Shadekit's Apprentice Ceremony

Throughout his time in Fourtrees, the Windclan deputy had slowly began to feel more relaxed, even within the presence of the other clans - so long as they kept their distance. A soft sigh escaped Smallbean as approached the spot under the Great Rock where he'd been holding ceremonies. Stars, he missed the feeling of standing on top of the Tallrock in camp; the sensation of wind blowing through his fur, the feeling of stone beneath his paws, the wide range of visibility he had. His short stature was certainly no help when trying to figure out where a cat was in a crowd of cats much tall than him, it took almost no effort in camp. He digressed.

Raising his voice, but only a little, he called out to Windclan. Strangely, he was getting used to holding ceremonies in Fourtrees."All of Windclan gather beneath the Great Rock for a clan meeting."

Shadekit paused in her well-meaning assault on her denmate and glanced towards the base of the great rock where WindClan was crowding around. With one last playful smack, she let the other kit up and smoothed down her ruffled-up fur with a few quick swipes of her tongue. She was getting a little big for the nursery, the queens actively encouraged her to explore camp and find someone else to roughhouse with. Apparently, they had finally gotten tired of her relentless assaults on their tails.

The dark kit padded over and shouldered through the crowd to sit near the front so she could see what was going on. Could it be her ceremony? She was one of the older kits in the nursery after all. A sharp spark of excitement flashed in her chest. Her legs were always spilling out of her nest in the nursery, and the queens always grumbled when she wiggled around to wedge herself between her denmates. She had to be apprenticed sometime soon.

She sat looking up at Smallbean, ears pricked and tail lashing slowly in carefully contained excitement. She was going to kill just as many rabbits and birds as Russetpaw and the queens were going to stop nagging her. She'd get to spar and learn to fight! Her yellow eyes gleamed from her dark face, glittering and hopeful.

The excitement of the kit brought a small smile to Smallbean's face. It seemed she already had suspicions that this was her ceremony. The deputy confirmed that the meeting was in fact for Shadekit with a slight nod, followed by the mention of her name. "Shadekit, please step forward." He paused, as he normally would, to wait for Shadekit to stand before him. "You have now reached the age of six moons and are ready to become an apprentice. From now until you become a warrior, you will be known as Shadepaw. Your mentor will be Coyotegrin. I trust that she will teach you all she knows." With the ceremony now concluded, Smallbean stepped forward into the crowd, quietly cheering the addition of Windclan's newest apprentice.

Shadekit paced forward proudly, her feathery tail aloft and chest puffed out. She would be an apprentice! She couldn't contain the purr that rumbled up from her chest when Smallbean spoke the traditional words and named her. She was Shadepaw, fierce, and unyielding. And with time, someone to be feared. This was her path and her heart thundered with the thrill of it. It didn't matter that the trees pressed close, or that strangers loomed in every corner. She would be able to serve WindClan, to hunt and fight and defend. Her paws would walk the same path tread by her parents and the warriors before them, and all the warriors after. The she-cat's rapt attention on Smallbean broke as she looked for her mentor in the crowd.

Her lantern gaze found the small calico, and it felt like her ribs were going to break from the sheer joy of it all. They hadn't formally met, but Shadepaw was not hesitant when she stepped forward. The dark she-cat was all long limbs and lanky confidence when she reached out to touch noses respectfully with Coyotegrin. "I'll serve WindClan well, I promise." And the flash of her teeth is all sharp joy and fierce sincerity. Shadepaw does not go back on her word.

Russetpaw had been lurking around in the crowd (that was what she did, pay attention to stuff!) when the meeting was called. Ohhhhhh but it wasn’t her warrior ceremony, and in disappointment she maybe zoned out for the rest of Smallbean’s words… until… wait, the young kit she’d met was becoming an apprentice? Russetpaw grinned, leaping to her paws as soon as Smallbean was done speaking and bounding over to Shadepaw.

“Congrats, Shadepaw! You’ve gotta come huntin’ with me, and Sleeps, and Silverwing soon! You’re gonna love being an apprentice, it’s so much fun!” Finished, the red-pelted apprentice took a step back. Another apprentice… another friend.