Windclan Deputy Ceremony [2024]

Heartbreak. That was the only thing Tigerstar felt in this moment. His chest hurt, every breath feeling like a squeeze on the heart sitting just inside. One after another warriors seemed to disappear.. Followed shortly after by his deputy. Nothing.. Nothing could have prepared him for this moment. There was no training, no warning for Windclan when the biggest heartbreak of their lives happened. He couldn't grip with the fact right now. He just wanted to curl up and cry into the ground but he couldn't. Windclan needed a deputy. They needed to carry on because that is what all of the cats lost would have wanted. With a broken voice Tigerstar called out to his clan. "Let all cats old enough to run the moor gather beneath the Tall Rock for a clan meeting!"

Brackenwing's head wearily lifted at Tigerstar's call. She knew, she knew what this was about, and part of her did not want to believe that her son was gone. Her chest ached for him, for Tigerstar, for the grandkits she hadn't really known. Sootstorm had been such a kind, good cat. A wonderful deputy. And he was just...

The elder reluctantly drifted closer as the clan gathered around Tigerstar, sitting near the edge of the crowd. All she could do was offer the leader her silent support in this time of grief.

Fidgetpaw, an apprentice far too long, stared stoically at Tallrock. His father told him, once upon a time, that StarClan was there waiting for him, and that they wait for all cats.

He knew that part of that wait would be alone. He didn't think this much of the wait would be alone.

The oddly marked tom stared through Tigerstar, to the sky. Partially here, partially not, the ebb and flow of presence had never been so acutely felt before.

What was it to have paws and not feel them?

Eveningmoon wanted to cower, to hide from the sadness that had overtaken her Clan. She had thought the worse moment was when her mother had been so terribly injured, but then cats started to die - to disappear and now even Sootstorm, who she had thought so strong, so unbreakable, had.... She was curled in tightly into a ball, gaze staring at her paws until Tigerstar's voice rang out. There was some relief that he was still standing - he had been her mentor, after all. If he had disappeared, if her guiding star was gone...

She pushed herself to her paws, taking careful steps forward as she stared up at him. She couldn't imagine thought what he was going through - it had been so hard for him when he had become leader but with Sootstorm as his deputy, things had looked so bright. Now? ...She wished she was better, that she could be half of any of the warriors that had been lost but... She would do what she could, she suppose. Whatever she could, for whoever would become deputy...

Sitting beside his father, Molehill stared up at Tigerstar with wide, yet tired eyes. It hurt him to see the leader in such a sad state, yet he knew what needed to be done and was ever so curious on who the next deputy of the clan would be. Perhaps it would be one of the more senior warriors of the clan? Whoever Tigerstar chose, Molehill knew he'd make the right choice.

Rapidfire was left stunned at the news that her dad and sister were gone now.  Her tummy felt all twisted up into knots and fits of unease from it all. Lots of search parties had looked for them but nothing ever turned up. She kept thinking each time she heard paw steps coming back to camp that her dad and sister would be there and she found herself eagerly running to the entrance each time a patrol came back - only to be met with the bitter disappointment that they were still gone.

Her tufted - folded ears flicked as the call of her former mentor rang out for a clan meeting.  Getting up to her paws she walked over closer.  She noticed Fidgetpaw and went to her brothers side.  He seemed to be staring up into nothingness and she gave a quiet little purr in greeting and sat by his side.  

"Fidget?" she meowed quietly and leaned against him slightly. The pain of losing a sibling and a parent had been hard on them both and she wanted to be there for him as much as she could.

----


Eaglefly was returning from a hunting patrol as the call of meeting was sounded - he looked uneasy around.  There had been no sign of any return of the missing clanmates and he feared the end result would be similar to what happened to his family - Jay his brother had gone missing under similar circumstances - so he had a lot of sympathy for the Soot kits left behind.

