Heronpaw's Warrior Ceremony

Smoky tendrils of faint clouds drifted across the rapidly darkening evening sky, rapidly dissipating fingers of light grey occasionally obscuring the newly laminated dusk. Though the day had been wrought with chilly gales that had buffeted the forest and moorlands with an unrelenting force, a late afternoon snowfall had effectively smothered down the worst of the bitter winds. Features kissed softly by the damp touch of more snowfall that weighed on the still twilight, Brindleface gave herself a rigorous shake in hopes of brushing away the lingering drowsiness that hung heavily in her veins. It had been a difficult past few days, but there was a hopefulness budding in the air alongside the slow approach of spring- several Apprentices were close to completing their training, with Heronpaw leading the pack, which would hopefully reverse their luck in the coming moons.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Tallrock!"

The purr that burned deep in her chest was reluctant to let go of the grip it had on the mottled she-cat, she knew today was it - the day that would forever change her life and mark her as a warrior of WindClan. Far from the stubby-legged apprentice she once was, Heronpaw had grown into a beautiful warrior, with a gently narrowed face and sleek fur, and however much she denied it, she was still shorter than most of her denmates. This didn't stop her from all the hours she had poured into her training, every heartbeat she spent hoping to become the best warrior she possibly could've, while keeping in mind the gentle, yet stern words of her father that had been bestowed upon her at her moonstone journey.

Clearing her head of the thoughts, the freshly groomed soon-to-be warrior met the call to summons, the feathery plumes of her tail gently brushing against the snowfall that had brought a potentially temporary pause to the wind that had dredged tears from her eyes. Heronpaw found herself in the shadow of the great rock, excitement and restraint pulsing through her body, lighting up every nerve at the same time as she eagerly awaited the ceremony.

The sea of stiffening grasses that unfolded endlessly upon the moorland before them twisted and curled under the faint urging of a barely evident breeze. The chill arose from both the stone beneath Brindleface's paws and descended from the darkening evening sky. The clumps of downy snow stirred faintly within the tendrils of the cold breeze, sending flakes of brilliant white raining down upon the gathering crowd. Shifting her weight atop the smooth, practically frigid stone, the pale molly blinked as cats were gradually dusted with frost. "We gather here today to bestow the title of Warrior upon one of our Apprentices." She eventually mewed, affectionately blinking down at the mottled young she-cat, the confidence in her stride a far-cry from her posturing during her previous ceremony. "She has proven herself worthy to climb the ranks of WindClan and receive her Warrior name." Gaze slowly drifting back towards Heronpaw who lingered below the looming outline of the stone, the low rasp of her voice was laden with authority as she finally spoke the highly anticipated words.

"Heronpaw, please step forwards."

She felt a glimmer of annoyance when a delicate breeze wormed its way through and coated her in a thin layer of snow and frost, disrupting the fur she had so carefully groomed into place. Giving her pelt a barely present shake, she listened to every word that echoed around the clearing with growing anticipation and excitement. It was one thing to become a warrior, but to have the cat giving you your warrior name also have been your mentor - it was almost too much to handle. Having barely seen a few warrior ceremonies before her own, all she knew how to do was obey Brindleface and she teetered forward on unsteady, energy filled paws. As she gazed up at the WindClan leader, Heronpaw fought to keep her whiskers from twitching in pure elation and excitement. She had made it!

"I, Brindleface, Leader of WindClan, call upon my Warrior ancestors to look down upon this Apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble Code, and I commend her to you as a Warrior in return." Light gaze nothing more than two ashen puddles of reflective light, Brindleface's poised demeanor carefully grazed the various expressions of those who were settled below. Downy flakes of powdery snow hung heavily on the chilly air, brushing softly against the marred surface of the Tallrock with every occasional current of a chilly breeze. Paws, rightfully numb from prolonged contact with the stone itself, shifted expectantly as she continued to gaze at the young she-cat who was gazing back with a palpable sense of excitement.

"Heronpaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Okay - now her whiskers were betraying her excitement, along with her gently twitching tail, as Heronpaw's ears pricked harder against her head to catch every word. These words she had waited for, for moons, from her time as a stubby-tailed kit watching in wonderment as the camp milled around her, to the moons she'd spent looking after her clan as an apprentice. The ones she had heard scarcely before now, that were now being said about her, it was enough to send the she-cat into a mad purr, but she bit her tongue and cleared her throat.

"Of course- I mean, I do," Heronpaw stumbled over her words a little, shooting Brindleface and StarClan a look of apology, hoping it wouldn't interfere with her ceremony. The mottled she-cat had hardly thought about what name she would receive, or what traits she'd be praised for - oh StarClan please let Brindleface give her a good name.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I shall grant you your Warrior name." Pale gaze directed towards the starkly colored evening horizon, Brindleface's voice resonated softly atop the chilly air. Features momentarily vanishing within the tendrils of smoky breath, the molly allotted herself a moment or so to peer upwards at the flinty chips of barren starlight before them. "Heronpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Heronfeather. StarClan honors your loyalty and kindness, and we welcome you as a full Warrior of WindClan." Feathered tail brushing softly against the well-worn stone she stood upon, Brindleface was quick to abandon her position atop the Tallrock and instead join the mingling celebration that bunched together around the newly-named Heronfeather.

A purr rumbled through her entire body at the announcement of her new name, Heronfeather. The new warrior was immensely pleased and proud with the name her former mentor had chosen for her, and as Brindleface joined the crowd, she rushed over to give her a lick on the shoulder, a sign of affection and gratitude. "Thank you so much," Heronfeather purred, gazing around at her friends and fellow warriors with nothing short of love and happiness, her words aimed at nobody in particular. She was so excited to start her new life as a warrior of WindClan, and to take care of her clan that way.