Cometpaw's Fifth Night As An Apprentice.

The newly apprenticed Cometpaw shivered in the quiet, still evening air, a slight feeling of unease began to creep over her pelt and spread to the pads of her paws. Starclan ... please aid me through my first few moons living as an apprentice. Watch over Thunderclan. She prayed silently to herself. Cometpaw rose her nose to the air and drank in a familiar scent, Blazingleg, her mother. A comforting warmth shook the uneasiness away. She shook her pelt and uttered a soft purr. Cometpaw's eyes glinted as the sky started to darken. She slowly and joyfully padded into the apprentices' den for a good night's sleep. Cometpaw suddenly hissed in annoyance. "How could I be so forgetful!? Tonight is a full moon. The night of a gathering, I wasn't chosen to come yet but ... I'll train hard, mother and father!" She hissed to the heavens before wrapping her tail over her muzzle and settling down to a troubled sleep.

Cometpaw woke up to have the sun streaming through the quite empty apprentices' den. She rose to her paws quietly and stretched her back legs. I hope to assigned a mentor today! She eagerly thought to herself, happiness tingling through her bristling pelt.

Cometpaw padded out of the sun bathed apprentice den and into the clearing. Staring at the fresh kill pile, she picked up a small starling out of the growing pile and settled down to eat. She finished her starling a a couple of quick bites then stared up at her leader's den. This MUST be the day! She mewed softly to herself, barely containing her excitement.

Silverwind yawned and stepped out of her den. She arched her back and stretched, her claws raking the ground before she sheathed them again. Looking to her left, she saw a young kit who was probably about 6 moons old. "Hello!" she called, padding over. Silver was in a very good mood for no reason today, and felt like being extra friendly.

"How are you? I'm not sure I know your name...Cometkit? Or was it Cloudkit, or Cyankit? I'm pretty sure your name begins with C."

Cometpaw chuckled. "It's Cometpaw!" She mewed. "It's a wonderful day today, shame we're lacking in apprentices ... but when Greenleaf comes around we'll hopefully have more kits with our clan! I also haven't been assigned a mentor yet or been to my first gathering but our leader will be in charge of that." She meowed softly, her excitement dying down.

Soon after, Hawkfire padded up next to Silverwind, his body towering over the apprentice. He stared at Cometpaw for a few seconds, also trying to remember his name. "Think, Hawkfire. Think. The ceremony wasn't that long ago...Of course! Now I remember!" Hawkfire thought. "Your name is Redkit, right? Oh no wait I mean Redpaw."

Seeing the look on Cometpaw's face told Hawkfire he was wrong.

No one ever seems to remember my name. Cometpaw thought quietly to herself. Are our warriors getting too old? She let out a murrow of laughter.

The sun streamed over her back giving it a gold tinge. Cometpaw shook her pelt then moved into the shadow of a den. "I'll be getting some fresh kill." She mewed back to the two warriors. "It was nice meet you two!" She called back before sneaking in another murrow of amusement.

She sat down with a plump vole and then in between bites she thought When will I ever get a mentor? It's boring being a mentor-less apprentice! Cometpaw stared up into the blue skies for a while then suddenly realising her vole was unfinished she ate the rest of it with a couple of big gulps and padded off.

Silverwind looked at Hawkfire. "Have you ever had an apprentice?" she asked her friend, sitting down. She hoped that the little kitten wasn't offended by both warriors forgetting her name. Quietly the grey she-cat licked a paw and swiped it over her head, cleaning her ear quickly.

Hawkfire looked embarassed by forgetting a name. "There's another cat that doesn't like me." he thought.

"Have you ever had an apprentice?" Silverwind asked.

"No." He replied. "I kinda want an apprentice, but I also kinda don't." Hawkfire studied his paws, not meeting her gaze. "I think my father had an apprentice once. But I don't know who it was, and I'm afraid it's too late to ask." He finished.

Silverwind looked up at the root ceiling. "I know how you feel. I had one once. He was torture!" she laughed. "But he's grown up now...or was. He died in the Last Great Battle against ShadowClan." her eyes clouded for a moment. "But it is nice to have someone to talk to on hunting patrols and such."