Dacepaw's Warrior Ceremony

(OOC: For the sake of avoiding paradoxing, we're going to go ahead and declare this as between the days Bear died and his body found. Sound good? Good. Glad we had this talk. Now I'm rambling. Hi. If you've read all of this... I love you. Go ThunderClan. Be stronk, yada yada ~ XD If you're STILL Reading this... ya'll are dedicated. I mean seriously. I don't deserve ya'll. )

If you find this... well, I don't have a reward I can really offer except a patrol with Oakstar. So yeah. Who wants to hang out with Dadstar?


It had been awhile since Dacepaw joined ThunderClan all those moons ago. The young apprentice had been following her father, Sparkfrost, only for him to disappear on a mission from StarClan, never to return. For awhile, Oakstar had hoped that he would reappear. That he would take his daughter home… or perhaps that she herself would find a comfortable place among them.

Torrentstar’s rough attitude made it plain that she was to remain in ThunderClan, if she wanted a future. In that way, Oakstar pitied the young apprentice. Yet her resilience showed plainly to any cat. He had seen many apprentices become humbled by the things the forest threw at them. Seen them become more solemn, more proud and confident… the latter, Dacepaw had without the solemnity. He smiled down at her. The familiar dilute tortoiseshell pelt which held an apprentice he was happy to have as family.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a clan meeting!" His yowl cut through the cold air. Amber eyes gleaming with joy as he watched his clanmates emerge from dens and sheltered retreats in the camp. His dark body stood a stark contrast against the pale white. His eyes a starker contrast against the cold, for they held only warmth and love for each of his clanmates. Including, he noticed with slight regret, his own deputy. Yet, hunting patrols couldn’t be missed.

The day was cold, colder than recent days even, and flurries of snow had started falling over the top of the leaf-bare rain drenched forest. Dacepaw was grateful as she always was for her thick RiverClan-blooded pelt to provide her with warmth even in inclement weather. She knew, however, that some of her Clanmates of pure forest blood weren't quite so lucky. After overhearing a warrior mutter about a constant drip of water right above the entrance to the warriors den while hovering near the fresh-kill pile, Dacepaw resolved to do what she could to make her loved ones a little more water-proof.

With Dawngaze's permission and intermittent help, the apprentice had spent the early morning gathering thick but workable sticks and branches and things to weave into the branches of the den to patch up the hole that was ailing the warriors. Dacepw could feel the uncomfortable sensation of sleet slowly seeping through to her pelt by the time she was finally set up in camp and ready to put sticks together.

The she-cat worked contentedly for some time. Dacepaw liked some of the busywork she did in camp as an apprentice - what she liked more, though, were the ceremonies. As soon as Oakstar's voice rang out, Dacepaw whirled around with a chirp of interest, her green-hazel eyes looking to the brawny tom on the stony ledge as he gazed down over the clearing. His eyes met hers and her tail flung up in hello. Hastily, Dacepaw tucked her den patching materials closer to the warriors den and shook her pelt, sending a few small twigs flying into the air.

As prepared as she would be for whatever meeting was being called, wholly and blissfully unaware of the purpose, Dacepaw made her way towards the Highrock, searching for Duskpaw and Houndheart as she always did when one of these meetings started. Duskpaw had been very busy as of late, leaving Dacepaw's nest a bit emptier and more cold than she liked, but any time she spotted her pale brown friend Dacepaw felt her heart melt with affection.

The trip was a long and difficult one, especially for a she-cat as heavily pregnant as Dappleshine was. But when one of ThunderClan's warriors had delivered the message that her daughter was going to receive her warrior name, and extended an invitation, she knew that she wouldn't miss it for all of StarClan. She had been on the way to gorge to talk to Honeytongue, tell her excitedly about her pregnancy, so when she arrived she had been thrilled to share two new bits of information. She looked over at the she-cat that now padded next to her nervously with a breathless smile around a pretty rock she had gathered from WindClan before focusing back on the path ahead of them, ThunderClan's territory was dense and unforgiving to a cat who got tangled in it.

Finally. the two cats reached the edge of a ravine, and when she focused her senses to the bottom she could smell the throng of cats, and with the lack of leaves she could make out some figures below. On a rock above everyone else stood a figure, and Dappleshine set the rock down at her paws. "That must be Oakstar! Oh, I hope we didn't miss it!" Dappleshine whispered, eyes scouring for a sign of what exactly was going on. Did Dacepaw know they were here? 

