Goldenpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Today the wind rippled through the moor, sending green waves of rye through the hills. Finchstar sat upon the Tallrock and watched the scene, wondering if this was how the lake had looked to Raventail. It wasn't often he held this view, as for most meetings the leader had opted to sit amongst his clanmates in the Sandy Hollow. But today was special. Today, the wind was sharp as the future cut through their pelts. "All cats old enough to run the moors, gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting!" Exhilarating, each and every ceremony was. Finchstar found himself remembering his old warrior ceremony, wanting to place himself into the pelts of those below him. Did their eyes sparkle as his had done? Did their hearts beat with anticipation? However these questions were not necessary for the witness that sat below him now. Goldenpaw ran with the breeze just as her mentor did. Her heart was one of fire, and her dedication shined like no other. Finchstar smiled as he gazed upon her face. What a beautiful soul. Living and loving under the warm sun. Of course, the apprentice had no knowledge of what was to come. But there was something about anticipation that pricked at the leader's paws. Raventail had trained Goldenpaw well. He wondered if her spirit would romp and run freely with the promise of a new name. Endless possibilities, and yet the golden tabby sat here. Finchstar felt humbled.

Goldenpaw sat up at the summons from Finchstar, a bit surprised when she looked over and saw him on the Tallrock. He had usually made announcements down on the ground, the same level as everyone in WindClan, and now that she thought about it she thought that maybe this was the first time she had seen him standing up there... At least, that she could remember. She stood, pausing as she shook the sand out of her gold tabby pelt. If Finchstar was all the way up there, surely this was something big, and she wouldn't miss it for the world. She joined the gathering crowd, sitting near her parents and sister. Her pelt grew warm as she glanced around for Grousefrost, and she suddenly met Finchstar's gaze as he looked down at her. He was smiling, and Goldenpaw returned the smile, unsure of what exactly was going on.

"Ouch, dad, watch your tail," Cloverpaw hissed reflexively as his crimped tail was brushed by his father's own pale tail.

Barleytuft winced and immediately swept his tail to the other side, tucking it against his leg as he rumbled apologetically, "Shoot - sorry, Cloverpaw." The cream tabby tom had his shoulder pushed firmly up against his son's, angling to help give the weak and wounded apprentice support to stand and exit the medicine cat's den for the first time since he had been moved in nearly a full moon ago. Cloverpaw's ribs had mostly healed enough for gentle movement, and he'd already been allowed to lay on his sides for a several days. His tail, however, would likely hinder his return to training the longest. It was easy to underestimate just how much one used their tail until they no longer could.

Slowly and carefully, the slender tom began to help guide his son out of the medicine den. Cloverpaw took small, shuffling steps, keeping his paws so close to the ground and so small that they grazed the grass with each step. As they took their first step out of the shelter the evening sunlight fell on their faces. Like father, like son, the two toms both paused for a moment and lifted their faces to it: Barleytuft's face, angled and slender, caught the sun like the moor that stretched around them, his eyes narrowed with pleasure at its warmth; Cloverpaw's round face, which had thinned slightly since he had received his injuries, caught it like the face of the moon, and though he squinted against the harsh light he couldn't resist letting out a soft purr.

The pause was over and Barleytuft lead the way again, holding his son steady as they made their way towards the Tallrock where Goldenpaw was already seated with the rest of their family. The cream warrior stage whispered towards his daughter several tail-lengths ahead, "Psst - Goldenpaw! Look who's here!"

Cloverpaw's eyes had adjusted to the light, and they opened to land upon his younger sister. Stars, he couldn't even think of the words to express how proud of and excited for her he was. He'd heard everything she'd accomplished in his time in the medicine den; she was amazing. Goldenpaw had found her place in the Clan, and now she was earning her name. The silver tabby tom wouldn't have missed it for the world. He would've watched from StarClan if he had to.

