While Plumekit and Shiningkit both chose a piece of freashkill each, Bearkit walked over to Rockwhisker, who was basking in the sun outside of the warriors den.
"Rockwhisker?" Bearkit asked quietly. Rockwhisker had been made a warrior only two moons ago, so she would have the freshest memory of being an apprentice.
"What is it, Bearkit?" Rockwhisker looked at him questioningly.
"Do you remember being an apprentice? What was it like? Was it hard?" Bearkit barraged her with questions.
"Hmm. Let's see. Well, when I was an apprentice, I got into all kinds of trouble! Once, when my mentor Amberdawn was sleeping, I snuck out of camp right into ShadowClan territory!"
Bearkit interrupted. "You crossed the Twoleg place? Were you caught by Twolegs?"
Rockwhisker's whiskers twitched. "It was leafbare, so the Twolegs weren't using it then. Anyways, being an apprentice was lots of fun! Well, except for when I had to clean out the elder's den."
Bearkit wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I never want to have to clean out the elder's den!"
"Believe me, no apprentice wants to."
Bearkit broke out laughing, and mewed, "I hope you get to be my mentor!"
"Just as long as you clean out the elder's den three times a day!" Rockwhisker joked.
Plumekit hopped around Bearkit in the clearing outside of the nursery.
"Get out of our camp, Marshstar! ShadowClan is not welcome in RiverClan territory!" Plumekit hissed at Bearkit, his claws digging into the ground.
"No! I have come to take all of your kits, Plumestar! You can do nothing about it! Hahaha!" Bearkit leaped on top of Plumekit, trying to reach the nursery. Plumekit called to Shiningkit and Sunstream, who were basking in the sun.
"Come, help me defend the nursery!"
"Only if you let me be your deputy!" Shiningkit called back.
"Fine! What shall your warrior name be?"
"How about… Shiningstar!"
"No! That's a leader name! I'm leader!" Plumekit stopped tussling with Bearkit to stalk up to Shiningkit.
"How about your name is Shiningoak?"
"Fine. I can live with that." Shiningkit got up from where she was laying and ran over to where Bearkit lay, motionless until his littermates came back.
"Quickly, Shiningoak! Attack Marshstar!" Plumekit called encouragingly to Shiningkit. Shiningkit pounced on Bearkit's back, and the game resumed.
When Bearkit was admitting defeat, Ivorypaw trotted into camp.
"Where's he going?" Shiningkit asked.
"How should I know?" Bearkit replied reproachfully. Then, a large, wiry, black tomcat stalked into camp a few tail lengths behind Ivorypaw.
"Who is that?" Shiningkit asked distastefully. "He smells like rabbits and heather."
"Is it ShadowClan?" Bearkit asked fearfully.
"I don't know, I've never smelled ShadowClan scent before." Plumekit replied.
"Come here. All of you. It's Kestrelstar." Sunstream quickly mewed in a tight voice.
"The WindClan leader!" Plumekit mewed breathlessly.
"What's Kestrelstar doing here, though?" Bearkit asked his mother.
"I don't know. Now come here." Sunstream tried to pull Bearkit closer to herself with her tail, but Bearkit ducked underneath it. He boldly stepped out of the shadows and into the WindClan leader's path.
"Kestrelstar of WindClan, why are you here?" Bearkit asked boldly.
"I will share that information with your leader and your leader only." Kestrelstar replied coldly.
"Well, you might as well share it with me, because I'm going to be a leader someday!" Bearkit did not even blink when Kestrelstar stared at him for a long while. Finally, he mewed, "What is your name, kit?"
"My name is Bea-"
"His name is not your business!" Sunstream's protective mew came from behind Bearkit.
"Why is it not my business? I just want to know the name of this brave, future warrior." Kestrelstar stared at Sunstream, his piercing gaze seeming to see right into the depths of her mind. Sunstream looked away uncomfortably.
"My name is Bearkit!" Bearkit mewed quickly, before Sunstream could interrupt him again.
