Ryepaw's Warrior Ceremony

To be completely honest, Lilacstar was unsure that Ryepaw would make it this far. She could still remember the time Ryepaw decided it was a good idea to go on an egg hunt, or how he got into a bit of a weasel encounter in the tunnels (although to be fair, the weasel was Fawnstep's fault). The way his apprenticeship had been turning out, she wasn't fully sure that he would survive this long. It was a shock that he didn't get himself mauled at one of the borders.

Still, Ryepaw was still here, and after everything that had happened to him, this was the least she could do for him. Give him something to be happy about again.

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

Ryepaw's head felt oddly empty when he marched across camp to attend whatever meeting Lilacstar had in store for them. Of course, he wasn't the most thoughtful creature in his own right, but this was a different kind of void. It was visible in his pelt and eyes, which were duller than usual, lacking the sun-kissed shine of Greenleaf's gentle heat. There was not much to talk about or do; the days in WindClan became lazier, with such a surplus of prey and plenty of strong warriors to hunt for them. Even his training had begun to slow down. Fawnstep was not the type of cat to sing his apprentice's praises, but even Ryepaw (as dense as he could be) noticed that the older tom was beginning to acknowledge his success more than he corrected his faults. Ryepaw wished he could enjoy the leisure time, but after Dayspring assigned his patrols, he took off from camp and did not return until sundown... this was now a daily routine. Where he went depended on his whim. Sometimes he'd run through the flower fields to rub the sweet scents on his fur, and other times he'd wander by the gorge to kick stones in. Once, he crawled into the long-unused tunnel beneath the thunderpath (Where was this when I was going to the Moonstone?! he whined) and listened to the crazed rumbling of the savage beasts above. He even got into some trouble, busting his . If he was worried that he was beginning to look like a lazy flake, he'd walk until he found a patrol, and join in with them. He'd scoot off on his own way when they returned to camp. At mealtimes, he would retrieve his prey from the fresh-kill pile and take it elsewhere on the moor. He was careful to hunt for the elders first. He held StarClan in too high esteem to be that careless. In any case, he did not like being home. He vehemently avoided it.

Today, he had been asked to stay for Sunhigh, so he did. He sat at the base of the Tallrock, craning his neck to get a better view. Despite how frayed he felt, his jaw was set tight and proud, and he rolled his shoulders back, elongating his spine. His worries were his alone to bear. He hoped he was strong enough to carry them, because he'd die before he'd transfer them to any one of his clanmates.

"Today we celebrate Ryepaw becoming a warrior. Normally I would ask Fawnstep if he believed Ryepaw was ready, but I need to get this apprentice out of his paws before something bad happens, so I will just skip to the vow." She chuckled, looking teasingly at the mentor while waiting for Ryepaw to step forward.

"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. Ryepaw, do you promise to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"


OOC:Short because Grizz wants a speedrun. You can choose fast or detailed, you don't get both lol.

Ryepaw blinked in recognition when Lilacstar began her address to the clan, suddenly realizing that the meeting was for him. That must have been why he had been asked to linger for so long in camp. Sheepishly, he caught Fawnstep's gaze in the crowd. This must have been planned, at least to some extent, as his mentor did not really seem all too shocked. Suspicious, Ryepaw sneered teasingly at the older tom. A pleasant feeling fluttered in his throat that had not been there before. Ryepaw was even in good enough spirits to laugh at Lilacstar's well-placed joke. He tried not to flatter himself with the notion that he would be remembered fondly for having four left feet. He ruffled happily and stepped up to acknowledge her.

The sacred words were familiar. He had heard them a few times before, in Ashfall and Goldenfang and Silverlight's ceremony. He had time to contemplate them, as well. Fawnstep had taught him about the Code the same way he taught Ryepaw everything: very simply, and without much room for deference. The Code was what it was, it did not change, and it was made with good reason to withstand the tests of time. Ryepaw had never been more sure of anything than the Warrior Code's significance. "I do. Absolutely."

Fawnstep had joined the throng of gathered Windclan cats alongside the rest of his clan. Today was different, something special. While he had never been overly impressed with Ryepaw's skill, the tom had certainly grown, becoming a tad less stoat and bulky than before. It was unfortunate that he'd picked up on so much of Dawnhawk's physical origins. Despite being less suited for the moor, the apprentice had been trained up fairly well, which Fawnstep attributed entirely to himself and his strange - often harsh - methods of mentoring.

He watched with interest, as Ryepaw took the same vows that he had taken himself many moons ago. Hopefully, Lilacstar was impressed with the talent he'd shown as a mentor. When he and Tawnyflare had their own kits in the future, Fawnstep would be involved in rearing them to be strong cats regardless but he hoped to be more of an influence on Windclan. His tail flickered at the naming of Ryesnap and he rose his maw to the skies, "Ryesnap! Ryesnap!" As the yowling died down, the brown and white warrior turned to cut off his former apprentice's path, not allowing him to pass before Fawnstep had said his piece.

