[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

Distantstar was dead. Somehow Lionstep felt as though a part of him too, had departed for StarClan along with their fallen leader - the part of him that had been a frightened kit, whimpering in the face of such an impossible future. There was no time for fear anymore, it was one of those unique moments that happened perhaps once in a cat's lifetime, where they were called upon to rise up and perform to the best of their abilities, come hell or high water by walking along a heavier, harder path. Lionstep was going to hold his head high, though he was mourning for their lost leader, he wouldn't allow TreeClan to dwell upon death and Distantstar's suffering. Their leader had found peace, and it was up to Lionstep to see to it that TreeClan found peace as well.

After sharing a few words with Distantstar's body, Lionstep had, with a heavy heart, made the announcement to the Clan that Distantstar had passed away in his sleep, at last relieved of the unspeakable illness that had been ravaging his body and his lives. While Lionstep knew the true cause of Distantstar's departure for StarClan, he said nothing, and instead watched with dark amber eyes as the Clan cats padded forward to say their farewells. A particular golden tabby she-cat caught his attention, and Lionstep stirred from his position near the leader's den, making his way over to Lionsong with an expressionless face.
"Lionsong," mewed the TreeClan leader, meeting her eyes with a calm one of his own, though they resonated an undertone of sorrow, as if he too were still grieving despite the many tasks he had yet to accomplish for the day. "I'd like to speak with you for a moment, if you're free."

This was something that had been nagging at him ever since their fight. Now that he was to become leader for the whole of TreeClan, he wanted to start his leadership off on the right foot -- and that meant admitting that he was wrong, and healing over what should've been the start of a much-needed friendship. Determined to right his wrong, Lionstep headed off near a quieter area of the camp, hoping the she-cat was following him, and not preparing to pounce at his unprotected back.

[Hellion]

Lionsong

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I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do.

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Dead, Distantstar was dead

Those words echoed in her ears, from Sandfur maw it crushed Lionsong but in a different way. Lionsong wasn't very close to leader but she still felt the pain of Distantstar's passing. She like the rest of her clan were calm and silent as they paid their respects, pressing their noses to Distantstar's fur, a few elders grooming the departed leader before they would bury him, in the evening.

Lionsong's head was lowered, her mind coursing with the thoughts of death as she moved away from the line of cats waiting to pay their respects, her eyes lazily drifting up to the leader's den with Lionstep soon to be Lionstar was sitting, mourning the death of Distantstar in his own way.

Her eyes darted away, she didn't want to confront him not on this day, however his voice came and made her jump, it wasn't a jump of fear, but the words he spoke. Oddly enough to turned without a word and fallowed after him, her head low and her eyes at the ground. Lionstep was still grieving which to her only proved he cared, possibly more than Lionsong expected.

"Maybe I misjudged him"[/i] Lionsong thought to herself but her ears flicked away the thought as he came up to where he say waiting for her. Careful to walk around him she moved to sit in front of him and looked down, unsure of what to say.
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I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I won't let go

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WORD COUNT
NOTES

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[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

He could see the sadness etched in her very posture, and, ever the empathetic one, he felt his heart ache right along with hers, a moment of silence passing between them - their disagreement suddenly a lot less important in the face of such a loss. Allowing a few more seconds to collect himself, Lionstep cleared his throat, his words, though usually resonant and authoritative, came out quiet and full of resignation, as though he was riddled with guilt in between all that grief.
"I'm sorry, Lionsong. I apologize for meddling and trying to take things into my own paws. Cougarflight is your sister, and I had no right to go sticking my nose into places it didn't belong." Speaking with all the honesty the golden tom could muster, Lionstep gave a small dip of his head, his ears flicking backward in a sign of obvious remorse, his tail utterly still.
"I know now is the worst time to settle our differences, but as the successor to Distantstar --" his voice lowered, making the conversation more personal, aware that no one else could hear him but her "-- as a warrior to TreeClan, and as someone who acted only with what they thought were the best intentions, I didn't mean to rub your fur the wrong way. I don't want to stand before the Moon Tree, and before our Clan knowing that I didn't do everything in my power to smooth things over with you first." Feeling a pang of nervousness hit his heart, Lionstep lifted his head, meeting her gaze with a steady one of his own, amber eyes gleaming with raw emotion.
"I hope you can accept my apology, Lionsong. I'd...I'd like for us to someday be friends, if that's not too much to ask of you."

[Hellion]

Lionsong

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I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you've done all you can do.

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As he spoke, Lionsong bit her tongue part of her wanted to yell at him, scold him for being stupid but it wasn't the place. She kept her mouth shut and just drifted her eyes to the ground below her, her ears perked and attention toward him. He asked for her to accept his apology and she froze. Never in her life had she known a tom to admit he was wrong let alone ask for forgiveness. Lionsong moved her head to look at him, her eyes locked on his, trying to muster if he was lying or playing some kind of game.

Quickly as if he was a battle move she was trying to learn she analysed his posture, his tone of voice, everything he was showing she tried to study it, however the more she tried to find his deceit she couldn't, he was being sincere.

Her tail which had been erect and in a pose to express she wasn't weak, she relaxed and let her shoulders lean back and opened her mouth to talk, taking in a big breath of air but she let it exhale.

