Chapter 9

Ceremonies

It was a very restless day as dawn came and went, sunhigh came and went and sundown was drawing nearer. Swishkit, Clearkit, Shrewkit, and Dovekit were all sitting huddled up together waiting for Darkstar to summon the clan for their apprentice ceremony to take place. The four cats were curled together and Swishkit was close beside Clearkit and Shrewkit was close beside Dovekit. Clearkit's sweet smell was supposed to make Swishkit feel better but instead it chilled him.

How can this wonderful cat someday be one of the most powerful cats in the clan? wondered Swishkit.

"It's almost time," whispered Clearkit excitedly brushing against Swishkit who knew that in just below two seasons away everything would be answered. Clearkit's prophecy would be for toldand everything would be known about her. Clearkit herself would know then but for now she didn't.

"I see, Darkstar!" cried Shrewkit. "He's talking to Tidefur, Windstorm, and Rockpaw. Oh, this is bad. I know that something will happen that will chill me to the bone. Oh, why does StarClan have to will this to happen."

"I wish that it could happen and we would be done with it," added Dovekit. "Then we would know everything but I think that wishing our life away is a bad thing. We'll never be a kit again and we only stand before the Jaggedheight so many times in our life. Only if you're leader will you get that opportunity and not that many cats get the chance.

"This makes me wonder what Darkstar's warrior name was," pressed Shrewkit his voice squeaking with happiness and eagerness to get on with the ceremony. "Maybe I should ask him."

"You wouldn't! You couldn't!" wailed Swishkit faintly as his voice trailed off slowly as he saw Darkstar appear at the foot of the Jaggedheight. He was getting ready to leap onto the Jaggedheight when Swishkit raced up to the Jaggedheight calling tom him and stopping him.

"What are you doing?" cried Clearkit devastingly. "You're putting off this glorious ceremony that rarely ever happens to a cat and you won't ever get an apprentice ceremony again. Things will happen and things will break off. What are you doing, Swishkit?"

Swishkit ignored the angry calls from Dovekit who was yowling: "How can you do this to us? Darkstar could be calling the summons if you'd never ever jumped up to there. You dumbo Swishkit!"

"I just wanted to know what your warrior name was," murmured Swishkit quietly ignoring the protests from his littermates and foster littermates. "We are all curious but I was the one to ask."

"We?" Darkstar's voice was surprised but there was a hint of amusement in it. "You mean that Clearkit, Shrewkit, and Dovekit want to know too but you were the one to have the courage to ask? I'm proud of you, Swishkit. You, out of all of your littermates will make a mighty fine warrior that cats will be afraid to fight. You would make a fine leader if you were chosen as deputy."

The words sparked Swishkit's day and knew that being leader was everything that he would ever want in his life. He would lead his clan and teach apprentices and show them everything that they would need to know. This was his dream but he knew that only special cats were chosen for this position. Swishkit's eyes lit up proudly as he prompted, "So?"

"Of course. Oh, well. Swishkit, dear. I was a young apprentice and my littermates are both dead now. They were Owlfeather and Featherpelt. I think that they were strong warriors and I hope that we could bring another Owlkit into the clan. If we could I would name it Owlfeather again. I bet that there have been other cats named Darkstar before me. It's a name passed on so now I will tell you. Well, my warrior name was Darkfur. You see, I have dark ginger fur and Owlfeather had light ginger fur. It all worked out perfectly."

"I see," muttered Swishkit wondering if there would ever be an Owlkit in the clan for him to call Owlfeather. He would always keep this in mind and if another Owlkit and Featherkit were born to RainClan and he was leader he would let them go from Owlpaw to Owlfeather and Featherkit would go from Featherpaw to Featherpelt. It would be in memory of Darkstar's littermates.

"Now do you understand?" asked Darkstar his eyes looking young as if he was a young cat again but Swishkit knew that this wasn't true.

"I quite understand now, Darkstar," Swishkit purred crouching down and licking his leg, "but you always seem so young. How could Owlfeather and Featherpelt died so early in their lives?"

"I am not young," Darkstar told Swishkit. "I just look that way since I've lost many lives. I only have three precious lives left and I will give all of them up for my clan. I will give them up to be with Owlfeather and Featherpelt but I wouldn't since I know that you're my kit and you need me and that I need Willowpelt as well. Nothing would stop me from anything like that. I will... and always have... put Willowtail, you, and Clearkit before myself. I lost my first life saving you when you were lost. We found you in the forest and I saved you from a hawk. It may seem like I should have a lot of lives left but not even a moon later I lost a life in battle, then saving Willowtail, then Clearkit, then during battle, when I had greencough. Yes, that's how I lost my lives. Every cat is worried that I won't be a long-lasting leader but I'll try my best. Being RainClan leader is everything that I ever dreamed of but I don't want to wish my life away. Tidefur doesn't want to be leader. At least not yet."

"I quite understand now." Swishkit's voice was calm and his understanding life for Darkstar was much different than it had been just about one-hundred heartbeats ago.

"Can we get on with our ceremony now?" called out Dovekit from where she was sitting next to Shrewkit thumping her tail on the hard earth floor. "It's getting later and I even bet that other cats in the clan are wondering why our ceremony is taking so long to be summoned."

"Don't be rude!" exclaimed Shrewkit hotly. "I think that we've got lots of things to live upon and don't you want to have these moments while we can? When we're apprentices we're going to have to clean out the nursery, the elder's den, Darkstar's den, Tidefur's den... Don't you understand what that means?"

