Post by Abyss on May 11, 2022 20:29:18 GMT -5
[googlefont="Nunito"]1786 | Fawn Hellion | Notes
His heart pounded in his chest. His stomach rolled, both in excitement and worry. His large paws carried him forward like boulders strapped to his legs. His body was a large mixture of emotions, feelings, and thoughts. His back felt lighter, as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. That uncertainty of the future, the questions of when Gorgeclan would become a true clan once more, when someone would step forward to take the mantle of Leader and bring the clan together. It was gone now. The answers to these things had been found.
But, simultaneously, where one weighted stone was lifted, another replaced it, for the answer to all those questions and uncertainties had unknowingly been himself. He had spoken with Starclan, with his mother, his mentor, so many amazing cats of the past, ones who granted him his new life. Or, rather, his new lives. The giving of the nine lives had been…beyond anything he could have imagined it would be like. But now was not the time for reminiscing. He could think about those things later.
Whitehawk - no…..Whitestar, padded forward between the thin layer of forest that marked the beginning of Mistclan and the edge of the thinner portion of the gorge. The trek to the new sacred land, the Mooncrystal Cavern, it was quite a bit longer than he had expected. As far as he could tell, the Gorgeclan camp was likely the furthest from the location of all the clans, and it had required them to pass through some areas it seemed Cloverstar had already gotten to work claiming as her own. Thankfully journeys like these could not be refuted by the other clans, which he was thankful for. His night was already long, and there was still more to do. The last thing he needed was a run-in with some Mistclan cats.
As they walked, Brackenstride and Orioleflight padded on either side flank and Sageheart, as she was named now, walked at his side rather than ahead like before. It was almost strange, seeing these three. When he entered the Mooncrystal Cavern, he saw them as two friends and the Medicine Cat Apprentice recently turned Medicine Cat. But when he came out, there was a moment when he saw them in a new light. They weren't just friends or just clanmates, they were his clanmates. And Sageheart, she wasn't just a Medicine Cat, she was his Medicine Cat, one of two with Ebonyheart of course being the other. There was a sort of warmth that rested in his chest when he left the cavern and peered at the three of them. Starclan and all that had happened, it felt so strange, so new, so mythical, it was almost hard to believe. But they were not a dream. They were real, they were dear to him, and now, he was their Leader.
That last thought set in more and more the closer to camp they got, the faint outline of the three trees within the camp's walls coming into view in the distance. His thoughts raced, switching between the image of the Tangled Roots, the Leader's den, the looks on the clan's faces, and having to make his announcement. It was all going to hit him rather quickly the moment they entered camp, and he had to be ready. The main thing keeping him steady was the knowledge that he knew what he needed to say, and knowing that he had multiple cats there to give him courage, cats who inspired him and had stood by his side throughout it all. Three of those cats walked alongside him, and he thought of multiple back home who were waiting for him.
He paused at the base of the trail leading up to camp, his body tensing. He could vaguely hear voices above them, their words quiet in comparison to his own thoughts. Was he ready to face them? To present himself as a Leader and not just a temporary figure of authority? Did he have what it took?
He felt a brush against his flank, his head turning to his right to find Orioleflight standing next to him. She offered a warm smile, rubbing her head just for a moment against his shoulder. His cheeks burned beneath his fur, the red of his skin just slightly tinting his white fur pink as a result. He couldn't help but think back to his ceremony, to Wolfclaw and Nightpetal and their…encouragements. No no no no no, don't think about that now. Movement caught his eye and he turned a little further, all three cats in his vision. Orioleflight looking on at him in encouragement, Sageheart with a kind and bright smile, and Brackenstride…even without a full smile, he could feel what the tom's eyes said.
I can do this.
His head turned back forward, and with an exhale of breath, his paws ascended the trail, the tension in his torso and limbs slowly fading.
