Jaypaw's Warrior Ceremony

At last, Ivystar had been informed that it was time for her son to climb the ranks within RiverClan. She certainly wished that she'd played a bigger part in her son's growth over the moons, but the past was set in stone, as her father used to tell her. What she could do in the future, however, was not. With a bit of a huff, the she-cat leaped onto the Willow Branch, her feathery tail flowing beneath her elegantly. Her eyes darted across camp to several unwanted visitors, but she eventually decided not to pay them any mind... This was her son's special moment, and she would treat it as such. "All cats old enough to catch their own fish, gather beanth the Willow Branch for a Clan meeting!"

The terse night air was gently disrupted with the silky flourish of heavy fur grating against churned sand, the faint rivulets of quiet conversation continuously weeping against the disproportionately chilly evening atmosphere. There was a dark, rifting furrow between the finely arched curves of Jaypaw’s narrow brows, a lingering undercurrent of unease that had remained prevalent since the arrival of their... visitors. Sleep evaded him in the days following Asylum's arrival- the frightening taste of blood and suffering webbed upon their words sinking somewhere deep below his skin. And his admittedly preoccupied fixation upon Kitepaw did little to help soothe these jumbled, disheartening thoughts.

Sharply jutting chin cutting pointedly into the absently flexing bones of his idle forepaw, the dark-furred tom remained huddled against the outskirts of the clearing. Honey dark gaze remained purposely fixed against the carefully moving shape of Ivystar, little reaction registered against the carefully constructed mask of Jaypaw’s features at the purposeful summons.

Ivystar's emerald gaze narrowed slightly as she watched her son from across the clearing, waiting for the majority of the Clan to gather before calling out, "Today, we have gathered to witness the rise of yet another warrior. Honeytongue has assured me that Jaypaw has earned his warrior name. Jaypaw, if you believe this to be true, step forward now and your ceremony will commence." Her tail tip twitched every now and then as a slight silence stretched across the clearing, foreign and unwanted eyes peeking in from every corner of the camp.

A slight tremor, soft and gossamer in its silky consistency, gingerly crept the hard length of Jaypaw's spine, a fiery pinprick of interest blossoming low and deep at the ceremonial summons. Countless eyes, shaded unfamiliar and harsh under the reflective gleam hanging heavily in the absence of proper light, quickly drifted into the general direction of which he sprawled, curiosity blatant in the cool stares of the unwelcome outsiders. Hard lines awash with the delicate similarities to his disreputable kin, the young dark-furred tom remained motionless for several long heartbeats- carefully assessing the unfolding situation before him.

His impending ceremony wasn't too much of a surprise, despite the lack of conversation shared with Honeytongue. Although it was difficult not to find himself entirely sour or wary of sharing such a moment in the presence of many unsavory strangers. Carefully lifting himself with a dark flourish of silky night fur, Jaypaw was quick to abandon his perch on the outskirts of the crowded clearing to instead stride forward several paces to meet his mother closer to the heart of the clearing. Ah well. At least he had something to hold above Kitepaw's head if they happened to meet each other again.

With a nod to signify that she’d acknowledged Jaypaw stwpping forward, Ivystar continued. "In that case, I, Ivystar, leader of RiverClan, call upon our 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 hie turn. Jaypaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and to protect and defend the Clan, even at the cost of your life?" She mewed, gaze occasionally flickering to the outsiders surrounding camp. She hated their presence at her son’s special moment.

Smooth jut of the shoulder roiling sharply under the wild mane of his unkempt coat, Jaypaw's slow movements to stand before his mother were liquid and silky- fluent with the seemingly innate grace of a shadow, gentle movements twisting and writhing against the cold backdrop of the evening. Pointed chin lifting in a casual, calloused, challenge to all the unwelcome onlookers currently peering on with mirrored expressions of idle interest, his mother's discomfort was evident in the sharp lines of her faces, an outcry of carefully concealed emotion seething low in the occasional flick of her rich gaze. His discomfort, ever stashed away beneath the usual front of aloof disinterest, felt validated with the realization that many others were just as uncomfortable with the unfolding events; the promise of a somewhat joyful celebration dwindling down to nothing but stark ashes under the crushing gaze of their captors.

"I do," Jaypaw drolled out, low voice resonating harshly against the terse evening air with all the strength of a wild spring storm, wrought and overcome with a palpable undercurrent of conviction.

Ivystar nodded, posture stiffening as she tried to remain focused on her son's dark pelt.
"In that case, I grant you your warrior name. From this day forth, you will be known as Jayshriek. RiverClan honors your resolution and cleverness. Tonight, you will hold a silent vigil while the rest of the Clan sleeps. Until then, we celebrate the rise of a new RiverClan warrior." Ivystar's words were stagnant and machine-like, almost as if she'd said them a thousand times before. She leaped off the branch and padded towards her son, resting her chin on his head for a moment before backing away and mewing, "Congratulations, my son."

Silky dark edges of wispy fur catching sharply against the wan light of the terse evening, gentle ripples of pale light heavily framed the occasional movements of Jaypaw; a familiar mimicry to the dark riverwater flashing under the bright illumination of the pallid moonlight. Hard cut lines of the cheekbone ridging sharply against the delicate curve of his face, the young tom continuously fronted a calloused expression, unwilling to divulge a fractional emotion while in the presence of unwelcome viewers.

Jayshriek. He couldn't help but idly muse for a heartbeat or two in the lapsing silence, suddenly struck by the faint remembrance of birdsong when meeting Kitepaw- their gentle melody turned into rancorous screeching amidst their squabble. Jayshriek, uncomfortable at the open expression of affection, only briefly returned the gesture, bumping his nose softly against the wispy fur of Ivystar's chin. "Thank you."