"Well, it was nice to meet you, Bearkit." Kestrelstar looked ahead, further into RiverClan's camp. "I must be seeing your leader now." Kestrelstar trotted away, unescorted.
Later, when Kestrelstar walked out of camp again, Bearkit heard Sandfang say to Littlerose, "He acts like he owns all of RiverClan, walking in and out of camp like that. I heard Honeyripple went missing a few days ago. What do you think of that?"
"I bet she'll be back in a few days." Littlerose replied.
"What do you think Kestrelstar and Mothstar talked about?" Bearkit asked his littermates.
"I bet it was to declare war!" Plumekit answered.
"Well, I think it was to declare an alliance." Shiningkit told Bearkit.
"Alright. You can all come out of the nursery now." Sunstream mewed to her kits. All the kits ran out of the nursery, and tumbled right into Mantisflame. Oh no! Not Mantisflame!
All the kits were afraid of Mantisflame. Mantisflame was a big, hefty cat with barely any personality.
"Uh, hi, uh, Mantisflame." Shiningkit mewed cautiously.
"Hello, Plumekit, Shiningkit… Bearkit. It's a nice day, isn't it."
Bearkit coughed.
"It's a, uh, very… uh, nice day…" Bearkit mewed fearfully.
"Yes. I assume it is. I'll be on my way now." Mantisflame trotted away, to some unknown location.
"Mantisflame is terrifying!" Plumekit whispered.
"I know. I can never tell if Mantisflame is a tom or a she-cat!"
While the kits watched the Clan move about around them, they each drowsily chewed on small pieces of trout. Eventually, they began to yawn, and they walked sleepily to their den in the nursery.
"Wake up, sleepyheads." Their mother, Sunstream, was calling softly. "Our apprentice ceremonies?" Plumekit asked hopefully, as he sleepily raised his head.
"Yes. You are finally six moons today, so it is time for your apprentice ceremonies." Sunstream began grooming Shiningkit, who was still struggling to wakefulness.
"I can't believe we had to wait six moons to become apprentices, and suddenly we are apprentices!" Bearkit was already bouncing from one paw to the other, waiting for Shiningkit to wake up fully.
"Let all cats that can swim gather to hear my words." They heard Mothstar's call from outside in the clearing. All three kits ran out of the nursery, and into the clearing full of RiverClan warriors.
"I believe it is time for some cats to be made into apprentices." Mothstar mewed to the crowd.
"It's our time! Us Us!" Plumekit yelled out excitedly.
"Well then, let's get on with the naming ceremony. Bearkit, Shiningkit, and Plumekit, are you ready to uphold the warrior code and train to protect this Clan?" mewed Mothstar.
"Yes." Bearkit mewed solemnly.
"Yes!" Plumekit shouted, excitement in his voice.
"Sure." Shiningkit mewed cooley.
"Bearkit, you will now be known as Bearpaw. Bearpaw, your mentor shall be Rainheart."
Bearpaw gasped with astonishment at the notion of the deputy being his mentor. Bearpaw walked over to the rock Rainheart was sitting on, and touched noses with him.
"Plumekit, you will now be known as Plumepaw. Your mentor will be Rockwhisker."
Rockwhisker stood up, and Plumepaw bumped his nose hard against hers.
"Ow!" Rockwhisker muttered.
"Shiningkit, you will be known as Shiningpaw. Your mentor will be Mantisflame."
Shiningpaw gasped, not with excitement, but with horror. Shiningpaw made no move to touch noses with Mantisflame, so Mantisflame walked over to her and touched her nose lightly with their own.
"Bearpaw! Plumepaw! Shiningpaw!"
"Bearpaw! Plumepaw! Shiningpaw!"
"Now," Mothstar went on, "I have a new warrior to make." Is she going to make us warriors right after we become apprentices? Bearpaw thought hopefully.
"Ivorypaw, I know that you had to wait for these three to become apprentices before you could become a warrior."
Ivorypaw looked at Mothstar, excited.
"Ivorypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect this Clan even at the cost of your own life?"
