Snow fell lazily from the sky, getting caught in the fur of the SunClan warriors and sprinkling the ground, turning it white. The trees were bare and the air was cold. Flowerpelt hated the snow, hunting and patrols were cold especially in the morning. Hunting was getting poor and she knew that sickness was around the corner. She sat in camp with Stormwind, waiting for Mallownose to assign them to a patrol like she said she would.

Flowerpelt's eyes went to Cloudstorm and Barkfang who were sitting outside the nursery. It had been two moons since Barkfang, Rustpelt, Snakewhisker and Willownose all became warriors and Cloudstorm had recently moved to the nursery with Barkfang's kits. Moonfur had also given birth to Poppykit, Springkit and Lakekit. The Clan was overjoyed with the birth of new kits but Flowerpelt couldn't help but remember the last leaf-bare when two kits died. Poppykit, Springkit and Lakekit were so incredibly young, so was Blazekit. Icekit and Snowkit would be apprentices any day now.

Flowerpelt sighed and looked away, wishing she could shake the feeling of dread that came along with the cold season. She licked her fur, trying to keep warm. Behind her and Stormwind, Flowerpelt heard pawsteps crunching in the snow. They turned to see Foxstar, his ginger fur standing out like blood against the white snow. "Can I talk to you two?"

Flowerpelt shared a look with Stormwind who looked confused, but Flowerpelt was pretty sure she knew what would be going on. The two sisters agreed and stood up to follow their leader.

Once in the SunTree, Flowerpelt took a look around. She never really came in here, it was cozy and warm. "What did you want to talk to us about?" Flowerpelt questioned, though she was confident she already knew the answer.

"Today is Icekit and Snowkit's apprentice ceremony, I was wondering if the two of you would want to be their mentors?" Foxstar looked over the two of them, his green eyes curious.

"We'd love to!" Stormwind exclaimed loudly nearly jumping off the ground. "I was hoping I'd be able to mentor Snowkit."

"I'd love to as well." Flowerpelt purred.

"Then it's decided. It's about sunhigh, I'm going to call the ceremony." Flowerpelt and Stormwind followed Foxstar out of his den and waited in the center of camp for him to call the ceremony. "Let all cats old enough to gather their own prey gather beneath the SunTree for a Clan meeting!" The Clan was instantly at attention, lifting their heads and turning to get up and head to the center of camp.

"This is so exciting!" Stormwind said to Flowerpelt, clearly getting ready to burst at the seams in pure joy. "We're finally going to be mentors!"

Flowerpelt nodded in agreement but her stomach twisted in knots. She had really been wanting an apprentice lately, but now that it was actually happening...she was worried. What if I'm not a good mentor? She questioned, claws scraping at the frozen ground. Icekit's entire life as a warrior is dependent on me. She tried to calm her racing heart, managing to keep her head steady.

Flowerpelt looked towards the nursery where Frostclaw was struggling to keep her daughters in check, both were incredibly eager to get started. Finally, Frostclaw let her kits go and sat down beside Jayflight as they waited for the ceremony to begin. Flowerpelt took a deep breath and looked to Foxstar as he began to speak.

"Today is a proud day for SunClan," He meowed, voice resonating. "By naming apprentices we show that we will remain strong for many moons to come. Icekit and Snowkit have reached the age of six moons and are ready to become apprenticed." Flowerpelt prepared herself, remembering the other apprentice ceremonies she had experienced, including her own. "Snowkit, from this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name you will be known as Snowpaw. Your mentor will be Stormwind, an incredibly talented she-cat who I know will teach you all that you need."

Stormwind stood up and padded over to Snowpaw who eagerly touched noses with her new mentor, Flowerpelt couldn't help but purr. Snowtail and Snowpaw made their way back to Flowerpelt, Snowpaw's head held high. My turn now. Flowerpelt took a deep breath.

"Icekit, from this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Icepaw. Your mentor will be Flowerpelt. Flowerpelt, I trust that you will pass all of the amazing skills you have learned onto young Icepaw." Flowerpelt stood up and walked to the center of camp where an excited Icepaw waited.

Flowerpelt leaned forward and touched noses with her new apprentices. It was a little too hard and the two painfully bumped muzzles. "Sorry!" Icepaw quickly apologized and stepped back, Flowerpelt felt her pelt burn. Good move, Flowerpelt. With her new apprentice at her side, Flowerpelt padded back to Stormwind and Snowpaw.

