A few moons later, Whirlkit awoke tiredly. But he was also excited. Tomorrow was his apprentice ceremony! Today was Horsekit's.

He saw an orange tail brush his shoulder. As he looked at Cherrymoon, he always wondered why he didn't look like her. He'd heard stories of where he'd came from, but his mother said they were just rumors. He'd asked her countless times about their father, but Cherrymoon had always avoided the subject. Maybe that's how it was. Maybe mothers didn't like talking about their mates. Maybe that's why he was never allowed to talk about him in front of other cats. Maybe that's it.

'Maybe' was not a very reassuring word.

"Are you getting excited?" Cherrymoon asked, bringing Whirlkit out of his swarm of thoughts. "Tomorrow's the big day!"

"No," Whirlkit corrected. "Today is. For Horsekit."

Cherrymoon smiled slyly. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, dear. For Horsekit." She licked his head, and padded away.

Whirlkit didn't understand why she was acting so weird when he mentioned Horsekit. She was just a normal kit (in spirit and intentions) just like him! So why?

He asked a lot of questions.

He played mossball with his littermates while they waited. The always lost, but it was okay. No, correction, Rainkit always lost. Whirlkit always came in second to last. Rainkit was too tiny to do anything right, really. Every time they played, she was oblivious to her losing, and was smiling every time. She was unaware of Cherrymoon's worried glances at her when the kits would play, and Rainkit would get squished underneath all of her siblings. She was unmindful of the talks Cherrymoon had with the other kits about going easy on her, and the talks with Creamleaf about her size. She was blind to it all.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here in the center of camp for a clan meeting!" The fimilar call sounded around them all. He looked up to see Stormstar standing proud, gazing around at his clan. Cats gathered, and Whirlkit went too. He wants techinically old enough to attend, but since tomorrow was his apprentice ceremony, he thought he was close enough.

Horsekit was limping out of the Nursery with her littermate Grindkit. Whirlkit was almost sure that he saw a faint red outline trooping beside them, but he blinked and it was gone. Redkit? Probably the sun's glare. But StarClan was always with the clans.

"Ah," Stormstar began, smiling. "My favorite thing about clan life. The making of new apprentices!" His words were followed by cheers, and Whirlkit joined them.

"Grindkit," he announced and the kit stepped forward. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code as long as you live?"

Grindkit swallowed nervously. "I do," He stammered.

Stormstar nodded. "Good. From now until you revive your warrior name, you will be known as Grindpaw. Your mentor will be Hawktalon. Hawktalon is cunning and swift and I'm sure he'll teach all that he knows to you," the warrior stepped forward to touch noses with the newly made apprentice.

Whirlkit nodded and smile happily. Horsekit was next!

Stormstar looked at the disable kit in a strange way that Whirlkit couldn't identify. Whirlkit wasn't listening to He first part of the ceremony, but he heard when Stormstar asked her to say "I do". He saw hen Horsekit looked around for help when she realized she couldn't say the words. Her eyes locked with his, and he nodded. She could nod, couldn't she? Horsekit turned back and nodded.

Whirlkit was bursting with pride, but it drained away when he figured out that Stormstar gave the orange and white kit Creamleaf as her mentor.

His jaws opened in astonishment and he gasped slightly. Thrushclaw stepped forward, and said some words that Whirlkit couldn't hear. Stormstar looked angry, but didn't lash out on the warrior. Horsekit looked awkward. Then she pointed her tail at Frogclaw, and Stormstar was wetting with anger. He answered with a sharp tongue and a deal that Whirlkit only heard, "...and if she fails both, she's a medicine cat apprentice forever, deal?" Horsekit nodded slowly, but Whirlkit gasped again. He shook his head in disbelief, and back away slowly. That could only mean... that she was training as both ranks! A medicine cat and a warrior! What was going to happen?

Worse, if Horsepaw turned into a medicine cat, then she couldn't be his mate! But if she was a warrior, life would be perfect.