Jaywatcher's Love [Old, DISCONTINUED]

∆ chapter 3 ∆

Jaykit's paws tingled. She would be an apprentice today. She would become a 'paw.

All her denmates were already ready, pawing at their fur and patting it down with licks. Jaykit did the same quickly.

Once her fur was patted down and presentable, Jaykit padded to Blackkit, who was talking with Wolfkit.

"You ready?" Jaykit asked as Blackkit waved his tail in greeting. She was a little nervous about being an apprentice. Would it be harder? Would she die in battle?

"Totally!" Blackkit responded excitedly. "We're finally almost apprentices!"

Jaykit chuckled awkwardly, eyes dragging down to her paws.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!" Redstar called from the clearing outside of the nursery.

"It's time." Wolfkit mewed, sounding like he was trying to keep his excitement bottled up until after the ceremony.

"You'd better go." Smokeflame purred. "I'm so proud of you all. You'll make wonderful apprentices."

Jaykit nodded her thanks to her foster mother as she licked each of her kits' heads. "Go on, you little rascals." She teased.

All the kits in the nursery ran out quickly, and Jaykit ran slow as to not ruin her neatly groomed fur.

Scampering to the Clanrock with the rest of the Clan, the five kits stopped and looked around.

Jaykit was excited, there was no doubt about that, but she was nervous too. "Ready?" Blackkit's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Y-yeah. Ready." Jaykit stuttered quickly.

"As we all know," Redstar began. "We have five noble kits that are 6 moons old now. That means, we have five new apprentices today."

"Marshkit, step forward." The ShadowClan leader rumbled, his tail over his paws.

Jaykit watched as her denmate stumbled forwards with a nervous expression.

"Marshkit. Silverpool has asked for you to become her apprentice." Redstar mewed. "Until you become a full medicine cat, you will be named Marshpaw."

Marshpaw nodded and padded to his mentor, his eyes gleaming as he touched noses with Silverpool.

"Tigerkit, step forward." Redstar beckoned Tigerkit with a flick of his tail.

"Tigerkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Tigerpaw. Your mentor will be Dawnberry . I hope Dawnberry will pass down all she knows on to you."

Tigerpaw bounded to his mentor, eyes worried but happy. Jaykit wondered if Tigerpaw was as worried about being an apprentice as she was.

"Blackkit, step forwards." Redstar called. Blackkit staggered towards the Clanrock, looking calm. But Jaykit could tell her denmate was excited by the way his paws wriggled.

"Blackkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Blackpaw. Your mentor will be Pinewhisker. I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you." Redstar recited the ceremony with ease.

Blackpaw turned and gave Jaykit a happy look before walking to his mentor. The two cats touched noses.

Jaykit knew that Wolfkit would be called up first. He was technically a day older, like Blackpaw, Tigerpaw and Marshpaw.

Redstar began to hesitate, looking from Jaykit to Wolfkit. "...Wolfkit. Step forwards." He finally decided.

Jaykit felt her ears flatten as Wolfkit gave her a smug grin and padded forwards.

"Wolfkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Wolfpaw. Your mentor will be me. I hope I am able to pass down all I know on to you." Redstar hopped down from the Clanrock and touched noses with Wolfpaw.

Wolfpaw stepped to the side and narrowed his amber eyes at Jaykit. Jaykit held back a squeak as Redstar turned his gaze on her.

The eyes of all the cats of ShadowClan blazed into Jaykit's pelt as Redstar spoke. "Jaykit. Step forwards."

Jaykit tentively staggered forwards, paws shaking. She turned her head and saw Pinewhisker, her father, giving her an encouraging look. She looked over and saw Blackpaw also giving her an encouraging look.

She sat down and looked up at Redstar, his amber gaze locking with her's. "Jaykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Jaypaw. Your mentor will be Rowantail. I hope he is able to pass down all he knows on to you."

Redstar nodded, as if giving her permission to walk away. Jaypaw did, padding warily over to Rowantail. The warrior towered over her as she touched noses with her mentor.

"Marshpaw! Blackpaw! Tigerpaw! Wolfpaw! Jaypaw!" The Clan chanted, their mews rising and echoing off the walls of the hollow.

"I know you're nervous." Her mentor whispered into her ears. "I was too, don't worry."

Jaypaw felt a burden lift off her shoulders. At least she wasn't the only one that was nervous.

Redstar spoke as he turned to go to his den. "Clan dismissed."

The cats of ShadowClan separated, and each of her former nursery denmates scampered of with their mentors.

"So." Rowantail mewed from beside Jaypaw, making her jump. "What would you like to do first? Patrol a border? Look at the territory? Do battle training?"

"Um...whatever seems the best, I guess. I won't complain." Jaypaw stuttered, lifting her gaze to meet the tom's amber eyes.

"Alright then. I'll let you go find your nest with your denmates, and then when you're done, meet me at the camp entrance." Rowantail instructed. "You're my first apprentice, so I'm nervous too. Don't worry."

Jaypaw nodded her thanks without a word and padded towards the apprentices den. Inside, Cedarpaw and Ivypaw were sharing tounges. Nightpaw was curled at the back of the den, sleeping.

"Um-" Jaypaw squeaked. "Hi."

Ivypaw looked up and gave the new apprentice a smile. "Hi! Jaypaw, right?" She asked, flicking her tail.

"Yeah. Yes. Jaypaw." Jaypaw mewed quietly, her voice barely echoing off the bramble walls of the den.

"Hm." Nightpaw muttered from the other side of the den. "More kits we have to deal with."

Jaypaw flattened her ears back. She wasn't a kit anymore! How dare Nightpaw say that about her and her nursery denmates!

"Don't mind Nightpaw. She's always had a sour attitude towards young apprentices." Ivypaw mewed, scuffling her paws on the mossy ground in embarrassment.

"Do you need a nest?" Cedarpaw mewed suddenly. Jaypaw thought he'd never talk. "There's a couple free ones back there, on the other side of Nightpaw. Just roll around in the nest you want to be yours."

"Alright-" Jaypaw scampered towards a nest at the back of the den, flopped onto her back and rolled back and forth on the little patch of moss. "Good?"

"Good." Ivypaw responded, her expression friendly. At least she'd have a friend here other than Blackpaw.

"Rowantail wanted to meet me- I guess I have to leave-" Jaypaw stuttered to the older apprentices, looking to the entrance of the apprentice's den.

"Alright." Cedarpaw mewed. "Have fun on your first time outside!" Ivypaw called as Jaypaw padded out of the den.

She saw Rowantail at the entrance, and ran towards him. "Hi, Rowantail!" She called to her mentor.

"Hello, Jaypaw." Rowantail meowed. "Are you ready to see the forest?"