MEETING! (Redo)

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After so long, the leader finally came to her senses for a ceremony. She was going ot have one a while back, but she soon just stopped. Things just kept occurring and interrupting. And now, she actually has things in mind. Now, her plans can be set in stone.

She slowly got up from her little catnap, and stretched her front two fore-paws out in front of her, yawning while doing so. Today was going to be a good day, even if the clan had a blizzard, it was going to be wonderful. She was sure of it.

She groomed herself slowly and gently for a few moments before she decided to wake everyone up from their naps. Ah… toms were going to hate her. None of them are going to be warriors, or mentors! They will get to do the work, ALL of them! She was going to let the kits be apprentices, but when they do so, oh… oh… they will be put to work right away!

She chuckled to herself before getting up, slowly padding out of her den. She looked around, and noticed the sun was slowly rising. She purred quietly, a good sign… good sign…

FoxStar made her way to the highrock, and stood at the very edge, rising her head up high. She declared in loud vocal words, “ALL CATS OLD ENOUGH TO CATCH THEIR OWN PREY, GATHER BENEATH THE HIGHROCK FOR A CLAN MEETING!”

She was getting pretty excited. She always seemed to get excited. MoonSight was staying, but where was he? Ah, she didn’t care right now! Things were going to change around here!

--

Finally… SpottedTail groaned, getting up and padding out of the nursery, BittyKit following right after .He was mewling and whining. He was more than old enough to be apprenticed. And they both knew that.

She sat down in the clearing, letting BittyKit nuzzle up by her, trying to keep warm. It was chilly out, she had to admit that. But, it was slowly starting to warm up. Hopefully it won’t be cold again for a long while.

--

SootClaw groaned and stretched, padding out of the Warrior’s Den. CedarClaw better beable to get out of that nursery now. He has waited way too d**n long! He glared up at his leader, and nudged his way into the nursery.

He immediately went over by CedarClaw and nuzzled her cheek gently with a loud purr.

“Come on Darling, I think the kits are going to be apprenticed now…”

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A yowl woke Swiftfire from her nest in the medicene cat den. It had been several days since her friends had forced her to the place for Swiftbreeze to help her. Now, her body gave into the exhaustion it had been building up. Every day she was sleeping, coughing, and trying to eat. Her fur was constantly hot and she welcomed the cold coming from outside. It cooled her off with its refreshness. Greencough was not fun in the least!

She looked from her nest and could see some warriors starting to trickle to high-rock, along with queen with kits. Swiftfire understood immediatly that kits were going to be apprenticed finally. That made her think of Cedarclaw and her kits. Her heart leapt for them. Cedarclaw's kits were very close to her and so were the couple.

The deputy had to get up and see this, she just had to! It would burn her heart if she didn't...wouldn't it? She meowed in annoyance as her lungs began to burn as soon as she got onto her paws. The world began to sway, but she kept walking towards the entrance. It was there that her legs collapsed under her. She opened her eyes to see that she had a clear view of high rock. This'll do, she thought to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkkit bounced up and down on Cedarclaw as their father entered. "Ma! We gotta get up! Foxstar called us!," he yowled.

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Ashstorm wearily pulled herself to her paws. Her blue and green eyes were slightly dark as her sooty grey colored pelt slid out of the den, her eyes adjusting to the light. Snow flurries stuck to her pelt as she padded towards the place where her leader was happily sitting. A dark thought ran through her mind. 'What's got her so happy?' She thought grumpily. She was tired and she had been woken up. Not very happy for her mood.

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Swiftbreeze slipped out of the medicine cat's den and sat not far from the entrance. He gazed at his leader for a moment, before closing his eyes, lost in thought. Now that Moonsight had returned, Foxstar was being pulled in two different direction. He hated putting through that, but...

"I wonder what's going on..." he muttered under his breath. "Perhaps there are warriors or apprentices to be made. It doesn't matter though. Let's hope this goes by quick-I need to clear my mind..."

A chilly leaf-bare wind ruffled his fur. How lucky the other clans must be, sheltered by trees. Windclan had nothing to protect them from the cold winds.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Swiftfire coming out of his den and Ashstorm a bit further away. A spark of his old flirty ways flared in his chest and he felt his paws carrying him towards the gray warriors.

"Why, hello," he said in his voice that he used when trying to seduce she-cats. It sounded a bit different from when he'd last used it though. It sounded... deeper? Smoother? Gentler? He couldn't tell. "Mind if I join you?"

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Cedarclaw had just been itching for this day to at last come around.

