I grab the juiciest prey from the pile, which ends up being a squirrel and start walking back to the medicine den.

"Where's my prey?!" A voice meows teasingly

"It's never going to get there if you keep rushing me!" I taunt back. Before I know it a cream shape bursts out of the smelly den and shoves me over. "Hey!" I mew with a grin once I am able to get my face out of Pollenkit's soft fur.

"Excuse me, you two!" Owlwatcher meows, passing the two kits and plopping down next to Ambershine.

"Let's play hide-and-go-seek!" Pollenkit exclaims and immediately runs over to the spot where we count. I squeal and run behind the warrior den, tiptoeing very carefully. I forget about the game when I hear two cats talking.

"Oh I don't know..." A, I'm pretty sure, tom whispers

"No kits. I promise." The she-cat whispers. Are they trying to become mates? Willowbranch told me that Gooseflight likes Alderspark.

"Isn't it too soon? Every cat will get suspicious." He meows back

"We'll keep it secret for a while." She changes her tone to pleading "Come on," I tune out when I hear quiet paw steps. I swing my head around and before Pollenkit can tell me she won I shush her. She sends me a questioning look but shrugs and sits next to me.

"Ambershine. Please." The tom meows, seeming to loose his patience. Ambershine? Who does she like?

"It'll be fine. No kits and Sparrowkit will never know until we tell him." The she cat whispers, with an urgent tone. Me? Who is this tom? Why do they care so much about me? Oh no... "Please, Owlwatcher." No! "Just think about it." My father? Is he going to be mates again? With Ambershine?!

"Okay," Owlwatcher meows, giving in. I bare my teeth towards my father from behind the bracken wall and stomp back to the medicine cat den. When Pollenkit finally arrives she looks at me, her eyes full of sympathy.

"Sparrowkit. Don't be mad." She whispers. I just growl and lay down. Pollenkit sighs and lays down next to me but we both spring up at the sound of pawsteps.

"Sparrowkit," Rosethorn meows "Whatever you were grumping about, stop. You should be excited! Tomorrow is your special day!" I gasp and jolt up.

"Is it really? Already!?" I mew, running in circles to release my energy

"Yay!" Pollenkit mews and joins me

"Oh, I wish I never had said that." Rosethorn chuckles "Okay, you two. Off to bed."

"Awwww," Pollenkit and I mew in unison. Rosethorn gives us a stern look and we pad over to our nest. Pollenkit drifts into sleep with ease but I'm simply too excited. Once Rosethorn goes to sleep I start to sneak out of the den but I hear voices.

"Not now Ambershine." Owlwatcher whispers "The dusk patrol will be back any second."

"So what? Cats can share tongues and not be mates." Ambershine whispers back. My father just sighs and he hesitantly shares tongues. All I can think is "why?". A couple tears fall down my face and sink into the soft soil below. I look up at the sky and finding a bright star, hoping its her. I mouth the words "I'm sorry mom. I'll always love you." I slowly slink back into the herb-smelling den and carefully maneuver myself back into the nest without waking Pollenkit.

~~~

"Come on my dears," Rosethorn whispers to us "Acornstar will be calling the meeting anytime now." I yawn and stretch awake. Without hesitating I share tongues with Pollenkit to make sure we look our best.

Rosethorn nudges us outside and we line up next to Poolkit. She rolls her eyes when Pollenkit lunges over to lick a piece of fur that is sticking up. I glance at the crowd of cats and Gooseflight whispers worriedly to Badgerthump. Sproutleaf just smiles and whispers something back. My attention jolts to Acornstar's den when I hear a meow.

"Wow. Thank you for gathering." The light brown she-cat smiles "Everyone must have remembered three cats special days. Everyone please excuse my while I try and heave myself up there. These kits are not kind." Scattered laughs fill my ears while Clouddrop nudges his mate up onto the Tall Stump.

"On his last day of being leader, Rainstar made a mistake. His wrongfully named a wonderful warrior of TreeClan. Today I call upon my warrior ancestors and give this cat the name of Featherheart, the highest honor a regular warrior can take."

[Yes, giving a cat the suffix of -heart is the highest honor a warrior can have]

"Thank you, Featherheart, for waiting so patiently." Acornstar meows

"Featherheart! Featherheart!" I yowl with the clan.

"Now, today three kits become apprentices!" The leader meows with a smile. "Pollenkit, step forward. You are beyond 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 Pollenpaw. Your mentor will be Sproutleaf. I know she will pass down all she knows on to you." Sproutleaf stands up and comes closer. "Sproutleaf, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from your mentor, and you have shown yourself to be quick thinking and tactical. You will be the mentor of Pollenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." The new apprentice touches noses with Sproutleaf and Acornstar looks at me, skipping over Poolkit. Poolkit hisses and rolls her eyes.

"Stupid fur ball." Poolkit mutters. The leader ignores her and smiles at me.

"Sparrowkit, 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 Sparrowpaw. Your mentor will be Badgerthump. I know he will pass down all he knows on to you."
My to-be black and white mentor pads forward. "Badgerthump, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from your mentor, and you have shown yourself to be fast and brave. You will be the mentor of Sparrowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." I smile and touch noses with Badgerthump and sit next to Pollenpaw and her mentor.

"Sparrowpaw," She whispers with a giggle. We see Poolkit sit up and tilt her head like she's about to earn her nine lives. Acornstar sends Gooseflight a sympathetic look and starts to meow.

"Poolkit, 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 Poolpaw. Your mentor will be Gooseflight. I know he will pass down all he knows on to you." Gooseflight sends a worried smirk and pads up to the Tall Stump.
"Gooseflight, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Pebblefall, and you have shown yourself to be smart and understanding. You will be the mentor of Poolpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."
My sister scrunches up her nose and barely touches noses with her mentor. Acornstar flicks her tail, signaling that the clan is dismissed.

"Come on you two!" Sproutleaf meows "Want to explore the territory together?" Pollenpaw and I nod pur heads excitedly and we follow after Badgerthump.

"Oh wow!" Pollenpaw exclaims "It's huge!" A small dirt path takes us into a forest of leafless trees. The sun shines brightly on us, melting the leftover snow. Walking by an oak tree I smell fresh mice.

"Can I catch one?" I whisper, staring towards the roots

"Not today." Badgerthump meows and continues walking. We circle around a to see the SwampClan boarder and head back. I'm speechless. It's so huge. I never would have thought. I can't wait to become a warrior and spend time alone out here with Pollenpaw.

~~~

"Wrong den." Rosethorn meows with a smile

"Oh!" I meow and snap my head over to Pollenpaw "Apprentice den!" We excitedly rush over but there isn't any nests made for us. Specklepaw and Autumnpaw are sleeping in the middle with Goldenpaw, Streampaw, and Poolpaw around them. I send a frown to Pollenpaw and we head back to the medicine cat den, where for moons, I wanted to get out of but now, I only want to be there.

"Uh, Rosethorn?" Pollenpaw whispers to the cream medicine cat

"What's wrong, dear?" She replies

"Nothing... Just," A single tear flows out of Pollenpaw's beautiful eyes and she stops

"There aren't any nests made for us in the apprentice's den." I sniff

"Oh, sweetie." She sympathises "Sleep here tonight. I really don't mind."

"Thanks Rosethorn" Pollenpaw and I meow in unison. We snuggle in into our "old" nests and drift into sleep.

As always, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this long chapter! I'm sorry for not updating! Please check out my other books and enjoy! Thanks! Bye! ~Swift