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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 13:52:29 GMT -5
Ghostlight The Ghost In Your Mind Be still my heart 'cause it's freaking out, it's freaking out, right now Shining like stars 'cause we're beautiful, we're beautiful, right now
A cooling wind blew gently through the trees, with it was the faint scent of prey that lay hidden among the pine trees and bushes in the territory beyond the camp. A weak sun hung in the sky overhead, faint rats basking the floor below, not hot enough to keep it warm but warm enough from being cold on the pads of paws. Cats came and went through the entrance as other snoozed lazily in their den or shared tonuges in the clearing. The Fresh-Kill pile was small, but not tiny as more prey was being brought in by hunting patrols throughout the day.
Shuffling slightly, the beautiful black she-cat shifted her head so that her pale blue gaze watched the entrance as a couple of cats slipped out into the forest. Her legs were laid out as she dozed comfortably on her side, swollen belly sicking out like a hill as her soft breathing paused to let out a sigh. She had been confined to camp for the past moon or so, forced to stay put and her dark colored pelt crawled to pad around the forest again, enjoying the smells and sights. Unfortunatly, neither her leader nor mate would allow it and she was on a strict watch, incase she tried to slip out.
She had only tried that once. Featherpaw about clawed her ears off, and so, she was forced to be stuck inside the camp, at least she wasn't confined to the Nursery. Ghostlight probably wouldn't be able to handle that much restriction. The tip of her fluffy tail twitched back and forth as her ghostly blue eyes closed, enjoying the weak sun that licked at her pelt. Her breathing faltered as a kick in the ribs brought her head up to look at her swollen belly.
"Already practicing battle moves?" Ghostlight reached over to run her rough tongue accross the soft black fur of her stomach, she let out a purr as another kick answered her question before she laid her head back down. Her little bundles of fur should be here anytime now, or that was what Featherpaw had told her. She was excited about seeing them, her purr grew louder as she pictured her kits playing and learning. They would make wonderful warriors of Nightclan.
Ravenstar and Blackwolf would be so proud of them. She would too.
You're all I see in all these places You're all I see in all these faces So let's pretend we're running out of time, of time |
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Post by Fate Admin on Jan 1, 2015 0:44:32 GMT -5
Ravenstar had spent most of the morning grooming her ridiculous fur, cursing it between each and every lick for being so very high maintenance, and finally finished to relax at her den entrance and watch the goings on about camp. Slatenose was proving quite capable as a deputy. She kept things well organized. The sunrise patrol returned and a hunting patrol left shortly after. She watched with impassive amber eyes from her vantage point across the cavern. The sunrise patrol split up, a couple cats grabbing prey and a couple others heading to their dens for rest after their early rise.
She rested her chin on her small white paws, closing her eyes. Life went on as normal. She wasn’t sure what the point of it all was anymore. Sharp-paw, her father, her mother, Softkit, Darkwing… Boneshadow… Grimjaw… Smokefur…. They were all gone. Everyone she had ever been close to, had ever cared about on a deeper level than what Clan loyalty demanded… gone. She felt hollow. How she regretted the way she and Smokefur had been getting on the last few moons. How she regretted never telling Grimjaw who he was. Well, she was sure he knew now… but she had always planned to tell him… after his foster mother was gone.
She opened her eyes to stare blankly across the camp, watching some warrior call out to his apprentice for training. She felt older than she was, watching them leave camp, the apprentice chatting excitedly about what they would do that day. She knew them all by name, but right now, couldn’t bother to call them up. They were all just cats, her cats, her Clan, parts of a larger whole that had existed as far back as any cat could remember and would continue existing as long as time went on. No matter which cats were lost, as they all would be eventually, NightClan would remain.
Every cat must find their own meaning, old friend.
She raised her head suddenly, ears perked forward as words whispered upon the win reached her ears, painfully familiar. She nearly hissed in frustration, “Don’t taunt me with your so called StarClan wisdom when the questions and uncertainty of life are long behind you!” Her tail lashed and she stood, stalking away from her den as if she could outrun that voice that had always imparted words of caution and wisdom, even when she never asked for it. It seemed death had not changed him at all. When she was again aware of her surroundings she looked up to see Ghostlight lying a few tail lengths away.
