the warrior picked his way toward the leader's den, and let himself in, hearing snowkit's voice pouring out. the darkness took some time for his eyes to get used to, but when they did, he found a broken down snowkit and... pikestar. with a sigh, the siamese sat near snowkit, wrapping his soft tail around the kitten for comfort. "fawnpaw is alive and well. she was injured, but it will heal." he spoke in his steadiest voice, trying not to let fear and doubt creep in for the sake of the kit next to him. "rogues attacked the camp. one escaped, and one is dead. a few kits got in the middle, and--" he cut off, unable to stop his vooice from wavering. "they're... gone." he didn't want to say the word "dead" -- he hoped the finality in his voice got the point across. "you can do what you want. but there are a few warriors out there helping to clean up and take care of things." he didn't want to say that. why were these words coming out of his mouth? had all the stress and tension built up inside of him, and this was just him erupting? "i don't care what you do, but i'm going back out to help. come on, snowkit. let's get you back safe. you're gonna be okay, everything's okay. i promise. let's go see fawnpaw, and then get you a nap." with one last look of sadness mixed with disappointment, beansprout exited the den, gesturing for snowkit to follow.
__________________
there's courage in being terrified, but still going forward.
@thepirateking
Koipool listened as her leader before answering “You won't be judged for being yourself, everybody needs some time alone. Sometimes cat’s expectations are too high and expect you when your needed but they need to realise you‘re not just a emotionless cat who would obey every order they give you, you're alive and have your own personality. You've always made us better from your leadership, but never feel pressured to put your paw down sometimes.” She advised, maybe that was kind of a long rant trying to make him feel better.
After venting all his messy emotions to the warrior, Pikestar stayed silent and looked down at his paws as Koipool gave him some helpful advice. Her words would eventually bring a small thankful smile to his maw, soon raising his head to look at the molly with his single deep blue eye. “You’re right, Koipool.” Pikestar said with a gentle, agreeing nod, “I guess I’ve just always been a huge pushover, you know? I’ve always been too scared of what others would think of me rather than do what I feel is right.” They had always been that way, but now that the oriental tomcat was a clan leader, they knew well enough now that such things about them needed to change. “I appreciate you, I truly do, for you coming to see me today. It helps me know that cats do care about me.” Obviously, it should be given, right? Well, Pikestar’s anxiety told him otherwise. He uttered a short sigh and shook his head, moving forward with the conversation. “Forgive me for changing the topic, but while you are still here, I actually might have a proposition for you.” He remarked, his whiskers twitching as he spoke, “How would you like to have an apprentice of your own? Robinkit will need a mentor soon, and I think you’d be perfect for her.”
Quote:
Originally Posted by lonely.lilyx
[ @thepirateking ] (just gonna mention you instead of quoting the whole thing hehe)
---
His broken tone brought her back. She knew Pikestar was just as eager for Sproutkit to grow up as she was.
"I... I'm not even sure," she babbled. The horrific images were coming back to her now. The blood. The grave. Sproutkit, laying lifeless in a pit of blood-soaked earth.
Sproutkit, who she loved more than anything else. Sproutkit, who had to experience the world the hard way. Sproutkit, Sproutkit, Sproutkit.
Sproutkit, her son, whom she would never see again.
Pull yourself together, she commanded her leaking eyes. Your leader needs you. He has enough to do. Pull yourself together. That is the best thing to do.
Pull yourself together, Lilycreek.
She paused to take in a shuddery breath of air. "I found him near the RiverClan hunting grounds. Buried hastily under a pile of dirt. He had... teeth marks on his neck. Cat teeth. And the odd part is, the smell on him wasn't a Clan cat smell. It was" she struggled to find the right words "odd is the only way to describe it."
She was prepared to ask for a search party, no, demand, a search party. She had felt so hollow before, but now a small fire sparked in her, flaring with each passing second. "If you're going to stop me from finding the killer, the one who took my son away from me," she whispered fiercely, "I'll fight you. I'll fight anyone who gets in my way."
Yes, this is what the killer deserved. A mother's fury, and their end, at her claws. And anyone who got the way or tried to stop her was as good as dead.
It was hard to do anything else in the moment but stare at Lilycreek, listening intently as she told him what had happened. Sproutkit had been found out in the RiverClan hunting grounds, buried in a shallow grave with teeth marks in his neck. Cat teeth marks. And it wasn’t a clan smell either. A rogue seemed like the most obvious answer. Surely. Pikestar pulled his gaze away from the she-cat, thinking long and hard about how to handle this. Perhaps he had been careless and too lenient on how he ran things around here. The dark tomcat wanted to stop this madness. First Weedkit and now Sproutkit. Both slain by something, or someone, out lurking within their own borders. The thought alone sickened him and he felt responsible for this mess.
