Post by KARAZHAL on May 4, 2020 22:55:30 GMT -5
newleaf nineteen
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The morning could barely be noticed, just a lighter gray in the fog that cloaked the land, but Birdtalon awoke all the same. The clouds lingered low, and every pebble was dewy and damp beneath his gray pawpads as he strode out of camp silently, without a second glance back. He smelled his escort before he saw them. His nose wrinkled as he took in all of their scents. Navigating in the fog wouldn’t be an issue while they were still within StoneClan borders, but beyond them, Birdtalon wanted to make sure he was confident in what each of his clanmates smelled like. He glimpsed Valiantstride and noticed Ebonyheart’s poofy black form, and with a quick sniff with eyes closed, he was certain he could find his clanmates if they were separated.
“We will return,” Birdtalon told the camp guards as he passed by.
They traversed the pebbly ground for quite some time. He remembered going this way so often as an apprentice, and Birdtalon gave a small smile as he felt the soft carpet begin just where he expected to. He felt comforted throughout the entire way to the Moon Tree, as if invisibly, his ancestors walked beside him and gave him a sense of peace. He released a deep breath when they finally reached the cave. He walked in alone. The coolness surrounding him was immediate, but for some reason, he didn’t tremble or catch a chill. His emerald eyes saw the Moon Tree and felt compelled to lay down under its argent branches.
He fell asleep. The fog shimmered to pink and purple, then bluish-black, filling up the cavern’s ceiling and swirling with unfelt wind. Many bright lights tumbled from the roiling clouds above and landed on the ground and boughs, where feline shapes bloomed until they were a crowd in the cave.
Redpaw’s voice giggled in his ear, “Wake up!” After all this time, he had not forgotten it. So many times of sharing nests in the apprentice den and his sister mewing in his ear.
He was instantly awake. The gray tom’s eyes went white as its protective membrane reflected all of the Silverpelt. Stars glistened in the blue-green depths. For the first time, he saw them: his ancestors, his clanmates, his friends…his family. He looked over to see a young dilute calico grinning excitedly at him. “Redpaw…,” he sighed in longing, and he pushed his forehead against hers. Birdtalon came to his feet and witnessed with amazement at the elders he remembered caring for in his apprenticeship gamboling like kits. However, closest to him were eight cats. Some he recalled, but others… not so much. Nevertheless, he greeted them all with a warm smile, using names when he could and respectful greetings when he couldn’t.
“Welcome, Birdtalon!” a grandfatherly voice boomed from a tom. Hearing it, Birdtalon felt so small all of a sudden, like Birdpaw with his sister Redpaw right beside him. He rushed to heed Boulderstar’s call. “It is your destiny to lead StoneClan. Come forward and receive your nine lives.” Boulderstar, a former leader, swept his tail around his paws as Birdtalon stepped toward him. He lowered his head respectfully before the starry-pelted tom. He felt Boulderstar’s chin on his forehead and the comforting vibration of his bass voice as he intoned the ceremonial phrase: “With this life, I give you resilience. Use it to stand your ground. Just as the mountains guard this valley from dangers, may you stand tall and watch over your Clan.”
Birdtalon opened his eyes and his mouth, expecting to thank Boulderstar, but to his surprise, the tom was gone and a tabby she-cat strode up to him with a no-nonsense look. She studied him with a cautious eye, appraising him much like Rabbitfur did, but she seemed to find no flaw. “In my lifetime, I thought that bird names carried some kind of burden. My first deputy left us, and then I chose Hawkwing.” She turned to a sandy-brown tom standing next to a smaller paler cat. “I was wrong. It seems birds can rise to the challenge.” Her head pivoted back onto Birdtalon as she approached and stated, “With this life, I grant you courage. Use it so that no enemies will ever challenge you, and all friends will rally to your side. Control your own destiny.” She pressed her forehead firmly against his, and Birdtalon felt sudden overwhelming pressure, as if a powerful paw was holding him flat. With a pop, the sensation vanished.
