Haykit's Apprentice Ceremony

Since Haykit had been brought into the Clan, Olivestone had been waiting for the day for Haykit to feel ready enough to take the plunge into apprenticeship. She was glad that the recent conversation with the yellow she-cat had helped her come around to the idea of apprenticeship and getting fully involved in the Clan, and now it was time for one of Olivestone's favorite duties.

She jumped up the ever-familiar path to the top of the Tallrock, taking a moment to look down and search the camp for Haykit's telltale yellow pelt. When her gaze fell on the young she-cat, Olivestone smiled, and called out the traditional words.
"Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tallrock!"

Haykit was crouching...Cowering, within the safety of the nursery as she heard Olivestone call for the Clan to gather. This was it. It was time. She found herself shivering as she peered out of the den. She...She wasn't sure if she regretted saying yes, to finally becoming an apprentice but...She was nervous. But...What else was there to do? Even if she didn't find herself getting used to this life, where else was she to go? She wouldn't last a sunrise out on her own, there...There wasn't going to be anything risked by giving it a try.

Or at least, that is what she told herself as she finally pushed herself to her paws and padded from the den. She kept her gaze straight ahead as she tried not to show how nervous she was - although she could feel her tail curling and lashing. She could do this, this was going to be okay. At best, she would fall in love with this life and it would be almost like she was Clan-born! At worse...Well, honestly she wasn't even sure what the worse-case situation was and that was a bit reliving. She sat down as she curled her tail around her, giving her pelt a lick to look proper and neat as she waited for Olivestone to call for her.

Olivestone smiled down at Haykit as she watched the Clan gather around beneath the Tallrock, and when the crowd was a satisfactory size to her, she continued to speak.
"Haykit, step forward."

She waited for the soon-to-be-apprentice to do so.
"Haykit, you have passed your sixth moon, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Haypaw. Dappleshine will be your mentor, and may she pass on everything that she knows to you."

Olivestone gave the new mentor and apprentice pair find each other in the crowd and greet each other, before she started up the ceremonial chant.
"Haypaw! Haypaw! Haypaw!"

Haykit took in a deep breath as she was called, dutifully stepping forward as she raised her head to look at Olivestone. She stood there, trying to look as proud as she could as the deputy spoke...And named Dappleshine as her mentor. Her shoulders slumped a little, the faintest hint of worry falling across her face. Oh...Um, alright. She...She didn't know Dappleshine well. At all. Then again, she was only a pawful of cats she had actually had the courage to speak with but...Well, she supposed Dappleshine seemed nice. Motherly. She turned to glance around at the crowd of cats until she finally spotted her mentor and carefully approached. "Um...Hello," she said softly, forcing a small smile on her face. "I'll...I'll do my best to learn what it means to be a WindClan cat."

Dappleshine's head lifted, ears perked as she heard her name. Her eyes still had a slight hollow expression to them, but as she turned to the new apprentice she smiled softly, a flicker of something in her blue eyes. Padding forward, she touched noses to her new apprentice gently, her voice soft. "I know you will. I'll help you the best I can along the way, I had to learn it myself after all." She purred roughly, trying not to hear her daughter's purr in her own. "We'll get your nest in the apprentice den set up today, and training will start tomorrow, alright?"

"Haypaw! Haypaw!"

The voice sounded brighter than it had in moons,as Softpaw was practically bouncing on her paws. She'd helped to find and bring home this kit, after all, and she felt attached to her in a way she couldn't identify. "Oh, Buttercup, I'mso proud! Oops- Haypaw, sorry! Anyways, I'vegot q special treat for you." Her whiskers quivered and she leaned forward. "I may or may not have snatched a piece of honeycomb when Aspenheart wasn't looking! She, don't tell him!"

With that, she pushed forward a leaf wrap, a single, perfectly shaped honeycomb sitting on it, the sweet golden liquid sitting neatly in its dish of honeycomb. Softpaw nodded her head to the newly named apprentice, blinked fondly to Dappleshine and walked back to her den, to care for her most frequent visitor: Morningdove. So frequent, in fact, she'd moved into the den. Thankfully she didn't snore.

Haypaw sheepishly nodded her head as her new mentor spoke. Well...At least they weren't starting right away. A night to get used to everything sounded...Nice. "Right. Sounds good," she murmured, before her ears perked at the sound of a familiar voice. Softpaw! Energy sudden flared into her body as she spun to face the medicine cat apprentice. She ha always felt...Comfortable in the presence of the medicine cat, a mixture of the sweet smell that she always had drifting from her and the fact that she had been a calming force in the chaos of being abandoned like she was. She...Wasn't sure what exactly she was to Softpaw - she didn't feel worthy enough to really call her a friend when they hadn't gotten a lot of chances to talk but...It also didn't feel right to really think of her as anything lesser.

Her smile faded a little when Softpaw referred to her by her old name. She...Wasn't sure how much she liked it, the bad memories that it carried. Her mom had given it to her but...Her mom also hadn't tried to save her, keep her from being taken. It was a name linked to a home she would never see again. But...at least Softpaw quickly realized her error and apologized as she pushed forward a leaf-wrapped bundle. A...Gift? "Oh, Softpaw, you didn't have to!" she gasped as she leaned down to sniff at it, her smile returning at the sweet scent that drifted from it. A honeycomb, huh? She had heard a little about those, of the sweet-tasting honey that it dripped. "Don't worry, I don't tell Aspenheart," she giggled as she straighten up. She gave Softpaw a nod as the medicine cat padded away, gently picking up the bundle in her teeth.

She glanced around for a safe spot to enjoy her gift in, wanting to bask in it in peace and solitude. Poking around, she managed to find an area sheltered by the tall grass, gently lowering the bundle to the ground before unwrapped it to reveal the golden honeycomb that rested within. She peered at it, tilting her head to study it and the golden liquid that caked it. There was the slightest bit of hesitation before she leaned forward to give it a lick, eyes widening at the taste. She had known it was sweet but...Honestly, she had never had anything sweet to eat before. She had always imagined but...Wow! She lapped at it a couple more times, a purr rising from her. Maybe...Maybe everything would be okay.

Maybe she had finally found her home after all.