Poor Nightpaw was subject to something similar that happened between Pikestar's daughter, Birdpaw, and Beastgrowl, the exiled RiverClan warrior. If it was anything to go by, this situation between Nightpaw and Shatteredsun. "Just remember that either way, Shatteredsun will be dealt with. You did nothing wrong, I'm proud of you for the way you held your ground."
She poked her head into the den and softly called Pikestar's name to get his attention before lightly touching Nightpaw's shoulder with her tail and walking forward. "We have... a problem. Shatteredsun was wanting Nightpaw to talk to you about something that she's not ready to discuss, and when Nightpaw told him, he was continuing to push her. He had his claws out and he offered to... um... 'help' her. Goldensnake and I got him away from her and Raccoonear helped."
She looked at Nightpaw for confirmation on the story, wanting to get every detail correct before continuing. "It made Nightpaw very uncomfortable. And he risked looking at Peachpaw as he went to the warrior's den. He's a danger to our Clan's young, Pikestar. I think you and I both can see something has to be done."
Nightpaw followed Reedwhisker in and nods "t-thank you again" she mews as she listens to reedwhisker speak. It was all true and she didn't like it one bit. she takes a small breath "He tried making me ask you to make me a warrior. Im not ready to leave my brother specklepaw in the apprentice den. He tried pressuring me to become a warrior. Then he brought his claws out... he didn't touch me though." she mewed as her gaze looked down "I-It feels like im becoming useless to the clan. Im always having to rely on someone to protect me from every threat that has happened to me. I cant even protect myself.. Im small.. B-But I want to help the clan, In some way. I want to protect this clan like you did to us." she mews "Im sorry... Im very sorry to bug you"
The apprentice that was quite concerned for his training walked inside of the den, hoping to find Pikestar. He wanted to talking with him about his training. It hadn’t really gotten far and his ceremony was in Four moonsHe really had no time to lose. After remembering his first day of being an apprentice he has zipped into his leaders den to ask him something. Mistycloud was an AMAZING mentor. It’s just, he hadn’t been learning much and needed to ask Pikestar for some help. Of course, he didn’t want to be reassigned. He just wanted some extra paws to help with training. His gaze flicked over to Pikestar and he smiled. “May we please speak?”
Her fur rustled as she started toward the leader's den. Hopefully, she wasn't being rude by poking her head in so soon after the leader recovered instead of letting him get his rest, but part of her knew she wouldn't be able to. And neither would her daughter.
She looked down at the daughter in question, smiling fondly. "Now, love, be on your best behavior when we speak to Pikestar, okay? He's very nice, but he's still our leader."
She let her steps be known on the way there, giving Pikeatar time to ready himself to turn them away if he wanted to, before stopping near the entrance of the leader's den.
"Pikestar?" She called into the den, keeping her head respectfully lowered. "Please excuse me for dropping by so soon after the clan meeting.. May we have a word with you?"
[ @BirdieChirp - Rosemarykit ; @canineantics - Pikestar ; I hope you don't mind me posting this so soon after the meeting was dismissed ^^" ]
Needless to say, a lot was happening on this singular day. Between.. Poorly reported patrols and trips to two different borders, Gingerfrost was starting to feel tired. And the day was long not done with having to inform Pikestar of recent findings and punishments. This was what he meant when he said he felt old. Usually things proceeded fairly smoothly, though not today. Casting a glance over his shoulder to Fawn, it didn't seem as though her day had been any calmer. Hopefully everything would be done soon and he could actually find his nest again... If the warriors den would actually be quiet. Otherwise he'll have to take to sleeping outside.
"Pikestar, we've got news."
The tabby announced their presence, waiting a brief moment before pushing his way inside the dark den. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darker lighting, finding the leader in much better state than what he imagined he must've looked before (judging from the sickly honk that once sounded).
Waiting for another silent moment, it was as if questioning who ought to speak first, figuring the medicine cat was here too to share some findings - hopefully of that kit, actually, which he still had to ask about. But after a heartbeat or two, he spoke up.
"Sparrowstar and one of her warriors were at the border. I ran into them just as the Smallpines patrol was leaving."
And send them off afterwards, to be precise; Sparrowstar hadn't seemed too happy with the patrol but as that wasn't the matter right now Ginger didn't mention it right away. "As it turns out, one of our warriors (not of the patrol) thought it'd be a good idea to hunt on their territory, and attack one of their warriors upon being discovered. They were described as having black fur with white specks; it happened not too long ago."
He paused a moment so the leader could take in the main information. It didn't seem like anything you'd want to hear just after recovering, or at all. But it was something he needed to be aware of. "..Sparrowstar expects them to be punished. And to hear from you. I've told her they would, should we find who it is."
[ @canineantics @birdie - will add in his next post if there's any extra information he missed on that; ]
Flamebriar padded to the entrance of Pikestar's den and hesitated for a moment before tentatively poking her head in. "Fawnpaw, is it okay to speak to Pikestar? There's something important I need to speak to him about."
