Cricketkit bounded across the clearing and picked up a small mouse for herself. Soon I'm going to catch my Own prey! She thought to herself. Jaypaw, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw had just been made apprentices about a quarter moon ago. Soon a voice called out that interrupted her thoughts "Cricketkit! Make sure to get some prey for Ferncloud as well!" She heard Dustpelt call out from the nursery where the tom was weaving in the thorny brambles.

"Okay! I will!" She said then picked up a vole for Ferncloud. She padded off to the nursery with the fresh kill in her small jaws and dropped the vole at Ferncloud's paws. "Here! I got you a vole from the fresh kill pile."

"Oh... Thank you" She purred to Cricketkit and then Cricketkit felt a rush of a warm feeling inside her. Ferncloud, and Daisy had been like mothers to her. Since she didn't have one...

"All cats gather round the Highledge for a clan meeting!" She heard Firestar call out. She suddenly realized that today was her apprentice ceremony. She bounded out of the nursery to the clearing with pride and joy in her heart. "Now gather round and quiet down" She heard Firestar say as he signaled for Cricketkit to come forward. Her father Thornclaw was beaming with pride.

*"Cricketkit, 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 Cricketpaw. Your mentor will be Sorreltail. I hope Sorreltail will pass down all they know on to you.* She looked up to Sorreltail as the warrior bent down and touched noses with Cricketpaw. She ran up to her father and he buried his muzzle into her fur, "I'm so proud of you" he told her quietly.

"Me too!" She said and Thornclaw chuckeled at her comment.

"Go catch up with Sorreltail now." He told her and she nodded then padded away.

"When will we start training?" She bounced up and down excitedly.

"Soon, soon" Sorreltail said and laughed at bit at the apprentice's excitement " First we must do a chore though" She told her apprentice. Cricketpaw felt her tail droop I don't want to be in camp cleaning out bedding! She then reminded her self that Once you're done with this you can go into the forest! Her tail shot up at the thought of hunting of practicing battle moves and then replied "Okay!"

"Good, then follow me." She nodded and then they padded over to the elder's den she poked her nose through the entrance and saw Longtail and Mousefur talking about the old forest."Cricketpaw? Is that you?" She heard Longtail call out.

"Yes it's me. I've some to clean out the bedding."

"It's about time someone did that," Mousefur grumbled "It's been AGES since the last time it was changed"

"I'll go collect some moss," Sorreltail told her "Because you don't know the best places to collect it yet" She quickly added on," Make sure to get rid of any dust or dirty pieces of moss and then check Mousefur and Longtail for fleas and ticks". She quickly began picking through the moss and tossed pieces aside as Mousefur and Longtail resumed their conversation.

She walked over to Longtail to check for fleas. As she began searching through his fur she found a flea and cracked it between her claws. She was soon done with her job and just in time too!

Sorreltail had come back and was rolling in balls of moss, "Spread this out" she told her then added, " Then we can go into the forest". Cricketpaw's tail shot up as she quickly worked to spread out the moss so she could go into the forest. She soon finished and then told Sorreltail, "I'm done!"

"Good." Her mentor called from outside the den where she was talking to Brightheart about the next patrol. Cricketpaw walked out of the elder's den and walked over to her mentor and said, "When are we going? I'm done."

"Now." She decided "Follow me." She told her and Cricketpaw padded after her as they headed towards the thorn tunnel. When they got out of the tunnel they spotted Lionpaw and Ashfur. Lionpaw had a HUGE rabbit in his jaws and Ashfur held 2 mice and a small vole. "Wow! Great catches!" Cricketpaw said to the mentor and his apprentice as they were about to pass.

"Thanks!" Replied Lionpaw "We were just out on the morning patrol and this is what we caught!"

"Brambleclaw said we should have returned by sunhigh" Ashfur nodded and Cricketpaw and Sorreltail said goodbye as they padded into the thorn tunnel with their kills.

"What are we going to do first?" She asked her mentor.

"I was thinking about some hunting" Her mentor replied. Hunting! Cricketpaw's eyes gleamed and her tail shot up happily. They found a nice spot which reeked of prey scent and Sorreltail began to teach Cricketpaw the Hunter's crouch. "What you want to do is get niiiice and low" She told her. She sniffed the air, "I smell mice." She told her apprentice. "Now, remember that mice will feel your paw steps first, You try it on that mouse there." She pointed towards a clump of ferns rustling. Cricketpaw immediately got into the Hunter's crouch and took the softest paw steps possible she sneaked up then..... POUNCE! She unsheathed her claws in mid-air and trapped the mouse between her claws.

"Excellent catch!" Her mentor exclaimed, "That must be one of the fattest mice I've ever seen!" Cricketpaw purred in delight

"Thanks!" and the two continued to hunt.

"It's almost going to be sunset," Her mentor remarked

"We should probably head back" Cricketpaw agreed. And so the two padded towards the thorn tunnel with their catches.

"Nice catches!" Thornclaw ran up to them

"Thanks!" Cricketpaw purred and was very proud of herself/

"That must be the fattest mouse I've ever seen!" He exclaimed in awe

"That's what I said!" Sorreltail gave him a playful nudge. Cricketpaw left the two to talk as the went to the fresh kill pile to deposit her kill.

"WOW!" Icekit stood by the pile, with her eyes wide in awe of Cricketpaw's kill.

"Thanks." She purred and she took a trush for herself and then Jaypaw padde out of the medicine den.

"Cricketpaw!" Jaypaw called out.

"Hmm?" Cricketpaw turned around with the thrush still in her jaws to see Jaypaw walking out of the Elder's den.

"You're bleeding!" He exclaimed.

"What?" She said muffled by the thrush and saw that her shoulder has a gash on it."I can go see Hollypaw and Leafpool later. Wanna share?" She asked Jaypaw. Jaypaw sat down beside her and replied,"Sure" they shared fresh kill and then she got up and padded to the medicine den.

"Leafpool? Are you there?" She called out.

"Yes I'm here what happened?"

"I don't know Jaypaw just noticed it"

"Ok, Hollypaw fetch 2 poppy seeds for Cricketpaw"

"Ok!" Hollypaw went to the herb store as Cricketpaw sat down in an empty nest. Leafpool chewed some herbs, Dock by the smell of it. It stung as she applied it and she winced but reminded herself to be tough! Hollypaw gave her the poppy seeds and Leafpool sent her off. She walked to the apprentice den and sat down in her nest she curled up and rested her head on her fluffy tail then drifted off to sleep.

Credits to https://warriors.fandom.com/wiki/Apprentice_ceremony For the *Apprentice ceremony template* !

I will try to update it ASAP hopefully a new chapter every week or so!