(O)h my! All these Paws!!

[Gracklepaw]

Overwhelmed.

The very first emotion Gracklepaw felt when he stepped in the apprentices' den.
Finally, he was here!
He looked around for his friend, only friend, Fallowkit.
Er... Fallowpaw.

Did she already make a bed without him?
They promised they would make theirs side-by-side.
His eyes darted around, kind of frantically.
He felt lost a little bit.
At least in the nursery he always had his mother to turn to.
At least, in the nursery, he was one of the biggest.

Not now, he was one of the smallest.
Oh please... someone talk to me and make me feel less awkward...
Are any of his adopted siblings in here?
Anyone he knew...?

[Fallowpaw]

"Gracklepaw!" Fallowpaw ran over to her friend. "It's about time you got in here," she mewed with a smile. "I've saved a nest for you over there."
With her tail, she pointed to two empty nests. She was glad to have her ceremony with Gracklepaw. She could tell he looked a bit uncomfortable. And the she-cat couldn't blame him. She still hadn't fully adjusted to moving into the apprentice's den, where they were now the smallest. At least they were going through this together.

[Birchsnap]

Birchpaw was taking a nap when she heard the pawsteps of a cat enter the den. She opened her one eye and raised her head, seeing a somewhat familiar face. Stretching each leg elegantly before rising, Birchpaw yawned. She then stood and looked over at Gracklepaw, a smile on her face. She remembered him when she was playing with the kits in the camp clearing. Birchpaw flexed her claws, blinking a couple times to let the sleep dwindle from her vision.

"Grackle, right?" She meowed in her sweet voice. Birchpaw walked calmly over to the new apprentice, and stopped in front of him, sitting down with ease, and wrapping her tail around her paws. She then saw the other cat and smiled at her, not wanting to seem unfriendly.

[Gracklepaw]

Relief flooded over the new apprentice when he spotted two of his friends.
He glanced over at the nests that Fallowpaw provided and purred gingerly.
Thank Cloudclan..
He already felt better when he realized Birchpaw, an old apprentice, was going to be so kind to him.

"Hey guys!

Gracklepaw meowed happily, sitting down to meet Birchpaw's pose.

"I'm glad you're both here.
I have officially learned I am not a fan of bigger groups."

He purred with a little bit of laughter.

"Yes Birchpaw, I am Gracklekit... I mean Gracklepaw.
That's gonna take some getting used to!
Fallowpaw, thank you so much!

So, umm, is training hard?"

[Birchsnap]

"Depends how you take it." Birchpaw shrugged, in her mind, training wasn't that hard. The undersized apprentice had speed on her side, but not so much coordination, which she had to work on. Birchpaw smiled at Gracklepaw, liking that he was calling her a friend. She loved to make friends, and really, the more the merrier. The white striped she-cat looked at her nest, which was a good distance away from theirs, and right next to Fangpaw's, her best friend. It was good that all the nests were spread out a bit, otherwise it would get so cramped in here.

The undersized apprentice flicked her tail as a fly landed on it, and rubbed her nose with her paw as the fly made it's way outside the den, brushing the tip of her muzzle.

[lazy!]

[Fallowpaw]

"I can't wait to start on training," Fallowpaw mewed. "Honestly, I just can't wait to get out of the camp."
The new apprentice wondered how the world looked like outside of the camp. She wondered what the other territories looked like. Hopefully, the curious apprentice would be able to see it all soon.

[Gracklepaw]

As Gracklepaw came out of his shell, he grew to be much more like himself.

"Haha.
I don't think it'll be hard!
I'll be a warrior in no time, I hope.

Who is your mentor, guys?
I have Prairiesong."

Gracklekit lashed his tail, it was obvious his mentor did not want him.
It hurt his feelings a bit but he moved past it, wanting to talk to his friends without thinking about it.

[/color]

[wildflower]

Wildpaw spotted a group of 'paws. One sh eknew Gracklekit- er paw. "Hey guys. By the way my mentor is Coldstep." she mewed sitting next to them. She hadnt made a nest yet, she wanted to decide. Maybe by Fangpaws because he was her first friend.

[Fallowpaw]

"I have Foxtwist for my mentor," Fallowpaw meowed.
She hadn't seen her mentor since the ceremony. The new apprentice knew training didn't have to start right away, but she hoped to start soon. She hoped her mentor would turn out to be a good one. Of course Foxtwist will be a good mentor, she thought. Hawkstar wouldn't have picked her if she wasn't.
She turned to Wildpaw and greeted her with a smile. "Hey Wildpaw."

[Gracklepaw]

Gracklepaw purred when he spotted his friend, Wildpaw.
He felt lucky to get his ceremony at the same time that Fallowpaw and Wildpaw got theirs.
Wildpaw had obviously not nested yet, so Gracklepaw said:

"Wildpaw, you can nest by Fallowpaw and I if you want to."

He listened to them as they spoke of their mentors.

"I hope mine is around a lot, and not too busy.
I heard she has or had a lot of apprentices, and it seems like I am her newest burden.
I mean, I don't know if it's personal or she is just too busy..."

[Fallowpaw]

"I highly doubt it's personal," Fallowpaw meowed, comforting her friend. "I guess Prairiesong might just want some time to herself. But one of the responsibilities of being a warrior means that you have to take on apprentices. She must be a pretty good mentor if Hawkstar keeps assigning her apprentices. At least this means you'll be trained pretty well."
Fallowpaw hoped that Prairiesong's attitude towards Gracklepaw would change. She didn't want him feeling like he was just a pest to the warrior.

[wildflower]

"Its because Prairiesong has always had so many apprentices. She comes into the leaders den for the night exhausted eveyday. Right now i think she has about five. We are just running short of warriors, but Hawkstar shouldnt assign her so many. An thanks Grackle." she mewed with a shrug. She quickly mad her nest next to Gracklepaws because she didnt know Fallowpaw but she would soon. "I hope Coldstep is a good mentor. He is my adoptive father, but i havent heard of any apprentices he has trained so far. Do any of you guys?" she asked.

[Gracklepaw]

Gracklepaw purred gratefully at his friends, Fallowpaw and Wildpaw.
Hopefully they were right.
Regardless, her words made him feel better.
He couldn't help but grow excited for training once more.
Then, one day, he would take on his own apprentice.

He would make sure to always be around for his little 'paw.
Make them feel wanted and train them as hard as possible.
For the good, of course.

"Thank you, Wildpaw, Fallowpaw.
I really hope we can train together.
If we do good our ceremonies can be together.. again!"

His eyes held gratitude and excitement in them now.

[Deleted]

Icypaw stepped out of her nest. "You're lucky you have Coldstep. He's had Talonfang, and a few other cats." Icypaw mewed. She liked Wildpaw as a friend but she wasn't sure if she liked any other cat as more than a friend. Then there was Fangpaw, there was something about the tom that made her chest well up, and her heart ache when she was near him but she never told anybody else about that feeling. It was private and she wasn't sure if he liked her back.

[wildflower]

(How could you steal Fangy from me?!)
Wildpaw purred and nudged Gracklepaw. "Welcome Grackle. Hes had Talonfang? So hes a good mentor. Well thats good. But it takes awhile dosent it. You guys better wait for me." Wildpaw mewed playfully batting at Grackles ears. She hoped they would and Fangpaw would to and Icypaw.