All Wildclan cats know how to swim and are familiar with the waters, but divers are cats who teach new clan members how to swim, since most of their members are outsiders and aren't immediately accustomed to living by the ocean. Their job is also to save cats who fall into the sea since the camp is on a cliff above the water. Most everything regarding the ocean, swimming, and aquatic wildlife is part of the diver’s job to regulate. Though a special rank and held in high respect for their duties, divers are regarded to be in the same power as their warrior clanmates and still perform basic duties, such as hunting and border patrolling.
A diver apprentice must be trained by a fellow diver, it only makes sense. They share the same den as the other apprentices and receive the same training as normal. Their apprenticeship is more intensive and spans two moons longer than your normal apprenticeship, ending at 14 moons instead of 12. This is due to the content of their studies and major role in their clan. Some things taught to divers that would not be to the normal apprentice is CPR training, underwater swimming/scouting, and detailed knowledge on the other aquatic species that share the ocean.
The basic unit of clan-life is a warrior, the felines that dedicate their lives to the security of their clan. The lifestyle of the warrior can be as dedicated or lax as desired, but at the end of the day, they are the protectors and citizens of the clan. Most every cat makes up this role, and since it is so expansive and undefined, the definition of what it means to be a Wildclan warrior is different to most. One thing is the same, however, their undeniable love for their home. Warriors participate in border patrols, hunting patrols, combat, guarding the camp, and apprentice training. A warrior can be no younger than 12 moons old, though the time of retirement is the decision of every cat within reason.
After the age of six moons, kits are removed from the nursery and sent to the apprentices' den. No longer attached to a mother for guidance and protection, they are given a warrior mentor to teach this young feline the ways of Wildclan. Every apprentice replaces their previous suffix of ‘kit’ to ‘paw’, symbolizing the pawsteps of passage they are taking. No apprentice can be under the age of six moons, and graduation is expected at twelve. In certain situations or the situation a cat starts late, this can be postponed.
The term ‘elder’ does not exist in Wildclan. Instead, they have sentinels, an umbrella role that covers many different types of cats. Sentinels are largely the retired cats of Wildclan, but some could be the permanently wounded and disabled and do not have the ability to perform traditional activities. All sentinels are made so through their own will. They are the eyes and ears of the clan, usually just watching and observing the outside from the inside.
Lead by Froststar, the Weavers is a fun little group that have better dexterity skills than most. They make all of the accessories in the clan for every rank, and is their job to touch up and polish the shells that decorate them.
The first thing an apprentice does is to have an extensive tour of the territory, getting to know all of the important landmarks that can assist them in the event they get lost. On the way back, the mentor will quiz their apprentice and ask for them to lead the both back to camp.
The second task for a diver apprentice is to swim to the ocean pillars and back alongside their mentor. With only minor intervention from the mentor, the apprentice’s goal is to swim to the closest pillar and back until there is minimal assistance given. As they swim, they must face the current and waves and find ways to combat it. This not only conditions them to the water, but works as a great way to build stamina in the ocean.
The second task for a medicine cat apprentice is to pick plants. Their mentor sends them out and asks to grab as many different plants as possible and bring them back. From there, they have to sort them into three categories: Medical herbs, flowers, and shrubbery. The mentor will then correct any mistakes and use this as an opportunity to educate the apprentice on distinguishing what is useful and what isn’t.