a ceremony [windclan meeting]

[{ KYRA }]

it was time. he could feel the tension in his bones as he woke up, his mind had already figured out that today was the day. there were so many firsts lately, his first time being called "mothstar", his first night in the leader's den, his first meeting with his deputy... and today would be his first real clan meeting, his first ceremony.

mousefoot's kits were becoming apprentices. it couldn't happen soon enough. the full-grown kits were way too obnoxious to stay in the nursery anymore. they were driving the queens crazy and, honestly, posing a threat to some of the newborns. but nervousness ate at the relief he felt at the thought of getting stonekit, breezekit, and mintkit out of the nursery. this was his first move as a leader, really. his first time filling in for tallstar. he prayed it went smoothly.

he had thought over and over again about the best warriors to mentor the little runts. his first time doing this. it was so political. some cats would get their feelings hurt if they didn't get an apprentice or if their sibling was chosen as a mentor over them, and other cats simply wouldn't make good mentors. (his own daughter, mousedapple, came to mind...) and, he had thought his mate, spottedthorn, would be a great mentor for one of the kits, but some cats might see that as favoritism. he had done his best to make the right call, and now he hoped the clan would also see things that way.

well, he supposed he'd better find out, now hadn't he? mothstar scrambled up the base of tall rock and let out a ringing call: "let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here at the foot of tall rock!" he hoped mintkit, breezekit, and stonekit would realize that meant them, as well.

[talonwhisker]

Iceclaw had recently been named deputy of Windclan. Her new status had been a surprise to her because of her past. She had abandoned the clan and left with a loner. She never would have guessed that her future after her kits were stolen might have a chance of getting better. Iceclaw knew though that she could never take a mate now or she would lose her position while she was a queen in the nursery. She still hated going into the nursery since it brought back all her memories of her kits. Never knowing what happened to them was a burden and not even the praise of her clanmates could rid it from her shoulders.

Iceclaw had found a sunny spot to lay that day and had been dreaming of her kits and what great warriors they would have been. "let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here at the foot of tall rock!" rang through the Camp. It awoke Iceclaw from her dream and Iceclaw saw where she was and was stunned for a moment until her mind got out of it's dreaming state. Mothstar had told her that there was a ceremony coming soon but not even Iceclaw knew the exact time. Iceclaw rose to her paws. She noticed the Green eyes over a Ginger tom Carefully watching her. they were filled with anger and something Iceclaw couldn't read but Iceclaw knew who the tom was. Since her return her brother, Gingertail, had never wanted to claim any relation to her although almost everyone knew they were related. Her red gaze glared into the green eyes of her brother and her mind flashed back to her kits for but a moment. After the moment was up Gingertail left to sit in a shady spot.

Iceclaw shrugged then walked to a spot near the High rock. Mothstar stood on top of it. Iceclaw could only guess who's ceremony it was so she looked at the apprentices den then the nursery then the warriors den. She saw the other Windclan cats rising and walking to take up spots around the highrock. She nodded and sat down and wrapped her snowy white tail over her paws.

[talltale]

MINTKIT
She-Cat || 6-Moons || Kit

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Grey-spotted she-cat with minty-green eyes and a bobbed-tail.
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Mintkit was sitting just outside the nursery licking her round white paws and enjoying the first days of truly nice weather. The scent of the moor blew in through the wall of the camp and Mintkit let herself get lost in the scents. She didn't know what they were but she wanted to know. She knew her apprentice ceremony was coming soon and as a warrior's apprentice she would be learning to fight and to be brave and hunt but a little part of her hoped that she could learn a little beyond just the violent life style of the warrior's life and maybe her mentor would understand. Maybe he (or she) would teach Mintkit more about the great big world that surrounded her. She certainly hoped so.

