I'd like to thank my friend StoriesWithinDreams! For helping out with this story. You rock girl!
"Ravenkit, Sandkit, and Crowkit please step forward," Froststar's proud meow rang across the clearing for every cat to hear. There were excited murmurs and little hushes that followed after the kits were named for their ceremony.
Ravenkit stepped forward with a beaming smile. He had gotten over his brother in the final moons of his kithood and once again became the happy kit that even his sister had to admit was better. While he still missed Dustkit dearly, he wasn't going to spend all of his life grieving for him. It was time to move on.
"These kits' apprenticeships had been moved back because of a mistake these kits had made moons ago. This mistake caused their family grief beyond my wildest nightmares. They have learnt much younger than I would have hoped about what the feeling of losing a beloved family member is like. We can all agree that it is tragic."
Ravenkit looked up at his leader, a wave of fresh grief washing over him, but he shook it off. He had learned better now and wasn't going to make a mistake like that ever again.
"Ravenkit, Sandkit, and Crowkit, from this moment forth until you earn your warrior names, you shall be known as Ravenpaw, Sandpaw and Crowpaw. Sandpaw will be mentored under Hawkfoot." Sandpaw beamed and padded forward to touched noses with Hawkfoot. "Crowpaw you shall be mentored under Rainheart," continued Froststar. Crowpaw padded forward and touched noses to Rainheart, grinning. "Ravenpaw will be mentored under Falconwing," meowed Froststar as he finished the ceremonies.
Ravenpaw scampered forward and touched his nose to Falconwing's. He smiled broadly as his Clanmates chanted his and his littermates' names. He was finally and apprentice and he wasn't going to fail his Clan. Flamepaw scampered forward, having became an apprentice to Eagleblaze a while ago.
Ravenpaw had noticed a difference in his friend since their camp outing and Dustkit's death. He had changed from a goofy, bubbly, and happy kit to an obedient apprentice that was constantly helping out whenever he could. Flamepaw frequently visited the nursery to make sure the queens and kits were comfortable. Ravenpaw suspected it was also because he became friends with Lavenderkit, a russian blue she-cat with green eyes and a personality that made her very likeable.
Ashpaw had changed a bit too, but he was still the same in a few ways. Though he hadn't become less of a friend over time, he had become a cool and serious apprentice and had drifted from his friends a bit. He also hardly cared about the kits who wanted to play with him unless the kit was Muddykit, an American curl she-cat that could be the female version of Ashpaw himself with their identical pelt and eye colors and their similar personalities. Ashpaw, nonetheless, was sitting beside Ravenpaw, nudging him only moments after Froststar dismissed the Clan.
"Yes! Now we can be together just like old times!" Flamepaw cheered as he approached his two friends. He was excited at the thought of the three of them working together to become strong warriors. It was one thing they had always discussed with each other when they were kits.
"Yeah!" Ravenpaw meowed in agreement, glad to have his friends back again. He was about to discuss many things with Ashpaw and Flamepaw when a noise drew his attention away. His eyes met those of his mentor's.
Falconwing had given a soft cough in order to get his new apprentice's attention. "Ravenpaw, come on. The territory awaits. You can speak with your friends later," he assured the black tom with a little look at the other two apprentices.
Ravenpaw nodded to his friends in farewell before following his mentor out to the forest. Even though he had been out in the territory before, he was still in awe at how thick and dark the forest was. He grinned as he marvelled on how magnificent of a sight this was.
"It's amazing out here," he muttered.
Falconwing looked at him and nodded "I agree. I can't and will never understand the other Clans."
"TimberClan can't be bad," meowed Ravenpaw.
"We are stronger. Much stronger than TimberClan. Yes we use the forest alike but we are much stronger and powerful than TimberClan don't let any member of TimberClan tell you different," meowed Falconwing.
"I'm just saying they can't be as bad as WaveClan or MarshClan,'' meowed Ravenpaw "what are they fish?"
"They may use different strengths but that is always a warriors weakness. Never rely on a cat's weakness to bring them down that is when they will outsmart you not when you outsmart them,'' Falconwing meowed.
Ravenpaw looked at his mentor with a slight glare "is this how these six moons are going to go? Everything I say you'll turn into a lesson?"
"No, not everything most things," meowed Falconwing.