The sickening sensation had yet to leave the pit of his stomach. A rigorous, and yet fruitless hunt, had not been able to clear his mind of the still body of Beartooth. In his life-long quest to boast how grand he was, Houndheart was decided in that he had to swallow away the feelings. What he had once thought to be ice in his throat was now a stone. As Oakstar called a meeting, his paws shifted ever so slightly at the nerves that shook within. But there wasn't an ounce of knowing across the leader's maw. There was no way he had found his late deputy already, not looking like that, right? He padded towards Dacepaw and settled down without a word. However, his coat pressed up against hers in perhaps the most directly comfort-seeking action the prickly tom had ever managed. Mossbloom had been able to soothe his soul before, and while intimacy scared him, even he could not will himself to pull away now. There had to be something in the warm fur that would calm him, something that could erase the memory.

She couldn't believe she was doing this. Honeytongue quietly padded after Dappleshine, fur prickling on edge as she cast a wary glance toward every shadow that the canopy cast around the pair. She had always wondered what it was like in the ThunderClan territory but she never expected her curiosity to be slated by sneaking into the territory to see a warrior ceremony. But...She needed all the joy she could get, she supposed. She couldn't deny the stab of pain that had lanced through her as Dappleshine revealed that she was expecting kits - that she was starting a new family in WindClan. Their meetings had been a blessing...Would that stop once she had new family to focus on? She...Oh, it wasn't the time to wonder this type of things. Dacepaw was going to be a warrior.

If it wasn't for the fact that Dappleshine had Oakstar's blessing, she would have denied doing this type of thing. StarClan above, she was sneaking into the heart of the ThunderClan territory. If Torrentstar caught wind of this...She shook her head, before pausing as Dappeshine came to a halt at the edge of a ravine. gently lowering the rock she had been carrying the entire time to peer over the side. Honeytongue carefully joined her adopted sister, peering into the camp. There was only a pawful of cats she recognized but her eyes settled onto the familiar sight of Dacepaw, sitting next to somebody. "I, ah...Don't think so," she whispered, her voice low as she prayed that nobody took notice of the two. "Looks like Dacepaw is still in the crowd so if this is her ceremony, we ought to be good."

The sound of his father's familiar yet suddenly very commanding voice drew Leopardkit's attention away from the small dead mouse he had been pretend-hunting, looking up at Highrock to see what was going on.  Instantly all interest in his 'quarry' was gone, and the silver spotted tom's golden eyes went wide with unbearable anticipation; today must be his apprentice ceremony!  Sure, he was only four moons old, but what did that matter to the son of Oakstar himself?  His dad's word was law after all, so that must mean he could change that pesky "all apprentices must be six moons old" rule, at least for him!  Maybe Coniferkit and Daisykit too...but he'd rather be ahead of his siblings.  He was the firstborn!

Chin lifted high as he walked forward towards the center of the crowd, ducking between cat's shoulders until he found a spot near the front, the arrogant kit sat down with his tail flicking excitedly in the snow, waiting for the glorious moment when he would join Oakstar on the Highrock - his rightful place - and be named Leopardpaw!  So what if he had never caught his own live prey before, he had just never been given the chance, because of that other pesky rule...kits can't leave camp.

Oakstar smiled proudly at his clan as a flash of silver caught his eye. He looked up, then smiled as he saw two unfamiliar shapes at the top of the ravine. He recognised Dappleshine, and gave her a slow and deliberate nod. His gaze fell to the sandy she-cat beside her, and he nodded again. That Dappleshine needed an escort came as no surprise to him. He could see from here that her body was rounder than it should be in leafbare.

He looked back down at his clanmates and twitched his tail in a bid for calm.
"Although this is highly untraditional, I have chosen to permit a couple of visitors for this ceremony. They have come to view it, then they will leave peacefully." His amber gaze settled on each cat in turn. Kindness mixed with sternness as he forced himself to show how serious he was. "No cat is to lay a single claw or tooth on them, or you will answer to me."

His smile returned once more as his gaze fell to Dacepaw. He hadn’t seen if she looked up at the visitors, but he called her name calmly. Forcing himself to restrain his own delight that she would finally be able to sleep among the warriors.

"Dacepaw, step forward."

