[Phoenix]

[smear:e0ca52]S A N D S T A R[/smear:e7c40c] [smear:e0ca52]Leader of RainClan[/smear:e7c40c]

Having reigned victorious over their fight with StoneClan and gained a significant amount of territory as a result, Sandstar was of the mindset that, only in a few instances, had RainClan. StoneClan's former land not only provided more hunting grounds, even if it was land prey, but also high ground to which they could retreat in the event of another horrid flood. But the snow was nearly all melted, and with the sun blazing relentlessly overhead, day after day, he highly doubted that a flood would be imminent. Yes, RainClan was prospering, and they had a plethora of graduating kits - and one apprentice - to prove it. Golden paws landed easily on the familiar surface of River Stone, and as always, he paused a moment to enjoy the sight of the camp, before calling the clan to attention. Once the last of the felines had trickled over to join the congregation of upturned faces, he parted his jaws, speaking clearly, "Today, in the wake of our victory, we will further prove the might of RainClan. After moons of hard training, a new warrior will join our ranks. Lilypaw, please step forward." Pausing, he waited until she had approached the base of the River Stone before continuing, proud gaze resting on her. "I, Sandstar, leader of RainClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Lilypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect it and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" He waited expectantly for the answer, wondering idly if any cat had refused to promise. It was an interesting musing, though he highly doubted that any cat had. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Lilypaw, from this moment you will be known as Lilystream." Hind legs propelled him from his perch, and paws touched down on the ground with near silence as he moved to stand before RainClan's newest warrior. "StarClan honors your determination and curiousity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan," The golden tom finished from the ground, eyes not straying from the she-cat as he stepped forward and rested his muzzle on the top of her head. With the chants ringing through his ears, he turned and leapt back onto River Stone, raising his tail for silence after a moment and waiting until the voices had died. "Even while an apprentice leaves the den," He began again, reclaiming his clan's attention. "Her place will be filled six times over, as our youngest take their first steps toward becoming responsible warriors." With a flick of his tail, he gestured the six kits forward, eyes resting on each one for a moment. Barely hesitating, he spoke their names with an ease born of tedious practice and repition within the confines and privacy of his den, relaxing slightly after a quick mental check, when he confirmed that he did not stumble or skip over anyone. "Swankit, Icekit, Rushkit, Ashkit, Vinekit, and Fleetkit, you have all reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Swanpaw, Icepaw, Rushpaw, Ashpaw, Vinepaw, and Fleetpaw." As he took a breath, the leader shifted his focus from the young cats in front of him to the older felines who would become their mentors. "Violetclaw, Vultureback, Russethawk, Honeygaze, Duckquack, and Razorfang, you have all received excellent training and proven your skill and loyalty numerous times." Yellow eyes rested for a moment on each as he addressed them. "Violetclaw, you will be the mentor of Swanpaw, and Vultureback, you will mentor Icepaw. Russethawk will mentor Rushpaw, and Honeygaze will do the same for Ashpaw. Duckquack will mentor Vinepaw, and Razorfang," He neared the end of the list, turning to face his sharp-toothed deputy, "You will be the mentor of Fleetpaw. I expect that all of you will pass on everything you know to your apprentices." As the crowd began the familiar chant of the names of the six new apprentices, he flicked his tail and leapt from the stone.

[Deleted]

LILYPAW

Apprentice || RainClan

They had won. Together, with a little help from LightningClan, they had driven out StoneClan and obtained more territory for themselves by doing so. So, if, StarClan forbid, there be another flood, they would have high land and safety to escape to. It also meant they had more prey, land prey, but prey all the same.
Lilypaw hadn't been a witness to the battle, nor did she know exactly what had happened, but they had won and that was all that mattered. The calico apprentice did feel sympathetic for StoneClan, they would have nowhere to go now, nowhere to call home, but RainClan was stronger and because of that, she was happy.
Stretching out in the blazing sun's warming rays, her jaws parted wide in a yawn. The to-be warrior had already been out hunting just after dawn, successfully catching two small fish and so she felt that this little snooze in the sunlight was well-deserved. By the time Sandstar called the clan together, she had been lying there for almost two hours perhaps?
Smiling to herself and thanking StarClan for the new life that Green-leaf had brought.
Her pale green gaze sought out a space below the River Stone amongst the already gathered felines, or which she was glad to call her clanmates, she quickly found a suitable spot, just below the great stone.
"Today, in the wake of our victory, we will further prove the might of RainClan. After moons of hard training, a new warrior will join our ranks."Sandstar meowed. Lilypaw sat patiently, head tilted to one side and pale green gaze filled with interest as she wondered who the lucky cat could be. A warrior, oh how she longed for the day.

