[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true] Lionstar - 36 Moons - Tom - TreeClan[style=border-top: solid 4px #000000; border-left: solid 4px #000000; border-right: solid 4px #000000; background-color: #FEDD87; overflow: auto; Width: 450px; Height: 450px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; text-align: left] How many times in his entire life would he be saying these words? "Let all cats strong enough gather beneath the Ancient Stump for a Clan meeting!" No, not those words. The words he would say before StarClan and hopefully the spirits of Smallshine and Spottedfeather as he appointed a new deputy. How many more deputies would rise and fall while he still lived? Being a leader - it didn't extend one's life, it didn't grant him some sort of fail-safe against dying. He would die eventually, and should he succumb to old age, he would likely take his last breath a few times over before StarClan bore him on gentle paws to his final resting place. That did mean, however, that the battles they fought, the battles that endangered the lives of every cat here, every cat with just one life to live, he would have to watch as some fell and did not get up again. Though he considered everyone in TreeClan his friends, there were some he was closer to than others; it would be a dark, dark hour when the time of those select few finally ran out. It was unlike him to dwell on such grim thoughts like mortality and lifespans, but the almost back-to-back deaths of Spottedfeather and Smallshine had shaken the once unshakeable warrior to his very core. That was his biggest concern, really, when appointing this particular she-cat as his deputy. Lionstar could scarcely believe it hadn't occurred to him before - she was an obvious choice, really, though Smallshine had been a great selection, her time had just ended far too soon - but a warning at the back of his mind made him hesitate for so, so long. What if she dies? What was he going to do without her then? What if Stormchaser left him too? His mother, his step-father, the two kits scampering around the nursery with their whole futures ahead of them - or perhaps not? As much as it had irked him, as much as it bothered him now to know that he would likely outlive everyone who had ever meant something to him (such was the life of a warrior), Lionstar had forced himself to come to grips with reality. That was the life of a Clan leader. No matter how much he wanted to, changing the past or the future was not within his power; he could only pray to StarClan that the fates be kind, not just to him, but to everyone they've ever watched over. Putting on a calming smile, the lion-like warrior-tom stood upon his perch, the swish of his bottle-brush tail soundless, the swivel of darkly-ticked ears evident as he picked up the pawsteps of approaching cats. Spying one cat in particular, Lionstar cleared his throat, filled his lungs with air, and forced aside the worries and the fears and the powerlessness that plagued him; "The time has come to appoint a new deputy." Drawing strength from the many familiar, familial faces that were upturned to look at him, Lionstar continued. "I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of TreeClan is Daringheart." There. Things have been set into motion. She is the new deputy of TreeClan. Rather than feel the full weight of this decision slide off his shoulders, instead it seemed to loosen slightly, as though of the tons of lives and destinies that rested upon him, a small section of it had broken off and fallen to the she-cat he had just acclaimed - or cursed, depending on how you looked at it. Meeting the she-cat's eyes, Lionstar forced a broader smile, selfishly relieved now that he was not so...alone in this place that was TreeClan's hierarchy. He gestured her up with a flick of the tail, as if to say C'mon Daring, we're not getting any younger! It was the beginning of a new era, and one Lionstar hoped, for both his sanity and for the sake of Daringheart, that would last for a very long time. Notes: Word Count: 639 Pictures: All Rights Reserved to Lisa Beattie.

[BlooRey DVD]

Featherpaw
~~~~~~~~

A groan left the she-cat as a voice cut into her sleep. Blue eyes blinked open upon hearing her mentor's voice. This time, however, he was not calling her out specifically. He was calling the Clan together. Rolling to her paw, the silver apprentice groggily blinked her eyes, forcing the sleep from them. She had had a fitful sleep last night, and had gone to take a nap after training. So much for that. Featherpaw stretched her limbs, feeling her muscles rippling slightly. She had been training as Lionstar's apprentice for some moons now, and she knew it was doing her well. She was a lithe she-cat, but with muscle build, she looked strong, not thin and weak.

Striding out of her den, she noticed one of her tortoiseshell tabby Clanmates. Recognizing this one as no ordinary she-cat, Featherpaw bowed politely. The she-cat she knew as Brokensong smiled softly back at her, dipping her tortoiseshell head. Featherpaw continued on her way, sitting down near the rock. She listened as her mentor spoke familiar words. When the deputy was announced, Featherpaw pricked her ears, determined to start the chant. "Daringheart! Daringheart! Daringheart!"

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Brokensong
~~~~~~~~

The silent she-cat had risen to her paws upon hearing Lionstar's call. She had been out hunting earlier, and had been grooming her long coat. She knew, however, that that could wait. She stretched her body, feeling the bones pop. A look of contentment crossed her features, and had she been able to, she would have purred. Hazel eyes looked around, meeting with sharp blue ones. She picked up the name Featherpaw. She was Lionstar's apprentice. With a nod of her head, the tortoiseshell returned the silent greeting. Much like the silver apprentice had, the mute warrioress continued on, finding her way to a spot near the meeting place. Her intelligent eyes looked up towards her leader, wondering what he would say.

