[ti]Open[/ti]For Just One Night

[LupTacco]

From her position on the loft, the brown-furred she-cat had spent her time in the barn absently staring, hardly taking the time to eat or drink in spite of the plenty around her. Her kits- that was, what remained of them- were healthy, and that was at least something, but there was an irreparable void at her side where Fishkit should have been nursing, and where Goldenmane should have been laying at her side and keeping her warm or convincing her to move away from the window. Instead, in both their places was silence and a feeling colder than the icy river or bitterest wind. It wasn't that she'd never lost before, but just when she had finally forged a real family for herself, found some reason for serving MistClan other than simple gratitude for her upbringing... it was destroyed before her eyes.

Even so, life went on. She just had to accept it- though a small part of her mind, growing louder with every visit from Sabletail, every murmur between her clanmates that she felt was about her, insisted that there wasn't any reason to care anymore. Looking down at her clan, her kittens curled up behind her under a warm hay bale and sheltered from all the elements, the ceremony she was preparing felt like going through the motions more than anything. There was no joy in any of it.

"MistClan, gather beneath this platform. I have some announcements," she spoke, less loudly than she needed to in the cave. The barn seemed to lend itself to speeches, so perhaps that was something.

"I hope you have given your thanks to the rightful residents of this barn. They have lived here longer than I have lead this clan, perhaps longer than I have even been alive, and we are all in their debt for being allowed to shelter here while the river lowers," her speech was metered out, detached as her gaze was from her clanmates even when she looked them in the eyes. The pain of losing a life was nothing compared to the hollowness that was forcefully permeating her heart, and it seemed to be showing. "We will be returning home tomorrow. A patrol reported that the water was back to its normal levels. Prepare yourselves to leave with the dawn's light. Tonight, we also have some apprentices and such to name."

"Littlepaw, you will be named Littleflower, for you are gentle and pleasant. Your practical nature, however, is also impressive. We will need it in the morning."

"Harepaw, you will be Haretail, after your swiftness and your slender frame."

"You, Foxpaw, will be Foxstride, as your height puts you above your clanmates in a literal sense. Don't let it get to your head."

"And Thistlepaw, you will be Thistlefang. Your strength is valued in these trying times."

"Sedgepaw... you will be Sedgestone. Certain cats ought to be proud to call you family, though they have abandoned us."

"Orchidpaw. You... you will be Orchidfeather, for your fur and your light heart."

"And Saltpaw will be Saltwolf. Though you all stand alone most moons, together I believe you would be stronger, though not all of your littermates are here to see you make it this far. Though you have all been... paw-fulls of trouble in your own ways, I think your parents can be proud of who you've all become today."

Bearstar paused, letting the clan congratulate and mingle a little more quietly than usual; according to the two barn cats, it was best to keep a low profile and not make too much noise, so there could be no yelling to the sky. Perhaps they'd do that when they got home, though.

"Some of our youngest," Bearstar paused, but pushed on as she blinked back a stroke of sadness, "Some kits are now old enough to train, and I think all of them have proved their strength nine lives over."

"Pumpkinkit and Petalkit, you will train under Crowshade and Swanfur. Maplekit-" the leader scanned the crowd to spot the currently hobbled kitten, "Unfortunately, your injury would only be worsened by training. Until you can move well again, your training will be delayed, but if you wish, I can assign you an honorary mentor to teach you our code and explain as much as they can to you."

She moved a little further, where a somewhat battered kit towered over his 'siblings'. "Halfkit, I believe you have recovered well enough to begin training now, as long as you do not push yourself too hard. Your mentor will be Silverspot, who I know will be gentle enough to train you without also underestimating you."

"Murk-kit and Hawthornkit, you are an intriguing pair, but you are both strong in many more ways than I have time to name. Your mentors will be Foxflight and Embersplash, respectively. "

The new apprentices were given similar subdued praise as the new warriors, and Bearstar couldn't help but allow herself a small smile. Just for tonight, the warmth of the barn had finally reached her, and she looked at last with a soft gaze at her clan. "That is all for announcements, but I encourage you all to spend time together and enjoy this place one last night." She looked back at her kits with an amused, loving hum, ignoring for now the absence of her second son and her mate and turning back to her clan, laying down at the edge of the loft with her front paws dangling off and her chin resting on her forelegs.

[Fireflake]

Enjoy a shameless description of how my boys like the barn in case I don't get another chance.

