[Fate Admin]

Ravenstar sat at the base of a pine tree, ears flattened in annoyance against the dampness that pervaded everything, and the fact that her Clan had been run out of their home by the rain and snowmelt. She had asked Roughthroat to make sure and check on their camp each day personally and report to her about the water level so they might get an idea as to when they could move back in, but as of yet the water had barely gone down at all, even if it had been a few days already. Most of the Clan was in a rather miserable state and tempers were short, even as most cats were settling down to enjoy the last warm rays of the setting sun. Still, the evacuation had gone as smoothly as one could hope and nothing really terrible had happened since, though a few cats had started sneezing or coughing on occasion which was worrisome. Being soaked through and then running through the woods to a not very sheltered clearing seemed to have gotten the better of some cats, she just hoped it didn’t turn into a whitecough outbreak, which could lead to even worse things.

As she watched one cat snap at another over a sunny patch, her tail lashed. Everyone needed a good distraction. They were all so caught up on the inconvenience of the situation most of them hadn’t even stopped to think about how much worse it could be. She imagined RainClan was having a much harder time than they were and was once again thankful she hadn’t been born into the most horrible smelling Clan in the valley. She spotted Frogpaw across the clearing and her ears perked forward. There were two other apprentices who she realized were nearly overdue for their warrior ceremonies as well. They were definitely ready. Let their first duty as warriors be to watch over their Clan in this trying time. She stood and padded into the center of the clearing, head and tail held high. “Let all cats gather for a Clan meeting!” She disregarded her usual call, there wasn’t really any place any cat could go that wasn’t within earshot anyway so she didn’t wait long before continuing either.

“We have lost our camp, but it has happened before and we will get it back soon enough. Let us not dwell on what we have lost but look forward!” Her pale amber gaze challenged her Clanmates to do anything different as it swept over them all, “We are all safe, unharmed, and today we will gain three new warriors!” She let her gaze rest briefly upon the three to-be warriors as she spoke their names, “Frogpaw… Darkpaw… Grimpaw. Step forward.” She waited until then had and went on, “I, Ravenstar, leader of NightClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors. Frogpaw, Darkpaw, Grimpaw… do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend NightClan, even at the cost of your life?”

[Deleted]

From her perch among the ground, near the rock where Ravenstar had taken her place to call the clan, Ghostlight meerly lifted her head, pale eyes drooping as she waited for her leader to explain why she was calling such a meeting. The black she-cat had been on edge for the past few days, barley sleeping and constantly hunting for the rag-tag group of Nightclanners. Her tail curled around her muddy paws and stomach as she remained laying on the moist, soft ground that had occured from the snow's thaw and flood, currently leaving them campless. Though the she-cat was known for her sharp tongue and snappy attitude, it had never been this bad, and she felt sort of guilty for snapping at an elder and a couple of kits for complaining about being hungry, tired and wet. She knew that they were all feeling the same way, and that all of them wanted to return home to their warm, shetered nests that had protected them season after season.


Spiriteye, on the other hand, was just the opposite of his sister, though they always had been. Hauntingwind was always more like Ghostlight, Spiriteye guessed that it was because they were both females. The happy-go-lucky, flirtatious tom was doing his best to keep the spirits of the clan up, joking around, playing with the kits to keep them off the troubled and tired minds of their parents, helping Ravenstar and Roughthroat to the best of his abilities as a young warrior. Of course, despite his hard work towards helping the campless clan at the moment, he was also keeping up with his non-stop annoying flirting that drove Ghostlight up a tree, he was supprised that she had yet snapped at him. Spiriteye happily bounded into the clearing where the rag-tag group of cats were gathering for Ravenstar's call, his tail wagging around behind him like a pointlessly happy dog. He stopped to nuzzle a bunch of kits playfully before conintuing to sit next to his moppy sister. Warriors! He heard Ravenstar's voice, and saw Ghostlight's ears prick in excitement as well, hopefully this would get the clan bouncing around like him.

[Fawn]

[smear:07c76b]FROGPAW[/smear:88cfad]// Apprentice of NightClan

“Frogpaw… Darkpaw… Grimpaw. Step forward.”

Confusion blared in the dappled she-cat's eyes momentarily, her beautiful marble fur, fortunately, on today of all days, had been meticulously groomed though out of habit rather than any sort of anticipation for what was happening right now. Even though the words had come spilling out of Ravenstar's mouth herself, Frogpaw still felt a thin layer of disbelief wrap itself around her mind and refuse to let go of it's old. It wasn't until she took note of Darkpaw and Grimpaw both standing up at her side to approach their leader together.

