Water splashed everywhere as the silver she-kit struggled in the water. Coughing and wheezing, the kit dragged herself back to the shore and onto the soft, cool grass.

"Silverkit!" another she-cat yowled.

Silverkit sighed and rolled over to face the stream where a brown she-cat stood in the water.

"Silverkit, you're six moons old and you still can't swim!"

"I can't do it! I can't! Don't make me go back in there!" Silverkit cried.

The brown she-cat stepped out of the stream, shook the water out of her fur, and sat by the shivering Silverkit.

It was early in the morning and Silverkit's mother, the brown she-cat named Rookfur, wanted to give her a last minute lesson on swimming, a skill which Silverkit did not have.

"Look, Silverkit. I just don't want you to be judged by the apprentices because you don't know how to swim."

"Why do I have to? I don't like swimming!"

Rookfur chuckled and replied, "You're just like your father, never wanting to touch the water."

"I don't want to be like him. I want to be the greatest, most loyal RainClan warrior ever!"

"When he was young he said that too. I know you'll be a great warrior, Silverkit, but you have to learn to swim at some point. Hopefully sooner than later."

A silvery-gray shape slunk out of the undergrowth of the forest, icy blue eyes staring at the two cats.

"Sorry to interrupt, Rookfur, but it is time," the shape said.

The shape was a silver-gray tabby she-cat with a white tail-tip. This she-cat was a well-respected cat in RainClan, for she was the medicine cat.

"Thank you, Quietstream," Rookfur replied. Turning to Silverkit, she said, "Come, Silverkit. It is time for you to become an apprentice."

The three cats trekked back to the RainClan camp, where the Clan waited for Silverkit's ceremony to begin.

"Are you excited to become a warrior apprentice?" Quietstream asked.

"So excited! I'm gonna work so hard! Then, when I'm a warrior, I'll work even hard to be named deputy and then leader!" Silverkit said, nearly bouncing with delight.

"You've got quite the ambitious kit on your hands, Rookfur," Quietstream laughed.

Silverkit smiled and tried to contain her excitement as they entered the RainClan camp.

The camp set up was simple: Two fallen beech trees, a burnt stump, and a hill. One tree on the left side was for the warriors and apprentices, in which the warriors' den was made of the hollow trunk and brambles and the leaves and branches served as the apprentices' den.

The tree on the opposite side was the nursery. The queens' nests were in the branches and leaves and the trunk was turned into a playground for kits that weren't old enough to leave the nursery.

The large burnt stump served as a nice medicine cat den. The ground below it was dug out and properly prepared to store herbs. Some extra brambles surround the stump giving shelter the medicine cat and her patients.

Finally, the was the hill. Greenhill, as it was called, was where RainClan held their Clan meetings. Just at the foot of it lay a small cave with an entrance covered in moss. The cave was the leader's den, in which the RainClan leader Hazelstar could be found.

However, Hazelstar today was standing atop Greenhill, waiting for the three cats to enter the camp. As they strolled towards Greenhill, Hazelstar lifted her muzzle towards the blue sky and yowled, "Cats of RainClan! Gather around Greenhill for a Clan meeting!"

One by one, cats filed out of their dens, patrols, and small clowders to answer the summons. Silverkit gulped; she never realized how large RainClan really was until now with everyone gathering around Greenhill for her.

Rookfur nudged Silverkit forward with her paw and said, "Hazelstar is waiting for you."

Silverkit inhaled deeply, stuck her chin up, and walked proudly towards Greenhill. The RainClan cats parted ways to allow the young kit to pass through.

Hazelstar smiled and spoke to the Clan as Silverkit sat just beneath her, "We gather this morning to be witnesses to a kit becoming an apprentice. Today, Silverkit, daughter of Rookfur and Icytail," Silverkit felt her mother's shudder from the foot of Greenhill, "joins the ranks of RainClan as a newly named apprentice."

Hazelstar looked down to Silverkit and said, "If you would please join me on top of Greenhill, Silverkit."

Silverkit froze.

Me? On Greenhill?

Though she had seen so many ceremonies performed on Greenhill, it seemed unreal that she was to stand atop the great RainClan summonsplace. It still seemed somewhat sacred, as though only the leader should step foot and anyone else shall at their own peril.

Silverkit looked back up at Hazelstar, whose warm smile and adoring yellow-green eyes blessed her vision, and found enough courage and strength to move her legs and climb Greenhill.

As she reached the top, Silverkit's eyes were shining with wonder. She could see for so many fox-lengths it was amazing! She nearly was able to see Great Rock of the Gatheringplace, the rocky hollow in which the Clans met every full moon at. She had heard many stories of Gatheringplace from Rookfur and the other queens.

The sun was just barely above the forest, it's light still slightly hidden behind the top of the trees. Silverkit exhaled with amazement. The sight made her feel so free, which resulted in her stomach overflowing with butterflies.

Someday, I'm going to be up here, Silverkit promised herself. I'm going to stand up here and I'll be the one performing theses ceremonies. I'm going to be the leader of RainClan one day.

Hazelstar turned to Silverkit and said, "Silverkit, daughter of Rookfur and Icytail, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, you will be known as Silverpaw. Your mentor shall be Nightwing."

Silverpaw looked down into the crowd and saw a broad, grayish-black tom stalking through the crowd. He was quite the muscular cat and seemed very intimidating from far away. Maybe it was the color of his eyes, a deep, dark blue that resembled the evening sky. The tom climbed Greenhill too, and behind Silverpaw.

"I hope that he will pass all he knows onto you. Nightwing," Hazelstar addressed and Nightwing's posture went rigid.

You have received excellent training from Mistrain, whom we shall remember fondly, and you have shown yourself to be encouraging and caring. You will be the mentor of Silverpaw, and I expect you to pass all you know onto her."

Hazelstar bows her head to Nightwing and steps to the side. With harsh steps forward, Nightwing positions himself next to Silverpaw, the large tom towering over the small apprentice. He faces her, and gives Silverpaw an awkward smile as he lowers his head and closes his eyes.

Silverpaw stares strangely at him and he opens his left eye and whispers, "This is where we touch noses."

"Oh!" Silverkit exclaims and briefly touched noses with him. The Clan begins to chant.

"Silverpaw! Silverpaw! Silverpaw!"

Silverpaw turns back to RainClan and smiled a huge, dopey smile that is quite adorable. The small silver she-cat was beginning her journey as a warrior.

As the crowd began to dissipate, Silverpaw ran down to greet her mother and Quietstream, who were sitting at the foot of Greenhill.

Nearly crashing into her, Silverpaw shoved her face into Rookfur's pelt and said, "I'm an apprentice!"

"I know, and I'm so proud of you Silverpaw," Rookfur declared, and then looked up to Nightwing. "I know you will train her well, Nightwing."

"T-thank you," Nightwing stammered.

"C'mon, Silverpaw," Quietstream called, "I'll show you the apprentices' den."

Silverpaw pulled away from her mother and nodded, then glanced at Nightwing.

"I have to go on patrol. I'll see you later and then we can start training," he announced.

"Okay, I'll see you later!"