Sunlight peeredthrough the trees, and shone over the undergrowth of the forest.  Slight remnants of the early morning fog still littered a glaze over the slowly greening brush.  With the last signs of a brutal Leaf-Bare leaving the Clans' territories, a new sense of hope was restored in the hearts of all the cats.  Leaders rejoiced with the welcoming of new apprentices, and celebrated the birth of the latest litters of kits.
          Lilykit stole a quick glimpse of the ThunderClan camp from poking her head out of the nursery's entrance.  Her browned ears perked forward, and back, and left, and right, as she took in the sight of her busy Clanmates around the clearing.  The she-kit's nose quivered as a pungent tang reached her nostrils.  Deciphering where the awful smell was coming from, she realized it was the dirt-place. Her mother, Moonfur, had shown her where it was when she had been only a moon old.
         Suddenly, a pale rosy, silver-white tabby cat appeared beside Lilykit.  It was her sister Shimmerkit, and Stormkit was right behind her; looking excited as could be.  Lilykit's paws itched with apprehension.  In just a matter of moments, she would become an apprentice.  No more would she have to sleep with her brother and sister in their mother's nest.  Nor would she be required to stay in camp and not explore ThunderClan's amazing territory either.
She was eager for herceremony but it would be frightful until it was deemed over.  Lilykit's tail tip twitched ever so slightlyas Moonfur walked up behind her three kits. "I am so proud of you all.  Whoeveryour mentors are, I know you will do great."
           I'm going to be the best fighter in the forest!" Declared Stormkit who puffed out his chest fur in pride.
          "Well, I will be themost cunning hunter!"  Shimmerkitannounced with a flick of her tail.
          I will be good at everything, Lilykit thought to herself with broadening hopeof being one of the best cats in the Clan.
          Abrupty, two smallfur-balls appeared from the nursery and dashed in front of Lilykit and herlittermates.  "Featherkit!Thrushkit!  Get back here at once!"  They heard Morningfrost hiss in aggravation.  The grey spotted queen finally had her kits fourmoons ago and since the moment they were born, they had been pawfuls.
Without warning, a yowl erupted from the Highledge where the ThunderClan leader's den was.  Lilykit snapped her head around to see Silverstar, their leader, padding forth from inside her den.  "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"         

"Come now," Moonfurmewed and signaled for her fervent kits to follow her into the open, dustyclearing of the camp.  With the catsgathering, the space of the camp which had once seemed so large, suddenlybecame crowded, and Lilykit's shoulders shrunk as she trotted near her brotherand sister.

Once settled under the Highledge, the Clan watched as Silverstar jumped down from the rocky shelf.  The silver tabby she-cat gazed at the three kits who stood before her.  The amber eyes of the ThunderClan leader passed briefly over Lilykit and her littermates before shifting attention back to the whole clan.  "Cats of ThunderClan, today we celebrate the making of new apprentices!  These three kits have now reached six moons and are ready to begin their training."  Silverstar looked down at Stormkit and beckoned him forward, "Stormkit, from this day forth until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Stormpaw.  Larkblaze will be your mentor."

A large longhaired whitetom appeared from the middle of the crowd. Lilykit had seen him before.  Larkblaze was one of the oldest warriors inthe Clan and also one of the wisest.  Hestrode to the front of the group of cats, and bent his head down to touch noseswith Stormpaw.  Stormpaw's dark greytabby fur was ruffled with enthusiasm and his ears jerked back and forth.

"Larkblaze, I expectyou to pass down your strength and courage to this young apprentice," Alteringher attention to Lilykit's sister, Silverstar spoke again, "Shimmerkit, pleasestep forward."  Shimmerkit stepped awayfrom her place beside Lilykit and shakily padded forward to stand before theirleader.  "Shimmerkit, from this day forthuntil you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Shimmerpaw.  Leopardleap, you will be her mentor.  I expect your quick thinking, and skillfulhunting to be passed on to your new apprentice."

Leopardleap, a spotted tortoishell she-cat with a white belly, strode forward to touch noses with Shimmerpaw.

At last, it wasLilykit's turn.  The ThunderClan leadersettled her soft gaze over the light tabby she-cat, and beckoned her forwardwith a swift flick of her tail.  "Lilykit,you are ready to become an apprentice. From this day onward, until you become a full member of this clan, youshall be known as Lilypaw."  Silverstarturned her attention to a chocolate tom near the back of the gatheredcats.  "Brackentail, you are ready foryour first apprentice.  I expect you topass on all the skills Thistleheart taught you."

Lilypaw turned to look for her new mentor.  She saw him coming forth from the back.  He was a broad shouldered cat, with lean muscles and sharp pointed ears.  Although he was a strong and respected cat, Brackentail was nervous as he stepped out of the crowd and stood in front of his first apprentice.  Awkwardly, Lilypaw touched noses with her mentor and walked away from her leader to stand beside Brackentail.

"May StarClan light your way apprentices!"  Silverstar yowled once more before ending the ceremony. 

