Dawnpaw's Warrior Ceremony

He couldn't lead his Clan to the Gathering and he couldn't spend the long days providing for SkyClan and RiverClan, but Spottedstar could certainly insist on performing warrior ceremonies. Though his throat burned and chest heaved, Spottedstar let out a loud growl to alert the combined Clans to a meeting. "Let all cats... old enough to climb a tree gather... by the Willowbanch for a Clan meeting!" It was choppy and forceful, but it was loud. He stayed by the base of the Willowbranch, RiverClan's designated meeting place, with no intention of climbing it. Part of it was respect for Ivystar, but a good deal of it was his limited lung capacity and the effort it would take to get up there. As for the summons, Spottedstar didn't know if RiverClan cats ever learned to climb trees, but it was their camp and their decision to participate. He didn't mind whether they observed or not.

Wolfcall heard the summons for the clan meeting, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sound of Spottedstar's still-raspy voice. Every breath the leader took looked painful, and it felt like ages since he'd heard his father speak at all. Surely this condition wouldn't last forever? What was the point in StarClan taking a life if they only gave half of it back?

Unwinding himself from Blossomstep's side, where he'd been napping, Wolfcall swept his tongue across his mate's ears, a short, rumbling purr following an inquisitive flick of his tail in Spottedstar's direction. Whether she followed or not, he slunk through the RiverClan camp, gathering near the back of the other cats who had heard the call. Was this the announcement that they were going home? Hope glistened in his gaze, but he said nothing as he sat, long tail curling around his paws.

It had been quite awhile since Dawnpaw heard Spottedstar call for a clan meeting, but he remembered that his leaders voice had been much stronger once. Were they going home finally? To what though?

Dawnpaw trotted over to the... willow branch.... and reclined into a smooth sit. Wolfcall was there too. Maybe they would be moving out of Riverclan territory finally.



Bloodstrike stepped from the shadows of nearby brush, having learned to conceal himself quite well in foreign lands. The appearance of the dark tabby tom was downright feral. His fur was greasy and unkempt, his eyes were cold and sharp and he was covered in fresh scratches all over.

He sat quietly beside Dawnpaw and said absolutely nothing. Even his son tensed, a sign of discomfort.

Primrosepaw padded into the centre of RiverClan camp, underneath the Willow Branch, as it was apparently called. Spottedstar had called for a clan meeting, but most the clan barely saw the golden leader these days; he hadn't taken them to the last gathering and if there was anything that needed to be announced, Wolfcall would do it. Maybe it's something special! she thought. The only things that came to mind were a ceremony or patrol to scout their recked territory. Even if she didn't mind it too much (apart from the fish of course), she was aware that the majority of the two clans did not enjoy living together in such a small space. But the fire had burned their section of the forest to a crisp, and it was no longer habitable.

It's probably a ceremony then, she decided as she sat down beside her brother If it was an apprentice ceremony, Wolfcall would take it, so it was likely that it could be a warrior's ceremony. Glancing at Dawnpaw, she mused brightly - I hope its you, brother. The silver and gold tom had trained hard, and, with no set-backs like her, was fully ready to rise to the rank of a warrior.

Blossomstep stretched as she sat up, purring as Wolfcall licked her ear gently. After she shook the sleep from her gaze, she tenderly tucked little Blazingkit in the nest before following after her mate. As she approached, she found Dawnpaw and Spottedstar among the crowd, and she shivered in anticipation. It felt like moons ago she had spoken to the leader about the successful hunting session that was interrupted. Could it be that it was finally coming about? Settling next to Wolfcall's side, she pressed her head to his shoulder gently.

Competent, confident, and resilient - these were the qualities Dawnpaw had shown while the Clan was under such miserable circumstances, and they were qualities that SkyClan needed to maintain in a time as uncomfortable as now. Spottedstar watched the crowd gather before him, feeling a bit odd sitting at their level, and then cleared his throat loudly to speak again. He managed not to wince too severely. "We gather here today to give one of our apprentices his warrior name and rank." He growled out, eyes travelling to the pale tom. This kind of event would allow SkyClan to celebrate something. Hopefully their morale would be boosted as well, and Dawnpaw really did deserve it. "Dawnpaw will be... climbing the ranks of SkyClan and receiving his warrior name. Step forward, Dawnpaw. 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. Dawnpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and... defend your clan, even... at the cost of your life?" His voice grew rougher as he carried on, but Spottedstar didn't relent. The traditional words were important and he wouldn't skimp on them because of his own weakness.

Dawnpaw's breath caught in his throat. He hadn't been expecting this. Not right now. In fact he had nearly forgotten about his warrior ceremony. The clan had been through so much that it felt like it had been a lifetime ago that he had day dreams of receiving a warrior name. He stepped forward as commanded and felt everyone's eyes on him.

"I do." He answered simply, still very surprised. He didn't know what else to feel at the moment. There was some excitement there for sure, but mostly shock.

Bloodstrike had allowed a smile to cross his stony expression. This was indeed something Skyclan could celebrate together. He, for one, greatly needed some kind of positive event after pulling double shifts with no breaks for both his clan as well as Riverclan. He didn't want to feel like he owed Riverclan anything once he left.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your... warrior name. Dawnpaw, you will be called Dawnhawk. SkyClan honors your strong will and independence." Both traits would be necessary for SkyClan to ever return home. Home... he longed for their tall pines as he stepped forward, into the crowd, to rest his muzzle on Dawnhawk's head. "Well... done, Dawnhawk. Stay vigilant." Spottedstar rumbled as he stepped away.

Smokefeather had been out hunting, and was wearily padding back to camp. She'd caught two quail, which would be appreciated by the Skyclanners at least. The Riverclan cats could turn their noses up all they wanted, but her feathered catch was far better than any fish or prey they'd ever bring back.

She'd just made it through the camp entrance to hear the tail end of the ceremony in progress. Her son's, she realized with a start, gray-green eyes snapping over to the gathered cats as she quickly dropped the quail onto the fresh-kill pile.

I missed my own son's ceremony? Smokefeather thought, disbelievingly. And then, my son's warrior ceremony? Her kits were becoming warriors. The feeling was... an odd one, but not unpleasant. A soft smile spread across her expression as Smokefeather made her way over to the crowd. Her gaze softened as it briefly landed on Bloodstrike's ragged form, making a note to check on him later. Overworked fool he might be, but he was her overworked fool and she'd make him rest if that meant sitting on him.

After Spottedstar had stepped back from the newly-named warrior, Smokefeather stepped forward, tail tip briefly touched her son's shoulders. "I'm proud of you, Dawnhawk. Congratulations." She purred quietly.