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: Rookpaw's Warrior Ceremony Tue 14 Nov 2023 - 16:53
Just as the news had come of their impending departure, many of the large group of apprentices were earning their names. There were three in particular who were definitely of the right age, but the only thing really stopping them was their own perceived readiness. Of these, foremost was Rookpaw--her own apprentice. They had spent far longer than necessary in the nursery, and so they had ended up lingering similarly through their apprenticeship. However, they had developed and matured, as had their skills, until Rookpaw themself was finally satisfied with their progress. Perchstar hardly even felt her catastrophic levels of hunger and thirst today as she climbed the Willow Branch. The warm glow in her chest she had once identified as "pride" was burning strong, enough that she could ignore the trembling of her limbs and the growling of her stomach. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own fish gather for a Clan meeting."
An apprentice that had spent much less guidance under the leader's helm found herself heeding the call. Truth be told, it was hard to call her tutelage beneath Perchstar much of an 'apprenticeship.' It was much more a test of loyalty, of resolve, to see if the otherwise-experienced warrior had truly meant her statement of joining Riverclan. She had passed the test, and found herself sleeping peacefully under the safety of the willow's branches each and every night.
Sitting at the edge of the crowd, the thinning tortoiseshell glanced about to see if she could glean any insight as to what the ceremony would behold.
Rookpaw's tail beat the ground once-twice- and nearly thrice, but the shape of Perchstar moving to ascend the Willow Branch in their periphery caught their attention so utterly Rookpaw momentarily froze. They could not imagine what she'd have to announce-- whether it was to say more of the dreaded exodus coming with the half-moon, or to name one of his many of his denmates suddenly ready for warriorhood. Lark was certainly ready now, and Rookpaw offered his brother beside him a hopeful tilt of his head. Then... there was also the chance, if this was to be a ceremony, it would be his own. Rookpaw's ears briefly fell back, but when Perchstar's voice formally called the Clan together, he sighed and tried not to afford the worry too much acknowledgment. After another glance at Larkpaw, he looked up at Perchstar from his place near the edge of the Clan.
It did not take long for Perchstar to spot the apprentice in question out of the crowd. Sitting by their brother, as usual. She had discussed the possibility of their warrior ceremony with them several times, but it had been often and yet infrequent enough that this might catch them off-guard. Hopefully they would not be unhappy with her for it. "Today we gather to celebrate the advancement of an apprentice into warriorhood," she began. Though the preface was not strictly necessary, it was one that she liked to add. Her light blue eyes locked onto Rookpaw's clear golden gaze. "They have worked for many moons on their skills, and no cat can doubt their worthiness. I myself endorse them for their efforts. Rookpaw, please step forward."
For some reason, she found herself remembering her own warrior ceremony, what now seemed like a lifetime ago. How it should have been the capstone on all of her accomplishments. How it felt instead like she was a fraud claiming something she did not deserve. How, though her name had been called cursorily by her Clanmates, none had come up to offer any real congratulation, including her mentor. She prayed that would not be the case for Rookpaw. No--she would make it not the case. They deserved so much better. Once they stepped forward, she shook herself from her memories and continued. “I, Perchstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." Though the words were ceremonial, she meant each one that she said. Though the stars did not deserve the commendation of such an excellent cat. As always, the next question she asked was a grave and solemn one. The promise meant pain--it meant blood--it meant devotion--it meant the grief that still kept Perchstar up some nights. But if they couldn't take it, then they couldn't accept the many blessings that being part of RiverClan would bring. "Rookpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”
Perchstar's declaration that this meeting was to be a ceremony hollowed Rookpaw's chest. Trepidation ate the daring excitement that tried to collect. He could not even convince himself this was a friend's ceremony to look forward to: Perchstar had found his eyes once while scanning the crowd, but the look she cast on him now was unwavering in its intent. Rookpaw's tail curled inward, brushing across Larkpaw's shoulder. When Perchstar called for him, he ducked his head, looking first at his paws and then at his brother. As swiftly as it formed, the vacuum in him filled. Filled, suddenly, with... Rookpaw could not name one of thousand emotions that flooded through him. It was overwhelming. It was everything.
