following lions makes nothing but sheep [closed]

Chin held high, Eris padded into the very center of the marvelously decorated clearing that Asylum called home. She'd donned her lynx pelt laced with long, thin vines with thorns for this special occasion. Only five moons ago, she’d given birth to a litter of four kittens, and since that day they’d grown and come of age to be sorted into their proper factions. The large she-cat had taken special care to watch over them as they trained, noting the skills they succeeded in and those that would become their downfalls. Each of them had received minimal training in the art of healing, and they’d all learned how to defend themselves, and even the best ways to hit someone where it hurt.

In just five short moons, they’d managed to impress her enough that she was ready to sort them into factions, and not a single one was to be doomed to the life of a Pelt-Ward. What kind of kit of the Head would they be if they were deemed unworthy of the three primary factions? With a grin of pride on her maw, the she-cat settled herself in the center of the clearing, adjusting the lynx pelt on her shoulders as she got comfortable. Just her mere presence gained the attention of nearly everyone in the intricately designed camp, and they began to gather around her in a nearly full circle as she simply sat and waited. There was no need to call everyone to attention, because they knew well enough to watch out for her and to gather when she was ready to make an announcement.

Once enough relevant Asylum members had gathered around her, and she knew that her daughter was near, Eris cleared her throat and called out, ”Eleos, daughter of Eris. It is time for you to be sorted into your proper faction.” Her voice rang out across the large clearing, and a sea of cats parted to make way for her daughter. Eris sat and waited patiently, already knowing which of the factions her firstborn would be sorted into.

The lean she-kit was settled near the edge of the decorated camp, soft blue eyes calmly observing the comings and goings of those around her. A pair of scouts padded into camp together, voices low as they talked, a runty pelt ward scurrying after them. A hare-pelted scout bounded up to them as they entered camp with a cheerful smile across her pretty calico face, while a brooding tom in a fox pelt watched from the shadows.

She was a watcher, and content to let the attention of others stay elsewhere. She wasn't shy by any means, but fading into the background was something she'd proven to be good at while remaining aware of her surroundings. As such, the tall, imposing figure that strode to the center of camp in a lynx pelt didn't go unnoticed. It would have been hard for such a commanding presence to go unnoticed by most naturally, but the soft-pointed kit had always been drawn to Eris' imposing figure. It struck her with awe yet inspired her. Their head was a strong she-cat, brave and bold. Her chin was held high, steps confident, in a way that she had unconsciously found herself trying to emulate.

Eris' voice rang loud and clear over the gathering cats, and Eleos couldn't help the hint of a smile that crossed her face at her name being called. She stood and padded towards the lynx-clad Head with sure-footed, even steps, cats parting wordlessly to make a path before her. That was simply the sort of power her mother commanded.

Eleos came to a stop in front of Eris. A kit still, even a tall and lanky one, she couldn't hope to match her mother in height or stature quite yet, but her head was held high regardless. She'd known her sorting would be soon, and today was finally the day! Eleos couldn't help the excitement and anticipation burning through her, though forced her paws into remaining still. It simply would not do for the Head's firstborn to be seen fidgeting like an overeager kit at her sorting.

Once Eleos had made her way through the crowd and sat proudly before Eris, she dipped her head ever so slightly and gave her a sly grin through the hooded lynx pelt she wore. "Eleos, step forward now to receive your rank one faction scar." She waited patiently for her to step forward, and once she was within reach, she looked up and called out across the clearing, announcing the placement of the young and bright she-cat before her. "I take you to be bonded to the Scout faction." With very little warning, she unsheathed a single of her large claws and raked it down the she-cat's left shoulder, an exact match of one of the scars that Eris proudly wore on her own left shoulder.

"Wear this mark of our faction with pride, young Eleos. I, along with the rest of the Scout faction, welcome you." In a low voice, loud enough for only Eleos to hear, Eris meowed, "Make me proud, kit." Eris watched as rivulets of crimson began to drip from her kit's fresh wound, a symbol of all the growth and wisdom that she was yet to achieve. Cheers rang out from every corner of the clearing they sat in the dead center of, celebrating the new Scout among Asylum's ranks. Eris would allow the celebration to continue a while longer, but she was sure that the she-cat would want to talk after the fact, so she padded to the edge of the clearing for whenever she was ready to speak.

Ever-observant, Eleos caught her mother's grin through the lynx pelt and returned it, blue eyes bright as she stepped forward with confidence. She'd waited for this day for what felt like moons. The light training she'd received and the way she'd been watched, no doubt assessed for her skills, had all been in preparation of this. Of being sorted into one of the factions. Eleos knew where she wanted to be placed, but would Eris agree based on what she'd seen over the moons?

The scout faction, as she'd hoped for. Eris' claw came without warning as Eleos turned her shoulder towards her, the small pain of the single slash across her left shoulder hardly felt as her soft fur was stained crimson. She'd serve the same faction her mother had, the faction that Lyrelei and kind Eos had devoted themselves to. The nightstrikers could fight and the standards were good at what they did, but nobody else could pull off what the scouts did without effort. The fresh wound across her shoulder would show the path she walked now, and was one she would bear with pride, one she'd strive to honor.

Cheers rang out across the camp, and Eleos grinned as several of her newfound compatriots approached with words of congratulations. Kind Eos was among them, as were others she recognized. Eleos was glad to spend a few moments with them, though her eyes did stray towards where Eris had perched near the edge of camp, and it wasn't long before Eleos broke from the gathered cats and made her way towards her mother.

"I was hoping to join the nightstrikers, you know." She smirked up at her mother. It could not have been more obvious she was joking, of course, soft blue gaze alight with joy as she sat next to Eris, tail curling over white paws.

Eris smiled politely as her daughter approached, pushing the hood of her lynx pelt onto her shoulders to reveal her tortoiseshell features. "Hmm, is that so? It's never too late to make a little change, darling." She mewed, rolling her broad shoulders back to release whatever tension still resided within. Though she'd never admitted it aloud, the thought of her kits growing up frightened her quite a bit. "I trust that you'll settle into your role in time. You make me so proud already, as you've come so far. Are there, perhaps, any questions you'd like to ask me? I was a Scout too, of course." Eris had spent moons training and working through the ranks in order to become Captain of her faction- let alone Head of the entire Asylum. If there was a question that her daughter wished to know the answers to, chances were she'd be able to help.