Boneshadow should be here for this. Murmured a bitter, distressed voice at the back of the lithe tawny and brown she-cat's mind. Don't worry, Frogpaw. He IS here, just because you can't see him doesn't mean he can't see YOU right now. Had anyone told her those words a moon ago, she would have likely narrowed golden eyes until they were as sharp as thorns, and asked that particular feline to go drown themselves in some nearby body of water. Now that the majority of the pain, of the ache of having lost her mentor, deputy and uncle had subsided a little, reasoning and logic had begun to leak back into her skull, and Frogpaw had, forgive the pun, begun to leap back to her old self.

Of course Boneshadow would be watching.

She liked to think that no one had drowned in their evacuation because the deceased deputy had been watching over them. With a firm, fond brush of the shoulders to each of the toms who had stepped up with her, Frogpaw smiled, allowing herself to be enveloped in this moment, to bear her soul before the earthbound Clan and the one watching from above, her response truthful and strong.
"I do."

If the time ever came where Frogpaw would have to sacrifice herself for the good of her Clanmates, for the good of cats she cared about, the almost-warrior felt confident that she could do it. Like Darkpaw, she could throw herself into harm's way in the name of protecting others, and like Grimpaw, she too had felt the shame and the guilt of running back to camp after Boneshadow had so valiantly flung himself into the devil's jaws for their sakes. But at least now, Frogpaw realized with a sense of bittersweetness, she understood the actions of her beloved uncle, and took a small bit of solace with the knowledge that if she ever became deputy and the situation should mirror his own, Frogpaw would take the plunge in a heartbeat.

For Darkpaw and Grimpaw, and for the safety of the whole Clan.

Wasn't that what it meant to be a warrior?

---

Keep the Legacy Alive.

[Insidious]

D A R K P A W

The moment Ravenstar had spoken his name, alongside Frogpaw and Grimpaw's, the ebony almost-warrior had scattered to his paws in a heartbeat. He blinked silvery eyes upward at the leader, as if required that he contemplate her words and indeed prove them true before he began to approach. However, upon catching glimpse of his marbled companion seated next to Grimpaw, he too slid forward to take his position at Frogpaw's open flank.

As the she-cat nudged his shoulder, Darkpaw momentarily turned his attention toward her; offering a warm smile. The moment had finally arrived. He was to be crowned a warrior of NightClan alongside two fellow apprentices. Light gray eyes traveled passed Frogpaw to land upon Grimpaw, offering the tom a smirk similar to the one he flashed Frogpaw – if not a little less affectionate. Turning his attention frontward again, the black apprentice tilted his chin upward to fixate his silvery stare upon Ravenstar, speaking a brief moment after Frogpaw had. “I do.”

It was tempting to quickly search for Snowlark amongst the crowd; offer his mentor a last-second grin. For, it'd be the last one he'd give her while under her guidance. He recalled when the duo had been in the midst of frog-hunting: the pale furred she-cat had spoken of his warrior ceremony and how she believed it'd be any day now. He suspected that she was correct, though truthfully, it had arrived far sooner than he had anticipated. Darkpaw, however, was seemingly unable to avert his stare away from where the black furred leader of NightClan stood before the trio. It wasn't important that he exchange a final glance with Snowlark as an apprentice. He would get to speak with her after his vigil.

Speak with her as a newly named warrior of NightClan.

[Deleted]

The shadows and regrets
We let go of the rest
    G R I M P A W 

 For once, the fringed gray and white fur of the NightClan apprentice lay flat against his skinny body. For once, any passerby could give him a look and tell the brother of Ravenstar and Smokefur that he was handsome -- albeit for his ridged, torn ear. Today for the tom was not like any day -- for today, after many long moons of hard work and patience, Grimpaw was becoming a warrior. When the tom had been told, he had been uncharacteristically thrilled. For the day, the dark-minded tom had been chatty, supportive, and an overall ball of light. 

The tom had arrived to the Pine Forest as instructed, a small smile on his maw and in general not minding how unofficial the warrior ceremony seemed. Though the flood had dampened everything in their land and had prey scarce and hard to catch, it had not dampened the apprentice's mood. For a moment, Grimpaw stood, long tail swishing excitedly, before he lowered his body down to sit by his fellow soon-to-be-warrior, Frogpaw. The gray and white tom maintained a staring contest with his older sister as he waited for the ceremony to begin. 

When the apprentice got the chance to say his piece, Grimpaw spoke with certainty. "I do," Grimpaw meowed, maintaining his eye-lock with Ravenstar while he spoke before turning his gaze to Frogpaw and Darkpaw and assessing their level of axcitement for this new position. Grimpaw could hardly keep the sickly-sweet smile from creeping its way up on his white-splotched jaw. While he wanted to be serious at the current time, he couldn't help himself. His joy was explosive and foreign to him.

If Grimpaw's joy had been for a more innocent cause, it would've been sweet. The reason for Grimpaw's happiness was because it meant that Grimpaw was one step closer to killing demon. All the tom had to do after this was scout out the lynx's den and take the monster out. Easy.

S H A D O W S && R E G R E T S