[Fawntastic]

Lionstar

The crown is getting heavy
But they've written my name in the stars

"May all cats who call this forest home, gather to me!"

Somewhere in the course of greenleaf's end, Lionstar had lost track of the Clan's youngsters. There were four who needed to be made apprentices. Lionstar wasn't one to make excuses; he had been distracted, plain and simple. The trouble with NightClan had rankled him deeply, but the vicious attack and loss of life from Demon had done far worse.

Even now, as the tom sat proud upon the Ancient Stump, silver flecking on his muzzle that spoke of moons' of service, Lionstar wore the ropey scars of Demon's claws across his body.

Lionstar's gaze found Appleshade, even as she was fastidiously and obsessively cleaning her snow-white trio just outside the nursery. He smiled; the preening mother likely hadn't got an ounce of sleep last night after he'd told her of this morning's plans. He could practically hear her fussing from the stump. Appleshade shot him a furtive glance, and he tried to reassure her with a calm, firm expression in return - but the queen still seemed frazzled.

The future was riddled with uncertainties. TreeClan hurtled toward war. He could delay their apprenticeship no longer. It was more important now than ever that they keep the influx of new warriors and new apprentices going - even if one promising young tom just so happened to be deaf. Asterkit's path would be riddled with difficulty and would require some creative solutions from both his parents and his mentor - but Lionstar put his faith in the cat he had chosen. Foxfur was peaceable and friendly, and he'd display the patience necessary to make Asterkit into a warrior.

Or as much a warrior as a tom with Asterkit's handicap could be.

"The ceremonies I will be performing this morning are overdue," he spoke to the gathered bodies, as Appleshade ushered her brood forward. "TreeClan's newleaf and greenleaf were difficult, to say the least. Let today be our Clan leaving our troubles in the past and taking a step towards further prosperity. It is time for four new apprentices to join the Clan." Lionstar whisked his tail, commanding them forward.

"Snowkit, Birchkit, Asterkit, Glacierkit - step forward. From this moment on, you will go by Snowpaw, Birchpaw, Asterpaw and Glacierpaw, until you have proven yourselves warriors in your own turn. Fawnspring!" Lionstar's words hooked the petite she-cat by the ears, and she stared, wide-eyed and startled, as he called her forth. "Maplebrook taught you well, and you have been a steadfast, loyal member of the Clan. Snowpaw, you will be mentored by Fawnspring. Ivyclaw," Lionstar addressed his daughter next, suppressing a rumbling purr of support. "Gorsetail embodies so many of TreeClan's best qualities, and just as he passed on those principles to you, I am expecting you to pass them on to an apprentice of your own. Birchpaw, Ivyclaw will be your new mentor."

Now for Asterpaw. The alabaster tom would never recognize his new name, but his siblings and parents were giving him enough visual cues to help him understand that this was important. That he was the focus right now. "Foxfur, you have the patience and the creativity needed to help guide Asterpaw to warriorhood. Thus, I am leaving him in your care. Foxfur, you will mentor Asterpaw."

"Pumafang," Lionstar addressed his deputy last but not least, surveying the expression on the huge black-brown tom's face as he called upon him to take on an apprentice. Glacierkit had come to them through mysterious means, but TreeClan had opened their hearts to the young, gangly looking tom. Mistylight was fussing over her two remaining kits, but Lionstar chose to believe Glacierkit's surrogate mother was proud of him. The tom was young and serious and thoughtful, and reminded Lionstar of the cat he had chosen to fill Gorsetail's pawsteps.

Having more cats like TreeClan's new deputy wouldn't hurt. Golden eyes zeroed in on Pumafang. "As my deputy, I expect much from you. As Glacierpaw's mentor, I expect even more. I believe you have the discipline and the fortitude to balance deputyship duties with your new role as a teacher. Do not let me down."

The Clan stirred, eager to begin chanting their new names as the apprentices and mentors paired up, performing the customary greeting. Lionstar held them off with a raised tail, adding. "Fawnspring, Foxfur, Ivyclaw; your apprentices are a season behind in their training. I have faith that you'll embrace this as a challenge and not a setback."