"Lilypaw, please step forward."
Lilypaw's heart skipped a beat. Wait, did he just say my name? her pale green eyes sought out a friend amongst the gathered cats, Did he really just say my name? Her heart began to beat faster as she steadily rose to her paws and stepped forward as her clan leader had asked.
Lilypaw tried to look as dignified and serious as possible, but excited trembles made her walk in a rather strange way. It was a sort of waddle, like a duck, crossed with a fish out of water, flopping helplessly. Had cats the ability blush, Lilypaw would certainly have been blushing as bright as a deathberry.
She ducked her head in embarrassment as she drew to a halt in front of her leader. He's going to make me a warrior! she thought with delight, He really is!
"I, Sandstar, leader of RainClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Lilypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect it and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Lilypaw stared up at her leader with pale green eyes, wide as an owl's and brimming with excitement, "I do!" the calico apprentice meowed brightly, her voice ringing strongly throughout the camp.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Lilypaw, from this moment you will be known as Lilystream."
Lilystream broke into a wide smile and a purr erupted from out of nowhere as she beamed up at her leader. Lilystream, I am Lilystream! she thought gleefully.
Moons she had waited for this day, this moment. To receive her warrior name, a moment she had dreamed of. She had many a times wondered what her warrior name would be, but she didn't have to wonder any longer. I am Lilystream!
"StarClan honors your determination and curiousity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan,"
A full warrior of RainClan, wow! Lilystream wondered whether it was possible for cats to glow with happiness, for if it were, then she would certainly be glowing right then. Sandstar rest his muzzle on her head for a moment before taking a step back and it was only then when it fully sunk in.
I am Lilystream, proud warrior of RainClan.

SWANKIT

Kit || RainClan

The day had finally arrived. The day that Swankit would become Swanpaw, the day she would become an apprentice. The silky-furred silver tabby had been waiting for this day for moons, the day she would finally become useful to RainClan.
She had been grooming herself all morning, not letting her mother Skysong touch her fluffy silver fur even once. Swankit was to be made an apprentice, she didn't need her mother fussing over her like a little kit.
She had steered clear of her littermates all morning for fear of ruining her immaculately clean silver fur. She wanted to be seen in the best possible light when she was put under the spotlight and presented to her clanmates.
Swankit had been waiting by the nursery entrance all morning, ears pricked as she waited for Sandstar's voice to ring out. When it finally did, she took a calm breath, briefly smoothing down her pelt before rising to her paws.
Bright amber eyes were the only thing that gave away her inner excitement as she stepped out into the RainClan camp. She held her head high, walking gracefully with her feathered tail gently floating behind her.

Swankit found a place as near to the River Stone as possible, next to a calico apprentice who looked old enough to be a warrior. Yawning as subtly as possible, she waited patiently for Sandstar to speak.
But when RainClan's leader finally did speak, it wasn't to name herself and the five other apprentices, but to welcome a new warrior to RainClan's ranks. It was the apprentice she was sitting next to, Lilypaw, now Lilystream, and she looked so happy she might burst. As she had stepped forward, the calico apprentice had sort of waddled and Swankit let out a tiny, only just audible, "Strange cat."
Hopefully Lilystream hadn't heard her little remark, but in Swankit's defence, many cats were probably thinking the same. I won't be like that, she vowed.
"Swankit, Icekit, Rushkit, Ashkit, Vinekit, and Fleetkit, you have all reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior names, you will be known as Swanpaw, Icepaw, Rushpaw, Ashpaw, Vinepaw, and Fleetpaw."
Swanpaw smiled to herself and puffed out her fluffy chest in an attempt to look as big and strong as possible. I'm an apprentice now, she though to herself, pride coming off her in thick waves, I am Swanpaw.
Her bright amber eyes raked the felines sat around her, I wonder who my mentor will be? The silver tabby she-cat didn't mind too much who her mentor was, so long as they were a good warrior, respected and strong.
"Violetclaw, you will be the mentor of Swanpaw, and Vultureback"- Swanpaw stopped listening to Sandstar at that point. She held no interest for who her littermates had been apprenticed to, she would ask them later of course, but right now her only thoughts were on her own mentor and her apprenticeship ahead of her.
Violetclaw, an aggressive silver-furred warrior. She had heard of her newly-named mentor's name severally times before and she knew that Violetclaw had wanted to be deputy, but instead Razorfang had been chosen.
Her amber gaze sought out the silver tabby and when it landed on her, she smiled. Gotcha.

