Time Marches Forward [clan meeting]

The body and paws of the newly-named leader were sore, but Olivestar couldn't rest yet, she still had one more announcement to make. After having given the news to the ever-sleeping Morningdove, with Softbreeze being there to hear, it was time to let the rest of the Clan know. She briefly considered forgoing the path up to the Tallrock, but then thought better of it, forcing her body to make the familiar climb. As always, she relished the view and the breeze blowing through her fur for a moment before calling out the familiar summons.
"May all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tallrock!"

She found Raventail in the clearing, in the smattering of cats dotting the camp clearing going about their business, and smiled as she watched her Clanmates gather below her.

By now, Raventail knew well just how little rest a cat actually got while sleeping by the Moonstone’s harsh light. He’d been caught off-guard all the same when, after his first step past the camp’s threshold as a thrice-made warrior, exhaustion had slammed into him like a badger’s paws. Everything after that was a collection of still images. Olivestar ducking into the medicine den, her purpose clear to any cat who’d known her longer than a few sunups. Fogpaw’s pale pelt and dark stripes, Dappleshine’s blotches of white and gray. The soft crush of his nest underneath him. And now, waking to the sound of words he’d heard all his life in a voice he knew well. After a brief but thorough stretch, he allowed himself to melt into the mass of cats as they padded toward the Tallrock. Olivestar had almost certainly told Morningdove about her new position; now it was WindClan’s turn to know.

What would they think? How would they judge him? The brighter, significantly less conscious half of him wondered, would they judge him at all? Thinking about it now wouldn’t do him any good, he knew, but herding his mind to less terrifying hills wasn’t much easier now than it had been on the journey to the Moonstone. As he settled down, leaving open spaces at his sides, Raventail glanced up; Olivestar’s eyes met his. In the moment before she moved on, he flashed her a tired, encouraging smile.

Clearstone rose from his nest, shaking off scraps of moss and the remainders of sleep out of his pelt. Olivestone was up on the Tallrock, calling for a Clan meeting. Dutifully, he obliged, slinking over to join the other gathered cats. Was this an apprentice ceremony? No...His eyes scanned the group and spotted Ravenstar down with them. That was strange. The pointed warrior's eyes narrowed in thought. The air around this meeting felt...different. Something was amiss.

He turned his gaze back up towards Olivestone, waiting patiently for her to continue. Although he didn't show it on his face, he was very eager to hear what the matter was.

"Hm?" Spotlake turned her head from the rabbit she was eating. A clan meeting? If Olivestone was up there surely it was another apprentice ceramony. Or maybe a warrior ceramony. Was Ravenstar sick? No no he was sitting in the crowd. But why? Was he going to get an apprentice? Questions filled Spotlake's head as she put the rabbit she was eating near some rocks before bounding over to the gathering of cats.

Smallbean raised his head at Olivestone's call from highrock. He stood up from where he sat and gave his pelt a good shake to rid it of any moss or dirt that could be stuck to it. Figuring it was probably just the average apprentice ceremony, he padded out into the clearing. Seeing his mother nearby, he took a seat beside her. Whatever the meeting was about, it didn't seem to be bad news, as Olivestone had a smile on her face. As long as it wasn't bad news, he was content.

The little smile that Raventail gave Olivestar meant everything to her, just that little expression told her so many unspoken things, and her smile widened a little, knowing for certain that she was in his good graces. As her Clan gathered below her, murmurs began bubbling up from the cats below, speculating about what she was calling a meeting for. She glanced briefly at the medicine den, where Morningdove lay, and recalled the elaborate, if not formal speech of sorts that she'd composed on the journey back from the Moonstone, that she hadn't been able to use while talking to her.

Finally, she lifted her head, and began to speak.
"It's no secret that Raventail and I left the camp together yesterday, and judging by the fact that I have referred to his old name is probably a clue as to what happened while we were gone.
We traveled to the Moonstone so that he could give up his lives and return to warriorship, and so that I could receive my own. We welcome him once more as a warrior of WindClan, and respect the decision he made, as it was not an easy one. " she paused for a moment, before continuing, "I stand before you now as Olivestar, and I will do my best to serve the Clan the best that I can."

"I always looked up to Finchstar, and I want to embody the values that he taught to us, and I hope that his legacy will live on through my leadership."

She waited for her Clanmates' response with almost bated breath, and while she knew that she was well-liked and respected among them, she still hoped that she had their approval nonetheless.

Zinnia had gathered with her clanmates when the meeting was called, simply happy to hear her mate's voice after a day of its absence. Her announcement was a surprise, if only for a moment; but she had faith in Olivestone - no, Olivestar, now, she wasn't sure she'd ever get used to all this name-changing, but it had been long enough by now - but she had faith, at least, that Olivestar would do her best as a leader; and she was excited to see it.

She was silent for now, but she hoped her smile was at least a small reassurance.

Clearstone's ears flicked as Olivestar explained the reason for her absence. His head tilted slightly to one side as he took that information in. It seemed Olivestar was looking for confirmation, some sort of reaction in her Clanmates, reassurance, so Clearstone gave his new leader a respectful bow of his head and straightened up to his full height. He flicked his tail once, then began the traditional chant. Whether or not it was customary in this instance, he wasn't sure, but it couldn't hurt.

"Olivestar, Olivestar, Olivestar!"

It was the subtle things that Morningdove appreciated; chiefly the wind, blowing through the medicine den on occasion, carrying with it the soft scent of Greenleaf grass and just an echo of the blistering heat of the midday sun, just enough to bring comfort. Along with Olivestone (Olivestar, she reminded herself, still getting used to her mentor's new name rolling around her head - it felt right, she thought, felt natural) and Softbreeze, the wind was her third constant companion, brushing against her fur often to remind her that she still drew breath. And, on this occasion, it brought with it not just gentle warmth and a reminder of the passing seasons, but something far more important entirely. Snippets, fragments of speech, so close and somehow still far beyond measure; it wasn't too unusual, and she'd made a habit of listening to as many of Raventail and Olivestar's speeches and ceremonies as she could (or what little she could, at any rate), but this time seemed something different, seemed something more.

"...that Raventail and I left th... ...sterday, and... ... referred to his old name is probably... ...ppened while we were gone...
...oonstone so that... ...turn to warriorship... ...elcome him once more... ...spect the decision he made... "

"...fore you now as Olivestar, and I will d... ...the best that I can.... ...to Finchstar, and I want to embo... ...ope that his legacy will live on through my leadership."

Barely whispers from this distance, the shelter of the medicine den diffusing the sounds into little more than ghosts, and then, loud and clear like the rays of the morning sun through the clouds-

"Olivestar, Olivestar, Olivestar!"

And Morningdove thought to herself, Olivestar, echoing the call as she thought to the future of WindClan, the future of the forest. There would be no better leader in the lifetime of all the Clans, she was sure; WindClan deserved someone strong, and wise, and patient, and kind, and Olivestar was all those and more. Regardless of what might come to the forest, WindClan would weather the storm and breathe freely under the leadership of Olivestar.
And Morningdove thought, Olivestar, and- for just the briefest moment- shifted in her endless rest, her paws twitching and reaching out slightly before settling back down, as quickly as it had started. It was little, it was nothing, but it was more activity than the she-cat had shown in moons (and, of course, no cat was there to see it with the clan meeting underway).
And before her unending rest took her once more-- Morningdove murmured, quiet as the wind, "Olivestar."