camp THAT WOULD BE TRULY WONDERFUL || leaving the nursery

[MORNINGPAW ☆]

[ set right after the most recent apprentice ceremony! open to anyone! ]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

She's Morningpaw now. She walks away from the meeting after it's concluded feeling strange, as though she's somehow morphed into an entirely different cat within the span of minutes. She's having to leave Morningkit behind, and that means she's leaving so much that it's becoming painful and sad to think about.

The tortoiseshell point wanders to the nursery, where she had slept with her mother and her littermates the night before. She'd woken up here this morning, anxious about the ceremony, pelt licked to shining perfection by her antsy mother. And now, none of the six of them would be returning there tonight. It would be only Sunfreckle and Flickerkit, wouldn't it?

She stares longingly at the nest she'd shared with her mother, her blue eyes glossy with tears she cannot shed. She's an apprentice now. She's training to be a ThunderClan warrior. There's no reason for her to be sad, is there?

But she feels so alone now. So distant from Little Wolf and Sunfreckle who had been constant presences in her life.

She leaves the nursery, and there's a faint line of dampness that trails down her flecked cheeks. She's going to be okay, she tells herself. She's going to train hard with Wolfwind so she can join the warrior's den with Little Wolf one day. It will never be the same, but is that a bad thing?

She can't seem to convince herself. The apprentice's den is bustling and full, and she hesitates at the entrance, feeling herself torn in two as she always is. Between SkyClan and ThunderClan, between Blazestar and Little Wolf, between kithood and growing up.

- ,,​

​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

As her clanmates disperse after the meeting, a few come forward to congratulate the deputy for her grandkits' ceremonies. She smiles graciously, nodding and murmuring of her own pride before she moves through the crowd. Warriors gather their patrols and leave to hunt and visit the borders, others gather their apprentices to go train. She looks around, and her eyes immediately land upon a familiar pale pelt at the front of the apprentice's den. Blinking and ears pricking, she approaches the newly named Morningpaw, tail swishing at her heels.

"It'll be a lot warmer with so many bodies around you. You'll like that once leaf-bare's here," She mews as she stops at her granddaughter's side. She glances away from the fern that houses the clan's trainees and peers down at Morningpaw, gentle smile on her maw. "Are you excited to train with your cousin?" In her mind, it was a lovely pairing. Of course, the fact that Wolfwind is also her granddaughter may be causing some rosy judgment.​

 

[BERRYHEART]

How strange it was that they were apprentices already. And how further strange that he was now so automatically accustomed to such a term. When he had been Wisps' age, there had been no such thing as apprentices and mentors, Clans or warriors... yet for her, it was all she would have ever known. He was in danger of wandering down that path of wondering, wayfaring pleasantly and letting the peculiarity of it wash over him like a dream- but for once he kept his focus entirely intact as the crowd dispersed, attempting to pick out the faces of his kin in the din and bustle.

Beside Big Mama did Wisps sit, looking daunted as she stood before the apprentice's den. It would be a crowded one, for certain... he would wager that there were some good sleeping-places in there, but she might have to call dibs quickly. A three-footed gait carried the tom over a little slower than he would have liked, but it gave him more time to ponder his approach. As he moved to face his niece, speckled features moved subtly in a smile of reassurance, hardly noticeable but there regardless. "I can help you pick a spot, if you want." he offered, tone as quiet and level as ever. He hoped it would help her shrinking demeanour that he had no clamour in his voice, the opposite of many of his kin. ​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[Sunfreckle]

He found the emptying nursery a morose affair, as much as he wanted to get out and about he also enjoyed the calming solitutde of the sequestered little den off to the side where kits roamed and he could keep a close eye on both his and the other ones who were not his but also his at the same time. He'd been watching them all head to their new nests with excitement but noticed that Morningpaw lingered behind and seemed to drag her paws. Sweet little thing, she'd always been the clingy one of that bunch....Dovekit had been the clingy kitten of his own litter before she-well. Sunfreckle frowned intently down at his one paw, wanting to offer some words of consolation to the tearful kit but also not wanting his voice to break what was a very concentrated effort to walk away. He shuffled forward enough to peek outside, watch the tiny white and tortie dappled child stand forlornly before the now much louder apprentice den.
Sunfreckle debated stepping out to go speak to her proper away from the temptation of the nursery but thankfully Howling Wind and Berryheart were there so he kept his head down low and watched with a fretful smile. A mental note was made to tell Sparkpaw that Morningpaw looked a little sad lately and he'd take the bait with the enthusiasm he earned from Rabbitnose to smother her in his presence.

