Flowerkit blinked her tiredness away, as the setting sun light the pine bedding of the camp. The tall pine branches far above the heads of the cats just returning to camp, as she looked up at the dark gray tom that seemed to disappear into his den. Taking a deep sigh she turned around to head back into the den, leaving another claw mark on a small branch on the way back in. settling back down in the now empty and abandoned nest, her generous adopted mother already moved into the warriors den.

As she settles her head down to rest, a loud caterwaul breaks through the silence. "May all outer circle cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the leader's perch for a clan meeting!" the grumpy tone of Stormstar echoed through the den.

Flowerpaw slowly rose up to her paws as she headed to the entrance beyond which she could see so many familiar faces, as they all assembled under the very tired looking NeedleClan leader who watched them all. His deputy taking seat right below his positon as the she-cat also surveyed the cats gathered around.

"Tonight, with the grace of our dear medicine cats, we must announce a new apprentice to come from the nursery; Flowerkit, step forward!"

Flowerkit stepped silently down the slope to the gathered cats below, as she weaved through her clanmates so many of them looked down with pity. But the leader's gaze far above them was of annoyance and indifference.

As she arrived right below the perch, she was met face to face with the clan deputy… the dark brown she-cat curled her lip before turning her head up to the leader above.

Stormstar took a deep sigh as he watched her. "As a member of the outer circle you might not amount to anything, you are no longer your young kit self… you are now a paw, an apprentice! And so your name shall reflect that, Flowerkit is no more! Now she is Flowerpaw!"

Flowerpaw closed her eyes as she held her breath, waiting to hear what unlucky cat will be her mentor.

"Fernback shall over see your training."

With that final word the dark gray tom dropped down, and disappeared through the entrance to his den. Flowerpaw turned her head to look at the half deaf tom who arrived at her side, he tried to give her a smile before it faded from his face. flicking his tail he lead her of the gathering and towards the apprentice den.

…

"Get up! I am not going to be your mother klutz, and I have better things to do than sit around waiting for you to wake up!" growled the black and white apprentice before swiping her paw downwards and striking the calico she-cat hard.

Flowerpaw jolted awake from the smack on the back of the head, her head shooting straight up as her breathing rose higher as well as her hackles. Claws sliding out of their sheaths before disappearing again, as she rose up onto her paws and watched the bent white tail of Archpaw disappear through the entrance. Pausing to stretch the sleep out of her limbs she held her head down low before slipping out of the den.

A low branch hit her left ear as she backed up a little, stumbling out of the den with her head ear having an insatiable itch. Her eyes squinted to the bright sunlight outside, as she regained her sight she narrowly dodged the two toms jumping over her ear tips. As rushed down the small slope into the clearing below, she looked over her shoulder at the two toms that briefly looked in her direction before returning to their game. As Flowerpaw turned around and pressed towards the pale gray tom, his torn ear twitching as he turned to face his apprentice.

As Flowerpaw sat her haunches down she looked over at the disfigured she-cat, Willowfoot, her kind blue eyes didn't share any hope for the new apprentice. Fresh from the nursery and about to dive into the reality of her rank, she would have the energy and clean fur of the youngest outer circle apprentice. As her eyes looked over at the dark brown tabby, stumbling back as one of the inner circle warriors shoved him from his nearly blind side.

Flowerpaw didn't realize that her mentor had spoken to her and that she just ignored them. Her head snapping back around with her hackles rising, as her ear tips burned hotter than a warm leaf day. Fernback, thankfully, did seem very bemused by the whole thing; as Flowerpaw stammered for a moment the pale gray tom repeated himself one more time. "I will be showing you around the territory, however we will not return to camp as we need to get your fighting skills started as soon as possible."

"I understand." Flowerpaw answered.

"Get yourself something to eat from the fresh kill pile, and then meet me over by the camp entrance." Fernback meowed before heading to get his own meal from the pile, as Flowerpaw fell back behind him and watching the inner circle depart from their destination. Soon replaced by the middle layer warriors, and then the outer circle finally arrived at the same time as the other two. Fernback grabbed a small vole, and left towards the outer circle's side of the clearing. Flowerpaw hovered at the edge of the fresh kill, there was just a tiny mouse left for her to take.

Grabbing it in her jaws she headed over to where Littlepaw and Palepaw were relaxing in the sun, both apprentices turned their heads as Flowerpaw dropped her meal and settled down with the other two. "Good morning." She murmured, before beginning to feast.

Littlepaw flicked an ear as he straightened up, licking the blood from his jaws as he looked down at his own meal. "Morning, ugh… a really rough one at that!" the tom grumbled reaching up with a front paw to itch at his ear. "I swear to StarClan if I wake up with another annoying itch anywhere in my body you can be sure that I'll… well never mind that part but you get my picture."

"Tigerscratch has been extremely bitter this morning, I wonder if whoever replaced her bedding left unwanted gifts in the moss." Grumbled Palepaw, the pale ginger she-cat flicking her tail behind her as her amber eyes burned under her dark brow.

Flowerpaw followed the she-cat's gaze over to the dark tabby that was pacing at the bottom of the leader's perch, where Stormstar sat watching over the clearing with his piercing blue eyes.

Flowerpaw turned her head back to her den mates who just finished their meals, standing up on their paws and leaving the spot to head towards the warriors' corner. As Flowerpaw sat there she began eating once more when the paws of the inner circle apprentices kicked her meal away from her, as she watched them hover above it before they shrugged and picked it up. Heading across camp to the large group of inner circle cats on the far end, not paying mind to the still hungry new cat back where they came from; Flowerpaw wanted to go after them but she thought better than it.

Rising up onto her paws she headed over to where Fernback was waiting for her, his head turning to watch the she-cat sit down beside him as he looked her over. Before sighing and getting up onto his scarred paws, his eyes tired and drooping as he turned around to lead the way out of the camp.

As they crossed the clearing, Flowerpaw looked over her shoulder at the camp behind her.