Warriors #1: Kittypet Clanborn

Chapter 18

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, please gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!"

My head shot up immediately as I heard Firestar's yowl.

I gasped, turning to Whitewing and Brightheart, who I had been sharing a rabbit with.

Whitewing widened her eyes. "Is this for your warrior ceremony?" She asked, practically squealing.

I nodded excitedly, my tail twitching behind me. "I think so!" I purred.

"How exciting!" Brightheart purred as she stood up. "I wonder what your new name will be?"

I flicked my ears. Great StarClan, I hadn't even thought about that! I do wonder what Firestar chose for me...

My heart began pounding as I watched cats emerge from their spots and gather into the clearing in front of the Highledge. A hunting patrol had also just returned and padded away from the Clan entrance to join in the meeting. Just seeing everyone begin to gather made the whole thing feel so surreal. This is the moment I had been waiting for for moons, and now it was finally happening. I'm going to finally be a warrior. Goodness, what would my kittypet-self say to that six moons ago?

Side by side with Whitewing, I padded ahead and sat right in front of the Highledge. I was so excited that I was acting like a kit, squealing and kneading my paws into the ground. I could already hear the amused purrs of other cats in the clearing.

I heard one specific purr behind me, and I turned to see Thornclaw had returned from his patrol and was approaching me. His eyes were warm as he trotted up and sat on my other side, with Whitewing on the other. "So, are you excited or what?" he asked, nudging me lightly on the shoulder.

I tilted my head, giving Thornclaw an inquiring look. "What do you mean 'or what'?" I teased before jumping up in the air and squealing once again. "Yes! Of course I'm excited!"

Thornclaw let out a mrrow of laughter before licking my cheek. "You deserve it," he purred. "I'm so happy for you."

As I gave Thornclaw a loving look, I realized that the camp had fallen silent, and I quickly scanned around to see that ThunderClan was now gathered - apprentices, warriors, elders and all, all here to see me become a warrior. You don't see companionship or support like this anywhere else, I realized as gratitude welled up in my heart.

I looked up to the Highledge as Firestar began to speak. "Cats of ThunderClan, today I have the honor of performing a very well-deserved warrior ceremony for a cat that did not grow up here, but has come in and absorbed everything there is to know about being a true warrior with great enthusiasm."

My stomach twisted as the ThunderClan leader then looked down at me. "Lilypaw, could you step forward, please?"

Oh my goodness, this is it!

I dipped my head and did as Firestar told me to. I took a deep breath, trying to contain myself as the ginger tom then leaped down from his spot on the ledge to stand in front of me.

He looked up to the sky as he echoed the same words that had been meowed in warrior ceremonies for seasons. "I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon our ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained very hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."

I turned my head around briefly to look my Clanmates. I paused as I saw my mother watching me, who was smiling with her blue eyes sparkling. I hope I have become a daughter that was worth returning to, I told her in my thoughts.