The trip was slow and tedious - it took a surprising amount of concentration to not use one's tail - but at last the pair arrived at their family's side. Quite meticulously, Cloverpaw lowered himself to the ground, ensuring that he angled in such a way that he wouldn't lay on his tail or need to readjust it. Barleytuft helped him get settled before nudging his head and sitting at his side.

Cloverpaw leaned around Barleytuft to get a better look at Goldenpaw. She had gotten so big - he hadn't realized. He wondered if he'd grown at all... "Hey sis," Cloverpaw purred, and he pointedly asked with a knowing smirk, "what do you suppose this meeting's for?"

It was the sort of day Raventail loved best: sunny, not too warm, and pleasantly breezy for any cats with fur as long as his own. Perfect for running the moor. However, he had been sure to exclude himself from the usual hunting and border patrols, and had postponed any thoughts of wandering. He doubted Finchstar would hold such an important ceremony without all of WindClan present, but he wasn’t taking that risk. After all, it wasn’t every day one got to see their first apprentice become a warrior. Maybe he was biased, but…Goldenpaw had earned it. In her paws rested bits and pieces of Brookclover’s knowledge, diluted but preserved all the same. Even when they’d disagreed about the tunnels, she had taken his lessons to heart; even through grief, she’d persevered. With Quailpaw beneath the moor, Cloverpaw in the medicine den—

Raventail blinked, then broke into the grin he'd been trying to hold back since the moment he'd seen Finchstar atop the Tallrock. Out of the medicine den. Slow and painful as it looked, Cloverpaw was walking, every bit as determined to see this ceremony as Raventail himself had been.

As usual, the dark tom sat near his friend and apprentice, but apart from them. It took an astonishing amount of willpower not to wink at Barleytuft, who almost certainly knew this meeting’s purpose as well, and Graybriar, who probably wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead, he stared up at Finchstar, forcing his grin to settle into something less suspicious. What would Goldenpaw's name be? His mind flitted between possibilities, assigning suffixes to the qualities Goldenpaw had presented during her training, wondering which one stood above them all in Finchstar's eyes.

As the clan gathered, time seemed to still. A new face emerged from the medicine den, one Finchstar hadn't seen walking in quite some time. His apprentice and friend, Cloverpaw. Guided by his father Barleytuft. However awkward, their movements were in sync as they gingerly padded from the den. The leader felt a purr rumble in his chest at the sight of it. The love of a father for his kits. It was only right Cloverpaw should be able to witness Goldenpaw receive her name. Finchstar gave both Barleytuft and his son a nod as they carefully found a seat in the sand. "WindClan," he began, voice warm as the sun. "Today we gather to name a new warrior into our ranks. She has trained hard as an apprentice, and her heart has grown along with her legs." Finchstar's eyes twinkled as he gazed at Goldenpaw, wondering if the she-cat had caught on yet.

"This one has a selfless soul, and a brave nature. Goldenpaw, please step forward." Raventail sat below as a proud mentor and deputy. The pride in Barleytuft's eyes warmed Finchstar to his core. A family surrounded the she-cat as she made her way to the rock, even those broken came to watch. Graybriar, Mistypaw, Cloverpaw, and Barleytuft. The absence of Quailpaw left a hole in the group, however the leader smiled and knew that they had yet conquered that, too. He was sure her brother would be watching from StarClan, just as Brookclover was. And time passed on, they grew and danced under the wild sun. Ryegrass framed their shapes, and today Goldenpaw shined brilliantly.

Goldenpaw's head turned, blue eyes glistening with curiosity. "What is it, dad? Cloverpaw!! Oh Cloverpaw, you're walking, look at you!!" Her smile widened as she watched two of her favorite cats make their way slowly, standing off to the side while the two settled into their positions, Cloverpaw lowering himself to the ground carefully. She waited patiently, paws kneading the ground as she watched him, pride making her expression glow. "That grump Aspenpaw let you out of the den, huh? This must be a big announcement for sure!" She purred as she smiled to her brother, peering around to meet his gaze. Her head tilted at his knowing smirk though, and she looked up to Finchstar to see him still looking down at her. "Umm... I'm not sure, but everyone keeps looking at me... Did I do something? Oh! Are they sending apprentices to the Moonstone to learn about tunneling?"

