Larkkit's Apprentice Ceremony

"Let all cats safe from the bramble's thorns gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

Acornstem's tail swished as she kneaded the rock beneath her, waiting with both excitement and trepidation - more apprentices were always welcomed...But it felt as of late as soon as they would name a warrior, they would lose one which meant there was still a struggle to assign mentors to apprentices without overwhelming the newer warriors... A sigh escaped her shaking her head. Keeping an eye on their numerous apprentices during the trek was going to be a pawful but it would be even more trouble if they were still kits so... Brighter horizons, at least she supposed.

And of course, Larkkit was another one of late Rosethorn's kits... A sigh escaped her - it couldn't be easy for them to be without a mother and their father... Well, Curlyfluff was trying his best and she couldn't blame him for the grief he was trapped in - she had nearly been crippled by her own when it came to Cedarstalk. But in the end, they was  duties each of them were to fulfill...She could only hope she could lead Curlyfluff from his grief-filled haze with what she had in mind.

Larkkit heard the call of Acornstem, and knew the time had come. The other queens had groomed her fur to perfection, something she knew that was normally done by the parents. But her own mother was dead, and her father, well...

The black she-cat padded out of the nursery and settled down at the edge of the gathered cats, an image of obediance and calmness.

Acornstem dipped her head in acknowledgement as Larkkit stepped from the nursery - taking her seat. She wasn't full of energy like most kits tended to be, a fact that still caused Acornstem to smile. "I've called you all here for yet another apprentice ceremony - to swell our ranks before we move to hopefully safer lands until our land has healed," she meowed, lifting her head to look over the crowd before her. "Larkkit, please step forward.

"You have reached the age of six moons and earned your apprentice name. From this moment on, you will be known as Larkpaw. Your mentor will be Curlyfluff," she stated - eyes sliding over to locate the tom. She knew it was an unexpected choice but hopefully the responsibility of an apprentice - not to mention it being his own daughter - would help draw him from his grief. She would be there to help him if need be, but Larkpaw seemed the safer to give him as she was a calm cat and wouldn't require that much looking after...Hopefully.

"Despite the...Heartache he - all of us - have suffered, I know he is a skilled warrior and believe he will be the best choice for you both. As always, the Clan will be there to lend help if needed but I have faith that you two will do just fine," she added with a soft smile. If Curlyfluff did need help, then she would happily lend it - but sitting in the camp alone to grieve would do him no good. A chance to reach out and bond with one of his kits - even under the relationship as a mentor - would maybe help him move on. A reminder that Rosethorn was not as gone as he felt.

Curlyfluff. Her mentor was Curlyfluff. Larkpaw tried not to let her horror and anger show, but perhaps it still slipped past into her eyes. Scornful eyes lingered on her own father, and she stayed firmly rooted to her spot, refusing to pad forward to touch noses with her supposed father. What had he ever done for her? Mothers of other kits had to groom his own daughters for their apprentice ceremony. Was StarClan determined to drag her down with her senseless father?

Sitting at his now-usual spot near the edge of camp, Curlyfluff raised his head after hearing his name be called. He hadn't had an apprentice in a while and hearing that it was his own daughter seemed to be a good idea, except the glare that she was casting him sent a shiver down his spine. She had every right to be angry with him for not truly being there for her and Sweetpaw, but as much as he'd tried to spend time with them... he just couldn't. Perhaps though, this would be a chance for him to try and do more for them. At least, that's probably what Acornstem was thinking.

Pushing himself up, his body was weak not only from the famine that had begun to affect most of the clan, but from his lack of movement these past few days. Laying in one spot really made the joints ache, but at least the soreness was some sort of distraction. Making his way over to the newly named Larkpaw, the scraggly, curly-coated tom could hardly muster up a smile but tried his best anyway, all while trying to ignore the displeased look that his daughter continued to give him. "I know you'll do great with training," he mewed softly, doing his best to cover a cough that had been growing in his throat. Hopefully, Firefly's sickness hadn't begun to spread around camp... For now though, that gave him an excuse to not touch his daughter's nose, not to mention the fact that he was internally afraid that he might get some sharp claws to the nose if he tried.

Larkpaw wrinkled her nose when her obviously sick and unwell father stepped forward to greet her. Did he have no shame? Was he so insistent to linger in his grief that he would not even bother trying to heal his own cold? Disgust made her lips curl, and the black she-cat forced herself not to turn away. Her yellow gaze moved to the crowd. Where was Sweetkit? She didn't want to spend another moment looking at this tom's sorry face.

Padding over to her sister and father, she could tell the newly named Larkpaw wasn't having any of it, seeing as though their boring and gloomy dad had been assigned to her, of all cats. Well, as long as he pulled himself together and actually trained her instead of sulking all the time, she knew Larkpaw would become a great warrior someday. Maybe not as good as her, of course, but that subject would be up for debate later.

"Congrats sis!" the peppy apprentice mewed happily, making an effort to ignore Curlyfluff, even though she stood just pawsteps from him. "Can't wait to train with you," Sweetpaw purred.