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Post by Kaeldra on Jun 4, 2021 22:30:22 GMT
Shellspots || Queen || 38 moons
In the weak leaf-bare sun, the camp seemed to almost glimmer as light reflected off small piles of leftover snow. It was still a major work in progress, but every day it looked more and more like a home rather than the overgrown mess it had been when they had found it. It gave Shellspots hope that her dreams weren’t as futile as they sometimes felt, that one day she would see it bustling with cats she could call her Clanmates.
The silver tabby watched as Heronkit, Minnowkit, and Canary tumbled about together, seeming oblivious to the chill in the air. It had been less than a quarter moon since the lost kit had joined them, and yet she had fit in seamlessly, becoming fast friends with her new denmates. Shellspots knew that it was nearly time for them to begin training, but she had wanted to let Canary settle in first.
Truth be told, she had also wanted to give herself time to think. This would be her first time performing any type of naming ceremony, and she had spent the last several nights losing sleep as she tried to remember exactly what her mother had said when she had been given her apprentice name, Shellpaw. She knew that all apprentice names were supposed to end in “-paw”, so that part was easy enough; there were none of the worries she had with Miku and giving her a name that suited her. That part would come when they were ready to be made warriors.
There was also the small matter of who would train them. Ideally, Shellspots had hoped that they would find more adult cats in their searches to act as mentors to the younger members of the Clan, but she supposed the snow of the past few moons had deterred most cats from venturing out very much. In newleaf perhaps they would meet more cats. But she could not delay their training any longer. The struggle to keep them all fed in this weather was taking its toll, and she hoped that if they were worn out from training she would be able to get a decent night’s sleep for once.
Laughing quietly to herself, she padded over to the playing kits.
“Look at you three, your fur is a mess!” Shellspots chided them gently, not actually upset. There were scraps of moss sticking to their pelts, and tufts of fur stuck out at odd angles where they’d been swiping at each other with claws sheathed. “What will StarClan think if I present the Clan's first apprentices to them looking like they’ve just crawled out of a badger’s den?” She leaned forward to pull Minnowkit closer, grooming her silvery fur into place. She hadn't yet told them they would be becoming apprentices today, though she was sure they had sensed something coming with how lost in her thoughts she had been lately.
ulla
This is a bit on the longer side, feel free to make your replies shorter! Just thought I'd set the scene and got inspired, hehe~ So exciting! Riley Sigh Zesha Feel free to reply in whatever order you like, I'll just tag all three of you to start with c: |
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Jun 17, 2021 19:23:33 GMT
minnowkit Minnowkit heaved one last diminutive pawswipe at Canary before Shellspots' words caught up to her and brought everything grinding to a halt. Her paw fell short of her newest companion, and her fur seemed to stand on end; she felt electrified. Apprentices? The word echoed in her mind, drowning out all other thought—momentarily. It didn't take long for Minnowkit to recover enough to unleash a barrage of questions. "Apprentices?" she repeated, aloud this time. "Are you presenting us today? Are we going to start training? Will we have mentors? Are we changing our names? Will we—" The deluge halted as Minnowkit felt herself pulled closer to Shellspots. As her mother worked to undo some of her untidiness, Minnowkit realized just how out of sorts she had been. Her fur was not long enough to fall into any spectacular state of disarray, but in this case it was not for a lack of trying; she did look as though she'd been through not only a badger's den but perhaps also a fox's and maybe a whole rabbit warren as well. Her silvery fur eventually became smooth under Shellspots' ministrations, and Minnowkit begrudgingly helped the process along by dislodging bits of moss and dirt. When she was finally satisfied with her state of cleanliness, she left Shellspots' side to return to Heronkit and Canary and focused her attention back on Shellspots, eager for any further information. |
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Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
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Post by Zesha on Jun 21, 2021 16:12:16 GMT
 Canary • She-cat • 7 moons • Loner It took a moment for the words to sink in through the haze of playtime, but once it did Canary’s green eyes grew wide and twinkled. She could see from Minnowkit’s reaction that she was feeling the same.
Apprentices! she thought, paws beginning to knead the ground. They were going to be able to officially start learning to be warriors! They’d learn the whole territory and how to hunt things and—the excitement was just bubbling up inside her, ready to burst.
