The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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Subject: Crookedpaw's Warrior Ceremony Mon 6 Mar 2023 - 18:22
Birdstar
Only a few days had passed since Rainfrost’s own ceremony, and it was time for SkyClan to welcome another new warrior. Birdstar wore a content little smile as she rose from the small, sunny patch she’d been lounging in. The day was getting late, the sky deep with the burnt gold of evening. All of the day’s patrols had returned, and the comfortable murmur of the sharing of tongues quieted slightly as she leaped onto the Tallbranch. Her gaze swept over the crowd until she spotted one cat in particular.
She was delighted Crookedpaw had made his safe return after so many moons away. He had returned to his duties well, too, and it was far past time he earned this. Her whiskers quivered with excitement. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tallbranch for a Clan meeting!”
Crookedpaw was anxious, to say the least. He knew that his ceremony was approaching. Rainfrost had told him he waited until Crooked returned to even entertain the idea of getting his warrior name. They had gotten their moonstones around the same time, and now Rainfrost had his warrior name…which meant his would be soon. But was he ready? He wasn’t sure. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about his time at the twoleg nest. Not with Rainfrost and not with Birdstar. He felt like he should, given what transpired there…but he couldn’t bring himself to.
He heard Bridstar call for a meeting. His stomach twisted again. Was it time? He approached with the gathering Cats and looked to Birdstar. His expression did not betray his anxiety, instead resting in a pleasant little smile that he wore most days. Inside, though, his body was warring with itself.
Her voice drew Crookedpaw’s attention quickly, and as he rose to join the crowd properly, Birdstar sent him a silent nod of greeting and approval. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed seeing his idle smiles, even if they weren’t as bright as when he was younger. Maybe that was just a part of getting older. She felt she understood.
Flicking her tail to beckon him, she called, “Crookedpaw, step forward.” She was quiet as she allowed him to move closer. She felt bad for the pauses, making him wait; he was long past the age he should have got his name. He must’ve been excited. Or, maybe that was her own excitement coming through. Either way, “StarClan, I call upon you to look down on this apprentice. He’s trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in turn.” Birdstar paused again, but only for a moment. “Crookedpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code- to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”
There it was. As Crookedpaw rose, he felt a tremor quake through his body. He hoped the other cats around him would mistake it as excitement. He approached in what only took a few seconds, but felt like an eternity with each pawstep. He wondered, momentarily, what his warrior name would be. He thought it must be something awful. Something laughable. Something…He didn’t know. It worried him in a way he could not articulate if he were to try to speak aloud. There was just a deep uneasiness.
He watched Birdstar as she recited the usual rites of the ceremony, and it was when she got to the question that Crookedpaw could have hesitated for months. Of course he would. He would do his best to do all of that. To be a warrior was what he wanted for so long, and it was still what he wanted. But was that enough? Was it enough to just uphold the code? Or, perhaps, was he a fraud already, and instead just a kittypet as Rowanpaw had told him? …Crookedpaw didn’t know. But he knew, at least, that now was not the time for him to doubt. He had not voiced these doubts aloud yet, nor did he plan to ever.
“Yes. Of course,” he instead replied, and lifted his chin in a show of pride. The heart of a kittypet or not, he was here getting his warrior name. He had made it. Birdstar thought he was worthy. What happened in the twoleg nest—that was behind him. That wasn’t him, really. Crookedpaw—soon to be named anew—was here. The cat that was there, was some kittypet who wore a collar and ate canned fish from a twoleg’s hand. That cat was as good as dead.
The reply made Birdstar pause for a second, blinking slightly. Not hearing the repeated I do stalled her for a second, but she quickly nodded and her smile further warmed. “Then from this day on, you will be known to all as Crookedlight. You are optimistic and excitable, and SkyClan values that.” Too many SkyClan cats were reserved or snappish. The bright ones like Crookedpaw, and many others from the most recent crowd of apprentices, were always appreciated.
Jumping smoothly to the ground, Birdstar padded swiftly over to the newly-named warrior. Pressing her nose to his head, she murmured, “Good job, Crookedlight. You’ve more than earned this.” Stepping back, she looked down on him for a moment, quiet appraisal and fondness. He was going to be a good warrior.
“Enjoy your vigil. I don’t want to hear it was exciting.” She added quietly before stepping further back, allowing other’s to celebrate him as she took up cheering his name.
Rainfrost had been quick to join the crowd at Birdstar’s announcement. He always attended ceremonies, but in the days following his own warrior ceremony, he’d been even more eager to join the crowd. He was just waiting, counting down the days until it was Crookedpaw’s turn. They were always going to be warriors together. He knew it wouldn’t be long.