Her next words caught his attention and Pikestar’s eye jerked over to the molly once more. “Lilycreek, look at me.” He meowed, standing up and walking over to her, “I would never ever think of trying to stop a mother from avenging her own child. As a father who had to avenge his own daughter’s death, I understand what you are feeling.” Birdpaw’s murder replayed in his mind, as well as him taking the life of her killer all those moons ago. “The clan will know of what has happened to Sproutkit. I will organize search parties. Hell, I will go out myself and make sure no blade of grass is unchecked. The only cat you have to worry about fighting is your son’s killer when we find them. I will make sure you are the one who ends their life.” He tried to meet her own gaze the best he could, with a vicious fire in his single eye.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Estelle
Pleased his warning was acknowledged, Gingerfrost nodded his head in response. Despite the sentiment, he still felt a bit awkward, undeniably. The usually stoic and lazy tom wasn't exactly used to this friendly business, whether he was trying to be or was the recipient. Most cats usually just seemed loud, positive or indifferent. Never outright friendly. But what could he say. Maybe this was how others normally interacted with each other. Well, if anything, they could agree on the Lionstunnels part. The tom wasn't very familiar with it's system, but didn't it lead to some open space or something? He seemed to have a faint memory of something like that, probably during the only practical thing Sootstar did as leader. Well, it wasn't like they were using them any more. If those burrows really were remnants, then it was causing more harm than good now. Should've stabilised them earlier.
Watching the leader's reaction to the information about Marigoldleap, he remained silent as the dark furred tom figured out the obvious (only a faint, almost non-existent, nod was caught from the ginger one). Evidently, Pikestar had at least some brains for him to figure that out. It wasn't hard, but he wouldn't put it past some cats... Except Pikestar, apparently, since he now proved to be capable of connecting some dots. "I don't know how much she knows, but more than we do."
The tom muttered, blunt as he was, inadvertently avoiding to say Fawnpaw's name so it wouldn't seem like some dumb jab at her. Halfly noting the rest of what the leader said - mainly that he had to fetch Marigoldleap - Gingerfrost gave a respectful nod. Having nothing more to add, he got up to leave. For however awkward he had felt, somewhere the young shield did actually appreciate having been able to sit while giving his report. And he was able to figure out Pikestar had some brains, which was good. Here's to hoping they were bigger than some of their clanmate's (or previous ones, anyway).
Emerging from the dark den, the light stung the ginger tom's eyes. Through a briefly squinted gaze it took him surprisingly little time to spot the scarred and dark furred molly he had been tasked to find. "Marigoldleap. Snowleap - Pikestar - wants to see you"
With a flick of his tail, he gestured towards the leader's den entrance, indicating she could go in right away. He couldn't be bothered the specify for what. He could guess what for, but it wasn't like Pikestar told him either. The moment those words had left the shield's mouth tiredness took hold again anyway, so with a faint nod, he was off as quick as he came.
Off to sleep, finally.
Finishing her conversation with one of her new clanmates the molly heard her name get called and she looked up to see Gingerforst once more. Okay this was it. She just needed to talk with the leader then she could relax for the rest of the day and get to know her clanmates. Moving past the shield the molly padded through the entrance. She looked at Snowleap , remembering him from one of the gatherings.
Marigoldleap couldn't lie that she wasn't nervous. She was. What if he turned her away? What if she was forced to live the rest of her days as a nasty and trustworthy rogue? Those thoughts couldn't help, but dance through her mind. It was a way you could tell she had changed. Before she wouldn't have worried, but now she did. For the first time she didn't know what to say instead she stayed quiet until she was spoken to.
His left ear twitched, hearing the other tom’s mutter, but Pikestar only nodded as a response. As much as he didn’t like to admit it, that statement was correct. This cat, who was once a full medicine cat, would know so much more than anyone in RiverClan ever did (as far as he knew). She would be able to help Fawnpaw too, and hopefully help the young apprentice have more confidence in her abilities. StarClan hadn’t aided them too much since the StarCave, but now that problem had a chance to be fixed. He shared a silent nod of farewell to his shield before watching the ginger-furred tabby leave his den to fetch Marigoldleap. For the next couple of minutes, Pikestar tapped his paws on the floor of his den rather aimlessly as he glanced around. He wasn’t too skilled at sitting still for a long time, nor being patient either for that matter, but the excitement of meeting a new clanmate and getting poor Fawnpaw some much-needed help was worth it. She would always be worth it.
Parting open his jaws, the RiverClan leader allowed a wide yawn to escape him. Stars above, when was the last time he had gotten a good night’s rest? Or seen his family for that matter? Before Pikestar would dwell on such things, Marigoldleap appeared in the mouth of his den and he greeted her with a warm smile. “You must be Marigoldleap. Apologies if this place is a tad messy right now, haven’t had much time to organize.” He meowed before gesturing with one paw for her to come closer, “Come in and take a seat, I won’t bite, I promise.” Unlike the leaders before him, Pikestar held no real prejustice against cats who were once a part of other clans than RiverClan. After all, his own mate, Lynxfall, and his daughter, Shadepaw, were both once ShadowClan cats. “Gingerfrost told me you joined us shortly before I returned from my lives ceremony. How is my clan treating you so far? Good, I would hope?” Some casual conversation to start this whole thing off.
HollowStorm shifted his paws. "I found prey-rich marshland. No other Clan will get to our new territory, cause it's probably loner land. I saw no loners though." He meowed. "Soon Riverclan will have more kits." He said quietly.
(Can pikestar call a meeting to talk about the new territory and affectionately mention HollowStorm?)
“Marshland?” The dark-furred tomcat meowed, tilting his head to the side, “Now that is interesting.” He was a bit skeptical about the whole ‘no loners or other clans will ever bother them in said land’, but Pikestar was willing to check it out. Maybe he would take a group of cats out there and see what it had in store. The clan needed more patches of territory, but not ones that would be stolen from other clans, of course. “Where is this location? I will probably check it out myself before anything.” Pikestar would come to form a habit of doing stuff like this, but it wasn’t meant to come off as an untrusting action. He just wanted to see if this unique piece of ‘loner-land’ was not dangerous in any way and RiverClan could safely claim it as their own.
