Finally, they seemed to be getting to the stuff Hollowpaw cared the most about
: the new medicine cats. Not that his own and his sister's apprentice ceremonies hadn't been exciting - they were! - but that was only an indirect affect on ThunderClan, the new medics would be a
direct and
immediate affect. So, Hollowpaw was on the edge of his seat as Bumblestar started to say what her choices were. And then she just...
stopped.
The young apprentice had never seen anything like it before, the way her eyes seemed to go unfocused even as she leaned forward on the Stormcrest - so far forward, in fact, that Hollow almost thought she would fall right off. Her gaze still clouded, he watched, head cocked to the side and brows knit in confusion, as his leader tilted her head to the cloudless sky, facing the sun unflinchingly. The hell was that all about??
Blinking, he squints up at her as she seems to come out of the odd trance and continues with the announcement as if nothing happened.... weird.
'My initial plan seems to have been… interrupted' she says, and Hollowpaw, again, wonders what that even means. What, did StarClan just give her a sign and interrupt the meeting? Ha, awfully inconvenient of them if that's the case. Also, why wouldn't they have just told her before now? Were they into dramatics or something?
'Wolfpaw will be the Clan's next medicine cat' she continues, and Hollowpaw turns his eyes to the dark apprentice, yet again, confused. Wolf's only an apprentice, hardly older than Hollowpaw is, and was going to be treated as the head medicine cat? Odd. ThunderClan will never cease to amaze him, surely. He sort of feels bad for whoever his apprentice is going to be - especially if they're older.
'Training next to him will be Hollowpaw.'
What.
What?
He'd been joking when he commented to himself that his placement with Risingstorm was just to throw him off her scent trail!! It was a joke!! But... no... it
hadn't been a ruse at all, had it? At least, not initially it hadn't. But Bumblestar had said that there was a change of plans, and her original choice wasn't going to work out... who had been her original choice? Who was Hollow the replacement for?
Replacement... the word rings in his head as more announcements were made. The second choice - likely not even that, considering he didn't seem to even be on her radar in the fist place...
And then the comment that he's to be kept secret from the other clans finally processes...
for his safety, she says, but then what about Wolfpaw? And what the hell does she mean by 'back up??' Sure, that was technically true, but it felt... strange. Like Wolfpaw was being described as expendable in a way that Hollowpaw didn't really think Bumblestar intended. The cheers for himself and Wolfpaw go in one ear and out the other, but Bumblestar calling them both to the medicine den does not. He blinks at her once or twice, still processing, and then he nods, mouth firmly shut. This would work with his plans for ruling the forest perfectly, but it felt so...
strange. Like the cheering now was enough to satisfy whatever feeling he thought being king of the forest would bring about. Odd. Well, time to suppress that feeling for future perusal - or not, he doesn't really want to inspect whatever it means at all, if he's honest.
Before going to the medicine den, he glances towards his sister, worry about how she'll be by herself creasing his brow. He knows worrying is stupid - this is
Bravepaw, after all, she'll be okay! Still...
"I'll come find you in a bit, okay?" He tells her, long tail stopping to momentarily rest on her flank if she'd allow for it, before he gets up and wanders to where Wolfpaw is currently being assaulted by his over-excited ex-mentor. Hollowpaw wrinkles his nose at the display.
"Wolfpaw," he says,
"I'll be in the medicine den with Bumblestar while you wrap up... whatever is going on here." Once-ing over the hornet, Hollowpaw offers no other greeting to him before turning and hading for the medicine den -
his new den... would he really have to sleep in there? All alone except for Wolfpaw?
[ @Kix - bravepaw || @Bean - wolfpaw || @Rani - mudhound ]