Greypaw's Warrior Ceremony

Thick rivulets of silky snow curled downwards from the bleak late evening sky, rich ribbons of irrefutable cleanliness that bleached the sad and somber winter riverlands; sprawling blankets of alabaster heaped on further by the perpetually lingering dusting of snow, disrupted only by the occasional tracking of muddied ice and churned sands. The stifling stillness of the dwindling grey light was interrupted only by the insistent, yet terribly faint, collision of snow landing upon starkly frigid ice, a backdrop of virtually unknowable hissing lost to the chatter of a burdened river. Tender ears and nose aflame with the scorching brush of lingering frigid dampness, Jaystar's sharp features creased softly as he peered down from his newly-raised seat atop the ceremonial willow tree, heralded only by generations of kin and forbearers.

"All cats old enough to catch their own fish, gather beneath the Willow Branch for a Clan meeting!"

Greypaw stepped forward with the gathering crowd, looking up at the branch to leader 2.0, tilting his head. Perhaps it was time for him to be a warrior, hm? Honstly he was still rather uncertain about that. More work,more effort, butt also more freedom. A rather conflincting spread of what he'd gain when he became a warrior.

Glancing around, he searched for his mentor, wondering how sh was faring, was she recovering? How were her kits?

Sighing, he shook his head, too much was on his mind again, he just wanted to sleep, it'd do no good if he became just as high-strung as his clanmates. So, settling onto his haunches, the tom yawned, waiting for whatever was going to come next.

Feeling as drained and lethargic as ever, Greypaw huffed, "Troublesome..."

Smooth jut of the shoulder roiling sharply under the wild mane of his unkempt coat and idly brushing off a faint dusting of snow, Jaystar's slow movements atop the weight perch of the forked tree-limb were liquid and silky, fluent with the seemingly innate grace of a shadow, gentle movements twisting and writhing against the cold backdrop of the evening. Pointed chin lifting a casual, calloused invitation to all of the gradually collecting onlookers currently peering on with mirrored expressions of apt interest, the young tom standing before him a bit more preoccupied with other happenings than what was about to unfold. If there was irritation to be had, it was lost within the reflective depths of his boundless stare.

"Today, we have gathered here to witness the naming of yet another Warrior. Though Dewlight is no longer with us, I am confident in her previous assessments and judgements in regards to her Apprentice. Greypaw, if you believe this to be true, step forward now and your ceremony will commence."

Jaystar's words snapped him out of his haze, and he looked down at his paws, eyes wide. That's right... his mentor was gone... another cat he cared about not being there to see him grow. Closing his eyes briefly, he took a few moments to shove down the sick feeling in his chest. No, this wouldn't be like Carpsplash, he had to forge forward, after all, everyone he had cared about was watching from silverpelt, right?

Unless the old elder was napping somewhere, lording his ability to sleep whenever, wherever he wanted over him from above. The thought brought a bittersweet smile of amusement to the young tom. Taking in a deep breath, he stood, his long fur swishing slightly in the breeze as he stepped up.

He'd be taking on new responsibilities, and while he loathed the thought of more effort being put into such a thing... he knew he'd do what needed to be done. He was loyal, and while not the most motivated of cats he wasn't a freeloader kit any longer. Growing up was a part of life that came with obligations he had to fulfill to keep ahold onto it all, he needed to accept that now.

That didn't mean he'd take the time to be lazy whenever he had the chance though.

Now, he stood in the same place he had so many moons ago, when Caprsplash passed on, when he became an apprentice, all of it had now led to this. He didn't expect himself to be in this position again until he retired, and he was rather fine with that. The thought of becoming a deputy made him want to laugh. No, he was no over-achiever, if the rest of his days were spent in this new rank until he became a grumpy old elder like Carpsplash, he'd be fine with that.

Looking up at the leader, a shift now in his gaze, he nodded. He was as ready as he'd ever be, he couldn't procrastinate any longer.

No, now Greypaw felt... settled.

Besides, he was far too old to be an apprentice any longer.

Softly ghosted with the silky remnants of a faint crusting of ice and frost, gossamer and web-like against the unkempt mane of his dark coat, Jaystar swallowed down the fiery pinprick of familiarity and remembrance blossoming low and deep at the ceremonial summons- reflective dark gaze remaining fixed upon the unwavering point of Greypaw, features impassive and unknowable as always. Idly, he couldn't help but wonder if the verbal mentioning of Dewlight's passage was felt just as keenly by the young tom as it was by the fathoms of his own fractured heart. Often times, it still felt entirely unreal.

"I call to our ancestors to look down upon this Apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your code, and I commend him to you as a Warrior in return. Greypaw, do you promise to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

His gaze turned solemn at the leader's next words, silvery eyes becoming flinty with the mood. His usual apathy had shifted into soldier-like impassivity, perhaps a glimpse of his future being seen upon his visage. The winds of change had blown through once more, and the soft-looking tom had a feeling that he'd need to be prepared for what was to come. The future was ever uncertain, the sands of time relentless, and what such things would bring to the doorstep of the clans was an ominous wave in the faint distance.

Steeling himself as the words echoed through his ever-churning sharp mind, he let out a breath, this ceremony, passed down from leader to leader, ushering in many new generations of warriors, a ritual who's meaning may have been forgotten in the repetitiveness of life's monotony.

He knew better than to accept the words flippantly. His life on the line for so many cats he basically viewed as strangers, his ties to his clanmates were seemingly so faint to him for so long. Why put his life on the line for a clan that had allowed his family to pass into the afterlife? Why risk his life, for so many cats that had impassively watched him struggle through those dark events?

If not for his recent visit to the moonstone, perhaps these questions would still be plaguing his restless mind. That wasn't the case any longer though, he knew now that there was something worth protecting here, watching them all live their lives, cry, laugh, live together over the moons. Perhaps, there was no place for him here, not truly, but that didn't mean he would willingly leave them to die if the time came.

The silent observer would now become a protector, that was the progression of such things. Watching forever, disconnected, indifferent, it no longer sat right with him. For his parents who had died protecting this clan, for his siblings who had such bright dreams of serving it, he'd forge forward, and through his actions, do all of those for them... His brother... his sister, they could live through him as they sat forgotten in silverpelt.

Greypaw released the breath, decision made, and responded to his leader's question with a tone of certainty ringing through his voice, clear as a bell.

"I do."

Silky dark edges of wispy fur catching sharply against the wan light of the terse evening, gentle ripples of pale light heavily framed the occasional movements of Jaystar; a familiar mimicry to the dark riverwater flashing under the bright illumination of the pallid moonlight. Hard cut lines of the cheekbone ridging sharply against the delicate curve of his face, the gaunt tom continuously fronted a calloused expression, unwilling to divulge a fractional emotion while in the presence of the young cat before him- likely contemplating his own emotional outbursts that had been sleuthing beneath the surface untouched until this very pivotal moment.

"In that case, I shall grant you your new name. From this day forth, you will be known as Greynose. RiverClan honors your loyalty and noteworthy intelligence. Tonight, you will hold a silent vigil while the rest of the Clan sleeps. Until then, we celebrate the naming of a new RiverClan Warrior." Sending forth a chilly flurry of crystalline ice and downy snows, Jaystar was quick and fluid in his movements to abandon his high-above perch and instead join the blossoming congregation thronging about the newly-named Warrior.