RisingClan Meeting // 3 [Mentorship & Deputy]

[Kestrel]

[ Let's pretend Bluerage is already here xD ]
[ I'm doing her entire speech-thing as one big block. Please RP out what your cats are doing when she pauses, please; I only wrote this as one post to save time and energy. ]

zetsubou kara no hajimari te ni shlta kara ;;



The blue sky was bright and fierce above as Kestrel leaped atop the rock.

"CATS OF RISINGCLAN, gather beneath the rock for a Clan meeting!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the camp.

She stood, her tail swinging, watching the camp slowly erupt into action with a fond but steely eye. This was her domain.

Brightgade fluttered to her shoulder in a rush of bright technicolored movement.
"There is news to be shared," she told him quietly.

- - - - xx - - - -

As soon as the Clan had gathered, Kestrel spoke again.

"First of all, it is time to think of our future warriors-- the kits. The times of war are fast approaching; our more valuable members must be equipped with the skills nessicary to defend themselves."

She hesitated for a moment, her gaze flitting over the queens and nursery hands.

"Undead? Graystorm? Darkwhisker? Soulless? Life? Step forward." Kestrel called.

When the named cats obliged, Kestrel gave them a reassuring look.
"I will now assign your mentors," she meowed.

"Juniper, you will mentor Undead. Teach her all you know.

Crisp! You will mentor Graystorm. Darkwhisker shall be mentored by Bluerage!"

Kestrel paused now, and her mismatched eyes softened as they landed upon the last remaining kits. Soulless and Life. RisingClan's leader was particularly fond of them.

But she could not mentor both. "Life?" She mewed kindly. "Chasm will be your mentor. I trust that he will teach you well."
If not Kestrel, then Chasm was probably the closest thing, after all.

And then there was one.
Kestrel turned her gaze on Soulless. Her voice soft, for she was speaking directly to Soulless and not to the Clan as a whole, she said, "Soulless, I will mentor you."

She was quiet for a long moment, allowing the mentors to approach and greet their new apprentices.

Then she cleared her throat to attract the Clan's attention once more, and added a final announcement.

"Also, I have chosen a deputy. From now on, Chasm is my second-in-command."

Another pause. Then,

"If any cat has any questions or concerns with mentorship or my deputy appointment, ask me now, if you will."


;; arukitsuzukeyou

[Shadow Spirit]

We'll use our pain...to make us stronger...

Chasm strode deliberately to his leader's side when they enetered the camp. As she stood atop the high rock, he sat calmly beside it, waiting for her to end her speech. When she formally granted him mentorship of Life and made him the deputy, his insides felt ready to burst with happiness. Pride was something that might come later, once his initial insecurities were under control, but for now all he could feel was exceeding mirth.

He bowed slightly to his leader and love, thanking her silently for the words he'd already heard. Then he padded over to the kit he was to mentor. Lowering his head to the kit's eye level, he smiled gently, hoping his massive size wouldn't frighten his new pupil.

"Hello there, I'm Chasm," he said kindly.

[burningflower]

Burningflower shuffled forward behind the kits, nudging Darkwhisker as she fell behind a bit. Her first litter of kits, finally becoming apprentices! She was so proud. Although Soulless and Life were not hers in the sense that they had her blood, they were hers in the sense that she raised them; she loved them like she loved Darkwhisker and Graystorm. The older queen sat at the front of the crowd, gazing at each kit as they were given a mentor. Bluerage to Darkwhisker; Crisp to Graystorm; Chasm to Life; and Kestrel herself to Soulless.

And a new deputy? Congratulations, Chasm, she thought, her eyes resting on Chasm for a moment.

[Crisp]

The black tom trotted to the side of the clearing, but to the front. He nodded to Undead and Juniper with respect. But his name was next - Crisp himself would mentor the feisty little Graystorm? He padded forward to touch noses with the young gray tomcat, his tail flicking in pride. Glancing at Burningflower, he realized she must feel the same.

And his little Bluerage had gotten an apprentice, too - Graystorm's sister, Darkwhisker. This could be a chancne to train together, he observed silently. And Chasm was becoming deputy? Crisp looked around him at the cats of RisingClan. All were silent. He was a deputy! Chasm deserved more than this, didn't he?

"Chas-sm," Crisp began slowly. As he looked around him, he gained more confidence and his speech became a strong chant. "Chasm! Chasm! Chasm!"

[darkwhisk]

Darkwhisker padded slowly forward through the crowd, falling behind Graystorm. She felt her mother nudge her and looked up at Burningflower, but found nothing there. Her mentor was Bluerage? Bluerage was a good warrior...hopefully Darkwhisker would learn some self-confidence from her. She stepped forward to touch the blue tabby's nose, not looking into her eyes, then stepped back again. As she heard of Chasm becoming deputy, she joined into Crisp's chant.

"Chasm! Chasm! Chasm!"

[Amberstar]

((Actually Bluerage isn't here. XDDD She's currently being held hostage in Boneclan. Feel free to try and get her.))

