Egretpaw's Warrior Ceremony

The flower-scented breeze that swirled around camp felt like a cool breath of relief. Perchstar let it ruffle her fur as she leapt atop the Willow Branch, closing her eyes to revel in it for just a moment. Her Clan was growing again. As the seasons warmed, their numbers expanded. And now--for the first time she could recall in moons--they would be welcoming a new warrior. The two most recent ceremonies had been performed by Poppyshine. However, now that she was back, Perchstar was almost surprised to learn that she felt somewhat excited to say the words of the ceremony once more. She used to dread speaking in front of the Clan. It seemed that now, four seasons later, she had grown past that. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own fish gather for a Clan meeting," she called, the phrase falling easily from her tongue and reverberating with the exact level of volume necessary for all in camp to hear.

It did not take long for Egretpaw to find her place by the willow's roots. However, Perchstar did not see her at first, buried under the mountain of orange fur. For a brief moment it seemed as if a fox had found its way into camp. A fox. The animal she'd lost a life to--that she'd nearly seen Clanmates die to in the past. Her heart did a quick somersault as she stared, beginning to formulate a plan in her mind to jump down on the fox and drive it off of the island immediately, but that plan was cut short by the sight of two tall, white ears peeking up from the fox's head. Because, of course, it was not a fox at all. It was Egretpaw. It seemed she had taken after her adopted mother Harebounce's odd traditions and found a pelt of her own to wear. She was not the only cat who had done such a thing... but Perchstar could not recall seeing the pelt of a fox on a RiverClan cat before. She had brief memories of being told about the Asylum as a kit, and from those who had known what it was like, but--she shook her head. Her moment of panic was over. Now was not the time for her to be worrying about the harmless cultural choices that her apprentices and warriors were making.

Noticing the way Egretpaw's ears pinned back at the louder sounds, Perchstar instinctively regulated her voice to be quieter--but still audible--when she spoke. She managed to remain neutral, despite the brief second of fear that had spiked through her at the sight of the fox pelt. "We gather here today to commend an apprentice for fulfilling their duties and progressing to the path of a warrior. Egretpaw, please step forward." The young she-cat had done remarkably well in her training, and her assessment had proved her skills. She'd also been decent company on the journey to the Moonstone. She had definitely earned her name. "I, Perchstar, leader of RiverClan, 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 recommend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Egretpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" As always, she looked into the apprentice's eyes when she spoke the final query. This was the most important question for any Clan cat to answer. Did she truly mean to devote her life to RiverClan? Many viewed it as just a formality, but Perchstar knew its significance.

Perchstar gave a small blink of appreciation as the apprentice moved into the sun, making the stark contrast between feathery white and russet-orange far more visible. It was comforting to finally make eye contact with Egretpaw. Golden yellow and icy blue gazes met for a moment, communicating with far more than words, conveying meaning from soul to soul. The quiet, yet determined answer that Egretpaw gave made the leader nod in a response of respect. She could feel the truth in those words. They were real... and so were the ceremonial phrases that came flowing riverlike from Perchstar's own voice when her mouth opened. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." Though the stars had not been her friend as of late, they still granted her the position of leader, and it was with that authority that her gently calm voice echoed outwards. "Egretpaw, from this day forward, you will be known as Egretswoop. StarClan honors your intelligence and attention to detail, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan."

Of course, the ceremony was not all words. There was a gesture that she had to perform as well. This was another part that she used to dread, but this time Perchstar found that it felt natural to leap gracefully down from the branch and approach the newly-named warrior. She rested her muzzle atop Egretswoop's head, lingering for a few soft moments in the time-honored tradition that conveyed not only the conferrence of rank, but of regard from leader to warrior. "Congratulations," she murmured. Then she stepped back to allow the rest of the Clan to offer their good wishes and commendations. One more warrior had joined RiverClan's ranks... a warrior to be trusted. It was a weight off of Perchstar's shoulders.