Dayquill's Elder Ceremony

Stars, she had never done one of these. Nor had she ever hoped to have to. It felt wrong, honoring a warrior much younger than her to join the ranks of the elders, and permit them moons of rest. But here she was, and she would honor his request. It near-shattered her heart to see one of her fiercest warriors be crippled by such a sudden injury, and it was the least she could do. Leaping onto the highrock, Mottlestar called.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

As the clan gathered, Mottlestar saw the tom in question. Perhaps it was a breach of ceremony, but she felt it was fitting. Without so much as announcing what the gathering was for, the tortoiseshell lept off of the Highrock. Her summons would be heeded, whether or not she stood upon it. Even small, her Clan knew where she was. The molly found herself graciously going to Dayquill's side, and she gently pressed her nose into his shoulder. It was a gesture of greeting, of kindness, and hopefully not one to startle him. "Don't worry, it's just me." She whispered.

Taking a few steps back, she gave a comforting purr. This ceremony was to be much more intimate, much more personal. It wasn't cause for celebration, it was cause for community. For honor. "Dayquill, you have honored Thunderclan with many moons of service. However, we recognize you have sustained wounds that impact your duty. Is it your wish to receive your honor-given right to join the Elders in retirement?" She had to keep her voice steady, but faultered as it cracked. While she had been considering what type of punishment the tom had earned for his relationship with Blazefang, none of it was to this caliber. This was far worse than he had deserved, and a stray tear rolled down her cheek.

Mottlestar bowed, her eyes rapidly blinking to silently swipe away the tears that had began rolling down them. She remembered growing alongside the warrior in front of her. His pivotal role in being one of her pillars as deputy, as leader. He'd still be that pillar for her, just from the warmth of camp, from where he could keep watch over his clanmates from the inside. His service wasn't over, nor was his dedication. Even without his sight, there was so much left to the tom that she knew he would serve his Clan well.

Taking another deep breath, the molly finally rose her head. "Then it is my honor to grant your request. Dayquill, you have more than earned a peaceful retirement through the dedication, determination, and steady heart you have gifted to Thunderclan. May your days as an Elder be filled with joy and love, as we honor your contributions of past and present to Thunderclan. Everyone, please, let us honor Dayquill and all he has done." Her words were hushed until her last statement, where she took a step back to call to her Clan. He'd touched everyone's lives in one way or another during his days as a warrior, and while he wasn't dead... it was a chapter coming to an end.

The tears couldn't be held back from the molly any longer, and she once more had returned to his side to press her nose into his shoulder. "Dayquill, thank you, for supporting me to be the leader that I am today. I'll still pop by to make sure I'm sending out the best hunting patrols at Sunhigh." It only felt appropriate to give proper thanks, and all she could hope was that Starclan had allowed her to speak the correct words.

Blazefang watched the ceremony from the entrance to the nursery, not wanting to leave her days-old kits without warmth for too long. It made her feel like a terrible cat to think it, but she was glad Dayquill couldn’t see her at the moment, with tears streaming down her face and soaking her whiskers. Their life together had only just begun, and already so much had been taken from them. With a glance over her shoulder to make sure the babies were snuggled down in their moss, the ginger stepped forward to brush her head against Dayquill’s flank. Perhaps she was intruding on a ceremony in a world that wasn’t her own, but she had to make sure he knew she was there.

Life kept going, whether or not any given cat paid attention to it. Nightdancer had received bitter reminders of that fact before, but this- her mentor's elder ceremony; her mentor's sudden blindness, her mentor's forbidden relationship with a WindClan cat- wasn't something she ever could have predicted. The loyal ThunderClan warrior in her wanted to condemn him, to say it was what he deserved-

She couldn't do that. Even in her thoughts, even unspoken, she couldn't bring herself to believe that. Dayquill was an honorable warrior, one who had taught her well and earned his place among the elders; even if the time to take it had come far too soon. The sentiment of it meant too much to her, and she couldn't hold against him any sins she'd also shared (that she had never acted on her heart's desire meant nothing, it was the sentiment itself that was a betrayal; her own innocence maintained only by her might-have-been-lover's absence).

Still, she couldn't help feeling the slightest hint of envy: the cat he loved was beside him now, and stars willing she would be for the rest of their days.

"...May you find joy and peace," she said as she approached. "You deserve nothing less than that."

Then, more softly:

"I couldn't have asked for a better mentor."