Flashpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Wolfstar had spoken to her while she'd sorted herbs in the medicine den, noting his intentions of performing a warrior ceremony. Of course the leader could hardly stand, so Beechface had shut that down quick. Ordinarily, under normal circumstances, the clan's deputy would take up performing ceremonies if the leader was ill. Wolfstar had done it for Spottedstar, he'd even finished Primroselight's ceremony when Spottedstar had been too ill to continue.

But Skyclan's deputy was a traitor to everything the clan stood for. Beechface would not let this pretender perform any more ceremonies than he absolutely had to. Wolfstar hadn't put up much of an argument, and so instead they'd worked out the details: the cat to be named, and their new name.

Beechface strode from the medicine den with quick, purposeful strides as she made her way toward Wolfstar's den and leapt up, quickly making her way to the top.

"Let all SkyClan cats old enough to climb a tree gather before me for a clan meeting!" She yowled. The oddness of a medicine cat calling a clan meeting was sure to draw some odd looks, but Beechface had no doubt that the cat being named would prefer her doing the ceremony over Dawnhawk, as Wolfstar could not do it himself.

Blossomstep's head rose from where she lay a few tail lengths from the medicine cat den as she saw movement. Beechface strode out, a focused expression on her face, and Blossomstep grew confused as she made her way quicky towards Wolfstar's den before making her way up to where he sat to deliver news. Worry twisted in her gut, and she shot a glance to where she knew the tom was resting before shaking her head. Beechface hadn't seemed grief-stricken, or dismayed, instead she seemed determined. Wolfstar was probably okay. Standing, she made her way over with her Clanmates, looking up at Beechface and offering her a small, hopefully reassuring, smile.

Dawnhawk had been closer to the outskirts of camp coming back from a hunting patrol. He had come back earlier than was typical, as he and his guards had managed to collect a decent amount of prey earlier in the morning. The camp was mostly quiet. He trekked over the top of ever-deepening snow with little difficulty, though he was beginning to feel the cold in his toes. His mind had been on Honeycomb as tingles of warmth ran through the rest of him, keeping him fairly indifferent towards the chill in the air. He'd already been running names through his head that he'd suggest to Honeycomb for the kits, but he would not be in the nursery with her unless she wanted him to be. Hiding their relationship wasn't ideal, but he understood why it was important.

A yowl rang out from camp that had him halt in his tracks and his head shot up attentively. Was that... It was! Beechface had just called a clan meeting. The warm fuzzies in Dawnhawk's heart suddenly blazed to life in an intense, white-hot fury. His fur bristled and a growl ripped from his throat. "Attend that meeting. I will be there in a moment." He told his two typical guards whom were already in their nightstriker pelts. Dawnhawk spun and galloped through Skyclan territory where his fox pelt was hidden under rocks and snow.

He furiously shoved the rocks aside and pulled One-Ear's skin up and over his body, despite the snow that covered him from it. The fox skin still had all of it's macabre décor of fangs protruding from around the edges of it's face and eyes like some make-shift dragon head as well as the hyena-like bristles made from porcupine quills. A passing pelt ward zoomed up to him and straightened it out quickly. With a nod of thanks, Dawnhawk practically flew across Skyclan terrain straight for camp.

He took to the trees once he knew he was in a more stable part of the forest, easily sailing from one tree to the next along the branches. Squirrels could hardly keep up with him and he could have caught a few on the way, but he paid them no mind. As soon as he was back in camp, Dawnhawk leaped for the tree nearest the leader's den where Beechface stood. He landed on the branch that hovered close to the top of the leader's den, well within leaping distance of where Beechface stood.

Asylum cats in their pelts had already surrounded the area and awaited his orders. Wearing One-Ear while hovering over the clan's medicine cat was fitting, as he intended to kill her where she stood if she was about to incite any kind of misconduct. He would wait for now though, to see what it was that she wanted to announce.

Flashpaw narrowed his eyes in confusion as the medicine cat called a meeting. Where was Wolfstar? Didn't he normally do these things? With a shrug, he padded over, joining the gathering crowd.
Ooc:Sorry it is short, on a time limit

When Dawnhawk stormed out of the clearing, Beechface had thought he'd stay out. Good riddance, really, because he certainly wasn't welcome at anything she was doing.

Of course, the silver and golden tom just had to disappoint her, and Beechface grit her teeth, giving him an unfriendly glare as he settled in a branch above her.

