The Clan erupted in loud cheers of "Lightningpaw! Lightningpaw!" in which all of Mapleflower's litter joined in.
The cheers died down after a few moments, and in the silence, Silverstar mewed,"I think that our new apprentice deserves to go to the Gathering tonight. Make sure to not strain him too much."
She gave Cinderfur a pointed look, but her eyes were full of a mirth that softened her glare. Cinderfur mewed a response back, but Kestrelkit was no longer listening. She had spotted a butterfly across the clearing, and was now alerting
her brothers of its presence. She made a leap at it, her claws only just clearing its wings. It fluttered further upwards, and Hawkkit made a wild leap for it. This time, it fluttered further out of reach, so far that they couldn't get it. Not even
caring, they proceeded to continue leaping at it.
It was only when their mother came over, when they persisted in their attempts to catch the butterfly.
"Come along, dears," she instructed, walking towards the nursery. "It's time you met Pinestripe's new litter."
This was of interest, as Pinestripe had had her litter only a day ago. Her kits, who were named Mousekit and Flamekit, had not been shown to anyone except Graystorm, who had delivered them.
When they got to the nursery, Pinestripe was curled up around her kits, who had only their heads poking out. One was light brown, like their father, only a tabby, and the other was dappled gold and ginger. Mapleflower gave Pinestripe a gentle
nudge with her nose, which got a jolt of surprise from the ginger queen. She opened her yellow eyes, and yawned. She uncurled her tail over the small bundles of fur next to her.
Now alert, she introduced them. "Mapleflower, Kestrelkit, Hawkkit, Falconkit, these are Mousekit and Flamekit. Mousekit's a tom and Flamekit's a she-cat."
Kestrelkit walked up closer to the kits, curious about these tiny bundles of fur. They mewled in their sleep, twitching periodically. She could have sworn she heard Mousekit meow something into Pinestripe's belly.
"Pinestripe is tired," Mapleflower announced suddenly. "We should let her be. Come, I'll show you around the outside of camp."
"Ooh, sounds fun!" Falconkit squeaked. He raced past Kestrelkit, and zoomed through the exit.
The rest of the litter followed slower, walking quicker than normal though. They ducked under the barrier, to see a forest of endless trees.
Someday, Kestrelkit thought. Someday, I will wander through these trees, and climb the tallest mountain on our territory. Someday.

Several moons passed, and Mapleflower's litter was growing quickly. Kit pelts gone, and adult ones already growing in, and apprentice ceremonies only a day away. Rain was falling thick and fast from the sky, pelting the new litter in the
Clan. Cloudtip had just had her litter of three; Flightkit, Lilykit, and Jaykit.
"What's this wet stuff?" Lilykit asked.
The little tabby took after her father, Tigersnow, but instead of black stripes, she had gray. Her brother, Jaykit, was the exact replica of their mother. Flightkit was a light gray, with white ear tips, tail tip, belly, and boots.
"Rain, darlings," Cloudtip mewed, wrapping her long tail around the kits. "It's water that falls from the sky. It's our ancestors, sending us water to fill the ponds and streams we drink from. So, when it rains, know your
ancestors are watching."
Flightkit, being the most adventurous of the litter, stepped out from her mother's tail, and batted at one of the droplets.
"Well they're sending it to the wrong place. The ponds and streams aren't over here," Lilykit reasoned, always the logical one.
She took a couple steps out, and stared upwards to the clouds. Jaykit stayed closer to the young queen. He didn't dare step out into the light downpour, lest something happen. Then the little cat jumped as lightning sparked across the sky.
He yelped and burrowed deeper into his mother's long fur.
Smiling slightly, she called to the other two kits. Then she bent down and purred something into his ear. She stood up, and gave her fur a shake, scattering the moisture that had collected on her pelt. The Lilykit and Flightkit bounded over,
and litter and queen headed towards the nursery.
"Do you want to go to the nursery yet? The storm is disguising the sun, but I believe it is getting close to sundown."
"No! Let's stay out! I want to stay in the rain forever!" Falconkit exclaimed, retaining some of his young-kit-like excitement.
"I think we should head in,"Hawkkit countered, his thick striped fur fluffed up against the rain. "It's getting late, and I don't want to be soggy when I go to sleep."
"Hawkkit's got a point," Kestrelkit mewed, wrapping her tail around her paws.
"Fine," Falconkit conceded. "We'll head in."
They all padded over to the nursery, and before they were allowed in by their mother, they shook off pelts and feet. When they entered, it was like being cocooned in a soft blanket of feathers. The warmth of all the sleeping bodies in the
nursery made it quite warm despite the dropping temperature outside.
The next morning, the rain had blown over, and although the ground was still slightly boggy, it wasn't all that bad out. Small rays of sunshine peeked through the scant cloud cover, beginning to dry the earth.
Mapleflower's litter was up and about, running around in the clearing. But the sun was reaching its peak, and the dark brown she-cat called her litter to her. Kestrelkit was first in getting her pelt washed by her mother.
And as her mother smoothed and washed her fur, she watched the warriors coming and going, wondering which would be her mentor. Then she looked to the TallStone, where Silverstar was talking with Darkfur. She would be deciding today who would be her teacher.
She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice that Mapleflower had moved on to Falconkit until she heard him complaining.
"I don't-no-Mom!"
"Stay still and it'll be over soon," Mapleflower soothed.
"No it won't," the young tom grumbled.
"Who d'you think will be your mentor?" Kestrelkit asked her brother, in an attempt to distract him from the washing.
"Dunno. Maybe Ashtail. I have no idea," he meowed.
"Done!" Mapleflower declared.
"Oh!" Falconkit exclaimed. "That was quicker than I was expecting."
Mapleflower gave him a meaningful glance, and moved on to the largest of the litter.
A small bit of movement out of the corner of Kestrelkit's eye told her that Silverstar was climbing up the TallStone.
"Mom!" she breathed. "Silverstar is getting ready to call the Clan!"
Mapleflower responded with a surprised look and reinvigorated licking. Hawkkit winced, but stood steadily.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather now beneath the TallStone."
Mapleflower abruptly stopped licking Hawkkit, and gathered up the rest of the litter. They approached the TallStone slowly, but not at a snail's pace.
"Hawkkit," Silverstar meowed, in a loud clear voice. "You have come to 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 will be known as Hawkpaw. Your mentor will
be Badgerfrost. I hope that Badgerfrost will pass on all that he knows to you. Badgerfrost, would you please step forward?"
The young striped warrior stepped forward, next to his new apprentice.
"Badgerfrost, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You have received excellent training from Turtlefoot, and have shown yourself to be brave and strong. You will be the mentor of Hawkpaw, and I expect you to pass on all that you know to
him."
Badgerfrost leaned down to touch noses with Hawkpaw.
"Falconkit, you have come to 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 will be known as Falconpaw. Your mentor will be Ashtail. I hope that Ashtail will pass on all
that he knows to you. Ashtail, would you please step forward?"
The gray warrior padded to the TallStone from the back of the crowd.
"Ashtail, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received great training, and have shown yourself to be courageous and smart. You will be the mentor of Falconpaw, and I expect you to pass on all that you know to him."
Ashtail bent over to touch noses with his new apprentice, and got a surprising bonk on the nose. Falconpaw had jumped to touch noses with his mentor, and accidentally hit him on the nose.
"Kestrelkit, you have come to 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 will be known as Kestrelpaw. Your mentor will be…"