Sunkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Leaf-bare had settled across WindClan in earnest. After the stories Raventail had heard about it—he’d been stuck in the nursery for his first leaf-bare and hadn’t gotten to see much other than blinding white snow—he’d been expecting a struggle, but in comparison to how they’d fared under the beasts’ shadows, WindClan was thriving. Apprentices became warriors; kits became apprentices. With only a sundown until the Gathering, WindClan’s share of announcements had never looked so promising.

However rosy his view of leaf-bare was, even he had to admit it wasn’t all pleasant. Ice forced him to climb carefully, and at the top of the Tallrock, he brushed some snow off the stone. ”Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallrock!” With that, Raventail sat in the spot he’d cleared, wrapping his fluffy tail around his paws.

Dappleshine settled herself outside of the warriors den, her rapidly swelling belly making her stance uncomfortable to look at. She sighed before looking up to meet Raventail's eyes with a bright smile. There must be another kit ready to become an apprentice, how exciting! Movement in her belly pulled her gaze from her mate as she considered the new kit forming. She had been present for Dacepaw's apprentice ceremony, but she would likely miss her warrior ceremony. Would fate do the same for this kit? She hoped not, not sure that she could handle letting another cat she loved walk away. Lifting her gaze back to Raventail, her expression softened to be unreadable as she waited to see what the ceremony would hold.

Spotlake padded into camp dropping a rabbit in the fresh kill pile when Raventail called the clan together. Another kit was becoming an apprentice. Hm. Crowpaw must be really wanting to be a warrior by now. Spotlake thought as she sat down. The apprentices den was becoming crowded. And probably even sooner with new kits on the way and it won't be long before Downkit and Softkit become apprentices.

As with every time a clan meeting was called, Sunkit rushed out into camp, just in case this was her apprentice ceremony. Even after doing that for two moons straight she was never quite willing to risk it. Besides, she was about six moons old now, so it was even more likely than usual. And she was definitely ready, so this had to be it. Expectantly, the she-kit sat beneath the Tallrock, looking up expectantly at Raventail. Oh StarClan, she hoped this was it.

Before long, the Clan gathered. Raventail picked out faces in the crowd as he waited; there was Spotlake, returning from a successful patrol just in time, and Dappleshine. He returned her smile, eyes softening as she glanced downward. Too soon—not soon enough—someday, he’d be holding this ceremony for his own kits. What a thought that was, warm and frightening, unimaginable, wonderfully real. A pale ginger kitten came sprinting out into the open, and Raventail forced his attention back to the subject of this meeting. This was far from the first time Sunkit had scurried over to the Tallrock. Today would be different; she wouldn’t be walking away in disappointment at the meeting’s end. ”Sunkit,” he meowed, ”step forward.”

Once she had—not that she needed to go far, considering how close she’d sat—he continued. ”You’ve reached the age of six moons, and it’s time for you to be apprenticed. From this day until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Clovertwist.” From what he’d heard, Sunpaw had a bit of a temper. How much of that was from being stuck in the nursery and how much was just Sunpaw’s personality was anyone’s guess. In any case, Clovertwist could probably roll with whatever she threw his way. Raventail’s eyes searched for the silver tom. ”May he pass on everything he knows to you.” Looking back to the new apprentice, he dipped his head; then, with a flick of his tail, he dismissed the meeting and made his way down from the Tallrock, careful not to slip on the iced-over sides.

Clovertwist had watched the ceremony somewhat absently, thinking about his kin and loved ones even as his deputy and friend spoke on the Tallrock above him. When the silver tabby tom heard his name, his dark-striped head jolted up to look directly in Raventail's face. His pale amber eyes blinked surprise away as he pieced together what he had half-heard: Sunpaw, newly apprenticed, was to be his apprentice. His pelt flushed with embarrassment, suddenly feeling self-conscious for having not been paying closer attention, but as Raventail turned his head away and said the final words of the ceremony, Clovertwist sought out his apprentice as well.

A bright orange she-kit met his gaze, and Clovertwist collected himself enough to grin. With Raventail's speech complete, the new mentor made his way to Sunpaw, offering his nose to touch hers to like he'd done with Finchstar. "I'm sure by the end of your apprenticeship you'll wish I'd stop telling you everything I know," he joked, glancing at Raventail with a good-natured glimmer in his eyes.

Spotlake smiled as her friend was given an apprentice. It was about time too. Clovertwist was a great warrior. He’d make a great mentor. Spotlake paddd forward towards them. “Congrats to the both of you.” She said. It felt just like yesterday she was a kit and Clovertwist was an apprentice.

Yes! Finally, she was an apprentice. At last she would get the training she needed, and the freedom she so desperately wanted. This was her first step towards becoming a warrior, and she couldn't help it if her expression betrayed her excitement. It wasn't considered overeager if it was something this big, right? Just the appropriate amount of joy from such a momentous part of her life. Clovertwist seemed like a good mentor, though she didn't know too much about him. Hopefully he would teach her a lot. After touching noses with him, she easily returned his joke. "Well, I want to know everything."

Olivepaw sprinted into camp right as the meeting was breaking up, and lashed her tail at missing the most important part of the ceremony. From what she could gather, she guessed it was an apprentice ceremony, and Spotlake's words towards Clovertwist and the now assumed Sunpaw convinced her that she was right. She paused to lick her chest fur and let the mentor and new apprentice touch noses and exchange a few words before she approached.

"Congrats on becoming an apprentice, Sunpaw! You'll do great! And congrats on becoming a mentor, Clovertwist!"

Clovertwist chuckled, his excitement and interest in mentoring this kit only growing as she gave her eager response. "Alright. Perfect." The young warrior quickly turned his head as he realized another cat had approached, a pretty gray tabby - Olivepaw. At her kind words, Clovertwist beamed, unable to suppress a purr. "Thank you! It's new to me; we'll see how it goes," he said, laughing with only a mild nervousness beneath his tone. The silver tabby turned his head back to Sunpaw, his eyes glimmering with happiness. "So - shall we start hunting at sun-up tomorrow?" he suggested to his apprentice.