[Captain]

Brightpaw → Brightpath [ they/she/he ]

➢ As the torbie apprentice sat next to their mentor, they blinked up at the shecat as she addressed them in a hushed voice. What she said held truth to it and they knew that. Why were they here? They knew that they had trained enough. They knew that they had done everything that they needed to know. They were more than capable of becoming a warrior right now. So why did they allow themselves to do this? Fear of disappointment? Fear of being hated? Fear in general that went off the constant overthinking that Brightpaw tended to do? Yes to all of that. The young torbie could tell that her mentor was disappointed by her choice to come sit here with the warrior instead of sitting back with everyone else. It was sad for Brightpaw, because he had done this to avoid that outcome. Yet they had failed again with reading the room and determining what the best thing to do was. How typical of them. It was fitting in a sick, self-hating way, but they remained silent.

Then Cindersky spoke up, making Brightpaw’s green-hued gaze flicker over to where she was. The senior warrior spoke of how Nectarflame that fought valiantly in the battle for the cove, protecting Cloudyflight and Cindersky in the process. With that, the multicolored feline did a curt, reassuring nod. “I would be honored.” He meowed, looking back up at Nectarflame, who was now rising to her paws. Brightpaw soon did the same, their heart pounding in their chest. As her mentor simply ordered her to return to the tree, the Thunderclan apprentice did so without hesitation. They would not allow this opportunity to pass again now. Brightpaw kept her eyes on the bengal molly as she began to speak, talking of both themself and Cornpaw. Upon the word to step forward, they did, holding their head once more.

After a moment passed, Nectarflame and Brightpaw met gazes as the Thunderclan warrior gave her their warrior name. Pride swelled in their chest as she spoke of the strength, the determination and the courage that they had through these apprenticeship moons. It was an important moment for them. They felt like they were being seen. They were being noticed. Their hard work and everything they had done was being recognized. And now. They were not Brightpaw, but Brightpath.

Nectarflame then stepped closer and pressed their foreheads together, making Brightpath close their eyes. “Thank you, Nectarflame.” They almost referred to the molly as simply ‘my mentor’ but no, now they were equals. With this name, they were not an apprentice, but an official grown warrior of Thunderclan. Their path was their own and would always be, as her mentor said, and nobody else could change that. Those words spoke true to Brightpath and would continue to do so for a long time. Once Nectarflame pulled away, the newly-named warrior dipped their head and stepped back, turning to look at Cornpaw now. This was his time now and as much as this moment meant to Brightpath, she knew that she needed to share it with the many other cats that were becoming warriors today.

[ @implimm @marni @sid ]