[BlooRey DVD]

Pale amber eyes considered the she-cat seated near the entrance to his den. A tail tightened around his paws and his large frame shifted as a heavy stream of air escaped the StoneClan leader's lungs. He had known for a while now, somewhere near the back of his mind, that this day would come. Yet it still managed to come as a surprise on this overcast, Greenleaf morning. When his attention returned to the cream and white visitor, there was a curious concern behind his caring gaze. "And you are certain that his is what you want?"

She had already voiced her answer, and thus simply inclined her head. The sand colored tom rose then, his coat rippling with the muscles that had begun returning with the more plentiful prey. "Very well. I will call the Clan together once the the morning lull has dispelled." Realizing that she'd been dismissed, the she-cat rose stiffly to her paws. Offering him a smile, the yellow-eyed senior warrior flicked her tail in farewell. "Thank you, Hawkstar." He could do nothing but nod to her, before following slowly in her footsteps to gaze out at his still-waking Clan..

The day was  young, early morning bird still chirping here and there. Though the Dawn Patrol had left long ago, the remainder of the Clan appeared to be enjoying the slight dip in temperature offered by the absence of direct sunlight. He turned his face up to the sky, feeling the soft mist of rain weighing on his whiskers. Leafbare had been long, with a seemingly endless and constricting cold. Newleaf had brought with it hesitant relief; every cat wondered "Will this last..?" And now, Newleaf had given way to Greenleaf, with all the Clans breathing a sigh of relief. They had made it.

He paused for a moment, considering the mist that hung over the camp. It was almost eerie, but somehow clung to the side of mystical. The clearing with which they were so familiar seemed ethereal, as though their ancestors might materialize from the stones at any moment. He couldn't help the slight smile that twitched his lips at the thought. Perhaps there was no better day for this ceremony to take place after all. Taking a deep breath, letting the rain-damp air fill his lungs, he moved forward to assume his post on the peak of the Rock Pile.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here, beneath the Rock Pile, for a Clan Meeting!"

His voice echoed through the usual morning chatter, drawing the attention of those milling about. Soon, pelts of all colors were flocking to the base of his post, some more sluggishly than others. The StoneClan leader waiting patiently, sandy tail flicking rhythmically behind him as he assessed the familiar faces. Just as he expected, a familiar white and cream figure was seated near the front of the group, her tail curled calmly around once-agile paws. Though many whispered amongst one another, passing theories as to what this could be for, the white she-cat remained quiet, knowing.

Once satisfied with the turnout, the StoneClan leader waved his tail to command a silence. As the murmurs of the woken Clan died, he let his gaze drift back to the she-cat that had visited him earlier. "Fallenleaf, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and join the elders?" As the echo of his voice died, a momentary silence settled over the Clan.

During the Leafbare and Newleaf months, Fallenleaf had continued to serve her Clan despite an injury that had nearly claimed her life. He had asked her, once, why she continued to fight through the stiffness and pain she undoubtedly felt. She had met his gaze with a fierce determination he knew to be hers, before explaining that she felt as though the Clan still needed her. She would know when her duty had been completed, when her time as a warrior was finished. She would not let an injury choose that moment for her.

This morning, she had come to inform him she believed the time of her retirement had finally come. Now, she met his gaze with the same fiery determination. When she spoke, her voice was clear and unwavering. "Yes, Hawkstar. It is." The big tom dipped his muzzle to her before continuing. "Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest." As his voice drifted into silence again, she returned his respectful nod. But the silence wouldn't last long, for the Clan would fill it with their combined voices, united to honour a Clanmate. And his would be one of those.

"Fallenleaf! Fallenleaf! Fallenleaf!"

[Fawn]

Skunkspots
23 Moons. Warrior somehow. She-Cat. StoneClan.

Skunkspots' breath caught in her chest, snagged by the melancholy feelings in her heart. But Fallenleaf... In the back of her mind, the black-and-white she-cat had always known this day would dawn; perhaps in a bit of childish denial, Skunkspots had pretended Fallenleaf would be a warrior forever. The idea that she couldn't go on patrol with the older she-cat anymore was almost enough to make her wail with sadness.

It wasn't as if the she-cat was being exiled from the Clan, but by StarClan, it felt as if they were about to be worlds apart. This mother figure that had managed to fill the empty spaces in her heart that her parents had left behind. With a sudden wave of guilt, Skunkspots chided herself hard for her selfishness. Fallenleaf has earned it. Stop blubbering and cheer her on, you birdbrain!

"Fallenleaf! Fallenleaf! Fallenleaf!" Skunkspots had all the social grace of a opossum, but that didn't matter right now. She still cheered loudly for her former mentor and friend, wanting the she-cat to know that she was still here, and still looked up to her. Skunkspots was pretty bad at emotional moments, but for this once-in-a-lifetime ceremony, she swallowed her awkwardness as best she could.

Maybe Fallenleaf would want to go on a walk with her later? This wasn't goodbye to one of the only cats she felt close to. No, not goodbye. More of a 'hello, neighbor'. Fallenleaf would only be a den away if she needed her...

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Word Count: 249 Words
Tags: BlooRey DVD