Wolfpaw's Warrior Ceremony

"Let all cats old enough to capture their own prey gather underneath Jaggedrock for a clan meeting!"

Magpiestar felt a mix of pride and guilt in his heart as he once again called for a clan meeting. Wolfpaw was his own apprentice, and the tom was finally ready for his warrior name. But the leader hadn't been a present figure in his training. The two barely participated in patrols together, and when he had fallen ill, the tabby's training had come to a halt. Wolfpaw never seemed to carry any ill-will towards his mentor, instead often expressing admiration more than anything. The dark tom didn't deserve it.

Wolfpaw was hidden within the shelter of the apprentice’s den, his chin resting heavily upon his forelegs, his sullen gaze trained upon something far in the distance. His ears twitched forwards as he heard Magpiestar’s summons, while his belly flipped. He knew what this ceremony was about, but yet he could take no pleasure in it. It was his Warrior Ceremony and he didn’t have his parents or litter mates here to see it. He let out soft sigh, his ears falling flat against his skull, before he stiffly rose to his paws.

Head lifted in a vain attempt to appear confident, Wolfpaw slipped from the apprentice’s den and padded out into the clearing, his expression unreadable as he did so.

The leader glanced down quickly as Wolfpaw approached, swallowing hard before clearing his throat and calling out to the clan. "Tonight we gather to make this apprentice a warrior. Wolfpaw, please step forward." The tom's voice held a slight uncertainty as he addressed ShadowClan. After the apprentice had stepped forward, the leader continued.

"I, Magpiestar, leader of ShadowClan, 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," Magpiestar spoke, turning his amber gaze to his apprentice. "Wolfpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Large ears swiveling forward at Magpiestar's traditional words, Wolfpaw managed to keep up the unreadable facade he was putting forth. The guilt in his mentors eyes did not go unnoticed and only weighed down more heavily upon his shoulders. The thought of failing or looking less than worthy in the eyes of his mentor distressed him. Swallowing tightly and keeping his gaze trained on the black tom, he stood stiffly as he listened to Magpiestar address him. It felt as if he could feel Foxheart and Mousefang's intent gazes upon his back.

"I do." Wolfpaw finally answered, surprised with the strength and resonance of his own voice, his chin lifting in response to Magpiestar's somber gaze. He could do this.

The tom nodded and looked up to the dark night sky. "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." After all these moons, it was finally time. "Wolfpaw, from this day forward you shall be known as... Wolfheart. ShadowClan honours your sensibility and endurance. Congratulations." It was a fitting suffix for the new warrior. Despite all of the trouble the tabby had been through, somehow he managed to keep pushing forward, and with his devotion to his late mother, it felt necessary to honour her memory with his new name.

Heart.

The newly named Wolfheart could feel his strength waver slightly as Magpiestar named him, but he managed to keep his chin angled upwards as he listened to his former mentor speak, exhaling a breath as he did so. Although the act of receiving his Warrior name hadn't pained him nearly as much as anticipated it would, repeating his new name within his mind still left a bittersweet taste within his mouth. He couldn't recall the face of Mousefang or his littermates, but he still carried them alongside Foxheart- perhaps taking on his mother's name would lessen the weight that he felt upon his shoulders.

"Thank you." Wolfheart finally managed, dipping his head in gratitude to the dark tom atop the Jaggedrock. Whenever he spoke he swore that he could detect the faintest hints of Foxheart's scent around him.