Dapplepaw's Warrior Ceremony

It had been a long time since he last stood on top of the bran for a warrior ceremony but to Jaystar... it was a nice change of pace. Not many apprentices had made it to warriorhood recently. Less than ever since the flood took so many lives. However, Dapplepaw was not part of that group. She had outlived the horrors of the catastrophe, she had gone through the loss of her parents and now she was finally ready to become a fully-grown warrior. Life had not been fair to her or her siblings but she stood strong... she was still standing and now all the pain and sacrifice was going to be rewarded. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the willow branch for a clan meeting!"

Dapplepaw had been methodically cleaning her long fur, picking away at the mud that had seemed caked on ever since their time at the shore. As the days passed, the mud was less of an everywhere thing, and more isolated to the areas closest to the river, but there were still some low spots that caught her by surprise. Thinking as she swiped her paws over her ears and face, she was surprised by how at home she had felt - when she left the shores they had been the only home she had ever known. But now they seemed so distant, and while a small longing to visit her parents burial grounds still persisted, she was happy and proud to call RiverClan's territory her own - from the steep cliffs of the gorge separating them from WindClan (and by extension Barleytuft and Ravenpaw) to the warm, smooth rocks of Sunningrocks on the far side of the river bordering ThunderClan. Meeting all of the other cats that had gone to the mountains had taken some time, but she gradually grew to feel comfortable around them, and now she felt as though she had fit right in to the puzzle of RiverClan daily life.

Her internal dialogue was broken by the call of Jaystar, and her ears perked up. Pelt now shining in the sunlight, she raised her head and stood, weaving her way to a place in the crowd that was gathering, taking up a position next to Wasppaw and Magpiepaw. Her blue eyes, so similar to her mother's, looked up to Jaystar respectfully as she waited to hear what this announcement would have in store.

Once a good bunch of his cats were reunited around the willow branch, the leader took his stance and proceeded. He lifted his tail as a way to ask for silence and once he had everyone's attention, he decided it was time to continue. "Afte so long away from home, we, as a clan, have rebuilt this place from their ashes. Despite the losses, we have survived and as a way to honour those who left us, we must move and continue working to make Riverclan great again. With these words, I'm glad to announce that one of our apprentices has proven to be ready for the next step in her life. Dapplepaw, I have 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 mewed, finally fixing his eyes on the grey-furred she-cat. Now, it was time for Dewshine's kit to become a warrior.

Dapplepaw listened, a small, sad smile forming on her jaws as Jaystar spoke. She nodded as he spoke about an apprentice getting their name, and for a split moment her excitement rose that it would be hers, before she swiftly struck the idea down. That made the surprise and excitement that much larger when Jaystar called her name, requesting she step forward.

For a split second, she looked wide-eyed at the leader before she stood subconsciously, and with only one last brief hesitation padded forward to stand in the middle of the crowd, before Jaystar and the rest of her clan. Her eyes glistening in excitement and joy, a small purr raised from the base of her throat as she waited for Jaystar's next words - this was the first warrior ceremony she would be around for and she wanted to soak it all in as much as possible. Her purr voiced a silent prayer to StarClan that her parents were watching and looking down on her as she cast a gaze to Scorchclaw, wondering if he was watching too.

Jaystar smiled a bit by her happy purr and though he wanted to join her in her happiness, he had to continue the ceremony. The large silvery tom took a straighter stance and lifted his tail higher when the time of truth came. With a serious voice, he looked down at the young apprentice who was so close to following the path of her parents. "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, Dapplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" He mewed.

Blue eyes shining as she looked up at the RiverClan leader, she waited until the leader finished. As he ended his dialogue, a split second of concern crossed her face. What was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to do anything? Oh stars, guide my paws. The hesitation was minimal, if any cat blinked they would have missed it before she mewed the first thing she thought of. "Yes, Jaystar, I do." Her heart was beating so fast all of a sudden, and she hoped that she had said the right thing as she waited for the tom's reaction.

The leader finally let out that warm smile he wanted to share and with a respectful nod, he looked in Dapplepaw eyes, seeing in her that hint of the blue she shared with her mother, Dewshine. At that moment, he knew what her warrior name should be... one she could use proudly and that could be seen as a tribute to the fallen queen. "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known to all as Dappleshine, in honour of the legacy that rests in you. Riverclan honours your courage and adaptability through difficult times. May the light of your parents and ancestors shine through you to others." He mewed, finally welcoming the she-cat as a newly-named warrior of Riverclan. "As per tradition says, you will hold a silent vigil tonight but until then, we celebrate as a clan the rise of a new warrior. Congratulations, Dappleshine, you earned this moment."

