Darkkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Okay. Do this ceremony, then go on the second border patrol. Then, if you finish organizing the dusk patrol and take Tinypaw and Beetlepaw out to train, that will give you... a small break to eat. But only if there's enough food. Make sure the queens and kits eat first. Mentally cataloguing her many duties in her head, Perchfall's blue eyes were glassy and vacant as she leapt onto the Willow Branch. There was so much to do, it was making her mind swirl. Little time to take her previously adored long, silent walks in the territory. Though if she tried that now she would probably end up as predator food. Hiding a tired sigh, the deputy called out the summons to cross one task off her list. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own fish gather beneath the Willow Branch for a Clan meeting!"

Darkkit knew what today was and she couldn't quite place if it was her own excitement in her chest, or that of the cats around her. Becoming an apprentice, a warrior, seemed to be the greatest thing a cat could do, and so she summoned a small amount of determination to lead her to the center of camp. At least becoming an apprentice meant that she would be able to travel the territory with the friends she had made. Maybe her and Cloverheart could go out to hunt herbs sometime - that sounded nice. Her pelt had been groomed and smoothed just for this moment. It felt strange to stand before every cat so she hung at the edge of the crowd, looking up to Perchfall and waiting for the ceremonial words she had seen a pawful of times from the nursery.

Once she saw that Darkkit was in the crowd, Perchfall almost immediately began the words of the ceremony. She felt bad that this was such a routine thing for her, that she wasn't giving all her attention to these promising young kits who would be new apprentices. However, with all that she had going on, she would leave that to the she-kit's mentor. Speaking of mentors... "Darkkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. Until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Darkpaw. Your mentor will be Ebonyhaze. I trust that he will pass all his knowledge to you." That said, the deputy ended the ceremony with a wave of her tail, and left the new apprentice and mentor to talk.

Ebonyhaze's large ears perked at the sound of his name, his eyes widening as he absorbed the deputy's words. He was a mentor? He had an apprentice? It felt like he was an apprentice himself just yesterday! Was he truly ready for one? His gaze lowered from the willow branch to the small dark she-cat, swallowing his anxieties to approach his new apprentice. This would be a learning experience for the both of them. Hopefully he could be the mentor this cat deserved. He wanted to be as fun and reassuring as Bearspirit had been for him.

He delicately lowered his head to press his nose against Darkpaw's. "I look forward to training with you. Go get settled in and get rested, we'll be starting tomorrow, alright?" He spoke softly, offering a gentle smile down at the she-cat. "There will be plenty to learn in the morning."