Hopepaw's Warrior Ceremony

"ShadowClan! Gather in the shadow of the Jaggedrock!" Flintstar yowled for his Clan as he made the smooth leap onto the Jaggedrock, taking his seat at the edge of it as he surveyed the camp. It was good that ShadowClan's many apprentices were starting to finish their training, although he wasn't fond of trying to come up with so many warrior names... But, it was still a good sign - a reminder of how much his Clan was growing despite the recent deaths. They would survive, he would see to it.

The small black-and-white she-cat bounded forward in the crowd, her ceaseless energy and excitement showing in her every movement. Many Apprentices had went through their Moonstone Journeys recently, she herself included. It could be any one of them receiving a Warrior name. Or it could simply be a different occasion altogether, of course. That as well. She peered up at Flintstar, bright eyes gleaming in curiosity.

Flintstar's gaze swept over the crowd as it gathered, before he finally cleared his throat to speak. "I've called you all here to witness an apprentice gain their warrior name. Hopepaw, please step forward," he meowed, glancing over at the she-cat. From what he had seen of the she-cat and what he had heard...She reminded him much of his mate, one of the sweetest cats in ShadowClan. For a Clan that clung to shadows, they had many bright, kind cats... It was something he was thankful for, even if he never had the words to say it. "I, Flintstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Hopepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Hopepaw bounded up to Flintstar, her bright smile remaining. "This is awesome!" She whispered to him. As he spoke, she listened to him attentively, head bobbing along. At the part about training, her ever-present smile faltered slightly before returning in full force. She may not have excelled as a Warrior, but she is an excellent cat all the same.

"I do!"

Flintstar blinked, having actually managed to catch Hopepaw's soft whisper and simply titled her head at her for that before he simply continued on with the ceremony. Finally, she had said the two words needed to bring this ceremony to a conclusion. "Then by the powers granted to me, I give you your warrior name. Hopepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Hopegiver. We honor your kindness and optimism, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."  Kindness and optimism...They seemed like simple enough traits but they were things that Flintstar truly treasured in his warriors - if only because at times, he struggled with those. He did not always know how to be kind, he was not much for optimism but he could always rely on his Clanmates to help him along. With that, he jumped from the rock and rested his chin on her head.

"Congratulations, Hopegiver."

Mistyfalcon quietly sat at the edge of the gathering cats as Flintstar called together the clan meeting. He knew it was a ceremony, and thought he knew which apprentice this ceremony was for, and a small flicker of a smile crossed his face at the thought.

Sure enough, Hopepaw was called forward, and her excitement was almost infectious as Mistyfalcon watched the ceremony take place. Soon enough it was over, the she-cat honored for her kindness and given the name Hopegiver. Ichtaca would've been proud to see it, Mistyfalcon thought, the little black and white she-cat had certainly earned the name.

With the ceremony concluded, the dark-furred tom padded forwards, "Congratulations, Hopegiver! You've worked hard for this." He mewed, a tinge of pride in his words.

Murkystrike had positioned herself next to Mistyfalcon, practically shivering with pride as she watched the ceremony with teary eyes. Once it was over, she waited patiently while Mistyfalcon offered his congratulations before slipping past him to nuzzle their adopted daughters ears. "Congratulations, Hopegiver. What a wonderful name, for such a wonderful cat. I'm so proud of you, and I can't wait for us to patrol together as warriors. Be careful as you keep watch for us. I love you." She mewed, touching her nose to the new warrior's cheek gently before backing away for others to step forward and offer their own congratulations.