[Estelle]

Nightshiver couldn’t help the smile at the sight of the kits surrounding her; it seemed some had decided to leave, whereas others had joined. That was fine, and the white queen greeted each new kit with a gentle smile.
“Wel..welcome, Silkkit… Red..kit.”
Her ear gave a flick, and she looked to the den’s entrance, checking if anyone else was joining. When it seemed the last of them had arrived – leaving her with three, four kits – mismatched eyes looked back down at the youngling, nodding subtly to Midnightkit’s question, even if the little one had since left.
“That is… a g-good… question. I a-am… uncertain; it is… not s-something, I was.. told of. In… my youth. But, I think… it’s a-a… very p..possible… theory.”
despite the number of little ones, it appeared that was the only question. Ah, well. Time to get into the lesson then. A grin spread across her maw.
“Go… and,,, get yourself,,, comfortable. Let’s… begin!”
She smiled.

“Today,,, we’ll talk,,, about – Ice..Icestar, and ,,, her leadership, mainly. Many,, many moons ago – say – at least more,,, than fifty,,,”
(based on her own age, mind you, she was starting to feel old).
“ShadowClan was,, left without,, a,, leader a-after,,, Windystar and their,,, deputy’s,, departure. Trouble,,, with what,,, I th-think must,, have been,,, rogues and,, possibly,, o-other,,, clans left,, ShadowClan,, in a dire,,, spot. Until,, a sign from,, StarClan,, came – showing us,,, our n-next leader,, a-and,, deputy; Iceheart turned,, Icestar, and,,, Crowtail.”
She paused, tail flicking.
“Any,,, guesses as,, to what,, the s-sign,, might’ve,, been?”
She herself was unsure, imagination mixing with fact. Was it ever shared? Still, it could be a nice game for the littles.

“Although,, Crowt-tail – he didn’t,, last very,, long. Being,, replaced by,, Beastspark – he,,, was Icestar’s next,, most prominent,, deputy, and,,, would serve under,,, he until,, her death. Together,, they worked,,, on building,, ShadowClan,, back up. Making us,, Stronger. Re-teaching,, our,, ancestral skill,,, the hide within,,, the shadows. For,, you see – for a while,,, ShadowClan had,, lost,, that knowledge.

Ah, but,,, Clan life,, is never as,, easy,, as becoming,, stronger. Icestar,, - ShadowClan – had,, a big feud,, with RiverClan and,, their leader; Lionstar.”
She’d almost shudder at the memory of them.
“Tensions,, rose they way,, they so,, often do – skirmishes,, arguments,,,, border,, pushing. Until, finally,,, RiverClan,,, raided o-our,, camp. Icestar,, lost her,, first life to,, Lionstar i-in that,,, raid, after which,, they,, left. But,,, tensions and,, struggles. Didn’t,,, diminish; they,, kept rising, even with,,, ThunderClan who – ah – must’ve,,, been l,,led by Flintstar, at a given,,, moment. ThunderClan, was,,, considered t-to be,,, a bit,, disorganised,, at,, the time. Icestar,,, ordered a raid,,, on them – a lesson, if you will.”
...She still felt it had perhaps not been the best way of doing.

“Despite,,, cross-clan,, related issues. There,, were still,,, m-moments of,, helping, each other. Clan,, life is. Complicated. Never,,, a single story,,, can,, define,, a whole clan’s,, history. Icestar,, was seen as scary,,, even so,,, WindClan was,,, left to take,, refuge in,, the old structure in,, Mourning,, Ruins – you’ll,, see it,, when you’ll be,, apprentices. Though, several WindClan,, warriors,, deserted their clan for,,, ShadowClan… At Icestar’s,, offer.”
She gave a weak smile.

“Several,,, moons passed. Tensions,, remained,, high. Common rumours,, told that,, Icestar was,,, blinded by pride – others,, claimed she,, only wanted,,, the best,, for ShadowClan. That,, said. Then came,, the day. Did,, you know – ShadowClan,, hasn’t always,,, resided o-on,, this territory? Moons ago – I was,,, still an apprentice, then – WindClan came,,, to drive us,, out of our,, territory. We fought,,, to keep o-our,, home. But lost, all the same. We,,, meant to seek refuge in,,, the Mourning Ruin’s,,, structure, but – it,, was mysteriosuly burned. To the,, ground. Several cats were,,, inside, then,,,, hence,, the name.

Much,, to everyone’s surprise,,, however,,, ThunderClan’s formed,,, leader – Flintstar – Flint,,spirit – her,, came to help,, us, despite our clan’s,,, previous,, tensions. He showed us,,, a different,,, hideout, then vanished. A,,, meeting was,, held. There. Ebonyfang,,, – a niece,, of,, Icestar – earned her warrior name, then,,, and was,,, named the,, new medicine cat,, apprentice u-under,, Irisflame, if,,, memory serves,, right.”
Irisflame. She missed her friend so.

“But,,, also at,,, this meeting – Beastspark,, remember,, him? Icestar’s,, deputy? He – he got,,, demoted in favour,,, of,,, Icestar’s,,, daughter; Dawnstripe. But,,, a great,, tragedy,,, happened. By the,, end of,, the meeting. A warrior – she,,, pushed,, Icestar off,,, the tree. Icestar never,,, came back,, a-after,, that,, attack. The warrior,,, fled, never,, to be,, caught.”
Hailstorm. Icestar’s other daughter, Dawnstar’s sister. Information that pained the queen to share with kits so young, information she would not yet speak.

“Dawnstar,,, became,, leader – then. Spending,,, no more th-than,, a few,, minutes. As,, deputy. She,, is the one who – who led us,,, here. To this,,, new camp. Mourning,, Ruins is among – if,, not the – last,, part we have of,, our old,,, territory. Ever since,,, ShadowClan’s,, issues with – with RiverClan,, diminished. Dawnstar,,, we,,, were more,, upset with WindClan,, for – chasing us – from,, our territory. Our,,, home. Even,, so, we have,,, build a new,, home,, here. Under,,, Dawnstar.”
She paused, tail flicking. Silently her eyes fell on each kit, noting the silent curiosity in Sleepykit’s eyes, who had been listening intently.

“Relations,,, with. Other clans,,, have,, always,, been difficult,, and,, complicated. I,,, tell you,, these stories so,,, you can,, make your,, own opinions and – know,, your past. But,,, there,, is a thin,, line,, between right – and,, wrong. And,, a lack of,,, context can,, make that,,, that line,, very blurry. And,, this happened,,, a while,, ago.

Any,,, questions?”


[ @Abyssopelagic – deeply apologize for the delay ]