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Post by Fawn on Feb 6, 2015 17:02:07 GMT -5
Lionstar 51 Moons || Tom || TreeClan
The honor behind Sunstride's intentions, both in joining RainClan for the sake of his unborn kits and in telling Lionstar the news personally, did not lessen the burning sense of betrayal in the golden warrior's stomach. It had been unexpected in the entirety, and though the ginger tom's decision had ultimately been a result of falling in love with a she-cat he should not have, this, on the heels of Grayowl's banishment was enough to shake Lionstar's composure. A missing kit, a murderous exile, a young warrior who had shown so much promise - though the Clan's source of food was plentiful and New Leaf had brought no floods with it, there was still a sense of chaos on a more personal level.
He had liked Sunstride. He had trusted him, and regardless of whatever had motivated the move to RainClan, it was still considered an act against TreeClan, to choose the Clan of a lover over the Clan you had been born in was something Lionstar had never been able to fathom; he understood the power of love, he believed in always doing the right thing, even when others strove to push him to his limits and test the solidity of his morals. Lionstar laid in the sunlight beneath the Great Maple, a fresh breeze carrying the open, earthy scents of the forest brought him some small solace, his thoughts like leaves stirred up by a gale - going round and round and bumping into each other, no signs of settling.
If Willowfur had stumbled upon LightningClan instead of her birth Clan, a few moons ago, and she had joined them for the sole sake of belonging somewhere - would he have been able to cope with this? It would have been nothing but his longing to see her, to have her close by, to have her breathing the same air that he breathed that he could picture himself speaking with Redstar in private, asking her to return a warrior they had thought lost for good. But what if she had not wanted to come back? This hypothetical situation only added to the harsh burning sensation in his stomach, as though the bile was boiling, so greatly did he disagree with all that had transpired over these past few sunrises. If Willowfur had chosen to live out her days in LightningClan, the pain this would have brought him was unrivaled, his feelings for her unable to move on without closure, and he was unable to seek closure due to his position.
If it became a choice between his private life and his destiny as a leader, then he would have to choose the latter, every time. He would rather die the leader they needed, than give all of that up for his own selfishness and overwhelmingly strong feelings for Willowfur. Lionstar thanked his ancestors that she had been returned to them, a prayer full of sincerity sent up into the presently unseen silverpelt, grateful it was TreeClan soil the gray and white she-cat had first set paw on, and not the moorlands that could've been her home.
Aware of the sound of approaching pawsteps, Lionstar, golden eyes bearing the dark, troubled gleam of a brooding cat, glanced over his shoulder to see who it was. He had not yet made the announcement about Sunstride to the rest of the Clan, he would wait until moonrise; until then, the lion would hold this bitter piece of news inside of him, letting it fester while he reflected on his leadership abilities. He would always take these things seriously, personally, always wonder if there was something he could have done to prevent these kinds of situations, always feeling a hollow pang whenever a TreeClan cat left them.
@lacihparg, @ghostlight ((You can bring in either Thornstrike or Willowfur, or both.  Your choice! And I thought you'd want to read this, Ghost)) |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2015 15:43:18 GMT -5
Gentlebreeze
Gentle Soul, Fierce Heart
I thank my sister for keeping my head above the water
When the truth was like swallowing sand
Now every morning
There is no more morning oh I
Can finally see myself again
Soft, gentle paw-steps, uneven and messy, made their way towards where Lionstar lay, looking majestic in the morning sun's glow. It had been a while since the sun had laid eyes on the white pelt of the perma-queen that resided in Treeclan. Her pelt stuck to her small frame, bones jutted out even though she had been putting on some weight the last couple of days. She was still unsteady on her paws, and weak, but she was back to fighting for her life, rather than wasting it away in the Nursery.
Coming to a pause beside her leader, the small, white she-cat sat down, his hips poking out slightly as her tail curled around her paws. Her pelt was sleek, as it had been recently groomed and her pretty green eyes held a far light in them, but they were brighter than they had been in while, which was another good sign. She kept a couple paw-lengths away from the larger tom, but close enough to where they could speak to each other.
