Larkpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Quite a period of time had passed since Jaystar had first chosen Scorchclaw to be RiverClan's deputy. The large, fluffy tom had more or less gotten used to his duties. Even the act of carrying out apprentice ceremonies, once novel to him, had turned into an ordinary part of his daily life. A cat could grow used to almost anything, granted they experienced it enough times. One thing he had not yet done, however, was holding a warrior ceremony. The ceremony, which could very well be described as one of the pinnacles of life as a warrior, awarded an apprentice with the proof of many hard moons spent training. It was a process that essentially declared a young cat to be an adult. As the leader, Jaystar was usually the one who carried out such ceremonies. That particular evening, however, Scorchclaw found himself standing at the base of the willow tree, the responsibility of Larkpaw's warrior name weighing on his shoulders.

After a moment's pause, the large tabby ascended unto the Willow Branch. A thin layer of frost coated the bark, making it treacherously harder to climb than usual. Unsheathing his claws to get a better grip, Scorchclaw drew himself up to his full height. There would always be a first time for everything. Perhaps Jaystar had merely wanted to give him the experience, in preparation for the future when he would possibly lead RiverClan. Whatever reasons the silver striped tom had had, Scorchclaw did not intend to let him down. He had been given an opportunity; he would make the best of it. Drawing a deep breath, he called out, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Willow Branch for a clan meeting!"

Larkpaw was confused about the Moonstone journey. All of that for...nothing? There has to be some reason. Maybe something will happen that will change everything. Scorchclaw's call broke the brown tabby tom out of his thoughts, and he could probably guess what it was, as Scorchclaw was on the Willow Branch instead of Jaystar. Guess I have to wait still...

As the cats of RiverClan heard and acknowledged the summons, the space before the willow tree began to fill with an assortment of different-colored pelts. Larkpaw was among them, Scorchclaw easily recognizing the young tom. Many moons ago, he had been the one to give Larkkit his apprentice name. Now that very same cat would stand before him again, ready to take on the responsibilities of a full RiverClan warrior. How the both of them had grown. The thought of times past caused his chest to tingle with an emotion he could not quite name. Nostalgia? No, not quite... His maw twitched slightly, but the movement did not quite form a smile. It was time to begin. The tip of his dark tail drew a short arc through the air. Recognizing the action as a call for silence, the crowd quickly grew quiet.

"RiverClan," Scorchclaw addressed the cats present, his voice ringing out clearly and powerfully, "we gather today to acknowledge the growth of one of our apprentices. Larkpaw, you have proven yourself to be ready for your warrior ceremony. If you believe this to be true, step forward now for it to begin." The words were spoken for tradition's sake, but the fluffy deputy himself held no doubt regarding the apprentice's answer. He had spent enough time observing the clan's apprentices to be certain of this much.

"Larkpaw, you have proven yourself ready to be ready for your warrior ceremony.

Well, that was unexpected. Larkpaw didn't realize that Scorchclaw would initiate a warrior ceremony. He soon realized that maybe Jaystar was dealing with an illness, just like the one that he was fighting for a few moons. Larkpaw had watched a few other apprentices get their warrior names before he finally stepped forward.

Just as he had expected, Larkpaw stepped forward. Meeting the gaze of the smaller tom, Scorchclaw nodded ever so slightly. The words that Jaystar had repeated many times before now rung in his mind. After a short pause, he spoke them for the first time. “I, Scorchclaw, deputy of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Larkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Larkpaw, nodding, answered clearly, ”I do.” The brown tabby had been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now it could possibly happen. He will be a warrior.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known to all as Larkfeather. Riverclan honors your perseverance and loyalty. Tonight, as tradition demands, you will hold a silent vigil while the rest of the clan sleeps. Until then, we celebrate the rise of a new, young Riverclan warrior who has earned his place and name in the clan." With that final declaration, the ceremony drew to a close. Scorchclaw leaped off the Willow Branch, landing neatly with a sweep of his feathery tail. The gathered RiverClan cats began to call out Larkfeather's new name. Their voices filled the frosty air, rising and falling in jubilant cries of congratulations.

Making his way over to the newly-named warrior, Scorchclaw addressed him. "Congratulations, Larkfeather." His expression and tone were carefully guarded as usual, but a glimmer of emotion could be made out within the depths of his green eyes—pride and acknowledgement. "You've worked hard to get here." All of RiverClan knew of the illness that had racked Larkfeather during his time as an apprentice. Having spent so much time in the medicine den, the young tom had had to work harder than most apprentices to make up for lost time. This occasion was undoubtedly a joyful one.