Mintkit's Apprentice Ceremony

The day was hot, and there was a stickiness to the air that Wolfblossom did not appreciate. Despite that, any day that she got to hold an apprentice ceremony was considered a good day, in her mind, and the deputy leapt to the tallbranch with excitement. Her side gave a twinge of protest, which she was determined to ignore.

"Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather beneath the tallbranch for a clan meeting!" She called, then waited for the clan to gather.

Between the fretting of her mother and Patchdream, there was absolutely no way in the dark forest that the mugginess and humidity of outside was going to misplace a single tuft of her fur. She had stayed as still as she could and allowed the queens to fret over her pelt, deciding that it was simply easier to allow it to happen than to attempt to fight two fully-grown Skyclan cats. While she was certainly not a small molly, she still was smaller than both of them. So she had been good, staying still as they cleaned her up, listening at the bits of conversation.

It had made her giggle to hear that her mother's intuition on naming her 'Mintkit' had come to be more than just simply a, 'I don't know, she just seems like mint!' when her eyes had fully turned from the blue she was born with to that signature pale green of the leaves she likened her name from. Now, the reason behind her name was to match her eyes. She simply thought her mother had gotten lucky.

Hearing Wolfblossom's call, Mintkit had used it as her excuse to instantly escape. Even if it wasn't her ceremony, she would look extra nice for whoever's it was. Taking a spot next to a random cat within the crowd, Mintkit looked up at them with a big smile. Her tail swished excitedly behind her as she mewed, "Hi! I'm Mintkit. You'll be my friend, right? I like to sit by my friends." Hopefully, it wasn't rude to talk before the clan meeting officially started. She would hate to be rude to Wolfblossom.

It wasn't long before enough cats had gathered, and the kit she had been waiting for eagerly found a place in the crowd, chirping a greeting to one of the cats she had sat next to. Wolfblossom almost laughed when she saw just who the kit greeted, as the large silvery tabby inclined her head and said something back. Mintkit was friendly and truly did seem to be a breath of fresh air in a clan full of introverts, and Wolfblossom smiled down at her. "Mintkit, step forward," She called, giving the fluffy kit a chance to do so.

"You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time you become an apprentice. From today until you earn your name, you will be known as Mintpaw." Now for the mentor... This was one that Wolfblossom had given thought to, and she thought that maybe it would work out. She could almost hear the mentor-in-question's protests, but... Mintkit had pulled her into that trap perfectly. And she was a Skyclan warrior, after all. "Your mentor... Will be Beechfang. She is an experienced warrior, and I trust she will be able to teach you Skyclan's ways as well as anyone else."

---

Ravenclaw had been right, Beechfang mused, watching Wolfblossom's cheerful demeanor as she sat upon the tallbranch. The deputy calling a ceremony very likely meant that one of the many kits in the nursery was about to be apprenticed, and it was still surprising to see just how much the clan had grown. They were... Thriving. It was unlike anything Beechfang had known. It made her hopeful for the future... And filled her with a growing sense of anxiety.

The cheery greeting of a kit interrupted her thoughts, and Beechfang glanced down at her, offering a small smile. "Hello there, Mintkit. I'm Beechfang." The kit was so enthusiastic about earning friends, it was kind of cute, actually. "Sure." And then Wolfblossom was calling the kit forward. Beechfang fell silent, watching.

Her head snapped up to the fluffy deputy when her name was called. Mintpaw... And Beechfang to mentor her. She had been back in the clan for what felt like barely even a week. And Wolfblossom was giving her an apprentice. Her, who was trying her hardest not to mess things up. Who was waiting for the other paw to fall... Who was a warrior of Skuclan again.

This had so much potential to go wrong. She almost wanted to call her daughter out right there. But... Wolfblossom was giving her a chance. She was being tested, she realized. Wolfblossom wouldn't give an apprentice to a cat who had just returned without reason. Fine, Beechfang would teach this one everything she could. That, at least, she didn't doubt her ability to do. "...You are a menace." She muttered, too low for anyone else to hear as she got to her paws and padded toward the newly named Mintpaw.

"Guess I'm your mentor now, too. Congratulations, Mintpaw." The scarred tabby mewed, "Go and get your nest set up in your new den. We'll begin training soon."

One of her ears had stayed turned towards the tall branch as she gave her full attention to the tabby she had decided to sit next to. The moment the warrior had turned to look at her, it was impossible not to let her pale gaze fill with some sort of emotion. It should have been fear, for all rights and purposes, given the scars that marred the molly's face. But no- that emotion certainly wasn't.

"Beechfa-" She was cut off by Wolfblossom calling her forward, to which the kit dipped her head and followed orders. Her head had bobbed with an awkward flatness to her ears, as if she was attempting to also hurriedly apologize for having to rudely dismiss herself from the conversation. After all, it wasn't always nice to be called away so suddenly. She wanted to talk to her new friend!

But, true to her youth, her focus was entirely upon Wolfblossom as the deputy talked to her. This was her apprentice ceremony! She couldn't help her giggle as she was given her new name. Mintpaw. The molly even looked down at her paws, which looked awkwardly large even compared to the rest of her frame. She was going to have big paws to fill, especially as she heard the name of her mentor. Oh! It was her new friend!

As she had once more turned around to greet her friend-now-mentor, she found the molly right there by her. That emotion came again, even as she kept an excited twinkle in her eyes. No, it wasn't fear... it was worry. She worried about her mentor. With ears gently folding back, the apprentice leaned just slightly on her hind legs to touch her nose to Beechfang's scarred cheek with a kind nuzzle. "Are you okay?" Mintpaw couldn't help but ask. She didn't shy away, not in the slightest. If anything, curiosity was what also filled her gaze right next to that excitement and concern. "I'll make my nest once I know you are okay, if that's alright Beechfang. Your face is very pretty... but I hope you aren't in pain." That wide gaze studied every bit of the scars. Something told her they were old, but the concern that they still hurt didn't shy away so easily. Part of her didn't want to know what had caused her mentor's pretty face to be mangled in such a way, though much of her did.

After all, this was her friend and mentor. The scars were no doubt proof of her experience and the battles she had fought and won, but... fighting hurt. She knew first-paw just how much claws could hurt. "You're my friend, and my mentor. So I care about you, too!"