A Warrior's Beginnings

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Talonstar Leader of HailClan ----------------------------------------------- "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Lookout for a clan meeting!" yowled Talonstar after he'd leapt up on the rock in the center of camp. It was time to add an apprentice to their ranks, even if she was coming from an unusual place. Flamekit was about to be named Flamepaw in front of the entire clan. It had been nearly three moons since he'd offered her a spot in his clan, and at the time he'd thought that the kit would never make it, that she'd bolt back to TwolegPlace as soon as she could after Falconsong had carried her back. He had been cruel when he told Duchess as she'd been called then the truth about her parents leaving, he even later admitted that to Falconsong in private, but so far she had proved him wrong about what he'd thought she'd do. As a leader, this was one of the proudest moments of his life. As the mentor he had been challenged to become, he couldn't be more nervous. He'd thought about who Flamekits mentor would be for well over a moon now. He'd talked to Falconsong about it. Even with all of that thought and preparation, he had only just decided a mere few minutes before he'd called the meeting. Now with everyone slowly trickling into the clearing in front of him, he was sure he'd made the right choice. "Cats of HailClan, I'm sure you all know why I've called you all out tonight...It's time to name a new apprentice."

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Flamekit had been playing in the nursery with the few kits that were in there. The queens were sleeping while she played and she giggled with her play mates. Of course she liked being in the nursery it was as if she had a knew family all over again. She could hear her foster uncle outside of the nursery, somewhere in camp and she stopped what she was doing to go over by the entrance to see what her uncle was doing. He had called a clan meeting and her head turned towards Falconsong, she really didn't want to become an apprentice, being in the nursery was so much fun after all. "Do I have to?" She whined quietly to her foster mother before walking towards her to rub pelts. Reguardless of what Falconsong was about to say to her, she listened and chose to walk out of the nursery for her apprentice ceremony, for one reason she didn't want to make Talonstar look like a fool for not eve showing up for her ceremony, but before she made her exit she turned to the kits and promised that she would be back to visit them.

Flamekit walked towards the crowd of cats and sat down in the very front to catch her uncle's words about how it was time to name a new apprentice. She knew he was talking about her, simply because she was the oldest she-cat in the nursery, all the other kits had been named apprentice long before her. Flamekit smiled up at her uncle, trying to become excited for her new life, still wishing that she could return back to the nursery because it was another apprentice he was talking about after all. Flamekit slowly started thinking about her family, Would they be proud of me, or angry that I haven't gone out to find them yet? Her face showed how worried she was about the thoughts she had placed in her mind. Of course they would be happy for me.... else they would have come to find me about now.... She decided to herself, the worried looking going away and being replaced by a happy smile. She had listed to queens talk to the kits about becoming apprentices and how their mentors were somewhat hard, to make sure that the apprentice was ready to become a warrior so that they wouldn't be weak and die off.

Flamekit was pulled out of her thoughts to look up at her uncle again. Today was about her and no matter who her mentor would be she would chose to be happy and work hard for him or her, so that she wouldn't disappoint Talonstar or Falonsong, seeing the importance since she wasn't born a clan cat, she wasn't even born a loner or rogue, but a kitty-pet none the less, one of the most lazy set of cats you would ever meet, except Flamekit was raised up well for not being a clan cat and will prove to make a great warrior among the clan.

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[Falconsong]