She had really been such a fish-brain lately. Going to that Gathering a few moons ago had been a moronic idea. It not only put her life in danger but the life of her daughter and RiverClan as a whole. The large calico had just wanted to see how her old home was doing. How Dawnstar was doing. No matter how terrified she was that her niece would gut her the second she got the chance, she still cared for her. She would always care for her, no matter how messed up it may be.
Fawnlight
The early light had guided her home from the Starcave and by the time she reached RiverClan the sun was already high in the sky. Hopefully her short absence was not noticed that much by the Clan, and Fawnlight could simply slip into her brothers' den to inform him of the change. She felt... giddy. A tingle had accompanied her paws the entire way home, despite the overshadowing conversation with Goosefury. She had to speak to Pikestar. She had to make sure those atrocities never happened again. She had to -
As she came to stop in front of her brother's den, she hesitated. He was recovered mostly, but this... this was such a huge bomb to drop on him. Fawnlight almost felt guilty for doing so, and so instead took a step back. No, she would wait. Perhaps simply inform him that she had received her full name and status. Yes, start with the good news first, and then when she wasn't falling asleep on her paws speak to him (and perhaps Gingerfrost and the other Shields as well) about it (stars, her uncle...)
While thoughts churned in her head a voice spoke up and she turned to see Flamebriar approaching. "Hello, Flamebriar." Though her voice still held respect, gone were the titles that had been placed before them. It felt odd now, seeing as she had her full name and was on equal grounds as the warriors in her Clan. Her old name was used, and it sent a spark through her. "Yes, his cough has cleared up and I believe he isn't contagious anymore. You may speak with him." And then, with a soft smile, she added, "Also, it's Fawnlight now. I just returned from the Starcave."
From within the confines of his den, the tall RiverClan leader was sleeping peacefully in his moss nest, trying to catch up on any lost slumber that they could before he was to return to his duties around camp. However, the sound of several hushed voices from outside caused Pikestar to stir, his single eye sliding open. Immediately, the dark-furred oriental tomcat recognized the two as Flamebriar and Fawnpaw. Hm. It seemed the RiverClan warrior was wishing to speak to him on this fine chilly morning in leafbare. Hopefully, this wasn’t something he needed to be concerned about. Pikestar had already been dealing with his fair share of bad news lately, though he would hear Flamebriar out regardless of what the context was. However, there seemed to be more to the conversation outside than he would’ve expected. His long ears perked up as the long-furred RiverClan leader lifted his head off his paws. That’s when Pikestar heard it: Fawnlight. Had he heard that correctly? Was it already that time? Stars above, how many moons had passed since...
Had StarClan really called upon the RiverClan medicine cat the night before? She had her full name now. There was no doubting that fact. While Pikestar couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that he couldn’t be present for such a ceremony, he felt an immense amount of pride for his little sister. She was practically all grown up now and it felt like just yesterday that she was still a little kitten -- though that would mean he would still be deputy and yeesh, he did not want to think about that. Pikestar smiled warmly to himself, happy for Fawnlight and her newfound status. Perhaps this would mean RiverClan cats could stop treating her like a child that couldn’t handle herself. It was certainly about time. With that, the tall RiverClan tomcat stretched out his front legs and quietly eased himself into a sat position, awaiting for Flamebriar to come into his den and speak to him. In the meantime, Pikestar began to groom.
Poor Nightpaw was subject to something similar that happened between Pikestar's daughter, Birdpaw, and Beastgrowl, the exiled RiverClan warrior. If it was anything to go by, this situation between Nightpaw and Shatteredsun. "Just remember that either way, Shatteredsun will be dealt with. You did nothing wrong, I'm proud of you for the way you held your ground."
She poked her head into the den and softly called Pikestar's name to get his attention before lightly touching Nightpaw's shoulder with her tail and walking forward. "We have... a problem. Shatteredsun was wanting Nightpaw to talk to you about something that she's not ready to discuss, and when Nightpaw told him, he was continuing to push her. He had his claws out and he offered to... um... 'help' her. Goldensnake and I got him away from her and Raccoonear helped."
She looked at Nightpaw for confirmation on the story, wanting to get every detail correct before continuing. "It made Nightpaw very uncomfortable. And he risked looking at Peachpaw as he went to the warrior's den. He's a danger to our Clan's young, Pikestar. I think you and I both can see something has to be done."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ravenss
Nightpaw followed Reedwhisker in and nods "t-thank you again" she mews as she listens to reedwhisker speak. It was all true and she didn't like it one bit. she takes a small breath "He tried making me ask you to make me a warrior. Im not ready to leave my brother specklepaw in the apprentice den. He tried pressuring me to become a warrior. Then he brought his claws out... he didn't touch me though." she mewed as her gaze looked down "I-It feels like im becoming useless to the clan. Im always having to rely on someone to protect me from every threat that has happened to me. I cant even protect myself.. Im small.. B-But I want to help the clan, In some way. I want to protect this clan like you did to us." she mews "Im sorry... Im very sorry to bug you"
Walking through the camp’s entrance with a plump thrush secured in his jaws, the tall dark-furred tomcat’s partial gaze immediately spotted Reedwhisker and Nightpaw situated at his den’s maw, which made him quicken his step. Tossing the prey into RiverClan’s pile, Pikestar hurried over to the two of them. “I’ve been out of camp, my apologies.” He murmured, because Zen knows damn well that he would’ve heard the incident from his den, “Come in.” With that said, the large dark-furred oriental stepped into his den, waving the two inside with a flick of his bushy tail. From there, he found a comfortable place to sit and faced the two mollies that now wished to discuss an urgent matter with him. Pikestar remained silent, listening intently as Reedwhisker recalled what had happened only a few minutes ago. Shatteredsun… He what? The RiverClan leader’s brow furrowed at the details, especially when they were told that a warrior flashed his claws at an apprentice, threatened her outright. Thankfully, Reedwhisker, Goldensnake and Raccoonear all jumped to Nightpaw’s aid. Thank the stars that they did. Unsurprisingly, the warrior looked to him for action. Shatteredsun was a danger to the clan's apprentices.
