[Ghost the Undead Goddess]

Owlmind

And thus grant you Wisdom, Courage, and Strategy

You're a star, you really are

You're the one shining bright from all the rest in the dark

A champion with nerves of stone

You trained for this since the day you were born

---

It was cold.

The sharp minded feline did not enjoy Leafbare. Unlike her brother, the gray she-cat had a thin and short cut pelt that fight tightly over her lanky form. Not to mention, the older she got the more she could feel the moons she had lived, the biting chill always seemed to bring that reminder along.

Her previous night as a guard had her sleeping later than usual, her lanky form curled into a tight ball near the center of the Warriors Den, among the other nest of senior warriors. Her long tail, along with a gray paw was covering the top of her short, narrow muzzle. Though the ache within her shoulder from an old battle wound seemed to decide to wake Owlmind from the dreamless sleep that she didn't attempt to hold onto.

Besides, it was time to get up anyways.

Stretching to relieve the irritation of being slept on, Owlmind lowered her front half to spread her toes and flex those curled claws of hers before standing and shaking the remaining sleep from her mind. The senior warrior drew a paw to her maw, giving a quick lick to smooth over her whiskers and ears for a speedy cleaning before making her way from the warmth of the den, out into Lightningclan's camp.

Fantastic. Snow.

It seemed to be a slow flurry of the white flakes, though that didn't make it any less better. If it was already snowing then it was bound to get worse.

Padding past the small fresh-kill pile, the lanky feline made a mental reminder to go hunting later.

Amber pools scanned across the clearing to land on the Elder's Den, and a wave of sadness washed over the strategist's heart. Owlmind's former mentor resided there and it seemed as if age had finally begun to creep up on the older tom. While she had excelled through training, the lanky feline had always considered Russetfall to be a cat close to her heart. She often enjoyed taking him a piece of kill, listening to the stories he had from times before Owlmind had been a kit.

His passing would be hard once it was upon them.

The familiar pelt of Firestar caught Owlmind's gaze as the mate of Russetfall and the leader of the clan made her exit from the Elder's Den. Sympathy rumbled within the gray senior warrior's chest, well aware of the hardships Firestar seemed to be having at the moment. Between foxes attacking at the previous Gathering, loosing one of her lives and Russetfall's failing health there seemed to be a lot upon the older leader's shoulders.

"Firestar." Owlmind called out in her soft, raspy voice as she made her way over the older she-cat, the gray feline giving a proper dip of her head for her leader. Once the moment was over, the lanky she-cat lifted her head to fix Firestar with an unreadable liquid amber gaze. As always, the brilliant Lightningclan Warrioress was scanning over her leader, taking mental notes based on deductions.

Though Owlmind figured she needed a shoulder to lean on. There were times when Redscar came to her to vent or to talk when he was under pressure, and he was the deputy.

"How is Russetfall?" Owlmind's near monotoned voice softened as she relaxed her drill instructor like facade to reveal the softer side of the gray feline's personality. The tip of her slim tail brushed softly against her leader's flank in a jester of affection. Owlmind had planned on visiting the elder later on, to bring him one of his favorites from the fresh-kill pile, but since Firestar had already stopped by she would leave the elder to the rest of his day. 

---

Full of pain, full of sweat, full of tears
But never giving up or giving into the fear
A quick breath for the ones you love
Props to the gods as they watch from above

Hellion

[Hellion]

the moments when you're in so deep

FEELS EASIER TO JUST SWIM DOWN

Loss was quickly becoming routine for Firestar and that realization threatened to break her. Her heart ached for the death of her eldest daughter. The air was pulled from her lungs when Wildstripe joined her daughter in StarClan. Now with Russetfall resting in the elder's den, she could feel her very soul weaken. A pained longing to be there with him tugged at the very fiber of her being.

She had considered giving her lives back to StarClan. Allow Redscar to rise in rank and lead LightingnClan in her place. He could do it, there was no doubt about that but the thought of living behind her remaining kits caused a different kind of pain. One she wasn't able to fathom.

She couldn't leave them even if she tried.

Departing from the elder's den her body weighed down with the knowledge she'd be without Russetfall sooner than she ever expected, Firestar almost missed Owlmind's call.

