Wildpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Ravenstar stood behind the Tallrock, gazing up at its peak. It felt as if he’d made Smallbean a warrior mere sunups ago, and now he was about to do the same for Smallbean and Larkflight’s only kit. Something in his chest folded at the reminder. Born into post-war turmoil, losing her mother before she’d met her, being blinded not long into her apprenticeship—Wildpaw had faced more obstacles than most even before her apprenticeship. Still, as far as Ravenstar could tell, she’d adjusted admirably. However much Olivestone’s training had helped, it was Wildpaw’s own effort that had gotten her this far. After all, no cat got their full name without earning it.

He’d been well on his way to recovery the last time he’d climbed the Tallrock; now he was at his full strength, and his paws found all the right footholds without much effort. Padding to the rock’s edge, the short tom pulled on a smile. This wasn't his first ceremony as leader, but it was his first as Ravenstar. It shouldn't have mattered, but… ”Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tallrock!” He remained standing, shifting from side to side, as he waited for WindClan to settle.

Clovertwist answered the call as always, though he approached the Tallrock's gathering place with a lottle less haste than he often did. The silver tabby tom sat himself down and looked at Ravenstar with a mild and curious expression. What's on the agenda today? he wondered, listening and watching as the rest of his Clanmates filed in. A ceremony, probably. He would look a little more... I dunno, nervous if it were anything else. So he continued to wait.

Wildpaw lifted her head blearily as the call rang out. She'd been hunting earlier, and was tired as a result. The tawny molly shook her pelt out and sat next to Clovertwist, who she didn't know well, but seemed like a good cat. Ravenstar didn't look grim in any way, maybe even a bit cheerful... a warrior ceremony, perhaps? Wildpaw glanced around. Maybe it would be for Sweetpaw or Clearpaw. They both deserved it.

Olivestone made her way into camp from a hunt, dragging her catch with her before putting it on the pile for the rest of the Clan to have. The familiar words that she would call for apprentice ceremonies rang out from Ravenstar this time, and she trotted over into the growing crowd. She'd let Ravenstar know that Wildpaw was ready to earn her warrior name, and she assumed that this was that, and if not, well, she'd still cheer for the new warrior regardless. If not today, then maybe tomorrow. Still, she was proud of Wildpaw for making it this far and relearning how to go about life after the injury that had stolen her sight. She knew without a doubt that Wildpaw was ready to become a warrior.

Clovertwist was among the first to arrive. Not long after he sat down, the apprentice of the hour settled beside him. Ravenstar had made sure Wildpaw was in camp before he’d called the meeting—a challenge specific to warrior ceremonies, something he never would’ve thought about before—but it was still a relief to see her present, even if she looked a little tired. Olivestone wasn’t far behind. Ravenstar caught the striped she-cat’s eye and gave her a slight nod. She’d told him Wildpaw was ready; he trusted her judgment, as he did any mentor’s. ”Wildpaw,” he called, ”step forward.”

He gave Wildpaw a chance to do so, watching her expression as closely as he could given the distance between her and the Tallrock’s top. When she’d gathered with the others, she hadn’t acted any more excited than them; she hadn’t seemed nervous like her father, either. Maybe she hadn’t known… Whatever the reason, her ceremony was about to begin. Ravenstar took a breath. His name was different, but aside from that, the words were the same ones he'd spoken a pawful of times before. “I, Ravenstar of WindClan, ask my fellow warriors to look upon this apprentice. She’s trained hard to understand our ways, and I commend her to you as a warrior in return.” Though he knew Wildpaw couldn’t see him, he fixed his eyes on her. ”Wildpaw, do you promise to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Clovertwist looked aside as Wildpaw approached and sat thoughtfully beside him. He made a small chirp in a friendly greeting, feeling a twist of discomfort as he glimpsed the scars over her eyes. It looked painful, but then again, his tail probably did, too. She seemed fine with them, scars and blindness and all. The way Wildpaw was looking around indicated she was just as clueless to the cause of the meeting as he was. Clovertwist continued to do the same until Ravenstar called the meeting to order, and the reason came to light: it was Wildpaw's ceremony! And so it began, and Clovertwist couldn't help but notice that StarClan's traditional words hadn't returned with their ancestors' redemption. He tried not to get too tangled in the thoughts.

Wildpaw's ears perked as Ravenstar began to speak. It took her a few moments to realize... wait, this is me? I-I, am I ready? Before the others? This can't be right, I have to be dreaming... only, dreams were always less realistic than this. She could scent Olivestone, Clovertwist, and Ravenstar, and the others... this was real, which made it a bit more scary. Still, stepped forwards on slightly wobbly legs, noting the change of words and not knowing what to think - the Righteous Few were gone, after all. This was what she’d trained for. The only thing that had helped her cope with her blindness - the knowledge that she’d become a warrior one day. It was the circle of life, and she was merely a part of it. Wildpaw knew this was what she had to do, and she’d known she’d do this from the moment she was a kit. It was the way of a Clan cat, to become a warrior. She had trained for this for so long. But was there any other option? Had anyone ever refused the ceremony? That would be like disobeying the warrior code. And she wouldn’t - couldn’t - do that. Ignoring the uncertain tug in her gut, her tail twitched. With a slight quaver in her voice, she spoke. “I do.”