Canary’s attention piqued when Minnotkit started asking questions, the same ones she wanted to know, only for her to be cut off by Shellspots grooming her. Glancing down, it dawned on Canary that their playing had gotten them quite dirty, with fur poking out in odd directions and moss, grass, dirt, and who knows what clinging on to their pelts. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she started giving herself a good lick while she awaited more information. It was hard to sit still and just wait. This was the most exciting day of her life since she had met Shellspots over by the smooth rocks in the forest and she had brought Canary back to meet Minnowkit and Heronkit, after all.
After a moment though, she couldn’t help but pipe up and ask, “Are we really becoming apprentices today?”
Kaeldra Riley Sigh |
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Post by Kaeldra on Jul 1, 2021 22:36:42 GMT
Shellspots || Queen || 38 moons
As expected, Minnowkit was full of questions. Shellspots decided to focus on cleaning up her kit’s pelt first, letting the three squabble amongst each other about her words before finally letting the little silver she-cat go and straightening up to address them all together. She noticed that both Heronkit and Canary had begun grooming themselves too, likely to avoid the same treatment Minnowkit had gotten.
Once they were done, fur sleek and shiny, Shellspots nodded once and confirmed what she had already said.
“Yes, I figure it’s time you officially begin your warrior training. You’ll have proper apprentice names, and while we don’t have enough cats for you each to have your own mentor yet, I will do my best to teach all three of you the skills you will need to become strong warriors.” Her voice was serious, and she hoped she wasn’t biting off more than she could chew in doing this. Then her tone turned playful and she added, “Unless any of you want to learn about herbs instead and become Miku’s apprentice.” She doubted that any of the kits would take her up on that offer. These three were destined for warrior-hood, and Shellspots couldn't be prouder.
“If all of you are ready, we can begin right now, in fact.” She padded to stand at the base of the old willow tree that sheltered one side of the camp. She imagined in the future she would have to leap onto the low branch that jutted out from the trunk in order to be seen by the whole Clan, but for now she would stay on the ground. It was just the three kits, after all, and Miku. The latter had just padded into camp moments before, so the everyone was now here. Shellspots purred happily at the thought.
ulla
I figured I'd add a mention of Miku in as something of a side note, just so we can say she was there. It feels weird to leave the future medicine cat out of the first ever apprentice ceremony! :P |
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Jul 9, 2021 23:13:36 GMT
minnowkit Minnowkit bristled at Heronkit's jab. She swatted at him lightly, mussing his just-groomed coat ever so slightly, just because. "You'll never get anything done if you're afraid of getting messy," she muttered to him. With the excitement of Shellspots' announcement, however, the statement lacked any real bite; Minnowkit's attention was too focused on the ceremony and her impending apprenticeship. Apprenticeship! the thought raced through her mind again and sent sparks of excitement tingling down to her toes. Her sense of excitement only heightened as Shellspots made her way to the willow tree on one side of the camp. She would look so regal up there in the branches, thought Minnowkit dreamily, imagining the silhouette of her mother addressing an entire clan, rather than just the small group—three soon-to-be apprentices, a warrior, and a medicine cat—gathered there today. Momentarily, Minnowkit entertained the image of herself being the one to grace the branches of the willow tree, how it would feel to look down from above on a clan of her own. Someday, she thought, But today is the first step. |
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Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
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Post by Zesha on Jul 10, 2021 18:48:55 GMT
Canary • She-cat • 7 moons • Loner The little jab Heronkit made about Minnowkit being the messiest of the three reminded her of the sibling scuffles she used to have back when they all still lived with their parents. That seemed like forever ago by now, and the four days that she had spent in the presence of Shellspots, Minnotkit, Heronit, and sometimes Miku felt more like four whole moons.
At the mention of being Miku’s apprentice, she did stop to think for a moment, but made the decision quickly that herbs weren’t really her thing. Canary enjoyed the idea of being able to hunt and go on patrol more, the thought of healing cats and possibly killing them if she didn’t do something right was a bit too much stress for her.