( He will most likely bring it up in the next clan meeting and mention Hollowstorm. )
Too many rogues had been able to easily infiltrate camp lately. Even in large groups, trampling through their territory like they owned it, no cat even noticed or tried to stop them before they reached the camp itself. It was...worrying, to say the least. While she would like to giver her clanmates the benefit of the doubt, there was no reasonable excuse for this. Cats were always out in the territory, either patrolling, hunting, or training, so why did so many intruders go unnoticed?
The senior warrior sighed lightly as she entered Pikestars den, brows furrowed, "Pikestar? May I speak with you?" she politely asked, dipping her head to the leader.
It had been a long and tiring end to a day filled with rejoinings and elsewise. The tall RiverClan tomcat had just returned to camp, and shortly following suit to the safety of his own space, after being out in the hunting grounds all day. He stretched out his paws and shook out his bushy pelt, soon hearing the sound of another cat’s sigh, which made him turn his head. He would then see the familiar face of Plumfade, who was asking to speak with him. The oriental tomcat swiftly returned the respectful dip of his head and silently gestured to her with his tail to come further inside as he sat down near the farthest wall from the entrance.
“You look troubled, Plumfade,” Pikestar commented, blinking at the senior molly, “What is on your mind?” It was no secret that there were many things going on in RiverClan now. He had a million things on his plate to take care of, but never would he ever turn away a clanmate when they needed to talk with him. What kind of clan leader would they be if they didn’t make time for their cats? A terrible one, surely. Though, Pikestar could tell from Plumfade’s furrowed brows that this wasn’t a casual visit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by .Stardust.
Her emotions were flooding her, she could still smell the blood that surrounded her when she first realized it, it was so scary. She had never felt so scared before, ever, she had never felt such a large amount of sadness when she had thought Fawny had died, ever, that skirmish wrecked her so much, she had never been through something that harsh before, she was lucky Gingercat saved her from everything that had happened and that Fawny was alive and well. But unlucky that such a thing had happened during her lifetime. Snowkit padded into leader Snowstar's den, even though he was actually called Pikestar now. The skirmish had wrecked her so much, she didn't get hurt, but one of her very fwends(That she would now call her sister)had gotten hurt! Snowkit was feeling depressed instead of her usual happy personality, she didn't want to howl, or even speak, she just wanted someone to comfort her, because she was all alone. Without any parents, siblings, or any very best fwends. She just had Fawny and her very fwends.
As she wanted to speak, but couldn't as tears started rolling down her body, she froze up, she couldn't move or speak, she just cried. Just cried and cried and cried. She usually gave her very fwends hugs, but right now, she needed a hug. From a Bigcat or Smallcat or one of her very fwends. Just not from a Badcat.. she never wanted to see a Badcat ever again. Even if the Badcat was really a Goodcat. She finally spoke: "Snowweader, I need a hug" She needed a hug so bad, she wouldn't stop crying until she got a hug, because hugs were the best, and Kindcats and Happycats were the best too. She was a Kindcat and a Happycat. She needed to remember that, if she continued being a Sadcat, then she would never be a Bigcat. She continued to be a Sadcat though, finally speaking: "There was a big attack out there, and F-f-fawny.." She froze up, tears running down her cheek, no, Fawny didn't die. She kept repeating that inside her head, but then again, she couldn't speak, the only thing that was happening with her was her tears were running down her face. She finally had the courage to speak, "F-f-fawny" She stopped speaking again, only her tears running down, "F-f-fawny" She was gonna do it, even with her tears.
"FAWNY DIED"
Nooo... She didn't mean to say that., imagine how Pikestar would feel... why did she accidentally say that? Maybe because she was thinking too much about death... Too scared to speak.. too scared to say "Almost" Everything was just raining down on her, this was it, the world was crumbling down and she was so unhappy during this time. "I-I-I" She didn't say what she wanted to say.. tears still running down her face.. why wasn't everything great... Why did.. Why.. Why.. why was everything crumbling down, she didn't know, but it was crumbling down.
AND IT WAS ALL HER OWN FAULT
(Jsyk, Fawnmed didn't die, Snowkit just accidentally told Pike that Fawn had died due to being too frozen up to speak)
the warrior picked his way toward the leader's den, and let himself in, hearing snowkit's voice pouring out. the darkness took some time for his eyes to get used to, but when they did, he found a broken down snowkit and... pikestar. with a sigh, the siamese sat near snowkit, wrapping his soft tail around the kitten for comfort. "fawnpaw is alive and well. she was injured, but it will heal." he spoke in his steadiest voice, trying not to let fear and doubt creep in for the sake of the kit next to him. "rogues attacked the camp. one escaped, and one is dead. a few kits got in the middle, and--" he cut off, unable to stop his vooice from wavering. "they're... gone." he didn't want to say the word "dead" -- he hoped the finality in his voice got the point across. "you can do what you want. but there are a few warriors out there helping to clean up and take care of things." he didn't want to say that. why were these words coming out of his mouth? had all the stress and tension built up inside of him, and this was just him erupting? "i don't care what you do, but i'm going back out to help. come on, snowkit. let's get you back safe. you're gonna be okay, everything's okay. i promise. let's go see fawnpaw, and then get you a nap." with one last look of sadness mixed with disappointment, beansprout exited the den, gesturing for snowkit to follow.