Once Reedwhisker finished speaking, Pikestar turned his attention to young Nightpaw, who now began to recall her side of the story. He nodded to the black-furred molly's words, giving the RiverClan apprentice all the time in the world to say what she wished. She appeared anxious, which was no surprise, given what she went through. It reminded him of Beastgrowl's advances against his own daughter, though this incident was not as severe. Despite that, Pikestar wouldn't allow this to be swept aside and taken lightly. Because if he allowed that to happen, then surely something worse would occur. He gave a soft sigh and shook his head solemnly. "Nightpaw, look at me." The tall oriental remarked, his tone gentle as he wanted the small apprentice to meet his partial gaze, "You are not useless to RiverClan, and I refuse to allow you to talk about yourself that way. Okay? No clanmate of mine will ever forget their worth; not while I'm leader." He allowed his left eye to flicker from Reedwhisker and then back over to Nightpaw, "You are loved, and you bring things to this clan that no one else can. Size means nothing in RiverClan, and you should never feel ashamed for needing help." Irritation began to fester within Pikestar as he grew determined to deal with Shatteredsun personally. May the stars have mercy today.
Taking in a deep breath and letting out a long sigh, the tall tomcat sat up straight and directed his gaze back to the RiverClan warrior before him. "I will handle this, Reedwhisker, I promise both you and Nightpaw that." He said, firmly with a sharp nod of confirmation, "He is lucky that he didn't lay a paw on either of you, or he'd surely meet my wrath." Pikestar muttered that last bit under his breath, but made no real attempt to hide his growing anger from both she-cats. If any cat in RiverClan remembered well, they would know that the longhair oriental's temper was not something to be played around with. "Both of you may return to your day. Reedwhisker, make sure Goldensnake and Raccoonear knows my thanks for you three stepping in to protect Nightpaw." Pikestar replied, whiskers twitching, "And Nightpaw, do not worry about becoming a warrior. You can receive your name whenever you feel ready. I'm sure Specklepaw appreciates it. Run along, and trust that I will take care of this."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caspian
The apprentice that was quite concerned for his training walked inside of the den, hoping to find Pikestar. He wanted to talking with him about his training. It hadn’t really gotten far and his ceremony was in Four moonsHe really had no time to lose. After remembering his first day of being an apprentice he has zipped into his leaders den to ask him something. Mistycloud was an AMAZING mentor. It’s just, he hadn’t been learning much and needed to ask Pikestar for some help. Of course, he didn’t want to be reassigned. He just wanted some extra paws to help with training. His gaze flicked over to Pikestar and he smiled. “May we please speak?”
Humming to himself nonchalantly from within the privacy of his own den, Pikestar's head whipped around with surprise once an apprentice burst into his den without any warning or announcement. "Great stars above, Bouncepaw," The RiverClan leader said, uttering a relieving sigh once he recognized the youth, "You're gonna give me a heart attack, zooming in here like that." He shook his head while chuckling softly to himself, wishing he still had such energy to move with such speed. Pikestar heaved himself to his paws and stepped closer to the young tomcat before then sitting back down to place his form across from Bouncepaw comfortably. "Now then," The oriental feline said, clearing his throat briskly, "What brings you to my den in such a hurry?" He certainly hoped it wasn't any bad news, especially something similar to Nightpaw's incident. Regardless, he remained patient as they awaited Bouncepaw's reply. The tip of his bushy tail tapped against the ground of his den idly as the clan leader stared at the apprentice with a soft gaze.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lonely.lilyx
LILYCREEK
Her fur rustled as she started toward the leader's den. Hopefully, she wasn't being rude by poking her head in so soon after the leader recovered instead of letting him get his rest, but part of her knew she wouldn't be able to. And neither would her daughter.
She looked down at the daughter in question, smiling fondly. "Now, love, be on your best behavior when we speak to Pikestar, okay? He's very nice, but he's still our leader."
She let her steps be known on the way there, giving Pikeatar time to ready himself to turn them away if he wanted to, before stopping near the entrance of the leader's den.
"Pikestar?" She called into the den, keeping her head respectfully lowered. "Please excuse me for dropping by so soon after the clan meeting.. May we have a word with you?"
