Post by Fireflake on Feb 2, 2020 8:13:05 GMT
Mantisstar's eyes cracked open and, for a moment, she didn't recognize her surroundings. Her ears flicked to the side as she peered groggily at the light coming in from the wrong angle, bouncing off of the walls strangely because they were too close together. It took another moment for her to come fully to her senses. She realized quickly that she was in the leader's den. Her den. She'd briefly rested in the warrior den again, as a kind of last goodbye, but now she had to sleep here... in this cold, empty place, alone, where her father had once slept before it all went so wrong. It was an aspect of leading that she'd never considered before, having to be apart from the rest of her clanmates.
The she-cat rubbed her eyes and her paw wandered distractedly up to her forehead before she stood up and stretched out. Shaking her legs, she took a breath of fresh air and made her way to the entrance. She paused for a moment before leaving. Funny as it may have been to amble out into camp in an awkward, lopsided gait, it would only make it look like she had been injured, or gone crazy, and that was the last thing MothClan needed right now. The first thing that they needed right now, she remembered suddenly, was two new warriors.
Straightening up, the tabby leader paced briskly to the base of the tall rock and leapt on top. "All cats old enough to fight their own battles, gather around me now for a clan meeting!"
Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd as she watched them come. She'd always liked the view, but it was just hitting her now that it was the only one she'd be getting from now on. No more purring at snarky comments only audible to the cats below. No more talking some stranger's ear off while she was supposed to be listening to the leaders at a Gathering. Things were never going to be the same again. She raised her chin. Same-old, same-old had always been boring.
"First of all, I want everyone to know that I haven't forgotten about our rescue efforts for Strikekit or Fatkit, who should have been Strikepaw and Fatpaw today. Silverpelt knows I've got personal stakes in this too. I will be taking out another patrol in a few days. But! Today we have other business. Lionpaw and Batpaw, come on up! Time to get some shiny new names."
Like Mantisstar, the she-cat noted silently. She had to admit that it didn't sound as nice as any of her previous names. Still, it was new. It was exciting. It was shiny, if names could be called that. Mantisstar bobbed her head in greeting as the apprentices arrived. Usually, she wasn't one for formalities, but it felt right that, for her first ceremonies as a real leader, she should use the traditional wording.
"I, Mantisstar, leader of MothClan, call on my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I present them to you as warriors in turn. Lionpaw, Batpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
She nodded encouragingly at their responses. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Lionpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Liongale. StarClan honors your courage and energy, and welcome you as a full warrior of MothClan."
Mantisstar's chest filled with pride for this young cat that she hardly knew. The ceremony wasn't about her, not by a long shot, but she knew as she spoke the words that she could do this leading thing. She felt like she could do anything. For a few moments, it didn't matter that two of MothClan's kits were still with the rogues, or that MothClan didn't have a medicine cat, or that she had to carry around the secret of only being blessed with one life, or that all of those things were now her responsibility. The she-cat turned quickly to the other apprentice. "And by the powers of StarClan, Batpaw, I give you your warrior name too. From this moment on, you will be known as Batflutter. StarClan honors your positive attitude and team spirit, and welcome you as a full warrior of MothClan."
Mantisstar quickly went through the proper motions, then looked out on her clan with shining eyes and began the loud cheer of, "Liongale! Batflutter! Liongale! Batflutter!"
The she-cat rubbed her eyes and her paw wandered distractedly up to her forehead before she stood up and stretched out. Shaking her legs, she took a breath of fresh air and made her way to the entrance. She paused for a moment before leaving. Funny as it may have been to amble out into camp in an awkward, lopsided gait, it would only make it look like she had been injured, or gone crazy, and that was the last thing MothClan needed right now. The first thing that they needed right now, she remembered suddenly, was two new warriors.
Straightening up, the tabby leader paced briskly to the base of the tall rock and leapt on top. "All cats old enough to fight their own battles, gather around me now for a clan meeting!"
Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd as she watched them come. She'd always liked the view, but it was just hitting her now that it was the only one she'd be getting from now on. No more purring at snarky comments only audible to the cats below. No more talking some stranger's ear off while she was supposed to be listening to the leaders at a Gathering. Things were never going to be the same again. She raised her chin. Same-old, same-old had always been boring.
"First of all, I want everyone to know that I haven't forgotten about our rescue efforts for Strikekit or Fatkit, who should have been Strikepaw and Fatpaw today. Silverpelt knows I've got personal stakes in this too. I will be taking out another patrol in a few days. But! Today we have other business. Lionpaw and Batpaw, come on up! Time to get some shiny new names."
Like Mantisstar, the she-cat noted silently. She had to admit that it didn't sound as nice as any of her previous names. Still, it was new. It was exciting. It was shiny, if names could be called that. Mantisstar bobbed her head in greeting as the apprentices arrived. Usually, she wasn't one for formalities, but it felt right that, for her first ceremonies as a real leader, she should use the traditional wording.
"I, Mantisstar, leader of MothClan, call on my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I present them to you as warriors in turn. Lionpaw, Batpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
She nodded encouragingly at their responses. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Lionpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Liongale. StarClan honors your courage and energy, and welcome you as a full warrior of MothClan."
Mantisstar's chest filled with pride for this young cat that she hardly knew. The ceremony wasn't about her, not by a long shot, but she knew as she spoke the words that she could do this leading thing. She felt like she could do anything. For a few moments, it didn't matter that two of MothClan's kits were still with the rogues, or that MothClan didn't have a medicine cat, or that she had to carry around the secret of only being blessed with one life, or that all of those things were now her responsibility. The she-cat turned quickly to the other apprentice. "And by the powers of StarClan, Batpaw, I give you your warrior name too. From this moment on, you will be known as Batflutter. StarClan honors your positive attitude and team spirit, and welcome you as a full warrior of MothClan."
Mantisstar quickly went through the proper motions, then looked out on her clan with shining eyes and began the loud cheer of, "Liongale! Batflutter! Liongale! Batflutter!"