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WEATHER
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Leaf-Fall
Year 00 — Fall Moon This season is the wettest time of the year, with the most rain falling. The moisture is bringing out all sorts of moss and fungus. Fog is often dense in areas. The leaves are magnificent colours of auburns and golds. The salmon are running upstream now, and are plentiful. Temperatures vary, but it tends to get no warmer than 51°F/11°C and can get as low as 23°F/-5°C.
Auto Skip Timer — N/A Synopsis — Post-nine lives ceremony, Copperclaw is waiting outside of Elkstar's new den. Content Warnings — N/A Realm Events — N/A Posting Order — Copperclaw, Elkstar
The air that filled Copperclaw's lungs felt like soot from a fire, each breath suffocating the tom. His father and sisters were nowhere near the clearing, likely still lying near Goldenstar's burial place. Had it truly only been that morning? Before the elders had washed Goldenstar's body one last time, and rubbed her pelt with scents of lavender and rose, he could still remember each hair that was slightly disheveled from her night's rest and Adderflame's body wrapped around hers.
Starclan, why? He wondered, knowing all too well that they had protected her from her assailant just a moon ago. An image of Elkthorn---no, Elkstar's face flashed in Copperclaw's mind, causing his claws to unshealth and dig into the stone. Had Starclan chosen Elkstar far before his heroic actions? Copperclaw huffed, earning a wary glance from a passing clanmate.
Why him....of all cats? He had hoped the question would reach Starclan, but he knew better than to expect answers. Elkstar was half of his age. He knew his mother was getting up there in moons; but for a deputy as young as Elkstar to ascend to leader with such little training? Surely Starclan would intervene.
But, something in Copperclaw's stomach twisted. He knew ambition well, but Elkthorn was something else. He couldn't decide if the young leader chose him for strategic purposes....or to humor Goldenstar's kin. The golden tom's tail lashed behind him, stirring up the dust that had settled on the stone ground. Jealousy flared in Copperclaw's chest. What if he's talking to mother right now? he thought, knowing the stories of the leader ceremony well. Important figures of the clan's past always give the leader their lives, so he knew his mother had to be there. Oh to see her one last time.... he thought, his eyes trailing into the depths of the leader den, forgetting for a moment that he had been watching the clan entrance.
elkstar’s paws and chest ached. a chill seemed to grip his heart, despite the hot and heavy greenleaf night. he’d torn out of the starlight cave as soon as his body would obey him again, feeling power surge in his veins. scree tumbled underfoot as he ran, heedless of mallowfrost, only desperate to reach the camp before the moon was at its full height. starclan could go chase their tails for all he cared, but his clan needed the normalcy of a timely deputy appointment.
after he’d sat at goldenstar’s side for a polite amount of time, he’d joined mallowfrost to make travel arrangements. his leader had been thoughtful in her passing, dying in the late night or early morning such that her clan had an entire day to arrange for life without her. elktalon had done just that: had a good meal, a good wash, and spoken with the senior warriors, leaving plenty of time to travel. when the healer stood waiting for him to begin their trek to the starlight cave, he’d paused and waved his tail to copperclaw. “you.” the young deputy cut his sea glass eyes to copperclaw’s, a slight smile when he had his attention. ”wait for me here.” he lowered his voice, as though sharing a sordid secret. “you’ll be my deputy.”
with those parting words, elktalon had turned and padded out of camp with the medicine cat. that seemed a long time ago now. all of that was before he’d been given nine lives, each one seeming to fill him with greater power. elkstar wasn’t quite awed by the experience, but he was certainly overwhelmed by all that had happened. he found copperclaw waiting just where he’d directed, though his green eyes were turned toward the leader’s den, and he seemed distracted. “good, you passed the test,” the young leader mewed smoothly, before brushing past copperclaw and leaping up to call his clan together.
elkstar hadn’t called, but most of the clan was all in the clearing any way, save for a few kittens and sleepy elders. “cats of summitclan,” he began, straightening importantly, ”i have traveled to meet starclan, and they have blessed me with nine lives to serve you. i stand before you now as elkstar.” he didn’t allow them time to react before pressing on. ”but what is a leader without a deputy to rely on for sage counsel? and no cat could be more loyal that the one i am thinking of.” his words came in a purr, melodious and calm. there was no trace of insecurity in elkstar.
“copperclaw,” he addressed the tom, giving him a look as if the two shared in a private joke. ”please come forward.” elkstar knew he’d made the right choice, the choice his cats wished of him, by their reaction as the warrior padded forward. he was goldenstar’s own son, soldierly, steadfast.
”i say these words before starclan, so that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear of my choice.” if any cat noticed that he didn’t add “and approve” to the traditional words, no one challenged him. ”the new deputy of summitclan is copperclaw.”