Frankly, Pikestar didn’t know what in the name of StarClan was going on once a small kitten entered his den, crying and asking ‘Snowweader’ for a hug. Snowkit’s words were a mess and she spoke of a big attack that had happened, as well as something about ‘Fawny’ dying. His single eye widened, but before he could even begin to form words or even think to do anything, Beansprout walked in, seemingly trailing after this young clanmate, without a doubt. Thankfully, the siamese tom would soon wrap his tail around the kitten and tell Pikestar that Fawnpaw was, in fact, alive. Injured, but she would be okay. That made the oriental tomcat breathe a sigh of relief, but he could tell that this wasn’t the end of this. Rogues… attacked camp? More kittens dead? Pikestar didn’t even know what to say, but it made an awful feeling creep over him that felt heavy on his shoulders.
Beansprout’s tone was evident of disappointment and anger, which felt directed solely at Pikestar. Like the warrior was resenting him for not being there to help or do anything to stop this madness. It made his ears flatten against his head, but he didn’t object to the other tom’s harsh words, because Pikestar knew that he deserved it. He always did. Next thing he knew, Beansprout was leaving with Snowkit, flashing him one last final disappointed look before disappearing from sight. Once the RiverClan leader was alone, he sank to the ground, laying there on the floor of his den. He lifted his paws and covered his face, as if that would make him disappear right then and there. Pikestar felt sick to his stomach and he wanted to yell, but he choked back the raw emotion that threatened to erupt from his throat. He truly was just as terrible of a leader as his successors. He was trying so damn hard, but it was never enough. Maybe Pikestar was never meant to be. Maybe he should just step down as soon as possible.
After venting all his messy emotions to the warrior, Pikestar stayed silent and looked down at his paws as Koipool gave him some helpful advice. Her words would eventually bring a small thankful smile to his maw, soon raising his head to look at the molly with his single deep blue eye. “You’re right, Koipool.” Pikestar said with a gentle, agreeing nod, “I guess I’ve just always been a huge pushover, you know? I’ve always been too scared of what others would think of me rather than do what I feel is right.” They had always been that way, but now that the oriental tomcat was a clan leader, they knew well enough now that such things about them needed to change. “I appreciate you, I truly do, for you coming to see me today. It helps me know that cats do care about me.” Obviously, it should be given, right? Well, Pikestar’s anxiety told him otherwise. He uttered a short sigh and shook his head, moving forward with the conversation. “Forgive me for changing the topic, but while you are still here, I actually might have a proposition for you.” He remarked, his whiskers twitching as he spoke, “How would you like to have an apprentice of your own? Robinkit will need a mentor soon, and I think you’d be perfect for her.”
It was hard to do anything else in the moment but stare at Lilycreek, listening intently as she told him what had happened. Sproutkit had been found out in the RiverClan hunting grounds, buried in a shallow grave with teeth marks in his neck. Cat teeth marks. And it wasn’t a clan smell either. A rogue seemed like the most obvious answer. Surely. Pikestar pulled his gaze away from the she-cat, thinking long and hard about how to handle this. Perhaps he had been careless and too lenient on how he ran things around here. The dark tomcat wanted to stop this madness. First Weedkit and now Sproutkit. Both slain by something, or someone, out lurking within their own borders. The thought alone sickened him and he felt responsible for this mess.
Her next words caught his attention and Pikestar’s eye jerked over to the molly once more. “Lilycreek, look at me.” He meowed, standing up and walking over to her, “I would never ever think of trying to stop a mother from avenging her own child. As a father who had to avenge his own daughter’s death, I understand what you are feeling.” Birdpaw’s murder replayed in his mind, as well as him taking the life of her killer all those moons ago. “The clan will know of what has happened to Sproutkit. I will organize search parties. Hell, I will go out myself and make sure no blade of grass is unchecked. The only cat you have to worry about fighting is your son’s killer when we find them. I will make sure you are the one who ends their life.” He tried to meet her own gaze the best he could, with a vicious fire in his single eye.
His left ear twitched, hearing the other tom’s mutter, but Pikestar only nodded as a response. As much as he didn’t like to admit it, that statement was correct. This cat, who was once a full medicine cat, would know so much more than anyone in RiverClan ever did (as far as he knew). She would be able to help Fawnpaw too, and hopefully help the young apprentice have more confidence in her abilities. StarClan hadn’t aided them too much since the StarCave, but now that problem had a chance to be fixed. He shared a silent nod of farewell to his shield before watching the ginger-furred tabby leave his den to fetch Marigoldleap. For the next couple of minutes, Pikestar tapped his paws on the floor of his den rather aimlessly as he glanced around. He wasn’t too skilled at sitting still for a long time, nor being patient either for that matter, but the excitement of meeting a new clanmate and getting poor Fawnpaw some much-needed help was worth it. She would always be worth it.
Parting open his jaws, the RiverClan leader allowed a wide yawn to escape him. Stars above, when was the last time he had gotten a good night’s rest? Or seen his family for that matter? Before Pikestar would dwell on such things, Marigoldleap appeared in the mouth of his den and he greeted her with a warm smile. “You must be Marigoldleap. Apologies if this place is a tad messy right now, haven’t had much time to organize.” He meowed before gesturing with one paw for her to come closer, “Come in and take a seat, I won’t bite, I promise.” Unlike the leaders before him, Pikestar held no real prejustice against cats who were once a part of other clans than RiverClan. After all, his own mate, Lynxfall, and his daughter, Shadepaw, were both once ShadowClan cats. “Gingerfrost told me you joined us shortly before I returned from my lives ceremony. How is my clan treating you so far? Good, I would hope?” Some casual conversation to start this whole thing off.
