It was finally the day. The leader stood on top of the fallen log, her white pelt almost blending in the scenery of the snowy ground. She was a white cat with s black spot on her head, like a cap. There was a line from that 'cap' running all the way down her back to the very tip of her tail. Her paws were coated with black fur, her purple eyes stareing at the 3 young kits, waiting to climb up for themselves. A tabby tom was at the base of the log, too. He was the deputy of Dustclan, and standing right next to Sandykit. She knew the tabby tom to be another one of her close friends. He visited her often when she was in the nursery. Her two friends were in line ahead of her, Briskstorm, the silver bengal cat, next to Ivykit and Mossymist next to her son, Thistlekit.
Then Whitestar began with an opening to the ceremony. Loudly, she pronounced, "Let all cats of the clan gather beneath the fallentree for a clan meeting."
There were already some cats staring to show up. Sandykit tried to recognise some of them from when they visited her, but all she could remember was her sister Honeyfur and Windtear. She saw Windtear help another cat who she never saw at all- he was dark brown, rings on his tail, and he had a bitten ear. Sandykit looked away.
She felt her tiny heart begin to beat fast. 'I'm going to become a cat, not a kit anymore!' She glanced at her mother. 'But I don't feel that way! Maybe I'm not ready; maybe I need some time!' She looked up at Thistlekit, who was right ahead of her. 'How is he not scared? I feel..... no! I can't be feeling scared! Maybe I'm just....excited! That's what my friends look like! They have their heads held high!' She straightened her head up, hoping something might happen. Maybe she'll feel better.
Sandykit noticed there was alot of cats gathered around the camp. 'Wow! That's all the cats? I wonder if-'
Her thoughts were interrupted by the leader's voice. "Ivykit, would you please stand here on the fallentree with me?" Sandykit watched as Ivykit jumped up, looking very excited.
Whitestar continued. "This is a proud day for Dustclan. By naming apprentices we show Dustclan will remain strong and will continue to grow. Ivykit, from now on untill you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Ivypaw." Whitestar turned to Ivypaw's mentor, who was waiting below the tree. "Briskstorm, you are ready for an apprentice, you will be Ivypaw's mentor. I know you will pass on your knowledge and bravery to Ivypaw and teach her the skills that will make her a brave warrior of Dustclan."
Briskstorm and Ivykit then touched noses. They stood there for a second, Ivypaw, holding her head high like she allways does, stood on the tree for a second, hearing the cats echo her name for all of the forest to hear. She and her mentor left. As they were walking into the crowd, Ivypaw whispered to Sandykit, "See? Just do what I did. No sweat."
The leader called up Thistlekit and repeated the same thing. Sandypaw felt her legs begin to shake as she looked up at the log. ' No longer a kit. No longer a kit.'
"Thistlekit, from now on untill you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thistlepaw." Soon, the crowd was cheering for Thistlepaw, as he and his mother, and his mentor, Mossymist, left the log.
"Sandykit, please stand on the fallentree with me." She jumped up without hesitation. She felt herself calm down as she stood next to the leader, facing the crowd. She took a deep breath as she found all the cats were staring at her. Her leader spoke, " By naming apprentices, we show that Dustclan will continue to survive and grow. Sandykit, from now on untill you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sandypaw." Whitestar faced the deputy, who hopped up on the log. "When I chose you as a deputy, you never had the chance to mentor a cat. Thunderclaw, you are ready for an apprentice. You will be mentoring Sandykit. I trust you will pass on your knowledge and bravery to Sandykit and teach her the skills she needs to be a brave warrior of Dustclan."
Sandypaw touched noses with her new mentor, Thunderclaw. The cats cheered her name, and she hopped down the tree, ready for the ceremony to be over with. She followed Thunderclaw down to the ground, where Whitestar was left standing on the tree. "May the mentors train our new apprentices well, and may Starclan guide them in the path they need to take." Whitestar hopped down from the log, and Sandypaw turned to look at her mentor. He looked back at her, mewing, "Alright, we can begin your training now. Most of the cats are going to start their duties."
Sandypaw nodded her head, and in response, the mentor stood up. "Okay, Sandypaw. We'll start by showing you around the borders of our territory. While we're on it, I'll tell you a bit about border patrols."
He told Sandypaw all about the border patrols, and who to report to after the patrols. She made sure she listened well. They didn't stop walking after her mentor mewed, "Well, that's pretty much about border patrols." He mewed, coming to a stop. "You got all that?"
Sandypaw nodded her head. "It's pretty easy, to remember, Tangelstorm." She felt better about becoming a warrior. With her friend to teach her everything she needs to know, and being surrounded by her friends, there shouldn't be a reason to worry.
