brindlekit's apprentice ceremony

His recent patrol with Appledapple had left his thoughts reeling. Stoatfur couldn't deny that he had a lot to think about, that a lot of the things she had said were true. But the anger had faded, replaced with a sense of pride and a special kind of emptiness. Despite having practice pushing things aside and shoving them down, this seemed to have fracture him in a unique way. The deputy was grateful for the space but he also missed her presence. As he leaped onto the highrock, the brown and white warrior shook his head to clear his thoughts.

That wasn't what he needed to be thinking about right now. There was a ceremony to be had, another apprentice in the making. Another cat to starve this vicious leafbear, he thought bitterly. It was time to welcome Brindlekit into the cruel and vicious life that she had been born into. With a sigh, he let out a low meow to call the cats who were already sharing tongues over today's lean catch, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highrock."

Brindlekit heart Stoatfur call for a meeting and squealed, unfazed by the cold as she darted out of the nursery and eagerly gathered with the rest of the Clan. She shifted from foot to foot as she looked up at the ThunderClan deputy with bright, eager blue eyes. She had done the math, and if she was correct she had seen her sixth moon come and pass, which meant any day she'd be made an apprentice. Was today the day? She looked at the brown and white tom before her, before the Clan, and felt her heart stammer in her chest as she inhaled sharply. 'Who will they have be my mentor?' She thought as she tried to slyly look at the warriors that sat closest to her. She felt her heart would beat out of her chest with excitement, and she struggled to sit still.

"Brindlekit, you will begin training as an apprentice, and be known as Brindlepaw. Starlingflare will be your mentor." He was never one for theatrics and those blue eyes were burning into his pelt. The warrior had been consulted before the ceremony, as was his custom. Many moons ago he wasn't sure how to feel about the tom who had spoken so brazenly against the clan's leader. Admittedly, Stoatfur still wasn't sure, but he wanted to see how Starlingflare would handle an apprentice of his own. The half-baked ceremony words were swiftly muttered (more out of personal preference against formal ceremonies and less out of disrespect). Once it was over, the little brown and white deputy leaped down from his place and lingered at the edge of the crowd as cats paid their congratulations to the new apprentice.

Him? An Apprentice? He knew it was discussed before, but at the same time he still couldn't believe it. Especially after.. well.. It was in the past now. Once Stoatfur had finished speaking, the one-eyed tom approached his new apprentice. "We will start early tomorrow, I hope you are ready." He would teach her the best he could. Hopefully she would shine as bright as he did.

Brindlekit felt her heart quicken as Stoatfur called her forward and she stood before her deputy with wide eyes as he named her Brindlepaw. Her pelt prickled and she felt a gleaming smile reach her features as Starlingfire was named her mentor. She enjoyed the tom, not thrown off by his looks at all and had enjoyed the tale he spun for her about how he got the scars. As he came forward she turned to face him, eyes bright and glittering as she smiled at him. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I won't let you down!" She mewed with a determined puff of her chest.