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Post by fαllεη • on Jan 30, 2011 3:13:48 GMT -6
It had to happen. She knew they had to be told, that the cats had to know. And yet... it felt like she was hearing it for the first time all over again. Seastar stood up there on that rock, alone, proclaiming her mortality to cats for whom she had been the only leader, and probably would always be leader. No-one ever forgot their first leader... Smokeleaf still remembered hers. No, not him.' No, Snowstar was her first leader, and Seastar's too. It almost made her smile bitterly-- finally, realising something that the two of them shared.
Ravenslash, Duskwing, Fallinggaze... She watched their posture change. She heard Fallinggaze's yowl, fought her irritation with the queen, but flinched as her grief-stricken mew rent the ears of all present. 'She's not dead yet, Mother Goose,' the medicine cat thought. But FrostClan was losing their leader. Furious as she might be with StarClan (and with anyone who tried to talk to her about it), she couldn't help but acknowledge that everyone had to deal with their grief in their own ways. So brave, Seastar. Standing up there to face their grief, their fury... Well, perhaps just Smokeleaf's fury. Curse that fury that never seemed to fully ebb, that thrummed inside her chest.
"I'll keep watch tonight, and don't bother telling me something about my heart. You all should know I'm more stubborn that you all put together.
A wry smile crept across the medicine cat's face. Stubborn she certainly was-- the border scuffle with IvyClan all those moons ago was proof enough. She needed to remember to give her leader more credit for the times when she was not stubborn, when she finally was able to step aside from the reigns-- if only to see how badly her stand-in failed.
Slowly, she got to her feet and made her way through the crowd of cats to sit next to Fallinggaze and Rivershadow, who had been staring glassy-eyed at his leader from the second she'd collapsed in camp on his watch. He must've thought that FrostClan itself was toppling.
So. Credit where credit was due. The elderly medicine cat bowed her head to the she-cat, deeper than she was accustomed to, and held the position. Nearby, the dark-furred warrior caught sight of the gesture and padded forward to stand beside her, bowing his head too. It was a simple gesture of respect, common to all the clans... But for this one moment, it was a gesture for Seastar, and Seastar alone.
Then someone spoke, and the moment passed, sending her warriors to sleep. Smokeleaf sighed, barely raising her head as she turned back towards the den. If Seastar wanted her, she knew where to find her. There was something fatalistic in the old medicine cat's step-- sorrow or simply her old bones tiring: it was anyone's guess.
((OOC: Sorry for the rubbish post, but I've had the whole dipping-head thing in my head for a music video of some kind, and it's been bugging me because I can't animate it XDD))
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