Chapter Three

Applekit licked her paw and nodded politely to Berrywhisker as they stepped out of the ash tree. "Congratulations, Badgerkit."

"Yeah, congratulations," echoed Willowkit.

Badgerkit shook his head, suddenly looking nervous. "No, we don't know for sure until Berrywhisker clears it with Jaggedstar. What if she doesn't think I'm worthy of being medicine cat?"

"Bah," Willowkit mewed. "Just listen to her thoughts and persuade her."

Badgerkit looked irritated. "I can't respond to thoughts, mouse brain. I can only listen."

"Well, excuse me. But seeing as none of us knew about this until oh, I don't know, a minute ago, how was I supposed to know that?"

Applekit meandered away from her squabbling littermates. "I can't wait until we become apprenticed and then we'll be too busy to argue!" She sighed. "Oh well; I suppose I should be used to them by now." She twitched her ginger-red ears and trotted to the apprentice den. She liked talking to them almost as much as to her brother and sister, and more than to Twitchkit. He usually made little to no sense, whereas she could have a somehow intelligent conversation with the apprentices, especially Sunpaw. They had been friends ever since they were both kits, but since Sunpaw was apprenticed, they didn't get to see each other as much.

Poking her head inside, Applekit mewed, "Sunpaw?"

The juniper's branches shaded the den, which was patches of moss beneath the bush. It was dimly lit, and Applekit had to squint to see if her friend was inside. However, she didn't see the golden she-cat at all. What she did see made her fur bristle in irritation and disappointment.

"Oh, hello, Applekit," meowed Thornpaw. The arrogant black and white tom was sitting up in his nest and washing himself. "Sunpaw isn't in here, as I suppose a cat with anything between her ears would guess."

Applekit curled her lip. Thornpaw was as prickly as his name. It was sometimes hard to believe that he and Sunpaw were littermates. The tom had gotten his apprentice name only a moon ago, but he never got tired of reminding Willowkit, Badgerkit, and especially Applekit about that. "Good to know," replied Applekit, trying to remain civil. "Thank you."

She began to wiggle out of the den, as Thornpaw snorted in disgust. "Don't you want to know where she is, then?"

Applekit eyed him in wary curiosity. "No, I was just wondering."

"Wondering what?" asked Thornpaw.

"If she and I could just talk or something."

"Hah!" Thornpaw snorted again. "If you weren't just a kit, you'd know that we apprentices are too busy to talk idly."

"Really?" Applekit mewed tartly. "Then why are you lazing around in the den?"

Thornpaw narrowed his dark yellow eyes and leaped to his paws, pushing her out of his way as he shoved out of the apprentice's den.

Sighing, Applekit turned around and stepped back into the sunbathed camp. She knew that talking back to Thornpaw wasn't necessarily polite, but he really deserved it sometimes. It must be the greenleaf heat making him more prickly than usual. Even her mild-mannered mother was getting a bit cranky!

"But it's good to leave the cold leaf-bare behind," Applekit murmured to herself. She shivered, remembering it.

"Hey, Applekit!"

She turned to see another apprentice bounding towards her, away from the fresh-kill pile. The silver tortoiseshell she-cat was as much her friend as Sunpaw, but not quite as close. "Hi, Silverpaw. How's the prey running?"

"Towards the river!" mewed the apprentice. Applekit tilted her head in curiosity. "Look, on such a hot day, what's the point of hunting out in the forest? All the fish will be swimming in the cool water, so we should hunt there."

Applekit ruefully shook her head. "Sounds like a terrific plan, Silverpaw. But I'm just a kit. I'm not allowed to hunt."

"Says who?"

Both cats were startled at the voice. They hesitantly turned to see Jaggedstar and Heatherclaw sharing a chaffinch and listening to their conversation with pricked ears. "Go ahead, Applekit."

"But-but, Mother says that in the Clans, kits aren't allowed out of the camp," Applekit stammered.

Jaggedstar brushed it aside with a flick of her tail. "In ThunderClan, maybe. But I plan to have NightClan be…revolutionary. You have my permission, both of you. In fact," Jaggedstar added, with a sideways glance at Heatherclaw. "Do well, and you and your littermates will be apprenticed tomorrow at sunhigh."

Applekit's heart beat in her throat. "Thank you, thank you, Jaggedstar!" she squeaked. "Can I go tell Willowkit and Badgerkit?"

"No, I'd rather tell Ravenpool and have her let the three of you officially know. I have some news for her myself," said Jaggedstar with another sideways look at Heatherclaw. "Applekit, do you recall the kit that Heatherclaw had last night?"

"Vaguely," Applekit said. She remembered hovering at the camp entrance and seeing Willowkit and Badgerkit being sent back to the nursery after seeing the silver kit, almost the same pelt shade as her friend Silverpaw.

"Well, Heatherclaw found the kit at the border," Jaggedstar replied, looking once more at her deputy. "And, we have decided that your mother, Ravenpool, will nurse it. He shall be known as Stonekit, and so I would like to tell her. If your siblings are in the nursery, I shall tell them personally."

