my path, the ocean (closed)

Perchstar was contemplative. The past few days, RiverClan had mourned and celebrated in equal measure. Mapleleaf had been beloved by many cats, despite her short stay, and her friends and family were bereaved at her death. Then, Poppyshine and Forestfire had given birth in quick succession. The nursery was nearly overflowing with new kits, and the apprentice's den full to bursting with Mapleleaf's growing litter. The past moons had been hectic... but on balance, it seemed that accepting the WindClan queen into their Clan had been a good choice. With her passing away-- though the thought was selfish, and she hated even thinking it-- any potential problems which may have stemmed from potential disloyalty had been solved. Still... there was one loose end.

Owlshriek was the son of Harebounce, a thoroughly unpredictable warrior, and Jaystar, the leader whose pride had nearly destroyed RiverClan. He was certainly an interesting mix; his ambition drove him to greatness, and his passion was obvious... and usually directed towards the right places. However, his loyalty had to be called into question when he had broken one of the Code's most emphatic rules and taken a she-cat from another Clan as a mate. In the moment, Perchstar had been angry. How could the tom break the warrior code like that? His lack of judgement could have cost the Clan. Disregarding the commandments of StarClan so soon after being saved with their assistance came off as not only ungrateful, but dangerous. And yet... after seeing the consequences, both natural and inflicted, that Owlshriek had suffered, the leader's anger waned. He had honestly grown from this ordeal. A lesser cat may have bristled at the punishment, or taken advantage of Perchstar's generosity. Owlshriek had done everything required of him and more... and he had been a wonderful help to Mapleleaf, rather than blame her for his own misdeeds. They had been a surprisingly functional pairing. And due to his acquiesence, the Clan now had a multitude of apprentices. So-- with his allotted punishment time up-- Perchstar had called for him to meet her in her den, so that they could talk. Her face was impassive when he arrived, not betraying any hint of emotion. She had expected to still feel frustrated with the tom. Yet, after Mapleleaf's passing... she just wasn't quite sure how to feel anymore.

Initially, Perchstar had planned to speak with Owlshriek the day all his kits were apprenticed. However, with Mapleleaf's declining health, that had been postponed until now. She hadn't talked one-on-one with the tom since the WindClan she-cat joined their nursery. There was an air about him that there hadn't been previously; he seemed a little bit more weathered, more mature from his experience. Not that he'd ever been the most immature of warriors. Still, hopefully this development would be a good one, even though it stemmed from a place of sadness and pain. What are you thinking, Perchstar? His mate died. You should be grieving with him, not hoping that it makes him a better cat.

Ignoring the strange direction her thoughts had turned to, Perchstar evenly met the tom's yellow gaze with her own deeply thoughtful blue eyes. How to go about this?... It was certainly under different circumstances than she had originally planned. "Owlshriek," she began, "I was surprised Mapleleaf arrived at our camp. I had not believed you would break the code in that way. I had trusted you, enough to bring you with me to SkyClan's camp, when one claw gone astray could have caused a bloody war. At first I felt betrayed. I was upset that you would do such a thing. My frustration blinded me for a time, and I did not see the effect that Mapleleaf had on our camp... had on you." Her torn ear flicked. How could she state this correctly? "Obviously it was wrong to take a mate from another Clan, but you never denied that. I appreciate that you worked hard and accepted your punishment. It made it easier for me to regain my trust in you. Then, when I finally opened my eyes to see, I realized how much of a change this has made."

It was odd. She did not have to tell him all of this. She simply could have lifted his punishment and dismissed him. But for some reason, she wanted to explain herself to him. "I do not judge cats by their parents. Nevertheless, as the son of Jaystar-- who abandoned this Clan, and even broke the code for romance when he was younger-- I felt for a time that history seemed doomed to repeat itself." Perchstar shook her head. "That was not the case. A lesser cat would have abandoned Mapleleaf, or lied about your history together, or shunned her when she came to camp. You put aside your own pride and time to help her out, and raise your kits together. You showed me that you can learn from new experiences and not let a mistake destroy your faith in RiverClan. I am proud of you, Owlshriek. And... I am sorry for your loss."

It would have been ideal if Mapleleaf had lived... to add more strength to RiverClan, to help Owlshriek and their kits, or even just to ease the dull ache of guilt that sometimes swam through her veins. However, Mapleleaf was dead. That was that. And now, Owlshriek would have to move on with his life... though how he chose to do so was up to him. Perchstar blinked, contemplating him seriously. "With that said, I would like to formally lift all of the restrictions that I placed on you, and offer you full warriorhood in RiverClan once more, with the caveat that you promise me you will never break the warrior code again... if you feel that what I have said is true."