All That I Am (OPEN CLAN MEETING!!)

Minkstar looked up at the Highrock for a moment, its mass outlined against the blue sky above, hot morning sun slanting scattered through the leaves of the trees looming above the ravine, the air stirred by a breeze that brought faint scents of distant, familiar places. There was no turning back. His haunches bunched, his spring carrying him to the top of the rock with ease, a strange moment of unreality briefly tugging at him as he turned to look down over his camp, his Clan. How did I get from a little half-Clan kit with the world to prove... to here? Memories scattered like leaves as green-tinted shadows danced over the ground; rivers and churning, dark waters, howling snow, glinting teeth, storms and lashing rain, being swept away... the breeze on his face carrying the sweet scent of sun-warmed grasses, green sparkling eyes, and the welcoming spread of trees sighing in the wind. That same wind now stirred his fur as he opened his maw, letting the call ring out.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Wolfblaze had been sitting near the fresh-kill pile, contentedly watching camp. There were no kits out to play with right now, and her warrior duties were completed, for now. There was always something more, but it was something she had come to look forward to. The mostly-gray warrior had accepted how much work there was to do, and now just tried to look forward to more. She had come to count on Kestrelswoop as a friend that she could always rely on to have fun with, and she knew he had fun too, which was the important thing. Her idle thoughts came to a close as the ring of Minkstar's call echoed throughout camp. With her usual haste, Wolfblaze trotted her way to the Highrock, taking a seat and looking up at her leader with interest. Perhaps another apprentice becoming a warrior? That would always be the best scenario in her opinion. Yet something seemed off, and she hadn't noted any apprentices close to becoming warriors in a while. She could only wonder as she sat, keeping her mouth shut for once.

The medicine cat perked his head up at Minkstar's call. Green eyes coming away from his herbs, and looking towards the high rock. A meeting? There weren't any ceremonies lined up that he knew of, and as far as news went.. well there wasn't anything Minkstar had discussed with him. With one last glance to Batbite, Dovefrost stepped out of his den, curious eyes looking around. There weren't many cats gathered just yet. The white tom settled down not too far from his den in case the warrior inside needed his help.

Mossbloom's ears perked when she heard Minkstar's call. Though she was pretty sure that whatever he had to say wouldn't really apply to her, or the rest of the elders for that matter... She got to her paws slowly, wincing at the aching of her muscles as they groaned in protest. Limping out of the elder's den, she settled just outside of the entrance before dragging a paw over her ears, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on her back as she wondered what Minkstar had to say.

Kerath had a feeling that he knew exactly what this meeting was going to be about but that wasn't going to help soothe his nerves. He kept a calm façade as he padded over to the assembling cats. His gaze traveled from clanmate to clanmate and finally rested on Wolfblaze's familiar figure. A twitch of a smile was visible on his face as he approached her. He hoped being close to his best friend would quench his anxiety. Sadly, it probably wouldn't.

"Hey, Wolfblaze." he greeted softly as he sat down next to her. The smile he gave her was a bit forced but he hoped she wouldn't think too much of it. He had so much on his mind right now. He turned to look at his father as he waited but occasionally eyed Wolfblaze and the rest of the clan with his peripheral vision.

Deputyship came with one unforeseen advantage. Thrushnose knew the name and approximate age of every kit in ThunderClan’s nursery (not much information, really, but enough for this) and their newest crop of apprentices as well. She wasn’t as familiar with the older apprentices aside from her son and Stag, but surely Minkstar would have mentioned if either of them was ready for warriorhood. From that, she could guess—no. She knew what this meeting was about. That didn’t make it any less daunting to face. As she approached the gathering crowd, she searched for her siblings, half-hoping, half-fearing she’d find the same apprehension in their eyes. At least it wasn’t just her. Thrushnose took a seat with her eyes locked on her father and her muzzle held high. She wished she could be here as a daughter rather than a deputy—but odds were, she’d have to be both.

Minkstar's call caught Stag's attention, distracting him from grooming his too-thick pelt. He raised his head to look at the older tom, trying to study his expression and body movements. As far as he knew, there wasn't any kits ready to be apprentices or apprentices ready to be warriors. Maybe a warrior would be moving to the elder's den, then? Standing up, he padded toward the center of camp, gathering beneath the highrock with the rest of his clanmates, looking around to see if he could spot an apprentice or kit who seemed abnormally excited.

Quaildock's ears flicked at the sound of his father's voice. This was probably it. This was probably the annoucement Quaildock had been expecting over the past days. It probably was not it, but it also probably was. He padded over to the front of the crowd, glancing over to Mermurr and Kerath. Whatever happened next, he would stand by his family.

Admiral had no clue what was going on, but seeing the Thunderclan cats gathering in the clearing he joined them. He swished his black tail and narrowed his green eyes against the sunlight, eager to go back to sleep.

