Sunkit's Apprentice Ceremony

This should be the last apprentice ceremony for a little while Nettlefire thought as she stood on the Highrock again. But there are still plenty of kits in the nursery. And they grow up so fast. Another one will be ready to join the apprentices den before we know it

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a clan meeting!” she called once more, this time waiting for Sunkit to join the crowd.

Sunkit rushed out of the nursery all nervous. “Am I an apprentice?” She thought to herself as a cat gestured her to go to the ceremony. She trembled a little, and yet she had been so excited for this moment. Sunkit approached near the group of cats, “So many cats” She wondered, her heart pounding with excitement.

Nettlefire watched as Sunkit rushed out of the nursery and joined the crowd. She could tell the little kit was excited. The deputy thought back a moment to her own apprentice ceremony-- which felt like it was just yesterday and lifetimes ago all at once. Time was a strange thing. But she had a job to do-- now was no time to get lost in thought.

"Sunkit, please step forward," The she-cat said. "Sunkit, as you have reached the age of six moons, you are now ready to become an apprentice. So, from this on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Ferretnose,"

Sunkit glimpsed at Nettlefire as her heart pounded with excitement. “I can’t wait to meet my mentor!” Sunkit blurted as she slowly approached her mentor. Sunkit looked up onto the sky, hoping that she won’t disappoint her mentor.

Ferretnose padded to Sunpaw with a slight spring in her paws. She touched her nose gently to the little one's nose in greeting, for the first time as her mentor. Sunpaw had the same joy that her daughter, Cedarpaw, had on her ceremony day. How times had flown, with her children so close to warriorhood! Ferretnose turned her head slightly to the side so her view of her new apprentice would be unobstructed by her foggy eye. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sunpaw," she hummed. "Be ready... I'm an early riser."