Rain fire down unto me, flesh and bone, and find me unaffected [CLAN MEETING]

Bloodstar had a lot to go through. His clan gathered to him, slowly rising out of their nests and assembling beneath Tallbranch. He needed to word this very carefully, both to convey the full truth of his intentions without sounding too extreme. If he could help it, he would not lie to his clan about anything, nor hide anything from them. Those days were over, he hoped. He noted Beechface's tension and felt a wave of guilt. He knew very well what she was afraid of, but her fears would not come to fruition. They'd had a fight, but that wasn't enough to send her away from Skyclan. Not after everything she had done for them. He blinked once to soften his gaze and gave her one, slow nod of reassurance before turning his attention back to the rest of the clan. A few of them whispered as if he wasn't... standing right there listening... but it was more of an amusement than an annoyance.

The clan could sense something was different about this meeting. He'd conveyed his urgency in his tone well enough. He exhaled slowly to quiet his own quickening heart. There was so much to say... how would he even begin to say it all? He was suddenly all too aware of the coldness of his ears and on his paw pads. His legs were tired and heavy from the journey from the moonstone... and he would be more than thankful for sleep once this was over. Right now however, he needed to be strong.

Once the clan had gathered completely, from the kits in the nursery to the elders in the elder's den, Bloodstar finally cleared his throat and took in a big breath.

"Skyclan... last night I traveled with Wolfstar and Juniperlight to the moonstone. I have received my nine lives and I am no longer Bloodstrike." He didn't feel the need to tell them his new title. His clan would already know just from that much information. "I wish I could tell you I was in the mood for celebration and congratulations, but unfortunately I bring sad news. Wolfcall and Juniperlight have left Skyclan. They wished to seek out a better home for us, all of Skyclan, somewhere other than these woods. The forest has been unkind to Skyclan and unfair, and they believed they could find a better place out there. When they find a land suitable enough for Skyclan to live away from the torment and toxicity of the forest they will come back for us. I am inclined to go with my father and former leader when he returns. Those of you who wish to come, may, and those of you who wish to stay will be encouraged to join one of the four remaining clans for your well-being."

He paused to let his clan get their minds wrapped around this information. Bloodstar barely had grasped the information himself. A chilly breeze blew by, making him shudder. Leaf-bare was on it's way... and he hoped his father and Juniperlight would be alright.

"In the meantime... I want Skyclan as safe and as strong as possible to endure whatever may lie ahead of us. I will be making several changes to Skyclan. I understand that this will take time to get used to and I will be patient with all of you. A new deputy will be chosen soon, but not during this meeting." His eyes swept the cluster of cats below him and lingered on each of them for a heartbeat. He already had an idea of who he would pick, but hadn't thought long and hard about his decision just yet. That time had only just been thrust upon him. He needed to sleep before making any important decisions such as that.

"I have a lot to cover and I will take a few questions after, so please listen carefully.

It has been a long tradition for Skyclan to be wary of outsiders and not accepting of them or kittypets... but I think Lynxpetal has been a shining example of why we should reconsider that tradition. Skyclan will now be accepting of outsiders on a case by case basis. Rogues will be questioned and analyzed for any ill-intent before being accepted. We're not Windclan, so we're not going to just accept anyone who comes along. Outsiders will still have to make the cut to be in Skyclan, kittypets especially will have their abilities scrutinized before earning any true warrior names. Any abandoned kits found will be accepted into Skyclan as well, so long as we are completely certain they did not wander from another clan. We're not going to make the same mistake and accumulate grievances like Riverclan did with us. Any exiled clan cat seeking refuge with us will be heavily questioned before acceptance will even be considered, along with a detailed report from their previous leader as to why they lost their place in the clan to begin with. We're unlikely to take them in, but I am not entirely closed off to the idea. They will be monitored for moons to ensure their bad behavior doesn't return, or they will be exiled once more with no warning."

One subject down... many more to go. After a moment of silence, Bloodstar continued.

"Next, because we've had so many problems with a certain exiled Skyclan cat and Shadowclan had recently announced problems with rogues, I don't want any Skyclan cat to go anywhere outside of camp alone. It leaves you too vulnerable. I know a lot of us are independent cats and this news isn't appealing, but I believe it to be the safest option for everyone. Please do not disregard this new rule. As for organized patrols, I will lay out a plan with the new deputy about how to organize patrols into small but efficient groups. The time that passes between patrols in any given area should be the absolute bare minimum so that if an unwelcome guest has crossed our borders, they will be detected as quickly as possible. This means some of you will have to move at a faster pace than you are used to when patrolling. Please come to me if there are concerns about this, but at least try it."