Uncertainty flickered across a pawful of faces in the crowd. After a moment, Ravenstar realized why. He’d used this set of ceremonial words long enough to almost forget they weren’t the original ones; now, though he’d stood face-to-face with StarClan and seen things were as they should be, he couldn’t go back. Meeting so many old friends there had cemented his decision. The ancestors who cared about WindClan would be watching whether or not he asked them to. If their living Clanmates approved, Ravenstar had no doubts they’d feel the same. All that remained was to hear Wildpaw’s answer, whatever it would be.

In the quiet, her voice reached his ears. ”I do.” Not at all confident, but genuine—maybe more genuine because of that. Ravenstar trusted it utterly. With that, the most difficult part of the ceremony was over—for him and for Wildpaw, he hoped. He allowed the smile back onto his face, into his voice. ”Then with the approval of my Clanmates, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on, you will be known as Wildflower. We honor your determination and resilience, and I am proud to welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan.” Once he’d finished speaking, he lingered a few heartbeats longer than he normally would have. His first ceremony as Ravenstar. It’d been the same as any other. But that wasn’t the point, and so he leaped down from the Tallrock without sparing it another moment’s thought, joining with the crowd as they called, ”Wildflower! Wildflower!”

She smiled softly. The name fit, better than anything she would come up with. Wildflower. It somehow morphed her name into something that felt like herself. She wasn’t wild and she didn’t want her name to reflect that, but... it fit. “Thank you,” she whispered to Olivestone, padding over to her mentor and dipping her head. Wildflower wheeled around and sought out her father, smiling at him and charging towards him. She didn’t say anything, just purred loudly and happily.

Clovertwist listened to Wildpaw's response with perked ears, trying to leave the strange feelings of the non-traditional words behind. She was quiet, and she almost seemed afraid. He wondered if she was afraid of the oath and how big it was to make such a promise. Clovertwist hadn't been, when he took his oath... but now... Ravenstar spoke again and named the new warrior Wildflower. Almost immediately the warrior brightened. That's beautiful - like a name Finchstar would've picked. Poetic, he thought. Clovertwist happily chanted "Wildflower! Wildflower!" with his Clanmates, supporting the blinded she-cat in her growth. She would be a good warrior, especially with the love and support of WindClan behind her.

Smallbean arrived back at camp just in time to hear Ravenstar call for a clan meeting. He'd been out hunting all day and is body had started to ache, but he went and joined the group of cats in the clearing anyways, it's not like he had much of a choice. What would the meeting be about today? A lookout for foxes? Elder ceremony? Who knew, there was only one way to find out. As soon as Ravenstar called for Wildpaw, he knew exactly what was going on. She was becoming a warrior! He tried to contain his excitement, but his expression on his face was obvious. A warmth filled his chest when Wildpaw accepted her warrior name. 'Wildflower, what a beautiful name.' He looked around the crowd, trying to find his daughter's pelt above the others, but he didn't need to. She came charging at him. "Congratulations Wildflower! I just want to say, i'm sorry i wasn't there as much as i should have been when you were growing up, but i'm proud to see how much of an amazing warrior you've become. Just know that i'll try to be there for you more."

Clearpaw padded towards the clearing of gathering cats as Ravenstar called for a meeting, settling down on the outskirts of the group. As he waited for what was to come, he licked at one paw, cleaning the fresh-kill from in between his claws; he had eaten not too long ago. Who, or what, would it be this time? Idly keeping an eye on Ravenstar, his attention was perked when the meeting turned out to be a warrior ceremony. Clearpaw watched, silently, as his friend Wildpaw was called forward, and a slight smile of pride graced his face before slipping away again. With all the hardships she had already faced in her short life, Wildpaw was becoming a warrior. He was proud of her, certainly, although he couldn't ignore the spark of jealousy that wormed its way into his chest.

...But no matter, his time would come soon enough. He was nearly done with his training anyway. The rest of the Clan began chanting the new warrior's name and he joined in, his call clear and proud. "Wildflower, Wildflower, Wildflower!" He really was proud of her. After the crowd began to dissipate, Clearpaw made his way towards his friend, brushing her flank with his tail to alert her to his presence, just as he always did. "Congratulations, Wildflower, you deserve it," he meowed, ducking his head respectfully towards the newly-named warrior. "I can't wait to join you soon with the other warriors. But, you better get ready for your vigil tonight. I'll see you around." And with that, Clearpaw nudged her a little with one shoulder and went on his way, off to do whatever business he needed to attend to.