Ravenpaw cast his gaze over the territory "well can we at least do something?"
"Sure you will learn the elements of tree hunting today," meowed Falconwing.
Ravenpaw nodded smiling broadly "cool!"
Falconwing paused for a moment examining a tree "alright try to scale that."
Ravenpaw remembered when Flamepaw and himself had dared each other to climb the dens in camp this was going to be easy. He bounded over to the tree and stood up on his hind legs unsheathing his claws and digging his claws deep into the bark. He pulled his back legs into the tree and started to inch his way up. He carefully sat down once he reached a good fork.
"Well done," meowed Falconwing as he sat down beside him.
Ravenpaw was panting but he beamed at his mentors phrase.
"Alright now to moving in the tree," meowed Falconwing.
Ravenpaw nodded "alright."
Falconwing jumped into the next tree "come on just be careful and judge your jumps well."
Ravenpaw couldn't help but feel scared. He crept to the end of the branch and looked down he was pretty high. He didn't let his fear show though he back up before taking a quick walk and a leap and landing square on the next branch. He grinned. Falconwing jumped from tree to tree. Ravenpaw dashed to keep up jumping from tree to tree. He beamed.
Ravenpaw stopped panting just beside Falconwing "perfect come on time we head back." he meowed.
Ravenpaw watched Falconwing descend from the tree before doing so himself.
Ravenpaw followed after his mentor and slipped into camp. He looked around spotting Flamepaw looking a bit upset.
"Why are you so upset?" asked Ravenpaw.
"I had to clean out the elders den," Flamepaw pouted.
Ravenpaw stuck out his tongue laughing.
Flamepaw glared at him "how was being out of camp?"
"We ran in the trees so that was cool!" meowed Ravenpaw sitting beside him.
Flamepaw smiled "yeah that is cool! How's Falconwing everyone says he can make looking at flowers into a lesson."
"They aren't far off," meowed Ravenpaw with a smirk.
Flamepaw rolled his eyes smiling though. Ravenpaw lay down beside his friend "it's going to be tiring though."
"True but then we become warriors so in the end it'll be worth it," meowed Flamepaw.
Ravenpaw turned to the clearing watching Lavenderkit and Muddykit play together. He watched his mother drag moss from her nest in the nursery to her nest in the warriors den. Berrypelt was dragging herbs to her den.
He got to his paws stretching and padded over "need some help?"
The medicine cat looked up at him "please."
Ravenpaw chuckled softly before grabbing some herbs from her and carrying them to her den. He placed them on the ground the scent of herbs strong making his whiskers twitch.
"What do you think it smells bad in here?" Berrypelt asked amused as she watched him.
"No it smells too strong," meowed Ravenpaw wrinkling up his nose.
Berrypelt shouldered the young apprentice "you get used to it."
"A medicine cat maybe," Ravenpaw snorted.
Berrypelt looked at him Ravenpaw smirked "I better go get something to eat."
Berrypelt nodded a look of disappointment flashing in her blue eyes for a moment before she got her emotions under control and they went back to being normal. Ravenpaw narrowed his eyes slightly at this thinking before shaking his head slightly he must have imagined it.
Ravenpaw padded over to the fresh kill pile and took a sparrow before padding to the apprentice den and curling in his nest. He watched as Flamepaw padded in and lay down beside him eating a mouse the two smiled at eachother.
"So hunting tomorrow?" asked Flamepaw.
"Yes I'll win!" Ravenpaw meowed.
"Will not!" meowed Flamepaw.
Ashpaw padded in "will not what?"
"We are planing to go hunting tomorrow," meowed Ravenpaw "want to come?"
"Can't I have battle training with Crowpaw," Ashpaw meowed.
"Oh well have fun," meowed Ravenpaw.
Ashpaw curled up in his nest.
Ravenpaw looked at Flamepaw who looked at Ashpaw with narrowed eyes "apprenticeship has changed him."
Ravenpaw shrugged "I think we all changed after our adventure."
Flamepaw nodded ''true but I think we changed in a good way. He isn't really our friend anymore."
Ravenpaw shrugged "he's older than us know and he was always closer to Crowpaw than us."
Flamepaw sighed "whatever as long as we are friends right?"
"Right," meowed Ravenpaw before laying down and starting to doze off.