Rosekit bounced up and down in excitement, her tail arched happily over her back.
"Settle down, Rosekit," an amused Willowfur purred.
"I'm just so -" the kit was cut off as her sister bowled her over. The two she-kits wrestled in the dust for a moment until their mother pulled them apart.
"Oh, look what you've done!" the queen exclaimed. "Your fur is all messed up! Do you want to look like a scruffy rogue for your apprentice ceremony?"
The kits squealed in horror at the thought and tried to sit still as their mother groomed them.
"Look!" Leafkit exclaimed, leaping to her paws. "Whitespot is back!" The kits' father had just returned from a hunting patrol.
The large tom padded toward his mate and kits. "What beautifully groomed and well behaved kits these are!" he said. Whitespot looked at Willowfur. "Who do they belong to?"
"Whitespot!" Rosekit cried indignantly. "You know we're Rosekit and Leafkit."
The tom's amber eyes widened in mock surprise. "Rosekit and Leafkit? But my kits are never this clean and quiet!"
"We can't look like scruffy rouges for our apprentice ceremony," Leafkit said snootily, flicking her tail in disgust.
"Of course," Whitespot purred. "I'm very proud of you two."
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather at Star Rock for a Clan meeting!" Graystar yowled from across the camp.
"It's time!" Leafkit squeaked in excitement. The two kits leaped to their paws and dashed across the clearing. Whitespot and Willowfur followed more slowly, nearly bursting with love and pride for their two kits.
Soon, the whole Clan was gathered around Star Rock, with the exception of Silvertail and young Slashkit, who were watching from the nursery entrance.
Graystar looked down fondly at Rosekit and her sister, who returned his gaze with shining eyes.
"I believe it's time for an apprentice ceremony," the stone-colored tom said clearly. "Leafkit, Rosekit, please join me on Star Rock." The sisters hopped to their paws and climbed onto Star Rock, a large stone which sat above Graystar's den. Rosekit breathed a sigh of relief when she finally stood beside Graystar, glad that she hadn't tripped in front of the whole Clan.
"Leafkit." The older sister looked up and met Graystar's amber eyes. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Leafpaw.
"Marshpelt," Graystar said, turning to a large, dark brown warrior. "I name you as Leafpaw's mentor. You are a great fighter and loyal warrior. I hope that you will pass these qualities onto Leafpaw."
Rosekit's sister jumped down from Star Rock and briefly touched noses with her new mentor.
"Rosekit," Graystar said, turning to Rosekit. "From this day forward you will be called Rosepaw until you receive your warrior name." Rosepaw felt a rush of elation when the leader spoke her new name. Rosepaw! she thought. I'm Rosepaw now!
"I name Sunstorm as your mentor," said the leader. Rosepaw saw a ginger tom with bright blue eyes rise and slowly walk forward. She jumped down to greet him and nervously bumped his nose with hers.
"Leafpaw! Rosepaw! Leafpaw! Rosepaw!" the Clan chanted. Rosepaw stifled a purr of pleasure.
"Hey Rosepaw!" one of the older apprentices, Hazelpaw, called. "Do you want me to show you and Leafpaw the apprentice den?"
Rosepaw looked at Sunstorm for permission. He nodded.
"Go ahead," said her mentor. "But be quick."
Rosepaw nodded to show that she'd heard and then left with Hazelpaw.
"Leafpaw!" Marshpelt called. The new apprentice stuck her head out from the apprentice den.
"Yes, Marshpelt?" she asked. Leafpaw had to admit that she wasn't thrilled to have such a bad-tempered cat as her mentor. Why couldn't she have a nice mentor like Rosepaw's?
"Fetch your sister. Sunstorm and I are going to show you two PineClan's territory," said the dark brown tom. Leafpaw nodded and disappeared back into the shadowy den.
"...and Hawkpaw, Lionpaw, and Gingerpaw sleep over there," Otterpaw, Hazelpaw's brother was saying. "They're the oldest apprentices, due to be warriors in about a moon or so."
"Rosepaw," Leafpaw said. She saw a flash of pride pass through her sister's eyes at the sound of her apprentice name. "Our mentors are going to take us into the woods now!"
"Really?" Rosepaw asked. "I'm so excited!" She turned to Hazelpaw and Otterpaw. "Thank you for showing us the apprentice den."
"Don't mention it," Hazelpaw said, waving her tail. "Have fun on your first day as an apprentice!"
"Thanks!" Leafpaw said as she darted out of the den, Rosepaw hot on her heels. Their mentors were sitting a little ways away. Both were very large toms. Marshpelt was the larger of the two, with olive green eyes and plenty of battle scars. Sunstorm was a bit younger, with a glossy ginger pelt that shone in the sun. His eyes were a deep, clear blue, and his muzzle, paws, chest, and tail tip were white. Both cats rose when their apprentices appeared.
"When we call, we expect you to come immediately," Marshpelt said sternly. "No chatting with friends until you feel like obeying."
"Don't be too harsh on them," Sunstorm said, flicking the other tom with his tail. "It is only their first day."
"Are we really going out into the forest?" Leafpaw blurted, unable to contain her excitement any longer.
Sunstorm purred with amusement."Yes," said the ginger tom. The sisters exchanged excited glances.
"You need to know your territory if you want to hunt in it and defend it from the other Clans," Marshpelt said. He shook his pelt. "Let's be off." The apprentices excitedly followed their mentors to the camp entrance. Leafpaw glanced back and saw her parents watching proudly.
"Are you going into the forest?" Leafpaw turned and saw Briarkit and Bluekit nearby. Briarkit's eyes shone with admiration, while Bluekit merely looked interested.
"Yes," Rosepaw said.
"We are apprentices after all," Leafpaw said contemptuously.
"Don't worry," said Rosepaw when she noticed that Briarkit looked a little crestfallen. "You'll be apprenticed soon enough."
"I can't wait until this one has a mentor," said Ferntail, who had just arrived with Orchidkit. She gestured to Bluekit. "Then he'll be out of my pelt."
"Hey!" Bluekit meowed indignantly.
"It's true," Orchidkit said haughtily, wrinkling her nose. "All you are is trouble." She turned to stalk away, nose in the air. She didn't see Bluekit spring and tackle her, screaming, "OakClan spy!"
"Leafpaw! Rosepaw!" Sunstorm called. The sisters' heads snapped up, and they saw that their mentors were waiting for them just outside of the camp.
"Coming!" cried Leafpaw. She followed Rosepaw as they dashed away. Look out, forest, she thought. Here I come.