Meadowkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Mistyrain scrabbled up to the Tallbranch, giving her shoulder fur a quick lick before clearing her throat. "Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather beneath the Tallbranch for a Clan meeting!" she called, loudly and clearly. She scanned her approaching Clanmates for Meadowkit, the young she-kit who was to be apprenticed today, her pale yellow eyes glinting in the midday sun.

The first few heart-beats after waking up were always the hardest to persevere through.

Generally, Meadowkit dreamed in only darkness, for her sleep was often consumed by an unfillable void. This particular slumber had been no exception, and as she awoke from the blackened dream, her eyes fought to stay closed. The gentle light from the outside world was enough to persuade her eyes to shut. They restrained any attempt to open. It was simply too hard to pry them open so early in the morning. It wasn't as if a few extra moments of sleep would hurt her. She was merely a kitten, free of the burden of responsibilities.

However, a loud call startled her drowsy mind into a state of acute awareness. Her eyes opened, hesitantly, as her head raised in curiosity. A clan meeting? Blue eyes widened with anticipation. This was no coincidence. This was it. This had to be her ceremony. She was, at last, going to be an apprentice. The revelation pumped newfound energy into her veins. Despite her mind's earlier protests, she soon came to her paws. Meadowpaw. The name sounded so professional and mature. And soon, that same title would be hers.

Already, the noises of the assembling toms and she-cats tickled her tufted ears. Meadowkit shifted her weight eagerly, positioning herself to better exit then den. She was nearly an apprentice. The thought sang in her ear as she trotted calmly to greeting the awaiting clan. The already gathered Skyclan cats buzzed with conversation, infecting Meadowkit with their shared energy.

When Mistyrain spotted the young she-kit approaching, she continued the ceremony. "Meadowkit, please step forward." She paused once again, giving the kit a moment to reach the front of the small gathering of SkyClanners. "You have reached the age of 6 moons and are ready to be apprenticed. From now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Meadowpaw. Your mentor will be Leaftwirl, and I am confident that she will pass on to you everything that she knows." Mistyrain's gaze fell on Leaftwirl, one of the newest warriors in the Clan. Meadowpaw would be her first apprentice, but she was confident in the young warrior's abilities.

The sun cut through the branches, a soft breeze rustling through the leaves. Leaftwirl sat with the rest of her clanmates, watching Mistyrain from afar. Meadowkit padded out of the den, her pretty cream pelt glowing in the midday light. Most of SkyClan could predict what this ceremony was for, as Meadowkit was the only nursery-dweller of age to become an apprentice. Leaftwirl flicked her feathery tail at the kit as the deputy called her forward, nodding in support.

Yellow green eyes cut through the crowd, and Leaftwirl tried to guess who would possibly be named as her mentor. Maybe Hawkstrike. He was an older warrior with a skill in battle. Or perhaps Mistyrain herself would take on the small kit, certainly having the experience for such a thing. But the wind seemed to still as Leaftwirl heard none other than her own name echo from the branch. "Me?" The young warrior squeaked quietly, before wincing, noticing she had voiced her shock out loud. "I mean... yes Mistyrain. Of course, I will do my best as a mentor." Feeling as if her paws were made from clouds, the she-cat padded over to Meadowpaw and gave her a smile, seeing a new world within her stunning blue eyes. Leaftwirl was surprised, it had only been a few moons ago when she had been made a warrior herself, and now they were giving her an apprentice, a whole separate cat, to take under her care. The brown tabby thought for a moment that perhaps Tinystar had noticed the extra effort she had been putting into her duties, and rewarded her accordingly. But an apprentice. An apprentice was another task entirely.

Not exactly knowing how to start, the tabby gently pressed her nose to Meadowpaw's, opting to follow moons of tradition instead of standing like a rock, looking like a fool. "I hope we'll be great friends." The she-cat whispered, trying and failing to hide the quiver in her voice. Sorry... Leaftwirl said with her eyes, hoping her new apprentice would understand her hesitation. But the new warrior would do her duty well, she would make StarClan proud. Once she caught her breath again, that was.