Post by Fireflake on Jan 2, 2020 6:42:25 GMT
Mantisclaw purred. It was one of the perks of being the one to do the ceremonies, that she had time to prepare. Today, that meant making sure her little toms were properly groomed, because they weren't so little anymore. She had survived their kithood moons, not thanks to the fathers-- which frankly wasn't their fault, given that she hadn't told either of them-- but thanks to Milkberry and Ruststripe, and occasionally others. Recently, though, she'd been worrying almost constantly about their brother Strikekit, who had been stolen by rogues not too long ago. Well, too long ago for Mantisclaw's liking. She couldn't just leave her clan, with nobody to look after them, and she couldn't afford to send any other warriors without knowing that she'd be there for them and for her son, so she'd resolved to wait until Tansystar came home. She stifled a sigh.
Once the kits were groomed, or as groomed as they were going to get with all the squirming, she jumped up onto the rock. A memory flooded into her mind, of a day around this time when she was just an apprentice, and she smiled softly. "Good morning!" she called out. "All cats old enough to fight their own battles, gather around for a clan meeting!"
She didn't waste time getting to the point. The words were there in her memory already, from when she'd gone over them yesterday. "Tansystar has been missing now for moons, and I hate to say it, but I don't think she's coming back. We may be entering another difficult time for MothClan, and we can't have an absent leader. Trust me, this will not become a pattern. I will visit the Moonstone tomorrow. Tickstorm will be coming with me, and if StarClan tell us what we expect, she will be your next deputy. She will be assigning extra patrols on the border near the tracks, in case our unwelcome visitors decide to show their faces again."
Mantisclaw's eyes flashed with anger, but that softened to an excited glimmer as she glanced down to her sister in the crowd. Usually she would have said it was a bad idea to make your littermate deputy. When two cats were the same age, one of them with nine lives and one without, it didn't take a genius to figure out who was likely to live longer. Both she and Tickstorm were still so young, though. Besides, it went deeper than that. It was family. Mantisclaw raised her chin.
"The day after tomorrow, our ex-rogue clanmates will show us where the rogues live, and we will get our kits back."
She narrowed her eyes at a tom at the back of the crowd, Vultureswoop, as he coughed pointedly. "Yes, you too. It will give you a chance to do something other than use up our resources."
She frowned, unamused, then shook her head. "But today is a day for celebration. We have some new apprentices, and another warrior to name. Get your tails up here, toms."
Mantisclaw gestured to her sons. Crouchkit, Ramkit, and Rushkit came first, with their brother slightly behind. To make up for it, Mantisclaw hid a smirk and apprenticed him first, then moved onto the others. She remembered how important her name coming as soon as possible had been to her, and wondered if it was to them too.
"Ramkit, you will be Rampaw. I can't explain exactly why, it's more of a feeling, but I think that you and Cougarstrike will work well together."
Once the kits were groomed, or as groomed as they were going to get with all the squirming, she jumped up onto the rock. A memory flooded into her mind, of a day around this time when she was just an apprentice, and she smiled softly. "Good morning!" she called out. "All cats old enough to fight their own battles, gather around for a clan meeting!"
She didn't waste time getting to the point. The words were there in her memory already, from when she'd gone over them yesterday. "Tansystar has been missing now for moons, and I hate to say it, but I don't think she's coming back. We may be entering another difficult time for MothClan, and we can't have an absent leader. Trust me, this will not become a pattern. I will visit the Moonstone tomorrow. Tickstorm will be coming with me, and if StarClan tell us what we expect, she will be your next deputy. She will be assigning extra patrols on the border near the tracks, in case our unwelcome visitors decide to show their faces again."
Mantisclaw's eyes flashed with anger, but that softened to an excited glimmer as she glanced down to her sister in the crowd. Usually she would have said it was a bad idea to make your littermate deputy. When two cats were the same age, one of them with nine lives and one without, it didn't take a genius to figure out who was likely to live longer. Both she and Tickstorm were still so young, though. Besides, it went deeper than that. It was family. Mantisclaw raised her chin.
"The day after tomorrow, our ex-rogue clanmates will show us where the rogues live, and we will get our kits back."
She narrowed her eyes at a tom at the back of the crowd, Vultureswoop, as he coughed pointedly. "Yes, you too. It will give you a chance to do something other than use up our resources."
She frowned, unamused, then shook her head. "But today is a day for celebration. We have some new apprentices, and another warrior to name. Get your tails up here, toms."
Mantisclaw gestured to her sons. Crouchkit, Ramkit, and Rushkit came first, with their brother slightly behind. To make up for it, Mantisclaw hid a smirk and apprenticed him first, then moved onto the others. She remembered how important her name coming as soon as possible had been to her, and wondered if it was to them too.
"Crouchkit, you next. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be Crouchpaw. I trust that Frostnip will help you grow into the warrior you want to be, while letting you know where you do well and where you need more work. I hear he's quite adept at training for this season, as well."
"Str-" Mantisclaw cleared her throat. "Rushkit! As you move forward into life as Rushpaw, Stormycloud will be an excellent role model for you. An experienced warrior, and quite large like yourself, I'm sure she'll show you where your boundaries lie."
The deputy beamed at her kits, then beckoned for Stoneflower's son to come forward.
"Gullypaw, don't think you're last because you're less important than everything else. I just didn't want to take away from your well-deserved moment. You've grown up in difficult times, as many of us did, but I believe that makes cats stronger. Whether it did or didn't for you, you got through it, proving that you were strong to start with." She paused for a moment. "Do you know what makes your current namesake? I'll give you a hint. It's water. Water, going away at the rock, over and over, until the gully is formed. I'm certain that you have that kind of perseverance inside of you, especially after your training with Badgerstrike, so your name will be Gullyrain."
Mantisclaw cheered the names, then flicked her tail.
"Hold on a minute! Don't go yet! I have something else to say. It's not just a story about me, I promise, but it starts off that way."When she saw the crowd settle down again, the tabby sat and went on, "When I was just an apprentice, I built a snow mound in the middle of camp. I had a feeling inside of me, that something new was beginning, and that something new should be happening with all of us too. I went around waking cats up, trying to get everyone to listen to my newest, funnest challenge. Sorry about that! But, the challenge came to mind again today, and I think it's just as relevant now as it ever was. It's simple. Challenge yourself to do something, in the moons to come. To be a better cat, in some way, so that the clan is stronger. Let us all know, if you want to, or keep them close to your hearts. Just find something to hold on to."
Mantisclaw took a deep breath as she finally finished the announcements.