[BlooRey DVD]

Hawkstar

may your dreams be larger than mountains

As the sun began to set on another day, the sandy-brown StoneClan figurehead stepped forward. A swell of pride blossomed in his chest, burning more fiercely than the near-Greenleaf sun had all day. His tail swished behind him, the large tom inhaling the steadily cooling air, and with it gathering strength to his voice. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Rock Pile for a Clan meeting!" His voice echoed around the camp, reaching even the smallest of crevices. At his beckoning, the Clan began to stir, eyes appearing from the shaded safety of the surrounding dens.

A sense of deja-vu rippled over him as the cream and white form of his daughter nosed another figure from within the apprentices' den. Followed closely by Honeynose, Herondive heralded both Hazelpaw and Maplepaw from the den. He could almost hear the excited murmuring between the she-cats, tails flicking from side to side. He waited until more familiar faces stepped forward to listen to the announcement before continuing. "Newleaf brought with it an unexpected sickness. Though we mourn the loss of some of our Clanmates, we must keep moving forward. They would want us to press on."

He paused a moment, eyes casting to the darkening sky a moment. "And so, with our ancestors gazing down upon us and Greenleaf surging forth, it is with great pride I announce two new warriors will be joining our ranks. Skunkspots, you have done well to teach Maplepaw the ways of the Clan, and to pass on your sense of honor. Hazelpaw, Maplepaw, please step forward." He watched as the two excited sisters moved together, one united front with their fur brushing. "I, Hawkstar, leader of StoneClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

Pale amber eyes turned first to Maplepaw. "Maplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" The apprentice responded, raising her voice to be heard from below. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Maplepaw, from this moment you will be known as Maplestorm. StarClan honors your unyielding energy and your stalwart ambition, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StoneClan."

A wave of his tail held off the responding cries of the Clan, and he turned toward his own apprentice. "Hazelpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" When Hazelpaw called back to him, he felt that swell of pride renewed once more. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Hazelpaw, from this moment you will be known as Hazelcloud. StarClan honors your unbounded loyalty and your fierce determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StoneClan."

He smiled warmly at the pair, nodding his head to indicate he was finished. As if on cue, the Clan joined voices to welcome the two new warriors, Herondive's voice among the loudest. "Maplestorm! Hazelcloud!" Quickly adding his own voice to the mix, Hawkstar descended from the Rock Pile, maneuvering toward the newly named warriors to pass on his own congratulations. I promised you would join them, Hazelcloud. He thought.

leader of stoneclan

and may you have the courage
to scale their summits

background image | harley king | Phoenix Fawn | table by phoenix

[Phoenix]

How many times had she imagined this day as she peered out from the confines of the nursery, green eyes alight as they gazed upon the Rock Pile with longing? She had lost track long ago, but now that the day had finally come, it was not quite what she had imagined. No, it was even better. Maplepaw, of course, was by her side as she had always imagined, but her younger mind could never have foreseen that she would have the company of two others, Honeynose and Herondive, on such a special day. With the former following in her footsteps, the latter had been quick to find Hazelpaw when Hawkstar’s call broke through the evening quiet, and even Maplepaw, who had never quite been the same since the epidemic, had a smile on her lips. The calico she-cat nudged her sister as they walked side-by-side to sit with the growing crowd, a purr rumbling in her chest as Maplepaw’s tail brushed her shoulder in response. For the first time, in a long time, everything felt right.

Hawkstar cast a familiar silhouette against the darkening sky as he called both of them forward, and with glowing green eyes, she looked up at her mentor with a wide smile that lit up her entire face. Even though she was meant to be receiving her warrior name, she was a kit again, barely able to keep her excitement contained, paws kneading the ground in a mixture of anticipation and impatience. She and Maplepaw were going to be warriors! For so long, they had been chained down by their physical limitations, unable to work or play as hard as the others, never quite managing to keep up. They had defied the odds and completed their training – albeit a little slower than most – and now they could finally, finally sleep next to Herondive and Honeynose again. Her sister was addressed first, and Hazelpaw turned her attention to the other apprentice, pride bubbling up in her chest and making her throat tight. Maplestorm. She purred loudly, basking in the sight of the newest warrior’s genuine happiness. A burst of warm fondness broke through the pride, and as she looked back at Hawkstar, she could only hope that he somehow felt her appreciation. It’s perfect.

And then it was her turn. The words were spoken – a confident ”I do” – and then, just like that, she was Hazelcloud. Hazelcloud and Maplestorm. They had done it; they were warriors. Green eyes sought out her parents and then her friends, and she wondered how it was possible to feel so much of everything. Joy, exhilaration, elation – something had to give, or else she was going to burst. Everything was better than she imagined. The chain that had tied her down for so long seemed to have snapped, and she felt lighter than ever. For the first time in her life, listening to their new names resonate through the clearing, Hazelcloud felt like she could truly fly.

Fawn BlooRey DVD

[Fawn]

Skunkspots felt her heart teeter on the edge of a precipice, and the black and white she-cat had joined the crowd of cats for the ceremony with short, shallow breaths. Willing herself to calm down, Skunkspots mustered a hasty, encouraging smile for Maplepaw, even as a thousand doubts and uncertanies tumbled through her mind like a rockfall.

What if I didn't train her well enough? What if she dies in her first battle? StarClan, I should've spent more time teaching her how to hunt. I should've asked Ospreywing to help with battle training.

I should've I should've I should've.

What if what if what if?

"Maplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Skunkspots held her breath, barely conscious of Valiantstride gently pressing his flank to hers as if to provide her some comfort. Terrified that something would go wrong, that Hawkstar would change his mind - that an eagle would swoop down and ruin this moment for Maplepaw - Skunkspots didn't start breathing again until Hawkstar uttered the final words.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Maplepaw, from this moment you will be known as Maplestorm. StarClan honors your unyielding energy and your stalwart ambition, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StoneClan."

She did. She's a warrior now. We... We did it. Skunkspots wouldn't dare take any more credit than she deserved (which was probably very, very little), but with a tentative smile that was growing in volume, Skunkspots added her voice to the crowd. "Maplestorm! Maplestorm! Maplestorm!" What were the words every apprentice wanted to hear from their mentor, during the last moments of their official relationship?

I'm proud of you.

Filled with a knew kind of adamence, and pride (much to her own surprise, she was so used to negative feelings) Skunkspots found herself beginning to... adjust. To let the rest of the ceremony play out, though her paws longed to carry her forward and tell Maplestorm in person how proud of her she was. She had become... like a little sister to her.

What a terrifying, wonderful thing.

Word Count: 364 Words Tags: BlooRey DVD Phoenix Notes: I'll post Honeynose's reply after Herondive's. <3

38 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan