Post by BlooRey DVD on Jul 30, 2017 17:06:37 GMT -5
Hawkstar
may your dreams be larger than mountains
"Hawkstar."
He'd nearly missed the voice calling from just outside his den, the now dishearteningly familiar rasp almost lost among the loud echoes of the raging storm. Sandy ears snapped up, and the big tom stirred, evidently disturbing his mate in the process. She blinked at him curiously, though understanding soon replaced the curiosity as Hawkstar responded. "Wolfclaw, come in." With a soft touch of her nose to his chin, Frozenrain excused herself, pausing only long enough to allow Hawkstar to return her gesture of affection. He watched her depart with a glint of worry in his pale amber gaze.
Frozenrain moved with only a hint of stiffness following the confrontation at the Sun Stones the day before, yet the skirmish had not been without its consequences; neither sides had emerged unscathed, and the big sand-colored tom felt the weight of StoneClan's losses heavy on his broad shoulders. He worried that StoneClan's matriarch harbored similar thoughts. His attention drifted to the large gray-furred tom entering his den, unable to stop himself from noting the jolting hesitation with which the powerful tom moved. Wolfclaw's breathing was labored, as though he'd just sprinted to the mountains and back, when in truth he'd likely come from no further than the warrior's den below.
"It isn't your fault, you know. If anyone is to blame... I should have been there." Rasped the StoneClan deputy, who'd just finished shaking his thick fur as dry as he could manage in the entrance. Hawkstar made a sound in the back of his throat, shaking his head just so. "No.. If I am to be absolved of blame, then so must you." He replied, offering a tired smile. Despite his exhaustion, the StoneClan figurehead's condition was nothing in comparison to his deputy's. Wolfclaw had aged moons since falling ill during the greencough outbreak.
His lungs never quite recovered. The sand colored tom thought grimly. He held his breath as Wolfclaw gave a knowing nod, situating himself before the StoneClan leader with a resigned sigh. For a moment, the den was filled with nothing but the steady beat of rain on the rocks around them. "I think it is time, and I think it best that I resign from my status of Clan deputy." Sneaking suspicions aside, hearing the words spoken aloud nearly knocked the air from the sand-colored tom's lungs, as though he'd been bowled over by an unseen foe.
"I will continue to serve the Clan as a senior warrior as best I can for the coming moons, but StoneClan... StoneClan needs a strength I can no longer give." Rasped the gray-pelted tom, his voice lacking much of the strength Hawkstar had come to associate with the tom. Hawkstar closed his eyes a moment, broad shoulders collapsing beneath a sigh of his own. Before long, he was rising to his paws, stepping forward to touch his tail to the deputy's shoulder in a gesture he hoped conveyed more than he could put into words. Understanding, respect, gratitude.
"You served me well for longer than I could have hoped, Wolfclaw. For that, I thank you, and I accept your resignation." He rumbled, offering his long-time deputy a smile. Wolfclaw dipped his head in return, a flicker of regret flashing among the relief Hawkstar could read in his posture. An ear perked, the StoneClan leader suddenly aware of the less-present sound of rain all around them. "It would appear StarClan is giving us an opportunity to make an announcement." The broad-shouldered leader commented with a chuckle. Motioning with his tail for Wolfclaw to follow, Hawkstar lead the way out into the open, where the rain had changed to misting courtesy of a break in the storm clouds.
It won't last long. Hawkstar thought, examining the rolling clouds just on the outskirts of camp. Not about to let the opportunity pass, the leader called out into the rain-thickened air, the words spoken long-since familiar to his tongue. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Rock Pile for a Clan meeting!" He noticed some surprised gazes, including that of his mate Frozenrain, who emerged from the warrior's den after having evidently gone to visit their kits.
Apprehension pricked in the corners of Hawkstar's mind. Why had he called the meeting so early? Did he even have a cat in mind to replace Wolfclaw? Pale amber eyes flashed toward the nursery just as Eagletalon and Duskflower emerged, the former casting him a questioning glance. I still need to hold an apprentice ceremony for his kits. The leader thought suddenly, tail tip twitching fractionally in self-directed irritation. Soon. He promised himself, shaking his muzzle enough for Eagletalon to understand this was not for that purpose. And then he hesitated a moment. Eagletalon...