When Mothstar bounded up onto tall rock Mintkit's charcoal grey ears tilted forwards curiously even before his voice rang out through the camp. Why were all leaders so loud? Mintkit couldn't help but think all leaders were full of themselves... Her sister Breezekit might make a good leader someday if that was the case. Mintkit couldn't remember a moment in her life when Breezekit wasn't confident in herself. Mintkit really wished she could be like that, confident and strong... at least then she'd actually make a good warrior. As Mothstar's voice stopped Mousefoot reminded the kits that his speech applied to them now and that they were suppose to go too.

Looking for her sister and brother, in that order, Mintkit made sure they were going to follow close behind because she wasn't going to bound into the crowd of adult cats all by herself. She always felt they were looking at her weird. Breesekit was bold and strong even for her age, she would make a great warriror, Stonekit was wise and serious and calm, he would also make a great warrior... but her? What about her? She was smart, but she didn't feel that she was even particularly above average there. She was, but she didn't feel or know that. No, in Mintkit's eyes she was going to make a terrible warrior.

The thought haunted her as she took her place between her siblings keeping her head low and bobed-tail against the ground. The smaller she was the less likely she was to be pointed out... right? HA, little did she know her and her siblings were about to be the center of attention.

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[Blush]

ashfoot

"i just want my clan to be safe"

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true] [atrb=style, width:400px; background-color:#282828; padding:10px, bTable] How long would it take before Ashfoot was used to Mothstar up on Tall Rock? Things changed so quickly in times of war when warriors died sooner than they needed to. She had loved seeing Tallstar up there on Tall Rock and she had even been prepared to see a Deadstar leading the clan, when Deadfoot had been deputy, but Mothfur hadn't been deputy long enough for Ashfoot to adjust before Tallstar had died and Mothfur had taken control of the clan. Mothstar, she corrected herself quietly. Obediently, Ashfoot padded over to Tall Rock at the leader's call and sidled up next to Iceclaw. Speaking of change... Ashfoot had to make an effort not to judge the icy white she-cat. She was suspicious of Iceclaw only because of the deputy's sketchy past, but Ashfoot trusted Mothstar, and if Mothstar trusted Iceclaw, then so should she. Still, it was an effort to brush off her paranoia and wish the deputy a friendly, "Good morning." And then, she saw Mintkit and a smile flushed her face. She knew that Mothstar had been saying it was nearly time for Mintkit and her siblings to be made apprentices, and seeing the small little thing sitting their shyly warmed Ashfoot's heart. She had always had a soft spot for Mintkit. Watching the two sisters grow up, Mintkit had taken a backseat to Breezekit's dazzling spotlight, and her quietness reminded Ashfoot of herself as an apprentice. She gave Mintkit a friendly look. "I wonder what this meeting could be about!" she mewed coyly, throwing the little an encouraging wink. 270 words with Mothstar, Iceclaw, and Mintkit, template by oxymoron of btn

[Moli]

Breezekit had just been wondering what she could do now. She wished she was an apprentice already. She was six moons now! Her ceremony had to be soon. She was getting tired of the nursery. She liked being with Mousefoot and her littermates, Mintkit and Stonekit, and it wasn't bad there. But she had so many questions, and so many things she wanted to do, and she couldn't do any of them in the nursery. But it was another quiet day, and Breezekit needed something to. Idle paws never sat well with her. Maybe she could try going into the warriors den again. No one would notice, since most cats slept outside, and it could be cool! She had always been thwarted before going inside, but perhaps today would be different!

But whether it would be different or not was left a mystery as soon as Mothstar called the Clans together from Tall Rock. A meeting! She wanted to go! Without a second thought, she she jumped up and immediately bounded over, finding her littermate Mintkit sitting near Ashfoot. "Hi Mintkit, hi Ashfoot! Are you excited about the ceremony? I bet we're going to be made apprentices! I hope so, anyway! We're six moons now!" She started bouncing on her front paws, eyes glowing and tail swishing this way and that. She wondered if Stonekit had heard the call, and hoped he would come, too.

