very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude t3 | just a scratch
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 55 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, heart o’ gold; loyal to a fault ]
—
Stagheart inhaled deeply, his eyes following Daisypaw as his apprentice appeared, leaning into Berryshine. He swallowed, the wails of his Clanmates creating a saddening symphony that reminded him all too well that this was real. At Willowtail's voice, he turned to the younger she-cat, letting her rest her forehead against him. He could feel her shaking, and he instinctively leaned just a bit closer, trying to stay steady for her as his own mind raced.
"Shh, shh... it's gonna be okay," he murmured, his voice even rougher than usual, clearing his throat from his own grief. "Not everyone. You've got me, 'n Daisypaw, 'n Berry... dontchu forget that. We're all here for you, Willow. This... this is gonna hurt, just like Weepin'paw. But we'll... we'll get through it."
He paused, blinking away the sheen from his eyes that had just barely gotten misty. Gaze hardening, he slowly stood to his paws as Cobwebfern spoke, heart aching at the amount of pain he could see in her eyes. The warrior nodded to her instructions, using his tail and shoulder to gently nudge Willowtail to her feet if she'd let him, pointing his muzzle towards Stormstar.
"C'mon... we should go pay our respects, one last time. To say goodbye..." His gaze lingered on the warrior he'd adopted as a daughter, the distraught look on her face twisting his insides. He glanced back at her one more time before making his way forward, pawsteps feeling much heavier than usual. When it was finally his turn, he took a deep breath in through his nose and stepped forward.
Stormstar almost looked... small, like this. Crumpled and half-bloodied, her fur partially groomed by those who'd already said their goodbyes... it was a foreign look for the strong, passionate leader he'd followed. He could almost still hear her saying "Stags!" in that familiar drawl of hers. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, the stoic tom allowed his eyes to glisten once more with emotion as he lowered his nose and pressed it to Stormstar's cooling fur.
"Thank ya, Storms, for everythin' you've done... StarClan knows we needed you to bring us back. From the day you first joined, I could see you'd be a fire for us all, 'n look what you'd become. I... I was proud to serve under you."Storms. Heh. It was a nickname he'd almost called her in retaliation for her always calling him 'Stags', but he'd never had the courage to say it, figuring the spunky she-cat was picky in her kennings; he didn't think it was too far off that he'd receive a cuff around the ears if he'd tried to be too casual when regarding her. But... now was a good a time as any to say it, eh? He paused, clearing his throat, managing to say the traditional sendoff in a rumbly, grieved tone. "May you find good huntin', swift runnin', 'n shelter where you sleep. It... it was an honor. To call you my leader."
With that, the tom gave a respectful lick to help smooth down the fur around Stormstar's shoulder, clearing away some of the blood. Then he raised his head and stepped back, giving good space to allow the next cat to approach and say their goodbyes, an aching feeling in his chest. His rational mind was already considering how Owltalon would be a fine leader in Stormstar's stead, but he couldn't focus too much on that now. Right now he allowed himself to silently dwell on the loss of a she-cat who'd he'd consider something like a friend, despite their professional sort of relationship; they'd both held a mutual respect and honor. And although he wasn't a Lionheart, he also kept his stark gaze on his leader's corpse and the approaching cats, watching for any funny business, his expression going unreadable once more.
Sniffling softly. Willowtail whispered a gentle thanks to Staghearts comforting words. Letting her adoptive father nudge her to her paws. She walked to Stormstar. "I'....I'm gonna miss you Stormy.... I'm gonna miss hearing you call me Tails' with your funny accent...." Willowtail murmured. Her abnormally long tail stretched put behind her. "I never...." giving a small sob she mewed, "I never got to say thank you....you helped me when my mother passed....you praised my hunting whe I felt insecure..." Willowtail got choked up. Leaning her head on Stagheart as she couldn't say anymore.
__________________
Oceanstar is the leader of Beachclan!
