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Definition of Courage

By SilverOnyx91

ThunderClan

Leader: Graystar

Deputy: Brambleclaw

Medicine Cat: Leafwind

Warriors:

Cloudtail- a longhaired white tom

Whitefur- white she-cat

Spiderleaf- brown tom

Apprentice: Sweetpaw

Rainsong- gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Mosspelt- brown she-cat with amber eyes

Apprientices: Bluepaw and Diamondpaw

Burningbranch- light ginger tabby with blue eyes

Apprentice: Surepaw

Citrineshine- flame colored she-cat with white front paws and green eyes

Queens:

Squirrelflight: flame colored she-cat (daughter of Firestar)

Willowcloud: gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Elders:

Sandstorm: ginger she-cat with green eyes

Greatstep: very large black tom with amber eyes

Spottedstump: tortoiseshell with blue eyes

Citrineshine's limbs ached, her chest felt as if it were about to collapse upon itself, the whole of her stung unbearably. A gray tom flung at her, claws extended and gleaming teeth bared. CitrineShine raised her own claws to counter the attack. The tom's superior size overpowered her so CitrineShine was knocked to the ground.

"Do you feel death?" the gray tom hissed in her ear "do you feel it?"

CitrineShine did feel death she felt the world slipping away from her. Now it was if she was just watching the scene from a far distance away. She wasn't here at all anymore.

How did I get here? How did all this happen? Citrineshine would personally say that it started the night that Spottedleaf told her of her fate. On the contrary the Thunder Clan medicine cat, Leafwind would say her fate was set the night of Citrineshine's warrior ceremony, the night Graystar granted her the warrior name Citrineshine.

As Citrineshine's consciousness faded she sighed and remembered that day.

Thunder roared in the sky and rain poured down. Lightning lit up the sky and thunder rolled after it. Citrinepaw stood at Highstone with her mentor Brambleclaw and leader Graystar.

"I believe that the apprentice has showed much courage, do you agree Brambleclaw." Graystar snapped his head to Citrinepaw's mentor, Brambleclaw.

"She preformed all her duties like a Warrior." When Brambleclaw made the statement Citrinepaw's heart swelled with so many emotions that it was impossible to disentangle them.

"Very well." Graystar said before calling out to the rest of the clan below them "I, Graystar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down onto 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." Graystar turned to Citrinepaw "Citrinepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your very life?"

Citrinepaw's fiery fur stood at end. This was the moment that she had been waiting for her entire life. Citrinepaw wanted to stay here, at this moment for her whole life. She shivered with excitement.

"Citrinepaw! Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this clan at the cost of your life?" boomed Graystar again.

"Yes. Of course I would." The skin under Citrinepaw's orange fur grew hot.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your Warrior name, Citrinepaw, you will now be known as Citrineshine, StarClan honors your bravery and courage."

Bravery and courage. To Citrineshine these words had the same meaning. She was slightly confused by the statement but did not question her leader's judgment. He was much wiser than her. He was also bonded with StarClan in such a way that no warrior would understand.

"Citrineshine! Citrineshine! Citrineshine!" chanted the crowd of cats below her. Citrineshine's eyes sparked with glee, even though her coat was soaked with cold rain she never felt warmer. As she sprung down from Highrock she wanted to thank her clan but she couldn't. Citrineshine would not be able to speak now until morning. Until then she will have to keep virgil over the camp alone and by herself.

Citrineshine lay down by Highrock and scanned the camp with her jade eyes. The cats had broken up from one big group into smaller ones. They were all bickering amongst themselves in the shelters of the trees. Citrineshine scooted closer to Highstone to get out of the rain and spotted her mother, Squirrelflight walking towards her. Not a word came from her mother for Squirrelflight's gaze said all. She was proud of her daughter.

Squirrelflight was the daughter of Firestar. She was the one to lead the clan away from the Twolegs so many moons ago. Squirrelflight had told Citrineshine stories of those times. At a day when there were four Clans in the forest instead of three. The fourth was WindClan a clan that lived on the moorland. They had sacrificed themselves to save the rest of the clans in the second battle with BloodClan.

Squirrelflight looked down upon her kin and gave Citrineshine a soft lick over the ear. As Squirrelflight walked away Citrineshine savored the feeling. Her mother was proud of her kin.

More rain poured down Citrineshine snuggled a little bit closer to Highstone. All of the cats had gone to sleep now. She was alone. Citrineshine began to regret that she hadn't waited like Brambleclaw told her to become a Warrior.

Citrineshine saw wild flash of light before her. Her consciousness slipped away and the new warrior fell into darkness.