Iriskit's Apprentice Ceremony

Iriskit had to fight down the urge to nearly dance in place at the announcement, near chomping at the bit. She'd seen apprentice ceremony after apprentice ceremony come and go, seen the kits that had grown up with her- her littermates- leave the nursery long before now, even kits that had been younger than she becoming apprentices so quickly. The ever impatient part of her complained, wondering why it had taken so long to be allowed an apprenticeship. And the more logical part that had slowly been building into her was perfectly aware that the impatient part was part of the reason.
She'd been caught several times before now trying to sneak out, putting herself in immense danger for no reason, a foolish behavior unbefitting of an apprentice, much less a warrior. (Or so she'd been told, about a dozen times now.)
But she'd managed to be patient this time. She was patient for so, so long that it felt like 80 moons had passed since the last time she'd tried to sneak out. Granted, that didn't stop her from trailing after every apprentice and warrior in the camp she could (when she wasn't being reluctantly dragged back to the nursery) and politely asking, repeatedly, over and over and over again, if maybe they would give her a few tips? Some suggestions? Just one or two, please?
She was quite certain that most of warriors in the clan were thoroughly sick of her pestering by now, but it had worked! She had learned a bunch of stuff from the ones that wanted her to go away, and now here she was, going into her first apprenticeship!
...Hmm. Maybe she shouldn't have pestered most every single warrior and apprentice in the clan for this stuff (except the leader and deputy and medicine cat of course, because they were Always busy and she was a Good Kit who respected her clan's leaders). Her ears folded back momentarily in worry that her the warrior she'd be apprenticed to would already be sick of her before they'd even gotten started.
Shaking her head a bit at the thought, she placed it firmly in the "problems for future Iriskit" pile that was constantly on the verge of toppling with how full it was. She would find out who her mentor was and she'd roll with it!
Her tail flicking a little bit in excitement, she raised expectant eyes to Poppyshine, eager and waiting.

Iriskit- no Irispaw gaped up at her Deputy- her mentor!- at that moment, looking somewhat dazed. At the feeling of Poppyshine's nose against hers, she pressed back in quickly, maybe a little too roughly in her awe. "I- thank you Poppyshine! I promise, I'll-I'll be the best apprentice ever! I won't let you down!" she stammered out, barely managing to force the words out with the warm feeling that filled her chest.

She had a chance! A real chance! She might've annoyed so many other warriors in the clan, but she'd always tried to be on her best behavior for her leaders, and it had paid off! She was blown away; she'd been fortunate enough to get the Deputy as her mentor. Not just any warrior, but The Poppyshine. She couldn't believe her luck.

She waited impatiently for the crowd to disperse for a bit before she began her little celebration, grabbing a little ball of moss in her mouth and sprinting headlong up and down the camp, silent if not for the sound of the dislodged foliage in her wake. The ball came dislodged from her mouth and she pounced at it at full speed, flipping onto her back and tearing at it with intense focus for a few moments before she let herself lay there, just breathing as she calmed down.

Irispaw. Apprentice to Poppyshine. This was the first step on her path to becoming a warrior. And she couldn't be happier.