[talltale]

MINTKIT
She-Cat || 6-Moons || Kit

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Grey-spotted she-cat with minty-green eyes and a bobbed-tail.
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Mintkit opened her tiny white maw to reply to Ashfoot but before sound came out her sister came plowing through the crowd and nearly bulldozed into them both! Though, Mintkit didn't mind She was used to her sister's energy and she knew if it ever disappeared she would miss it terribly. "Good morning sister." She purred in a quiet, but amused, voice. She looked back up to Ashfoot and nodded, "I don't know what it's about. I suppose it could be an apprentice ceremony." She said pausing only a moment to consider the other options, "Well actually it probably is. Can't be a warrior ceremony, no apprentice is ready for that yet. Isn't likely an Elder ceremony, none of our warriors are very old. Then again we're at a time when anything could happen... at least that's what mama says, so Mothstar could have any amount of things to say." She mewed looking up at the tom on the rock, she really hoped it wasn't the call to war that everyone was expecting at some point... She didn't really want it to be her apprentice ceremony either BUT that was better than war at least.

The soft white and grey apprentice looked about the clearing as it filled with cats. She couldn't help herself from looking for Cinderfoot and Barkface, there was still a little part of her that longed for that position. She didn't want to fight or hunt or deal with adult problems! She wanted to see the world through an observers eyes, not through a fighter's eyes. She couldn't help but doubt herself, she didn't feel strong... and looking up at Mothstar so noble and great on his very tall, tall rock she doubted she could ever compare to a single one of his warriors. She'd be dead in 3 moons... OR trapped in the elder's den. What a miserable thought! Most kits should be happy this day! Mintkit found herself trying to focus on the fact that she could now go explore the outside world and trying to forget that the outside world took her tail.

--~-----~--

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[TANGO]

Mousedapple was glad she was no longer an apprentice. Her mentor had always insisted that she wake up before dawn and get straight to training. But now that she wasn't silly old Mousepaw with a pesky mentor, she could sleep in a little later, grab a piece of fresh-kill from the pile, bask in the sun while she ate... Maybe later she would go hunting, she thought. It would get her out of camp, keep her bossy father off her tail, and keep her out of any border patrols. The war had made even a simple boundary check dangerous, and Mousedapple didn't like it one bit. She wanted her family to be safe in their own territory... Whenever she thought of that ruffian who had attack her in the middle of the moors! Ugh, a shiver rolled down her spine.

But her fretting was interrupted by the sound of her father's voice. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here at the foot of tall rock!" Her ears pricked in response. A ceremony! All her friends and family together celebrating WindClan. It was one of her favorite things, and it showed by the small purr that rumbled her vocal chords. Her tail weaved happily through the air as she stood up and trotted over to the Tall Rock.

Several cats had already gathered, and she greeted them warmly, but she kept her eyes peeled for her mother or her sister. It had been a while since the family had gotten together, and she hoped she could see them now. Or maybe Cinderfoot would come sit by her, she thought with hopefully. She wanted his company, even if he would be cranky about it. Her day wasn't complete without the cranky grumbling of his voice.

But none of them had arrived yet, so she settled herself down next to the small group that had already gathered.

"I bet my father will make you apprentices today," she purred, overhearing Breezekit. She longed to reach out and smooth down a wild piece of the little she-kit's fur with a swift lick, but she controlled herself. For the moment.

[LEAFY]

Spottedthorn had just come in from the morning border patrol when she saw Mothstar standing high upon Tall Rock and the cats of WindClan all gathered around him. I should've been quicker, she thought, worried that she had already missed the meeting. It's Mothstar's first ceremony. I shouldn't be late. Quickly, she jogged over to where Mousedapple was sitting and plopped herself down next to her daughter. "Have I missed anything?" she asked quietly.

She looked up at Mothstar and dipped her head apologetically. She didn't like to be late. A senior warrior came with certain perks, but there were also responsibilities, amongst which were being on time for clan meetings and being able to balance border patrols with business in the camp. She didn't want Mothstar to think she was slacking on her duties, especially when he had hinted that she might be getting an apprentice today.

