"ALL CATS OLD ENOUGH TO CATCH THEIR OWN PREY JOIN BENEATH THE ROCK FOR A CLAN MEETING!" Cloudstar's yowl rang through the camp, and Mossheart excitedly exited the den with Fernbranch by his side.

            Mousestripe's kits were to become apprentices today. Mossheart's three kits had been training for a little over a moon now. From time to time, he and Fernbranch would check on the kits, making sure their training was going well. They had been improving well.

            Mossheart had remembered that first day Patchpaw had returned with a squirrel in his mouth. It had been his first catch, and Stoneclaw had allowed him to eat it. Mossheart had smiled watching his son gobble up his first piece of prey. Mossheart still remembered the joy of catching his first meal.

            Mossheart looked up now, watching Mousestripe's three kits head up the rock. He couldn't imagine how proud she was. He was sure Reedtail was as proud as she was, watching them from StarClan. Mossheart still missed his gentle friend.

            "Shinykit, Graykit, and Stormkit are now six moons which means they are ready to become apprentices. Shinykit, from this day forward you shall be known as Shinypaw," Cloudstar told her.

            "Tawnyheart," Cloudstar spoke.

            Cats gasped as the ex-medicine cat came forward out of the crowd, her gaze on her paws. Was he really choosing a betrayer as a mentor?

            "You have not had the greatest experience in this clan, though I do believe you'd be a great mentor to Shinypaw. You have learned loyalty and strength. Pass this onto Shinypaw," Cloudstar instructed her.

            "I shall," Tawnyheart said, touching noses with the she-cat.

            "I can't believe Cloudstar would assign her to teach an apprentice," Fernbranch whispered to Mossheart.

            Mossheart nodded slowly, though he picked up the determination in Tawnyheart's eyes, and he thought maybe she would do a good job. Cloudstar must've picked her to teach Shinypaw for a reason. Shinypaw was a special she-cat after all.

            "Graykit, from this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Graypaw," Cloudstar told the tom who looked down at his paws, unwilling to face the clan. "Sparrowwing."

            Mossheart watched as the brown tabby tom stepped forward. He was a young warrior, though he was skilled. Mossheart knew he'd do a good job of mentoring the tom.

            "You show honor and courage in everything you do. Please pass this onto Graypaw," Cloudstar told the tom.

            "I will, Cloudstar," Sparrowwing told him, running up to the tom to touch noses with him.

            "Stormkit," Cloudstar said, turning to the last kit. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Stormpaw." There was a pause until Cloudstar spoke again. "Mossheart."

            Mossheart froze. Had he just called his name? Cats turned to stare at him, and he slowly stepped forward. He gazed at Cloudstar's blue eyes, gulping as he awaited him to speak.

            "You possess strength and love. Pass this onto Stormpaw as you mentor him," Cloudstar told him.

            Mossheart nodded. "I will," he said, running to Stormpaw. He ran to the tom, trying to look at him like he was a normal apprentice. He knew this was not true though, and he tried his best to smile as he touched noses to his apprentice.

            "SHINYPAW! GRAYPAW! STORMPAW!" the clan cried. Mossheart turned, seeing Mousestripe cheering for her kits. She must've been proud.

            Mossheart padded back to Fernbranch, still shocked that he would be mentoring his very first apprentice, and not an easy one either. Fernbranch eyed him, then spoke.

            "Congratulations, Mossheart. Cloudstar must've chosen you for a reason. I'm sure you will mentor Stormpaw well," Fernbranch told him.

            "Thanks," Mossheart said, looking at his paws. "I know this sets us back on things. You just got out of the nursery, and now I have to mentor."

            "It's fine," Fernbranch said, gently setting her tail on his shoulder. "Go mentor him. He needs a great cat to mentor him, Mossheart, and that cat is you."

            "Thank you for understanding, Fernbranch," Mossheart said, waving his tail as he padded to where the three apprentices sat. Stormpaw looked up as he spotted the tom, and Mossheart turned away. It was hard not to look at his bare patches of fur.

            "Are you ready to tour?" Mossheart asked Stormpaw.

            Stormpaw nodded. "Yes, Mossheart."

            "Let's go," Mossheart said. The tom walked by his side as they padded into the forest together. He watched as Stormpaw became amazed at the sights.

            "It's like you've never been in the forest before," Mossheart told Stormpaw.

            "I haven't," Stormpaw admitted, gazing at his paws.

            "Oh, I thought you would have," Mossheart said.

            "Mother didn't let me wander out of the nursery that often. Graypaw too."

            "Shinypaw?"

            "She's probably been out here before," Stormpaw said, looking around.

            "Why don't we sit down here," Mossheart suggested, sitting down near a log. Stormpaw  nodded, sitting down beside him.

            "I know what this is about," Stormpaw told Mossheart immediately. "You're going to ask about me, aren't you?"

            Mossheart sighed. "I'm not refusing to mentor you, Stormpaw. I just wanted to know how often these outbursts are."

            "It's a funny thing, really. Mother told Graypaw and I the curse was gone. Moonstar had left our bodies and would never return. I disagree. I believe we still have the curse. You don't know how many times cats will look at me and whisper and drag their kits away. You don't know how many times cats have looked at me in horror when I've accidentally scratched a cat. I've hurt Shinypaw before, so has Graypaw. I hate the feeling when it happens too. It's like I can't control it.

