Ashkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Another WindClan kit would be ascending to the rank of apprentice, and she couldn't be prouder of both that kit and the Clan as a whole. She slightly dipped her head to shield her eyes from the breeze as she leapt onto the Tallrock and spun around to face her Clanmates that stood below.
“May all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!"

Sunnyskip had spent the last several minutes grooming her kits. She had been told that it was time for Ashkit to become an apprentice, so she wanted her daughter and sons to look their very best. She hadn't told Ashkit that she was becoming an apprentice yet, choosing to let it be a surprise instead. A nice, steady breeze tugged at her fur as Dayspring called for the clan to gather, and with a quick breath she ushered her kits out along with her. "Remember, sit tall and straight. I'm so very proud of all of you." Her new was soft and full of love as she addressed each kit, trying to not linger on any one face for too long and risk spoiling the surprise. As she settled with the rest of the clan, hoping that her kits would behave and stay close to her, she risked a glance around. Hopefully Nightwind wouldn't miss this next step for their children, he hadn't missed any of the others so far.

Ashkit had her eyes squinched shut as her mother groomed the top of her fluffy head, she knew that it was just her wanting her to look her best, but she hadn't looked that bad in the first place! Her fur, while not super long, could be ever so unruly, no matter what she tried. Ashkit was smart enough to know that she, and her siblings, were approaching the time to become apprentices. What she couldn't figure out was which one of them would be first. She had watched, blue eyes narrowed in focus, as her mother gave each of them pretty much the same amount of attention. No matter, she was probably the most mature, she would be first, at least that's what she hoped.

When her mother ushered them out, the kind words were followed by the breeze that came with the day. Ashkit sat near Sunnyskip, sitting up as straight as she could. The only thing that betrayed her anxieties was the small twitch at the tip of her tail, and she turned her head to look up at Dayspring. The mostly white kit wanted to make her parents proud by being the best warrior the clans had ever seen, so she kept flicking her tail and looking at Dayspring, waiting for the announcement.

Nightwind was not about to disappoint either of them. He managed to drag a hare into camp when the meeting was called. He picked up the pace of his paws towards the freshkill hole and threw the hare in it like a sack of potatoes. He trotted quickly over to the gathering and spotted Sunnyskip and their kits. He quietly slipped in beside Sunnyskip and sat his rump down beside her's. He wouldn't miss any of his kit's ceremonies. Not for anything. "You'll do fine." He muttered to his kits, which ever one would end up getting their ceremony first.

Dayspring patiently waited for Ashkit to make her way towards the crowd with her mother and father in tow. They must've been so proud to watch one of their kits take on the rank of an apprentice.
"Ashkit, please step forward." The ceremonial words came to the deputy easily now.
"Ashkit, you have reached the age of six 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 Ashpaw. Your mentor will be Muddyleap."
With that, the she-cat gave the newly-named Ashpaw a nod and a smile before removing herself from the Tallrock.

The anxious twitch of her tail ceased for a moment as Ashkit heard her dad arrive, she was happy that he was here too. She craned her head to look back over at him as he said something about doing fine, and she looked at him for a moment before turning back toward Dayspring. Ashkit's tail twitch returned as she waited for the announcement, and when she heard that she needed to step forward she surged to her paws like she had been ready for this, at least it would have looked like that if she didn't stumble a bit getting up. Taking a few long strides, she stepped forward with her head held high. Her gray face looked around for Muddyleap, and quickly padded up and touched noses. After, she looked through the crowd at her parents, a small smile on her face. She couldn't wait to learn and become the best warrior she could be.

Sunnyskip grinned as Nightwind joined them, bumping her head to his shoulder gently. "I'm glad you made it." She mewed softly as Dayspring called the meeting to order, and beckoned Ashkit forward. Her daughter surged forward, stumbling a bit as she did. Sunnsykip started to reach out to help, but stopped as her kit righted herself and moved to stand before the rest of the clan. Now came the news that she hadn't known - who her kit's mentor would be. Muddyleap was named, and the queen visibly relaxed a bit. It wasn't that she didn't trust her clanmates, not in the slightest... But knowing that her daughter was safe under the careful watch of her own kin was a relief all the same. She smiled brightly as her brother and daughter touched noses, raising her voice with the rest of the clan. "Ashpaw! Ashpaw!"

Silverpaw had been watching the ceremony unfold with the utmost pride and eagerness. He was always quite chipper and excitable when a ceremony was announced but this day marked the first of many newly-named apprentices that would start to join the clan in their duties. What was even greater was that his own kin, Ashkit, was the one about to step into the life of apprenticeship. The young she-kit had shown promise and her mentor would be lucky to have her.

As his mentor ended the ceremony with the reveal of the kit's mentor, the young apprentice just couldn't keep the grin off his face. How awesome was it that Muddyleap had been chosen to be young Ashpaw's mentor? She was in great paws alright. Muddy was more than capable of being a great mentor but hopefully he wouldn't get into too much trouble with his new apprentice. Muddy had been known to be a pawful during his younger days. Silverpaw had no doubt that his half-brother had matured and grown over the moons but still, ya just can't tell with these types of cats.

Silverpaw allowed Ashpaw's immediate family to congratulate her before he rushed up to the new mentor and apprentice duo to offer his. "Ashpaw! Muddyleap! Congrats to both of ya! You both'll make a great team, I'm sure of it. Ain't it swell that you both'll be training with someone you know closely? It's kinda funny if you ask me... Well, good luck and I hope ta see you around much more Ashpaw!" As the tom finished speaking, he playfully bumped his shoulders to both of theirs and shot them a grin before turning and leaving to allow others their turn.

"Ashpaw! Ashpaw!" He'd said this name before... and it felt like a lifetime ago that he had. He'd named her after his sister, it was true, but he had also been Ashstorm's mentor. He hadn't been thrilled at the time to be given an apprentice, especially not while he was going behind his clan's back to do Asylum work. That was before the invasion... How Ashstorm didn't hate him was beyond all reasoning even now.

"Congratulations! I'm sure Muddyleap will be a great mentor. Once you get a few lessons in, maybe we can all patrol together." He gave her a smile and a wink. He moved away so that the rest of the clan could congratulate her as well. It was a big day for her. Yet even now as one of his daughters was being apprenticed, his mind went back to Tornshadow. He remembered apprenticing her himself when he had been the stand-in deputy. The feeling of seeing Ashpaw become an apprentice was a good feeling... but it still didn't compare to how he felt about Tornkit becoming Tornpaw. Why? Ashpaw had done nothing wrong. Was he only capable of fully loving his Skyclan daughter?

Maybe it was because Ashpaw was Nightwind's daughter... not Dawnhawk's. The feeling was unsettling for him, mostly because he hadn't expected it. Maybe it was just an off day... maybe things would get better over time. At least he hoped that they would.

Ryekit made no noise as the ceremony concluded, but slowly and absent-mindedly lifted a paw to the top of his head, quickly scruffing up his mother's hard work in a matter of moments. Ceremony over! No need to look fancy anymore! Besides, he said to himself, I'm still a kit, so I'm allowed to act dumb. Being an apprentice is stupid, anyway.

He could not hide how much he cared, try as he may to turn his cheek away from Ashpaw and her new mentor. Ryekit could only stamp his paws. "No fair," he grumbled, to no one but himself. Upon the realization that Nightwind was quite close to him now, he suddenly flexed his spine back into a tall, respectful position, and with more motivation, he joined the chant: "Ashpaw! Ashpaw!"

Yeah, he loved his sister. But he was allowed to be jealous of her for getting to go first.