my thoughts? Why do you have to pry?"

Dewpaw hissed, taken aback. "I'm sorry," she muttered. What's with her?

Cloverpaw narrowed her eyes and refused to acknowledge the apology. She turned away, letting out an impatient sigh.

Hazelstep turned to them, oblivious to their antagonism. "Ready to hunt?" she mewed cheerfully.

"Yeah," Dewpaw mewed half-heartedly.

"Come on, then!"

Dewpaw lowered herself and crouched behind a thicket, scenting the air. When the smell of sparrow hit her, she pinpointed its location and slinked forward, her belly barely touching the ground. She spotted the mottled-brown bird, fluttering around near the roots of a tree. It pecked at the ground, fluttered a few tail-lengths away, and pecked at the ground again. There was obviously some sort of food that the bird was after, and it was too busy to notice the predator. She crept forward, closer and closer. Bunching her legs underneath her, she prepared to leap. The bird fluttered up again, then landed on the ground. She let out a small hiss and jumped, grabbing the bird in her claws. It fluttered higher above the ground, but she leapt up and snagged it. With a satisfied purr, she killed it swiftly and buried it under some dirt and leaves.

She went back to find Cloverpaw and saw that her sister had just caught a squirrel. "Nice catch," she commented.

Cloverpaw shrugged. "Well, you never seemed proud for me when I caught that rabbit," she grumbled accusingly.

Dewpaw was taken aback. What?! That was, like, moons ago! Then she thought, I guess I did feel kind of jealous of her. "Cloverpaw, I'm sorry you felt that way, but, that was moons ago."

"I know," Cloverpaw mewed. "I just…never mind." She lashed her tail with anger and turned away.

Dewpaw sighed and looked around. She saw Hazelstep's light grey tail swishing above the tall grass. Smokestar was burying a mouse. She crouched down and saw a vole. After stalking closer, with a mighty leap, she trapped the creature with her forepaws and bit its scruff. Then she kicked some dirt and leaves over it.

After she caught two mice and another vole, Hazelstep suggested that they return to camp.

Dewpaw carried the fresh-kill in her mouth and trotted alongside her mentor. They entered camp, and she dropped the food on the fresh-kill pile. She saw Thorntail approaching and tried to move away, but he caught her.

"Hey, Dewpaw. Did you catch all this?" he purred.

Dewpaw nodded timidly, looking up at her supposed father shyly. "Um, yeah."

"Great job," Thorntail mewed, licking her between the ears. Then he turned to Cloverpaw.

Dewpaw padded to the apprentices den quickly and saw Flightpaw lounging inside. "Hi," she meowed.

"Hi, Dewpaw, where've you been?" Flightpaw mewed.

"Oh, I went battle training with Falconpaw." With a glint in her eyes, she added, "I won. And then I went hunting with Cloverpaw."

Flightpaw nodded, purring. "I'm going to have to tease Falconpaw about losing to you!"

Dewpaw purred, then mewed, "Well, he did beat me once."

"He did? Impressive," Flightpaw replied. "I'm going to find him."

~oOoOoOoOoOo~

Dewpaw padded out of the den and looked around. She saw Ashenfur and Leafdapple sharing a meal at the fresh-kill pile. She saw Birdwing and Feathercloud talking to each other at the entrance of the warriors den. Thorntail, Berrytail, Lightheart, and Stonepaw were about to leave for some sort of patrol. She looked around for one of her siblings. She could see Cloverpaw emerging from the elders den, probably to clean it out. She looked around for Cloudpaw and spotted him at the medicine cat's den. She growled to herself and rushed over.

Sure enough, Cloudpaw was talking to Frostpaw.

"Hi, Cloudpaw, hello, Frostpaw," Dewpaw greeted them. Glancing around, she saw that Mosspelt wasn't there. "Where's Mosspelt?"

Cloudpaw shrugged and turned to Frostpaw. The white she-cat mewed, "She's out looking for herbs."

"Oh," Dewpaw replied. "Cloudpaw, I think we should help Cloverpaw out. She's cleaning the elders den. Do you want to?"

"No," Cloudpaw grumbled. "I don't think any apprentice would willfully agree to clean out a den."

Dewpaw rolled her eyes. "Well, come on! We have to!"

"Fine," Cloudpaw answered.

Dewpaw purred. "Now, you go ask Cloverpaw what she needs done, and hurry."

Cloudpaw nodded, mumbled "bye" to Frostpaw, and rushed away.

Frostpaw purred. "He seems enthusiastic," she said sarcastically.

Dewpaw nodded. "Sure he is." She wanted to growl, Stay away from my brother, he needs to focus on receiving his warrior name, not getting exiled for falling in love with a medicine cat! But she couldn't, Frostpaw was her friend. And maybe Cloudpaw was just…having a little crush. No, he isn't, she argued within herself. It's been several moons, and he's still padding after her!

Cloudpaw returned soon. "She needs some new moss, and mouse bile to check for ticks."

"Okay, you go find the moss out in the forest," Dewpaw said quickly. "I can get the mouse bile from Frostpaw." She turned to the white she-cat. "Right?"

Frostpaw nodded. "Yeah, come in, I'll get you some."

Dewpaw followed her inside, glancing back at Cloudpaw to see him dragging his paws toward the thorn tunnel, his tail drooping.

It serves you right, Dewpaw thought humorously.