“Marshland?” The dark-furred tomcat meowed, tilting his head to the side, “Now that is interesting.” He was a bit skeptical about the whole ‘no loners or other clans will ever bother them in said land’, but Pikestar was willing to check it out. Maybe he would take a group of cats out there and see what it had in store. The clan needed more patches of territory, but not ones that would be stolen from other clans, of course. “Where is this location? I will probably check it out myself before anything.” Pikestar would come to form a habit of doing stuff like this, but it wasn’t meant to come off as an untrusting action. He just wanted to see if this unique piece of ‘loner-land’ was not dangerous in any way and RiverClan could safely claim it as their own.
( He will most likely bring it up in the next clan meeting and mention Hollowstorm. )
It had been a long and tiring end to a day filled with rejoinings and elsewise. The tall RiverClan tomcat had just returned to camp, and shortly following suit to the safety of his own space, after being out in the hunting grounds all day. He stretched out his paws and shook out his bushy pelt, soon hearing the sound of another cat’s sigh, which made him turn his head. He would then see the familiar face of Plumfade, who was asking to speak with him. The oriental tomcat swiftly returned the respectful dip of his head and silently gestured to her with his tail to come further inside as he sat down near the farthest wall from the entrance.
“You look troubled, Plumfade,” Pikestar commented, blinking at the senior molly, “What is on your mind?” It was no secret that there were many things going on in RiverClan now. He had a million things on his plate to take care of, but never would he ever turn away a clanmate when they needed to talk with him. What kind of clan leader would they be if they didn’t make time for their cats? A terrible one, surely. Though, Pikestar could tell from Plumfade’s furrowed brows that this wasn’t a casual visit.
Frankly, Pikestar didn’t know what in the name of StarClan was going on once a small kitten entered his den, crying and asking ‘Snowweader’ for a hug. Snowkit’s words were a mess and she spoke of a big attack that had happened, as well as something about ‘Fawny’ dying. His single eye widened, but before he could even begin to form words or even think to do anything, Beansprout walked in, seemingly trailing after this young clanmate, without a doubt. Thankfully, the siamese tom would soon wrap his tail around the kitten and tell Pikestar that Fawnpaw was, in fact, alive. Injured, but she would be okay. That made the oriental tomcat breathe a sigh of relief, but he could tell that this wasn’t the end of this. Rogues… attacked camp? More kittens dead? Pikestar didn’t even know what to say, but it made an awful feeling creep over him that felt heavy on his shoulders.
Beansprout’s tone was evident of disappointment and anger, which felt directed solely at Pikestar. Like the warrior was resenting him for not being there to help or do anything to stop this madness. It made his ears flatten against his head, but he didn’t object to the other tom’s harsh words, because Pikestar knew that he deserved it. He always did. Next thing he knew, Beansprout was leaving with Snowkit, flashing him one last final disappointed look before disappearing from sight. Once the RiverClan leader was alone, he sank to the ground, laying there on the floor of his den. He lifted his paws and covered his face, as if that would make him disappear right then and there. Pikestar felt sick to his stomach and he wanted to yell, but he choked back the raw emotion that threatened to erupt from his throat. He truly was just as terrible of a leader as his successors. He was trying so damn hard, but it was never enough. Maybe Pikestar was never meant to be. Maybe he should just step down as soon as possible.
Koipool nodded “Of course, I'm happy to.”
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~Please bump me after a week passes ~
Character site coming soon!
( @thepirateking)
In her grief, she didn't see Pikestar until he was next to her. She recoiled, flinching as she made eye contact.
There was so much fire in his eye. It burned brightly, swallowing her. It warned cats, or maybe even daring them, that should you cross him too many times, you would burn by his claws. This was the gaze of a true leader, a leader who was understanding to grief, and did not shy away from it. A torrent of respect and admiration coursed through her.
"Th-thank you..." she uttered. His words touched her. He understood the position she was in, and would do nothing to stop her. Because he was like her, broken and torn apart by the loss of a kit. Because they were the same, siblings of the same soul.
There was something else in his gaze as well. Pain, yes, but also... regret? She'd grown up reading cats well, and the skill sharpened with each passing day. But... regret seemed foreign in her mind on the leader, but she understood. The regret of not protecting his daughter, and the regret of not being able to put an end to the madness. Yes, she could read his inner turmoil clearly. She bowed her head, giving his shoulder a lick of thanks, but also of understanding.
Perhaps we are more similar than we realized.
Tears flowed from her face freely. She was crying for the first time in front of another, for herself, for her son, for the clan, for Birdpaw, for Pikestar, and most importantly, for the fact that they had both lost something dear to them.
Yes, one should never underestimate the lengths a parent is willing to go to for their child.
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" nothing you can take was ever worth keeping. "
Last edited by sol.; August 29th, 2022 at 10:39 AM.
Fawnpaw
Why did she feel so nervous about this? Probably because this was the third time she was approaching a High Rank to let them know that she had failed - again. Fawnpaw felt utterly lost and hopeless. And angry. It was unnatural, and it scraped against her chest like the talons of an unforgiving hawk. Raw and excruciating, ripping her open and exposing how rotten inside she knew she was. Rogues had attacked camp. They had killed innocent kits. Claws had struck her Clanmates. Even as the freshly healing wounds on her back made her wince as she padded into her older brother's den, Fawnpaw couldn't bring herself to feel anything but a severe self-hatred.