Onto the next matter...

"Now, I know we're not Shadowclan cats, but as part of our security I want at least two warriors awake at night to watch and listen for any possible threats to the camp while the rest of us sleep. I will have these warriors rotated out daily so that no one has to be awake all night all of the time. Any warrior who has night guard duty will be exempt from dawn patrols so that they may have time to rest. I have a defensive alarm plan that I want to put into place as well that will assist night guards in their work, but I will get to that in a moment."

This next piece of information he hoped the clan would find interesting... and he would be very curious to see who got excited about it.

"Those of you who are the most adept in the trees, listen up! Skyclan will get an additional patrol group that I call Sky Patrol. Your job is to stay in the trees on the outer edges of Skyclan territory and watch the horizon for large threats, such as clan raiding parties, twoleg invasions as Riverclan had, or otherwise suspicious activity. You'll report to the deputy or me if anything is afoot. I ask that you practice your silent tree skills daily, as one day, I may use you to infiltrate other wooded clan territories like Thunderclan, Shadowclan or Riverclan and observe them. We have no quarrel with these clans for now, but that could change at any time. I'd rather be ready than caught unaware, especially because of how close they live to us."

His mouth was starting to get dry, but he supposed that was better than being a slobbering mess. He swallowed and licked his lips before continuing.

"Also, patrols, you will have two additional responsibilities to your regular hunting and territory marking routine: A fire devastated Skyclan's territory when I was a new warrior. The forest has recovered for the most part, but there are still weak limbs on the trees that could pose a danger to the less experienced Skyclan members, apprentices especially. Any weakened limbs you find on trees need to be safely removed. Weakened limbs will hang at awkwardly low angles, have a lot of moss growing on them and even in green leaf will not have new growth. Once they fall to the forest floor they are no longer a danger to us.

The other thing to look for are rabbit burrows. All patrols who find rabbit burrows are instructed to collapse them and fill them with earth. Urinating on them will discourage prey animals from reforming them. Rabbit populations will likely drop in Skyclan, but no big deal, since our diet is mostly squirrels and birds anyway. This is to prevent a plethora of threats, including but not limited to: Predators who use rabbit burrows for their own homes by expanding them and any cat who might use them to avoid detection from above ground patrols. Without a place to live or shelter young, predator populations are expected to drop, as they will have to move on to other territories that do not follow these kinds of practices."

He was nearly finished now, at least. He gave the clan a moment to process these new responsibilities before he moved on.

"Now, back to that defensive alarm plan. Since patrols will be removing tree limbs anyway, I want us to be able to use the ones that we can reasonably drag back to camp. I want the crunchiest twigs, leaves and pine needles in the entire territory to be placed on the outside of our camp, everywhere with the exception of the entrance. As for the larger limbs, I want them leaned up against the few rocks on the outside of camp. Our main threat is an exiled Skyclan cat, so to assume he can't jump the gap between the rocks to get into our camp is worse than ignorant. With the limbs against the rocks, he'll have no choice but to land on them, which will them roll onto the crunchy twigs, leaves and pine needles on the ground around them, thus making noise and alerting the camp. If any non-Skyclan cat or predator tries to enter camp at any angle except the guarded entrance, the sounds of many twigs, leaves and pine needles snapping will be your early warning. Obviously for this to work, no one is allowed to step on them. Enter and exit the camp though one way only.

Those of us who work on building this defense, start from the outside and work your way in to avoid crushing anything under your paws."

Bloodstar hoped his clan was keeping up with all of this, but he would repeat whatever he needed to, as many times as necessary. Skyclan would be better off for all of this, even if the work was going to be hard at first. Once the hard part was done, all they had to do was maintain the territory, which would be far easier than starting it.

"A defensive alert system is a start, but it's still not enough. A new tradition will be started as well. Once a moon, I want warriors and apprentices to come together as a clan to hunt predators. We will hunt multiple, if the opportunity arises. With nowhere for them to have or raise their young and constant pressure from aggressive cats, the predators will be few and far in between in Skyclan territory. I encourage this for other reasons as well: to learn cooperation in serious battle, so that should we need to fight other clans, we will be more than prepared. We will know each other's strengths and weaknesses intimately and we will know how to fight together with the utmost efficiency. We will be a force to be reckoned with, should any clan, or any cat for that matter, dare invade our camp. After the predator hunts, there will be a celebration that night and the warriors and apprentices that stood out the most will be given special recognition.

