Two moons had passed, and the kits were now 6 moons old. Also, Cloudnose had her kits.
"Cloudnose, your kits are beautiful." She purred. "I know. This is Acornkit and Featherkit." She pointed her tail to the dark brown shecat first, and then to the silver Tom. "Well, I'd better get going. My kits ceremony will be soon." She purred as Cloudnose nodded. "I understand. Go on." She smiled and padded out of the medicine den, stopping to breath in the air. She knew Leaf-bare was coming up very very soon, in a few days, maybe. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the High Rock to hear my words!" She heard Amberstar rasp. She realized she hadn't talked to her elderly mother in plenty of moons, as she had been focused on her kits, and she felt guilt at its highest temperature in her paws. She trotted to the gathering cats, spotting Autumnleaf. A cat she didn't see often, and she wondered why. "Autumnleaf, why are you never around camp?" She murmured as Amberstar waited for the entire clan to gather before speaking. "I'm not sure. If your living a paw in both clans, wouldn't it be hard for you too?" Autumnleaf muttered back. Her head felt hot with anxiety. What did she mean? "Are you saying you live in two clans, one at a time?" She hissed. "Yes.." Autumnleaf replied. She opened her mouth to yowl and scold the cat, but she gave up the chance. Instead, she spun around angrily and padded over to Reddaisy, hotheaded. Reddaisy opened his mouth to speak, but Amberstar's yowl to start the meeting silenced him. "This moon, there are three kits ready to be apprentices." The leader spoke loudly. "Jackalkit, Frostkit, and Starkit, step up." She meowed. "Jackalkit, from this day on, until you receive your Warrior name, you shall be known as Jackalpaw. Your mentor will be Leafsky. Leafsky, I trust that you will pass down all you know onto this apprentice, and show them all you know of our noble code." When Amberstar finished, the cats began to chant. "Jackalpaw! Jackalpaw! Jackalpaw! Jackalpaw!" She signaled for silence. "Starkit, from this day on, until you receive your Warrior name, you shall be known as Starpaw. Your mentor will be Reddaisy. Reddaisy, I trust that you will pass down all you know onto this apprentice, and show them all you know of our noble code." She meowed as the cats began to chant once again. "Starpaw! Starpaw! Starpaw! Starpaw!" They all silenced, waiting for Amberstar to speak." Frostkit, from this day on, until you receive your Warrior name, you shall be known as Frostpaw. Your mentor will be Sandflame. Sandflame, I trust that you will pass down all you know onto this apprentice, and show them all you know of our noble code." She yowled as the cats began to chant. "Frostpaw! Frostpaw! Frostpaw! Frostpaw!" She held her head high with triumph. Her kits were becoming apprentices, and she was mentoring her favorite one. Jackalpaw. "I also want to announce more news." Her triumph died down, as she heard the sadness in Amberstar's voice. "Me and Sandflame," the deputy of ThunderClan stepped onto the High Rock, beside Amberstar. "Have decided that I must step down." Her eyes widened as her ears pinned. What? How? She's led this clan for more than hundreds of moons! How could she retire now? She thought with weakness. "I have decided that I'm now too old to lead ThunderClan, and so Sandflame will take my place as leader. I will be retiring to the elders den, and I shall now have my Warrior name again, Amberleap." Amberstar, no, now Amberleap announced. She watched with sadness as her elderly mother pounced off the rock. She now knew why her name was Amberleap, she had such grace while leaping mid-air. "I promise I will lead this clan with power. No cat will be ignored. Clan dismissed!" He yowled loudly, as he leaped off the rock. She got up, showing no more weakness. She knew that this had happened generation after generation, and she had no right to be sad. Her eyes flared with understanding that ThunderClan would need a new leader, other than Amberstar, now Amberleap. Amberleap has grown weak, and old. She has no strength left to fight battles, I understand now. I shall show no weakness, for I am strong. She vowed in her thoughts. She bounded over to Jackalpaw. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, I will show you borders." She meowed with more triumph than ever. She padded over to the Warriors Den, glad to be back in it. She ducked under, seeing her lonely old nest. She purred, and plopped down in it. She cleaned herself until the moon set, and she fell asleep.
