Graypaw's Warrior Ceremony

"Let all SkyClan cats old enough to climb a tree gather before me for a clan meeting!"

For the third time in as many days, and much to Wolfstar's pleasure, there was another warrior ceremony to be had. Today, Graypaw would earn her warrior name, and there would be one more true warrior in SkyClan. They'd need as many as they could get, if his plan was to ever see fruition, though the thought of putting any of them in danger plagued him with guilt. SkyClan will survive, he told himself as he sat back and waited for the clan to gather. SkyClan will always survive.

Graypaw was silent as she sat herself down near the back of the crowd. Nowadays, Clan meetings were only for ceremonies, and while she was happy to see that cats in her Clan were growing up well and strong and passing through the ranks with ease, it wasn’t necessarily an event that she had to sit near the front for. She was completely unaware of what would be taking place today. The apprentice thought that her only concern for the rest of the day would be searching for new moss with an Asylum escort to replace the old bedding that made up her nest. However, after this meeting, she would be needing a new nest. The interior of the warriors den was completely foreign to her, but eventually it would become a place that she would become used to.

Graypaw had proven to be a strong, capable apprentice. He expected nothing less, between her father, Wrenspring, and her mentor, Primroselight, Graypaw's upbringing definitely gave her a strong start in life. She was now ready for her warrior name, and he didn't waste time in beginning the ceremony. "We gather here today to give one of our clanmates their warrior name and rank. Graypaw, please step forward." He waited, long tail flicking once as his gaze swept across the camp, picking out each individual Asylum cat that lingered unwelcome in their home.

"I, Wolfstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Graypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Graypaw’s head instantly snapped up to face Wolfstar as soon as she heard her name come from the leader’s mouth. Becoming a warrior was what she had spent moons training for, and now it was finally time. She felt her paws become oddly numb as she took a small and respectful step forward. Everything that she had worked toward was about to pay off, but she still felt like there was more to learn. She decided to shrug it off. There would be plenty of opportunities to learn in the future, but this was a moment that would never happen again for as long as she was alive. Confidence glittered in her amber eyes as she listened to Wolfstar’s words. She was used to hearing this speech considering the fact that other apprentices had become warriors before her, but knowing that they were being directed towards her made it all feel different.

“I do.” Graypaw said, solemnly.
She wasn’t lying, either. There was nothing that she wouldn’t do for her Clan, especially during such trying times.

Her words were quick and without hesitation, and Wolfstar believed them. He nodded, once, and then stood. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Graybird, SkyClan honors your honesty and loyalty. Congratulations, I know you'll do us proud."

Wrenspring had joined the crowd, eyes shining with a desperate hope as he padded forward to gather. Admittedly, after the initial invasion of their camp, the clan had settled into some tentative state of frail peace. Most of the Asylum cats were simply an unwelcome presence unless specifically provoked. He'd make it a habit to treat them as a mere background to the clan's everyday affairs. This ceremony would be no different.

As Wolfstar called the name, however, his ears perked up in an instant. Graypaw. In an instant, he dashed away any unintentional reservations with a flick of his tail. The tom shuffled his paws closer and leaned in, drinking in the moment and hoping to never forget it. His only kit was becoming a warrior. The strange look about his gaze had shifted into unadulterated pride and he straightened his chin taller than he had at his own warrior ceremony all those moons ago.

"Graybird! Graybird!" He joined the chorus of yowls and let his voice ring throughout the clearing. As soon as she'd been announced, the warrior hardly wasted a moment before darting forward to greet her. Wrenspring nuzzled his daughter affectionately with a rumbling purr erupting from his chest. When he finally pulled away it was to rapidly lick the top of her head in a manner that would likely have the new warrior begging him to stop pestering her. For a moment, there was a broad smile across his maw, and for a moment, everything almost seemed okay.

It felt as if the force of her new name hit her with the strength of a tree stump. This would be the name that she would carry for the rest of her life, and she loved it. The newly-named Graybird glanced around at the surrounding cats, although she purposefully attempted to avoid making eye contact with any lurking Asylum cats, as they echoed her warrior name. Despite what was happening to the forest, and despite the hidden fear that Graybird held in her heart, there was still some goodness and hope to lean on. The she-cat allowed herself to smile as she politely nodded her head in the direction of some of her Clanmates and former denmates. It was about time that she learned how to properly balance negativity and positivity.

Her smile only grew bigger as Wrenspring instantly padded up to greet her. In that moment, there was nothing to fear, nothing to worry about, and nothing to obsess over. Any cat that had spoken to Graybird for no more than five seconds knew that she was a realist and preferred to look at the world through strict and logical eyes, but maybe it was important to learn how to be an optimist at the same time.
"Hey! C'mon, stop, I'm not a kit anymore." The warrior purred, lightheartedly.
For a moment, there wasn't a single care in the world.

"Graybird! Graybird!" Primroselight cheered with the rest of her clan, it suddenly dawning on her how quickly her apprentice had learned the ways of the clan to become a warrior.

So it turned out that the blind warrior could, in fact, be a good mentor. All she had had to do was trust in herself. "Graybird!" She said, catching the newly-named she-cat, "I'm so proud of you!"

"Graybird! Graybird!" Nighthawk's voice joined in with the rest of the clan to congratulate their newest warrior, and though her body remained tense as ever with the looming threat in the shadows around them, her amber eyes glowed with pride for her granddaughter.

"I'm so proud of you, Graybird. You've worked hard." She padded forward with an affectionate purr, rubbing her cheek against the top of her granddaughter's head.