To make battles more efficient, I will be consulting our most experienced warriors to help me form established battle maneuvers, all of which we will have names for that only Skyclan will understand. This will make it easier for us to communicate strategies to one another without telling our enemies what we are doing. No word of our battle maneuvers must ever leave Skyclan."

Finally, the last part of his speech, and he could get on to answering questions that the clan had. Hopefully none of them would think this was too much. Even if they did, he intended to push them to do these things that he had asked. Skyclan would be better off for it.

"With these new rules and structure, I will also make very clear the consequences of specific crimes in Skyclan, just so everyone is aware of them and hopefully these things can be avoided in the future.

Serious fighting between clanmates will likely result in a demotion of rank if you are a warrior. If you are a young apprentice, the punishment can vary between elder duty in minor cases, or in severe cases that result in serious injury or death, a demotion of rank. Yes, I can and I will send you back to the nursery. If it happens again, you will be banished, regardless of rank or age.

Lying to me, the deputy, or the medicine cat will vary depending on severity. It can range anywhere from elder duty to banishment. We cannot have liars in Skyclan because successful clans share trust between their members. Anyone who breaks this trust is a threat to our security and survival.

Insubordination of any kind, particularly towards any of the new rules I have laid out before you, can result from demotion of rank to banishment, given the severity of the insubordination.

Treason... treason is actively betraying your clan in a form so severe it threatens the immediate safety of your clanmates. This will result in banishment or even death. No exceptions."

There was a long pause as his eyes swept over his clan mates. He had finished... and his dry mouth was grateful for it. He hoped he'd been clear enough that too many questions wouldn't need answering, but he was prepared regardless. He had withheld naming a deputy for this specific moment. If anyone was interested in the position... would they still be? It would help him weed out those that would seek to undermine his authority.

"If you have questions, ask. Try not to talk over each other. I will answer a few, and then I need to sleep. Meet with me later if you need to."

Ravenclaw was stunned. It wasn't that Wolfstar - no, Wolfcall - was no longer with them, but that he and Juniperlight had left the clans entirely to find new land. Yes, they had suffered through many misfortunes, but this was their home. How many times would SkyClan be forced to leave their ancestral home? She couldn't imagine living anywhere else, especially with another clan. The thought made her ill. She'd rather die, but to leave... That couldn't happen.

As if to compound the injustice, she bristled at the thought of allowing any more outsiders into the clan. One was too many, and now there'd be more? Even on a case by case basis she disagreed. Not a single outsider should be allowed to step paw on their territory. That wasn't to say she hated the speech, though. A lot of what Bloodstar said made sense. The increase in patrols and training were of particular enjoyment to her. They could use that training to take over the other clans' territories, should the time come. Hopefully it would. The punishments were fine as well. As if she would ever think of breaking the rules, like leaving in the middle of the night to go to the Moonstone and talk to her dead crush. Never.

"How can we even think of leaving our home?" she called out, her voice rising above the natural ruckus caused by the cavalcade of announcements. "We have suffered, yes, but we are stronger for it. We must defend our home, not abandon it!"

Dawnfeather sat quietly. Olive and Dandelion came over, which was comforting, but she couldn’t shake the deep-set feeling of apprehension that settled low in her stomach like crow-food. Bloodstrike nodded reassuringly at Beechaunt… she felt a bit better after that. It couldn’t be too bad. Likely she was overreacting and it was an apprentice ceremony.

And then he hit her with the force of a falling forest, a flood breaking loose and crashing through all restraints. Dawnfeather sat with her jaw slightly agape through his entire speech, struggling to process his first few words. He… She… What… as Ravenclaw started speaking, merely background noise in her mind, she struggled through his meaning.

Wolfstar and Juniperlight were gone. She hadn’t known either of them too well, but Juniperlight had always seemed kind. And they were both family.

Bloodstrike was now Bloodstar. It sounded terrifying- his name. Eergh.

They were gone… to find SkyClan a new home? Her mind immediately filled with objections… but she was still too stunned to react.

Then all of the things. Things, things. What stood out to her was she wasn’t allowed to go out alone anymore. What? No one else loved to wake just before the dawn. No one else loved the treetops quite as much as she did. She knew it was for her good… but… she could climb better than any rogue, and it wasn’t like Hawkuncle, of all cats, would hurt her.