He wanted to reassure her, but he found he couldn’t speak. Another cat approached, his black pelt making him impossible to see if it weren’t for the silvery corona outlining his head. Birdtalon had never seen this tom in life, yet his name--Blackeagle--came to mind without being spoken. Was this the power of StarClan? The cat bounded up to him with a gentle touch upon the head. “With this life, I give you adventure. Use it to lead every aspect of your life so that passion and bravery may unite as one.” Heat surged through Birdtalon’s extremities, chasing away the coolness of the cavern that crept through even in his dreams. He felt his muscles strengthen and come alive, but before he could thank the medicine cat for the life, Blackeagle had vanished just like the others before him.
His eyes widened as a large black tom separated from the pack and approached. Like Blackeagle, the black parts of his pelt were hard to separate from the blackness of the night sky all around, but his silvery markings glinted like jewels in his fur and Birdtalon could see him perfectly. His paws shifted from side to side. Here was a cat he idolized as a kit: Wolfclaw, Hawkstar’s first deputy! He wished he could have had him for a mentor instead of Cobrashadow. Relief and awe poured over Birdtalon’s face as the big, black smoke tom gave him a toothy smile and some advice. “I know the pain of losing a sister,” he rumbled, looking kindly at him and Redpaw, “as well as clanmates. Don’t let your grief paralyze you.” He firmly bumped against Birdtalon. Warmth chased away the bitter sadness welling up as the life rooted itself inside him. “With this life, I impart my ferocity. Use it to fiercely protect your Clan and be their bastion in all times of trouble.” Once again, scorching heat filled Birdtalon’s entire body. Pain seared him straight through, his tail quivering until the moment passed and he could feel the cold stone beneath his pawpads again.
His eyes cracked open wearily to see tri-colored legs waiting for him to regain his composure. Dawnblossom lowered her head and nuzzled him with a comforting purr. A warmth spread where their heads touched. She said, “With this life, I give you balance. Use it to steady yourself so that you will not go too far.” Her calico frame faded out of sight, leaving only stars that leapt up to the Silverpelt overhead.
Her words were enough to keep him upright for the sight alone of the united family was enough to knock him off his feet. Hawkstar. Frozenrain. So many kittens tumbling and playing at her side. Hawkstar stepped over one that rolled in his path and lifted his chin in greeting. “Hello, Birdtalon. You have come a long way from the hatchling in Silentstrike’s shadow,” he purred. Birdtalon bowed deeply before the two. Frozenrain and their children followed until they were at Hawkstar’s side. “Hawkstar… Ma’am…” was all Birdtalon could say, nodding repeatedly at them both, tears pricking the corners of his eyes and spilling out. More than anything, he wanted to be a leader worthy of them and their legacy. He didn’t want to be a failure, leaving StoneClan bereft with a weak leader. He knew how to care for his clanmates and maintain the territory, but was he really qualified for this position of leadership? “I felt the same way,” Hawkstar murmured. Birdtalon swallowed audibly and he gazed up at the huge tom with glistening eyes. The words didn’t come, but Hawkstar seemed to know what was in his heart and mind. “With this life, I give you clear judgment. May it serve to help you guide your Clan with a firm but fair paw. Your decisions will affect their lives forever, just as it takes but one pebble to begin a rockslide.”
The beautiful she-cat beside him wore a tiara of light and a pearl necklace of stars. Gently, she cupped Birdtalon’s paw with her own and smiled serenely. “You wear your thoughts right on your face, Birdtalon, but yes, we know what is in your heart. Kindness. Goodness. Justice. You chose to stand for StoneClan, and they will stand with you. StoneClan stands together. Dry your eyes. Come now, chin up.” She tapped his paw and took up her usual impeccable poise. Birdtalon lowered his head to her as she laid the gentlest kiss upon his brow, a queen bestowing her favor. “With this life, I bequeath grace. Use it to maintain your composure in times of trouble. Every cat looks to you for guidance.”
