Closed Thread [Closed] Rising from the Smoke (9FF20)

((Hollyclaw))

Already? Hollyclaw thought when she heard Palestar call a meeting. It felt like they'd just gotten back to camp, but Hollyclaw welcomed the distraction anyway. She still worried about Hickorystorm and work was a good way to stifle her anxiety. The chocolate tabby stretched lightly in the sunlight, then padded over to take a seat before the Talking Spot.

When she saw Hawkfeather arrive, she suddenly remembered how old Ashkit and Sootkit. The past half-moon had right flown by her. If this meeting was for them, Hollyclaw wondered who their mentors would be. Maybe Palestar will mentor one herself, she thought. Sootkit would be good under her.

((Dawnflurry))

Dawnflurry had been minding the camp while her patrol was out and had just finished reinforcing a part of the nursery's wall. Even though it was newleaf and the den would soon be vacant--and currently was vacant of Hawkfeather, who'd been eating a frog before promptly moving to the Talking Spot--Dawnflurry wouldn't neglect keeping it ready for its future occupants.

At Palestar's call, the deputy emerged from the nursery, but he didn't move to the Talking Spot with the same swiftness as Hawkfeather. He sauntered slowly out of the den, letting the sunlight blaze and soak into his red and white fur. He waited just past the medicine cat's den for the rest of the Clan to show up, watching to see if he'd need to accompany any stragglers.

Healing had been slow going and, while the pain was well managed by the medicine cat, Hickorystorm still hadn't fully recovered and was still healing from the run-in with the hawk just under a moon ago. The wound felt like it was slowly stopping it's weeping and starting to stiffen a bit, which to him meant it was scabbing but, well, he couldn't actually see if that was the case as he still couldn't see anything. Having been in the medicine cat's den for the past 20 days, and with the guidance of his whiskers, he was able to make his way up to the entrance to sit and listen to the summons.

Perking his ears, he listened, trying to make out who had made their way to the clearing already. His nose twitched as aside from Palestar, he took in the scents of his sister- Hollyclaw, Dawnflurry, and his dame- Hawkfeather. If she was there, did that mean-?

As curious as he been moments earlier, the chocolate tabby tom was now downhearted. Of course. Ashkit and Sootkit were apprentice age now and that meant this was probably their ceremony. One he could have been a part of. He could have been a mentor. So much for that dream. Hickorystorm was probably the youngest elder the clans had ever seen and he hadn't even earned it yet.