"Coyotegrin?" he called out wanting to sit near mom for this meeting


-----

Lavendercloud saw her son already at the meeting and went over to join Molehill - she also hoped that Tigerstar would have ideas around this and how they might be able to better protect their clan. She flicked her tail a little at molehill in a joking-playful ish manor-

"your pelt is always so dirty" she fussed quietly as she brushed off her son. The namesake she gave to him about being a mole seemed to be accurate as he loved to dig around all over

Auburnrain was one of the few in Windclan that felt nothing for this entire situation. Had it been a shock? Sure, but other than that, she'd hardly been affected. She always had a hard time making friends, but somehow that never bothered her. The best kinds of friends were the ones that did whatever you wanted. If they weren't willing to do that then what good were they really?

Auburnrain's throat was still swollen and sore, but it was improving. She took a seat among the crying crowd, sparing not a single one a single glance or even an ear flick of sympathy. She swallowed, wincing at the soreness, but then thumped her tail impatiently. Get this over with. I've got better things to do.

Fidgetpaw's concentration flickered, if only for a moment, by Rapidfire's purr. He blinked and turned to her with a small nod.

"Do you remember, when we were kits, and you and I just laid in the sun?"

Fidgetpaw's heart shuttered in his chest.

"If Sootstorm is in StarClan, and StarClan is in the sky, do you think he cuddles us when the sun is out?"

The tom looked at his sister, eyes pleading.

"Is that where all of them have gone?"

Coyotegrin answered her son's call, flicking her tail in greeting and settled in next to Eaglefly. Nuzzling against her son's neck, she comforted the tom silently. It was a sad time, with Sleepyhollow missing, all that remained of her family was Eaglefly, Kestrelchrip, Fuzzyface, and Whisperear. When she was younger, she would have been tingling with excitement and hope. But now, despite her being the most experienced warrior in the clan, she felt no hope. Just empty and dull. Many moons ago she had given up hope to being WindClan's leader. Whoever was called would just be another cat to come and go from the position. Tigerstar, her apprentice, was fortunate to even survive to Leadership.

Maybe it was time to retire.

Kestrelchirp joined shortly after but also remained quiet. His auburn eyes scanned the crowd for Nectarflower, quietly hoping she would sit with him. It was highly unlikely he would be chosen for Deputy, and he didn't know Sootstorm well. It was sad of course, but he took on the job of smiling warmly at any clanmates that looked his way and encouraging them for their hard work.

A silent sigh escaped the leader as he watched his clan gather. Dull green eyes studied the growing crowd noting every face that looked back at him, like he was trying to make sure he remembered whoever was bound to go next. He knew he needed to speak. He knew what he must do next, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

"As you all know our beloved deputy has joined Starclan.. and While I want nothing more to be by his side as we mourn, I must appoint a new deputy by moon-high." The tom stated, eyes now shifting to a spot in the middle of the crowd as he addressed everyone.

"I say these words before Starclan so that our ancestors and Sootstorm will hear and approve of my choice. Rapidfire will be the new deputy of Windclan." The she-cat was strong, resourceful, and he hoped that everyone approved.

Rapidfire listened to her brothers questions she gave a little nod - "I do remember and yes I do think that" she barely managed to whisper her answer out as she pawed at him a little in a reassuring way as she could.

Dad was gone - so was mom and their sister and their brother. So many were lost now. Part of her wanted nothing more than to retreat with Fidgetpaw back to their kit like memories - though that was not possible now. The young she cat caught a glance of Oatfluff but before she could go over to her lifelong friend - her leader and mentor was beginning. Later - she would be sure to go spend time with Oatfluff- with all her clanmates.

As her name was called out she took a deep breath and stepped forward next to Tigerstar and gave a respectful dip of her head to the tomcat before turning to face her clan with a little smile.
When he had first approached her about the position- she had still been so shocked by her fathers sudden death. Everything now was happening so fast.

She found herself momentarily glancing upwards just like Fidgetpaw 'ill do my very best dad' for better or worse that was a promise she could keep.