Speculations began to flit through her head. She figured it was probably the deputy announcement. Her head tipped to the side slightly, still watching the lion-like tom intently. When he began to speak, she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. She had been right. Her ears pricked, listening for the name. Daringheart... Interesting choice. I do believe it was a good one. She nodded her head slowly, in silent agreement. The young warrioress turned her head, eyes searching out the new deputy. As Featherpaw's voice rose into the chant, she spotted her. Brokensong couldn't join in the chant, and although she hoped that she could catch Daringheart's eye to give her a nod of congratulations, she knew it was probably unlikely. Not many stopped to consider her. Why should Daringheart be any different? Still, she supposed it was worth a try, just as everything in her young life seemed to be.

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[Deleted]

Daringheart was lulling softly in her nest when a call to gather by Lionstar could be heard echoing through the camp. She laid still for a few moments longer then stood and stretched gently before giving her head a soft shake to clear all the fog of sleep from her vision. She pushed out of the warriors den a moment later and made her way with a throng of cats that were gathering bellow their fearless leader. –Fearless- she thought with an internal chuckle, she knew all to well what he feared now she had been let into that noggin of his. He had is fears alright, however when she sat down and was correct in her assumption that it was his deputy announcement she had no idea that they would be her fears now too. As she was hailed as the next deputy it took all her willpower to keep her jaw from dropping and yelling ‘What?!’ for all the clan to hear. It took a moment for her to will her feet to carry her up to her leader but as she started to move towards his beckoning she could hear her name being chanted by her clanmates. When she hopped onto the stump she sat beside Lionstar and whispered into his ear so only he would know she had said, “Are you crazy?” In a gentle voice, it wasn’t an outburst more a sign of her fear.

[Deleted]

Upon hearing the familiar call of Lionstar, the tabby warrior padded out from his den, ears pricked. Calmly, Leafscar stepped towards the stump, making himself one of the first in the group of gathering cats. Green eyes locked onto Lionstar and a small pang hit the tom's stomach. The leader, and his good friend, had been through a lot with his past two deputies.

Leafscar wished he had a way to comfort their leader, but he didn't have the words to say to Lionstar that could make it any better. Gaze swept over the crowd of cats upon the announcement, and a soft meow rose from within the tabby tom's chest. "Daringheart! Daringheart!" the warrior cheered lightly, approving of the deputy. Hopefully, after leaf-bare was over, things would be changing for the better.

[Deleted]

. : E m b e r s t o r m : .

197

Emberstorm nosed around the meager fresh-kill pile, green eyes looking over the too-skinny prey options the Clan had to choose from. With a sigh, she turned away, fiery tail flicking behind her in annoyance. She wanted to help her Clan, but there was nothing more she could do, short of a miracle. The ginger she-cat didn't have long to worry over the lack of food, as Lionstar appeared, calling all the Clan together.

Emberstorm joined the rest of the Clan around the Ancient Stump, feeling a pelt brush hers. She looked to her left, seeing her father, Flamedance, smiling down at her. Together, the pair sat, joined shortly after by Silvercloud, Flamedance's mate and Emberstorm's mother. Emberstorm smiled brightly at her parents before letting her expression grow somber to gaze at Lionstar.

"I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of TreeClan is Daringheart." As the Clan lifted their voices, Emberstorm, Silvercloud, and Flamedance joined them, until the voices of the Clan rose and crashed and cascaded over one another, a cacophony of voices joined in joy in the wake of tragedy.

. : R o w a n k i t : .

169

The fluffy sorrel kit had been awake for a short while, her greenish eyes wide as she awaited the coming day. Any day now, she and her sister would be made apprentices, and the boisterous kit could barely contain her excitement. As such, it was only natural that the rebellious kit bolted from the nursery as soon as she heard the voice of her half-brother, Lionstar, echoing through the camp.

Rowankit bounded across the camp, skidding to a halt not far from the Ancient Stump, nearly shaking in anticipation. When the words emerged from Lionstar's mouth, however, Rowankit's entire body fell, from her ears to her head to her shoulders and to her tail. It wasn't yet time for her ceremony. She didn't leave, though, and instead waited to hear who the new deputy would be.

Daringheart's name was called, and Rowankit added her voice to the rest of the Clan's, feeding off of the pride that TreeClan was still strong, despite the troubles that leaf-bare had given them.