[Phoenix]

Gorsetail

Deputy of TreeClan

i wish everyone was loved tonight
and somehow stop this endless fight

It was a relief to step inside the den and finally get out of the unforgiving wind. Even with the trees to block some of the particularly strong gusts, the wind howled through the forest and finally knocked the few leaves that had managed to cling resiliently to their branches to the ground. Leaves swirled in gusts around the forest floor, buffeted to and fro by cold forces of air from every side just like the felines that walked among them. If he were to duck inside any of the dens (except, perhaps, the elder’s den, which was always avoided by the younger cats), the deputy fully expected to find apprentices and warriors huddled together in their nests. Gorsetail didn’t blame them.

Earlier that day, however, Lionstar had expressed a desire to meet with him, and after returning from a lengthy training session with Nightpaw and sending the younger cat to have the rest of the day off, the tabby tom had made his way toward his former mentor’s den. Though he doubted that it had been intention, the leader had seemed rather cryptic this morning about what their topic of conversation would be, but Gorsetail thought perhaps the lack of information had been due more to a shortage of time than an unwillingness to share something in front of Nightpaw; Lionstar had caught him just as he had been preparing to head out on a long-awaited battle training review with his apprentice. As the pair had headed off, the deputy had reassured his mentor that he would seek him out later.

Later was now. Calling out the golden tom’s name lightly, the tabby feline had poked his head into the small den, and upon receiving permission to enter, had stepped forward out of the cold. Green eyes flicked curiously around the cozy area, eyeing the extra feathers and moss in Lionstar’s nest with faint amusement. Though he had spent moons under the tutelage of the tom before him, he had never before had reason to step inside the leader’s den, and it was an incredibly bizarre though to consider that one day it would be his. He flicked an ear, banishing the idea to the back of his mind where it could collect dust; until that day came, this den would remain Lionstar’s, and as far as Gorsetail was concerned, he could be perfectly content if the day that it would pass from his former mentor to himself would never arrive.

Finally the younger tom turned his attention to the leader as he carefully lowered his haunches to the ground. He did not want to mess up any of Lionstar’s nest, but it would hardly do to remain standing for the duration of their conversation. “You wanted to see me?” He asked, tail tip twitching lightly.

Fawn

better days | background image

[Fawn]

LionstAr

blinded by the light of a new sun
take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem

"Yes, I wanted to discuss mentors for Owlkit, Berrykit and Ravenkit." Lionstar gestured for Gorsetail to take a seat beside him. It was only going to take a few short seasons before the apprentices' den was just as crowded as the nursery. By springtime, the Clan would be positively tripping over 'paws.

"Honeysong will be recovered well enough to mentor one of the three. Even though Zephyrfang should be finished with Stonepaw's training by then, I don't think giving him another apprentice so soon would be a good idea." Lionstar didn't know whether to chuckle or be annoyed. No one could deny that the former loner was extremely dedicated to his mate, and now his kits. Lionstar couldn't hold that against him. "Falconstorm isn't a viable option any more, Cloudpool, Blackwing, Flamedance, Silvercloud... It wouldn't surprise me if I had to do an elders' ceremony four times over by leafbare." He would never say that within hearing range of Blackwing, though. It wasn't the say the tom was stubborn, it was more that... Lionstar knew only his mate could possibly coax him into retirement; he was certain Blackwing still had many more moons to give to the Clan, but depending on how this leafbare went, it may end up being in Blackwing's best interests not to push himself.