Green eyes followed Lionstar's train of sight to the entrance and gave a soft sigh. "Don't take it personally..." She started off, her voice cracked from lack of use, but it still held that pretty note. Her sight moved back over to his golden form before shifting her weight as if sitting on the ground was uncomfortable on her weak body.
"He looked up to you... You were his father figure." She knew that even though her words were Sunstride's words, Lionstar would still feel betrayed by her younger brother's decision to leave the clan. Gentlebreeze was proud of him, however. He had broken the rules, yes, and taken a mate not from Treeclan, but he owned up to his mistake and was going to be with the she-cat who was to bare his kits.
"He did the honorable thing for that she-cat, because he knew you would do the honorable thing." The white she-cat knew that didn't justify anything, but perhaps it would put Lionstar's mind to ease. Her brother had come to her, asking for forgiveness, but also asking for her blessing, she had told him never to be sorry for falling in love. It was something that happened on purpose, and accident at the same time.
She knew those feelings only too well, and she could only hope that Lionstar, still in love with Willowfur, knew that such an emotion was such a powerful thing. It's claws on the heart were hard to break free from and so easy to succumb too. "You are a good leader." Gentlebreeze looked up, letting her eyes linger on Lionstar for a moment.
By the grace of God (there was no other way)
I picked myself back up (I knew I had to stay)
I put one foot in front of the other and I
Looked in the mirror and decided to stay
Wasn't gonna let love take me out
That way
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Post by Fawn on Feb 9, 2015 16:04:53 GMT -5
Lionstar 51 Moons || Tom || TreeClan
Just as he was beginning to scoff at himself over this pointless pity party, a familiar white shape entered his peripheral vision, and he swung his head around to look at the she-cat coming to join him in front of the Great Maple. "Gentlebreeze! Why are--" He'd felt a sharp stab of surprise at her appearance (she hardly ever left the nursery these days), noticing how fragile she looked, even though she smiled at him and spoke words of comfort; the cracked quality of her voice didn't go amiss either. Listening to her say something to him for the first time in moons, Lionstar wanted to protest. The honorable thing would've been leaving Rippletail alone, not letting it get to this point, he thought with a note of irritability; why did TreeClan have to lose a perfectly good warrior for something that never should've happened?
He wanted to speak out against the softhearted queen at his side, tell her that no he wouldn't have done what Sunstride did had he been in his situation (it was hard to picture himself not being leader, it was as if his life before accepting nine lives in StarClan didn't matter much anymore, it felt so far back in the past), but Lionstar couldn't guarantee she was right and that he was wrong, or vice versa. It was difficult to picture himself throwing his future away - but kits changed things. If Sunstride had left just for Rippletail, not for the offspring he and Rippletail were risking everything for, then Lionstar would have felt truly upset at Sunstride's decision. He likely would've lost a little respect for the ginger tom; it was painful, and it was going to sound harsh, but feelings for cats in other Clans weren't supposed to be nurtured, or encouraged, or cultivated into what Rippletail and Sunstride currently had.
Of course, he was privileged to have Willowfur in TreeClan; if she wasn't, well, he probably would've been singing a different tune. Though he still felt embittered by the whole thing, Lionstar chose to keep his mouth shut, at least until his temper had settled down into cinders. "I still think it shouldn't have happened," he mewed, honest. "But I can acknowledge that he's being a brave warrior right now, broken code or not. RainClan will not welcome him with open arms." And I can't let him back in if things don't work out. That wasn't the way the Code worked. Whether or not Lionstar wanted Sunstride to come back to TreeClan had nothing to do with it - as the leader, he had to enforce the Code. Cats who broke it were punished, and no longer allowed within TreeClan, even if they had chosen to defect peacefully.
Lionstar, meeting Gentlebreeze's bright green gaze, watched her with a concerned look. He couldn't blame her for being proud of Sunstride - if he hadn't been Clan leader, he likely would've felt the same. After another pause, Lionstar spoke up again. "I hope StarClan isn't too harsh with him. Maybe he'll find his place in RainClan after all."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2015 21:44:59 GMT -5
Gentlebreeze
Gentle Soul, Fierce Heart
I thank my sister for keeping my head above the water
When the truth was like swallowing sand
Now every morning
There is no more morning oh I
Can finally see myself again
She wasn't one to argue, or to point out flaws in what others said, but the two cats were speaking of her golden and white furred brother who no longer lived among the trees in Treeclan. There was a small ear twitch before she figured out what to say next, despite pulling herself from the Nursery, she didn't feel like getting into an argument or upsetting her leader.
