Open to Join Together We Stand (RC Warrior Ceremonies)

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

⋘ ──── ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ❄️ ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ──── ⋙

Hailpaw had just returned from a brief hunting escapade, returning with a couple of herring to add to the fresh kill pile, but as she was just about to deliver one to the elders' den, her ears perked at a noise, Coldstar? She dropped the fish at Otterwhisker and Boldstrike's paws and whipped around "Sorry Boldstrike, sorry Otterwhisker! Meeting!" She excused herself quickly before trotting out of the elders' den towards the centre of the clearing.

Gosh... Coldstar looked rather grand up there, not as large as Boldstrike had, but grand, grander than she anticipated. Although she wasn't shocked, he did always have that sort of air about him.

Hailpaw glanced around, ah, she was the first to arrive at the meeting, rare for her, but she wouldn't complain. Instead she glanced up at Coldstar, her green eyes gleaming with pride, maybe the osprey. She wondered for a moment what her name could be, Hailstorm? Hailclaw? Hailrain? So many options, bit that was Coldstar's thing, not Hailpaw's

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merrypaw sat dutifully in the elders’ den, paws tucked neatly beneath her as Otterwhisker’s tongue rasped rhythmically over her fur. She had long relented, letting her mother fuss over her as if she were still that tiny, squirming scrap of a kit. It wasn’t often that Merrypaw allowed it anymore. Usually there were patrols to join, training sessions, or Coldstar’s endless challenges to rise to but today felt different.

Otterwhisker’s touch carried steadiness and joy that Merrypaw couldn’t deny. The elder’s eyes shone with the same pride they had when Merrypaw had first managed to swim across the river on her own or when she brought back her first fish. Now those eyes seemed to see her fully, as though weighing the kind of cat she had grown into.

"Take that to heart..." Otterwhisker murmured between licks. "- and you'll do just fine."

Merrypaw’s chest warmed at that, and she pressed her cheek lightly to Otterwhisker’s shoulder a soft purr rumbling in her throat. Outside she could hear Coldstar’s voice booming across camp, calling the clan to gather. Her ears flicked but still she didn’t move...not yet.

Otterwhisker’s suspicions had been right. Merrypaw knew what this meeting was, what it meant for her and her siblings. She could feel it in her bones, in the sparkle of excitement that buzzed beneath her skin. But for just this heartbeat longer she let herself remain still, the apprentice once more, basking in her mother’s joy before stepping forward into her new life. And now as she joined her siblings, her solid teal eyes swept up towards Coldstar.

She was ready and she trusted Coldstar to make the right choice (even if Silverpelt kept the poor tom up most nights)

"Run. That is an order."

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Cinderwisp stood  silently as she watched the new warriors with a small, proud smile. It had felt like forever since RiverClan had gotten new warriors and the molly couldn’t be more proud of Boldstrike and Otterwhisker’s four kits. They had come so far and definitely deserved this special day.

She watched one by one as each of them seemed to be brimming with anticipation. What would their new names be? Names were precious things after all. They held sentiment and told stories about an individual. That was why she held her own name so close to her heart. It was one of a good cat…

There is peace even in the storm...

‹‹‹‹ ››››

Stormpaw couldn’t help by hope to StarClan this was the end of her apprenticeship and she could be free of her mentor and his constant, stoic boringness. There had been tests and reviews and attention from Coldstar that was both new and exciting.

She avoided her parents. If this was her ceremony her sense of drama insisted on a reveal when the time came to take her place before Coldstar. Instead she placed herself as far away as she could and still be ready to make her way to the front of things went as she hoped.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

"For 6 moons, Otterwhisker did the monumental task in raising 5 kits, teaching them the expectations and histories of Riverclan. For 6 moons, our warriors have worked hard to train and teach these cats so that they may stand before you all today. This ceremony is the fruits of their hard labor - and the efforts of the apprentices you see before you." Coldstar called out to the assembled cats, his voice ringing through the almost silent clearing. "Apprentices. It is time you became warriors, and honored the clan that nurtured you."

And so the gauntlet began. 

"Hailpaw. Step forward. You strive for perfection in everything you do, regardless of your initial success. You have great footsteps to fill, yet you are already surpassing them. " He blinked down at the young she-cat, remembering the winged menace she and Briarfang had dragged back to camp. Not quite a dog - but a tall order nonetheless. A kill to rival Boldstrike's legacy. 

"Do you vow to uphold the warrior code, and to protect this clan with your life?"

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

⋘ ──── ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ❄️ ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ──── ⋙

Hailpaw heard her name first, she was going to be the first of her littermates to get a name that would he hers alone. Hailpaw would become… something new, something better, a complete piece of a whole grown cat. This was her time and she was going to make it as memorable as she knew how.

The young she-cat stepped forward in powerful, confident strides, mirroring her sire’s posture and perhaps looking more like him than she thought she did. When she stood at the foot of the twin willows, she lowered her head to a respectful dip, however composed she looked, the twitching of her tail told of her anticipation and excitement more than she ever could in words.

"Through blood, turmoil and tears, Coldstar" She promised, her voice held certainty and determination of a much older cat, after all, Hailpaw was going to be a warrior in just a few more moments. She won’t forget this moment in a long time.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

Coldstar nodded. He liked that answer.

"Your ambitious nature will serve you well. Starclan grants you the name Hailstrike with the hope that you exceed the legacy of others."

He touched her gently on the shoulder, before releasing her back to her peers. Giving Boldstrike's firstborn his name felt right - and Hailstrike would carry the name well. 

The first of many. 

