Goldkit walked and sat down in front of Shaddowledge this was her first meeting without her mother with her (mother died yesterday) she looked up at dawnstar sniffling in sadness about her mother "I hope this doesn't take long I want to go to my nest in the nursery cause its not like I have any friends anyway" she thought to herself she sniffled again, her eyes full of tears and a few tears ran down her face " oh no don't start crying in front of the whole clan" she thought again.
Nightshiver
[ 60 moons | She / Her | Shc Forever Queen | Kitty Softpaws T1 ]
Sickness - figurative and not factual - had been eating away at her very being whenever the thought crossed her mind. Seeing her own reflection pained her, seeing her daughter pained her even more. Eternal reminders of what she failed to do and why she confined herself to the nursery, when leaving for just a moment should not cause this much anxiety. But the issue was that it did. If she left, she could not watch over them. If she slept, she could not watch over them. If she turned her back, she could no watch over them. She was old enough to know the anxiety that filled her mind was nowhere the truth; that sometimes these things are inevitable are they? and that she couldn't let herself keep living in this state if she wanted to take good care for those under her care.
Not only that, but her daughter had become an apprentice. It still made her heart ache to think she had to miss Lionpaw's ceremony, her darling boy, whose gaze she tried to meet with a gentle smile and small wave of her tail. He seemed to be with his new mentor, was it? She didn't want to interrupt any conversation, even if the younger looked a little disgruntled, but wanted to keep whatever ties she could have with her children alive.
[ @Rowan - Little Lion mention, no need to reply if you don't want to ]
And perhaps that was why she stood so close to the edge, a step away from penetrating the sun and leaving the den she called her home. She had a duty to the young of the clan. It was her task to ensure their well-being and safety. But she had a duty to her children just as much. She couldn't as active a mother as she wanted to be, not when her attention was forever divided between duty and personal. But she loved her children. She loved them more than anything. And if loving them overstepping her anxiety, however many alarm bells it rang, to spend just a fraction of a moment with them then she had to.
Her eyes sought out the new apprentice in the crowd, moving from Lionpaw to the newly named Fishpaw. She raised her paw, idly waving at her daughter in hopes that the apprentice would see her and come join her side, if at all possible. From the distance spoke quietly, "Con-gra-tu-la-tions"
She mouthed for the apprentice see from wherever she was, her face a proud expression and warm with care.
Darkfall’s writer has had so much to deal with the last few days and is just now getting to this (whoops, fourth wall break!?). That being said, the large tom took up residence in the back of the meeting space as per usual, cloaked in shadows. He simply just needed some time for himself. Normally during clan meetings he would go harass one of his children and force them to sit with their old man, but today he simply was not feeling it (i.e. Dark isn’t reading through the whole meeting right now).
So, he watched in silence. His attention was caught by Dawnstar calling Birdpaw up for… her warrior name? Azure blue orbs widened. Of course, she was getting to be that age where she’d be becoming a warrior name but like… This was Birdpaw. This was his lovable little girl who wished for nothing more than to have a loving family – something he had failed to properly provide her. He wasn’t ready for her to grow up. He wasn’t ready for her to leave the nest.
Gutspaw, his former apprentice was becoming a warrior too, but right now, his eyes were glued to that of his daughter. When Dawnstar spoke the ceremonial words, his breath caught in his throat. He anxiously awaited Birdpaw’s next move. She hadn’t spoken, not since learning about the death of her mother and he couldn’t help but wonder if she would speak now.
Nothing in the world could have prepared him for what came next. She… spoke. It wasn’t just any speaking, this was something different. It was… was that what she sounded like? Never once had he heard his daughter use her own voice, her having the uncanny habit of being able to emulate the voices of others. But today? Today this was a voice he had never heard, this had to be the voice that was hers and hers alone.
