A Newcomer to the Clan [BrightTail/open]

[Lightstar]

A swollen yellow sun was slipping down the sky, turning its cloud-patched background an ashen color which would soon disintegrate to make way for palate of evening. A mild breeze stirred through the forest, lifting branches with a quiet rustle before setting them back again. Beneath the budding boughs of the trees, a solidly built tom was charging through the underbrush, his long-furred tail held at a regal height and his sturdy paws carrying him deftly along the familiar trails. This was Lightstar, the benevolent leader of ThunderClan, and he was towing a newcomer to the territory in his wake.

The pale tabby finally slowed his pace as the trees began to thin and late afternoon light dominated his vision. Moments later, he was stepping up to the edge of a rocky gorge, his confident paws taking him across a smooth, dusty outcropping of stone. Panting lightly, the tomcat looked down at the well-protected camp. From this vantage point, he could see the crest of the Highrock, as well as some shadowy figures drifting around behind the bramble walls. Joy swelled in the tom’s chest as a bubble as he looked down at his home, washing away the unhappiness left by his conflict with one of his warriors. The powerful cat swung his head around, copper gaze grazing the undergrowth for a light, spotted tom. Lightstar waited for Shirunai to catch him up, then nodded to the loner.

The dominant male then bunched his hindquarters beneath him, and with a powerful thrust, leapt down the gorge, jumping deftly from boulder to boulder until his paws hit the sandy earth at the foot of the gorge. Flicking his tail as a signal for the other cat to follow, Lightstar ducked into a well-hidden tunnel through the bracken and brambles, shrugging aside the brittle branches with his powerful, cream-colored shoulders. As he walked, he glanced down at the well-worn path, wondering idly if he could identify his own pawprints leaving the camp, evidence of his earlier excursion. Before he could, though, the ThunderClan leader emerged into the full sunlight once more, blinking as the glare dazzled his amber eyes.

He paused for a moment, his coat shimmering like gold in the dying light, then stepped forward to allow Shirunai to come through the tunnel. The ThunderClan leader turned his head expectantly, for the loner was sure to appear by his side in a few moments.

[BrightTail]

The sun, it was a marvelous feeling for Shirunai. He was a loner, a cat that had given up his kittypet life for the delicate and brutal life of the forest. It was not too long ago on this very day that Shirunai had encountered a clan for the first time. He was casually sitting by a great sycamore when he encountered the cats. Within the cats was his old friend, FadedMist. However, the dear tom seemed to be upset at Shirunai's appearance and he left not long after appearing.

The loner padded swiftly through the forest, following the great tom that was ahead of him. Shirunai had learned that the tom's name was LightStar and he was the leader of ThunderClan. It was a great honour to meet the leader and then be offered a chance to join his clan. Shirunai had promised to honour the cat and try his hardest to prove his loyalty to the leader. Wait no.. Not just the leader, but the whole clan! He would try at least.

Shirunai tried hard to follow the great leader's direction. There were times where he got lost, but quickly picked up the scent and followed it. At last, he arrived to an area with many brambles and bracken. It was like a tunnel. On the ground was tons of paw prints. Shirunai guessed that the clan cats frequently padded through the area. He emerged behind the leader, only to be struck with awe.

The ThunderClan camp was beautiful. There were so many cats and it was amazing at how they all lived together. Shirunai's senses were tingling. He had made the right choice and was proud of it. He looked at LightStar, waiting for his next move.

Words: 289
Muse: Low
Comments: I love this thread already xD

[Lightstar]

As Lightstar watched, Shirunai stepped forward, gazing around at the ThunderClan camp. The leader reminded himself that while the sight of the smooth Highrock bulging out of the earth, the thick bramble bush of the nursery huddled against the camp wall, and the fallen log that was the elders’ den was homey to him, these things were all new to this spotted tabby. The resplendent tabby smiled indulgently as he followed the eyes that were taking these things in for the very first time, wondering vaguely what it was like to stumble into this new world that was so familiar to him. When those pleased eyes of the stranger returned to him, the leader nodded to the newcomer, meowing softly, ”This is the ThunderClan camp. Hopefully, your new home, too. Welcome.”

