At least another week had passed. BlindKit stretched in his moss nest with a yawn, his brother, BounceKit, murmured a sleepy protest. "hey, you forgetting something?" he nudged his sleepy brother with a paw. "what?" he mumbled.

"today is our apprentice ceremony." he grinned, he sensed his brothers mood change to pure joy and he leaped to his paws with happiness. "wow finally! I thought it'd never happen! We're only 3 weeks older than we need to be!" shouted BounceKit, sadly, awakening FeatherFire.

"What are you two babbling about?!" she growled. "you're not the only cats sleeping here." she muttered. BlindKit took a step back, he could never face his mother's stinging retorts. "we're talking about our apprentice ceremony!" BounceKit announced, not noting his mother's hostility.

BlindKit nodded hastily. He could sense his mother's anger rising. She got to her paws, muttering 'stupid blind kit..' BlindKit bit his lip nervously until FeatherFlame left. He could still feel the hostility in her gaze seeping into his fur...

"Well, you excited?" he sensed his brother's joyfulness again. "Still not sure about being BlindPaw yet," he admitted. BounceKit let out one of his tinkly laughs. "You never cease to bring me joy, BlindKit." He sensed his brother's mocking grin.

He snorted. "well I-" but was cut off. "all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather underneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" she heard GorseStar yowl. He gathered the courage to go to the meeting and felt his brother's tail on his shoulder.

He gave him a weak smile, and they stalked out to the meeting.. GorseStar started. "we are gathered today for two Kits! BlindKit and BounceKit! You may come forward please!" GorseStar said, his mood seemed neutral. So BlindKit felt less intimidated as he stepped forward with BounceKit.

"BounceKit 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 BouncePaw. Your mentor will be AshFlame." GorseStar flicked his tail, and AshFlames paws sounded and then stopped.

He felt BouncePaw bound away from him, and then presumably, to AshFlame. He sensed the tension as they touched noses. Then, he heard the retreating paws into the crowd. GorseStar's stare turned to him, and he shrunk. Never mind! I'll just stay BlindKit forever! He thought desperately.

"BlindKit 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 BlindPaw. Your mentor will be SoftSong." GorseStar flicked his tail again, and paws shuffled up, and he guessed it was SoftSong.

He pricked with fear. Where is SoftSong? BlindPaw focused on only the cat scents around him..Dead frog, Brambles, a milky scent, grass...then his nose hit an off scent...it smelt like, fresh water. He hesitantly made his way towards it. Hoping.

He bumped into a cat with soft fur and the fresh water scent. He sensed GorseStar stumble to his paws with surprise. SoftSong felt quite surprised as well, and it faded into respect. He sensed SoftSong get close, then touched his nose.

He felt GorseStar's anger rising.

Uh oh..i hope he doesn't burst in the meeting! He thought fearfully. Luckily, GorseStar didn't. He felt relief as SoftSong guided him away with his fresh water scent.

When he was finished cleaning out the elder's nests, he settled down in the apprentice's den. Only two other apprentices, without counting BouncePaw, were apprentices. BouncePaw had described them when he was helping. OddPaw is a golden and ginger she-cat with green eyes. And FurzePaw is a white she-cat with golden patches and amber eyes.

He was lost in thought, then, BouncePaw came bounding in the excitement made BlindPaw flinch... Ever since his ceremony, his 'moodwalking' seemed to get stronger. I wonder how strong it'll get before it stops.. He wondered warily.

He felt BouncePaw bouncing with excitement. "Looks like you've lived up to your name." he joked. BouncePaw's excitement twisted to joyfulness. He let out a tinkly laugh. "I guess so!" he sensed his brother grin.

BlindPaw shuffled in his nest, an awkward silence went on. "Well...im just bouncing around because I just learned the hunters crouch! I caught a mouse!" he felt the woosh of wind of BouncePaw leaping with joy.

BlindPaw thought. "Congratulations.." he murmured, trying to sound a bit giddy. BouncePaw's mood changed to a tinge of disappointment, then shoved it away. BlindPaw shook his fur before BouncePaw could say anything.

"I think I'll go and eat...nice seeing you BouncePaw." he nodded to his brother. He sensed BouncePaw shift, "yeah, see you." BouncePaw mewed. His mood changed to disappointment with a hint of grief.

BlindPaw hurried away, haunted by BouncePaw's mood. He followed the crunching of leaves, his paws skidding across them. He felt the stares of his clanmates boring into his pelt. The scent of prey hit his nose, and he knew he was near the prey pile.

