A New Generation {BOOK 1} {COMPLETED}

{chapter 3} The Apprentice Ceremony (kit Squad)

"mom! We're fine!" Sagekit was held back from leaving the nursery. His mom's paw pressed on his stomach pulling him back into his mom's warm fur.

Timberkit, who managed somehow to get away and was sat in front of the nursery, giggling at his kin.

The kit turned his head to the highledge and saw Sharpstar walking up the ledge. The kit quickly turned back to his mom, worried they'd be late for their ceremony.

"mom! We have to go! Our ceremony is about to start!" Timberkit mewed and convinced his mother.

Sagekit, Monarchkit and Coyotekit was let out of their mothers grasp.

Quickly, they padded up to the clearing just in time for the call.

"ThunderClan! All cats able to catch their own prey gather beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!" Sharpstar yowled from his position on the highledge as the cats came out of their dens and into the clearing.

"this sunhigh we gather to name four new apprentices, my own kits." he paused and locked eyes with the four kits.

"step forward." he meowed.

Sagekit paws tingled in excitement, nonetheless like his three siblings.

With the tingling sensation in their paws, they stepped forward as they were asked.

Monarchkit looked up at his father and caught the smile he shot at him.

Monarchkit was probably the most nervous of them all, his father knew, so that smile his father gave him really calmed his nerves a bit.

Sharpstar scrambled down from Highledge and stood in front of his four kits.

"from this day forward," Sharpstar motioned to Monarchkit with his muzzle "until he has earned his warrior name, he will be known as Monarchpaw," the proud father and nonetheless leader caught the smile his son was giving him.

"Meadowslate you are ready for your second apprentice, you will train Monarchpaw. I truly hope that you will teach him all that your past mentor has guided you with through your moons of training."

A red-brown furred tom stepped forward, his eyes glinting like stars as he leaned down and touched noses with Monarchpaw.

Sharpstar rested his muzzle onto the apprentice's head, Monarchpaw licked his shoulder in respect.

"Sagekit," SharpStar turned to his other kit "until you have earned your warrior name you will be known as Sagepaw." Sharpstar smiled at the happy apprentice before him.

"Lionfang, you were Silentstones apprentice. He taught you well, and you have become a fierce and noble warrior. I hope you will pass some of these qualities on to Sagepaw. " Sharpstar grinned.

Lionfang walked towards the apprentice, he leaned down slightly and touched noses with the apprentice.

"now," Sharpstar started "until he has earned his warrior name, he will be known as Timberpaw," from the back of the crowd a cat let out a yowl.

Rainwhiskers pushed her way through the horde of cats blocking her way.

"I request that Timberpaw becomes the new medicine cat apprentice." Rainwhiskers mewed, glancing down at the shocked tom.

Him? being the next medicine cat apprentice?

But he'd be separated from his three siblings!

"as you all know, I won't be here forever. And now I find that it is time I took on a apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has showed many times his gentleness and his unending curiosity."

Timberpaw looked at his three littlermates, they all smiled and nodded their heads as if they could read his mind.

"Timberpaw? Do you accept to be the apprentice of Rainwhiskers?" Sharpstar cleared his throat silencing the few voices of the clan cats.

"I do." Timberpaw answered nervously and glanced back at his littlermates, who absolutely didn't mind him being a medicine cat apprentice.

They never found him fitting as a warrior, and even they were proud of him.

"then, Timberpaw you will have to travel to the moonpool at the half-moon to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats." Rainwhiskers continued her speech.

"the good wishes of all ThunderClan will go with you." Sharpdtar mewed, tilting his head with curiosity from his sons sudden glances to his littlermates.

Rainwhiskers stepped forward and touched noses with Timberpaw. His eyes still full of surprise and shock.

Sharpstar rested his muzzle on the bracken-colored tom's head, the newly made apprentice licked his shoulder in respect.

"now, onto our last kit," Sharpstar turned to his daughter "Coyotekit, until you earn your warrior name you will be called Coyotepaw."

The massive black tom turned to his younger brother.

"SilentStone, you're ready for your next apprentice, I hope you will teach everything onto my daughter that you know." Sharpstar smiled at the reaction from his daughter when he assigned, Silentstone, ThunderClans deputy as her mentor.

Silentstone dipped his head and stepped towards the apprentice and gently touched noses with the apprentice.

The clan started chanting their names, "Coyotepaw! Timberpaw! Sagepaw! Monarchpaw!" The four apprentices looked around at the crowd of cats chanting their names "clan dismissed!" Sharpstar yowled as the chanting quiet down.

"wow! Timberpaw I never expected you to be a medicine apprentice!" Smokepaw came trotting towards the four apprentices with Metalpaw high on her tail.

"yeah, honestly being a warrior wouldn't be something for me" Timberpaw grinned.

"well, I guess we need to show your littermates the apprentice den now, also Rainwhiskers wants to talk to you." Metalpaw smiled at Timberpaw before Rainwhiskers came padding towards them.

"Timberpaw can you come with me? We have alot to discuss." Rainwhiskers turned to Timberpaw "sure, bye guys!" Timberpaw said his goodbyes to his littermates and friends.

"alrighty! Ready to go see the den your staying in from now on?" Smokepaw mewed excitedly. Coyotepaw giggled "yup!" the three new apprentices followed the two older apprentices towards the apprentice den.

The five apprentices walked in the hollow den with moss layed out as bedding, the cave had been used as the apprentice den after the first cats had found it.

"those three moss nests are free." Metalpaw pointed his tail at three moss nests in the back of the den.

"okay." Monarchpaw mumbled and claimed his nest next to his two siblings.

"I think you'd better get some rest, tomorrow is gonna be a very long day." Metalpaw mewed at the three apprentices.

"okay." Sagepaw mewed back.

The three littermates climbed into their moss bedding and patted down the moss until a comfortable bedding to sleep in.

Monarchpaw fell asleep first followed by Sagepaw and at last Coyotepaw.

tomorrow was indeed going to be a long day, they were going on a border patrol with their mentors.