Some of the tension left her as she looked at the queen, round with Blackwolf’s kits. They would be her kin. She let out a sigh and padded forward, “Hello, Ghostlight.” She sat beside the younger she-cat, “I hope you don’t mind if I join you for a time.” She curled her fluffy tail neatly around her paws, looking down at her, “Still restless?” Ghostlight had not taken well to being confined to camp. It was one of the many reasons Ravenstar had never been interesting in having kits of her own. She could never have done it. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2015 22:48:41 GMT -5
Ghostlight The Ghost In Your Mind Be still my heart 'cause it's freaking out, it's freaking out, right now Shining like stars 'cause we're beautiful, we're beautiful, right now
Pawsteps heading towards her made the queen look up from dozing on the ground under the sunlight. Pale blue orbs caught the sight of Nightclan's small but fierce, black and white leader. As the ink colored she-cat was pulling herself to her paws, she forgot how much weight she had put on, slightly teetering as she regained her balance. Gently setting herself down on her hindlegs, the expecting warrioress turned her attention back to the leader who had settled herself in font of her.
Bushy tail wrapped around her paws as her ears flickered to catch Ravenstar's soft words. Jaws parting, the queen let her voice flow from her throat to respond to the questions asked of her. "I would love some company." She gave a soft purr, ghostly orbs looking down at the smaller cat who had joined her.
Say what you will of Ravenstar, but Ghostlight had never seen her for her size, but for her heart and courage for leading Nightclan. The black she-cat felt that she looked up to Ravenstar, for being such an amazing role model and strong figurehead for the clan that dwell in the Pine Forest. She was quite glad that Ravenstar would be around for moons long, should Starclan be kind, to help watch over the future kits that Ghostlight was growing inside her at the moment.
Despite Ghostlight not having several friends, as say Blackwolf did, though the queen doubted some of them were much of friends, like Ratfur, she was still not used to being so alone when she moved to the nursery and was placed on camp arrest. She was, after all, the only Nightclan warrior who was also a queen, so the she had the whole nursery to herself. She hated herself for admitting this, though only to herself, but she missed the warmth of Blackwolf and his scent when she had slept next to him in the warrior's den.
She gave a nod to Ravenstar, "Restless, yes." She gave a sigh, as she switched around her body weight a bit. "Though not as much anymore, I seem to find it harder to get around now." Which was true, she started to tire out more easily, which made her think that her bundles of fluff and claws would be coming any time now. Walking around the camp made her breath come in puff, though she wasn't sure if that was because she was close to giving birth, or because she grew in weight to match a badger. She felt like she walked like a badger as well.
The queen looked over Ravenstar for a moment before deciding to tread on thin ice. She was aware of the leaders' experiences with her past couple of apprentice, most of them ending up with some sort of horrible accident or some such, but the kits inside Ghostlight were to be the leader's kin. "I would like for you to mentor one of the kits when they become apprentices." The she-cat purred softly, bushy tail flickering against the sandy ground below their paws.
She had spoken to Blackwolf about this already, and she wanted to tell Ravenstar as well. In honor of Nightclan's former deputy and Ravenstar's lost but most closest friend, the black she-cat had wanted to name one of her kits after him. "I wanted to let you know." She started, glancing at her paws before letting those ghostly blue orbs meet Ravenstar's pale amber ones. "I want to name one of my kits Bonekit."
You're all I see in all these places You're all I see in all these faces So let's pretend we're running out of time, of time |
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Post by Fate Admin on Jan 6, 2015 20:08:19 GMT -5
Ravenstar watched the larger, much larger with her belly bulging with kits, she-cat shift her weight until she was comfortable, or Ravenstar supposed, as comfortable as a very pregnant queen could be. Few cats would turn down a visit from their leader, though Ravenstar was quite aware that her… bold decisions in the recent moons passed had not pleased the entire Clan. There were those that had refused to trespass on TreeClan territory, to ‘steal’ prey. She had not punished them, simply let them be, remembering her own father’s staunch defense of the Warrior Code. He would not have broken it even if Stripestar ordered him to do so.
It caused something of a rift in the Clan, she had noticed. Those who kept closer to the Code hadn’t been too pleased with their Clanmates who so easily tossed it aside. As far as Ravenstar was concerned, she was the only one who had broken the Code, and she had no regrets about it. A leader’s word is the Code, it says. It left her Clanmates innocent, simply following her orders. All the blame could fall on her, what did she care? If TreeClan was too weak to protect what was theirs it wasn’t her problem, and why wouldn’t she take advantage of it, if it made NightClan stronger?
