(3 moons)

Coldkit pounced, smacking the leaf down with her paw. "I caught it!" she yowled in delight, glancing over to make sure Rosepaw, the small cream tabby she-cat had seen it. Rosepaw glanced up from where she was grooming her pelt.

"Good job, Coldkit!" she exclaimed. "That was a great pounce. You'll be ready to be an apprentice in no time." Coldkit puffed out her chest in pride.

"Rosepaw!" Both the apprentice and Coldkit looked over at Snailwhisker, a long and skinny (but solid) pale ginger and blonde tom, as he called to his apprentice. Snailwhisker was standing by the camp entrance, beckoning Rosepaw over with his tail.

"Coming!" Rosepaw yowled, leaping to her paws. "Sorry, Coldkit, I can't play with you anymore, Snailwhisker's going to teach me a new battle move!"

"It's okay," Coldkit replied, forcing her mew to be cheerful to mask her disappointment. She sighed as she watched Rosepaw sprint over to her mentor. What should I do now? Normally, Coldkit would be playing with her sister, Poplarkit, however she had caught a small cold and was confined to the nursery. Maybe I could play with the other kits?

Coldkit looked around, and spotted Shinekit and Archkit wrestling in the dirt. They were three moons older then Coldkit, and their play-fighting was too rough for her. Coldkit continued to scan the camp. "Wheee!" Coldkit's head snapped towards the sound. Brackenfoot, a brown tom with a few white splashes was stomping around the camp, Frostkit clinging to his back.

Coldkit pricked her ears. Brackenfoot is giving Frostkit a badger ride! Maybe he'll give me one, too! Coldkit trotted over to the two cats, waiting nearby until Brackenfoot paused to take a break, letting Frostkit slide off his back. Coldkit padded forward. "Hi, Brackenfoot. Can you give me a badger ride, too?" she squeaked. Frostkit answered first.

"Why?" he asked, lime-green eyes staring into her pale ones. "Don't you have your own dad to give you a badger ride?" Coldkit felt a twinge in her belly at his words, but she couldn't identify the feeling.

"Frostkit, I can give Coldkit a badger ride if she wants one," Brackenfoot meowed. But it was too late, Coldkit could already feel herself closing up.

"No, it's fine," Coldkit replied airily. "I'll get Whitewolf to do it." Chin up, she stalked away, and didn't turn back until she was halfway across the camp. Brackenfoot was gone, but Frostkit was still staring at her, lime-green eyes unreadable.

A shiver went down her spine. Frostkit is nice and all, but sometimes, he's creepy. Coldkit crouched behind the fresh-kill pile. I need to find Whitewolf now. Standing up again, Coldkit scanned the camp. The camp was pretty calm, warriors were going in and out of camp on patrols. She finally spotted her father, Whitewolf, eating prey and having a conversation with the warrior Leafblaze. Coldkit slowly approached her father and the cream and white tom.

Both warriors didn't notice her until she was right in front of them. Both toms were lying on their bellies, tails flicking every once and awhile. Whitewolf's eyes lit up in surprise when he saw her. "Oh, hello Coldkit. Do you need something?" he asked. Coldkit noticed his tail twitching. She hesitated before speaking.

"I was wondering if you'd give me a badger ride," she finally said, voice sounding more squeaky then intended. Whitewolf sat up abruptly.

"A badger ride?" he echoed. Coldkit would later understand that Whitewolf was acting so weird because he was nervous. Leafblaze purred.

"What, afraid to give your kit a badger ride?" he teased. Whitewolf shook out his pelt.

"Of course not!" he snorted. "Er- come on, Coldkit," he said, crouching down. Coldkit dug her tiny claws into his thick white fur, scrambling onto his back. Whitewolf stood up a little too fast, almost knocking Coldkit off. She let out a small squeak. "Oh- are you okay? Sorry," Whitewolf apologized. Both Coldkit and Whitewolf glanced back at Leafblaze, who was watching them with an amused expression on his face. "Well, here we go!" Whitewolf meowed.