Her excitement grew as Raventail took his position at the base of Tallrock, pride and happiness radiating from him like heat from the Outlook Rock. What in StarClan was happening? What did everyone seem to know?... Soon, Finchstar called the meeting to order, saying they were welcoming a new warrior to their ranks. Her excitement bubbled over as she looked over to her sister, wondering which of the apprentice's would be the one to earn their name. Then she heard her name, and she stopped looking around, instead looking up to Finchstar, shock and amazement filling her expression. She looked to Barleytuft for a sign of confirmation before she stepped forward, her head held high as she heard a quail calling in the distance. Stepping forward to stand before her friends and family, her clan, her eyes met Finchstar's once more.

A pale and grey cat pelted over the moors, his fur ruffled and jaws full of a rabbit as he rushed down the familiar indentation to reach the camp. His chest heaving heavy breaths at the strain as he looked around for his clan, seeing them gathered by tall rock. Hearing Finchstar just calling Goldenpaw forward.

The usually straight-laced and efficient tom placed a rabbit onto the fresh-kill pile, then relaxed in relief. He hadn’t missed it yet. He padded over to where Barleytuft was next to a battered grey tabby, Cloverpaw… it’d been quite a while since Grousefrost had seen him. The tom seemed to be having some difficulty, but he had no doubt that after making it this far, he’d be alright. He was a WindClan cat… it would take more than a dog to keep him down.

Grousefrost sat down beside Goldenpaw’s family. His blue gaze on the golden tabby she-cat herself. Rather than the ice that Raventail was treated to, thanks to his ridiculous tunnel fear, his gaze was full of warmth for the she-cat that had more than earned her name. The she-cat who had gone out of her way… a few times, to care for him. He wanted to repay the favours, but ultimately what he had to do was at least be there for her ceremony. It was the only thing he could do right now.

The light in Goldenpaw's eyes seemed to prove her realization. Finchstar's grin only grew. The cat before him was brave, stepping out into the light for all the clan to see. Finchstar gazed at Raventail, knowing the young warrior and deputy had trained his apprentice well. They ran with the wind together, thoughts colliding and yet blooming together beautifully. He wondered what this would mean for their future. Where would Raventail go next? What did fate have in store for his apprentice-come-warrior? "Are you ready, 'paw?" The leader's eyes twinkled with excitement and mischief. It was time.

"I, Finchstar, leader of WindClan 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 as a warrior to you in return." The sun broke over the Tallrock and its rays fell on the sand below, casting shadows behind the clan. They would pad forward into the future, leaving darkness behind them. "Goldenpaw, do you promise to uphold the code, and protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Goldenpaw nodded to Finchstar's first question, her eyes adopting the mischievous glimmer that reflected in the leader's gaze. A smile graced her face, the shock wearing off as the reality of what was about to happen set in. Her family at her back, pushing her forward with their support, Quailpaw watching from above, and her leader and his deputy, also her mentor, stood before her, encouraging her with twinkling eyes and welcoming smiled. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted the familiar pelt of Grousefrost as he settled in, smelling of rabbits and the moors. Face flushing with heat once more, she stood tall against rays of the sun, her shadow stretching behind her back. These two words would hold so much, mean so much... So she spoke them with quiet confidence, firm in where she stood and prepared for the future ahead, with her loved ones circled around her. "I do."

Finchstar remembered the first time he had spoken those two words, and yet each time they reached the air was different. Deerhawk's had been determined. Grousefrost's proud. Raventail's was hopeful. The leader smiled as he gazed upon Goldenpaw, trying to pinpoint what emotion her words now held. The clearing stilled into a silence, only the wind could be heard. the rye rustled as a wave, the yellow gorse flowers in bloom. Finchstar closed his eyes for a small moment, taking in the sun before opening them. "The by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." What a wonderful soul.

