A/N: I want to give a quick shout out to my reviewer, SageandSky! I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope to keep hearing from you as the story progresses!

Yesterday, my own cat (named Bastet) gave birth to 3 kittens. And let me tell you. It was an amazing thing. It definitely changed my life forever.

Anyways! On with the story! As always, reviews are welcome and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3

The entire Clan seemed to be holding their breath as Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight led them around the lake to their new home. When that collectively held breath was exhaled in sighs of mingled relief and joy, Hollykit only yawned.

"This doesn't look much like a camp to me," she sniffed fussily as she surveyed the stone hollow before her.

"Maybe not yet," Ferncloud licked the disgruntled kit reassuringly. "But soon it will be an even better camp than the one we left behind."

The older cats immediately gathered around Firestar. He gave orders to each warrior individually, and as they hurried off one by one to fulfill their duty, Hollykit was pleasantly surprised to see Dustpelt padding towards them.

"What have you been ordered to do?" Birchkit piped up, bouncing around their father's paws. "Can we help?"

The great warrior rolled his eyes, but not without humor. "I've asked to help put together the nursery. Sorreltail will be helping, too."

As he mentioned her, the pretty tortoiseshell she-cat joined them.

"Where's Brackenfur?" Hollykit mewed, looking innocently up at the young warrior. They had been brushing flanks for the entire journey, it seemed, even when Brackenfur had taken a turn carrying the small kit to give Dustpelt a break.

"He's helping put together the warriors' den," Dustpelt answered dryly, amusement in his voice as he watched Sorreltail shuffle her paws in embarrassment. "Anyways, it needs to be as far from the entrance as the elders' den, and close to the medicine den."

Hollykit grew bored of their talk almost instantly, and by the way Birchkit was yawning, it seemed he had, too. "Birchkit," she whispered, flicking her ears to draw her brother's attention. When he looked her way, she motioned towards an opening in the side of the cliff. He nodded, and the two kits slipped silently away. When she felt they were a safe distance away, she began bouncing around excitedly.

"Let's go exploring!"

Birchkit nodded energetically. "What do you think is over there?" They looked towards the cave again, before exchanging a mischievous glance and rushing towards their next adventure. Once they reached the cave, Hollykit stretched her neck out, sniffing for any danger.

"All I smell is ThunderClan," Birchkit sneezed, his nose tickled by sniffing so hard.

"I'll go first," Hollykit slipped carefully into the split in the cliff-face. She was surpised when she bumped into something larger than her, and she let out a squeal as she backpedaled.

"Hollykit? Birchkit?" Whitepaw blinked at the kits as her eyes adjusted to the light outside of her soon-to-be den. "What are you two doing all the way over here?"

"Exploring!" Birchkit bounced closer the snow white apprentice. "What were you doing inside that cave? Is it big?"

"Are there badgers in it?" Hollykit crouched low to the ground as if she were about to pounce on an enemy. Whitepaw rolled her eyes.

"Put your butt down, you look ridiculous, Hollykit." She pressed a forepaw down on the kit's haunches to straighten her form.

"Oh…" Hollykit felt her ears grow hot with embarrassment.

"And no, there are no badgers," Spiderpaw emerged behind Whitepaw, looking just as amused. "Ferncloud's going to scold you for straying so far from her."

"Like you never did it," Hollykit muttered as she sat down to groom her ruffled pelt.

"So what if I did?" The long-legged apprentice snorted. "At least I didn't get caught."

"Neither have…" Hollykit felt a prickle of dread crawl down her spine as Spiderpaw's shining amber eyes flickered past her head. She whirled around and instantly pressed her belly to the ground as she spotted Dustpelt stalking towards them. Birchkit mimicked her action, shooting Hollykit a helpless glance.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Dustpelt stopped in front of them, his tail lashing.

"We were-" Hollykit was cut off by Spiderpaw as their older sibling stepped forward.

"They got a little disoriented being in a new place," he meowed coolly. "When they found me and Whitepaw they asked if they could stay with us and help until you or Ferncloud found them."

"Is that so?" Dustpelt looked skeptical, but glanced at his two youngest kits as if asking for their affirmation.

Birchkit nodded eagerly, jumping to his paws. "That's right." He insisted.

"Mhm," Hollykit stood beside her brother. "Would it be alright for us to stay and help them for a while?"

