Chapter 4

"Guess what we're doing today?" Amberkit danced around Owlkit.

How can he have forgotten Dustkit so soon?

"We're becoming apprentices!" Amberkit's eyes gleamed. "I'll be such a great warrior, I bet Pinestar himself will mentor me!"

Owlkit gaped at him. How could he be so arrogant with his sister's death only the moon before?

"The apprentice's ceremony is at sunhigh! I can't wait!"

Owlkit rolled over, paws clutching a tuft of fur.

It was Dustkit's.

"Will you just please stop obsessing over the apprentice's ceremony?"

Amberkit stopped jumping. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Owlkit here wants to be a medicine cat!" he snarled.

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

Amberkit was about to reply, but before he could, Pinestar's voice rang out over the Shadowclan camp.

"All cats old enough to fight, gather by the Rock for a clan meeting!"

Amberkit dashed out of the nursery, Owlkit following closely behind.

Amberkit was talking excitedly. "I bet Pinestar himself will mentor me. 'Course, if he doesn't, the deputy, Lizardfang, will. If not her, than one of the senior warriors. Probably Rainfrost or Shimmertail..."

Owlkit, however, had different thoughts. I hope my mentor is Grayfeather... In the excitement of becoming an apprentice, even he had momentarily forgotten about Dustkit.

Pinestar leaped off the huge gray Rock. He becked with his tail that Owlkit and Amberkit should come forward.

"Owlkit," he began, "you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Owlpaw."

Cool! I'm an apprentice! Wait a minute...Until I receive my WARRIOR name?! What?

Pinestar continued. "Your mentor will be Shimmertail. I hope Shimmertail will pass down all she knows onto you."

Pinestar now spoke to Shimmertail. "Shimmertail, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Lizardfang, and you have shown yourself to be considerate and intelligent. You will be the mentor of Owlpaw, and I expect you to pass down all you know onto Owlpaw."

Shimmertail walked through the gathered cats, looking stunned that she was chosen to be a mentor. She bent down and touched noses with Owlpaw. "You're going to be a great warrior," she whispered.

Even though Shimmertail's words were meant to be encouraging, they didn't help one bit.

I don't want to be ta great warrior! I want to be a medicine cat!

Owlpaw was so lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice that Amberkit was receiving his apprentice name.

"...Until you receive your medicine cat name, your shall be known as Amberpaw. Your mentor will be Grayfeather..."

WHAT?! How come he gets Grayfeather as a mentor and I don't? How come Amberpaw gets to be a medicine cat instead of me?!

"I don't want to be a medicine cat!" Amberpaw complained as he reluctantly touched noses with Grayfeather. "How come Owlpaw gets to be a warrior?"

Believe me, if I could change mentors with you, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Owlpaw let out a small moan. Shimmertail glanced at him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Owlpaw hesitated before answering. "Shimmertail, you're a great cat and all, but...I wanted to be a medicine cat," he confessed.

Shimmertail sighed. "Knowing Pinestar, he made Amberpaw a medicine cat for a reason."

Owlpaw glanced at Amberpaw. He was talking to Pinestar. Owlpaw leaned in to hear.

"...I don't want to be a medicine cat! It's boring and dumb!" Amberpaw was saying crossly.

Pinestar let out a wry smile. "You don't seem to appreciate medicine cats very much. By making you a medicine cat, I hope that you will change your mind-"

"But Owlpaw actually wants to be a medicine cat! Make him the medicine cat instead! Not me!" Amberpaw was so furious that he seemed to forget that he was talking to a clan leader.

Owlpaw looked away. He couldn't help but to agree with his brother. I want to be a medicine cat and he wants to be a warrior. Why can't Pinestar see that?

"Owlpaw! You're an apprentice!" Owlpaw looked down. Hawkkit was jumping happily around him.

"We'll miss you," Snowkit said somewhat sadly.

"But you'll teach us all the battle moves, right?" Rosekit chipped in.

"And you'll tell us about Shadowclan territory!" Rockkit added.

Owlpaw smiled sadly.

At least some of us are happy.

A soft sigh escaped Owlpaw.

But Amberpaw's not. And neither am I.