"Alright guys! Hide and seek, or mossball?" Applekit yowled, standing in front of Spottedkit, Nightkit, and Hawkkit.
"Hide and seek!" Hawkkit purred, bounding a bit forwards in joy.
"How would we even hide? Skyclan isn't exactly the most hidable area, you know." Spottedkit mewed, sitting back down onto the cold rocky floor.
"We can hide in the dens!" Applekit protested, pouting slightly.
"That'd be easy to find all of us! IT'd be over in a few minutes." Spottedkit mewed, and Nightkit rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, count me out if you're playing Hide and seek. I'm playing mossball when you're ready to." Nightkit mewed, jumping up onto the higher ledge of the Nursery, looking down at the kits below, sunning herself in the sun.
"Aw, come on Nightkit! Just one turn?" Spottedkit padded over to where nightkit laid, stretching up to meet her eye-to-eye.
"Nah, I'll wait. I can see if it's right or not, in case you guys start fighting on if you're safe or not." Nightkit mumbled, flopping onto her side and closing her eyes.
"Aww, come on Nightkit! It'll be fun!" Hawkkit pawed at her ears, making Nightkit let out a purr.
"It's just one round, Nightkit!" Spottedkit jumped up and sat next to the kit, feeling the mixture of warm-and-cold air coming from the end of New-leaf season. They were sure to become apprentices any day now.
"Weeeellll... Alright. Maybe just one game-" Nightkit turned back onto her stomach, getting out of her sleepy look, for pawsteps to be heard running towards them. "Kits!-" A loud voice boomed, making them all flinch and look around confused, trying to find the voice.
"Kits! We need to get you ready! Come into the Nursery!" Deerclaw and Fishpelt called from the den, flicking their tails to get them to come closer. Spottedkit looked at the first cat to speak, seeing their leader, Thornstar, the older and a bit frailer leader waiting patiently.
A queen brought Spottedkit closer, and he looked up to see his mother, Thrushfur, licking the top of his head to slick down the fur. He watched Sandkit and Breezekit sitting a bit aways, already clean. The two ran up to Thornstar, tails twitching with excitement.
"Bleh, moooom!" Spottedkit whined, trying to move away from his mother, but she kept him still.
"Stay still, Spottedkit." Thrushfur murmured in between licks, and Spottedkit finally fell still, watching as Thornstar approached the kits and their mothers.
"Hello young kits! Are you all excited for today?" Thornstar padded up, tail flicking in a hello.
"It's our apprentice ceremony, right?" Hawkkit asked, padding out from inside the Nursery where his mother, Ambertree laid, keeping out of the other queens way as to not trip on them. She followed him out of the den, looking proud at her son.
"Yes, it is, good guess! I've already chosen fine mentors for all of you!" Thornstar beamed, looking down at the kits with pride.
"Really? Can you tell us them?" Applekit ran forwards, having a bit of her fur stick up, making Deerclaw look after her with a roll of the eyes and Fishpelt laugh at her daughter.
"I'd like to keep it a surprise." Thornstar let out a smug purr, turning and padding off to stand in the clearing, waiting for the kits and Queens to follow.
The kits quickly bounded to sit under the clearing, watching as Thornstar gave a nod, jumping onto the Higher ledge of Skyclan that lead to his den.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join me under Highrock for a clan meeting!" Thornstar yowled, and cats poked their heads out of dens and from the entrance of camp, starting to circle around the kits and their mothers, some kits with fathers, and some without. The many cats of the clan stood behind Spottedkit and his friends and family, and he puffed out his chest, beaming from the attention. Elder, Warriors, Apprentices, and even the Medicine cat, Daisypelt sat under their own version of Highrock, Silverfur by her side.
"Today, we shall be making many apprentices!" Thornstar began, looking out over the clearing, catching eyes with the kits.
"Applekit, Hawkkit, Nightkit, Sandkit, Breezekit, and Spottedkit. Step forwards." Thornstar flicked his tail, beckoning the kits to take a few steps more.
"Applepaw, Hawkpaw, Nightpaw, Sandpaw, Breezepaw, and Spottedpaw. Do you all promise to train for your clan and do your best to help protect it in the name of the Warrior code?" Thornstar looked across the kits faces, watching as they all said a "yes" in one way or another.
"Then, from now until you have received your warrior name, you shall train in the ways of our clan as apprentices. I trust you shall all be trained well." Thornstar dipped his head towards the apprentices.
"Applepaw, your mentor is Silverfur. Nightpaw, your mentor is Wrenfeather. Hawkpaw, I shall be your mentor. Breezepaw, your mentor is Robinwing. Spottedpaw, your mentor is Whiskertooth, and Sandpaw, your mentor is Starlingtooth." Thornstar jumped down, ushering out a dismissal before padding with Hawkpaw and the other mentors and apprentices out of the camp.