Falconsong, the only queen in the nursery to have never given birth, had been jumpy all day. Unlike most of the Clan, she knew exactly what her brother had planned for this afternoon. Flamekit wasn't her blood-kin, but no one in HailClan would argue that she wasn't the tabby's daughter. With how the queen had acted for most of the day, one would think she was the one about to go through a ceremony. She had hardly let Flamekit out of her sight. The youngster had a tendency to wander off at the worst possible moment, and today would be the worst of the worst. Finally, she heard the familiar call from the middle of camp. It took effort to not jump up. One of the other queens purred in amusement. Falconsong smiled ruefully and forced herself to calm down. I wasn't this excited for my own apprentice ceremony, she thought to herself. "She'll do fine, Falconsong. Relax," the other queen murmured. The silver tabby nodded gratefully and took a few deep breaths. By that time, her kit had approached with a whimper. Falconsong's restlessness quieted almost at once. "Oh, my little one," she said gently, bending to lick the fur flat on Flamekit's head. "You don't have to, but you'll regret it if you don't. What would you do if an enemy Clan attacked camp? You couldn't protect your friends in the nursery if you didn't have any training. Besides, becoming a warrior is what being a clan cat is all about." She knew the kit was loyal to HailClan and that deep down, she wanted to contribute to the family that had adopted her. "Hold on, Flamekit," she said as the kit started toward the Lookout. "Let's get you presentable first." Falconsong spent as little time as possible straightening out the kit's fur and removing the dust that had accumulated during her playtime. "You'll have plenty of time to play with them between your training and your chores. I promise." The queen followed her kit out of the nursery, through the medicine cat's den, and to the center of camp where most of the Clan was congregating. The conversation she had with Talonstar a few weeks before ran through her thoughts, and she wondered, not for the first time, if he would rise to the challenge she had given. Well, she'd find out soon enough. Falconsong sat next to her kit, more proud than she had ever been. "You'll be fantastic, Flamekit. I already know." She looked down at the kit and smiled encouragingly.
Member Tags: HailClan	Falconsong's Mood: proud
Out of Character Notes: woo woo! Flamepaw!

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Talonstar Leader of HailClan ----------------------------------------------- He watched as the kit and his sister walked to the front row, Falconsong murmuring words of encouragement to the young cat, then looked back out over the clan. "It's been a few moons since we've named a new apprentice, even longer since HailClans' leader took an apprentice. You all know Duchess. Look at her before us, now known as Flamekit because of her fiery pelt. Let her now be called Flamepaw!" Talonstar let the clan call her name as he jumped down from the top of the rocks, approaching the young cat. He looked at his sister and nodded to her, before turning back to Flamepaw. "You all know that it wasn't my first choice to bring this cat in among us, but she's been a great addition to the clan so far, and I hope that she'll continue to do so. I will be her mentor." He spoke with in a voice that easily carried to every cat in the clearing, and had a twinkle in his eyes. He walked up to her and bent his head to touch noses with her.

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Flamekit stopped and allowed Falconsong clean her fur before going out of the nursery with her. What ever Talonstar had in store for her, she'd be ready. After she had sat down next to her mother in the center of camp. She turned her head as Falonsong spoke, "Thanks mom." She had started calling the she-cat mom since she had adopted her and cared for her the last three moons. Though the thought of calling her Falonsong again came to mind, really doubting her foster mother would care either way. Talonstar spoke up after more cats had gathered and started speaking about how it had been moons since they had a new apprentice and how long it had been seen the leader had taken on an apprentice. His words didn't cross her mind that he was hinting that he was about to take her as his apprentice. Listening to him as he called her Duchess she grinned, happy he remembered her old name, and held that grin when he called her Flamekit.

Even though her mother had named her Duchess, she loved her new name all the better, maybe it was because she felt like it suited her much better. Talonstar renamed her Flamepaw, something she didn't expect, but this was her first time at an apprentice ceremony so she didn't know how it worked. She looked around herself as her clan mates cheered out her name. Then Talonstar spoke about how he hadn't planned on her joining the clan and all she could think was, neither did i. She looked at Falonsong and smiled at her, even though she wanted her family again the she-cat had picked her up and taken her back to the camp. Flamepaw understood why the she-cat had done it, she cared about her safety and Flamepaw was lucky she hadn't been killed when she first got lost out in the forest to begin with. She felt like she had something to fight for and had stopped thinking about her kitty-pet life. She missed her family, but she loved the clan life and would never change what had happened in the world.

Flamepaw was pulled out of her thoughts when Talonstar had told the clan he'd be mentoring her himself. Oh boy... She was nervous and excited at the same time. He had jumped down from the rocks and walked towards her. She stood and watched him, she didn't want to fail her foster uncle. Not when he planned on mentoring her himself. He bent over to touch noses with her and she leaned somewhat in to join him, touching her nose to his. Flamepaw was proving to be more excited as the time continued to go by. All she could do was stare at her mentor as well as uncle waiting to hear what she was to do next.

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