After the gathering, Toadstep and Brightcloud became unusually close. Like, really close. They were inseperable, so it didn't come to a surprise when they announced that Brightcloud was going to have his kits. Toadstep convinced her to move to the nursery a little while after that. The nursery was pretty crowded, with Brightcloud, Daisy, Cinderheart and her kits, Dovewing and her kits and Ambercloud, who announced her and Molewhisker's litter a day after Brightcloud. Their friend moving was a bitter-sweet moment. Cloversplash was really happy for her friend, but she was also sad because it ment that they wouldn't all become mentors together. Cinderheart and Dovewings kits were both almost six moons old, and that meant that there was a chance they could mentor them. Dewfeather and Snowstorm were both equally anxious for their own apprentices too, and they were older. There were five kits, and Cloversplash, Sandbreeze, Willowfrost, Dewfeather and Snowstorm all wanted one, but they were all new warriors aswell. Surely Bramblestar wouldn't choose all new warriors for the kit's mentors? and if he did, which of the excited bouncy kits would she receive? Cloversplash was known for being oblivious to her surroundings, and she couldn't help being lost in thought, even lost in thought about being lost in thought, sometimes it just takes a good nudge in the ribs or shoulder to wake her up. This time, it was Foxleap who nudged her.
"Hey, wake up, aren't you excited? Bramblestar's giving the kits their mentors!" He meowed. "Mind if I sit with you?" He added.
"Ya sure, let's get closer though, I don't want to miss this." Cloversplash responded.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!" Bramblestar yowled, and the five bouncy kits ran into the clearing excitedly.
"Kits, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. Coalkit, from this day on until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Coalpaw, your mentor will be Snowstorm, I hope he will pass on all that he knows to you. Redkit, you will now be known as Redpaw. Your mentor will be..." He paused before finally saying, "Sandbreeze. I hope that she will pass on all that she knows onto you." Yes! Cloversplash thought. Her friend was a mentor, and she was so happy for her. She had begun to think that she wouldn't be a mentor, so at least Sandbreeze got an apprentice.
"Firekit, you will be known as Firepaw. Your mentor will be Cloversplash, and I hope that she will pass down all that she knows down to you." Well she certainly didn't expect that. It was a very welcomed surprise though, and she touched noses with Firepaw in acceptance. Firepaw looked very excited to finally be an apprentice, and Cloversplash was too. But before she said anything to her, she let Bramblestar finish.
"Frostkit, from this moment on you will be called Frostpaw. Your mentor will be Dewfeather. I hope that he passes down all that he knows to you. Moonkit, you will now be named Moonpaw. Your mentor will be Willowfrost. I hope that she passes down all that she knows down to you." He ended. Wow. Cloversplash thought, we are all mentors! She didn't see that coming. She still sat with Foxleap on her left and Firepaw on her right, life was perfect right now.
After the ceremony, Cloversplash and Sandbreeze took their apprentices on a tour of their territory, and soon caught up with Snowstorm, Dewfeather, Willowfrost and their apprentices, who then tagged along on the tour. Doing the tour was easy, but keeping Firepaw behind her and stopping her from running off everywhere was not. This young she-cat was very energetic and positive, which was a nice quality to have in a young cat.
"Firepaw, can you tell me where we are?" She asked her apprentice, who took in a large breath then twisting her face in disgust.
"Eww, that smells yucky!" She complained.
"It's the ShadowClan border." Cloversplash explained. "You'll get used to the smell and it being so gross and strong helps us to stay away from it. You don't want to cross into any clan's terriotory, and deffenatly not alone." She told the apprentices.
"Can we try hunting?" Redpaw asked from behind Sandbreeze.
"After we tour the territory. We just need to patrol the WindClan border, then we can hunt for the queens and elders." Sandbreeze told her apprentice.
They tried to finish the tour rather quickly, they were all hungry and in the mood to hunt, when they came along the WindClan border, they set off towards the direction of the old WindClan territory which they had lost to ThunderClan. They would be able to find a squirrel or two there.
Frostpaw was the first to spot them. Three WindClan cats, two warriors and an apprentice, she'd guess, on their territory, hunting. They watched as the apprentice miss an easy catch, then one of the warriors Cloversplash remebered as Heathertail, caught a squirrel, who appeared to have a broken leg. She looked quite triumphant at the kill, and Cloversplash couldn't help herself but to emerge from her hiding place with a smirk, followed by her clanmates.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Asked Cloversplash, making the WindClan patrol stop in their tracks with fear.
"You heard what Bramblestar said would happen to any cat who hunted here," meowed Sandbreeze. Her patrol instantly made a cercle around the three WindClan trespassers, hoping to scare them away without too many injuries. She flicked her tail at Snowstrom and Sandbreeze, to indicate to them to give them some warning bites. She held the apprentice down, with sheathed claws, while Sandbreeze took on Heathertail and Snowstorm pinned down Boulderfur. Giving them each a few minor bites and scratches, they finally let the go running back towards their clan.
"Let's finish hunting." Cloversplash finally said. When they returned to camp, each apprentice had done well and caught at least two pieces of prey. After depositing her prey, Cloversplash went to the leader's den to tell Bramblestar about their little run in with WindClan.