[Crisp]

[ ooc, kest said 'let's pretend she's already here' ^^ meh. i dunno. xD ]

[Kestrel]

[ By this time, the plan will have been executed and Bluerage would be here. This meeting takes place after she was kidnapped, and after she was returned to RisingClan. So she is here. ]

[Bluerage]

<sub>Bluerage looked rather shuffled, her fur fluffed up in an irritable sort of state, almost haggard looking. One would suppose that Boneclan could do that to you when you were forced to live among them not on your own accord.

But none the less, she stepped forward to the rock as her name was called, smoothing her fur to look a little more presentable, and bowed down to her as she was assigned an apprentice.

When her speech had ended, she took the liberty of all the cats before her, clan or no clan, and bent down to touch her soft leathery nose to Darkwhisker's, and let her whiskers brush over Darkwhisker's head before stepping back and smiling at Chasm.

Although she hadn't ever met the cat, she admired him for his simple personality and elegance at what he did. Quite a respectable cat, and Bluerage was happy to call him her deputy.

Though she didn't join in the chant, she smiled up at him in an approving matter, more than many could hope for for such a cynical assasin. It was more than any word could say for the newly made mentor and loyal member of Risingclan.

... It was good to be home.</sub>

[Coppersong]

[Figured I should throw Coppersong into here too, seeing how she hasn't done anything in months and I wanted to RP her.

<sub>The shaggy she cat entered the main camp, at first unsure of herself, but seated herself towards the back in the sea of cats unperturbed at her appearance. She was no stranger, which is why no guilt radiated off her rather familiar coat of copper-amber and white, but she was nervous at meeting her new clan mates. Instead, she looked around for her brother, sure to appear at her side at any moment, and waited patiently.

Kestrel was speaking.

Mentorship and apprentices.. And a new deputy. Oh, how Coppersong longed to be made apprentice herself, being only a few months old, but that would be some time. She would have to be recognized amongst the clan before that time ever chanced upon her.

But for now, she made due with simply chanting a named called 'Chasm' under her breath, feeling how she belonged already.</sub>

[Onyxdart]

Deepcreek arrived silently to the meeting, being stealthy without even thinking about it. Maybe that's just how she is.

She smiled at the apprentices and their mentors. Someday it'd be nice to be a mentor, but that day would come when Kestrel thought she'd be a mentor. Deepcreek wasn't concerned. It had to happen eventually, right? The quiet she-cat wasn't about to kick up some silly fuss over that kind of thing.

And they had a new deputy! That was good news. She didn't know Chasm all that well, but he seemed to be a good cat. Deepcreek didn't see the need to chant, either, but she did add her own quiet purr of recognition, doubtless not heard over the chanting. It was okay. Every little bit added to the general volume, right? And there was no mistaking her still apparent smile- she was congratulating everyone in her own way.

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[Soulless]

Unnoticed. Unmoving. A small gray and white form crouched nearby. Even when Kestrel had called her name, the small bundle had barely raised her head.

Numb.

She did not venture closer; there were no congratulations in her pretty blue eyes, mirrors to her cannibal mother’s, for Chasm, nothing. Just….nothing.

Soulless seemed to refuse to recover from what sinister hurts that Hannibal inflicted on her mind and body. Often she drifted in her own little world, in a broken daze, and she didn’t know what she could do to break free from the hold.

Sometimes she could hear his voice, cool and heartless, flickering and flowing about her and around her.

It was those days she hid, refusing to go out of the den and face the world.

[Undead]

Undead was positively happy.

The small calico she-kit zoomed around the area with a happy cheer, her bright gaze lifting to look around to see if she saw Shocky any. Or Juniper!

“Juniper! Juniper! Did’ja hear?!”

This was very much more like the kit who had originally stumbled upon Risingclan’s territory, other than the sad creature that Juniper had found. Shocky’s return had healed a hurt, saddened heart.

“Congrats Chasm-sir!!”

[Pestilence]

Pestilence watched quietly from the distance. Her burning, off kilter gaze fell for the longest moment on the small kitten that Hannibal had stolen, watched her perhaps too carefully.

But then the old cat merely rose to her paws; the grace she once had when she was young hinting briefly in her movements, turned her back on her clan and padded away.

[Juniper]

Juniper smiled down at her young apprentice, a purr rumbling in her throat. I heard, she chuckled. An apprentice! A young mind to teach and nurture, until she could take care of her clan. This was a thrilling prospect to Juney. The other apprenticeships and Chasm's new position boded well for the clan, too. She smiled at the new deputy. Congratulations, everyone!

She looked around, and her eyes settled on Pestilence. This she-cat was almost a direct hit to her reign as a healer, and an irresistible challenge. How many diseases lay within her that had not afflicted catflesh in -how long? dozens, hundreds of seasons? But now she follwed her gaze to her second challenge: Soulless.

