[Ginger]

A night had passed since Shadowchaser had returned to Darkstar with a message from StarClan. She didn’t want to listen to what StarClan had told him. Why would she listen to a bunch of dead warriors who thought they could tell the living what to do? Their time was over.

But ever since Shadowchaser brought with him the warning of Rainfur’s eventual demise if she remained as deputy, Darkstar had been unable to sleep. She didn’t want to listen to StarClan and just change her deputy because they told her to.

But she did listen to her clanmates. And it was very obvious to anyone who had even the slightest sense of perception that Rainfur was not doing well. When she and Darkstar had meetings, the leader would notice that her deputy contributed little, seeming more and more drawn into herself with each passing day. Darkstar chose a calm deputy to balance her brash nature – she was perfectly aware that she could often be a little reckless without someone to hold her back – but it was clear that serving as Darkstar’s rein was taking too great a toll on Rainfur. Her deputy seemed to not care for her role anymore. How disappointing.

A familiar presence appeared at the entrance of Darkstar's den.

"You asked for me? There is something I wish to speak with you about..." Rainfur's soft voice filled the cavern entrance, and Darkstar ushered her in with an impatient flick of the tail. She'd been expecting this conversation. That Rainfur was initiating it was as clear a sign as any that Shadowchaser's omen was to be heeded.

"StarClan already sent a message." said Darkstar.

Rainfur's expression morphed between astonishment to guilt to a badly disguised relief.
"I am sorry, Darkstar. It pains me to step down, but I have to be careful."

Darkstar's eyes narrowed. Was Rainfur really choosing her own health over that of the Clan's well-being?

Rainfur shuffled awkwardly. "Oakfall and I are expecting."

At once, Darkstar's building disgust began to cool. Shadowchaser's omen wasn't just about Rainfur. It was about the unborn kits she was carrying; Darkstar suppressed a shudder as she remembered the sensation of her own life slipping away during her kitting - and she was a little over half Rainfur's age.

To have Rainfur die unexpectedly would undermine NightClan's leadership. She could see that it was a difficult choice for the older she-cat to make, and Darkstar felt a bit of begrudging respect for the deputy she so often clashed with.

"Look after your kits," Darkstar gave a small, approving nod. "I will make the announcement at moonhigh."

It was time for change in NightClan. It was time to let Rainfur rest.

Darkstar remained awake in her den for the entirety of the day following Shadowchaser’s news and halfway through the night. She spent every waking minute thinking about her clanmates, thinking about who had not only the ability to serve as a calm to Darkstar’s storm, but who also had the stamina to keep it up for potentially a great deal of time.

Quite a few names came to mind, and Darkstar had called those warriors into her den to speak with her. All were of a sound mind, and she spent a great deal of time mulling it over before she finally knew who it was. 

Moonhigh couldn't come soon enough. Darkstar elegantly made her way to the boulder ledge. It was time.

“Let all cats who wear the shadows as their own pelts gather for a Clan meeting!”

Amber eyes gazed upon the tired and confused members of the clan who had all seemed to have just gotten ready to sleep. To their knowledge, no ceremony was supposed to happen. She was about to rock their world.

"I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of NightClan is Clovermask."

---

Katara

[Katara]

[googlefont=Playfair Display] [googlefont=Roboto] [googlefont=Kumar One]

if i was born as a blackthorn tree
i'd wanna be held by you, felled by you
fuel the

PYRE OF YOUR
enemies

clover

clovermask.

NIGHTCLAN DEPUTY // 48 MOONS

S

omething was up. Clovermask could feel it plain as anything. She sat near the nursery after having a small meal, her paws tucked under her as she swiped her tongue around her muzzle. She could hear the mewling of the kits not far from her (probably Darkstar's kits, she now realized) as Skybringer kept them busy. She rather hoped she'd be chosen to mentor one of them, which was why she'd been spending more time around the nursery than away from it. Making her interest in mentoring one of their leader's kits would have to be necessary this time around, much as she disliked kits in general. Her method of feigning disinterest in kits to make Foxstar believe she might be an ideal choice had simply not worked the way she'd wanted it to when she'd finally received her first apprentice many moons ago. Though, she had more of a relationship with Darkstar than she did with Foxstar, so she thought she stood a better chance.

She narrowed her eyes. Which brought her back to right now... Not too long ago, the NightClan leader had called Clovermask into her den, asking only a few questions before dismissing her. She'd seen a couple other warriors go into her den and then leave soon after before she was called in herself, which made her think Darkstar's questioning had a direct purpose, though she hadn't bothered to reveal it. Clovermask hadn't asked, to be fair, though she was certain her leader wouldn't have answered her. If Darkstar was anything, she was secretive, a quality the bengal appreciated about her.

