Chapter 24: New Names

Stormpaw padded into camp with the rest of their patrol. She was very tired and her paws ached from walking and fighting. "You should go get that cut checked out," Roseblossom meowed before heading towards Smokestar's den. Being senior warrior on that assessment it was her job to report the day's happenings.

Following the seasoned warrior's advice Stormpaw bounded towards the medicine den with Shatteredkit and Fawnkit right behind it. The two kits had said they fell into a thistle bush when they were wandering around after sunset trying to find the apprentices. Silly kits. I hope I get to mentor one when they become apprenticed.

"What happened?" Talonpaw asked when he saw the three she-cats in his den. "Did you fall into a thorn bush or something?"

Shatteredkit and Fawnkit grinned sheepishly, "You could say that," they both mewed at the same time.

Talonpaw worked fast. He wrapped Fawnkit's nicked ear in cobwebs and trickled marigold poultice on it and sent her to December. Then he chewed up some dock leaves to be put on Shatteredkit's shoulder, "I want you to do your exercises outside of the den, then you can be on your way," he instructed. The young she-cat nodded obediently and trotted outside.

"I expected to see them here, but you?" he turned to Stormpaw.

"It was our final assessment!" Stormpaw protested.

Talonpaw just chuckled and rolled his eyes. He chewed some leaves and spat them onto the wound. "I'm worried, Stormpaw. I don't know who's after you and why, I can't image how you feel." He plastered cobwebs onto her face and gently applied pressure.

Stormpaw winced and noticed Drizzlefur approaching the medicine den. "Wonderful," Talonpaw muttered and rolled his eyes before crawling into the herb store to look from something. "Don't leave," he meowed to Stormpaw.

"How'd the assessment go?" Drizzlefur purred. "I hear you'll be getting your name by sunset. Congratulations!"

Talonpaw spilled out of the herb store, "You're becoming a warrior?" he yowled.

Stormpaw lowered her ears in embarrassment when she saw more than one cat from the clearing gaze at the den. Drizzlefur rested a tail on Stormpaw's shoulder, "Yep! Isn't this great?"

The gray medicine cat glared at Drizzlefur with a murderous glare. Did Talonpaw have bees in his brain of something? "It's great," he mumbled. "Can you please leave? I have a patient," Talonpaw dug his claws into the dirt.

Drizzlefur hissed at Talonpaw and stubbornly sat by the entrance. The BreezeClan medicine cat snarled and Drizzlefur stalked out of the den, muttering something about Talonpaw's idiot face. "Did you really have to do that?" Stormpaw shot an annoyed glare at the medicine cat.

"Let all cats old enough to run through the high waters join beneath the tree stump for a Clan meeting!" Smokestar yowled. Stormpaw hastily darted out of the den and scampered over to Nightpaw who was watching from the side of the clearing, her tail lashing back and forth in excitement.

"I gather you here today to perform a long awaited ceremony. Stormpaw, Nightpaw, and Specklepaw have each reached their eleventh moon, please step forward," Smokestar meowed. "We perform these ceremonies to show that our Clan remains strong and unshaken."

What about Fernpaw and Mistpaw? They didn't even get a chance . . . Stormpaw's whiskers drooped as she stepped forward.

"Oakpelt, do you believe that Nightpaw is ready to become and receive the responsibility of a warrior?"

Nightpaw glanced nervously at Oakpelt but her mentor just nodded and smiled, "She is."

Smokestar nodded, "Ravenfeather? Snowspirit? Do believe that Stormpaw and Specklepaw are ready?" he asked. The two mentors nodded with satisfaction and their apprentices let out little squeals of excitement.

"I, Smokestar, leader of RainClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Specklepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" the leader stared down at the tiny little apprentice before him.

"I do," Specklepaw replied with the same boldness she had been famous for.

Smokestar smiles kindly at her, "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Specklepaw, from now on, you will be known as Specklewing. StarClan honors your independence and your forethought and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan."

Smokestar rested his muzzle against Specklewing's head and she licked his shoulder in return.

"Specklewing! Specklewing!" the Clan cheered.

Smokestar waited until the noise died down before continuing, "Nightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Nightpaw replied simply.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Nightpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Nightmist. StarClan honors you wisdom and your patience and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan."

Smokestar bent forward and touched his muzzle to her head and Nightmist licked his shoulder in return. "Nightmist! Nightmist!" more cheering erupted from the Clan.

"And last but certainly not least, Stormpaw do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Stormpaw shivered with excitement, "I do. As long as I'm living and breathing."

RainClan's leader smiled kindly at her, "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Stormpaw, from now on, you will be known as Stormspirit. StarClan honors your loyalty and your determination and we welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan."

Stormspirit reached forward and respectively licked Smokestar's shoulder.

"Stormspirit! Specklewing! Nightmist! Stormspirit! Specklewing! Nightmist!" the Clan roared.

"As tradition of our ancestors you will sit a silent vigil and protect the Clan overnight," Smokestar finished. "To show that StarClan has blessed us during leaf-bare we feast!"

"Congratulations!" several cats murmured as they brushed pelts with Stormspirit. She just nodded absentmindedly and weaved through the crowd, seeking to leave camp before the vigil started.

Drizzlefur stopped her and hesitated, "Where are you going?"

Stormspirit shrugged, "For a walk. How long is it till the next Gathering?"

The gray warrior studied her with a baffled expression, "A quarter moon. Why?" But the new warrior was already long gone. "Wait? Where are you going?" he called after her.

Stormspirit splashed through the muddy water that lapped hungrily by her belly fur. She had a quarter moon to warn RainClan about the ambush that DarkClan was planning. "Stormpaw is that you?" a familiar voice asked.

The warrior turned to see Swallowflight staring at her from across the border. "It's Stormspirit now," she purred.

Swallowflight touched noses with her and licked her cheek. Stormspirit's eyes jerked open. That was the same thing Drizzlefur had done to her just a couple days ago. Did Swallowflight have feelings for her? A RainClan warrior? An outsider? "What does that mean?" she asked.

The tom shrugged, "What does what mean?" he asked innocently. Stormspirit gave him a hard look. "It was . . . I was just . . . nothing," he sighed and turned away, "It means nothing. I gotta go," he mumbled before turning away.

"Wait! Please don't go," she bounded onto ThornClan's territory and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Swallowflight.

He smiled at her, "I was only teasing. It means that I think fondly of you."

"What?"

"The gesture, it means I think fondly of you," Swallowflight replied. Stormspirit felt her face grow warm. "Want to see something cool? Well, at least you mud-faces don't do it," he teased.

Stormspirit growled playfully, "Mud-faces? Oh yeah that's what you tree-tails call us."

Swallowflight leaped up and latched his claws into a tree, "C'mon," he called cheerfully.

Stormspirit copied what he did and hung by her claws, "I've never climbed a tree before, how do you do this?" she asked fearfully.

Swallowflight helped her up to the first branch, "Just trust me, I won't let you fall."

For once Stormspirit was glad for the settling darkness of night so Swallowflight couldn't see her blushed face. What is wrong with me? It's against the warrior code! The small warrior lashed her tail in frustration, what would Talonpaw think? Her whiskers drooped and she mentally kicked herself, why are you thinking of that annoying furball?

"Where were you?" Nightmist asked the moment Stormspirit stepped into camp.

"I took a walk," the blue-eyed warrior answered simply. "We should be quiet, our vigil is going to start soon." And she turned from her sister, refusing to answer any more questions.