"Lionstep, I know you were doing what you thought was best and now as you are rising ranks to leader, I understand you will meddle a lot more. " Lionsong took another breath and looked down before returning her gaze back to him. I accept your apology and above all I accept you as my leader. Lionsong much like Lionstep didn't like to be in any cat's cross hairs, however when they argued she was in a bad mood to start with, but she hoped with him looking at the big picture and possibly herself looking at the picture as well, she'd come to respect him as more than just her leader.

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I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight
And I won't let go

[/i][/left][/color]

WORD COUNT
NOTES

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

It felt as though a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders, the pressure on his chest at last lifting in the wake of her acceptance. He had winced when she'd mentioned how he was likely to meddle more, but he didn't dare contradict her words. Lionsong was right. He was meddlesome as TreeClan's deputy, and he'd be even more-so as their leader. Dipping his head in a relieved sort of gesture, Lionstep dared himself to smile - the expression small but no lacking in sincerity.

"Thank you. You'll be the first." With a friendly mew, Lionstep then cleared his throat, trying to make his first offer of good faith between the two of them so that they might put this mess in the past for good. "As your new leader--" his whiskers twitched as the phrase seemed awkward coming out of his mouth "--I still need to share dreams with StarClan at the Moon Tree. I'll be bringing Dawnpaw and Noblepaw along, would you like to go with us? We could use a warrior who can keep those two from possibly fighting." Cutting himself off before he chould ramble further, Lionstep waited for her answer, hoping he hadn't unknowingly hustled her into going with them even when she didn't want to.
He wasn't lying though, he really did need a warrior to go with him, Spottedfeather and the two apprentices, while he trusted both Noblepaw and Dawnpaw, the security a fully-fledged warrior provided was unparalleled.

[Hellion]

[STYLE=width: 495px; text-align: right; color: FAC456 ; font-family: arial; font-size: 40px; letter-spacing: -2px; margin-bottom: -5px;]lionsong[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=valign,top][STYLE=width: 230px; border: 10px solid #DB8614;][/style]

[atrb=valign,top][STYLE=background-color:DB8614; width: 230px; padding: 10px; height: 250px; text-align: justify; overflow: auto; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 13px; line-height: 10px; color: FAC456;] Lionsong relaxed, it seemed that all the tension and anger she had for the new leader melted away. As if an old battle wounded finally rid itself of it's scabbing to finally be new skin. The mark was still there was more simply forgotten but noticed from time to time. As he spoke the first time, calling himself her leader her ears drifted down to the ground, thinking back to the fresh wound, the one for Distantstar. Flicking her tail and not allowing herself to feel sadness any longer, her leader was in StarClan, sharing old stories with even older friends. She slowly started to perk up her tail flicking in a now more content fashion instead of her sharp flicks when ever she was around Lionstep. Then he asked her a question and she nearly smothered him with thank you's her pelt bursting with pride. "I'd love to go, I'm so excited you don't ever understand! I've always wanted to visit Moon Tree again it's the most amazing place ever, so much energy and it's almost as if -" Lionsong stopped her rambling with a flush to warm her cheeks. She looked down and tried to collect herself quickly, then slowly looking back up to Lionstep. "I'd be honored to go with you to Moon Tree." She spoke now more like a strict warrior, not nearly like the small kit she acted just moments before. Her chested boasted up high, it was the most exciting news since her warrior name. [/style][STYLE=background-color: DB8614; width: 230px; padding: 10px; height: 30px; text-align: justify; overflow: auto; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 9px; line-height: 10px;][STYLE=background-color:DB8614 ; color: FAC456; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: -1px; overflow: auto; height: 20px; padding: 5px; text-align: center;]tagged here ● notes here[/style][/style]

[STYLE=font-family: tahoma; font-size: 9px;]made by made by minnie of neverland[/style]

[Fawn]

[style=font-family:Almendra SC; font-size:54px;]Lionstep

The sudden burst of joy and excitement from his female Clanmate took Lionstep completely by surprise. Tail fluffing just slightly, Lionstep's whiskers twitched in astonishment, and then pleasure that he had unknowingly said the right thing to say to a cat like Lionsong. "Great, we'll leave as soon as I make the announcement to the Clan and bury Distantstar tomorrow morning." Stealing a glance past Lionsong's light ginger ears to the still body of their former leader, Lionstep suppressed a deep sigh. It was always grim necessity to sit vigil for a fallen comrade, but even more grim to sit vigil with a fallen leader. His heart ached at the thought. Once the Clan had finished saying their goodbyes, he and the Medicine Cat, Spottedfeather would watch over his body, silently ushering Distantstar's spirit on to join their ancestors in Silverpelt.

"You can ask Spottedfeather to prepare traeveling herbs for all 5 of us, if you like." He mewed, flicking his tail in the direction of Spottedfeather's den. He had to go make an announcement to the Clan, otherwise he would certainly do it himself - however, Lionstep figured the ginger she-cat's excitement about going to the Moon Tree would make even a thing like asking for traveling herbs seem like a pleasant thing to do. It was going to be a very busy morning for TreeClan; Lionstep wouldn't have the privilege of taking a nap after he and Spottedfeather sat vigil, he would simply help the Medicine Cat bury Distantstar, arrange the dawn patrol, leave Leafscar in charge of the camp, and then proceed with his party to the Moon Tree. Lionstep had never been the leisurely type, and he wouldn't allow TreeClan to go without a leader any longer than the necessary amount of grieving time.