Apprentice
Apprentices are typically 6-12 moons old, in training under a mentor to assist the Clan in a way they wish, whether it be a Warriors or Medicine Cat. Usually, Kits become Apprentices when they are 6 moons old, and end when they are 12 moons old, although in special cases Apprentices exempt from the final assessment if their leader feels they have all the skills they need. Also, because of their rank in the Clan, their name’s suffix changes to -paw, to symbolize the path their paws are now. Examples of this are, Dovepaw, Lionpaw, Cinderpaw, Mistypaw and more. It is noted that while they do get their own den, and most Kits are quite excited about moving in, many Kits form strong bonds with their mothers, and don’t want to become Apprentices. If the Kit chooses to train to be a medicine cat, they will sleep in the medicine cat’s den. This is not usually the case, but sometimes a Kit will not feel the calling become a medicine cat until they start Warriors training or they get a vision from StarClan.
The second-youngest cats in the Clan are also responsible for many other things besides training. For example, checking the Elders pelts for ticks, or hunting for the Queens and Elders. Also, in addition to this rule, they also may not eat until they have hunted. Although Apprentices work very hard, they actually get the same treatment when they grow up, when they grow up, so that they learn the process of giving back and helping the Clan. Also, mentors can not mentor their own kin, or at least not their own Kits.
Mentors are appointed by the Clan leader, and it is up to them to find a good pair. Because a Warriors must have mentored an Apprentice before becoming a deputy, if the leader feels that a particular Warriors would be a good deputy, they often times give them an Apprentice. Also, if many Kits are being Apprenticed, or a litter of Kits is getting their Apprentice names, often times a leader gives one senior/experienced Warriors, and 1 or 2 new Warriors. This is because usually the same level Apprentices train together, the senior Warriors can lead the way, providing guidance for the younger Warriors to help them train. The leader is also responsible for pairing the right Kits with the right mentor, ensuring that the mentor and Apprentice get along. The Apprentices are also given regular assessments, usually about hunting or fighting. During hunting assessments, Apprentices are given an area of land to cover, and their mentor will follow them, keeping out of sight but still keeping track of them. When a fighting assessment is going on, the mentors will get two Apprentices the same age, or same skill level, remind them to fight with claws sheathed, and then start the assessment. Special assessments happen within Clans. For example, WindClan tests on running endurance, ShadowClan tests on night stalking, RiverClan tests on swimming abilities, and in some generations of ThunderClan cats, they learned how to climb trees like SkyClan cats. A final assessment is done on an Apprentice’s last day and is a combination of all the skills learned. This usually takes place before an Apprentice turns 12 moons, although it is known to happen before. As mentioned before, a medicine cat Apprentice sleeps inside the medicine den alongside its mentor. A medicine cat is bestowed its full name at the Moonstone, unlike Warriors Apprentices, who have their name given in front of their Clanmates. Also, medicine cat Apprentices unofficially are always Apprentices even after they get their full name, instead waiting until their mentor dies. Usually, Kits will start taking an interest in medicine cats as soon as they leave the nursery, and will try to learn the herbs or help out the medicine cat until they are Apprentices. There are also cases where they will get a special power to tell the future or help the hurt. Although on the rare occasion a Kit has already memorized all the herbs when it is Apprenticed they start learning about the leafs, and also perform Apprentice duties such as checking the Elders for ticks. Their teaching typically happens inside the medicine den or out where they gather herbs. Interpreting signs from StarClan are also part of their training.
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