Luna was found lounging outside of the medicine den, eyes closed, and possibly snoring. Minkstar's call caused the she-cat to open her eyes. She knew she didn't have to be at the meeting, she wasn't really a clan member yet, at least not that she knew. The she-cat stretched out and stood, curious about clan life and why they would be called together. She hadn't witnessed any other meetings yet, so with her black fur still warm from the sun, she went to sit in the back of the gathering group of clan cats.

The last meeting of any sort that Patchpaw had been at had been her apprentice ceremony, and this was clearly not the same thing. It took her a second to realize that the summons now meant her as well, but when she did she found a seat for herself among her Clanmates. She had no idea what was going on, but felt rather grown up and important to be able to sit and gather to listen to their leader speak.

Stoatfur slipped from the warrior's den with his eye half-lidded. While it already felt like moons in the past, or a mere dream, his ceremony had been the previous sundown. It had been a long night, made all the more exhausting by the excessive thinking he'd done in the wake of such ceremony. He settled back onto his haunches with an inaudible sigh. The brown and white young warrior wasn't far off from Thrushnose and he spared his mother a glance. Something was worried into her expression that caused him to straighten up slightly. This wasn't a normal clan meeting was it? His gaze trailed up to meet Minkstar, more than one question in his expression.

Shrikesong padded out of the warrior's den, watching as Minkstar took to the branch to speak. She didn't know what the meeting was about, but it had to be important. Perhaps a warrior ceremony? She didn't remember seeing any apprentices leave with Dovefrost recently, but she also didn't really focus on that very much. If it wasn't a warrior ceremony... well, then what was it? What was so important as to warrant a clan meeting? The brown she-cat didn't know, and perhaps she didn't want to know. The brown she-cat sat down, gazing at the ThunderClan leader. Whatever he was going to say, it clearly needed to be heard.

The Clan gathered, curious eyes looking up at him, surprise in most. He could see the minds working behind expressions, trying to figure out what this meeting was about as they sat and looked up. For a moment he just let his eyes flick over them, lingering for a moment on where his kits had clumped together before he took a deep breath and opened his maw again. "I have called this meeting to discuss a matter I think important to ThunderClan moving forward, for... honesty's sake."

His eyes drifted toward the medicine cat den of their own volition, his heart clenching slightly at the thought of his mate curled inside, and he went on, voice ringing clearly without a quaver. "Most of you know how I came to the Clan, that Bat and I met at the abandoned barn and she took me back here with her. What most of you don't know... is that the story isn't completely true." A careful breath, no turning back now. "I only lived as a loner for a short time, using the name my father had given me as a kit. But I was born a Clan cat, to RiverClan."

And that was when the eyes widened and some maws began to open. Minkstar let his tail rise, cutting off any attempt at interruption, his voice ringing out loud and clear. "Yes, that RiverClan just across the border, the one that we've been enemies with for longer than the trees have stood here. At the time I didn't feel that I needed to say anything, because I wanted a fresh start. Oakst- Oakheart was aware of this and accepted me as a warrior." He drew himself up, paws planted solidly on the surface of the rock. "My loyalty is - and always will be - to ThunderClan, first and foremost. This is my home, and you are my Clan. The main reason I've chosen to announce this is because I don't want to let everyone keep assuming something that isn't true. I want you to know... that I won't hide things like this from you any longer, or let it be used by potential enemies to divide us."

He fell quiet for a moment, letting a soft breath escape his maw. It was done. No going back, no more hiding. "If you've got questions, I'll answer." No doubt there would be some - he'd planned to have to elaborate a little. You couldn't just give a speech like that and then waltz straight back to a sunny nap spot, after all.

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Sablepaw heard the summons ring through the camp, and poked her head out of the elder's den, carefully dropping her tick-removal stick as her eyes flitted over the scene. Some kind of ceremony? Is somebody becoming a warrior? There wasn't anyone else ready, and definitely not her since she hadn't had a chance to go to the moonstone yet. Her eyes fell on her siblings as they gathered, a slightly uneasy feeling working down her spine as she stepped aside for Mossbloom with a mumble that even she wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean, her pawsteps quick, with a nervous bounce to them as she joined her brothers and sister.

"This is that announcement, isn't it?" Her voice came out as a slightly hoarse whisper, her ears twisting back slightly as her eyes flicked from them to the rock, waiting with a slightly churning sense of dread as her dad's mouth opened again.

She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until he'd finished the short speech, her muscles relaxing slightly as she shifted. That wasn't so bad.... Now they'd just have to live with whatever happened next....

Admiral blinked int the sunlight and then started laughing. "Is that all you wanted to announce Minkstar? That is no big deal to me, you accepted me into this clan and agreed to mentor me so I don't care where you came from just that you are loyal to the clan for the rest of your life!" he turned to challenge the other cats. "Does it matter that he is from Riverclan? His whole life he has been loyal Thunderclan, n ever even looked across or wondered what life is like in Riverclan." His black fur bristled and his looked twice his size with his green eyes blazing. "And I will defend any cat that dares to kick out Minkstar." he said with a hiss, sliding our his shinning claws.