That was a lot easier than I thought.  A degree of relief flooded over Lilypaw's chest as the three newapprentices were led to the entrance to the hollow by their mentors.

"There isn't much light left today, so we'll take you down to the lake and back."  Said Larkblaze.

The Lake! Lilypaw's excitementgrew as she realized that she and her littermates would be able to leave thecamp.  Brackentail motioned for Lilypawto follow him and the other mentors out of the clearing and through the brambleentrance of the ThunderClan camp.

Once out of the camp and its thick stone walls of the hollow, Lilypaw realized she was more nervous than she thought she would have been.  In the hollow, Lilypaw felt safe and warm and protected.  But as the group of cats entered the tree veiled forest, the new apprentice became tense and uneasy.

Brackentail seemed to sense how she felt and slowed his pace to trot beside her.  "Don't worry, I felt overwhelmed too when I saw the territory for the first time."  Lilypaw glanced up at the dark furred warrior next to her and was comforted.  "We're safe as long as we stay inside our borders and watch for signs of danger."  Brackentail assured her.

Suddenly Leopardleap halted and signaled for the rest of the cats to follow suit.  She turned her gaze to the new apprentices, "Can you smell anything?"

Lilypaw planted herpaws firmly and slightly opened her jaws to breathe in the scents of theterrain around her.  It was hard todistinguish all the scents of the wooded area around them but almostimmediately the brown she-cat detected the aroma of prey.  A scuttling vibration along the soil graspedLilypaw's attention.  To the right of thegroup of cats, Lilypaw crouched and flicked her ears toward the spot where sheheard the sound come from.  "There," Shesaid pointedly at Brackentail.

Her mentor nodded,"Can you tell what it is?"  He whispered and crouched beside her.

Lilypaw took a moment to recognize the smell.  Mouse.

She opened her jaws to reply but Stormpaw was faster, "Mouse!" 

"Well done," Spoke Larkblaze.

"I knew it was amouse," Shimmerkit quickly said.

Leopardleap chuckled, "I'm sure you did."

Lilypaw's attentionsnapped back over to the undergrowth as the creature scuttled in the bush andthen slightly emerged.  She could seeit's brown head poking out from the leaves. Lilypaw crouched lower and steadied her quivering tail like she saw afew of the other ThunderClan apprentices do while practicing in the camp.

"Very good," She heard Brackentail encourage.  "Now, make sure you are downwind of your prey,"

Lilypaw nodded.  She had been downwind but she knew herposition could be better so she shifted her stance. Now her prey would be evenmore oblivious to her scent and presence. The mouse moved a step and Lilypaw darted forward from the strength ofher haunches.  She caught her preybetween her paws and gave it a swift bite to the neck to finish it off.  She held the limp creature in her jaws andproudly looked at her mentor.

Brackentail gave her an approving glance.  Pride swelled in his chest for his new apprentice who was already so talented.  "Well, done Lilypaw!"  He said and Leopardleap and Larkblaze nodded in agreement.

"Very good for youfirst catch," Larkblaze commented.

Lilypaw noticed thather littermates had remained quiet. Brackentail was the one to break the silence.  "Let's carry on, we must reach lake and thenreturn to camp before sundown."

"But we didn't catchanything yet," Stormpaw objected.

"You'll catchsomething the next time we go out.  Fornow, getting a feel of your new territory is most important," Leopardleap toldthem.

"Lilypaw, bury thatmouse.  We'll pick it up on our wayback," Brackentail ordered. The apprentice did asshe was told and buried the dead creature in the solid earth.

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The group of catsmoved onward through the undergrowth. The setting sun cast rays of deep yellow and gold over the leaves of thetrees and the ground of the forest.

"We're almost there,"Leopardleap mentioned.  The tortoishellshe-cat led the parade of ThunderClan warriors and apprentices out of the woodsand onto the edge of the sandy beach of the lake.

The sun was warmerhere; giving Lilypaw renewed strength and she padded closer to the water'sedge.  She stopped when Brackentailhalted though.  Her mentor gave a warningglance, "Stay away from the edge, many cats have drowned in this lake in thepast and we don't need more anytime soon."

"I'll be careful."  Lilypaw promised him and turned her attention back to large water expanse.  It seemed so big to her, but of course the entire forest was big to Lilypaw.  Squinting into the distance Lilypaw saw a small patch of land encircled with trees and bushes in the middle of the lake.  "Is that the Island?"  She asked Brackentail.

Brackentail followedhis apprentice's gaze, "It is," He assured her. "That's where the four Clans meet once every full moon.  It is the one time and place where the Clansare at a truce."

"It's beautiful."  Lilypaw said.

"Yes it is."  Brackentail flicked an ear to where the othermentors were with Stormpaw and Shimmerpaw. "It seems that we should be heading back."  He nodded to Lilypaw, "Let's go get thatmouse you so brilliantly caught.  Moonfurand Timberfall will be very pleased with your catch."

Lilypaw purred softly at the praise her mentor gave her and followed him back into the forest toward the hollow.  I love ThunderClan.