A large white-gray tom launched himself at his golden brother. "Leave our territory you Deltaclan scum!" He yowled with delight, exhilarated at the thought of defending his territory.

"Never! I, Lionstar of Deltaclan, shall rule!" His brother, Lionkit, cried, his chest puffed out and his tail and ears erect.

"Not when I, Froststar of Stormclan, and my trusty deputy, Rainclaw will chase Deltaclan cats back to the Nursery!" He bared his teeth, "Leave now or I will rip your pelt off!" He demanded, tail lashing.

Lionkit opened his mouth to retort, but he was cut off by the annoyed mew of a black tom. "Kits! Learn to be quiet, a senior warrior needs his sleep you know." Crookedheart, the aforementioned black tom, padded towards them, his blue eyes ice cold.

Ears drooping, Frostkit looked at the senior warrior guilty, as he knew the tom had been hunting all day and deserved to rest. "Sorry Crookedheart..." He muttered, forepaws shuffling. Lionkit, who wasn't so polite snorted.

"If you're so old why don't you go join the elders?" Lionkit spat, glaring at the warrior.

Crookedheart growled, his large teeth bared he leaped, pinning Lionkit down, getting in his face. "Learn some respect or I'll force you to." He said calmly through bared teeth, then simply left, his flicking tail only showing his agitation.

"Mouse-brain! He could have killed you easily!" Rainkit, his youngest brother and a gray tabby, cried, his eyes wide.

Lionkit got up, his eyes daze and a mystified expression on his face, trembling.

"You should have known better Lionkit," A gray tabby she-cat padded up to them, their mother, Riverice.

Realizing his mother had been watching made Frostkits fur hot, "Picking fights with senior warriors, who have been here longer than you and know allot more, isn't going to make you an apprentice anytime soon!" She mewed sternly, scolding the golden tabby.

Lionkit nodded, "I'm sorry Riverice." He murmured softly, ashamed of his behavior.

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to, Crookedheart is due for one wouldn't you say?" Riverice nosed the tom towards the black tom, following as the duo slinked away.

"We were just playing!" Frostkit growled, clawing the ground, "It's boring in the Nursery there's nothing to do!"

"Or maybe clan life doesn't suit a rogue like you!" A russet tom padded forward, a smug expression on his face.

Frostkit whipped around, snarling, "What did you say?" He growled, his eyes full of rage.

Hawkkit smirked, his amber eyes filled with false pity, "Poor us, having to deal with pure blood rogues. I don't know what Brackenstar was thinking all those seasons ago, letting rogues stay in our great clan!" He shook his head, "Everyone knows you aren't loyal, why don't you just turn and run through those brambles?" He taunted, wanting a reaction from the tom.

His pelt flaring up in rage, his unusually large claws sliding out on the frosted ground, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"Come at me rogue, let's see just how strong and mighty you are, you probably fight like a kittypet!" Hawkkit crouched in a fighting stance.

Tensing his muscles, Frostkit was about to lunge when an irritated growl sounded, "Hawkkit stop taunting Frostkit right now!" Eagletalon, the russet tom's father, charged over to his kit, cuffing his ear. "You continually try to get a rise out of him and I will not stand for it! Don't forget that it was Iceheart that leaped to my defense in the battle against Deltaclan."

Hawkkit rubbed his ear, looking down, "I know it was Iceheart that defended you, but you could've defeated Oaksplash yourself! Right?" Hawkkit glared at his father, "Of course-"

"No, he couldn't of." A golden tabby padded forward, his amber eyes serious. "I was in the battle, had Iceheart not launched himself at Oaksplash your father would have severed much worse than a torn ear and a clawed muzzle." Sunfur, the deputy, said, his deep voice rumbling.

Blinking, Hawkkits ears drooped, "B-but Eagletalon is supposed to be the greatest warrior in the clan."

"Your father is a fantastic warrior, but he chose to face a fresh cat when he was tired. It was a battle that he needed help with. A good warrior fights a battle besides his clan, but a great warrior fights a battle with his clan." Sunfur said, his eyes gleaming.

Frostkit had heard the old saying before, but he was still pondering what it meant. He glanced at Hawkkit, who looked confused, "Huh?" He asked, making the golden tom chuckle.

"You'll learn in time young warrior." He purred, turning with a flick of his tail, "Come now Eagletalon, are you fit enough to hunt?"

"Of course! Little wounds like these would never stop me from providing for my clan! It's leaf-bare, every morsel is.." His voice trailed off as he padded out of earshot.

Frostkit felt a stab of pride, knowing that his father defended such a respectable and honorable cat. Looking at Hawkkit, he had a hard time figuring out how such a cocky and stuck up furball like him was kin to Eagletalon.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath HighRock for a meeting!" Graystars yowl surprised the gray tom, making him turn.

Slowly cats began to flood the clearing, gathering under the stone that doubled as the leaders den and a place to meet.

"What's happening?" Frostkit asked his mother as she padded out with his two brothers.

"You'll see." Riverice purred, her eyes glowing.

Frostkit padded forward, sitting next to his mother, he glanced besides him, looking at Stormykit whose eyes were shining, and sighed. Nettletail was sitting behind Stormykit, looking up at the leader.

Hawkkit looked up, excitement in his eyes, making Frostkit feel a pang of irritation.

'It seems like everyone but me knows what's going on... Except me." He thought, ears drooping.

