Post by Fireflake on Oct 10, 2019 6:28:10 GMT
Scorpio stood on the flat stone at sun-high. There had been no new cats recently, much to his annoyance, but there was a dead bramble branch in front of him anyway, as there would be if he was preparing for rituals. "Cats of the Alliance!" he yowled, his claws scraping against the stone as they tried to dig in. "Gather around me now!"
The call wasn't usually an order, but this time, it definitely had that sense. Wasting no time with pleasantries, he bluntly announced, "Some of our cats have left for MothClan. To us, this means three things. It means we're looking for new recruits, it means we're going to attack MothClan, and it means that I can't trust any of you."
He was sure there would be protests to that, but the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears blocked out whatever anyone else had to say. Anger radiated from him. Luckily for the cats gathered around, his rage wasn't directed at them. It was the four cats that were confirmed traitors that garnered all of his resentment. The group's healer Aster, Scorpio's father Alaric, and Scorpio's two littermates Orion and Hecate had all disappeared into the clan that had killed his mother. The last two especially had him reeling, as he'd stood beside them on this same day long ago when they all chose their paths for the group, the day after the sun blinked out and the moon went red. They'd sworn their loyalty just two moons before that.
Scorpio silenced his thumping pulse and gushing thoughts with a confident voice. "So let me make this simple. Anyone that wants to go to MothClan, I would advise that you do it quickly and quietly or I'll have a head start on killing you, and I'd like for you to have a chance to realize your mistakes before it comes to that. If you'd prefer to fight it out, feel free to come forward when I've finished speaking."
He didn't leave a pause. He couldn't risk being interrupted. "But not right now. Right now, on the subject of cats switching loyalties, the Alliance will need new cats, and it's about time to go looking for recruits purposefully again. Bring anyone that you think you have convinced to me."
Now the tabby tom took a deep breath, which served as his only moment of hesitance. The sight of Split's charred bones had been similarly singed into his memory, alongside the disconcertingly peaceful scene of his older sister Hornet's corpse. He'd left both unaddressed for too long. "Split and Hornet are dead, so I'll be holding rituals for them both tomorrow, and appointing their successors to the council before the attack. When that is depends on when I believe the Alliance is ready to stand together against the clans again."
Scorpio scanned the crowd, then gestured sharply to the brambles in front of him. "Seasons ago, I pricked my paw on a thorn and swore my loyalty to this group, no matter what may come. Those of you here before me didn't get that chance, so I offer it to you now. Come forward if you're willing to pledge devotion in the Ritual of Growth."