Spiderpaw found her way to the back of the gathered cats. She was a little late to the meeting, but she was sure it wouldn’t really matter, since she believed it to be like any regular ol’ one. At first, she didn’t register that it was Lion’s body there in the clearing. She didn’t register that it was a body at all, just.. a mass -no, two-, blocking view of the floor. And then it hit her all at once that it was a body, and it was him. Or maybe it wasn’t him. A lookalike. Lionstorm couldn’t die… he was the only one she’d properly known for ages. since she was like,, six. he’d always been there like the awesome nerd he was. She talked and talked about him being Fartstorm, the stinky dummy, but it was all fun, jokes, games. The thought never once crossed her mind that he'd be gone, just like that…..
For a hot minute she didn’t move as one tear and then another slipped down her cheek, but the sadness quickly flamed into harsh anger. She dug her claws into the dirt to keep her from lashing out, feeling the earth stir under her paws. Her anger was fueled even more as she heard her clanmates argue about if ThunderClan had really done it and if it was worth fighting for. Really? Their leader came with two bodies of well-respected cats, with evidence that ThunderClan was to blame, and their first instinct was to refute the evidence and cower? What a joke. She was sure those Thunderjerks had done it or they’d had something to do with it. They’d pay for it, whether with a clan-wide attack or with Spiderpaw doing it herself, goddamn it.
She let the anger fester as the meeting continued, tuning out the world, and was subsequently taken aback when her name was called. She didn’t know who’d said it or why, and was flustered before she realized that Plumpaw was stepping forward. Although she liked the Plumster, they had little in common, so she put two and two together and figured it was finally their ceremony. She found it hard to feel excited, considering.. yeah. The apprentice stepped forward anyway, taking her place next to Plum. If there was any time to be excited it was now, after alllll of these moons, so she let herself muster up the bland thought of ‘hell yeah’. The curiosity of what her name would be sat neglected in the back of her mind.
Last edited by panchiko; May 14th, 2021 at 07:10 PM.
Amberpaw yowled their names this time. Despite how bad she felt about it, they still deserved to be welcomed as apprentices like she was.
__________________
I’m Here..... It’s Been a while. When did I come... I didn’t know
I felt falling and Alone. I'd never grow old and decided. It wasn’t time to go.
As the ship roared past, I stayed. As I had come. Lost. Alone. Empty.
Somewhere. Something. Had brought me here. But what?
Looking down on the two she-cats, just about his age or a little younger, Kestrelstar felt grief for their loss. Lionstorm should've been the one to do their ceremonies. He should be here to see this. The new leader felt as though part of him was intruding on a private moment meant for mentor and apprentice. Nothing the gray tabby could say or do during this meeting would bring Lionstorm back for them, so they could really feel pride in becoming warriors. Not this... this dark plague that seemed to be hanging over the entire Clan.
Leaping down from the Streamstone, Kestrelstar approached the two apprentices, holding both of their gazes. His yellow gaze reflected their anger and grief, and for a moment he let silence fall between them. This was not how this was suppose to go. At all. Just an example of more that ThunderClan had violently ripped away from RiverClan.
"I, Kestrelstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon our past warriors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of the warrior code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." It should be obvious by now that Kestrelstar wasn't big on the traditional wordings of the ceremonies, what with his faith in StarClan not as ever present as some of his Clanmates.
Gaze flickering between Plumpaw and Spiderpaw, he continued, "Plumpaw. Spiderpaw. Lionstorm did well in training you both. I am certain you both will be excellent additions to the rank of warriors in RiverClan. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Plumpaw feels herself release a breath she'd not known she was holding as Spiderpaw steps up beside her. She stares at the other molly for a long heartbeat, unsure of what to say, or if there was anything to be said. Maybe there wasn't. The two of them only knew one another's names, after all. Still, the silver feline offers up a slow nod of recognition. Here they were, Plumpaw and Spiderpaw.
Turning back to face Kestrelstar, she listens to the words as old as time itself. A ceremony that felt... Off, today. Somehow, the meaning behind them was different. This wasn't happy. It wasn't hard, but it wasn't happy. Plumpaw wonders if she'd have ever felt so resolute at her warrior ceremony with any other possible paths she might have taken. If it were Duskstar giving her a name, or Buckstar if she'd stayed. Or, if Lionstorm was alive and sitting somewhere close, watching. It felt like something big was happening. It felt like something was going to change soon, something more than just what her Clanmates called her.
"I do," she meows confidently.
__________________
hi i'm plum and i rp here in my spare time ceri || nectar
please understand i forget about things super easily.
you may remind me after a few days
to reply if you have sent me a message or a post.
She’d rehearsed this scene a thousand times before. Thought about every which way it could happen. Dreamed about it, even. None of it had prepared her for this. She’d envisioned a day she’d wake up and be excited for. She’d step up in front of whichever leader, all happy and proud and like there was nothing more exciting in the world, say ‘I do’, and get her name. She’d step back and wait for the meeting to end, brag to everyone, and give Lion a hug for finnnallly getting her through her training. That idea was crushed more and more each second she stood here with him gone. She appreciated Kestrelstar’s sentiment but if he continued being so supportive she was going to have a hard time keeping it together, and that couldn’t happen. Not in front of everyone.
She offered Plumpaw a halfhearted attempt at a smile, nodding back. It was nice to be up here with someone, however faintly they were acquainted.
The moment she’d looked forward to for so long was now a moment she wanted to speed through and forget about, but she knew she couldn’t do that to herself. Becoming a warrior would make Lion proud, maybe, she hoped, so she would take pride in having the opportunity to say the next two words — “I do.” Spiderpaw's voice had cracked, but at least it'd been done.
Her eyes never left Kestrelstar's for a second because if she was reminded of the outside world, the reality would threaten to crush her yet again.