In the end Lionstar had finally made her pay for it, taking one of her lives. It was about time too, he had allowed her cats to steal prey for moons before he did anything significant. She almost snorted thinking about it. But that was in the past. She refocused on Ghostlight as she spoke of finding it harder to move around. Ravenstar could only imagine, and had no desire to find out for herself. Her ears twitched as the queen made a bold request. Most queens would hope their leader might choose one of their kits as an apprentice. Most considered it quite the honor. Far fewer would ever openly ask. Perhaps she would reward Ghostlight’s initiative. Besides, they were Blackwolf’s kits, and her kin.
“I will think about it. I may not end up being a good match for any of them,” she replied honestly, not wanting to make a promise she could not keep. Her pale gaze shifted to the Featherpaw’s den, where Palepaw still recovered. He should have been a warrior by now, if not for his accident. His training had already been on hold for several moons. She closed her eyes and withheld a sigh, her voice taking a bitter tone, “Then again, you may not want me to mentor one after all. My apprentices seem to be cursed.” Her tail swished in frustration before she managed to still it, pulling it back in around her paws. Her first apprentice had become a warrior without any problems, but since then….
Ghostlight’s voice jolted her out of her spiraling negativity. ”I want to name one of my kits Bonekit.” She stared blankly at the entrance to Featherpaw’s den and slowly shifted her gaze to her white paws. She wasn’t certain how she felt about it… hearing his name in the Clan again. Every time she looked at the kit she would think of him. Every time some cat called that name she would turn, expecting him to be there, and feel like a complete fool. She closed her eyes. And yet he deserved the memorial of a new life. They had not even been able to hold a proper vigil over his body. If there was any better way to honor him, Ravenstar did not know what it was. Trying to be more lighthearted, she forced a rough purr through the turmoil of emotions roiling beneath the surface, “It is a rather heavy burden to put on your own kit, to have to live up to such a name.” |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2015 22:17:14 GMT -5
Ghostlight The Ghost In Your Mind Be still my heart 'cause it's freaking out, it's freaking out, right now Shining like stars 'cause we're beautiful, we're beautiful, right now
The black pelted queen let her pale gaze followed to where her small leader's gaze had settled. She knew that Ravenstar's mind and worries were past Nightclan at the moment as her broken apprentice lay in Featherpaw's care until further notice. It was hard, to be a mentor to any apprentice, but the queen could only imagine how hard it was to be the leader as well as a mentor.
The pale eyed she-cat was not young, nor was she old, but she had only mentored one cat in her life as a warrior, and though she had no problems with his training, she often worried over Sunpulse.
Flicking her feathered tail out, she gently brushed it against Ravenstar's flank softly, giving her leader a gentle comfort. "Do not worry Ravenstar." Ghostlight's voice was gentle as she watched her leader continue to gaze at Featherpaw's den. "Palepaw will be fine. He is a strong young cat and he has a wonderful mentor." Though Ravenstar would probably never admit it, she was a queen in her own rights as Ghostlight was a queen of Nightclan. All of the pine dwelling cats were Ravenstar's kits, all were hers.
"You must be strong for him. He will look to you for strength." Ghostlight gave a purr, "One mistake does not make you a bad cat, just as one accident does not make you a bad mentor." She once again shifted her weight, an ear twitch was the only sign she gave when she felt a sharp twinge in her swollen belly. However, despite the random burst of pain, she continued to speak to her leader.
"All cats stumble and fall. It is up to their clanmates to pick them back up." Ghostlight said, the purr still warm in her throat as her feathered tail brushed against Ravenstar's ink colored flank once more. "That is why we are a clan, and not a bouncing bumble of loners and rogues." As she pulled her tail back to curl around her paws, she let her pale gaze turn from Featherpaw's den back to her leader's smaller form.
Her attention turned from Palepaw to her leader's comment of Bonekit being named after Boneshadow. She had to move again, another twinge of pain, this one almost knocking the breath from her chest. After a moment, she opened her jaw to speak once more. "Would it be a burden? Or an honor?" Ghostlight asked Ravenstar, "To be named after a wonderful warrior and a powerful deputy, a legend of Nightclan. I have to say, being named after one of Starclan's finest is a great honor only few can say they have--"
The queen paused, her pale blue eyes widening as she felt another lash of pain, this one stronger, causing her body to shake. Her claws involuntarily slid out and curled into the ground. A ripple slipped along her swollen belly as her breath came out in short sports. "We might.... need to get... Featherpaw--"
Her voice cut out in a low yowl as another ripple ripped through her body.
You're all I see in all these places You're all I see in all these faces So let's pretend we're running out of time, of time |
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