Josie's Apprentice Ceremony

A soon as Sunhigh arrived, Blizzardstar leaped onto the Highrock, taking a deep breath to calm herself down, an unusually serious expression on her face. This wasn’t a normal apprentice ceremony, she was about to introduce yet another rogue to the clan. She just hoped they didn't react negatively to this “All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under the Highrock for a clan meeting!”.

As the ThunderClan cats made their way to the center of camp to sit beneath the Highrock, Josie joined them. The fluffy she-cat gazed up at the leader, intrigued by Blizzardstar's choice of formal-sounding words.

It took several seconds for the white leader to find her voice again before continuing. Third time and still nervous...she seriously needed to get used to hold this kind of special ceremonies if she wanted to keep allowing outsiders into ThunderClan... "As some of you may know, we have yet another newcomer with us…this newcomer asked to be part of the clan despite his origins. I have decided to give her the chance to prove herself worthy of walking between us as an equal” Her eyes almost immediately fell on Josie as she was done speaking "Josie, step forward”.

Josie stepped forward on shaky paws. The eyes of so many strange cats watching her every move made her pelt crawl with nerves. This was it, being accepted into her new home, her new family, on a temporarily conditional basis at least. She desperately didn't want to let them down. Taking a steadying breath as she stood apart from the Clan awaiting Blizzardstar's next words, Josie lifted her head a little higher. I can do this. I'll be ok. They'll grow to accept me too, she inwardly reassured herself.

Blizzardstar took a deep breath “Josie, you have asked to join us and by doing so you have accepted to leave your old life behind. You will follow our ways, respect and embrace our traditions as if they had been always part of your life, live the life of a warrior and not the codeless life of a rogue that you had until this day. To begin this process, and before the whole clan, I give you a new name, a name that you will have until the day you prove to the clan and to our ancestors that you deserve to be called a warrior, Softpaw” Just like the last time she named an outsider an apprentice she didn’t follow the usual words using during a ceremony, but, as said before, this wasn’t a normal ceremony to begin with “Weedblaze will be your mentor” With that she jumped off the Highrock and padded to touch noses with the newest member of the clan, dismissing the clan.