Her problem was clearly did not lie within Juniper's domain, ilnesses of the body. This ran deeper, more hidden, and put the med cat completely at odds and ends. What horrors had she endured that turned her this way? Juniper did not really want to know, and yet she did, to try to help her. But it was to be assumed, and actually quite reasonable at this point, that only Kestrel could help her now.

[Life]

[glow=black,3,500]Life blinked up at his hero, bright-eyed with admiration, but never in his life did he figure he would be apprentice so soon... It only seemed like he'd been here for a few days... let alone moons. Kestrel wasn't mistaken, however, so, obediently, Life strolled up to his mentor, Chasm, and gave a brief lick to his shoulder. He was a bit hurt that Kestrel had not chosen him to be her apprentice, but he tried not to show it to Chasm. "Wh-when do we begin?" He asked, now just realizing that he was talking to the Clan deputy.[/glow]

[Onyxdart]

Deepcreek was still smiling in an absentminded way, like she had forgotten she was smiling. She looked at all the cats gathered, content to forget looming war for just a split second, since most appeared so happy.

Her eyes ended on Soulless, and she frowned, tail flipping just once in annoyance- not at Soulless, never- but at Hannibal. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head to see Pestilence leaving. After a moment, Deepcreek's eyes flicked back to Soulless.

And why had no one ever gone after that ten times blasted Hannibal? Deepcreek considered the possible outcomes of her sneaking off and going after him herself, until she found him. But would that help Soulless, or would the punishment owed the tom be pointless?

Deepcreek didn't know the answer, so she just shifted her weight from front paw to front paw awkwardly for a few moments. Who do you even ask such a question? Not anyone who might be liable to tell Kestrel. That removed just about everyone. Maybe Pestilence, who'd answered her questions before, but Pestilence had just left. Perhaps she didn't want to be bothered.

With a shrug, the she-cat pushed it to the back of her mind for later, and at least pretended she wasn't thinking really hard about anything. This was a happy time, right?

[/size][/center]

Dude, she really wants to take Hannibal to pieces.

[Kestrel]

zetsubou kara no hajimari te ni shlta kara ;;


Kestrel's sharp, falconlike gaze wandered to Deepcreek and stayed there.

She had seen the look in her eyes, and who she had looked at; did Deepcreek really think that Kestrel did not want Hannibal to suffer ten times more than anyone? Soulless was Kestrel's favorite kit, alon with Life. Soulless was the responsibility of Kestrel; she knew that going in, knew that even as she carried her through the storm to RisingClan.

If she had known anything...if she had even a single lead...she would go after that thrice-damned Hannibal with all the anger she held in her heart. Which was a lot, considering.

The monarch of RisingClan leaped gracefully from the rock and padded toward Deepcreek, pausing to give Life a reassuring, comforting kind of look, and Chasm a different sort of look entirely. A loving kind of look.

Then Kestrel moved away, silently. She appeared by Deepcreek's side as if by magic, her mismatched eyes fierce and grave.
"Deepcreek," she meowed in greeting. Her eyes flashed. "Do you know anything at all about Hannibal?"

The direct approach usually worked best. Somehow, Kestrel felt that the warrior knew more than she told.


;; arukitsuzukeyou

[Onyxdart]

Deepcreek turned her head and met her leader's eyes.

"Yes. Pestilence told me. She said he'd probably head to Stoneclan. There's a cat there, his daughter. Chainless. He's one seriously messed up tom," she said, giving her leader the short version of the conversation she'd had with Pestilence. She rolled her shoulders forward, stretching without standing up, glancing away for a moment at nothing at all before sitting straight again, and glancing back to her leader.

"I would have left, when Pestilence first told me, but then I meant to tell you, and I forgot. Then I wasn't sure it'd do Soulless any good, though it'd help out whoever he may come into contact with at a later date. Originally I just wanted to chase him down for what he'd done to her," she said, eyes flicking to Soulless again with a nod in her direction.

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[Kestrel]

zetsubou kara no hajimari te ni shlta kara ;;


Kestrel nodded grimly. "Thank you, Deepcreek," she meowed.

"I will contact my friend in StoneClan. Ashloom -Brightgate's sister- is already in the area on Brightgate's request; if my friend catches so much as a whisker of Hannibal's, she will send word within the hour."


Glancing upward, Kestrel cried, "Brightgate!"

The rainbow-feathered kestrel darted down from the sky. "Yes?"

"I need you to speak to Fernwhisker; tell her to watch out for Hannibal. I trust her abilities; she knows that." As an afterthrought, Kestrel added, "And remind her that Ashloom will probably be nearby. She can use her to contact me."

Brightgate nodded. "Ashloom won't like it," he said, looking almost amused. He spread his wings and soared away, a black shape against the fierce blue sky. Then he was gone.


Kestrel returned her attention to Deepcreek. "If you hear any rumor of Hannibal, tell me. If you ever see him, attack him; harm him; take him prisoner but do not kill him."
Her claws slid from their sheaths.
Long claws. Claws like knives.

"That is for me to do."


;; arukitsuzukeyou