Snowpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Grunting, Ivystar leaped up to the Willow Branch, her fur still matted and untamed. She hadn't bothered to groom it herself since the Gathering, instead letting it build up with debris and tangles until one of her mates decided they'd had enough. Even then, she'd lightly push them away, not wanting the extra attention. Truthfully, she just wanted to be away with her thoughts- she'd considered utilizing the leader's den, but pushed that thought away immediately. Torrentstar's nest hadn't been moved, to her knowledge. Shaking her head, she looked about camp, taking note of Snowpaw's familiar white pelt. It was finally his time- Stormbringer had confirmed it, so she'd finally dragged herself out of her nest. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Willow Branch for a Clan meeting!"

Snowpaw knew it was over. All traces of the sickness had vanished overnight. Stembreeze had blown away with the wind, reduced to less than stardust. Ivystar had returned, just like leaders did in the stories, though she didn’t leave the warriors’ den much (which Snowpaw sort of understood; while he’d been terrified by the thought of dying, she’d gone through it herself). Every cat he cared about had come home safely. The last thing he’d expected to hear in the battle’s aftermath, especially with how quickly his bravery had collapsed in on itself, was that his father believed in him, yet Addershade had said exactly that. RiverClan’s trials—and some of Snowpaw’s own—had been left at Fourtrees where they belonged.

Forgetting them wasn’t so easy. The apprentices’ den felt lonely in a way it never had before. Snowpaw threw himself into gathering all manner of petals and pebbles for decorating his nest (staying far, far away from RiverClan’s outer borders, of course), and slowly, the days passed. Today would’ve been more of the same. However, as the white tom’s paws turned him toward the territory, a call from within the camp stopped him short. When Snowpaw looked over his shoulder, he saw Ivystar herself on the Willow Branch and his Clanmates gathering below. He hurried to join the crowd, searching first for Stormbringer, then for his siblings before sitting down.

Watching with a solemn face, Ivystar waited patiently for Snowpaw to show- which he did quickly, settling next to her mate and his mentor. With a shaky breath, she began the ceremony, pushing down the urge to hack up what was likely more blood. "We gather to celebrate the growth of yet another apprentice into warriorhood. Snowpaw, you have proven through toils and hardships that you've encountered that you are more than ready for your warrior name. If you believe this to be true, then step forward now and your ceremony will begin."

A ceremony. A warrior ceremony. Running through the names of his denmates, Snowpaw sat straighter and turned his head, both ears swiveling until he was certain he could hear every word Ivystar spoke. He was one of the oldest apprentices in the den by at least a few moons. He’d hunted, he’d fought, he’d seen enough Gatherings to decide he didn’t like them that much, he’d talked to Fallowlight at the Moonstone… Maybe this was his warrior ceremony. Sure enough, the next word out of Ivystar’s mouth was his name. His heart soared.

Strangely, he felt less ready than he had before the Gathering—but he wanted this, the warriorhood he’d trained for, more than ever, so much that the unease he’d been feeling for so many days rolled right off his fur. In his opinion, he’d more than earned it. If Stormbringer and Ivystar agreed, well, who else could stop him? Snowpaw took a short, quick breath; then he stepped forward. His well-groomed tail swayed behind him.

"I, Ivystar, call upon my true warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" She asked, maintaining eye contact with the young tom.

Ivystar looked right at him; he looked right back. There it was. The twofold promise every warrior had to make. After hearing his older (and younger) siblings go through it, Snowpaw knew the words almost by heart. For all his early-apprenticeship missteps, he’d always tried to stay within the warrior code. Now that he’d seen the consequences, he decided he’d rather die than break it—because, well, he’d probably die after he broke it. He shuddered.

The vow’s second half was harder to swallow. “At the cost of your life” meant a little more after looking into Stembreeze’s eyes and seeing what Snowpaw could only describe as intent. Even the loner he’d failed to chase away from the border hadn’t looked at him like that. But promising to die for RiverClan didn’t guarantee he would—at least, not so soon. He’d be smart and careful and strong enough to protect himself…and he’d be okay. That, he could do. Until he was ready for the rest of it. Snowpaw’s eyes flashed. ”I do.”

"Then, by the powers granted to me by our ancestors, I give you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known to all as Snowflight. Riverclan deeply honors your confidence and loyalty. Tonight, as tradition demands, you will hold a silent vigil while the rest of the clan sleep. Until then, however, we celebrate the rise of a new Riverclan warrior." Without missing a beat the leader leaped from the Willow Branch, resting her chin on his head very briefly before moving out of the way so that RiverClan could celebrate.

Though he didn't know his fellow apprentice as well as Streamtail and Willowbreeze, Ashpaw watched with a smile as he received his warrior name, and called it out alongside his clanmates. "Snowflight, Snowflight!" Hmm...his new name piqued Ashpaw's curiosity. Ivystar mentioned confidence and loyalty as virtues, but flying to him meant freedom. Well, he hoped Snowflight would fly high with his new title...and maybe they could get to know each other better sometime soon!

The day had finally arrived-- the last of Addershade's surviving children had reached warriorhood. It made him feel at once both incredibly proud and grateful, and incredibly old. So much had happened between his own warrior ceremony and this one. It was enough to fill more moons than he had actually even been alive.  

"Snowflight!" he called out to his son, "Congratulations. I am-- I am so proud to be your father. You're going to make a wonderful warrior." he smiled, his eyes glimmering with emotion.

Applefang was excited to see the warrior of his younger brother, and. A large grin split his face. ”Snowflight!” he called out, the voices echoing across camp. He ran up to the white tom, one so much braver than he was, and gave him a happy nuzzle.

The name that fell from Ivystar’s mouth wasn’t Snowclaw or Snowstream—it was better, it was perfect, because it was his. As Ivystar’s chin came to rest on top of his head, Snowflight shed the last of his somber mood in favor of a grin. He turned away from the Willow Branch to look out over the crowd, eyes finding his father, his brother, his old denmates and his new ones. RiverClan’s chanting, a blur of sound to his ears, could only be one thing. Though he’d grown beyond the impulse he’d given into at his apprentice ceremony, he found himself fighting the urge to shout with them the way he had back then. Stormbringer’s first fully-named apprentice. The last of his family to earn a warrior’s name. In time, he’d make himself the best of them. Snowflight! Snowflight!

For a moment, he wondered if he should pace himself so he wouldn’t be exhausted during his vigil. Then Applefang nuzzled him, and in returning the gesture, Snowflight made his choice. This type of thing only happened once in a cat’s life—why shouldn’t he celebrate with his Clanmates?

Nightwolf ran up to his little brother. "Yay your a warrior now!" Cheered Nightwolf a huge smile on his face. Now they can all share a den!