            "When I was younger, they would happen often. I'd be playing, and suddenly I'd turn on a cat. My mother would hold me down, screaming for it to go away. Eventually, it would. Now, it seems to happen only when I'm angry. Moonstar's rage takes part in me, and so I try to keep calm. I'm worse than Graypaw. Sparrowwing will have an easier time with him. If I do happen to lash out, please know I'm not doing it to hurt any one. It is Moonstar who is doing it. A small part of her still lives inside me," Stormpaw told him.

            Mossheart was amazed by his story. It was like he was talking to a full-grown warrior, not a very young apprentice.

            "I understand, Stormpaw. Come on, let's go look around the border," Mossheart said. Stormpaw nodded, rising to his feet.

            Together they padded through the woods, Mossheart explaining what they would be learning as the time went on. Mossheart padded towards the river, Stormpaw following behind. His eyes were wide and gleaming as he gazed into the stream.

            "This is the river," Mossheart explained. The river gurgled slowly as it went along. Green-leaf had replaced new-leaf, and now the water levels were beginning to go down.

            "During green-leaf it goes down," Mossheart explained. "Here we can fish and swim, even, not that I recommend it. There's a waterfall if you continue on, though we won't go by there today. It's  a bit dangerous."

            "All right," Stormpaw said, walking with Mossheart through the woods. They came out into a meadow where the river continued to flow.

            "This is the meadow," Mossheart explained. "It's perfect for catching rabbits, mice. You're lucky that you are an apprentice in green-leaf. You'll have great opportunities for hunting."

            Stormpaw smiled.

            Mossheart continued to show him the borders, explaining the NightClan border and the BirdClan border. The FoxClan border was the last thing they went by, and Mossheart explained how they were beginning to fade as a clan altogether, like CloudClan.

            "That's a shame," Stormpaw said. "I haven't heard much about BirdClan," he told to Mossheart.

            "It's a newer clan up in the foothills," Mossheart told him. "Their clan is just starting, and they don't seem to bug anyone that much. NightClan has been here since I was an apprentice, and they have been known to cause battles before," he said, remembering the roaring cries, seeing Fernbranch fall. He'd only been an apprentice at the time.

            "Do you think I'll take part in any battles?" Stormpaw asked.

            "Maybe," Mossheart said. "I think every cat takes place in at least one. It's not something to look forward to though. Mine was just a border attack, nothing big. It was still terrifying though."

            "I don't want to be in a battle," Stormpaw told him. "I know my Moonstar instincts will kick in, and...I might kill a cat," he whimpered.

            "Don't worry. There are no threats being made to SnowClan," Mossheart assured him.

            "I'm scared for Shinypaw," Stormpaw admitted after a long silence.

            "What do you mean?" Mossheart asked.

            "Recently she was told about the prophecy. My brother and I learned a bit more about the curse too. Don't you know what it says, Mossheart? It says her light will vanish evil, but it will fade out. Evil is coming, Mossheart. I can feel it," Stormpaw shivered.

            "Relax, Stormpaw, everything is going to be fine," he said. "Come on, we need to go find some moss. I almost forgot about how you had to help the elders."

            Stormpaw nodded, following Mossheart through the woods. They stopped by a marsh, and Mossheart beginning picking moss out of the ground.

            "I'm going to show you a little trick that Smokestar showed me," Mossheart told him.

            "I never knew Smokestar. Was he a good leader?" Stormpaw asked.

            "Well, he made mistakes, Stormpaw, just like any leader. But yes, he was a good leader. He was my father-figure, actually. I grew up with no father, and I only knew my mother for a short time."

            "I never knew my father," Stormpaw sighed, looking at his paws. "Did you?"

            Mossheart nodded. "Your father was a very good cat, Stormpaw. Reedtail was my best friend, a great warrior. I'm sure Thornfrost has kept you company though."

            Stormpaw nodded. "He's a good cat too, and he acts like my father. I wish I got to know my father."

            "As do I," Mossheart said. He shoved the moss towards Stormpaw. "Okay, back to the trick," he said. "Lightly chew on the moss to drain the water."

            Stormpaw nodded, beginning to lightly chew on the moss. Water dripped down his chin as he continued to do so.

            "Now put it on the ground and lightly step on it. You don't want to crush the moss," Mossheart told him.

            Stormpaw nodded as he began to slowly step on it. More water drained out as he did so.

            "Good," Mossheart said. "Now continue this process about two more times, and you'll have perfect moss for the elders."

            Stormpaw nodded, beginning to repeat the process. Once he had finished, his moss was fluffy and dry, perfect for the elders.

            "The elders will really appreciate that moss," Mossheart said. "You might have to pick some ticks off them from time to time too."

            "Okay," Stormpaw said, carrying the moss in his mouth.

            They headed back to camp, and Mossheart excused Stormpaw for the rest of the day, telling him to go deliver the moss. He met back up with Fernbranch who smiled at him as he arrived.

            "How did it go?" she asked.

            "Perfect," Mossheart said. "Stormpaw is not the cat who everyone makes him up to be."