Lionstar had been considering this all morning. It wasn't that he was the overly worried type (perhaps a little), the golden tom just preferred to be prepared in advance. It was crucial that they keep track of who was mentoring whom, and who was in need of what ceremony and when. If anyone thought a leader's job was easy, toss them in the middle of a prosperous Clan and see how quickly they adjusted to the workload.

leader of TreeClan

305 Words | Phoenix | notes

so alive | background image | table by phoenix

[Phoenix]

Gorsetail

Deputy of TreeClan

i wish everyone was loved tonight
and somehow stop this endless fight

Obligingly, the deputy flicked an ear as he waited for Lionstar to begin speaking. He did not have to wait long, but at the mention of Magpiewing’s and Mockingbird’s progeny, Gorsetail had to bite back his initial reaction of distaste, even as guilt began to coil in his gut. Though the black and white warrior had managed to charm the rest of the clan, the tabby tom trusted his clan mate about as far as he could throw him. Before he had become interested in Mockingbird, Pinkcloud had caught his eye, and when a sickly Nightpaw had been the result of their relationship, he had abandoned his little family as if they had transformed into horrendous slugs. Gorsetail had witnessed firsthand the devastation his actions had wrought on his former apprentice’s heart, and he knew that he could never find it within himself to forgive his clan mate for hurting one of the sweetest she-cats and abandoning one of the most insightful toms in the clan.

But that didn’t mean his dislike for the tom had to run over on his innocent kits - in fact, Gorsetail did his best to prevent that from happening. Even as he tried to assuage the guilt he felt for his instinctively uncharitable thoughts toward Owlkit, Ravenkit, and Berrykit, his mind drifted to Jaytalon, a senior warrior who, for reasons unknown to him and his siblings, had never seemed particularly fond of any of them. He could not pretend that such attention had not hurt in the past, and though they had assumed that his dislike of them might fade with time, it had only seemed to get worse in recent moons. Gorsetail felt as though he was partially responsible for that; after all, it was entirely likely that Jaytalon had wanted the deputy position for himself. As a senior warrior, the other tom could very well have felt overlooked when Lionstar had chosen a younger, more experienced tom in his place.

With a slight jolt, Gorsetail realized that his thoughts had drifted while Lionstar had continued speaking, and flicking his tail slightly, he reigned in his wayward musings and returned his attention to the matter at paw. A small, if not highly exasperated, smile touched his lips at Zephyrfang’s name, and he shook his head. ”No, I do not think that he will have any inclination to train another apprentice for the foreseeable future.” Ever since Silentsong had delivered their small litter of kits, the manifestation of his priorities had completely switched. Where he had previously spent practically every waking moment – and even those that were not supposed to be waking moments, he added ruefully, remembering the multitude of mornings in which he had been roused from his nest by a paw to the side – hunting for his mate (and by extension, the clan, though he knew the well-being of TreeClan had been about the furthest thing from the warrior’s mind), he now seemed more inclined to spend time in the company of Silentsong and their young kits. Gorsetail could not find it within himself to blame the new father, though his actions did not make planning patrols any easier. If it continued on for much longer, he decided, then perhaps he ought to mention something to Silentsong – if anyone could get Zephyrfang in line, it was her.

Thoughts turning to his other clan mates, the tabby tom mewed thoughtfully, “Both Sparrowdawn and Littlestep have shown themselves to be capable warriors, and I don’t think either of them have trained an apprentice yet. Perhaps it’s time to give them a chance?” Magpiewing, of course, was without an apprentice, but even if he had not been the father of the kits in question, Gorsetail would not wish that tom on anyone. He had a similar opinion of Sootmask, though he doubted the tom cared much about how others viewed him either way.

Fawn

better days | background image

[Fawn]

LionstAr

blinded by the light of a new sun
take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem

“Both Sparrowdawn and Littlestep have shown themselves to be capable warriors, and I don’t think either of them have trained an apprentice yet. Perhaps it’s time to give them a chance?”

Lionstar nodded, appreciating the suggestions. "Littlestep is long overdue for an apprentice. As for Sparrowdawn..." The golden tom chuckled somewhat dryly. "I don't know if she has the right temperament for a kit like Ravenkit. Berrykit might be more suitable to her demeanor... Provided she doesn't tear the kit down before she builds him back up." He couldn't anticipate Sparrowdawn's training style; if the sassy, intelligent feline's day-to-day interactions were anything to go by, then perhaps giving her an apprentice would be a bit of unfortunate for the apprentice - even if that 'paw was the son of Mockingbird.

