Sootkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Leaping up onto the tallbranch, Tinylegs gave his pelt a shake, ready to conduct another apprentice ceremony. "Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather here for a clan meeting!" the small, white and grey tom called out.

Sootkit trudged out of the nursery with a heavy heart and one stoic expression. It hadn't been long since Rippedstar's death, and ever since then, he had been very antisocial and refused to show any emotions towards anyone. However, since then, the jet-black cat had high hopes for his apprentice ceremony. Sootkit hated spending his days in the nursery doing nothing except fidgeting with a ball of moss or a few feathers. More than ever, he had desired to go outside the confined SkyClan camp and hunt and serve his Clan. Besides, he was getting pretty old, right? Sitting alone away from the other cats, Sootkit looked straight ahead at the deputy. If he wasn't feeling so glum, maybe a glint of hope would've shone in his eyes. Maybe.

Waiting a few moments for cats to gather, he spotted Sootkit among the growing crowd and decided to begin. "We gather here today to give a kit their apprentice name. Sootkit," he mewed, his gaze looking down the kit. "Please step forward," the short tom mewed, giving a curt dip of his head to the younger cat. "Sootkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this point, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Sootpaw. Your mentor will be Nightstorm . I trust that he will teach you well and pass on all of his knowledge of the warrior code onto you," Tinylegs finished, a smile on his muzzle. After that, he leapt down from the tallbranch and concluded the ceremony as the chants for the newly named apprentice rose up from the once silent air.

Unlike he had expected, Sootpaw felt no pride or accomplishment from getting his apprentice name. It was only at that moment he realized he had been relying on one cat for something to be proud of. The tom had to stop, otherwise, he would live with this dreary mood for the rest of this life. That didn't mean he had to always feel happy, though.

Observing the crowd, Sootpaw quickly spotted Nightstorm and strolled over to him, impassively touching noses with him.

Nightstorm, who had been watching the ceremony attentively, pricked his ears as Tinylegs called out his name as mentor to Sootpaw.  A bit stunned, the jet-black tom stepped out of the crowd and padded up to greet his new apprentice with a friendly tap of noses.  It had not been long ago that Frostwing had finally finished her training and moved into the warrior's den by his side, but he had only taken over to finish the rest of her Clan training.  This young tom before him was young, and he looked forward to guiding him and training him in the ways of the clan which had become his new home.  "We will start our training tomorrow morning Sootpaw, I'm looking forward to spending time with you."