Dapplepaw smiled back at the leader, and a going of a tear that was forming in her eyes at the announcement of her name shone in the sunlight that shone into the camp. "Thank you, Jaystar. I will do my best to uphold their legacy and leave behind a grand one of my own." She lowered her head in a nod to the leader, and turned to look around at the rest of the cats gathered around, Wasppaw, Magpiepaw, Scorchclaw... How she cared for and loved them all. A surge of emotion overcame her as a single tear filtered from the corner of her eye, lost in the fluffy fur at her cheeks. Mom... Dad... Did you see that? Are you watching me? I did it... Keep watching over me, please... I'll be the best warrior for RiverClan I can be! She smiled and merged into the crowd, content to enjoy their company - she could talk silently to her parents later, during her vigil.

From his seat at the base of the Willow Tree, Scorchclaw had watched the ceremony. Now, as it drew to a close, he stepped forward to join those congratulating the newly-appointed warrior. Drawing to a stop before her, he lowered his head slightly to match her eye level. She had indeed grown; he was hit by the somehow startling realization. Once, she had been so much smaller, and he had had to lower himself so much more. Now the size difference was not quite as stark. For a second or two, he was uncertain of what to say. His pale-green eyes merely met with her blue ones. Then he finally said, "Dappleshine." He almost seemed to test the name on his tongue. "It's a fine name." As simply it was worded, the comment held a profound tinge of some indescribable emotion. With a twitch of his silver whiskers, he finished, "You've earned it." Those few words that he managed to get out were all that she would receive from him. To this day, he still was not entirely certain of how to interact with Dewshine's litter. Not only had he done a somewhat questionable job raising them, he had also failed to prevent the desecration of their parents' bodies. As they had grown old enough to understand the concepts that they had been unable to grasp as kits, he had simultaneously distanced himself from them. The slight strain he experienced when speaking to Dappleshine now did not quite escape attention.

One third of his duty to Dewshine and Gingerstripe was done. Now that Dappleshine was a full warrior of RiverClan, she was not technically under his care any longer. This development should have been a load of his back. Why then, did he feel conflicted? As if he had missed out on something... Something he had wanted to have but had given up. How foolish. Scorchclaw found himself waiting for a response from the young she-cat.

Dappleshine watched as Scorchclaw made his way towards her, and smiled as he slightly lowered his head to be level with her. The memories of him kneeling to do so in the past caused a purr to rise in her throat, and it only amplified when the deputy spoke. She had missed him, since the return of everyone to the place they had called home he had been so wrapped up in his duties that she had hardly gotten the chance to spend time with him. But the appreciation and love she still held for the tom was clear as she pressed her nose to his gently, pulling away soon after, not wanting to test her luck.

"Thank you, Scorchclaw, for everything. You've done so much for my siblings and me, and... I really appreciate it all. I hope now that I'm a warrior, maybe we can go hunting sometime together, you and I." She blinked at him, as if remembering something suddenly. "That is, if you're not too busy. I know you have a lot to do, and I don't want to be a burden on your time..." She trailed off uncertainly, lowering her gaze to her paws momentarily as she tried to choose her words. A brief silence followed before she raised her eyes to meet his again. "Thanks for making sure we were taken care of, all those moons ago. Thank you for stepping into a position for us. You're like a father to me, and I wouldn't want it any other way." The new warrior paused once more before the smile came back to her face. "Thanks for everything."

Scorchclaw was caught off guard when Dappleshine touched her nose to his. The large tabby simply blinked, his widened green eyes reflecting his surprise. But the young she-cat was not finished. As he listened, paws seemingly rooted to the ground, she began to speak. The words that came forth held nothing but a warm, genuine appreciation—not sharp-tongued criticism or cold formality, but actual thankfulness. She was thankful to him, of all cats? For a second or two, he struggled to accept the possibility. But then Dappleshine cut his train of thought off with one further comment.

"You're like a father to me, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

Scorchclaw had been certain—too certain—that he had failed as a parental figure. For as much as he detested his own parents, he had only realized his own inadequacy when placed in the position. He had had no mate and no experience whatsoever in raising kits. He had barely known what to do. Without the aid of other cats, including ShadowClan's Thornbriar, Dewshine's litter might very well have perished before even making it to apprenticehood. He had made mistakes; he knew that fact very well. Yet—Dappleshine was claiming that he was like a father to her. The deputy released a breath that he did not even know he had been holding. Some strange tension knotted within him began to unravel. "No true warrior would abandon kits in need." He stated, his voice tinged with the same note of solemnity it always was. But a cat who looked close enough would be able to tell that he was shaken. "I... do not deserve your thanks, because I merely did what was expected of me." There was a slight pause. "You will never a burden."