A lifting sensation overcame him. His spine straightened, his chin rose, and stars settled around his ears. He glimpsed them floating past his eyes. Hawkstar and Frozenrain’s forms twinkled until they were completely opaque.
“They’ve taken me in, you know,” Redpaw chirped beside him. The young calico stepped forward and turned to face him. “I’m not alone here. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I don’t. I know you’re with me, always,” Birdtalon whispered. “I have placed my trust in StarClan.”
“You were really miserable.”
“I heard you die.”
“You must not dwell on that. Having emotions is all well and good, but you have to gather your voice and lift everyone out of their sadness now. I believe in you,” she mewed. Stars twinkled at the corners of her eyes. Redpaw beamed at him. Lifting herself up onto her hindlegs, she placed her paws on either side of his head and touched her nose to his. “With this life, I give confidence. Please use it in every confrontation you face. May you share it freely with all Clan members and use it to educate all cats within your care. Do not doubt yourself, brother, for your duty is to your Clan.”
“Please stay,” he begged. “Stay by my side until I wake.”
“I’ll wait…” Her voice was a whisper in the wind as she lost her colors and went back to being a shimmery spirit. Redpaw leapt over his back weightlessly and pulled her legs beneath herself to rest beside him.
When Birdtalon faced forward once more, all of the other ancestors were gone and one cat remained. She was smaller than him, and she stood a fox-length away without speaking, simply watching him. He wasn’t sure if he saw pride in her eyes. He hoped there was. She and Valiantstride had chosen him after all. “Smokestar,” he said breathily. At the very least, he was glad to not see contempt in her eyes. She looked hale, as if she could’ve received his patrol report and life in StoneClan was no different.
She flicked one ear. “You take this task without regrets,” she remarked, squinting as she looked him up and down. “Good.”
“I am honored that you saw fit to choose me as Valiantstride’s successor. Please watch over us, ma’am.” Birdtalon bowed his head, accepting the mandate of heaven with humility. He might be leader in rank, but it was the ancestors who blessed the leader with nine lives and guided his paws. He did not see Smokestar’s reaction, but he felt her come near.
“With this life, I entrust ambition. Use it to strengthen the Clan, encourage its members, and inspire tireless energy within,” Smokestar announced, touching his head briefly. “Lift your head and become one of us. I hail you by your new name, Birdstar. Your old life is no more!” That familiar heat roared through him again. Bright light blinded him; this life was the most painful to receive. His legs wobbled, threatening to buckle, but he kept his composure. He heard Smokestar’s voice continuing despite being unable to see her. “You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of StoneClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.”
The stone-gray tom blinked, and they all appeared around him again, smiling or nodding their congratulations. A chant began, starting with the childish mews of Frozenrain’s squeaky kits and building until all of the leaders were repeating his name. The name he would have for the rest of his life, to protect and lead StoneClan with each consecutive one until his final breath, until he could join the honorable ancestors and give a life to his successor in turn.
“Birdstar! Birdstar! Birdstar! Birdstar!”
Gazing gratefully to the cats he never knew except in stories, he bowed his head to accept his inheritance. He lifted his chin to return the loving expressions of the ones who had known him and looked forward to seeing him again. Redpaw lingered the longest. She whirled around him like a soaring eagle. Her eyes shone with the love in her heart for her brother. She would continue cheering him on. She mouthed the words “Wake up!”
Groggily, his emerald eyes opened to the dim cavern. The Moon Tree twinkled peacefully, and there was a sweet scent in the air despite the tree bearing no blooms. He went to move, but found his legs numb. How long had he lain there with his paws tucked underneath himself? Clearing his throat, he forced feeling back into his feet. He gave himself a brisk shake and trotted through the tunnel into the open air where his escort awaited him. He emerged to a day devoid of the morning fog. A beautiful sunny sky greeted him. Nine birds tweeted as they sped through the sky, weaving and swirling before settling in a nearby spruce. Birdstar smiled up at them.
“Let’s go back,” he murmured to Valiantstride, touching shoulders to the faithful gold tabby before taking the lead on the path that led back to the mossy meadows.