As Bearstar spoke, Buckleap pricked his ears and turned to look at her. He had settled in nicely in the barn, even poking around things more than he'd usually care to. His near-drowning followed swiftly by near-freezing had sent shivers through him for the rest of the day and the night immediately after, so much so that he'd listened when someone told him to sleep instead of trying to hunt, but the events didn't seem to have shaken him up much otherwise. Or if they had, not enough time had passed for the effects to show.

Pebbleshade had reacted quite differently. Initially, he'd refused to even get within a tree-length of the barn. He'd tried to warn them that it was a Twoleg thing and Twoleg things were always bad news. He had tried to explain how occasionally visiting and actually setting up camp there were different things. In the end, confronted with the choice of facing the dangerous place or disobeying orders and abandoning the clan, he had shut up and followed along. His disliking for the barn dimmed into often-prickling fur and unwillingness to leave the clan for longer than he needed to hunt for them.

Regardless of their differences in opinion and the way they deliberately sat away from each other, the two warriors gave the leader their nearly undivided attention as she made announcements and ran through the moon's ceremonies. Each watched in something of a daze as Bearstar gave the cats their new names. Neither outwardly responded past a flicker of interest or pricking ears for a cat they knew. The absence of the usual calls left them with an unsettling quiet even as murmurs rose around them.

[mewmehh]

Fire-light eyes were fixed upon Bearstar as the brown she-cat appeared....haggard as Foxpaw put it. What a sorry sight. Perhaps the she-cat's appearance was warranted- she did just lose a new kits as well as her mate. But, she was their leader. She could be sad later, he reasoned in silence.

His sleek, streamline black body sunk into the shadowy nooks of the barn as only his eyes cued others in to his placement in the foreign location. Even here, he found great ease in slipping away, though he figured it wouldn't be a very wise decision with cats still missing from all the chaos. Thus, he reigned in his aloofness to sit beside Saltweed as a function member of Mistclan. After all, this ceremony out of all the rest would be the most important for him.

The tom listened with keen ears to Bearstar's words, his eyes wide and hungry. The adrenaline had yet to fade from all the havoc and from his own dirty deeds that occurred earlier in the day, and it was evident only in his burning eyes as his face remained emotionless and cold as usual. Currantpaw's blood no longer stained his paws, nor could her fear-scent be smelt on his skin, but he could still feel her shaking tremors beneath his pads as they quivered with energy. It had been the first time he had taken a life and he wasn't sure yet if it would be a high he could come down from or if it would cause him any trouble later. For now, he would just bask in it while and feel the rare twinge of satisfaction that fluttered in his belly.

Cats earned their names and beamed their soggy, half-hearted smiles and Foxpaw could only sit with a stunned expression. It broke the icy surface of his face, and it earned him a small sideways look of concern from his mother. He ignored her and instead stood up to face the now slumped form of their resting, sluggish leader. He had thought she sounded a bit off, but her words of 'encouragement' only lit a fire of irritation in his tummy, singeing all the butterflies' wings. This was a time to be proud, to boast a name born from all their blood, sweat, and tears, and that was all they got? All he got?!

With his dark brow knitted into a deep scowl, he held himself high upon his lengthy limbs and faced the leading queen. "Bearstar, if I may, I have a problem with your words. Things are not great right now and we all understand that-" Speaking on behalf of the rest of the little lowlifes in his clan left a revolting taste in his mouth, but it had to be done to have his words heard. "But don't you think the morale of the clan is wounded as well. Little niceties here and there for the bright-eyed kit is fine, but for those of us who trained vigorously for moons, don't you think that was a little light? I for one know I am tall- that has little to do with my skill or training." He wrinkled his nose a bit as he bit his lip. "I feel my naming was far too bitter with that quick jab, by the way. Don't you think a better name than 'stride' exists out there; to inspire more pride than 'stride?' I don't like 'stride' and I did not work myself to the born to be 'Foxstride,' ma'am."

Applekit and Saltweed gawked beside their kinmate, with the silvery spotted warrior's face fixed with a surprised frown. Even Mirepaw blinked a few times at the sound of his rebuttal, though nothing beyond that came from the stoic apprentice. Sabletail simply held a shadowed expression as he stood beneath Bearstar's ledge, his face pensive and perhaps caught in thought of how to best help the clan throughout everything. However, Foxstride's words did not fall on deaf ears as he sent the younger tom a quick look, curious and not completely disapproving. How is Bearstar going to take this? He pondered the thought. Perhaps a bit of challenging would light a fire under the leader that was desperately needed, and if not, he would always been there to comfort her as she deemed it appropriate.

