Bearpaw’s Warrior Ceremony

Leopardstar’s burnt flank was barely stinging anymore as he leaped up onto the Highrock in one smooth bound, the tom’s eyes gleaming with anticipation. This would be the first warrior he promoted since the great battle against Lichenmask, and for the tom who had fought valiantly against such powerful opponents, this was an honor he was eager to grant him. Taking a deep breath, the golden tabby leader called out in a voice renewed with strength; ”Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the Highrock for a clan meeting!”

The bulky tom's frame still ached from all of the recent events. He had never let up on his work or patrols, and the moonstone was still fresh in his mind. At Leopardstar's call he did not even consider this could be his ceremony and padded loyally over at the leader's call. Sitting near the back of the crowd, he waited patiently.

Once most of the cats in camp had emerged from their dens - including the cat of honor - Leopardstar yowled for silence. ”Cats of ThunderClan, today, after many long moons of battle and hardship, we see a beacon of hope once more. Today, it is time to grant one of our apprentices their true title as a warrior.” He paused, hazel eyes searching the crowd until they fell upon the many-clawed young tom. ”Bearpaw, please step forward.”

His name was called and it took only a moment for Bearpaw to process that fact. He was on his several clawed pads shortly after Leopardstar addressed him. There was a slight nod of his head towards the leader as he came to the forefront of the gathered cats. There was no sense of excitement to the tom as he waited, this was merely the next step, his next task that he owed Thuderclan for giving him life. Soon he would stand as a warrior of Thunderclan, and it would not change a single thing within him. Bearpaw would be just as devoted to the clan as the day before. His mild, dull green gaze fixated on Leopardstar as he waited for what was next.

Leopardstar waited, watching through thoughtful hazel eyes, as Bearpaw made his way towards the front of the crowd, returning the young tom's nod before continuing with an abrupt flick of his tail.  "I, Leopardstar, leader of ThunderClan, 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.  Bearpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"  He met the brown tabby tom's gaze with an intensity, conveying without words how crucial this oath would be.  Bearpaw had gone through much in his young life, and there had been a moment where his trust in his word had wavered, but Leopardstar was confident now that he would be a worthy cat of ThunderClan...but he could only pray his instincts would prove true.

Harepaw watched from the fresh-kill pile where he had just deposited some prey. He smiled when he heard Leopardstar call Bearpaw's name, glancing at the soon-to-be warrior to see his reaction. How could he be so collected? Harepaw was constantly puzzled by his friend's cool demeanor, but he just shook his head, still grinning. That was just the way he was. The younger tom looked back at Leopardstar, a thought flitting briefly through his mind. 'Are ceremonies always this... tense?' He couldn't remember. It probably didn't matter.

"I do." His voice was unwavering as he continued to meet Leoparstar's gaze with an equal strength. In a mere matter of moments he would stand as a warrior. It occurred to him in that moment what he would leave behind in the apprentice den. Hailpaw, Ridgepaw, and Harepaw. Sleeping without them at night was a thought that briefly caused his blank expression to waver before recovering. He could worry about it later.

(occ: the exact traits you wanted were lost with the ceremony page, so I added in some random ones)

Leopardstar's unchanging eyes blinked, and he dipped his head.  "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Bearpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Beartooth. StarClan honors your bravery and honesty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."  As the clan began to cheer, the golden spotted tom leaped down off of his perch and approached the newly named Beartooth, resting his muzzle on his forehead in the customary fashion.  "Congratulations.  You fought well in the battle; I look forward to seeing the cat you will become."

'Bravery. Loyalty.' Although he was not one to feel pride, there was a gratefulness that tightened the tom's chest as he listened to the leader speak. Nothing felt special or different, or new, but in the eyes of the clan, he was now a warrior. They cheered his name and it was almost overwhelming. Beartooth was grateful for the support of his clanmates, the very clan that he loved, but being on the spot made him want to shuffle his paws in an awkward fashion. The newly appointed warrior dipped his head slightly as Leopardstar rested his jaw on top of the tabby's forehead. When he stepped away, Beartooth meowed, "Thank you, Leopardstar." With that, he turned to look for his kin and Harepaw, not seeking their praise for his hard work but rather their companionship.

"Congrats, Beartooth!"

Hailpaw had been among the gathered crowd. She had watched the ceremony with glittering pride in her eyes, and now she stepped forward to congratulate her adopted brother. "Your name suits you." She declared, as she flashed the new warrior a cheeky grin. "Still, I can't believe you're becoming a warrior before I am~ I'm going to miss you in the Apprentice Den."

Ever since the misunderstanding regarding Beepaw's death had been cleared, Hailpaw's relationship with Bearpaw seemed to have returned to that of before. "I'm going to kill you." Even though she had said something so dangerous, Bearpaw didn't seem to mind. Was he under the impression that she had been merely grieving then, or was he really unaffected? She had no idea, but the way things had turned out was rather convenient. She did not regret her words at that time, and she had no intention of apologizing for them. All she had done was ask him to explain himself.

Even if he was adopted, he was still a part of the family. Blood meant nothing, since Blizzardshine had been the one to accept him. Pricklepaw was cool and all, but she didn't share all his views. If anyone dared to touch Beartooth, she would probably want to kill them as well. It would be great if the two of them could continue to share this good relationship.