Lavenderkit's Apprentice Ceremony [C]

Perchstar had talked extensively with Poppyshine about this beforepaw. It wasn't like Lavenderkit could hunt and fight the same as the other apprentices, so it would be unfair to expect him to fulfill their same requirements. However, it would also be unfair to just expect him to sit around in the nursery for the rest of his life. The Clans were not savages. Their ability to care for kits and elders was one of the things that made them worthy of the guidance of the stars. Didn't cats like Hickorypaw and Lavenderkit deserve their own chances at progression in life, too? So it was that the higher ranks of RiverClan had discussed and arrived at a proper equivalent for Lavenderkit. Perchstar accompanied Poppyshine to the nursery and sat at her side, saying nothing for now. She would wait for the young tom to respond.

"Hello, Poppyshine and Perchstar," he greeted, somewhat surprised to see the deputy and leader enter the nursery together. He had been laying in his nest in quiet thought and sat upright to speak with them. "Of course, what did you want to talk about?" There was a spark of excitement, but he cautiously did not let it grow beyond a quiet ember. Honestly, he had felt frustrated lately. He was happy for his friend Drizzlepaw, of course, but he also missed her. That had been all, until recently, she had been near the WindClan border and the patrol had returned without her. She had gotten in a fight with another apprentice from WindClan; if Lavenderkit had been there...

Perchstar met the kit's eyes as he sat up. Despite how he had never had usage of his back legs, he managed to make it look natural to sit with only half of his body. He was certainly competent--far too much so to underestimate him and make him sit in the nursery for all of his life. However, he could never be a normal apprentice. The leader glanced at Poppyshine as she spoke, nodding in agreement with her words. They'd previously discussed what would be said at this small "ceremony" meeting. "It is as Poppyshine says," Perchstar began evenly, looking at Lavenderkit once more. "You are too capable to do nothing, and yet you cannot walk the normal path of apprenticeship. So together, we have a few ideas we would like to share with you about a way you could progress to Lavenderpaw." Her ear flicked once as she said the words she'd rehearsed in her head. "RiverClan camp needs every able paw it can get. I'm sure you've seen around camp how the apprentices often help the elders with their bedding, clean out the apprentice's den, and do other regular chores around camp. I believe that though Sandyshell is in the process of choosing an apprentice, she would also not say no to an extra pair of paws organizing her herb stores. These are all things that you can learn to do competently, even without your hind legs." She looked briefly out of the nursery at the edge of camp, then back at Lavenderkit. "But I do not want you to be confined to camp your entire life. If you choose to walk this path, then I would like to attempt teaching you how to hunt. It will be difficult. I do not make any pretenses to say that this will not be a very hard thing for you to learn. However, when RiverClan cats fish, we use only our front paws. If you were to learn how to balance as well as how to fish, then perhaps you could also contribute to the Clan through hunting rather than just working in camp. Of course--you would need to be supervised, always, as you cannot swim. But this is a trade-off I would like to know if you are willing to take."

That wasn't all she had to say, though. As much as she wished things could be easier, she had to lay down ground rules. "But aside from just telling you what you can do as an apprentice, I need to also inform you of what you cannot do. I would not be comfortable having you spar with other cats. You may learn basic self-defense, things that I am already sure you can do--such as swiping with claws or biting. But I will not be teaching you to fight, and subsequently, you will not go on any border patrols. As many things as you are capable of doing, protecting the Clan in the way that an able-bodied apprentice or warrior could is not one of them. You also cannot swim, or travel long distances, as I am sure you are aware. Therefore, I do not think you should go to the Gathering. It is a long, strenuous journey both ways, for very little payoff. And recently Fourtrees has not been... the safest place in the forest. I might reconsider this depending on how you do with your duties, but for now, that is where my opinion stands." Perchstar sat a little taller, tail swaying behind her once as she looked at Lavenderkit. "Do you accept these terms? If you follow all of these and do your best to work just as hard as any other apprentice, then you may earn an honorary warrior name of your own one day."

"I accept, and I promise to work just as hard to serve RiverClan as any other apprentice."

Lavenderkit answered without hesitation after Poppyshine and Perchstar had finished explaining. His leader and deputy believed he was valuable, competent and capable of serving his Clan well. It was enough to make any young cat glow with pride. It gave Lavenderkit a blazing determination.

"I understand my limitations," he acknowledged, his eyes shining bright, "and I understand my strengths which can help our Clan. I am happy to do the apprentice duties in camp, learn to organise herbs, and-" he barely contained his excitement, "-to learn to hunt with a patrol." His dream of hooking a fish out of the water from the bank of the river as a warrior, until now had just been a sleeping dream, but it could really become part of his everyday life ~ as Lavenderpaw! "I will always try my best for RiverClan."

"Thank you!" Overcome with excitement, he stretched forward and booped the reserved leader and sunny deputy with a gentle nudge of heartfelt gratitude.

Perchstar nodded at the tom's enthusiasm. His excitement and optimism spoke well of him. She returned his gesture, pressing her nose to his in a slight reversal of the ceremonial order. "Very well then. From now on, you will be called Lavenderpaw. I will teach you. Though our bond will not quite be the normal interactions between mentor and apprentice, I will do my best to help you grow to the best of your capabilities." Though this would be a difficult addition to her workload, she was sure that Lavenderpaw would work hard. He would be supervised by everyone in camp, and she could afford a few moments every so often to take him out and try teaching him to fish. She would be lying if she said that she didn't feel a tiny spark of pride at finding a way for such a disadvantaged cat to still feel at home in her Clan. This was what RiverClan was about. After touching noses with Lavenderpaw, she gave a grateful nod to Poppyshine for her help.