Moonkit, Tinderkit and Hawkit -Apprentice Cerimony

[Hawkpaw]

Hawkpaw bobbed up and down with excitement and began to paw at the ground as she waited for the ceremony to start.

Ooc: Wildy?

[Sleetfoot]

Sleetfoot followed the fluffy cat back into camp. He realized there was no possible way he could hold the excited fluffball back from her destiny. Nor Falcontail's.

[Tinderpaw]

Tinderkit noticed all of the cats that were gathering by that meeting place thing and let her leaf drop to the ground once more. Was it time for something? She'd been getting more acquainted with the happenings of the camp over the past few weeks, but some things still confused her. Hadn't somecat mentioned something to her, like a ceremony or something? That was right. They had ceremonies for various events in a cat's life, like becoming a warrior or apprentice, even one for becoming an old cat. She wasn't quite sure how they helped, but she was willing to go along with it. She crept over to the edge of the gathering crowd, sat down, and watched all the other cats. I'll figure out what to do from them, she figured.

[Wildstar]

Falcontail could hardly hold back the scream that had been building in his throat since Wildstar had requested that he mentor Hawkkit. He had tried to refuse many times, but something had kept him from speaking. And StarClan had sent him nightmares ever since. The whole thing was completely tiring him out, and the tabby almost felt glad that the ceremony would be over and done with today. Commitment had always frightened him, but running from impending doom was worse.
'Just make it quick and painless,' he prayed as he sat near the back of the crowd.*

Wildstar descended the slope from her den which rested far above the camp. It was still a mystery to her how everycat seemed to know when she was going to say something. Maybe they were bored.
The black she-cat allowed herself a chuckle. Maybe so, but after these ceremonies, the Clan would be bustling and full of life.
The meeting place beneath the Tallspire was already full of cats, obviously waiting for everything to begin. Wildstar made a point of making eye contact with every would-be mentor. Starlight, Ashpelt, and Falcontail would be training an interesting assortment of apprentices. And truthfully, she looked forward to seeing how her almost-brother would handle his apprentice.
'Well, here goes everything,' she thought.
"MountainClan has seen much since I first stepped paws on this soil. We have seen harsh winters and blistering summers. We have seen friends go, some to StarClan and others to the harsh world beyond. But we have been blessed. Cats formerly of no clan have been brought to us to grow with and become a part of MountainClan. We are here to celebrate the first steps of three such cats into MountainClan. I ask that Hawkkit, Moonkit, and Tinderkit please step forward."**
---
*Falcontail is a rather "tall" cat, and since he has a feather sticking up over the back of his head, it's rather difficult to see past him, so he always sits near the back. It's not 'cause he's about to die of shame.

**I'm not too sure how ceremonies are officially supposed to be announced and presented before the clan, so I just kind of went with what sounded appropriate. Also "Secrets of the Clans" doesn't say much about it either.

[Willowfoot]

Stonepelt and Flowertail had been sitting at the fresh kill pile for a while, discussing the kits whose names had just been called, as well as the probability that they would be leaving the nursery soon, when they heard Wildstar's voice. Flowertail muttered something about getting the kids, and then trotted over to the apprentice's den, leaving Stonepelt to limp over to find a seat in the crowd.

The she-cat returned momentarily with Willowpaw and Bramblepaw, then found a seat next to Stonepelt, while Willowpaw made a beeline for Regalpaw and Bramblepaw searched the crowd for Sleetfoot.

ooc: ugh. That barely counts as a post

[Regalpaw]

Regalpaw looked over as Willowpaw bounded up to his side. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face at her clossness and warmth.

((Fail...))

[Hawkpaw]

Hawkkit could not help but let out a tiny, barely audible gasp as her name was called. She looked up from washing her chest to the black cat on top of the Tallspire, and could not help but smile, 'Here I go... Off to become an apprentice... Please Starclan, let Falcontail be my mentor![/color]' With as much self-control as she could muster, Hawkkit slowly stood up, well, as slowly as an ecstatic kit could, and began to make her way to the Tallspire, her tiny white chest puffed out and her blue eyes gleaming with excitement. The trip was agonizing, for she wanted to sprint up to the tall rock with all of her might, but she knew she could not. She had to behave, and sprinting up to the Tallspire for your apprentice ceremony was just not something any civilized kit would do. When she finally reached the Tallspire, she sat down and beamed up at Wildstar, a look of pure ecstasy on her face.