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

⋘ ──── ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ❄️ ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ──── ⋙

Hailstrike, that sounded right, the name rang in her head for a moment, it was new but it was her own, she have an appreciative lick to Coldstar’s shoulder as he leaned to lick her own. When he drew back, her excitement finally made its appearance in a loud purr, she glanced back at her siblings, not as Hailpaw, but as Hailstrike.

"Thank you, Coldstar" she replied pulling herself back into the crowd, glancing around at who would be next in line to receive their name, Hailstrike had her guesses that she wouldn’t dare say aloud. It was then that she shuffled back in beside Merrypaw and Sturgeonpaw, now as a warrior.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

And now for his favorite. Not that he had to explain why. 

"Merrypaw. Step forward." He put on an aura of aloofness, although he knew she could see right through him at this point. "You have scrutinized every lesson regardless of your mastery of the subject, and gained a greater understanding of our past, to the benefit of our future." Much to his chagrin at times. 

"Do you vow to uphold the warrior code, and to protect this clan with your life?"

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merrypaw’s paws carried her forward, each step deliberate...steady. Her teal eyes shifted to Coldstar and found she didn't have to look up. Though she tried to meet him with the composure of any apprentice being named a warrior, her whiskers betrayed her with the faintest twitch of insightful mirth. She knew him too well by now...his careful aloofness, measured words - like the weight of a river behind all its currents.

Standing beneath the twin willows, she dipped her head with respect, but her gaze never wavered when it returned to his. "Under StarClan's eye, I do." She answered, her voice clear and firm. A vow not made lightly, but one spoken with the sharpness of certainty. Then, only for him, her mouth curved in the barest hint of a smile.

Her tail tip flicked once, betraying her bubbling excitement beneath the calm exterior. This was the moment she had chased through every trial, every lesson, every challenge Coldstar had set before her. And she wasn’t about to falter now.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

He couldn't quite hold back a purr at her answer, but continued as if it had never happened.

"Your inquisitive nature will serve you well. By the will of our ancestors, I name you Merryaster, so that you may uphold that curiosity." He held the pose for a heartbeat longer, following her with his eyes as she returned to her family. 

His responsibility to her was finished. Now onto the next.

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merrypaw. No, Merryaster now, stood rooted for a breath longer than necessary, letting the new name ripple through her. Merryaster. It felt solid, a weight and a gift in equal measure.

Her ears pricked at the faint purr Coldstar had tried and failed to hide, and her whiskers twitched with quiet triumph. For all his aloofness, she’d caught it, and that alone was enough to make her chest warm.

She dipped her head once more, touching her nose to his shoulder with reverence before turning back toward the crowd. Each step carried a different gravity now. Lighter. Freer.

Sliding back beside her siblings, Merryaster’s teal eyes gleamed as she glanced between Hailstrike and Sturgeonpaw, the curve of a smile tugging at her muzzle. She wasn’t just Merrypaw the apprentice anymore. She was Merryaster of RiverClan, and she would wear that name as proudly as her dam and sire wore theirs.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

Now for the most promising sibling - at least in terms of martial prowess. 

"Stormpaw. Step forward. Your fierce mind and sharp tounge allowed you to stand unfazed where others would have folded. I commend you for this." She'd bounced back from nearly drowing, challenged Goosesong on his teachings, and was likely to become one of the most formidable warrior of her time.

"Do you vow to uphold the warrior code, and to protect this clan with your life?"

There is peace even in the storm...

‹‹‹‹ ››››

Stormpaw slide to the front of the group, emerging from where she’d isolated herself from the rest of her siblings.

It was her time now!

”To my last breath and beyond,” She spoke the words with a sense of purpose. Now that she’d be beyond Goosesong’s fears and hesitance she would show them all what she could. ”I do so vow.”

RiverClan and Coldstar’s call were all that mattered now.

Out with the old - In with the bold

‹‹‹‹ ››››

Pride suffused Boldstrike when he took his place next to Otterwhisker. His energy was wearing thin but he would not miss so much as one of the kits he sired earn their names.

Hailstrike and Merryaster, with three left to go!

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

She was intense, focused. A cat he could use in his future plans. Coldstar nodded with approval.

"Your indomiable spirit will serve you well. By the kindness of Starclan, I name you Stormsquall in hopes you always keep that tenacity." He placed his head on her shoulder, dubbing her a full warrior. 

And last, but certainly not least. If only by sheer size alone. 

There is peace even in the storm...

‹‹‹‹ ››››

Indomitable spirit.

Coldstar understood, and that was why Stormsquall would always follow him as she did not follow her mentor. She gave a quick flick of the tongue over his shoulder in thanks before fading back to join Hailstrike and Merryaster.

There was some disappointment in having to share the vigil with her siblings, but it was understandable why Coldstar was promoting them as a group. They’d been born to the clan as a group, raised to apprentices as a mob, and earned their warrior names shoulder to shoulder.

It was fitting.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

"Sturgeonpaw. Step forwards" He waited till the oversized apprentice sidled to the center of the clearing.

 "You have taken on every challenge presented to you with unshakeable optimisum, putting in effort to make other's lives easier." Sturgeonpaw had an easygoing air about him that was somehow less predictable than the rest of his siblings. Coldstar never was quite sure what the large tom was thinking about. 

"Do you vow to uphold the warrior code, and to protect this clan with your life?"

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

"Your steadfast faith in your clanmates and yourself will serve you well.  By the grace of our ancestors, I name you Sturgeonwhisker in honor of that loyalty." 

Sturgeonwhisker dipped his head bashfully as he touched Coldstar's pelt before respectfully retreating to stand behind his siblings. He was a quiet figure of great strength for his family regardless of his intentions. But he took after the cat he'd been named for, so that was to be expected.

Finally, Coldstar turned to the additional kitten. The she-cat he'd plucked from the gathering on that miserable night. Oh, how she had grown