Once Fawnlight's little meeting had concluded, Pikestar had retreated immediately back into his den, not really knowing what to do at this very moment in time. He had been quarantined strictly for almost three whole weeks, so obviously, it would take the RiverClan leader at least a little bit to readjust to his responsibilities. The oriental tomcat batted a scrap of moss that laid on the floor of his den, humming and slowly becoming lost in his own thoughts. Then a familiar voice sounded at the mouth of his den. Oh? "Of course, come in." Pikestar meowed warmly, his voice gentle and inviting, "It's no problem whatsoever." His ears twitched with curiosity at her usage of we, meaning there was more than one clanmate outside. Who else would be visiting him on first official day out of quarantine? Pikestar thought of Lilycreek as a good friend of his, so it was always a treat whenever she stopped by for a chat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Estelle
Needless to say, a lot was happening on this singular day. Between.. Poorly reported patrols and trips to two different borders, Gingerfrost was starting to feel tired. And the day was long not done with having to inform Pikestar of recent findings and punishments. This was what he meant when he said he felt old. Usually things proceeded fairly smoothly, though not today. Casting a glance over his shoulder to Fawn, it didn't seem as though her day had been any calmer. Hopefully everything would be done soon and he could actually find his nest again... If the warriors den would actually be quiet. Otherwise he'll have to take to sleeping outside.
"Pikestar, we've got news."
The tabby announced their presence, waiting a brief moment before pushing his way inside the dark den. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darker lighting, finding the leader in much better state than what he imagined he must've looked before (judging from the sickly honk that once sounded).
Waiting for another silent moment, it was as if questioning who ought to speak first, figuring the medicine cat was here too to share some findings - hopefully of that kit, actually, which he still had to ask about. But after a heartbeat or two, he spoke up.
"Sparrowstar and one of her warriors were at the border. I ran into them just as the Smallpines patrol was leaving."
And send them off afterwards, to be precise; Sparrowstar hadn't seemed too happy with the patrol but as that wasn't the matter right now Ginger didn't mention it right away. "As it turns out, one of our warriors (not of the patrol) thought it'd be a good idea to hunt on their territory, and attack one of their warriors upon being discovered. They were described as having black fur with white specks; it happened not too long ago."
He paused a moment so the leader could take in the main information. It didn't seem like anything you'd want to hear just after recovering, or at all. But it was something he needed to be aware of. "..Sparrowstar expects them to be punished. And to hear from you. I've told her they would, should we find who it is."
[ @canineantics @birdie - will add in his next post if there's any extra information he missed on that; ]
Hearing the familiar tone of his deputy, the tall dark-furred oriental lifted his head and turned his nose towards the den’s open mouth. “Oh, is that so?” Pikestar said, his own voice somewhat bland, “Well, something tells me it’s nothing positive.” He was far used to the dreariness that found it’s way into his routine. It was something that the RiverClan leader had grown used to over the moons he had been in charge of these cats. Standing up, Pikestar turned his body to Gingerfrost and stepped closer to the other tomcat before comfortable sitting down with him, wrapping his bushy tail around his front paws. His illness was far from over now, or at least it certainly felt like it, so it was time to get back into the bustling swing of things. Good thing that he had Gingerfrost and Fawnlight to help him in the areas he lacked. His position was far from relaxing, so being on a resilient team made it so much easier.
Once the explanation finally began, however, the long-furred tomcat’s neutral, albeit a tad tired, expression turned to a clearly irritated frown. He did not, however, interrupt Gingerfrost while his hard-working deputy relayed what had happened. An unknown RiverClan warrior had decided to cross over their neighbor's border, steal prey and outwardly attack a ThunderClan cat? It was like these minnowbrains wanted to start a war. Pikestar had worked hard to put the bad blood between RiverClan and ThunderClan behind them, especially after the mess Kestrelstar and Skystar had left for him, but apparently it appeared some cats just couldn't stand a peaceful life. The dark-furred tomcat lifted a paw and rested it over his face for a moment, sighing deeply and trying to curb his temper from rising. Black fur. White specks. Is that all they had to go off? Stars above, Sparrowstar had no idea that did not narrow it down whatsoever. Or maybe it did, he was still coming to terms with the fact that some of his clanmates were that damn incautious. This was ludicrous!
“Of course she does.” The tall oriental muttered sourly under his breath, taking his paw off his face. None of his anger was towards Sparrowstar, nor any of ThunderClan, but once again towards his own brainless clan. They loved RiverClan, stars, they truly did. But some of these cats really tested the tom's patience. And of course, Pikestar would somehow be blamed for this. There was no avoiding that, he learned. "They will be punished, there is no question about it. Hell, they'll be lucky I don't exile their sorry ass when I see them next." Pikestar growled, tail flicking angrily against his den floor, "Do you have any idea of who it could be? I've been under strict quarantine over the last quarter-moon." That was no real excuse, obviously, but the RiverClan leader didn't really have much other than a vague description as a clue. No scent, no defining marks, no...nothing! RiverClan was a huge clan, probably one of the largest in this forest, and judging from past experiences, this stupidity couldn't be singled out easily to one warrior.
