>Leaftail/paw pic is on the side
****6 moons later****
"Mother, are you finished yet?" Leafkit asked as Hollypelt's tongue rasped around her ears and down her neck.
"Stop asking, Leafkit," her mother scolded. "You can't go to your apprentice ceremony looking as if you have just fought with a badger!"
"As if she can fight with a badger!" Leafkit's sister, Blossomkit, taunted her. "I bet she can't even catch a small pitiful mouse!"
"Of course I can!" Leafkit replied back. "I can even fight with a twoleg!"
"Down, down dears. It's almost time for your apprentice ceremony," Hollypelt confronted the two kits.
Petalkit glanced over her shoulders from where she was crouched at the entrance to the nursery. "A lot of cats are gathering there already!" she reported, her voice quivering with excitement. "It seems like the whole clan will come and see us become apprentices!"
"It won't be long," the gentle voice came from Mouseclaw. Mouseclaw had been there when Leafkit and her littermates were born so Leafkit liked her very much. She also knew that Mouseclaw will never become a warrior; she stayed in the nursery to help each new queen with her kits.
Mouseclaw was now helping Sunpool with her three newborn kits: Bluekit, Curlkit and Fernkit. The kits were all toms and they were very adorable. Was I adorable when I was born? Leafkit asked herself whenever she looked at the three little, defendless kits.
"Are you coming to see us made apprentices?" Brownkit asked Sunpool and Mouseclaw.
"Of course," Sunpool and Mouseclaw replied together. "And I'll bring the kits too. They seems to be active enough," Sunpool added as she glanced at the three kits who were playing.
Leafkit let out a whoop of delight. "Hey, Blossomkit, who do you think will our mentor?" Blossomkit shrugged her shoulders and meowed, "I just hope that he or she will be very experienced and knows a lot about herbs."
"Why?" Leafkit asked back.
"Because I am always fascinated about herbs!" Blossomkit replied.
Before Leafkit could answer, Greenstar appeared beneath the tallest pine tree and his voice echoed through the whole Clan. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the tallest pine tree for a clan meeting."
Leafkit's heart beated against her ribcage. I can't believe I'm going to be an apprentice today! She was about to bounce out into the clearing but was stopped by her mother's tail.
"Wait, your father is not here yet," Hollypelt meowed. "And I want you to walk out like a sensible apprentice and not a kit who doesn't know how to behave!"
Leafkit nodded her head, trying not to bounce up and down on excitement.
Finally, Grassclaw appeared at the entrance to the nursery, looking at his kits with proud eyes. "Come on, the clan is waiting for you," he told them.
Leafkit and her littermates sprang to their paws while Hollypelt came to join them. By this time, the whole of Plantclan had already gathered beneath the tallest pine tree. Leafkit felt many pairs of eyes looking at her as she padded out of the nursery beside her littermates with her father and mother following behind. She could see that Sunpool and her kits with Mouseclaw had just sat down outside the entrance.
Leafkit heart was palpitating as fast as a mouse's heart but she kept her face and tail held high.
"I have called you together for one of the most important ceremony in the life of a clan," Greenstar began."Leafkit, Blossomkit, Petalkit and Brownkit has reach their sixth moon and it's time for them to become apprentices." He beckoned the almost-apprentice with his tail. "Come forward." Leafkit immediately walked slowly forward.
"Leafkit," Greenstar moewed. "From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Leafpaw."
"Leafpaw! Leafpaw!" the voices of her clanmates rang out, making her blushed.
"Starclan, I ask you to guide this new apprentice,"Greenstar said, grazing up at the sky. "Set her paws she must follow to become a warrior."
Leafpaw looked at the sky and thought, Starclan, please do guide me.
"Woodpool," Greenstar flicked his tail at the dark brown warrior who was crouched near the trunk of the tree. " You will be mentor to Leafpaw. Your experience and battle skills are the best in the clan. I know that you will pass these qualities on to Leafpaw."
Oh my gosh! Woodpool! Leafpaw thought as she glanced at the tom. He's awesome! We will definitely make a great team!
She padded towards him and looked at his unusually purple eyes.
"I'll do my best," she promised him.
"I knew it," Woodpool answered. "Let's work together."
Leafpaw stood proudly next to Woodpool as she listened to Greenstar. "Blossomkit," Greenstar meowed "From this day-" However, he was cut off by the medicine cat, Littleclaw.
Sorry to interrupt, Greenstar, but I have an omen," he meowed.
"Continue," Greenstar replied.
"The omen says that Blossomkit should train to be a medicine cat," Littleclaw said. Several shocked murmurs could be heard in the crowd.
