- Jun 7, 2022
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The skies are thick with iron-gray stormclouds. Thunder rumbles somewhere in the distance, low and menacing. The atmosphere is thick with uncertainty, with tension, with the weight of loss -- but Blazestar ascends the Highbranch. "All cats, old and new, gather around the Highbranch for a Clan meeting!" He foregoes his traditional call. All cats old enough to pad close, to open their ears and listen, should hear what he has to say this time.
And not all who approach are SkyClanners. Some of them are thin, with ragged fur and distrustful stares. Some still have the tang of fear overpowering their scent, and their gazes are shifty.
Blazestar's eyes drift to Howlpaw, and he draws strength from her presence. She's home. His daughter is alive, and she's home with him -- I have not lost you, too. He blinks at her, the warmth of his love, the enormity of his relief, glazing his eyes. A thin, warm rain begins to drizzle across them all, dampening pelts not accustomed to ceaseless water.
Blazestar does not flinch. It's cleansing, rinsing the filth of the shelter from the pelts of the cats who have been freed. Rinsing fear and despair from the hearts of his Clan.
"We are one Clan again." He fixes each warrior and apprentice who had returned to SkyClan with a long sapphire look full of feeling. The emotions rising inside of him nearly choke his words off -- how had he come to care for each and every cat in this Clan as if they were his own blood? The sight of them rubbing against their loved ones, sniffing out nests long abandoned -- he's shaken by a renewed faith in StarClan. "SkyClan and StarClan both honor the bravery of the cats who risked their own lives to bring our lost cats home."
He finds Johnny's painted pelt in the crowd, and he dips his head to him. The gesture contains all of the gratitude he can express. "Johnny, you led this patrol with the courage of a thousand warriors. No cat will forget your heroism." He finds the other cats who'd traversed the Twolegplace toward the shelter in the crowd. "Tallulahwing, Momowhisker, Wyrm, Shrimpy Boy. SkyClan owes much to you. Kits will tell stories about how you brought half the Clan home." He swings his tail through the air; raindrops scatter. "Daylight warriors will always be honored in this Clan as skilled and capable warriors! As long as I lead SkyClan, you will have places here!" Kittypet slander be damned! No forestborn cat could have done what they had done.
He looks to Thistleback, Pigeonsong, and Spiderpaw, and dips his head to them as well. "We honor you as well. You played a crucial role in making sure the daylight warriors could carry out their plan, and you have all of SkyClan's thanks." He had put his trust in the right cats. His gaze lingers on Thistleback -- he had known from the start he could trust his lead warrior to bring this patrol home. He could not imagine having lost him, as well as--
Blazestar's spirit dulls, just a little. He tries to find Howlpaw in the crowd again. For a moment -- though it must be a trick of the rain, the light -- he sees a silvery shape beside her, patch-pelted and glib-tongued -- but when he tries to catch sight of her again, she's gone.
"Some of our cats, as you know, have not returned." His whiskers tremble. There will be time to mourn Daisyflight later. "Two were not seen at the shelter. Sheepcurl and Grizzlyridge are nowhere to be found still. It's not safe to send any more patrols to the shelter, now that the Twolegs know what we're capable of." He has to hope his friends will find their way back on their own. May StarClan light their paths. "And Daisyflight... we will hold a vigil for her. She deserves that, body or not."
Solemn now, Blazestar steadies himself with a deep breath. He tastes rain on his tongue. He tastes raw grief he will carry with him for moons.
"The Twolegs may still be looking for us in the forest. We must be diligent. No cat is to leave the camp alone, not until I say otherwise. No apprentice is to leave without a warrior." His hope is that the Twolegs will grow bored of capturing cats who flee, but he cannot account for their strange behaviors.
And, finally, he circles back around to those who are not SkyClan. Those led to this place from imprisonment, wary and frightened and bristling still. Blazestar has pondered what to do about the flood of unfamiliar cats in his camp, and he has decided -- "All of you here who are not Clan cats... some of you may have homes to return to. Some of you may need to get your strength up first. We open our camp and our territory to you. If you do not have a home to go back to..." He pauses, then intones, "You are invited to join SkyClan. This will be no easy feat. Becoming a Clan cat is more than just adapting to living in the wild."
He finds Thistleback in the crowd again, the plump-bellied Orangeblossom, Silversmoke. Even Dawnglare and his son. "My council will teach you what it means to be a SkyClan warrior. If we reach the end of this moon and I deem you ready, you may assimilate into our Clan as any joiner would."
Blazestar is sure it will be difficult for many of them, impossible for some. Still, he has faith in what remains of his council to show them what Clan life entails.
