Strom's Warrior Ceremony

Light droplets of rain fell from the sky as Oakstar padded towards high rock. The conversation he had with young Strom on the forefront of his thoughts as he leapt onto the smooth gray stone. The tom's honesty was admirable, and his devotion to Batbite left no real room for denial. It was time the young cat became a true member of ThunderClan. Still, he hoped he made the right decision. His gaze travelled upwards towards the grey sky, before he looked down at his clan.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a clan meeting!" He yowled. His amber gaze sought out the red and white pelt of Strom with a smile that he hoped would provide him with ease and confidence. He had provided for the clan, and been proven loyal. There was no reason to deny him any longer. As the cats began to gather, he broke the suspense "Strom, step forward."

Leaf-bare finally seemed to be losing its grip on the forest, though a few frosts appeared here and there during the nights. Dacedream had adored the opportunity to race around in the better weather (rain was better than snow!) with Strom at her side. She'd never had the chance to train with him while she was a newly named apprentice in RiverClan, and it was strange to think of herself as something sort of like his mentor now, but she delighted in showing him all the secrets of the forest for the first time. She was enjoying it like she had done herself when she had first arrived. It had been an honor and joy to work with him, and Dacedream was certain he was ready to be a real ThunderClan cat. She had been thrilled to report so to Oakstar.

She hoped that was the ceremony taking place today as she emerged from the medicine den where she'd been chatting with Houndheart. Dacedream beamed up at Oakstar, noting how his gaze scanned the clearing in search of something or someone. The pretty tortoiseshell sat and curled her bushy tail around her paws, allowing herself to do the same. She watched as her Clanmates gathered, and the moment she spotted Strom she couldn't resist chirping out a wordless hello. A moment later the meeting had begun, and sure enough, it was Strom's ceremony - at last!

Stormpaw padded out to stand beside her mentor and dear friend, Dacedream. Lately, she seemed more like her old self and was excited to see one of Dacedream's friends become a warrior. What lay in Strom's future? Only time would tell.

Cherryblossom padded out of the warrior's den at Oakstar's summons, coming to a stop near Stormpaw and Dacedream. She hadn't really interacted too much with Strom, but she was excited nonetheless to see him become a warrior in the eyes of the Clan.

It was her usual curiosity - as well as the light rain soaking her fur - that led Batbite to lift her head from the spot where she was napping as Oakstar called the clan to yet another meeting. It seemed there was always something to announce, apprenticeships and warrior ceremonies - hopefully it was simply one of those, and nothing more pressing. She wasn't sure she could handle more bad news.

Her anxiety was assuaged when Oakstar continued, calling her mate's name. She breathed a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding in, perhaps since they'd first returned: Oakstar had not said anything to sway his decision one way or the other, but he was smiling now, and she was sure he wouldn't be if he was going to ask Strom to leave. The relief was immediate, and she soaked up the realization that she wouldn't need to weather another heartbreak just yet like the first rays of sunshine after an endless night.

It was silence, however, that escaped her as she focused her watchful gaze on both Strom and Oakstar.

Strom's ear flicked as a drop of rainwater dropped from the bush's still-new leaves above him, nearby his mate. A moment later, it came erect, the rest of his head following to blink up as a call rang through the ravine. A Clan meeting. Something told him this was important, all drowsiness fading like mist from his mind as he gathered his paws beneath him, casting a glance at Bat and twitching an ear to let her know he was going to join the crowd. Slightly reluctantly, he padded out of the shelter, the misty rain immediately casting droplets in his fur and whiskers. Not that he minded that much; he was used to water in his pelt, and heavier water than this, too.

He cast a glance at the rest of the crowd as cats came out from under shelter, where they had been resting, or grooming. A ceremony, it had to be a ceremony. One glance at Dacedream as he approached, her face lighting up with a happy chirrup of greeting, and the suspicion grew into an almost-certainty. A grin came over his face in return to the greeting, and he opened his mouth-

"Strom, step forward."

Shaking his head slightly - He doesn't wait around, does he? - he cast one quick glance behind at Bat and did as he was told, the grin fading from his face to a look of seriousness as he gazed up at the ThunderClan leader. From his position below the other, it almost felt as if Oakstar was towering over him, the dark tabby tom's eyes calmly holding his as Strom came to a halt. It wasn't just any warrior ceremony, it was his. Wonder if everyone else can hear my heart.... It was starting to feel like they should, slightly nervous eagerness thrilling in his chest, along with... dread? The conversation he'd had with Oakstar still weighed heavy on his mind, along with the whole business with StarClan. There were doubts he still held about himself, and his loyalty.

Putting those thoughts out of his mind for now, Strom waited for the next step in the age-old ceremony.