Clovermask barely had time to wash her paws before Darkstar suddenly appeared and leaped onto the Boulder Ledge, calling NightClan to her. She got to her paws, powerfully curious, striding quickly to join her Clanmates below their leader. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Berrycloud join her. "Is there supposed to be a naming ceremony?" he questioned, clearly puzzled. He glanced around, looking for a well-groomed apprentice or mentor, but there was none.

Suddenly, excitement began to pulse through her as the idea of what might be happening hit her. "It's not a naming ceremony," she hissed to her former mentor. She didn't tear her eyes away from Darkstar.

"I say these words before StarClan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice," the NightClan leader declared. The familiar words of the deputy announcement ceremony rang through the cave clearly, making several cats exchange shocked looks. They hadn't been expecting this - it hadn't even been announced that Rainfur was stepping down, or why. Though, any cat with eyes could guess at the why, maybe. Clovermask certainly hadn't missed the fact Rainfur didn't look quite like herself lately, but she hadn't expected Darkstar to allow her to step down either. She held her breath, for the first time in many, many moons feeling alive.

And then: "The new deputy of NightClan is Clovermask."

Satisfaction surged through her, pride hot on its tail, before she summoned an icy calm. If Darkstar's previous choice in deputy was any evidence of what she was looking for in her next deputy, then she would expect Clovermask to be calm and assured in this moment. She rose to her paws, dipping her head respectfully to her leader. "I am honored to have been chosen, Darkstar." She looked around, her eyes finding Berrycloud's first, to her own surprise - and the older tom's eyes were warm with pride for his former apprentice. She raised her voice to address her Clanmates, "NightClan, it is my incredible honor to serve you as your new deputy. I will give every ounce of my strength to defend this Clan, and do right by all of you." She meant every word of it, though part of her couldn't help but imagine Shrikesong in that moment of Clovermask's quiet triumph... oh, how she was going to regret not joining NightClan when she had the chance.

[attr="class","cltag"]tagged Anyone!

[attr="class","clnotes"]notes Phoenix for Shrike mention muahaha

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[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Spirax]

when you grow up your heart dies

Bramblepaw

nightclan she-cat 6 moons

[attr="class","bramble"][attr="class","bramble-content"]

The night outside NightClan’s cavern was cool and clear, the stars glittering down through the entrance. Moonlight spilt into the darkness, bringing a unique hue to the dark walls where they made their home. Cats flitted about, freshkill clutched in their jaws. There was an atmosphere of calm mundanity, just Clan cats going about their ordinary business as dawn slowly approached to drive them to their nests. One of the only Clans that still held through to their nocturnal roots, NightClan shied away from the too-bright day and worked by moonlight. Or, most of them worked.

Right now, however, Bramblepaw was engaged in the vital task of throwing a bone up into the air and seeing if she could catch it with her dark brown, mottled paws. She’d just finished her own meal for the day, golden eyes glinting as she balanced the small bone on a pawpad. Her mother, Thornscar, would scold her for playing with the bones of her prey, but what else was there to do in this boring underground prison? Sit around and wait for her whiskers to go grey? No, Bramblepaw was a she-cat of action. She needed something to occupy her paws and thoughts as the hours ticked slowly by and the sky outside gradually lightened. Suddenly, something in the air made Bramblepaw pause, and discard the bone as she rolled over, ears perked and eyes alert. Darkstar had emerged from her den, her black and orange pelt gleaming in the lunar light. But it wasn’t just her emerging that seemed to send something rippling through the Clan, it was the way she held herself, her eyes intense with the certainty of carrying out a goal. Something was happening, but nobody knew what, least of all Bramblepaw.

When Darkstar launched herself up onto the ledge, introducing a surge of surprised whispering among the Clan, a sudden thought occurred to her. Would this be her warrior ceremony at last? Excitement sparked in her paws, but to her recollection, she hadn’t completed a final assessment yet. Scrambling to her paws, she trotted over with the flow of feline traffic, pushing through fur and muscle as she tried to push closer beneath the ledge. Darkstar waited until most everyone who could catch their own prey was gazing up at her, a sea of eyes round as moons. Darkstar’s announcement landed like a boulder on her head.

Wait… what? Bramblepaw blinked several times, turning her sleek head to glance between Rainfur and Clovermask. Was Rainfur retiring? Darkstar hadn’t even said anything about Rainfur retiring. What was going on? Bramblepaw was so stunned that she couldn’t even join in with the chants of “Clovermask” that had started up around her as cats realised what was happening was actually happening. The news hit like a charging stag. Bramblepaw’s mouth hung open with disbelief for another moment until she finally remembered how to speak and shouted “Clovermask!” with her clanmates. What an adventure! And here Bramblepaw thought that life in NightClan was just starting to get boring.

Katara 506 Notes

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