Graypaw's Warrior Ceremony

The heavy shadows of late evening yawned across the exposed expanses of the camp, finally offering a reprieve from the already unpleasant warmth of the season. Forelimbs hanging heavily off of the smooth edge of the Tallrock, Brindlestar's features were twisted in a faint grimace of hardly discernible unease. It would be foolish to keep the young SkyClan born Graypaw as an apprentice any longer, but how was she anticipated to bestow a Warrior name upon a cat she couldn't trust? Flexing her toes in a brief display of apprehensive irritation, a short sigh rattled its way free of her gritted teeth. What was more counterproductive; constantly dwelling upon the many possible scenarios or going against the feeling of her gut?

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallrock!"

At this point, Graypaw was beginning to think that she'd be stuck as an apprentice forever.

Though she'd trained for moons with Badgerthorn, and completed every apprentice duty without complaint, she'd been an apprentice in this Clan for nearly twice as long as she'd been in SkyClan. While she didn't regret leaving, it was hard to feel welcome when almost half of your Clanmates, including your leader, treated you with outright distrust. After Ashstar's death, hope had dwindled further. The deputy had never wanted to let the apprentice in in the first place, and was among those who still truly didn't treat her as a Clanmate. Had Pansyface been wrong? Had she been wrong? With a sigh of resignment, but no other sign of frustration on the normally kind she-cat's face, the gray tabby cat down under the Tallrock at Brindlestar's call.

Badgerthorn padded out of the warrior's den at his leader's call. He knew that Graypaw's ceremony was coming soon seeing how he talked with the newly named leader about it just the other day. The charcoal tom soon joined the other warriors, and waited on his apprentice getting her name.

Gazing down upon Graypaw did little to ease the irksome sensation of doubt that Brindlestar had become so accustomed to.

Even after a lengthy discussion with Badgerthorn, she wasn't able to draw upon some hidden source of certainty. Had she truly become so jaded that she couldn't find a single reason to place trust in the young she-cat? I'm sorry. If she was able to swallow her pride, perhaps she could've spoken the words aloud. I know it's unfair. But for now, she could only go forward with the hopes that her own private fears were simply that- nothing more than paranoid predispositions. "We gather here today to make one of our apprentices a Warrior." She finally began, detesting the slight taste of acid that lingered within her mouth, "She has proven herself worthy to climb the ranks of WindClan and receive her Warrior name." Brindlestar paused for another brief heartbeat, searching for a slight reprieve from the fretful drumming within her veins.

"Graypaw, please step forwards."

Graypaw listened with a faint smile to the words of another warrior ceremony beginning, finally not tasting any bitterness on her tongue at wishing the words would be directed towards her. She was starting to become accustomed to this lot, and most cats in the Clan didn't even give her a second glance any more. Joining this Clan had still been worth it, if only to get away from the wrongness of SkyClan and to be with Badgerthorn. So who would get their name today? The apprentice racked her brains about other eligible she-cats who might be moving up. Foxpaw, maybe? Mistpaw, or Sweetpaw? However, the name that Brindlestar spoke was none of them.

"Graypaw, please step forwards."

She blinked. Did she hear that right? Had her time finally come to be a warrior? She'd been an apprentice for so, so long... and she still wasn't quite certain of her abilities. And neither, she had been certain, was Brindlestar. And yet, the tall light gray she-cat upon the Tallrock was looking down at her, eyes narrowed slightly as if she wasn't quite sure what she was doing- calling her to step forwards. So Graypaw stepped up after a slight pause, heart pounding, ears pricked, blue eyes hopeful yet disbelieving. After all this time... finally. Give me a chance, Brindlestar. Give me a chance, and I will prove to be one of the greatest warriors in your Clan... my loyalty will never waver, I swear. Just stop doubting me, and let me prove myself to you.

The resulting inhale that seeped into Brindlestar's chest was shaky at best. There was no turning back now, not after alerting the young she-cat of her impending ceremony. Gaze briefly darting to the rapidly gathering dusk upon the horizon, she tried to summon the sparse amount of courage that still managed to reside within her being. This couldn't be a mistake, right? "I, Brindlestar, Leader of WindClan, 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 return." She continued, the strength of her voice a stark comparison to the inner turmoil that was currently raging within her.

"Graypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" The next words that were spoken were sharper and held much more meaning than any other cat could discern. Brindlestar's eyes flashed at this question, the intensity of her gaze clearly picking apart Graypaw's exterior in search of a crack or a note of hesitance.

Graypaw could only hear two things- Brindlestar's voice continuing the ceremony, and her own heart pounding. She knew that Badgerthorn was probably in the crowd somewhere, but her field of vision narrowed to the tall, imposing leader staring down at her. After all this time, finally. She would become a warrior... The ancient words of the ceremony were powerful, carrying both the strength of their meaning and of Brindlestar's voice. The leader didn't trust her, and she was definitely not as accepting as Ashstar had been, but the fact that the words were being spoken at all was proof that she was at least willing to give her a chance. As the light gray she-cat's dark eyes stared piercingly into her own, Graypaw met the she-cat's gaze with no hesitation. Her light blue eyes carried nothing but determination. She had waited so long... Though she'd been nowhere near certain at first, she had known ever since her Moonstone journey that this was to be her eventual destiny. She was meant to be WindClan, and by StarClan, she would be- as loyal to WindClan as any one of her Clanmates, maybe even more.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Graypaw stood firm under the leader's gaze, never wavering, a certainty showing that she hadn't realized she felt until this instant. These words would change her life, and hopefully it would stay changed. "I promise, Brindlestar."

Where Brindlestar searched for reluctance, unease, or any other solidifying notions of devious intentions, she found none.

There was only the behavior exuded by Graypaw seemed to be her unwillingness to relent, even in spite of the unspoken consequences that would surely follow any breach of trust. She didn't even have to speak the words aloud, for the young SkyClanner seemed to have a strange understanding of what point she was attempting to make. Perhaps, the inner musing was incredibly reluctant, it wouldn't be as foolish as she initially thought to place a slight amount of trust in the younger she-cat. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I shall give you your warrior name. Graypaw, from this moment you will be known as Graybriar." The name seemed to slip from Brindlestar's mouth without her full knowledge- she had only ever heard it once from Ashstar, in regards to a cat from her past who had been lost with the passage of time. "StarClan honors your unyielding perseverance and loyalty in spite of the circumstances that have befallen you, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

Leaping down from the smooth surface of the Tallrock, with the ceremonial words trailing after her, the newly-named Leader offered a soft bump of her muzzle in a quiet form of congratulations as their Clanmates flocked forwards as well.

As her new name was pronounced, there was a note of finality in the leader's voice, the words seeming to drop through the air like it was a viscous liquid. A small shudder ran down the gray she-cat's spine at the ceremonial, ancient phrases, made personal by a she-cat who had never trusted her all that much but was finally giving her the greatest trust of all- the care of her Clan. My Clan. This is my Clan. She'd never truly been SkyClan, not really. She'd always been WindClan, and now she was- through and through. She wasn't Graypaw of SkyClan, she was Graybriar of WindClan. Graybriar. Somehow, the name... fit her. Every single word that Brindlestar spoke had meaning to the she-cat- honor, perserverance, loyalty, circumstances, welcome, warrior. It seemed to be some kind of magic, filling up her soul like a good meal filled the belly or running on the moors filled her heart. She was a warrior now, and she would be forever.

As Brindlestar leapt down to finish the ceremony with a quick touch of her muzzle, Graybriar licked her shoulder respectfully, offering the older she-cat a full smile. "Thank you." Her first words spoken as a warrior... they seemed appropriate. How would her life change, now? As the leader walked away, the gray tabby just stood there, still in a slight state of shock, her short fur somewhat ruffled by a slight breeze that whisked through the small valley. The moment she'd been working for her whole life had happened so fast... now what? Now, she would continue to love and defend her Clan with her life. WindClan was her home, and she vowed to never, ever leave. She had the Clan's trust now, and there was no way that she would give that up. As the thin she-cat began padding over to Badgerthorn, a giant grin on her face, the wind seemed to whisper her name, in a familiar voice that she would have recognized had she heard it correctly. Pansyface, who had been watching her this whole time.

"Congratulations, Graybriar."

Badgerthorn could see the uncertainty on Brindlestar's face. He trusted his leader to make the right decision and in the end he believed she made a good one. He sat in silence the whole time but when his apprentice finally received her full name he let his voice reach above the others. "Graybriar! Graybriar!" They would have more time to celebrate another day. For now she had a vigil to attend to.