Flurrypaw's Warrior Ceremony

The tom was happy. Another apprentice was becoming an apprentice. It was such a relief to be finally naming the clan's high amount of apprentice as warriors. However... he felt a heavy in his chest as he climbed the Willow Branch. The poor Flurrypaw had to leave her first mentor's side due to Dewshine's forbidden romance. It shouldn't be easy for her that she-cat that trained her broke the Code by mating an outsider but now... she had to move on into something greater and happier. After all, for an apprentice, their warrior ceremony was the most important thing in their short life. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the willow branch for a clan meeting!"

Flurrypaw stood tall and proud as she approached the center of the gathering cats, knowing just what today was. As excited and happy as she was to finally earn her warrior name, she also felt rather sorrowful; she was going to become a warrior soon with no mentor, but until then her mentor was not Dewshine, but Stormstrike. She had nothing against her new mentor, but she still desperately missed Dewshine, the kind and sweet and patient cat who had been with her ever since her first day of training.

She tried not to think too much about it -- nor did she look in the direction of the medicine den where her former mentor lay, her belly swollen with unborn kits, just as Sweet had predicted during her journey to the Moonstone -- as she looked up at Jaystar and waited patiently for him to begin the ceremony.

"Flurrypaw... your mentor has confirmed that you are ready to undertake your warrior ceremony. If you believe this to be true, step forward now for it to begin." He said when he took notice of the white fur of the she-cat. He didn't want to mention either of Dewshine or Stormstrike because she wasn't longer her mentor and his son had barely become her teacher a few days ago. It didn't matter. The important thing was that she was now ready to be part of the history of all the great warriors of Riverclan.

Flurrypaw's tail flicked, but she didn't comment on her leader's words, instead stepping forward as she was told to.

"I, Jaystar, leader of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn, Flurrypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" The leader inquired with sharp green eyes as he faced the white-furred she-cat. Despite the recent events, she couldn’t doubt in such an important matter. Flurrypaw had proven herself worthy of the name of a warrior but she couldn’t be one if she failed to swear her life on Riverclan.

”I do,” the fluffy white she-cat meowed with confidence, forcing her tail and paws still or else they would begin swishing and kneading with excitement and anticipation.

The tom smiled and nodded with satisfaction by her response. "Then, I'm happy to welcome you into warriorhood. By the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known to all as Flurryshine. I hope you always be as bright and confident as you are now." Although he knew that her name was similar to her former mentor, he didn't name her like that because of Dewshine. The apprentice always caught the attention of her clanmates by her charismatic and flirty personality, making her not only a fierce warrior but also a cat who could make someone with her friendship. That brightness was the reason for her new suffix.

"As tradition says, you will hold a silent vigil tonight as the rest of your clanmates sleep. But before that, we can celebrate your new name and rank. Congratulations." The tom jumped off the branch and joined the cheerings as he watched silently how the white-furred cat received the congrats of her friends and family.

Dewshine watched silently from the mouth of the medicine den. A deep sense of guilt made her pelt feel itchy and uncomfortable as she watched her apprentice undergo the ceremony she had once before. One she would have been part of, if she hadn't let her down. Her blue gaze stayed fixed on Flurrypaw's white pelt.

Would she forgive her? The question stung in her mind like a bee's sting. Surely she would... but as she glanced at her swollen belly she found herself questioning if that was true. Only time would tell. Still, she wanted to tell her apprentice how proud she was of how far she had come. Overcoming her fears and obstacles in a way that only made Dewshine more proud.

She blinked in surprise at the chosen warrior name. It fit though, Flurryshine's personality was a bright one among the clan. With a smile, she quietly chanted the new name among the other clan mates beforehand retreating back into the Medicine Den where she was supposed to be.

Flurryshine smiled brightly and purred loudly, licking Jaystar's shoulder respectfully. Stepping back, she closed her eyes and drank in the cheers all around her of her warrior name. She had honestly expected -- and wanted -- to be called Flurryheart for the love and passion she had for her Clan, but Flurryshine sounded so much better. It was an even more beautiful name as well.

Her name did remind her heavily of her former mentor Dewshine, however. Her pride and happiness were stabbed with sorrow, and she couldn't help but look over at the expecting queen. She hadn't wanted to believe what Sweet had told her during her Moonstone journey as an apprentice that Dewshine was expecting a rogue's kits, but lo and behold... She couldn't exactly say she hated her former mentor now, though, as she herself had always contemplated mating with a cat outside of RiverClan just for the sake of finding the perfect tom. Of course she had settled on Hillpaw to be her mate, even if she hadn't told him yet. But it still really hurt to know that that traitorous fox's warning about her mentor was actually true.

Well... What was done was done. There was no way to go back in time and try to convince Dewshine not to take on a mate from outside the Clan. All she could do now is be a friend to her kits and keep them from traveling down the same dark path Shade had. She would also make sure Dewshine told the truth to her kits about their origins, otherwise they would grow to resent their mother just as Shade had. She would not let them become their former Clanmate. She would do that not only for RiverClan and the other four Clans, but for Dewshine as well. She may not approve of her choice at all, but she still loved her.

Flurryshine turned and padded towards the entrance of the camp to begin her silent vigil. She would have to talk to Dewshine later, perhaps tomorrow, when her vigil was over. She would make sure everything worked out for her former mentor's and best friend's sake.