Birdecho
That was the name that Dawnstar had given her. It was apt and suited her well. For a moment he stood there, shell-shocked. This was an entirely different feeling than the one that Sleepysunrise’s warrior ceremony had evoked. This was… he didn’t even know. It was a similar pride he had felt being named alongside Larkfire, it was a similar pride he felt when he had been promoted to an enforcer, it was… hard to describe to say the very least.
Stepping out of the shadows the massive tom roared from the back of the clan ”BIRDECHO! BIRDECHO! BIRDECHO!”. He liked to think that he had gotten his emotions under control, but in this moment he was unable to hold back the tears that welled within his eyes. Darkfall was the father of many kits, a total of 21 or so if you counted the adopted ones, but Birdecho was the first of the ones he had sired to become a warrior. She was the first of the litter he shared with the love of his life to make it this far. Larkfire… her mother… she would’ve been so proud of their oddball daughter.
Shouldering his way through the crowd, he approached, ready to give her a more personal congratulations, but he stopped before he could – hesitating for a moment. Sleepysunrise had beaten him there, so too did Cinderpaw. Should he intrude? Did he have any right to? Birdecho was his daughter, yes, but what right did he have to insert himself into this moment? He was well aware that his children weren’t the fondest of him, and he couldn’t help but feel that maybe his presence was unwanted.
So what did he do about this? He watched. He watched a little ways off to the side and smiled. Though the smile was masking a pain he kept tucked within his very being, his eyes were filled with a deep love and pride that only a parent could have for their child. He was proud of her, so unbelievably so. She had come so far and now he was excited to see what else she managed to accomplish.
[ @Mica I’m sorry for the mess, it’s 5:30 am at the time of typing this and I had a very long day @Estelle @Neptune. ]
__________________
Little Disclaimer: I live in EST (UTC-5) and my sleep schedule is completely messed up, so posts may be erratic My Characters
Sleepysunrise
[ 14 moons | She / Her | Shc Enforcer | Shadow Fiend ]
Ever focused ears were turned towards the meeting with single focus, and yet a tingle in her paws proved to be a present distraction as she fought her mind to not only lock onto the ceremonies taking place. Still, widened eyes watched with close intent as Birdpaw and Gutspaw, her little sister and the apprentice-of-weird-words, stood beneath the large perch of their grandmother to receive the names they have been working moons towards getting. Her own heart pounded, vows being stated, Birdpaw speaking a voice she had never heard before - an odd little trick.
Then it came. Gutsgnaw and Birdecho. Birdecho. Air escaped the enforcer's lungs as she forgot to breathe in anticipation, and some odd part of her wanted to move forth and wrap the no-longer-apprentice in her paws. A strange urge reminiscent of all her regrets, but without wait Sleepysunrise cheered on. "Gutsgnaw. Birdecho!"
Her voice rung, a tone louder than it normally would be. Mama would be proud, she couldn't help but think. Mama should be here, the thought moved on. Even as her paws lifted her body off the ground and began its trek in direction of the presumably retreating new warrior, she knew mama should be walking this path. Not her. Mama should be first to congratulate her daughter, not her.
But first or not, an almost nervous - if it wasn't for her composed front - enforcer came to presumably meet her sister half way, tilting her head upwards to press her forehead against that of her sister's in an affection manner. "Well done."
Came a whisper, meant only for the new warrior.
Pondpaw ShadowClan Apprentice
Silver Tongue Tier 2
Kitty Softpaws Tier 2 Mind Reader
She / Her ; 15 Moons
Even though she knew that Blackkit had good intentions, Pondpaw stiffened as the tiny she-kit brought up her heritage. RiverClan. Would she never be free of her RiverClan past?
Forcing a smile, Pondpaw blinked warmly at her mentor´s daughter. ´´I used to be a RiverClan cat,´´ The blue-gray mackerel tabby apprentice admitted, her voice quiet as to avoid others from hearing her words and using them to target her. She settled down onto her belly, her tail at her side and paws tucked beneath her chest. Birdpaw´s and Gutspaw´s warrior names hit her ears as Dawnstar gave their names to them, and Pondpaw called them out. ´´Birdecho! Gutsgnaw! Birdecho! Gutsgnaw!´´
Ears twitching, river-blue hues turned back to the five kits that sat at the paws of Tuftedtusk and Owlthroat, and Pondpaw shifted to hide in the shadows at her mentor´s side, afraid that others would criticize her for not being up there with Birdecho and Gutsgnaw.