ThunderClan’s leader turned his coppery eyes on the camp once more. Some of the other cats had noticed the appearance of their leader and the stranger and were beginning to turn and stare, or nudge their friends and point out the odd pair. A few pairs of eyes flashed with hostility, but many were merely curious, though there was the faint hint of aggression in all gazes. These were, after all, the eyes of wild cats, and they were all familiar with the necessity of chasing off intruders. Lightstar imagined he could hear the thoughts of his followers: Who is this stranger, to stand by our leader like that? He could see the question in all of the cats’ eyes.

There was no point in letting that question linger, for uncertainty quickly developed into antagonism. Lightstar began to pad forward, making a beeline for the Highrock. He flicked his soft, furry tail, indicating that the loner should follow, before that fifth limb was raised as a sign of authority. To every cat he passed, he bestowed a reassuring nod or smile. As he reached the Highrock, he and Shirunai had amassed a small following, though all cats kept their distance from the loner. No matter Lightstar’s indications, they were wary of the unfamiliar. While the unknown seemed to repel them in this way, though, it also attracted them, hence the following.

When he reached the shadow of the Highrock, lengthened by the fading day, Lightstar nodded to the space in front of the boulder, glancing back briefly at Shirunai. “There,” his amber eyes, still glowing in the shade, told the loner. “That is where you will sit.” The leader didn’t need to say anything to his Clan; they already left a good space in front of the stone, rightly assuming that the stranger in their midst would sit there. The spot for Shirunai was larger than necessary for one cat, for none of the Clan wanted to sit beside the cat that was the focus of the intense curiosity that spilled out of all eyes.

In one fluid motion, the dominant tabby tom had bunched his hindquarters beneath him and leapt to the crest of the boulder. His sturdy paws landed solidly on rock, though they made barely a sound as they smoothly transitioned from air to stone. Once more, now that he was out of the shadow, his pelt was lit by golden fire. Lightstar turned to face Shirunai and the ThunderClan cats who had already assembled. Despite their number, he was sure there were more, lurking unseen in their dens. There are also some, he thought with a flicker of displeasure, who will not be attending this meeting at all.[/color] He dared not think their names, though the faces of Littlebird and Fadedmist bobbed in his imagined vision for a moment anyway.

But the vision was gone in the blink of an eye, and before Lightstar was an assembly of cats who were very real and very present. To summon those who had not yet appeared, the tom let out an authoritative yowl. ”Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!”

[BrightTail]

Shirunai padded nervously by the leader. Every cat that they passed seemed to have the desire to hurt him. It made Shirunai nervous. He hated the fact that all the cats seemed to have a hostile energy. Shirunai kept his head low, showing that he wasn't here for a fight. Or at least, that's what they should think. Shirunai was beginning to have doubts on ever joining the clan. Would the cats accept him? Would they treat him well? Or would they continue to stare at him with an alarmed gaze? It didn't make sense to Shirunai at all, but this was a clan. This must've been how they always treated loners or rogues. Then again, not many loners got into clans... Or did they? Shirunai heard a while back that loners had to get their names changed to the proper "Warrior Code" name. How many cats in this clan started out as kittypets like he did? How many were loners or rogues that joined the clan and got their new names? Questions buzzed through the tom's mind as he continued walking. He glanced behind him, watching the clan cats follow him and LightStar. They acted like a herd of sheep, always following the leader wherever he went. Then, an idea popped into his mind. Perhaps LightStar would announce Shirunai's arrival? It was quite interesting for Shirunai. He felt compelled to prove his loyalty to this clan even more than before.

Shirunai's glances were disturbed, as the leader seemed to want him to jump up onto a large rock. Shirunai followed closely, anxiety building up. LightStar's eyes seemed to signal for him to stay where he was. It was quite interesting to Shirunai. Did leaders in clans not speak with other cats? Or did he just not want to talk at that particular moment? Shirunai watched as the leader jumped onto the highest park of the rock. The voice of the great tom boomed over the enclosure. ”Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!” Shirunai felt a joint of pride. He was going to be introduced. All of these cats would become his clan-mates. He was happy, ready for the adventure. Then, his thoughts were clouded.

FadedMist and LittleBird were nowhere to be seen amongst the cats. Shirunai started to wonder, did FadedMist really want Shirunai to join the clan in the first place? Shirunai focused his gaze on LightStar, awaiting for his next words.

Words: 416
Muse: Moderate
Comments: Finished it!