"A true warrior would never abandon a kit in need, yes. But only a true father would take those kits in, even though no one would have expected him to, and make sure they were provided for and guide their paws on the right path, even in the midst of their other countless duties. Not only were you making sure that we were taken care of and spending some time with us, but you were trying to ensure that we made it back home, to here. That's what you did though, without complaint, even though I'm sure it must have been hard." She smiled at the tom, her expression warm and happy at the last words he had spoken. "You did so much more than was expected of you, and I will forever be grateful to you for stepping in to let our parents be buried and teaching us. Even if you did make Otterpaw your apprentice instead of me!" She teased, narrowing her eyes playfully.

Dappleshine

Though they had just been sitting side by side, Magpiepaw did not stand up to greet his best friend after her warrior name was announced.  He knew it was rude, cruel even, but he couldn't seem to find the strength and courage to approach her.  Of course, he was proud, why wouldn't he be?  She had been made a warrior so quickly...she must be very skilled.  He had never even seen her hunt though...nor fight.  Why?  Because he was a coward, a filthy coward...and this was his punishment.  To watch the cats he loved pass him by like a phase, moving forward, while he was stuck in the same place he had always been, waiting for himself to become the cat he needed to be.

This...it was all his fault.

He watched, wide-eyed, as she greeted Scorchclaw, gray pelt gleaming in the green-leaf sunshine, blue eyes glowing with happiness.  It felt like it had only been yesterday when she had been nestled between his paws...when she had needed his protection and comfort.  Now, she would move to the warrior's den, and find new friends.  Ones who she didn't need to protect.  Ones that weren't a burden on the Clan.  He knew he would learn soon...Sparkfrost said so...but for now, he knew he couldn't face her.  He didn't want to cry, to look even more vulnerable than he already was.  He knew it would make her sad (or at least, he hoped it would, in the most terrible way) and he hesitated as he rose to his paws, trying to stop them from shaking.

Oh no, she's looking at me.

Suddenly realizing that her eyes had found him, Magpiepaw flinched, meeting her gaze for only a fleeting heartbeat before screwing his eyes shut and walking away, faster than his usual pace.  His fur prickled uncomfortably, and he could only pray she wouldn't follow him as he ducked into the apprentice's nearly completed den.  Her nest was near the entrance; but now, it would be abandoned.  They never even got to hunt together as apprentices, as they promised...  Swallowing, Magpiepaw flopped down into his nest, curling a paw over his face as he rolled up, becoming as small as possible.  I'm sorry....I'm so sorry, but I can't do it.  I need to get stronger, I need to become someone you can be proud to be around...so you don't abandon me.

Like you probably should.

Cheers still rang outside the den's walls, and his wavering voice joined in at a tone no one would be able to hear.

"...D-Dappleshine, D-Dappleshine....Dappleshine...."

Looking past Scorchclaw, Dappleshine's blue eyes fell on Magpiepaw. Expecting to see him standing, cheering for her, and waiting for her, she realised with a jolt that he hadn't even moved, and confusion and concern filled her expression as she watched him. She kept watching as he shakily, hesitantly rose to his paws, and started to relax, maybe he had just been surprised, and was now getting up since it had sunk in. Their eyes met for but a brief moment, and then Magpiepaw closed his eyes, turning his back on her. She couldn't contain the gasp that escaped her mouth as he walked away from everyone else, faster than he normally walked, completely and utterly ignoring her. She stared after him, frozen to the spot, as if the reeds had come and woven themselves over her paws at the rejection. Right before he disappeared into the den, she found her voice and called out feebly. "Magpiepaw?..." It was lost in the crowd, and she tried to step around the cats gathering around her but they all seemed oblivious to what had just happened. Her heart breaking in two, she realized that Magpiepaw wasn't coming back out, and that he really had turned his back on her and what she had accomplished. All feelings of happiness and achievement dissipated, and even surrounded by the multitude of her clan, she felt more alone than ever. A barely audible whisper followed after the path Magpiepaw had taken. "What did I do wrong?...."


Finding herself unable to speak around the large lump in her throat and the yawning pit in her stomach, she barely held back the tears that were threatening her eyes. Maybe that silent vigil would start sooner rather than later.