After only a moment, Dacepaw's hopeful gaze landed on one of the two cats she always searched for. Houndheart! Her heart sang and she sat up straight immediately, her tail waving in a wide arc to invite him to her side, but it really only took one look at the tom's dark and agitated hazel eyes to see that Houndheart wasn't feeling his best. Dacepaw knew that if something was bothering him, the start of a Clan meeting certainly wouldn't be the place to bring it up. She opened her mouth to greet him as he came to sit beside her, but she found herself struck slightly speechless as Houndheart sat not just next to her but touching her, his side pressing against hers and letting some of her wispy, pale mottled fur absorb his own dark tabby coat. Instead of saying words, Dacepaw just let out a happy mrr sound and leaned gently back, a reassurance to her friend that whatever was on his mind, it would be okay.

Much more of the Clan had appeared, and when Dacepaw spotted Oakstar's son Leopardkit scampering out proudly among the crowd she came to the same confused but pleasant conclusion as he did: Maybe this was his ceremony? The apprentice didn't think she could lose track of the moons that badly, but maybe Leopardkit had reached six moons and Dacepaw just wasn't paying attention? Well, if it's his turn, his siblings should be around here, too, right? Just as she began to search for them, however, Oakstar's voice rang out.

Untraditional? Dacepaw echoed his words in her thoughts. What does that mean? What visitors? The thick-furred tortoiseshell craned her head around them to try to follow the line of his furtive glancing a moment earlier. Up through the leaf-bare naked branches, Dacepaw thought she saw something. She wasn't certain who could possibly want to visit to watch a ThunderClan ceremony if they weren't in ThunderClan themselves. Certainly it couldn't be Leopardkit's ceremony if there was an outside observer - he'd never even met anyone outside of camp! And who might visit that Oakstar would be so adamant no one lay a paw on or treat ill in any way?

Dacepaw turned her head back to Oakstar with a bright look of intrigue and curiosity on her face, and as her eyes fell on him she was startled to see that his calm, glimmering yellow gaze was trained on her. "Dacepaw, step forward." Her jaw dropped, and she looked at Houndheart with big, round eyes. "It's me!" she breathed to him, and then, with her face still round with surprise and a kit-like awe, she looked back to Oakstar and obediently stepped forward, her tail brushing Houndheart's pelt gently until she could no longer reach. Dacepaw stopped before Oakstar on the Highrock, staring up with glittering eyes. This was her ceremony...

... and she bet she knew who the visitors were, or at least one of them! Dacepaw pulled in a breath and felt a wide grin break across her face, her characteristic thunder-roar of a purr starting in her chest despite her efforts to remain calm and collected for her leader. If the visitors were who she thought, she had to be perfect for them.

Oakstar’s smile never waned as Dacepaw stepped forward. His rumbling purr couldn’t be heard by the cats below, but he felt it vibrate through every inch of his pelt.

"I, Oakstar, leader of ThunderClan, 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 them to you as a warrior in their turn. Dacepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" He called out the familiar, ritualistic words. Ones that would mark Dacepaw as a true Thunderclan warrior forever.

Not that it appeared she’d want to be anything else. He had noticed how close Houndheart had gotten to the she-cat. He wondered with no small amount of humour how Beartooth would feel when he eventually became a grandfather.

As Oakstar resumed speaking, Dacepaw's thoughts returned fully to the ceremony and her focus turned fully to her leader before her. She remembered hearing these words when Houndheart became a warrior; she'd been sitting by him that day, too, before he was called up. Dacepaw remembered feeling so proud of him and satisfied that the Clan agreed he'd earned his name at last. It was different when the words were being spoken about herself, though. As the vow rang through the clearing, resounding in the apprentice's tufted ears, she felt almost electrified as if poised before prey, ready to spring. Did she promise to uphold the warrior code - to defend ThunderClan, whatever the cost?

There was no hesitation. "I do!" Dacepaw affirmed with the most serious and genuine voice she had likely ever used. She stared deep into Oakstar's eyes with love and adoration and sincerity - she wanted him to believe. She wanted him to feel how strongly she felt and how much she meant this. She wanted him to understand that ThunderClan was her Clan now, always and forever until she joined StarClan. Dacepaw's love was spread wide across the forest and would seep into every cat's life that she could reach, but ThunderClan was her home. Her solid ground; her certainty. ThunderClan was the happiness Sparkfrost hoped she'd find. Dacepaw waited, barely noticing that she was holding her breath now.