Last edited by Captain; January 8th, 2023 at 05:12 AM.
The molly had been hesitant to do this for the past couple of days. She was scared, but she wouldn't let that show. At least it wasn't something she done against her clan. It was just kits. One of the things she thought was way behind her after all her past ones all went missing. This time she wouldn't have to worry anything would happen to them. They wouldn't have to fight to get to the top. Marigoldleap let out a deep breath before poking her head into the den.
"Uh Pikestar can I talk to you real quick?", she asked. Her eyes didn't show too much emotion. It wasn't too bad of a thing. It wasn't like she was leaving or anything. She could never. Not with her mother being here and all the great cats she felt more connected with.
On a really good stride on here and Barleypaw is really close to getting her post counts finished for her training. If there is anyone who needs a cat to help with anything feel free to VM or pm. I want her to be more active along her clanmates.
Slatestripe was surprised, but pleasantly so, that Pikestar responded positively to his idea. He was used to many cats finding his ideas outlandish, too extreme, or sometimes downright dumb. That never deterred him from coming up with new ones, but it did make him more hesitant with age to share them with just anyone.
His whole demeanor lit up at Pikestar’s interest. He nodded with intensity as Pikestar reflected on his idea. When he asked if Slatestripe had any other business to speak of, the tom became hesitant again. He shook that off with haste, though, knowing now that Pikestar was more receptive than the average cat to unorthodox ideas and new traditions.
“There is one more thing, Pikestar,” he said. “I think we should change the way we handle funerals. They feel so plain and sterile, the way they are now. Wr just stick the body in the middle of camp, sit around it for a while, and then bury it. It just feels too simple, especially for cats who gave their lives in service to their Clan.”
He paused, recalling the specifics of what he’d come up with. “I think those closest to the deceased deserve to have a quiet, peaceful place to mourn them. Not every cat in the Clan wants to participate in every funeral, and not every cat should have to. We are a large Clan; not every cat is going to know every other. Cats who want to go on with their daily life should be able to, and those who wish to mourn should be able to do so in peace. I propose we select a secluded area near camp where bodies can be taken. The medicine cat, or a cat they’ve chosen, can prepare the body for the funeral as needed.
“When the body has been prepared, an announcement will be made in camp so those who wish to attend the funeral can do so. There will be an expectation that cats who attend the funeral will be quiet and respectful, of course. I think burying each cat with at least one symbol of their life would make a funeral more meaningful, and would allow the cat’s loved ones to feel connected to them one last time. This could be anything; a rock, a clawed up stick, flowers, a cardinal’s feather, anything. The three cats who are the closest to the deceased can come forward and present their burial items, and they will be buried with the body. In the event where there are more than three cats who are very close to the deceased, then the medicine cat or their designated funeral director can be the one to decide how to proceed.”
( @canineantics So a couple OOC notes about Slate’s proposal. The roleplayer of the deceased could ask the roleplayers of the cats closest to their’s to present their symbols at the funeral, or they could leave it open for anyone to step forward and make their case for why they should be allowed to make a tribute in this way. In the event that a lot of cats die at once, funerals could happen off-screen. )
__________________
Fadingstar is currently RiverClan's leader. He has an open den policy; his den can be found here. If you have any questions or concerns about RiverClan, or any plots to propose, feel free to leave me a VM or DM! Please do not take my characters' IC opinions as reflective of my own.
Fishkit shivered. The cold biting wind clung onto his fur. Fishkit shook his head, teeth chattering. He couldn’t go to the nursery, he had no mother to sleep with, nor father. He crept to the entrance, and squeaked. “ mister Pikestar…?” he called, tail flicking. He wondered where his mother was. She was last exploring in the river. Or that’s what she said. He had no idea where she was, and was quite worried about her. He had played with the other kits today. They ran around, hid, those sort of things. By the time they finished, the kits went back to their mothers to sleep, which hit Fishkit badly. He missed his mother. When would she be back?
From within the confines of his den, the tall RiverClan leader was sleeping peacefully in his moss nest, trying to catch up on any lost slumber that they could before he was to return to his duties around camp. However, the sound of several hushed voices from outside caused Pikestar to stir, his single eye sliding open. Immediately, the dark-furred oriental tomcat recognized the two as Flamebriar and Fawnpaw. Hm. It seemed the RiverClan warrior was wishing to speak to him on this fine chilly morning in leafbare. Hopefully, this wasn’t something he needed to be concerned about. Pikestar had already been dealing with his fair share of bad news lately, though he would hear Flamebriar out regardless of what the context was. However, there seemed to be more to the conversation outside than he would’ve expected. His long ears perked up as the long-furred RiverClan leader lifted his head off his paws. That’s when Pikestar heard it: Fawnlight. Had he heard that correctly? Was it already that time? Stars above, how many moons had passed since...