Golden tail twitching in thought, Lionstar began to pair up the kits with their future mentors in his head. Honeysong can mentor... Owlkit. Littlestep can mentor Berrykit. He needed someone with a strong sense of discipline and a low tolerance for cheek to take on Ravenkit. "Emberstorm may be a good choice for Ravenkit. I found Ravenkit in my nest just the other day - she's an opinionated little tyrant already." Lionstar chuckled again, though his heart wasn't in it. "She might be something of a rulebreaker when she gets older." That means Lichenfrost, Redblaze, Adderstrike, Blackfire,Wildsky and Wavesurge are not the right cats for Ravenkit. So many hot-heads, it was a wonder the warriors’ den never caught fire.

Someone experienced should keep an eye on her. He would have gladly put her training in the paws of Gorsetail or Skyfall, but each cat was already training an apprentice, and Lionstar wasn't about to have them rush Nightpaw & Duskpaw to be assessment ready unless he had no other choice. For now, however, he did have a choice.

leader of TreeClan

312 Words | Phoenix | notes

so alive | background image | table by phoenix

[Phoenix]

Gorsetail

Deputy of TreeClan

i wish everyone was loved tonight
and somehow stop this endless fight

Ever so slightly, the corners of his lips turned upwards as he considered Lionstar’s words about Sparrowdawn, picturing the clever she-cat with a tiny, kit-sized apprentice cowering in the face of her sharp tongue. Perhaps he hadn’t fully considered the implications of a reality under the warrior’s tutelage before putting forth her name, but that was the reason that they were having a discussion. It seemed as though Lionstar had no qualms about Littlestep finally receiving her first apprentice, and a quiet fondness rose within him as he imagined the small, tabby she-cat’s surprise when her name was called forward at the ceremony. Though modest and fairly reserved, she was just as valuable as the next warrior, and Gorsetail had a feeling that she would rise to the challenge of training one of their future warriors with the same thoughtful patience she displayed in performing her duties.

”Oh?” He asked, somewhat curious about the story that must have come from that particular encounter. It was not often that a kit found her way into her leader’s nest all the way from the nursery; mothers, especially first-time ones, tended to keep their young close by their side, and given the lynx that had recently been wandering around TreeClan territory, Gorsetail could hardly blame them. The forest was not as safe as they often liked to believe. Tail flicking, the deputy considered the possible pairing of Emberstorm and Ravenkit. Although he did not know the latter beyond the whispers he had heard around camp (admittedly, he was guilty of avoiding the nursery and that particular litter out of distaste for the actions of their father), it seemed as though the young she-cat had more than enough energy and fire to match the whirlwind that was the warrior in question. ”If anyone can keep Ravenkit in line,” The deputy began, ”It would certainly be Emberstorm.” A pause. ”We’ll just have to hope that those two will get along.” Though he would never wish otherwise on any mentor-apprentice pairing, Gorsetail could not deny the faint horror he felt at the prospect of two willful felines arguing every morning before and during training.

There was another brief pause as he considered the remaining two kits - or perhaps, if he had interpreted the lack of elaboration on Littlestep correctly, there was only one kit left. But which one? ”You are planning on giving Littlestep an apprentice, then?” He wanted to clarify. Of Berrykit and Owlkit, he was not entirely sure which would pair better with the warrior, for the both seemed to have the same heart-warming innocence of youth (though from which parent they had inherited that particular trait, he was not sure; even as kits, Mockingbird and Sootmask had never quite displayed that same wide-eyed wonder as others their age, and Magpiewing did not strike Gorsetail as someone who would be particularly impressed by anything the world had to offer.) "Are you thinking Owlkit or Berrykit for her?"

Fawn

better days | background image