Maybe she didn't have to do this. Pikestar had surely already heard, and - against any logical conclusions that others would perhaps draw - was already planning to demote her. It made sense. Why have a medicine cat who couldn't heal? Who froze at the sight of lifeless bodies? Fawnpaw recalled the way she had just locked up, eyes wide as the bodies of two kits lay in the clearing, and how... how defenseless she had been (and how a part of her secretly wished that Cloverpaw's claws had sunk in just a little bit deeper to truly hit their mark).
RiverClan didn't deserve a medicine cat who had to fight to control the tremors of anxiety. They didn't deserve a medicine cat who felt her throat tighten and her chest constrict and felt this horrible about herself. Was confidence something that came with age? It was an easy answer, considering apprentices she knew in RiverClan were braver than her. Hell, both Birdpaw and Stormpaw had died and come back and were stronger than Fawnpaw knew she would ever be.
"Pikestar..." Finally gathering up the courage to lift her head, Fawnpaw had it all planned. How she would resign. How she would tell Pikestar that she felt as though - no, how she knew - that her home deserved better. It all flew out the window as she laid eyes upon her brother. Tired, worn-down, thoughts on a loop. She had seen the look upon him before, and it was easy enough to distinguish (and how sad it was that she was willing to squeeze him up in a hug tight until he felt better but couldn't bring herself to do the same for her).
In an instant all of her worries and self-hatred was suppressed as she rushed forward. Concern took over and turned her movements on autopilot, as if recalling actions through muscle memory. "Hey, don't think that." She didn't need words to explain as she rushed forward to crouch down and stretch her paws forward on both sides of him (all while she tried to stifle a squeak of pain as her wound stretched under the placed cobwebs). "I know that look. You're a good leader. You are. Good, kind, selfless. I - We - If this is about what happened in the clearing, I... I should've been able to handle it, and I'm... I'm sorry I couldn't. But please... don't think any of this is your fault." Being on the ground in front of him, Fawnpaw blinked open her blue eyes, and using her paws aimed to try to lift Pikestar's own paws off his face.
[ @thepirateking - I apologize for how this sort of turned into a mini vent and then finally got to the promised sibling hugs, but... well you know the kind of day I've had. Again I'm sorry. ♡ ]
“I’m glad to hear that.” The oriental longhair meowed, “I will appoint her to you during our next meeting. I entrust you to turn the young RiverClan molly into a fine warrior.” A warm smile was sent towards Koipool and Pikestar couldn’t help but feel thankful for having such a heart-to-heart chat with her today. However, he was starting to grow sluggish and maybe even a tad sleepy. Pikestar stretched open his jaws to release a wide yawn that made him shake his head. “If you have anything else to tell me, feel free.” He meowed, “But I think I’m gonna reward myself with a nice nap once you leave, haha. Maybe my weary bones finally deserve a break.” The next moment Pikestar would be alone, he would surely collapse into exhaustion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lonely.lilyx
( @thepirateking)
In her grief, she didn't see Pikestar until he was next to her. She recoiled, flinching as she made eye contact.
There was so much fire in his eye. It burned brightly, swallowing her. It warned cats, or maybe even daring them, that should you cross him too many times, you would burn by his claws. This was the gaze of a true leader, a leader who was understanding to grief, and did not shy away from it. A torrent of respect and admiration coursed through her.
"Th-thank you..." she uttered. His words touched her. He understood the position she was in, and would do nothing to stop her. Because he was like her, broken and torn apart by the loss of a kit. Because they were the same, siblings of the same soul.
There was something else in his gaze as well. Pain, yes, but also... regret? She'd grown up reading cats well, and the skill sharpened with each passing day. But... regret seemed foreign in her mind on the leader, but she understood. The regret of not protecting his daughter, and the regret of not being able to put an end to the madness. Yes, she could read his inner turmoil clearly. She bowed her head, giving his shoulder a lick of thanks, but also of understanding.
Perhaps we are more similar than we realized.
Tears flowed from her face freely. She was crying for the first time in front of another, for herself, for her son, for the clan, for Birdpaw, for Pikestar, and most importantly, for the fact that they had both lost something dear to them.
Yes, one should never underestimate the lengths a parent is willing to go to for their child.
The tall oriental longhair would witness Lilycreek flinch, obviously caught off-guard by the seriousness in his gaze. However, it wouldn’t make Pikestar change his stance or his intense seriousness towards the situation. It was one thing, losing warriors, even apprentices, but this was now kittens. Children. Small cats who had just begun to experience life. Every life was precious to him, even if he didn’t tend to show it, but the dark-furred tom believed anyone to take the breath of a young kit was heartless and cold to the core. Soon, the grieving molly would utter out a thanks for his demeanor, but Pikestar didn’t like it. “Don’t thank me yet, Lilycreek.” He said with a shake of his head, “I will not know peace until your son’s killer takes his last breath.” And Pikestar meant that wholeheartedly. He wanted to see that monster dead, and when they were, he wouldn’t even give them a proper burial. They would be thrown to the crows because that’s all they would be: crowfood and nothing more.