It was rare that Oakstar heard Dacepaw speak in a serious tone… but he kept his smile as he watched her gaze at him shift from joy… to determination that settled under his pelt. She would be a force to be reckoned with someday.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dacepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dacedream. StarClan honors your perseverance and adaptability, as well as your kind heart."

He gestured towards the gathered clan.
"Though you have had hardships, you have come through them all… and you’ve provided our clan with hope over the past few moons. We are honoured to welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

He finished the ceremony by leading the chant of Dacedream’s new name, before he leapt down. She would need to make a new nest in the warrior’s den, but his amber eyes glittered I’m amused joy as he spoke.
"You have awhile before the sun sets. I suggest you make a nest… butyour first duty as a warrior… is to go guide our guests home." he purred. His head lifted to the silver and sandy shapes above the ravine. "Give Dappleshine my congratulations." He ducked his head, then turned towards the nursery to check on his own kin.

Maybe Oakstar hadn't needed convincing after all, but nevertheless Dacepaw felt relieved and satisfied that he accepted her response. The apprentice's purr had fallen silent as she gazed, enraptured, at her leader. The tom's voice rang out again, words she had heard before that sounded so different now when they were meant for her. Still they sounded so right. "Dacepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dacedream." The look of stoic sincerity was washed off the tortoiseshell she-cat's face and instantly replaced with an expression of wonder and delight and pride. Dacedream. Her purr began to thunder out again as Oakstar continued to speak, praising all the hard work she had done and all she had contributed to the Clan.

They were honoured to welcome her as a warrior. The sound of ThunderClan calling her new name was forever preserved in her memories, the voices of the cats she had come to know and love and protect. It surrounded her with strength, and filled her with devotion.

Dacedream could feel happy tears trying to well up in her eyes, yet she did nothing to try to stop them and soon her gaze was glassy. It was just joy she couldn't contain - it had to go somewhere. Oakstar leapt down and instantly Dacedream was racing up to meet him, dipping her head low with the deepest respect and gratitude. When she looked up at him a moment later, however, her face simply held her usual cheer and eagerness. "Oakstar, thank you so much," Dacedream purred. She fell quiet, tufted ears perking with interest as the dark tom began to speak to her, and instructed her to... to "guide their guests home". The significance of the gesture caused Dacedream's cream muzzle to split with a toothy grin. "Yes, Oakstar, I will!"

The newly-named warrior spun away from her leader then; however, she didn't rush to the ravine right away. The tortoiseshell warrior scampered back to Houndheart, the tom she had left. Dacedream didn't hold herself back, as she usually did. She nuzzled her face underneath his chin to rub her cheek against his neck and shoulder, and as she did so she breathed, "You helped me learn how to be a warrior of ThunderClan; I don't know where I'd be without you." Dacedream stepped back, gazing with love-filled eyes into Houndheart's own gray gaze for a moment before she began to turn, mewing, "Oakstar said my mother's here; I'm going to escort her home like warriors do!" She giggled and began to pad away. She froze, however, and looked back over her shoulder, asking Houndheart warmly, "Will you leave room for me to make a nest by you?"

Feeling suddenly bashful, Dacedream turned, casting a look of overwhelmed joy and gratitude over her Clanmates before she dashed up the ravine and out of camp. She dashed along the cliff's edge before she found the guests: The sight of Dappleshine's silvery-gray fur - and Honeytongue's beautiful pelt of gold - made Dacedream let out a kittish squeal of delight. "Oh, Silverpelt, you're here! You're b-both here!" Overwhelmed again with joy, she found herself suddenly weeping, and she mewed on, "I-I'd always dreamed of my family being at my ceremony when I got my name, but I ne-never really thought...! Thank you! Thank you both for being here." As she spoke, she weaved herself between Honeytongue and Dappleshine, rubbing her thick mottled body on them as her body trembled with a purr. She paused, looked between them, and then asked with joyful curiosity, "How are you here? How did you know?"

There was a flicker of mortified dread that flared through Honeytongue as it became obvious that the two had been spotted by Oakstar, muscles tensing in slight worry. Sure, he had apparently given permission for Dappleshine to be here - it had been by sure fortune that the two had been scheduled to meet each other for her to allow to tag along. But the moment passed and the leader gave her a nod as well, her fear quelling as the leader spoke up - revealing their presence and that they weren't to be harmed. Oh. Oh good. She settled down, a bit more at ease as she listened to the ceremony go on, taking some time to marvel at how the ThunderClan camp was built. It was so similar and yet so different from the RiverClan camp, it was so foreign and yet...She could see how Dacepaw would be at home here.

