#Apprentice Ceremony

[snailstep-and-her-clan]

“What would Snailstep’s name have been if she was raised in her mother’s clan?”

Firebright would never be able to get past the character creation section of an MMO.

Her warrior name would have probably been Palelight.

Viperpaw is Firebright’s apprentice, and Gingerpaw is his brother and the medicine cat apprentice

[clangenrising]

Month 17 - Greenleaf

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“Floodstrike, dear, could you please not tear the moss apart like that?” 

Floodstrike looked up at his father and then down at his paws where he had been clawing and tearing the edges of one of the sickbeds to pieces. Guilt spiked through him and he quickly tucked his paws beneath his chest to make sure he wouldn’t do it again. 

“Sorry, dad,” he said, “I didn’t even realize.” He glanced around, grateful that Sagetooth had gone to SkyClan to help Tangletooth deal with a redcough outbreak. 

“Oh, It’s alright, honey,” Oddstripe said with a flick of his tail. “Just try to take deep breaths. You’re gonna do great.” 

“I know,” he said, “I just hate waiting.” 

Last week, he had asked Goldenstar if he could mentor Lakekit. She had been hesitant at first, given his age, but had eventually agreed because of the bond he already had with the kit. He still couldn’t believe that had worked. Once again, he was reminded that he had the best mentor in the world. 

The ceremony was today, at sunset, Goldenstar had said, but Floodstrike couldn’t wait. His mind raced over possible things to do with his apprentice once the ceremony was over. What would she want her first lesson to be? He knew she enjoyed trips to the river to swim but would she want to do that now or would she rather have a tour of the territory? Would she prefer battle lessons or hunting practice? He didn’t know. As much as he was confident he could handle Lakekit, he was having second thoughts on whether or not he would make a good mentor in general. 

“I’m sure it won’t be much longer,” Oddstripe said. “Just breathe and try to-”

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!” Floodstrike jerked towards the sound, ears flipping forward attentively.

“Well there you go,” Oddstripe laughed a little bit. Coming up to stand by his son, he laid his tail over Floodstrike’s shoulders and said, “Come on. Let’s go join the others.” 

“Alright,” Floodstrike nodded. 

The two of them padded out into the clearing where cats were starting to gather. Russetfrond sat near the front of the crowd, Yellowkit and Bluekit tucked against his belly. Sparrowsway and Barleybee were sitting side by side and waved for Floodstrike and Oddstripe to join them. Floodstrike followed his father but his eyes were searching the crowd for Lakekit. He found her sitting off to the side, Slatepaw giving her a last minute groom. She looked nervous, her tail tip twitching, her ears pressed backwards. Floodstrike wanted to comfort her but decided it would take too long. He could comfort her after the ceremony. 

Goldenstar raised her tail and began speaking again. “Today we gather to name a new apprentice! Lakekit, you have expressed your interest in becoming a warrior and today is the first step you will take on that journey. Would you please come to the front of the crowd?”

Lakekit nodded shyly and stepped forward into the center of the crowd. Her tail curled tightly around her back leg as she stared up at Goldenstar. 

“Lakekit,” Goldenstar smiled, “from this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lakepaw. Your mentor will be Floodstrike.” At this, Lakepaw whipped around to stare at him, eyes wide. He smiled and started forward through the crowd. 

Off to the side, he heard Ospreymask mumble, “Oh, come on.” 

Goldenstar continued despite the comment. “Floodstrike has proven himself a strong and capable warrior and I have no doubt that he will be able to teach you to do the same.” Floodstrike leaned in to touch noses with Lakepaw and she carefully stretched up to meet him. Even though she was smiling, her nose trembled against his as they touched. 

“It’s alright,” he whispered, “I promise you’ll do great.” She nodded, shyly biting her lower lip. 

“Lakepaw!” Fogpaw started and the whole Clan joined in. “Lakepaw! Lakepaw! Lakepaw!”