The RiverClan warrior would then bow her head to him and lick his shoulder, another form of thanks and mayhaps even comfort as well. Pikestar hesitated, but would gently touch his head to hers for a second or two. A tiny, but meaningful and silent action that showed that leader’s condolences and grief for a child that wasn’t even his own. Tears would soon follow and it tore at the oriental longhair’s heart. “...I will do whatever I can to help you.” He would whisper, leaving that offer open to Lilycreek, “No matter what you need, do not hesitate to reach out to me.” What more could one say? Pikestar didn’t know, but he did genuinely want to give Lilycreek some sort of closure. Whether her heart would ever heal, he did not know, but he wouldn’t blame her if this broke the molly forever. Stuff like this affected cats deeply and Pikestar knew from personal experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by forest
@thepirateking
He listened to his leader, interested in what he had to say. "I'll take you there," he offered. "It's safe." He promised.
Upon Hollowstorm’s offer, Pikestar would hum slowly in response, thinking it over for a few moments before eventually nodding to the tomcat and standing up. “Very well.” The tall RiverClan leader remarked with a gentle yawn leaving his parted jaws, “Lead the way.” He felt tired and didn’t really feel too particularly set on going for a hike to another patch of territory right now, but Pikestar thought about how it would help RiverClan. Maybe it would even bring some joy back into his clanmates. And that sliver of possibility was enough to motivate him. He probably desperately needed some fresh air anyway.
( Feel free to continue this in a private thread and mention me. )
Quote:
Originally Posted by birdie
Fawnpaw
Why did she feel so nervous about this? Probably because this was the third time she was approaching a High Rank to let them know that she had failed - again. Fawnpaw felt utterly lost and hopeless. And angry. It was unnatural, and it scraped against her chest like the talons of an unforgiving hawk. Raw and excruciating, ripping her open and exposing how rotten inside she knew she was. Rogues had attacked camp. They had killed innocent kits. Claws had struck her Clanmates. Even as the freshly healing wounds on her back made her wince as she padded into her older brother's den, Fawnpaw couldn't bring herself to feel anything but a severe self-hatred.
Maybe she didn't have to do this. Pikestar had surely already heard, and - against any logical conclusions that others would perhaps draw - was already planning to demote her. It made sense. Why have a medicine cat who couldn't heal? Who froze at the sight of lifeless bodies? Fawnpaw recalled the way she had just locked up, eyes wide as the bodies of two kits lay in the clearing, and how... how defenseless she had been (and how a part of her secretly wished that Cloverpaw's claws had sunk in just a little bit deeper to truly hit their mark).
RiverClan didn't deserve a medicine cat who had to fight to control the tremors of anxiety. They didn't deserve a medicine cat who felt her throat tighten and her chest constrict and felt this horrible about herself. Was confidence something that came with age? It was an easy answer, considering apprentices she knew in RiverClan were braver than her. Hell, both Birdpaw and Stormpaw had died and come back and were stronger than Fawnpaw knew she would ever be.
"Pikestar..." Finally gathering up the courage to lift her head, Fawnpaw had it all planned. How she would resign. How she would tell Pikestar that she felt as though - no, how she knew - that her home deserved better. It all flew out the window as she laid eyes upon her brother. Tired, worn-down, thoughts on a loop. She had seen the look upon him before, and it was easy enough to distinguish (and how sad it was that she was willing to squeeze him up in a hug tight until he felt better but couldn't bring herself to do the same for her).
In an instant all of her worries and self-hatred was suppressed as she rushed forward. Concern took over and turned her movements on autopilot, as if recalling actions through muscle memory. "Hey, don't think that." She didn't need words to explain as she rushed forward to crouch down and stretch her paws forward on both sides of him (all while she tried to stifle a squeak of pain as her wound stretched under the placed cobwebs). "I know that look. You're a good leader. You are. Good, kind, selfless. I - We - If this is about what happened in the clearing, I... I should've been able to handle it, and I'm... I'm sorry I couldn't. But please... don't think any of this is your fault." Being on the ground in front of him, Fawnpaw blinked open her blue eyes, and using her paws aimed to try to lift Pikestar's own paws off his face.
[ @thepirateking - I apologize for how this sort of turned into a mini vent and then finally got to the promised sibling hugs, but... well you know the kind of day I've had. Again I'm sorry. ♡ ]
Laying there in a mound of grief and defeat, the tall RiverClan leader thought about many different things. It felt like so much time passed by as Pikestar just stayed there, limp on the cold floor of his den, wondering how all of this had gotten this bad. He had once been so confident that he could fix things around here, but more and more terrible stuff kept on happening and he was to blame for it. Because Pikestar was lazy. Incompetent. Ignorant. A disappointment compared to the leaders before him, even more so than anyone else — at least, that was how he pictured it. His left ear would twitch to the sound of a voice, whom he would recognize immediately: Fawnpaw. The tall oriental tomcat would not move from their position and remain silent, numb.
The sound of pawsteps would soon occur and the small medicine cat would be in front of him, stretching out both her front paws towards Pikestar. Her words would make him sniffle, a pathetic noise that showed his raw disappointment within himself. Please, don’t think any of this is your fault. But it was. It was all his fault. It was ALWAYS HIS FAULT. No matter what Pikestar would do, there would always be at least one cat thinking poorly of his actions. He was trying, so so so hard. What more did RiverClan want from him? What more could they take from him? Fawnpaw’s soft paws would soon lift his (much bigger) paws off his face and they would meet gazes. There was a look of great sadness within his single eye and he wanted to exclaim: StarClan made a mistake! A mistake in making him leader, for granting him lives, for thinking he was capable of this madness. “I’m sorry.” He murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, “I’m trying so hard to be… good enough. But it’s not enough, and I’m sorry. I’m… a minnowbrain for thinking I could’ve been different.” Pikestar fought back the urge to cry. "I should've been there."