"You did a great job today and I hope you smile a little by thinking about me at the end of the day" -Kim Hongjoong
Redsurge RiverClan Warrior
Killer Aptitude Tier 1
Flock Together Tier 1 Well Insulated
She / Her ; 23 Moons
Redsurge turned her attention to Owltalon at the Leader's sharp mew, eyes narrowing. ´´Okay, okay. I was only trying to help.´´ With an irritated twitch of her whiskers, the braided tabby whipped around and headed back towards the warriors' den with light pawsteps.
Oh... the gentle touch of Brokenstream's chin atop her head made Berry pause, her eyes also fluttering closed as she gently leaned into it, her soft head fur brushing under his muzzle. The tender and unexpected (yet very welcome) gesture of comfort was like a soothing balm to her aching soul, and the medicine cat hummed quietly in response to his purr — unable to purr herself, but gratefully acknowledging the effort, how much it meant to her. To know that the Lionheart was there, supporting her, another beacon of strength to look to alongside Owltalon and the others... it rested her troubled soul a bit. And she didn't miss what he spoke to Stormstar's body, her sensitive ears just barely picking up her and Cobwebfern's names as he wished his leader farewell... if he glanced back in Berry's direction, she would give him a somber, thankful look and nod, heart swelling despite the fresh despair.
Seeing Owltalon grieve as well, the strong she-cat quaking as if the earth were trembling beneath her paws, moved Berryshine. She dipped her head to her deputy—stars, her soon-to-be leader—at her words, sending a silent prayer to StarClan to give her strength at this time. All of them needed it, but now... now the brown-furred deputy had a whole Clan suddenly and unexpectedly dropped on her shoulders.
Berryshine hadn't gone long before she heard the familiar snarl of Daisypaw, a voice she hadn't spoken to in awhile. Raising her dulled eyes to her adoptive sister, Berryshine shakily lifted her tail and began to gently draw it over Daisy's spine, a soothing gesture Mistyshard used to do for her. If only her ex-mentor were here right now, she'd know something to say, some kind of encouragement... swallowing against the lump in her throat, Berry leaned closer against Daisypaw, letting her short fur brush against her flank. The words were harsh, but spoken out of anger and grief, and... Berryshine couldn't blame her.
"...I-It's no one's fault," she whispered, her gaze briefly trailing to look over at Seabreeze. The poor tom look wrecked, guilt and sorrow in his eyes, and she knew this was something he'd never forget. She was almost selfishly grateful for just a moment that it hadn't been her; watching Stormstar bleed out, two lives gone... by the severity of the wound, Berryshine wasn't sure that her or Cobwebfern would've been able to do anything. That helplessness, the raw panic of watching the once-bright leader die... she'd have to check in on Seabreeze later. None of them were currently okay, but that warrior had been through so much already... she could already tell this guilt would weigh on his shoulders like stones.
Turning back to Daisypaw, Berryshine exhaled shakily, watching as her Clanmates slowly came forward to pay their respects. She would wait to say her own final goodbyes until they were out in Seagrass Fields. "...We can't always understand it, but... t-this was somehow meant to happen... gosh-" she broke off into a faint, strained noise that was almost like a sob, but one she contained. She had to stay composed and positive, not let herself fall into the dark pit she'd been in ever since... the raid... taking in a deep, steadying breath, the medicine cat tried again. "Sometimes... t-that's just how it is... even if it's unfair," she murmured quietly to Daisypaw, heart aching, trying to force some life into her words even if she currently felt none.
But she did manage to nod to Cobwebfern's request; of course she'd be there. The Clan was altogether, there shouldn't be any incidents while both medicine cats were out... not unless someone was that fish-brained. It would be an honor to help bury her leader, and to be at Cob's side for it... as well as an absolute tragedy. Stars above, was this really happening...? She sat silently for a moment, letting Daisypaw say her goodbyes and dully watching the other Clanmates. The medic would keep silent company and support beside Cobwebfern as she did, tears tracking down her cheeks, wondering if their Clan really was cursed after all. No, she couldn't go there, but... the thought crossed her mind. More than once.