And a… “Sky Patrol”? Well… she supposed she’d certainly be on that. She was one of the best tree-flyers in the Clan, and her skills only kept increasing- albeit slower without Hawkuncle to teach her. She was silent, she could climb! Why couldn’t she go out alone? None of her close friends could quite keep up with her in the trees- no more swift, split-second reactions. No more tree-flying. Mmm…

Treason? Her eyes widened (albeit rather late, as it only registered with her once Ravenclaw was almost done speaking.) Oh… oh dear. The line between treason and just talking was a very fine one… especially with her. What did he call treason?!? Remarking that she liked to eat doves? Mentioning hunting predators? Helping others? Oh dear…

She wrinkled her nose on confusion. If lying to the medicine cat or leader resulted in banishment… wouldn’t he be gone? He’d lied about Briarthorn, about wanting to exile Beechaunt… she was confused. But she had a feeling no one else would be quite as confused as her.

The golden warrior met her former mentor’s eyes for a moment, I’dliketospeakwithyoulaterifthatsalright written in her anxious gaze. With a sigh, she shook her fur out, turning to her friends. “I’ll miss early morning tree-flying,” she murmured. “And hares. I always wanted to catch a hare. I guess I won’t… won’t have a chance now.”

Before Spottedfrog had the opportunity to reply to her brother, Bloodstrike started speaking. Her eyes widened slightly as he revealed that he was no longer the deputy, but the leader. She glanced around, up towards where Wolfstar's den was, but her grandfather wasn't there, so... where..? But as Bloodstar continued, it made sense. Spottedfrog's brow furrowed, and she dropped her gaze to her paws as her father's voice continued above them. They'd gone... to find a new home for SkyClan? Confusion and disbelief made her ears ring. They would leave? Truly?

She didn't hate the idea, but at the same time... this was their home. Sure, SkyClan had been dealt a bad hand, but... was it worth leaving over?

Without thinking about it, she slumped slightly to the side, pressing her shoulder into Newtspring's in search of... what? Comfort? Reassurance? Even she didn't know. Spottedfrog tilted her head back up to watch Bloodstar as he continued his speech, her ears flicking back. The young warrior had every faith that her father would lead SkyClan into greatness... so why, all of a sudden, was there a pit of anxiety in her gut? Her gaze slid sideways as Ravenclaw spoke up, challenging Bloodstar's decision, and instinctively, the she-cat bristled, but she said nothing. Right now it wasn't her place to speak up.

Beechface continued to stare at her paws as Bloodstrike began to speak, claws sinking into the ground restlessly. So Wolfstar had left and taken Juniperlight with him... She would miss Juniperlight, he'd always been a good cat. And Wolfstar had abandoned them physically now. He'd already been checked out of leadership mentally for seasons. It was no difference, she told herself. The Wolfstar she'd looked up to as an apprentice had been long gone for a long time. They hadn't seen eye-to-eye on anything for moons, had argued far more often than not... And it still hurt. Beechface blinked, closing her eye. She would not cry over this. Wolfstar had made his own choices and left Skyclan in paws she wasn't sure were capable. Just another disappointment in a long string of disappointments. That was life, maybe one day she'd get used to it.

Bloodstrike continued to speak, and Beechface silently picked at his words, searching for faults, for something to latch onto that wasn't grief. He wasn't supposed to be reasonable, he wasn't supposed to make sense. That Bloodstrike had died when the Asylum had dragged him out of camp, she was sure of it.

And yet he was standing there, making more sense than he had in moons. Beechface stared up at him as he spoke, single eye narrowed against the lightening sky as she thought. Keeping the patrols along the borders more frequent was a good thing. Dawnhawk had managed to slip in and out of their territory countless times, and had caused so much damage. It had always stung when she'd been forced to drag along an escort just for herb gathering, but as much as Beechface detested it, she could see the need for it as well.

Collapsing rabbit warrens? Useful to avoid predators making their dens... Though Beechface wasn't so sure that eliminating a prey source was a good idea, either. While Skyclan mostly ate birds and squirrels, rabbits and hares had shown up on the fresh kill pile often enough, and they were quite large and good for feeding cats.

Sky patrol... A visible shudder ran through Beechface at the idea, completely involuntary. She'd had enough of tree climbing and nearly falling out of them (and watching others fall... and being struck by lightning while in them) to last a lifetime. Skyclan she might have been, but that was one thing she would have no part in. Removing weak limbs sounded like a good idea, but Beechface was positive that cats would find ways regardless.

