Grousekit's Apprentice Ceremony

Swiftstep hopped up onto the Tallrock with a proud smile. A lucky tom-kit was leaving the nursery behind to become an apprentice, the next step of the journey to reaching warrior-hood. The deputy's face was fixed to a serious expression before he began. Although, he couldn't help but feel excitement for the kit. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!" Swiftstep called with an authoritative tone.

Grousekit bounded out of the nursery. His deep blue eyes looked towards Tallrock with an expectant air as he hopped over smaller kits and scampered to where Swiftstep was waiting. He purred in anticipation, coat immaculately groomed, because if it were any less he might not get to go out on his first day. Maybe, if he was really good, they could go out the moment he was apprenticed! 'It'd be the most efficient thing to do after all!' He thought to himself confidently.

The deputy gazed down at the large tom-kit before continuing, "We all gather here today to make one of our kits an apprentice. Grousekit, please step forward." Once the young tom did, the deputy nodded approvingly with a smile and then began to speak again, "Grousekit, 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 Grousepaw. Brookclover will be your mentor. She may have recently acquired her warrior name but I know she will pass down everything she knows on to you."

Grousekit stepped forward. His proud white chest gleaming in the light of day as the deputy spoke the formal words that would guide him onto his path. The ones that marked his destiny clearly and would define him for the rest of his life. 'I will be an apprentice like none other, just wait mom... you'll see. You'll be proud of me.' His blue gaze tracked across the bodies of the cats that had gathered. A slow blink of his gaze the only acknowledgement of the presence of his siblings. 'You all will.'

His silver tabby head lifted as his mentor was named. He stepped forward to greet her with pride that flushed his pelt as the cats of WindClan chanted his new name. For the sake of formality, he pressed his nose to hers briefly, then regarded her with a critical eye. She had the right build, but her pelt colour... he wondered at it's use in the snow. His head tilted in thought, eyes narrowed on a patch of red fur that fluffed from her neck. It's length was certainly going to be useful in the leafbare to come.

With a soft huff, he lifted his gaze to her hazel eyes. There could certainly be worse mentors out there, and even though she was young, perhaps that would be to his benefit. He wasn't bound to some rediculously old tunnler who was too proud to admit he can't hunt anymore. Nor a frail weakling that would hamper his learning growth. Yes. This would work.
"Well, I suppose you will do." He meowed, his voice belied the rush of emotions that stirred beneath his pelt, making it prickle a bit. Excitement, and plenty of it that he refused to unleash like the kit he had been moments before. "I hope you'll prove an effective mentor, I'd hate to waste time." He commented dryly as cats departed from the ceremony.

The russet-pelted warrior gathered alongside with the rest of her clan. Every time the deputy called, her paws unconsciously towards the rock that rose against pale, grey of the leaf-bare territory. As imposing as it might have seemed, to her, that position was one of honor as it was to the rest of the clan. There was an eager glow that flickered behind the depths of her gaze. Something was about to happen, as it always did when Swiftstep called the clan together. There was likely another apprentice to be named. As her tail wrapped neatly around her slender body and rested over her paws, Brookclover could not help the excitement that caused her claws to knead the earth underneath them. Perhaps this would be the time that she was entrusted with the training of a future Windclan warrior.

One of Brindlestar's own kits was called to the front of the clearing. She watched Grousekit with interest before turning her gaze to Swiftstep. As his maw spoke her name, she almost couldn't believe it. Out of all of the warriors qualified to train this tom, it was her that had been entrusted with the great task. Rising to her paws, Brookclover ever so slightly shook her coat to dispel any clinging dust before picking her way towards the younger cat. Before any words could fall from her mouth, Grousepaw was speaking. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly but she gave no other outward indication of her mild annoyance with the apprentice. She hummed slightly before responding as her eyes trailed over his pelt, "I hope you'll prove to be a worthy apprentice. I would hate for my first apprentice to slow me down." With a flick of her tail tip, Brookclover's melodious tone held a surprising sharpness to it, "Training starts tomorrow before dawn. We will see how you do then."