"If you are not a SkyClan cat, you will hunt with our warriors and apprentices. You will be shown the borders, taught our ways of life, and come to know StarClan as we do." He blinks stormwater from his eyes. He expects there to be questions -- he will wait patiently, ignoring the water streaming from his fur.
And not all who approach are SkyClanners. Some of them are thin, with ragged fur and distrustful stares. Some still have the tang of fear overpowering their scent, and their gazes are shifty.
Blazestar's eyes drift to Howlpaw, and he draws strength from her presence. She's home. His daughter is alive, and she's home with him -- I have not lost you, too. He blinks at her, the warmth of his love, the enormity of his relief, glazing his eyes. A thin, warm rain begins to drizzle across them all, dampening pelts not accustomed to ceaseless water.
Blazestar does not flinch. It's cleansing, rinsing the filth of the shelter from the pelts of the cats who have been freed. Rinsing fear and despair from the hearts of his Clan.
"We are one Clan again." He fixes each warrior and apprentice who had returned to SkyClan with a long sapphire look full of feeling. The emotions rising inside of him nearly choke his words off -- how had he come to care for each and every cat in this Clan as if they were his own blood? The sight of them rubbing against their loved ones, sniffing out nests long abandoned -- he's shaken by a renewed faith in StarClan. "SkyClan and StarClan both honor the bravery of the cats who risked their own lives to bring our lost cats home."
He finds Johnny's painted pelt in the crowd, and he dips his head to him. The gesture contains all of the gratitude he can express. "Johnny, you led this patrol with the courage of a thousand warriors. No cat will forget your heroism." He finds the other cats who'd traversed the Twolegplace toward the shelter in the crowd. "Tallulahwing, Momowhisker, Wyrm, Shrimpy Boy. SkyClan owes much to you. Kits will tell stories about how you brought half the Clan home." He swings his tail through the air; raindrops scatter. "Daylight warriors will always be honored in this Clan as skilled and capable warriors! As long as I lead SkyClan, you will have places here!" Kittypet slander be damned! No forestborn cat could have done what they had done.
He looks to Thistleback, Pigeonsong, and Spiderpaw, and dips his head to them as well. "We honor you as well. You played a crucial role in making sure the daylight warriors could carry out their plan, and you have all of SkyClan's thanks." He had put his trust in the right cats. His gaze lingers on Thistleback -- he had known from the start he could trust his lead warrior to bring this patrol home. He could not imagine having lost him, as well as--
Blazestar's spirit dulls, just a little. He tries to find Howlpaw in the crowd again. For a moment -- though it must be a trick of the rain, the light -- he sees a silvery shape beside her, patch-pelted and glib-tongued -- but when he tries to catch sight of her again, she's gone.
"Some of our cats, as you know, have not returned." His whiskers tremble. There will be time to mourn Daisyflight later. "Two were not seen at the shelter. Sheepcurl and Grizzlyridge are nowhere to be found still. It's not safe to send any more patrols to the shelter, now that the Twolegs know what we're capable of." He has to hope his friends will find their way back on their own. May StarClan light their paths. "And Daisyflight... we will hold a vigil for her. She deserves that, body or not."
Solemn now, Blazestar steadies himself with a deep breath. He tastes rain on his tongue. He tastes raw grief he will carry with him for moons.
"The Twolegs may still be looking for us in the forest. We must be diligent. No cat is to leave the camp alone, not until I say otherwise. No apprentice is to leave without a warrior." His hope is that the Twolegs will grow bored of capturing cats who flee, but he cannot account for their strange behaviors.
And, finally, he circles back around to those who are not SkyClan. Those led to this place from imprisonment, wary and frightened and bristling still. Blazestar has pondered what to do about the flood of unfamiliar cats in his camp, and he has decided -- "All of you here who are not Clan cats... some of you may have homes to return to. Some of you may need to get your strength up first. We open our camp and our territory to you. If you do not have a home to go back to..." He pauses, then intones, "You are invited to join SkyClan. This will be no easy feat. Becoming a Clan cat is more than just adapting to living in the wild."
He finds Thistleback in the crowd again, the plump-bellied Orangeblossom, Silversmoke. Even Dawnglare and his son. "My council will teach you what it means to be a SkyClan warrior. If we reach the end of this moon and I deem you ready, you may assimilate into our Clan as any joiner would."
Blazestar is sure it will be difficult for many of them, impossible for some. Still, he has faith in what remains of his council to show them what Clan life entails.
"If you are not a SkyClan cat, you will hunt with our warriors and apprentices. You will be shown the borders, taught our ways of life, and come to know StarClan as we do." He blinks stormwater from his eyes. He expects there to be questions -- he will wait patiently, ignoring the water streaming from his fur.
[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]