Mossfern's Reunion

Chapter Two: The Apprenticeship

Mosskit stepped out of the nursery, full of excitement and joy. She was six moons old now, and she'd seen Mothtail speaking with Plumstar. Willowpaw, Goldenpaw, and Berrypaw had become apprentices two moons ago, and had made sure the younger kits would be excited for their own apprenticeship. Creamkit leaped at Mosskit, purring excitedly. "Gotcha! Did you know we'll be apprenticed today?" He purred, stepping off Mosskit. Mosskit's eyes widened. "I saw Mothtail talking to Plumstar yesterday, but I didn't expect to be apprenticed so soon!" She mewed. Creamkit smiled. "Well, we are, so I'm practicing!" He mewed, and leaped at Mosskit again. This time, though, she scooted to the side, giggling as Creamkit fell against the ground. "There's no need to practice yet, Creamkit. We'll be exploring the territory first." She mewed. Creamkit huffed. "This barn is practically our entire territory!" He argued. Mosskit shook her head. "We have the entire farm, and the forest by the Moonstone, as well as the woods and moorland surrounding the farm. Y'know, that isn't WindClan territory," She corrected. "We need to know our way around. That's what our mentors will teach us." She explained. Littlekit, Tallkit, and Mousekit stepped over to them. "Who do you hope your mentors will be?" Mousekit asked. Mosskit shrugged. "Maybe Cindersong, or Icefeather." She answered. Creamkit flicked his tail. "I'd want Cindersong. She's our wonderful deputy, and she'd be a great mentor." He mewed. Littlekit scratched at the ground. "I think Snoweyes would be a good mentor." She added. Tallkit stood up straight. "Wouldn't Duckwing be an awesome mentor, though?" He mewed. Shinekit shrugged. "I don't know. I think Foxtail would be better." She mewed. The kits broke into argument.
"Foxtail's better!"
"No, Cindersong is!"
"Snoweyes is best!"
"What about Icefeather?"
"No, Duckwing is the best mentor!"
Silentstep's kits, Leafkit, Softkit, and Whisperkit stepped over. "Why not Sungleam?" Leafkit mewed. Whisperkit joined in. "What about Kestreltail?" Softkit flicked her tail. "Well, I like Whitewhisper." Before the argument could start again, Plumstar's yowl sounded from Tallcrate. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Tallcrate for a Clan meeting!" They yowled. Creamkit, Shinekit, Mosskit, and the others eagerly sat around Tallcrate. Plumstar continued. "Six kits have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. Creamkit, Shinekit, Mousekit, Littlekit, Tallkit, and Mosskit, step forward." They mewed. Mousekit, Littlekit, and Tallkit stepped up first, then Mosskit, then Creamkit and Shinekit. "Creamkit, with your mentor being Cherryfoot, you shall now be known as Creampaw. Littlekit, with your mentor being Cindersong, you shall now be known as Littlepaw. Mousekit, with your mentor being myself, you shall now be known as Mousepaw. Shinekit, with your mentor being Songstripe, you shall now be known as Shinepaw. Tallkit, with your mentor being Duckwing, you shall now be known as Tallpaw. And, Mosskit, with your mentor being Icefeather, you shall now be known as Mosspaw." They declared. The Clan cheered their names. "Mousepaw! Shinepaw! Tallpaw! Littlepaw! Creampaw! Mosspaw!" They cheered. "Clan dismissed," Plumstar mewed, as Mosspaw touched noses with her mentor. "Come on, we have a whole territory to explore," Icefeather mewed, her light blue eyes gleaming. Mosspaw eagerly nodded, following her mentor. For the first time since she'd found FernClan, Mosspaw left the barn. The warm, humid breeze flew upon her whiskers. She sighed happily, her eyes closing in a moment of calm. "I missed this," She mewed. Icefeather smiled. "Not many FernClan cats get to feel outside before they're apprenticed," She told Mosspaw. Mosspaw froze. It felt weird, hearing her described as a FernClan cat rather than a ThunderClan one. But she had to admit that she was happy here, and happy to hear herself labeled as one of FernClan. She nodded, and followed Icefeather. "Over here are the fields. The twolegs grow their plants here and eat them," She mewed. "In leaf-bare, they move the plants to that big glass den over there," She added, flicking her tail to a large glass den with a pointed roof and patches of soil inside. Mosspaw's eyes glistened joyfully. Wow! The glass den is so beautiful! She thought. Icefeather lead her to a large coop filled with hay that stunk of chickens and seeds. "This is the chickens' den. Whatever you do, never eat these." She warned. "The twolegs would kick us out." Mosspaw nodded. "I'd never," She replied. Icefeather flicked her tail. "Good." She turned to the moors. "From this farm to the the farthest tree behind us is our portion of the moorland." She explained. Mosspaw gasped. "Wow! That's at least three times larger than ThunderClan's territory!" She mewed. Icefeather nodded, grinning. "And we still have the forest across the Thunderpath, too. You won't head there yet, though; we can't risk a death." She explained. Mosspaw flicked her tail. "Icefeather?" She mewed. Icefeather turned to face her apprentice. "Yes, Mosspaw?" She asked. Mosspaw sat down and sighed. "Do you think I'll ever be able to go back to ThunderClan..?" She murmured. Icefeather nodded. "One day, when you're older, you can choose to stay or go back." She mewed. Mosspaw nodded. She had to admit, she didn't quite enjoy the idea of leaving FernClan. It was nice here, almost as nice as ThunderClan. Icefeather looked up, noticing the pinky-orange sky. "We have to go back to the barn now, it's late." She mewed, and walked alongside Mosspaw as the two padded back to the barn. Mosspaw hopped up the crates to the higher level of the barn, and padded to the apprentices' den, falling asleep.