Daisypaw sniffled. Sadness in her voice as she whispered to Berryshine. "I never...I never got to thank her letting me have a chance at being an apprentice" Daisypaw felt Berryshine push coser. Daisypaw hid her muzzle in her adoptive sisters fur. Smelling her sweet. Familiar......alive. scent. "Don't hold back crying....it's just going to hurt you more" Daisypaw whispered to Berryshine with worred eyes. The sound of the choked yet painful sob filling her ears. Daisypaw had grown a bit, almost th same size as Berryshine.
Daisypaws condition usually got worse when she didn't move for a while. And her training being...well unfairly and fairly postponed. She had grown a small bit weaker. Daisypaws gentle grunt of pain as she lifted the weight off of her front paws showed this change. "Berryshine....will Willowtail be OK? Shes...she's been through this same process like...I dunno 4 times sense I was born.... I..I feel like it's all going to fast for her and Im...I'm scared...a-and what's going to happen to Riverclan? We've lost like 3 leaders in the past...... maybe one or two gatherings? What...what are we gonna do!" Daisypaw panicked. Her usual rambling starting.
__________________
Oceanstar is the leader of Beachclan!
"You did a great job today and I hope you smile a little by thinking about me at the end of the day" -Kim Hongjoong
Irisfrost wasn't sure if it was the scent of blood or the voices that drew her attention first. Either way, it had her emerging from the warrior's den, a sinking feeling in her gut because she knew whatever had happened was bad. Bad enough to have almost the whole clan gathering around something, screeching and crying and wailing.
She pushed her way through the crowd until she had a view of what was causing the commotion. Seabreeze was standing there, a limp grey form laid across his back. It took a moment for Irisfrost to realise who it was, and when she did she felt her stomach drop.
Stormstar. Another leader gone.
She shouldn't have been surprised. Leaders came and went in RiverClan, dying or stepping down or leaving just moons after they were appointed. It was the vicious cycle RiverClan was trapped in. But Stormstar had done well as leader. She had been accepted by StarClan and granted an extra life, she had led the clan with justice, she had become the sort of leader that was respected. And Irisfrost had let herself think that maybe she would break the cycle, that maybe RiverClan would find the stability it had lost countless seasons ago.
But now Stormstar was dead, and that hope was lost.
It wasn't sorrow or grief (although she did feel that) that dominated as she stared at her leader's bloodied form, but resignation. She closed her eyes briefly, as cats ran around and grieved and tried to establish order. Why had StarClan taken such a promising leader away from them? She knew death was an invertible part of life, but as leader after leader fell she wondered whether StarClan had abandoned them.
Don't think like that. StarClan couldn't control everything, only guide them. She wouldn't lose faith in them because of this.
As cats came forward to pay their respects, Irisfrost joined them, touching her nose to Stormstar's cooling grey pelt. "May you have peace and plentiful hunting in StarClan," she murmured. "This clan will miss you." What else could she say? She hadn't known Stormstar personally, just as her leader. Hopefully her words were enough.
Redsurge RiverClan Warrior
Killer Aptitude Tier 1
Flock Together Tier 1 Well Insulated
She / Her ; 23 Moons
Redsurge turned her attention to Owltalon at the Leader's sharp mew, eyes narrowing. ´´Okay, okay. I was only trying to help.´´ With an irritated twitch of her whiskers, the braided tabby whipped around and headed back towards the warriors' den with light pawsteps.
Oh, they had a runner! And a grumpy one at that. Mudhaze scrambled to his feet and stepped into Redsurge's path before she could cross the clearing toward the den.
"Oi, you!" It wasn't so much a greeting as it was telling her to stop. "What do you think of all this, huh? Another one gone, actually dead this time, and Seabreeze was the only one with her, and he's totally unharmed. Verrrrryyyy suspicious... or maybe not! Anyway, place your bets on the new deputy, who are you thinking? I've got three trout it's the main Lionheart guy!"
__________________
Any questions you have regarding ThunderClan, whether for characters or rejoinings or plots or otherwise, should be forwarded to Starfall, Beaan, or Neptune. Please do not contact me - you will be redirected.