All else was quickly drowned out of her mind though as Shellspots made her way to the old willow tree, a spark igniting from the tips of Canary’s whiskers all the way down to her tail. This was really happening. She gave an excited glance to Minnotkit then Heronkit before moving with them up to settle in front of Shellspots. This is it, she thought, her green eyes bright and wide. We’re going to be apprentices! , Kaeldra , Sigh |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2021 0:12:50 GMT
[googlefont="Poiret One"] The light filtering from above through the branches of the tree she sheltered under to make just enough light in the day to sort out her bundle of herbs she had personally gone out that morning to pick out for her stash she was hoarding. Thankfully, her hoard was pretty much complete. The kits were definitely keeping her and Shellspots on their toes. She didn't know how many times she'd had to patch up some few scrapes from their play fights. The grey molly raised her head from where she was bent over working when she heard the loud voices of the kits. She smiled slightly seeing that Riverclan was slowly coming together; there was not much but having at least the cats they had right now was a start. Miku was sure Shellspots was happy thus far. Seeing them play together made her envy that she had no one of her own. Still though, she was happy she could be of some help at least and be able to help raise the kits even if a little bit.
Miku rose to her paws though when she overheard them talking about becoming apprentices and having a ceremony; her paws leading her towards the tabby and the kittens. Giving a small smile she looked down at the kits. "It seems that we are just about ready to start things with the ball rolling in the right direction hmm? I could offer my assistance in training as well but unless any of you wanted to learn any of my craft I'm afraid I won't be too much of a helpful paw around here. Still, make sure to be on your best behavior for your mother alright? Shellspots has a lot on her plate right now with starting this clan; as the first apprentices to gain their names and begin training you will be the foundation of what this clan will physically represent and the hard work she put into it." she reminded them kindly before looking towards her friend and offered her a look.
"Let me know if you need me." she told her before turning to go back to her little corner of the nook of their small camp.
" I am many things. A herbalist, a teacher, a researcher; saver of lives I am not. It takes someone special to have that power. I never believe in myself to be one of them." ~Miku @/tag Notes here. |
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Riley
Head of Advertising
349 Posts
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Post by Riley on Jul 16, 2021 4:30:10 GMT
Minnowkit seemed to be under the impression that Heronkit actually cared for his pelt. He made no movement to dodge the swipe at his fur, instead gazing dully at his sister. If that was her definition of revenge then he'd need to sit her down and have a talk about the proper procedure for penance. He followed Shellspots toward the willow tree, the two she-kits at either side of him.
He let them get ahead and sat just a half-step behind them, and turned his head when he heard pawsteps coming toward them. He wasn't at all surprised to see Miku, considering she was the only other cat in camp. And for a moment, he actually considered her words. What would life be like learning to heal instead of hunt or fight? He wondered if there was a way he could do both. It didn't seem fair to him to let Miku shoulder the burden of keeping their Clan healthy by herself.
Her words about being the physical proof of all of Shellspots' hard work actually got to him. Him and Minnowkit and Canary, they would be the first step toward this being a proper Clan. Heronkit might not have cared as much about the old stories, but he did care about his family, and knew how important this would be to his mother.
Heronkit found himself sitting up straighter and looking up at the sky, where their supposed ancestors were watching them. He wasn't sure he believed that part of the old stories. Every other part made sense to him, but dead cats sending dreams and omens and giving leaders nine lives seemed a little farfetched. Would StarClan even acknowledge the new Clan? Did Shellspots even know the right words for a ceremony like this?
@gala Zesha |
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Post by Kaeldra on Jul 17, 2021 4:33:44 GMT
Shellspots || Queen || 38 moons
Shellspots looked at Miku with warm eyes as she gave the soon-to-be apprentices her speech. It was true that their apprenticeship was the beginning of so much more than just their training. This would be a defining moment in RiverClan history -- and in fact, the history of all the Clans.
“Thank you,” Shellspots said, and the grey she-cat padded away to watch from afar.
Shellspots looked back to the young cats before her once more.
“Heronkit. Minnowkit. Canary.” Shellspots gazed steadily at the kits, meeting their eyes as she spoke each of their names. “The time has come for you to begin your training. Just as Miku said, this is an incredibly important moment for the growth of the Clan, as you will be RiverClan’s first apprentices. May StarClan watch over your paths and lead you all to become strong warriors.”
She turned, addressing the kit farthest to her left first.
“Minnowkit, please come forward.” Shellspots grinned as her daughter visibly struggled to walk calmly toward her. She knew Minnowkit had been waiting for this day for moons, even if it wasn’t turning out quite like she had probably expected. “From this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Minnowpaw.” She touched noses with Minnowpaw lightly before letting her bound back to where she had been sitting.
“Heronkit, please come forward.” Her precious son. Even he looked excited at the prospect of finally becoming an apprentice, despite his usual nonchalance regarding the Clans. “From this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Heronpaw.” Shellspots leaned forward, touching her nose to Heronpaw’s with care, and then straightened.