[Two moon timeskip]
When Mosspaw awoke from the deep sleep she'd been in, she and Creampaw were the only two awake. Creampaw flicked his ear, and stood. "Wanna go explore?" He mewed. Mosspaw nodded. "I don't know what we're going to explore, but sure!" She purred, and followed Creampaw to the barn doors. Mosspaw leaped, latching on to the handle on one of the doors, and pushing against the other with all her might. Eventually, the door opened just enough to get out. She pulled it shut again, and padded beside Creampaw to the Thunderpath. "We have to cross this to get to the forest," He mewed. Mosspaw stopped. "The forest? But we're new apprentices. We aren't allowed to go there until we're warriors!" She protested. Creampaw flicked his tail. "Nobody's around. No one's gonna know." He murmured. Mosspaw enjoyed the glint of excitement in the tom's eyes, so she nodded. She ran across the Thunderpath, and watched as Creampaw did the same. Both made it over safely, and began to wander the forest. Eventually, they found a cave in the mountain, and, out of curiosity, entered. Inside was a tortoiseshell she-cat with a white muzzle. Mosspaw froze, stepping back behind Creampaw. The she-cat turned, spotting Mosspaw. "Mosskit..?" She mewed. Mosspaw tipped her head to one side, pretending to be confused. "My name's Sweetpaw," She mewed, and flicked her tail, telling Creampaw to pretend this was the truth. "This is my friend, Creampaw. I don't know who Mosskit is." She added. The tortoiseshell she sighed. "My name's Spottedleaf. I'm the medicine cat of ThunderClan. You look just like a kit my friend, Bluefur, lost. Her name was Mosskit." She murmured sadly. Mosspaw blinked sympathetically. "I'm sorry for your loss." She mewed. Spottedleaf suddenly left without another word. Creampaw stared at Mosspaw. "Really, Mosspaw? You're Sweetpaw now?" He meowed. Mosspaw flicked her tail. "If you must know, Bluefur was my mother." She mewed. Creampaw paused. "So... you lied to your mother's friend just to stay here..?" He murmured. Mosspaw stepped towards Creampaw. "Creampaw.. I lied because I want to stay with you." She mewed. "I love you, Creampaw." Creampaw's eyes glowed, and his cheeks turned a light lilac. "You- you do..?" He mewed. Mosspaw nodded, and, slowly, Creampaw intertwined his tail with hers. "I love you, too, Mosspaw. Ever since I met you, since you entered the nursery that day... you've been everything to me." He murmured. Mosspaw pressed her nose to Creampaw's, and the two stayed there, comfortable in knowing they loved each other.