Dawnpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Leopardstar, his pelt groomed meticulously back to its usual golden hue, latched onto the side of the meeting stone with his claws, burdensomely dragging himself to the top; unlike ThunderClan's familiar Highrock, this stone had no proper footholds, and thus he had to make do with small cracks and divets.  Upon reaching the top, for a moment he looked out across the muddy bank, taking in the still odd sight of cats from all clans working and talking together, before opening his jaws to yowl out a summons.  "Any cat who wishes to stand witness to a warrior's ceremony please gather underneath the...Lake Stone!"  His sudden naming of the rock came as a surprise even to him, but it seemed natural.  Besides, anything to feel a little bit closer to home...

Dawnpaw rested on the shoreline at a considerable distance from the water and separated from the other cats. She wasn’t into the whole “coexisting” thing, but Leopardstar was here and she’d follow him until he gave her a good reason not to. Otherwise, the weakened tabby might have run off into the wilderness on her own. No one else was even trying to find Duskpaw, but she was still keeping her eyes open for signs. Unfortunately, now all she could do was wait for him to find his way here. So there she laid, using her teeth to break up bits of dirt stuck to her long, unshed winter coat and licking out what she could manage. She paused only when Leopardstar’s voice sounded and Dawnpaw promptly ceased her grooming and gathered as commanded.

Marshstorm stood beneath the stone with a smile on his muzzle. His gaze resting on his daughter, pride full in his chest. The waters had taken away most things, but it couldn't take away the fact that she was ready. It couldn't stop warriors from living their lives. Someday they would get back to the forest, but for now... he could enjoy this.

If only Dustcloud, Aspenpaw and Duskpaw were here. He longed for his mate and sons. Hopefully, they were safe somewhere. Dustcloud protected from the waters by the high ledge Aspenpaw and Duskpaw... his heart clenched. Maybe they were fine. Marshstorm noticed the shoreline seemed to stretch on for countless tail lengths. Perhaps they were further down... he blinked away those thoughts. Today was Dawnpaw's day. His smile and posture were relaxed, but full of pride.

Far from upholding her true parent's traitorous legacies, Dawnpaw had been nothing but an asset. He never regretted bringing her into ThunderClan. The strong she-cat was by all measures, a true warrior, and he hoped StarClan could see her despite the distance.

After making his presence known upon the Lake Stone, Leopardstar sat down for a long moment, allowing any cat in the crowd to gather around to listen while he waited to see the face whom today he would be honoring; Dawnpaw, the daughter of Lichenmask.  His eyes caught on Marshstorm as his friend found a place below; he felt as if he should feel a tight knot of worry in his stomach at the thought of promoting the kit of one of his worst enemies to the rank of ThunderClan warrior...but his confidence in the deputy as a parent and mentor outweighed his fears.  Dawnpaw had shown nothing but loyalty and diligence toward her adoptive clan over the many moons of her apprenticeship, and Beartooth's testimony reassured that.  So, once the long-furred torbie apprentice appeared amidst the sea of pelts, Leopardstar stood with a flick of his tail to silence the crowd.  "Today, despite our current hardships, it is my great pleasure to appoint one of ThunderClan's brave apprentices to the rank of a warrior.  Dawnpaw, please step forward."  Fixing his hazel eyes on the now fully-grown she-cat, memories of her and Duskpaw hanging from Marshstorm's jaws flashed in his mind, and he felt a sudden jolt of sorrow tingle down his spine.  What a life those poor kits have led...I pray Duskpaw is safe and healthy, wherever he might be, and that soon enough I'll be able to give him his full name as well.

The apprentice's focused gaze stayed on Leopardstar the entire time. She recognized the purpose of this meeting when her leader continued on. This was the moment Dawnpaw had been longing for for moons now. It was in her dreams and followed her in the back of her mind throughout the day as she worked, and it both boiled her blood and spurred her on to work harder and harder with each passing day; so why wasn't she happy when Leopardstar called her forward? Something was wrong. She let her eyes slip down to the base of the rock he stood on, hesitating only briefly after she was called. She stepped forward dutifully, expression still uncharacteristically vacant.

Of course something was wrong. This wasn't the way she pictured her warrior ceremony after all this time. In her dreams and daydreams, they were home in camp. No one was lost or dead, and there certainly weren't strangers everywhere one looked. But perhaps worst of all, her littermate wasn't here. Nor were Dustcloud and Aspenpaw, but it was different. She would have liked to see them present but Duskpaw's absence actively stung like a sharp spike of defeat wedged into her chest. Although it hurt, Dawnpaw knew that she had to carry on. She wasn't going to give up on him. She merely had to accept that she was moving on without him.

Lynxtail's tufted ears perked, and he trotted towards the small gathering of cats. It's about time, he thought to himself, taking a seat close to Marshstorm and gazing up as his father began to speak. Dawnpaw had been an apprentice for longer than he had, but he supposed his misadventure in Twolegplace had earned him a warrior name early.
All that aside, today was finally Dawnpaw's ceremony. Despite the she-cat's prickliness, the tabby tom was determined to uphold the promise he'd made himself on their first day of training together: Someday- and he didn't know when -he'd finally be able to call her a friend. It seemed silly that he'd still care about this particular vow, but the young tom had learned that friendship was one of the most precious things in the whole Forest, and a hard-won friendship was particularly valuable. He just had to wait her out, that's all.
So, Lynxtail purred loudly as the calico she-cat passed him on her way to the base of the Rock. She didn't make eye contact, but she didn't hiss either. That was progress, right?

Once Dawnpaw had separated from the crowd, tortoiseshell-tabby pelt gleaming in the emerging sunlight, Leopardstar cleared his throat and began to speak, striped tail waving calming behind his head.  “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.  Dawnpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”  The oath, old as the Clans themselves, still rang with the same intensity and power as it did back in the Gorge.  Despite the different cliffs and strange scents, ThunderClan and the spirit held within its members was eternal, a beacon of hope in this dismal time.  Leopardstar smiled; there was still hope.  As long as his lost clanmates remained faithful, whether they were among the living or dead, he knew they would find their way home.  Someday soon, everyone would be back together in their old familiar forest, and the Great Flood would eventually fade into legend; but for now, they must all work together to survive, and another warrior was the best thing they could ask for.