Post by Dragon on Aug 28, 2009 19:22:41 GMT -5
Bagderstar padded out of his cozy den, blinking up at the smiling sun. The ginger leader closed his eyes to feel the glow, cover his scarred face in its delightful warmth. For just a moment, all his worries disappeared and he was in total bliss. But as he opened his eyes, it came rushing back to him. Today, he was to make a warrior. And a warrior he would make.
The leader shook grains of sand from his fur and he leaped forward. He wouldn't let his day be worried by unnecessary worries and strife. It was a good day for the clan. He stretched leisurely and padded into camp, his head raised and proud.
Morningpaw leaped from her nest, with the flaming thought that she was late to her own ceremony. The sun hung in the middle of the sky. The fur on the back of her neck bristled in apprehension before she jumped into the clearing while licking her ruffled fur. She couldn't be late!
The apprentice tumbled fast first into the clearing. Sleep clouding her gray eyes. She looked around wildly, searching for her leader or the warriors who were bound to be giving her disapproving glares. But none were to be found. She sighed in relief and began grooming herself, to show she hadn't crawled out of the Apprentice's Den a moment before the ceremony began. She padded toward the Foodpile, frowning at the scrawny supply of food that was left. The apprentice sniffed at a scrawny rabbit before backing away, letting an older warrior take it instead.
Badgerstar trotted over to Morningpaw. There was a smile of his usually serious face. He had taken a liking to the spunky apprentice that always had good intentions in her mind. The leader gave her a friendly lick over the ear. "I see your preparing yourself for you ceremony aren't we?" The ginger cat purred, his green eyes gleaming in the sun.
"Yeah!" Morningpaw bubbled, her heart racing with the excitement of it all. Her long tail swished across the sand, sending up a small cloud. She straightened her back, and perked her ears. "When will the ceremony be?" She asked, letting her erect head tilt to the side.
The ginger tom cat laid down on the sun warmed ground, and flicked his white paw over an ear after licking it. "As soon as the hunting patrol arrives and we get out fresh kill. Then it will all fall into place." The leader smirked, and began grooming himself vigorously.
Soulgazer slunk in, his pink eyes looking over the clan for a moment before he padded forest, his face emotionless. Hawkstrike and Tulipsun branched off to do their own things, and he approached his leader. "We have returned Badgerstar, with much prey to offer." The white cat sat down, and began licking his paws.
Badgerstar's tail flicked with a pleasant smile. His green eyes gleamed, and he stood, stretching. His white claws flexed into the sand before he looked up at his boulder. The leader's smiled broadened and he leaped onto the stone.
Morningpaw scurried to the base of the rock, her ears cocked forward. Her thick gray fur, groomed perfectly. She looked as sleek and healthy as ever before. And the huge grin on her face showed her personality. She puffed out her chest and beamed. Even though the meeting hadn't even started, she was ready.
The ginger tom spread his paws around and lifted his scarred head. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath highrock for a clan meeting!" His hard, beady stare came down on them as slowly cats began to creep from their dens.
Turtletail crept out of his den, his red fur bristling crossly. His tired green eyes, sparkled with anger and intensity. He limped forward, his aching joints creaky after so many moons of service to his clan. "What does he want now?" He grumbled to Amberfang as they came out of the Elder's Den.
The black and white she-cat gave Turtletail a friendly swat of her frail paw. She had a delighted smile of her face as if all of Turtletail's cross words were as funny as a dizzy bumblebee. "We are welcoming a new warrior into the clan! Be glad of it." Amberfang rasped, her amber eyes shining.
The ginger cat scoffed, "Then there will be no more apprentices to clean out nests." He found a warm patch of sand and beckoned Amberfang to lay next to him. His round ears flicked crossly, "Who will clean our fur for ticks?" He growled, and laid his head on his paws.
Amberfang licked her fellow elder over the ear, smiling at him. "Don't worry about that, Cloverkit and Bearkit will be apprentices soon. They'll be there for us." She chuckled softly, and turned her gaze to the small leader on the foreboding stone that hovered over the camp like a phantom.