With a slight twitch of her tail, the white she-cat turned her green eyes away from Lionstar to look at the entrance of the camp. With her emotions scattered, she wasn't too sure how she was exactly feeling at the moment. She was aware of Adderstrike's and Moonshimmer's feelings towards Sunstride leaving the clan for his mate of Rainclan, and Lionstar's was now obvious to her.
Gentlebreeze had always been very much like her mother, Softwhisker, a kind and gentle soul, a lover rather than a fighter. She had adopted her words 'Follow Your Heart' from her white pelted mother as well, and so her brother's decision didn't make her feel betrayed or that he left because he wasn't happy here in Treeclan.
She was aware of how much it hurt Sunstride to walk away, he may have not said it, but leaving his siblings, his life and his role as a proud Treeclan warrior was eating him up when he came to speak to her about leaving. He hated to disappoint any-cat, and he would be disappointing his family, and the tom he looked up to, the tom he viewed as father to him, Lionstar.
"Things that shouldn't happen, happen all the time..." She felt her voice caught in her throat as she thought about her green eyed little tabby kit who was lost to her so many moons ago. It took a moment for the queen to gain her composure again as she glanced down at her paws, steadying her breathing before continuing.
"He-he may have not said this too you..." Her soft voice fell from her maw again, once she was ready to speak, "But Sunstride, he loved being here, this was his whole life, to make you proud was something he always strived to do. And knowing he had disappointed you, is what is killing him the most." Despite leaving his three siblings, Gentlebreeze knew that what Lionstar thought of her brother, was more important.
By the grace of God (there was no other way)
I picked myself back up (I knew I had to stay)
I put one foot in front of the other and I
Looked in the mirror and decided to stay
Wasn't gonna let love take me out
That way
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Post by Fawn on Feb 10, 2015 10:54:02 GMT -5
Lionstar 51 Moons || Tom || TreeClan
"Things that shouldn't happen, happen all the time..."
It was saddening, how much weight that statement carried. Lionstar knew they were both thinking about individual tragedies as soon as those words had left Gentlebreeze's mouth; she mourned for a lost kit, he mourned for deputies come to pass, a fallen apprentice, his father... A fresh wound was knowing that Sunstride had held such a high opinion of him; perhaps properly for the first time, he began to see the weighty decision the young warrior had been forced to make, he envisioned the sleepless nights, the crushing guilt, and the strong sense of honor Sunstride's parents had so fortunately bestowed him with. There were other cats in TreeClan, as reluctant as he was to say it, who would not have been brave enough or pure enough of heart to do what Sunstride had done; Pineneedle, for starters.
"I won't pretend I approve of everything he's done, but I can see how difficult that choice was. TreeClan lost a great warrior, but better this than death." It might've sounded like a weak counterargument, but it was better than death; and Lionstar was likely not the only warrior who was counting himself lucky that the betrayal was of a benevolent nature, rather than Grayowl's particular brand of it. It would take time, of course, before he could fully adjust to Sunstride's defection. No matter what any cat thought, he was not perfect, he was not all-forgiving, his patience was not eternal. At the end of the night, he was still mortal (mostly), still felt disappointment so sharp it was like a thorn prickling at his heart; all he could do now, all that he always did after every unexpected (and mostly unwanted) turn of events was to face his Clan and take care of them, reapplying himself and his dedication to the Clan's well-being. It wasn't so much that he feared them all being torn away from TreeClan due to various, unwanted circumstances - it was to provide a sense of comfort, to keep TreeClan moving forward despite any set backs - keep up a sense of normalcy until normalcy did, at last, return.
No longer wishing to dwell upon Sunstride - at least, not for the moment - he steered his thoughts away from the unsettling realization that both mentor and apprentice had left the Clan one after another (Crimsonshadow had gone first), and spoke to Gentlebreeze. This time the conversation was brought about face onto her well-being.