"Goldenpaw, from this moment forward, you will be known as Goldengale. StarClan honors your bravery and steadfast nature, and I am proud to welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan." Fearlessness. That was the emotion he saw in those blue eyes. WindClan's newest warrior stood now facing the future, sun gracing her frame as he bestowed her new name upon her. Finchstar admired her soul, and the adamancy that rested within it. Cheers rose into the air and drifted in the breeze, sending the lazy grasshoppers leaping into the sky. It seemed as if the forest itself was whispering for the young she-cat. The leader leapt down from his rock and padded toward her, dipping his head with respect. "Do you hear it? Even the birds and the bugs themselves sing your name. The heather whistles for you. You will be great, Goldengale. I am honored to know you, and to know the cat you have become." Some spirits were strong, paving the way with a glowing heart and a keen eye. Goldengale sat at the forefront, carrying the future on little wings. Finchstar winked at the she-cat and smiled, heart racing. "Peace is coming, I am glad to witness it with you."

"Goldengale! Goldengale! Goldengale!"

As the ceremony continued, Grousefrost found himself just watching Goldenpaw. The rays of sun that glowed off of her golden tabby pelt. The reflection of the sky in her blue eyes as they rose to respond to the words so important to every warrior. His throat tightened, and he swallowed to loosen it as Finchstar named her. His chest tight with anticipation to know what her name would be.

Goldengale. It fit perfectly. Grousefrost watched and listened as cats began to cheer, remembering the way she blew into his life. Seemingly out of nowhere, and abruptly seized his mind, his eyes and his heart in one fell swoop. It was a startling realisation. His heart stuttering beneath the cries of his clanmates. His mind racing back to the conversation they had only a couple nights ago, as he struggled with the loss of an efficient clan member whom he was still uncertain if he ever loved.

His blue eyes blinked, gaze lowering to the grassy carpet beneath them. He wasn’t worthy of her. She was golden, bright as the sun and the light in shadows. She belonged free of tunnels, running the moors like the gale winds that brought life. He was simply a stone. Keeping the clan safe from falling, protecting their home of heritage.

It didn’t stop him from padding forward. Without a glance at Barleytuft, Raventail or even Finchstar. He padded to her and smiled, in a rare display of affection.
“Goldengale. It fits you well.” He meowed, voice far calmer than his heart. “We… we should go hunting together. Sometime.” He paused, blinking as the words slipped out without a thought. ‘Great StarClan! I must be rabbit brained!’

As the ceremony began, his gaze turned from his leader to his apprentice—his soon-to-be former apprentice. She was taller than him now. Her excitement was clear in her posture, how she stepped forward to face warriorhood without flinching. Stars, she really was about to be a warrior. It had been a while since he’d had anything new to teach her; the next time they patrolled together, he wouldn’t have to come up with lessons. The thought was bittersweet. Raventail shook himself, tuning back in to the ceremony just in time to hear Goldenpaw’s answer. In the silence that followed, Finchstar gave the apprentice her new name. Goldengale. Raventail wouldn’t have thought of it, but it suited her perfectly. Bravery and a steadfast nature. He’d discovered that on their first day of training, when Goldengale had rolled off Outlook Rock in spite of her fear; somehow, Finchstar had recognized it, too. She really did deserve this.

Abruptly, it was over. Raventail started toward WindClan’s newest warrior, intending to congratulate her; Grousefrost (wait, Grousefrost?) got there first. Briefly, he watched his older denmate with interest, knowing that expression fit oddly—though not badly—on Grousefrost's face but not able to put a paw on why. Then he backed off, letting Goldengale’s family and Finchstar fill in the remaining space around her. There would be time, later, to tell his former apprentice he was proud of her, just in case his own smile didn’t make it clear enough. Surrounded by his Clanmates as he was meant to be, he finally joined them in their chanting. "Goldengale! Goldengale!"