 Suddenly a familiar scent washed over him. 

He looked up, seeing Foxkit, Dawnkit, and Mousekit walking forward fur smoothed and shining, as well as their eyes. 

Realization hit him like a brick, "They're getting made apprentices!" He cried, excitement making his paws itch. 

"Yes, yes, now calm you're fur." Riverice licked his ear, trying to contain the overexcited kit. 

"As you know, it's leaf-bare, more than ever, we need warriors, I am proud to name these three kits, who are now six moons old and on their way to becoming great warriors. Mousekit come forward," She called the brown tom, who excitedly lunged forward, "Iceheart, you are long overdue for an apprentice, Ivytail taught you well, and you will be mentor to Mousepaw. I trust you will pass on to him your great skill in battle and fierce loyalty to your Clan." 

'Iceheart will be the best mentor!' Frostkit thought, happy for his father.

"Thank you Graystar, I will pour my heart into his training, so that he may be the best he can." Iceheart purred, not trying to hide his gratitude. 

Mousepaw padded forward, looking up at Iceheart, his amber eyes wide. 

"Calm down, I promise I won't eat you." Iceheart chuckled softly.

His words made Mousepaw relax and touch noses with the tom. The two withdrew behind the the apprentice-to-be's. 

"Dawnkit, come forward," she beckoned the pale gray tabby, "Thunderheart, it is time for you to have another apprentice, you mentored Longclaw well and Crookedheart taught you well, and you will be mentor to Dawnpaw. I trust you will pass on to her your hunting skill and battle skill." 

Dawnpaw padded forward, touching her nose with Thunderheart.

Out of the corner of his eye, Frostkit saw Stormypaw smile, 'Thunderhearts her father! She must be happy.' 

They two padded behind the last standing kit, who looked up, her ginger pelt shining in the sun.

"Foxkit come forward," Instantly the she-cat padded forward, "Silverwind, you are due for an apprentice, though you haven't been a warrior long, only two moons, I have kept an eye on you and I am positive that you are ready for an apprentice, you will be mentor to Foxpaw. I trust you will pass on your quick thinking and bravery." Graystar finished, watching as the two pressed noses.

"Dawnpaw! Mousepaw! Foxpaw!" Every cat in the clan cried, greeting the new apprentices. 

"As you also know, Bluepaw, Tigerpaw, and Dogpaw have finished there warrior assessments. Now the only challenge is traveling to the Moonstone to speak to Starclan. I trust that all mentors believe that their apprentices are worthy to be full warriors of Stormclan?"

Featherfur, Goldenspruce, and Longclaw nodded, looking at the apprentices with pride. 

"Then you will take a trip to Highstones tonight, and return in the morning." Graystar jumped down, her eyes glowing. 

"Next is us! Only three moons away!" Lionkit cried, his green eyes wide with excitement. 

Rainkit smiled but he didn't look as excited as Lionkit, actually he looked sorta nervous.

"You okay Rainkit?" Frostkit asked him, his ice blue eyes regarding his brother with concern.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine, I'm just.. nervous for the new apprentices! That's all." 

'If he thinks I bought a scrap of that fox-dung he's more mouse-brained then Lionkit!' Frostkit opened his mouth to pry but a wail cut him off. 

He looked up, seeing Eagletalon, his jaws firmly holding a limp golden tabby.

Graystar ears drooped slightly, her expression appalled. "What has happened?"

Eagletalon laid the fallen warrior down, his eyes filled with sorrow, "I couldn't save him.. Marshclan ambused us at the border. We were outnumbered, forced to retreat." Eagletalons ears fell against his head, "I'm sorry." 

Frostkit looked at the rest of the patrol, all were injured in some way or form but all looked furious. 

Graystar sighed then looked at the sky, "I say these words before Starclan, so that Sunfur may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of Stormclan is," All cats were still. "Eagletalon." 

Sandycloud, Eagletalons mate, rushed forward, pressing her nose to his. "I'm so proud of you." She purred, burying her face in his neck fur. Eagletalon purred softly, licking his mates ear then straightened up, "Thank you Graystar, I know I have great paw steps to fulfill but I will try my best." 

"That's the only thing I expect of you Eagletalon." Graystar nodded briskly, "We will mourn and bury his body at sundown, before the patrol leaves for Highstones." She announced.

Frostkit looked around noticing the sun was going down. 

Seeing Graystar, Eagletalon, and Iceheart gather around Sunfurs body, Frostkit got up and tried to approach them only to have a big black  paw stop him.

Looking up, he saw Crookedhearts face, but it lacked it's normal malice, "You don't want to see him Frostkit.. Not like this." He murmured gently, nudging the tom away with his nose. 

Frostkits ears fell and he looked over at the mourning cats, catching a glimpse of golden fur, 'Good-bye Sunfur.. I'll miss you.' 

Turning, he looked at Riverice, who was smiling gently. 

He padded over to her, "Why did Starclan take such a respected cat?" He asked softly, sadness stabbing his heart. 

"Starclan wanted him with them, he was getting old, he was probably going to the elders den soon." Riverice licked between his ears gently, "Come now, it's late. Tigerpaw brought us a nice and juicy mouse, lets eat then rest." 

At the mention of sleep, a wave of exhaustion washed over the tom, making him yawn, "Okay.." He murmured. 

Following his mother into the den, he instantly collapsed on the soft moss nest and fell asleep.