Waterkit's Apprentice Ceremony

It was almost a relief to be up here again. Minkstream could feel the breeze brushing his pelt as he stood on the High Rock, the familiarity of routine duties comforting despite the way he still had to climb a little stiffly up onto the rock, his limbs still bearing a lingering weakness from his captivity.

But there would always be a better day, and this was one of those. He opened his mouth to call the summons, the words coming to him right this time, the aching in his head less than usual - hopefully a promise of those better days coming soon. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Waterkit was still not used to all the fancy clan terms, even though she had been there for two moons now.  I think that's me.  She thought about what the cat said about the clan meeting.  She knew she could catch her own prey.  She had done that, or at least something like it, since she was two moons old.  Although, she did not really know what Thunderclan's rules about hunting for kits were.  She stumbled out of the nursery and followed a small crowd of cats over to High Rock.  She stuck with them afraid that she would get lost, but she quickly realized that she was learning the way.  She sat down on the side of were others were, still not too fond of crowds, and waited to see what the clan meeting was about.

Luckily this time he'd learned his lesson and kept a solid grip on the kit's name. As solid as he could, anyway. When she came out of the nursery, he waited until she'd sat with the other cats before opening his mouth again and calling out, "Waterkit, step forward!"

When she'd done so, he held the little rogue-born kit's eyes with his own, sincerely hoping she'd understand all the jargon flowing from his maw. "You're old enough to learn the ways of the Clan as an apprentice, and from this moment on until you earn your warrior name, you'll be known as Waterpaw. Orange..." Stars, the young tom's name just kept slipping his mind... "Orangeheart will be your mentor."

With that, he leapt down and joined the others calling her name, a quiet, relieved sigh slipping from his maw, the ache in his brain from the enforced focus softening to a dull throb. That one was better.

She was called forward.  Confusion and this weird sense of excitement ran threw her mind.  So... I walk up to him now?  She made her way to the older cat which she guessed had a high rank in Thunderclan.  He looked at her and she met her orange and blue eyes with his.  She heard that she was to be an apprentice now, which she had heard the word apprentice before, but did not really know what it meant.  He said she was known as 'Waterpaw' now, which only confused her more.  How many name changes are there? She thought, about how she had changed her name from Reign to Waterkit and now it was being changed again to Waterpaw.  Orangeheart... The cat who was going to be her mentor, whatever that meant.

Other cats were calling her name, making introverted Waterkit... Waterpaw uncomfortable.  She shifted her paws.  She was alone for a moment in front of the crowd.  Something was happening... If only she knew what.