Tragic News and Other Things {Clan Meeting}
Jan 23, 2014 0:01:32 GMT -8
Jan 23, 2014 0:01:32 GMT -8
Sootnose had never been one for going to sleep early- his restless paws made sure of that. And with several cats gone to the gathering, Sootnose decided the best thing to do was guard the camp a little while than longer. He didn’t mind in the slightest- it reminded him of the vigil he sat when he was first named a warrior. It was just as chilly that day too, the tom remembered, shivering and wishing his fur were slightly longer- or at least a bit thicker.
As several of the warriors padded back into camp, Sootnose turned to retire to the warrior’s den for the night. He was looking forward to a nice, cozy bed of moss, close to the entrance so that he would wake when the sun rose and warmed his fur. But before he could curl up, he saw several of his clanmate’s ears prick and heads turn towards the center of camp. He followed their gaze. Milkfur stood on the rock where the leader normally called for meetings; in the pale moonlight, Sootnose could make out a less-than-pleasant expression on her face. Curious at to what was going on, the young warrior joined the rest of his friends in the middle of the camp.
There was a strange scent in the air- a scent that was very decidedly non-RiverClan. But Sootnose refused to take his eyes off of Milkfur until she had finished speaking. Reading lips was still difficult for him, but he was able to catch most of what she had said… And it was worrisome, to say the least. His dark ears swiveled backwards as thoughts swam in his mind and his eyes scanned for the reactions of the crowd. Lynxstar was dead. Milkfur- or was it Milkstar now? Ravenpaw seemed to acknowledge her leadership- claimed to be the new leader of RiverClan. All in all, it seemed rather strange to the grey tom.
Speaking of strange, that scent was still thick in the air. His hazel eyes quickly located the source of both the smell, and a recent disturbance- a strange tom whose lips moved strangely when he talked. Sootnose’s eyes narrowed, but quickly widened with surprise (and a hint of impression) when the medicine cat attacked him. He stood quickly, ready to leap into the fray. Sootnose had never been the best fighter, but the single strange tom couldn’t take on the entire clan- until Milkfur shoved the she-cat off.
Wait. Was Milkfur defending the outsider?
Sootnose’s eyes darted back and forth between the two she-cats, trying to catch the full conversation. But it was the words on Ravenpaw’s lips that caught the tom’s full attention, and he began watching the medicine cat more and more and the supposed leader less and less, until he was only watching what Ravenpaw had to say.This is not StarClan’s will until I have a sign.
Despite the fact that he could not hear them- those words struck Sootnose the hardest. It was the medicine cat’s duty to communicate with StarClan- if she, of all cats, had not had a sign, then there was no absolute proof that Milkfur was officially the leader. As Ravenpaw left, he glanced towards the white she-cat with more than just a shadow of doubt in his eyes. As much as the warrior wanted to leave now, he chose to stay, to see what his clanmates and denmates would think. As for his own mind, it was already made up.
And letting outsiders in the clan? Defending the outsiders? It was leafbare, for StarClan's sake; both herbs and prey would be scarce. It was the worst season to even consider doing such a thing. Yes, Sootnose’s mind was made up all right. Milkfur simply did not seem up to the job of leading the Clan.
With that final thought, he sat back again, long tail curling and uncurling around him restlessly.