Aspenkit's Apprentice Ceremony

OOC: Because of the mentor you requested, and the ongoing deputy topic, and the timeline between them all, I am placing this for before Jaystar received his lives. Your mentor will still be Jaystar, but Dewlight will announce it as Jayshriek.

"RiverClan! Gather below Willow Branch." Dewlight's voice echoed over the camp, summoning the clan. It was time for another kit to rise to be an apprentice, but she was swiftly running out of mentors to assign them. They would have to start doubling up soon....

Ginger turned to a flaming red as the tom made his way towards the great willow, familiar summons drawing his attention as he prayed to the stars it was finally time to become an apprentice. Memories of the day with Sleepykit and Hollypaw came back to him, and he fought off a snort, recalling his almost unbearable need to prove the apprentice wrong leading to his first excursion outside of camp. Shaking it off, the tom took a seat in the sun, hoping that it would fight off the ever-growing chill of the oncoming season, waiting for what was to come.

Aspenkit appeared among the crowd, and Dewlight waited patiently for more of the clan to gather. When she was content with the number of clanmates that had answered her summons, she continued with the ceremony. "RiverClan, I've gathered you all here today to witness the naming of a new apprentice. Aspenkit, please step forward." She paused while the young tom did so, waiting patiently for him to get into place before continuing. "Aspenkit, you have reached the age of six moons and are ready to become an apprentice. From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Aspenpaw. Jayshriek will be your mentor. I trust that he will train you dutifully in the ways of a warrior." She mewed, finding the chosen mentor in the crowd and giving him a small nod before ending the ceremony and leaping down from Willow Branch.

Excitement found its way into his body, and he moved forward with the deputies summons, ears pricked to make sure he was actually understanding the words coming from the molly. Aspenpaw, the name turned over in his ears and passed around his thoughts, satisfaction mingling with the excitement, although his eyes momentarily narrowed as the name of his mentor was announced. Jayshriek? Aspenpaw looked around for the tom, tail waving nervously on the ground, as the name was familiar; but in the way that wasn't entirely pleasant or welcome, and he wondered what would be in store for him training under a tom like that. The apprentice dipped his head toward Dewlight, equal parts enthusiastic and tense as he thought of his future.

The somber evening air, wreathed in stifling undercurrents of long-familiar tension and unwelcome, was gently disrupted under the beguiling entrance of silky fur flourishing softly against soft earth, a faint grating sound resonating low and hot against the quiet backdrop of continuously weeping conversation. Smokey and smudged, nothing more than a dark wraith of gently feathered tufts and haloed night-rich fur, Jayshriek was quick and quiet in his ensuing steps forward- perpetual crease and rift building upon his shoulders as Dewlight called him forth.  

Dismissing the perilous tremor of distaste and long-simmering irritation perpetually seated within the lowest fathoms of his skull, Jayshriek drew to a halt before the newly-named Aspenpaw, a big dark blotch against the pale backdrop of the winter skies, looming above the patchy bundle of fluff currently situated a pawstep or so away. The little cat hesitantly standing before him was a far cry from the familiar self-assuredness of Moonpaw, a quiet and reserved energy billowing around his narrow shoulders. Perhaps not the best match ever made, in terms of training capabilities. "I look forward to training with you, Aspenpaw." A half-truth, at best.