Clayclan

"Now aren't you glad I taught you how to climb in a snowstorm? This should be a piece of cake!" Gustpond purred contentedly, scanning Mottledpaw over one more time to ascertain that she hadn't magically become dirty in the few seconds since he had last checked. No apprentice of his would be receiving their ceremony looking anything less than the best! The tom's eyes glimmered with liquid pride at the intelligent young cat before him, whom he had come to love as much as his sibling's kits in the past couple of moons. But Gustpond would be strung up on the crow's nest by a single mermaid's hair before he let anything happen to Mottledpaw. On that thought he added in a more reserved tone, "You don't have to climb if you don't want to. I'm sure Resinstar would be happy to conduct the ceremony on the ground." Mottledpaw just scoffed. "No way! You taught me how to climb and you taught me well." And that wasn't even mentioning all the extra training she had done. Climbing trees to get better vantage points during patrols even if she didn't technically need to, practicing her stalking every morning to give her mentor a surprise wake up call, and even staying out after sundown just to squeeze the most she could out of the day. On multiple occasions Gustpond and Stormripple had found her having fallen asleep in the training hollow. Flaxpool had not been happy. "I'll be perfectly okay. Like you said- piece of cake. But..." Mottledpaw trailed off, her indignant expression morphing despite itself into a slight grin. The soon-to-be-warrior pressed her nose into her mentor's flank. "Thanks for worrying about me anyways." As Gustpond's tail wrapped around her, Mottledpaw was transported back to the nursery of Aspenclan, surrounded by her family again. But, she realized as she felt the freezing not-quite-there-ness of Flaxpool's pelt against hers and knew Stormripple to be doing the same, she was surrounded by family. And this one was going to stick together.

"Oh Mottledpaw! I brought you something!" Taffytuft dropped a bundle of mussed flowers at Mottledpaw's feet as Gustpond finally finished smoothing out the apprentice's fur after their hug had ruffled it. "It's a thank you for bringing me so many flowers when I was sick." While Taffytuft had been confined to a next in the medicine den as she recovered from her fever, Mottledpaw and Gustpond would often visit her. Or rather, Gustpond would prod his apprentice into relinquishing training time to visit. He claimed that there was a lot more to being a warrior than just being able to hunt, you also had to have a warrior's spirit. One of compassion and putting other cats before yourself. Mottledpaw thought it was funny. Not that a cat who hadn't been raised clan would quote the warrior code so much and puff out his chest while doing so, that was pretty per the norm for her mentor, but rather that he would say stuff about the greater good when it was obvious to any cat with eyes that he was sweet on Taffytuft. She was fairly sure it all started when a still-loopy Taffytuft had told him she loved him after Gustpond had brought her a piece of prey. What a sap. "Actually it was this guy who-" "Okay! Time to climb that tree Mottledpaw! Chop chop you've waited long enough!" Mottledpaw rolled her eyes. Scratch that previous thought. Every cat with eyes but Taffytuft knew Gustpond liked her. And he seemed determined to keep it that way. What an absolute sap. "Okay, okay- I'm going!" With a large spring Mottledpaw launched herself partway up the bark of the Hightree, digging her claws in deep as she prepared for her next step. As she climbed she could hear the pair beneath her whispering quietly. "I just love kits. They remind me of when I was little." "Me too." "Not a kit!" Mottledpaw protested from her perch. The two warriors just laughed.

Resinstar and Claywhistle were waiting for Mottledpaw when she finally reached the upmost branches of the Hightree. While she could only catch one side of it she knew that they were deep in conversation. "-was thinking of bringing Fogpaw there. What do you mean it's not a- Oh not this again!" Resinstar turned with a huff to find Mottledpaw staring at him. Seeing her his perplexed expression was quickly replaced by a grin. He did not acknowledge what he had just been doing. "Mottledpaw! Are you ready?" Mottledpaw nodded, biting back a "finally". She was two moons too ready to be a warrior. "Why don't you come over here and we'll begin." Resinstar scooted a little further down the thick branch, giving Mottledpaw the space to join him. There was a thin layer of frost where the apprentice sat but the cold was not the cause of her shivering. Mostly it was because of excitement but there was also a tinge of nerves. This tree too felt wrong to Mottledpaw, but she tried to shove that thought aside and focus on the present. She was about to be made a warrior! Resinstar, ignorant to Mottledpaw's worries, cleared his throat and began. "I, Resinstar, leader of Clayclan, call upon warriors living and dead to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." It was obvious that Claywhistle had been helping Resinstar to memorize the traditional ceremony because the words were almost as Mottledpaw remembered them from Aspenclan. "Mottledpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" "I do," the apprentice replied seriously. Resinstar smiled at her. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Mottledpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Mottledfoot. We honor your heart and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Clayclan." Mottledfoot was momentarily stunned as the gathering below her belted out her new name. "You were already more warrior than most when you came to this clan," Resinstar added in a whisper, "Your name should reflect that."The new warrior stared at her leader, with whom she was now nearly eye-level. She understood, or thought she did at least, but it was a little odd to think of Resinstar, who spent most of his time exploring with Fogpaw or flirting and joking with everyone, would be so philosophical. Perhaps she should give him, and maybe some other cats, the benefit of the doubt, she mused to herself as she glanced down at where Taffytuft was cheering her name. "Thank you Resinstar."

The newly named Mottledfoot was about to scamper down the tree and begin her snowy vigil when she stopped in her tracks. Twisting awkwardly from her tree-descending form to her tree-ascending form she pulled herself back onto the thick branch, much to Resinstar's surprise. "Can I say something while I'm still up here?" "Uh...sure! I'll leaf you to it." Mottledfoot groaned. Drawing herself up to her full height, Mottledfoot addressed the confused crowd below. "I have something to say! I want to nominate Gustpond for deputy!" Her words hung in the following silence as her clanmates exchanged looks of confusion. Taffytuft whispered something to Gustpond who shrugged his shoulders and puffed out his chest the teeniest bit. He seemed to like the idea. Resinstar too seemed confused but not disinclined. He spoke loud enough for the whole clan to hear. "I haven't really thought about deputies. Claywhistle tells me that I'm the one who chooses them but I've kind of dropped the mossball on that bit. If Gustpond would be willing then-" "Wait!" All heads turned to Crocusgaze, who was sitting very straight and composed. "I would make a much better deputy than Gustpond. I nominate myself." "You can't do that!" Mottledfoot hissed. "Leaders choose deputies and Resinstar's choosing Gustpond!""Hey I haven't-" Resinstar sputtered out, only to be interrupted by the caterwauling of his clan as they debated elections and clan codes, totally ignoring their leader in the process. He exchanged a pleading look with Claywhistle, who shrugged helplessly. "Don't look at me. Beechclan's deputies were a mess." Resinstar sighed and lept into the fray, trying to make his voice be heard. So much for exploring the forest today.