Daykit bounced excitedly from paw to paw as she watched the other cats go about their daily tasks. The small white kitten giggled softly as a stray leaf tickled her nose, her blue eyes gleaming like the sea, their blue pools brimming with a mix of eagerness and curiosity.
The fluffy white kitten was shaken from her musings by a cool nose brushing against her flank.
It was Nightkit, her littermate.
Unlike Daykit, who had fluffy white fur that blended nicely into the snow, Nightkit had fur as black as the night with white paws and underbelly the same color as Daykit's pelt.
Nightkits green eyes gleamed like emeralds in the light of the sun, and her silky fur shimmered like the night sky.
The two littermates were closer than any other cats in BreezeClan had ever been. One was never seen without the other, and they were so close that at times, they would finish each other's sentences.
"Daykit! Nightkit!" came the call of their mom, Silkshade. "It's time for the two of you to take a nap."
The two kits shared a look before turning and padding back into the nursery.
"What were you two doing out there?" Silkshade asked her two kits as she groomed their fur. "And how on StarClan's green earth did you both get so dirty?"
"We were helping Kestrelpaw gather herbs, and we ran into Darkfeather and Starlingpaw on our way back to camp." Daykit informed her mother with a soft purr and an excited flick of her tail.
Silkshade gave an amused purr as she finished cleaning off the dirt and mud from Daykit's pelt.
"Don't forget you two that later at dusk Rosestar is holding your apprentice ceremonies," the silver and black dappled queen reminded them with a flick of her tail. "So there will be no crazy antics until after the ceremony, do you understand?"
Daykit and Nightkit both nodded their heads in understanding.
"Yes Silkshade!" they replied in unison. "We promise not to get dirty!"
Silkshade chuckled in amazement and twitched her whiskers. "Go on and play you two, I'll let you know when it's time for the ceremony."
The two kits nodded and quickly dashed out of the den, heading outside to play until sundown.
•••
"All cats old enough to climb a tree, join beneath Highrock for a BreezeClan meeting!" Rosestar's mew rang across the BreezeClan camp.
At the BreezeClan leader's summoning meow, cats began emerging from their dens and trotted over to sit around the Highrock to see what was happening.
"Noble cats of BreezeClan! We gather here today for one of our most important announcements. The making of new apprentices!" Rosestar yowled. Nightkit squealed excitedly from beside her, and Daykit bumped her flank playfully. Rosestar looked down at the two bouncing kits.
"Daykit and Nightkit, please step up to Highrock." She mewed. Daykit dashed up to the top, trying to be in the front, but Nightkit was faster than her and beat her to the top. Rosestar glanced down at the impatient Nightkit. She smiled at her large leaf-green eyes, which were widened in both nervousness and excitement.
"Nightkit, do you promise to listen to your mentor and uphold the warrior code?"
"I do," Rosestar smiled down at the sleek-furred jet-black she-kit.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, until this kit has become a warrior, she shall be known as Nightpaw. Dapplewing will be your mentor. Dapplewing, you are quick-witted and brave. I hope you will pass your skills onto Nightpaw." The brown-and-white tortoiseshell she-cat dipped her head gratefully.
"I promise to teach this fine young cat all I know." She padded up to Highrock and tapped noses with Nightpaw.
Rosestar then turned her attention to the fluffy white she-kit.
"Daykit, do you promise to listen to your mentor and uphold the warrior code?" she repeated. Daykit nodded.
"Yes, I promise," Daypaw meowed, her silky white fur fluffed up in excitement and her blue eyes shimmering with anticipation.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, until this kit has earned her warrior name, she shall be called Daypaw. Firefang will be your mentor. Firefang, you are kind-hearted and playful, I trust that you will train Daypaw well." Rosestar mewed proudly.
Firefang smiled and dipped her head in gratitude. The ginger-furred she-cat smiled kindly as she patted over to the base of Highrock and touched noses with Daypaw.