When he spoke, the words were low, "You'll have to show them what a great warrior I taught you to be, Ryesnap. You might be tempted to be distracted but there is much more at stake than your own selfish wants. While you might not be a full Windclan cat, you have physical capabilities that differ from everyone else here. Use that to your advantage. Don't let me down, and don't let them down." With a satisfied grunt, Fawnstep turned to settle down for the evening.

Ashfall, not one to dally, gathered immediately upon hearing Lilacstar's call to the clan. Her gaze noted Ryepaw in attendance, though he was usually away from camp at this time. While she did not know the exact reasoning behind her brother disappearing all day, she could guess. Another thing Dawnhawk had done to her family she supposed. Those thoughts fled her mind, however, when Lilacstar announced that it would be Ryepaw receiving his warrior name. Ashfall had wondered when her brother would receive his name, he was due! Perhaps it was the way he was shaped, he had received more of their father's characteristics than she had, perhaps he didn't quite hunt the way a Windclanner did, but that didn't matter. So long as he could catch prey, and fight, that was enough for her. So she sat, waiting, in quiet anticipation.

Ashfall assumed Ryepaw would get a name that described his fire, his emotion, and she had been correct. Snap felt like an apt name for her brother. "Ryesnap, Ryesnap, Ryesnap!" She cheered this with the others, going as far as to try and be louder than the rest. This was her brother, he was a warrior, and she was very proud. As the cheers died down, she approached quickly, not wanting him to run off before she could get the chance to congratulate him. Fawnstep got there before her though, and she eyed him from afar, their words lost to the remaining chants and conversation in the clearing. As he stepped away, she stepped close, making eye contact with Ryesnap. "Hey! You're a warrior now, you got a great name too." Her congratulations were awkward, torn between attempting to hide emotion and show it at once. Though her voice quieted as moved closer. "We should talk sometime. Maybe with mom. There are things that we should... probably discuss." As she finished, she smiled at him and padded away to watch the crowd. She had not said Dawnhawk's name, but she hoped that Ryesnap would understand that there needed to be a family discussion about their father, and it needed to happen before anything got out of hand.

Goldenfang gave Fawnstep and Ashfall space to speak to the new warrior before taking her own turn to extend congratulations. ”Well done, Ryesnap! That’s a cool name! You’ll be moving your nest over by me and the other warriors now. Don’t snore too loud this time!” She purred and butted her head against his shoulder, jovial attitude shining bright. There had been much to celebrate recently, but the Clan needed to remember the looming threat of SkyClan… and perhaps even Dawnhawk, if the rival Clan was to be believed. Naming Ryesnap, Silverlight, and Goldenfang as warriors may have been a strategic move. Still, she had no doubt that Lilacstar wouldn’t regret that move.

Sunnyskip joined the gathered crowd toward the edge, waiting for what Lilacstar would have to say. As she called Ryepaw's name, she blinked and then grinned. Her son was becoming a warrior! Her heart clenched as she thought of her third son, but she swiftly pushed the thought away as she focused on Ryepaw. Today was his day. She sat quietly while Lilacstar went through the ceremony, eyes narrowing slightly at the slight deviation, but as the ceremony drew to a close she raised her voice to join the rest of the clans, cheering for her son. She could hear Ashfall's voice among the others, and she smiled to herself. They still had each other... She needed to speak to both of them. Let them know she was still there for them.... Even if everything else was falling apart around them.

Silverlight had been watching his nephew's ceremony from near the prey pile. He had just returned back to camp after a bit of time hunting by himself when he heard his mother call the clan to a meeting. This time around, he hadn't been sure what it would be about. His first guess would always be that it was some sort of ceremony but with what had been happening lately, it could be addressing something completely different, and far less enjoyable. When Lilacstar began and revealed it to be Rye's warrior ceremony, Silver had felt a lot of different emotions swirling in his chest. He was proud and anxious yet felt melancholic and subdued. He could tell that the younger tom wasn't in the best of states, physically and mentally. His father had lied to them all and had dumped so many problems onto all their backs, especially onto his kits' and his mate's backs. It wasn't fair. Rye and Ash didn't deserve this. Sunny didn't deserve this. All of WindClan was tense and he was sure that they all knew that no good could come of this. For now, it was best to try and spread a little joy for Rye. It was his big day after all.

"Ryesnap! Ryesnap!" Silverlight chanted loudly as he got up from where he'd been sitting and hurried over to the newly-made warrior. He offered the tom a lighthearted nudge and a prideful smile, hoping it could somewhat cheer him up. "Congrats! You got such a cool name. Fits ya well. Now that you're a warrior, I hope you'll be down for joining the rest of us on patrols. It'll be fun." With that, the silver-furred tom turned and took his leave.