A New Member of the Clan? [OPEN WIDE]

The leader left his den under the Willow Tree being followed by Gingerstripe. He walked calmly to the Willow Branch and when he was in front of it, he turned his body to face the former Shadowclan warrior. "Stay behind me and don't say anything until I've announced your status in the clan." He ordered.

In one graceful leap, Jaystar landed on the top of the branch and he looked at the large island that he called home. His green eyes went from one clanmate to another, wondering what would they think about the welcome of a cat that wasn't part of Riverclan since birth. The tom sighed. There was no other way anyway now. His clan needed to know about the ginger-furred tom and what Dewshine did. It wasn't a thing he could hide. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the willow branch for a clan meeting!" He yowled.

Stormstrike was one of the first to look up, his large ears perked in the direction of the branch where his father currently perched. The tall warrior stretched, the scars in his otherwise sleek gray pelt clearly visible in the sunlight that he had been previously basking in. He slowly stood and padded towards the willow tree, a faint look of confusion clouding his handsome face. Who was that? A ginger-striped tom stood behind his father. He was just half a head shorter, but his bright fur stood out in the sea of gray, white, and brown that made up most Riverclanner's pelts. This cat was unmistakably an outsider.
The cream-chested tom sat down, his summer-yellow eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Not long after the call was heard a silvery tabby pelted she ct padded from where she was laying for a moment near the apprentices den. Littlepaw blinked her bright blue eyes in a bit of confusion as she padded over to Stormstrike and sat down her blue eyes spotting the ginger pelted tom not too long after."do you know what's going on?"She asked quietly her blue gaze flicking over to her brother.

Cinderfall turned and followed his two siblings to take his place. There was a red tom there by Jaystar and his face looked very similar to some Shadowclan cats he knew. Perhaps a visitor?

Spotfur sat there too, curious but not worried. If this cat were dangerous, Jaystar'd have him killed.

Flamepaw tucked herself near the back, noticing the red tabby's eyes. They reminded her of her own when she looked at her reflection. They were filled with hope, regret, and something she hadn't experienced since she had been taken- love.

Viperstorm sat out in the camp when Jaystar padded out of his den with the stranger in tow behind him. The warrior didn't like this one bit. "What is this Jaystar? Who is this?" She growled lowly. She didn't trust the stranger, she didn't like this cat and what Jaystar was possibly planning.

Heronflight was sitting near camp when he saw a strange ginger tom follow Jaystar. The gray tabby tom was suspicious, but kept his opinions quiet. He already knew the damgers of speaking out.

Badgerpaw watched the ginger tom carefully. She wondered who he was, and why was he here.

Wrenbreeze & Larkpaw were there too and wondered who the ginger tom was.

Aspenpaw had been laying in the sun near the Apprentice's den, as he had gotten a break from training. As his grandfather's words rang out across the clearing the tom scrambled to get up. He quickly gave his disheveled fur a lick and began padding across the clearing. As he padded closer he spotted a ginger cat with an odd scent. He didn't like this scent and his fur bristled slightly. This cat must be alright, Jaystar isn't telling us to get him is he?   He thought this, and padded ever closer to his leader.

He sat near his brother, green eyes staring in curiosity. His long furred tail brushed the ground as it flicked from side to side.

Gingerstripe sat nervously under Jaystar, shifting his weight from paw to paw. Once his shock and happiness at being accepted had worn off somewhat, the anxiety had set in. Convincing Jaystar was only half the battle- now he had to be accepted by the Clan, as well. His new Clanmates. Some might be more willing than others to let him into their lives, but he knew that there would be at least a few who would refuse to associate with a loner- and worse, a murderer. If ThunderClan cats, members of a Clan notorious for taking in all sorts of rogues and kittypets, hadn't been willing to offer him sanctuary, then how would pureblood-oriented RiverClan take it?

Since Dewshine had been led away in order for Goldeneye to check on the progress of her kits, he felt quite alone directly under the large Willow Branch the center of attention... again. He realized how he must look to all these cats- some stick-thin tom with large, worried green eyes that seemed too big for his face, a bright orange tabby pelt that would stick out like a sore paw among all the soft grays and browns and mottled colors he saw... StarClan, what did they think of him? Whatever it was, it would get worse once Jaystar told them his backstory. He almost wished he could hide, but what would be the use? Gingerstripe braced himself for the leader's words to continue, wilting under the many hostile looks he received, but determined to stick it out. This time, his acceptance into the Clan didn't depend entirely on their first reactions. He would be part of RiverClan whether they liked it or not.

