Willowkit was becoming an apprentice. The day had finally come. She didn't know what she was feeling. She could barely stay still. As soon as she had woken up, all alone in the nursery, she had felt more... alive. As she waited for Gorsestar to call the Clan together, she sat behind the bushes, licking herself. She had seen other parents licking their kits before the ceremony, making them look pretty. But she knew she didn't have that kind of parents, she had to do it herself. She would make them proud. She would be pretty and confident on the small stump. Finally, the time came when Gorsestar leapt onto the small stump. With a loud confident voice, he called the Clan together. Trembling with emotion, Willowkit stepped out of the shadows. She was still behind everybody else as they all gathered around, but she knew she would soon be the center of attention. She spotted Mintspot on the otherside of the clearing. Mintspot had her eyes on Gorsestar. Willowkit tried to catch her eye but Mintspot did not turn to see Willowkit. Beetlejaw slipped in beside Mintspot and glanced around the clearing. He spotted Willowkit and gave her a small smile but she missed it. Feeling slightly more alone, without the support of her parents, Willowkit shrunk back. 
            "Willowkit," Gorsestar called. Willowkit jumped. She gulped as all eyes turned onto her. She looked down at her paws and slowly made her way to the front. As she clambered onto the small stump, she felt her whole body freeze. 
             "Willowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Willowpaw. Your mentor will be Brownclaw. I hope Brownclaw will pass down all he knows on to you," declared Gorsestar loudly. Many thoughts rushed through Willowpaw's mind. Willowpaw. Willowpaw felt a small smile spread on her face. Although she was totally and utterly alone, she was now an apprentice. That was enough. Brownclaw stepped up onto the small stump, looking confident and proud. 
            "Brownclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Fawnpelt, and you have shown yourself to be brave and confident. You will be the mentor of Willowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Willowpaw," Gorsestar finished. Brownclaw stepped towards Willowpaw. Willowpaw felt a jolt through her spine. She had to touch noses with her new mentor. Taking a deep breath she touched noses with Brownclaw. He stared into her eyes for a moment. She didn't flinch. She was an apprentice now. 
             "You're going to make WindClan proud," whispered Brownclaw and he meant it. 
              "Willowpaw!" came a loud cheer. Willowpaw's head jerked up and in the crowd, her gaze landed on the cat that had yelled out her name. Acornpaw. She wasn't so alone afterall. She flashed him a small smile. He grinned back, his eyes saying, I'm proud. 
             "Willowpaw! Willowpaw! Willowpaw!" the cries followed. Willowpaw leapt off the small stump. Cats came to congratulate her, she didn't pay attention to any of them. Finally, she found herself in front of Acornpaw. She stared into his eyes. They were soft and hazel coloured. 
             "You're an apprentice. Congratulations Willowpaw," he said. He meant it. She knew he did. 
            "Thank you," smiled Willowpaw. As she returned to Brownclaw, she could not see Mintspot or Beetlejaw. 
             "Are you ready to see our territory?" asked Brownclaw. 
               "Yes," smiled Willowpaw. "I am." For real this time. Brownclaw led her out of camp. Willowpaw took in everything. There were tall trees surrounding the camp. Brownclaw led Willowpaw towards ThunderClan border. They emerged from the trees into a vast field. Long grasses grew. They danced gently in the wind. Willowpaw took in a deep breath. The smell of the wind flowing swiftly was sweet.  
               "Right across this is ThunderClan border. See those trees there?" asked Brownclaw. Willowpaw nodded. "Yep, it's right there. How about we race?" Race? "Let's see how fast you are." Willowpaw felt a stab of fear in her stomach but before she could say anything, Brownclaw was off. She saw the grasses rustling in front of her. He sped off like the wind. Without thinking, Willowpaw was right behind. She leapt into the tall grasses and ran. The grasses seemed to part for her as she streaked after Brownclaw. She couldn't see him anymore but she could sense him. Her paws were light on the ground. They barely touched the ground before they were off and into the air. Willowpaw's ears were pressed back against her head. The wind brushed against her fur. She felt as if the wind was helping her, running right beside her. She had never felt anything like it. The exhilaration was amazing. After a few seconds, she sensed Brownclaw right in front of her. She kept running. Her muscles seemed to relax instead of tensing. Her whole body was in rhythm. She had never gone this fast before. Before Brownclaw knew it, Willowpaw had overtaken him. He was startled as she flashed past him. He pushed harder, his large paws thudding to the ground before pushing him forward. His muscles tensed as he pushed forward, the grass hitting his face. As he finally emerged from the grasses, Willowpaw was already there, waiting. Her face was twisted into a wide smile. Brownclaw took deep breaths and smiled at his apprentice. Wow. Willowpaw stared at Brownclaw, wondering why he had let her win. It was nice of him to do that. 
             "That was good. No, that was great," grinned Brownclaw. "I- wow. Come on, this is ThunderClan territory." Brownclaw said as they stepped into a darker area of large trees. As they made their way nearer to ThunderClan, Willowkit sniffed. She smelt something horrid. It made her nose wrinkle. 
              "Ugh," she muttered, wondering why Brownclaw couldn't smell it. 
              "That's ThunderClan for you," Brownclaw said, hearing her. 
              "Huh?" said Willowpaw. 
              "that's what they smell like," Brownclaw explained. They reached the border where the stench was strongest. Willowkit frowned. 
              "Oh. Ew," she said. 
              "Yeah, doesn't smell great," shrugged Brownclaw. "We need to mark it." He said, showing her how to mark the border. "We don't want those little rats crossing the border."
              "Right," nodded Willowpaw. 
              "Let's go," said Brownclaw. "There's much more to see." Willowpaw trotted after him eagerly. Being an apprentice was definitely better than being a kit. Brownclaw was a good mentor as well. He was so nice to her. As they made their way towards ShadowClan territory, Willowpaw couldn't help but think about Acornpaw. The first cat to say her new name. The first cat to make her feel less lonely. The only cat to make her feel less lonely. Her only friend. Her best friend. She just wished he thought the same of her. He was just too nice. He probably never thought about her. She wished he did. Because the thought of him..., it made her feel something she had never felt before. Happiness? Joy? No. Hope. He made her feel hope. Hope for the future. Something she never thought about.