"It's healing slowly." Jayfeather murmured to him. "Can you reach this pebble?" He placed a white-gray rock a fox-length apart from Tunnelkit's nest.

"I think so," Tunnelkit croaked. His paws were stiff as he reached out. His belly fur brushed against the branch nests, and he winced as it tore a small wound. He wobbled, and tapped the pebble with one claw.

Jayfeather looked thoughtfully at him. "As you might know," he meowed suddenly. "Today is Icekit, Squirrelkit and Flamekit's ceremony."

"It is?" Tunnelkit had forgotten. "They're six moons old?"

"Yes." Jayfeather nodded. "And anyways, Tunnelkit, we can sit outside and watch. Do you think you can move well enough?"

Tunnelkit nodded. He stepped delicately out of his nest, wincing at the pain in his underfur. He padded alongside Jayfeather, leaning against the tabby tom.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Bramblestar rumbled, his dark tabby fur glossy and shining in the sunlight.

"Is... S-Darkkit here?" Tunnelkit had tried to avoid his vicious denmate.

"Of course. You can stay with me though." Jayfeather had acted like a foster father to Tunnelkit, because Lionblaze was often busy with patrols.

But today, the huge golden tabby bounded over to Tunnelkit and Jayfeather. He meowed a quick "Hey," to Jayfeather, and touched his nose to Tunnelkit's. The small tabby shifted his paws.

"Are you better now?" Lionblaze glanced at Tunnelkit's long scar with concern.

"Slowly," Jayfeather cut in.

"Oh." Lionblaze sounded awkward, and Tunnelkit understood. The golden-furred tom had no memory of injuries, so he wasn't sure what to say.

He sat down beside Tunnelkit, watching Bramblestar. "I heard what Darkkit did," he breathed. "Did he... unsheathe his claws?"

"Why else would there be injuries?" Jayfeather retorted. "A sheathed paw can only do so much!"
Lionblaze ignored Jayfeather's grumpy tone. "Every warrior has a scar, Tunnelkit. It will be okay."

Not a scar as huge as mine, and most definitely not as a kit, Tunnelkit thought resentfully. He glanced unhappily at the long scar across his belly fur - still nursery soft - and winced miserably.

"Is it also Lilypaw and Seedpaw's warrior ceremony?" Tunnelkit whispered to Jayfeather.

"After the apprentice ceremony, yes."

"Squirrelkit, from this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be Squirrelpaw." Bramblestar hesitated, glancing at the crowd of ThunderClan warriors. "Molestrike."

The newest warrior looked up, surprise in his amber eyes.

"You will be Squirrelpaw's mentor." Molestrike had survived a severe injury as an apprentice, dealt by Hawkfrost's formidable claws, and now he was one of the most thoughtful, strong, skilled warriors that Bramblestar and Squirrelflight often considered him as a senior warrior. No wonder Bramblestar wanted him to mentor his kit. "I trust you to share your knowledge and skill with Squirrelpaw."

"Flamekit, from this moment on you shall be Flamepaw." Tunnelkit watched as Bramblestar picked Cherryleaf to be his mentor, and Goldenpaw's was Rosepetal.

"Lilypaw, Seedpaw."

The two sisters looked at each other, excitement warring their faces.

"I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, all upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. Lilypaw, Seedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Lilypaw breathed happily.

"I do." Seedpaw meowed strongly, flexing her claws.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Lilypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Lilyfrost. StarClan honors your intelligence and spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Bramblestar rested his muzzle on Lilyfrost's head, and the tabby-and-white she-cat licked the tabby tom's shoulder in return.

He repeated the ceremony, naming Seedpaw, Seedstripe. The pale ginger she-cat purred happily, her eyes flashing as she glanced excitedly at Lilyfrost.

"Squirrelpaw! Goldenpaw! Flamepaw! Seedstripe! Lilyfrost!"

"Squirrelpaw! Goldenpaw! Flamepaw! Seedstripe! Lilyfrost!" Lionblaze cheered from beside Tunnelkit, and he and Jayfeather added their voices to the loud cheering.

Squirrelpaw dipped his head to Bramblestar, his father, then padded over to Tunnelkit. Surprised, Tunnelkit blinked at the dark reddish tabby tom.

"Are you alright?" Concern edged the tom's mew.

"I-I think so," Tunnelkit shifted on his haunches. Why was Squirrelpaw talking to him after ignoring him for their kit-ship?

"I'm sorry for ignoring you," Squirrelpaw added. "I hope we can be friends now."

Warmth made Tunnelkit's fur tingle. There was acceptance and hope in Squirrelpaw's amber eyes, as well as sincerity.

"Yes."

Relief swept into Squirrelpaw's bright gaze. "Thank you."

"Squirrelpaw!" Molestrike called.

"I'll talk to you later," Squirrelpaw touched his nose to Tunnelkit's ear.

"'Bye!" Tunnelkit called over to him.

Cinderheart bounded over to him. "It's good to see that you're improving," she purred.

"Thanks." Tunnelkit nuzzled her happily. "Squirrelpaw's my new friend."