She looked up and nodded to Rosestar. "I promise to teach Daypaw everything that I know," she meowed proudly.
"Nightpaw! Daypaw! Nightpaw! Daypaw!" the BreezeClan cats cheered, yowling their joy to Silverpelt as they did so.
"Clan meeting dismissed!" Rosestar yowled, leaping down from the Highrock and parting toward the nursery to check on her friend and her kits.
After the excitement had finally died down somewhat, Firefang patted over toward her apprentice and tapped her lightly on the shoulder with her fluffy ginger tail.
"Come along Daypaw," Firefang meowed, flicking her tail and patting out of camp. "I'm going to show you our territory."
The smaller she-cat smiled and bounded eagerly after her mentor.
•••
"And this is the gathering place where all four Clans gather for one night of peace, and the truce last's for as long as the moon is full." Daypaw nodded, her stormy blue eyes widened in aw as she took in her surroundings.
The Gathering place was in the center of the four Clans. It was surrounded by one oak tree for BreezeClan, a misty pine tree for MistClan, an iceberg for IceClan, and a small rocky hill for StormClan. At the center, a big ancient birch tree sat there, with spots for all the leaders and deputies to sit.
"Wow! This place is so beautiful!" Daypaw exclaimed, her fur fluffed up in excitement as she turned to face Firefang.
"When is the next gathering?" she asked, her blue eyes wide as she continued to stare at the BirchTree that was perched dead smack in the center of the clearing.
Firefang purred and twitched her whiskers. "The next Gathering will be held at the next full moon, which is in two sunrises from now if I recall correctly."
"Will we see the Thunderpath?" Daypaw asked as the two cats made their way back to the BreezeClan camp.
Firefang laughed and playfully cuffed one of her apprentice's ears with a paw. "We can if you really want to," she meowed with an amused purr.
Daypaw grinned and nodded her head. "Yes of course I want to!" she meowed cheerfully.
Firefang laughed again and they turned to the left of the gorse tunnel. "Ok, if you say so you crazy little apprentice!" she joked, smiling and shaking her head in amusement.
•••
it was nearly sundown by the time the two BreezeClan cats had finally returned to camp.
Firefang purred softly and stared down at her apprentice with a warm smile. "You've done really well today, Daypaw." She meowed, flicking one of her apprentice's ears with her tail.
Daypaw smiled tiredly up at her mentor, her blue eyes glowing like sapphires in the pinkish sundown light.
"Um hey, Firefang?" Daypaw meowed in a soft voice. "Is it alright with you if I go join my sister near the apprentice den?"
"It's okay, you've been working hard. It's sundown, go share tongues with your clanmates." She meowed. Daypaw dipped her head politely and dashed away, giving a quick nod of her head to her mentor as she left.
Daypaw walked over to the fresh-kill pile to choose a fat red robin. She was patting over to sit with her sister, who had just gotten back from her first day of training.
"Heya, Daypaw!" Nightpaw and Dreampaw both meowed at the same time.
Daypaw laughed and twitched an ear. "Hey yourself!" the white-furred she-cat purred back with a teasing grin and an amused twitch of her whiskers.
"So, Daypaw, tell me! How did your first day as an apprentice turn out?" she mewed in a friendly tone.
Daypaw replied with a small smile. "It was absolutely amazing!" she purred, twitching her tail from left to right in excitement.
After a short pause, Daypaw continued speaking with an excited wave of her tail. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you guys that Firefang took me out of camp and showed me the territory."
Dreampaw had just opened her mouth to start saying something when another voice joined in the conversation.
It was Scorchpaw, one of the older apprentice's and one of Birchpaw's littermates.
"How did you like seeing our super cool territory? Wasn't it great?" Scorchpaw chimed in, her red-and-brown fur fluffed up and her blue eyes gleaming.
Daypaw grinned widely, her white fur fluffed up and her blue eyes shimmering with both amazement and aw. "It was absolutely awesome!" she exclaimed cheerfully.