High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

**~whirl~** · #**7251** September 27th, 2021, 12:43 PM

Dawnkit smiled. @Stormycat

**Galaxy_** · #**7252** September 27th, 2021, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirlpaw

Dawnkit smiled. @Stormycat

(can I join with my cat greypelt she is a queen and loves watching kits play?)

@Stormycat

**whatzername** · #**7253** September 27th, 2021, 01:22 PM

Cherryflight | @kalor | w/ Birchtrout
The molly turned to the tom. She hadn't heard him approach. Her lips twisted from a surprised "o" shape to a cheerful smile. She didn't know anything about him, but was determined to make him a friend. Yeah, I'm Cherryflight. I like your name, it's pretty unique! I mean, where would a birch and a trout ever interact in the wild? They wouldn't! And- oh, StarClan, I'm blubbering. Aren't I? she said, feeling her fur grow warm.

**elswhere** · #**7254** September 27th, 2021, 01:35 PM

Birchtrout | @Peril

Birchtrout had to suppress a chuckle as Cherryflight caught herself in the mollie's rambling. Kinda cute.. but the tom couldn't think about that, not now. Bumblekit needed him to be strong but.. how could he? His mate.. the sweet Applelove.. Tears pricked his eyes.

He had to get his mind out of the gutter.

"Well.. Uh.." He was at lost for words. "I have son, his name is Bumblekit." Stars, making small talk was so hard.

**whatzername** · #**7255** September 27th, 2021, 01:40 PM

Cherryflight | @kalor | w/ Birchtrout
The molly's smile widened, though it seemed impossible, at the mention of a kit. She adored kits, they were just so adorable! [B]You have a kit? Really!? I love kits!/B] she crowed. Her tail curled with joy, thinking of the bundle of fur.

**Storm Flower** · #**7256** September 27th, 2021, 01:56 PM

(Yes) @Whirlpaw

***Rani*** · #**7257** September 27th, 2021, 02:12 PM

It was hard to peg why Snakeheart liked the strangle little kitten but he conversely thought it might be how casual and familier she spoke to him but also how she never seemed to be disrespectful by it, a divergence from her peers. Still she was kind and wise beyond her years in a way that hurt his heart that she became like this so young, it spoke to how much she'd lost that she grew and saw so much. Still he appreciated it, he really did. This little friendship was one not driven by any complex emotions but simple compassion and so allowed the on edge and fragile tom some comfort and safety in letting her close. So he let her, let her get close and to curl up under his paws along his side if she wanted a shared comfort.

He was aware that a part of this may have started with the gaping hole left in the wake of the loss of his siblings the little molly sharing traits with Honeykit and Fidgetpaw. It'd changed since then to be something of its own but... Well it did help sooth that ache a bit.

"Hello little bug kit." He rasped softly voice still a bit horse from his howling not too long ago "Yes I've heard there was a meeting its why Im here I dont think I'dve emerged if there wasnt one called of this level of importance. I wouldnt mind sitting with you if you want to stick near me but.... I dont think its smart for me to come out much further I still feel very on edge and a repeat isnt something I think anyone wants. 'Sides this meeting is bound to be.... hard to say the least I doubt cats want to see me like this on top of the subject matter."
He honestly wanted to go and hide and retreat he wasnt ready for kes and whatever would come with this emotionally but he needed to know first hand. He also needed to know who'd been striking his face several times because that was an open wound and Snakeheart shuddered involentarily at the thought of the tom coming to his den for healing. Too soon he wasnt ready- focus. Shifting his mind from where it'd tried to wander down a spiral looking back at Lavenderkit and parting his paws from where he was laying giving the kitten a slot to curl should she want.

@~Fierce~

**starry** · #**7258** September 27th, 2021, 02:24 PM

[ @vcrdant ]

Mistypaw turned as she heard a voice. It seemed to belong to a warrior. How great. Ryebelly was welcoming Kestrelstar back with open arms. Seriously? Didn't he know any better? The she-cat had always thought warriors were at least a bit clever. This one appeared not to be in the slightest. "What do you mean, welcome back?'

**spade** · #**7259** September 27th, 2021, 02:31 PM

High Rank Announcement [#hrannouncement]

A few faces were happy to see him - relieved almost. For some reason it made Kestrelstar's stomach twist into knots. Though he had spent the past moon working on himself and correcting his mindset, there was still the daunting path of proving that to his Clanmates that lay ahead. Forgiveness shouldn't come this easy, and Plumstorm's words the night before his departure rang in his head: "Forgiveness, real forgiveness, won't come until you've shown these changes you wish to make."

Yellow gaze searched for her pale gray pelt in the crowd, to no avail. Had the molly left the Clan? Fear plagued the leader for a moment before he decided to push on. Something to ask Splashleap about later - and if she had left, he vowed to track her down.

A few fixed him with angry glares and bristling pelts. Kestrelstar felt it like hot charcoal, singing his own fur. But he didn't flinch away from it, nor did he try to shut it down. Their anger was justified. A right. He had let them down, and the only way to fix it was time and actions.

Some of the voices drifted up to him, cats who felt the need to speak out at the sight of his return. Wormbite's sarcasm that dripped like honey made Kestrelstar want to chuckle, but he held it back, instead a glimmer of amusement twinkling in his gaze. Most surely had to think he had been dead - after all, he had provided no return date for when he'd be back. What else was RiverClan suppose to have thought?

From the entrance of the medicine den, Kestrelstar's attention was momentarily captured by a familiar russet head poking itself out. A piece of his heart chipped off, scratching along the sides of his chest as it cracked off. Snakeheart... that was one of the first cats he'd go to. The gray tabby recalled a sort of perilous feeling plaguing him while he had spoke to Delaware. Something... was wrong. Back in RiverClan. Urgently requiring the attention of a leader - a brother - who was nowhere to be found.

