rise from the smoldering pyre of wormwood and weeds
↫ ⭒ ☽ ⭒ 〄 ⭒ ☾ ⭒ ↬

Nettleplume had little interest in the confident declarations being made atop the Greatrock. His gaze remained fixed on Prudence as she spoke, pale blue eyes narrowing faintly at the mention of StarClan. The she-cat seemed awfully certain of what the stars would and would not permit.

His attention shifted briefly when he noticed Skypaw retreating toward the darker edge of the clearing. The apprentice's distress was hardly subtle and he watched her for a moment before quietly making his way over, settling at her side without a word. He didn't crowd her or demand an explanation. He simply remained there as a presence.

Then Prudence spoke of StarClan's authority and his eyes immediately lifted to the moon. Even with the clouds gathering overhead, its face remained visible. He studied it in silence, searching for some indication of the stars' displeasure...but there was none.

His ears twitched. He wasn't foolish enough to mistake the absence of a warning for a blessing, but neither could he ignore what was before him. He didn't much care for the fact that the she-cat had spoken out of turn about RiverClan and their affiliation with...Kosmo.

"As it stands...the moon remains clear." He growled towards the crowd. "That does not mean StarClan approves of everything that has happened tonight. Only that they have not made their disapproval known." Again he fell silent leaving the distinction to settle among the leaders. The stars had not spoken plainly and he could only watch the sky.

Healing is a matter of time,
but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.

‹‹‹‹ ››››

Rowanglade stilled, unsure of how to handle the situation. But there was no way to handle this that she could think of. Instead, she turned herself to keeping watch over his apprentices. She would no loose another if this night became chaos.

Hah! You think you can outdo me?
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

 

Confusion flickered briefly in Bloomfire’s gaze, though her face betrayed nothing as she echoed, “A clam?” Beetlekit’s reply caused the queen’s tail to flick once in thought as her disappointment in her daughter only deepened. It sounded like the little tom had missed out on an elder’s tale purely because his sister refused to be where she ought to be. The ruddy she-cat let out a light exhale, not a sigh exactly, but close enough.

Bloomfire was debating how to punish her unruly kit further when her little pride spoke once more. The queen supposed that there wasn’t anything wrong with the elder’s visit. Indeed, it would be good for Beetlekit to learn from the former leader’s mate. She would have to encourage him to visit the elder for tutelage. If Bloomfire could guide her son into associating with distinguished members of the clan, he might not become so tainted and wild as Cricketkit had during her associations with Hailstrike. A frown flickered on her face as she remembered that the obnoxious warrior was Otterwhisker’s kit. Boldstrike’s too, though she didn’t act like it.

“Thank you for telling me,” Bloomfire meowed gently as she thought over everything. The young tom’s question caught her by surprise and the ruddy queen looked almost stunned for a heartbeat. “It’s a… well… hmmm…” It wasn’t often that Bloomfire was lost for words, but this was one of those times. How did a cat explain what a clam was? After a moment or two, the queen started trying to explain again. “Well you know what shells are? Clams are the… thing, that those shells come from. Something fleshy that birds like, that sits inside two of those shells and when it’s gone, we get the shells?” The entire time Bloomfire spoke, her nose was wrinkling and she looked utterly baffled about how to answer her son’s question. “Anyway, they’re not worth your time. Some vain cats might collect the shells as though they’re birds, but that’s not right for proper cats like you and I. However, I would like you to start spending time with Otterwhisker and some of the other elders. I want you to listen to their stories and learn from them.”

Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──

Wildcry's ear flicked at the tom's voice, and she turned her head to regard him. "Especially considering the circumstances." She reitterated was a dry edge to her tone. If anything it gave her more reason to keep moving.

Her gaze traveled over Stormfall, taking stock of the way he held himself and the strain that lingered around his injured leg. "How's that leg of yours? Still giving you trouble?"

She finished picking at the last of her claws, then rose to her paws, giving her limbs one final stretch. There wasn't enough warriors to go around and she wasn't about to waste a morning sitting idle while the Clan needed her. After a moment, her expression shifted into something faintly challenging.

"I'm going to see what I can catch." Her tail tip twitched as she glanced toward the trees beyond the orchard. "You interested in coming with me anyway?" The words were blunt, straight to the point. If Stormfall could manage the excursion, an extra pair of eyes would be welcome at least.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
⋆｡°✩ ⭒ ──● 𓄿 ●── ⭒ ⋆｡°✩

Kosmo followed, expression growing steadily more unimpressed with every loop Cookie made around the trees. The young tom seemed determined to explore every inch of the forest at once. Kosmo had seen fledglings with more restraint. His mismatched eyes tracked Cookie's clumsy circuit through the undergrowth and halted as Cookie slid to a stop, a few loose leaves scattering around his sprawled body.

He exhaled through his nose, looking down at the large cat with an expression caught between mild concern and disppointment. "Get up, Cookie. The forest is not going anywhere." An ear flicked. "Now, listen carefully. Food does not simply walk into your mouth because you have decided you are hungry. Prey has its own concerns... most of which involve avoiding becoming someone else's meal. If you charge through the undergrowth announcing your presence to every creature within the territory you will accomplish little beyond scaring everything away."

Kosmo stepped toward a patch of ferns and lowered himself into a crouch, demonstrating the movement with deliberate care. His paws settled quietly against the ground, shoulders low. "Hunting begins long before the pounce. Observe. Listen... You learn which scents belong to prey, which sounds suggest movement and which patches of ground will betray your weight. You make yourself difficult to notice." His eyes seared into the young cat.

"Come here. Stand still for once and close your eyes."

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster's expression softened as Skypaw spoke, and she gave a small nod of approval. "That's one of the noblest parts of the Code, for obvious reasons - although not so obvious that our ancestors had to specify." She paused, teal eyes thoughtful. There were few things more important than making sure the smallest and most vulnerable among them could grow up without fear.

At Skypaw's offer to dispose of the mouse and Merryaster would oblige her. It would make the young she-cat feel useful and she understood that was always important to her. Her nose pushed the rest of the prey back over to the apprentice, allowing her to eat before she took it to be disposed of. "Here you are...Now. Let's see. Before all else shall your clan be your life, And give for its safety your blood in battle's strife. Though family you'll have and friends may be gained, No honor above your clan should be maintained." She recited the words slowly, letting each line stand on its own before she added with a playful smile.

"StarClan has blessed me with a large family. And just like family, your Clan is always something you can lean on when you need it. Just like RiverClan depends on every one of us. It can lead to hard decisions..." She admitted, licking her lips.

"For example, if Galepaw were in danger, of course you'd want to protect them. But if saving them meant abandoning a patrolmate who also needed your help that would be a difficult choice to make...Sometimes there isn't a right answer."

She turned her teal gaze back to Skypaw, her expression earnest. "I hope to be a cat who you can depend on, Skypaw - hope to be a cat RiverClan is proud of. You'll be one of those cats too, Skypaw. It's just...my intuition." Crossing her paws she purred softly, not at all bothered by the lingering ache in her shoulder.