The gray warrior bustled out of his den and leaped towards his daughter, nuzzling her cheek affectionately. "I knew you would do it, Morningpaw!" Rockclaw purred loudly, he thrust his chest out in pride. The father and daughter were dead on look a likes from their spotted pelts to the same kind eyes. His tail stroked Morningpaw's spotted flank and he drew back into the ground watching Badgerstar. His face glowed with happiness.
Badgerstar looked out to his clan. He felt their gazes on his fur, it didn't burn him like it usually did. It was full of a warmth and admiration that he wished to keep there for a long time. He put on a serious expression that he usually put on when he was doing this sacred ceremony.
He tilted his head backward and began, "I, Badgerstar, leader of SerpentClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice! She has trained hard to learn the ways of our noble code, and I commend her as a warrior in turn. Morningpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" He asked in a steely tone, which meant no nonsense.
Morningpaw's pale gray eyes gleamed in the fading sunlight. Her claws etched marks into the sandy ground. She met the eyes of her leader and spoke only two words. "I do." It held all the meaning in the world to her.
Badgerstar smiled down at her, and continued on. "Then by the powers of Silverclan, and the spirits of the sun! I grant you your warrior name! Morningpaw, from this moment on your shall be known as Morninggale! SilverClan honors you for your spirit and your prudence! And we welcome you as a full member of SerpentClan!" He rested his muzzle on her head with a broad smile.
The new warrior grinned, and licked her leader's shoulder respectfully. She backed up again, and heard her new voice ring through the clan. "Morninggale! Morninggale!" She purred warmly, and she noticed her father coming toward her with a vole in his mouth. She purred in greeting and stood up nuzzling his cheek.
Rockclaw purred and licked her ear. "Your mother would be very proud." He murmured to her, his voice muffled by the vole. He dropped the fresh kill at her paws, "Eat it, but you must remain silent until dawn." He licked her nose gently, "Good luck." He turned and trotted toward his den, his jaws stretched in a long yawn.
Morninggale nodded to him, before taking the vole and padding toward the camp entrance. As she sat down, she quickly swallowed down the prey. She had been starving all morning. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing warriors turning in early for the night. She smiled, and her only hope was that it was going to be a warm night.
The leader shook grains of sand from his fur and he leaped forward. He wouldn't let his day be worried by unnecessary worries and strife. It was a good day for the clan. He stretched leisurely and padded into camp, his head raised and proud.
Morningpaw leaped from her nest, with the flaming thought that she was late to her own ceremony. The sun hung in the middle of the sky. The fur on the back of her neck bristled in apprehension before she jumped into the clearing while licking her ruffled fur. She couldn't be late!
The apprentice tumbled fast first into the clearing. Sleep clouding her gray eyes. She looked around wildly, searching for her leader or the warriors who were bound to be giving her disapproving glares. But none were to be found. She sighed in relief and began grooming herself, to show she hadn't crawled out of the Apprentice's Den a moment before the ceremony began. She padded toward the Foodpile, frowning at the scrawny supply of food that was left. The apprentice sniffed at a scrawny rabbit before backing away, letting an older warrior take it instead.
Badgerstar trotted over to Morningpaw. There was a smile of his usually serious face. He had taken a liking to the spunky apprentice that always had good intentions in her mind. The leader gave her a friendly lick over the ear. "I see your preparing yourself for you ceremony aren't we?" The ginger cat purred, his green eyes gleaming in the sun.
"Yeah!" Morningpaw bubbled, her heart racing with the excitement of it all. Her long tail swished across the sand, sending up a small cloud. She straightened her back, and perked her ears. "When will the ceremony be?" She asked, letting her erect head tilt to the side.
The ginger tom cat laid down on the sun warmed ground, and flicked his white paw over an ear after licking it. "As soon as the hunting patrol arrives and we get out fresh kill. Then it will all fall into place." The leader smirked, and began grooming himself vigorously.
Soulgazer slunk in, his pink eyes looking over the clan for a moment before he padded forest, his face emotionless. Hawkstrike and Tulipsun branched off to do their own things, and he approached his leader. "We have returned Badgerstar, with much prey to offer." The white cat sat down, and began licking his paws.
