Cinderkit’s Apprentice Ceremony

Ravenmist couldn’t be prouder. Flintstar’s kit was becoming an apprentice! In her own opinion, Freckleface was good for her nephew. He needed a cat who was truly close to him, and the little brown molly was filling that role better than she could have hoped. And now one of the offspring of the pair was growing up.

Flintstar had come up to her a few days before to request Tulipfang become Cinderkit’s mentor, and Ravenmist agreed with him. So it was with a light heart that she called out the customary words. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Jaggedrock for a Clan meeting!”

The night couldn't come soon enough. Cinderkit spent most of her waking hours practicing where to stand, how to act, and what to say. The tension in her massive frame only grew as Ravenmist's call echoed from the Jaggedrock. This would be the greatest honor of her life, aside from being named a warrior. But that was to come later, for now, Cinderkit would stand before her clan, pledging her life to that of service. The prospect put a small smile on her usually tense face. As the kit found her way below Ravenmist, she closed her eyes, as if preparing her body for what was to come. It was all she ever wanted, from the day she was born - to become a warrior, and today would start her on that path. Her life would be lived forever serving ShadowClan. That was her only purpose, and she wished for nothing more.

Ravenmist could not see the large she-cat sitting below her, but Cinderkit acted with poise nevertheless. Her ancestors were watching. "I'm here, Ravenmist. Below you." Cinderkit spoke, alerting the blind deputy to her presence. It was time.

Ravenmist smiled, nodding in acknowledgement. Cinderkit was a good cat- all of Flintstar's kits were. "Cinderkit, come forward. From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Cinderpaw. Your mentor will be Tulipfang." She stepped back, tail curled in excitement. Her daughter was a capable warrior, and would do well mentoring one of her relatives. Flintstar was her nephew- she didn't know what that made Cinderpaw and her siblings, but she loved them as family nontheless.

The young cat's jaw threatened to shatter from pressure as she mashed her teeth together. Tulipfang's name had rolled off of Ravenmist's tongue. Tulipfang, the warrior who had pushed Cinderkit - Cinderpaw into a bush not but a moon before. Ever since that moment, Cinderpaw had held a grudge for the she-cat, scowling at her from the shadows, always brooding in some dark corner. How in StarClan's name did Flintstar approve this?

It took all of Cinderpaw's willpower to keep her stony mask on, turning towards Tulipfang to offer a stiff 'hello.' If ShadowClan's name and honor weren't on the line, Cinderpaw may have protested her choice of mentor. However her only duty was to serve her clan, and serve her clan she would - just perhaps not as joyously as previously expected.

Hearing her name called, Tulipfang didn't really know how to react. Cinderkit had been a feisty kit, for sure, but even so, the older warrior had only met the young she-cat with an equal amount of spice, and wanted no real bad-blood between the two of them. Of course... as she made her way to the front of the crowd and turned to her newly named apprentice, Cinderpaw didn't look too happy, which she supposed was understandable.

Giving a dip of her head to her apprentice, the she-cat kept a smile on her maw. "I guess we're stuck together," she chuckled. "Training starts tomorrow," the white and ginger she-cat finished before taking a step back from Cinderpaw. If Cinderpaw wanted to drag her paws through the mud during their training, then so be it, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't do her best to train the apprentice, seeing as though it was her duty after all.