“Come on, Breezekit!” Rosekit squeaked out. Breezekit looked at her younger sister and slowly shook her head. Rosekit let out a small huff of disappointment. Breezekit sighed because she knew she now had to explain why she couldn’t play with her younger sister and so she rolled out of the den and padded towards Rosekit. “I can’t play with you because I’m going to be apprenticed in two moons! I have to start being responsible or else Shawnystar won’t give me the best mentor I can get! I don’t have time anymore!” She explained. Rosekit looked at her for a moment, then shrugged and bounded after the moss ball that had escaped her paws. Breezekit stood and watched her sister till she heard a loud cough from the back of the nursery. “Nightcall? Are you alright?” Breezekit asked. She saw a pair of eyes glimmer in the darkness. “I’m fine. Could you grab me some herbs though, dear?” Nightcall rasped. Breezekit nodded and took off towards the medicine cats den. “Whisperfur!! Nightcall needs herbs for her cough!” She squeaked as she stopped in front of the pure white cat, tossing sand into the air. “Ok, well, what about this one?” Whisperfur asked, pushing a bundle of leaves to Breezekit.

She took a sniff and looked up at the medicine cat. “This smells like burdock root. I thought it was for rat bites!” Breezekit mewled, straightening. The blue eyes of the medicine cat locked with her own blue-gray eyes. Whisperfur bent to the kits height. “Well, if you know so much about medicine, why don’t you tell me what we need?” She purred. Breezekit thought for a moment. “Tansy?” She meowed hopefully. Whisperfur nodded, got up from her spot, crawled into the small break in stone, and came out with a few thin stems. She picked the yellow flower from the top and removed the leaves. Breezekit watched, twitching her whiskers eagerly. The white cat pushed the scrawny leaves to Breezekit. “Tell Nightcall to chew those and swallow the juice inside. That should help.” She instructed carefully. Breezekit nodded, took the herbs into her jaws, and raced back to the nursery. Nightcall was sitting outside the small opening. Breezekit dropped them and told the black and white queen what to do, as if she was a medicine cat already. Nightcall purred her thanks and lapped up the herbs. Her face scrunched a bit due to the bitterness of the juices, but ate anyways. Breezekit twisted around looking for  

her younger sister. “Rosekit?” She called out. She saw the light brown pelt shift towards her by the elders den. Breezekit realized that one of the elders was telling a story and bounded towards her. “Hi Willowtail!” Breezekit mewled to the elder. Willowtail nodded to the ginger kit as she lay beside the elder. Breezekit listened closely to the story of Fernstar, the leader who created FrostClan. It was one of her favorites.  Rosekit turned to her. “I thought you couldn’t do kit activities!” She hissed. Breezekit was taken aback by this. “Some APPRENTICES still listen to them!” She spat back. Rosekit squished up her nose. “Do you see any now?” She mewled mockingly. Breezekit sighed, got up, and padded to a corner of the camp. She knew Rosekit was right. She sat and watched her sister listen to the stories, wishing she was welcome there. One of the other apprentices, MaplePaw, saw her and came to her. "Breezekit? Are you okay?" She asked, seeming genuinely concerned. Breezekit looked at her. "Yes, MaplePaw, I'm fine." she grumbled. The apprentice seemed a little doubtful, but invited the kit to share some food with her. Breezekit sighed, stood up, and shook out her fur. "Yeah sure." She said, padding off to nose at

the fresh-kill pile. MaplePaw followed her, helping her as Breezekit pulled out a decent sized mouse. Breezekit blinked her thanks, then they ate. The sun's last few magenta streaks were disappearing from the sky, signaling that dusk was arriving as they finished. Breezekit licked her whiskers. "Thanks, MaplePaw. I needed that." She mewled. The brown she-cat purred. "No problem. I don't want you to be beating yourself up just because of your half-Kin." She told her. "Besides, you'll be a 'paw' soon enough, Breezekit!" She added. Pride gleamed in the ginger kits eyes. Breezekit flared inside with determination, said her goodbye, and pelted off before nightfall to see Shawnystar. She burst into the den of lichen. "Shawnystar I need to talk to you!" Breezekit squeaked, trying to sound as assertive as possible. The light colored leader looked at the kit in surprise. "Continue.." He said after a while. "When will I be an apprentice? I'm tired of the nursery!" She said, taking a paw step forward. The leader's eyes turned soft. "You know you're too young, Breezekit!" He explained. "I don't care! I'm the same size as every other apprentice in camp! I want to be a 'paw'!" She yelped. The leader sighed. "Fine, but you must not say a word."