She tensed as Finchstar started to speak once more, almost vibrating in anticipation of the name that would be chosen for her for the rest of her moons or the moor. It came with the breeze, and Goldengale immediately fell in love with it. Her leader leapt from the Tallrock, and she licked his shoulder as he approached her, speaking of the way her name was whispered in the surrounding heather. She nodded, smiling up at him and whispered, "I do. I bet it's Quailpaw." She nodded as he finished speaking, stepping back to join the crowd of cats that started to move towards her. Turning towards her family, she was pleasantly surprised to find that Grousefrost had been the first to approach, inviting her to a hunt. Her face grew hot once more, a starstruck smile on her face as she oh so gently pressed her nose to his, as if it were a delicate flower blossoming on the heather, before letting her head slip under his chin with a purr. "I'd love that, Grousefrost. If I'm efficient enough to keep up with you, that is." She teased as she pulled back, meeting his eyes for only a heartbeat before looking away. Oh stars, what had that been? Where had that come from?

A familiar voice caught her attention, calling her name, and she stood next to Grousefrost as she spotted Raventail and smiled at him. Ah nettle stings, had he seen that? Had Barleytuft? Oh foxdung, she had done it in front of the entire clan. Her pelt felt like it was on fire, between the heat of the sun and now the embarrassment as she turned back towards her family, flicking her tail lightly to Grousefrost's shoulder in a silent apology, and a promise to explain more later. Casting one last nervous smile at the tom, she padded forward to her parents and siblings, her smile wide and bright. First her eyes met Barleytuft's, searching for his internal feelings, his eyes had always spoke volumes for how he was truly feeling. Then they turned to Graybriar, then Cloverpaw and Mistypaw. Her heart swelled with love for them all as she flicked Cloverpaw's ear gently with her tail and pressed against Barleytuft's chest. Leaning down to her brother's ear, she whispered. "Let's watch over the clan together tonight, you and I. Just like we always said we would. What do you say?"

Cloverpaw only chuckled at Goldenpaw's comments about Aspenpaw. He certainly could be a bit of a grump sometimes, but it seemed to him that anyone would be a little on edge if they were prone to blanking out or flailing at any given time with little warning. When the silver warrior apprentice had settled beside his sister and asked his knowing question, he could barely keep from smirking as she replied uncertainly, "Umm... I'm not sure, but everyone keeps looking at me... Did I do something?" Cloverpaw shook his head slightly and rolled his eyes with amusement at her naivety, and Goldenpaw continued on hopefully that perhaps they were sending apprentices to the Moonstone for tunnel training now. "Mm, yep, maybe that's it," Cloverpaw drawled facetiously. He couldn't wait until she realized.

Barleytuft gazed up at Finchstar with a gleam in his eyes; the deep depths of hazel were bright with pride and love as he nodded gratefully in acknowledgement of his leader and friend. The ginger-and-white tom began, calling his gathered Clan to order. Whatever pride Finchstar's voice held, Barleytuft felt it magnified within his heart and soul. As the tom began to explain why they had gathered, the senior warrior looked over the heads of his kits to look at his mate and love, Graybriar. They were still hurting from the loss of Quailpaw, doubtless, but life moved on, and loved ones continued to grow. Barleytuft gazed into Graybriar's eyes a short distance away and saw the same pride and joy reflected: their first kit in all their lives had earned their name.

At last the mystery was revealed, and Finchstar called Goldenpaw's name. Somehow, the ginger tabby she-cat was caught off guard despite all the signs that had pointed to her. Goldenpaw's face was alight with shock and surprise, and a slowly-bubbling sense of joy. The she-cat looked at her father, and Barleytuft smiled at her, nodding gently. "Go on, sweetheart," he breathed reassuringly, and from his place on the ground Cloverpaw nodded eagerly at her.