“And with that,” Goldenstar said as the chanting faded, “our business is concluded. Thank you all.” She leapt down from the Stoneperch and the force that had been keeping the crowd in an orderly semi-circle disappeared. Cats thronged around them, all offering congratulations, and Lakepaw pressed up against his side to get away from them. 

“Congrats, Lakepaw!” he heard Fogpaw’s voice. “Now we can go on patrols together and stuff!” 

“Yeah, it’s gonna be great!” Slatepaw chimed in. 

“Mhm,” Lakepaw mumbled.

“Hey, congratulations, Floodstrike,” Sparrowsway was saying, “You’re gonna do great.” 

“Uh, thanks-” Floodstrike said dazedly as more voices started to overlap.

“Oh, I’m so proud of you!” Oddstripe purred, butting his head against Floodstrike’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re so grown up!” 

“We should go do something!” Fogpaw was loud in his other ear. “Like, go hunting or see the territory or-”

“Fogpaw,” Scorchplume’s voice cut through the din. “Give her some space.”

“Yeah,” Floodstrike said, emboldened by the statement. “You guys are all great but I think Lakepaw is a little overwhelmed.” 

“Oh,” Fogpaw said, taking three steps back. 

“Sorry, Lakepaw,” mumbled Slatepaw. 

“It’s alright,” Pantherhaze said. “Why don’t we let her and Floodstrike go off together and we can patrol with them later.” He met Floodstrike’s gaze and Floodstrike nodded with a grateful, breathy laugh. 

“Okay,” Slatepaw said, her eyes round and sorrowful. 

Floodstrike took this opportunity to shepherd Lakepaw towards the edge of the clearing. He gave his family a polite nod as he did and they seemed to understand. Lakepaw stayed close against his side until they were out into the grass. 

“Sorry about that,” she said. “It was just really noisy.” 

“Yeah, it was,” he agreed. “You don’t have to be sorry, kiddo.” 

“Okay,” she smiled, letting a mouse-length of distance grow between them. “What are we going to do first?” 

“Whatever you want,” he said. “There’s hunting, battle training, a tour of the territory. It’s totally up to you. We can get to the rest another day.” 

“Wowzers,” she breathed. “Um, what do you want to do?”

“I’m good with anything,” he said. “If you don’t have a preference I think maybe some battle practice? It sounds like Fogpaw wants to be the one to show you the territory.” 

“Yeah, I should save that,” Lakepaw nodded. “Battle training it is! I can’t wait to get all big and strong!” Floodstrike swiped at her ear playfully and she giggled, springing out of his reach. 

“Yeah right, you’re always gonna be a teenie tiny little baby,” he laughed. 

“Nuh uh!” she giggled harder. “I’m already getting big!” 

“Nah, you haven’t grown a mouse-length!” 

“That’s not true!” she squealed and charged at him. Laughing, he let her take him to the ground and wrapped his arms around her neck to roll with her in the grass, chomping playfully on her neck. She only laughed harder and harder and the sound of it made him feel like he was flying. Lakepaw was perfect and he was so, so lucky to be her mentor. 

“This way,” he said eventually, “I know the perfect spot to practice.” 

“Okie doke!” she purred, bouncing after him, and together they headed off to train.

UPDATES: - Lakekit becomes Lakepaw and is apprenticed to Floodstrike!

[mommyclan]

HELLO MOMMYCLANNERS!!🎉🎉

Special occasion! We are holding Mommyclan's very first apprentice ceremony forrr.....

Redspider and Sonderpaw ! 🕷🐈 (@cheesepaw-whisker and @booksofstars ) Congratulations!🎉

I've listed some reasons I think these two are compatible as mentor and apprentice under the cut! Thanks a bunch to @/nanistar for drawing the banner! (Feat. Cheetahchirp and his friend Twigpaw <3 )

Redspider and Sonderpaw are both in the Mommyclan's elite Ghostbusters squad, so that's a first thing in common right off the bat! Sonderpaw is outgoing and loves to learn, a great first apprentice for Redspider, who... seems to have a bit of learning to do himself!

