The cold chill of leaf-bare blew into the nursery. Sunheart wrapped her tail around her kits to shield them from the cold winds. Leafwing was grooming Darkit because her apprentice ceremony was today. "You want to look your best when you meet your mentor," Leafwing had said.

"I can't wait to find out who my mentor is!" Darkit mewed in excitement. "If I get lucky Bramblestar will make me his apprentice."

"That won't happen because I'm going to be his apprentice," Swiftkit mewed.

"Hush now!" Sunheart meowed. "Bramblestar hasn't had an apprentice since he was made deputy. If he thinks he'll be able to train an apprentice better than one of his other warriors he'll take one but not if he believes the apprentice is most compatible with one of his warriors."

Firekit nodded. "I understand. Wasn't his only apprentice Berrynose?"

"Yes," Sunheart answered. Firekit looked like he was about to say more when Bramblestar called the Clan to a meeting. Darkit was the first out of the den. Sunheart led her kits out of the nursery and they all went over and sat beside Lionblaze and Cinderheart. Sunheart spotted Hawkfur just coming into camp carrying a bird. Sunheart smiled. That's one of the best pieces of prey I've seen this leaf-bare, she thought. He's really learned a lot.

Hawkfur put his prey on the fresh-kill pile and padded over to sit beside Sunheart. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Darkit's being made an apprentice," Sunheart answered. Hawkfur nodded and turned his gaze to watch Bramblestar.

"Darkit has reached her sixth moon, and is now ready to become an apprentice," the ThunderClan leader began. "Darkit, from this moment until you have recieved your warrior name, you will be known as Darkpaw. Your mentor will be..." Bramblestar's gaze drifted across the gathered cats until it rested on Hawkfur. He smiled. "...Hawkfur."

The cats gasped in shock but none of them were as shocked as Hawkfur himself. "But I'm so new to ThunderClan!" he reminded the leader.

"He was raised in WindClan!" Dustpelt shouted.

"How can we trust him to raise up our young to be full ThunderClan warriors?" Berrynose added his voice to the rest.

Bramblestar raised his tail for silence. "Hawkfur has learned everything he can about ThunderClan's battle tactics, hunting styles and the whole territory. He is a full-fledged member of ThunderClan now." Hawkfur, still shocked as ever padded up to the front of the gathered cats.

"Can he really be trusted?" Shadowmoon asked.

Bramblestar didn't take his gaze off od Hawkfur. "I trust him," he meowed. "Hawkfur, I trust you to pass on all you know to your new apprentice."

Hawkfur nodded. "I promise I won't let you down, Bramblestar," he replied before touching noses with Darkpaw.

"Darkpaw! Darkpaw!" the Clan cheered. They then began to congradulate the new apprentice. Sunheart ran up and nuzzled Hawkfur.

"I can't believe it! You're a mentor!" she purred.

"I just wish I knew why he's come to trust me so much," Hawkfur meowed. "I like that he trusts me but the rest of the Clan doesn't seem to."

"We do," Cinderheart meowed, coming up.

"You're a loyal cat Hawkfur. I don't see a reason not to trust you," Lionblaze added.

Bumblestripe then joined the group along with Dovewing and Ivypool. "Congratulations Hawkfur," Bumblestripe meowed with a smile.

"You'll do just fine," Dovewing added.

"T-Thank you," Hawkfur stammered.

Bumblestripe and Dovewing padded away. Ivypool was about to when she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Breezepelt would have been lucky if he had turned out just like you," she mewed before padding away.

"She acts like she knows Breezepelt well," Hawkfur observed.

"Hawkfur! Hawkfur!" Darkpaw bounced over to him. "What are we going to do first?"

Hawkfur thought for a moment. "How about a tour of the territory?" he suggested.

"Yes!" Darkpaw exclaimed with a little hop in the air. Hawkfur nuzzled Sunheart before leading Darkpaw out of camp.

"We wanted to go too!" Swiftkit whinned.

"You'll go when you're apprentices," Sunheart meowed. "Now go play for a little while." Firekit and Swiftkit ran off toward the nursery where Daisy was sitting.

"Sunheart," Sunheart turned to see Vineleaf behind her. "Bramblestar wants to see you. It's important."

Sunheart blinked in confusion, but nodded and followed her sister to the ThunderClan leader's den. Vineleaf called a greeting and they entered.

"Ok, Bramblestar. I brought her," Vineleaf meowed.

"Thank you Vineleaf," the tabby leader meowed.

"What's this about Bramblestar?" Sunheart asked.

"Really, even I'm confused," Vineleaf added. Sunheart glanced at her sister. So Bramblestar hasn't even told Vineleaf what's going on.

"It's about the prophecy, Vineleaf," Bramblestar meowed.

"We said we'd keep that between me, you and Jayfeather," Vineleaf replied.

"I know what I said, but I think I know now what two cats the prophecy is talking about," Bramblestar meowed.

"Who?" Vineleaf asked.

"You and Sunheart," Bramblestar answered.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Just stop for a minute," Sunheart exclaimed. "First of all; what prophecy are you talking about?"

"A recieved a prophecy revealing a new darkness coming and that "the two that are one" will stop it," Vineleaf explained.

"Are you crazy? I'm not part of some prophecy!" Sunheart argued.

"There's no mistake, Sunheart. You and Vineleaf are the two cats mentioned," Bramblestar pressed.

"What makes you so sure?" Sunheart asked.

"When you stopped the battle," Bramblestar answered. "Sunheart you said you were one with Vineleaf. The prophecy says the two that are one. There's no mistaking it. You and Vineleaf will stop the darkness to come."

"But I didn't know that before the battle," Sunheart admitted.

"Who told you?" Bramblestar asked.

Sunheart imagined Hollyleaf's black pelt and sparkling green eyes. "Hollyleaf did," she answered.

"Since Hollyleaf told you that only makes my assumption stronger," Bramblestar meowed. "Just be on the alert you two." Bramblestar then dismissed them and they padded out of his den.