Despite trusting his brother in all but blood with his life and more, the sandy figurehead could still hear the tom's words many moons ago as Hawkstar had exited the Moon Tree following his nine lives ceremony. 'Don't pick me.' Pale amber eyes flicked to the shapes of his niece and nephew, Kestrelkit and Meadowkit as the pair tumbled into the open to sit with their parents, and a resolve ignited itself in Hawkstar's chest. His gaze shifted fractionally, to rest on Duskflower for the briefest of moments. I will not take him from you. He promised her silently. And then his gaze continued across the gathering members of his Clan.
Hailstrike's form caught his attention as the well-respected senior warrior ducked out of the warrior's den. She was a strong she-cat, one that he doubted would struggle with stepping into the role of StoneClan deputy. And yet... She was only a pawful of moons behind Wolfclaw in terms of age. Realization dawned on the tom, trickling in like a stream breaking through the cracks in a rock pile. He shouldn't be looking for someone to step into the pawprints Wolfclaw had left. He should be looking for one he could teach the intricacies of leadership to. One with enough life before them that they could lead StoneClan for moons after his time to join StarClan arrived.
"Wolfclaw has informed me of his desire to step down from his role as Clan deputy. Time and time again, he has shown incredible resilience in the face of adversity, and in the name of StoneClan, I thank him for his moons of service and welcome him back as a senior warrior of StoneClan." He met the gray tom's gaze again, the two sharing a nod before the sand-colored tom's eyes slipped back to the gathered crowd. He wasn't sure what pulled his attention to a particular she-cat in the many Clan faces, but something did.
She was smart, and never failed to demonstrate respect to the other members of StoneClan. Though not necessarily the most well-known of StoneClan's warriors, due likely to her occasional struggles with social queues, she was loyal, and not a soul in StoneClan could argue otherwise. And perhaps, with some time, I can temper her hatred of LightningClan. He mused, his mind apparently decided. Lifting his muzzle through the mist of rain, the StoneClan leader found his voice and his surety once more.
"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of StoneClan is Mistpetal!" His voice echoed through the clearing, ringing with strength reminiscent of the intermittent cracks of thunder in the distance.
He'd nearly missed the voice calling from just outside his den, the now dishearteningly familiar rasp almost lost among the loud echoes of the raging storm. Sandy ears snapped up, and the big tom stirred, evidently disturbing his mate in the process. She blinked at him curiously, though understanding soon replaced the curiosity as Hawkstar responded. "Wolfclaw, come in." With a soft touch of her nose to his chin, Frozenrain excused herself, pausing only long enough to allow Hawkstar to return her gesture of affection. He watched her depart with a glint of worry in his pale amber gaze.
Frozenrain moved with only a hint of stiffness following the confrontation at the Sun Stones the day before, yet the skirmish had not been without its consequences; neither sides had emerged unscathed, and the big sand-colored tom felt the weight of StoneClan's losses heavy on his broad shoulders. He worried that StoneClan's matriarch harbored similar thoughts. His attention drifted to the large gray-furred tom entering his den, unable to stop himself from noting the jolting hesitation with which the powerful tom moved. Wolfclaw's breathing was labored, as though he'd just sprinted to the mountains and back, when in truth he'd likely come from no further than the warrior's den below.
"It isn't your fault, you know. If anyone is to blame... I should have been there." Rasped the StoneClan deputy, who'd just finished shaking his thick fur as dry as he could manage in the entrance. Hawkstar made a sound in the back of his throat, shaking his head just so. "No.. If I am to be absolved of blame, then so must you." He replied, offering a tired smile. Despite his exhaustion, the StoneClan figurehead's condition was nothing in comparison to his deputy's. Wolfclaw had aged moons since falling ill during the greencough outbreak.
His lungs never quite recovered. The sand colored tom thought grimly. He held his breath as Wolfclaw gave a knowing nod, situating himself before the StoneClan leader with a resigned sigh. For a moment, the den was filled with nothing but the steady beat of rain on the rocks around them. "I think it is time, and I think it best that I resign from my status of Clan deputy." Sneaking suspicions aside, hearing the words spoken aloud nearly knocked the air from the sand-colored tom's lungs, as though he'd been bowled over by an unseen foe.