She looked around at the little group of kits and wondered if she would be getting an apprentice which one it would be. She didn't know the kits very well, as she had avoided the nursery after being cooped up in their for two pregnancies straight, but she had heard about their antics and remembered the day that they had snuck out of camp. Any of them would make for a challenging apprentice, she figured, especially if the siblings remained close during their training. She could only hope that StarClan had guided Mothstar's paws in choosing the right mentors for his young apprentices.

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[Blush]

[atrb=border,0,bTable]nobody said it would be easy.

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There must have been ants in his pelt from the way his skin was itching. Stonekit could feel them crawling over every inch of his body. Ants of anticipation, ants of pride, ants of nervousness... And maybe an actual ant or two, he grimaced, raising his back leg to scratch ferociously at the patch of fur behind his ear. Yuck!

He was so busy scratching that he didn't notice Breezekit and Mintkit leave the nursery until his mother gave him a gentle reminder, nudging him along with her nose. "I'm going, I'm going!" Of course he was. He couldn't miss this ceremony, not if it was what he thought it was... He bounded out of the nursery and skidded to a stop in front of Tall Rock where his sisters were waiting for him.

"This is it, right?" he mewed, his fur standing on edge. "This is our ceremony?" It had to be. They were six moons old. Unless... Unless Mothstar wanted to punish them for sneaking out of camp by postponing their apprentice ceremony. He hoped the leader hadn't gathered them all here just to let them down. Stonekit didn't think their leader would do that. No, he decided, "this has got to be it."

tag everyone ▪ words 206 ▪ notes stonekit has arrived

made by katya of pre & btn

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[willow]

Gorsepaw

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The apprentice had been sleeping in when the call for a clan meeting rung in his ears. At first, he simply rolled over in his bed, flicking his ear as if to dismiss the words of calling together and tried to get back to sleep. Since his mentor had been killed during the battle over the tunnels, he had not been given another mentor and was just simply another helping-paw. Sometimes he was cleaning out the dens, other times helping the medicine cat, and then he had the rest of the time to get rest and sit around camp all day long. Though it was an appealing idea, he really wished he had some sort of routine. He missed his mentor and the training they had gotten to do...now with him gone, that didn't happen nearly as much.

Then it occurred to Gorsepaw that this could be a turn around. Maybe they were doing an apprentice ceremony! It was about time for Mousefoot's kits to get apprenticed, maybe this was the time and Mothstar could give him a new mentor. The very thought of it had the ginger tom on his paws and out of the apprentice den.

Practically bouncing on his white paws, Gorsepaw wove his way between gathering cats and stood beneath the shadow of the Tallrock, making sure he was in a spot where Mothstar would see him. Not that he was trying to get unneeded attention...he just wanted to be sure the new leader didn't forget about him.

He didn't realize that he was in midst of the soon-to-be apprenticed kits until Stonekit nearly ran into him, chattering excitedly with his sisters Mintkit and Breezekit. Gorsepaw wasn't much older than the kits but he was already taller and as muscled as the other apprentices so he had to look down at the trio, smiling and tail quivering with excitement. "This is it, Stonekit, I can feel it." the tom mewed, looking back up at the rock where the tuxedo leader stood over the clan.

Onewhisker

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"let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here at the foot of tall rock!"[/i]

The call for a meeting rang out for the entire clan to hear, and you bet Onewhisker heard it. He was already up and had come back from the morning patrol with Spottedthorn and few other warriors. Sitting outside the warriors den, the brown tabby tom was busying himself with a quick morning grooming, running a paw over his ear before licking at his white chest. His amber eyes flickered up at moment to see the newly appointed leader, Mothstar, standing on the Tallrock with confidence and happiness. Mousefoot's litter of older kittens were scrabbling out of the den to get under the great stone, talking excitedly with each other and Ashfoot.

