It was a lovely afternoon of green-leaf and Lionpaw was in camp with Silverpaw.

She was talking to him and the sound of her voice made his heart flutter in his chest.

You're just friends. You're just friends. You're just friends, part of his mind said.

But does it matter if you're more than friends? a tiny part of his mind replied back.

He sighed his mind an ongoing war about his feelings for the pretty tabby.

Lionpaw and Silverpaw were laying in the sun when their mentors came up to them.

"C'mon you two! Get up out of the sun." Swiftstripe said her mew filled with excitement.

"What's going on?" Lionpaw turned towards Stormleap.

"We're doing a fun competition with all the apprentices," His mentor meowed. "And we are all going to be late if you don't hurry up!" 

"Ok! Ok! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Silverpaw said tiredly.

The two apprentices followed their mentors out of the fern tunnel.

Lionpaw noticed Stormleap standing a bit closer to Swiftstripe then a cat normally would.

Maybe I'm not the only one who was a crush here. Lionpaw smiled to himself.

The four ThunderClan cats finally reached a clearing where they saw Fawnpaw, Hawkpaw, Cloverpaw, and Flowerpaw with all their mentors.

"Well there they are!" Fawnpaw burst out.

Lionpaw quickly padded next to his sister.

"What were you doing? You were with Silverpaw, weren't you?" Fawnpaw bombed him with questions.

"We were just relaxing! Gee sis, calm down!" he whisper-shouted back at her.

The white-spotted she-cat's amber gaze was filled with suspicion.

"Ok everyone listen up!" Flamepelt, Cloverpaw's mentor, commanded.

All the apprentices eye's locked on the ginger tom.

"Today we are having a contest. Every single one of you will be tested on strength, speed, and your ability to climb." Flamepelt's gaze stared down each one of them.

"This competion is for us mentors see your progress in your training. So, we will hold a race, a sparring match, and a tree climbing race."

The flame-colored warrior beckoned the apprentices to follow him and he showed them the staring point and the end point, which was an oak sapling.

"Ok all apprentices line up at the starting point!" Foxshadow called out to them, standing with all the other mentors.

He noticed the way Silverpaw formed a stretching-like pose and he did his best to copy her.

"You start when I say go." 

Lionpaw was ready to sprint, he gaze trying to see the silhouette of the sapling from several fox-lengths away.

"Go!"

Lionpaw burst forward, his strides forming a rhythm with his heartbeat.

He thought he was doing pretty well.

He already pasted most of the apprentices and was in the lead.

The golden tom could just see the sapling when suddenly something caught the corner of his eye.

It was a white and silver blur.

Silverpaw raced ahead of him, her black paws barely touching the ground.

Whoa...his amber eyes gazed after her in awe.

Silverpaw reached the sapling a few tail lengths later and grinned in triumph.

Her sister, also pretty swift, reached the end point a few seconds after.

Lionpaw came in third and was pretty impressed with himself.

"Ha! I knew my apprentice was the fastest! Well done, Silverpaw!" Swiftstripe's light blue gaze was filled with pride.

All the mentors silently groaned at Swiftstripe, tired of her making this into more of a competion than it already was.

"Ok lets go to sparring."

Sparring was how it usually went.

Lionpaw was paired with Fawnpaw (He lost terribly). 

Cloverpaw and Flowerpaw(It was a close call but Flowerpaw won to Silverpaw's dismay).

And finally it was Silverpaw and Hawkpaw(Hawkpaw actually won to everyone's pleasant surprise).

Now this is where they had to climb trees.

Flamepelt said it was a 'useful skill to learn'.

All the apprentices either looked bored and nervous as they lined up by the Great Sycamore tree.

"Ok guys. The apprentice that climbs up the highest wins. But don't climb to high...we don't want anyone getting hurt.

Lionpaw gulped. 

He did NOT want to fall from that high.

When Flamepelt gave the signal to start, the brown striped apprentice rushed up one side of the large tree, grasping a hold of branches.

He tried not to think about how far the ground was so he just kept on climbing.

After a little while he heard, "Lionpaw you can come down now you won!"

The golden tom looked down and saw Stormleap shouting up to him.

He slid down the truck, digging his claws through the sycamore bark.

The rest of the apprentices were staring at him, wide eyed.

"How did you-" Silverpaw began her mew filled with shock.

Lionpaw tired to look as cool as he could in front of the she-cat.

"Oh, you know, its just a skill I have I guess," he said in the deepest voice he could manage.

"Well its a pretty cool skill!" she replied looking impressed.

He wanted to leap for joy at the compliment from Silverpaw.

She grinned at him before padding over to her mentor.

They were all back in camp and the sun was dipping lower and lower into the fading daylight.

Lionpaw was eating fresh-kill with Hawkpaw, Fawnpaw, Silverpaw, and Velvetpaw when Cloverpaw burst through the fern tunnel, her green eyes glinted with happiness.

"Guys! I just took my assessment and I passed!" she squealed.

"No way!" said Hawkpaw and Silverpaw simultaneously.

"I'm becoming a warrior at dawn tomorrow!" Cloverpaw said bouncing up and down.

"Congrats!" meowed Fawnpaw.

"I wonder what your warrior name will be," Velvetpaw sat on her haunches. 

Lionpaw grinned as Cloverpaw and her siblings went to tell their parents, Lilyfall and Spruceclaw, the big news. 

When Velvetpaw and Fawnpaw headed to their nests for the night, the golden apprentice was by himself.

He yawned taking one last look at the stars, which were like bejeweled grains of sand scattered across the night sky.