Willowkit peered through the bushes. She watched the apprentices playing around in the middle of the Clan. Dovepaw was a white and light grey she-cat. She had light coloured eyes and a delicate long tail. Her legs rippled with muscle. Willowkit had seen her run through camp. She had been so graceful and fast. As swift as the wind. Willowkit wondered maybe if she could be just as fast as Dovepaw, Mintspot might like her more. Whitepaw, Dovepaw's brother was sleek with snow white fur. He had a great sense of humour and loved to tease his sister. Willowkit imagined having siblings to play with. Everybody in the Clan seemed to have siblings. 
            "Hey," came a voice. Willowkit didn't turn around. She just pricked her ears. She assumed the cat was talking to somebody else. Why would they want to talk to her? "Willowkit." Willowkit spun around. 
             "Whatcha doing?" asked the cat. It was Lilypetal. She had soft lilac fur and gentle eyes. 
              "Watching," shrugged Willowkit. She hadn't talked to Lilypetal since she had been a tiny kit. 
              "Why don't you go out and join them?" asked Lilypetal. Willowkit almost giggled at the absurdity of the suggestion. "I mean it. Go out and play! You're a kit." Willowkit shuffled nervously on her paws. 
              "Stormkit is missing," blurted out Willowkit. She had now understood that Mintspot and Beetlejaw could not be happy when Stormkit was missing. 
              "I know," sighed Lilypetal, sitting beside Willowkit and gazing at her with tenderness. "And it must be hard for you." 
               "I wish he was here," nodded Willowkit. She truly believed he would solve all their problems. Of course he would! he was the only reason Mintspot was sad everyday. At least, that's what Willowkit deduced. 
               "Yeah, I get it," nodded Lilypetal. "But you need to go out and have fun. You're always keeping yourself to yourself. You've got great loving parents. Beetlejaw talks about you non-stop when we go on patrols, sometimes, he really can be unbearable." Willowkit perked up. Beetlejaw talked about her? She smiled slightly.
              "Stormkit will come back one day," said Willowkit. "And we'll all be a happy family then." Lilypetal smiled sadly. 
              "We searched for him. Mintspot made us send out at least five patrols a day for a moon to look for him. Beetlejaw was on every patrol. But... the Twoleg took him. He's gone. I know, it's a sad truth but he might be having a great kittypet life somewhere else. You don't need to worry about him. If he's not having a great kittypet life then he's watching over you, from StarClan," Lilypetal told Willowkit gentle. Willowkit frowned. 
              "You think?" she murmured. 
               "Yes, of course," nodded Lilypetal. "Are you excited to become an apprentice? Three more moons to go." 
               "Oh yeah," said Willowkit although she had never thought about it. She hadn't even been counting how old she was. She was surprised Lilypetal knew. 
                "Who do you want to be your mentor?" asked Lilypetal. 
                 "You," replied Willowkit without thinking. It was true. Lilypetal was the only warrior to have approached her in a long time besides Beetlejaw and she was extremely kind and nice. 
                 "How about Gorsestar? What do you think of being the leader's apprentice?" asked Lilypetal. Willowkit's eyes went wide. 
                "How is that even possible?" she exclaimed. 
                "Oh it is. But only if Gorsestar really thinks you've got potential," said Lilypetal. Willowkit deflated. Gorsestar would never see anything in her. She always hid from him whenever she saw him. The confident way in which he walked and talked. The way he looked at every cat in concern and care. Willowkit didn't understand it. She was scared that if he ever looked at her, the concern and care would suddenly fade from his eyes as he saw her. She was just a scrawny kit after all. 
                "Then it won't happen," mumbled Willowkit. 
                "You don't know that," Lilypetal said. "Now why don't you go play?" Willowkit shook her head slightly.
                "I want to talk to you," she said almost too softly. Lilypetal gave a small smile. 
                "Wouldn't you rather play with the younger cats?" Lilypetal urged. 
                "No," said Willowkit. She preferred hiding in the bush. Nobody would see her. But she could see everybody. 
                "Lilypetal!" called a voice. Lilypetal turned to the camp entrance. Sootwhisker was trotting into the clearing, a raven clutched in his mouth. Lilypetal's eyes lit up. Willowkit had seen them cleaning each other. She had deduced that they were mates. 
               "I've got to go. But you go have fun," Lilypetal said distractedly and just like that she was gone. Unbeknownst to her, Willowkit watched from the shadows until her head was tired and she almost fell asleep. She spotted Beetlejaw and Brownfur entering the camp, talking in low voices together. Beetlejaw kept glancing at the nursery. Willowkit watched them attentively. She wondered what they were talking about. To her the conversation went like this:
               "I caught a mouse today!" said Beetlejaw. 
               "I caught a crow today!" replied Brownfur.
               "Let's go to the fresh kill pile," said Beetlejaw. 
               "Yes. I'm hungry. I went on a border patrol today," agreed Brownfur. A voice broke Willowkit out of her imagination. 
               "Why are you spying on the Clan?" came an accusing voice. Willowkit turned around, opening her mouth, ready to defend herself. She shut it when she realised it was Mintspot. 
               "Sorry," mumbled Willowkit, gazing at the ground. She suddenly felt tiny. She wished she could be invisible. Like she normally was. 
               "There's almost no more food left in the fresh kill pile. Have you eaten today?" asked Mintspot. Her tone was not accusing anymore, just slightly frustrated and maybe a bit understanding as well. 
                "No..," Willowkit said, shaking her head. Her stomach grumbled in agreement. She wanted to hide her face from embarrassment. 
               "Well, the rest of the food is for the last border patrol coming back," said Mintspot. "You're not a newborn kit anymore. You can take care of yourself. You don't need me or Beetlejaw to tell you when to eat."
                "I'm sorry," mumbled Willowkit. 
                "Have you talked to Russetstorm?" asked Mintspot. Willowkit knew she should not talk to Russetstorm. It was an unspoken rule. Fear trickled through her. Did Mintspot know?
                "N-no," stammered Willowkit. Her stomach growled angrily once more. She suddenly felt extremely hungry. She wanted to run away and hide. 
               "You're hungry," said Mintspot. "I didn't finish my finch. It's in the nursery. You can eat the rest of it." Willowkit looked up, hope in her eyes. 
                "Thanks!" she cried, happily and thankfully. She loved it when her mother was nice to her. She would do anything for her mother to always be kind to her. 
                "So did you talk to Russetstorm? Don't lie to me. I'm your mother," Mintspot said pointedly then she nuzzled Willowkit once. Willowkit froze. She didn't want to ruin the moment. She had to tread carefully. Her mother had nuzzled her! Her mother had showed affection! Her mother really did love her! She knew it! Now she couldn't ruin it. She wasn't going to disappoint or lie to her mother. 
               "Yes," said Willowkit. Something changed in Mintspot's eyes but she smiled. 
               "See, don't lie to me? I'm not going to do anything. What did Russetstorm tell you?" questioned Mintspot. 
               "About Stormkit," said Willowkit. Mintspot nodded slowly. 
               "Right. Um why don't you run along to the nursery and finish that finch?" suggested Mintspot lightly. As Willowkit nodded eagerly and brushed past her, Mintspot watched. Willowkit couldn't understand what Mintspot was thinking. The look on her face betrayed nothing. Willowkit only wished it was something good.