Snowpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Lilacstar had only done one other warrior ceremony, but she was getting used to being by the rock for other reasons, so she was much more comfortable with this ceremony. Standing at the foot of the tall rock, a position that was no longer as new, although she could assume she was still going to get curious looks until the day she died, she gazed around, her Clanmates bustling about.

And she had to admit, it was a beautiful day to be about. The sky was clear, the fresh kill pile high, and it was all around a lovely day to be active. And the perfect day to hold this ceremony.

"Let all cats old enough to run the moors gather around the tall rock for a Clan meeting!"

Every meeting, there was the possibility of her ceremony. This could be different. It was mere sunrises after her moonstone journey. Snowpaw was not one to hold onto useless hope, but the thought flitted around her head as she headed towards the rock. She had yet to train or hunt today. Shrikestorm usually did that in the morning. Unusual that they hadn’t - but all the more contributing to the idea of her warrior ceremony. No hunting or training meant no snow or dirt were dirtying her pelt. And he’d want her to look her best, surely.

The sky was a pure blue, untainted by any wisps of clouds. The sun bared down upon the moors (despite the sting of cold), and her white pelt seemed to radiate light. Snowpaw sat down in the crowd, though closer to the front than she might have otherwise. Everything could still be a coincidence, her mind whispered, don’t get too excited.

Lilacstar smiled as she saw the white apprentice sitting towards the front of the gathering crowd. She was doing well at hiding her excitement, although her current seating position gave away some of her eagerness. And it was true, she had much to be eager for. Today she would join her brother in the warrior's den.

"WindClan! I know times have been trying, for all of us. And it has been difficult to find reason to celebrate. But today, we have been gifted one! We have been blessed with this young apprentice, who is ready to become a warrior! Snowpaw, step forward!" She smiled at the she-cat, whose pelt seemed to shine with the excitement Lilacstar was sure she felt as she waited for the snowy apprentice to approach.

I’m hardly a young apprentice if I’m becoming a warrior now, am I? Snowpaw thought drily, even as excitement blossomed through her and lifted her face into a smile. As soon as Lilacstar’s enthusiastic words were spoken, the white molly had known it was her day. The she-cat stood and stepped towards the brown and white she-cat, forcing herself not to act like an excited kit. This was a show of maturity. She hadn’t gone through moons of training only to do something wrong at this moment. Snowpaw looked up at Lilacstar, though due to her lankiness they were nearly the same height.

Brookpaw watched the meeting with more interest than she had others; because this was a Warrior ceremony. And, soon enough, it would be her turn (even if she was quite young still..)

Lilacstar smiled down at the soon-to-be warrior, touching her tail to her shoulder comfortingly as she spoke out.

"I, Lilacstar, leader of WindClan, ask my fellow Clanmates to look upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of our code. And I commend her to you as a warrior in return." Lowering her voice a little, she gazed at Snowpaw. "Snowpaw, you have saved my life, and I thank you. So I ask you now, will you continue to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

Fawnstep had received his name sunrises earlier. This was her time. Her ear tips stung a little as Lilacstar mentioned the “saving of her life”. She never wanted to see a snake again. Snowpaw looked right back at the leader as she looked at her. She knew the words by heart after hearing ceremonies... the traditional words. It was noticeably changed. Her ears twitched a little, but she continued to stand. There was an appropriate pause before she spoke. “I do.” And she would. Not needlessly rush into battle to prove it. She’d be smart, careful, safe as possible in these times. Her voice rung out as she waited for the completion of the ceremony. It didn’t feel too special, but she guessed she would reflect on these moments in the coming days.

Lilacstar gave a gentle nudge with her muzzle to the tip of the she-cat's head before righting herself once more."Then from this moment on, you will be known as Snowbriar. Like the briars that guard our camp, WindClan honors your loyalty and tenacity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan."

Then, with her head held high, she began the chant. "Snowbriar! Snowbriar!"

Loyalty seemed to be the most mentioned trait in warrior ceremonies. Not that she wasn't proud to be named because of it. Still, one wouldn't become a warrior if not loyal. Under the chanting of the crowd, the white molly whispered her name to herself, testing out how it felt. Snowbriar. It sounded strong. Perhaps it was something to live up to, because she certainly felt unable to be strong at the moment. "Thank you," she said softly, dipping her head to Lilacstar, and turned around to look for Fawnstep or Shrikestorm in the crowd.

Shrikestorm was absolutely beaming with pride. His first apprentice was now a warrior, and a leader-saving one at that. Not bad, huh? He cheered with the rest of the clan, hoping his shouts were louder than the others. "Snowbriar! Snowbriar!" He then hurried forward to meet her in front of the Tallrock, proudly touching noses with her. "You're a warrior now, Snowbriar. Congratulations. I couldn't be more proud of you." WindClan really needed the good news, and having a new warrior - an actual WindClan-blood warrior at that - was great news.