---
The morning could barely be noticed, just a lighter gray in the fog that cloaked the land, but Birdtalon awoke all the same. The clouds lingered low, and every pebble was dewy and damp beneath his gray pawpads as he strode out of camp silently, without a second glance back. He smelled his escort before he saw them. His nose wrinkled as he took in all of their scents. Navigating in the fog wouldn’t be an issue while they were still within StoneClan borders, but beyond them, Birdtalon wanted to make sure he was confident in what each of his clanmates smelled like. He glimpsed Valiantstride and noticed Ebonyheart’s poofy black form, and with a quick sniff with eyes closed, he was certain he could find his clanmates if they were separated.
“We will return,” Birdtalon told the camp guards as he passed by.
They traversed the pebbly ground for quite some time. He remembered going this way so often as an apprentice, and Birdtalon gave a small smile as he felt the soft carpet begin just where he expected to. He felt comforted throughout the entire way to the Moon Tree, as if invisibly, his ancestors walked beside him and gave him a sense of peace. He released a deep breath when they finally reached the cave. He walked in alone. The coolness surrounding him was immediate, but for some reason, he didn’t tremble or catch a chill. His emerald eyes saw the Moon Tree and felt compelled to lay down under its argent branches.
He fell asleep. The fog shimmered to pink and purple, then bluish-black, filling up the cavern’s ceiling and swirling with unfelt wind. Many bright lights tumbled from the roiling clouds above and landed on the ground and boughs, where feline shapes bloomed until they were a crowd in the cave.
Redpaw’s voice giggled in his ear, “Wake up!” After all this time, he had not forgotten it. So many times of sharing nests in the apprentice den and his sister mewing in his ear.
He was instantly awake. The gray tom’s eyes went white as its protective membrane reflected all of the Silverpelt. Stars glistened in the blue-green depths. For the first time, he saw them: his ancestors, his clanmates, his friends…his family. He looked over to see a young dilute calico grinning excitedly at him. “Redpaw…,” he sighed in longing, and he pushed his forehead against hers. Birdtalon came to his feet and witnessed with amazement at the elders he remembered caring for in his apprenticeship gamboling like kits. However, closest to him were eight cats. Some he recalled, but others… not so much. Nevertheless, he greeted them all with a warm smile, using names when he could and respectful greetings when he couldn’t.
“Welcome, Birdtalon!” a grandfatherly voice boomed from a tom. Hearing it, Birdtalon felt so small all of a sudden, like Birdpaw with his sister Redpaw right beside him. He rushed to heed Boulderstar’s call. “It is your destiny to lead StoneClan. Come forward and receive your nine lives.” Boulderstar, a former leader, swept his tail around his paws as Birdtalon stepped toward him. He lowered his head respectfully before the starry-pelted tom. He felt Boulderstar’s chin on his forehead and the comforting vibration of his bass voice as he intoned the ceremonial phrase: “With this life, I give you resilience. Use it to stand your ground. Just as the mountains guard this valley from dangers, may you stand tall and watch over your Clan.”
Birdtalon opened his eyes and his mouth, expecting to thank Boulderstar, but to his surprise, the tom was gone and a tabby she-cat strode up to him with a no-nonsense look. She studied him with a cautious eye, appraising him much like Rabbitfur did, but she seemed to find no flaw. “In my lifetime, I thought that bird names carried some kind of burden. My first deputy left us, and then I chose Hawkwing.” She turned to a sandy-brown tom standing next to a smaller paler cat. “I was wrong. It seems birds can rise to the challenge.” Her head pivoted back onto Birdtalon as she approached and stated, “With this life, I grant you courage. Use it so that no enemies will ever challenge you, and all friends will rally to your side. Control your own destiny.” She pressed her forehead firmly against his, and Birdtalon felt sudden overwhelming pressure, as if a powerful paw was holding him flat. With a pop, the sensation vanished.