Another broken puzzle piece that would need to be fixed in order to make the picture whole again. At least it appeared he had a little shadow - Lavenderkit, Kestrelstar recalled the kits name. He felt a bit of pity for the kit - her mission to cheer Snakeheart up, that shouldn't have fallen on the shoulders of the Clan's youngest.

Just below the Streamstone, two kits engaged in a racing game of sorts, and his yellow eyes followed them for a moment. Life, new life, the future warriors of RiverClan who would one day take the mantel of protectors of their home. Before, the sight would've irritated him, but now the gray tabby simply chuckled softly.

Towards the back, next to Stormtalon, the three youngsters and one warrior-aged tom seemed to be settling in... about as well as could be expected. Hopefully the Clan would make them all feel welcome - that would be to come soon, their introduction.

One voice shot to his ears, floating above the quiet murmur of the gathered cats. Mistypaw, Stormtalon's apprentice. Stars, what this apprentice must've heard about him. The tom who had found him outside of camp was not one to ever sugarcoat the truth, and the leader assumed that his apprentice knew exactly of the crimes Kestrelstar had committed. She had a right to the answers she sought, as did the rest of the Clan.

"First off, I want to apologize. For being away, for being gone... There wasn't a night that passed that I wasn't thinking of RiverClan. Of each of you, and how hard you've fought for your home," the leader began, yellow gaze sweeping across the crowd gathered before him. "The night after the Gathering, I received a... vision, of sorts. To save RiverClan, I had to prevent the one thing capable of destroying it from doing so; myself."

A pause. Briefly, he wondered what exactly Spalshleap and Snakeheart had told the Clan of his disappearance. He hadn't given then much to work with when he had left, so surely the rest of the Clan didn't have much to go off of. Just that their leader disappeared right after a war with ThunderClan.

Cowardly and shameful, but hopefully something that he could rectify in the coming moons. Plans to strengthen RiverClan - in a non violent way - had already been forming in his mind even back when he had still been away from his home.

"I went away. Past the borders, and past Twolegplace. My journey took me on a path of figuring out what wasn't working, and what I could do to improve as your leader. The parts of me that were setting fire to the Clan I... love. The violence, the need for revenge... The mindset that because I was leader, that gave me the power and right to do as I saw fit. I was convinced... that anyone who spoke out against me was disloyal to RiverClan. I needed time... to fix that. To realize that was wrong. A few loyal cats of RiverClan paid the ultimate price for that, and briefly I want to recognize their deaths and honor their memories."

Quietclaw, killed at a meeting. Alderfoot and Blackrunner, two cats who were exiled and steadfast in their promise of not returning. Reedpaw, just a young apprentice who he had left in the middle of a camp full of cats who hated him. Kestrelstar had failed them all, too. Names forever etched in his mind...

After a moment of silence from Kestrelstar, he pushed on. "I have failed you. As a leader, I blamed cats innocent of nothing more than fighting back against the shadows that consumed me, serving them only with a punishment of death. I let my own grief cloud my judgement instead of accepting it and moving past it. The blood that stains my claws... is no fault of any cats but my own. The actions I have taken to protect RiverClan ended up doing the opposite, and it is something I will regret until the day I stop breathing."

And even longer, as Kestrelstar knew the guilt hung heavy from the death his claws had caused. Surely it would follow him well into whatever afterlife the stars above saw fit for him after the loss of his last life.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "I know that the only way I can earn your forgiveness is to do what is best for RiverClan. To cast aside my own vendettas and recognize that you all are not just claws at my disposal. I am your leader, but a leader is not of any power without those of which he leads. This is my promise to you all, to those I have let down, " Plumstorm, Tumblepaw, Snakeheart, Stormtalon, Junipersong, Lotusheart, Morningpaw, so many other names... "that I hear your concerns. Your cries of outrage. I failed you, and I vow to spend the remainder of my lives making sure that I can be a leader you all are proud to follow."

Momentarily, yellow eyes drifted down to his deputy. Splashleap. He was sure the molly wanted to rake her claws across his face. Gratitude and respect mingled in his gaze as he watched her before looking back out across the sea of eyes, all waiting for him to continue speaking. "I could not lead this Clan without any of you, I realize that now. Or Splashleap. I'm sure she will let me know what has happened while I was away, but I would like to take a moment to recognize her. Despite the actions of myself, she remained steady and strong as a stable paw in RiverClan's leadership. I am honored to have her as my deputy, as I am sure you all are as well."

There was so much more he wanted to say, but for now he let it rest. Words could only do so much before actions needed to come forward, and right now Kestrelstar knew that his Clan wouldn't put any weight behind his promises until he showed them the change. Physical, tangible, something they could latch their hope onto.

**Ian** · #**7260** September 27th, 2021, 02:47 PM

Shimmerpaw sucked in a breath after Kestrelstar was done with his announcement. The young molly desperately wanted to believe in the words that he had spoke, but it was so hard after he had left them right after the war. Granted, she had only been a kit then, but she'd heard the rumors and stories about what had happened. At least the prophecy was a plausible story.

With that in mind, Shimmerpaw decided she would believe in Kestrelstar. After all, if a Clan couldn't trust their own leader, then it would only bring chaos and death. She could only hope that most of the Clan would feel the same way, and that Kestrelstar would be able to win back the trust of those who did not. Shimmerpaw would believe in Kestrelstar, and in RiverClan, because it was all she had.