[Lightstar]

More supple bodies were drawn from their dens, like strings connected them to Lightstar’s jaws. The leader only had to open his mouth, to yowl out the summons, for them to slide from the various point of the camp and drift purposefully towards their superior. Lightstar watched through eyes like new pennies as they approached the Highrock. The majority of the cats were rapidly transitioning their gazes from the gold-tinged tabby atop the boulder to the spotted one in its shadow, and then back and forth again. A thousand curious thoughts swarmed up to the tom in a wave, an ocean of uncertainty in which the Highrock was an island, where the leader could stand and not be drowned. Now that most of the Clan had assembled, the leader aimed to ease their uncertainty.

Lightstar raised his voice, silencing the buzz of whispering that pervaded through the camp. ”Cats of ThunderClan!” he yowled, drawing all gazes to him at last. ”We are a Clan of the great and the true, joined together by an esteemed birthright. We were fortunate, or blessed, enough to be born into ThunderClan. What a great gift from StarClan!” Many of the assembled yowled their approval, individual voices piping up and floating to their leader where he stood above them all. More importantly, though, their words drifted high to the sky, where StarClan would hear and approve of them. Lightstar only hoped StarClan approved of his next decision.

”We must also acknowledge, though, the choices that we make,” he said firmly. ”We may choose loyalty, or choose disloyalty. We choose loyalty to ThunderClan! We must also, then, acknowledge the choices of cats outside our Clan. There have been tales in which even the loner of lowest birth has chosen to follow the will of StarClan by living the life of a Clan cat. These cats choose loyalty to their newfound Clan as surely as do we. One such cat who has chosen loyalty sits in our midst today.” Those bright golden-copper eyes, which had addressed the whole of the ThunderClan assembly, now dropped to the place where Shirunai sat below the Highrock. The gazes of the other ThunderClan cats followed.

Now, with a smooth burst of strength, Lightstar leapt down from the Highrock and landed with a supple ripple of muscle before the spotted loner. ”Shirunai,” he meowed in a voice that carried to all the astonished crowd, ”Do you choose to be loyal to ThunderClan, to protect and cooperate with the warriors, to obey and respect its leader and deputy, and above all, to follow the will of StarClan in being a loyal, faithful, and true member of ThunderClan, whatever the cost? You must reject your old life as if it never had existed, and devote yourself entirely to this Clan. Will you do this? The ThunderClan leader’s brilliant eyes bored into Shirunai’s. For a moment, Lightstar fancied he could see right into the spotted tom’s soul, and thought he would for certain detect any trace of doubt in the cat’s wide eyes.

[BrightTail]

Shirunai stood paralyzed. He was being given the chance to join a prestigious clan! He listened as the majestic Lightstar spoke. ”Cats of ThunderClan!” he yowled, drawing all gazes to him at last. ”We are a Clan of the great and the true, joined together by an esteemed birthright. We were fortunate, or blessed, enough to be born into ThunderClan. What a great gift from StarClan!” Shirunai heard the yowls of agreement. He felt proud. A feeling that he hadn't experienced before. His mind was filled with questions once again. Will the clan accept me? Will they treat me the same as everyone else? Will they train me and talk to me? Will they treat me like an outsider? Shirunai's head was starting to hurt. He hated to think of anything that could go wrong in this situation. but then again, anything was possible in the wild. His thoughts were swirling now, and Shirunai was trying to get rid of them, to calm them down. But it was a hard task to do. It was a pain and a bother, but he had to try somehow!


”We must also acknowledge, though, the choices that we make. We may choose loyalty, or choose disloyalty. We choose loyalty to ThunderClan! We must also, then, acknowledge the choices of cats outside our Clan. There have been tales in which even the loner of lowest birth has chosen to follow the will of StarClan by living the life of a Clan cat. These cats choose loyalty to their newfound Clan as surely as do we. One such cat who has chosen loyalty sits in our midst today.” Shirunai was finally able to ignore the swirling thoughts that had given him a serious head ache. He looked into the eyes of Lightstar, who now had his gaze fixed on dear Shirunai. It was an odd feeling for him, as not only Lightstar was looking at him. All of the clan was staring at him. Shirunai wanted to shrink away into a dark abyss. He wanted to jump from his spot and run away. It was so frightening and quite uncomfortable to be in his position. However, he stayed. He had to stay! If he didn't then he would be considered weak and unworthy of joining the clan! After all, joining the clan is what he always wanted. He started to wonder about Faded Mist. Did his old friend, no acquaintance, approve of him joining the clan. He dismissed the thought. If Fadedmist approved, he would be here watching Shirunai. Since he wasn't here, that meant that Fadedmist was an enemy to Shirunai.

