copperkit's apprentice ceremony

He stared up at the Highrock for a brief moment, trying to reconcile the conflicting feelings blossoming in depths of his pelt. The place above the clan was reserved for leadership, cats like Minkstar and Thrushnose. Stoatfur would probably never feel like one of them but it was his duty to push such things away and simply get the job done. As the clan grew, young cats needed to begin their training. Admittedly, he longed to have a paw in all of their training - to pass along the knowledge that swirled about in his head and thrashed like a mouse caught in the claws of a warrior. Even with this appointment, the brown and white tom planned to utilize his new position to do what he enjoyed, all while striving to best himself and the clan.

He leaped onto the highrock, back paws scrabbling ever so slightly to gain his footing. It would take a while to get used to leaping so fluidly up onto this position. Stoatfur's eyes rake the clearing, seeing cats mill about, the last few filtering in from patrols. For a second, he sucked in the cold air and let his fur prickle slightly in response. Copperkit was about to become an apprentice, one with the clan. Worry about the coming season had burned in his stomach and spiked seeking out the pelt of the non-Thunderclan kit. Stoatfur had never been one to consider a cat's origins but with so many mouths to feed... he flicked his tail and flexed his claws into the stone.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock for a clan meeting."

Appledapple still wasn't used to seeing the smallish tom up on the Highrock. Stoatfur was a lot of things, but deputy had never really crossed her mind as being one of them. However, up there was where he was, so that was what she would get used to.

Hearing his voice call out the familiar summons, after a faint moment of confusion, she wandered out from the warriors' den where she'd been fixing her nest. Somehow, burrs kept getting in it, and she wasn't sure why... but she had a suspicion. The tortoiseshell settled down under the rock, glancing up at Stoatfur. His face was unreadable as usual. What was he thinking? What was being deputy like? She wasn't sure she'd ever know. Her gray eyes looked up to his, but he looked distant. I should patrol with him sometime. I'd like to ask him.

Copperkit was sitting outside the nursery batting around a leaf when he heard the clan being summoned for a meeting. He had not been in the clan that long since he was not born into the clan, but he has still heard these words before since he had been brought in. Curious what this meeting was about he made his way to where the rest of the clan was gathering and sat beneath the highrock, waiting for Stoatfur to speak.

Cats had begun to gather around. His gaze flitted to drink in each pelt, consider the cat it belonged to, and then onto the next. Finally, he settled on the pair that he had been looking for - Appledapple and Copperkit. Stoatfur had already spoked to the she-cat about mentoring Copperkit, preferring she was aware of the change. Regardless of his own opinions, this ceremony needed to be finished. As he sat above the clan, he maintained his usual composure. There was no yowling, no leaderly call to draw in the masses. Instead, he simply spoke loud enough for them all to hear with an even tone.

"Copperkit, you are ready to begin your training." Orange eyes landed on the kit, searing into his pelt for a brief moment, "You will be known as Copperpaw, and Appledapple will train you. I know she will do well." He wanted to say more, longed to let loose and carry on in the normal manner. But this wasn't supposed to be a casual conversation, this was a duty. Stoatfur didn't care what his clanmates thought of him but rather was inclined to get through the work now in his paws. With a rather unceremonious flick of his tail, the tom dismissed the clan. At least it was over.

Oh, so this is the apprentice ceremony he was talking about. Oh dear. Appledapple felt that she should have been more prepared, since she was forewarned. It only took three sentences for her to be assigned responsibility for another living being. A former outsider, no less. Copperpaw... what an interesting name. Well, there was no reason for her to be rude. She'd prove to Stoatfur, and to Minkstar, that she could do this. It wouldn't be a problem.

Trying to ignore the nervous beating of her heart, the chocolate tortoiseshell walked slowly up to the little tom and touched her small nose to his. "Hello, Copperpaw," she meowed with a slight smile. "Looking forward to training with you. We'll patrol tomorrow."

ooc: sorry for slow replies I keep having fevers :(

ic: Copperkit, or now Copperpaw walked up to his mentor and touched noses with her. The ways of the clans were still new to Copperpaw but that made him even more curious. "Patrols? Will I see more territory? Will I learn to fight?" Copperpaw asked curiously. He had not seen outside of the camp walls since Minkstar and Wolfblaze brought him into the clan, so he was curious what all was out there.