Beekit burst out from the nursery, more excited than she had ever been before. "Owlpelt!" She called, running over to the Warriors den. Waiting at the entrance she mewed again. "Owlpelt!" A moment later an angry yowl came from within the den.
"Quiet, Rogue!" The Tom spat angrily, hissing at the kit as he pushed his nose through the den entrance. "Owlpelt's not here. Let us sleep." Beekit's ears and tail dropped.
"I'm sorry, Molestep. I'm just excited for my apprentice ceremony today." Molestep scoffed and began cleaning his ears as if the kit didn't exist.
"I don't see the point of making you an apprentice. You'll never be a warrior. A filthy rogue like you could never be trusted to protect the clan. You'll only betray us in the future." Beekit dropped to her belly and crawled away, tail dragging Along the ground behind her. Reaching the nursery she sat down, ears drooped and tail sadly lying beside her.
Giving her fur a quick shake she began to groom herself. No matter what any other cat said, she wanted to look presentable for her ceremony. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" Beekit looked up from licking her chest fur at Stormstars yowl. Happiness built up in her chest as she practically ran, ungracefully, over to the high rock and sat beneath it. Chest puffed up with pride she could barely contain her excitement as Stormstar approached.
"We have gathered here to witness the apprenticeship of this kit. Beekit, you have reached your sixth moon and it is time for you to become an apprentice, come foreword." There were whispers around the clan gathering as Beekit stepped foreword. Stormstar silenced than all with a flick of his tail before continuing. "Beekit, from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Beepaw. Your mentor will be Flowerpelt. I hope Flowerpelt will pass down all she knows on to you."
"Beepaw! Beepaw!" There was only one cat cheering her new name. Beepaw turned around and flicked her ear, thanking Owlpelt who she hadn't noticed sitting there before. He just purred and sat proudly.
Beepaw glanced at Whitechest. The she-cat had made it clear that Beepaw was not her kit. Even now as she sat at the entrance to the nursery, she ignored her and groomed her real kits.
Stormstar brought everyone's attention back to him. "Flowerpelt, I believe it is time you had an apprentice. You have proven yourself to be a -" Flowerpelt hissed angrily, her back arching and her fur bristling in all direction, and gave a yowl of distress, interrupting her leader.
"I will not teach that 'rogue kit' the way of Thunderclan! Starclan would never accept this!" A slow panic spread through the clan. Stormstar had to yowl to get everyone's attention.
"Redtooth, as medicine cat for Thunderclan, you are closer to Starclan than any cat. Have you received any warnings from Starclan? Do they approve of this kit?" Redtooth rose to his paws to address the clan. Looking at Stormstar for a brief moment, asking permission to speak, he yowled loudly do every cat could hear.
"I have received neither good nor bad signs from Starclan. It would seem that, at the moment, Starclan is reserving judgment for another time." Whispers spread through the gathering.
"Flowerpelt. Are you willing to take on this apprentice until the time Starclan judges her?" Stormstar yowled above the whispers.
"No." She hissed, not changing her opinion. Stormstar bristled, his tail tip flicking in anger.
"I will mentor her!" Owlpelt mewed. Stormstar nodded but before he could address the clan, making it official, another cat yowled.
"I will take her! This clan needs to learn that kits should not be judged by any cat. Only Starclan or their own actions can allow them to be judged!" Owlpelt sat down and relaxed. Even Stormstar's fur lay flat as he too relaxed.
"Very well! Patchleaf, teach Beepaw the Warriors code and raise her to be a warrior that Thunderclan can be proud of. I expect you to pass on all you know to Beepaw." No cat objects. All around, tails lashed unhappily and fur bristled. However, none would question both their leader and their deputy.
Stormstar padded away from the high rock, signalling with his tail that the meeting was over. Beepaw quickly ran over to Patchleaf and touched noses with her.
"We'll leave for training tomorrow just after the dawn patrol leave camp."
"Ok!" Beepaw mewed excitedly. "Oh, and thank you Patchleaf." The deputy nodded then left to sort out the evening patrol.
Beepaw just sat there, watching all the cats in her clan. Everything was well. Leaf fall wasn't that far off, yet the prey was still plentiful. Soon it would be harder for her and her clan but Beepaw was confident that they would still thrive.
While she just sat there, watching her clan, Owlpelt came over to sit beside her. "Happy?" He mewed. Beepaw purred in reply. "I'm sorry about the reaction at your ceremony." Beepaw's ears drooped slightly but they shot back up again.
"It doesn't matter. Now that I'm an apprentice I can show them how loyal I am. I couldn't do that as a kit, but now I can." She purred, chest fur puffed up with determination. Owlpelt purred with her then licked her ear encouragingly.
"Now go get some sleep." Beepaw nodded and started padding away in the direction of the nursery but she quickly corrected herself and headed for the apprentices den.