Clearpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Evening ceremonies were far from unusual in WindClan, but now, they were almost a necessity. Even when he hid in the shadows, Ravenstar found that the midday heat bordered on suffocating; he couldn’t imagine how it would feel to stand on top of the Tallrock with nothing between him and the sun. Thankfully, that sun was now hardly a sliver of gold over the camp’s thorny walls. The dusk patrol would be leaving soon—but not until this was over. Some things were too important to miss.

Some cats knew when their ceremony was coming. Either their mentor told them, or they noticed how long it’d been since they’d learned something new and jumped to the most obvious conclusion. Others were caught completely by surprise. Ravenstar wondered which category Clearpaw would fall into. The warrior-to-be had always struck him as uncommonly serious for his age. Even younger cats weren’t always what they seemed to be, though, and Ravenstar didn’t know him well enough to be certain. There’d be time to fix that after the ceremony. As the short tom took his place on top of the Tallrock, a gentle breeze ruffled his fur in greeting, and he let out a quiet sigh of relief. ”Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tallrock!”

At Ravenstar's yowl, Clearpaw rose from where he was lounging in the evening air, watching camp with an idle gaze. He had finished his duties for the day and was taking a moment to relax, relishing the moments when a faint breeze would come by and ruffle his short fur. The tall apprentice had a pricking feeling he knew what this ceremony was for. Ever since he had returned from the Moonstone, his mind felt, well, clearer, more sure of himself and what he was put in the forest to do. He did feel like he was ready to earn his full name, and hopefully Ravenstar recognized that too.

Clearpaw gave his pelt a quick shake to rid it from lingering dirt on the ground and padded over to join the other WindClan cats under the Tallrock. He took a seat near the front and tucked his tail neatly around his paws, staring up at his leader with a calm, expectant expression on his face.

WindClan began to gather. Unsurprisingly, Clearpaw was among them; his near-white pelt stuck out amidst the duller grays and browns of his Clanmates. He held himself with dignity and an air of cool confidence. Whether that was his usual demeanor or a sign that he’d already figured out the purpose of this meeting, Ravenstar could only guess. A hint of a frown flickered across his face. It didn't matter, really; if Clearpaw did know, Ravenstar wouldn’t keep him waiting. With a swish of his tail, he moved to stand on the Tallrock’s edge and spoke: ”Clearpaw, step forward.”

As always, he looked outward first. ”I, Ravenstar of WindClan, ask my fellow warriors to look upon this apprentice. He’s trained hard to understand our ways, and I commend him to you as a warrior in return.” His attention shifted down to Clearpaw once again, warm yellow eyes meeting dark, startling blue. ”Clearpaw, do you promise to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?” Crowspirit had told him Clearpaw was ready, and he trusted Crowspirit's judgment as much as any WindClanner's; now Clearpaw was the only one who could contest that, though Ravenstar doubted he would. Giving another, smaller flick of his tail, he waited for the answer.

Clearpaw rose to his paws once more and stepped closer to the Tallrock, pride swelling in his chest at the confirmation that this was, in fact, his warrior ceremony. He had heard from older warriors that the sacred words of the ceremony had been changed by Finchstar; instead of calling upon their ancestors, WindClan now called upon their own warriors to look upon their devoted apprentices. He locked his gaze on Ravenstar, eyes piercing like pinprick claws into the leader's golden yellow ones.

"Clearpaw, do you promise to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

The pointed tom dipped his head for a moment and closed his eyes, readying himself for what was to come next. Readying himself for this next stage of his life. He opened his eyes again and stood straighter, raising his head and tail high as his answer rang out. "I do. Always."

Shifting in the heat, Wildflower trotted over to the Tallrock, sitting next to Clearpaw. She wasn’t sure what the meeting was about. It could be a number of things- about the heat, an announcement, a ceremony... her head tilted towards Clearpaw. He was nearing his ceremony along with Sweetpaw, wasn’t he? It could be his. As Ravenstar continued, her ears pricked to catch his words. It was Clearpaw’s ceremony. Wildflower smiled slightly as he stood, his conformation ringing around the camp. Tail lightly sweeping the ground, the scarred molly waited for Ravenstar to continue, pondering what name he’d get and what traits would be mentioned.

Clearpaw closed his eyes, and Ravenstar stilled. There was a pause, just long enough for silence to settle in. Then Clearpaw’s spine straightened. He fixed his stare on Ravenstar again before giving his response. ”I do. Always.” Though it was the answer Ravenstar expected—the only answer he’d heard since it’d been his job to ask—and “always” seemed like an awful lot to promise, he felt himself smile in response. If Clearpaw was certain, he was certain. ”Then with the approval of my Clanmates, I give you your warrior name. From this moment on, you will be known as Clearstone.” Seeing how the newly-named warrior had faced this, coupled with what Crowspirit had said, it seemed like a fitting addition to his name. Clearstone might have taken his time to answer, but he’d met Ravenstar’s eyes with solid resolve. ”We honor your stalwart spirit and resilience, and I am proud to welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan.”

Ravenstar bowed his head as he stepped away from the rock’s edge. His paws found the familiar footholds with ease, the way they had for moons, and carried him down to join the rest of his Clan. He'd never been the one to start the chant, but he joined in when the others began to call, "Clearstone! Clearstone!"

Clearstone. He was now Clearstone. It suited him, he felt; Ravenstar had picked a good name for him. He took the new name with grace, nodding with respect towards the leader. As his Clan behind him began chanting his new name, he turned to face them, a small smile slipping onto his usually serious face, pride swelling in his chest. Spotting Wildflower in the crowd, he made his way over to her and tapped her shoulder with his tail. "I suppose now we'll be denmates again," he meowed, flicking an ear with faint amusement. He was in very good spirits now, allowing himself to show a little more emotion than usual.

"Speaking of..." His eyes wandered over to the area where the warriors usually slept. "I'll go gather moss for my nest. And then it's time for my vigil. It's nice to see you, Wildflower. I'll talk to you later." With that, he was off, a light spring in his step from pride and excitement. Now he could really prove himself.