Finally, she looked at the last kit, little Canary. “Canary, please come forward,” she said softly. She was still so new to Clan life, but Shellspots hoped that she would grow into a fine warrior. “From this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Canarypaw.” As with the other two, she dipped her head to touch noses with the new apprentice. Then she lifted her head and spoke clearly, imagining their ancestors looking down at them.
“As we are still searching for more Clanmates, I will mentor all three of you myself.” It would be tough, but Shellspots was confident she could handle the three rambunctious young cats. “But don’t think that means I’ll go easy on you! You’ll need to be the best apprentices you can be if we’re going to make RiverClan strong.”
ulla
@gala Riley And so it is done! Kits no longer, apprentices on the path to being warriors! <3 |
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Jul 17, 2021 12:13:01 GMT
minnowpaw As much as Minnowkit respected and admired Miku, her path was not the one Minnowkit envisioned for herself. No, Minnowkit knew what she wanted to be—a warrior, the pride of RiverClan, one of the first—it was enough to make her dizzy with excitement and ambition. Shellspots' gaze upon the three of them weighed heavy on Minnowkit, carrying a gravity which she had only dreamed of in the tales of the old Clans as Shellspots had told them. But now, it was her reality. As Shellspots turned towards her, Minnowkit stood to attention, trying to contain herself in the midst of such a significant moment. She made her way towards the willow tree where Shellspots stood, feeling oddly unsteady on her feet. As she came to a stop, Shellspots spoke again, the words a muted revelation nearly drowned by the buzz of fulfilled anticipation crowding Minnowkit's mind. This is it, she thought, dazedly. With the announcement of her new name, Minnowpaw's eyes widened, and she touched her nose to Shellspots' with uncharacteristic solemnity. Still, she was soon overcome once again by excitement, and her legs felt steadier as she returned to her place, buoyed by fresh pride. Back at her brother's side, Minnowpaw nudged him with her head, previous squabble forgotten. As Shellspots called him forward, she nudged him again, this time in her direction. The five of us together, and soon even more! It's really happening... |
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Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
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Post by Zesha on Jul 18, 2021 17:32:34 GMT
Canarypaw • She-cat • 7 moons • Loner Canary smiled at Miku, but did not offer to become her apprentice. She felt there was something about being a warrior apprentice, that it was simply what she was supposed to be.
She tried her best to sit still as Minnowkit and then Heronkit became Minnowpaw and Heronpaw. A beam nearly as bright as the sun filled her face as she looked at both of them, now apprentices. Then suddenly, it was her turn.
With her head held high and her tail standing up with a curl at the end, making it look “hooked,” she approached Shellspots and accepted her new name: Canarypaw. As she touched noses with her new mentor, it felt like electricity sparked down her spine. She was really, truly an apprentice of RiverClan!
As she made her way back to her spot beside Minnowpaw she brushed the other apprentice lightly, excited for the future. This was all so much to take in but it was exciting like nothing she had ever experienced before. @gala |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2021 20:28:29 GMT
[googlefont="Poiret One"] She did not find it offensive that none of the kits declared they wanted to train with her. She understood herbology wasn't the best for everyone. In her opinion, if Badger hadn't found her when her life would have changed drastically. She probably wouldn't be alive today really. She had dedicated her life to the dream and hobby that Badger possessed growing up as a way to remember him; healing and research was the only life Miku knew. So whenever none of the new apprentices spoke up to join her the grey molly didn't feel bad. Instead, she had an amused look in her eyes as she lifted her head to watch Shellspot give the informal ceremony for the kits to gain their apprentice titles. She didn't consider herself superstitious but she wanted to believe that there was a life after death. If that was the case Miku prayed that Shellspots didn't anger their ancestors by performing a ceremony without being an actual leader. She didn't know how the first clans came to be; if they had done the same as Shellspots then there should not be any retribution right? Unless...Starclan had to visit Shellspots first to tell her; heh if that happened though Shellspots could die without ever getting the message to start the clans again. Whatever the case may be this little ceremony was a step in a direction that Shellspots had dreamt about for a while ever since her mother had the very same dream. The gray she-cat wondered if Shellspot's mother had been part of the clans or the silver tabby's grandparents at least.
