Waspkit's Apprentice Ceremony

From atop Tallbranch, Mistyrain called out for the very first time. "Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather beneath the Tallbranch for a Clan meeting!" The words were familiar enough, she had heard them repeated by Rippedstar, Poplarstar, and Tinystar enough times to know them by heart. But, it would still take some getting used to climbing up on the Tallbranch to address SkyClan.

Waspkit peaked out from The Nursery, he knew what today was! It as final time for him to become an apprentice! It had been long enough for him to get his own ceremony, he was already familiar with how it went since he was always stuck in the nursery hearing all the other ceremonies go about. Waspkit began to walk out of the nursery, he looked up at the tall branch that he remembered being on when he had tackled his father. It was quite high and Waspkit could only imagine how strong Mistyrain must've felt when she was perched upon the branch.

Mistyrain took a deep breath and continued the ceremony, having spotted Waspkit emerging from the Nursery. "Waspkit, please step forward." She nodded to the small kit, remembering her own apprentice ceremony and how she had felt. She wondered if this kit was nearly as excited as she had been. "Waspkit, you have reached the age of 6 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 Wasppaw. Your mentor will be Tigerleaf, and I hope that she will pass down to you all that she has learned." She smiled, nodding to the apprentice once again, before she leaped down from the Tallbranch.

Tigerleaf had not expected to be appointed Waspaw's mentor. Her golden eyes widened in surprise, but she slowly got to her paws. Her clanmates shifted to the side, allowing a path to the front. After a few close calls with stray tails, she finally made it to Wasppaw. "Training begins tomorrow." She murmured as she touched noses with the younger tom. She didn't have the energy to say any more. It was a great responsibility to have an apprentice, but Tigerleaf barely felt any pleasure from it. Ashpaw had just passed away; at this moment, nothing else mattered to her. Grief stabbed sharply at her heart each time she thought of the gray and white tom. Leaving Wasppaw to be congratulated by his clanmates, Tigerleaf headed back to her den.

She had an apprentice of her own now, but Ashpaw had not even lived to get his warrior name.