He released a breath and turned his ears up for Larkpaw where he could not manage a smile. Then, he released his breath and turned forward again. The entirety of RiverClan, save for the very young kits, stood before him. Rookpaw moved to stand once and wobbled back onto their haunches. It was impossible to discern whether the dizziness was a result of a spiking reminder of their hunger, or if it was for the moment laid out before them. Very likely, Rookpaw decided, it was both. On their second try, Rookpaw found their paws easily, but that was all the farther they moved.
They could not make their paws move. The eyes of the Clan bore down on them-- even, somehow, those of the faces turned away. Rookpaw's tail, swaying behind them, started to bristle. They feared they would falter again, should they do anything but stand. They feared what it meant, to take the first step that would surely lead him into several others, taking him right to the base of the Willow Branch. The division between warrior and apprentice was thin, when he really broke it down, but it seemed such an insurmountable fear. Even now, facing the teeth of it, he could not put words to it beyond a senseless fear of moving on. Rookpaw closed his eyes, and the next breath he tried to take stuck in his throat.
"It's not a foolish fear. Nobody knows what'll happen tomorrow, do they? That's scary. You can't prepare for it." Rookpaw's ears swiveled. They hadn't seen Cinderpaw in the crowd, but their first proper conversation came to mind now. "It's like... Your nest, too. You grow out of your old one for a bigger, better one. But you still miss the old one, even though its time is done. It served its purpose in your life, and then you move on to the next step." There was a hitch, but Rookpaw found their lungs were working again. Slowly, they opened their eyes again and turned their head up. Perchstar was watching them still, waiting. Not with demand, but to simply wait with grace, as she had since their first day. Patience created through faith.
With this sudden recognition of Perchstar's belief in them, the torrent of everything knocked into them again, a culmination of emotions felt so physically it threatened to take Rookpaw from his paws. But he stood, meeting--and holding--Perchstar's steady gaze. The longer he held blue eyes in his own, the stronger the overpowering force in his chest became until it molded itself into something tangible: want.
Tucked away under well-cultivated dread, want. He had worked hard, even with little resolve to drive him, and he had excelled. He had earned his name. Rookpaw sought the pride having it would bring, but he wanted it for no one but himself. He never thought himself so bold as to desire, had never dared to consider the intense emotion in tandem with warrior ceremony, but he felt it now. Rookpaw finally gathered himself, lifting his chin a little further, and padded forward through the parting crowd. He could still feel the fear, tingling in his paws, but he walked on in spite of it.
Perchstar proceeded once he reached the front of the assembly; the same words she spoke to every rising warrior, the same words that had been spoken for countless generations. And yet it felt inexplicably, profoundly special to be the subject of them. Rookpaw only looked away from Perchstar when they took a moment to close their eyes after the final, solemn question. Their allegiance had been pledged on their birth, but they swore themselves fully to RiverClan now. Even at the cost of your life. An imperceptible shudder raced along their spine, and in defiance of it Rookpaw picked their head up to focus on Perchstar again.
Perchstar-- the leader they were to swear their loyalty to, their very own mentor, and something- something more, that they could not fully word. Her importance as a figure of support and guidance surpassed that of a simple teacher. It was not quite the same... but in some way, she had inserted herself into the vacant space left by his parents. And where they--through no fault of their own--had left him and Larkpaw to learn and manage the world on their own, Perchstar had been steadily present since she was tasked with his education. With Cinderpaw's wisdom still lingering in mind, Rookpaw decided then that he loved her. Where he could not say that, Rookpaw unwaveringly answered, "I do," and meant the same.