Oakstar smiled at the assembled cats. Dacedream seemed all too happy, and figured it out quickly, he chuckled warmly, but regained his composure as Strom stepped forward. Their conversation rang in his head. This was important. If he wanted, Strom could back out now, or reveal his former past, though it would gain him little to do so.

Yet, if the tom wanted to do that, it was his own choice. Oakstar couldn’t make it for him, only support the choice that he made, and hoped that they were guided by the right actions. Whether it was love for his mate, or the clan as a whole. Perhaps it would grow into exactly that, but only time could tell, and the clan needed to know that Strom was now one of them. For good.

"I, Oakstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young rogue. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in his own right. Strom, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

This was it. As the leader opened his maw, a strange sort of distant feeling came over Strom, neither eager nor nervous, just... waiting. A slight twinge ran through him at the words "warrior ancestors," but he pushed it aside. They might hate him right now, he didn't know, but it was Oakstar's choice to make him a warrior, not theirs. Some distant part of him hoped his family was watching, encouraging him from the stars, but if they weren't.... Well, there wasn't anything he could do. It was out of his paws.

He straightened as the leader's words rang out, aware of the cats looking on him from all sides expectantly, Batbite and Dacedream among them. A slight smile graced his maw as the memories of this moon with his loved ones flickered through his mind. Both had taught him to understand this place - though it had been strange at first - and even begin to love it as they did, with the whisper of trees constantly overhead, the bushes to hide in, and the forest floor, strangely springy and musty-smelling. He couldn't have asked for better mentors, and they had taught him well. Now he just had to make his choice.

He knew the question was coming, and in the space between heartbeats he considered the ThunderClan leader's phrasing. My Clan. What was his Clan? RiverClan or ThunderClan? It was the same question Oakstar had asked him before. The same question of loyalty that had plagued him ever since coming back to the Clans.

Where do I put my loyalty? He mused. His birth Clan, where he'd been born and raised with his littermates, all now dead and gone? Or this Clan, with his mate, and the friends he had made? Or exile, far from all of it. He took in a breath, let it out as Oakstar completed the question, the last word ringing out into the air. Loyalty. It's like mist.

"My Clan," He murmured. Looking up, he found Batbite's eyes, and a moment later, Dacedream's. The memory of Batbite's declaration of love for him rang through his head - the feel of her pelt next to his, and the feel of waking next to her each sunrise. His first encounter with the Clan flicked through next, the remembrance of Dacedream's exuberant greeting bringing a smile to his face. Then there were the hunting patrols, and all the others he'd met, all of it with these cats he'd come to respect and regard as friends. The Clan.

His Clan.

The sudden realization struck him. The Clan - it wasn't some anomalous thing that dwelt under the trees, or in a territory- It's the cats. Batbite, Dacedream, Oakstar, Jaypaw, Bonewatcher, Streamsong, and all the others, they were the Clan. He nearly shook his head in amazement at just how he'd missed it. At just how blind he'd been. That was why he'd been loyal to RiverClan; because of the cats, the Clan - his family. Maybe he couldn't stop them from going, but he would still be loyal to them. And if he was loyal to them, and ThunderClan was his family, then....

"My loyalty is to ThunderClan, and not RiverClan, or any other place," He said quietly, raising his head to look up at Oakstar, a half-smile spreading over his maw. A moment later, his voice rang out, loud and clear,

"I do. This is my Clan."

A feeling of pride welled in Oakstar’s chest as Strom raised his head to answer. Green eyes so bright with the promise of a youth well-travelled. It was a look he understood in many ways no one else in the clan probably would. A cat, who just like him, had apprenticed in another clan, spent time far outside of its reaches and returned… his thoughts turned to Coyotefang. Wherever he was in StarClan, he hoped the tom was doing well.

He blinked, clearing those thoughts as his head lifted.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Strom, from this moment on you will be known as Minkstream. StarClan honors your honesty and determination, for you have needed both to reach where you are now. We welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Oakstar finished, his tongue held back on Strom’s origins. If the tom did not want it known, he didn’t have to. They still deserved to be honoured however, and he hoped the name was a subtle enough nod.

He leapt down from high-rock amid the familiar chanting. Standing before the newly named Minkstream with a smile that could speak volumes.
"Remember, Minkstream, to take pride in everything you’ve learned over your moons. No matter where, or by who. Hold that knowledge close, and you will never find yourself lost again." He rumbled as he nudged the younger tom in acceptance before he moved away so the rest of ThunderClan could give their congratulations. "Don’t forget to nap before your vigil tonight." He called as he padded to Dustcloud and settled down next to her.