The golden apprentices eyes kind of sparkled at the name, grinning softly as he cood a soft "Ooooh Grotto, now thats a nice name but I think making it match in an equally cool full warriors name might be a struggle. I suppose I share that, Im honestly considering asking Miss Dawnstar to change my name when I reach warrior." not like Bleedingpaw was overly attached to his name with its cruel origin really. Beyond the initial excitement of finally having a name at a full moon of age after so long of being 'Freak', a hype he was now cooled to.
The toms ears twitched, catching a familiar name and he grinned hearing Birdpaw called up, the first of the batch to be a warrior. Of all cats to ear the spot he wouldnt have expected her but then again Birdpaw wasnt a sibling Bleedingpaw knew well, in fact they didnt know if Birdpaw was among the number that ever liked them. A lot of bitterness had welled up after their Mama's death and while some the bengal knew his place with others he felt as shakey emotionally as he did physically. Wow that was a dampener of a thought and one the apprentice tried to shake off before the kitten he was sitting with noticed.
After all now was not the time, he was still happy for Birdpaw, or Birdecho now.
"Ooooh look Grottokit thats one of my big sisters! Birdecho! Birdecho! Birdecho! Congrats!!!"
The highlighting of the relationship would probably prompt more questions for Grottokit given Bleedingpaw, not biologically related at all, looked nothing like Birdecho and the kit was undoubtedly too young to know the complex backstory of the ark kittens. But one never got explanations without asking so he'd have to ask to know.
For now the pretty young tom turned to kit, head wobbling but visibly cocking. "You eager to be an apprentice? I remember aching to get out there and help when I was young whenever Miss Dawnstar talked about threats. I think I might volunteer to help with the owls when the time comes though I suppose its up to her if she wants me and my.... Oddities there."
Cinderpaw
~<>~
86/100
11 moons || she/her || ShadowClan Apprentice small black tabby with minimal white markings and 3 legs; amber eyes
Gutsgnaw... and Birdecho... Oh, what a bittersweet thing it is to hear her big sister's warrior name announced here like this. It's... nice, but Cinderpaw cannot help the surge of jealousy that rears its ugly head in her gut as she pads unevenly over to congratulate Birdecho.
She is not the first over there, and offers her other big sister, Sleepysunrise, a small smile. Maybe she shouldn't compare herself to her siblings, but Cinderpaw is so close to her own ceremony... next moon maybe? The moon after that? Regardless, it'll be soon. She hopes.
"Con... congratulations... Birdecho," She says, or tries to say, at least... her words getting caught in her throat as they protest the way Cinderpaw attempts to speak them into reality. Her turn soon... with the name she might hopefully be permitted to choose.
Darkfall’s writer has had so much to deal with the last few days and is just now getting to this (whoops, fourth wall break!?). That being said, the large tom took up residence in the back of the meeting space as per usual, cloaked in shadows. He simply just needed some time for himself. Normally during clan meetings he would go harass one of his children and force them to sit with their old man, but today he simply was not feeling it (i.e. Dark isn’t reading through the whole meeting right now).
So, he watched in silence. His attention was caught by Dawnstar calling Birdpaw up for… her warrior name? Azure blue orbs widened. Of course, she was getting to be that age where she’d be becoming a warrior name but like… This was Birdpaw. This was his lovable little girl who wished for nothing more than to have a loving family – something he had failed to properly provide her. He wasn’t ready for her to grow up. He wasn’t ready for her to leave the nest.
Gutspaw, his former apprentice was becoming a warrior too, but right now, his eyes were glued to that of his daughter. When Dawnstar spoke the ceremonial words, his breath caught in his throat. He anxiously awaited Birdpaw’s next move. She hadn’t spoken, not since learning about the death of her mother and he couldn’t help but wonder if she would speak now.
