Flamekit’s Apprentice Ceremony

Hentooth leapt onto the Tallrock in a single bound, relishing in the feeling as she sat, overlooking the camp. Daystar and Goldenfang were both feeling rather under the weather, and so the medicine cat was going to be performing a ceremony. A certain tom had been suggested for mentor, and Hentooth whole-heartedly agreed.

No one was looking over in curiosity- after all, she had been using the Tallrock a lot lately as a vantage point to spot certain kits. One of the most… certain-y kits was being apprenticed today. It oughta be a real laugh.

“Oi! Everybody!” The medicine cat yowled, causing heads to turn all over camp. “If you’re old enough to run the moor, get over here!” Oop. Maybe she should’ve rehearsed- but she knew the words to the ceremony, and that was the important part. This was just a call.

The medicine cat sought to lock gazes with Swiftspirit, letting a small smirk show on her face. She wasn’t about to apprentice Flamekit to her, not when she already had a troublesome apprentice, but… she wanted to get back at Swift. Any way possible.

She waited as the Clan gathered beneath the Tallrock, gently twitching her tail.

"That's me! That's gotta be!" Flamekit's voice piped up, shot in the general direction of his siblings and mother a moment before he blurred out of the nursery, still slightly fluffy fur sticking up in cascading fire tongues brushed by the breeze. "I am so old enough to run the moor-"

Wait, was that Hentooth on the rock?

So... this wasn't his ceremony?

He screeched to a halt at the back of the gathering cats, blinking up at the rock and feeling a crushing disappointment take the space he'd been told his heart was supposed to occupy. What, so he wasn't going to be the first to be apprenticed? He'd come out for some dumb announcement about herby stuff? No, no! He refused to believe that - they'd apprentice him first because he was the fastest, the most enthusiastic, and the best. And this was going to be his ceremony, Hentooth or not.

Why did it have to be Hentooth? Was she planning on making him apprentice medicine cat? A shudder ran down his spine at the thought.
Maybe he shouldn't have tried to trash her herbs or pounce on her tail so much.
Nah. Besides, there was no way she'd pick him for an apprentice. He didn't care two bobtails about herbs, unlike Berrykit.

Sticking his tail stiffly in the air and jutting his jaw out, he narrowed his eyes in determination and stalked right up to the base of the rock, meeting her gaze with an unwavering stare. "I'm here. Who's my mentor?" Maybe if it wasn't an apprentice ceremony he could just embarrass her enough to make her do it.

“It ain’t gonna be no one if you don’t step back and be patient,” Hentooth told him dryly. Once he’d somewhat calmed down, she took a deep breath, gave him a piercing look, and began. ”Flamekit, you’ve reached the age of six moons and it is high time you were apprenticed. From this day on, until you eventually earn your warrior name, you will be known as Flamepaw. Your mentor will be…” she trailed off, gazing at a familiar brown pelt with a slight smirk.

“Timbersun. I know he’ll pass down everything he knows to ya. Timber, you’re ready to take on an apprentice. You’ve received excellent training from your mentor, and have shown yourself to be optimistic and kind. Please pass down these qualities to your new apprentice, for all our sakes. Erm… yeah, that’s it.” She leapt down from the Tallrock and gave Flamepaw a friendly nudge. “Good luck out there, pester. Don’t get yourself killed.” A glance at Timber, her characteristic lopsided grin, and she backed up to stay out of the sparks that might ignite.

This wasn’t exactly how Daystar or Goldenfang said the ceremony, but that’s how Thrushflight told it in stories. It sounded pretty cool, anyways. Better that than she fumbling over her words.

Softkit was a little curious as to why Auntie Hen was on the highrock. That wasn't how medicine cats got apprentices right? So, she decided to check it out, sticking to the shadows to avoid some older cats from talking to her. Why did they always talk to her? It didn't matter right now, she just needed to see what Hentooth was going to say.

Oh just a regular old apprentice ceremony. That's kind of dissapointing. Softkit noted, and got up onto her paws, ready to turn away and head back into the nursery, when all of a sudden, she heard Flamekit hiss up to Hentooth. Was this his ceremony? As it went on, Softkit knew 100% this was his ceremony. Which meant now her brother was an apprentice. Wait, her brother was an apprentice! A strange feeling of pride filled her chest. Flamekit- no Flamepaw wasn't one of her favorite siblings, but it was still a bit exciting to have one of her own kin to become an apprentice.