Then she flicked her long black tail at the two she-cats, dismissing them.

Silverpaw bounded across the camp to the fern-guarded entrance. "Wow, Applekit. I wonder who your mentor will be!"

Applekit shrugged, although her own fur prickled at the thought. An apprentice! "I don't know. How did you feel when Whiteheart became yours?"

The tortoiseshell was silent for a moment, and they hesitated. The ferns swished in the wind, the breeze doing little to relieve the greenleaf warmth. "Nervous, of course. I'd heard about Whiteheart's old reputation as a tough and harsh rogue. But, he's really very nice. I think his name fits him; a rough exterior, but a pure white heart. I was very anxious to prove myself as one of the four first apprentices of NightClan."

"I want a good mentor myself. One that will help me become the best warrior I can be," Applekit mewed solemnly. Her hidden ambition to be Clan leader one day would remain as hidden as she could keep it. Now that she learned that Badgerkit could hear her thoughts, she would have to be even more careful. "To support my Clan throughout everything."

"By the way, are we going to go now?" Silverpaw fidgeted in the heat and stared into the lush green forest outside the camp's edges. The tortoiseshell's silvery blue eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Oh, yes!" Applekit bounded through the ferns, amazed at the forest outside the camp. Dry brown clumps of grass grew in heather-like bunches, and lush berry brambles sprouted around large oak trees. To her left was the distinct sound of water running, and she twisted her head to see part of the stream trickling through the thorny wall protecting the camp, where it gathered in a pool. Everything looked so different in the daylight, a stark contrast to the moonlit, white branches of the night before. Applekit lifted her ginger head and inhaled deeply. Rabbit, mouse, thrush, squirrel…the scents of prey flooded her nose.

"This way to the river," Silverpaw mewed, pointing with her tail to the left, where the sound of water splashing echoed in the trees.

Applekit trotted behind the apprentice, trying to keep up but distracted by the life the forest offered. "Where does the water come from? Where does it go?" she asked.

"Jaggedstar says that it extends from the lake, and that there's a bigger pool somewhere along the way. She says that all the cats of StarClan are reflected in its water. She says that the other Clans call it the Moonpool."

They walked in silence for a while, Applekit's thoughts full of the images all around her. As they continued, the volume of rushing water grew steadily louder. Soon, they skirted a pine tree, and there it was. The rushing river, thundering throughout the trees wound its way in the NightClan territory. Applekit walked closer, until it was only a mouse-length in front of her paws. She hesitantly dipped her tail into the current and jumped back in surprise. The water was cold!

Silverpaw let out a meow of happiness as she hurtled right into the stream. Her fur dripping, she turned back to the bank and shouted to her friend. "Come on, Applekit! It feels so nice in this heat!"

Holding her breath, Applekit tentatively waded in before ducking underwater. She gasped, feeling her paws touch the sandy, pebbly bottom. "It's shallow!"

Purring in amusement, Silverpaw sat up and shook her wet fur. "Isn't it good?" The apprentice twitched her whiskers in thought and looked at the water around her. "Only thing is, now we've scared all the fish away."

Applekit peered into the river and noticed that Silverpaw was right. "Should we go upstream and fish? Jaggedstar said that if I got a lot…"

Silverpaw rolled onto her back and splashed noisily into the bank. "Ouch! Well, not right now. There's no hurry."

Hesitating, Applekit waited a moment and then nodded. "You're right. I will be a warrior someday," and leader as well, "but it will come sometime."

"Yes," Silverpaw agreed. But when Applekit looked at her, there was sadness in her friend's eyes."

"Are you alright, Silverpaw?" asked Applekit.

The apprentice was silent for a moment. "Can I trust you?"

"Of course," mewed Applekit.

"This is a secret, so you can't tell anyone," Silverpaw warned. Applekit nodded, letting her continue. "Well, when I was a kit, I used to watch Berrywhisker a lot. As she healed cats, watched the skies for signs of StarClan. I wanted to be like her, I wanted to be the next NightClan medicine cat."

Silverpaw paused.

"I went to Jaggedstar. I asked her if I could become the next medicine cat, become Berrywhisker's apprentice. And she…she laughed. I awkwardly stood there and waited nervously.

"'You? The…you?' and she laughed again, her whole body shaking. Then she stopped and glared at me. 'That is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. Now get out of my den.' I left, tail drooping."

Silverpaw closed her eyes. "When I became an apprentice, I was so angry that I wasn't made Berrywhisker's. But now…I'm still upset, sometimes, but this is what I am. I have to train to be a warrior, so I will do better than the best I can."

Applekit purred in sympathy and touched her tail to her friend's shoulder. But her thoughts were different. Good decision. I can't imagine Silverpaw as the medicine cat. Still, when I become the leader, I will be kinder than Jaggedstar. But I will not be ruled and cajoled by stupid apprentices.

When I become Applestar, I will be feared by all the Clans.