Dawnkit shook out her drenched gray striped fur, glaring at Foxkit, who was stifling a laugh. She was 6 moons old, as were the others, and she'd been keeping her fur EXTRA clean, in case of her apprentice ceremony. And now, her fur was all matted and tangled! Foxkit stopped laughing. He'd pushed her into a puddle! Dawnkit continued glaring at him, haughtily walking over to Moonkit. "What are you doing?" Moonkit asked, glancing at Foxkit. Dawnkit gave her a questioning look, and Moonkit sighed dramatically. "Foxkit's so nice to you, but you just glare at him!" Dawnkit's jaw hung open. "NICE to me? He pushed me into cold water, drenching my fur and chilling me to the bone!" She mewed, unwilling to back down. Streamfeather sighed from the nursery. "I can't wait till they're apprentices." She mewed to the other queens, watching them outside. Swiftdawn nodded in agreement. "They can't be that bad!" Both queens turned towards Swiftdawn's mate, Troutclaw, who after meeting the queens' unimpressed glares, backed away. "Right...sorry." He mewed as he went over to sit next to Stonewhisker in the clearing.
Tigerpaw bounced towards the kits,with Icepaw in tow. "I can't wait till you guys become apprentices!" He mewed eagerly. "We've got all your nests ready! That took a lot of time, but we did it!" Icepaw rolled her eyes. "My brother's a mouse-brain." She mewed. "So how many of you are 6 moons old?" She mewed curiously. "Me!" Dawnkit waved her tail. "Oh, and Stormkit and Foxkit." Moonkit shot them a look. "I wish I were becoming an apprentice too..." She mewed sadly. Snowkit nodded. Foxkit smiled at them. "Come on guys, you're just half a moon younger than us. You won't even notice!" He mewed reassuringly. Moonkit nodded slightly. Icepaw smiled at them. "I'm not supposed to say, but I heard Froststar already planned out your ceremonies." Dawnkit's eyes widened. "He did?!" What if she was delayed, because of Foxkit drenching her fur?! She clambered over to the queens on the nursery. "Streamfeather, help me groom my fur!" She cried out. Streamfeather nodded, laughing. "You're as worried about your fur as Hailclaw was..." She trailed off, remembering her mate. Swiftdawn made a sympathetic sound. "He's in StarClan now." Streamfeather nodded. "I'll groom your fur."
***
"May all cats old enough to swim gather in the Clearing!" Dawnkit looked up as Froststar's yowl cut through the evening air. She couldn't believe it. Checking in the stream, she straightened her whiskers, as Foxkit padded out, Stormkit close behind. "Don't fall in!" Foxkit mewed teasingly. Dawnkit shot him a glare. She hadn't forgiven him about the puddle incident of that morning yet. Dawnkit rushed past them, sitting down eagerly in the Clearing. Froststar was smiling, his amber eyes warm, as he watched RiverClan gather.

"These kits are now 6 moons old, and ready to train and learn in the ways of our Clan and the ways of our ancestors. I commend each of these cats in turn as apprentices of RiverClan. Foxkit, step forward." Foxkit, for once serious, stepped up, his frosty blue eyes shining. "Foxkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. From this day forward, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be called Foxpaw" Foxpaw nodded solemnly. "Your mentor will be Cloudsky. I hope she passes down her quick thinking and all her knowledge to you. " Froststar smiled.Cloudsky touched noses with Foxpaw, who was smiling carelessly as he sat down next to her.

Dawnkit nodded. This was a big day, and she'd get payback later. She turned back, a smile on her face as she waited her turn. Froststar smiled. "Dawnkit, step forward." Dawnkit cheered in her head. She wasn't last! Stormkit sighed restlessly, smiling at her encouragingly as she passed. He was her brother. Dawnkit stepped forward, her head held high. "You have also reached the age of six moons, and are ready to become an apprentice. From now until you recieve your warrior name, you will be called Dawnpaw. Skynose, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You are a good hunter and tracker, and I hope you pass on all you know to Dawnpaw." Dawnpaw looked around for her new mentor, wondering who it could be. A burly yet sleek furred tom with golden eyes padded towards her. She touched noses with Skynose, and sat down, waiting for Stomkit's ceremony. Stremfeather was grinning, and Moonkit watched, restless for her own ceremony.

"Stormkit, you have also reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. Your mentor will be Stonewhisker. From now on until you recieve your warrior name, you will be called Stormpaw." Stormpaw touched noses with Stonewhisker, as the air was filled with RiverClan cheering the three new apprentices on. "Foxpaw! Dawnpaw! Storrmpaw!" Stormpaw was smiling, about to leap over but stopping as Froststar started to say more. Dawnpaw frowned. The leader rarely added to the ceremonies, yet today he was. Froststar's smile disappeared, replaced with a regretful frown. "As many of you know, I must name a deputy by moon high. Birchclaw was a loyal and good deputy, and he will be missed. But now...I say these words before StarClan, so our warrior ancestors as well as Birchclaw may approve of my choice. RiverClan's new deputy will be Ripplewing." The tortoiseshell she-cat looked up, surprised. Streamfeather smiled amusedly as Swiftdawn nudged her sister forward. Ripplewing smiled slightly, before dipping her head. "I will do my best to honour RiverClan, and to lead the Clan well." Froststar nodded. "That is all." He leapt down, to talk to the senior warriors and Ripplewing.