Had StarClan really called upon the RiverClan medicine cat the night before? She had her full name now. There was no doubting that fact. While Pikestar couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that he couldn’t be present for such a ceremony, he felt an immense amount of pride for his little sister. She was practically all grown up now and it felt like just yesterday that she was still a little kitten -- though that would mean he would still be deputy and yeesh, he did not want to think about that. Pikestar smiled warmly to himself, happy for Fawnlight and her newfound status. Perhaps this would mean RiverClan cats could stop treating her like a child that couldn’t handle herself. It was certainly about time. With that, the tall RiverClan tomcat stretched out his front legs and quietly eased himself into a sat position, awaiting for Flamebriar to come into his den and speak to him. In the meantime, Pikestar began to groom.
Walking through the camp’s entrance with a plump thrush secured in his jaws, the tall dark-furred tomcat’s partial gaze immediately spotted Reedwhisker and Nightpaw situated at his den’s maw, which made him quicken his step. Tossing the prey into RiverClan’s pile, Pikestar hurried over to the two of them. “I’ve been out of camp, my apologies.” He murmured, because Zen knows damn well that he would’ve heard the incident from his den, “Come in.” With that said, the large dark-furred oriental stepped into his den, waving the two inside with a flick of his bushy tail. From there, he found a comfortable place to sit and faced the two mollies that now wished to discuss an urgent matter with him. Pikestar remained silent, listening intently as Reedwhisker recalled what had happened only a few minutes ago. Shatteredsun… He what? The RiverClan leader’s brow furrowed at the details, especially when they were told that a warrior flashed his claws at an apprentice, threatened her outright. Thankfully, Reedwhisker, Goldensnake and Raccoonear all jumped to Nightpaw’s aid. Thank the stars that they did. Unsurprisingly, the warrior looked to him for action. Shatteredsun was a danger to the clan's apprentices.
Once Reedwhisker finished speaking, Pikestar turned his attention to young Nightpaw, who now began to recall her side of the story. He nodded to the black-furred molly's words, giving the RiverClan apprentice all the time in the world to say what she wished. She appeared anxious, which was no surprise, given what she went through. It reminded him of Beastgrowl's advances against his own daughter, though this incident was not as severe. Despite that, Pikestar wouldn't allow this to be swept aside and taken lightly. Because if he allowed that to happen, then surely something worse would occur. He gave a soft sigh and shook his head solemnly. "Nightpaw, look at me." The tall oriental remarked, his tone gentle as he wanted the small apprentice to meet his partial gaze, "You are not useless to RiverClan, and I refuse to allow you to talk about yourself that way. Okay? No clanmate of mine will ever forget their worth; not while I'm leader." He allowed his left eye to flicker from Reedwhisker and then back over to Nightpaw, "You are loved, and you bring things to this clan that no one else can. Size means nothing in RiverClan, and you should never feel ashamed for needing help." Irritation began to fester within Pikestar as he grew determined to deal with Shatteredsun personally. May the stars have mercy today.
Taking in a deep breath and letting out a long sigh, the tall tomcat sat up straight and directed his gaze back to the RiverClan warrior before him. "I will handle this, Reedwhisker, I promise both you and Nightpaw that." He said, firmly with a sharp nod of confirmation, "He is lucky that he didn't lay a paw on either of you, or he'd surely meet my wrath." Pikestar muttered that last bit under his breath, but made no real attempt to hide his growing anger from both she-cats. If any cat in RiverClan remembered well, they would know that the longhair oriental's temper was not something to be played around with. "Both of you may return to your day. Reedwhisker, make sure Goldensnake and Raccoonear knows my thanks for you three stepping in to protect Nightpaw." Pikestar replied, whiskers twitching, "And Nightpaw, do not worry about becoming a warrior. You can receive your name whenever you feel ready. I'm sure Specklepaw appreciates it. Run along, and trust that I will take care of this."
Humming to himself nonchalantly from within the privacy of his own den, Pikestar's head whipped around with surprise once an apprentice burst into his den without any warning or announcement. "Great stars above, Bouncepaw," The RiverClan leader said, uttering a relieving sigh once he recognized the youth, "You're gonna give me a heart attack, zooming in here like that." He shook his head while chuckling softly to himself, wishing he still had such energy to move with such speed. Pikestar heaved himself to his paws and stepped closer to the young tomcat before then sitting back down to place his form across from Bouncepaw comfortably. "Now then," The oriental feline said, clearing his throat briskly, "What brings you to my den in such a hurry?" He certainly hoped it wasn't any bad news, especially something similar to Nightpaw's incident. Regardless, he remained patient as they awaited Bouncepaw's reply. The tip of his bushy tail tapped against the ground of his den idly as the clan leader stared at the apprentice with a soft gaze.
Once Fawnlight's little meeting had concluded, Pikestar had retreated immediately back into his den, not really knowing what to do at this very moment in time. He had been quarantined strictly for almost three whole weeks, so obviously, it would take the RiverClan leader at least a little bit to readjust to his responsibilities. The oriental tomcat batted a scrap of moss that laid on the floor of his den, humming and slowly becoming lost in his own thoughts. Then a familiar voice sounded at the mouth of his den. Oh? "Of course, come in." Pikestar meowed warmly, his voice gentle and inviting, "It's no problem whatsoever." His ears twitched with curiosity at her usage of we, meaning there was more than one clanmate outside. Who else would be visiting him on first official day out of quarantine? Pikestar thought of Lilycreek as a good friend of his, so it was always a treat whenever she stopped by for a chat.
