Warriors Fanfiction: Super Edition-Owlflight's Path

Chapter Twenty-Four

Owlflight padded beside Duskstar into the camp she and her friends worked hard to make their home. She was pleased to find her friends in a more peaceful state than when she left, save for a pacing Rowan who snapped to attention when they walked into camp.

"You're safe, Bunny!" He said, voice pleased before glancing at the formidable black tom beside her. His eyes narrowed, "Who's he?" Owlflight glared.

"Could you sound less welcoming. This is the leader of EchoClan, and our guest," she hissed tautly with an embarrassed glance to Duskstar. "Please forgive my friend. Duskstar, this is Rowan, he's the newest cat here. Rowan, this is Duskstar," she leaned in with a glare and hissed quietly, "Show some respect!"

Rowan gave her a lazy smile, and leaned close to her and whispered, "Glad to know I'm your friend." Owlflight widened her gaze with indignation and stood back hastily, her fur hot. Duskstar glanced between them with slight amusement before glancing around.

"This is a very well-chosen camp," he glanced around, "It'll be easy to defend," he mewed approvingly at the high rock walls on one side and the creek that circled the other side. Now properly fortified, there was a single entrance beneath the low-hanging bows of tree branches, where Owlflight now stood beside Duskstar as her littermates and Buzzardwing wove around them to rejoin their campmates. Icepool, who had come along, also padded around them.

"Take up the whole entry way, why don't you," she muttered before going towards the makeshift Nursery where Sparrow nursed her newborn kits. Duskstar rolled his eyes before looking around. He spotted a large oak nestled in a small clearing. It walked in the small hollow where the cats kept the prey pile and usually ate or shared tongues. "That's a good place to hold meetings." He said thoughtfully. Owlflight smiled.

"I sleep in a root-den beneath that tree, but you're right. That branch," she pointed her tail to a low hanging branch that hung strudy from the tree, "It's high enough to address every cat but low enough to leap onto. Not quite the High Rock like back at camp, but unique in its own way," she mused. Duskstar chuckled.

"I suppose you can say it's High Branch," he chuckled. Rowan, who had been observing the two cats, butted in.

"What is High Rock?" He asked, his voice curious instead of its usual snark. Owlflight looked a bit wistful.

"It's a thing of the past.. High Branch," she mused thoughtfully, "I like the sound of that. Rowan, is every cat in camp?" She asked the golden tom. He nodded.

"Down to the last kit," he replied. Owlflight nodded and leapt onto High Branch, motioning for Duskstar to join her. The tom joined her with a single, strong bound.

"Let all cats," Owlflight paused thoughtfully, searching for her words before smiling, "gather beneath the shadow of High Branch for a camp meeting!" She yowled. Slowly, and with much confusion, cats crept out of camp and gathered below the branch Owlflight and Duskstar sat atop. Oakcharge exchange a bemused and wistful glance with Ravenleaf and Buzzardwing, sitting beside Ginger at the base of the majestic oak tree. Icepool and Cow helped Sparrow and her kits to the rise just outside the Nursery. Owlflight dipped her head gratefully to the medicine cat, who must've explained what was happening to the new queen.

In fact, judging by the excited chittering, news of the ceremony must have begun to spread among the camp already. Owlflight stood to her paws and the chattering died down.

"Cats of the glade," she said in a light manner, "You must, by now, have realized that we have two guest among us. This," she gestured to Duskstar, "is the leader of EchoClan, Duskstar. They live in the gorge below the forest. His medicine cat Icepool is here as well," she waved her tail to where Icepool sat with Sparrow. The medicine cat merely dipped her head as Duskstar, too, stood. Murmurs if Welcome rose from the cats before they quieted once more. Duskstar dipped his head.

"It's nice to meet you all," He rumbled, "Owlflight has told me that you were all once rouges, and that when she invited you here not many moons ago, you knew little of the warrior code us Clan cats abide by, or our warrior ancestors that guide and protect us. She has also told me that in the few moons you've been here, you have all shown the true spirit of warriors." Yowls of pride and appreciation rose from the cats below, and Owlflight felt true joy and kinship in that moment.

"Therefore," Duskstar continued, "I have come to offer you all warrior names to reflect who you've become at heart. You may not be official Clans, but you carry the warrior code in your hearts, and deserve warrior names for that. As leader of EchoClan, I know StarClan will hear and approve my gift today, if you all would accept." The cats were quiet for a moment before they broke into excited mews of approval. Duskstar nodded.

"Please, form a line below leading up to where Sparrow sits with her kits," he purred, leaping from the branch as the cats filed into a line. He started at the front, where Bear sat proudly beside his sister. He and ginger have carried the code in their hearts longer than anyone, and if any cats deserved warrior names, it was these two.

Owlflight felt a tingle in her paws as the ceremony was about to begin and she knew. This was just the beginning of what StarClan sent her to do!

Duskstar stood before Bear, holding the Black and Tan toms gaze with a thoughtful expression.

"Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the rogue name from the cats you see before you, for it no longer stands for what they are. By my authority as Clan leader, and with the approval of our warrior ancestors, I give these cats warrior names. From this moment on he will be known as Bearheart," he murmured to Bear, touching the toms shoulder with his tail before moving to Ginger. "Gingercloud." He touches the ginger and white she cat.

And he continued to move down the line, naming each cat as he did. "Blackpaw. Speckledstripe. Stonedrop. Wheatear. Cowheart. Goosetwist. Fidgetclaw." He was about to move on when two cats stepped forward. Blackberry and Captain stood shoulder to shoulder.

"With as much respect as possible," Blackberry began, "we'd like to decline changing our names. We value the code, of course," she said quickly before any protest could arise. "But.. I've been called by this name by whole life and I can't imagine it being any other way," Blackberry said ardently. Captain nodded his head.

"Aye, I h've been Captain fer more moons than you've all been breathin'!" The grizzled tom huffed, "Ain't no use in changin' me name so late in me time, dearies." Duskstar's gaze was warm as he dipped his head.

"Very well, you will both remain Blackberry and Captain. StarClan will honor you for your warrior hearts, not your warrior names." He touched them both on their shoulders. He stopped before Sparrow and her kits, smiling gently as he named them Sparrowlight, Dewkit, Spiderkit and Frecklekit. The gathered cats purred as little Frecklekit squeaked at her new name. Finally, Duskstar stopped before the last cat in line, and Owlflight found herself holding her breath.

Rowan met Duskstar's gaze with a look of quiet respect. "From this moment on, you will be called Rowanoak," Duskstar spoke, touching the golden toms shoulder as he did the others. Owlflight smiled at the new name and rose to her paws to cheer each cats new name, and barely noticed she cheered loudest for the tom that was secretly sneaking his way into her heart.