High Rock Announcement

WhiteStar padded onto the High Rock before stopping as he reached the top. He looked down onto the camp below him as some cats began to leave their dens. "Let all cats able to catch their own prey gather beneath the great rock for an announcement." he said, his eyes scanning the territory. His tail wave around his front paws as the cats gathered below him. "It is time for the naming of the clan deputy." the white tom began as a flicker of hope came into his eyes. "I say these words before StarClan so that the spirits of my ancsestors may hear and approve my choice." he said, before pondering for the last time if he was making the right choice.

Silverwind edged her way through the crowd and sat on a ledge near the back so she could see. She crouched and tucked her paws underneath her body, before realising that it was a formal occasion. So, she sat erect and tall, her slender tail wrapped around her hind legs. She was shivering slightly in excitement - she had never been to this ceremony before, and wanted to see how it worked and which lucky cat would become deputy.

Silver had been training to be a deputy herself, but doubted that they would choose a cat who was only 17 moons old - a young cat by warrior standards. She waited anxiously with both her ears facing in WhiteStar's direction, giving the pure-white cat her full attention.

Silver's evergreen eyes widened in surprise. She mewed happily and stood up. As WhiteStar came down to congratulate her, they touched noses in greeting.

"Thank you, Whitestar," meowed Silver, "And thank Starclan too!" she added quickly, her tail high with pleasure. She watched as everyone else began to disperse. She closed her eyes happily and smiled.

'I can't thank you enough', she thought, shifting her weight onto a different paw. Her silver-grey fur shined softly in the cool light of the moon.

OOC: OMG such a long post ^^

Silverwind nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Whitestar." she meowed happily. She to glanced at the fresh-kill pile.

Leaning forward, the silver-coloured cat hopped down from where she was standing, landing gracefully on her forepaws and then her back paws. Then, looking back to check that Whitestar was about to follow, she walked a little ways forward, so the white tomcat would not land on her as he jumped down.

Silver looked toward the forest. The trees were bulky and thick, with flame-coloured leaves and long, spindly shadows cast by the setting sun behind them. The trees were so close together it was difficult to see through them, let alone pick out a straight path right out the other side. She sampled the air. Rain would be coming later that night, but the cats would have plenty of time to hunt beforehand. The forest was a little ways away, in between was a spread of brown-green, tall grass with several anthills dotted here and there. Larger grass tussocks sat in clumps throughout the small field.

Although the forest looked thick and evergreen now, Silver knew that soon the leaves would all fall down to the ground and leafbare would begin. She knew that leafbare was a harsh season, with prey scarce and weather bitter, but could not wait until the snowfall. Silverwind, being only 17 moons, was only 5 moons the last leafbare season - and was therefore ordered to stay inside the den until it became spring again. Thus, Silver had never seen snow, nor felt the full blast of the winter chill through her fur.

But she had heard great things about the 'snow'. The older cats had told her that, although it was solid and very very cold, snow was actually water. Silver was slightly sceptical as to whether this is true or not, and wanted to see for herself. She had heard that the snow fell down during the nights while cats where asleep, floating to the earth like feathers and resting atop the ground for a few brief moments before melting away as if had never been there. Then, once the ground would get cold enough, the snowflakes would stay and build up in number, until the sheet of snow was half as tall as a tomcat and spread out like a blanket of nimbostratus clouds covering the skies above...

Silverwind stopped daydreaming and shook herself, getting ready for the hunt.

WhiteStar waved his tail side to side. "We need to go now, if we want to hunt before night." he meowed., padding towards the forest followed by SilverWind. "I'll need you to lead night patrol around RiverClan's borders, if you have the energy after hunting." he mewed, his blue eyes resting forward on a rabbit too far away to hear or sense their soft pad steps. He stopped "You may pick two other warriors to go with you." he continued, wrapping his tail around his front and back paws into a loop. 'I feel a war rising...' WhiteStar thought.

Silverwind nodded. "Sure. I have tons of stamina." she meowed happily. She cocked her head to the side and scratched behind her ear with a front paw, thinking which warriors she'd pick. Silver didn't know many of the other cats in Thunderclan, apart from Whitestar himself.