Bouncepaw felt warmth of embarrassment spreading over him as he sat down. Bouncepaw dipped his head in apology. “Well, I’m eight moons… and- I don’t really have any training, so would it be okay for me to ask for some extra paws to help with my training?”Bouncepaw felt quite alarmed for no reason. His eyes shone with hurry as if he was trying to rush his training, the appropriate age for a warrior ceremony is twelve moons! That means Bouncepaw has only four to get education.
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Dimkit purrkks: Lyrebird’s Lullaby
Last edited by Caspian; January 6th, 2023 at 09:28 AM.
The molly had been hesitant to do this for the past couple of days. She was scared, but she wouldn't let that show. At least it wasn't something she done against her clan. It was just kits. One of the things she thought was way behind her after all her past ones all went missing. This time she wouldn't have to worry anything would happen to them. They wouldn't have to fight to get to the top. Marigoldleap let out a deep breath before poking her head into the den.
"Uh Pikestar can I talk to you real quick?", she asked. Her eyes didn't show too much emotion. It wasn't too bad of a thing. It wasn't like she was leaving or anything. She could never. Not with her mother being here and all the great cats she felt more connected with.
From within the RiverClan leader’s den, Pikestar was tending to a hefty grooming session, battling the beast of a pelt he called his own. He drew his rough tongue over his bushy chest fur in heavy, frustrated strokes as they fought to tame the long gray-hued strands of hair. It was something he had neglected for quite awhile due to his own bustling schedule and crippling mental health so it was far from a quick and easy task to tackle. However, his large oriental ears perked up immediately as he heard the sound of Marigoldleap asking to speak with him. The molly was an unexpected visitor, for sure, but never an unwelcomed one. "Of course," Pikestar meowed, pausing in his grooming to sit up straight, "Come in, Marigoldleap." The scarred she-cat's tone held no urgency, so there was in concern in the leader's stance. Though he was curious regardless to what she wanted to speak about. Hopefully nothing bad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caspian
Bouncepaw felt warmth of embarrassment spreading over him as he sat down. Bouncepaw dipped his head in apology. “Well, I’m eight moons… and- I don’t really have any training, so would it be okay for me to ask for some extra paws to help with my training?”Bouncepaw felt quite alarmed for no reason. His eyes shone with hurry as if he was trying to rush his training, the appropriate age for a warrior ceremony is twelve moons! That means Bouncepaw has only four to get education.
Lending a listening ear to the apprentice’s worries, Pikestar blinked at the younger tomcat in slight surprise. Stars, he was eight moons old already? It felt like such yesterday he had named Bouncepaw an apprentice of RiverClan. Time sure did fly these days, especially when you were this busy. “Of course you can.” They reassured the seemingly-anxious youth, tilting their head to the side curiously, “I do hope Mistycloud is treating you well. Has she taught you anything since I made her your mentor?” Pikestar had no time for lazy mentors, or clanmates in general. Also, wasn't this Bouncepaw's second mentor since he became an apprentice? If she had failed him like his first teacher, then surely Pikestar needed to go about this in a different way, but something told him that it wasn't that serious. "If I may ask, why are you in such a rush, Bouncepaw? You should be enjoying your youth while you can, you know." Great StarClan, saying that made Pikestar feel old. "You still have four whole moons to train. That's a lot of time."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sharkii
Fishkit
4/10
Fishkit shivered. The cold biting wind clung onto his fur. Fishkit shook his head, teeth chattering. He couldn’t go to the nursery, he had no mother to sleep with, nor father. He crept to the entrance, and squeaked. “ mister Pikestar…?” he called, tail flicking. He wondered where his mother was. She was last exploring in the river. Or that’s what she said. He had no idea where she was, and was quite worried about her. He had played with the other kits today. They ran around, hid, those sort of things. By the time they finished, the kits went back to their mothers to sleep, which hit Fishkit badly. He missed his mother. When would she be back?
It was late in the day, with the sun nearly having set over the horizon, and the RiverClan leader was hidden away in his den as per usual. He hummed softly to himself and poked aimlessly at his moss nest with one claw, wondering if he should try some new kind of bedding in the future. Feathers? Maybe. Or the loose fur from his own pelt? No, that was weird. Pikestar couldn’t really do much to make his den more homey-feeling until newleaf rolled around, so it was probably in his best interest to wait it out. The small squeak of a kitten drew the large dark-furred oriental from his thoughts however. He turned his head to see young Fishkit in the maw of his den, shivering against the cold. “Fishkit!” Pikestar exclaimed softly, rising to his paws and padding over to the small scrap of fur, “What are you doing so far from the nursery? You’ll catch a cold.” He sounded like a worrisome parent with a tone like that, but he didn’t dare dismiss such a thing. Pikestar sat down and curled his fluffy gray-furred tail around the dark-furred kitten to give some warmth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cherry~
Slatestripe was surprised, but pleasantly so, that Pikestar responded positively to his idea. He was used to many cats finding his ideas outlandish, too extreme, or sometimes downright dumb. That never deterred him from coming up with new ones, but it did make him more hesitant with age to share them with just anyone.
