"We are gathered here beneath the Highrock to acknowledge new apprentices. By naming apprentices, we show that Thunderlan will survive and remain strong."
Tigerstar stood proudly atop the Highrock. Three kits, namely Frostkit, Snowkit and Emberkit, have their tails held high in enthusiasm of being named apprentices. Even Frostkit and Snowkit's mother, Raincloud, had to stand behind her kits to stop them from bouncing. Emberkit, however, remained quiet and stared at a fluttering butterfly.
"Snowkit, from now on you will be known as Snowpaw" Tigerstar continued. "Fluffypelt, you are ready for an apprentice, you will be Snowpaw's mentor. You have known how to be patient and persevering from your mentor and I expect you to pass on all your skills to Snowpaw, so that he may be a loyal warrior to ThunderClan."
Fluffypelt shuffled her paws, showing that she was nervous of having an apprentice, before she went to touch noses with Snowpaw. As they finished, she sighed as Snowpaw quickly ran towards the apprentice's den. After apologizing for her new apprentice, she followed Snowpaw to stop him from being too excited.
"Frostkit, from now on you will be known as Frostpaw," Tigerstar said, continuing the ceremony as if Snowpaw hadn't interrupted it. "Badgerfang, you are ready for an apprentice, and you will be Frostpaw's mentor. You became a good warrior because of Treepelt and I expect you to pass on all your skills to Frostpaw, so that she may also be loyal to our Clan."
As Frostkit and Badgerfang touch noses with each other, all of ThunderClan's cats began to chant apprentices' new names.
"Snowpaw! Frostpaw! Snowpaw! Frostpaw!"
Threepaw, an older ThunderClan apprentice, weaved his way through the crowd until he got to face Frostpaw. His eyes shone in excitement as the apprentices formally began their apprenticeship. "I've been collecting moss for this day. Come on, follow me!"
Emberkit followed Frostpaw, together with Threepaw, to the apprentice's den. He, too, was excited to see what his future den would look like. Upon entering the den, Snowpaw ran in front of him from inside and playfully bowled him out.
"You're not supposed to go here since you're not yet an apprentice!" Snowpaw teased.
"Okay," Emberkit replied, shaking the dust from his pelt.
"Wait, you're not going to react or anything?" he asked, seemingly surprised. "Oh well, at least we get to sleep without having to share our nests with you." With a rather content face, he stalked off to make a nest of his own.
What Snowpaw said made sense, at least. During the last moon, a small thorn bush that was left unattended grew up fast and was spreading throughout the nursery, leaving less space for them to sleep. If Doveflight was to have her kits, it would be needed to be destroyed.
"Don't let Snowpaw get to you," Frostpaw reassured him. "I'll save you a spot in the den, somewhere nice and better than Snowpaw's." She licked his ears before racing back to Threepaw.
Emberkit followed the apprentices with his gaze until they were out of his sight. He wanted to know how it is like to sleep in the den and what his former den-mates would do in their training. He was to wait for another moon to join them here.
"Snap out from your daze Emberpaw! You're blocking everyone's path," snapped Sharpwhisker, the clan's medicine cat. Her tail flicked several times, showing how impatient she was. Even though everyone knew about Emberkit's consistent daydreaming or dazing, the medicine cat did not show any considerations, even to a kit. "Now, follow me to the den. I have something to tell you."
"O-Okay Sharpwhisker," the kit answered, surprised by the sudden invitation of the medicine cat. Emberkit was about to follow Sharpwhisker when a sudden meow stopped him.
"Hey Emberkit, come over here!" Snowpaw yelled.
"Um, can I excuse myself for a minute?" Emberkit asked, before promptly following the new apprentice.
"You know the drill. New apprentice should get to know their territory first," Badgerfang lectured as Emberkit entered the scene. "Let's patrol from the Snakerocks to the Thunderpath, and finally back to camp. Any violent reactions?"
"Uh, and you're ordering us to do chores tomorrow morning, right?" Frostpaw broke out with a frown. "You know? Like collecting moss for the elders, searching for their ticks or something."
"Of course," Badgerfang purred, "What else do apprentices do?"
"That isn't half bad, right? At least we can get to listen to their stories." Snowpaw whispered to Emberkit, knowing that if he had said it to his sister, she would react. His sister always contradicts what he thinks.
"Okay, let's go," Fluffypelt mewed.
"Wait, can Emberkit come with us, please!" Snowpaw pleaded. He had been so attached to him because his sister wouldn't end finding faults with him.
"Uh… no," Badgerfang answered. "You know kits can't leave the camp, right? If they do, then foxes could just roam around and eat them."
"But I'll keep him close and watch over him and protect him and…"
"Just stop," Frostpaw ordered her brother. "You're just wasting our time and I already want to see our territory!"
"Aw," Snowpaw murmured as he saw Frostpaw's, as well as their mentors', disapproval. "We'll get you to join us next time, Emberkit," he told the ginger kit half-heartedly.
"It's okay," he replied. "I can do something else, anyway."
"Okay. Bye!"
Emberkit watched as his former denmates stalk away from the camp and into the ravine. It felt strange just to be alone, especially for Emberkit. Usually, he just asks either Snowpaw or Frostpaw for something to do, but now would be the time for that to change.
Right, Sharpwhisker told me to visit her in her den. I really need to go now…
Emberkit scampered across the whole camp, from the camp's entrance to her den. As he made it to the center of the camp, a sound of flapping wings was heard. A hawk! As fast as his little legs could go, he made it all the way to Sharpwhisker's den.
"You seem to be in a hurry?" the medicine cat asked.
"Have you not heard the hawk?" Emberkit yelled. Is this medicine cat so old that he had not heard those loud flaps of wings?
"Hawk? I don't hear any hawks."
Stunned, Emberkit decided to look back at the camp. Sharpwhisker was right! All cats were doing their tasks as if they have not heard the hawk. Emberkit shook his head. Maybe I'm just imagining things. Maybe there was no hawk after all.
"Are you alright?" Sharpwhisker asked.
Emberkit nodded blankly before asking, "Why did you call me for anyway?"
"I have something to discuss with you, Emberkit," the medicine cat started. "It is something that we should keep as a secret and I don't want anyone to know about this…"