Whitewolf began trotting around the camp, slowly, as to not accidentally throw Coldkit off. "Faster! Faster!" Coldkit demanded, giggling. Whitewolf picked up the pace until he was running around camp. At each stride, his movements became more relaxed, and he began to purr. "Weee!" Coldkit exclaimed. Suddenly, Whitewolf stepped on a sharp rock and stumbled with a hiss. Coldkit yowled as she tumbled from his back, smacking face-first into the ground. She lay like that for a heartbeat, before she felt Whitewolf lift her up by the scruff, setting her down on her paws.

"Oh my StarClan, Coldkit, are you okay?" he asked, eyes wide with worry. Coldkit didn't reply right away, instead shaking out the dirt from her face fur.

"That," she squealed. "Was the best badger ride ever!" She heard chuckles from the warriors who had been watching, and Whitewolf breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay," he replied, and began to lick his paw.

"Are you okay?" Coldkit asked.

"Yes, I just stepped on a pointy rock. I wasn't looking where I was going," he purred. "Well, I better finish my mouse, I'll play with you again soon Coldkit," he said. Whitewolf leaned down, then hesitated, so Coldkit leaned forward to tap her nose to his. Whitewolf purred and straightened up, waking away. Coldkit couldn't be happier. See, my father loves me! She looked around to see it Frostkit had seen, but the splotchy furred tom was no where to be found.

Coldkit glanced at Whitewolf again, who was once more talking to Leafblaze. Then she looked back at the nursery, imagining what Poplarkit must look like, curled up and snoring in the moss nest. Coldkit could tell Poplarkit didn't like Whitewolf much. She didn't make an effort to get to know him, and he didn't make much of an effort to get to know her. Not that he made too much of an effort to spend time with Coldkit, but it wasn't like he was cold towards her. "He just needs time to warm up to you," Fernfrost had told her a few days ago. "Poplarkit will warm up to him, too."

Coldkit hadn't really believed Whitewolf would ever warm up to her, he was usually stiff and awkward when around her, but after the successful badger ride, maybe Fernfrost was right after all. But as for Poplarkit, Coldkit wasn't so sure. Her sister only played with Whitewolf with Coldkit for her sake, not because she actually wanted to. Coldkit knew that because Poplarkit would always sigh and roll her eyes when Coldkit told her they were going to play a game with Whitewolf. Which, didn't even happen that often, but Fernfrost made sure it did.

Maybe I'll go peek in the nursery, see how Poplarkit is doing. Poplarkit was a constant fire storm of emotions. One moment she was happy and cheerful, the other grouchy and snappy. She loved to have fun, but the moment she had to do something she didn't like, she became over dramatic, constantly sighing loudly and complaining.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, please gather beneath high ledge for a special announcement," Cragstar yowled. Coldkit spun around to face high ledge. She hadn't noticed Cragstar leap onto high ledge. Others must have, because there already was a small ragged circle forming beneath high ledge. What do I do? I'm not old enough to catch my own prey yet, I'm only three moons old!

Coldkit turned back towards to nursery, just in time to see Fernfrost slipping out, a tired looking Poplarkit on her heels. Her mother beckoned her over with a nod of her head. "We can sit over there, if you promise to be very quiet," Fernfrost said, as Coldkit trotted over.

"Oh, I'll be very quiet, I promise!" Coldkit squealed, then quickly slapped her own tail over her mouth. Fernfrost purred, and Poplarkit sneezed. As they padded over to sit in the back of the crowd by high ledge, Coldkit whispered, "are you feeling any better, Poplarkit?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Poplarkit murmured. Coldkit nodded, then stood up on her tiptoes, craning her neck to see over the crowd of cats. What's going on? Why did Cragstar call a clan meeting? Then she saw them: Archkit and Shinekit, standing off to the side. Mistyheart was fiercely licking Shinekit despite her mews of protest, while a dark brown tom with small black spots and yellow eyes was speaking firmly to Archkit. Coldkit was aware that that was Leopardtail, the kits' father. They must be becoming apprentices! That must be the special announcement!