Nothing in the world could have prepared him for what came next. She… spoke. It wasn’t just any speaking, this was something different. It was… was that what she sounded like? Never once had he heard his daughter use her own voice, her having the uncanny habit of being able to emulate the voices of others. But today? Today this was a voice he had never heard, this had to be the voice that was hers and hers alone.
Birdecho
That was the name that Dawnstar had given her. It was apt and suited her well. For a moment he stood there, shell-shocked. This was an entirely different feeling than the one that Sleepysunrise’s warrior ceremony had evoked. This was… he didn’t even know. It was a similar pride he had felt being named alongside Larkfire, it was a similar pride he felt when he had been promoted to an enforcer, it was… hard to describe to say the very least.
Stepping out of the shadows the massive tom roared from the back of the clan ”BIRDECHO! BIRDECHO! BIRDECHO!”. He liked to think that he had gotten his emotions under control, but in this moment he was unable to hold back the tears that welled within his eyes. Darkfall was the father of many kits, a total of 21 or so if you counted the adopted ones, but Birdecho was the first of the ones he had sired to become a warrior. She was the first of the litter he shared with the love of his life to make it this far. Larkfire… her mother… she would’ve been so proud of their oddball daughter.
Shouldering his way through the crowd, he approached, ready to give her a more personal congratulations, but he stopped before he could – hesitating for a moment. Sleepysunrise had beaten him there, so too did Cinderpaw. Should he intrude? Did he have any right to? Birdecho was his daughter, yes, but what right did he have to insert himself into this moment? He was well aware that his children weren’t the fondest of him, and he couldn’t help but feel that maybe his presence was unwanted.
So what did he do about this? He watched. He watched a little ways off to the side and smiled. Though the smile was masking a pain he kept tucked within his very being, his eyes were filled with a deep love and pride that only a parent could have for their child. He was proud of her, so unbelievably so. She had come so far and now he was excited to see what else she managed to accomplish.
[ @Mica I’m sorry for the mess, it’s 5:30 am at the time of typing this and I had a very long day @Estelle @Neptune. ]
Birdecho
ShadowClan Warrior
she/her | 11 moons
[Grey tabby with a dark overcoat, white underside and amber eyes] Purrks: Lyrebird's Lullaby, Don't Mind if I Do!
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Fool ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Mossfreckle - @elio ]
· · ────────────── · · "We honor your tenacity and passion and welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."
Pride bloomed in the new warrior's chest, its bright petals becoming her smile as she looked up at Dawnstar, meeting golden eyes with amber. Birdecho pushed her head up slightly to meet her Grandmother's muzzle as it rested on top of her head. The Leader's whispered "well done you two" only served to bolster Birdecho's newly found joy. Birdecho. A bit on the nose, but she liked it!
Birdecho cast a glance at Gutsgnaw before bite was approached by Squirrelrise, giving bite a nod of congratulations before turning to face the crowd chanting their names. This... this was it. She had done it. Her stupid lungs hadn't stopped her, her family's abysmal luck hadn't stopped her; not even losing the cat she loved more than anyone in the whole world had stopped her from becoming a warrior. Cats stronger than her, smarter than her, better than her were gone, but she remained. Her clanmates' voices rose around her in a swirling chorus, her dark ears swiveling to catch each call of her name as though she could grasp every voice that called for her and keep it for her own. But she didn't really need other voices now, did she? If she was going to be a warrior, she had to be one for herself. It was almost as if over a moon and a half of silence from her had given her the opportunity to build her own voice--one that she didn't have to rely on others for.
