Rainkit opened her eyes, stretched, and jumped. She had just remembered that she and her brother where going to become apprentices today! Sunkit was leaping up and down in the air, bubbling with excitement.
"Settle down Sunkit! Let me clean your fur!" Nightfeather meowed impatiently, grabbing Sunkit with her paw and licking him. "Mom, I look fine!" He complained, trying to scamper away. Soon, it was Rainkit's  turn. She calmly sat as her mother cleaned her silver fur. Finally, she was done.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the high ledge for a Clan meeting!" Crowstar yowled. As soon as he heard it, Sunkit raced to the high ledge. Rainkit and her mother followed him more slowly.

"As you all know, Rainkit and Sunkit are now 8 moons old." Crowstar meowed. "Now I must begin one of the most important events in Clan  life." He meowed."Rainkit, come here."
Rainkit's fur bristled, and she felt nervous. What if I trip?!,she thought nervously. She then tentatively padded up to the high ledge.
"Rainkit, do you promise to train as a apprentice of Snowclan, and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Crowstar asked solemnly. "I-I do." Rainkit stuttered, feeling her fur grow hot with embarrassment.

"Then, Rainkit, from this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Rainpaw. Your mentor will be Frostwing."
"Rainpaw! Rainpaw!" Her clan mates chanted. Rainpaw's heart was warm with happiness.

Crowstar repeated the same words for the newly named Sunpaw. After he finished, his Clanmates chanted his new name as well. Sunpaw's mentor was grasspelt.
*********
"Can we battle train?"Sunpaw asked Grasspelt. He was bored of hunting! Rainpaw glanced at him. "We need to hunt." She meowed quietly.
"Sorry Sunpaw, but your sister is right." Grasspelt meowed. "I agree to." Frostwing meowed.

"Fine!" Sunpaw meowed, glaring at his sister. Rainpaw looked sad, and sunpaw felt wretched. I'm so mouse-brained!, he thought. "Sorry Rainpaw!" He meowed, licking her ear. "It's fine." She purred.

"What are we going to hunt today?" Beechpaw asked, glancing at his mentor, Petalleap. All of Snowclan's apprentices and mentors were hunting, preparing for leaf-bare. "We are going to be hunting in pairs today." Petalleap responded briskly.

"Beechpaw, you will hunt with Rainpaw. Sunpaw, you hunt with Fawnpaw." Frostwing ordered.

"What about me?" Vixenpaw hissed, lashing her tail back and forth.
You'll hunt with Waterleap." Frostwing meowed. Vixenpaw's eyes grew bright. "Ok!" She agreed.

"So what do you want to hunt?" Beechpaw asked Rainpaw. "Ummm..."Rainpaw stuttered, "I think there is a mouse in those bushes!" She meowed quietly. Beechpaw sniffed the air. "Your right." He meowed. "I'll chase it from one side, and you catch it when it runs out. Ok?"

Rainpaw nodded. She then crept to the other side of the bush, patiently waiting for the mouse. She heard Beechpaw hiss, and saw a gray blur rushing towards her. The mouse ran right into her paws, and she gave it a sharp, quick bite, and it was dead.

"That was amazing!" Beechpaw purred.
"Thanks!"Rainpaw muttered. "You were the one who chased it." She purred.
Beechpaw just shook his head. Suddenly, Frostwing came out of the bushes. "Great work!" He meowed. "Come on. The others have already finished."
"What a lousy catch!" Fawnpaw meowed. "I bet poor Beechpaw had to convince it to leap into your paws!"She hissed." "Hush, Fawnpaw!"her mentor, mousespring growled. Beechpaw glared at Fawnpaw, and she remembered Beechpaw was Fawnpaw's crush. Rainpaw ignored Fawnpaw, and observed all the prey the apprentices had killed. Fawnpaw and Sunpaw got a rabbit, and Vixenpaw and her mentor had found a blackbird.
"Let's do some battle training." Frostwing meowed, leading the apprentices into the training hollow.

After training, Rainpaw was exhausted. She followed her denmates into the apprentices den. She had been to tired to eat. "Rainpaw, there is a nest you can sleep in beside me!" Beechpaw purred. She nodded, and fell into a deep sleep.