"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather by the Cave Rock for a clan meeting!" Willowstar's meow rang loud and clear throughout the Rainclan camp. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, the world barely light. Cat grumbled at Willowstar's promptness, what the leader lacked in social skills and a comforting meow, she more than made up for in her businesslike manner and organized ways.
Begrudgingly, for they respected their leader very much, cats blinked traces of sleep from their eyes and dragged their paws to Cave Rock, a tail-length high, flat rock that led to a small cave with room enough for two cats, the leader and their mate. Willowstar didn't have one, so she slept alone in the cave, separated from her clanmates.
When the majority of the clan had gathered in a loose semicircle around Cave Rock, and the elders had poked their ears out of their den, Willowstar began the ceremony she had painstakingly prepared since moonhigh.
"Today is one of my favorite days, when we honor warriors with one of the greatest duties of all and allow new light and fresh blood to course through the veins of Rainclan." While the last bit about "fresh blood" would make any Swiftclan cat squirm, the cats of Rainclan valued it, as it was one of the oldest saying of their clan.
"Silverkit, please step forward." A small she-kit approached Cave Rock, her electric blue eyes not making contact with any others. Silverkit was shy by nature, and had a gray tabby pelt with white splotches on her face, chest, paws, and tail. She climbed up to stand by Willowstar, shaking a little as she did so.
"Silverkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. You mentor will be Acorntail. Acorntail, please step forward."
A brown tom flicked his orange ears up in excitement. He was fairly large, with orange-tipped ears and orange circles around his forest-green eyes. He approached Cave Rock slowly, nervous as this would be his first apprenticed, having only been made a warrior with his sister, Lillybreeze six moons ago.
"Acorntail, you are a loyal and patient warrior. Your strength and kindness have served you well as an apprentice and as a warrior, traits I hope you will pass down to Silverkit. Silverkit, from this moment until you are deemed fit to be a warrior of Rainclan, you will be known as Silverpaw. Acorntail, I hereby place the matter of Silverpaw's training in your paws with high expectations. Train her as you were trained, so that she may be the best warrior Rainclan has ever seen."
Looking slightly nervous, Silverpaw turned to Acorntail. He bent down and touched his muzzle to hers, their noses meeting for a brief moment. Silverpaw grinned, forgetting her shyness, and Acorntail's ears flicked back again, happy to have an apprentice at last.
"Firekit, please step forward." Another she-kit, a little larger than the first, bounced towards Cave Rock, not bothering to hide the pleased and excited smile that split her face. Like her sister, she was a tabby, but orange instead of silver, with the same white splotches on her face, chest, paws, and tail. Unlike her sister, Firekit was loud and outspoken, with a hot temper to boot, going from laughing insanely to screaming at the unfairness of life in half a moment. She stood by Willowstar, shaking like her sister had, except in pure excitement instead of nerves.
"Silverkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to be apprenticed. Your mentor will be Jayflight. Jayflight, please step forward."
Jayflight, a dark blue-grey tom, walked slowly up to Cave Rock. His demeanor was cool, barely giving the cats around him a second glance. Like Willowstar, he cared deeply for order and organization, and he took his duty as deputy seriously. He had cool, dark blue eyes that weren't unlike the Great Lake at night; a cool, dark blue filled with danger. Black paws walked calmly to Cave Rock, tail held high and chin up. He leapt up, landing next to Firekit gracefully.
"Jayflight, you are an honorable and strong warrior. Your brains and battle tactics have served you well as an apprentice, as a warrior, and later as a deputy, traits I hope you will pass down to Firekit. Firekit, from this moment on, until you are deemed fit to be a Rainclan warrior, you will be known as Firepaw. Jayflight, I hereby place the matter of Firepaw's apprenticeship into your paws with high expectations. Train her as you were trained, so that she may be the best warrior Rainclan has ever seen."
Firepaw turned to Jayflight, and the deputy regarded her with his cool gaze. She stood on her toes, stretching to touch the nose of the much larger tom. He quirked an eyebrow at her, as if to say, C'mon, that can't be all you've got! He lowered his head at last, touching his nose to hers.
"Willowstar may have high expectations for you, Firepaw," he whispered, so softly that only she could hear, "but I assure you, mine are even higher." Firepaw returned his cool gaze with one of fierce intensity and determination.
