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Post by Insidious on Jun 26, 2016 23:01:51 GMT -5
Dimstar sat in the doorway of his den, his posture stiff as a board, as he waited for a familiar black pelt to return to camp. He assumed that his mate had taken her apprentice out to train, but once the duo returned, it would come as a pleasant surprise to the young, prospering daughter of Blackwolf that she was no longer to be an apprentice. She had come a long way since her sixth moon, and while he oftentimes came across as indifferent to his peers, he certainly paid attention to each and every one of them. He had been keeping track of her progress—and subconsciously comparing it to that of his apprentice’s—and decided that she deserved her name before either of her siblings. As soon as he spotted her ducking into the camp clearing, he rose to his paws and ascended the Boulder Ledge. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Boulder Ledge for a clan meeting.” His voice didn’t bellow throughout the camp as was expected of a leader. There was no sense of urgency in his voice, but instead a cold, monotonous finality. In his mind, it had the same affect.
He waited until the crowd had thickened, but truthfully, his only concern in the moment was for Hollypaw and Starlingcry. The apprentice needed to be present in order to receive her name and, of course, he wanted his mate to be there to witness what her tutelage had allowed to happen. He let his eyes briefly land within Starlingcry’s as a silent signal that this moment was for her and her apprentice. Otherwise, his eyes didn’t even twitch, so he wouldn’t be overly surprised if she didn’t catch on. It would take time, and a lot of it, despite his wishes, for the two of them to fully become in sync. Thankfully, the tom had unlimited patience.
“An apprentice stands among us that has reached her twelfth moon, and it’s time for her to step forward and join the warriors of NightClan. Hollypaw, if you’d please.” Finally, he let his ghostly eyes fixate on Hollypaw unwaveringly. He tipped his head forward, gesturing for the she-cat to approach the front of the Boulder Ledge. “I, Dimstar, leader of NightClan, 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 her turn. Hollypaw…” Dimstar paused, holding the she-cat’s eyes, hoping that his own apprentice had assembled to watch his sister become a warrior without him. At the very least, he wanted it to motivate him to work harder. “...do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?”
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Post by Hellion on Jun 27, 2016 2:44:25 GMT -5
Starlingcry I paced around for hours, on empty I jumped at the slightest of sounds
Her shoulder was still sore from the altercation yesterday but that didn't stop Starlingcry. She and Hollypaw had went back into the forest earlier to double check the border, ensure the Clan's scent was strong there. It was also for Starlingcry's benefit to remind herself that they were safe. Her recent acceptance of Dimstar's proposal to be his mate had the she-cat concerned about her Clan's safety more then ever before. There wouldn't be much time until her belly would grow with kits and she wanted them as safe as possible.
Crossing the threshold back into camp, Starlingcry's ears perked toward the sound of her mate's voice. She had grown used to the cold detached nature of his voice and overall personality. It didn't bother her, keeping love our of her relationship was key to keeping it useful to them both.
Glancing around for her mother, Starlingcry saw the black and greying she-cat emerge from the warrior's den and shake bits of moss from her fur. She wondered if her mother would be seeking the elder's den soon or if she wanted to wait a little while longer. Watching for a moment her attention returned to Dimstar's cold gaze and felt as if he wanted to convey something to her, but she wasn't sure what it was. Instead Starlingcry gave a polite nod perhaps of encouragement but likely a nod of greeting almost the same emotion you would give greeting an old friend.
The word 'apprentice' filled her ears as Dimstar started talking once the Clan gathered. He carried on to name her apprentice Hollypaw. A warm sense of pride filled the black she-cat as her shoulders squared. She had grown very fond of Hollypaw and felt honoured to have trained the daughter of her mentor and even more honoured that Hollypaw made it to warriorhood.
She waited as the ceremony began and let her tail twitch until it was the right time to call out Hollypaw's new name.
I'm colder than this home I'm meaner than my demons
Fawn | date
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Post by Fawn on Jun 28, 2016 17:11:37 GMT -5
[smear:663399]Hollypaw[/smear:e61985] 12 Moons. She-Cat. NightClan. I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
Ghostlight had spent the entire morning helping her groom her fur; at first, Hollypaw had suspected it was owing to the near-fatal encounter with the muddy rogues that had inspired her mother's maternal instincts to go into overdrive.
But, when she saw Dimstar ascend the boulder ledge, and her own mentor Starlingcry giving her a certain, purposeful look, Hollypaw realized the truth of the matter.
I'm about to become a warrior. Great StarClan, did her fur look okay? Hollypaw beamed with pride, stepping away from her parents (Blackwolf cast an approving nod, and then nudged Bonepaw and Coyotepaw both) to approach the boulder ledge. Not before casting a smug look at Bonepaw. Serves you right, you little toadbrain. I knew I'd become a warrior first!
Bonepaw, for the last month or so, had made it his brotherly duty in life to undermine her confidence and tell her that Starlingcry wasn't particularly impressed, or that Blackwolf had been talking to Ghostlight again about how poorly she was doing. It was all a lie, but that's the thing with Bonepaw—it didn't have to be true, it just had to get under the skin.
This was her moment of triumph, though. And no jealous brother of hers was going to ruin it.
