murkykit's apprentice ceremony

Exhaustion still dragged heavy at her paws, the unplanned journey outside of familiar land and the return trip home with Mottlestar taking its hard toll on her body. Despite it being a while since the two mollies had returned, she still found herself increasingly reserved and isolated, having not even met Mottlestar's newest litter or really engaged with anything going on. But the kits she had scarcely met were ready to be apprenticed, and it was something she could no longer ignore.

Heaving herself onto her paws, the deputy cast a weary look around, clearing her throat in preparation. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather for a clan meeting!"

Mottlestar rose from where she was resting, nudging Murkykit awake alongside her. The kit grumbled in being woken, but eventually stretched to move from where she had fallen asleep in the process. Her tail rippled, and would follow her mother to sit where Thistlemask had called. Murkykit knew it was her apprentice ceremony, but truth be told... their excitement was little. All she wanted to do was go right back to sleep.

Mottlestar was proud, nevertheless, and she gave a nod to her deputy.

She waited, watching with careful eyes as her friend and leader brought out the sleepy focus of today's ceremony. The little molly seemed to be lacking in any excitement for her ceremony, something Thistlemask regarded with amusement - they seemed to be similar on that front, and with that the deputy had fully decided on her mentor, softness that had not been seen in moons gracing her features. "Murkykit, step forward." The deputy gave the kit a moment, tail curling over her paws as she waited. "You have reached the age of six moons and are ready to become an apprentice. From now until the day you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Murkypaw." Smiling at the molly, she continued. "Your mentor will be none other than myself. I will take great care to teach you well. We begin training tomorrow."

With that, the ceremony drew to a close, and she greeted her new apprentice warmly, brushing her cheek against Mottlestar's as she did so.