The young tom stared into the leader's eyes. ”Shirunai,” he meowed in a voice that carried to all the astonished crowd, ”Do you choose to be loyal to ThunderClan, to protect and cooperate with the warriors, to obey and respect its leader and deputy, and above all, to follow the will of StarClan in being a loyal, faithful, and true member of ThunderClan, whatever the cost? You must reject your old life as if it never had existed, and devote yourself entirely to this Clan. Will you do this?" Shirunai was doubting himself. Perhaps he couldn't do this. To protect the clan? The whole clan?! It was so big and there were so many cats! Would he be able to succeed? What was he thinking! Of course he would be able to succeed! The leader let him join knowing that he would work hard. A leader wouldn't let a cat that can't protect the clan join, would he? Shirunai rose his head high. "Yes Lightstar. I will do that and more for the survival of the clan. For every cat to live a peaceful life, I will do the best I can." Shirunai was now a proud cat standing at the base of high rock. He was happy.

Words: 645
Muse: Moderate
Comments: Woot

[Lightstar]

Doubt flickered across Shirunai’s luminous eyes, a brief jab of emotion that Lightstar’s acute eyes observed. The ThunderClan leader’s mouth tightened imperceptibly. Uncertainty of his own sparked in his stomach, for now he wondered if he had made an error. He had opened his Clan to an outsider, and now that outsider had been given freedom to come or to go. Would the loner abuse this power? Yet Shirunai’s eyes cleared moments later, and he straightened his handsome head on his powerful neck. Lightstar felt his jaw loosen as the loner—or former loner—agreed to the conditions. Not only did he agree, but he expounded upon them. Surely this would be a decent addition to ThunderClan.

Lightstar lifted his gold coin eyes to look across the rest of his assembled Clan. Mixed emotions pervaded the crowd, rippling across each cat with a look, a gesture, a twist of the ear. Acceptance, uncertainty, aggression, fear, displeasure, excitement, joy, they were all present on the bodies of the ThunderClan assembly. Particularly, though, the leader’s refulgent eyes sought one warrior amongst the mass, for his opinion was still of distinct importance. It was not difficult for his amber gaze to locate the massive, snowy white tom that hulked at the edge of the assembled cats.

Boulderfoot had watched the proceedings with a mild expression. The course of his life had already seen cats come and go. Some were mistakes, and some were great gifts from StarClan. Who was he to judge what this newcomer would be? Only time would tell. Besides, it took too much thought to try to puzzle out an opinion about this stranger in the midst of the ThunderClan cats. The senior warrior merely nodded with acceptance, his owlish gaze upon the spotted tom at the foot of the Highrock. If nothing else, it was good to see a cat who desired to join the Clan. ThunderClan was, after all, the greatest in the forest. Already, Boulderfoot was emotionally extending his sense of camaraderie to this newcomer.

The former mentor of the ThunderClan leader having showed his acceptance thus, Lightstar returned his eyes to Shirunai, feeling satisfied. If Boulderfoot accepted the newcomer, he was sure the rest of the Clan would follow soon enough. ”Then I welcome you to ThunderClan,” he meowed, smiling benignly down at the freckled feline.

Formalities needed to be addressed first, though, Lightstar realized. Questions had to be answered to ease the nervousness in his cats. Addressing the assembled once again, the dominant tom lifted both tail and voice as he announced, ”By the power of StarClan, from this day forward, this cat shall be known as Wildpaw. He will live as an apprentice among us until we have taught him our ways. We shall all act as mentors in teaching him how to live as a warrior of ThunderClan. Welcome, Wildpaw!” Having said the necessary and established the newly-named Wildpaw’s part in Clan life, temporary though this part may be, Lightstar bunched his muscles beneath himself and leapt down from the boulder on which he had given the announcements. Muscles gliding smoothly beneath cream-banded fur, the ThunderClan leader stepped forward to Wildpaw, reflecting briefly how odd it was to address a tom who was slightly larger than himself as an apprentice. Then the leader was extending his tidy pink nose to the new apprentice, in what was clearly a gesture of acceptance, waiting for Wildpaw to touch his nose and complete the ceremony.

Even before contact had been established, Boulderfoot started rumbling in his deep, gravelly voice, ”Wildpaw! Wildpaw!” Though the senior warrior was taller than most of his fellows, he could not clearly see Lightstar and the new apprentice; he thought they had already touched noses!