Punishments... Her lip curled in silent disgust, and she eyed Bloodstar, silently wondering if he planned to include the Shadowclanner in those punishments. She'd lied, she'd murdered, she'd broken the code and was wholly and utterly untrustworthy. She did not belong in Skyclan, and Beechface would be only too happy to see her gone. Her eye narrowed at Bloodstar, a silent question burning within. Would he actually do the right thing about his so-called mate? Beechface wasn't sure she trusted him to do that, all things considered. Would he exile Beechface for her own transgressions? If she were to be punished, so should the Shadowclanner.

Finally, Bloodstar's long-winded speech seemed to be over, and Ravenclaw was speaking up. Beechface glanced over at her sister, disbelief flickering across her expression as she spoke out against leaving. The forest was their home, but the forest had brought them nothing but grief and torment. Why shouldn't they try to find somewhere new, somewhere better? She had thought that Ravenclaw of all cats would have agreed.

"Why not leave? Starclan has shown they don't care for us and never will, and the other clans have shown they have no love for us, either." She countered her sister, though part of her hated to even think of disagreeing with Ravenclaw, "We'd be better off."

As the leader took longer and longer to begin the meeting the sense of importance grew in her mind, she knew she would have to listen closely to this.

Oh, Bloodstar.

She was right, this was important. A new leader? Wolfstar and Juniperlight gone? A... new territory? She turned to Dawnfeather and Dandelionflight, frantic eyes searching theirs. Her maw hung open slightly, questions settling on the tip of her tongue. Leaving... the forest? Splitting the clan? Would she go with Bloodstar? Of course she would- but not if.. would her friends come too? Is her family coming? Oh Starclan, please don't let Skyclan split apart. Her head spun, she wanted to lean closer into Dandelionflight and Dawnfeather.

She turned her gaze back up to the leader, a bit surprised there was more to talk about. Changes.. but for safety. Oliverain wanted Skyclan to be safe and strong too, even if that meant something new. Like a new territory? If that's what it would take for a better Skyclan, for her friends and family to be safe.

He spoke of outsiders next, about who would be let into the clan and who wouldn't. Oliverain wasn't as concerned for this, much more pressing matters resting on the air.

Next topic... no one was allowed outside camp alone. And patrols will be tighter. She was perfectly okay with this. It will leave less time for hunting... but that time will still be contributing to her clan's wellbeing. Maybe if she's fast enough she can still catch some prey on patrol.

Oliverain flicked her ears, a night shift? Her tail waved confidently. I love the night, the stars are so magnificent, I'll be a night guard.

Bloodstar called out for the cats who were good at climbing, suggesting a new patrol named the Sky Patrol. The large warrior wasn't one of those cats, quite bad at it actually. She knew it was one of the clan's main traits but she just never really cared for it when training. Perhaps she could still learn, one of her friends to teach her.

Oliverain was already tired from all of this she had to remember, and the fact she was tired before the meeting began didn't help. She took a deep breath before Bloodstar began the next bit about patrol duties. Getting rid of branches and stomping on burrows, got it, she thought while stifling a yawn, and take the sticks back to camp for defense. The she-cat was silently making a list of all these responsibilities, not particularly excited about them but excited about the result they'll bring to the clan. It will be all worth it in the end.

Oh Starclan there's still more? She let out a quiet sigh, sleep will come soon enough. Her eyes brightened slightly, this part was quite interesting. Hunting predators? That was good news, as well as strengthening Skyclan's bonds. Then maybe no one will be left behind.

The leader continued with more rules and what would happen if a cat broke them. She felt calm, knowing she would never be the one to break these.

Relief filled her lungs as Bloodstar announced the end of his speech, just to be interrupted by questions and yowls. She crouched down instinctively, trying to dodge the noise. She looked to her friends, Dawnfeather quietly speaking about how she'll miss certain activities. "Hey, we can still hunt hares, we should follow them to their dens," she meowed, trying to cheer the golden warrior up.

Even with all of this information and new customs Oliverain was determined to prove she was a useful member, perhaps even more than that.

A flurry of information bombarded Driftpaw's poor ears, snapping him awake. Bloodstrike became Bloodstar, Wolfcall and Juniperlight left the Clans entirely...and now the newly-named Bloodstar had rules for all of them. The gray apprentice tucked his bushy tail around his paws, glancing up towards Newtspring to gauge his reaction to all of this.

