Honeypaw's Warrior Ceremony

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Willow Branch for a clan meeting!" Torrentstar's summons rang throughout RiverClan camp, catching the ears of every cat currently situated within the small island. The time had come for Honeypaw to become a warrior. In reaching this point, the golden-furred she-cat was only a half-moon slower than her sister Redmask. How much longer would it be, the leader wondered, before all of his kits were warriors? Perhaps he would finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief when that time came. The cat in question, Honeypaw, was level-headed and sensitive to the troubles of others. He admitted that he had not had much time to spend with her, but he learned what he could from the reports he received of her apprenticeship.

It was time, it was finally here. Honeypaw glanced up at the sound of her father's voice echoing across the camp, quickly pushing herself to her paws to join the slowly gathering cats. She could only imagine that this was her warrior ceremony - her training was complete, she had gone to her Moonstone and she didn't know of any kits that were ready to become an apprentice. It was for her, she just knew it. Her tail swished as she settled down into a seat, watching with bright eyes.

Although her... 'Revelation' a couple of nights ago still weighted heavy in her mind, she had pushed it to the wayside - to bury her grief and be strong would only matter in times when tragedy struck the Clan. Until such a moment, she could be herself. Happy, free and content to focus on her warrior duties. But now, she simply had to focus on one thing...What in StarClan was her warrior name going to be, she wondered.

Gazing down at his daughter from atop the Willow Branch, Torrentstar hoped that she was aware of just how proud he was of her. How did one portray that, he wondered. It was a little strange; whenever he was standing in the willow tree, his clanmates seemed so distant. He was the only one elevated, the only one all their gazes were focused on. Perhaps the strange feeling of regret he had felt at Redmask's ceremony was plaguing him now as well, for Honeypaw seemed like a cat he did not know. When he thought of his ginger-furred daughter, the image that came first to mind was that of a young kit and her shining eyes. He certainly had to admit that she had grown. "Honeypaw," He began, "you have trained hard in all your moons as an apprentice. Now, it is time for you to see the fruits of your effort. Ivybrook has informed me that you are ready to become a warrior. If you believe this to be true, step forward."

Ivybrook was quick to get to her paws when she heard Torrentstar's call, no matter what the occasion happened to be. She was sure that this was another warrior ceremony, which she was glad for- the Clan could always use newly trained warriors. Still, her fur stood on end, afraid that at any moment ThunderClan or ShadowClan might come marching into camp. When Honeypaw's name rolled off his tongue, however, she breathed a quick sigh of relief. Her name held little meaning to her as her gaze shifted to the soft, yellow-toned apprentice sitting in front of her. She was excited for the young she-cat, and although she wasn't exactly sure how to show it, she was proud.

Finally, it was her sister's time to join her on the warrior's den. Redmask took the front lines to witness the ceremony, something unusual for her but with a special meaning. Honeypaw was there to congratulate her for her new name and the she-cat felt that she had to do the same for her and celebrate. She had trained hard, just like her and she well deserved a new name and rank among the Riverclan's lines. Hopefully, this could bring her closer as they start to hunt and go on patrols together... it wasn't bad to dream, wasn't it?

Honeypaw's ears perked as her name was called, relief that she had been correct in assuming that this was her warrior's ceremony - it was time for her to finally join Redmask in the warrior den...Although it hurt knowing she was leaving Tigerpaw behind. At the bid to step forward, she proudly did so as she thought back on the events of her apprenticeship. She was ready to become a warrior, she had worked so hard under Ivybrook's paw to make RiverClan proud. It was finally coming to fruition, she was going to be a warrior. Her gaze scanned the crowd, seeing both her mentor and her sister sitting at the front. Her heart warmed as she met Redmask's gaze, reminding herself that she wanted to try to reconnect with her once she was settled into the warrior's den.

There was a moment of silence as his daughter stepped forward. The RiverClan leader's voice was low but clear, ringing out across the crowd. "I, Torrentstar, 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. Honeypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Honeypaw knew her answer before he had even stated it - she had seen other warrior ceremonies done, she had seen her sister take the vow. "I do," was her answer, raising her head to stare straight at her father. She knew what this vow meant, what it was asking of her - she had seen it first paw when she had joined Ivybrook and a couple others to take down the badger. She had been lucky to escape without an injury but Ivybrook and Wasppaw... They were lucky, at the end of the day. But they had been brave, they had fought for the sake of the Clan and didn't care about their own safety at the end. She would fight tooth and claw for RiverClan, she was going to make sure none of her Clanmates hurt when she was around.

Torrentstar's gaze met with Honeypaw's, and for a moment, father and daughter simply stared at each other. The confidence and determination that filled the she-cat's voice were not new to him; he had heard them time and time again during the ceremonies he carried out, and he had heard them in Redmask's answer as well. Like her sister, Honeypaw was no longer the completely defenseless kit he tended to remember her as. He swallowed, before continuing, ""Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known to all as Honeytongue. Riverclan honours your kindness and bravery through tough times. Tonight, as tradition demands, you will hold a silent vigil while the rest of the clan sleep. Until then, however, we celebrate the rise of a new Riverclan warrior who has fully earned her name."

Honeytongue―it was a name that suited her well, in his opinion. It reflected the kind words that she was prone to uttering, the comfort that could be brought simply by her presence. Hopefully she would be pleased with it. It occurred to him that he had no way of really finding out what she thought.

She waited on baited breath for her name to be uttered...And it was given to her. Honeytongue. For a second, she was confused - it hadn't been what she had been expecting at all, not that she really knew what she wanted as a name in the first place...But the more she thought about it, the more she silently rolled the name on her tongue...She liked it. She worked hard to make sure that her words were sweet, that they would help others if her actions could not - now her name reflected that. Her ears perked as the Clan started to chant her name, a soft sigh escaping her as she glanced proudly up at her father. She had done it, she was a warrior and she was going to make him proud.