"I do." Ivorypaw looked like he could barely contain his excitement at becoming a warrior.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Ivorypaw, from this moment forth, your warrior name shall be Ivorytooth."
"Ivorytooth! Ivorytooth! Ivorytooth!" The crowd of cats called his new name.
"Before you begin your vigil, we shall feast!"
"Mantisflame's your mentor, right, Shiningpaw?" Plumepaw joked.
"Don't ever talk about it again!" Shiningpaw snapped back.
"Gee, I didn't think you would be so snappy about your least favorite cat becoming your mentor!" Bearpaw added.
"Well, if my least favorite cat was my mentor, it would be Plumepaw! Anyway, it's not that I don't like Mantisflame, it's just that they creep me out a lot."
Bearpaw nudged Shiningpaw with his nose.
"Why don't you ask Mantisflame what gender they are, tomorrow, during training?"
"Never!"
"What apprentice is afraid of their own mentor!" Plumepaw added.
"Well, I got Rainheart as my mentor!" Bearpaw puffed out his chest.
"It must be great, having the deputy mentor you!" Shiningpaw muttered. "I'm stuck with 'ol Mantisflame."
"Well, I was hoping to get Rockwhisker as my mentor, but I'm happy you got her, Plumepaw!" Bearpaw nudged his brother affectionately. "Let's go and congratulate Ivoryp- Ivorytooth for becoming a warrior."
The three apprentices trotted up to Ivorytooth, who was sitting vigil at the entrance to the camp.
"Hi, Ivorytooth!" Shiningpaw greeted him. Ivorytooth only nodded in reply.
"Oh! Sorry, I forgot that you can't speak while you sit vigil."
"It's alr-'' Ivorytooth started to reply, but Bearpaw shushed him.
"No speaking!" He commanded. Ivorytooth gave him a look that said, I was only trying to accept an apology! Bearpaw huffed, then trotted off to the apprentice' den.
Bearpaw curled up in his new nest, longing for the warmth and comfort of his mother. A warrior doesn't think like that! Neither should an apprentice, for that matter! He drifted off to sleep, thinking about how he would be the best warrior ever, and his littermates helping and supporting him.
In Bearpaw's dream, he was standing in a bleak-looking forest. Bearpaw spun around fearfully, almost expecting to be dragged off by a fox or badger.
"Hello, and welcome." A smooth, deep voice came from behind Bearpaw. Bearpaw turned around again, but the speaker was nowhere in sight.
"I will not appear to you, unless you agree to my terms." The voice came from above him now, from the branches of the barren trees.
"W-what are the terms?" Bearpaw stuttered.
"The terms? Ah, well, you must agree to not tell anyone about this vision."
"Alright. I won't."
"And," The voice continued. "You must promise to me that you will return in one season, and do me a favor."
Bearpaw thought about this. He would be a warrior in one season, so he could handle this cat- if it's even a cat- without any trouble.
"Fine. I'll come back in a season and do you a favor."
Suddenly, a gray, black, and brown tom began to materialize in front of him.
"I am Poisonmist. I will be assisting you." Poisonmist's sleek pelt seemed to shed darkness off it like rain.
"Are you a StarClan cat? And- What mother would name their kit Poisonkit?"
Poisonmist's long whiskers twitched. "I am not of StarClan. And as for your other question, my name was Antkit, then Antpaw, but when I was exiled, my leader was kind enough to give me the name Poisonmist."
"What Clan were you in? Why were you exiled? What do you want with me?" With every question asked, Bearpaw grew more and more afraid of Poisonmist.
"Ah, I can answer the first and third questions, but not the second. I was a ThunderClan cat once. My leader was Yarrowstar. For your last question, the answer is that I want to train you. If you accept, in a short amount of time you will be almost as powerful as the great Tigerstar."
Bearpaw gasped. "Tigerstar was the most evil warrior to ever live!"
"Isn't that right." Another voice sounded from behind Bearpaw. The voice was deep, like Poisonmist's voice, but instead of it being smooth, it was scratchy and raw. Bearpaw turned around and saw Tigerstar, himself.