Goldenpaw's POV

It wasn't until I had gone to sleep that I realized just how exhausted my first day out as an apprentice had caused me to be. I mean, I had traveled around the entirety of ThunderClan territory. I had made sure that Brackenfur and Sorreltail didn't miss even one little piece of the territory, I had wanted to see everything!

But, I had woken up the next morning to find that I could barely move my legs from how sore they were. It had taken me a few heartbeats to get them working normally again. But I didn't care! I'd break all of my legs if it meant that I'd get even just one extra day as an apprentice.

But luckily I knew that it wouldn't take that much. All I had to do was ask!

It had been not too long since I had woken up, just a few heartbeats in fact, and the dim dawn light was slowly being replaced with the bright beams of the sun.

Once I had gotten the stiffness out of my legs, I hopped up from my nest and crawled out of the apprentices den. I snorted to myself as I remembered that last night, I had nearly forgotten that I was an apprentice and that I had to sleep in the apprentices den.

I had accidentally walked into the nursery. But luckily Millie had quickly pointed out that I was in the wrong den.

That's so weird! I had thought as I turned around to walk towards the apprentices den. Lilypetal, Snowpaw, Thornclaw and I don't share a nest in their anymore! Now its empty, awaiting other queens to take its place...

Those thoughts resurfaced now this morning as I looked back at the apprentices den, but I immediately shook them away. Goldenpaw, yesterday was amazing! I told myself. You're an apprentice now! There's no time to be sad on that, when there's not much to be sad about!

I then began to pad out in the open, looking for Snowpaw, who had not been in the apprentices den when I woke up. Where is she? She was up early for the apprentice ceremony yesterday too, I realized. I guess she's just an early bird these days!

I flicked my ears as almost right at once, I saw Snowpaw sitting near the medicine cat den.

There she is!

"Snowpaw!" I exclaimed as I ran over to join my sister. "Snowpaw!"

I skidded to a halt once I was about a tail-length in front of her. "Do you want to see if Brackenfur and Sorreltail can take us out training right now?"

Snowpaw then peered past me, her gaze focused.

"Hey!" I hissed, already growing frustrated. "Snowpaw!" What is her problem?

I turned my head around to try and see where she was looking. I narrowed my eyes as I realized that it seemed that she was staring straight at the medicine cat den.

As I whipped my head back around to face Snowpaw, she suddenly blinked and shook her head quickly. "Huh? I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked, suddenly alert.

I let out a loud and exaggerated sigh. Snowpaw always had her head in the clouds!

I repeated my question to my sister. "I asked if you wanted to see if Brackenfur and Sorreltail can take us out training!"

I let out an almost inaudible confused grunt as Snowpaw simply just blinked again and then shrugged. "Sure, I guess," she murmured.

Not wanting to wonder about Snowpaw's suspicious behavior anymore, I padded past her to walk over to Sorreltail and Brackenfur, who were sharing a vole near the fresh-kill pile. It was only a moment later that I realized that Snowpaw wasn't following me, and I looked back to see that she was still looking back at the medicine cat den.

Great StarClan! I thought irritably as I switched directions to return to where Snowpaw was still standing. "Snowpaw, come on!" I urged, lightly nudging her shoulder with my tail. but I let out a groan as she still didn't budge.

"What do you think Jayfeather is doing right now?" she asked absentmindedly.

"Snowpaw!" I hissed one last time to get her attention. "Who cares? Let's go see our mentors and see if we can go out training now!"

Snowpaw didn't avert her gaze at first.

"Okay," she then murmured before finally turning towards me and following me over to Sorreltail and Brackenfur.

Snowpaw is always starring off at something, or is deep in thought, I told myself. But... I have to admit, it's never been this bad before. Usually if I talk to her she snaps out of it.

I tried to push away my worries as Snowpaw and I arrived to where Sorreltail and Brackenfur were settled down. As soon as we came into their view, they lifted their heads from their prey.

"Good morning, you two!" Brackenfur meowed kindly, dipping his head to the both of us.

"Good morning!" I purred back. I glanced back to where Snowpaw was standing, and luckily she wasn't looking back at anything, and she was focused. Feeling more relieved, I then turned back to Brackenfur and Sorreltail.

"Do you think after you're done eating we can go out training?" I asked eagerly.

Brackenfur and Sorreltail exchanged a glance, their eyes glittering with humor.

"Please?" Snowpaw pleaded, but I narrowed my eyes as I thought that she didn't sound too enthusiastic. Well, at least she's begging them like I am, I tried to tell myself.

I was pulled back to the moment when Sorreltail began to speak. "Of course we can, just give us a moment to finish," Sorreltail said gently. "We were going to find you once we grabbed a bite to eat!"

"It's been a moment," I mewed quickly as Sorreltail bent down to take a bite of her vole.

Brackenfur let out a mrrow of laughter. "Good one," he purred. "Just give us a little bit longer, okay?"

"Okay." Snowpaw and I spoke at the same time. We walked away from our mentors and decided to sit down near the apprentices den while we waited.

Almost instantly, I noticed that Snowpaw was still staring over at the medicine cat den, her pale blue eyes gleaming with fascination. It also seemed like she was subtly trying to pad closer and peer inside.

Not being able to take my confusion anymore, I nudged my sister with my shoulder.

"Hey, what's going on?" I demanded. "You've been staring at that den as if Tigerstar has come back from the dead!" I then felt a slight shiver run down my spine. StarClan forbid! I thought. Tigerstar was scary! He tried to take over the whole forest back in the old territory!

Snowpaw shook her head quickly before turning around to meet my gaze. "What do you mean? It's nothing!" She insisted.

"Really?" I asked, not buying my sister's words at all. "Well, then you're sure making a whole lot out of nothing!"

I then watched as Snowpaw was clearly hesitating. "Well... I guess it's not nothing," she admitted. "It's just... a medicine cat job seems so cool! Don't you think?"

I gasped and stared back at Snowpaw wide-eyed. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Is she serious?

"You want to become a medicine cat!?" I asked out loud, still in complete shock.

I rolled my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh as Snowpaw hesitated again.

"I didn't say that," she finally meowed. "Although, it would just feel so good healing the Clan, rather than having to fight in battles."

I barely processed the words coming out of my sister's mouth. Was Snowpaw going to become a medicine cat apprentice? Surely not! We had been talking about becoming warriors together, going on patrols together, and fighting in battles side by side. She had changed her mind so quickly! Has she been thinking about this for a while and just hasn't said anything? I don't know what I'll do if she decides that she doesn't want to be a warrior with me anymore...

Just as I thought I was about to become overwhelmed with confusion and worry, I quietly sighed with relief as I realized that there would be no use for another medicine cat apprentice at the moment, with young Leafpool as the full medicine cat and would heal the Clan for seasons, and Jayfeather, who was her apprentice. A third pair of paws would just get in the way! I realized.

Snowpaw seemed to realize the same thing, and repeated my thoughts out loud, but not in the way I wanted to hear them. "I guess I'll have to wait until Jayfeather is a full medicine cat on his own," she murmured, half to herself. "Until then, I can just be ready to help Leafpool and Jayfeather if they need it!"

I couldn't suppress another gasp of complete dismay and surprise. Now it seemed like Snowpaw had completely decided that she wanted to train as a medicine cat apprentice!