Shellkit and Mintkit's Apprentice Ceremony

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the willow branch for a Clan meeting!" Fishstar shouted, flattening her ears against the snow-filled wind. Her paws felt practically frozen, and ready to fall off. It was Shellkit's ceremony today, but also her youngest son, Mintkit's. She wanted to be optimistic about the next stage in Mintkit's life, but Leafbare was just so.. Terrible. Poor kits.. What a day to have a ceremony.

Mintkit padded out into the snow. It felt like he'd spent an eternity slicking down his fur to look perfect for his apprentice ceremony, but as soon as he stepped outside the shelter of the nursery, the wind roared in his ears and his fur fluffed straight back up again. I'm finally getting my new name. Frozenpaw? Frostpaw? Iciclepaw? His paws were numb by the time he padded up to the willow in the center of camp. The dumb jokes he told to himself in his head were only to take the edge off, and to help steer his thoughts away from the Leafbare cold. He could feel his heart racing as he craned his neck up to look at his mother. Mintpaw. It had a nice ring to it, didn't it? He could get used to it.

Shellkit heard the leader's call. She knew it was probably her apprentice ceremony, but she wasn't eager to leave the small warmth that the nursery provided. However, she heaved herself up and stumbled into the camp anyway. The wind stung her eyes, and she was certain she could feel ice forming in her pelt that she had recently groomed. She eventually sat near Mintkit, digging her claws into the frozen ground as much as she could.

Halfpaw watched from the apprentice's den, unwilling to freeze the rest of the fur off her face. If she had become warrior a little sooner, maybe she could have mentored one of the two kits.

"Shellkit, Mintkit, please step forward," said the spotted she-cat.

Mintkit took a small step forward, trying to keep himself from shivering, either from the cold or the anticipation. I can't step any farther, he thought to himself with a twitch of his whiskers. I can't feel my paws.

She padded forward a few steps, almost being carried back by the wind.

"You have now both reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. From this day forth until you receive your warrior names, you shall be known as Mintpaw and Shellpaw. Mintpaw, your mentor shall be Reedfang, and Shellpaw, your mentor shall be Whitefoot. May StarClan guide their teachings." She began the uproarious chanting of the apprentices' new names, delighted that her youngest son had earned his 'paw name.

She was beaming now. It hadn't quite hit her before, but now it had -- she was an apprentice!