--

Snowblossom watched the Clan meeting apprehensively, wondering why there was a bright ginger tom by Jaystar. What was he doing here? What was the meaning of this? Surely he wasn't any trouble, since the leader seemed completely fine with his presence. The fluffy white warrior gazed at the thin, starving-looking tom curiously, green eyes mirroring his own. It seemed like the tom was hungry for more than prey- he hadn't been with many other cats in a long time. The nervousness was present within the lines of his body, his tense muscles, his shifting eyes. Who was this cat?

OOC: Jaystar will talk later today. If you haven’t posted with your cats, you have a few hours ;D

IC: Hailsong left the den and joined her siblings with emotionless green eyes. She flicked her tail nervously and he ear kept twitching, uncomfortable. That ginger tom didn’t smell like a clan. He looked like a filthy rogue or loner yet he was standing by his father’s side, not doing a thing. Who was he? Was he dangerous? Was he related to Shade?  The questions kept filling her mind and the she-cat could barely keep her paws still. ”I just hope this won’t give us more troubles...” She muttered with a low hiss.

---

On the other side, Silverfang kept herself on the edges of the group, taking notice of his little’s sister slightly angered words. If she was honey, she felt the same. She fixed the eyes on the leader, sharply. If he was planning on taking that outsider in... Riverclan would be no different from those those rotten cats of Thunderclan. She unsheathed her claws but said nothing. She had no right to defy her leader, not after how merciful was he to her. The senior warrior owned her everything to him for letting her stay in Riverclan after what she did...

Meadowpaw looked at this strange cat in front of her. He smelled weird... she had never smelled anything like it before. Who was he? What did he want? Why was he here? She looked eagerly at Jaystar,   hoping to get an answer to the questions she had in her mind.

Fallowpaw stepped out of her den with a smile on her face- she always made sure to smile when it was time for a kit or apprentice to be promoted. It only took a few seconds for her smile to immediately drop to the floor. "Who in great StarClan's name..." Her voice trailed off as she stood in the entrance of the den, features frozen in what couldn't be described as fear... But it wasn't unlike that of uncertainty. She, even in her short time as an apprentice, had never seen the cat that she spotted underneath the Willow Branch. She quickly shut her jaw, noticing that it had fallen open in her surprise. She padded forward to sit right in front of the Branch, looking at the russet-furred newcomer that sat a few foxlengths in front of her. Her gaze held a familiar tone in it, a welcoming look beaming from her face. She knew that if the tom didn't belong... Jaystar wouldn't allow him to be here. Her maw soon turned upward, offering the clearly nervous tom a genuine smile. Then, a realization hit her.

This was the tom that Dewshine and Scorchclaw had spoken of, just moments before. Her grin only faltered for a moment- she quickly fixed it back to the state it had been in before. Her gaze flickered back to the Medicine Den, then back to the tom.

The leader looked at his clanmates' faces and expression. With his long ears, he could hear the voices and replies of some of his warriors to his call so he did not make them any longer. He glanced at Viperstorm for a second before opening his mouth after he called for silence with a sudden movement of his tail. "I know you're curious and concerned about this meeting but I shall answer all your doubts with my words. First of all, this cat beside is called Gingerstripe." He mewed, giving a quick glimpse of the orange-furred tom. He then took a short, yet deep breath, already knowing the possible consequences of his next announcement.

"Maybe some of you have noticed that earlier today, Dewshine came to me. She asked me for a meeting with her and this tom and I agreed with her. Scorchclaw, my deputy, was there too... and she confessed a mistake. In simple words, our clanmate took as his mate this outsider and she's now carrying her kits. I've already punished for her actions and she will be forced to stay in camp working for the clan at the same she won't longer be Flurrypaw's mentor. Scorchclaw will make sure to give her a substitute for the rest of her training and it will be up to my deputy if she will take another apprentice ever. Dewshine broke the Code... but under my judgement, her kits don't deserve a punishment when they haven't been ever born. After Shade... we already know what broken families and lies among kin can cause in a young cat..." He mewed, his green eyes looking serious as he spoke about her. To be honest, he had no trust in her after this and her past behaviour. The tom she had no malice in her heart but she lacked the loyalty for a clan and she was too careless and naive when it came to cats who didn't belong to Riverclan.