Good, you passed the test. Irritation caused the normally composed warrior's whiskers to twitch. Copperclaw wanted to strike that smug face off the new leader. The golden tom's jaws parted, his lips wetting with the anticipation of scolding the young leader---but, before he was able to react, he watched as Elkthorn, now Elkstar, leaped onto the very spot his mother once gathered her clan from.
Green eyes narrowing, Copperclaw could do nothing but watch and listen. Fire began to beat in his veins, warming his muscles, itching the warrior's claws to leap forward and tear Elkstar from his mother's place. Meeting Elkstar's eyes, his remained narrowed, though his paws moved him forward as if willed by the very stars themselves.
"Thank you Elk/star/," he replied, stepping forward and bowing his head to him and the clan. The emphasis of star felt like poison on his lips. How could he call anyone his leader but his own mother? "I will do my best to assist you in leading Summitclan to greatness," his normally robotic voice did not deter even though his emotions were crashing into him like waves.
Giving one more bow of his head, he stepped away. Copperclaw didn't have it in him to keep up with the pleasantries of small talk with his clanmates. He had just buried his mother, surely they'd understand. Him? Deputy? So it wasn't some sick joke, he thought to himself bitterly.
[attr="class","prismcol-quote"]so i leaped, down, down, down i go, telling myself i'm a tough girl
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[attr="class","prism-textbox"]It has been an eventful time.
Admittedly, Magpie is unaware whether the events of past few days will affect her personally very much. She mourns for the loss of Goldenstar naturally. But she will move on and not be too affected - the world will still spin and there is another to replace Golden. She has no doubts that Goldenstar will be accepted in starclan.
The surprise maybe is that Copperclaw is named deputy (and the surprise is not that it's Copper, not really, he's dedicated even if he's a stick in the mud but the fact that Elk picked him, of all people-). Is she supposed to cheer? She's never really been in a position to hear this, and Copper is walking off before Magpie is even sure of what to do.
Isn't a deputy supposed to be an honour?
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[attr="class","prism-notes"]this is a note long enough to go multiple lines
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"thank you elkstar." the leader gave his newly appointed deputy a dignified smile, choosing to ignore the emphasis placed upon the suffix of his name. it did sound good though. elkstar! the word was like a dream come true. he touched his nose to the bigger tom's striped head. "I will do my best to assist you in leading summitclan to greatness." "i expect nothing less, copperclaw," the ginger answered confidently.
his eyes met his deputy's and he felt it was just the two of them; the rest of the clan fading into the background. he was pleased with himself. would goldenstar appreciate his choice? the dramatic flair of it. a mother dead, a son rapidly ascending! elkstar in the middle of it all, of course, just where he liked to be. if only he'd thought to mention it to goldenstar at his ceremony. would she have approved? she must have.
elkstar had remained among the throng of cats a few moons ago when goldenstar had named him deputy of summitclan. he reveled in the attention, thrilled at the surprise honor. if anyone had remembered that it had been just a few moons before that that he'd been made a warrior, no one said it loudly enough for elkstar to notice. copperclaw just slinked off though. what's his problem?
he readied himself to pursue copperclaw, but something tugged at the back of his mind. yes... his eyes fell upon the two apprentices that he'd thought of. ravenpaw, inky black, and his sister, magpiepaw, her own white-patched pelt half blending into the night.
"one more thing," he called, just in case he had somehow lost his cats' attention. anything was possible. "ravenpaw, magpiepaw, come forward please." elkstar gave the two young cats a few moments to respond to his request. they were about 16 moons now, to his reckoning, less than a full turn of the seasons younger than elkstar. what better way to mark the beginning of a new age for summitclan than with the naming of two new warriors? Asteiri & then after 72 hours passes from October 4, shelby
Copperclaw wanted to smack that confident gleam in Elkstar's eyes off, but knew that if he did, he'd feel his mother's wraith all the way from Starclan. Copperclaw hadn't waited for Elkstar to conclude the meeting before stepping away. He didn't expect Elkstar to continue with an entire naming ceremony.
Again, his veins ignited with anger. Who did he think he was? Was it not enough that he was made leader in the wake of his mother's death? Or to mock Copperclaw by making him deputy? No, that's the thing with that greedy tom, nothing was ever enough. Copperclaw could see Elkstar's ambition from a hundred tail-lengths away.
He listened from the shadows as Elkstar called Ravenpaw and Magpiepaw forward. His ear flicked in irritation as he awaited what the mighty tom would name the two apprentices. A bitter taste filled his mouth---he was sure that his mother had already picked their names, but was unable to name them herself. Copperclaw debated retreating to the camp entrance, and taking a long walk to the highest peak he could find. He wanted, desperately, to get as far away from Elkstar as he could.
once ravenpaw and magpiepaw came to stand before the young leader, he purred approvingly.