"That's great," Cinderheart meowed.

"It is." Tunnelkit let out a happy purr.

Lionblaze rumbled in a deep mew, "Good for you!"

SCENEBREAK

Heatherkit saw that Tunnelkit was outside, purred, and dashed over and nosed him everywhere. "It's great to see you!" She purred happily.

"I've missed you too," Tunnelkit meowed. It was true. Much as he liked being with Jayfeather, it was rather boring without his energetic sister.

"Darkkit's been so bossy," Heatherkit rolled her eyes. "Like he's the leader of the nursery! You're so lucky to not be sleeping with that mangy furball!"

"Really?" Tunnelkit pricked his ears.

"Darkkit's been really weird now," Heatherkit meowed. "Ever since defeating you, he's... been... waking up with scratches all the time. It's like he's fighting an unseen enemy."

"How?"

"I'm not sure," Heatherkit admitted. "But Blossomfall and Sleetkit's been vouching for him, like they know what's going on.

"Maybe it's Breezepelt training him," Swallowkit suggested.

"Breezepelt's exiled, Swallowkit," Heatherkit told her briskly.

"Maybe it's Featherpaw and Forestpaw?"

"Breezepelt's kits?" Tunnelkit blinked. It could be.

"They're innocent." Swallowkit protested.

"We'll talk to them." Heatherkit's mew was strong.

Tunnelkit hesitated doubtfully. By now the sun had started to set, dark gray staining the sunset sky. He jerked his muzzle to watch as the sun carefully lowered itself. It seemed to sparkle one more time, as though saying, "Good bye!" before vanishing into the mountains.

"Wow, that was cool," Swallowkit meowed. "I never got to see those when I was stuck in the nursery."

A screech was heard from the nursery, followed by a moan of dull pain.

"Dovewing!" Tunnelkit, Heatherkit, and Swallowkit spoke at the same time, exchanging alarmed looks.

"Her kits are coming," Jayfeather joined them. "Don't panic. Tunnelkit - go fetch some honey and raspberry leaves - now."

He heard a start of surprise from Heatherkit, but he already raced off. He identified raspberry leaf by the spiky, jagged edges, and honey - he could recognize that everywhere. He grabbed a nearby leaf and wrapped them up, and dashed back to Jayfeather and the nursery.

"Here!" he dropped the bundle by Jayfeather's paws.

Jayfeather worked silently for a while, and then meowed, "Well, good job for remembering, I guess," he grunted.

"How did you know?" Heatherkit murmured.

"I know most of the herbs," Tunnelkit whispered back. "Though I was almost too terrified and in pain to get those." he nodded to his injury, which had blood starting to stain his dark gray fur.

"I'll get some cobweb." Heatherkit snatched a bit from a nearby spider web. "It's... wrapping?"

Tunnelkit stifled a laugh. "Yeah."

"Get out," Jayfeather shooed the trio of kits outside, punching Darkkit hard in the chest. "Go outside."

Tunnelkit stumbled into Heatherkit, who nudged him back to his paws. They settled together in a small shady part of the camp.

"How are my kits doing?" Cinderheart glanced at both of them affectionately. She dropped her prey - a mouse - on the fresh-kill pile and trotted over, giving them each a nuzzle.

"We're too old for that!" Heatherkit dodged, but Tunnelkit let his mother nuzzle him all over, her nose poking softly in his fur.

It made him feel like a one-moon-old kit again, carefree and nonchalant. He missed the feeling. It was weirder now, with more responsibility, the weight he had to carry as being one of the Three's sons; worry about Darkkit and Sleetkit; nearly becoming an apprentice; fear that the Dark Forest might be arising again.

Another moan of pain from Dovewing jolted him back to the present. He jerked his head to the nursery, alarmed.

"Are her kits coming?" Cinderheart looked worried.

"Yes," Heatherkit nodded, then glanced at Tunnelkit's wound. "You should get treatment."

"No, I'm fine," Tunnelkit insisted stubbornly.

Cinderheart looked affectionate. "Your father was like that, too, when he was an apprentice," she purred. Her whiskers twitched lightly. "More stubborn than a badger."

Tunnelkit felt his own whiskers twitching happily. He was the opposite of his father - nervous, worried, anxious, when his father was brave, courageous, and bighearted. He felt like a coward most of the time. It was good to know he had some similarities to his father in terms of personality.

"Two healthy sons!" Jayfeather gave a small, rare purr. "Come on in, Bumblestripe."

The pale gray tom had been pacing outside, his worry showing in the spiking of his gray pelt. His eyes lit up and he dashed inside.

Tunnelkit looked up. It was dusk now, the sun had officially set. He padded after Bumblestripe.

Inside the nursery, the air was hotter and stuffier than it was outside; Tunnelkit wasn't sure if he enjoyed it. In any case, he liked cool, fresh winds more than stuffy air that smelled strongly of milk.

Milk. He missed it, he missed when he was younger. When he could sit in a corner and watch.

There was no more hiding now. He was going to be a warrior.