Thanks for reviewing! Okay, so now on to the next chapter

Chapter 2

The next day, Hazekit went exploring around camp by herself. Maybe she'd discover a really good hidding space for the next hide-and-seek.

Ashkit was busy playing with Forestkit in the nursery, so it was just Hazekit on her own.

She headed for a den that she had seen apprentices pass in and out of. Peeking into the cozy den, Hazekit blinked and looked around. Two apprentices sat in the corner, peacefully sharing tongues. One looked to be two moons older then Eaglepelt's kits, but the other was larger and looked like a mini warrior.

The younger apprentice raised her head and notcied Hazekit.

"Hello," she mewed brightly.

"Um, hi," Hazkeit replied shyly.

"You're Creekstep's kit, right?" the she-cat asked.

Hazekit nodded and cracked a tiny smile.

"I'm Lynxpaw, and this is Rockpaw," the she-cat said cheerfully, flicking her tail at her friend who sat beside her.

"I'm Hazekit," Hazekit ventured to introduce herself. "I have a brother, too. His name is Ashkit."

"Rowantail is my mentor," piped up Rockpaw.

Hazekit shrugged, wondering how to reply to the tom.

"Rowantail is a really good fighter," the tom contuined.

Lynxpaw gave him a playful shove. "He boasts," she explained to Hazekit.

"My brother is sort of like that," Hazekit answered, shrugging.

"Who's your mentor gonna be?" Rockpaw asked.

Back to the subject of mentors. Did Rockpaw only care about who mentored who?

"How should she know?" Lynxpaw giggled at Rockpaw, who grunted.

"I'm just asking," he grumbled.

"Is Rockpaw your brother?" Hazekit asked Lynxpaw curiously.

"No. We're best friends, though," Lynxpaw purred. "And I do have a brother also. His name is Littlepaw."

"Why isn't he in the den? Is he out hunting?" Hazekit asked.

"Hunting for herbs, maybe," Rockpaw muttered, ducking his head.

Lynxpaw shot Rockpaw an irritated glance then turned back to Hazekit. "My brother is the medicine cat apprentice."

"Oh. Is it fun?" Hazekit was curious to know.

"You'd have to ask him," Lynxpaw explained, then stood. "Come on, Rockpaw. Wanna go share a piece of prey?"

The two apprentices left the den, and Hazekit contuined exploring. She was glad she had made friends, but not too glad about meeting Rockpaw. He seemed grouchy, yet Lynxpaw liked him. They were even best friends! Maybe he just acted awkward around new cats, like Hazekit sometimes did. At least she wasn't rude when she got shy.

Now Hazekit knew just where to go. The medicine cat den.

She really wanted to meet Littlepaw. She had never talked to a medicine cat of any sort yet.

But which den was the medicine cat den?

Hazekit glanced around the clearing, then headed for a nearby den with multiple scents wafting from it.

Popping her head into the shadowy den, Hazekit glanced around. Two cats were sleeping in their nests, and a golden she-cat was grooming in the corner. She looked up and caught Hazekit's eye.

"Hi there. What's your name?" she asked.

"Hazekit," Hazekit mumbled. She suddenly realized this wasn't the medicine cat den. It was the warrior den!

"I'm Goldfur," the she-cat explained.

It was a pretty obvious name...

Goldfur waved her tail towards the two sleeping warriors. "Those are our two senior warriors, Crowpelt and Frostsky. They sleep in the center of the den where it's the warmest. I have to sleep on the outside, because I'm one of the younger warriors."

Hazekit wondered how cold it ogt on the outside during Leafbare. She wondered if Goldfur ever got cold.

Goldfur peered at Hazekit, then said, "Ashkit is your brother, isn't he?"

"Um, yes he is," replied Hazekit, a bit surprised. "How did you know?"

"Oh, he's a great explorer. He got up early and set out through camp. I even saw him getting some fighting skills from Lynxpaw and Rockpaw. Cute little kit. He pads around like he's clan leader," Goldfur explained with a grin.

Hazkeit's heart sank. So she wasn't the first to go exploring.

"Lost, honey?" purred a soft voice.

Hazekit turned her head around to Frostsky who was peering at her from her nest.

"Uh, no. I'm just... looking around," Hazekit said briskly, avoiding to use the word exploring. She didn't want Goldfur to think she was copying Ashkit.

"Don't wander too far. The elders might not like it if you poke into their den," Frostsky warned.

Hazekit didn't know if she was supposed to thank Frostsky for the adivce, so she left in a hurry.

Warriors were so much different then kits and apprentices. Didn't they ever play? And did the senior warriors just sleep? But surely they had to hunt like any other warrior!

Hazekit's stomach growled, and she glanced at the clanmates gathered around the fresh-kill pile. A small tom caught her eye, and Hazekit trotted over to meet him.

"Hi. I'm Hazekit," she introduced herself pleasently.

The tom looked up at her shyly. He didn't look very big, about the size of Eaglepelt's kits.

"Hello," he mewed, then stared at his paws.

Hazekit sat down and decided to make conversation. "So... what's your name?"

"Littlepaw."

So this was Lynxpaw's brother. He was really small. Why?

"You seem really tiny. And young..." Hazekit tried to bring up the subject, but it sounded awkward.

"I was sickly as a kit," Littlepaw explained shyly.

Hazekit gulped, realizing why he couldn't become a warrior.

"Littlepaw," called a voice from across the camp clearing.

"That's my mentor, Reedtail. Um, see you later." Littlepaw stood to leave.

Hazekit also stood. "Wait! Can I, um, come too?" she asked nervously.

Littlepaw shrugged. "I don't know," he spoke honestly. "Reedtail doesn't like it when cats crowd up his den."

I'm just one kit, thought Hazekit. It's not like I'm a big lumbering clan leader.

"Well..." Littlepaw glanced at the medicine cat den. "I guess you can. Just make sure you don't eat any of Reedtail's herbs."

Hazekit agreed, unsure what herbs were exactly.

As Littlepaw and Hazekit headed towards the medicine cat den, Hazekit bubbled with excitment. She was making friends with a medicine cat apprentice!

I think Littlepaw is so cute. :) Well, review is you want to!