​

 

[MORNINGPAW ☆]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Little Morningpaw is startled at her grandmother's approach. She hastily wipes a mottled paw against her damp cheek, hoping against all logic that no one had noticed her acting like a little kit. Howling Wind is proud of her grandkits, after all. She doesn't want to embarrass her or make her feel bad. She's ThunderClan's deputy, and having her granddaughter act like a scared kittypet must be shameful for her.

Morningpaw blinks up at her and gives one small nod. She supposes the apprentice's den will be warm, once everyone has settled in. Everyone she'd shared a den with in the nursery is moving here, after all. Spotflare's daughters, Sunfreckle and Rabbitnose's kits, her own littermates, Shallowpaw...

"Are you excited to train with your cousin?" Morningpaw looks at her helplessly. What can she say? "I just hope I can make her proud," she murmurs. Her gaze falls to the camp floor.

A lumbering approach, quiet and contemplative but warm despite everything. Morningpaw tries to smile at Berryheart. He's the Clan's only medicine cat, and so busy, and yet he's offering to help her find a spot in her new den. She's suddenly overcome with appreciation for her kin, blinking away a different sort of teary veil as she says, "Th-that's okay, Berryheart. You don't have to. I'm sure I'll find a good spot..."

She spots a familiar ginger pelt, peeking from the nursery, and part of her longs to run to Sunfreckle and ask him to make her a kit again so she can stay late, with Flickerkit.

But Sunfreckle doesn't have that power. Even Emberstar does not have that power, because Morningpaw is too old for the nursery now, and not even their leader can turn back time.

- ,,​

​

 

[SHALLOW]

There was nothing for him to really retrieve from the nursery den. He had only been sleeping there for some few nights before today. Now he was suddenly an apprentice, and he was still learning what that really meant. But he knew it was the first step to become a warrior one day which was his final goal. Shallow had ended up walking back to the nursery as well after the meeting, out of habit maybe. But he stopt outside when he heared the noises that come from the inside. He was not familliar with anyone in this clan beside some few, not openly interacting with anyone as he keept to himself. But he did recognize this shecat from the meeting earlier. The two stood up there together. Not wanting to intrude the apprentice took a step back and turned his back at them. He could come back later he guess.


​

 

[Howlfire]

One thing Howlpaw has to agree with her sister about is that it would be strange moving out of the nursery. No longer would she sleep side by side with her mother and littermates, jostling for space in the nest as they grew bigger and bigger. The young torbie keeps her distance for a while, watching as their grandmother and uncle speak with her first, commenting about how it would feel warmer in leafbare with all the bodies and even offering to help find a spot.

"Morningpaw!" Howlpaw called out from within the den, moments before bounding over to her family. "Come, you can put your nest next to mine! We can keep each other company!" Howlpaw insisted, attempting to nudge Morningpaw away.​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howling Wind lifts her gaze as her mottled son approaches, and in his sweetness he offers to find her a spot in the crowded den. She smiles and blinks towards him in gratitude; what a generous uncle he's always been to the family's kits. Looking back towards Morningpaw, she waits to see if she accepts Berryheart's offer and is surprised when she turns it down. Fortunately, her sister isn't far off and quickly joins the group, excitedly saying they should put their nests together. "That's a wonderful idea!" The dark-furred tabby trills, beaming. She glances up, spotting Sunfreckle and Shallowpaw near the nursery. She gives the former a smile, noting the bittersweet look in his eye. It must be hard to watch all of the kits he'd grown so close to grow up and leave to begin their training. Fortunately, soon enough, he'd be back at it, too!​