Snowkit's Apprentice Ceremony

With Maplewhisker feeling a bit under the weather that day, though nothing serious, Olivestar had taken over the apprentice ceremonies that day, and with a small smile, she had in mind the mentor that the deputy had chosen for the kit in question today. Fur still pricking with unease at the watchful eyes of the Asylum, she made her way to the top of the Tallrock, shivering a little at the blast of cold wind that was ever present during the cold seasons. Shuffling her paws to keep them warm, she called out the familiar summons.
"May all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tallrock!"

There were conflicting views presented to Snowkit. Her Clanmates and the Asylum. Why they couldn’t both get along, she didn’t understand yet. She knew the Asylum had killed Goldengale and then Dappleshine, right in front of their eyes, and her parents suspected them of being the thieves of the missing kits. She’d never met an Asylum cat before, due to her parents’ fierce protection, but she had seen them around camp.

A bitter wind pulled on her soft fur, barely out of the kit phase. Olivestar’s summons broke out. Snowkit glanced around the camp uncertainly. She knew it was her ceremony, and the focus would be on her. Fawnkit— Fawnpaw loved that type of attention, but wasn’t attention just cats focusing on your failure? It felt like it. Though, there would be more attention on her if she didn’t show up to the ceremony at the proper time. Her legs felt like steel. The white she-kit padded towards the middle of the circle and sat down. Snowkit could feel her neck fur prickling at the watchful sets of eyes, trained on her.

Please get this over with.

As the crowd gathered below her despite the watchful eyes of the Asylum, Olivestar watched as Snowkit joined in with the crowd as they heeded her beck and call. Eager to get out of the biting cold and blistering wind, she continued speaking as soon as she thought the crowd had grown to a big enough size.
"Snowkit, step forward."

When the kit had done so, she kept on.
"Snowkit, you have reached your sixth moon, and it is time for you to begin your apprenticeship. From this day, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Snowpaw. Shrikestorm will be your mentor, and may he pass everything he knows onto you."

With the final words spoken, she began the chant.
"Snowpaw! Snowpaw! Snowpaw!"

Shrikestorm chanted along with the rest of the clan - "Snowpaw! Snowpaw!" - before approaching his first apprentice, smiling widely. "Congratulations Snowpaw," he mewed, dipping to touch noses with her. "Don't worry, I'll teach you everything I know." He was a bit nervous: after all, this was his first apprentice, and he was barely a warrior himself. Still, he was excited for the challenge, enough to where he barely felt the cold blowing against his fur.

Snowpaw. She didn’t fully smile at the new name, but the corner of her maw curled up a little. Was the  name important? It sounded better, but not really. The new rank and status was important. The new apprentice turned around as Olivestar named her new mentor. Shrikestorm. Snowpaw had yet to actually interact with the warrior (as with every other, a con of her Heatherfur’s overprotective nature), but he seemed enthusiastic without being boisterous. Seemed like a valuable trait in a mentor. He approached her, and she tried to memorize his face and scent. It was hard enough with just the other warriors, much less the Asylum cats bathing themselves in WindClan scent.

“Thank you.” There was an awkward stretch of silence. Was that the proper way to respond? She hadn’t experienced this before and quickly added, “If you give your best effort, I’ll give mine.” Her maw perked up a little more. Snowpaw dipped her head as a goodbye to Shrikestorm and headed towards the apprentice’s den. Her new den. Exactly like the nursery, she thought wryly, a scoop out of the sand and gorse. It’ll feel like home, I suppose.