Eveningpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Tigerstar jumped up onto the Tall Rock in his usual manner, landing gracefully. Not a single paw out of place, even as the cold stone sent a chill up his spine. He made sure to clear off the snow from the rock before sitting and wrapping his tail around his paws to help keep them warm upon the cold stone. "Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather by Tall Rock for a clan meeting! He had been waiting for this day for a while, pride swelling his chest.

Eveningpaw had taken to patrolling the edges of the camp, clearing out piles of snow that could mar the entrances to the different dens if the wind or a stray paw knocked into it. It wasn't anything important, but it was at least something to do when she was in the camp instead of just standing around on idle paws. She had been in the midst of the rounds - knocking a pile of snow off of the nursery's entrance when her mentor's voice rang out.

She glanced behind her with a flicker of her ears, a wave of bitterness sweeping over her as she could only imagine another of her denmates was gaining their name. She was doing her best to prove herself but it still felt like...Like nothing compared to what her Clanmates were good at. She wasn't a skilled hunter, she was terrified of fighting and even when it came to maybe being a tunneler, she was still nothing compared to Molehill, even if the tom had been unfortunately sick in a way that even the herbs didn't respond to.

She didn't see herself as having managed anything that would make her worthy for gaining her warrior name but... Well, she still wanted to cheer on her Clanmates so after double-checking that the nursery was safe from a snowdrift blocking the entrance anytime soon, she turned and padded to join the crowd as she tried to guess at which of her denmates would be gaining their name ahead of her once again...

Maybe Marigoldpaw finally earned it - after all for as much as it pained her to watch kits be named warriors before her, Marigoldpaw had been an apprentice before even she.. Minkpaw had also been named an apprentice not long after her...Or perhaps it was one of the newer apprentices, they always seemed to find their place in the Clan so quickly...

"Today we are gathered to name a warrior. This ceremony has been a long time coming, and this apprentice has worked steadily the whole time, never wavering from her path." Tigerstar stated, feeling this was the best way to start the ceremony. "Eveningpaw please come forward." The tall stripped tom almost wanted to stand, to let his tail flick in excitement and anticipation but he knew he couldn't do that. He had to keep appearances up after all.

"I, Tigerstar, leader of Windclan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand your noble code and I commend her to you as a warrior in turn. Eveningpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, defend and honor Windclan even at the cost of your life?" Tigerstar asked, waiting excitedly for her answer.

Eveningpaw's entire world felt like it stopped as her name rang out, mouth agape as she stared up at the leader - her mentor. It didn't... It didn't feel real as she sat there, entire body ridged as she struggled to accept the simple truth in front of her - she didn't feel like she... Like she deserved it. She was nothing special, not in hunting, in battling...In anything. Nothing worth being rewarded with a warrior name but yet...

For a heartbeat she wondered if this was a dream but taking in a deep breath caused her to snap to reality - to feel the blood pounding in her ears, the heart in her throat. Her whole body suddenly aflame with creeping shock and fear - fear that she wouldn't live up to it. She slowly pushed herself to her paws, drawing closer as Tigerstar continued with the ceremony before the question was asked. Would she defend her Clan even at the cost of her life? Her mouth felt dry - terror racing through her at the simple thought of fighting but... She... She couldn't imagine doing nothing while her Clanmates were in danger.

She hadn't the chance to prove herself in that way but the fear of standing idle while her Clanmates needed her... It outweighed the fears of fighting. She wouldn't know until the moment arrived, but she couldn't see herself doing anything else so with a nervous swallow of her throat, she gave a nod. "I...I do," she vowed, praying that she would live up to what her Clanmates expected of her.

Tigerstar couldn't help but let a grin spread on his maw at his apprentice's answer, glad she had agreed to serve Windclan. Loyalty was the most important aspect that Tigerstar wanted in his clan, and even if she wasn't too fond of fighting, she still had loyalty. She was ever present for the clan, and he couldn't ask for more.

"Then by the powers of Starclan I give you your warrior name. Eveningpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Eveningmoon. For your persistence and your ever glowing kindness." With that the leader jumped down, making a direct line for his former apprentice. The tom places his maw upon her head, and said, "Thank you for being my apprentice. Congratulations." He said to her quietly before stepping back and letting others get their own words in.