As he walked through the thorny entrance to the camp, he felt many eyes turn to him and a hush settled over the camp. He paused again, his singular gaze trailing across so many faces, both familiar and not. Swallowing down what nerves remained, he stepped forward, a small trail forming from himself to the Tangled Roots. Along the way, he spotted a particular little face looking vaguely in his direction. He stopped in front of her for a moment, a smile crossing his face. He silently leaned down, touching noses with and giving a brief lick across the head to his Apprentice, Wisteriapaw.
We are the broken ones who chose to spark a flame.
As he continued, he found many faces with many different appearances and many different pasts.
We come from different places, but have the same name.
The large one-eyed white tom leapt atop the Tangled Roots at the center of the camp, the clan gathering around him. He looked through them all again, truly seeing them, knowing them, taking them in. They were his clan now. And this…this was his home. Their home. This was where he belonged.
We were born for this.
"Gorgeclan. I have met with Starclan, and they have granted me nine lives and a new name. I return to you as Whitestar." He paused for just a moment, the sound of his new name on his own tongue a strange feeling to him. “The first order of business…is choosing a Deputy. I say these words before Starclan, so that the spirits of our Warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The Deputy of Gorgeclan is Brackenstride.” Truthfully, it was probably predictable that this would be the outcome. Whitestar and Brackenstride had served as co-Deputies of first Tree and Stone, and then Gorgeclan. It made sense that he would choose the tom to continue to be Deputy. But, this wasn’t the end of this particular announcement. “I do need to include, though, that me and Brackenstride spoke about this before today, and we have agreed that his role of Deputy will be a temporary arrangement so that I can get to know everyone better and get my bearings as Leader. But even though this is temporary, that doesn’t make it any less legitimate. He is your Deputy, temporary or not.”
He looked to the ruddy tom below, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. He turned his gaze back to the rest of the clan, seeking out certain faces in the crowd. When he found them, a small smile crossed his maw.
"I also have something else that I feel needs to be taken care of." His one eye found two particular toms in the crowd. "In everything that has happened, the earthquake, the merging, rebuilding our new home, we have multiple older Apprentices who are overdo for this. Ashpaw, Shrikepaw, please step forward."
He waited, still with a warm smile, as the ashy gray tom and the dark auburn tabby tom stepped forward below him.
"I have watched both of you over the last couple moons and the way you have each helped the clan in your own ways. Ashpaw, I have watched you grow for quite some time now, and I have seen your skill. And Shrikepaw, in the time that I have known you, you have shown time and time again that you are a capable and reliable cat.
"I call upon our Warrior Ancestors to look down on these Apprentices. They have worked hard to understand the ways of the code, and I commend them to you as Warriors. Ashpaw and Shrikepaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
He waited for both toms to say yes before he continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your Warrior names. Ashpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ashtail. StarClan honors your agility and your compassion, and we welcome you as a full Warrior of Gorgeclan." The dark tom below bowed his head, a mixture of emotions on his face. Whitestar then turned to Shrikepaw. "Shrikepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Shrikethorn. Starclan honors your piety and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full Warrior of Gorgeclan. Both of you will sit vigil in camp tonight."
With this, the large white tom leapt down from the Tangled Roots, approaching both of the newly named Warriors. He locked eyes with them both for a moment, heavy emotion and sentiment in his own gaze. These two…they were the very first Apprentices he would name Warriors of the clan. And that memory would stick with him for the rest of his life.
"I am extremely honored to be the one to give you both your names. And I welcome you both to the Warrior ranks…at last." He leaned forward and gently pressed his muzzle against both of their foreheads for a moment, the sound of the rest of the clan cheering their new names in the background. He pulled away, looking between them both again. "Shrikethorn, I know that you have made Duskrose and Mottledpaw very proud, and I know you will continue to. And Ashtail, I know with full certainty that your grandparents are watching. They are proud of you, and believe in you with all their hearts."
He took a few steps back from the new Warriors, looking across the clan. "I am beyond grateful for the chance at Leadership, and I promise to Starclan and to you all to put all that I have into this. I cannot wait to get to know you all, as Whitestar, and as Gorgeclan.”
