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.
Welcome to WCC! Here are our latest announcements:
Activity checks take place on the 1st of the month. If you miss one activity check, make sure you do the next one!
Leaf-fall is finally here, and with it, the promise of colder, crueler, days ahead.
Gatherings take place on the 1st of the month; keep your eyes out for a staff member's post!
Please feel free to hit up any staff member if you have any questions!
The newleaf air was warm, the scent of flowers still adorning the clearing from recent festivities to celebrate the change in season. There was more reason to celebrate today however, as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon. Another warrior ceremony, and one that Wolfstar had been excited for.
"All cats old enough to climb a tree, gather beneath the tallbranch!"
Ploverpaw took a deep breath of the lavender sewn into her flower crown. There were so many other things to think about, and unfortunately, most of those thoughts were stressful. She had to focus. Ploverpaw drew on the memories of her first ceremony, and the ceremonies of her littermates. Hearing those words with kitten ears was the most exciting thing of that time. Even the calling voice was the same. The soft-pawed apprentice closed her eyes and let herself believe as though she was becoming an apprentice again. Not a warrior no, she was a simple 6-moon-old youth. She padded into the clearing as calm as can be. Smiling as the Newleaf sun warmed her nose. Ever so quietly, she hummed a mantra of reassurance to herself. Stars shine up within the sky, their favorite clan. I hold faith in their promise. I wait patiently for their guiding light. Breathing peace, not worry. She looked up to Wolfstar, the molly leader whom Ploverpaw had managed to make proud, and who had honored her apprentice's dedication with endless patience. She smiled softly to her mentor, telling her with a blink, I wish we were sitting next to each other.
The pointed apprentice sat among her clanmates, seeming calm and collected, and Wolfstar returned her smile with a gentle one of her own. Ploverpaw had been through so much, but had never once seemed to falter. Her granddaughter was as deserving of this ceremony as any other, and this was one that Wolfstar did not think she would come to doubt as she had with her cousin.
"Skyclan, I call you to look upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a warrior and the ways of the code, and it is to you and Starclan that I commend her to in her turn." She began, "Ploverpaw, do you promise to uphold the code, to defend and provide for our clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Ploverpaw stood in front of the crowd, her fur as clean and fluffy as ever. Although her attention was politely fixed on her leader, she couldn't help but glance to the clanmates behind her, who felt just as important to this ceremony as herself. The pointed molly gave a slow, slightly somber blink to the apprentices who met her gaze, and an excited smile to those whose ranks she was about to join. Until Wolfstar addressed her. "Ploverpaw, do you promise to uphold the code, to defend and provide for our clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Ploverpaw considered each promise. She would respect and uphold Starclan's code in thanks for their guidance. She would provide for her beloved clan long as she was able. And even though the darkness of violence and war curled around her heart, there was solace in the word defend. She would always defend the kind souls under her care. For her sisters, she would gladly risk her life. She was certain of it all. She had to be certain. So why was certainty missing from her voice when she barely whispered, "I do."
Now's not the time to be afraid, she calmed herself. This is what I want and what everyone wants for me. So if she says I'm ready, and the stars say I'm ready, then I'm ready. Ploverpaw took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and declared, "I do." Surely becoming a warrior meant that things would change for the better. At least, she hoped.
The movement of Ploverpaw's mouth was barely there, a whisper that Wolfstar could not hear standing on the tallbranch as she was. Nerves, perhaps, sudden cold paws at being the center of attention. Maybe Bubblebeam's intense unhappiness had infected her sister too. But the she-cat cleared her throat and spoke up, this time her voice carrying to the leader's ears.
Wolfstar dipped her head slightly, "Then it is my honor to name you a warrior. From this day you shall be known to us as Ploverwing. We honor your perseverance and sense of duty." She had fought to come back to the clan just as Brackendawn had, had worked so hard during her training. Like her sisters, the young she-cat was a stark counterpoint to some of the clan's hotter tempers. Still, she had not faltered in her duties and responsibilities, she had worked hard to get to where she now stood. Ceremony complete, Wolfstar leapt from the tallbranch, padding forward to gently touch the top of her former apprentice's head with her nose, a purr rising from her chest. "I am proud of you, granddaughter." She mewed softly, "May your vigil tonight be a peaceful one."
Honeydew stood up upon the naming of the new warrior. Well-deserved, she mused. As an apprentice, Ploverpaw had been one of the most dedicated apprentices she'd ever seen. She will make an amazing SkyClan warrior.
"Ploverwing, Ploverwing!" Honeydew started the cheer from her place below Tallbranch, her voice echoed by the rest of the clan. "You have done well for SkyClan," she murmured to the newly-named warrior. "I have faith that you will continue to help guide the clan down a path of light."
As Bubblebeam took her place in the crowd for the ceremony, her mind was filled with the usual fears and worries. About Hemlockfox, about wolves and foxes and skirmishes, about Sunfire, about Crookedlight's offer, about Silverhawk and Hawkmist, about... stars, everything. Every single thing floating around in her head. But when she heard the name that echoed in Wolfstar's voice throughout the clearing, they all left for the clouds. Ploverpaw. This was Ploverpaw's ceremony. The warrior straightened, pale gray-green eyes scanning the crowd for her sister. Her sister who'd lagged behind through no fault of her own, who'd been lost in the mountains and momentarily lost the heart of their family with her. Who'd suffered through everything and more with a degree of patience that Bubblebeam could never hope to match. So she watched, keeping her silence, feeling the passage of time and the strike of memories with every single word.
And then, soon, the name came. Ploverwing... It's perfect. This ought to have been a family celebration. Every single one of her siblings had now attained their name. Or... it ought to have been all of them. But if she thought about her missing medicine cat brother right now she would burst into tears, and so she masked the way her voice would have wavered by instead sending it in as loud of a cheer as she could muster, towards the skies their Clan was named for. "Ploverwing! Ploverwing! Ploverwing!" And she was joyful. And she was joyful. The moment was a joyful one and she would not allow herself to feel otherwise. She was here, and her sister was here, and that was all they needed. Not lost in the mountains. Not lost to another place, yet. Simply here. Bubblebeam ran forward--past Wolfstar, past Honeydew--and embraced her sister, craning her neck over the newly named warrior's soft shoulder and hugging her tightly with her thick-furred tail. This moment, this embrace, was all she needed. For just this moment she could allow her sister's closeness to be enough. "I'm so proud of you," she purred quietly, burying her face in Ploverwing's fur. "I'm so, so glad to be with you. My dear sister."
