Tulipkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Flintshard leapt smoothly onto the Jaggedrock, finding that his leg wasn't as much as a bother anymore. Rarely it ached and he was still left with a small but noticeable limp, but it wasn't as much as a problem to his mobility which was...Nice. Mostly with his new duties as ShadowClan didn't need a lame cat as their deputy. "ShadowClan! Gather beneath the shadow of the Jaggedrock," he called, letting his voice ring across the camp before he settled down into a sitting position to wait for the Clan to gather so that he could get this ceremony underway.

Having been partaking in a grooming session from by her mother, Tulipkit's ears perked at the deputy's call and her amber gaze grew wide with excitement. Today was the day, it just had to be!

Wriggling free of her mother's tender grasp, Tulipkit bounded out of the nursery and into the camp clearing where her clanmates gathered. Her mother's grooming had been in vane, for the she-kit's fur was fluffed up from excitement, and her ginger and white fur went ever which way. Making her way to the front of the crowd, she plopped her rump down, her eager gaze not leaving Flintshard's pelt.

Ravenmist chuckled as she let her little one go, listening to the pitter-patter of Tulipkit’s paws as she herself padded towards the Jaggedrock. She wove through the gathered cats, whiskers twitching as Ravenmist placed her paws carefully, avoiding bumping into anycat. Taking a seat close to her daughter, she curled her tail in excitement. One part of her still held that motherly nervousness about her kits going into the world and it’s dangers, but she had been a parent long enough to know that accidents were rare. At six moons old, Tulipkit was hardly a kit anymore, and her mentor would protect her. A cat had to let go someday.

“Today’s your special day. I’m so proud of you, Tulipkit. I know you’ll do great.” She smiled, softly, head inclined toward the smaller molly, so much like her father in personality and spirit.

Flintshard glanced down as he spotted Tulipkit, bounding from the nursery with Ravenmist carefully following her excited daughter. Flinthshard knew very little about the energy-filled kit, rarely having the patient to handle the energy that kits tend to had and he saw her parents as Clanmates, nothing more. He wasn't about to go out of his way to check in on Ravenmist and only spent time with Daisyflame when they ended up on the same patrol. Which, it was all fine with him but it made it hard to know who would fit Tulipkit the best as a mentor. Speaking of... "Tulipkit, please step forward," he called out, waiting until the kit had done so before he spoke again. "You are of the age to be an apprentice. So, from this moment forward, you shall be Tulippaw. Your mentor will be...Thornstar," he said with a slight nod as he agreed with his own choice. While Thornstar could be...Prickly, he had come to learn that she was rather...Good with younger cats where he failed. She would be a good mentor for an excitable kit - easy to temper her into a proper warrior without being to harsh...Hopefully. Either way, he had faith in his mother as he swished his tail, a sign that he had said all that was needed and the ceremony was over.

Sitting in the midst of the growing crowd with her mother having joined her, Tulipkit's ears swiveled in Ravenmist's direction when the older she-cat spoke. "I sure hope so!" she half squealed, half whispered as her paws squirmed anxiously on the snow covered earth bellow. Turning her attention back to Flintshard, the tom continued to speak and the mentor in which she was assigned sent butterflies to her stomach. She would get to train with Thornstar herself? She couldn't have gotten a better mentor; she would certainly be the best warrior the forest had ever seen!

Looking around, she quickly spotted the leader's dark pelt and hoisted herself up, an excited grin stretching across her maw. "I can't wait to start training with you!" she mewed, scampering up to the she-cat. "I'll be the best apprentice you've ever had, just you wait!" the newly named Tulippaw added, puffing out her chest fur as she reached her new mentor.

~~~~~

Having just returned from a hunting patrol, Daisyflame watched his daughter's apprentice ceremony from the back of the crowd, a soft smile resting on his maw as he chanted her name along with his clanmates. She would certainly be a pawful for Thornstar, but he knew that both she-cats would learn a thing or two from each other, and was positive his daughter would do ShadowClan proud.