Crowpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Flintstar sat perched on the Jaggedrock, a sense of pride washing over him as he knew that today, one of his children were going to receive their warrior name. His tail curled around his paws, wishing that Cinderpaw was here to witness her brother's ceremony. He still felt so confused, so...Torn over his daughter's suddenly disappearance. It was a hard thing to swallow for the entire family, questions only being raised as for why. But it was time to focus on Crowpaw reaching a milestone - to bask in the joy of his children growing up. "Let all of ShadowClan gather in the shadow of the Jaggedrock."

Crowpaw joined the rest of the clan as they gathered at his father's call. The thought that it might be his warrior ceremony crossed his mind with more ambiguity than he thought it would. Of course, he was excited by the idea of receiving his warrior name, but he wished it was under more triumphant feeling circumstances. Being under Asylum occupation wasn't awful, but it was still a constraint to his freedom, and anything that stood between him and being able to do whatever he liked was an annoyance. Plus, there was Cinderpaw's disappearance, and the fact his moonstone had been much more... frustrating than he'd hoped it would be.

And then...and then there was Brighteye's recent passing.

At first, the idea of becoming a warrior had just been an excitement, a moment to look forward to. When Mistyfalcon had received his warrior name, it had turned into a game of catch-up. But now with Brighteye's death ending that game entirely, he wasn't sure what it was. Plus, there was the fact that he actually felt bad about her passing-- felt grieved, though he hated admitting that was what it was.

It had all put him in a bit of a bad mood, and not even the idea of something as good as his own warrior ceremony was really doing much to combat that. He waited to hear his father's announcement, feeling more conflicted than he ever liked to be.

Flintstar straightened up a little at the sight of his son, ears twitching as he barely managed to recognize the slump in his shoulders as...Sadness. Cinderpaw's disapperance had been hard enough on the family but he dimly recalled seeing - and hearing about - Crowpaw's interactions with Brighteye. The warrior's death had been so sudden, so violent. While Flintstar thought little of it - the world was terrible, he had always known it was so and he had not known Brighteye enough for her loss to draw forth any of the emotions he so dreaded, he did recognize that it was not the same for the others. The Clan mourned the loss of such a brave warrior.

But they were all going to die at some point, it had been a simple truth that Flintstar had recognized since he was an apprentice, hearing about his grandfather's death and the other cats that had been lost. But their lives still meant something - what, exactly, the leader wasn't even sure. They all worked hard to make it mean something, becoming a warrior as a simple enough goal yet so many failed to survive long enough to reach it. It...It was a shame, he suppose. But today, his son would at least see that goal realized. "I've called you all here to see an apprentice reach the rank of warrior. Crowpaw, please step forward."

"I, Flintstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior 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. Crowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

As soon as Crowpaw heard his name called, all other thoughts were banished from his head.

Suddenly, he wasn't sure how he had been so ambivalent about this only moments before. He'd made it. He was going to be a warrior. How could that be anything but wonderful?

He took a step forward.

All eyes were on him. ShadowClan, the Asylum...suddenly, it didn't matter at all. Either way, they were watching him. He was the center of it all. The moment was his.

Exactly as it should be.

"I do," he said, looking up toward his father, his voice slick with confidence.

There was a flicker of some emotion in Flintstar's chest as the two words were uttered by Crowpaw...Pride? Yes, he was rather sure the emotion was pride for his son, to finally become a warrior. "Then by the powers given to me, I give you your warrior name. Crowpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Crowcall. We honor your confident and..." There was a briefest moment of hestation on the leader's part, suddenly realizing to some shame that he didn't...Know his son that well. With everything that had been transpiring within ShadowClan, he had not gotten the time to bond. A second trait failed him as he racked his brain for one. "...Your charm, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Flintstar quickly jumped to his paws and off of the Jaggedrock - hoping to brush that slightly awkward moment away by carrying on the final part of the ceremony. He approached Crowcall, resting his chin on his son's head. "I'm proud of you, Crowcall," he said softly. "You'll be a fine warrior, I know it."

Freckleface watched proudly from the entrance to the leader's den, practically bouncing from all of the excitement. Sure, this wasn't a... traditional ceremony, what with the Asylum's presence among them, but she wasn't about to let that rain all over her son's special moment. She was beaming with pride, and she wasn't about to hide that for a second. She leaned forward in anticipation as Crowpaw uttered those sacred words, committing himself to a life of dedicated warriorship. And finally, Flintstar would grant him his new name... Crowcall. It was absolutely beautiful. "Crowcall! Crowcall! Crowcall!" She quickly got to her paws and ran towards her son, nuzzling him affectionately. "You have earned this, Crowcall. I couldn't be more proud of you." She mewed with a smile, sparkling eyes looking up at him with a sense of awe. Her son was all grown up.

The newly named warrior closed his eyes, a real smile spreading across his face as he listened to the sound of his new name being called.

Crowcall. I like that. It's a good name. It feels right.

His eyes opened again as his parents came over to congratulate him more personally. The smile on his face widened. The young warrior was only barely capable of feeling something as unconditional and non-self-centered as "love"...but if he loved anyone, then he did love them, his family, and their praise meant more to him than any other's.

"Thanks, Dad, Thanks, Mom. I hope I keep making you proud,"