Admittedly, the young cat's short attention span got the better of him and he began to drift in his thoughts, only partly listening. It was certainly a lot to think about. The Sky Patrol sounded interesting, something he may like to do, but the thought of being a night guard was...less interesting. Although, he thought, hunching his stocky form down into a loafing position to get more comfortable, if Bloodstar thinks all this is necessary...I guess it is.

An older warrior spoke up, one he knew by name only. Ravenclaw challenged the idea of moving out of the forest, to a new place. Beechface spoke up to bicker with her, and Driftpaw felt very torn. The thought of leaving the forest he was born in was unpleasant, but if the other Clans really felt so negatively against SkyClan...why not leave? Maybe there was a better place out there, wherever Wolfcall and Juniperlight were going. The apprentice closed his eyes, his ears rotating back against his head. All of this was giving him a headache, and he longed to curl back up in his nest and go to sleep again.

A question tugged at his mind, however, and he raised his voice in order to be heard. "Shouldn't we try t'improve relations with other Clans before we...y'know, pack up an' go way far away to somewhere else? I mean, maybe we've tried already, I dunno...It's worth another shot, at least."

Bloodstrike, now Bloodstar, soon began to speak and Dandelionflight was shocked at the news. She would have never expected for Wolfcall to leave the clan. Wait, finding a new home? No! SkyClan can’t just leave! She thought after the first part of his speech was done. The next part seemed more reasonable, but she was still in shock. Not being able to leave by yourself would make some things more difficult, but she couldn’t really complain. There was so much for her to take in, that she started to zone out.

Dandelionflight was lost in her own thoughts about all of the new changes. The camp would be different, Sky Patrol was a thing, new battle moves and night watches…The conclusion of Bloodstar’s speech and the familiar meow of Ravenclaw shook her from her thoughts. She heard Beechface challenging her and an apprentice adding to the conversation. “It’s okay, Dawnfeather, we can still find hares. I’m sure not all of them will have completely disappeared,” she tried to mew in reassurance.

Should she add something to larger conversation? I would like to stay in the forest, as it was SkyClan’s home, but I don’t what my friends planned to do. I can’t  bare to leave them. Dandelionflight thought about it for a moment, but ended up deciding against it. She didn’t want to take any sides until it was time to decide, if it even comes to that.

Smokefeather’s confirmation made Lynxpetal’s pelt prickle. She was right about Beechface, too. The medicine cat could barely look at Bloodstrike. Her tall ears pricked as the big warrior cleared his throat to speak.

“Nine lives? That’s a kit’s story.” The former rogue whispered, startled by Bloodstrike’s declaration. However, the more he spoke, the more disturbing his news became. Juniperlight and Wolf…call? Wolfstar, maybe? The pair had left SkyClan. Lynxpetal abandoned her former group only a season go, but that was different. Brutus and the rest were…

Still more confusion clouded her, so much so that her brow furrowed and her tail lashed softly against the ground. There was little time to dwell on these things. True to his word, Bloodstrike had much to say, and he went on to shock Lynxpetal by describing her as a shining example. She was unaccustomed to praise; doubly so to any type of positive words in front of other cats. She meekly tilted her muzzle down and accepted the new leader’s approval in silence until he had moved on from his topic of outsiders. Most of the SkyClanners had been wary of her when she first appeared. Lynxpetal understood why; to them, she was a stranger on their land that ate their food and used up their herbs when they couldn’t be sure she wasn’t hiding her true intentions. Such caution was duly warranted, and Lynxpetal accepted it without a challenge. She had bargained her kits’ safety for her loyalty, and they paid her back double by sharing their traditions and training. For once her life had meaning. For once she went to sleep each night and looked forward to the coming morning.

Warm fuzzies aside, the queen listened intently to the new leader’s defensive plans. Her confused expression was long gone, replaced with slow-growing understanding. She knew the forest was dangerous, she heard tales of the horrible acts of Dawnhawk, and on top of that, Lynxpetal also knew the gory details of SkyClan’s bitter confrontation with WindClan from moons before. Suddenly the comments about how toxic the forest was started to make a bit of sense, though it seemed… extreme.