But not Dacepaw anymore. Dacedream. It was a beautiful dream, every so fitting for such a charming soul such as herself. "Dacedream, Dacedream!" she found herself chanting, although she was careful to keep her voice low - the cats of ThunderClan were now aware of their presences but it still felt wrong to actually step on the paws of their ceremony. They were guests - ones crouching outside of the camp itself no less. She had expected that to be the end, that now that the ceremony was gone that the two outsiders would simply drop the rock off and be home...But then Oakstar spoke up once more, assigning Dacedream with the mission to see them get back to the border safety. Her eyes widen, taking a soft step back in surprise. She...Hadn't been really expecting the chance to talk to Dacedream again, not so soon.

She spared a happy look to Dappleshine, taking a quiet moment to gently press her shoulders against her with a soft purr. It didn't last long, softly realizing that perhaps this would be the last warrior ceremony for a family member she would ever get to see. She doubted Finchstar would ever extend her the same curiosity, she wasn't even blood-related to Dappleshine and Dacedream. It had been by pure luck that the stars had aligned to see this ceremony in the first place. But she had no siblings anymore. She would never be a proper aunt...She doubted her father would ever take on another mate - he had suffered so much heartache and...She sighed softly, expression darkening every so slightly at the thought. Hm.

The sound of racing pawsteps caught her ear, attention being brought back to the present as Dacedream came rounding the corner and saw them. She smiled softly, flickering her ear in greeting before she froze at Dacedream's tearful joy that they were both there. She...She had only expected Dacedream to be overjoyed at the sight of her mother - after all, the two of them had never actually really seen each other as family. On some scale, she supposed she was Dacedream's aunt - she saw her mother as a sister but...Yet perhaps she had never really thought of that until this moment. That her family was perhaps one more than she had expected. ...Not that it changed many things, Dacedream had still chosen ThunderClan over RiverClan in the end and was even a warrior. But...It wasn't as if she had a choice in the end.

She smiled, pushing away the thoughts as she opened her mouth to say something only for Dacedream to dart forward and worm her way between the two, pressing against them with all the joy she could muster. The RiverClan warrior hesitated at the thick, loving pressure before she finally started to melt into it and focus on the happy of the moment. A soft laugh escaped her as the newly named warrior finally paused to ask how they had even come to see the ceremony. "Apparently Oakstar sent a messenger to your mother to tell her about your ceremony," Honeytongue revealed, doing her best to keep her voice happy and chipper to mask the sadness she had been dwelling on a heartbeat before. "Dappleshine and I have been meeting on the border recently and we were to see each other again today...So she swung by to tell me about this and I knew I couldn't pass up this moment to see you grow up," she added before she paused to nuzzle Dacedream back. "I knew you would be a warrior soon enough. Congratulations, Dacedream. I'm...I'm happy that you've found your place."

Leopardkit's hopes were quickly dashed into pieces, and his confident grin turned to an annoyed frown as the ceremony went on, Dacepaw taking his place on the Highrock and being named Dacedream. Dacedream? That's an...odd name. It's not fierce like Leopardclaw, Beartooth, and Houndheart...I guess she-cats can get away with names like that. What even is a 'dace'? With a huff, the spotted tabby kit turned away, following Dacedream with his eyes as she ran up the ravine to greet some strange cats. Oh yeah, she's not a ThunderClan cat, isn't she? I guess they're her family... Eyes narrowing, he turned tail to the scene and trotted back over to his dead mouse. Hopefully, his day would come soon, before any other outsiders; after all, he was Oakstar's son!

Dawngaze gathered with the clan, aware of what would come. She had fully believed that Dacepaw, now Dacedream, was ready to be a warrior. She was silly, unfocused, and dainty in ways that Dawngaze didn't fully approve of, but she was also curious, intense, and dedicated. Some cats just couldn't help being... happy. Yes, Dawngaze decided, Dacedream was always happy. Maybe that was good. The warrior looked on with a hint of disgust as her former apprentice ran first to Houndheart, the deputy's no-good whelp, but her expression returned to neutrality when Dacedream ran to her visiting family. It was certainly unusual but Dawngaze had no objections. She was, ultimately, very proud of her apprentice in ways she didn't know how to express. She could only chant her new warrior name and give a reserved, approving nod to the newest warrior.