"Not everything is about you, let me do this ceremony in peace." She hissed up at him, hopefully not loud enough for the gathering clanmates to hear. It took effort to force her attention back onto the crowd of cats below, and Beechface's body had tensed considerably.

"Flashpaw, please step forward." Despite her tension, Beechface's voice remained level. She wait a moment for the tom to step forward before continuing.

"I, Beechface, medicine cat of Skyclan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down upon 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. Flashpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" By some miracle her voice managed to remain steady as she spoke the words.

What a spectacle this was turning into. Dawnhawk could never let her just do one thing without butting his head in, could he?

Flashpaw gaped as he was called forward. It was much more pleasant that Beechface was the one doing it, he had to admit. But if course, Dawnhawk was still present. He was always there, haunting him, it seemed. It enraged him, but he kept such to a simple tail lash.

Stepping forward as instructed, he dipped his head to the medicine cat, his eyes shining. He had a special appreciation for the She-Cat who had healed his sister, and had a similar dislike of her brother. So if he was honest, if it had to be any cat holding his ceremony, he was glad it was her. "I do." He spoke his ceremonial vow with pride, gazing into the eyes of his medicine cat. He was ready for this.

"Then by the power of Starclan, I give you your warrior name: Flashstorm." Beechface spoke the ceremonial words, grimly determined to ignore the looming presence of the cat sitting above her.

The large medicine cat leapt from the branch, padding up to the newly named warrior and briefly resting her chin atop his head.

"Congratulations, Flashstorm." She smiled, "I know Flowerthorn is proud of you. And... I refuse to let him do warrior ceremonies, too." The last bit was said quietly, and it couldn't have been more obvious who Beechface was talking about, since he had decided to watch the ceremony from above. She stepped aside now, allowing the rest of the clan to come and congratulate their new warrior.

Dawnhawk didn't answer his sister. The more time that went on, the more he realized that she wasn't worth the breath he used to form words on her. He watched from above in full battle gear, ready to slaughter her atop the leader's den if she put her paws too far out of line. A warrior ceremony? This was a slap to the deputy's face... and yet he felt almost nothing when she continued to do it. He watched silently as Flashpaw became Flashstorm, ignoring the little huffy body language he got from the newly named warrior. What interested him far more than a medicine cat doing warrior ceremonies was what might be going on with Wolfstar.

Once the ceremony reached it's conclusion, Dawnhawk leaped from the branch, dropped passed the leader's den where Beechface had been and landed on the ground with a soft, smooth thump! He nodded at the nightstrikers that had gathered, dismissing them for now. They retreated back into the shadows of the forest.

Dawnhawk looked at neither Beechface nor Flashstorm a second time. Instead, he slinked off with the other Nightstrikers. Those that could see his face would not be able to derive emotion from it. There was too much on his mind right now. Being in charge of warrior ceremonies as well as apprentice ceremonies wasn't something he felt that he wanted. Still... it was a matter of principle that he would address later with the leader in due time. For now, he was content to be left to his own devices and needed within Skyclan camp as little as possible.

Sparkpaw, after shoving down pangs of jealousy, trotted up to his brother and touched his nose to Flashpa- Flashstorm's shoulder. "Look at you! A warrior!" He smiled a little sadly, fully aware that he wasn't far behind. He wouldn't be far behind his brother now, but he couldn't help feeling a little left behind. Though, Sparkpaw would cherish his time left as an apprentice before while he could. "So, Flashstorm huh? It suits you. Hopefully, the rest of us won't be too far behind!"

The, still apprentice, grinned up at Flashstorm. It truly was a fitting name for his bullheaded brother. Sparkpaw would miss his presence in the apprentice's den for as long as their time separated would last. He had learned to lean on his littermate and trusted his judgment (perhaps a bit too much). Well...Sparkpaw would just have to work twice as hard to catch up. He would be standing beside his brother in due time.

"Flashstorm! Flashstorm!"

Leafpaw ran to her brother and gave him a lick on the cheek. "You made it! You're a warrior!"

She tried to let herself get caught up in the excitement for him. Would she be coming up soon? Only time could tell.

The apprentice watched Dawnhawk leave in a huff. "We'll get back at him," Leafpaw muttered to her brother. "We'll be better warriors than he ever was. Don't worry about him."