"It looks like you and Sorreltail have your paws full with that bramble, if it would help keep them out from under your paws we'd be glad to have some help," Whitepaw purred. She wrapped her fluffy white tail around Hollykit. "Besides, it won't be too long now that they'll be sharing a den with us, anyways."

Dustpelt was quiet for a long moment before finally sighing and shaking his head. "It would be better than trying to keep them out of the bramble. I'll let Ferncloud know. And don't give them any trouble, understand?"

"Yes, Dustpelt!" Hollykit jumped up to touch her nose to her father's, and Birchkit rubbed appreciatively against the warrior's leg. He rolled his eyes one last time before strolling away. He paused, glancing back over his shoulder at Spiderpaw.

"Oh, and Spiderpaw," his eyes flashed. "Don't get too comfortable in the apprentice den." With that, he joined Sorreltail to help the younger warrior pull some brambles into shape.

"Do you think that means…" Whitepaw's mew trailed off in a mixture of awe and excitement. Spiderpaw's tail was fluffed out, and his eyes were as bright as the sun.

"Come on," he urged the white she-cat. "Let's get to work on that thorn barrier."

Hollykit coughed expectantly. "And what about us?"

"Why don't you gather all of the cobwebs out of the cave and bring them to Cinderpelt and Leafpaw?" Whitepaw suggested. "We'll still keep an eye on you, just let us know before you go to Cinderpelt and when you get back."

"Okay," Birchkit nodded importantly. "Where's Cinderpelt's den?"

"It's the other cave," Spiderpaw explained, pointing it out with his tail.

"She'll have enough cobwebs to wrap the whole clan up!" Hollykit vowed, rushing into the apprentices' den ahead of her brother. Moments later, the kits emerged again, their whiskers and paws swathed in the sticky webs. Though they had tried to collect them properly, the harder they tried to keep them on just one paw, the more the cobwebs seemed to cling to every other strand of fur.

"We're taking these to Cinderpelt!" Birchkit called as they hobbled past the two apprentices on their way. Spiderpaw flicked his ears to let them know he had heard, then continued pulling the stray clump of thorn across the camp to the entrance. Hollykit rushed to enter the medicine den first, surprised by the purr of amusement that erupted from Leafpaw as she saw them.

"Cinderpelt," she called the older medicine cat. "It looks like Spiderpaw and Whitepaw found some help for clearing their den of cobwebs."

Cinderpelt emerged from a smaller cleft in the rock, and her whiskers started twitching as soon as she saw the nearly-mummified kits. "You've certainly found a lot of it!" She snickered. "Normally we gather cobwebs using a stick."

"Spiderpaw didn't tell us that," Hollykit huff indignantly. It was the second time she had been embarrassed that day—not a record she was eager to keep breaking.

"It's alright," Leafpaw meowed gently. "Wrap all that you can around this stick, okay? Then find a stick around camp and use that to collect some more."

By sunhigh, the kits were exhausted from scampering back and forth, and settled down in the shade outside the apprentices' den for a well-deserved nap. They didn't wake again until Ferncloud roused them, her green eyes soft.

"Come now, little ones, Firestar has called a meeting."

Hollykit yawned and stretched. "A meeting? For what?"

"If you're quiet, you can watch," Ferncloud licked them both roughly to stir them into a standing position. "You must hurry though!"

Forcing the sleep from her limbs, Hollykit trailed alongside Birchkit as they joined the rest of ThunderClan in the middle of the camp. Spiderpaw sat towards the front, his black pelt sleek and glossy in the light of the setting sun.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Firestar began, his voice ringing out clearly in the nearly-night sky. "Today, we've turned a stone hollow into the makings of a strong camp for ThunderClan to call home. To celebrate, I believe it is high time Spiderpaw received his warrior name."

"Spiderpaw is going to be a warrior?" Hollykit gaped in disbelief. Ferncloud hushed her, and the kit clamped her jaws shut. He can't be that much older than Birchkit and me!

"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Spiderpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Spiderpaw tilted his chin up proudly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Spiderpaw, from this moment you will be known as Spiderleg. StarClan honors your courage and enthusiasm, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Cheers of the new warrior's name erupted amongst the Clan as they all pressed close to the tom to congratulate him. Whitepaw was among the first, followed by Mousefur and Ferncloud. As excited as she was for Spiderleg, Hollykit couldn't help but to be envious. She had been a kit for what seemed like an eternity, and already Spiderleg was a warrior. I've got to become an apprentice soon. She glanced up at the sky, where Silverpelt was appearing one by one. I've got to!