"Of course I understand," snapped Dovekit. "I just think that it's bringing us closer to our warrior ceremony and that's what I want most of all. Gosh, Shrewkit. Thank StarClan that we aren't clan born. I would have had to last with this since we were born. At least before we joined the clan you were more focused on survival."

Shrewkit began to look angry and spat, "Would you rather be here or out there?"

"Here," grunted Dovekit and sat down again as Clearkit gave her a hard stare. "I guess that I'd much rather be here. Living out there during leaf-bare would be horrid and that's what's approaching. This is going to be a great leaf-bare. Seven moons ago we weren't even born yet and we didn't know that we would be living our first leaf-bare in a clan that cared."

"Yeah... I just wish that our father knew how safe we are. I hope that he doesn't spend the rest of his life looking for us. He should know that we're happy and safe in RainClan right now and that's where we will be."

The young voice of Shrewkit was spoken like a true warrior and it gave Swishkit pride as Darkstar began to call out the clan summons.

"Cats of RainClan! Join me here beneath the Jaggedheight for a clan meeting!" Darkstar's voice rang out across the camp as the cats slowly gathered. Rockpaw was bouncing alongside Windstorm just as if it was his own ceremony. Having new apprentices in the clan was a good omen. Especially since Sandcloud's kits would be coming soon enough. Swishkit's eyes shifted as he saw Sandcloud appear out of the nursery her belly swolen as it dragged along the ground to make her way to her spot next to Stormtail."

"I'm so excited!" exclaimed Swiskit sheepishly as he saw Willowtail's eyes. They were bright with pride and she gave Swishkit and Clearkit two firm licks. When she saw Dovekit and Shrewkit's eyes she added a quick lick for each of them. They didn't seem as pleased but having a lick obviously gave them happiness.

"It is time to make four new apprentices!" cried out Darkstar proudly. "Dovekit, Shrewkit, Clearkit, and Swishkit. They have reached their sixth moon and it is time for them to become apprentices. The four of you, please step forward."

Swishkit was up in front of the clan in an instant almost racing Dovekit to the rock but Clearkit and Shrewkit followed more hesitantly. Clearkit's eyes were bright but she didn't seem as sure and Swishkit was partially glad. Clearkit was going to be a warrior that could do things that he and Dovekit and Shrewkit couldn't. That no other forest cat could do so it would be good for him. Clearkit's eyes were brimming wide as she approached with Shrewkit trailing behind her.

Darkstar cleared his throat. "Dovekit from this moment on you shall be known as Dovepaw. Dovepaw, you are going to be a strong-willed warrior so the perfect mentor for you is Redfoot. Redfoot, you are the oldest warrior and will be retiring soon but I know that you were once a lively apprentice since I was your mentor and that Dovepaw will be your last apprentice. I trust that you will train Dovepaw well."

"I hope that I train her well and that when my time is done Dovepaw will become a warrior and I will become an elder to live the rest of my life." Redfoot spoke with pleasure in his voice and Swishkit knew that this didn't make Darkstar a young leader. Swishkit watched as Dovepaw and Redfoot gave each other a quick dab on the nose.

"Clearkit, you will now be known as Clearpaw until the day that you become a warrior has arrived." Darkstar's voice spoke with pleasure as speaking about his kit. As he spoke, Swishkit knowing that he was old, made Swishkit think that he was an old father but remembering that he was leader he was very young since each life brought him to the life as if he was a newly made warrior. He was old but at the same time very young. "Clearpaw," he continued. "You are young and adventerous but not so lively as Dovepaw. I know that you will work hard during your training and your mentor will be Tidefur." Darkstar's head swung towards Tidefur. "You are a great deputy and I know that you will be a great leader once I die. I hope that you pass on all your skill to Clearpaw as she being your second apprentice."

Clearpaw slowly padded up to Tidefur and they both gave each other a quick dab on the nose as Tidefur wrapped her tail around Clearpaw bringing her to the edge of the clearing beside Redfoot and Dovepaw.

"I hope that I train you well," Swishkit heard Tidefur purr gently and Swishkit knew that she was proud to have her second apprentice.

"I know that everything is well in the clan and that it is now time for Swishkit to become Swishpaw." Darkstar's eyes were round with love. "Swishpaw, your mentor will be Stormtail. Stormtail, you are a young tom and your mate Sandcloud is expecting her kits. I hope that you pass on all that you know to Swishpaw towards the days to come."

"I know that this is my first apprentice but I know that I can do it!" Stormtail purred his voice filled with confidence as he and Swishpaw touched noses. As Swishpaw went to sit beside Clearpaw and Dovepaw he saw Shrewkit quivering.

"Poor, Shrewkit," murmured Dovepaw. "I feel so far away from him right now. I'm a 'paw' and he's a 'kit' still. I do think that he'll be a fine warrior but first he needs to get his full apprentice name."

"Shrewkit." Dovepaw was cut short by her mentor lying his tail over her mouth as Darkstar become to speak. "You will be known as Shrewpaw until you become a warrior. Shrewpaw, you deserve a great mentor that's why I have chosen myself. It may sound rude and greedy but I think that I will be a fine mentor to you and that's what I wish for. Just to be the best mentor that I can abe to my second apprentice."

As Darkstar spoke he and Shrewpaw touched noses to each other and Swishpaw was half jealous that he hadn't gotten Darkstar but he knew that he was Darkstar's real kit and Shrewpaw wasn't. As the two touched noses a cheering arose.

"Dovepaw! Shrewpaw! Clearpaw! Swishpaw!" called out the clan and as they spoke Swishpaw knew that if he ever did become leader he was almost there.

This is my longest chapter and it took me the longest amount of time to write so I hope you liked it! Please R&R!

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