Perhaps fighting over every little scrap of food and hint of shelter had made her jaded to conflict. Or perhaps she had no idea how severe their suffering truly was. Back in the Howling Hills, her rogue group would kill and die for resources, and they also back-stabbed, plotted, and manipulated one another without quarrel. SkyClan was different. Though they also argued, there was something beyond necessity binding them together. Violence towards one another was not permitted. Their shared suffering created trust and reliance that Lynxpetal had never thought possible. They formed a stronger front than the Howling Hills strays and had more to fight for—history, honor, the future of their kits…

She found herself agreeing with Ravenclaw and Newtspring despite the appealing idea of a fantastic journey that ended in a utopia that belonged solely to their Clan. It was unrealistic, right? Sweet Driftpaw added his voice to the responses, and she nodded slowly along. “If we love something, we should fix it when it’s broken and hurting.” Lynxpetal’s calm, clear voice rose after the apprentice’s. She’d learned that from Beechface, sort of. Definitely not something the gloomy medicine cat had ever said, but it was easy to glean from the idea of her role.

Cricketpaw blinked. Despite the fact he'd jolted awake and followed the summons quickly, there was no denying the exhaustion that still clung like heavy fog to his mind. He just barely managed to pick up on the fact that some of the clanmates, one of them being the former leader, he'd hardly known were gone. Bloodstrike, no, Bloodstar was their leader now. But the announcement did not stop there. The massive, scarred tom spoke of the many things that were going to change. A newly named apprentice like Cricketpaw was far less immersed in the inner-workings of clan life than some of the others that piped up.

After glancing around, a mild confusion mounting in his gaze, the tabby decided that this was far above his head and outside of his interests. Clanmates chimed in with various opinions about what had been said but he found that he could not care less - especially on the controversial topic of leaving the territory. The only thing that stirred his step as he stretched onto all four paws was the realization that it would mean leaving their parents behind. There was a slight frown across his features. Cricketpaw wasn't even sure he could remember their names; and, he only really knew the color of their pelts from stories.

With a soft huff, the tom turned to find his brother. It seemed the tuxedo tom was nowhere to be found so with a light yaw, Cricketpaw slipped away towards the apprentice's den. From there, he'd be close enough to hear anything important that arose but it would also be far easier to ignore the whole ordeal all together. Whatever changes came to their clan, he would take it in stride, as long as he got to do interesting things in between and spend time with his clanmates.

Even though she had missed the initial call for a meeting, Primroselight could easily tell by the sudden movement and gathering of the clan when she arrived back to camp. She took a seat on the edges of the crowd, expecting it to be a short apprentice ceremony. The prey she had caught on her outing still lay at her feet, but instead of putting it on the fresh-kill pile, she left it where it was; it wasn't worth navigating through such a large crowd to do something she could do later. After all, surely it couldn't take too long.

But wow, was she wrong. If it weren't for the confused whispers spreading around camp, the warrior's expectation would've stayed the same. However, it soon became clear that there was something unusual about this meeting. It wasn't just another ceremony. But if it was so important, where was Wolfstar? Shouldn't the leader be calling something as important as this?

Despite her doubts, Primroselight continued to listen intently to Bloodstrike. Bloodstar. So that was what this was. Her father had done what he had always wanted to do, and that made the warrior smile slightly to herself. Not every cat could be so lucky when it came to reaching their dreams. Beechface was a prime example of that. And Wolfcall was gone, along with Juniperlight. Just like Spottedstar had left one day. What was it with Skyclan and cats leaving them? It never ended. If cats weren't leaving, they were dying. If the forest wasn't on fire, it had been invaded. It never stopped. Sometimes it was hard to be the optimistic cat in a clan where grief cut down hope very time it grew out of the wreckage.

Bloodstar certainly had a lot he wanted to say.

Most of it Primroselight could agree with, to a certain extent. So much of Skyclan were related to each other, albeit distantly, and Lynxpetal was proof that it wasn't all about clan blood. That was something she had agreed with since she was a kit; that they should be welcoming, not just to lost kits but to anyone who didn't pose a threat. However, as he continued, her confidence in her father began to deteriorate. It was amazing how quickly a cat could go from sounding like he cared a lot about his clan to just sounding paranoid. All she hoped was that the new deputy would be up to the job, and manage to keep Bloodstar steered in the morally right direction. As long as Bloodstar didn't shut himself off from his clanmates, like she had seen with their previous leaders, improvement would be made.

The list of things went on.

Invading other clans? Killing predators as an event? Defence systems? She had to admit, the defence systems sounded like a good idea theoretically, but who knew how they would play out? All of these rules in place might make Skyclan safer, but they were certainly making Bloodstar seem less like a warrior who happened to be leader and more like a cat who had been planning this his whole life. Then again, she guessed he had. It was a lot. Primroselight needed time to think things through, but now she couldn't just go on a walk to clear her head. Maybe Sparrowflight would go with her. Maybe being alone wasn't the best thing right now anyways. Her prey lay forgotten at her feet, far bigger issues now swirling in her mind.