Perchstar watched carefully, but never for a moment did she doubt the answer. The resolve she saw did not even need to accompany the words, but it still did. Verbally, the two words meant only what they did. But when she saw something briefly flash through Rookpaw's eyes--a look she had only seen from her kits, from Willowpaw and Wrenpaw and Mistwalker and maybe briefly from Ashflight or from Felix, names that to think in their entirety brought a claw-like pain to her heart--it was all she could do not to collapse from the branch. Surely it was just her own vain hope that assumed the light in those golden eyes was what she had been starved for during her young life. This day was not for her, anyway. It was for Rookpaw. And so the ceremony would continue, even as Perchstar seized her heart from the inside to make it keep beating.
“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name." The stars that hated her for her moment of weakness. The stars that took everything that they could from her. The stars had given her this position, for better or for worse, and she would use it for good. She would not allow them to take away anyone else that she cared about. The Twolegs may have taken Rookpaw's parents, but they would not get him. Rookpaw. Perchstar had deliberated for long hours over what name to give them, but it had come gently to them when they awakened one morning from the last lingering moments of a rare restful dream. "Rookpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Rookflight." Because they had. They had taken flight. They had risen up from their self-inflicted grounding, regrown the feathers in their wings and risen to the skies. And she was grateful that she had simply been there to watch it happen. She was blessed to have been a part of their life, even if just briefly. And if the closeness of their mentorship was destined to end now, then she would remain grateful that she was able to help guide them to the skies. "StarClan honors your intuition and your wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.”
The words of the ceremony ended, but there was one more gesture that was required for completion. Perchstar leapt down from the Willow Branch, her paws guided by a pride-granted grace that starvation had stolen from her bones, and within one movement she was before them. Or more accurately, Rookflight was before her. They had earned every moment of this, with every breath and every dream and every moment of uncertainty or pain or loss. It was theirs, and nothing could take it away. For a moment she stood there--mentor to apprentice, leader to warrior, guardian to student. It would be selfish to claim them as hers when she already had been blessed with her kits, with those who were far greater than she deserved. But for this moment... just for this moment, they were. They were her warrior. They were her apprentice. They were hers, in one way or another, and did it really matter in what sense of the word she could use it? Perchstar leaned forward and rested her muzzle atop Rookflight's head. The gesture had once been foreign to her, but now it felt almost inadequate to convey the emotions that bubbled up, thick and warm and overwhelming, from her chest and up to her throat. Did they know? Did they know how proud she was? Did they know the depth of the ferocity with which she desired to protect them from anything that would try to hurt them?
Words were inadequate. But even as Perchstar stepped back, she could not keep the ice-blue of her eyes from melting into a look that shared the heat she felt within. A few words--hesitant, slow, always useless--made their way to the surface. "I am proud of you, Rookflight. Congratulations, sincerely."
Larkpaw watched the ceremony unfold. He kept shifting on his paws with excitement that thrummed through his blood. He was excited for Rookpaw to receive their full warrior name; he was so excited that it washed away any disappointment that it was not his ceremony that was experiencing. Larkpaw didn’t mind. He was happy for Rookpaw.
He watched his sibling carefully. He could see that many thoughts were running through his sibling’s head, but for once, he could not tell what they were on instinct. He knew they were important, though, and it made Larkpaw’s mouth twitch into a rare smile. He saw the pride in Rookpaw’s eyes and the excitement. Rookpaw was more than worthy of being a warrior. Larkpaw leaned forward as Perchstar drew to the conclusion of the ceremony, and the name finally fell from her maw.
Rookflight. A bird in flight, able to soar high above everyone and take the world in as their own. It made Larkpaw’s heart buzz. It was a perfect name. He wasn’t sure he could come up with a more suitable one.
He bit back the voice bubbling up his throat until the time was appropriate, and then Larkpaw’s voice rang out loudly into the air, “ROOKFLIGHT! ROOKFLIGHT! ROOKFLIGHT!”
Willowpaw attended the meeting when her mother called it, and she was pleasantly surprised when it was announced to be Rookpaw’s warrior ceremony. Rookpaw had worked hard to become a strong, worthy warrior. She enjoyed her time around them, and was glad that they and Sunpaw had managed to make up and clear the air as well. It would help them move forward into a strong warriorship, and they would be more than ready to help defend RiverClan; she knew it as well as she knew anything in her life.