"i, elkstar, leader of summitclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. they have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and i commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." he'd rehearsed these words a dozen times in his mind, hanging on goldenstar's every word when she'd had cause to make a warrior. he remembered her words from his own warrior ceremony. she'd noted his courage. courage was bloodlust by another name. goldenstar had always seen the best side of elkstar. he wondered what she saw now, if she truly gazed down upon her clan- or did she sleep, too far away now to care?
"ravenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend summitclan, even at the cost of your own life?" when the sleek black tom responded, elkstar raised his head and met the eyes of his watching clan. he looked last to ravenpaw, a thoughtful glint in his eyes as he met the tom's amber gaze. yes... he knew just the name. somehow it felt as though it had been whispered in his ear, yet he liked the sound of it and knew no other name would do. "then by the powers of starclan, i give you your warrior name. ravenpaw, from this moment on you will be known as ravenwatcher. starclan honors your good sense, and we welcome you as a full warrior of summitclan."
the leader turned next to the fluffy black and white she-cat, and one side of his mouth quirked up. fiery, impulsive, spirited magpiepaw. in her he saw a kindred spirit- a willing ally, or unwitting pawn, only time would tell. "and magpiepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend summitclan, even at the cost of your life?" when the apprentice responded, elkstar nodded knowingly. he'd expected nothing less. "then by the powers of starclan, i give you your warrior name. magpiepaw, from this moment on you will be known as magpiestrike. starclan honors your fighting spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of summitclan."
he stood motionless, his shoulders squared proudly as his clan cheered the new warriors' names. when at last the clearing quieted, he dipped his head a fraction of an inch and waved his tail to signify that the meeting was at an end. moving without haste, he slinked to join his deputy in the shadows where he'd retreated.
elkstar's seaglass gaze studied copperclaw's stony expression. he was acting as though he'd been cursed by starclan. "is being named deputy such a burden?" the ginger meowed, his voice low enough that their clan, now dispersing to rest, wouldn't hear. or was it the loss of his mother? elkstar could imagine the pain of losing either of his mothers, sagecloud or emberfur, but doubted even that could dim his excitement at being made deputy. "it's what goldenstar wanted." he asserted, continuing as if trying to read the deputy's mind.
The newly named deputy let his claws unsheathe, scraping the hard stone of the Summitclan camp floor. The fury Copperclaw felt towards Elkstar made him want to turn around, drag Elkstar back to the Starlit cave, and strip his additional lives before Starclan himself. <p>
The blood pumping in his ears mottled the mighty Elkstar's proclamations behind him. Copperclaw was almost startled when the tom's voice broke Copperclaw's storm of thoughts. The golden tabby lifted his gaze from the ground to meet Elkstar's. "A burden? No," Copperclaw replied, an edge to his voice. To snap against a superior was to spat on the Warrior Code, but Copperclaw was better than that....wasn't he?
"It's an honor to represent and assist Summitclan," he continued plainly. Copperclaw could feel his blood simmering under his fur, but when Elkstar opened his mouth again, his vision went red.
Without thinking, his paws moved faster than his logic or morals. Copperclaw threw his entire weight into the leader. "You know nothing of what Goldenstar wanted!" he snarled, keeping his voice low enough the two would not draw attention. "Your arrogance will be your downfall, Elkstar. Only a fool would look to you for leadership," he hissed, hoping to knock Elkstar down.
elkstar's blue-green eyes narrowed minutely at the deputy's response. "a burden? no." the newly named leader felt his pulse quicken with excitement at the edge in copperclaw's voice- he couldn't help it. it was a treat to get a rise out of the cold tom, and he found that he wanted things to escalate further. something about it gave him a shiver of anxiety that was a relief from the exhaustion he'd felt after receiving his lives. now here was a new conflict, a new battle to fight, something else to keep him from simply sinking into his nest and surrendering his mind to oblivion.
he'd only just grasped that what he felt was a thrill at their verbal spar when copperclaw lashed out, turning the conflict physical. elkstar was known to be impulsive, but copperclaw had a few tricks himself. the striped cat was much larger than elkstar, who danced back instinctively, able to move quickly in spite of his exhaustion. "oh!" the leader laughed, quiet and cool. "so this is what it takes to get a response out of the great boulder copperclaw? careful," he purred, eyes sparkling with a hot rage that belied his playful tone, "don't reveal all of your secrets to me so quickly."
the bulk of the attack had initially missed him, but the deputy's advance continued and elkstar, backed against the stone wall, felt copperclaw make contact. he couldn't back up any further. the leader staggered, his nostrils flaring in anger as he barely remained standing. he wouldn't want to face the big tom in a real battle. "then your proud mother must be the queen of fools," he mrrowed, deciding he had no choice but to go on the offensive now that he felt stone at his back. he stepped forward to regain ground and swiped in the direction of copperclaw's cheek with unsheathed claws. "or she wouldn't have given me her own life, to lead this clan." the ginger bristled, taking satisfaction as he spit out the words that copperclaw would likely find it sacrilegious for him to comment on his nine lives ceremony so openly.
