Firekit's Apprentice Ceremony

The morning sun was bright overhead, but a refreshing breeze ruffled the SkyClan deputy's dark fur as he balanced on the Tallbranch. Another of his and Blossomstep's kits would become an apprentice today, and he was eager to get the ceremony started. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallbranch for a clan meeting!" he yowled, lashing his tail in a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

Like the final drops of rain after a torrential storm, or the setting sun following a long greenleaf day, Firekit left the nursery for the last time, her paws padding softly along the grass and her eyes fixed forward in what was probably something between apprehension and acceptance. The kit had spent her moons learning everything she could, memorising every inch of the SkyClan camp and the activities going on within- and when there was finally nothing left to discover, then she would ascend to apprenticehood. This much, she knew; Firekit had even visited her father the previous night to deliver a simple, but meaningful, message: "I'm ready."

Firekit hadn't done anything especially wild during her time as a kit, of course- she hadn't snuck out of camp to hunt geese (what kind of reckless fool would do that?) or anything even remotely similar - but her goal had never been to draw attention. No, she had simply sat beneath the shadows of branches, beside the nursery entrance, near the dens- watching every step her Clanmates took and filing each piece of information away for a later date. Really, the sight of the kit's amber eyes locked onto a cat was altogether entirely common at this point, though beneath notice when compared to her more active littermates. But as the other kits grew and left the nursery for good, so too, one day, would Firekit. And judging by Wolfcall's eager expression, that day was today.

So it was not with the usual kittish overexcitement that the marmalade tabby slowly approached the Tallbranch, amber eyes gazing up at the deputy in gentle recognition, but with something simpler, something more pure- the knowledge that her time as Firekit was coming to an end, and that she would soon join her littermates in discovering the world outside the camp border. Exciting to some, perhaps, worrying to others; but to her, simply the conclusion of her life thus far, the final pen-stroke on a six-moon essay titled, Life as a SkyClan Kit.

Mistpaw knew what today was. She had been counting the days of when her sister, Firekit, would become an apprentice, and today was finally the sixth moon. She sat down quietly, trying to keep her excitement in. Firekit’s going to be joining us in the apprentice’s den! Mistpaw silently cheered, kneading her claws into the ground in barely-contained happiness. First Bloodpaw then Adderpaw now Firekit! SkyClan really is growing, isn’t it? Mistpaw gave her ginger sister a small nod of her head before sitting in wait for Wolfcall, her dad, to continue.

His eyes landed on Firekit as she approached, and he smiled, dipping his head in greeting. "Firekit, please step forward."

Wolfcall swept his gaze across the gathered cats, seeking the mentor he'd chosen for his daughter.
"Firekit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to become an apprentice. From this day forward, until the day you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Firepaw. Your mentor will be Redfall - I trust him to teach you everything he has learned as a warrior."

Redfall sat in the shadows of a large oak, observing the ceremony but not taking much interest in it. It was one of the last of Blossomstep and Wolfcall's litter, wasn't it? As Wolfcall called Firekit forwards, he nodded to himself, briefly wondering why they weren't apprenticed at the same time. He flicked his ears up in surprise as his own name was spoken. Wolfcall's golden gaze interlocked with his, and Redfall's ears flicked up in surprise. He'd wanted an apprentice, but he hadn't expected to get one. There are so many other, better choices - Swansong, Foxfire, Wrenspring... well, I guess Foxfire and Wrenspring already have apprentices, but whatever. Wolfcall chose me for whatever reason and I'm going to do my best.

He lifted off of his haunches and walked over to Firepaw, reaching out to tap noses with the marmalade tabby. It felt strange to be on the other side of this ceremony. He looked at Firepaw and dipped his head. "I'll wake you up tomorrow for training. Until then, get some rest, enjoy your new den."

Stepping forward, Firekit looked up to the Tallbranch, listening to the ritual words- spoken just as smoothly and with just as much pride as all the other kits, but with a sense of finality, a sense of purpose. So Redfall would be her mentor, then- she'd been expecting... well, she wasn't sure who she'd expected (especially given that most of the warriors already had apprentices by now), but Firepaw's ears twitched with surprise nonetheless; their personalities were as separate as night and day, and yet it made a certain kind of sense, precisely because of that. Firepaw was methodical and calm, yes- but also overly cautious and unable to adapt; and Redfall was brash and headstrong, but also brave, forward-thinking, and most importantly- he provided a fresh perspective. The apprentice (she'd have to get used to calling herself that) could see the wisdom in this.

"Of course," Firepaw murmured, leaning up to touch the tip of her nose to Redfall's, an electric jolt of realisation rushing through her veins- she was an apprentice now. And no amount of preparation could have readied her for this moment; and what a moment it was. "I won't let you down."