Dawnpaw shook her head. Froststar's muzzle was dotted with gray whiskers, and he seemed weary. Skynoes nodded towards Dawnpaw. "Come with me." He mewed, leading the way out into the territory. Dawnpaw looked back, bewildered. They weren't supposed to start training until tomorrow. Shaking her head, she followed Skynose. "Where are we going?" She mewed curiously, jumping over a small stream and trying to avoid the mud as well as Synose. He glanced back. "We're going towards the Lake. There's a small pond that opens out into the Lake, and I'll be testing your swimming skills." Dawnpaw's eyes widened. She'd only treaded in the small puddle near the thorn bush of the nursery in camp. Sighing, she followed Skynose, almost bumping into him as he stopped suddenly. Blinking, Dawnpaw looked ahead of her mentor. The pond's water rippled gently, and she felt a bit more at ease.

Skynose stopped. "Go on. Swim." Dawnpaw nodded uncertainly, and dipped her paws, one by one, into the water. The water felt cool on her pelt, and Dawnpaw swam further into the shallow water. "Your technique could use some work, but other than that, you seem good enough at swimming." Skynose was briskly pushing through the water. Dawnpaw nodded, mimicking his movements. Skynose smiled approvingly. "Let's get back. Your family misses you, and we'll train enough later." She nodded, swimming towards the shore of the pond. Skynose shook out his fur, droplets spattering the ground. Dawnpaw started to shake out her fur as well, but stopped as she heard a faint yowl. Skynose was already bolting after the sound , Dawnpaw hot on his paws. They burst through a thicket, and she saw Reedpaw's blue pelt. a fox towered over her, roaring. Dawnpaw's eyes widened. It was huge. Skynose turned to her. "Warn Froststar. Hurry!" He mewed briskly, tensing to attack.

Dawnpaw nodded, not waiting to look back and pelted through the shore land, towards the camp. She felt thorns scratching her pelt, her eyes pricking with tears of pain, but shook them off. Finally seeing the RiverClan camp in view, she screeched at the top of her lungs, panting. "FOX-REEDPAW-Skynose-Warn!" She managed to get out. Froststar nodded. "Can you lead us to it?" Dawnpaw nodded uncertainly. "I-I think so." Ripplewing signaled Pebblefur, Stonewhisker, Mosspelt, and Troutclaw. "Come with me. Bring your apprentices." The warriors nodded, and Tigerpaw and Icepaw nudged Stormpaw awake. Hes tumbled out. Stonewhisker smiled reassuringly. "You won't be in the heat of battle." Streamfeather wasn't anywhere to be seen. Dawnpaw hoped she hadn't been hurt.

Ripplewing led the patrol, Dawnpaw struggling to remember the blurry path she took to reach camp. "There!" Mosspelt mewed, pointing with his tail towards the thicket. Dawnpaw nodded. Sounds of a fight weren't far off. Ripplewing led the cats faster. "Mosspelt, Troutclaw, circle around and attack it from behind. Stonewhisker, get Skynose out of there, me and Pebblefur will distract it." She ordered. The warriors nodded. "Apprentices, help your mentors." Icepaw, Stormpaw, and Tigerpaw nodded. "Dawnpaw, go back to camp." Dawnpaw felt a pang of outrage. "I can help too!" Riplewing looked back. "You've helped enough. Now go!" Dawnpaw nodded reluctantly, circling back. She could hear scuffling sounds of the fight, and felt angry. Her mentor might be hurt, and her brother got to go fight? What about her?!

She stopped as she heard a splash. A ThunderClan mange-pelt trying to steal prey? She cautiously padded forward, only to stifle a laugh as she saw Foxpaw, dipping a paw in the water and flinching backwards. "You're a DRYPAW?" She mewed loudly, astonished. Foxpaw turned, shooting her a glare. "Yeah, so what?" He mewed defensively. "Nothing. It's just that tomorrow we all go swimming." Foxpaw backed away as though terrified. "Hey, I'll help you swim? I'm not that great, but?" Foxpaw growled. "Just don't tell anyone about this. I don't need your help." He snarled, stalking back to camp.

Dawnpaw watched him go. She'd been trying to be nice. Dawnpaw sniffed, stalking around to swim. She couldn't head abck to camp now. She didn't ever want to see that foxheart again. He seemed nice one second, and yet cruel the next. She couldn't trust someone like that. Dawnpaw sighed. Moonkit would become an apprentice soon enough.