Post by Ghost the Undead Goddess on May 13, 2022 1:24:26 GMT -5
The cold was beginning to settle in, snow slowly falling from the bleak gray sky. Already there were the faint murmurs of coughing among the warrior's den - just a trick of the wind, or was the beginnings of whitecough already starting to make it's presence known. Leafbare was always hard, but it seemed that the cats who lived among the moors always bore the brunt of the weather as their chosen style of life left their more open to the cruelty of the elements. The more slender cats of the clan always tended to have a half-starved appearance during this time of the year, their ribs poking out almost painfully and a dullness apparent on their pelts from lack of nutrients.As tough as leafbare was though, Galeclan was tougher.Whitening pawsteps were quiet as the aging leader of Galeclan padded away from the completed Medicine Cat den, the limp in her stride seeming to be more noticeable by the day. Her old injured shoulder had been bothering her more as of late, and since resettling in the valley she had also been attacked by a coyote. The scars along her shoulders from it's fangs healed but parted obviously within the shortness of her dilute coat. She had been visiting Kindleflare and Ravenpaw to both get something to ease the ever present ache of her shoulder while also making sure they were properly in-stock for the possibility of greencough, should it come to that.The ancient molly paused before reaching the old warren that had turned into her den and lifted her wedge shaped head up, glowing amber hues observantly watching the sky. It was growing dark outside and already Silverpelt was starting to shimmer even before the sun had fully departed from the remainder of the day. There was a flicker of the Queen's long, thin tail before she turned to make her way up the mound next to her to call her clan to a meeting. Her muzzle, through already gray was starting to completely pale into a white color, parted as the ever familiar raspy tone of Owlstar range out in the somewhat empty clearing of the Galeclan camp."Let all Galclan cats swift enough to race across the moors gather here for a clan meeting."Slowly, feline bodies started to slink from the warmth and comfort of their dens - those who had been returning from patrols rerouted their paws to join their huddled clanmates near the base of the mound. Out of the corner of her watchful gaze, the old she-cat was aware of Nightrunner and Batear sitting off to her right, awaiting the arrival of their two healers. Her council had shrunk since the events of the quake, something that Owlstar intended to discuss with this meeting. Of course, there was another reason for her to call the clan together tonight as those wide hues of hers paused on a few apprentices gathered near the middle.But first,"Leafbare is among us, as difficult as it is we are Galeclan. We will remain strong." She was proud of her clan, of the cats who made up those among the moors. They were brave, fierce and loyal - a group of cats that any leader would be lucky to have. They had endured so much and came out a stronger and more connected clan in the end. Like a good general, Owlstar was always quick to boost the moral when it dropped lower than she liked, and she would always acknowledge their ability to adapt and act as a coercive unit. Her mind was strong, always thinking of ways to keep her clan together and collected, a strategy she had long perfected."My council has grown smaller in the days since five became three." It was still an odd thing to say, knowing that out of the four other clans they had merged down into two save Galeclan that changed it's name and allowed cats to cross from territory to territory with Starclan's ruling. A large ear flickered before the oriental she-cat continued her speech, "We have lost Nightstep and Brightpool, meaning that I will need a new cat to fill in the position of Lead Tunneler and Lead Warrior." She watched quietly as rippled of whispers moved through the group of felines below her - either interest or excitement it mostly seemed."Come Newleaf hopefully Nightrunner, Batear and myself will be able to announce the cats who will be taking such positions. As for now," Owlstar continued without giving her cats time to respond as she swept her gaze over towards the gathered apprentices. Some of them were behind on when they should have earned their names, and she planned on fixing a couple of those tonight before the moon finished it's ascend into the sky. "Tigerpaw, Snowpaw, Valiantpaw." She always found herself amused at the shock within the gazes of youngsters when they realize something big is happening in their lives, and as a fond cat of mentoring it was always a special moment for those apprentices to earn their warrior names and ranks alongside their watching clanmates.As the three cats padded forwards, Owlstar padded down to meet them before addressing the clan and the warriors who trained these three. "We continue to grow and thrive, and today we welcome three new warriors into our ranks. Goldenblaze, Leopardheart and Russet-tail, each of the three of you proved your ability to mold the mind and strengthen the heart. You should be proud of the work you put in to helping each of these young cats as they trained alongside you, and the bond that forms from comradery." In turn, the old she-cat's amber eyes shifted to each warrior though they lingered slightly longer upon her golden coated daughter who stood proud.Lifting her head back, the elder queen let her gaze lift to Silverpelt before continuing her ceremony. "I, Owlstar, Leader of Galeclan call upon our warrior ancestors to look down on these three apprenties. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them as warriors in turn.""Tigerpaw," She stared with the eldest child of Leopardheart and Windspirit, the apprentice of Goldenblaze. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend your clan even at the cost of your life?""I do!" There was an excitement within the young bengal's voice as she tried to contain herself, eyes sparkling and bright."Snowpaw," Tigerpaw's sister and the apprentice of Russet-tail, "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend your clan even at the cost of your life?""I do." It was a quick and ready reply, her tone was steady and her eyes were locked onto Owlstar's face as the old leader watched each youngster in turn."Valiantpaw," One of the three kits left by Rosefire, Owlstar's nephew, and the apprentice of Leopardheart, "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to protect and defend the clan even at the cost of your life?""I do..." His voice was a little quieter than the two she-cats before him, his gaze held steady with his leader's but there was a look of concern upon his ginger face - as if he were struggling with decision and unseen worries.The gray oriental molly gave a nod of her wedge shaped head before continuing, her rasp as loud and sharp as always. "Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you each your warrior names. Tigerpaw, you shall now be known as Tigerstride. Starclan honors you for your eager heart and curious mind, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Galeclan." Per the ceremony, Owlstar stepped forwards to place her muzzle against the new warrior's head, letting Tigerstride lick at her shoulder before she moved on to the next cats waiting."Snowpaw, you shall be known as Snowhaze. Starclan honors you for your gracious heart and your strict morals, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Galeclan." The shimmer within the pale gaze of the new warrior was enough to show just how excited the staunch she-cat was, even if she was trying to remain professional and respectful of her leader.Finally, she turned to her nephew. It hadn't been too long ago that she had been standing here and giving his sister, Nobleflame her warrior name, now it was time for Valiantpaw to join her among the ranks. "Valiantpaw, you shall be known as Valiantspark. Starclan honors you for your unwavering loyalty and your strong devotion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Galeclan."Stepping back, Owlstar let her clan cheer in congratulations as the chant of "Tigerstride! Snowhaze! Valiantspark!" rose into the chilly night sky, the wind blowing in unison as if the element itself was cheering along with the cats that lived on the moor. The stars of Silverpelt were still twinkling brightly, and the elder molly could easily believe that Rosefire was watching with pride as another of her kits earned their place among Galeclan as a warrior.
OWLSTAR
galeclan leader || 99 moons
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