Lilykit's Apprentice Ceremony

The first drops of rain fell through the camp with some snow. The freezing droplets pierced pelts and left a chill in Marshstorm's bones as he blearily looked out into the camp. His own hunting patrol had ended shortly before the rains started to fall, but he ached with sympathy for the cats still out there. He blinked his amber eyes and looked towards the nursery where a pale ginger she-kit was being kept in from the weather. Yet, no cat could delay the inevitable, even from a rain as foul as this one. He licked his chest fur, trying to fluff up in insulating layers before he leapt onto High-rock.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath High-rock for a clan meeting!" He yowled, loud and clear over the din of the softly falling rain on the empty tree branches and the leaves around them.

Lilykit bounded out the nursery. Her adopted sister, Mosspaw had recently been made an apprentice and she had been waiting excitedly for her turn. Cats had started to gather around the base of Highrock in the freezing cold. She shivered as cool raindrops soaked her thin pelt, but even that could not dampen her spirits.

Mosspaw walked out of the apprentice den, the pale ginger fur of her sister catching her eye. She made her way over to her, a purr rumbling in her chest as she settled in next to Lilykit, her long haired pelt brushing against her sisters. As she ran a paw over her ears to try to wipe some of the rain from them, she spoke. "I can't wait for you to join me in the apprentice den! Imagine all the exploring we'll be able to do, together!" She smiles excitedly at her sister, hoping with all of her might that today would be the day that she received her mentor.

"Lilykit, step forward." Marshstorm called down as the rain continued to soak into his back. It sent uncomfortable chills up his spine as the icy water tried to penetrate his dense pelt. For a moment, he longed for the longer fur of some cats as he pushed through the ceremony. His gaze falling pointedly on young Lilykit's form as he watched her step forward.

"Lilykit, you have reached the age of six moons. It is now time for you to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Lilypaw." His gaze turned towards the assembled cats. He mused over his options, relishing that this was something he could do. When leafbare started, they had only a pawful of warriors, now they had almost double.

"Falconwing will be your mentor." He decided as his gaze fell onto a light brown tabby. He nodded towards her though she was a very recently made warrior, he trusted in Blizzardshine's guidence to have turned Falconwing into a strong and capable warrior. He had never seen any reason to think otherwise. "I hope that you will learn much from her intelligence and loyalty." He concluded with a firm nod towards both as he leapt down from high-rock.

Falconwing stepped forward, a huge grin on her face. My little ones are apprentices now. And I'm mentoring one of them. Touching noses with the newly-named Lilypaw, she smiled ever wider. "I'll do my best to teach you all I know, Lilypaw." Stepping back, the pale brown tabby shook off the quickly collecting raindrops in her short fur. The recent rain hasn't been pleasant, but slick grounds are a good teaching opportunity.