"How are you feeling? I'm relieved to see you outside of camp, but you look a little unsteady." Had she finally begun to eat again? It was hard to say, her pelt was recently groomed, allowing him to see all the way it clung to her body like moss on a branch, bones jutting out here and there. Lionstar would ask what had happened to the once-vibrant she-cat with the glossy white fur and the warm green eyes, but he already knew.
Things that shouldn't happen, happen all the time...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2015 23:30:34 GMT -5
Gentlebreeze
Gentle Soul, Fierce Heart
I thank my sister for keeping my head above the water
When the truth was like swallowing sand
Now every morning
There is no more morning oh I
Can finally see myself again
While she had begun to drift off in her own little world, thoughts spinning around in her head, her leader's voice pulled her back to reality as her eyes buzzed into focus onto the golden tom in-front of her. She noticed how distraught he looked with all that had happened recently and she couldn't even begin to think how she looked in his eyes.
She felt her heart lighten a bit as he asked about her well being, something that happened often by her siblings, but coming from him she felt more attached to reality than she had in several moons. The gentle she-cat sat down, as she couldn't remain standing for too long, still weak from lack of eating and sleeping and moving, her tail curled around her paws as she caught sight of her hips bulging out from her tight, white pelt.
She was aware of how much weight she had lost, and how thin and frail she had become, but she was starting to get better, she had been eating and grooming herself lately, and it would take time, but she would come back around. Depression was a terrible thing, hard to crawl away from once it fell upon your shoulders.
"I'm okay." She responded to Lionstar after a moment, letting her green orbs fall onto his face, giving a sigh. "I'm still struggling, but I'm eating and working on getting stronger." She said, before a small breeze made her shiver ever so slightly. She shook her head, almost as if she were amused by how such a small thing could rattle her.
"I can't waste away... My mother wouldn't want that, and neither would any of my kits that I lost." Her voice struggled at the end, as she thought of Tigerkit and Lilykit, who didn't even get to breathe a second of life, and then Bugkit, who was taken from her and lost forever, presumed dead, and then Softwhisker, who was a permaqueen in her own rights, who would never want Gentlebreeze to fade away as she had been.
"I have to be strong." She said, turning her eyes towards the sky, "For them, for me, for Sunstride and Adderstrike and Moonshimmer." She said softly, letting her eyes lingering at the clouds for a moment longer before turning to meet those amber orbs of Lionstar's.
By the grace of God (there was no other way)
I picked myself back up (I knew I had to stay)
I put one foot in front of the other and I
Looked in the mirror and decided to stay
Wasn't gonna let love take me out
That way
Fawn
@lacihparg
-Enter Thornstrike with Wasp?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2015 0:56:15 GMT -5
t h o r n s t r i k e
senior warrior, treeclan
Still carrying the annoying little she-kit, squirming in his jaw, Thornstrike made his way back to camp with Zephyrfang at his heels. What in the world did this scrap of fur think she was doing? he wondered, lifting his aching mouth to raise her over a fallen branch. He may not like the intruder, but at least he was respectful of her. After all, she was a she-kit, and a kit to boot, so he felt obligated to treat her with as much dignity as an invader deserved.
He cut across TreeClan territory, heading back to camp by way of the Great Maple, when Lionstar's scent found its way into his nose through the mangy scent of the kit. He flicked his tail at Zephyrfang to get his attention and changed directions, heading directly to the large tree in the middle of TreeClan's lands. Walking into the clearing around the base of the Great Maple, Thornstrike gentle deposited his burden on the ground and sat around her, trapping her in between his paws.
Working his jaw for a moment, he finally regained enough feeling to explain the kit he carried with him. "Lionstar, Gentlebreeze," he greeted dipped his head in respect. "While Zephyrfang and I here hunting, we were ambushed by this kit. She called him by his old name and said she was Wasp, the daughter of Shantani. I pulled her off of Zephyrfang and was going to bring her to camp, but I scented you on the way and came you to directly instead."
you will never be alone again
love will make it all right
fawn: lionstar, zephyrfang | ghost: gentlebreeze, wasp :tags
258 :words
intruder alert :notes |
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Your choice! And I thought you'd want to read this, Ghost))