Onward and Upward [Open: Clan Announcement]

It had been a long day already.

But it wasn’t over quite yet.

They had just returned from Highstones. From the ceremony where she had received her lives. And now it was up to her to bring that news to the clan.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!”

The words were familiar, as was the view from her place on the rock. But everything else was different. The information she was about to deliver, the feeling of being up here, the unquietable pounding of her heart against her chest...and most of all, her name, and everything it represented. She stood upon the rock as Nettlestar, no longer ThunderClan’s deputy, but its leader.

So it was time to tell the clan of Oakstar's retirement and her new position.

When heard those words that came from Nettlefire, Quailpaw immeaditly lifted his head. Almost immeaditly he thought that there was going to be another apprentice ceramoy. That was the deputy's job right? Still Quailpaw felt that something was different. Something he quite couldn't put his paw on. So Quailpaw decided to go into the crowd and sat down wondering if there really was something different with Nettlefire and what it was.

Leaders and deputies were allowed to leave camp like everyone else. Thrushpaw knew this, and so, when she’d gone looking for Nettlefire after remembering something she’d meant to ask a few lessons ago, she hadn’t thought much of her mentor’s absence. Then she’d noticed Oakstar was also missing, and that…that was strange. Outside of Gathering nights, they weren’t usually gone at the same time. She’d just about gathered the courage to start asking around when a yowl rang through her ears. No doubt about it—her mentor and Oakstar had returned. She shook herself and spun around to pad toward the Highrock, relief and confusion flickering across her face in turns as she saw Nettlefire standing above. Maybe Nettlefire would have an explanation…or maybe this was just a ceremony. Either way, Thrushpaw wasn’t going to miss it. Catching sight of Quailpaw as the crowd began to gather, she planted herself on the ground beside him.

The familiar words rang through the air from Nettlefire's mouth, and Cherryblossom was quick to heed them, slipping out from the warriors den to join the rest of her Clanmates in the clearing. Oakstar's age was no secret to the Clan, and she wondered whether the announcement was related to that. She'd seen the pair leave camp some time ago, and thought little of it, as the fact that they were father and daughter was also common knowledge to the Clan. So she thought little of it, and was content to wonder for a little while longer.

Rosepaw turned her head to face Nettlefire as the deputy's voice rang out. Tail flicking in curiosity and excitement, the apprentice slowly padded out of the apprentice's den to join her Clanmates underneath the Highrock. Eyes searching the crowd for a familiar face, or pelt, she spotted two of her fellow apprentices, Quailpaw and Thrushpaw, sitting together. Without a second thought, Rosepaw sat down next to Thrushpaw, whom Rosepaw hoped wouldn't mind her bushy tail taking up space.

At the familiar call of a clan meeting, Robinloft stood up from where she sat, fur ruffled. She could only wonder what the meeting was about, though it was probably just the normal apprentice or warrior ceremony. Even so, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to the other possibilities. Could a warrior be retiring to the elder's den? There weren't many elders around these days, so that would certainly be different. After arching her back in a stretch, the bi-colored warrior padded toward the center of the camp and joined the forming crowd.

The sound of someone coming down the ravine's side made Minkstream's ear twitch, and he looked up from where he sat near the entrance to camp - for perfectly innocent reasons - tensing just a little before he opened his mouth and caught their scent. Nettlefire and Oakstar. A silent breath of relief left his maw, and he watched them both as Nettlefire jumped up onto the rock, a slight frown pulling at his mouth as her announcement rang through the clearing. His eyes flicked to Oakstar, back to Nettlefire.

Something here was a little off. It made his pelt crawl, just a little. But he still got to his paws, padding over to the Highrock and glancing around to catch his mate's pelt, if she wasn't out with her apprentice. At least Rainstrike can't do anything when the camp's alert. Still, he threw a glance at the camp entrance as he settled down near his kits.

---

Lirista's ears perked as she heard the announcement, and she trotted over to sit with her siblings and Rosepaw, throwing a quick look in Minkstream's direction as he joined a couple moments later. "D'you think it's an apprentice ceremony?" She asked all of them in general. "Or maybe a warrior ceremony?

What'd it be like to be a warrior...? Her blue eyes sparkled at the thought, roaming back to Nettlefire. Warrior ceremonies were always the most interesting, even if they held a bit of sadness, too.

Nettlestar pulled in a deep breath. She wasn't nervous exactly, but this was certainly an important announcement, and an important night for her. It was a lot to process, and in many ways it still felt unreal. Even so, it was time to share her news.

“Cats of ThunderClan,” The gray she-cat addressed the growing crowd before her. There was a stronger sense of authority in her voice than ever before. But along with it there was a new warmth there, too, a tone that was more caring, more connected than it once was. “Oakst--” she caught herself, remembering that he would no longer be going by his leader's name. She continued on. “My father has decided it is time to step down as leader and retire. From this point forward he will have a new name, Oakheart. We have just returned from Highstones, and I have received my lives. I stand before you now as Nettlestar, your leader. When I first became deputy...I said I would do everything I could for you, all of you...I meant it then, and I still mean it now. Whether you were born to this clan, or whether you found your way here later…all of you who stand before me are my clanmates, and I will fight on your behalfs to the end of all nine of my final breaths,”

Cedarheart yawned as she heard Nettlefire’s call. She had picked up that the two cats had left camp, but she wasn’t sure what had happened. Maybe it involved Skyclan’s situation, or something else. Either the leader or the deputy was almost always at camp. But that didn’t matter now. She tried to make a habit of coming to most clan meetings if she could, in case something important arose. This was no acception.

She settled in the crowd, near some of the warrior’s her age, like Robinloft. She listened carefully, and slowly her jaw dropped. Oakheart had been leader since she was born, it was strange to imagine Nettlestar holding that position. But yet, it made sense.


~~

Daisybloom had gone to look for Oakstar, to speak with him about something. Noticing that both him and Nettlefire had been gone, she had returned to sorting herbs in the medicine den, somewhat confused. Usually when something big happened, they told the medicine cats. Maybe they had told Mossbloom, and she just hadn’t known.

The brown tabby settled down near the back of the crowd, waiting for the announcement. She suspected this wasn’t just an ordinary ceremony, so she watched with a curious interest. As Nettlestar announced everything, Daisybloom broke out into a smile. Sure, she was sad that her father had to retire. But now her sister was leader! She couldn’t wait to give the both of them a congratulatory nuzzle.

Pinepaw wasn't shocked at Nettlefire, or Nettlestar's statement. It had become obvious that Oakstar wasn't fit for the job any longer. The tom was older than Harefoot, and Harefoot had resided in the elder's den long before the former leader.

While it would be better for ThunderClan to have a younger, more spry leader, Pinepaw felt frustrated at how quickly things were moving. Life kept padding on, with or without him. Even now, with his moonstone journey completed and his assessment done, Pinepaw still felt small in the grand scheme of things. A selfish sentiment, but very real.