Cinderkit/paw POV

After hearing Brackenkit - I mean Brackenpaw now - receive his apprentice name and mentor, Graystripe, I waited eagerly for my turn. Will I get Fireheart as my mentor? I thought. Not that I had anything for Fireheart, but if he was my mentor Brackenpaw and I could train together every day since Fireheart and Graystripe are best friends and then we could become warriors and then we could serve our clan and then Frostfur would be so proud and we-

"Cinderkit!" Brackenpaw hissed under his breath. "Bluestar just called you!"

What? Oh! Bluestar just called me to give me my mentor! Oh my god...I'm such a mouse-brain...*sigh*

"Cinderkit, please step forward," Bluestar says. I obediently come forward, looking up at her on Highrock.

"Cinderkit, you have reached six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed."

"From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Cinderpaw," she continues. I stand, perfectly still, waiting to hear the rest. "Your mentor will be Fireheart. I hope that Fireheart will pass down all he knows to you."

Fireheart! Yes! Now Brackenpaw and I will be able to train each other!

"Fireheart. You are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Lionheart, Tigerclaw, and myself (A/N: Bluestar took Firepaw as an apprentice when she noticed that he was having a hard time keeping up with Raven/Graypaw), and you have shown yourself to be courageous and hardworking. I hope you will pass all of your skills on to Cinderpaw."

Fireheart steps forward, and I run up to touch noses with him. The only problem is that I ran slightly too fast, and we painfully collide. Ow, my muzzle, I think.

Brackenpaw licks my ear. "Cinderpaw...it wouldn't do you much harm to slow down a bit," he says, purring with amusement. I only manage a hiss of mock anger towards him, but I know he and Fireheart can see the glint of excitement in my eyes.

"Brackenpaw! Cinderpaw! Brackenpaw! Cinderpaw! Brackenpaw! Cinderpaw!" my ThunderClan clanmates cheer, loudest of all Frostfur and Lionheart, our parents. I had almost forgotten that Brackenpaw was apprenticed too. Gosh, I'm such a mouse-brain! I think.

Relax, little one, for excitement has gotten the better of you today, comes a voice from behind me. I spin around, drawing confused looks from my mentor and littermates, to find nothing. You can't see me, I'm in StarClan, the mystery cat replies. That would make sense, I thought. I am just about to ask her who she is, when Fireheart and Graystripe call me and Brackenpaw over.

"So, do you guys want to-" Graystripe starts.

"HUNT! PATROL! EXPLORE! FIGHT!" I say.

They stare at me silently. Whoops, that might have been a bit too much energy.

"Umm...well I guess we could...take them out and show them the borders, Graystripe?" Fireheart awkwardly adds.

Graystripe nods, but Brackenpaw pipes up before we go out into the woods for the first time. "Graystripe, what about hunting and battling and..." he trails off, voice dropping, "gathering moss?"

Redtail, the Clan deputy, answers his question. "Brackenpaw, there is tons for you to do. I'm sure Fireheart and Graystripe will teach you plenty before you become fine warriors. But remember, there's nothing wrong about gathering moss. Have you thought that when you do so, you learn to control your claws more, which will help you fight and hunt?"

"I guess I didn't think of it that way, but you're right, Redtail," Brackenpaw agrees. "So, Graystripe and Fireheart, can we go and explore the territory now?"

Graystripe and Fireheart don't respond, but they head out of the gorse tunnel. "Okay, don't answer. That's cool too," Brackenpaw sarcastically mutters, following them out.

I'm about to purr in amusement at him, but I realize that I'm not going anywhere. That's because the tunnel is catching your fur, young Cinderpaw, the StarClan cat adds again. Right, I knew that...not, I think. I untangle myself and follow my mentor and littermate out of camp, face burning with embarassement. What a great start to apprentice training...but we still have 6 moons to learn to hunt and fight and...I'm getting off topic. "Cinderpaw? Are you ok? That's the third time I've called you," Fireheart laughs.

"Oh, sorry. Coming!" I say, running to catch up with them. I'm an apprentice at last!