Tallkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Tigerdance knew that another kit was ready to be apprenticed so that is why he jumped up on the Tall Rock, green eye staring out at the clearing. Things were taking a toll on them but they would make it through they always have. So he continued with what he was doing. "Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather here for a clan meeting!

Tallkit perked his ears as Tigerdance leapt onto the Tallrock and cats began to gather. The tom-kit gave his shoulder a self-conscious lick, flattening down his short fur just in case.This meeting was either good news, his ceremony, or more bad news given the oppressive blanket of unease that settled over Windclan this past moon. He hoped that it was good news for his own sake as well as his clanmates. They could use some good news.

Tallkit trotted happily to the edge of the crowd, head held high so he could just see over the colorful pelts of the cats already gathered, and sat with his tail curled neatly around his paws. He spotted Sootstorm in the crowd, and felt both elated and sad. He was proud he had come this far, was desperately happy that Sootstorm was here to see him be named, but it also tugged at the hollow spaces between his ribs. He shouldn’t have been alone. His littermates should’ve been earning their names too. He wondered distantly, if Mother would have let him out of the nursery looking like this. Was his fur neat enough? With his ears pointed attentively towards where the deputy stood on the Tallrock, he smoothed down the fur on the other shoulder too, just in case.

"Today we are gathered to name another apprentice. Tallkit please come forward." The deputy said. The tall striped tom wait a moment for the kit to make his way through the crowd before continuing. "Tallkit, you have reached the age of six moons. From this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Tallpaw. Your mentor will be Fennelbreeze. I hope she passes everything she knows onto you." With that the deputy jumped down and ended the ceremony.

Tallkit stood and paced through the crowd at Tigerdance’s summons. He tried to look confident, pulling his shoulders back and holding his tail high, but his pelt prickled at the attention of all the gathered cats. Still, the warmth in his chest at the ceremonial words was impossible to ignore. He was an apprentice! He dipped his head respectfully to Tigerdance when the deputy was done speaking before immediately looking towards Sootstorm. He beamed at the tom, tail swaying happily before looking for Fennelbreeze.

His amber eyes were serious but bright, as he approached the cream she-cat. He reached out to touch noses with her gently. “I’ll serve WindClan well. I look forward to learning all I can.” He said, every part of him singing in elation. This was the path tread by all before him, the moor and the wind was as ingrained in him as the red of his blood or the steady beat of his heart. He would throw everything he had into the service of WindClan, it was all he knew, it was all he had left. He hoped Goldenpetal was proud of him, standing beneath the gazes of his Clanmates with the afternoon sun wreathing him in gold, and the whole world sprawled beneath his paws.