Kitepaw's Warrior Ceremony

Still cold from the wind, Perchfall leapt onto the Willow Branch once more. Another one of Flywhisker's kits had finished their training, and was ready to be a warrior. Had they ever figured out what happened to Darkglow? The young warrior had her kits and them disappeared, right before everything went to the Dark Forest. It was still an unsolved mystery, as far as she knew... But there were more pressing matters at paw to worry about. Shaking off the unnecessary thoughts along with the bitter wind, Perchfall called, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own fish gather for a Clan meeting!"

Kitepaw stepped out of the apprentice den. After Jaystar's disappearance, Perchfall took over for every clan meeting. Honestly, if Kitepaw had to guess, it was probably a ceremony of some sorts. Maybe an apprentice would be named, or a current apprentice would become a warrior. She honestly didn't know. Padding towards the clearing, the russet she-cat eventually sat down in the middle of the gathering crowd.

Perchfall blinked in approval when she saw the young she-cat wander out of the den. This next batch of warriors couldn't have come at a better time; RiverClan's future was as dire as ever. Though she did her best, there was very little she could do. Appointing new, trustworthy warriors was arguably the most important thing she could do during these bleak, depressing moons. Despite the dreary coldness of the wind that bit at her, stealing all warmth away from her pelt, she met Kitepaw's gaze. The more warriors they had, the stronger they would be, in the event of any more pressing danger. "We gather today to appoint another apprentice to warriorhood. Kitepaw, you have completed your training, and Otterdance has told me you are ready to become a warrior. Please, step forward."

Kitepaw blinked when she heard her name called. She had only just talked with Poppyshine about becoming a warrior a few sunrises ago. "As soon as she sees that I'm ready," she had said. Was she ready now? She still had so much to learn, so much to grow. This... was this normal? Did most apprentices feel the same way as she was right now? The she-cat nervously stepped out of the crowd, looking up at Perchfall. She was scared of letting everyone down, scared that she wouldn't be able to be the warrior everyone wanted her to be, the warrior the clan needed her to be. Stars, I hope that Otterdance and Perchfall are right about me.

Kitepaw seemed far more nervous than her brother had been, at least outwardly. But either way, she stepped forward. Strength and anxiety were not mutually exclusive; one could be uncertain, but still perform to their best effort. Perchfall nodded in approval, and began the ceremony. "I, Perchfall, deputy of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of the code, and I recommend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Looking deeply into the apprentice's eyes, the deputy looked for any true signs of hesitancy in the answer to this most important question. "Kitepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Kitepaw watched as Perchfall spoke the words of the ceremony. As the RiverClan deputy continued, the russet she-cat couldn't help but doubt herself. You need time, a voice in her head said. What you've done hasn't been enough. You barely pull your weight around camp. Perchfall's final words jumped Kitepaw back to reality, causing her gaze to focus. This was what she had dreamed of since she was a little kit. Now, she could help her clan in a bigger role. "I do," she said, barely thinking. There it was. She said it. As per customs, she would become a warrior now.

She was not ready. Not even close.

Immediately, she thought about the burden of being a warrior. The pressure, more responsibilities, everything was going to change. Would she even be able to defend herself, let alone her clan? She gazed at the willow branch, taking notes of the budding flowers. Perhaps she was like a flower, going to bloom in the future. Either that, or her potential was capped by her insecurities. And even then, Perchfall could say that she wasn't a warrior after all. It most certainly happened before, even though Kitepaw had never heard of any specific incident. It was the leader's - or in this case, the deputy's - decision in the end, and the anxiety and self-doubt gnawed through her.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." The young she-cat definitely didn't seem confident in her worthiness, but at least seemed confident in her answer. Perchfall decided that was enough. "From this day forward, you will be known as Kitespring. We honor your optimism and creativity, and welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan." The deputy descended from the branch and gave the ceremonial gesture, resting her muzzle briefly on the new warrior's head. Then, the ceremony finished, she stepped back and let the Clan sing out Kitespring's new name.

"Kitespring! Kitespring!" Martenpaw's cheers rose among the throng of other voices. Giddy with joy and happiness for her sister, she passed through the crowd to get closer to the newly named warrior. "I'm so happy for you Kitespring!" she mewed in congratulations. Seeing Kitespring's uneasy expression, she attempted to comfort her with a few words of reassurance. "I'm sure you'll be a great warrior. Rushtalon, Dovepaw, and I, we're all still gonna be here with you! We'll help each other."