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…