He told her, completely serious. She nodded happily. "We'll hold you're ceremony at sun-high tomorrow." Shawnystar told her. Her eyes glimmered happily as she scampered out and into the nursery. Rosekit rose her head at her sister. "Where have you been?" She sneered. Breezekit puffed out her chest. "I've been with Shawnystar planning my apprentice ceremony!" She boasted. Rosekit's mouth gaped. "What? No way!" She yelped. Breezekit's mother, Shimmerclaw, stir and opened her hazel eyes. "Shawnystar can't make you an apprentice yet, you're too young. Stop making up stories and go to sleep." Her mother scolded. Breezekit huffed and curled into her bed of moss beside her mother. They'd see she wasn't making up stories tomorrow. She thought of what she would do first as an apprentice as she drifted off into a deep and peaceful sleep.

Breezekit rose the next morning feeling a warm wind against her fur. She skipped out of the den and noticed Whisperfur beckoning her to the den. Bursting with energy, she pelted to the medicine cat. "Shawnystar has told me of your early apprenticeship, so I ask you, will you become my apprentice?" The white cat burned her icy stare through the kit. Breezekit's eyes gleamed. "Of course!" She mewled. The old medicine cat smelled of bitter herbs and flowers, but seemed like a new beginning. Whisperfur nodded and left for the leader's den, disappearing inside. Breezekit was so happy. Time passes quickly for her as she waited for sun-high, and it finally arrived. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!" yowled Shawnystar. Meowing in confusion, the cats crept out of the dens and gathered beneath the rock. Whisperfur nodded at Breezekit as the ginger kit sat at the front. "Whisperfur has requested an apprentice! She believes that who she has chosen is old enough and ready to help her! Breezekit, come sit at the base." He announced. Murmurs of surprise rippled along the cats. "Whisperfur, do you wish to take Breezekit as your apprentice?" He asked.

"Yes, I do." She replied, nodding. Shawnystar put his eyes Breezekit. From this moment on, this kit will no longer be Breezekit, but BreezePaw! Go touch noses with your mentor." He told her. She jumped up and touched noses with Whisperfur. "Whisperfur, you must travel to the MoonLake tonight to gain StarClan's approval!" Shawnystar. She nodded. "I will gather the herbs." She mewed, turning away to the medicine den. BreezePaw went up to her mother. "I told you!" She mewled proudly. Her mother's eyes were clouded with worry, but she nodded. BreezePaw bounded away towards the medicine den and disappeared inside from the rest of the cats view. The scent of the bitter herbs filled her senses. She broke out of her daze when a bunch of the traveling herbs were given to her. "Whisperfur, Are we going to MoonLake tonight?" She asked. Whisperfur nodded. "Indeed, now eat your herbs, you'll need your strength." She insisted. BreezePaw lapped them up, cringing at the bitter taste. She rose her head again and shook out her pelt. "Those tasted horrible!" She exclaimed. Whisperfur twitched her whiskers amused. "They are bitter, I know. They will help you in the end though." She said, purring.

Breezepaw tilted her head, somewhat confused. "How can something so bitter help you?" She asked. Whisperfur twitched her whiskers in amusement and replied,"Even bitter things have a good side, my dear."

The newly made apprentice smiled and agreed. "Well, lets go!" She meowed, skipping into the blazing sun, which when met with her pelt glowed like fire. Whisperfur slid out after her, nodded to ShawnyStar that they were leaving, and followed Breezepaw out of camp. Once out of camp, scents overwhelmed Breezepaw. She stopped in her tracks, taking in the fresh and minty scent of the forest. "Woah! It's even prettier than I imagined it!" Breezepaw said after a moment. Her mentor followed  her closely. "Yes, the forest is beautiful, but underneath the beauty, there is danger. Things like-" Breezepaw cut her off. "Bagers. Foxes, other clan cats, yada yada! I know!" The apprentice said hurridly.  After a bit of time, they arrived at the mouth of the