Leopardkit's Apprentice Ceremony

As Thrushnose stopped on top of the Highrock, shifting her weight from side to side, the stone’s chill seeped from her paws throughout her pelt. After today, she would never stand here again. It was a strange feeling, bundled up in relief and hesitance and eagerness to see how her successor would fare, but not unwelcome. Public speaking had never been one of her strengths. Neither was assigning mentors to apprentices—though she’d done her best this time. A gust of wind swept over the camp, dragging a cluster of golden leaves along with it, and Thrushnose hunched her shoulders. Best to start before things got any colder. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!”

Leopardkit didn't even feel the coldness of the wind as he bounded out of the crowded nursery. It was finally happening! He had been anticipating this moment for moons, and now he was old enough to become a full apprentice of ThunderClan! The spotted tom-kit sat close to the highrock, gazing up at Thrushnose with wide excited eyes.

Leopardkit’s arrival was impossible to miss; between his height and his spotted pelt, he stuck out like a robin in a snowdrift. Another breeze ruffled Thrushnose’s thick fur. Fortunately, the rest of ThunderClan arrived right on the soon-to-be-apprentice’s heels, and she began the meeting with a sweep of her tail. “One of our kits has reached the age of six moons; today, he will become an apprentice. Leopardkit, step forward.” Waiting for him to do so, she rocked back on her heels.

“From this moment on, until the day you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Leopardpaw.” Her eyes shifted from the newly-named apprentice to a russet pelt elsewhere in the crowd. Though Cherrycloud wasn’t ThunderClan’s most experienced warrior, she knew everything she needed to, and she’d always struck Thrushnose as the level-headed sort compared to most of her littermates—an influence Leopardpaw might benefit from. “Cherrycloud will be your mentor,” she said, turning her attention to Leopardpaw once more. “I trust she’ll pass everything she knows on to you.” Just like that, it was over. Thrushnose lingered on the Highrock to watch mentor and apprentice meet, congratulations pouring forth from the crowd below, until the cold urged her to ground level at last.

The newly named Leopardpaw was practically bursting with excitement. He nodded to the deputy gratefully, his large smile never leaving his lips. He locked eyes with his mentor, a reddish she-cat he didn’t recognize. The tomcat padded over to her, enthusiastically touching noses. “You get to show me around the territory right? I can’t wait!” He meowed excitedly.

Cherrycloud’s breath appeared in front of her as she sat in the clearing. A chilling breeze blew through camp and she shivered. She much preferred Newleaf and Greenleaf, since they were warmer and there was plentiful prey. It would be harder to find birds to hunt once it started to snow.

Cherrycloud’s thoughts got away from her and she turned her attention back to Thrushnose and the large, spotted kit being called forward. She was surprised to hear her name being called as the mentor. She swiftly trotted to where Leopardpaw was standing and touched noses. “You’ll get to see the territory soon enough. I’ll show you around tomorrow,” she promised to her new apprentice.

Leopardpaw stepped back, a frown appearing. "Aww, I wanted to go out tonight!" He whined. Cherrycloud's stern expression didn't change, so he backed away, sulking. "Ugh, fine, but I wanna go out first thing in the morning!" The apprentice scurried off to collect materials for his new nest.

//OOC: I'm ready to start a training thread if you are!//