Badgerstar's tail flicked with a pleasant smile. His green eyes gleamed, and he stood, stretching. His white claws flexed into the sand before he looked up at his boulder. The leader's smiled broadened and he leaped onto the stone.
Morningpaw scurried to the base of the rock, her ears cocked forward. Her thick gray fur, groomed perfectly. She looked as sleek and healthy as ever before. And the huge grin on her face showed her personality. She puffed out her chest and beamed. Even though the meeting hadn't even started, she was ready.
The ginger tom spread his paws around and lifted his scarred head. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath highrock for a clan meeting!" His hard, beady stare came down on them as slowly cats began to creep from their dens.
Turtletail crept out of his den, his red fur bristling crossly. His tired green eyes, sparkled with anger and intensity. He limped forward, his aching joints creaky after so many moons of service to his clan. "What does he want now?" He grumbled to Amberfang as they came out of the Elder's Den.
The black and white she-cat gave Turtletail a friendly swat of her frail paw. She had a delighted smile of her face as if all of Turtletail's cross words were as funny as a dizzy bumblebee. "We are welcoming a new warrior into the clan! Be glad of it." Amberfang rasped, her amber eyes shining.
The ginger cat scoffed, "Then there will be no more apprentices to clean out nests." He found a warm patch of sand and beckoned Amberfang to lay next to him. His round ears flicked crossly, "Who will clean our fur for ticks?" He growled, and laid his head on his paws.
Amberfang licked her fellow elder over the ear, smiling at him. "Don't worry about that, Cloverkit and Bearkit will be apprentices soon. They'll be there for us." She chuckled softly, and turned her gaze to the small leader on the foreboding stone that hovered over the camp like a phantom.
The gray warrior bustled out of his den and leaped towards his daughter, nuzzling her cheek affectionately. "I knew you would do it, Morningpaw!" Rockclaw purred loudly, he thrust his chest out in pride. The father and daughter were dead on look a likes from their spotted pelts to the same kind eyes. His tail stroked Morningpaw's spotted flank and he drew back into the ground watching Badgerstar. His face glowed with happiness.
Badgerstar looked out to his clan. He felt their gazes on his fur, it didn't burn him like it usually did. It was full of a warmth and admiration that he wished to keep there for a long time. He put on a serious expression that he usually put on when he was doing this sacred ceremony.
He tilted his head backward and began, "I, Badgerstar, leader of SerpentClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice! She has trained hard to learn the ways of our noble code, and I commend her as a warrior in turn. Morningpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, even at the cost of your life?" He asked in a steely tone, which meant no nonsense.
Morningpaw's pale gray eyes gleamed in the fading sunlight. Her claws etched marks into the sandy ground. She met the eyes of her leader and spoke only two words. "I do." It held all the meaning in the world to her.
Badgerstar smiled down at her, and continued on. "Then by the powers of Silverclan, and the spirits of the sun! I grant you your warrior name! Morningpaw, from this moment on your shall be known as Morninggale! SilverClan honors you for your spirit and your prudence! And we welcome you as a full member of SerpentClan!" He rested his muzzle on her head with a broad smile.
The new warrior grinned, and licked her leader's shoulder respectfully. She backed up again, and heard her new voice ring through the clan. "Morninggale! Morninggale!" She purred warmly, and she noticed her father coming toward her with a vole in his mouth. She purred in greeting and stood up nuzzling his cheek.
Rockclaw purred and licked her ear. "Your mother would be very proud." He murmured to her, his voice muffled by the vole. He dropped the fresh kill at her paws, "Eat it, but you must remain silent until dawn." He licked her nose gently, "Good luck." He turned and trotted toward his den, his jaws stretched in a long yawn.
Morninggale nodded to him, before taking the vole and padding toward the camp entrance. As she sat down, she quickly swallowed down the prey. She had been starving all morning. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing warriors turning in early for the night. She smiled, and her only hope was that it was going to be a warm night.