He padded over, trying to ignore the murmurs and the overwhelming moods. Leaning down, he sniffed, the strong scent of vole, rat, mouse, and frog...he chose the rat, he was always mesmerized by their odd texture.

He bit into it, and sat down next to a log. BlindPaw wolfed it down. I wonder...why that cat is trying to take BraveFlame's body, He thought eerily. He pricked his ears, just in case BraveFlame started screaming again...

It hasn't happened now, never. He never screams anymore, he just lies there. He lashed his tail. Then quickly thought not that I want it to happen again! He shuddered, the agony in his head was not worth it. Remembering the poppy seeds, he sniffed out MilkWeeds' milky scent.

"MilkWeed?" he called into the medicine den. "Yes?" came her velvety voice, her milky scent was faded in the entranceway, but somehow still fresh. "What about my 2 poppy seeds? Do you have them?" he hesitantly walked down the path into the den, almost just avoiding a dirt wall.

"oh yes, I'll go get them!" He heard MilkWeed's voice more clearly, and her scent was close. He nodded, sitting down. He felt her getting closer, then shuffling through her herbs. He sensed her grab two small black seeds, then come over to him.

"here, better eat them now." she mewed, he could sense her prodding the seeds closer to him. "Oh well...better get it over with." he shrugged, and he felt her tail guide him down to the seeds. He licked them up.

They tasted like nothing and made the throbbing in his head ease. He murmured how grateful he was to MilkWeed, and followed his scent back up the path. His ears picked something up...it was a deep anger that kept on rising, he thought the cat who held it would combust.

That flea-bitten- he flinched back, was that somecats mind? The one that was angry? I'll KILL Gorse- it stopped again. He started to bristle, his eyes widening. Who was this cat that was so angry? I told him what I wanted! Guess he doesn't want his cat- he flinched back again, the voice was very loud in his mind.

He gritted his teeth, dragging his paws to the prey pile. It was like the poppy seeds hadn't existed. The anger died down a bit, and the voice didn't come back. He could finally think about who it could be. The voice sounded like...FeatherFlame's. Did she try to do something to my ceremony? He bristled with fear.

He tried pushing back his fear, to reveal courage. Maybe she's gone to talk to GorseStar...it wouldn't hurt to check his den would it? He really hoped not but decided to anyways. "Hey, BlindPaw, finished eating?" he heard BouncePaw mew.

He froze halfway to his paws. "Yup, just going to do something," he noted casually. He felt BouncePaw's mood drop to disappointment. "Could I come?" BouncePaw whispered. He froze, "No!" BlindPaw snapped. BouncePaw's mood Bounced to hurt.

Before BlindPaw could be masked with guilt and regret, he hurried away, leaving BouncePaw engulfed with hurt. Why'd I do that? He thought regretfully to himself when he was halfway to GorseStar's den.

No time for regrets! This is a time to push ON. He hissed to himself, racing forward to be caught on brambles. He hissed as they scraped against his skin, he pulled, trying to strain his ears. "I told you to make him MILKWEED'S apprentice! Not lousy SoftSong!" he heard his mother's faint voice shout.

GorseStar tried to calm her. "Milkweed wouldn't go with it! She said she'd know when she needed an apprentice! I need to be able to have my medicine cat on my side, trust me." GorseStar hissed, earning a hiss back. BlindPaw pulled harder, the tang of blood hit his nose, and he had tiny bleeding cuts.

"YOU TRUST ONE CAT MORE THAN ME!?" FeatherFire exclaimed. He sensed GorseStar take a surprised step back. He pulled again, and falling free, he crouched low to the ground and strained his ears again. "I didn't say that! I trust my clanmates more than anyone." GorseStar reassured her.

GorseStars' mood was surprised, but it was growing to anger. FeatherFlame was engulfed with anger, but, it started to flicker out. "yes...i guess it wouldn't be your fault that MilkWeed won't take him, im so sorry GorseStar, it's just that my mate is injured and hasn't woken up, one of my kits are blind.." FeatherFlame let out a strangled breath.

He felt GorseStar put his tail on her shoulder. "it is okay, it's not like I like BlindPaw. It's just like a forced choice. It shouldn't have happened." GorseStar said softly. BlindPaw felt broken, like he was stabbed in the chest with a rock. His ears pushed against his head, and he disappeared into the brambles.

He's right isn't he? I'm just some stupid blind apprentice that has stupid 'moodwalking' powers and enhanced senses...i shouldn't have been born, I shouldn't have happened...