The Barleytuft-Graybriar family was silent, vibrating with aniticipating ready to explode into joy, as the ceremony began. Finchstar gave Goldenpaw her oath to keep until death or retirement, and with a meaningfully soft voice the she-cat responded, "I do." Barleytuft shivered, remembering when he had taken the vow as well. He waited eagerly for the announcement of her new name, and he didn't have to wait long. "Goldengale", she was named, and Barleytuft could not hold in a wordless yowl of deep patriotic and paternal pride as it was given. Truly the name Finchstar had chosen was a blessing and a gift, to place a namesake of their Clan in his radiant daughter's name; she was a radiant beam of light at dawn in her heart, feet swift as storms and spirit as graceful as the breeze.

Cloverpaw felt practically weightless with joy for his sister when she finally realized it was her ceremony they had gathered for, and he watched it without envy or anger. His turn would come; truthfully, he couldn't even imagine continuing his training. For now, all his mind was set on his sister. This was his first warrior ceremony he'd ever seen; he wondered what it was like, and it mattered all the more that it was one of the dearest cats in the world to him experiencing it. Goldengale she was named, like a warm breeze in the night time. It was very fitting for her - especially when she ruffled her siblings' fur.

Finchstar descended from the rock to greet the newly-named Goldengale and Barleytuft waited for them to share brief words. In the meantime, Barleytuft looked to Raventail, the tom whose first apprentice had now joined the ranks of the warriors. The fatherly warrior dipped his head, and his eyes overflowed with gratitude and love for his Clanmate and friend. He hoped Raventail knew how dearly he was loved - how much the tom's care for Goldengale had meant in her training. Finchstar's greeting was over and Barleytuft sprang to his paws to go greet his daughter. Much to his surprise, Grousefrost had arrived first, and their brief exchange didn't go unnoticed. Butterflies danced in Barleytuft's stomach. Oh? I wonder how long that's been going on, he thought, his tail flicking as he hesitated another instant to give them their moment. Of all the cats to see padding after my ray of light, this is probably the most surprising and the least concerning.

They stepped away from each other, both looking faintly flustered as they broke eye contact, and Barleytuft was willing to make no indication that he had seen anything. Goldengale had turned to look at and approach him at that moment, and their eyes met and locked as she moved forward. Ah, well... She could always read him like medicine cats read the stars. The pride and love and surprise and approval blended together in the depths, disappearing only as Barleytuft closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to Goldengale's, whispering, "I'm so proud of you, Goldengale - for everything." He pulled his head back and said, "You've made me the happiest a father could ever want to be."

He dipped his head and stepped back to chant her name with the rest of the Clan as Goldenpaw moved to her brother's side.

Cloverpaw had joined in chanting Goldengale's name proudly; his only source of disappointment was merely that he couldn't stand to praise her like their Clanmates could, racing up to nuzzle and greet her with her new name. He purposefully ignored whatever had just happened between her and Grousefrost - he didn't wanna think about it. At last Goldengale was released from the others and she greeted their father before turning to him. Cloverpaw leaned aside to nuzzle his sister's flank, though he felt a minor pang as he moved. Goldengale looked to him and whispered kindly that they should do the vigil together - just the two of them. The silver tom broke into a purr. "Please!" he answered enthusiastically in response to her suggestion. "I'd like that more than anything."

Cloverpaw turned to look mischievously at Barleytuft and stated matter-of-factly, "Tell Aspenpaw I'm staying out here tonight, and if the two of you try to make me go back in the den you'll have to drag me flailing and wailing." Cloverpaw placed his paw on his sister's and added, "We're keeping vigil together."

Barleytuft shook his head softly. "You're a kit, Cloverpaw," he teased with a chuckle, leaning around Goldengale to ever-so-gently cuff the silver tom over the ear. "But of course - I won't stop you. Just don't make your sister talk during her vigil, and if you start having any aches or Aspenpaw wants you in the medicine den to check you over I want you to make sure you let Goldengale know and get help getting to the den. No need to strain yourself."

Cloverpaw simply laughed and looked with sparkling eyes up at Goldengale.