After cats stopped shuffling around and everyone seemed settled, Cragstar cleared his throat. Mistyheart and Leopardtail stepped away from their kits, who suddenly looked very nervous. "Shinekit," Cragstar called out, making the normally confident she-cat jump. "Please step forward." Coldkit watched her walk forward, but was getting tired of straining her neck, so she crouched down and found a space between all the pelts to look through.

"Shinekit," Cragstar began. "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 Shinepaw. Your mentor will be Rainsong." Just then, Coldkit noticed the sooty-colored she-cat with gentle blue eyes sitting by high ledge. Her head was lifted proudly.

"I hope she will pass down all she knows on to you. Rainsong, you are ready to take on a second apprentice. You have received excellent training from Sorrelfeather, may she find good hunting in StarClan." Coldkit sucked in a sharp breath. Sorrelfeather was Poplarkit's mother. Coldkit risked a glance at Poplarkit, but she hadn't seemed to hear. "You have shown yourself to be loyal and brave. You also successfully trained Volenose. You will be an excellent mentor to Shinepaw." Eyes glowing, Rainsong touched noses to Shinepaw.

"Archkit," Cragstar called the tom-kit forward. "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 Archpaw. Your mentor will be Whitewolf." Whitewolf? My father is going to be Archpaw's mentor?

"I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you. Whitewolf, you are ready to take on a second apprentice as well. You have received excellent training from Molefoot, and you have shown yourself to be strong and steadfast. You also successfully trained Pineshadow. You will be a perfect mentor to Archpaw, I know you'll have a lot to teach him," Cragstar concluded. Coldkit glanced at Fernfrost, who was purring loudly, staring at her mate as he touched noses to Archpaw. Poplarkit sighed loudly.

"Archpaw's so annoying. He doesn't deserve Whitewolf. Shinepaw should have got him." Coldkit whipped her head towards Poplarkit, surprised. That was the first time she'd ever heard her sister speak positively of Whitewolf.

"Archpaw! Shinepaw! Archpaw! Shinepaw!" The Clan cheered. Even through the cheering, Coldkit picked up different voices.

"I heard that Cragstar was originally going to give these kits to Pineshadow and Creekwater, as their first apprentices, but Leopardtail requested experienced mentors because he felt young cats wouldn't do a good enough job at mentoring his kits," whispered Peonywing, a tri-colored calico she-cat with yellow eyes to Brightsun, a ginger she-cat with orange tabby stripes. Brightsun didn't reply, but flicked an ear to indicate that she heard. Huh. That seems like something he would do. The spotted tom always seemed very serious. 

Cats pressed forward to congratulate the two new apprentices. Coldkit slipped through the crowd until she reached Archpaw and Shinepaw. "Yay! You're apprentices!" she yowled, bouncing up and down.

"Yup," Shinepaw purred. Coldkit stopped bouncing, as she realized something.

"But- this means you won't be sleeping in the nursery anymore. Won't you miss being a kit?" Coldkit asked.

"Pfft, nah," Archpaw butted in. "No hard feelings, or anything, Coldkit, but I couldn't be happier. I won't miss the stinky nursery at all. Mistyheart kept us apprentices to the last possible heartbeat. Well, I'm going to go talk to the other apprentices now. See ya," he said, and walked off. Coldkit tried not to feel hurt by his bluntness.

"What Archpaw says is true, because our mother is very overprotective. But I'll miss the nursery, Coldkit, I'll miss playing with you," she purred, touching her nose to Coldkit's. "But don't worry, in three moons you'll be an apprentice with us too." Then Shinepaw walking away, following her brother. Three moons is such a long time! Coldkit felt like she'd be a kit forever. Coldkit sighed.

Three moons. Three moons, and then I'll start my training to be a warrior of ThunderClan.