Her ears swivelled forward as she caught the sound of a twig snapping. She padded silently forward, slinking low to the ground. She strained to see through a bush. It was a rabbit, fairly plump and probably storing fat for the upcoming leafbare. Silver looked at Whitestar. He was sitting on the leafy autumn floor with his tail wrapped around himself, and Silver crouched, ready to pounce on her prey.

Pushing back with her hind legs, the silver-coloured she-cat sprang forward, skimming over the top of the bush. The rabbit sensed her coming and began to dart away, but Silver was almost on top of it. She dug her fangs into its flank and killed it with a blow to the head - by lifting it up and slamming it down on the ground. She re-emerged from behind the bush, dragging the freshkill towards Whitestar. She laid it at his paws. "Got one." she meowed.

"Look at her. She thinks she's so much better than the rest of us." Hawkfire thought, watching Silverwind with her freshkill. "I could have done that too." Hawkfire was pretty sure he would never become a deputy, since he was born a loner. "Whitestar probably accepted me into Thunderclan out of pity" Hawkfire thought. He never would've survived that leafbare a few moons back if Whitestar hadn't accepted him.

Still, he liked Silverwind, so Hawkfire padded up to her. "I 'd like to join the patrol." Hawkfire said, his huge body towering over his fellow teammates.

Silverwind turned round and started, surprised by the sudden appearance of the larger cat. She didn't recognise him. She sat up, her tail flicking slowly, and said, "I guess...but who are you? I don't think I recognise you."

The cat was a tomcat, bigger than her and even Whitestar. Silverwind looked at Whitestar to see his reaction to everything.

"What do you mean you don't recognize me? I'm the biggest cat in Thunderclan. I even sleep in the same den." Hawkfire said, as he stretched his forelegs and gigantic paws. "And congratulations on becoming deputy. So, like I said, I'd like to join the patrol. Please." He finished. "And yes, I am big, the first greeting has that affect on others."

Hawkfire sat down, waiting for an answer. It appeared not even Whitestar recognized him.

"I'm sorry." Silver apologised. "It's just...I guess I haven't seen you around very often. I often did night patrols, so I don't notice who's in the same den." she swirled her tail around herself. "Thank you. And yes. Sure, you can come with me. Do you know any other cats who might be willing to come on patrol?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I usually go to the den late anyway." Hawkfire said. " And no, I don't know anyone at all. Some are probably intimidated by my size, while others might want nothing to do with me, since I was born a loner." He said, his tail twitching. "I also scare most, if not all of the apprentices."

"But don't worry, I'll try to find another warrior to join the patrol."

WhiteStar instantly noticed the large tom. He was WhiteStars second choice to be deputy. Not because of his size but because of his dedication to clan life. "I will join." the white tom mewed showing no reaction the toms large size through the entire conversation. "All we will need is a group of three." he continued, his tail relaxing around his forepaws with ease as he sat down. "We should patrol WindClan's border first." WhiteStar finished.

Silver nodded. "Good idea." she mewed. She knew that Windclan were not allied with Thunderclan and it could prove a problem if they decided to invade if they thought that Thunderclan was neglecting that part of the border.

She looked towards the sky. It was afternoon. "Should we go now? Or tomorrow morning?" she asked.

"We should go now. If WindClan do decide to strike it'd be near sun down to launch a surprise attack. I'll send two apprentices and a warrior to patrol the border in the morning." he mewed, padding into the woods followed by the deputy and HawkFire. A mouse quickly scurried across the trail and before it could dodge it had been swiped by WhiteStar and he had already began to eat. "I'll need all of my strength." he mewed, burying the bones of the animal.

Suddenly Silverwind remembered. "But the Gathering is soon!" she meowed. "Will we be back in time?"

All the same, she took a few light steps forward and crouched in a hunting position. A little fat mouse scampered near them but Whitestar caught it. Silver was about to sit up, but another one rushed after it and was pounced on by the silver-pelted she-cat. She began to eat.

"So," said Silver, gulping down the last mouthful, "Will we make it back in time?"

"The Gathering isn't for a little while. We have a bit of time." WhiteStar said, as they walked to the the WindClan border and after refreshing the scent markers and patroling the border they returned to camp and got ready to travel to fourtrees for the gathering.
[TOPIC CLOSED FOR THE GATHERING]