He wanted to reassure her, but he found he couldn’t speak. Another cat approached, his black pelt making him impossible to see if it weren’t for the silvery corona outlining his head. Birdtalon had never seen this tom in life, yet his name--Blackeagle--came to mind without being spoken. Was this the power of StarClan? The cat bounded up to him with a gentle touch upon the head. “With this life, I give you adventure. Use it to lead every aspect of your life so that passion and bravery may unite as one.” Heat surged through Birdtalon’s extremities, chasing away the coolness of the cavern that crept through even in his dreams. He felt his muscles strengthen and come alive, but before he could thank the medicine cat for the life, Blackeagle had vanished just like the others before him.
His eyes widened as a large black tom separated from the pack and approached. Like Blackeagle, the black parts of his pelt were hard to separate from the blackness of the night sky all around, but his silvery markings glinted like jewels in his fur and Birdtalon could see him perfectly. His paws shifted from side to side. Here was a cat he idolized as a kit: Wolfclaw, Hawkstar’s first deputy! He wished he could have had him for a mentor instead of Cobrashadow. Relief and awe poured over Birdtalon’s face as the big, black smoke tom gave him a toothy smile and some advice. “I know the pain of losing a sister,” he rumbled, looking kindly at him and Redpaw, “as well as clanmates. Don’t let your grief paralyze you.” He firmly bumped against Birdtalon. Warmth chased away the bitter sadness welling up as the life rooted itself inside him. “With this life, I impart my ferocity. Use it to fiercely protect your Clan and be their bastion in all times of trouble.” Once again, scorching heat filled Birdtalon’s entire body. Pain seared him straight through, his tail quivering until the moment passed and he could feel the cold stone beneath his pawpads again.
His eyes cracked open wearily to see tri-colored legs waiting for him to regain his composure. Dawnblossom lowered her head and nuzzled him with a comforting purr. A warmth spread where their heads touched. She said, “With this life, I give you balance. Use it to steady yourself so that you will not go too far.” Her calico frame faded out of sight, leaving only stars that leapt up to the Silverpelt overhead.
Her words were enough to keep him upright for the sight alone of the united family was enough to knock him off his feet. Hawkstar. Frozenrain. So many kittens tumbling and playing at her side. Hawkstar stepped over one that rolled in his path and lifted his chin in greeting. “Hello, Birdtalon. You have come a long way from the hatchling in Silentstrike’s shadow,” he purred. Birdtalon bowed deeply before the two. Frozenrain and their children followed until they were at Hawkstar’s side. “Hawkstar… Ma’am…” was all Birdtalon could say, nodding repeatedly at them both, tears pricking the corners of his eyes and spilling out. More than anything, he wanted to be a leader worthy of them and their legacy. He didn’t want to be a failure, leaving StoneClan bereft with a weak leader. He knew how to care for his clanmates and maintain the territory, but was he really qualified for this position of leadership? “I felt the same way,” Hawkstar murmured. Birdtalon swallowed audibly and he gazed up at the huge tom with glistening eyes. The words didn’t come, but Hawkstar seemed to know what was in his heart and mind. “With this life, I give you clear judgment. May it serve to help you guide your Clan with a firm but fair paw. Your decisions will affect their lives forever, just as it takes but one pebble to begin a rockslide.”
The beautiful she-cat beside him wore a tiara of light and a pearl necklace of stars. Gently, she cupped Birdtalon’s paw with her own and smiled serenely. “You wear your thoughts right on your face, Birdtalon, but yes, we know what is in your heart. Kindness. Goodness. Justice. You chose to stand for StoneClan, and they will stand with you. StoneClan stands together. Dry your eyes. Come now, chin up.” She tapped his paw and took up her usual impeccable poise. Birdtalon lowered his head to her as she laid the gentlest kiss upon his brow, a queen bestowing her favor. “With this life, I bequeath grace. Use it to maintain your composure in times of trouble. Every cat looks to you for guidance.”
A lifting sensation overcame him. His spine straightened, his chin rose, and stars settled around his ears. He glimpsed them floating past his eyes. Hawkstar and Frozenrain’s forms twinkled until they were completely opaque.