Greeting the senior warrior with a polite nod, Firestar heard Owlmind's question but didn't reply right away. Instead, she withdrew to herself and tried to find a suitable answer. She had heavy doubts that Russetfall would want to cause his former apprentice to worry. It would be easier to lie but Firestar wasn't the type. Deciding instead to give her a vague answer, Firestar replied.

"He is alright, I fear the snow will make the elder's den too cold for him. I'm going to ask that feathers and tufts of rabbit fur be taken to the den to help warm it. Divide the material between the nursery and elder's den," Firestar explained her plan with her eyes casting a sideways glance to the thinning fresh-kill pile. "What of you? How are you?" Her question was sincere. A mixture of general concern and polite inquiry to how Owlmind was taking the impending loss of a beloved cat.

FIRESTAR

background image | its quiet uptown | table by phoenix

Ghost the Undead Goddess

[Ghost the Undead Goddess]

Owlmind

LightningClan || 60 Moons || Senior Warrior

The senior warrior wasn't surprised at the fact her leader put on a brave front, attempting to keep her true emotions from showing. It was a tactic, all leaders tended to use it in an attempt from worrying their clan. Though the gray she-cat would have gladly given her leader a shoulder to lean on, she also respected the older she-cat privacy.

Rather than push the subject, the long legged warrior gave a flicker of an ear, agreeing with Firestar's idea. It wouldn't hurt to add extra precautions to keep the weaker members of the clan warm and comfortable throughout one of the harshest seasons within the valley.

Starclan knows Owlmind wouldnt mind extra feathers and moss to keep her warm throughout the night either. She was lucky that Redscar had enough fluff for her to steal some of his warmth while they slept.

"I'm sure he and Blazefang would appreciate the extra warmth." Though mildly amused at the idea of the young elder complaining about being cold, it didn't show through Owlmind's face as she moved from one subject to another, though taking a mental note to find extra bedding materials.

The strategical warrior debated Firestar's question for a moment, let it roll around within her head as if she had to think about how she was doing. There were several different things that Owlmind could have stated, though they would have all been pointless small talk, like how much she hated the cold.

Of course, it could have also rounded back to Firestar's elder mate. Owlmind tried not to let her worry for him be a prominate thing within her mind, but something within her was pulling at her heart strings. Almost like a forewarning, telling her that Russetfall didn't have much time. 

Did that scare her? A little. Owlmind has known loss most of her life, after all that is the life of a warrior. Whether through battle, sickness or nature, not every cat lived a long and comfortable life. But Owlmind also wasn't as close to all those lost as she had been with Russetfall.

He had been her mentor, and more of a father figure than Eaglestrike had ever been. She had learned a lot from him, and now all she could do was help make sure his last days were comfortable before Starclan welcomed him with open paws.

Instead, the senior warrior steered the conversation into a different direction. "I'm good as always, though i'd like it if it were a little warmer outside." Owlmind rasped in good nature, her long tail waving around behind her in a relaxed manner.

"From what I've seen Lynxpaw and Tigerpaw seem to be doing good in their training." Though the gray feline wasn't mentoring either of Firestar's younger kits, it didn't mean she didn't check up on how they were proceeding within their training. As a cat with a strategical mindset, it did her well to know how each cat preformed. 

Though Tigerpaw less so, since he was training to be a Medicine Cat rather than a warrior. Still, his skills were impressive and his heart was definitely in the right place.

"You must be proud." Owlmind continued, respect within her raspy tone as she spoke of the leader's kits. That was an area that the senior warrior was not used too, she had never held interest in finding a mate or having kits. Though passing her genetics along wouldn't be a bad idea. 

Whereas Firestar had fallen in love with Russetfall and had not one, but two litters of kits. Though of the four, only three remained. Which caused another question to spring into the gray she-cat mind, how was Firestar doing with the loss of her daughter, Mapleheart?

Wisdom. Courage. Strategy.