So, this was going to an apprentice ceremony? Wonderful. A way to bring the clan out of their grief. Onewhisker thought as he walked over and took a seat next to the leader's mate, glancing upward at the skies where the stars no longer shown. Deadstar was up there now with Tallstar, watching over Windclan. They were no doubt proud to see the clan moving forward even in his dark time.

"A good time for a ceremony, wouldn't you agree?" Onewhisker dipped his head politely to the older warrior, wrapping his tail around his paws.

[{ KYRA }]

ooc| okay, there has been a lot of shuffling around with the mentors, so let's hope i match everyone up correctly. correct me if i pair up the wrong people, please.

ic| all the clan had gathered and there was no more chance of him putting it off. but he trusted his choices, he really did. he believed that starclan had guided him, as they had in so many decisions, and starclan would not be let astray. although he worried and fretted and overanalyzed, he trusted. let the clan judge his first choices as leader...

it felt odd to say those words he had too many times before by tallstar and heatherstar, but he knew them by heart and let them flow easily from his muzzle. "mintkit, breezekit, and stonekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed." he looked upon the kits with shining eyes. surely this was as an important a day to them as it was to him. he remembered his own apprentice ceremony vividly...

"stonekit," he beckoned to the little gray tom. "from this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as stonepaw." he looked at his deputy and nodded to the she-cat, signaling that she should step forward. "iceclaw will be your mentor. she is one of the finest warriors i know, and i hope she will pass down all her experience to you." his deputy was a stunning she-cat. he couldn't be more proud of iceclaw. to her came the words, "iceclaw, you are a wonderful deputy, and you have proven yourself loyal and brave. i expect you to teach stonepaw everything you know." he paused, as tallstar always had, expecting the two cats to touch noses.

but his work was not done. there were still more names to give and mentors to appoint. next, he eyed breezekit. breezekit, from this moment on, you shall be called breezepaw, and spottedthorn will be your mentor." now it was time to beckon his mate. "spottedthorn, you have always been patient and hardworking. you will make an excellent mentor for breezepaw, and i expect you to teach breezepaw everything she needs to know." again, the pause for ceremonial nose-touching.

one more of mousefoot's kits left. the one he was most worried about. not because of the apprentice, but because of the mentor. it was his most controversial choice yet, but he saw so much potential in both cats and thought that perhaps the pairing would inspire growth in each. a learning experience on both ends, perhaps. "mintkit, please step forward," he began softly. "from now until the day you receive your warrior name, you will be known as mintpaw." he said nothing about a mentor yet, because he took this next bit very seriously. before, he had spoken to iceclaw and spottedthorn generically as they were experienced cats whom he was sure could easily handle training. but this next talk mattered more to him... he eyed his daughter in the crowd, and mewed, "mousedapple, you are still very young, but i believe you are ready to take on an apprentice. you received excellent training from your own mentor, and you have never lacked confidence in your ability. you are stronger than you think," and stronger than the clan thinks, i hope, "and you have proven yourself worthy of being a mentor to mintpaw. i hope that you pass your skills and your knowledge onto your apprentice."

his pause here was only brief... better not to give the crowd time to protest. he started again quickly, beckoning to the older apprentice, gorsepaw. "gorsepaw, do not think that I've forgotten about you. since your mentor has, unfortunately, been forced to retire,"a sorry consequence of the war, mothstar thought, to lose such a great warrior, "i have decided that i will mentor you myself." It wasn't a common choice, to have a leader mentor an apprentice, but gorsepaw had been through so much. born during the dark ages of windclan when they had been forced out of their territory... he deserved some extra care. "just because i'm leader doesn't mean i should neglect my basic duties as warrior. i am experienced in both battle and leadership, and I will do my best to impart my wisdom onto you as you finish your training as an apprentice."

the tom dipped his head down and quickly skirted to the bottom of the rock to touch his nose to gorsepaw's. he closed his eyes and prayed that the clan would begin chanting the names of the apprentices, as they usually did, and not riot over the choices he had made for mentors.