"I do," she replied, looking into Dimstar's supernaturally pale eyes, and seeing herself reflected back. No, not in the metaphorical sense, but literally. His eyes were so peculiar... She could see herself and the other cats in the crowd when she looked into her leader's gaze.
Great StarClan, let it be a good name. Blackwolf... Ghostlight... Starlingcry... Sunpulse... She had lain awake at night in the apprentices' den, dreading the very real possibility that she might become someone with a bland name, like Hollyfur or Hollyear. What kind of a name was Hollyear? It was accurate, but for the love of Ravenstar, Dimstar wouldn't dare call her something so... so... boring, right?
She resisted the urge to knead her paws into the cavern floor in a bout of anxiety, but focused on her outward appearance of radiating calmness and pride. She was a daughter of Blackwolf and Ghostlight. Dimstar would not call her something silly; she had a role to play, a destiny, and her name would reflect that.
Right?
'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Word Count: 405 Words Tags: Insidious , Hellion , @ghostlight , BlooRey DVD
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Post by Insidious on Jun 29, 2016 23:11:52 GMT -5
He saw Starlingcry straighten out of the corner of his eye, swelling with pride—good. This moment was as much for as it was for Hollypaw. The apprentice, and perhaps anyone in her position, standing in front of NightClan to be made a warrior, would argue that it was a moment for them and them alone, but it wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of a mentor. He hadn’t chosen her to be his mate for no reason. She possessed the qualities that he believed were meant to be the foundation of a NightClan warrior. She was strong, efficient, loyal, and so much more… he hoped, he knew, that she had passed all of that onto Hollypaw. He looked forward to seeing the young she-cat, the young warrior to-be, excel in the field and make her clan proud.
She accepted the oath, promising to live and breathe the sacred words as was required, and he acknowledged her acceptance with a tip of his head. “Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Hollypaw, from this moment onward, you will be known as Hollystorm—” He paused, but only briefly, so that she could take her new name in stride. “—NightClan honours the tenacity with which you approach your duties, and your ambitious heart that I have no doubt will make you commendable in all you continue to achieve. We welcome you as a full warrior of NightClan.” At that, the leader swept his tail across the front of the Boulder Ledge, commencing the crowd’s cheers. Oddly enough, he didn’t join the chant. It was a miracle that he abided by the ancient words a clan leader was supposed to say to make an apprentice into a warrior, and that he didn’t speak of his own free will.
He descended the Boulder Ledge in one swift, graceful bound, and strode up to the newly named warrior with the chorus of Hollystorm’s alive in the background. He didn’t smile. He didn’t offer as much as a word of congratulations. It felt unnecessary when the act of giving her name, in his mind, had been enough to showcase what he thought of her achievements in the last six moons. “You will make NightClan proud, Hollystorm—there are some cats I’m sure would like to offer their praise one-on-one.” He glanced over Hollystorm’s head, referring to Blackwolf, Ghostlight, and her brothers, before his eyes found Starlingcry. Immediately, he moved from his spot, brushing his muzzle against his mate’s ear before ghosting through the crowd to his den.
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Post by Fawn on Jul 2, 2016 23:07:10 GMT -5
[smear:663399]Hollystorm[/smear:e61985] 12 Moons. She-Cat. NightClan. I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire
"Hollystorm! Hollystorm! Hollystorm!"
The name was perfect. It didn't so much bestow confidence upon her as it forced her sense of pride and accomplishment to the surface. She glowed under the cheers of her Clanmates, feeling triumphant as she saw Bonepaw chanting her name alongside the rest of her family.
Blackwolf looked very pleased.
Hollystorm also sought out her mentor in the crowd, and nodded her gratitude to Starlingcry, knowing she wouldn't have the opportunity to talk to her properly until the morning after her vigil. When Dimstar's cool, mechanical voice brought her attention back onto him, she dipped her head to him respectfully. "Thank you. I will fight and die for NightClan."
Great StarClan, she was almost too giddy to imagine herself sitting still enough to hold vigil outside the Clan entrance. Hollystorm privately wished Sunpulse would hold vigil beside her; even if they couldn't talk to one another, she found his presence to be a good boost to her mood. Her father may've looked at him with scorn, but Hollystorm viewed Sunpulse in a different light.
He's not so bad... And she meant that in the best way possible.
Dimstar disappeared, and she found herself rushed by her family.
"Well done, Hollystorm." Said her father, Blackwolf's bicolored eyes filled with pride. Hollystorm lifted her chin, knowing perfectly well she was part of his legacy as much as Starlingcry was, as much as any apprentice Blackwolf had ever trained was.
The only difference being, she carried his bloodline. That meant there was more pressure to succeed, to be better than the others, and to defend NightClan to her last breath. Hollystorm would rise to that challenge too; cowardice wasn't a family trait, and she wouldn't shy away from her new duties.
"Guess you'll be in the warriors den now." Bonepaw glanced at her from the corners of his eyes, feigning a look of boredom. But she knew he was jealous; it was taking all the willpower she possessed not to rub it in his face.
"That's right, so try not to take forever to catch up, Bonepaw." She smirked, her tail held high like a banner.
Bonepaw rolled his eyes, walking away to do whatever it was her lazy, insolent brother did with his time.
'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Word Count: 400 Words Tags: Hellion , @ghostlight , BlooRey DVD
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