The tortoiseshell queen had now been in the nursery for over six moons, watching her three little ones- Darkkit, Quietkit, and Stonekit- grow into fine little cats. Every time she looked at them her chest still swelled with pride. These were her and Sootclaw’s kits. They would grow into strong warriors of WindClan. They would be the greatest warriors the Clan had ever seen. She was so sure of it. But then, at the same time, the thought of her three kits moving away from her belly and into the apprentice den pained her. They would begin their own lives. They would leave Cedarclaw behind to watch them from a distance. The very idea seemed too strange and sad to her.

But the she-cat had also had enough of waiting around. She also wanted to be able to leave the nursery to move around the territory freely- to hunt, and go on patrols. She wanted to be able to sleep in the warriors den again, with Sootclaw. Yes, this day was overdue.

So as the tortoiseshell had been resting in her nest, she was quick to rise when the little thumping on her back began. Feeling very cheerful all of a sudden, she gave an amused grin to Darkkit as she rose, giving him a flick with her tail over his ear. "Alright, alright! Let's go out and meet her, then." The she-cat then raised her tail happily as the familiar dark tom made his way over. She returned the loving gesture gladly, matching his purr with his own. ”Finally,” she mewed softly with a hint of a purr. The she-cat then looked down to the small fur-balls close by. ”I’m so proud of all of you. I know you’ll be the best apprentices WindClan had to offer.” A warm smile lit her orange-flecked face. ”But now, let’s hurry up and get you all ready and over there!” The she-cat gave each kit a few quick licks over their heads, smoothing down the few stray hairs, and then began to nudge them over to the Gathering place. This was it.

~~~~~

Stonekit had been practically vibrating when he had waited by his mother's forepaws, with orange eyes so wide they could have popped right out of his head. Apprentices! Apprentices! They were finally going to be apprentices! The tortoiseshell tom was done with waiting around as a kit. He was just dying to be able to learn how to fight and hunt. He wanted to be a warrior right then and there! So the sooner he got his apprenticeship over with, the sooner that would happen. As his father entered the den, the tom raced at him and bounced up onto Sootclaw's back. "Is it really gonna happen this time?" he mewed excitedly, clinging to the large tom's back. But instead of waiting for an answer, the curious little tom just leapt back to the ground and batted playfully at Darkkit before feeling Cedarclaw's tongue swipe over his head, between his ears. "Mom!" he protested, recoiling before swiping his paw over the spot irritably. But as she spoke, the grin quickly appeared on his face again. "Let's go!" he squealed, and eagerly headed over at his mother's nudge, not bothering to slow and wait. He'd done enough of that.

~~~~~
Once she heard the other cats leave the nursery, Brightkit stayed behind for a moment. Her milky blue eyes stared out at the empty space ahead of her from her own little area of the nursery as she just waited there. The young she-kit had heard Foxstar’s call well enough- probably better than any other cat in the territory. But still, she hesitated in moving from the nursery.

Brightkit hadn’t been right for moons. The silver she-kit was the last surviving cat of her litter. Her siblings, all of them, had perished in the cold of leaf-bare. Her mother, Smallheart, had left her, as well. As for her father, Greypool, she hadn’t heard or scented him anywhere nearby in moons. She was all alone. Now she was huddled up in the nursery, a sad look on her face, without any notion of what she should be doing. The Clan barely acknowledged her existence. She was treated more like a ghost than anything else. Was she actually part of the ‘Clan’? Was she expected to be an apprentice? Was she expected to join them outside the protective nursery walls? It didn’t feel right. But, if she didn’t go, would things ever change? Was it worth taking that risk?