I think taking on an apprentice will help Redspider learn some responsibility and Sonderpaw will have an older brother figure to be close to, even as he seems to close himself off and grow less talkative towards the end of his apprenticeship...

Look out for him, Redspider and good luck to you both!

[maddy-bean]

moon three! The clans first apprentice ceremony! Prance paws new mentor is copper step, prance paw is trying to act cool on the outside, but he’s only just hiding his excitement ꒰ · ◡ · ꒱

[hellherekitten]

Imagining myself, a human, watching some of the ceremonies going on in Warrior Cats books

[niightrose]

i love her sm

[wyrm-clangen]

I'm starting to think we're cursed, tbh.

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[snobgoblin]

i have one joke but god

[marsskaterboii]

We're all aware that Robin Hobb sometimes forgets about certain story elements (cue the 'wild men' from Assassin's Apprentice who make clothes from bark, paint their teeth red with resin, dip their hair in pitch and are only ever mentioned once in the entire series), but I am wondering about Fitz's "man ceremony". He writes about it in a side note, claiming that it is forbidding to share exact details from the whole ceremony and only goes so far as to tell that he killed no offering during it. Most importantly however, Fitz received his true name during that ceremony and while he cannot repeat it in the ancient language (forbidden for secrecy purposes), he imparts the meaning of said name: Catalyst, the Changer.

Now, who gave him that name? Did the Fool take part in the ceremony? Nighteyes called Fitz Changer without having been told, but 'read' the name in Fitz's Wit. So was it perhaps Burrich who named him thus?

Fitz never mentions the ceremony again. He's unsettled when the Fool first calls him Catalyst but marks it down to the tremendous burden of prophecy the Fool is imparting on him - not on the fact that the Fool knows his secret name. When Chade similarly names him Catalyst, Fitz only remarks "The Fool calls me that sometimes."

I can only assume that Fitz is being the most unreliable of narrators (again), and simply ignoring that the man ceremony ever happened, or he's seriously relaxed about the fact that multiple people call him by his secret magic name, originally given in an ancient language nobody speaks about and which he was given during a ceremony whose participants all hid their faces under hoods.

[strawberryfrostedkitties]

[fallenclan]

I would kill a man to see Blizzard/Crow kits, they're so cute

you're so right. i doodled up a couple hypokits for fun and now i kinda wish they could have biological kids bc they're adorable. ah well, maybe they'll adopt some day v_v

[clangenrising]

Month 14 - Newleaf

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“It’s almost time,” Fogkit muttered to herself. She enjoyed muttering, especially if there was no one there to listen. It made her feel like she was five steps ahead. And today, she was. She had spent all week making spells out of prey scraps and mud and moth wings and such in preparation for today. 

Last night, Goldenstar had told her and Slatekit that they would be apprenticed at dawn. She had risen early to groom her fur and scatter feathers around the camp for good luck. Now she sat hunched in the dark, hidden in the grass near the nursery, waiting for dawn. The sky was starting to turn a soft, pretty pink.

A few cats were up and about, likely waiting just like she was. She watched as Floodpaw slank out of the apprentices’ den and arched his back in a long, lanky curve, and she brightened. She bolted for him and slipped underneath him to poke her head out between his forelegs so she could look up at him. 

He jumped and said, “Yikes, kid! What are you doing up so early?”

“Um, I’m gonna be apprenticed,” Fogkit rolled her eyes. “Duh!” He rolled his eyes in return and sat down on top of her. She squealed in delight and thrashed wildly. 

“Huh,” he said, “where did Fogkit go?” 

“I’m here!” she screamed, kicking with all her might. He winced but stayed where he was. 

“Fogkit?” he called. “Oh, Fogkit! Man, that’s a shame. She’s gonna miss her ceremony.”

“No!” she giggled. “No, I can’t!” She rolled onto her back as best she could and kicked hard with both legs. Floodpaw gave a grunt of pain and tumbled off of her immediately. She laughed and sprang on him where he lay curled in a pained ball. 

“Take that!” she declared, swiping at his ears. 

