Flintpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Flintpaw still hadn't shifted from the shadows, his ears perking as he stared up at his mother. Slowly, he pushed himself to his paws and padded forward in obedience. Weaving between his Clanmates - as gracefully as he could with his large form - he reached the front and stepped out to stare up at Thornstar. ...This was it, wasn't it? He was going to become a warrior. He had known that this time was coming closer, Sparkfire had just gotten her name after all... They needed this, didn't they? All of ShadowClan - in the face of what SkyClan had done, another warrior would prove to be a good sign that they were not to be threatened. Hopefully Frostpaw and Nightpaw would join him and Sparkfire soon - then they could help Thornstar prove why ShadowClan was not to be pushed around or taken lightly.

He listened intently to her words, to the vow that she was giving him to answer. The answer to it seemed simple, a clear thing that it seemed silly that she would have to ever ask him that. "I do," came the response, solemn as every word he spoke tended to be. Of course he would, it was his duty since birth. It was a grim cycle to be sure but it was how their world worked. Scorchstar had perished in battle, even Redwing - as unjustified as her death was - had done the same. He expected it would be how he would reach his end...Perhaps as cruel as a death as Redwing's - taken by another cat when it was not needed - but it was something he accepted anyways. And until that day, he would fight for ShadowClan, for Thornstar... There was no reason to think different, StarClan would greet each of them one day, why not spend the breathes he had doing everything in his power to keep his Clan safe.

Flintshard. He liked it, it felt...Fitting. He ran the name a few times in his head, growing use to it with every pass. He was a warrior now...Him and Sparkfire. Now they would just have to wait for Nightpaw and Frostpaw to join them...Soon, hopefully. His gaze flickered up as his mother approached,  bowing his head as she gently placed her muzzle upon it. "Of course, Thornstar," he meowed in response. "I will not let you, or ShadowClan, down."

For some reason, it had always felt...Weird to refer to Thornstar as 'mother' out loud or even Sans as 'father.' Names held so much power for them, a sign of ranking and respect. Calling them by anything else seemed weird to him, mostly when they higher than him in rank...Of course he personally didn't mind the nicknames his family had for him, he knew it was out of love but...It was just something he couldn't bring himself to do, come up with silly or 'cute' nicknames for his family. And he wouldn't admit it...But he kinda like being called a lump by his mother.