"I will continue to serve the Clan as a senior warrior as best I can for the coming moons, but StoneClan... StoneClan needs a strength I can no longer give." Rasped the gray-pelted tom, his voice lacking much of the strength Hawkstar had come to associate with the tom. Hawkstar closed his eyes a moment, broad shoulders collapsing beneath a sigh of his own. Before long, he was rising to his paws, stepping forward to touch his tail to the deputy's shoulder in a gesture he hoped conveyed more than he could put into words. Understanding, respect, gratitude.
"You served me well for longer than I could have hoped, Wolfclaw. For that, I thank you, and I accept your resignation." He rumbled, offering his long-time deputy a smile. Wolfclaw dipped his head in return, a flicker of regret flashing among the relief Hawkstar could read in his posture. An ear perked, the StoneClan leader suddenly aware of the less-present sound of rain all around them. "It would appear StarClan is giving us an opportunity to make an announcement." The broad-shouldered leader commented with a chuckle. Motioning with his tail for Wolfclaw to follow, Hawkstar lead the way out into the open, where the rain had changed to misting courtesy of a break in the storm clouds.
It won't last long. Hawkstar thought, examining the rolling clouds just on the outskirts of camp. Not about to let the opportunity pass, the leader called out into the rain-thickened air, the words spoken long-since familiar to his tongue. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Rock Pile for a Clan meeting!" He noticed some surprised gazes, including that of his mate Frozenrain, who emerged from the warrior's den after having evidently gone to visit their kits.
Apprehension pricked in the corners of Hawkstar's mind. Why had he called the meeting so early? Did he even have a cat in mind to replace Wolfclaw? Pale amber eyes flashed toward the nursery just as Eagletalon and Duskflower emerged, the former casting him a questioning glance. I still need to hold an apprentice ceremony for his kits. The leader thought suddenly, tail tip twitching fractionally in self-directed irritation. Soon. He promised himself, shaking his muzzle enough for Eagletalon to understand this was not for that purpose. And then he hesitated a moment. Eagletalon...
Despite trusting his brother in all but blood with his life and more, the sandy figurehead could still hear the tom's words many moons ago as Hawkstar had exited the Moon Tree following his nine lives ceremony. 'Don't pick me.' Pale amber eyes flicked to the shapes of his niece and nephew, Kestrelkit and Meadowkit as the pair tumbled into the open to sit with their parents, and a resolve ignited itself in Hawkstar's chest. His gaze shifted fractionally, to rest on Duskflower for the briefest of moments. I will not take him from you. He promised her silently. And then his gaze continued across the gathering members of his Clan.
Hailstrike's form caught his attention as the well-respected senior warrior ducked out of the warrior's den. She was a strong she-cat, one that he doubted would struggle with stepping into the role of StoneClan deputy. And yet... She was only a pawful of moons behind Wolfclaw in terms of age. Realization dawned on the tom, trickling in like a stream breaking through the cracks in a rock pile. He shouldn't be looking for someone to step into the pawprints Wolfclaw had left. He should be looking for one he could teach the intricacies of leadership to. One with enough life before them that they could lead StoneClan for moons after his time to join StarClan arrived.
"Wolfclaw has informed me of his desire to step down from his role as Clan deputy. Time and time again, he has shown incredible resilience in the face of adversity, and in the name of StoneClan, I thank him for his moons of service and welcome him back as a senior warrior of StoneClan." He met the gray tom's gaze again, the two sharing a nod before the sand-colored tom's eyes slipped back to the gathered crowd. He wasn't sure what pulled his attention to a particular she-cat in the many Clan faces, but something did.
She was smart, and never failed to demonstrate respect to the other members of StoneClan. Though not necessarily the most well-known of StoneClan's warriors, due likely to her occasional struggles with social queues, she was loyal, and not a soul in StoneClan could argue otherwise. And perhaps, with some time, I can temper her hatred of LightningClan. He mused, his mind apparently decided. Lifting his muzzle through the mist of rain, the StoneClan leader found his voice and his surety once more.
"I say these words before StarClan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of StoneClan is Mistpetal!" His voice echoed through the clearing, ringing with strength reminiscent of the intermittent cracks of thunder in the distance.
leader of stoneclan
and may you have the courage
to scale their summits
to scale their summits