( Don’t ever feel the need to apologize, birb. I’m always here to help. ♥ )
She gave a shuddery sigh at her leader's response to her thanks, a sad breathy laugh leaving her lips. Her heart was once hollow, but she felt this relief given to her by her leader. She felt better, now that she had another ally in her corner. The feeling of Pikestar touched her forehead made her sniff unattractively. The comforting touch reminded her of Cindernose, her sweet sweet sister.
Cindernose, who was dead, like her son. Another cat that was taken from her. Her heart clenched. Why did this world have to be so cruel? She just wanted closure, some scrap of solace, but apparently that was too much to ask. She wanted to scream and howl her misfortune to the Silverpelt, and curse her ancestors for not helping her, but she always bit her tongue and said the fact she was alive was enough. She never griped about assignments, the cats she had to put up with, or even the way she had suffered as a kit and an apprentice, because to put it simply, hardship built character and she was not the only one who had suffered in this world.
Well? How would all the hardships she'd faced help her now?
Pikestar's words brought her mind back into sharp focus. He would help her, yes, not for her vengeance, but because the killer must be stopped. The vengeance she yearned for, she would have to chase herself. Cold steel wrapped itself around her heart.
No matter what you need, do not hesitate to reach out to me. She wanted to thank her leader again, but she remembered his warning to her. Do not thank anyone until the job is done. She settled for a nod, grimacing. What if she took that too seriously and now he was offended? No no, he wouldn't have said it like that if he wanted her gratitude.
She snapped back into her usual demeanor, quick and silver sharp, her mind roiling. She pushed all the distractions out of her mind. They weren't important, now. All that mattered was that the killer was found. For the clan, and for her soul.
"A search party," she said to her leader. "Or, multiple parties. The more eyes, the better."
__________________
" nothing you can take was ever worth keeping. "
Last edited by sol.; September 11th, 2022 at 05:53 PM.
She gave a shuddery sigh at her leader's response to her thanks, a sad breathy laugh leaving her lips. Her heart was once hollow, but she felt this relief given to her by her leader. She felt better, now that she had another ally in her corner. The feeling of Pikestar touched her forehead made her sniff unattractively. The comforting touch reminded her of Cindernose, her sweet sweet sister.
Cindernose, who was dead, like her son. Another cat that was taken from her. Her heart clenched. Why did this world have to be so cruel? She just wanted closure, some scrap of solace, but apparently that was too much to ask. She wanted to scream and howl her misfortune to the Silverpelt, and curse her ancestors for not helping her, but she always bit her tongue and said the fact she was alive was enough. She never griped about assignments, the cats she had to put up with, or even the way she had suffered as a kit and an apprentice, because to put it simply, hardship built character and she was not the only one who had suffered in this world.
Well? How would all the hardships she'd faced help her now?
Pikestar's words brought her mind back into sharp focus. He would help her, yes, not for her vengeance, but because the killer must be stopped. The vengeance she yearned for, she would have to chase herself. Cold steel wrapped itself around her heart.
No matter what you need, do not hesitate to reach out to me. She wanted to thank her leader again, but she remembered his warning to her. Do not thank anyone until the job is done. She settled for a nod, grimacing. What if she took that too seriously and now he was offended? No no, he wouldn't have said it like that if he wanted her gratitude.
She snapped back into her usual demeanor, quick and silver sharp, her mind roiling. She pushed all the distractions out of her mind. They weren't important, now. All that mattered was that the killer was found. For the clan, and for her soul.
"A search party," she said to her leader. "Or, multiple parties. The more eyes, the better."
After stating his intentions, the RiverClan leader stayed there alongside the grieving she-cat for what seemed like hours. But in actuality, it took mere seconds for Lilycreek to snap out of her mourning, broken state and take on a more serious demeanor, focusing on avenging her dead son. He nodded sharply to her words, immediately after she said them. “I was already planning on such.” Pikestar admitted, one of his ears twitching as he looked towards the den’s entrance, “During our next clan meeting, I will be alerting the whole clan of Sproutkit and search various parties to track down the killer. I would like you to lead one of the search groups so that you can show them where you found your son. It would be a good start, I think.” He would also lead one of the parties himself, wanting to do so the moment he was given the news about the young RiverClan kitten. There were many things that Pikestar wanted to do in order to solve this murder case. Lilycreek trusted him right now.
“For now though, I ask that you take care of yourself. It’s what Sproutkit would’ve wanted from you.” The dark-furred tomcat meowed gently, “I need to speak with Slatewhisker, and probably Fawnpaw too about this. I will hold a clan meeting tomorrow morning. It’ll be my first priority of the day.” He turned his partial gaze back to the RiverClan warrior. “We’re all here for you, Lilycreek, I want you to know that. You do not need to suffer through this tragedy alone. Now, go and try to eat something.” He didn’t dare ask the white she-cat to rest. How could a parent rest while knowing the killer of their child was still out there? Despite that though, Pikestar didn't want Lilycreek to stray from eating fresh prey and drinking water.
Re: RiverClan Leader's Den
Re: RiverClan Leader's Den
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