The apprentice simply wheezed, “Good kick…” 

Fogkit laughed and sat down to smooth out her fur again. Floodpaw was so much fun. Sparrowpaw and Barleypaw poked their heads out of the den and Fogkit waved her tail at them with a chipper smile. 

“Everything alright out here?” Sparrowpaw asked, raising a brow. 

“Yep!” she purred. 

“Mhm,” groaned Floodpaw. 

Barleypaw laughed and sat down next to her brother to purr against his side. “She must have got you pretty good.”

“Only ‘cause he sat on me,” Fogkit said. 

“Oh, then I guess he deserved it,” Sparrowpaw smirked. 

“Go hug a badger,” grumbled Floodpaw, finally managing to uncurl his body. 

“Fogkit!” Slatekit’s voice squeaked from across the camp. Fogkit turned to smile at her sister and waved her over. Slatekit hesitated but crossed the distance to huddle beside her. 

“Hey!” Fogkit said, “You excited?”

“Mm,” Slatekit whimpered in lieu of an answer. 

“You’ll do great,” Barleypaw said. “I was super nervous at my ceremony too but it’s really not that scary.” Slatekit whimpered again.

“It’s okay,” Fogkit said confidently. “I’ve been doing spells all week to make sure we get the best mentors.” 

“Spells?” Sparrowpaw blinked in surprise. 

“Yeah!” Fogkit brightened. “Mystique told us all about how wild cats do magic spells to help their friends and curse their enemies. She didn’t know how to do them but I figured it out, I think.” 

“Is that so?” Barleypaw seemed apprehensive. Floodpaw laughed. 

Slatekit nodded. “Yeah, she said that wild cats are magic. We’re wild cats, right?” 

“That is what the city calls Clan cats, yes,” said Sparrowpaw, “but-” 

“Yeah!” Fogkit said, eager to share with them. “Magic is easy, you just have to get the right stuff and then think really hard about what you want to happen and sometimes put the stuff in a special place or something! I can show you guys sometime.” 

“I’m good,” snorted Floodpaw.

“Maybe…” Barleypaw laughed awkwardly. “We’ve got to train for our final assessments though.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Fogkit frowned. “You’re not gonna be in the apprentice den with us for very long…”

“Yeah,” said Sparrowpaw, “but you’ll be warriors before you know it. Time flies like that.” 

Goldenstar’s voice rang out through the camp. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Stoneperch for a Clan meeting!”

“It’s happening!” squealed Fogkit, bouncing on her toes. Slatekit whined nervously. 

“Come on, lets go sit closer,” Barleypaw said, wrapping her tail over Slatekit’s shoulders. The group of them moved in to join the other cats who trickled out of their dens and settled in a semicircle around the Stoneperch. Goldenstar sat atop the stone, her fur glowing under the creeping light of dawn. Fogkit kneaded the ground in anticipation. 

“Today,” Goldenstar began, “we name two apprentices who have been waiting eagerly for this moment. Fogkit, Slatekit, you have reached the age of six moons and that means it’s time for you to start your training towards becoming warriors. From this day on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Fogpaw and Slatepaw.” Everyone cheered, chorusing their new names. Slatepaw blushed and tried to stand up tall. Fogpaw didn’t stop looking at Goldenstar. She wasn’t going to be satisfied until she heard who her mentor would be. 

“Slatepaw,” said Goldenstar, “for your mentor, I have chosen someone who has proven himself to be a kind and gentle mentor in the past. I entrust your training to Pantherhaze and hope that you will be able to rely on him when times are tough.” 

Pantherhaze stepped out of the crowd, smiling softly. Slatepaw swallowed and stepped up to meet him. Fogpaw could see her trembling as they touched noses. He whispered something to her and she nodded. Fogpaw was happy with the pair. It seemed her spell had paid off. 

“Fogpaw,” Goldenstar’s voice brought her back to attention. “Your mentor will be Scorchplume.” Fogpaw’s jaw fell open in surprise. She hadn’t realized that was an option. “Scorchplume, while this is your first apprentice, I am confident you will be able to teach Fogpaw how to excel at any pursuit she puts her mind to.” 