Dacedream greeted her daughter with a small, warm chirp when she had arrived. Once Strom realized the meeting was for him, she watched him move forward with all the love and joy possible written clearly in her eyes. He was only looking at Oakstar now, but Dacedream supposed that was a good thing considering what this ceremony meant. He said the age-old words, though Dacedream felt a small twinge of confusion to hear Strom still referred to as a rogue for the ceremony. She supposed that was what he'd chosen to be, for a time, and this past moon was really the test to see if he could be loyal to ThunderClan. After this, he wouldn't be a rogue - he'd be a warrior. Oakstar offered Strom the same vow that every ThunderClan warrior had ever taken: to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend his Clan, even at the cost of his life.

The tortoiseshell queen looked to Strom's back with sparkling eyes glimmering in anticipation. She held her breath and watched, waited, as he began to look around. He saw his mate first, and then he looked to her. Dacedream gave an energetic nod of encouragement. She understood some of his hesitation - she had always worried she would disappoint them or break her vow - and knew, ultimately, what he would decide. Eventually he forward, mumbled something softly, and looked up to Oakstar again before declaring "I do".

By the powers of StarClan, he received his warrior name of Minkstream, and Dacedream was delighted. That's like mine! Flowing names for cats who came from the river and drifted into the forest! she thought brightly, and then when Oakstar had leapt down and the time came at last, Dacedream loudly yowled his new name. "Minkstream! Minkstream! Minkstream!" she chanted proudly. She left Cherryblossom's side to approach Minkstream and headbuut his shoulder affectionately. "Minkstream! You got a really cool name! And you're Mink now!" she declared, sounding quite pleased.

Oakstar's maw opened, his yellow eyes glowing with the promise of a new dawn, and Strom, or Minkpaw - both names in this moment meaningless - waited in anticipation.

And just a hint of nervousness. This... this was new. He'd never had his warrior ceremony - he'd run before he could, the last time he'd gotten close. But this time, he was right here, the light rain misting in his pelt - the wet, earthen smell of the forest brushing past his nose, and his Clanmates around him. He'd pledged himself to them, and now it was time for a few new things, even if he'd rather keep some of the old ones. But this was a new beginning, and that meant a few things needed to change.

Like his name.

What will I be, when it's over? Who will I be? He closed his eyes as the leader's words rang out - first, his old one, the one given by his father. And then....

"...You will be known as Minkstream."

His eyes snapped open in surprise, and he stared up at Oakstar as the tom continued, barely hearing the rest of his words. Minkstream. I'm...

Minkstream.

An odd feeling rose in his chest, like the soft glow of sunlight mixed with the twinge of a memory - a memory of blue eyes and a gentle smile from a small white tabby. Littlestream. I... I have part of her name. A pricking feeling pulled at the corners of his eyes, and his maw gradually closed, the edges of his maw slowly turning upwards. The sweet molly of the river - his mother. He'd always focused on his father, and the legacy he'd left behind. The name his father had given him, always tainting his steps and taunting him, not matter how far he ran or where he ended up. And yet, and yet, here was his mother. And the name she'd given him.

He swore, that for just a moment, he could smell her scent gently floating in on the breeze, and winding around him. He'd forgotten that the name she'd given him was also his. She was there, all this time. Closer than Starlord.... A slight lump rose in his throat. She'd never turned away from her kits, even though they were half-rogue, and her love still burned like an eternal fire, it seemed.

Thanks, Mum.

For just a moment, he could have sworn he heard a purr - the faintest memory of a rumble-

"Minkstream!"

The sound of cats chanting around him broke him out of his thoughts, and he blinked, feeling just a little dazed as Oakstar jumped down from the rock to stand before him. A smile crossed his maw in reply to the other's words, and he dipped his head, somehow managing to meow, "I will. Always. And just... thanks, for everything."

The other tom bumped his head against his shoulder, and Minkstream nodded in thanks at his advice, glancing around at the familiar faces cheering his new name, his eyes seeking out Batbite. But he only managed to send her a quick, slightly overwhelmed smile before Dacedream danced over and butted his shoulder affectionately.

He grinned back. Minkstream. There was an odd glee in repeating the word in his mind. It fit - it fit like his own pelt. "Yeah... yeah, it is!" A teasing edge lifted one corner of his grin up slightly more than the other as a thought sprang to his mind. He could remember when the she-cat gave almost everyone she met a - sometimes strange - nickname. The temptation to take a scale from her fish was too tempting to pass up. "But you know what's better? I'm Mink... and I'm Strom, like the stream. Minkstrom."

Minkstream. MinkStrom. He almost couldn't believe Oakstar could have picked a name like that on the spur of the moment. He cast a quick, grinning glance over at where the leader sat with Dustcloud. The tom had to be a genius. Not only could he somehow manage to lead all of ThunderClan day in and day out, but he could pick a name like that on the side.

Minkstream.