Starlingkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Greencough and whitecough ran rampant through the camp. Threats from above hung over their heads. Leaf-bare was bound to end at some point, Raventail knew (and as much as he longed to see the world in full bloom again, he dreaded the storms that came before), but he’d never known it to stretch on like this. Yet despite all of that, he stood at the Tallrock’s base as if this was a day like any other. Raventail blinked up at the towering stone. Starlingkit was—hopefully—still too young to be concerned about any of that; if he wasn’t already eager to be an apprentice, he almost certainly would be soon. So Raventail, at least until the ceremony was behind him, wouldn’t let himself worry either.

A leap and some steps brought him to stand above the Clan. ”Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallrock!” he yowled, breathless from the climb. Only then did he settle to flatten a few stray pieces of fur as subtly as he could manage, keeping one eye on the crowd. Starlingkit would be there, no doubt; with any luck, so would his soon-to-be mentor.

Starlingkit approached the Tallrock with the rest of the Clan, a light in his eyes for the sole reason that the weather was nice that day. He certainly had other things to worry about, like Spotlake being sick, and whatever it was that was happening between Downpaw, Softpaw, and Aspenheart, but he had recently discovered that if one took the time to think about how nice the breeze was, or the joy that was to be had when playing with a leaf, that it made your day so much better. The kit didn't know what was going on yet but soon he would have many more responsibilities to deal with. No matter, as long as he was with friends and family, everything would be okay.

Before long, Starlingkit padded up to the Tallrock at a normal pace—maybe he didn’t know just what this meeting was about? With a swish of his tail, Raventail said, ”Starlingkit, step forward.” What little he knew about the spotted tom-kit almost reminded him of Finchstar, or of himself seasons ago; Starlingkit was bright-eyed as kits tended to be, with a noisy, unabashed interest in the world around him. Raventail wondered what he’d make of what lay beyond the borders of WindClan’s camp.

Of course, to know that, Raventail had to get on with the ceremony. ”You’ve reached the age of six moons, and it’s your turn to be apprenticed. From now until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Starlingpaw. Your mentor will be Grousefrost. May he pass everything he knows down to you.” Honestly, he struggled to imagine a more dissimilar pair. But Grousefrost was capable, trustworthy. It was time WindClan reminded him of that. He would adapt to his new responsibilities—as would Starlingpaw. Raventail just hoped they weren’t too different to get along.

He tossed a grin in the new apprentice’s direction, then turned to make his way down the Tallrock. Once his paws hit the earth, he forged a path through the crowd, alternately muttering thanks and sorry as he tried to avoid stray paws and tails. ”Grousefrost!” Though it wouldn't get Grousefrost's attention unless he'd already spotted Raventail, calling out would at least let his Clanmates know who he was looking for.

Starlingkit's, no, Starlingpaw's large eyes widened even further as Raventail spoke his new name. A grin spread across his face as he leapt into the air with joy, tail lashing to give him balance when he landed. Him, an apprentice! "Thank you, Raventail!" he breathed, soon turning to face the crowd to look for his mentor. Grousefrost was a cat he knew. Grousefrost was his grandfather, a serious silver tom that had recently gone deaf from an accident. Spotting the warrior's familiar pelt in the crowd, he darted nimbly through the gathered cats in a bee-line towards him. Starlingpaw didn't want to scare him so he approached him from the front, eyes shining. "Grousefrost, I'm so glad you're my mentor. I hope to learn a lot from you and I'll do you proud," he vowed. Maybe Grousefrost could read lips?