Victory and Vigil

A yowl sounded at the camp entrance as Windrunner limped in slowly, supporting Berrypaw on his shoulder, Dewflower behind them, and hazelcloud, her white and gray pelt streaked with crimson blood that was not her own. Stargaze, Tornadostar, and Leopardshadow were on their paws in a instant, their paws pounding the dusty ground as they raced to meet the patrol. Windrunner nose was smudged in blood and Berrypaw looked utterly exhausted.

"Shinestream! Wavepaw!" yowled Stargaze. The pretty silver medicine cats appeared in a couple of heartbeats, their jaws grasping bundles of marigold, goldenrod, and cobwebs. Shinestream's blue eyes shone with compassion for her position in the Clan. Every cat could see it was the path StarClan had truelly meant her to walk. She sniffed Berrypaw's wounds and pressed cobwebs on a deep scratch along her flank while Wavepaw chewed up a poultice of marigold and goldenrod.

"....and Berrypaw came back, yowling she had seen rouges, one with red eyes. We were about to turn around to check it out when someone said something. The patrol exploded into battle and I have to say, Tornadostar..........Berrypaw fought like a warrior. We ended up chasing the rouges away, but one thing is bothering me...." Windrunner voice trailed off and allowed the medicine cats to tend to him as he explained that the rouges looked to fully fed and groomed for rouges, but too skinny to be kittypets.
Tornadostar nodded and padded over to Shinestream, murmured something in the pretty spotted she-cat's ear, padding to her den and disappearing.
Hazelcloud was giving her pretty long fur a thorough grooming, licking out the blood until her fur gleamed. Shinestream checked Hazelcloud, ignoring her protests that she was fine.
"Okay," meowed Shinestream loudly looking at the patrol of tired and wounded cats. "I want you all to go and eat some prey then its off to your nests. Understand?" The patrol nodded wearily, Berrypaw swaying a little bit, but Windrunner supported her. Dewflower's blue eyes reflected the icy claw that was piercing her heart and padded into the warriors den, her tail dragging in the dust.
"Good," replied Shinestream and disappeared into her den, Wavepaw following her mentor's example. The patrol all said goodnight after eating and all curled up in their warm nest, relaxing their screaming muscles and aching wounds.

~♥~

Berrypaw woke up the next morning fully recovered, her wounds already hardly visible. She went to Shinestream to have her wounds checked and Shinestream gave her the all clear. She glanced at the sky, and saw with astonishment that it was well past sunhigh, the sun's rays bleeding blood red into a beautiful sunset. She raced over to Sparkstream, her mentor, where she was sunning herself on a warm rock in a ray of sun.

"I'm so sorry, Sparkstream! Why didn't you wake me?" she wailed. Sparkstream opened one eye and gazed at the panicking apprentice.

"Shinestream and Tornadostar told me to let you sleep, so I let you," she explained, her whiskers twitching. Berrypaw was mystified. Why let he sleep until almost sundown when her wounds weren't all that bad. Movement by her leader's den caused her to look up and saw Windrunner and Tornadostar talking and Shinestream had just padded up to join them. They were throwing quick, sneaky glances her way.

Berrypaw's heart sank. What had she done? She quickly tried to remember if she had made any mistakes recently, but she couldn't unless sleeping until almost sundown counted, but the LightningClan leader had told her mentor to let her sleep until she awoke. She was about to pad over there and ask what she had done when Tornadostar broke away from the group of conversing cats and leaped onto the Overhang Rock. Cats gathered, their ears pricked and eyes gleaming with interest.

"As you all know by now, rouges attacked a patrol yesterday," she began, looking at each cat in turn, her gaze resting on Berrypaw a heartbeat longer then the rest. "Our warriors and apprentice chased them off but we don't know when they will be back, so I'm ordering extra border patrols. Stargaze, Shootingstream, Oceansplash, Winterpaw, and Nightpaw will be on the first border patrol. Now on happier news, Berrypaw please step forward." Berrypaw looke at her leader in shock. What had she done to be in so much trouble that Tornadostar had to announce it during a Clan meeting??? She swallowed her fear and padded up to Overhang Rock, her head and tail up straight, but her heart heavy with fear of what she had done that was so terrible.

"Sparkstream is your apprentice ready?" she asked the brown tabby she-cat with white paws. Sparkstream nodded solemnly, meeting her leader's silver gaze head on. Berrypaw's heart began pounding like a mouse trapped in the talons of a owl. What's going on? she thought desperatly. Tornadostar and Berrypaw's mentor purred in amusement as they saw the confusion and fear in her amber eyes.

"I, Tornadostar, leader of LightningClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and i commend her to you in a warrior of her turn." Tornadostar beckoned the astonished Berrypaw to the front of Overhang Rock.

"Berrypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of you life?" Berrypaw's feet seem frozen to the ground and her jaws seemed to be paralyzed. Say "I do", you mousebrain! she screamed at herself silently. At last her jaws parted and a squeaky "I do" popped out. The Clan mrrowed in laughter as Berrypaw worked her claws furiously into the hard stone beneathe her paws.

Tornadostar nodded in approvement and continued with the ancient ritual formed by LightningClan ancestors from long ago. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Berrypaw, from this moment you will be known as Berrysplash. StarClan honors your skill and thoughfulness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LightningClan." Tornadostar rested her muzzle on Berrysplash's head and Berrysplash respectfully licked her leader's shoulder. She mouthed Thank you to her jet black leader and looked down at her Clanmates. Her amber gaze found Windrunner, who was starring at her with admiration and excitement.

"Berrysplash! Berrysplash! Berrysplash!" It seemed that the Clan she called her home and her ancestors approved of her becoming a warrior of LightningClan. It was where she truelly belonged. Tornadostar raised her tail for silence and icy claws gripped the air as the Clan stopped in mid-yowl, their eyes glowing in the darkness as they starred at their almost invisible leader as crickets chirpped in the forest.

"Tonight Berrysplash will sit vigil and guard the camp so we can all get a night's rest," Tornadostar mewed cheerfully. The cats cheered again and yowled Berrysplash's name. She was a warrior now! She couldn't belive it! It's what a Clan cat dreamed of from the moment they're kitted and she, newly named Berrysplash, had accomplished her life's task. Now it was just to live her life in freedom, love, and loyalty.

"Let's celebrate before we all sleep for a whole night," yowled the LightningClan deputy and started tossing the last of the fresh kill pile out to cats.

"Oh, yes, almost forgot. Berrysplash, Leopardshadow, Violetpaw, and Fireblaze are the hunting patrol tomorrow," Stargaze reminded them. They groaned good-naturally and purred at their deptuy.

~♥~

Berrysplash looked at Silverpelt as she sat vigil that night. Windrunner said he was right inside the warrior's den if she needed him. She loked up at the stars and breathed in the crisp, night air.

"Thank you, StarClan, for accepting me as a warrior...." breathed Berrysplash.