"I won't let you down," she whispered fiercely, her leaf-green eyes never breaking contact with his cool blue ones. He nodded smoothly, as though this was the very reaction he expected. Together they faced Rainclan as the sun broke through the treetops, sending bright light into the camp, illuminating everything.
"Silverpaw!"
"Firepaw!"
"Silverpaw!"
"Firepaw!"
Quivering with delight, Firepaw stood straight and tall, basking in the glory of becoming an apprentice. She was flanked by Jayflight, and a tail-length away, Silverpaw, who was flanked by Acorntail. Willowstar stood in the middle, but she had backed up so that the clan could view their new apprentices. Firepaw shot her sister a glance.
"We're apprentices!" she meowed softly, her leaf-green eyes glowing with excitement.
"I know!" Silverpaw replied happily, eyes shining.
Willowstar flicked her tail for silence, and the clan stopped the frantic cheering, although they were still riled up by the ceremony. "While I, too, am excited for our newest apprentices, I must remind everyone of their duties to the clan. It's the dawn of a new day, and there is much to be done. That will be all for now!" She leapt off of Cave Rock, calling for the first hunting patrol of the day.
Firepaw, giddy with happiness, bowled her sister over as soon as they were both on the ground and off of the rock. "We're finally apprentices!" she squeaked with happiness, pinning Silverpaw down. Most of the cats had already scattered to complete their morning duties, whether it be hunting, patrolling, eating, or going back to sleep.
"I noticed, you great furball, get off of me!" Silverpaw cried indignantly, battering at her sister's belly with her paws.
"We're apprentices!"
"And you'd best start acting like it," growled a voice from behind Firepaw, and she whipped around to see Jayflight, a scorning look on his stern face. Her tail drooped.
"I'm sorry," she said, but broke out into a huge grin when he beckoned her with his tail. "Are we going to do battle training?"
"Are you that mouse-brained?" Jayflight asked, giving her a disapproving look. "You ought to know by now that an apprentice's first duty is to patrol and learn the borders, as well as the entirety of the clan's territory. A newborn kit ought to know that!" With that, he marched off at a quicker pace, leaving Firepaw to trot after him.
"Well, are you going to show me the Swiftclan border?"
"That would be part of patrolling the borders and learning the entirety of the clan territory."
"So yes?"
Jayflight made a sort of strangled noise at the back of his throat, rounding on Firepaw. "You must learn to hold your tongue! A warrior is respectful, and doesn't ask questions she knows the answer to. You aren't a kit anymore, so stop acting like it!" Firepaw shrank away from Jayflight, a little hurt by his words. She followed him in silence, vowing to not say another word.
"Jayflight, hold up!" Jayflight rolled his eyes in an irritated way, fixating them on Acorntail, who was trotting to catch up. "Mind if we join you?" Silverpaw's eyes gleamed with excitement, meeting Firepaw's.
"I don't see why not," Jayflight replied civilly.
Firepaw lagged behind her mentor to walk with Silverpaw. "Our first patrol together as apprentices! This is so exciting, isn't it?"
"Sure is," Silverpaw agreed, eyes wide. "I never knew our territory was so big!"
Jayflight was walking next to Acorntail in silence, when he stopped abruptly. "Acorntail, I've changed my mind. Nothing against you or Silverpaw, but I believe Firepaw and I are going to split off from you so we can talk about her training. I'll see you back in camp, alright?"
"Sounds alright to me, Jayflight. Come on, Silverpaw." The brown tom turned and padded in the opposite direction from Firepaw and Jayflight.
"'Bye, Firepaw," Silverpaw whispered solemnly.
"See ya later, Silverpaw," Firepaw replied sadly, following her grouchy mentor who already seemed to have a grudge against her. "Maybe we can share our first mouse as apprentices later, okay?"
"Firepaw, catch up!" snapped Jayflight, giving her an impatient look. Silverpaw scurried to Acorntail, as though he would shield her from Jayflight's wrath. Firepaw sighed unhappily, following Jayflight deeper into Rainclan territory.
Maybe he has something really interesting to show me, she thought to herself. After all, he is the deputy.