Chapter 3:
Flamekit couldn’t sleep that night. She could sense excitement flooding from Squirrelkit’s pelt as she lay close to Blueflower, and from her constant fidgeting, Flamekit knew that she was still awake.
“Squirrelkit!” Flamekit hissed softly, “Why don’t we go out for a while?” Squirrelkit stopped fidgeting when she realized that Flamekit had spoken to her, and instead, embarrassment flooded her pelt that Flamekit knew she was still awake.
“Go where?” Squirrelkit’s eyes gleamed in the darkness, “You know we’re not allowed to leave the camp.” Flamekit mewed, “Just outside the nursery.” “Alright,” Squirrelkit mewed. Flamekit shifted slightly and crept out of the nursery, with Squirrelkit behind her.
Flamekit padded towards that stump, which was a blur in the darkness, and only the slight moonlight from the near half-moon showed the way. Flamekit settled herself at a squashed patch of ferns, and Squirrelkit followed her. They stayed like that for a while, just drinking in the warm scent of the other.
“Why are you so excited?” Flamekit suddenly blurted out. Squirrelkit’s eyes widened in the dark, and before she could meow, Flamekit interrupted, “Did Doveheart ask you to be her apprentice?” “How did you know?” Squirrelkit squeaked.
“It was getting obvious,” Flamekit mewed, “How you always seemed to visit the medicine cat den and also, the first time we visited the medicine cat den, you were very fascinated by the herbs. Doveheart also said that she was ready for an apprentice, and I had wondered if she would choose you. Just now, before you went with Doveheart to look at the other injured cats, I had asked her if she wanted to choose you or not, and she said she wanted to if you agreed.”
Squirrelkit was silent for a few heartbeats, and after that she meowed, “I didn’t realize you knew so much.” Flamekit mewed, “So is it confirmed?” “I don’t know yet,” Squirrelkit admitted, “She said she had to ask Summerstar first, but she told me that I would probably be able to be her apprentice.” Her eyes sparkled, and she meowed in her normal mew, “Let’s get back, we should sleep.” Flamekit mewed in agreement and they both padded back to the nursery.
Flamekit groaned as she ran through the forest. She had been running for ages, but the forest was never ending. A invisible branch poked her side, and as she pushed it aside, she woke up. As she looked around, she realized that it wasn’t an invisible branch that poked her, it was Wolfkit! She stretched on the mossy nest, and began washing herself.
Wolfkit was looking consciously at her, and started meowed, “Summerstar called a meeting!” Flamekit stared at him, and mewed, “A meeting? Let’s go!” She swiftly padded out of the nursery and sat beside her littermates and Blueflower.
Summerstar was sitting on the Highrock. When everybody was settled, he stood up and yowled, “We won the battle yesterday, and I would like to appoint a new warrior.” Summerstar’s gaze drifted around the clearing and his gaze rested on one apprentice. “Mousepaw, come forward.” Mousepaw’s bewildered gaze rested on her mentor, Shortfur, and Shortfur nodded encouragingly.
Everybody shifted to allow Mousepaw to sit below the Highrock, and Summerstar meowed, “Mousepaw has fought well in the battle yesterday and has earned her warrior name.” Summerstar looked up into the sky where the last of Silverpelt was lingering, and yowled, “I, Summerstar, leader of FireClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.”
He continued, “Mousepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”
Mousepaw’s reply rang out clearly. “I do.”
“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Mousepaw, from this moment you will be known as Mousefur. StarClan honors your strength and your courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of FireClan.”
Summerstar rested his muzzle on Mousefur’s head, and she gave his shoulder a respectful lick.
“Mousefur! Mousefur!” The cheers of the Clan made Mousefur feel embarrassed and she meowed, “Thank you, I promise that I will put my Clan above everything and serve my Clan until it is time for me to join StarClan.”
“As the warrior code allows, Mousefur will keep her vigil tonight,” Summerstar meowed.
“While we get a good night’s sleep,” Snakepelt meowed hoarsely, as coughs racked his body. Doveheart hurriedly padded towards him, and checked him. “I’ll need you to sleep in the medicine cat den tonight,” Doveheart meowed.
“I’m fine,” Snakepelt rasped, but he broke into another fit of coughs.
“You’re not, and you’re coming to the medicine cat den, that’s an order.” Doveheart meowed strictly. Snakepelt growled under his breath, but he knew better than to argue with Doveheart.
“Come to my den now,” Doveheart meowed, “I’ll check you more thoroughly there.” Muttering, Snakepelt followed Doveheart into the medicine cat den.
“Will Snakepelt be alright?” Squirrelkit watched with big eyes as he went into the medicine clearing, a flurry of coughs was heard and Squirrelkit mewed to their mother, “Can I go in? I may be able to help Doveheart.” Blueflower meowed back, “Alright, but don’t go too near to Snakepelt, he may have be greencough.”
Flamekit shuddered at the thought of greencough. Greencough was a sickness that could destroy an entire Clan in leafbare, and only catmint was the cure for it. She hoped Doveheart had a good supply of it.
“Ok,” Squirrelkit mewed and darted into the medicine clearing.
Iceclaw 
Silverstream 
Congratulate them 