She was searching for someone--someone who had given more to Birdecho's journey than she knew. The new warrior didn't have to look far as Sleepysunrise strode to meet her. Birdecho met her sister halfway, nuzzling her sister's neck with a rasping purr. The praise settled lightly over Birdecho's heart, her throat burning as she refused herself tears. If she was going to be strong now, she couldn't cry. Especially not just after getting her warrior name!! "Thanks, sis." Birdecho murmured, pulling away to look into the icy blue eyes of her older sister. Thanks to Sleepysunrise, Birdecho had overcome her fear of violence and even held her own in a battle against a bunch of rats and snakes. Ever since that battle, Birdecho had felt pieces of herself come back, as if drawn in by the adrenaline of surviving a life or death situation. The veil of mourning had parted to reveal a stronger--if not slightly more depressed--version of herself. A version of herself who could miss Lostspark, but not be impaired by her grief. Birdecho definitely would not have made it this far without the molly in front of her.
Cinderpaw approached, her voice quiet and unsure as she congratulated her. Birdecho nudged her sister, feeling so weird about being a warrior when she was the same size, if not smaller than the sibling next to her. "You too, soon." She assured Cinderpaw. "You should be Cinderecho, too. We can match." Flashing a conspiratorial wink at Cinderpaw, Birdecho nudged both of her sisters again before excusing herself and slipping further into the crowd.
A booming voice made her look up, amber eyes wide with shock as her father came barrelling towards her. He stopped nearby, seemingly awkward now that he had noticed Sleepysunrise and Cinderpaw next to her. Birdecho's expression melted into one of tired amusement, and she padded up to her father. She hadn't seen him once since he told her Lostspark had died. Birdecho had said some hurtful things after the reveal--things she still believed, in all honesty. But the last two moons had given her time to mull over the situation, and in the end Birdecho realized that it wasn't worth being angry at Darkfall. He was far from the best father, but him being here now was good enough for her. Birdecho nuzzled her father's cheek, having to stand up on her tip-toes in order to reach him. "'M glad one of you is here." She chirped, her light-hearted tone lost behind the sorrow in her gaze. "Weird... that I'm first." After another bump of her head against his chest, Birdecho moved away through the crowd to her next target.
She didn't want to move around over Grandmother as she continued seeking out cats whom she wanted to visit, so she paused to listen to the next announcement. Oh, the restriction! This was great for Birdecho. All she had to do was find someone to go with her and she could go out into the territory any time she wanted! That someone could even be an apprentice! The thought sent a thrill down her spine, urging her forward to the next cat as Grandmother's voice died down. She passed Pondpaw, giving the molly a smile that said "you next!" She really wished Pondpaw was up getting her warrior name with her, but it wasn't meant to be yet. Pondpaw had been there for Birdecho when the warrior had felt everything was hopeless.
Birdecho caught Mossfreckle's eye as she approached the back of the crowd, giving her adopted older brother a small, tired smile. She had really missed him. She couldn't see Rookfire anywhere, but she hoped he knew how important he was to her as well. He and Pondpaw had been there for him when Birdecho felt as though everything was hopeless. Birdecho would visit Mossfreckle later--she had a lot to say to him--more than what she could manage right now.
But in the mean time... Birdecho's last target came into view, his dappled orange pelt shining past all the dark greys and blacks of the clan. Birdecho slowed her approach, Bleedingpaw's cheers echoing in her ears. She hesitantly sat by the young tom, crouching down so she could talk to him without disrupting the rest of the meeting, and so the kittens nearby couldn't hear her. "Hi." She mewed, not looking Bleedingpaw directly in the eye. "Heard your chants. Thanks." She brushed her pelt against his, if he allowed it. "You..." She frowned, ears twitching as she struggled to find her own words. Bleedingpaw deserved to hear this from her, not from someone from moons past. "You are a good cat. Mama was... right, to love you. 'M sorry if... made you feel... not welcome." Birdecho offered him a weary smile, hoping that even with her halting sentences, the air could be cleared between them. Birdecho had never been upset with Bleedingpaw for being favored by her mother. It wasn't his fault, and she knew that. But did he know that? "I want to be a good sister... perhaps?" She offered, not meeting his gaze but instead staring at the ground.
Re: ShadowClan Grimpeak
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