Applekit's Apprentice Ceremony

Another of Addershade's young was finally ready to join the apprentice's den, Ivybrook mused quietly. They'd all grown so quickly, and six moons seemed like nothing. Leaping onto the branch, she placed her tail on her paws and called out, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the willow branch for a Clan meeting!" She was fairly sure that this would be the last of his kits, and she understood it was probably hard for the tom. She kept her eye out for him as Clanmates gathered around her.

Applekit bounded out of the nursery. My ceremony! He grinned, excited to become an apprentice. He sat down quickly and looked up at Ivybrook. He looked over, near the apprentice den, where he would be sleeping tonight. He could barely contain his excitement. His paw was twitching with anticipation.

Gazing down at the kit as he excitably made his way below the branch, the deputy nodded her head, beginning the ceremony. "Applekit, please step forward." When he did so, she continued promptly. Ivybrook's eyes searched the warriors around her, trying to decide who would be best fit for the hyper tom. "Applekit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day onward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Applepaw. Your mentor will be Addershade." Who better to deal with a rambunctious kit than his own father? Gracefully leaping back onto the ground, Ivybrook celebrated with her Clanmates for the knewest addition to the apprentice's den.

Applepaw grinned. My dad is my mentor! He dipped his head respectfully, then ran back, towards Addershade. “This is so cool...” he said under his breath. He looked at his new mentor, his eyes full of excitement.

Addershade watched as another of  his three kits was named an apprentice, and heard as his own name was called out to be Applepaw's mentor. He should've been thrilled, filled with excitement at the prospect of being able to guide his own kit through their journey to warriorhood. Instead, his heart dropped. He had already failed as a mentor three times over. What if he failed again? What if he failed his son? If something happened to Applepaw because of his own incompetence...he would never forgive himself. But, no-- he couldn't think of that now. For his son's sake. He smiled brightly as his kit approached, and hoped his anxieties were fully buried in his warm tone.

"Applepaw," he said, giving the tom an affectionate nudge. "I am so proud of you, and your siblings. And so happy to be your mentor. I'll...do right by you, son, I promise..." He couldn't help but get a little choked up as he spoke. He just hoped no one would guess at how apprehensive he was feeling.

Applepaw looked up, brimming with excitement. “Thanks. I know you will.” He grinned, then looked at Addershade, noticing something was off. “You...you alright?” He asked, concerned for his father and now, mentor. I wonder what he’s thinking. 

Among the cats cheering for the newly-named apprentice was Torrentstar. From what the RiverClan leader had been able to observe thus far, Applepaw was a friendly young tom. Personality-wise, he would probably do well in his training. Addershade was a good warrior, and the stars knew he had tried his best with his past apprentices. As he watched father and son touch noses, Torrentstar tried to imagine the thoughts going through the warrior's head. He knew what it was like to have failed an apprentice―the agony, the turmoil, the plummeting self-confidence...

"Of course," Addershade smiled, looking at his son. The last thing he wanted was to dampen this moment for him. "It's just a bit of that natural melancholy a parent gets from watching their children grown up," he told him. It wasn't a lie, exactly, but it wasn't the whole truth of what he was feeling. But he couldn't let anyone know how afraid he was of failing as a mentor-- again. He just couldn't.

But all that aside, he was still happy-- enormously happy-- for his kits, all three of them. Whatever doubts he had about the future, whatever fears he had about the dangerous world that awaited all of them...still, at the core of all of that, was the hope that everything would work out, and a faith in kits, all three of them-- Applepaw, Poppypaw, Nightpaw...they would turn out fine. More than fine. He was sure of it. He had to be, right?

"But mostly," he continued, wanting to make sure Applepaw didn't get the impression his only feeling right now was a negative one. "I am so, so, proud, and so happy for all of you. You're going to do such great things, I'm sure,"