The silver she-kit didn’t know. But in such an empty life, she realized she had nothing to lose anymore. So she stood from her nest and slowly began to pad toward the direction of the light gusts of wind. She’d indicated that as the exit long ago. Once there, her head turned toward the sound of excited mews, and made her way closer to them. She chose a seating spot on the outskirts of the gathered cats and just listened with finely tuned ears, not looking at anything. For a blind cat couldn’t look at anything. Not that Brightkit knew she was blind, of course. She didn’t know she was missing out on anything. No cat had ever bothered to explain to her. They must have just assumed that she knew.

~~~~~
Badgerstep hadn’t been about to come out of the warriors den when Foxstar first called the meeting. The black and white tom had very little care for Clan meetings and such as of late. But, then again, he cared very little for anything now. He felt detached, as if he was a million miles away from the camp. He’d been this way for moons. His mate was dead, and he couldn’t go to any cat for help. She hadn’t been supposed to be any cat’s mate. Moonspirit had been a medicine cat. But now she was gone. He would never get to see her beautiful face again. Three of his kits had died just about the same time as she had, to add to the pain of loss, and he hadn’t been able to mourn them as a parent. As far as the Clan had known, Smallheart and Greypool were their parents. If he seemed too close to them, the Clan would suspect. And if they found it, it would desecrate Moonspirit’s memory. So what was the point of anything?

The only reason he was still in the Clan at all was because of two things- the first, his remaining kit, Brightkit. She was all that was left of her mother. There was no way he could leave her. The tom longed to be able to watch her grow. Blind or not, he loved her. Even if she would never be able to know the truth. But there was another reason. It was dark and twisted, especially when compared to the first. It was for the sake of anger and revenge. After having met the ThunderClan tom, Foxflight, and listening to his words of wisdom, Badgerstep began to see everything that had happened as Foxstar’s fault. It was her position to protect the laws StarClan had made up about medicine cats. That they couldn’t have a mate or kits. If that stupid law had never existed, he had no doubt that Moonspirit or his kits would still be alive and happy. There would never have been a reason to hide their lives from the world. Foxstar stood for everything he had come to hate. And so she would pay.

But thinking of all this reminded the tom that there was a certain she-kit who’s position in the Clan was about to be determined. As Brightkit was blind, the chance of her being able to be a warrior was very slim. But if she wasn’t made an apprentice, what would she be then? His amber eyes lit with concern. He had to know. That was reason enough to join the Clan meeting. The fact that he had an apprentice of his own who could become a warrior that very day didn’t reach his mind. So the large black and white tom rose from his nest at the back of the den and swiftly made his way over, taking a seat from where he could see Brightkit clearly, and waited.


(( OOC: Sorry for typing up something so huge! xPP ))

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Darkkit listened to his mother, but just barely. He was distracted by his brother climbing up their father’s pelt. Then the kit bounced at him and attacked. The black kit lunged back, rolling into him with a squeal of glee. His tiny frame was having a hard time holding in his excitement.

A warm raspy tongue on his head made his ears go back as his brother protested. Their mother was bathing them and he didn’t like it at all at this moment. What was wrong with her?! For Pete’s sake they were about to be apprenticed and should be running out there right now. Foxstar was their leader and they were going to be her warriors so soon that it made him quiver.

Cedarclaw praised them after she’d finished and he couldn’t help meowing happily. Then she began to nudge them out of the den and he quickly ran after his brother into the gathering. Before he got any further, he turned around hesitantly. Eyes of another nursery mate were looking out towards him. He blinked and knew it was Brightkit. Good she’s coming! he thought happily with a purr. Then he stormed off in the wake of his brother.

He sat down clumsily by Stonekit, wiggling his body to get rid of the wet leaves that spread over his sitting spot. The audacity of leaves, wet leaves at that, to be in his way, especially a kit that was almost an apprentice. His claws went in and out as he waited for Foxstar to start.

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Ashstorm's cold and viscious gaze turned to the tom who had dared speak to her and interrupt her thoughts. "Swiftbreeze." She said curtly, her head nodding to him slightly. Her voice was unfortunatly cold at this next part. "Perhaps when I return. If you'll excuse me..." Her voice trailed off as she got up, padding over to little Brightkit. She felt bad for her, the she-cat flicking her tail back and forth. She licked the top of the small she-kit's head, a warm purr rippling from her chest. "Hello Brightkit..." She said softly. The cloudy eyes told her that Brightkit was blind but....did she know? Of course she wasn't sure anyone had told Brightkit that she was blind...that something was wrong with her. But then again why would they? And ruin her mood? That would be awful....."Do you mind if I sit with you?" she asked, wrapping her sooty colored tail around the young she-kit.

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Moonsight sighed, standing up from his corner of camp. He hated clan meetings, he had never had many friends within camp, he had always stayed with Mosspelt and Lillywhisker, now though, it just reminded him how he would never belong anywhere, thats what was meant for him in his life, to forever be unsettled.

Watching the camp his eyes took in the camp, watching all the kits and warriors. His eyes landed upon Brightkit just as everyone elses seemed to do for a moment. The kit was smart, she would be able to learn. He had seen a few blind warriors when he had been gone, and had learn tricks from them that most cats hadn't learned, he had full faith that with proper training, she'd be a valuable asset to the clan.

Turning his head he watched Badgerstep, something in his eyes gave him a sense of foreboding. Yet, he saw that even in his own reflection, he could never look at any set of eyes without seeing betrayal evident there.