His whole demeanor lit up at Pikestar’s interest. He nodded with intensity as Pikestar reflected on his idea. When he asked if Slatestripe had any other business to speak of, the tom became hesitant again. He shook that off with haste, though, knowing now that Pikestar was more receptive than the average cat to unorthodox ideas and new traditions.
“There is one more thing, Pikestar,” he said. “I think we should change the way we handle funerals. They feel so plain and sterile, the way they are now. Wr just stick the body in the middle of camp, sit around it for a while, and then bury it. It just feels too simple, especially for cats who gave their lives in service to their Clan.”
He paused, recalling the specifics of what he’d come up with. “I think those closest to the deceased deserve to have a quiet, peaceful place to mourn them. Not every cat in the Clan wants to participate in every funeral, and not every cat should have to. We are a large Clan; not every cat is going to know every other. Cats who want to go on with their daily life should be able to, and those who wish to mourn should be able to do so in peace. I propose we select a secluded area near camp where bodies can be taken. The medicine cat, or a cat they’ve chosen, can prepare the body for the funeral as needed.
“When the body has been prepared, an announcement will be made in camp so those who wish to attend the funeral can do so. There will be an expectation that cats who attend the funeral will be quiet and respectful, of course. I think burying each cat with at least one symbol of their life would make a funeral more meaningful, and would allow the cat’s loved ones to feel connected to them one last time. This could be anything; a rock, a clawed up stick, flowers, a cardinal’s feather, anything. The three cats who are the closest to the deceased can come forward and present their burial items, and they will be buried with the body. In the event where there are more than three cats who are very close to the deceased, then the medicine cat or their designated funeral director can be the one to decide how to proceed.”
( @canineantics So a couple OOC notes about Slate’s proposal. The roleplayer of the deceased could ask the roleplayers of the cats closest to their’s to present their symbols at the funeral, or they could leave it open for anyone to step forward and make their case for why they should be allowed to make a tribute in this way. In the event that a lot of cats die at once, funerals could happen off-screen. )
Seeing the other tomcat light up at their outward enthusiasm towards his ideas, the RiverClan leader couldn’t help but smile gently. He knew how nice it felt to be listened to and taken seriously, especially when you had projects that some cats would normally scoff at. Hopefully, Slatestripe could see that Pikestar did genuinely care about what he had to say, and that the long-furred oriental would always be here to hear him out. He wanted RiverClan to be something that was built from the ground up by the clan as a whole, not just from him, Gingerfrost and Fawnlight alone. That had always been his overall goal since he became a high-rank all that time ago. Upon hearing that Slatestripe had one more idea to share, Pikestar pulled himself out of his thoughts and put his full attention back on the RiverClan warrior, showing that he was, in fact, listening and intrigued. Feedback and ideas were always appreciated.
The topic surrounded funerals and how they were done in RiverClan, which was understandable. They had been a certain way for as long as the tall tom could remember, and Pikestar had to agree with Slatestripe: Very plain, boring and needed something more. He himself had a few ideas of his own on how to improve such a tradition, but the RiverClan leader decided to hear out the warrior first and foremost. As Slatestripe spoke on, they nodded along pensively, humming in response. That was a fine idea, and it would probably benefit the clan in a useful way. Flashbacks to the earlier days of his clan leadership when deaths were high and frequent, cats were involved in seeing bodies when they didn’t need to, which brought trauma and other terrible feelings. Fawnlight stuck out to him, but he also knew that he too was severely involved in the dreary time in RiverClan’s history. It was something he did not like to think about too frequently for personal reasons. "I'll see to it that a place near camp in made for funeral preparations in the future."
Their conversation moved forward, and more was to be determined. It all sounded very well-kept and organized, which Pikestar liked. Personally, he was unsure if Fawnpaw would be okay with being a funeral director, especially after seeing so many dead bodies in her youth. He would not move forward on that until speaking with her one-on-one though. Like Slatestripe had said, it didn’t have to be the medicine cat and it could more so be someone that the family of the deceased picked out. Did that mean Pikestar should find cats within RiverClan comfortable with such responsibilities? Or should they leave that up to said loved ones of the deceased? The tall oriental tomcat decided to leave those questions for a later time, and instead focus on the next bit of the warrior’s speech. A symbol of the dead would be buried with them. Now that was an intriguing proposition. And it seemed simple enough, so Pikestar was fine with allowing it. "I think those all sound like fine ideas, Slatestripe, and I believe they could bring some much needed change to RiverClan. Good change too." The dark-furred oriental meowed, whiskers twitching as he spoke, I believe this is something I'd like to propose at the next clanwide meeting, to the rest of our clanmates... if that is alright with you?" He'll probably also have a word with Gingerfrost and Fawnpaw about this beforehand as well. Maybe with the shields too. Hm. Decisions, decisions. So many to make in so little time. It made their head spin.
Re: RiverClan Leader's Den
Re: RiverClan Leader's Den
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