cinderpaw's warrior ceremony

Cinderpaw had been shaping up to become a fine warrior. Driven, determined. He hoped to see her grow further as a full warrior of Thunderclan. His tail flickered back and forth as he settled back on the great rock and let out the call, "Gather beneath the the highrock for a clan meeting."

It was time. This day was supposed to be her day of glory: her finally ascending to warriorhood and proving her worth to the clan. But it all felt... so wrong. The apprentice stepped forward to join the meeting, having the awful feeling that this was her ceremony. After all, both Reedpaw and Softpaw got their names. Her hazel eye didn't even look up to her father on top of the Highrock. The apprentice couldn't accept what he had become: the leader of the clans who accepted the Dark Forest in their home for power. Cinderpaw was power-hungry, sure, but she wasn't going to get by submitting to murderers and code-breakers.

Once he saw the coat of his apprentice, Stoatstar continued on with the ceremony, "Cinderpaw, come forward." She deserved it more than any cat and he was proud to be able to welcome her into the ranks of the warriors. This moment seemed to provide more hope than the earlier ceremonies and it almost brought a smile to his maw. He longed for this moment to be untainted, to be a pleasant memory... it was all Stoatstar could do to block out the creatures that lingered within their walls, "You have trained hard and proven yourself ready to become a Thunderclan warrior. Do you promise to follow the warrior code and defend the clan, even at the cost of your life?"

So it was as she suspected. The molly entered the centre of the clearing, her tail low and muscles tensed. Unlike Stoatstar, she couldn't avoid seeing the creatures lurking around them, making her clanmates submit to the shadows of the Dark Forest. Her home was now a corpse, rotting from the inside by the plague Stoatstar allowed to enter. Cinderpaw lifted her, finally meeting the tom's eyes. The once sparkling hazel eyes that the she-cat had were replaced with dark, serious ones.

The apprentice let the leader continue with his speech but as soon as he mentioned the Code and defended her clan... she couldn't help her flinching and gritting her teeth inside her muzzle. How can he talk about following the Code and defending her clan after what he had done? Why are you doing this... dad? Why do you keep going like nothing happens at all? Weren't you supposed to protect us...? Cinderpaw hold her tongue and tried to collect herself once more. This was not the time nor the place... but she had to talk to him soon. "I do." The molly finally mewed with decisive yet dry voice.

Reedshine sat down near the jaggedrock to get a good look at his sister. he gave Cinderpaw an encouraging grin.

He searched her gaze, finding the responding meow to be decisive. She'd be a good warrior, a worthy warrior. The little brown and white tom nodded stiffly, "Then from now on you will be known as Cinderflame. I am proud to welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan. Tonight, you will sit vigil while the clan sleeps." Stoatstar leaped down, pausing to cheer loudly. As his gaze fell to the dark forest cats, his expression fell before he pulled away from the crowd.

Not a single smile or sign of emotion was apparent on the newly named warrior. Though the clan was shouting her new name, all Cinderflame could focus on was her father. The sound of the chanting sounded too distant in her ears as her paws moved her body towards the leader. She locked eyes with the tom and bumped her head against his chest, almost as she was showing affection. But her intentions were far different... "I need to talk to you... After my vigil, I'm going to your den. This cannot wait." With how close they were, the young warrior was able to mew in a voice low enough that only he could listen.

The brown-reddish she-cat took a step back and narrowed her eyes, hoping her father would understand.

His expression grew more serious, only a flicker of shock behind his gaze, "Of course. After your vigil." Stoatostar wondered what was on her mind, immediately assuming the worst - that it was the things the rest of the clan had left unsaid. But he'd always be willing to talk to her, to listen, even if he couldn't change the circumstances at paw.

"Cinderflame! Cinderflame!" Reedshine cheered, though he gave a confused glance at Stoatstar and his sister. what were they talking about?