Shaking his head of these thoughts he turned to look at Foxstar, interested to see what her decisions would be.

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As she had been sitting there, waiting for the meeting to start with about a hundred different wondering questions in her mind, Brightkit's mind came to a halt as her ears picked up on the light sound of pawsteps drawing closer to where she was. The kit first assumed that the cat would walk on by, or stop to sit elsewhere before doing so, but the cat kept their pace until they came to a stop just beside her. Confused, the silver she-kit turned first her ears and then her head to the unfamiliar cat. The scent on their pelt was obviously WindClan, but she really had no idea who this was. Brightkit was not very familiar with most of the cats in the Clan, though. She spent most of her time in the nursery or in Swiftbreeze's den, for she quite enjoyed the scents of herbs that lingered there. But before she had a chance to ask who this new cat was, she felt a tongue go across the top of her head, as her mother had used to do. The gesture startled the small she-kit a bit, for she had no way of telling that it was coming. But that soon settled when the cat pulled away and began speaking.

So its a she-cat, Brightkit noted at hearing her mew. Not that this piece of information gave her much of an insight on who she was. At her question, the she-kit shrugged her shoulders simply. "No, I don't mind," she mewed, hearing the swish of the she-cat's tail before it wrapped around her much smaller frame. Brightkit supposed that the gesture was acceptable enough, but it seemed strange when she still had no idea who this cat was. "But, um, sorry I don't know, but, who are you?" Insecurity made the kit hesitate in speaking. The few cat she had felt comfortable with her gone. Opening up to others was strange.

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Swiftbreeze's face fell as she spoke to him and walked away. Looks like it was easier as an apprentice, he thought. Maybe my kit-like appearance attracted all the ladies. The thought that no one really cared for him even as an apprentice never occured to him and he began scanning for another she-cat to flirt with.

It was then that he realised something. Stopping dead in his tracks, he whirled around to stare at Foxstar. She seemed happy. Almost... to happy. Expecially now with Moonsight's return, it seemed odd that she'd be so cheery. Was she happy he'd returned? But he'd still been an apprentice when he had. Granted, that wasn't long ago when he earned his full medicine cat name, but still.

Was it that she was just happy to have more apprentices in the clan? He had a nagging feeling that it wasn't...

"What's she up to...?"

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Ashstorm smiled lightly at her not minding her company. After all, she needed a bit of company today....just not male. But at her next query, the she-cat nodded slightly. "I'm sorry, child, I forgot. My name is Ashstorm...." She purred softly, her ears turning and flickering in the little she-kit's direction.

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Hearing the name gave the she-kit some peace of mind. Ashstorm. Okay. Knowing the she-cat’s name provided her with a sense of connection. It made the she-cat seem more like a Clanmate. Otherwise, she had just been a drifting voice. ”Nice to meet you, Ashstorm,” the silver she-kit mewed softly, blinking to rid her sightless eyes of the dryness. ”So, you’re a warrior, right? I remember that our names change from ‘kit’ to ‘paw’ when we become apprentices, and then to something different when we’re warriors. Momma used to tell us that…” Brightkit’s voice trailed off sadly at the unintended mention of Smallheart. It made the sting of loss fresh in her heart again. Smallheart and the others were gone. The she-kit hung her head, angling it down near the earth at her paws. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair.

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Ashstorm nodded. "I am a warrior. I knew your momma." Ashstorm said softly, purring and rasping her tongue over the young she-kit's head again. "We grew up together. She was apprentice the same time I was." Ashstorm smiled when she spoke about what the names meant. "You know why I'm called Ashstorm? It's because when I was an apprentice I had a bit of a temper...but one day during a storm I had gotten a bit lost and almost got squished by a branch. But I still brought home freshkill and I didn't really like storm's much after that. Wavestar always had a sense of humor, bless his soul. He was a good leader and liked to mess around with the kits and apprentices sometimes so he named me Ashstorm as a bit of a joke." Ashstorm said softly, a breathy sigh escaping her.

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Brightkit listened to Ashstorm’s words about her mother with newly perked ears. So this she-cat had known her… Perhaps they could talk about her sometime? The she-kit’s time with her mother had been relatively short. All-in-all, her mother was a mystery to the kit. Besides her kind mew and warm belly, Smallheart was a stranger. The thought scared her a little. But she pulled her attention away from that for the moment to listen to Ashstorm’s background story. The silver she-kit gave a light giggle at the end. “That’s kinda funny,” she mewed softly. “Wavestar seemed like a good leader. Was he? Was he better than Foxstar?” Brightkit tilted her head a little as she asked. She didn't have much of an understanding of the current WindClan leader, much less any one of the past. But it interested her all the same.

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Swiftfire waited patiently for the meeting to begin. From her view, it looked like the whole clan had congregated, along with the soon to be named 'paws and the warriors. What was causing Foxstar to wait so long? She knew that Foxstar had a lot on her plate, but they really needed to move this on. Prey was just beginning to run again and each second wasted another chance to catch a rabbit or two for their clan.

She was sick still, but the coughing was getting better, thank Starclan. At least Swiftbreeze knew what he was doing. The loss of the other Medicene cat still stung, more so these days since she was cooped up in the den. Her body was still weak, so she kept where she was, gladly noting who was sitting where. She let loose a meow of impatience at Foxstar, as if she were a kit. Swiftfire had a kitten attitude at times. Lately, she'd been using it a lot since she had been sick.