Despair clutches Snail's stomach with its vicious claws, twisting it wrought as they listened to Sootstar's plans. No leaving camp. It hadn't been a problem for some time, their whole life had revolved around Tigerfrost's schedule for them for moons now, but they had been looking forwards to using their newfound freedom to sleep in places with pleasant memories. A young cat out on their own had been dangerous before the threat of war, especially after Branchfall's murder, but Snailpaw hadn't ever considered the harm that could've been done. If they got a quiet place to sleep, they'd have risked the entire territory burning to ash, they thought. That requirement was a necessity no longer, but nostalgia was still an awful moralist. They said nothing, fearing their disappointment would be as clear as WindClan's nights. Snailpaw had done a lot to suppress their desires and play the role of a reformed cat, they couldn't crumble at the last stretch for a selfish reason.
Snailpaw and Rainpaw. Step forwards.
Stars, had it gotten hard to breathe all of a sudden? They cast a side-eyed glance to their friend before slinking forwards, their face sallow with exhaustion. Cats moved out of the way for them and Snailpaw looked over his shoulder as he passed them, offering neither appreciation nor dissatisfaction. His gestures were ugly and formal, so unused to the latter that his pace seemed awkward. When they'd reached the front, the presence of the lead warriors felt like hot coals and for a brief time, they found solace in gawking at the floor below. Rainpaw was up first, bestowed with a name that matched their precious heart. They hadn't seen her in some time, it felt cruel that this was how they were reunited, but no words could be exchanged lest they interrupted the ceremony. Their own name was said again and they met the leader's eyes, standing tall and proud.
Their ears rotate around as they feel the gaze of the entire clan upon their striped back. No one amongst them could be trusted, Snailpaw had no clue who would speak truthfully and who would fill their leader's head with ideas when all Snailpaw wanted was to be happy. He owed them nothing, not his protection, not the code, not his life - but for the sake of the latter, they knew better than to stir up a pit of vipers. Everyone amidst the clan could love and cry just as any cat could, they'd allowed themselves to see the worst side... now, they just had to hope they'd earned enough respect to see the best. They took a deep breath and resolved that they were making the right decision. "I do." They tensed as Sootstar approached, their smile strict, even as they heard the new name bestowed upon them. Snailstride. It seemed fitting. All their life they had been running to and from their home, trying to make sense of their social standing and taking any comments from those they'd liked in stride. They felt Sootstar's muzzle between his ears and leaned to give her shoulder a gentle lick, tail slapping the ground in relief when she moved away.
As slow as their namesake, they began to turn around, their front half-tilted towards the clan as they prepared to leave the front of the crowd in uncomfortable silence. But then, between the cheers for their friend, a different name pierced the quiet. They faced the clan fully, their muzzle pointed upwards as they tried to hide the surprise in their lapis eyes. Snailstride! Snailstride! Snailstride! That was.... their name, wasn't it? They were cheering their name from every corner of the camp! Snail's smile grew looser as their heart rate soared amidst the birds. It wasn't real, it couldn't be. Time was but a fleeting moment but to the tabby it felt like an eternity, hearing the clan cheer their new warriors as if their lives depended on it. Acceptance, appreciation, and love, all wrapped up in a passing statement that would last a lifetime in the tabby's memories. Their teeth flashed in a grin as they raised their tail toward the sky, trying to egg the clan on further one last time, terrified that as soon as the praise stopped, so would their fondness. At that time, they couldn't care less that they didn't spot their parents' forms.
Averting their attention from the crowd was like ripping a thorn from one's paw, but eventually, Snail was able to manage it. They offered Rainheart a nod and a shoulder-to-shoulder bump. "Congrats buddy." They whispered above the dying noise, their paws twitching from the rush of euphoria still flowing in their veins. They were Snailstride now, a terrible warrior, but not the worst - they could live with that.
