I pounced so fast and so hard that Shakekit didn't see me coming. I added a suspicious growl which alarmed him that I was coming at the last moment. I had my paws outstretched and my tail curled in for the pin and he flipped on his back and rolled out of the way. I landed flat of my face and got sand and rocks in my eyes.

"Next time try to pin me," Shakekit sneered.

"I would have if I wouldn't have made the mistake of growling," he narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, that was the mistake," he said with an amused tone.

I turned my back on him and frowned. My mother, Swiftstar, came up behind me and comforted me.

"He is just playing, little one," She said reassuringly.

"Yeah, right. My siblings hate me," I said, bowing my head.

"Yep. They do," She mewed.

"Hey!"

"I was kidding. They love you," She walked off.

Riverkit woke me up the next morning for a play fight that sent me to the Medicine Cat. We were all playing RiverClan Invaders and Shakekit was RiverClan leader, Icestar. I was playing as Swiftstar. Shakekit pounced on me with his claws out and raked them down my back. I yowled and ran to Swiftstar. She looked at the scratches and said," Go see Sunlight."

I padded to the den and met Sunlight at the entrance.

"Oh, that must have hurt, Autumnkit," Sunlight fussed.

"It did," I mewed as she put poultice on my scratches.

I left her when it was poulticed and dry. I ran back over to my siblings and Shakekit snickered," Back for more, runt?"

"Im just as big as you, mouse-brain," I said, acting defensive.

"Ugh! Come Riverkit," he mewed walking off. Riverkit stayed," He's a fluff-brain." She rubbed her muzzle in my fur and said," Forget him."

'When will I become and apprentice?' I thought. I was pacing outside of the nursery when I heard a screech outside in the forest. It sounded like Shakekit. 'No, it can't be him,' I thought pacing even faster. I looked around and when no one was looking I shot out of the camp and followed the screeches. I stopped dead in my tracks. "Shakekit!" I ran towards him. He was lying motionless with Riverkit standing over him.

Riverkit looked at me then at his blood-stained fur," He's dead." I thrust my nose into his fur.

"He can't be!" She shook her head and cried," We were attacked by rouges. He gave his life to save me." I picked up the smell of the rouges and Shakekit's blood. I snarled in rage.

"Lets carry him back," I mewed.

"No. We should leave him and let a patrol find him. We won't get in trouble if we go back and let them find him," Her voice was trembling and she was breathing quickly.

"Lets go back then," I mewed.

We got back with out any one seeing us. Swiftstar was asleep. I curled next to her and said," Shakekit is dead." She didn't hear me. She was in too deep a sleep. Riverkit laid her tail on my shoulder and said," It will be ok." I shook my head and said," He won't become an apprentice with us. He won't get his warrior name with us. He won't be with us!" She laid next to me and said," He is with us."

The next morning, Swiftstar woke us up and mewed," Shakekit died." I already knew but I acted surprised and the thought of it sickened me. I ran out of the nursery where his broken, bloody body lay motionless in the middle of camp. I lay by his body all day until they took him to be buried. I was quiet. Afraid. Swiftstar looked at me affectionately. "Autumnkit?" She got my attention. "What?" I mewed, my voice quivering.

"Your seven moons. I think your ready to be an apprentice," She was clawing at a piece of grass waiting for my reaction.

"What about Shakekit?"

"Shakekit's dead," she whispered.

I nodded and said," It doesn't feel like it." She bowed her head.

"He's in our hearts." She walked off and jumped on the SkyRock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the SkyRock for a clan meeting!" She yowled and cats started appearing from their dens and out of the training clearing. I looked around frighteningly and stood right next to the SkyRock with Riverkit. She looked excited, as for me, I was terrified. I felt Alone without Shakekit next to me too.

"There are two kits that I think need to be apprentices, Autumnkit and Riverkit. Do you two promise to learn wisely and strongly the ways of a warrior?"

"I do," Riverkit and I said in sync.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, you two will know longer be known as Riverkit and Autumnkit. Raindapple will be Autumnpaw's mentor and Nightfur will be Riverpaw's mentor. May StarClan light your path, apprentices," she jumped off the SkyRock and I met the handsome Raindapple at the base. He greeted me by touching his nose with mine. It felt like a bolt of lightning. He smirked.

"What are we doing first?" I mewed. He gave me a thoughtful look.

"Tour the territory?" I jumped excitedly.

"Ok," we walked out of the camp together, side by side.