A Cold Night Descends FF'21

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merrypaw had been lingering near the apprentices’ den, half groomed and still brushing sleep from her eyes when the call rang out. But at the sound of Coldgaze’s...no, Coldstar’s voice echoing beneath the Twinwillows, she was on her paws in an instant.

She knew it was coming. Everyone had known Boldstar’s time was ending. But hearing it sent a chill up her spine. Padding briskly toward the assembly, she paused near the front, her teal eyes flicking up to the new figure on the speaking bough. It looked so normal, and yet completely different. 

Still, her gaze didn’t waver. Coldstar looked exhausted, but solid. And if he was here, then everything hadn’t shattered. That was enough. She settled beside Sturgeonpaw without a word, flicking her tail once against his to say pay attention. The thought of a new deputy stirred butterflies in her chest. This was real. This was RiverClan, changing right before her eyes.

Merrypaw tilted her chin slightly upward. She wasn't gunna miss a second. Otterwhisker, too, emerged from her den, brow tilted expectantly towards Coldstar, eyes distant.

What are you afraid of losing if nothing in the world actually belongs to you.

~･ﾟ: *~･ﾟ:* 🫧 *:･ﾟ~*:･ﾟ~

At the sound of Coldstar's yowl, Goosesong perked his ears, the tufts flicking in the night with the movement. He supposed it would be time for him to pick his deputy. He was standing boldly, dutiful at the Twinwillow, it looked like he belonged there.

With Boldstrike aging, it was only a matter of time when he retired or... worse, but Goosesong was happy it was the former, or satisfied, you wouldn't really be able to tell with his face as still as if it were carved into stone. 

Goosesong's muscles rippled under his long silver coat, as he walked to his usual spot in the clearing, taking a short glance over at Lilyriver and the new kits in the nursery still suckling at their mother and sleeping soundly. 

I am shaped by the trials I refuse to surrender to.

✧✦✧༄༅:･ﾟ🕊️･ﾟ:༅༅༄✧✦✧

The nursery was usually quiet when Coldgaze... Coldstar? Called the meeting, she had vividly recalled Boldstar's retirement. It's about time he got some peace in retirement. But Lilyriver's gaze flickered, she had a feeling that Boldstar might not survive by the time Lilyriver returned to the elder's den but she had known him since she was kitted.

She sniffled, as if she was grieving for a leader before he even greeted StarClan.

Regardless, she moved her gaze to her kits, the two little white bodies nuzzled up to her belly, Skykit sleeping soundly and Galekit feeding. She curled her tail over her new kits to keep them warm, safe. The will start getting independant soon, so she might as well keep them safe like this while she can

Even the smallest smile can brighten the darkest den.

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*Sleeping*

Retirement? I prefer ‘extended vacation with benefits.’
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ❦ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧ 

Tangleloon had been half dozing when the call rang out and his ears perked. It wasn’t Coldgaze anymore. The shift in name was subtle, but it rumbled with weight. RiverClan had a new leader.

Tangleloon stretched like a cat made of reeds and silk, curling and unfurling with dramatic flair before padding forward with a slow, curious gait. His pale green eyes were thoughtful, watching the tom. Respect, maybe. Memory, too.

Tangleloon sat near the front of the growing crowd, tail curled over his paws, head tilted faintly to the side. A half smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t worried. Not yet.

One day, I’ll fight beside the warriors. Not against them

·: *ೃ༄ ☁︎ .ೃ࿐:·

The small tom suckled his ears twitching slightly at the noise from outside. Galekit payed no mind to the sound however yawning and laying his head down next to his kin with their mothers tail covering them.

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

⋘ ──── ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ❄️ ⋆⋅❆⋅⋆ ──── ⋙

Hailpaw, at the movement of her mentor and siblings moving into the clearing by the twin willows, followed with a few bounds, finding her place by her brother and sister and taking a seat beside both of them just as Sturgeonpaw asked what Otterwhisker thinks. And only then did she remember that Coldgaze had been Boldstar's replacement atop of the twin willows.

"I'm sure she's happy that she could spend more time with Boldstrike" she replied to her brother quietly before glancing back up at Coldgaze- no Coldstar

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

I identify as a threat. My pronouns are Try/Me.

❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅ ⭒ ❅

So everyone was here. Good.

Coldstar took a breath to steady himself, before continuing.

"Cats of Riverclan, by the power bestowed upon me by our ancestors I thank Boldstar for his many tireless years of service. He has been granted the name Boldstrike by Starclan, and will be honored as an Elder for as long as he is with us."

He gave the clan a moment to settle once again. "And, by the traditions of the original clans, our ancestors saw fit to grant me a new name in his stead. I say on behalf of Starclan - I am now known as Coldstar, with all the powers and responsibilities that go along with that title."

"..."

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Cinderwhisper was sat by the twinwillows, looking up at Coldstar. The molly, although initially reluctant to get out of her nest, wanted to be there at the announcement of the new deputy. So that was what she had done, dragging herself up and out of her nest to sit in between Tangleloon and Cinderwisp.

The she-cat listened in anticipation. She was well aware that there was more than one good option for deputy here in RiverClan. And Coldstar seemed to have been pretty good at keeping his thoughts to himself as to who the new second-in-command was. 

"Run. That is an order."

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Cinderwisp was sat beside Cinderwhisper, the molly leaning against her elderly kin. She kept an eye on Tangleloon as well. Like she always did.

Deputy… The role was definitely an honour and meant to go towards an individual who could take the job. The warrior remembered her days as a kitten where she had daydreamed about how she would go about setting patrols and stuff… Oh how time flew.

Looking up, Cinderwisp listened as Coldstar spoke. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore the anxiety creeping up. Cinderwhisper had been sleeping more deeply lately which left the molly a little worried at times.

There is peace even in the storm...

‹‹‹‹ ››››

Stormpaw was at the back of the group, watching as the new leader called his first meeting. She’d known what was to happen, but the strangeness of seeing another cat call a meeting sat wrong with her. It was the first time in her life she’d seen another stand up there with Star ending their name.

In her discomfort she refused to turn her head towards her sire, instead keeping them fastened on Coldstar.

Strange and new, this change was.