Post by rain on Feb 10, 2009 13:27:44 GMT -5
Dovewing looked up the slope to Mothermouth. The yawning black hole in the mountain-side made a chill creep up her spine, but she rose from the warm rock and padded to the entrance. The air coming from the cave was stale and dank and the cave floor, as she stepped onto it, was ice cold. Her breath made billowing clouds of white in the darkness.
Padding forward, vaguely remembering the way from when she visited as an apprentice before her warrior ceremony, Dovewing let her fur brush against the wall as a guide. Eventually, her whiskers twitched and she had the feeling that she was now in a much larger cavern. A wave of fresh air rolled into her scent glands and she breathed in gratefully, washing some of the blackness away. She sat and waited for the moon to rise, quivering slightly.
I can't believe Echostar is gone... her thoughts repeated themselves over and over. The battle the day before was as vivid in her mind as if it were still going on. ThunderClan had been attacked by ShadowClan...and Echostar had died rescuing Rosekit from one of the attacking warriors. Of course, she reminded herself bitterly, Rosekit died anyways. There was nothing our Medicine Cat could do to save her. Dovewing was still numb with shock. She couldn't imagine living without Echostar's wisdom to guide her.
Within time, the moon rose to it's full height and a blinding light filled the cave. The moonstone, in all its dazzling wonder, gleamed from the middle of the cavern. Dovewing took a deep breath and padded forward. She laid down next to the bright crystal and stretched her head forward to touch her nose to the Moonstone. She closed her eyes, fluffing out her fur at the chill.
A heartbeat later, Dovewing peeked open her eyes and scrambled to her paws in shock. She was at Fourtrees, and the cats of StarClan were descending from the sky. Row after row of stars swirled in the night before stalking to the ground in all of their glory. In the center, a few paces in front of the rest, sat Echostar.
"Welcome, Dovewing. Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" The voice seemed to belong to every cat she ever knew, and yet it was one voice.
Dovewing shivered, with excitement and awe at the starry shapes that surrounded her. "Yes, I am ready."
A small cat with golden brown fur stood and made his way across the clearing. It took Dovewing a heartbeat to recognize Sunpaw, the apprentice that had died from greencough. Sunpaw touched his nose to hers and said, "With this life I give you courage, use it well in defense of your Clan."
The next cat Dovewing recognized as Blizzardkit, her only brother that had died when they were still kits. The tiny white cat touched noses with his sister and said, "With this life I give you justice, use it well to judge the actions of others."
Dovewing gasped with joy when her father, Darkfur, rose to his paws next. The black tom bounded across the clearing with all of his youthful energy restored. The she-cat couldn't help remembering the last time she had seen him: covered in blood and skin torn from the fox's jaws. Her father rested his muzzle on her head and whispered, "I am so proud of you, my daughter. Lead your Clan well. With this life I give you loyalty to what you know to be right, use it well to guide your Clan in times of trouble."
Next came her mother, Snowfall. The white queen purred and licked her daughter's cheek. Dovewing closed her eyes, remembering all the times like this in the nursery. "With this life I give you tireless energy, use it well to carry out the duties of a leader."
The fifth cat was a calico queen with large rosy-colored spots: Petalsong, the brave she-cat who had died protecting her kits from ShadowClan alonside Echostar. "With this life I give you protection, use it well to care for your Clan as a mother cares for her kits."
Sparrowwing, Dovewing's mentor, came next. The white and black tom looked at Dovewing with a proud gleam in his eye and said, "With this life I give you mentoring, use it well to train the young cats of your Clan."
When the next cat rose to her paws, Dovewing let out a gasp of joy. The white she-cat with mottled gray spots was Whisperlight, her dearest friend who had given her life to save Dovewing many seasons ago. "Whisper," she began in a murmur. "I miss you so much."
The white she-cat paused and gazed at Dovewing with sympathy and pain. "I miss you too, Dove. But this is how it was meant to be. I gave my life for my you and I don't regret it one bit. You will be a great leader, and I will always be with you. With this life I give you compassion, use it well for the elders of your Clan, and the sick, and all those weaker than yourself."
Dovewing barely had time to take a breath before a black tom raced across the clearing and buried his muzzle in her fur. "My love," Darkfeather murmured. "You must stop grieving for me, and begin anew. You will find another to take my place." He gazed at Dovewing with such longing that the she-cat could hardly bare it. "How?" she whispered wretchedly. "How can I ever love a cat again?" Darkfeather purred in her ear. "You will find the strength and courage within you. With this life I give you love, use it well, for all the cats in your care, especially one who is closer to you than you realize."
All that remained was Dovewing's last life. Echostar rose to her paws and prowled forward until they stood nose to nose. "Welcome, Dovewing, my faithful warrior and wise deputy. With this life I give you nobility, certainty and faith. Use it well as you lead your Clan in the ways of StarClan and the warrior code."
After each life was, she experienced what every cat had felt in their last moments and other highlights of their lives. Dovewing's fur nearly burst with pain at the last life, feeling her leader's anguish when old-age had prevented her from doing all of the things she loved and the torture it had taken to battle ShadowClan. She crouched, panting for a heartbeat, and then rose shakily to her paws. Echostar watched Dovewing with rough sympathy in her hazel eyes.
"I hail you by your new name, Dovestar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for the young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; and live each life with pride and dignity."
There was a rippled of movement as every cat got to its paws. Their voices raised in joy and echoed around, filling Dovestar's mind and heart with a soaring hope.
"Dovestar! Dovestar! Dovestar!"
Padding forward, vaguely remembering the way from when she visited as an apprentice before her warrior ceremony, Dovewing let her fur brush against the wall as a guide. Eventually, her whiskers twitched and she had the feeling that she was now in a much larger cavern. A wave of fresh air rolled into her scent glands and she breathed in gratefully, washing some of the blackness away. She sat and waited for the moon to rise, quivering slightly.
I can't believe Echostar is gone... her thoughts repeated themselves over and over. The battle the day before was as vivid in her mind as if it were still going on. ThunderClan had been attacked by ShadowClan...and Echostar had died rescuing Rosekit from one of the attacking warriors. Of course, she reminded herself bitterly, Rosekit died anyways. There was nothing our Medicine Cat could do to save her. Dovewing was still numb with shock. She couldn't imagine living without Echostar's wisdom to guide her.
Within time, the moon rose to it's full height and a blinding light filled the cave. The moonstone, in all its dazzling wonder, gleamed from the middle of the cavern. Dovewing took a deep breath and padded forward. She laid down next to the bright crystal and stretched her head forward to touch her nose to the Moonstone. She closed her eyes, fluffing out her fur at the chill.
A heartbeat later, Dovewing peeked open her eyes and scrambled to her paws in shock. She was at Fourtrees, and the cats of StarClan were descending from the sky. Row after row of stars swirled in the night before stalking to the ground in all of their glory. In the center, a few paces in front of the rest, sat Echostar.
"Welcome, Dovewing. Are you ready to receive your nine lives?" The voice seemed to belong to every cat she ever knew, and yet it was one voice.
Dovewing shivered, with excitement and awe at the starry shapes that surrounded her. "Yes, I am ready."
A small cat with golden brown fur stood and made his way across the clearing. It took Dovewing a heartbeat to recognize Sunpaw, the apprentice that had died from greencough. Sunpaw touched his nose to hers and said, "With this life I give you courage, use it well in defense of your Clan."
The next cat Dovewing recognized as Blizzardkit, her only brother that had died when they were still kits. The tiny white cat touched noses with his sister and said, "With this life I give you justice, use it well to judge the actions of others."
Dovewing gasped with joy when her father, Darkfur, rose to his paws next. The black tom bounded across the clearing with all of his youthful energy restored. The she-cat couldn't help remembering the last time she had seen him: covered in blood and skin torn from the fox's jaws. Her father rested his muzzle on her head and whispered, "I am so proud of you, my daughter. Lead your Clan well. With this life I give you loyalty to what you know to be right, use it well to guide your Clan in times of trouble."
Next came her mother, Snowfall. The white queen purred and licked her daughter's cheek. Dovewing closed her eyes, remembering all the times like this in the nursery. "With this life I give you tireless energy, use it well to carry out the duties of a leader."
The fifth cat was a calico queen with large rosy-colored spots: Petalsong, the brave she-cat who had died protecting her kits from ShadowClan alonside Echostar. "With this life I give you protection, use it well to care for your Clan as a mother cares for her kits."
Sparrowwing, Dovewing's mentor, came next. The white and black tom looked at Dovewing with a proud gleam in his eye and said, "With this life I give you mentoring, use it well to train the young cats of your Clan."
When the next cat rose to her paws, Dovewing let out a gasp of joy. The white she-cat with mottled gray spots was Whisperlight, her dearest friend who had given her life to save Dovewing many seasons ago. "Whisper," she began in a murmur. "I miss you so much."
The white she-cat paused and gazed at Dovewing with sympathy and pain. "I miss you too, Dove. But this is how it was meant to be. I gave my life for my you and I don't regret it one bit. You will be a great leader, and I will always be with you. With this life I give you compassion, use it well for the elders of your Clan, and the sick, and all those weaker than yourself."
Dovewing barely had time to take a breath before a black tom raced across the clearing and buried his muzzle in her fur. "My love," Darkfeather murmured. "You must stop grieving for me, and begin anew. You will find another to take my place." He gazed at Dovewing with such longing that the she-cat could hardly bare it. "How?" she whispered wretchedly. "How can I ever love a cat again?" Darkfeather purred in her ear. "You will find the strength and courage within you. With this life I give you love, use it well, for all the cats in your care, especially one who is closer to you than you realize."
All that remained was Dovewing's last life. Echostar rose to her paws and prowled forward until they stood nose to nose. "Welcome, Dovewing, my faithful warrior and wise deputy. With this life I give you nobility, certainty and faith. Use it well as you lead your Clan in the ways of StarClan and the warrior code."
After each life was, she experienced what every cat had felt in their last moments and other highlights of their lives. Dovewing's fur nearly burst with pain at the last life, feeling her leader's anguish when old-age had prevented her from doing all of the things she loved and the torture it had taken to battle ShadowClan. She crouched, panting for a heartbeat, and then rose shakily to her paws. Echostar watched Dovewing with rough sympathy in her hazel eyes.
"I hail you by your new name, Dovestar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for the young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; and live each life with pride and dignity."
There was a rippled of movement as every cat got to its paws. Their voices raised in joy and echoed around, filling Dovestar's mind and heart with a soaring hope.
"Dovestar! Dovestar! Dovestar!"
I had fun writing it, though I went to another website that I'm a part of to get the official words for each life, but then I added a ton too.