[LupTacco]

Bearstar's eyes narrowed as she recognized the sound of words directed at her, rolling her head over to see that it was one of the new warriors. Grand. There was something petulant about his tone, something just selfish enough to get a hint of a rise out of the queen. "Is that so?" she hummed, looking the ruddy-furred tom up and down as something flickered in her eyes, dimly but growing stronger as she pushed herself to a sitting position. "Do you think I worked myself to death, four times, each worse than the last, to be challenged by some child who thinks his name isn't 'proud' enough?" her voice was low but projected, laced with a subtle growl that raised the fur on her shoulders just slightly. The fair part of her judgement realized that her little off-handed jab was a bit unfair, that she ought to hear him out more kindly, but her patience was low. "Very well, then, Foxpaw. What should I name you for? What have you done for the clan that I should have noticed more?" her question was sincere, in spite of the held back fire that flicked from her fangs as she waited for a response with a narrowed gaze.

((She's just snippy in-character for RP aaa, the name change is fine ;w; ))

[Dragon]

Maplekit watched from his nest in the hay as his siblings were called up and then Halfkit. Each receiving a mentor and their apprentice name. He forced a smile on his face and made sure he was the first to call out his siblings names. But as soon as his sibling's ceremony was over he shuffled and looked away not caring about the rest. It wasn't fair, he should be up there with him receiving his new name and mentor not sitting here watching them.

Silvermist sat next to Halfkit and gave him a few last licks. "I'm so proud of you," she purred between licks. When she was happy with her son's fur she stopped and sighed. She wished she could keep them all kits forever so they could never leave her side. When he was finally called up she yowled his new name as loud as she could. "Congratulations Halfpaw," she yowled then turned and nuzzled her four other kits. "It won't be long before you're up there."

Webkit sat silently at her mom's side watching in aw as her brother was made an apprentice along with a couple others. She whimpered softly, she didn't want him to go. So when his name was called she pawed his side gently and looked up at him with sad eyes. "Don't go Halfkit."

[Mama]

Pumpkinkit took his new name, Pumpkinpaw, with a smirk and a dip of his head. Touching noses with his mentor, Crowshade, he gave a giggle and a laugh before meeting up with the rest of his family. "It's a bummer you couldn't join us, Maplekit, but I'll cheer super loud when it's your turn, Kay,?' the tom said with a friendly swat to his back.

HalfKit looked back at his mother with her grooming his fur for some quick touchups, and he gave a soft smile. "Mama, I promise to not let you down." The tom swore with a blink and a nod, before looking to his sister, Webkit. Dipping his head, he touched his nose to her forehead. "I'm not leaving, Webkit, I promise I'll visit whenever I can and give you all the updates I can. Maybe I can train you guys early so you have a head start!" He tried to cheer her up, with a final glance to Silvermist before getting to his paws.


Quickly, he made his way up, his heart heavy but the fire strong. As soon as it came, it went, and it seemed to go by in a blur as he touched noses with Silverspot, his mentor, before padding quickly back to his mother as the new warrior argued with Bearstar.

"This is stupid, why is he an apprentice before us? I hope he trips." Spiderkit complained before doing a dramatic sigh.

[Dragon]

Wildtsep came into the barn carrying two scrawny birds he had caught on his way back from a quick visit to Heronflight to let her know he was ok. He hadn't been able to stay long for he didn't want to make his clan curious. As he entered the barn he heard a gathering being called. He quickly left his kill at the freshkill pile. When he heard his apprentice called forward and receive her warrior name he let out a loud yowl, "Littleflower, Littleflower," chanting her name over and over. As soon as he thought the gathering was ended he was taken by surprise when Foxpaw now Foxstride began to argue with the leader about his new name. He hissed angrily how rude of that tom. He padded up to Bearstar and waited for a chance to speak with her.  He waited until he thought there was a pause"Do you have a moment to speak Bearstar... I'm leaving Mistclan and I'm going to try and join Ivyclan. I fell in love with a she-cat there. I'm sorry." With that, he turned and padded over to his sister and said goodbye to her before turning and leaving the barn to go and wait for Heronflight at the Ivyclan border.

Tumblefoot lay in the hay watching the meeting go on from the side. He wasn't really interested in the procession. The one part he did like was hearing they would be returning to their home the following day. He purred happily. "Did you hear that Snowstorm? We'll be back home before you know it."