The dainty she-cat, Fawnspring, hadn't lost that shell-shocked expression the whole ceremony, and he could practically see the gears in her head turning, desperate to come up with a clear, concise training plan for young Snowpaw. I hope I didn't burden her with too much too soon. Time would reveal the results of their matchup; all Lionstar could do now was join in with the chanting, and put his trust in his Clanmates.

I've been building up all these kingdoms for so long
It's good to be king

105 Moons || TreeClan || 815 Words ||

Zeneka (Ivyclaw)
Ginger (Foxfur)
♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 (Asterpaw!)
@rachii (Birchpaw)
Bloodrose (Snowpaw, Skyfall)
KARAZHAL (Glacierpaw)
@jet (Pumafang)


Date: Leaf-fall 2 The sun is hidden today behind dense clouds, cooling the entire valley a significant amount.
Year #7

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

Asterpaw

7 Moons || TreeClan || Apprentice

There was definitely something different in the way everyone behaved today. There was a restlessness in the air, one that Asterkit could detect not just in his mother but in every cat in the camp. It almost matched his own restlessness. He'd had a huge desire to explore beyond the camp many times for two moons now, but each time he had been halted by an older cat and he didn't understand why. He felt like a prisoner, and the frustration had driven him to wander away on his own quite often. He found that he liked being alone, mostly. A lot of pressure on him to try and please those around him lifted when the only cat he had to please was himself. Once a tiny, bundling white kit, Asterkit was growing fast. He was beginning to show the stature of a tom, the kitten fluff vanishing from behind his ears. He still wasn't quite caught up with his brother and sister yet, but it wouldn't be long before he did.

He was stretched out at the edge of the clearing, enjoying the coolness of the earth beneath his paws and the peace of solitude, when suddenly the entire space was filling with cats. Blue eyes flashing around in surprise, Asterkit sat up. Every cat floated towards the same direction, and Asterkit felt a wave of confusion wash over him. He hadn't seen anything like this happen before. That was when he was nudged to his feet, and when he rose he turned his sky-blue eyes towards his mother. She practically attacked him with her tongue, grooming him as fiercely as she always had. He rumbled in protest, wincing away from her. He was big enough to groom his own pelt. And why- Before he could wonder any more, everyone around him was walking away. Not sure what else to do, Asterkit followed them. He sat down beside Birchkit and Snowkit, and followed everyone's gaze to where the long-haired ginger tom he had seen often enough before stood. His pelt burned, he could feel the brush of so many eyes, the attention of so many cats fixed on him. He glanced around nervously. Had he done something wrong again? He let out a breath. It seemed he couldn't walk from one end of the camp to the other without attracting attention. Pressing gently against Snowkit's side, he found comfort in her familiar smell and the excitement in her odd-coloured eyes as she stared up at Lionstar. Though he couldn't really understand the source of her joy, the sight of her happiness was enough to make Asterkit's heart warm.

It was when an unfamiliar russet-red tom slid through the crowd and stopped in front of him that Asterpaw's attention was snapped back to the present situation. What? His blue eyes were questioning, wide as they looked up at Foxfur. If the red warrior attempted to lean down to touch his nose to Asterpaw's, Asterpaw would flinch away uncertainly, not really sure what the strange tom was doing. His eyes flickered uncertainly to Appleshade, struggling with the discomfort of an unknown cat approaching him so abruptly and then invading his personal space. He was also battling his own confusion as to why everyone was seated here, why everyone was staring at him and his littermates. He knew it was something important, but every cat seemed to understand what was going on except for him. It was hopelessly embarrassing. He looked back at Foxfur, and it was only the sense that this other tom was only trying to be friendly that made him not attempt to retreat away.

Can't you see I'm trying ?

606 || Ginger || This was so difficult but fun to write oml

[KARAZHAL]

GLACIERPAW

All of TreeClan suddenly rustled like leaves in the wind.

Two long legs stretched out of the nursery. Glacierkit, waiting in silent anticipation, had his narrow snout poked out of the entryway and eyes trained hopefully on the gathering cats. He'd been to clan ceremonies before, but this one was the most important. He would no longer be bound to the nursery and its rules. Mistylight had spent a long time telling him how much he would be learning (all for her kits' sakes, of course) and lecturing him about being on his best behavior for his mentor. Glacierkit had little inclination to not do that anyway so he waved her away politely with repeated "yes ma'am"s until she talked herself out.

