you ready to become apprentices?” She mewed joyfully. “Yeah!” I cried, bouncing in the air. I had been waiting for so long to become an apprentice, it was hard to believe it was happening now. Goldenkit nodded vigorously, her tail fluffed in excitement. Just then, our father, Hawkstar, stepped out of his den, and in a few graceful bounds, was in front of me and my sister. His thick gray pelt rippled in the breeze, making his look just as majestic as he really was. “Lightningclan!” he mewed, raising his voice so his clan could hear him, “Today is a very special day in Lighningclan. Today, two of our kits are being made into apprentices.” he gazed down at us lovingly, his amber gaze shining in the morning sun. “Goldenkit, step forward, please.” Goldenkit stepped toward our father, her eyes shining. “Goldenkit,” Hawkstar announced, staring down at her, “From this day forward, until you receive your Warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw. Your mentor will be…” he gazed around the gathered cats, his

finally stopping on Thornstripe, “Thornstripe.” The senior warrior’s eyes widened, a smile slipping onto his face at the thought of being a mentor again. As the clan cheered my sister’s new name, I silently wondered who my own mentor would be. “Silverkit,” Hawkstar mewed, “Come here, please.” I smiled, and, holding my head high, approached my father. He smiled down at me warmly, and lifted his gaze to the rest of the clan, “From this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Silverpaw.” he scanned the cats again, quickly settling on a cream and black she-cat, “Brambleberry. You will be Silverpaw’s mentor.” “Silverpaw! Silverpaw! Silverpaw!” the voices of Lightningclan rose all around me. I turned to my new mentor and we touched noses. “I promise I’ll be the best apprentice ever!” I blurted, “I’ll make you proud! I promise!” Brambleberry purred, “I’m sure you will, Silverpaw.” she tossed her head toward the entrance tunnel, “How ‘bout I show you the territory?”

“Oh yes please!” I cried, bouncing in the air, “Can Goldenpaw come too?” Brambleberry glanced toward my sister and her new mentor, “It’s up to Thornstripe. Hey!” she called out, “Grumpyfluff!” Thornstripe’s head snapped toward us, a playful scowl on his face, “That’s not my name. You know I don’t like that.” “That’s the whole point of that name, mouse-brain! To annoy you!” Thronstripe rolled his eyes in annoyance, “Do you need something?” “Silverpaw wants to know if Goldenpaw can tour the territory with us.” Thornstripe shook his head, “There’s plenty of time for her to do that. I have a much more important job for Goldenpaw today.” Disappointment wormed beneath my pelt, but I kept my mouth shut, thinking it was a bad idea to argue with a senior warrior on my first day of being an apprentice. Brambleberry seemed to sense my frustration, and gazed pleadingly at Thornstripe, “Pleeeeaseee, Grumpyfluff?” “Stop calling me that, and maybe we can go hunting together tomorrow.” Without another word he turne

Goldenpaw, guiding her toward the other side of camp. Brambleberry sighed dejectedly and turned to me. “It was worth a try. Let’s get outta here.” My mentor took the lead, and pushed through the thorn tunnel, out into the open forest. As the warm newleaf breeze ruffled my whiskers, I realized this was my first time outside the camp. A new excitement thrilled through me as I looked around the foliage surrounding Lightningclan’s camp. “WOW!” I cried, breathing in the new scents of the forest, “I didn’t know the world was so BIG!!” Brambleberry purred with amusement, “It’s much, much bigger than this, Silverpaw. There are four entire other clans with miles of unclaimed land beyond that. It’s much bigger than the walls of camp.” I stared at the thick undergrowth and the trees towering above my head. “It’s amazing!” I exclaimed, still awestruck at the hugeness of my new world. Brambleberry nudged my shoulder with her nose, beginning to head away into the trees, “It’s even more amazing the farther we go.”

I dashed after her, excitement spiking my pelt at the idea that my world was bigger than any cat had ever told me. *** Brambleberry and I trudged back to camp just after sunhigh. Or, rather, I trudged back into camp. Brambleberry didn’t look the least bit tired, her white and black pelt smooth, her head and tail held high. I, on the other paw, was exhausted. I had never walked so far in my life, and my excitement at the world being so big had been quickly swamped by a wave of fatigue. Although I tried not to show how tired I was, I’m sure the drooping of my tail and the hanging of my head made my act very transparent. Brambleberry turned to me, purring in amusement, “Cut the act, Silverpaw. It’s pitiful.” My spirits dropped at her words, until I realized she was only joking. “Why don’t you get something to eat? Then we can go back out and start learning how to hunt.”

My exhaustion immediately melted into determination, “Sure!” I raced over to the fresh kill pile, and picked out a mouse. I hesitated before taking a bite, and turned back to Brambleberry in confusion. “What’s the matter?” She asked. “Shouldn’t I take something to the Elders?” Brambleberry purred, “There’s plenty of apprentices around. I’m sure they’ve already eaten their fill. But you can go check if you really want to.” I nodded, and picked up the mouse, trotting off in the direction of the Elder’s den. When I pushed through, Novapaw was already there, her face screwed up in disgust at the mouse bile she was using to do the Bristlescar’s ticks. She looked up to see the mouse in my jaws. “Did you catch that?” she mewed in amazement. I shook my head, dropping the prey at my paws, “No. I haven’t learned to hunt yet.” I turned my attention to Bristlescar, the only Elder currently in the den, “Where’s Lilystep?” “In the medicine den,” Bristlescar rasped, “She’s got some sort of belly ache.”

“Ah. Then I suppose she wouldn’t want this mouse.” The Elder’s gaze softened, “I suppose not. Is that for me then?” “Of course!” I mewed, pushing it toward her, “I thought you might be hungry.” Bristlescar took the mouse gratefully and began to eat. “Have you eaten yet, young’un?” she mewed between bites. “Oh no,” I shook my head, “Elders are supposed to eat first, right?” Bristlescar purred, nudging Novapaw playfully, “Maybe you can learn a thing or two from this one, Novapaw.” My friend rolled her eyes, and continued her chore wordlessly. I dipped my head respectfully to the Elder, and made my way back out into the clearing. I looked through the freshkill pile, and found another mouse, a bit smaller, but enough for me. As I settled down to eat, I looked around the camp, joy surging through me. I was finally an apprentice, on my way to becoming a warrior. And I made myself a silent promise; I was going to be the best apprentice Lightningclan had ever seen, and I was going to be the best apprentice e