"Snowpaw! Icepaw! Snowpaw! Icepaw!" The Clans cheered their new apprentices. As the Clan returned to their normal duties, Icepaw and Snowpaw began bouncing around Stormwind and Flowerpelt with excitement.

"What are we gonna do first?" Snowpaw questioned, her deep blue eyes wide and filled with wonder. The joys of being a young apprentice. Flowerpelt thought with a purr.

"I was thinking a tour of the territory?" Stormwind looked to Flowerpelt, searching for approval. Flowerpelt thought it was a good idea and nodded.

"Sounds good, we can all go, but it's going to be cold so we may not see the whole territory today." Flowerpelt explained, but neither Snowpaw nor Icepaw seemed to mind. They just wanted to explore the territory. Stormwind and Flowerpelt led their apprentices out of the camp. Icepaw and Snowpaw's eyes were wide with wonder as they stepped out of the territory for the first time.

Flowerpelt recognized the look in their eyes, it was the same look she had when she had first seen the territory. When her paws itched to run and explore, she had wanted to see the whole forest. So much had changed since she became an apprentice, she had experienced loss and matured quite a bit. When she was an apprentice she just wanted to be the best warrior she could be, now she wanted to be leader someday. She wondered if Icepaw or Snowpaw ever wanted to be leader? Or any of the other warriors for that matter.

"We're getting close to the AshClan border." Stormwind spoke, pulling Flowerpelt out of her own thoughts. She felt a twinge of guilt, she should've been focusing on her apprentice and not her thoughts. "You can tell the border by this tree." When they reached the border Stormwind motioned to a large tree that marked the border with AshClan. "It's bigger than most."

"You should also be able to tell the border by scent." Flowerpelt added, taking a few pawsteps closer to the AshClan border. "Come here and tell me what you smell." She instructed both apprentices. Icepaw and Snowpaw stood beside Flowerpelt and sniffed the air around the border.

"It smells like pine needles and like SunClan but kind of different." Snowpaw explained, her blue eyes look to Stormwind for confirmation.

"That's the smell of AshClan. Their territory is majorly pine trees so it's not weird that you smell them." Stormwind replied with a slight purr. "The MoonClan border is much easier to notice since it's a river so you shouldn't ever cross it, and we don't share a border with LichenClan."

"So we'll only get to see LichenClan cats at gatherings?" Icepaw inquired, tilted her head slightly.

"Most of the time, yes." Flowerpelt answered. "Unless there's a battle with them, which is rare, or if Birdstar or Foxstar need to talk to one each other."

"We should continue." Stormwind mewed, urging the apprentices to continue on. "Next is the river border that leads to the gathering hollow."

"When's the next gathering?" Snowpaw asked, looking in the distance towards the river. "I'm really excited to meet the other Clans."

Flowerpelt couldn't help but purr. "It should be soon, if both of you behave and do your best then we'll let you go."

"We will!" Icepaw pressed up against her sister, both sharing the same shimmering, bright eyes. "We promise! Don't we, Snowpaw?" She looked at Snowpaw.

"Of course!" Snowpaw boasted, her eyes beaming.

"Then you should be able to go." Stormwind purred. "Let's continue." Flowerpelt and Stormwind walking their apprentices along the river border and explained how gatherings work as well as the other leaders of the Clans and what to expect. Once they had walked the length of the river Flowerpelt noticed both apprentices were shivering and the snow had begun to fall faster.

"We should get back to camp." Flowerpelt mewed. "We don't want to risk sickness in an of us." We've been in leaf-bare for a moon, but I still can't help but worry that sickness is just around the corner. Once back in camp Icepaw and Snowpaw got some prey and hurried to huddle in the apprentice den. Barkfang and the others were still in there so it would be warm for them at least.

Stormwind and Flowerpelt settled down as well, it was freezing outside and Flowerpelt's paw pads burned. She curled up next to her sister, enjoying her warmth as well as the warmth of the others around her. As she drifted off to sleep, Flowerpelt heard a faint cough coming from one of the warriors in the den. No cat responded, and it didn't sound bad. I hope it's nothing. Please, StarClan, let it be nothing.