Tigerkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Climbing to the top of the Jaggedrock Sablestrike let out a familiar call.

"All cats old enough to silently stalk in the shadows, please gather in the shadow of the Jaggedrock for a Clan meeting!"

Picking Tigerkit from the crowd took slightly longer than what Sablestrike was used to. Most kits charged to the front of the clan, hoping each ceremony called would theirs, but not Tigerkit. The deputy almost felt bad as he began the ceremony. "Tigerkit, please step forward.'


Sablestrike kept his voice soft as he addressed the kit. "You have reached the age of six moons and are ready to become an apprentice. Until the day you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Tigerpaw. Your mentor will be Nettleweaver. As tiring as he is, I believe he has certain... traits, that would make him a fine warrior. May he pass those traits onto you and train you well." Truthfully, Sablestrike wasn't sure giving Nettleweaver an apprentice was the right move. However, the young warrior had shown him signs that beneath all of his immaturity, there was a warrior worthy of his name. Sablestrike hoped that the responsibility of taking on an apprentice would help Nettleweaver onto that path. A golden sphere rolled to meet Nettleweaver's eyes for a few moments, then he dismounted the Jaggedrock.

While Nettleweaver held disdain for Leopardstar, he oddly enough found Sablestrike quite amicable. After all the deputy was his brother’s mentor and had even offered him advice on occasion. When he’d spoken up at Lilypaw’s ceremony Sablestrike could have almost defended him. Not that the deputy’s word had meant anything to Leopardstar. The white tom’s ear twitched as he watched the ceremony unfold. He knew about Tigerkit, because of course he did. They might not know him, but he tried to know a little about all of his clanmates. Nettleweaver felt sorry for the poor tom if anything, an orphan and clearly very socially inept from the way he shied away from the rest of clan. Despite his own sociability, the newly named warrior emphasised with the soon to be apprentice. He knew what it was like to be outcast, Lilypaw and her host of cronies had seen to that.

He listened carefully, waiting to hear who Tigerkit’s mentor was to be. Nettleweaver was completely stunned when Sablestrike said his name. Hadn’t he just been made a warrior like… Yesterday? This had to be a joke… But he knew the deputy didn’t do jokes, which was fortunate in this case. He would be an excellent mentor, he didn’t even mind the black tom’s snipes because deep down he knew they were compliments. With a bounce to his step, the warrior hopped through the crowd to find Tigerpaw. Unlike his own ceremony, Tigeroaw was far more reserved and he didn’t have to worry about a possibly broken nose. He tried to avoid thinking about his own mentor now that she’d picked her side, but he missed the bond they’d shared when he was a kit. Anxiety radiated off the shivering apprentice and Nettleweaver smiled gently. Everyone seemed to think he was mean and awful, but he’d prove them all wrong on his own terms. “Hi, Tigerpaw.” he purred “We can begin training when you’re ready, but you should setup first. I think my old nest is still in the den, it’s really comfy with lots of feathers that my friend Batpaw got for me, you can have it if you’d like. it’s kind of up the back with his nest and Crabpaw’s too. They’ll be your friends definitely.”