Primroseadder RiverClan Warrior
Ultimate Predator
Go with the Flow
Shadow Fiend
She / Her ; 15 Moons
Primroseadder's ears twitched from where she lay by the warriors' den, gnawing on a carp. They caught Morningpaw's harsh mew, and she finished her meal before heading over to the two apprentices. ´´Now, now, Morningpaw,´´ The warrior mewed, her voice soft yet firm. ´´Don't be mean to him. He's still young. Hookpaw, I can take you out for a territory tour, if you'd like.´´
HookPaw perked his ears at the offer, turning to look at PrimerosAdder. "Really? Thank StarClan!" he paused, "Thank you PrimroseAdder! It's been rather.. boring and depressing in camp." HookPaw glanced hesitantly at the Leader's Den, his expression unreadable. "I also need to get my mind off things.. But yknowww.. Hahah!" HookPaw laughed awkwardly, his gaze directed to the ground.
__________________
Sometimes I won't be able to reply right away, and if I don't reply within a day after the post, please bump me/remind me of that ongoing RP! + Please mention OR quote me in posts of RPS, don't do both!
━━━━━━━━━━━━ "May StarClan light your path."
━━━━━━━━ RP Tracker
Last edited by Wiggleworm; December 18th, 2024 at 03:34 PM.
Oh, they had a runner! And a grumpy one at that. Mudhaze scrambled to his feet and stepped into Redsurge's path before she could cross the clearing toward the den.
"Oi, you!" It wasn't so much a greeting as it was telling her to stop. "What do you think of all this, huh? Another one gone, actually dead this time, and Seabreeze was the only one with her, and he's totally unharmed. Verrrrryyyy suspicious... or maybe not! Anyway, place your bets on the new deputy, who are you thinking? I've got three trout it's the main Lionheart guy!"
Redsurge RiverClan Warrior
Killer Aptitude Tier 1
Flock Together Tier 1 Well Insulated
She / Her ; 23 Moons
Redsurge halted abruptly on her heels as Mudhaze suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her path to the warriors' den. Her eyes narrowed further at his demanding questions, though the RiverClanner couldn't say she blamed her Clanmate for being suspicious of Seabreeze. However, Owltalon was the RiverClan Dep- Leader, and was to be believed above everyone else.
´´I think I believe Owltalon whenever she says that Stormstar was killed by a coyote,´´ Redsurge meowed simply, her voice quiet. Her feathery tail swayed behind her as she spoke. ´´And as for who Owltalon will choose for her Deputy....Brokenstream is a likely choice, but only StarClan knows who she will choose. Now, I'd appreciate it if you would let me through so I can go to the warriors' den and rest before I take Shallowpaw out for his hunting lesson.´´
__________________
Pristineautumn is the current DappleClan Deputy.
Should she be needed, feel free to mention me!
Morningpaw grunted. Hmm... She meowed, pretending to be deep in thought. How about... No. She scowled, looking around the clearing. Wasn't Hookpaw angry? Or at the very least, sad?
HookPaw blinked with surprise, though he didn't want to push further, so instead he went silent and stared at the ground.
A poor attempt to lighten the mood... It was worth a shot though.
__________________
Sometimes I won't be able to reply right away, and if I don't reply within a day after the post, please bump me/remind me of that ongoing RP! + Please mention OR quote me in posts of RPS, don't do both!
━━━━━━━━━━━━ "May StarClan light your path."
━━━━━━━━ RP Tracker
Morningpaw snorted, shooting a glare at her adopted mother. I already took my tour. She complained, giving Hookpaw a dirty look. I don't know if he has.
@Wiggleworm
@kira
Primroseadder RiverClan Warrior
Ultimate Predator
Go with the Flow
Shadow Fiend
She / Her ; 15 Moons
Primroseadder gave a wave of her feathery tail, emerald eyes narrowing as Morningpaw spoke again, her tone no nicer. ´´Well, then, Morningpaw,´´ She fixed her attention on the newly named apprentice. ´´If Grayowl has already taken you out for your tour, then there is no reason why you should go. I'll take Hookpaw out, and you'll stay here. Understood?´´
Re: RiverClan Clearing
Re: RiverClan Clearing