And sure enough, Birdstar was calling Crookedpaw’s name. Immediately Rainfrost was smiling, small but present and only growing wider as the ceremony continued. The normally soft-spoken tom raised his voice high when the cheers began. “Crookedlight! Crookedlight! Crookedlight!!” He was on his feet and at his best friend’s side as soon as he was free for congratulations.
He barely resisted the urge to tackle him, but he still knocked his smaller body against Crookedlight’s as purrs rumbled through him. “Crookedlight. It’s perfect for you.” Rainfrost said, rubbing his cheek against Crookedlight’s shoulder before pulling back to look at him with a smile that was reserved only for the cats closest to him. He pressed against Crookedpaw again, a dazed giggle leaving him. “You’re a warrior! We made it. You made it! And you’re amazing!”
Creamsky was beaming from where he was sitting near Rainfrost, ears perked as Birdstar gave the tom his warrior name. "Crookedlight, Crookedlight, Crookedlight!" he cheered alongside Rainfrost, happy to raise his voice to celebrate yet another friend joining him within the warrior's den. Rainfrost was faster than he was at properly greeting the warrior - Creamsky following a tail-length behind with a smile of his own. "You did it, Crookedlight - Blackbear would be proud," he said softly, ignoring the small pain of heartache at the mention of her. Nonetheless, his smile only widened as he took another step forward with a purr. "Imagine the surprise on her face when she gets back - you being here and the both of us with our warrior names!"
...She would be back, he had to keep that hope alive. It was kitish desire perhaps but he knew she was alive still. She had to be - she just...Didn't know she was alright to return yet - that Crookedpa-Crookedlight was fine and home again. What a day it would be... Her apprentice and son, both grown up with their warrior names. Ready to patrol at her side, making her proud...
He shook his head - no, his thought didn't need to linger in the future and the what-ifs. There was enough to celebrate in the here and now. Another friend in the Warrior's den... That was enough to send a purr rumbling through him. "Its going to be nice that the little corner I've claimed for us is actually being filled - its been lonely with just Rainfrost and I."
"Crookedlight! Crookedlight!" Wolfblossom had watched the latest warrior ceremony with a smile, joining with the rest of her clanmates in celebrating Crookedlight's new name and rank. It was good to see Skyclan thriving, and while the young tom had only returned what felt like days ago, he had earned his new name just as any other had.
"Congratulations, Crookedlight!" Wolfblossom padded forward, affectionately brushing shoulders with the black and white tom. "I'm proud of you, I know you've been waiting on this for a while, but you've earned it." Waiting had been outside of his control, of course, but the newly named warrior had been long overdue for his ceremony once returning to Skyclan. Wolfblossom stepped away, allowing the rest of their clanmates to congratulate Crookedlight.
It felt like life had moved so slowly for so long, but suddenly everything was happening all at once. That wasn't a bad thing, she'd missed the exhiliration, but- it was new, feeling like she was the one running to catch up. Like things had somehow fallen out of balance when she wasn't paying attention.
She would, though, and she had a feeling it wouldn't take all that long. Then they'd all be together, and everything would be as it should be again.
Juniperpaw smiled, large and wide. It was so surreal; she had only gotten to know Crookedpaw as he was for a short period of time, but the stories from Rainpaw—now Rainfrost, dear StarClan— had nearly immortalized him in Juniperpaw’s mind as an apprentice. Crookedpaw would always be Crookedpaw, especially when Rainfrost missed him too dearly to get up in the mornings, but now…
Crookedpaw was back, and he was Crookedlight now. Juniperpaw can’t remember being this happy in a while. ”Crookedlight! Crookedlight!”
Crookedlight’s heart tightened upon receiving his new name. In an instant, Crookedpaw was gone, replaced with Crookedlight. And it felt…strange. He was honored to have a warrior name. It was a nice one, a very sweet one from his leader. Optimistic and Excitable. Is that was he was? It didn’t sound like him anymore; more like a far away version of himself, or someone else entirely.
His ears twitched when he heard the chanting and he turned to the crowd of cats and smiled. Cats were upon him in an instant. Rainpaw, Creamsky, Wolfblossom, Lightningpaw…He kept smiling through all of their kind words and thanked them softly. He should be happy, ecstatic, and whatever else—but his mind kept weighing down with doubts that were not even shook off at his moonstone.
“Thank you,” he purred to the cats surrounding him. “I can’t wait to serve SkyClan again.” Perhaps that was all he needed. If he could prove it to himself, then all of the nagging doubts would go away, and things could be normal again. He could truly be Crookedlight instead of a stranger wearing a mask. He just needed to try.
