Dawnpaw's Warrior Ceremony

The day had come. It was a few days since Dawnpaw rejoined the clan, and Oakstar was eager to give his daughter the rank she deserved. One she had earned so long ago, and would have had if she had not gotten lost on the way home.

He smiled down at his clan. Watching them move around peacefully, without worrying about battling or having to fear a shortness of prey. Greenleaf was a kind season, and this one was proving quite bountiful. He straightened his posture, letting his yowl reach out across the expanse of the clan camp.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath High-rock for a clan meeting!" His call seemed to echo off the trees. He looked down at the gathering cats, eye catching Beartooth for a moment as he nodded to his deputy, then searched for the cat of honour this afternoon.

Dawnpaw appeared at Oakstar's summons. The past few days had moved like a dream, at some points blurring together and at others unbearably slow. It was still surreal to be back in ThunderClan and also nearly impossible to come to terms with the elimination of her entire litter. There was much for the she-cat to think about, but she did very little actual thinking on the painful subjects and instead busied herself with patrolling and hunting as though she'd drop dead the next time she sat down. Dawnpaw considered this clan gathering an unfortunate disruption to her otherwise busy day, but she wouldn't disobey her leader. So, the stormy apprentice found a spot in the back of the gathering crowd and peered up at Oakstar, still reminding herself of his name change and trying to reacclimate herself to his loving gaze.

Oakstar watched as Dawnpaw padded into the crowd. Pride tickling his chest. She had a long road. From being Lichenmask’s kit whom he brought into the camp. Being swept away by vicious flooding, then travelling all the way back. Her brief stint in StagClan didn’t leave him with a bitter taste.

Instead he smiled down at her lovingly. With obvious pride as he flicked his tail.
"Dawnpaw, Step forward." He called, before waiting for her to do so. His amber eyes turned to the sky for a moment as he breathed a deep breath. This would be his first warrior ceremony since he became leader.

It’d be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous. Even though it was his own kit, he felt determined to get it right as he returned his gaze to his tortoiseshell daughter.
"I, Oakstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He/She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. -paw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Recognition of the meaning of the meeting made her face light up like it hadn't in seasons. For a few heartbeats, as the clan watched her step forward as she was commanded, Dawnpaw forgot the hollowness in her heart and smiled a soft but definite smile at Oakstar. It was overdue. She was strong, deserving, an equal in the eyes of her clanmates. She responded to his question with a powerful eagerness that she had not known in a long time: "I do!"

Perhaps if Dawnpaw still had her siblings to think of, she would not have been able to answer with such conviction. It certainly would have been a struggle to stay devoted to ThunderClan had Burntstag escaped camp with her instead of demanding his own death like a fool. But now she had no family; or, rather, she had a new family. A real family. Even without blood ties, Dustcloud and Oakstar never looked at Dawnpaw with anything but pride and joy. It was a shame she'd spent so long fruitlessly pursuing something that her kin could never give her. And she was determined to be a different cat after this moment.

But even as she spoke the words with such power, a whisper in her ear weighed her down with all the guilt a single cat could endure. Indeed, if she strained hard enough, at the very edge of her hearing she could hear the echoes of Duskpaw's voice joining her own. He had been at her apprentice ceremony. It seemed wrong to be named a warrior without him. Despite her bold step forward, Dawnpaw retreated back, suddenly consumed by the guilt of leaving him behind. She averted her eyes from Oakstar's, awaiting his next words with a hint of nausea.

Her confident and eager voice filled him with joy as Oakstar thought very carefully over her name. She had shown great determination by making it back to the clans after being separated for so long by the flooding. It had taken her moons to get back, and he could feel the sheer terror she must have felt approaching her old clan again.

He had once felt it himself. Back when he thought about rejoining ShadowClan. When he had clawed his way back from his abduction in youth. If it hadn’t been for his only living family being in ThunderClan, he likely would have been in ShadowClan. It was a startling thought, but he pushed back the temptations to contemplate that path. Instead he focused on his daughter. His daughter, Lichenmask had no claim over her, and never would from beyond either.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dawnpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dawngaze. StarClan honors your determination and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." His voice ringing his declaration through the clearing. Oakstar waited as cats cheered her name before he leapt down from Highrock. Padding to her and purring in pride as her new name was accepted. "I’m proud of you, Dawngaze."