Post by LιθΠΗΣαRτεD on May 2, 2017 21:48:34 GMT
"And so, by the powers of StarClan, I hereby name you Lionfire. StarClan values your bravery and cunning, and welcomes you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Spikestar announced, and placed her head on top of Lionfire's. Lionfire licked her shoulder respectfully, and stepped back, heart pounding with excitement.
"Antpaw! Spiderpaw! Shrikepaw! Windpaw! Loudpaw! Wolf-fly! Tigerspike! Cherrybreeze! Sandythrush! Ferntail! Mothcry! Lionfire!" the Clan chanted enthusiastically. Lionfire joined the rally, yowling Cherrybreeze's new name particularly loudly. His heart pounded excitedly. This, this was the day he'd been waiting for, the day every kit looked forward to. He loved his new name, and he was eager to begin his life as a warrior. It opened a lot of new doors.
He glanced at Cherrybreeze. And finally, he could ask her...
"Congratulations, Cherrybreeze!" Wolf-fly squeezed in front of Lionfire before Lionfire himself could talk to Cherrybreeze, and Lionfire grudgingly stepped aside. Wolf-fly's broad shoulders prevented him from stepping any closer to the she-cat. "Your name's beautiful."
"Thanks, and congrats yourself!" she beamed back, and Lionfire felt a mad twinge of jealousy. "I love your name, it fits you perfectly! You're always so fast," she gushed. Everyone knew of Wolf-fly's talent at running; there was even a brief rumor, which had started as a joke, that he was of WindClan origin. "I could never catch up."
"I'll teach you if you like!" Wolf-fly said eagerly, bouncing on his paws, and Cherrybreeze laughed, that charming laugh that had caught Lionfire since he was a kit. "I'd be glad to have you teach me."
"Wolf-fly, over here!" Wolf-fly's conversation with Cherrybreeze was interrupted by his brother, whose voice floated over the crowd. A moment later, Windpaw popped out, dragging the older silver tom away towards their family. Relieved, and silently thanking the small cat, Lionfire jumped forward before Tigerspike or any other tom could make another move on Cherrybreeze.
"Cherrybreeze!" he gasped out, and Cherrybreeze looked startled but pleased for a moment.
"Lionfire!" she returned happily. "I was wondering where you were. I wanted to say congratulations!" she brushed against him in a friendly manner, and his heart pounded. She hadn't done that with Wolf-fly, he noticed smugly. Returning the favor, he said in her ear,
"Good job to you, too. Want to go on that two-cat patrol we were planning a while ago?"
"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, her eyes gleaming. "Tomorrow, after we sit our vigil. Wow, there's going to be so many of us tonight. I can't wait for tomorrow! Our first times as official warriors of the Clan. Can you believe how far we've come? Oh, I feel so bad for Shadowpaw," she said suddenly, her smile dampening. Lionfire frowned. She picked the worst moments to digress. How was she thinking of Shadowpaw now?
"Why?"
"Because," she emphasized, "he never got to be a warrior! He died so bravely against a badger, and he never got anything in return. If only StarClan could've given him a name-- I would've named him Shadowblaze, for his courage. He looked like he was our age. I wish I could've told him how much I admired him."
Great StarClan, Lionfire thought bitterly. Cherrybreeze was known for having a weakness for "noble" warriors. It was all she talked about, being brave, going into battle, emerging victorious or in a blaze of glory. Of course, everyone wanted that. But Cherrybreeze was one of those she-cats who were happy to watch from the sidelines as a queen, waiting for their mates to return from war. Lionfire was determined to be that warrior. Right now, though, Shadowpaw seemed to be seizing the spotlight. And he was dead!
"Oh," he said emptily, and she blinked.
"Do you think there's a reason he came?" she asked. "I can't stop thinking about him. He looked so handsome! I wonder if some he had some she-cat when he was alive. I wonder when he died? Do you think anyone remembers him, if died only recently?"
"I--"
"Lionfire, Cherrybreeze, there you are." Laurelheart squeezed out from the crowd, her eyes narrowing. "We were looking for you. It's time for your vigil, everyone else is at the entrance already."
"Oh!" Cherrybreeze snapped out of her revere about Shadowpaw, and Lionfire thanked Laurelheart for her timely appearance. "We're coming. Sorry." The two followed her to the end of the tunnel, where the others were standing and blinking at them.
"Your lapse of silence begins now," Laurelheart said, dipping her head. She stalked back into the clearing, leaving the new warriors by themselves. The night breeze began to blow, sending a chill through all of them. Beside Lionfire, Cherrybreeze shivered and pressed closer towards him, but Lionfire felt a prick of unease instead of the usual warmth at Cherrybreeze's touch.
