Otterkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Cheers rose in the early morning air. Dappledkit, having claimed her new name, was now Dappledpaw. Scorchclaw allowed a brief moment of congratulations among the RiverClan cats and the new apprentice, before he flicked his tail for silence. Only the first of three ceremonies had ended. Standing, he directed his pale-green gaze to the next one of the siblings. "Cats of RiverClan," He declared solemnly, "Dappledpaw will not be the only one to join the ranks of the apprentices today. Otterkit, step forward."

Otterkit's little voice stretched as loud as it could as she yowled her sister's name, her little paws kneading the ground in excitement. Finally, she and her siblings were going to become actual apprentices! Eyes wide, she stared up at Dappledkit's - no, Dappledpaws - silvery coat until Scorchclaw signalled for silence and called out Otterkit's name. Beaming, she scampered forward, trying to contain her excitement as she waited almost patiently for the tom's next words. She had to look proud and strong; otherwise, how would she be a good apprentice?

While he displayed no outward sign, Scorchclaw approved of Otterkit's bearing. She was undoubtedly excited. Her time had finally come after six long moons. Having looked after them from the moment of their birth, he more or less had an idea of how their minds worked. Otterkit, for one, was outgoing and confident, if not a little brash. As enthusiastic as she was at that moment, she held it back and did her best to maintain a calm facade. It was almost an amusing sight. "Otterkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day forward until you gain your warrior name, you will be known as Otterpaw." He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "I will be your mentor." Among the cats that had swept on this StarClan-forsaken shore, only a pawful were actually warriors capable of mentoring apprentices. One troublesome apprentice was really enough for him; even as the words left his mouth, some uncertainty still remained. But he had already made up his mind. Had the decision come from some desire to keep at least one of the kits close? If it had, he was not aware. Leaping off the Shore Rock, he made his way over to the newly-named apprentice. "I trust you don't have any issues with this arrangement?" He asked dryly. The last time he had taken an apprentice, the first question he had received was "Why?". The large tabby lowered his head, allowing her to touch her nose to his.

"I will be your mentor."
Heart thumping, Otterpaw took a moment to let this all sink in; she was now an apprentice, 6 moons and ready to begin training with Scorchclaw! Holding in a squeak of happiness - she was still in front of the rest of the cats, after all - she reached up to touch noses with the tom, her pale green eyes twinkling. What would happen now? What would she do first? When would she begin learning? Many visions and thoughts flew through Otterpaw's head; of her diving into the lake and hauling out fish bigger than her, fighting off ten foxes with a single unsheathed claw, charging into battle valiantly with her legs moving so fast they were simply a blur below her.. Otterclaw, the strongest warrior of all! Jerking herself out of her daydream with a little shake of her head, she faced Scorchclaw confidently. "No issues, not one!" she grinned, "Hopefully you'll be able to contain the swift and mighty Otterpaw!"

Dapplepaw's voice raised with the name of her beloved sister, who became an apprentice alongside her. She strove for it to reach all the way to StarClan, her excitement and joy bubbling through her demeanor. Once the new mentor and apprentice pair had touched noses and finished speaking, she made her way over to fully congratulate her sister. With a hearty nudge to Otterpaw's shoulder, she mewed. "You did it! And you get Scorchclaw as a mentor, that's going to be amazing - we'll have to train together. Be warned though, I'm going to be the best hunter RiverClan has ever seen!" She declared as she brushed her pelt against her sisters.