Hellion @zen Taxx Justice (Blazefang, Tigerpaw, Lynxpaw, Russetfall Mentions) || 639 Words

[Hellion]

FIRESTAR

leader of lightningclan

Thankful that Owlmind kept the talk of Russetfall to a respectful minimum. Her shortened tail flicked at the mention of her youngest kits. Pride as a mother was something she embraced but not with her youngest pair. Lynxpaw's prowess as a fighter and Tigerpaw's careful mind were not a product of her raising. She had little to do with their nursery days then she'd ever admit. The moment they did not suckle from her, Firestar was back to her role as leader. Barely there in the safety of the nursery to keep them warm.

Even if the Clan didn't see it, Firestar knew herself to be a fraud. She was no mother. She bore kits to fill the void in her chest because of Mapleheart's death. Not that anyone knew that. It was a secret kept even from her mate, spoken only as a confession to StarClan, in case they wanted to punish her. In the quiet of her den, she often wondered if Lynxpaw's anger was that punishment.

Pulled away from her thoughts after she realized just how much time had passed without an answer, Firestar cleared her throat. "I'm always proud of my kits," She answered, wishing that Owlmind would not comment on the silence that had taken her.

Deciding it was not good to let any more silence grow, she offered her own questions to carry along the conversation. "Have you thought about kits? Not that it's any of my business just general curiosity,"

legacy. what is a legacy?

it's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see

background image | hamilton | table by phoenix

[Ghost the Undead Goddess]

Owlmind

LightningClan || 60 Moons || Senior Warrior

Though there was an answer given, the senior warrior didn't miss the silence that stretched between the two of them for a moment. Though she didn't know the cause of it, the strategist assumed it had something to do with the leader's family.

Not being one to pry, the gray feline left it.

The change of subject was refreshing, whether for one or both of the she-cats within the conversation. Sometimes things could be tense and talking about them only hurt worse than it helped.

"Kits?" Owlmind repeated part of her leader's inquiry, letting the thought mull around within her mind. When she was younger the idea never had much appeal to her, after all she merely wanted to be a mentor. To shape minds and sharpen warriors.

She was older now, more mature.

"I have thought about it." Though less for maternal instincts than to pass on her gifted genes. That isn't to say that she wouldn't be maternal towards the kits she birthed.

"Though i'm afraid i'm more gifted in the practice of battle training than the dance of romance." Owlmind, not one to be overly emotional found a sly smirk touch her lips in her mild joke. Something to ease the tension within the air, and it wasn't often the gray feline didn't have a reasoning assurance.

She could, similar to her father, just dance around the idea of a mate and copulate with a tom simply for the result of birthing kits... but then there would be the problem of being similar to Eaglestrike and that displeased the brilliant warrioress. On the other paw, Owlmind had yet to run into a tom that could ever prove to be her equal.

As arrogant as it sounded, the gray senior warrior wasn't a regular she-cat.

Tilting her head to the side, capturing her leader with that wide amber gaze, Owlmind parted her maw to speak again, "You know... If Wildcall ever shaped up he would probably make a very good candidate." Though it was true, there was a good natured light within Owlmind's gaze as she teased.

Wisdom. Courage. Strategy.

Hellion || 357 Words

[Hellion]

Firestar saw a lot of her old self in Owlmind. The grey she-cat has similar ambitious and while Firestar had settled down with the calling of kits. She felt the doubt creep into her mind on somber days. Especially considering the tense relationship between her and Lynxpaw. She would never wish such a strained relationship on any mother, regardless of their creed.

The mention of Wildcall had her eyes growing wide. She sensed an edge of joking in the words of Owlmind. A tiny smile appeared on her face and was gone before she drew her next breath.

“Wildcall could be a decent father if he focused on others before himself,” she spoke frankly about her eldest. Deciding it would do neither of them good for her to play match maker. Not that Wildcall seemed to need the help. Rumors spread quickly in their part of the valley and it was clear that Larkflower was likely to be her grandkit. Firestar made no formal claim to her and decided it would be better to let Brightpool claim her as her adoptive kin. Wildcall, a donor to her creation.

“I love Wildcall as any queen would and I value what he has done to keep LightingnClan strong, but I’m not sure he could ever be a father. A simple sire maybe, a nest-mate for a night but I don’t know about the long term,” She shifted her attention away for a moment again. Trying to conjure up the idea of Wildcall play fighting with his own litter. It never came.