Last edited by panchiko; May 14th, 2021 at 09:59 PM.
Fawnpaw's eyes widened when Fizzlepaw... well, Brightpaw... came into the picture. Wasn't that the cat he'd met at the Thunderclan border? It all made sense now! Maybe he was asking all those weird questions because he wanted to be in Riverclan!
Twigpaw snorted and walked away from his... friend? If you could call it that, anyway... and looked around for his new mentor. Oh Starclan, another one! Hopefully this one wouldn't be absolute garbage...
~~~
Ghostkit peeked out of the nursery shyly. Where had Deerwing gone? It was super dark and the sun was gone and every cat was in the clearing and Snakeheart didn't look happy and... Where was Lionstorm? Tiny, tired eyes peered around in search of the leader, only to find Mr. Kestrel-sir on top of the big rock thingy. What was he doing up there? The genderless alien dragged xemself closer to the crowd, craning xyr neck so that xyr droopy little eyes could peer up at the rock.
(OPEN FOR INTERACTIONS WITH GHOSTKIT)
__________________
Character Site
You can bump me after 48 hours! Sometimes responses get buried or I don't notice them.
Please visit my poetry shop!
How Jake died: He was struck by a meteor while sitting on a fence.
Don't believe me? Google it. Remember: At the end of the day, Bonekit will always be the bigger baby!
He didn't show it too much, but Kestrelstar was proud, despite his loose ties with the two apprentices. If only Lionstorm could see them... how proud he would be. Two new warriors, ready to step into themselves and become full fledged members of RiverClan. No doubt that whatever path lay ahead of them would be rocky and tough, but the leader had confidence that their paws would not falter, nor their loyalty waiver. They were RiverClan through and through.
@hope @implimm "Then by my power as leader I give you your warrior names. Plumpaw, Spiderpaw, from this day forward you will be known as Plumstorm and Spiderstorm," he paused for a bit to linger on the names, knowing that the two now had more in common than just being Lionstorm's apprentices. He'd given quite a bit of thought to what their names might be while rambling through the other ceremonies. This just felt right, as if Lionstorm's legacy would now be carried by the two he'd taken under his wing. "Plumstorm, we honor your resilience and candidness. Spiderstorm, we honor your determination and enthusiasm. RiverClan welcomes you both as full warriors of the Clan."
Moving forward, Kestrelstar first gave Plumstorm a lick on her head to signal the age-old tradition of removing the old name to welcome in the new. He then did the same with Spiderstorm, stepping back to nod silently to them.
This was there moment. Cheers would erupt at any moment, and the leader wanted them to drink up every second of it. After this the meeting would be dismissed, and reality... well, it would be there waiting.
≋ ≋ ≋
As the cheering calmed down, Kestrelstar lifted his tail to signal for RiverClan's attention. "Tonight, we will hold vigil for both Lionstorm and Fawnsqueak, and at dawn myself and a few others will lay them to rest." He swept his gaze across his Clan, a mixture of emotions riding off them. "Fear not, RiverClan. We are strong. This is not the end of an era; it is the beginning of one."
With a nod, he signaled the dismissal of the meeting, making his way on sore pads to where Lionstorm and Fawnsqueak lay, limbs setting him down next to the two fallen Clanmates.
"Plumstorm! Spiderstorm!" Palebrook cheered for the apprentices, remembering her own ceremony. Though, at the same time, she grieved for Lionstorm and Fawnsqueak.
Amberpaw yowled out the names, as she should. She wasn’t going to deny them their right. She shouldn’t even....... ugh. She was going to. She slowly walked up to Kestrelstar. She needed to apologize, and maybe even leave.
__________________
I’m Here..... It’s Been a while. When did I come... I didn’t know
I felt falling and Alone. I'd never grow old and decided. It wasn’t time to go.
As the ship roared past, I stayed. As I had come. Lost. Alone. Empty.
Somewhere. Something. Had brought me here. But what?
The medicine cats initial burst of fury faded fast energy waning as he slumped again leaning into his mothers side once more as his nose returned to the bloodied pelt in front of him. He just didnt have the ability to be angry in a way that was needed right now, the weight of sorrow was just too much. He couldnt care about the yelling, about the cowards who werent willing to do what was necessary right now. They werent his responsibility anymore anyway, Kestrelstar had the unfortunate job of dealing with the uncooperative cats who didnt seem to want to lift a paw for their clan but would expend any amount of energy for the sake of another that only brought pain. Snakeheart was the medicine cat and that is what he had to focus on.
And right now he had to focus on the two dead warriors burial. Most cats he burried in the sleepy thicket, riverclans unofficial graveyard but it just didnt feel right in this situation. Firehawk was in a place that suited him, lain to rest under a great oak tree whos leaves looked like fire in the light, but Lionstorm and Fawnsqeak werent him. Fawnsqueak always seemed like the open sky to Snakeheart where the golden warrior was the sea. Ah that was it:
"All those not appart of the burial group who wish to pay their respects do so now. Kestrelstar, Goosefury, Plumstorm and Sunpaw once everyone had a chance to say goodbye and Ive grabbed what I need we'll be taking the bodies to the cliff over the ocean and the lionsbeach. I can think of no better place for them to rest."
With that the medicine cat stood and began padding to his den to grab the fragrant flowers gathered for just this purpose. The medicine cat wouldnt stand the scent of death and thunderclan staining the warriors pelt in the last memory any of his clanmates would ever had of them. Still before he forgot the tom turned back and let out a soft; "Congratulations Plumstorm and Spiderstorm, you'll do great things for the clan."
Still it wasnt long ago until he was gently rubbing the flowers over the warriors pelt sitting slightly to the side to allow cats that wished to morn to do so.
Re: RiverClan Streamstone
