“It’s all my fault,” Twigpaw murmured, her pelt prickling with guilt at the thought that she had dragged Finpaw away from his family and his Clan.

“No, it’s not, you daft furball,” Finpaw whispered back. “I’d rather be here with you anyway.”

Twigpaw’s heart swelled with happiness. I’ve had so many challenges, these last few moons, but I’m so lucky to have found Finpaw and to have him in my life.

“Come here,” Lilyheart meowed to her, stepping forward again. “I think you’ve got half the forest in your pelt.”

“Yes, you can’t be made a warrior looking like that,” Violetshine agreed, combing a dead leaf out of Twigpaw’s fur.

Twigpaw ducked away. “Paws off!” she protested. “I’m not a kit!” She gave her pelt a shake and her chest fur a couple of quick licks. “There. Happy now?”

“I think you look fine,” Hawkwing purred.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

The yowl startled Twigpaw. While she had been talking to her kin, she hadn’t realized that her Clanmates had begun to gather around. Now she looked up to see Bramblestar leave the Highledge and leap down the tumbled rocks into the camp. Sparkpelt and Larksong followed close behind him.

“I hear that I have to make two new warriors,” Bramblestar meowed.

He padded forward to take his place at the center of the circle of cats and beckoned with his tail for Twigpaw to join him.

Twigpaw felt her paws tingling with excitement as she joined her Clan leader. She was finding it hard to breathe. She had heard the words of the warrior ceremony so many times, and now, at last, they were to be spoken for her.

“I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, 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 as a warrior in her turn.”

Now Bramblestar rested his amber gaze on Twigpaw; she raised her head to look at him without blinking.

“Twigpaw,” the Clan leader continued, “do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

All Twigpaw’s heart was in her words as she replied. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan,” Bramblestar declared, “I give you your warrior name. Twigpaw, from this moment you will be known as Twigbranch. StarClan honors your energy and the way you have carefully thought out where you belong. You have proven over and over that your heart is in ThunderClan, but I’m also impressed by the way you care for all the Clans, and for how they function together. Having such a wide view will make you a stronger warrior.