"But... unlike you might think, this tom did not want to leave Dewshine raising their kits alone, like Shade's dad did. Gingerstripe came to the camp, risking his life, asking me for a chance to raise them in a clan... and after discussing it with Scorchclaw, we came to the agreement that we will him an opportunity to prove himself loyal to Riverclan until his kits become apprentices. He will be doing the same duties as a warrior and will hunt for the clan just like the rest of us. I ask you for your comprehension and to treat him well. I won't tolerate infighting and anyone who dares to attack without a good reason will be punished immediately. However... I also give you the order to stop him if he tries something suspicious or that could harm our clan. After all, he is under a period of test and as your leader, I won't stand a disloyal cat. I trust in your own judgement... and that is why... you all deserve to know the truth about this cat's past." Jaystar imitate the strong and fierce yet calm voice of his mother as he spoke. In a situation like this, he had to show confidence and strength because if his clanmates saw him being weak... they would no longer trust in his leadership or follow his orders. He had to put order and his words were absolute. The formerly shy leader had to keep repeating that to himself. "As you might have noticed, this cat doesn't have the name of a common rogue. He used to be a Shadowclan warrior but he was exiled by Littlestar for... murder. But, before you come with rushed complaints, hear what I have to say. Gingerstripe is the son of the former Shadowclan medicine cat, Honeydrop, and a Shadowclan warrior, the result of a forbidden romance that was filled with lies and more lies. When he finally knew the truth and his mother was exiled, he followed her to the Thunderpath to ask her why did she do all that, lie and pretend she wasn't his mother. They started to argue and in the middle of that, he accidentally pushed her away to the Thunderpath not knowing that a Monster was about to cross. When his clanmates knew about this, they didn't believe him and his foster mother, the leader, banished him from Shadowclan. He asked for shelter in Thunderclan but he was rejected as well."

"This is what he told me, as he asked for a chance to rebuild his life and be someone better from he used to be. Of course, I know he might be saying a bunch of lies and I won't ask you to trust him in a heartbeat. But... I believe this tom... this warrior... deserves a chance to prove he is sorry for his crime and to redeem himself here... just like Flamepaw is doing under my training..." For a second, he hardened his expression a little bit as he continued, he softened his voice and even smiled a little, appealing to the kinder and more forgiving part of their clanmates' hearts. He knew not all of them would agree, but he was the leader...

He closed his eyes and lowered his head a little, as he prayed to Starclan that this was the right choice. It had to be... or his clan would suffer again. The tall tom faced the crowd again, with determination but also with a begging look. "I've already decided this and I won't change my mind, because I truly believe this is what Starclan would have wished for a cat who regrets all of his past life. As your leader... and your friend... I ask you to understand... at least a little. He will be judged again when the times come... and I'll decide if he deserves to be an official Riverclan warrior for the rest of his life."

Gingerstripe? Stormstrike's mouth hung agape as his father spoke, glossing over the fact that Dewshine had had kits with a mere rouge. It didn't stop there, though. Gingerstripe himself was born from a forbidden romance, and had been exiled from Shadowclan.
"Jaystar... you can't..." He spluttered loudly, looking up at his father with confusion and betrayal. This tom was the unfortunate result of a forbidden romance, and had been exiled for murdering his mother. He wasn't even supposed to be alive.
"Father... be rational." He sofened his voice, trying to convince his father to listen to reason. "This tom is a murderer. If his own kin were willing to turn their backs on him, then who are we to question their judgment? They must know him better than anyone." This tom was dangerous, that was certain. An accident allowed to walk free, and an impure cat. There was no telling what he'd do when given free reign. "I... I don't want him anywhere near my sons, not after what he did." Murderer, murderer, murderer! The thoughts rang through his head, like a flock of crows gathering after a hunt.
Gingerstripe had fooled his father, but Stormstrike wouldn't let him out of his sight. If he caught him on his own... well, he was nothing without Jaystar behind him. Without his father to protect the rouge, Stormstrike would be able to take matters into his own paws.

Flamepaw felt offended by Stormstrike's angered words. "So!? He made a mistake! So did I, so has Ivystar, and every other cat in this camp! So they haven't killed, but I know for a fact that he will redeem himself, just like me!" She snarled. Stormstrike was a bit too similar to Shade... At least he cared for the wellbeing of his kits and clanmates.

Cinderfall also had a not-so-happy reaction. "So he did. And, Jaystar, while I trust your judgment, I'm still keeping an eye on him..." For once, he was leaning towards Stormstrike's side.

Spotfur was silent.