Snowkit's Apprentice Ceremony

The soft glow of a fading leaf-fall sun lined the trees above camp. A dark tabby was perched on a high rock. His tail tucked neatly beside him. He looked around at the clearing and watched Snowkit as she gallavanted around playfully. It was time for her to get some real excercise... he chuckled to himself as he eyed the nursery that brimmed with kits born late in the year. It'd be hard to feed them all, unless they were all apprenticed soon and learned how to catch their own prey.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath High-rock for a clan meeting!" He called out into the chilly evening air. His pelt bristled a bit from the cold as he shook it out and sighed softly. This upcoming leafbare did not promise to be a kind one. He waited until the small white she-cat was among the crowd before smiling down at her. "Snowkit, step forward."

Snowkit whom had been playing about blinked her big blue green eyes and started to find her a spot before her mother,Pantherclaw,stopped her and slicked her fur back before letting her go. After her mom let her go she scampered forward the pale creamy ginger tabby spotting on her fur catching the light as she stepped forward once called to do so. She looked up at the deputy

"Snowkit, you have reached the age of six moons." Marshstorm began, his eyes settled on the small she-cat's form. It wouldn't feel like long before she became a full-fledged warrior. The thought was something he looked forward to seeing... Starclan knows ThunderClan needs more warriors. "It is now time for you to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw." He added, then turned to a larger tabby down below. The young warrior's fangs and claws didn't intimidate him as he flicked his tail calmly to beckon his former apprentice forward.

"Your mentor will be Beartooth." He meowed firmly, meeting his former apprentice's eyes with warmth. "I trust you will pass on your good nature and loyalty to this young apprentice." He smiled at both of them before he finally leapt down from High-rock to join in the chanting of the newly named apprentice.

It was unexpected, to say the least. But the warrior considered that it was only the logical next step in his duties as a Thunderclan warrior. Besides, with so few warriors everyone's paws were filled. After a slow blink, the massive tom padded forward at the deputy's beckoning. The words that followed only confirmed what he had managed to suspect based on the nature of the ceremony. A slight twist of his head to acknowledge the cat who had formerly been his mentor. Now it was his turn to pass those same skills onto this young cat.

Beartooth swung his head to face the younger, smaller cat and bent down to touch their noses. It was on an awkward moment, one where his abnormally large self managed to bump his nose ungracefully against hers. But he said nothing and maintained a neutral expression. Even as the chanting arose in the air, he focused on the regal nature of this ceremony. When he finally pulled away, Beartooth meowed lowly, "Your training begins tomorrow, Snowpaw. Rest well." A soft, fanged smile flickered across his expression before he turned away to prepare for the dusk patrol.