[Regalpaw]

Moonkit looked around, his eyes wide with excitement (terror?) What was going to happen? But everyone else (Hawkkit especcialy) seemed estatic so he tried to be too. He started to match her pawsteps as they came up to the base of the tallspire together.

[Tinderpaw]

Tinderkit's ears flickered forward when she heard her name called. She was involved in this? Noting how her two denmates were walking up to where the leadercat, Wildstar as she remembered her name to be, was, she quickly followed after giving her chest fur a quick lick. She followed the other two kits up Tallspire, though she was much meeker than the other two. Being the center of attention was uncomfortable for her. She sat down when she reached the top, following the example of the others, then moved her eyes down. Maybe if she wasn't looking at anyone, they wouldn't look at her. I could be possible...maybe.

[Wildstar]

"Tinderkit, although you are new to us and clan life, you have shown yourself faithful to our cause and MountainClan looks forward to seeing your growth as an apprentice. Ashpelt, you have been a great asset to our clan and it's time you trained an apprentice*. I know that you will train your apprentice well."
Wildstar smiled kindly at Tinderkit. "I formally welcome you, Tinderpaw. You are an apprentice of MountainClan."

Ooc:
*I don't know if Ashpelt was ever given an apprentice in the past, so I tried to make it a little ambiguous… or something.
Anyways, I'm gonna be doing the little ceremony schpeels one at a time, to give everyone involved a chance to respond. DEAL WITH IT. =P

[Starlight]

((He might've back in StormClan, or earlier on in MountainClan I was thinking Springflower could've been his mentor and/or mother, actually. I never really decided.))

Ashpelt stood and strode forward to greet his new apprentice. He looked into the young she-cat's eyes as they touched noses, wondering what he would find there. During the short time Tinderkit--Tinderpaw now--had been here, the two hadn't had much to do with one another. He looked forward to getting to know the newly-made apprentice, however, and teaching her the ways of a warrior.

[Tinderpaw]

OoC: Sorry if I'm a bit late. ^^;

BiC: Tinderpaw, as she was now named, meekly stepped forward to greet her new mentor. Ashpelt was one of the cats that had defiantly caught her attention. She attempted to look confident or at least mask her fear a bit, this was all still so new to her. At least Ashpelt didn't seem to be nervous, at least not that she could see. It might not be so bad to have him as a mentor, even if he was a bit more outgoing than she was. Maybe being with him would help her become more acquainted with the clan. At least that was something she could look forward too.

[Starlight]

Nervousness, of course, and a little shyness, but plenty of optimism and determination to balance it out. That's what Ashpelt decided he saw in the younger cat's eyes. As they both stepped back again, Ashpelt nodded to himself. Tinderpaw would make a fine apprentice. The two cats sat down again, side-by-side, to watch the other kits' ceremony.

[Sleetfoot]

Sleetfoot looked affectionately over at the cat who's company he had begun to enjoy much more now. Ashpelt was a fine cat and a good friend and would make an excellent mentor for the young one. He only wished that his own apprentice wasn't going to be warrior-sized so soon. He would have loved to train with Ashpelt.

[Lightfur]

Pearlclaw purred with satisfaction as she watched the ceremony- from the edge of the crowd, of course. Tinderpaw had received a good mentor. Ashpelt should succeed in lessening the kit's- sorry, apprentice's- shyness and helping her to interact more with the other Clan cats. Pearlclaw had often noticed Tinderkit- sorry, Tinderpaw's reluctance to play with the other young cats or converse with the members of the Clan. Pearlclaw, being a rather solitary creature herself, could empathize. She'd considered approaching Tinderpaw- but, of course, dismissed the idea, because the entire point of being a loner was that one did not tend to approach others. Still, it was good that the shy kit had been paired with Ashpelt. They would do well together.

The ivory-and-black she-cat had been watching Ashpelt and his new apprentice as they went to sit, but now she turned her gaze back up towards the Tallspire, waiting for Wildstar to announce the remaining apprentice-mentor pairings.

Dawnkit scooted up next to her idolized father and watched, starry-eyed, as Tinderkit was paired with Ashpelt, becoming Tinderpaw! This was soooooo exciting! Dawnkit bounced a little in place, but tried not to make any happy squeaky noises as she did so. Ohhh, she couldn't WAIT to become an apprentice! Dawnpaw had SUCH a nice ring to it!

Meanwhile, Lightfur was in a coma. The End.