“They’ve taken me in, you know,” Redpaw chirped beside him. The young calico stepped forward and turned to face him. “I’m not alone here. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I don’t. I know you’re with me, always,” Birdtalon whispered. “I have placed my trust in StarClan.”
“You were really miserable.”
“I heard you die.”
“You must not dwell on that. Having emotions is all well and good, but you have to gather your voice and lift everyone out of their sadness now. I believe in you,” she mewed. Stars twinkled at the corners of her eyes. Redpaw beamed at him. Lifting herself up onto her hindlegs, she placed her paws on either side of his head and touched her nose to his. “With this life, I give confidence. Please use it in every confrontation you face. May you share it freely with all Clan members and use it to educate all cats within your care. Do not doubt yourself, brother, for your duty is to your Clan.”
“Please stay,” he begged. “Stay by my side until I wake.”
“I’ll wait…” Her voice was a whisper in the wind as she lost her colors and went back to being a shimmery spirit. Redpaw leapt over his back weightlessly and pulled her legs beneath herself to rest beside him.
When Birdtalon faced forward once more, all of the other ancestors were gone and one cat remained. She was smaller than him, and she stood a fox-length away without speaking, simply watching him. He wasn’t sure if he saw pride in her eyes. He hoped there was. She and Valiantstride had chosen him after all. “Smokestar,” he said breathily. At the very least, he was glad to not see contempt in her eyes. She looked hale, as if she could’ve received his patrol report and life in StoneClan was no different.
She flicked one ear. “You take this task without regrets,” she remarked, squinting as she looked him up and down. “Good.”
“I am honored that you saw fit to choose me as Valiantstride’s successor. Please watch over us, ma’am.” Birdtalon bowed his head, accepting the mandate of heaven with humility. He might be leader in rank, but it was the ancestors who blessed the leader with nine lives and guided his paws. He did not see Smokestar’s reaction, but he felt her come near.
“With this life, I entrust ambition. Use it to strengthen the Clan, encourage its members, and inspire tireless energy within,” Smokestar announced, touching his head briefly. “Lift your head and become one of us. I hail you by your new name, Birdstar. Your old life is no more!” That familiar heat roared through him again. Bright light blinded him; this life was the most painful to receive. His legs wobbled, threatening to buckle, but he kept his composure. He heard Smokestar’s voice continuing despite being unable to see her. “You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of StoneClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.”
The stone-gray tom blinked, and they all appeared around him again, smiling or nodding their congratulations. A chant began, starting with the childish mews of Frozenrain’s squeaky kits and building until all of the leaders were repeating his name. The name he would have for the rest of his life, to protect and lead StoneClan with each consecutive one until his final breath, until he could join the honorable ancestors and give a life to his successor in turn.
“Birdstar! Birdstar! Birdstar! Birdstar!”
Gazing gratefully to the cats he never knew except in stories, he bowed his head to accept his inheritance. He lifted his chin to return the loving expressions of the ones who had known him and looked forward to seeing him again. Redpaw lingered the longest. She whirled around him like a soaring eagle. Her eyes shone with the love in her heart for her brother. She would continue cheering him on. She mouthed the words “Wake up!”
Groggily, his emerald eyes opened to the dim cavern. The Moon Tree twinkled peacefully, and there was a sweet scent in the air despite the tree bearing no blooms. He went to move, but found his legs numb. How long had he lain there with his paws tucked underneath himself? Clearing his throat, he forced feeling back into his feet. He gave himself a brisk shake and trotted through the tunnel into the open air where his escort awaited him. He emerged to a day devoid of the morning fog. A beautiful sunny sky greeted him. Nine birds tweeted as they sped through the sky, weaving and swirling before settling in a nearby spruce. Birdstar smiled up at them.
“Let’s go back,” he murmured to Valiantstride, touching shoulders to the faithful gold tabby before taking the lead on the path that led back to the mossy meadows.
