Dawnkit's Apprentice Ceremony

"All cats old enough to silently stalk in the shadows, please gather around for a Clan meeting!"

The deputy's voice carried over the camp from her usual place at the base of the Jaggedrock, her eyes scanning the slowly-growing crowd of ShadowClan cats for the lucky kit who had at last grown old enough to leave the nursery and begin their training as a warrior.

Tawnyshadow joined the crowd, her heart hammering in her chest. She hadn't been this excited since her own warrior ceremony. She smiled as her ward stepped forward. Dawnkit was such a precious kit, and the warrior hoped that her apprenticeship was a good one.

Sagestone sat down beside Tawnyshadow, idly wrapping his tail around his paws. The she-cat beside him was practically trembling with excitement, and it didn't take much for the tom to connect the dots and realize that Tawnyshadow's ward was going to become an apprentice. That thing... Sagestone shuddered and prayed that he wasn't to mentor Dawnkit.

Dawnkit padded forward, curiosity getting the better of her. This is the first time she had seen a clan meeting something like this. There was such a big crowd around a rock, and she did not understand what was going on.

"Dawnkit, please step forward."

Leopardsun purred, keeping an eye on the wide-eyed kit. Tawnyshadow's ward had fared better than she had expected: there was some part of her that had doubted she would make it to her apprentice ceremony, and was delighted to be proven wrong. Tawnyshadow herself also seemed to be faring particularly well- she knew that excitement all too well, though she'd never been a part of the crowd.

"You have reached the age of six moons and are ready to become an apprentice. From this day until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw. Your mentor will be Tigershriek- I trust he will pass all that he has learned onto you."

"Dawnpaw!" Sagestone cheered the apprentice's new name. He didn't want to, but tradition called for it. Besides, he was next to Tawnyshadow.

"Dawnpaw! Dawnpaw!' Tawnyshadow joined her clanmate's cheer loudly. For now, she'd leave Dawnpaw to get to know her new mentor, but she will be bringing the apprentice out as soon as she gets the chance.

Dawnpaw stepped forward, meeting another cat, which she assumed was Tigershriek. "Hi..." Dawnpaw shyly greeted the tom. She could not believe it. She was finally an apprentice!

Sunflare arrived in camp with his jaws full of prey just in time to see Dawnkit — no, Dawnpaw — touch noses with her mentor. He sat down on Tawnyshadow’s open side with a purr, setting the prey down at his paws. He’d take it to the pile in a minute. “Hard to believe she’s growing up so fast.”

Tigershriek had quietly been watching the ceremony from the back, curious, but not overly interested. He didn't know many of the kits in Shadowclan, so when Leopardsun leaped up onto the rock for an apprentice ceremony, the tom felt no real attachment. He was still so new to the role of being a warrior himself, he hadn't expected an apprentice for a few moons. Yet there he was, hearing his name called to become a mentor to the newly named Dawnpaw. Brushing aside his surprise, and forcing his jaw to close after it had dropped slightly open, he moved to the front where Dawnpaw stood.

"Hi there," Tigershriek leaned down to touch noses with his new apprentice, "I'll do my best to teach you everything you need to know, don't worry. We'll start at dusk tomorrow." Retreating back slightly, he made room for others to greet the fresh apprentice. He'd have to figure out what to teach her first!