Wrenpaw's Warrior Ceremony

"Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather beneath the Tallbranch for a Clan meeting!" Spottedstar called to his clan, summoning them beneath him. It was time for another warrior ceremony. Whether Wrenpaw deserved his name more than Redfall did not occur to the spotted leader; instead, only SkyClan's strength and wellbeing crossed his mind as he looked down at the young gray-and-white tomcat as he approached the clearing.

The moonstone journey had came and went, leaving Wrenpaw with briefly exhausted paws but a renewed sense of being and dedication. As the clan was called together, he settled down near the center, staring up at Spottedstar. Whatever this meeting was in regards to, he would be ready. If this was his ceremony, then he was ready to devote himself to Skyclan in warriorhood.

Redfall hurried into camp, dropping a squirrel into the pile, before glancing at Wrenpaw. His ears flicked up hopefully and he trotted to his friend, tail high. "Wrenpaw! I think it's your ceremony!" He gave his friend a small grin and nudged him happily. Redfall did not need words to show his happiness for his friend.

Juniperpaw bounced from the apprentices' den even though he knew the meeting was not for him. Neither Honeysong nor Sagelight had taken him to the Moonstone, so he couldn't possibly be the subject of the clan meeting, but he was excited anyway. A certain apprentice he'd been working with lately did have his visit and the black tomcat quickly deduced that he was right by watching Spottedstar's eyes follow Wrenpaw. Plenty of younger apprentices surpassed Juniperpaw in training. He was a little slow and he accepted it. So Juniperpaw plodded to his unoccupied side and flicked his tailtip against Wrenpaw's shoulder with a familiar grin.

"We gather here today to give one of our apprentices their warrior name and rank. Wrenpaw has proven himself worthy to climb the ranks of SkyClan and receive his warrior name." Spottedstar began the ceremony when the clan had settled and the apprentice in question made his appearance. "Step forth, Wrenpaw. I, Spottedstar, SkyClan's leader, call upon our ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Wrenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" The leader looked down at him, amber eyes a little dull and pelt somewhat disheveled but gaze proud and encouraging nonetheless.

The voice of Redfall reached his ears and he blinked, drawing his attention away from Spottedstar. His expression faltered, remembering their last interaction, after Redfall's own warrior ceremony and the events leading up to it. Then, he remembered the words from his moonstone journey. No matter what the circumstances were this was his friend. Whatever distance was between them, they would talk about later. But it wasn't important. As the warrior nudged him, he let out a low and half-hearted laugh, "We'll see about that."

In a moment, Juniperpaw was at his other side, flicking his shoulder in a motion that seemed to calm any nerves still bouncing around in his chest. Their leader's voice filled the clearing and confirmed what his companions already seemed to know: this was his was his warrior ceremony. Unconsciously, Wrenpaw straightened up. His eyes closed for a briefly moment as he tilted his head to the stars. I'm going to dedicate myself to the clan, Lion's Eye. I'll make Skyclan and the stars proud of the warrior I become. He padded forward and drank in the ceremonial words that would welcome him into warriorhood. And when it was time for the declaration of his devotion, there was no hesitation or wavering in his words:

"I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name: Wrenspring. SkyClan honors your dedication and perseverance." The leader called out, pleased with the new warrior. He landed gracefully on the camp ground and approached the tom, resting his chin bluntly against Wrenspring's forehead. "Make sure you get rest before your vigil tonight." He meowed before moving off to allow the clan to congratulate him.

As soon as Spottedstar moved away from Wrenspring, Redfall was there, pressing into his friend’s shoulder happily. “Wrenspring, I’m so happy for you,” he murmured excitedly. And it’s a fitting name, with all of his energy. Unsure of what to say, his shoulders dipped slightly, so he simply nodded to his friend and smiled. “I’ll see you after your vigil. Stay safe.”

Pride and determination welled in his chest. Wrenspring was his new name, apprentice life now merely a sentence and a den behind him. He nodded gratefully to the clan leader, sensing Spottedstar's sincerity in the naming. Now was truly his chance to make an impact in Skyclan and strive to honor the cats he would serve for the rest of his life. As Redfall congratulated him, the tom nodded, "Thank you. I'll see you after, Redfall."