HONEYGAZE

Senior Warrior || RainClan

New apprentices and a new warrior. RainClan is strong, the pretty golden tabby thought with a smile. She still felt awful about driving out StoneClan, but if it meant RainClan was stronger for it, then it was fine, right? LightningClan had also benefitted as they had formed an alliance with RainClan to drive out the fifth clan. The territory had been split between the two clans.
LightningClan. her encounter with Rootstride, a fluffy, tan LightningClanner, at StarClan's Claws, flew back to her. His gentle voice and green eyes, she couldn't get him out of her mind. Since then, they'd fought side by side in the battle against StoneClan, but Honeygaze was still unsure as to why she felt this way.
He's just a friend, a friend, she thought silently, her honey-amber eyes for which she had been named, trailed to the clear blue sky above. When she heard Sandstar call her name, she almost jumped out of her pelt.
"Russethawk will mentor Rushpaw, and Honeygaze will do the same for Ashpaw."
A mentor, again? She was honoured that Sandstar had chosen to mentor another apprentice, but also rather surprised. Ashpaw, huh?
The gentle golden tabby took a step forward, seeking out the apprentice's white, grey and ginger pelt amongst the gathered of RainClan's cats. She tried to make herself a little more obvious to the newly named apprentice in case Ashpaw was unsure of who she was.
I will help you become the best of your ability and with a little hard work, I promise you will become a warrior RainClan can be proud of.

[Deleted]

~~Timberwing~~

Ears flickered as Sandstar's voice rang out. The battle worn, fox colored she-cat flicked her bushy tail as she pulled herself up to her paws, heading towards where the rest of Rainclan was gathering under their leader's watchful eye. The russet red she-cat's green eyes narrowed in a cold fashion as she sat down near the edge of the group of Rainclan cats. She was, in her right mind, angry at the decision for Rainclan and Lightningclan to drive out Stoneclan. Bushy tail curling over her large, flat paws, the former Nightclanner laid her ears back, watching as the ceremonies for winning went on like a party.

With slight annoyance in her green eyes, Timberwing watched as Sandstar added a new warrior to the ranks, Lillystream. That left the Apprentice den empty, but the tom wasn't finished there. New apprentices. Six of them to be exact. The russet red she-cat watched from the edge of the group as the young cat's gained the names of 'paw' and with such they earned a warrior mentor each. Green eyes looked around to find her own estranged apprentice, Crowpaw.

She hadn't known if he had entered himself into the battle that drove out Stoneclan, and if he did, she wasn't sure how well he did. The older she-cat never taught him anything so far, as he dejected her as a mentor for being who she was. A Nightclan borned she-cat who apparently wasn't good enough for the young tom. She knew he had issues of his own, being half Stoneclan and what not, but how was he possibly suppose to learn what an apprentice is suppose to learn when he avoided Timberwing at all costs when she tried to find him to teach him. The fox-colored she-cat hung her head slightly.

---

~~Duckquack~~

Waddling forwards, the odd blue-gray tom made his way towards the gathering, hosted by Sandstar after their apparent victory in the massive battle that Rainclan had just been involved in. Of course, the pigeon-toed tom had not been apart of the battle, because he could barely run, let alone fight. Shifting his haunches, the funny walking tom sat down, his tail curled near him on the ground as he found a spot near the warriors, but far enough away so he didn't have to be near his mean sister, Jaysong.

Ears lifting and angling towards the leader of Rainclan, the tom's bright blue eyes widdened with pride for his clan as this became a warrior and apprentice ceremony for several cats. His tail thumped lightly against the ground, like a happy dog, as he called out the name of Lillystream, for the new warrior before turning his attention towards the six kits who were earning their 'paw' names. The odd little tom thought back to the day when he earned his 'paw' name, along with his sisters, Birdpaw and Jaysong. Back before he became the laughing stock of Rainclan, curtiosy of his sister, Jaysong.

Being pulled out of his thoughts, Duckquack looked up when his name was called by Sandstar's deep mew. With big blue eyes looking up, he glanced towards the young cat who given to him as an apprentice. Vinepaw. With a smile on his maw, the waddling tom padded over towards the young cat as he reached forwards to touch noses to Vinepaw, tail wagging happily. He couldn't believe that Sandstar trusted him enough to give him an apprentice.