Heartstorm jolted awake. He leapt to his feet and lashed out his tail excitedly. Outside, the birds hadn't started to sing yet and the sun was only beginning to rise. Only a few cats were starting to stir, getting ready for the first dawn patrols of the day. Heartstorm though, had other things in mind, like his kits. His kits! They were six moons old today! Heartstorm ran over to Eelfrost's nest and nudged him. Eelfrost groaned and turned away. Heartstorm sighed and prodded Deerflame instead. She blinked her eyes open. 

           "Oh hi Heartstorm," she mumbled. 

           "They're going to be apprentices!" Heartstorm whispered loudly. Deerflame smiled and slowly got up. 

           "I know," she mumbled. "I'm really glad." 

           "See you later!" cried Heartstorm, rushing out of the den. He wanted to shout to everybody. He rushed to the nursery and he was surprised to see that it was already lively. Brightkit burst out before Heartstorm could enter. She was a little bundle of excitement and joy. She smiled at Heartstorm. Her head reached his shoulder and she was lean. 

             "We're becoming apprentices today!" Brightkit exclaimed. Heartstorm grinned. 

            "I know!" He cried. "You're six moons old!" He licked Brightkit lovingly. She rushed off to the elders den. Heartstorm slipped into the nursery. Cloudbreeze was already there with Acornheart. He spotted Silverdrop talking to Bumblekit who had a frown on his face. Heartstorm bent down behind his kit and prodded him. 

            "You're becoming an apprentice!" he said. Bumblekit nodded. 

            "I know," he mumbled. 

            "He's nervous," Silverdrop explained. "Don't be. You don't have anything to worry about." 

          "Do I have to say anything?" asked Bumblekit worriedly. "What if I don't know the answer." 

           "I don't think there will be questions " reassured Heartstorm. "But if there are, I know you will be able to answer them." 

            "There might be questions?" asked Bumblekit, his eyes wide. Silverdrop rolled her eyes but gave Bumblekit a loving lick. 

             "You can do it. I don't know how medicine cat apprentice cermonies go...," Silverdrop said. 

             "I can do it I can do it I can do it," repeated Bumblekit. Heatherkit rushed to him. 

             "I'm so excited," cried Heatherkit.          

           "I know, it's a big day and Bumblekit..., stop it," Heartstorm sighed. "Don't be so nervous. It'll be fine. You're supposed to be celebrating like your sister." 

             "Yeah," added Daisykit, padding over. "We were supposed to be apprentices yesterday. But we had to wait to become apprentices with you and Brightkit." 

             "When will be the ceremony?" asked Heatherkit to her mother. 

            "I don't know. In the afternoon, I expect," Acornheart said. 

             "Yes Bumblekit, you have plenty of time till then," assured Silverdrop. 

            "Afternoon...," mumbled Bumblekit. 

              "Come on," Heartstorm told Bumblekit. "You should be really excited. You're going to see RiverClan territory. You'll get to go out of camp for the first time." 

               "I suppose that would be fun," Bumblekit shrugged. "There must be loads of plants and animals I could see that aren't in camp."

              "Yes yes, think of all the new things you're going to see!" pushed Heartstorm. Eelfrost burst into the nursery. 

              "Bumblekit and Brightkit! You're going to be apprentices!" he yelled. Acornheart raised her eyebrow and Cloudbreeze took a step back. Heartstorm burst out laughing and trotted over to his best friend. 

               "Finally woke up, eh?" he teased. 

               "Of course, it's your kits' special day," Eelfrost said, nudging Bumblekit happily. Daisykit and Heatherkit looked up at him, their brows furrowed. 

               "Oh and you guys are becoming apprentices as well!" Eelfrost added. "Happy for you." Silverdrop chuckled.   

                "I'll be going back to the warrior's den. I hope my nest is still there," Silverdrop said. 

                "Nope, I took it," Eelfrost joked. 

                "Don't worry, I made sure it was safe," smiled Heartstorm. Blacktail poked her head into the nursery. 

               "Oh there you are. Can you both come on a hunting patrol with us, please?" asked Blacktail. Eelfrost nodded and trotted after her. Heartstorm gave Bumblekit a quick lick on the head. 

              "Don't get worked up, ok?" He told his kit and padded after Blacktail and Eelfrost. 

Heartstorm dug his teeth into a plump mouse. He finished it quickly, savouring its sweet juicy taste. He licked his lips. 

             "Mmm, haven't had a fat mouse in seasons," Heartstorm said. Eelfrost nodded enthusiastically, just finishing his vole. They had had the best hunting patrol since leaf-bare had begun. They had even found a nest of pigeons. 

              "Hey," Eelfrost cried, flicking his tail towards the High Rock. "Reedstar's climbing up." Heartstorm's eyes widened. He sprang to his feet and raced to the nursery. Silverdrop had forced the kits to have a nap as they had spent their whole day being excited and talking to other cats. She wanted them alert and wide awake for their ceremony. Silverdrop prodded the kits awake and they trotted outside. Silverdrop licked Bumblekit clean of sand while Heartstorm forced Brightkit to keep still. He flattened the fur behind her ears and tried to groom her messy fur. 

             "What have you done to yourself?" he muttered. 

             "Thornstar and I fought in a thorn bush," declared Brightkit proudly. Heartstorm rolled his eyes. It was just before afternoon and cats were all getting up to see what was going on. Acornheart was grooming Daisykit and Cloudbreeze was calming a jittery Heatherkit. Bumblekit looked at Heatherkit. 

               "Don't worry, you're going to do great," he said. Heatherkit smiled and wiggled her tail. 

              "Thanks," she said. Then Reedstar called the Clan gathering. Every cat gathered below the High Rock. Heartstorm finished grooming Brighkit. He couldn't help but feel so overwhelmed and as excited as Brightkit. He was almost as nervous as Bumblekit and he felt so many different emotions bubbling inside him. 

               "Daisykit, Heatherkit, Bumblekit, Brightkit, come up," Reedstar ordered. Brightkit leapt to her feet and marched towards the High Rock, head held high. Heartstorm bit his tongue, feeling so proud. Bumblekit glanced back at Silverdrop and Heartstorm. They nodded to him encouragingly. They joined Reedstar at the High Rock. Heartstorm watched them feeling like the proudest cat on earth. He wanted to jump up and say "those are my kits!". He watched them standing there and thought about how big they were. They were going to become the best apprentices ever.

              "I can't believe it..," whispered Heartstorm. "They're really going to be apprentices." Reedstar recited the words to become an apprentice to Heatherkit and Daisykit first as they were older. Heartstorm's eyes widened and grinned happily when Reedstar announced that Daisypaw's mentor would be Deerflame. Deerflame beamed proudly and touched noses with Daisypaw. Heatherpaw's mentor was Smallear and they touched noses. Heartstorm spotted Cloudbreeze and Acornheart standing proudly, twirling tails. Then it was Brightkit and Bumblekit's turn. 

               "Brightkit, 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 Brightpaw. Your mentor will be Eelfrost. I hope Eelfrost will pass down all he knows on to you," declared Reedstar grandly. Heartstorm's breath caught. Eelfrost was Brightkit's mentor! He felt the need to jump up in the air and whoop. 

               "Eelfrost, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Beestripe, and you have shown yourself to be a great warrior and very enthusiastic. You will be the mentor of Brightpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her," continued Reedstar. He beamed non- stop as he watched Brightpaw, his kit, touch noses with Eelfrost. Brightpaw was an apprentice. Heartstorm smiled at Brightpaw. She caught his eye and winked. Heartstorm chuckled. Then it was Bumblekit's turn.

                 They're apprentices!" cried Silverdrop excitedly. "our kits are apprentices!"

             "I know!" exclaimed Heartstorm, giving Silverdrop a quick excited lick. 

              "Heatherpaw! Daisypaw!" chanted the Clan. "Bumblepaw! Brightpaw!" The yowls and cheers echoed as the apprentices leapt off the Rock. Heartstorm and Silverdrop joined in with the chants. 

              "BRIGHTPAW! BUMBLEPAW!" bellowed Heartstorm. Silverdrop giggled. "What?" 

              "You're so cute," shrugged Silverdrop with a cheeky smile. Heartstorm pushed through the crowds until he found his kits. Everybody was congratulating them. Heartstorm was so happy to see everybody being so warm to his kits. He reached them and nuzzled them affectionately. 

             "You guys are apprentices!" he told them excitedly. "I'm so proud of you." 

            "Thanks," smiled Bumblepaw. "It wasn't too bad." Frogleap appeared and flicked his tail. 

            "Let's go," he said. Bumblepaw's eyes widened. 

             "We're going to see the territory?" he asked. 

             "Yes," nodded Frogleap. Bumblepaw grinned and ran after Frogleap. Brightpaw joined Eelfrost after a while. 

                "Hey Eelfrost," grinned Heartstorm joining them. "I'm so glad you're her mentor." 

               "'Course, I'm the best," smiled Eelfrost then motioned to the camp entrance. "Let's go see RiverClan, eh?" Brightpaw trotted after him excitedly. 

              "I bet it's ten times bigger than camp," she exclaimed. 

                "Nah, more like twenty," Eelfrost said back. Soon, all the apprentices had gone with their mentors and the crowd dissipated. Silverdrop joined Heartstorm's side. He watched Brightpaw disappear, exiting camp for the first time. 

                "I can't believe this. They're so big so quickly," muttered Heartstorm to Silverdrop. He suddenly felt slightly sad. His kits were gone. They were now exploring RiverClan. They weren't going to be tiny kits that needed protecting forever. 

                "Hey, are you sad?" Silverdrop questioned, running her tail along his side. 

               "I don't know.... I should be happy. I'm so happy...., but they're- they're gone.. I mean, now they're going to be doing apprentice things we won't see them as much," Heartstorm shrugged. 

                "Come on, we should take a walk. You'll be seeing a lot more of me now that I'm a warrior again," Silverdrop said then seeing Heartstorm's still sad face. "Don't worry. Your kits won't forget you. You're still their father, their parent. You always will be."