Ebonypaw's Warrior Ceremony

Downy blankets of freshly-dusted snowfall sprawled across the slumbering territories, besieging the lands with an odd sense of irrefutable cleanliness, despite the muddled mess the snow and ice often became when crawling across the precarious earth of the riversides. Decaying undergrowth and foliage wilted further under the unnecessary strain provided by the weight of snow and frost, leaving nothing but the stark white corpse of the forest lingering in the former presence of lushness. Ears and nose aflame with the scorching brush of the first true snowfall of the season, Jaystar's fine features creased softly as he peered from his newly-raised seat atop the ceremonial willow tree that had been held by so many of his kin. Idling as though he was nothing more than a ghostly outline against the snowy backdrop of the late hour, the newly-christened leader shifted restlessly atop the frost kissed willow branch.

"All cats old enough to catch their own fish, gather beneath the Willow Branch for a Clan meeting!" Or something like that- when was the last time he had actually dedicated a modicum of thought to the ceremonial heraldings once used by his mother?

His large ears swiveled at the sound of a meeting call, lifting his head from his paws. He had been taking a break in what little warmth leaf-fall allowed, his paws tucked under himself and hidden beneath his silky coat. Slowly, he rose to his feet, turning with a gentle sweep of his tail to join the amassing group of cats beneath the willow tree. He wondered passively what it would be about. There were nearly more kits than warriors within the nursery, perhaps one of them were old enough to be an apprentice? They seemed a bit young, but he wasn't counting the moons either since their births either.

Oh, wait, what if the ceremony was for him? He blinked at his own thought, feeling a bit of hope and excitement well in his chest. He was about old enough now and his training with Bearspirit had been going well. However, he didn't let his expectations run wild, watching his new leader with anticipation.

Smooth jut of the shoulder roiling sharply under the wild mane of his unkempt coat, Jaystar's slow movements atop the weighted perch of the forked tree-limb 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 invitation to all of the curious onlookers currently peering on with mirrored expressions of idle interest, the young tom standing before him had an obvious expression of belated interest, an outcry of carefully concealed emotion seething low in the occasional flick of his rich gaze. Jaystar's discomfort, ever stashed away beneath the usual front of aloof disinterest, felt validated with the realization that many others were just as uncertain with the unfolding events; the promise of a somewhat joyful celebration dwindling down to another secondary stark reminder of how quickly his world had been turned upon its axis.

"Today, we have gathered here to witness the naming of yet another Warrior. Bearspirit has spoken nothing but highly of his apprentice Ebonypaw, and has assured me that he is ready for such a transition. Ebonypaw, if you believe this to be true, step forward now and your ceremony will commence."

His breath caught in his throat as he heard his name. Ok, wow, this was happening. He was going to be a warrior! He knew it was going to happen someday but he had gotten so used to his routine that some days he completely forgot he was working towards something. Now he had finally reached it.

Excitement and nervousness circled in his belly like a whirlpool, but he swallowed them down, a soft smile on his face as he stepped ahead of the rest of the crowd. He was ready for this, to drop the responsibilities of an apprentice and gain those of a warrior. He wanted nothing more than to help his clan thrive and he would only be more efficient in his goal when he surpassed this portion of his life and started another.

A slight tremor, soft and gossamer in its silky consistency, gingerly crept the hard length of Jaystar's spine, a fiery pinprick of familiarity and remembrance blossoming low and deep at the ceremonial summons, verging upon identical to the words once spoken to him. Although now, Ivystar was just as much a ghost as Asylum was. Kitefire too. 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 the young Ebonypaw stood, curiosity blatant in the cool stares of the uninvolved. 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.

"I call our ancestors to look down upon this Apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your code, and I commend him to you as a Warrior in return. Ebonypaw, do you promise to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Ebonypaw's eyes glowed with awe as the ceremony continued. He had heard these same words for other cats reaching warriorhood, but they held so much more power when they were directed at him. They enraptured him to the point where the crowd behind him seemed to melt away.

"Yes, I do." He responded with no hesitation, a quiet purr rising in his throat. He had to resist the urge to fidget and knead the ground below him. He was about to be a warrior, he had to look more composed and presentable.

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 Jaystar; 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 still faintly unfamiliar faces of his relatively new Clanmates. Navigating the treacherously thin ices of selecting an apt new name was certainly difficult enough without the remembrance of his own terse ceremony- the recollection of birdsong upon meeting Kitefire, their gentle melody turned into rancorous screeching amidst their squabble.

"In that case, I shall grant you your new name. From this day forth, you will be known as Ebonyhaze. RiverClan honors your kindness and observance. 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." Sending forth a chilly flurry of pestering ice and downy snows, Jaystar was quick to vacate his new perch and instead join the congregation thronging about the newly-named Ebonyhaze.