Scorchplume swished her big, ginger tail up over her back and strode into the circle to meet Fogpaw. Fogpaw was frozen for a moment, unsure. Was this really what her magic had decided was the best mentor for her? 

She glanced around at the other cats, the ones without apprentices. Branchbark, Aldertail, and Ospreymask all sat together near the edge. Ospreymask looked especially disappointed. Fogpaw realized that she wouldn’t want any of them to be her teacher. She looked back at Scorchplume who had raised her brows expectantly and tried to see through her expression to her aura. Scorchplume was bold and sharp and pretty. She was the only cat to have gone to the city and come back safely. Yes, Fogpaw decided, this was the perfect mentor for her. 

Grinning, Fogpaw stepped up and presented her nose for Scorchplume to touch with her own. The warrior gave an amused humm and did so. The touch sent an electric shock through Fogpaw’s nose and she recoiled to rub at it with her paw. Scorchplume wrinkled her nose at the sensation. That had to mean something, right? 

“We’re tied now,” she mumbled to Scorchplume, “you and me.” 

“Really, now?” Scorch whispered back. 

“With that, our meeting is concluded,” Goldenstar said. “Congratulations, Fogpaw and Slatepaw!” Another round of cheering went up for the both of them. Fogpaw looked around the circle and felt tears swelling within her. All of their will, all of their passion, was behind her now, driving her forward. She could almost feel StarClan’s presence on her back. I promise, Mama, she vowed, imagining spellwork being woven into every word, I’m going to become the best warrior there is. I’ll make you proud.

UPDATES: - Fogkit and Slatekit are made apprentices. Fogpaw is apprenticed to Scorchplume! Slatepaw is apprenticed to Pantherhaze!

[mommyclan]

GATHER ROUND’ THE HIGHROCK!!🎉💥

Our second apprentice ceremony of the day goes toooo......

Cringeegg and Yeek !!🐣💥 (@jellyfshkitty and @emperormoth101)

I've given some reasons I think these two hairballs would get along as mentor and apprentice under the cut! Thank you to @/Goobiestar for this banter of Munchpaw and Jumpfox for the occasion! :] <3

Two hyper, chaotic personalities that will work great together! Cringeegg is still a bit young and gets nervous easily, but I think Yeek's hyper energy can help her overcome her anxieties and the two can become great friends!

This duo will no doubt cause endless chaos around the camp... but they are both loveable little weirdos, and their crazy little shenanigans are more than welcome!

Cringeegg.... are you yeeked up⁉️

[eeveekitti]

since i never ended up finishing rw x wc art month [and didn't get to the day i MEANT to post these] hi here's gourmand's slugpups as wc apprentices!!

these were actually done like a month ago but again never got posted lol

^ their kit drawing for reference

snailpaw is raincloud [surv]'s apprentice, and bugpaw is amberspark [arti]'s :3

[waffultaim]

Well I'm not so dumbfounded on Longtail as a character tbh but I think him being the mentor of Bramblepaw instead of Fireheart could have been a good add to his character development.

.

.

Imagine that when Bluestar is about to speak of who will be Bramblepaw mentor, a voice rises in the crowd interrupting the ceremony, surprised Fireheart looks at the origin of the voice just to find that is Longtail the cause of it and not so far away Goldenflower is also there as well, looking at both leader and deputy...

do you see my vision?

[mllenugget]

Wingmask was a well loved and trusted warrior within his clan. Though he was known to not get along with his fellow clanmate Thunderpond, the rest of the clan felt moved by the mark of respect he showed as he put all triviality aside, and stayed by her body longer than anyone during her vigil. Mistkit's head felt dizzy. The sound of the forest was as loud as ever yet his heart palpitations were louder, covering the whispers of his clanmates and family as they were reminiscing about their lost one from when she was alive. The image of Wingmask's body arched over Thunderpond's still one flashed in front of the kitten's eyes, only this time the warrior's fur wasn't drenched in the other's blood.

How could he ever tell anyone what he had witnessed.