Zinnia + Morningdove's Deputy Olympics [closed]

Since Olivestar was having a bit of trouble choosing between her Clanmates with regards to who would follow in her footsteps, she'd gotten a bit... creative with the process. This was one of the many trials of sorts that she'd conducted, and since her last question on the topic had been refused by Zinnia, Olivestar was hoping that she'd come around to the idea, given a little experience with the position. She was glad that her mate had agreed to the little "game" of sorts that she'd come up with, and with a smile, she made her way over to the medicine den so that she could involve Morningdove, in order to hold up her end of the bargain.

She was happy to see that her mate was already waiting for her, sitting beside the sleeping form of Morningdove, and she trilled a greeting towards the pair of them.
"Good morning, Zinnia, Morningdove! Are you ready to give deputyship a try?"

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ooc: this one's gonna be a bit more unconventional than the others as morningdove will only be able to participate in spirit, but basically, i'm just looking for two hunting rolls each, and then we call it! if we run into a predator, then we count that as part of the assessment too, and see how zinnia would direct her in battle

The air was light and breezy, but for one cat in particular it was heavy with anticipation. Zinnia had accepted her place in this little game of skill, if reluctantly, and now eagerly awaited finally being through with it. She would display her skills, suitable enough for a warrior but not for any position of true responsibility, and she and her mate could move on with their lives.

(Morningdove could not move forward alongside them, and this was unfortunate, for while they had never spoken much she found that she was quite fond of the mate's apprentice, all the same.)

"I suppose there's no way I can convince you to put it off?" Zinnia asked plainly, though her tone was laced with affection. "Just try not to be too surprised when I trip over my own tail. You knew what you were signing us up for, didn't you?"

Perhaps having her unconscious form dragged by the scruff into the blistering sun wasn't how Morningdove had imagined today would go, but then, at the same time-- she wasn't actively opposed to it either. A firm neutral stance on being catnapped and pulled around the moors as a third wheel for Olivestar and Zinnia's not-quite-a-date; for despite the discomfort and indignity of it (and perhaps, worst of all, the realisation that once again she was being a hindrance to her Clan, a literal dead weight that the others were forced to carry), she couldn't have been in better company if she'd tried. And honestly? A part of her did expect it, and a part of her looked forward to it- because sure, maybe Morningdove wasn't exactly capable of walking or talking or being anything but a conversation piece, but she was still being included in the little scheme Olivestar had cooked up to find a new deputy.

And what a scheme it was! When Raventail had selected Olivestone, he had (from what she'd heard, at least) seemed so sure, so confident in his decision, easily choosing the only cat who could've made a better leader than he himself. (Not that Ravenstar was at all anything less than extraordinary during his short tenure, of course- just that Olivestar set a very high bar.) And then in comparison, her own mentor's deliberation and slow, careful decision-making; perhaps a little less reckless than Morningdove would've been, but then, Olivestar always was the more sensible of the two. So when Morningdove had heard the rumors of a competition of sorts, a set of assessments for each warrior to demonstrate their skills at leadership and Clan duties... well, it was once the kind of thing she dreamed of, reaching for the -stars; but even in her current state, she had to admit it was a fine idea. Decisions like these shouldn't be made in haste, after all.

And though Zinnia's objective was to show her skills to the Clan leader, and Olivestar's mission was to assess Zinnia's suitability as a deputy, the whole arrangement would also serve to check off another of Morningdove's tasks as well: getting a firm measure of Zinnia's personality and suitability as her mentor's new mate. It wasn't that she didn't trust Olivestar to choose a good mate, but more that passing Morningdove's Inspection was simply something that any prospective partner of any of her friends would have to go through. The she-cat was, after all, a remarkable judge of character, and she knew regrettably little about the other warrior other than what everyone knew (a cat from outside the Forest, who had come to stay with WindClan; and though her loyalty at first was pledged to Finchstar, she had stayed even past his death, having fallen in love with WindClan - and its new leader!). It was time to change that for the better.

So though she couldn't answer Olivestar's question directly, the fallen warrior was more than ready; as the sun beat down upon her and the gentle wind rustled her fur, she actively welcomed the upcoming events of the day. Perhaps the fresh air would do her some good.

At Zinnia's question regarding whether her "assessment" could be put off, Olivestar smiled and chuckled, responding good-naturedly, "You know I can't do that. It'll be okay."

With a nod, she crouched down and attempted to maneuver Morningdove's sleeping body onto her back, positioning her to where she wouldn't slide off when she stood, and once that was achieved, she gave a nod to Zinnia, before explaining,
"All I'm asking for is for you to lead this patrol, pretending that I'm not the leader for the time being. Just direct me where to go, what to hunt, etcetera. If things go wrong, don't worry, not everything has to go perfectly, as rolling with the blows is another good quality that I'm looking for."

Zinnia nodded, Olivestar's words nothing that she hadn't expected. She had put forth her best efforts to put it off and failed, but she would give the task at paw her best efforts all the same. It wasn't a fair assessment, she thought, if she threw it on purpose - that wouldn't be fair to any of them.

It was easy enough to slip into the mindset of Olivestar not being her leader, as she was many things before that title - best friend, lover, the very light of her life; take your pick of saccharine descriptors. Just lead the patrol, as if it were any other. As if it didn't matter. "I suppose we should begin our hunt... By heading in this direction," Zinnia gestured with her tail as she led the way out of camp. "My luck is usually best when I'm going this way."

Truthfully, Morningdove had to admit just a little surprise at the fluidity with which Olivestar acclimated to her new position; the older tabby had always carried with her a quiet sense of charismatic wisdom, a presence that- while less obtrusive than Morningdove's own- commanded perhaps even more innate respect, but at the same time, Morningdove remembered the almost-timid mentor who had been so hesitant to stand firm against Finchstar's killers. That cat, from so long ago, was not the cat before her today; Olivestar had grown, without a doubt, and their mentor-apprentice bond had been all the better for both of them. Even then, Morningdove had thought it would take a little longer for WindClan's new leader to adjust, but from the instructions (not quite orders, but still worth following without question) she'd given? She'd settled into the position with such a level of familiarity as if she'd been born for this.

"I suppose we should begin our hunt... By heading in this direction."

Morningdove liked the idea of going in this direction. She wasn't exactly sure what direction this direction was, but she was sure it'd be interesting nonetheless; Zinnia's capabilities weren't immeasurable, but she was still most definitely an adept hunter from what Morningdove remembered - so any direction she chose was bound to have at least something worth catching. And even if Zinnia attributed her consistent success to luck, the sleeping warrior knew better; a catch could be brushed off as luck once or twice, but when repeated, it fell apart like a pile of leaves; no, the warrior was far more capable than she seemed to want to admit. Humble, but self-aware. A good combination of traits in a deputy candidate; in Morningdove's experience, those who paraded their prey around like trophies were comparatively lacking in the brain-cell department, and those who lacked awareness... well, they tended not to make it past apprenticeship anyway, as her own injuries could attest. A point in Zinnia's favor; so far, so good!

The warm smile on Olivestar's face never wavered as Zinnia hesitated for a moment, before leading the way, explaining her reasoning behind the route she was taking them on. "Sounds good to me."
Knowing your strengths and history of success in an area is a great thing to keep in mind when picking a place to hunt!

She was happy to see where Zinnia was taking them, and followed, careful to keep Morningdove from sliding off of her back.