As Lionstar's boom echoed in the hallow log, Glacierkit felt himself drawn upright and he marched out of the den he would never sleep in again. I'm ready. He'd been amped for this for days now. He almost wouldn't have looked back if Cherrykit hadn't squealed, "Wait for me!" and his lopes stopped until she and Rosekit could catch up. Automatically, he slowed his long-legged gait for them to keep up with him. He wasn't big, just tall, so he towered over the other kits beside him in the line-up. Rosekit nearly imperiously followed him but Mistylight tugged her back into place beside her.

Glacierkit's wedge-shaped head swung to the others who were around his age. Snowkit, Birchkit, and Asterkit were getting cleaned up fiercely by their mother. Glacierkit looked down at himself, chin burying in his white ruff. He sniffed himself twice before licking his paw and quickly wiping his chops. He hadn't been doing anything to warrant such a fierce bath by Appleshade. He gave Asterkit a friendly nod once Lionstar called for them all to step forward.

Their Clan Leader named mentors for the three others, leaving the tall tom last in the sequence. Glacierpaw swallowed audibly at his new suffix, lifting his head high in an attempt to look promising to whoever Lionstar named. "Pumafang," His eyes moved to the deputy. Glacierpaw showed no expression at this reveal. No smile, no nervous grimace, no fear. He met Pumafang's gaze without flinching. Behind him, he heard Mistylight titter to his sisters about how the deputy himself would be training their security, no short measures from Lionstar when it comes to my precious girls, no.

He hardly knew Pumafang. The tom always seemed on duty; Glacierpaw had only caught glimpses. It seemed fitting that he be trained personally by him, since Mistylight felt it was so important that he be able to protect her kits. As such, there was no need to feel fear or nervousness. In fact, he felt really excited, but the expression got lost somewhere on its way to his face from his brain. Glacierpaw looked at the others for cues on what to do--apparently a greeting? He'd totally forgotten about this part. He swung to his feet as ungainly as a fawn's first steps. He tried reining his long legs before they could trip up his own mentor. Hearing his own name--along with the others--being chanted was a little surreal. He wanted to greet the other three apprentices and make friends with them, since they would all be new at this together, but for now he kept his attention on Pumafang. He didn't know what to say.

ooc comments yaaay ceremony <3 ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 Fawntastic

[Ginger]

A ceremony. Kits getting old enough to finally be allowed to have some fun, to do their own things. Meanwhile, Foxfur would always just mind his business, doing the absolute bare minimum required as a warrior, knowing his lack of trying would always keep apprentices away from him. He would never be the mentor type, and the lazy warrior was rather excited by that prospect. No one to be held accountable for. No one to protect.

No one to disappoint. 

Until now.

"Foxfur, you have the patience and the creativity needed to help guide Asterpaw to warriorhood. Thus, I am leaving him in your care. Foxfur, you will mentor Asterpaw."

Green eyes snapped up towards Lionstar in disbelief. Had his laziness really been mistaken for patience? No time for questions now. I have a job to do. Offering a wink to a she-cat sitting awfully close to him, Foxfur got up and made his way over to Asterpaw, who looked rather confused by the ceremony.

This was going to be a challenge. Probably the biggest challenge the ginger warrior would ever deal with. But as he locked eyes with his new and uncertain apprentice, a surge of determination that was uncharacteristic to Foxfur's usual demeanor spread through him. He could do this. 

With a reassuring smile, Foxfur trod slowly over to Asterpaw to give the new apprentice some time to realize what was happening. Once he reached Asterpaw, rather than beginning by touching noses with the white tom, Foxfur instead paused for a moment and looked at his apprentice. With a playful flick of his tail, Foxfur motioned to his own nose as a warning for what he was about to do. 

After a few breaths had passed, Foxfur bent down to Asterpaw, pressing his nose against the white tom, purring ever so gently. His warm green eyes never broke contact with Asterpaw's striking blue ones. 

Yes, this would be a challenge. Foxfur was not Treeclan's average warrior: he was lazy, too flirtatious, and often spent his time doing completely useless things. However, Asterpaw was not Treeclan's average apprentice either. Maybe the two of them could find some unexpected common ground. The thought alone warmed Foxfur up.

---

367 words
Fawntastic , ♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 , KARAZHAL