"Well then," Greenstar continued. "Blossomkit, will you like to become a medicine cat?"
"Actually, I'm always very interested about herbs," Blossomkit replied. "And that will be a yes, Greenstar."
"Then, Blossomkit," Greenstar meowed. "From this day until you receive your medicine cat name, you will be called Blossompaw." Leafpaw could see Blossompaw blushed.
"Littleclaw, you will be mentor to Blossompaw. The medicine cat ceremony will be held at the next meeting with the other medicine cats." Greenstar meowed.
"Blossompaw! Blossompaw!" Leafpaw could hear the clan shout and she joined in.
Then, Leafpaw listened as Greenstar repeated the ceremony for her two other littermates. Petalpaw's mentor was Cinderleg and Brownpaw's mentor was Flowerclaw.
"Leafpaw! Blossompaw! Petalpaw! Brownpaw!" the clan shouted as they crowded around the four newly apprenticed cat to congratulate them.
Leafpaw waited patiently for the crowd to disperse before she asked Woodpool,"What do you want me to do now?"
"Nothing special I guess," Woodpool replied. "I'll take you around the clan's border so that next time you will not trespass into Waterclan's territory." Leafpaw nodded her head in delight.
"Now I can explore!" she said excitedly.
Leafpaw then followed Woodpool as he headed north, outside the pine trees to a place where there are no trees. Leafpaw felt insecure that there were no trees to hide when there was danger.
As if listening to her thoughts, Woodpool meowed, "You will get used to it before you know it." I hope so. Leafpaw thought as she plodded faster towards Woodpool.
Finally, they reached the river. Sparkling, clear water rushed across the bank. Leafpaw shivered when she thought what would happen if she had fallen in.
"This river marks our border," Woodpool explained. "Over the river is Waterclan territory. Never go there unless you need to." Leafpaw looked ahead to Waterclan territory. There were only a few trees there. I wonder how Waterclan cats live there if there are no trees. She thought. Then, Woodpool urged her to follow him along the river until they reached a place that had three gigantic stones stucked together in such a way that it made a sheltered area. The huge stone which was on top of the other two stones had a hole in it so cats could see the sky and Starclan. "What is this place?" Leafpaw asked as she stared at the stones in awe.
"These are the flat-stones," Woodpool replied. "It is the only place where both Plantclan's and Waterclan's territory meet. We hold our gatherings here to discuss about stuff."
"Then when will I get to go to a gathering?"
"You will have your chance soon," Woodpool answered.
Woodpool then headed south. Leafpaw broke into a run when Woodpool started running too. Within minutes, they were surrounded by trees. Leafpaw noticed that the trees looked and smelt different from the pine trees near the camp. Taking in a deep breath, Leafpaw's mouth watered when she smelt a strong scent of squirrel. She imagined herself digging into the warm and juicy flesh and crunching the bones.
"Uh Woodpool, when will you teach me how to hunt?" Leafpaw asked as she realised that she was starving. Her stomach felt like it had been clawed out by a badger.
"It's about time. We will start when we finish this," Woodpool meowed. "Now, we are heading towards the stone place. There, you will how experts hunt rabbits." Leafpaw's heart pulpitated wildly as she thought of sinking her teeth into a juicy prey.
Eventually, they reached the stone place. "Take in a deep breath, Woodpool instructed. "What can you smell?"
"I smell rabbit. The scent is very strong." Leafpaw replied.
"Good job, Leafpaw," Woodpool mewed. "I just know that you will become a great warrior. Now, I need you to find that rabbit." Leafpaw nodded and followed the scent and crawled towards the larger stones. Woodpool followed behind.
"There it is," Leafpaw meowed proudly when she saw the fat rabbit.
"Good," Woodpool commented. "Now watch."
Woodpool dropped into a crouch and whispered to Leafpaw," This is call a warrior's crouch. I'll teach you that later." Without listening to Leafpaw's reply, Woodpool sprang and caught hold of the rabbit. With a bite on its neck, the rabbit went limp.
"See, it's very easy," Woodpool said as he held the rabbit's body up. "Now, let's head back to the camp and put this on the freshkill pile."
Finally, they reached the camp. Woodpool placed the rabbit on the freshkill pile. "Okay, now let's begin training," Woodpool said. However, he was suddenly interrupted by Greenstar.
"Woodpool, meet me in my den immediately," Greenstar said before heading back to his den. Woodpool nodded and glanced at Leafpaw. "Go and call Cinderleg and Petalpaw," Woodpool said. "Meet me at the training place in ten minutes."
"Okay!" Leafpaw mewed as she scampered off to tell Cinderleg.