When the ceremony concluded, Willowpaw joined in with the cheers (though, she noted, that she could barely hear her own voice over the booming calls of Larkpaw just a few paces away.) “Rookflight! Rookflight! Rookflight!”
Cinderpaw had been slow to rouse originally. Her paws ached from her not-too-long-ago Moonstone still. But, that was thrown to the wind when she heard the name called to join Perchstar before the clan. Rookpaw. As quick as her legs could carry her, she hurried the rest of the way out of the den in a grayish blur and through the crowd until she could find the black and white shape of Larkpaw. She ground to a halt, lifting her eyes up to the rigid shape of Rookpaw up before them. She did not know if he was watching the crowd, but nevertheless, she smiled as wide as she could anyways. Pride, shared joy, excitement.
And the name Rookflight, it was perfect. Wings that carried. Larkpaw cut her to the chase with his booming cheers, but she was quick to join in the chant with elation. "Rookflight! Rookflight! Rookflight!" She cried with a giddy sort of joy, barely audible next to Larkpaw, but she'd give it her best go.
Characters : Stormdance (S) Rainfrost (R) Sunpool (Su) Wrensong (W) Hawkmist (H) Clan/Rank : Riverclan, Tier 5 Warrior (S) Skyclan, Tier 3 Warrior (R) Riverclan, Tier 2 Warrior (Su) Riverclan, Apprentice (W) Shadowclan, Tier 2 Warrior (H) Number of posts : 1053 Gender : Transmasc, he/they Age : 23
Subject: Re: Rookpaw's Warrior Ceremony Sun 19 Nov 2023 - 21:24
Sunpaw
Riverclan Camp
Sunpaw was practically vibrating in excitement when Rookpaw was called up, and he sat watching the ceremony with wide eyes, pride shining in them. He's known Rook his whole life, he's seen them grown and change. He thought he lost their friendship through his own mistakes, and he'd treasured every second since they made up. His face broke out into a huge grin when Rookflight’s new name was announced. Rookflight. It suited them perfectly. Pride and love filled him to the brim, and he smiled so hard it hurt his face. He was practically shaking in his eagerness for the chanting to begin.
He leapt to his feet and cried his best friend’s new name. “ROOKFLIGHT! Rookflight! Rookflight!” He cheered, loud and bright, though not nearly as loud as Larkpaw. It made him laugh breathlessly, seeing something like a smile on Larkpaw’s face, and seeing Rookflight hold their head up high. It was a beautiful sight. It made Sunpaw’s pelt buzz with joy. As soon as he could, he moved closer and bumped their head into Rookflight's shoulder, offering them a huge grin.
Wrenpaw
Riverclan Camp
Wrenpaw watched the ceremony with a smile on her face. It was good to see something nice happening, amidst the shadows that had draped across the clan recently. For just a moment, everyone’s worries melted away as they celebrated Rookflight’s newfound warrior status, and Wrenpaw grinned happily as she joined her own voice to the crowd. “Rookflight! Rookflight!” She had been denmates with Rookflight up until she moved into the medicine den, and felt close to them as a result. It was good seeing them come into their own as a warrior.
It seemed that there had been a slew of clan meetings called lately, and with each one came the naming of a new warrior. Despite the hunger gnawing at her and the fatigue and dizziness that came in waves from lack of real nourishment, Swanpaw was always excited to see another ceremony started... And hopeful that her own name would be called. Today however, was Rookpaw's. Well-deserved, too.
"Rookflight! Rookflight!" Swanpaw was quick to join in the celebratory calls of the rest of the clan, shoving down the odd feeling of jealousy that wanted to be pushed to the forefront as another apprentice became a warrior that wasn't her. Rookflight, at least, had been one of the older apprentices, and Swanpaw rather liked them... She was glad to see her darker-furred clanmate move on up in the ranks... She just wished that it was her name that would be called during one of these ceremonies.
