Shrikekit’s Apprentice Ceremony

Fog hung over the camp. It was in the hours of early morning, and Wildflower had come back from the dawn patrol a few minutes ago. The deputy nearly stumbled into the Tallrock, whiskers narrowly detecting it before what could have been an embarrassing scene. The she-cat hurried up the heap of rocks until she was at the Tallrock, overlooking camp. Waking up early normally irritated her, but running on the moor during the dawn patrol had alleviated her annoyance. “Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tallrock for an apprentice cerem- uh, Clan meeting!” Everyone else used Clan meeting, not apprentice ceremony, right? Did it matter too much? Wildflower’s pelt burned for a moment with uncertainty and embarrassment. Oh, stars, I haven’t even thought of a mentor! Shrikekit, kind of shy, a gentle mentor would be best... Her nose caught the scent of Zinnia. She doesn’t have an apprentice ever since Sweetpaw went missing, she’s gentle, kind. It’ll do! She trained Maplewhisker. It- it’ll work out.

At first, Shrikekit was still in the nursery, peering out as a clan meeting was called. He was too young to run the moors, so he figured he would stay in the nursery. However, his mother gently nudged him out into the clearing. "But I can't run the moors!" he protested in a quiet voice, hoping no one thought he was acting out of turn on purpose. That got a chuckle out of his mother, who looked down at her kit with adoration.

"Oh Shrikekit, this meeting is for you. They can't make you an apprentice if you don't show up." Wait, an apprentice? He was going to be an apprentice? He froze in place, his eyes wide. Time had flown by so fast! Was he ready to be an apprentice: to go out onto the moors and do what his mentor said correctly? He had to be, or he was going to be in big trouble. Swallowing nervously, he turned away from his mother and started heading into the growing throng of cats.

She could tell he was nervous, but was unable to offer anything but a small smile of encouragement. As if to say it’s alright, we all feel nervous but you can push through it. Anxiety had been a pretty big problem throughout her life. It still was. But she knew how to manage it, which made all the difference.

“Shrikekit, please step forward,” And as he did so, Wildflower realized just how sharp the anxiety was, radiating off of him in waves, and made a split-second decision. Shrikekit had met Smallbean already, and her father certainly had experience being shy. It ran in the family, she thought idly, blind green eyes settling again on Shrikekit. “Shrikekit, from the moment on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shrikepaw.” The moment that cemented the mentor decision. Too late to change things now. She had to look confident about the decision. Anxiety was passed on - if Wildflower was seen as nervous, Shrikepaw’s anxiety would grow. “Smallbean will be your mentor.”

There was a voice the deputy pointedly ignored (‘Giving an apprentice to the cat who knowingly broke the code, such a reward’). Wildflower stumbled down the Tallrock and ran her tail over Shrikepaw’s back briefly. “You’ll do better than you think,” she murmured softly. She said nothing like that to Smallbean, still cooly furious towards her father.

Smallbean blearily blinked the sleepiness from his eyes. Looking to the sky, he saw the darkness slowly start to be flooded with streaks of yellow and orange caused by the rising sun. He knew some kind of meeting would be happening soon, as he saw Windflower walking around near the Tallrock. It wasn't anywhere out of the normal or anything, it was just that he had begun to predict when Wildflower was going to call a meeting. She was his daughter after all, despite how distant they had grown. It really did hurt him, he really wanted to try bringing back what they used to have- he just didn't know if that's what Wildflower wanted. All he wanted was to make sure Wildflower was happy.

The thoughts tainting his mood, he lowered his head and walked toward the center of camp at the call of the clan meeting. Staring at the ground he avoided making eye contact with his daughter, instead focusing on the rock itself. It made it look like he was paying attention, at least. Zoning out, his eyes lost focus and he drifted into thought- mostly contemplating what in Starclan Wildflower was upset with him about. Did she find out that he was mates with Cedarheart? The tom was only snapped back to reality at the mention of his name. Was he taking care of another apprentice? Already? He thought he couldn't be trusted because of what happened to Heatherpaw... Standing up on his haunches to see over the crowd, he caught sight of the cat he would be mentoring. Shrikekit! That was good news, he already got along well with him. And maybe the fact that Wildflower had chosen him meant that she had finally forgiven him- for whatever he had done wrong.

Running to the front of the crowd, he could feel a few pairs of eyes burning into his pelt and anxiety filled him. He began to shudder, but restrained to make sure this moment was as good as it could be for Shrikekit. The small warrior's eyes lit up when he saw Wildflower walking toward them, only to be ignored. She didn't even say a word to him. Just that was like a stab at his heart. He deserved it, he decided, for betraying her, and Larkflight. Letting out a sad sigh, he turned toward Shrikepaw, trying to pull on a smile. "Nice to see i have a cat like you to mentor. I can't wait to begin training, i know you'll do amazing."

Shrikekit was nervous. It must have been coming off him in waves. He had become more knowledgeable of the camp since Smallbean helped him out of the nursery, and he had even become friends with some of the other kits. However, that didn't mean he wasn't nervous. It was different pretending to be a big, strong warrior than to actually become an apprentice. However, he had to remember what he had been telling himself: that he had to do this for WindClan. He would be a disappointment if he didn't buck up and become the best apprentice he could be. So, swallowing down every bit of anxiety clawing at his throat, he dipped his head in thanks to the deputy.

"Thank you," he whispered, then turned to face his new mentor. He had no idea of the cool fury between father and daughter. That wasn't exactly a topic of discussion around the nursery. All he knew was that the warrior that helped him start to break from his shell would be his mentor, and he thought that was perfect. "Thank you, Smallbean! I'll do my best!" He didn't want to promise anything he might fail miserably at, but he wanted to be a good apprentice for Smallbean, after everything he had done for him.