"Mosskit, stop fidgeting!"
But, no matter how angry her Mother got with her, she couldn't stop, for today was her Apprentice ceremony. "Thank you dear. Make sure your scent runs down hill! With your grey and white fur, it'll be very hard to hide in the foliage!" She warned, releasing her.
"C'mon, Bluekit!" Mosskit cried, heading towards the lichen screen. "Alright, hold on, Stonestripe is licking my pelt off!" Bluekit meowed after her sister who'd already exited the Nursery.
Mosskit noticed Sunpetal, the deputy, watching her fondly from beside Goldenstar, the leader. Then, Sunpetal turned towards the leader, the two chatting before Goldenstar's eyes turned dark, and he nodded.
Then, he scrambled up the fallen tree, and onto the Steep-rock, and finally, settled on the smooth flat-top. "All those old enough to catch their own prey, join me here, benighted the Steep-rock for a clan meeting!" He cried, Sunpetal strutting after him. Her ginger striped legs mimicked the sun's masculine body. Her eyes, they reflected a playful joy, something Mosskit wanted in a mentor.
"You ready?" Mosskit flinched, and turned around. Her Father, a stone grey tom with light paws, her mother, A white she-cat with silver speckles, and her sister, a grey blue she-cat with happy green eyes.
"If not Sunpetal, I want Root, or Smoketail." Bluekit whispered, as they mimicked each other's paws-steps, making their ways to the front of the crowd. "Today, I gather you today to preform one of the most important ceremonies in clan-life."
Mutters of sleep rose from the clan, but they changed as the gathered cats slowly regained energy. "Mosskit, please step forward." Making sure to not squeal in excitement, Mosskit scampered forward, tail held high, and rear facing the crowd.
"Sunpetal, this will be your seventh apprentice, I expect you to pass down the strength you've given to your latest apprentice, Mouseskip, onto Mosspaw as well."
The golden she-cat nodded, and sprung from the rock, up drawing a thick cloud of dust. Mosskit was sure they could see she and Sunpetal, because of their excited cries.
"Bluekit, please step forward." Squeaking, Bluekit skipped forward. "I believe Smoketail is ready for his first apprentice." Goldenstar meowed, loud enough for Mosskit to hear, evidently, Bluekit did not, because she just sat there, staring down the base of the Steep-rock, her body trembling.
"Smoketail, you've learned much from Root, and I expect you, young-lad, to pass down these qualities to Bluekit." The awestruck grey tabby stepped forward, which sent an excited Bluekit to touch his nose.
"Bluepaw, Mosspaw, Bluepaw, Mosspaw, Bluepaw!"
After the cries died down, Sunpetal chatted with Smoketail, and the grey tabby nodded, and headed for the Warriors' den.
Later on, she gathered the siblings for a talk.
"Tomorrow at Dawn, we'll awake you. Three of our borders need refreshing, so you two, Smoketail, Jaggedcloud and I will be renewing them, this includes our last trip, Mossy rocks, and our second trip, Sandy-hollow. Then, we will see the borders. Mothpelt has arranged small proportions of lamb's-ear and other traveling herbs in two plump rabbits, remember to eat them at dawn." She purred fondly, licking them on the ear tufts before padding off to the Warriors' den.
"Our first border-renewal! I bet Jadepaw, nor Thrushpaw or Tansypaw renewed a border on their first day!" Bluekit cried, puffing her light chest-fur out in pride.
"Yeah, let's head to sleep. I'm tired." Mosspaw rasped, begging to lazily groom her fur.
Her sister, her crestfallen littermate nodded slowly, and padded towards the Apprentices' den, tail sagging.