Rising to her paws the healer padded over to congratulate the newly made apprentices and gave them a smile as she neared. "Well then. One step closer hmm? Don't be too hard on Shellspots while training. She got a lot on her paws so you'll need to do all you can to help her out okay? It'll be great fun I'm sure! Just you wait, you will have others to join us soon to become a proper clan." she gave the silver tabby she-cat a small smile as if telling her the same thing in silence.
"In times that you're mother can't train you I'll expect you to be helping me alright? Keep your excited little noses out of trouble while she goes to find new members for our clan. Consider it my contribution to your training; it'll help you get the feel of the land and where we would like to put our borders in the future. Your mom can do that fighting and hunting training for sure but I'll help the territory training to ease any stress she may have. I may be the healer for this clan but I am still a member and a friend." she chuckled before looking up at the sky; her smile slipping a little as she was mentally worried that they may have not done what they should have. For all their sakes she hoped they had. She was not a doubter generally but she knew how important this plan was and she would be heartbroken if it had failed because of a mistake that could have been avoided.
Allowing her voice to drop a little as she stepped closer to her friend she gave her a small smile. "And don't worry. You'll get your title soon enough. There cannot be a clan without a leader." she said under her breath so only Shellspot's ears could hear her.
" I am many things. A herbalist, a teacher, a researcher; saver of lives I am not. It takes someone special to have that power. I never believe in myself to be one of them." ~Miku Kaeldra Riley Zesha Sigh Notes here. |
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Riley
Head of Advertising
349 Posts
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Post by Riley on Jul 20, 2021 21:40:59 GMT
And just like that, it was over. Minnowkit became Minnowpaw, he became Heronpaw, and Canary got an official Clan name as Canarypaw. Heronpaw had expected to feel a little different now that he was 'officially' an apprentice. But really he just felt the same. Heronpaw hid a small frown from his Clanmates, smiling when any of them looked at him before letting it fall when they looked away.
Shouldn't he be more excited? They were the first apprentices of the Clan, the first in a long line. He couldn't imagine what they were supposed to do now. Shellspots's stories had never included what apprentices did after their ceremonies, just that they trained to be warriors by hunting for their elders and learning to fight from their mentors. Shellspots had already started them on hunting before they became apprentices, and he'd never even seen her fight. How would she handle teaching three of them?
Miku approached then, giving them another speech about how she'd be helping to teach them, and Heronpaw breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a direction to go. "Can we go do that now then?" he asked her directly, approaching the two older she-cats after their whispered conversation. He hadn't heard what Miku had whispered to his mother, but he didn't think it was anything bad. "Minnowkit- sorry, Minnowpaw- and I have done some exploring on her own," and here he directly spoke to his mother, "mainly because she wouldn't take no as an answer, so if you're gonna be mad, be mad at her," and then looked back up at Miku, "but never much farther than the little forest around our old den."
@gala Speaking directly to Miku and Shellspots. |
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Post by Kaeldra on Jul 30, 2021 21:51:43 GMT
Shellspots || Queen || 38 moons
Shellspots’ chest felt like it was about to burst with happiness as she looked at the three apprentices. She listened as Miku padded back over, giving the young cats a warning to take their training seriously and offering to help show them around the territory while the silver queen was busy scouting more members for the Clan. She nodded; it would be a good idea to set borders soon, to give them more credibility as a group.
Miku then murmured a few words of encouragement into Shellspots’ ear, and a wave of appreciation for the grey she-cat washing over her. The apprentices of course respected her as leader, though she suspected it was simply due to the fact she was older than them. With Miku, she knew her support of Shellspots’ place as leader was genuine, and it bolstered her confidence to continue forging ahead.
“Thank you,” she whispered back. “I only hope StarClan will send a sign soon.”
Then Heronpaw’s voice had her turning her attention back to the larger group, and she frowned at this new information.
“Is that so?” She turned to gaze into her son’s eyes, then into her daughter’s. She had a feeling Canarypaw hadn’t been part of this secret adventure. “You two should know better than to go out exploring without letting either Miku or I know where you are. Now that you’re apprentices, I expect better from you. Is that understood?” As much as Shellspots wanted to protect her kits forever, she also knew that they were growing and becoming their own cats. She would let them get away with it this time. After all, she didn’t want to ruin the happiness of the day.
“In any case, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Why don’t we celebrate your new apprenticeship by taking a stroll around the territory, all five of us?”
ulla
@gala Riley Apologies for the wait! I figure we could start wrapping up around here unless anyone has something specific they want to do? o: |
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