There seemed to be a gap between them now, Shadowpaw's presence still lingering in the air.
"Antpaw! Spiderpaw! Shrikepaw! Windpaw! Loudpaw! Wolf-fly! Tigerspike! Cherrybreeze! Sandythrush! Ferntail! Mothcry! Lionfire!" the Clan chanted enthusiastically. Lionfire joined the rally, yowling Cherrybreeze's new name particularly loudly. His heart pounded excitedly. This, this was the day he'd been waiting for, the day every kit looked forward to. He loved his new name, and he was eager to begin his life as a warrior. It opened a lot of new doors.
He glanced at Cherrybreeze. And finally, he could ask her...
"Congratulations, Cherrybreeze!" Wolf-fly squeezed in front of Lionfire before Lionfire himself could talk to Cherrybreeze, and Lionfire grudgingly stepped aside. Wolf-fly's broad shoulders prevented him from stepping any closer to the she-cat. "Your name's beautiful."
"Thanks, and congrats yourself!" she beamed back, and Lionfire felt a mad twinge of jealousy. "I love your name, it fits you perfectly! You're always so fast," she gushed. Everyone knew of Wolf-fly's talent at running; there was even a brief rumor, which had started as a joke, that he was of WindClan origin. "I could never catch up."
"I'll teach you if you like!" Wolf-fly said eagerly, bouncing on his paws, and Cherrybreeze laughed, that charming laugh that had caught Lionfire since he was a kit. "I'd be glad to have you teach me."
"Wolf-fly, over here!" Wolf-fly's conversation with Cherrybreeze was interrupted by his brother, whose voice floated over the crowd. A moment later, Windpaw popped out, dragging the older silver tom away towards their family. Relieved, and silently thanking the small cat, Lionfire jumped forward before Tigerspike or any other tom could make another move on Cherrybreeze.
"Cherrybreeze!" he gasped out, and Cherrybreeze looked startled but pleased for a moment.
"Lionfire!" she returned happily. "I was wondering where you were. I wanted to say congratulations!" she brushed against him in a friendly manner, and his heart pounded. She hadn't done that with Wolf-fly, he noticed smugly. Returning the favor, he said in her ear,
"Good job to you, too. Want to go on that two-cat patrol we were planning a while ago?"
"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, her eyes gleaming. "Tomorrow, after we sit our vigil. Wow, there's going to be so many of us tonight. I can't wait for tomorrow! Our first times as official warriors of the Clan. Can you believe how far we've come? Oh, I feel so bad for Shadowpaw," she said suddenly, her smile dampening. Lionfire frowned. She picked the worst moments to digress. How was she thinking of Shadowpaw now?
"Why?"
"Because," she emphasized, "he never got to be a warrior! He died so bravely against a badger, and he never got anything in return. If only StarClan could've given him a name-- I would've named him Shadowblaze, for his courage. He looked like he was our age. I wish I could've told him how much I admired him."
Great StarClan, Lionfire thought bitterly. Cherrybreeze was known for having a weakness for "noble" warriors. It was all she talked about, being brave, going into battle, emerging victorious or in a blaze of glory. Of course, everyone wanted that. But Cherrybreeze was one of those she-cats who were happy to watch from the sidelines as a queen, waiting for their mates to return from war. Lionfire was determined to be that warrior. Right now, though, Shadowpaw seemed to be seizing the spotlight. And he was dead!
"Oh," he said emptily, and she blinked.
"Do you think there's a reason he came?" she asked. "I can't stop thinking about him. He looked so handsome! I wonder if some he had some she-cat when he was alive. I wonder when he died? Do you think anyone remembers him, if died only recently?"
"I--"
"Lionfire, Cherrybreeze, there you are." Laurelheart squeezed out from the crowd, her eyes narrowing. "We were looking for you. It's time for your vigil, everyone else is at the entrance already."
"Oh!" Cherrybreeze snapped out of her revere about Shadowpaw, and Lionfire thanked Laurelheart for her timely appearance. "We're coming. Sorry." The two followed her to the end of the tunnel, where the others were standing and blinking at them.
"Your lapse of silence begins now," Laurelheart said, dipping her head. She stalked back into the clearing, leaving the new warriors by themselves. The night breeze began to blow, sending a chill through all of them. Beside Lionfire, Cherrybreeze shivered and pressed closer towards him, but Lionfire felt a prick of unease instead of the usual warmth at Cherrybreeze's touch.
There seemed to be a gap between them now, Shadowpaw's presence still lingering in the air.