"Peakkit, from this day until you earn your warrior name, I name you Peakpaw. Your mentor will be Whitejaw. I trust he will teach you well in the ways of loyalty and self-control." Peakpaw walked to Whitejaw and touched noses to him, and the clan chanted his name. His eyes glowed.

"Clan dismissed." Miststar leapt from Tallcleft, beckoning for Brownpelt and Silverfur to follow her into her den.

Shadowkit turned to face her mother, Mossyfur, "Can I be an apprentice?"

Her brother Coalkit ran up, "My mentor is gonna be Silverfur," He held his head high for a second, then blinked and lowered it, "I mean, uh.."

Shadowkit purred, "If you want to be a medicine cat, no one's stopping you,"

Coalkit started fretting, "What if Silverfur doesn't want me? What if-"

"No more what-if's! How about we go and ask Silverfur once she comes out of Miststar's den?" It would be Shadowkit's second time out of the nursery- and this time she'd be helping her brother. Eventually he nodded and they left the nursery.

They made their way to the leader's den and had a silent argument. Coalkit won, so they waited outside for about ten minutes before Silverfur and the deputy emerged. Shadowkit ran right up to Silverfur and stopped her in her tracks.

"Coalkit wants to tell you something." she said. Coalkit came behind her, slower, looking shy. He must worship her, Shadowkit realized. Of course he's shy.

She immediately fell back, brushing her pelt against his until he finally whispered, "Can I be your apprentice?"

Silverfur looked very surprised that a moon old kit was asking to be her apprentice. But finally she asked, "Are you sure? This is a huge commitment." He nodded.

"I'll talk to Miststar," she went back into the leader's den. Coalkit was purring. Shadowkit was dancing around him. Then Mossyfur found them and brought them to the nursery. But they were still happy.

---

"The kits are coming!" Runningriver's yowl echoed around the clearing. A moment later, Silverfur leapt from the medicine cat's den, herbs clamped in her jaws. It was sundown, and the few cats who were still sharing tongues scurried out of Silverfur's way. She ran into the nursery, where Shadowkit and Coalkit were peeking from their nest as Mossyfur held them down.

"We want to see them!" Shadowkit said, "We'll be careful and quiet and we won't disturb Silverfur!"

"Do you promise?" Mossyfur's mew surprised Shadowkit. Her and her brother nodded, and they scrambled out of their nest to see Spottedbreeze's kitting.

"Two toms and a she-cat," Silverfur said a moment later, "Congratulations." Immediately Runningriver and Spottedbreeze started purring. Shadowkit and Coalkit shyly went up to see the kits.

"The she-cat looks like a beach." Shadowkit said. Spottedbreeze looked down and nodded.

"I'll name her Sandkit." she said, and Runningriver nodded approval.

"The gray tom looks like a claw," Coalkit suggested. Runningriver whispered something in Spottedbreeze's ear and she nodded.

"Talonkit." she said. Shadowkit studied the other tom.

"He looks like Brownpelt." She said.

"Then he is Brownkit." Spottedbreeze nuzzled her kits, "I love them so much."

Shadowkit ran to her mother, Coalkit close behind, "We helped name the kits!" She squealed, tumbling into her nest. Her mother purred.

"Who was our dad?" Shadowkit turned to face Coalkit. He was looking thoughtfully at Runningriver, "I don't think you ever told us."

Mossyfur hesitated, "Does it really matter?" she asked them, "aren't you happy enough unknowing?"

Shadowkit and Coalkit shook their head in unison. Mossyfur sighed, "You'll know when you're older."

It was Shadowkit's turn to sigh. She was tired of hearing those words. Just because she was a kit didn't mean she was stupid!

Shadowkit scrambled up Mossyfur's back and put a paw on her mother's head, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallcleft for a clan meeting!" She yowled. Coalkit raced to stand before her. She jumped down from her mother's head and walked over to Coalkit.

"I, Shadowstar, have decided that Coalpaw, it is time you earned your warrior name," she told him, "from this day forward, your name is Coaldusk. Oh, and you'll mentor Sandpaw and be deputy."

Sandkit mewled faintly. Coalkit swiped at her, "Coaldusk is a dumb name. I want to be a medicine cat!"

Shadowkit hissed and threw herself at her brother and they play-fought. Spottedbreeze and Mossyfur shared a look and purred. Eventually, Shadowkit and Coalkit broke apart. "A leader can't be three moons old!" Coalkit told her, and they launched themselves at each other again.

---

Shadowkit followed her brother outside the nursery. Her pelt was shining from just being washed, and Sandkit behind them was mewling something about being an apprentice. But she was alive with excitement. Now, no cat could say she was too young!

Miststar emerged from her den and leapt to Tallcleft, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallcleft for a clan meeting!" she called, "It is time two kits became apprentices and were assigned mentors. Shadowkit, Coalkit, come forth."

Shadowkit and her brother went forward, their pelts bristling with excitement, "Shadowkit, your mentor will be Snowstorm, and your name will be Shadowpaw. I hope she will pass on her knowledge of hunting and fighting as you train to become a warrior." Shadowpaw walked up to Snowstorm and touched noses with her mentor. Her mentor was as excited as she was- Shadowpaw was her first apprentice.

"Coalkit has decided to tread the noble path of a medicine cat," Miststar said, "and from this moment onward he will be known as Coalpaw. His mentor will be Silverfur." Coalpaw went up to Silverfur, his eyes shining.

"The clan is dismissed," Miststar called, padding back into her den. A babble broke out among the cats in the clearing, but the only voice she heard was Snowstorm's, asking her if she wanted to hunt or battle train. She looked at her mom, and saw Mossyfur's eyes swell with pride.

"Let's hunt," Shadowpaw said, and padded off with Snowstorm.