Bushpaw's Warrior Ceremony

In a single smooth bound Leopardstar leaped onto the snow-covered Highrock, taking a moment to shift the covering of powder before calling out to his clan.  "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

Bushpaw could tell this was a ceremony, and judging by the timing, probably her own. Her pet had been neatly groomed then ever so slightly ruffled, a small sign of pride and excitement. A small, contented smile was on her face, and she puffed her chest out the smallest bit. Finally, her warrior ceremony. Soon enough, her real work could begin. As long as she seemed to be the perfect example of an honorable warrior.

Once most of the clan had gathered in the frosty clearing, Leopardstar called for silence and fixed his hazel eyes upon the crowd.  "Today, it is my honor to award one of our hardworking apprentices with her warrior name; Bushpaw, please step forward."  He smiled, long tail flicking eagerly, as he waited for the young she-cat to emerge from the crowd; once she had made it to her place at the foot of the Highrock, the leader puffed out his pale-furred chest and began the formal occurrence.  “I, Leopardstar, leader of ThunderClan, 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.  Bushpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Bushpaw had to focus on not rolling her eyes. At least Leopardstar hadn't outright said "StarClan." Warrior ancestors was bad enough. Silently, she apologized in advance to the Sun Lord. Her pledge of loyalty was a ploy to gain enough trust to grow powerful, not turning her back on what was right. They would understand. She had been chosen by them, after all. Looking up at the leader, she let her eyes gleam with excitement and pride. Everything about her showed overall happiness for this moment. In a tone both mature and eager, she replied. "I do."

Beartooth had joined the crowd at Leopardstar's call. Since their patrol, he hadn't been around Bushpaw much. However, the she-cat's dedication and beauty that had captivated him that day had not entirely left his mind. So much had happened. The claws down his face, the slump to his shoulders now, and a further severed connection with Pricklepaw. But none of those things crossed his mind as he looked at her. While she likely didn't notice, the bulky warrior managed to put a fanged smile onto his usually neutral face.

Leopardstar nodded approvingly, unaware of any sort of motive or falsehood hidden behind the she-cat's gaze. “Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Bushpaw, from this moment on you shall be known as Bushfang. StarClan honors your diligence and ingenuity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” Leaping down from the Highrock, Leopardstar rested his chin atop her head, completing the ceremony with a pleased smile before backing away to chant her new name with the rest of the clan.