Sorry it's been a few days! Couldn't write because I was super busy. Anyways, I'll be writing right after this is posted, and i'll actually finish allegiances next chapter. :p

Training.

It's what every kit dreams of, but we apprentices loathe it. Sure, we wanna be warriors. Yeah, we wanna serve our clan. We just wanna be loyal, strong warriors. We just don't want to do all the hard training and endlessly boring tasks we must.

I thought it'd be fun, y'know? I'm with my littermates all day, learning to be a warrior. What I didn't think was that I'd be worked so hard, spread so thin. I didn't think my mentor would work me like I'm his personal assistant. I didn't think I'd be so hot and sore after a session. I didn't think I'd be so exhausted at the end of a day. Most of all, I didn't think I'd be so incredibly miserable. It was hard work, and I was unprepared.

I had been training for almost a moon when Skyhunter, the pretty, pale grey tabby deputy called over Nightpaw and I.

"You two are coming to the gathering. And tell Hawkpaw, and Thrushpaw if he didn't already know." She says plainly.

The gathering! The last one had been just before I was apprenticed, so this is my first. And I'm excited.

"Thrushpaw, Thrushpaw!" I call, hopping toward the medicine cat's cave, knowing that's where he'd be if he wasn't out in the forest.

"What?" He yells back, rushing toward me with a worried look. "Oh Starclan, don't tell me one of your brothers is hurt again!" He pleads.

"Nope! You're going to the gathering, with me, Nightpaw, and Hawkpaw." I chirp.

"Oh," he sighs, "I don't know if I should, Mistyeel's been complaining that she can't get around like she used to. What if a cat gets hurt or... or..." he worries.

"The only place a cat would get hurt is at the gathering. C'mon, Thrushpaw. You gotta cone and show us the other apprentices. Cause y'know Hawkpaw hasn't made any friends." I look at him with pleading eyes.

"Hey, he's my brother. Only I'm allowed to make fun of that grumpy mouse." He jokes.

Just then, that 'grumpy mouse' enters the camp with his mentor, Jaggedstripe, carrying three or four mice in his jaws. His eyes flicked toward us, and he tips up his head, and deposits his mice.

"What." He questions is his gruff tone.

"Oh, nothing. We're going to the gathering, and Thrushpaw called you a grumpy mouse." I giggle.

He narrows his eyes, and swipes at Thrushpaw, but he narrowly dodges.

Hawkpaw rolls his eyes, and grumbles something as he stalks off. Thrushpaw laughs, and turns to me.

"Thanks for that! By the way, you should go take a nap, don't wanna fall asleep halfway through the gathering."

"Who knows, maybe I do want to." I joke, but head to the apprentice den. I snuggle down into my nest, and hear Nightpaw enter the den.

"Hi." He mews, settling down in his nest. He licks between my ears when he notices that I give him a small glare. He readjusts, and I press my nose to the neck between his shoulders and the back of his head. I give him a small lick, and am soon sleeping.

Jayfeather is in my sleep.

"Hazelpaw." He says urgently, "you must be careful at the gathering."

"Why?" I question, and I'm a little scared.

"Someone's going to try to hurt you. They know that you have the prophecy. They will try to kill you. Be careful." He pleads, fear in his eyes.

"I'll be careful." I reassure him. "And who? Who will try to hurt me?"

"I can't see. But stay with your brother. You know he will protect you to the death. Keep Nightpaw close." He rushes, and then disappears.

I get woken up by Thrushpaw yowling into the den.

"C'mon lazy furs! Don't have long, come eat something!"

I shake out of my dream, and stretch. Nightpaw does the same, and leaves the den rubbing his paw on his ear. Thrushpaw heads off with him, probably assuming me and Hawkpaw will get up momentarily.

Hawkpaw gets up and shakes out his fur. He draws a paw over and over his muzzle as I stretch more.

"Just gonna stay?" I ask gently, not sure whether he'll take the joke or not.

"Figured I'd make sure you actually got up. Do you mind?" He asks in that gruff, stern tone he has. Surprised.

"Uh, no. Guess not. Thanks." I shake out a leg, and we both get to the entrance at the same time. He steps back, and nods. I head out, and Nightpaw calls to me.

"C'mon Hazelpaw! Wanna share a rabbit?" I glance at Hawkpaw, not sure whether or not to talk to him. He lopes off as Thrushpaw calls furred him from inside the medicine cat den. So I join Nightpaw in on the rabbit. We finish it slowly, but don't let it get cold in the night that's rolling in.

"Alright, cats for the gathering, lets go!" Tunnelstar calls from the top of the hill. Me and Nightpaw get to our paws, shake out our fur, and follow Tunnelstar and the other warriors toward the gathering.

I know it's short! Sorry! The next will also be short, but the one after is action packed!

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~Kat