---

Muddythorn poked his head out of the medicine den when he heard the call, not settling down yet. However, Bloodstrike continued to speak, he took a few small steps out of the shadowy entrance and into the clearing, sitting himself down to properly pay attention. His mind struggled to absorb so much information at once, and every time he expected the deputy (well, leader now) to stop, there was another thing to change. The tom had learnt that change could be a good thing, especially when things weren't working or you weren't happy before. But by the sounds of it Bloodstar was trying to prevent the problems before they even happened. Only time would tell if that worked.

"If we leave, what will we do about the moonstone? Surely if we're split from the other clans Starclan wouldn't be able to find us." After speaking, he almost instantly regretted it. He knew Beechface had given up hope on their ancestors, but how many warriors shared that opinion? But he had more to add. They needed the other clans. And he would miss meeting with the other medicine cats, when they could benefit each other by sharing things. "I wasn't alive during the fire, but didn't Riverclan shelter us afterwards? Without them you would've had to stay in Twolegplace for even more moons."

When the leader reached rule breaking, Muddythorn couldn't help but embarrassedly look at his paws at the thought of cats getting in trouble for lying to him. But at the end of the day, lies just spiralled into more.

Bloodstar listened to the grievances of his clan and was... pleasantly surprised it wasn't his plans that too many of them had trouble with. They didn't want to leave the forest... It wasn't what he expected to hear. Beechface seemed to be the only one who was eager to leave. Once he'd heard enough, he nodded once and opened his mouth to speak.

"Whether or not we leave the forest entirely depends on whether or not Wolfcall and Juniperlight come back with news of a better place to live. That might not even happen. They may come back to live with us in due time, having found nothing. I wouldn't worry too much about it until that time comes, at which point, I will absolutely open this topic up for discussion. For now, we are most certainly staying here." There wasn't much else to be said. Dawnfeather was the one to break his heart a little, but his decision was final.

"I'm sorry Dawnfeather. I'm sure someone would go with you if you asked. We need good climbers for the Sky Patrol anyway. Perhaps those that go with you, you could teach them." It actually unnerved him how much her abilities matched Dawnhawk's. He too had been skilled in the trees, practically flying through them like his namesake.

To Driftpaw, Bloodstar nodded. "I will do my best to improve Skyclan's relationships with other clans. That has been my goal since I was an apprentice, but life is messy. Sometimes things come up that strain relations between us. I will always do my best, but I will also always put my own clan first, as will the other leaders."

Muddythorn... Bloodstar sighed. Even after having gotten his 9 lives and seen cats that he loved and missed, he couldn't help but still feel resentment towards Starclan. He also understood that not every cat in Skyclan felt this way.

"Well, we'd likely not have access to the moonstone. That doesn't mean we won't find a way to talk to Starclan, it just wouldn't be that. Skyclan was brought to the forest by Starclan, so even without the moonstone communication is still possible." At least, that's what Spottedstar had told him. That was the best answer he could give Muddythorn, who as far as he knew, didn't have a reason to be at odds with the ancestors. "But again, Wolfcall and Juniperlight would have to return with news before this matter will be relevant. Something tells me we'll have plenty of time to think it over, should that time ever arrive."

Hopefully that answer would suffice for everyone. Bloodstar then went quiet and waited to see if there were more questions. If not, he was keen to curl up in his new nest and sleep. Hopefully the scent of Wolfcall within it wouldn't disrupt his sleep with heartache too much.

Orchidpaw sat and listened to Bloodstrike's - no, Bloodstar's - whole long speech, and though she said nothing many thoughts swirled around in her mind.  Most of his orders and ideas made sense, especially building a protective alert barrier, the additional duties to patrols and the night guards, but there was one thing he had said that set her mind ill at ease.  Outsiders will have to make the cut to be in SkyClan.  So, she had been right all along, all the work she had been putting in, all her mindful reactions and movements had truly been worth it.  Her position was dependant on her usefulness, just as her siblings were, and any other rouges who might join from here on out.  Her mother had been used as an example of this, and so now she would live up to that.  She didn't pay much mind to the thought of SkyClan leaving their territory, it would happen if it happened, but what was important right now was to show her support.  Standing up, Orchidpaw waved her tail and began to chant, as one would at a warrior's ceremony.  "Bloodstar, Bloodstar, Bloodstar!"  This was a new beginning for SkyClan, and she was ready to make herself known within it's future.