Silverpaw's Warrior Ceremony

It was nothing new for Lilacstar to do warrior ceremonies. After all, she was leader. Just climb the tall rock, have the apprentice make the vows, and give them their name. Easy. But what got her anxious today was who she was giving a ceremony to. After all, it was not every day she could make her own son a warrior! Her heart filled with joy at the very thought as she bounded up the tall rock. She could not be anymore proud than she was right now.

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

Just in time to hear his mother's voice ring out across the camp, Silverpaw briskly made his way over to the congregating cats. He'd been out and about in the territory since early in the morning, occasionally trying to sniff out prey as he wandered. However, that wasn't why he was there. He... had some things to thoroughly process and it was better for him to do that alone and without and distractions. For now, it was best to squash all of that and focus primarily on the she-cat atop the Tall Rock.

The apprentice sat down in a random spot among the crowd, wrapping his tail around his paws. He craned his head up a bit to give Lilacstar his full attention, ears twitching as curiosity overtook his previous feelings. He wasn't too sure what this meeting could be about but he had a hunch it was probably a ceremony of some sort. He could be wrong but then again, he could not be.

Dayspring had mastered the art of concealing her emotions, so pretending like she had no idea what was about to occur wasn't a difficult task for her. She quietly joined the crowd, placing herself down near Silverpaw and giving the young tom a quick smile of greeting. She was about to watch her first apprentice become a warrior, and she would be lying if she said that she wasn't proud of him. Happiness fluttered in her heart like the wings of a butterfly as she glanced up at Lilacstar and waited for the ceremony to officially begin.

It was with a smile that Lilacstar beckoned her son forward. "It is a proud day for all of WindClan when an apprentice proves himself ready to rise the ranks as a warrior. However, I would be lying to say that my son did not hold a particular place in my heart, and that this ceremony was not a special one to me. Silverpaw, please step forward."

Beaming with joy, Lilacstar then turned to her deputy. Dayspring had taken it upon herself to train Silverpaw, a fact she was grateful for. If she herself could not train her children, she was glad Dayspring could. "Dayspring, is it your belief that you had trained Silverpaw to the best of your abilities, and that there is no more he could learn from you? Do you believe he is ready to become a warrior?"

Dayspring instantly signified her answer with a nod of her head.
"It is. I believe that Silverpaw is more than ready to become a warrior." The she-cat announced with the proudest of smiles gracing her expression.

She enjoyed this feeling of pride, both in herself for training Silverpaw, and in Silverpaw for being ready to obtain a warrior name, and she hoped that she would be able to feel it more often. Good news was always better than bad news, after all.

Surprise jolted through his veins as he listened to his mother's words once the meeting began. He'd been right about this being a ceremony but what he never expected was for this to be his warrior ceremony! The giddiness that was slowly building within him was getting too hard to ignore. Today was his day! He felt just as excited -perhaps even more- as he did when he was being apprenticed to Dayspring quite a few moons ago. All the negative thoughts from before just vanished. He wanted to focus on this and this only.

The gray-furred apprentice stepped forward as instructed. He puffed out his chest in pride and eagerness as he watched the leader continue on. When Lilacstar asked his mentor if he was truly ready, the tom turned his head back a bit to offer Dayspring an appreciative grin at her praise. He quickly turned his attention back to his mother as he waited for her to resume the ceremony, tail wiggling with anticipation of what was to come next.

Dayspring had expressed her consent, and Lilacstar could not be more proud. She dipped her head to Dayspring, a show of not only the typical respect, but as well as gratitude for what she had done for her child, before she turned back to her son.

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has worked hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in return. Silverpaw, do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

It was always a heavy oath to make, but if any cat was capable of it, it would be Silverpaw. She had faith in him.

Yes! This was it! The oath that sealed the deal. What little restraint he had left was used to stop himself from physically vibrating with glee and embarrassing himself in front of everyone. For once, he wanted to be a bit more mature and let others see that he was definitely capable of being serious. He was usually perceived as kittenish but now that he was going to be a warrior of WindClan, he wanted to grow and be someone who deserves and will always deserve his warrior name.

The tom stood up straighter but made no effort in concealing his grin as his mother began to say the sacred words. Despite wanting to be seen as more mature, he didn't want to be a total stick-in-the-mud either. He was going to continue being the chipper and friendly tom most knew him as. There was no need to change himself, just to better himself.

"I do." Yes. He was ready to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of his own life. He adored his clan and the cats within it. He would give his all for it. This promise he just made, he will try his hardest to uphold it. Hopefully there'd be no doubt about that.

"Then from this day forward, you will be known as Silverlight. My son, you have always been a light shining upon the hearts of your Clanmates from the very moment you were born. WindClan honors your enthusiasm and courteousness, and we welcome you as a full warrior."

She almost could not contain her beaming as she bounded down the rock, resting her nose upon the tom's head. She was unsure if the excited shaking she felt was coming from him or her, but she could have cared less either way. She was happy. Her son had made it.

After a few heartbeats, she stepped back, raising her voice to address the Clan, and begin the cheer. Although nocat could cheer louder than her in that moment. "Silverlight! Silverlight!"

Swiftspirit had just stepped into camp with a hare dangling from her jaws when Lilacstar called the meeting, and she set the prey on the fresh kill pile before trotting over. She didn't think it would be anything too dramatic, but she was still curious to see what this meeting would be about.

That didn't take long, and Swiftspirit shot Silverpaw a small smile as he was called forward. He'd finally be joining the ranks of the warriors it seemed, and Swiftspirit was glad of it. He'd always been kind to her and she... considered him a friend. The chatty tom had taken her aback quite a few times, but Swiftspirit was better off for it. And he deserved this as much as anyone else.

"Silverlight! Silverlight!" Swiftspirit called out the new warrior's name alongside the rest of the clan, finding that she was completely unable to contain her grin as the ceremony was completed. After Lilacstar had stepped back, Swiftspirit padded towards her friend, playfully nudging his shoulder. "You made it! Congratulations, Silverlight!" She mewed cheerfully, stepping aside to let the rest of their clanmates congratulate him as well.

”Silverlight! Silverlight!” Goldenfang emphatically joined the chant, her tail flicking back and forth with barely continued energy. She was on her paws and greeting the newest warrior by his name as right after Swiftspirit. ”Way to go, Silverlight! That’s a great name, too. Race ya to a first apprentice!” she purred, tail raised high in the air.

Silverlight had been highly spoken of by other WindClan cats: a bright, friendly, caring tom. No doubt a reliable ally. WindClan was lucky to have him. Like Swiftspirit, Goldenfang stepped aside to allow other friends to greet and congratulate him, a purr still in her throat.

Ashfall couldn't help but look on proudly at her kin. Despite the fact that he was her uncle, Silverpaw was being given his name after hers. She was sure it was well earned. She didn't even play the naming game with herself this time around, simply watching in her silence. Once his name was given, she shouted it along with everyone else, a happy smile playing at her lips. "Silverlight, Silverlight, Silverlight!"

Watching Swiftspirit, then Goldenfang congratulate him, Ashfall stepped up next. "Congratulations! I'd bet your name was well earned." With a friendly smile, she stepped away as the others had. She watched for only a little while longer before retreating entirely, her presence no longer needed.