Approaching her brother, Softkit bumped herself against his shoulder (or leg) and playfully swiped at him. "Congrats little brother. Don't get lost out there in the big moor." She softly teased. It was true that he was a few minutes younger than her, though he wasn't so little, not compared to Softkit that is. It was good way to get on his nerves a little though.

His ears pricked, a grin splitting his face. So it was his ceremony! For once, he didn't question, taking half a step back and practically vibrating as she gave him the serious ceremony-doer look. At least he assumed that was what it was - kind of how he'd imagined they'd look when doing something this super important. His chest puffed out as she spoke, talking about how it was high time he became an apprentice. Even she'd noticed! Though she had hung around them enough to notice, so that wasn't really a surprise.

He really was the best, wasn't he? And he'd get the best mentor - maybe Swiftspirit, since she was pretty cool, and-

"What?!" No, she couldn't have said that. Timber? Timbersun? That Timbersun who was always grabbing him and nagging him and- Full-on horror bloomed in his chest when he saw the tom come towards him, his mouth opening slightly as if to prepare to screech at him, at Hentooth, at his sister who had come up to him to congratulate him for being awesome, but-

This- this was just-

"You?" It should've come out as a full yowl. Came out as more of a strangled hiss, instead. A bump at his shoulder broke him out of it, and he blinked, Softkit's face and words finally coming into focus. Little-? Get lost-? He growled deep in his throat as he bumped her back, smile coming out gritted as he glared between her and his new mentor. "Yeah, thanks. Don't worry, my sense of direction is the best. And I can go outside whenever I want now, unlike you."

The smile turned sharp-toothed and glinty-eyed as he bopped his mentor's nose and then turned tail to the entrance of camp, no longer forbidden, and called over his shoulder, "Sweet, right, bye, I'll just train myself, thanks. Seeya!"

And he broke into a full-on run, darting past startled bystanders, the wind rushing through his fur. The mixture of frustrated annoyance boiling under his fur eased, maw breaking into a grin as he broke through to the endless outside, bounding up to see the horizon stretching into a hazy distance, as far as his wide blue eyes could see. Flamepaw, he was Flamepaw. And the world was finally his to explore!

Timbersun rested under dappled shade. A leaf had stuck itself to his chest but he didn't really care all that much. He listened to the cats around him, the chattering of the lively camp. He glanced up as the chattering was broken by a familiar voice. He glanced up... His sister? What was his sister doing up there? She was the medicine cat, but what was there to announce that was so important that the medicine cat had to do it instead of the leader... or the deputy?

Still, Timbersun 'got over there' like Hentooth commanded. It felt weird. She felt so much more grown up. She was... a little more older than him, yet she felt many moons older. Maybe it was just that Medicine cats always seemed wise and brave to him.

And then a smaller cat grabbed his attention. Flamekit. Flamekit wasn't that small anymore, maybe it was his ceremony? The little orange rat was very annoying but was very interesting. He felt sorta bad for whoever got to mentor the little feisty thing. Flamekit seemed to think it was his ceremony, Timbersun had a few doubts but the meeting continued, with a lighthearted sneer from Hentooth, of course.

So it was the tiny beast's ceremony.

He was glancing around, who would be a good mentor for him? If he were Hentooth... Er... Wow, he was very different from his sister, it was hard to believe the two were from the same litter. He didn't really know most of his clanmates, the ones he knew well had Apprentices, were apprentices themselves, kits or... were Hentooth, the medicine cat. Flamekit... or paw, now would not be a good medicine cat, not at all. He glanced at his sister to notice that she was staring right at him. His eats flicked back.

It wasn't him, was it?

Oh, he was wrong. Hentooth didn't look away. But instead continued, saying his name and everything. Oh boy. Oh.... boy... Nope, he was not ready to take on an apprentice, or pass down his qualities onto the smaller tom. He padded over there, rolling his eyes at Hentooth, giving her the 'really?' look. He looked back at Flamepaw. Who wasn't happy with Hentooth's decision either. "Okay, Flamepaw." He muttered bending down to touch noses with him.

And...

His new responsibility had already sped off.

Great. Just great. "This is going to be fun." He muttered sarcastically, reluctantly chasing after his new apprentice.