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Post by silentpaws on Mar 21, 2019 17:12:38 GMT -6
(This is the thread where Briarpool joins WillowClan - it's open to any WC cat to begin with then it will move to just Shrikestar and Briarpool c: )
Her decision had been made. She'd left immediately after waking that morning before the impulse had a chance to wear off, hadn't told a soul in case she had second thoughts while crossing the river and decided to turn back. But there had been none, and Briarpool was sat in the WillowClan camp after being escorted there by a border patrol. She was in the place that she so desperately wanted to call home again after moons away, and all she had to do now was convince the Clan that she had any right to stay there.
It was hard not to be intimidated by the curious stares that she was already attracting, trying as hard as she could to focus on the faces that she recognised and had been kindest to her the last time she had been there. One of the cats on her escort had disappeared towards the leader's den but the other two did nothing to address the cats in the clearing, so with a surge of confidence she turned to face them herself. Maybe that wasn't the proper etiquette for someone visiting from another Clan, but if she had to prove herself to them then pretending to be confident was probably the best place to start.
"I'm here to talk to Floodstar," she called, hoping that her voice wasn't shaking as much as she thought it was. She had never been one to love crowds. "About- about something important."
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Post by Warrioress on Mar 21, 2019 17:34:41 GMT -6
Flareheart eyed the she-cat sitting in the camp, her tail flicking behind her. "Floodfield is now an elder. Shrikestar is leader" she mewed, keeping her voice carefully neutral, with all the cats listening she didn't wish to express too much disgust for her brother. Despite their well-known avoidance it wasn't known the true depth of their relationship
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Post by silentpaws on Mar 21, 2019 17:44:28 GMT -6
A quiet "Oh" escaped Briarpool's mouth at the she-cat's first words, having banked her hope on Floodfield's acceptance to plead her way into the Clan. But then she heard the second part, and her heart soared. Her father was the Clan leader! The burst of pride for him mingled with the giddy happiness that her challenge was likely to be much easier since Shrikestar knew of her blood ties to the Clan, but she forced herself not to show any of that in her expression. Instead she gave a respectful nod, her gaze flickering across the camp from where she could see Floodfield himself watching her from the elders' den. "I'm sorry, I hadn't known. In that case it's Shrikestar I'm here to see," she corrected herself, trying not to glance towards his den in the hope that she didn't come across too desperate.
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Post by Warrioress on Mar 21, 2019 18:04:30 GMT -6
Flareheart didn't bother listening to the she-cats apologies, not like there had been a gathering to announce the change in leadership, but instead continued to study the cat for a few moments before it clicked into her brain. While she hadn't personally met this cat, she had been keeping a close enough eye on Shrikewind during the fire and flood that she noted the friendship between him and a Ravenclan apprentice. That of course had been before she found out about his kits, and made the connection. "You were an apprentice during the fire and flood right? You look familiar" Flareheat finally spoke, digging for information.
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Post by silentpaws on Mar 21, 2019 18:12:47 GMT -6
Briarpool nodded. She'd been expecting to be recognised by most cats present and could tell by those regarding her with familiarity that plenty already had, so gave the she-cat a friendly smile as she responded. "My name's Briarpool, but I was Briarpaw back then," she said, wondering what to add after reintroducing herself. Should she ask the she-cat her own name? Should she thank her for remembering? She was saved by a name suddenly flashing into her mind, and continued with "It's Flareheart right? It's nice to meet you again."
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Post by Warrioress on Mar 21, 2019 19:01:07 GMT -6
The confirmation of the name had Flareheart smiling slightly. "Yes it is. Nice to see you again as well." She spared a glance at the leaders den and decided that making her connection to Shrikestar known, see how her brother acted. "My brother should be out in a little bit. It's been a bit crazy with the change in leadership as you can imagine" she mewed with a small shrug. She wouldn't do anything to hurt Briarpool, not like the she-cat had done anything.
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Post by silentpaws on Mar 24, 2019 16:29:42 GMT -6
She felt a tiny sigh of relief when Flareheart confirmed her name; Briarpool didn't think there would be any worse introduction to the Clan than getting the name wrong of the first cat she encountered. But that was forgotten when she mentioned she was Shrikestar's sister; that meant Briarpool had an aunt! Maybe she even had more family within the Clan! Even though she knew with regret that her connection to them would have to remain a secret, her heart soared with the knowledge that she could really properly belong here. None of that showed on her face though, instead just smiling at the other she-cat as she said "Of course I can. I just hope my timing isn't too inconvenient for him." That was as close as she'd get to telling anyone but Shrikestar what she was here for.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 27, 2019 10:56:41 GMT -6
Shrikestar, alerted to a visitor in camp by a warrior coming into his den, emerged warily. His eyes scanned camp until he spotted the stranger, his clanmates casting curious and suspicious glances in their direction. When he moved closer, he realized exactly who it was, and he was momentarily frozen to the spot. His expression brightened, then dropped off altogether when he saw who had greeted their visitor. He forced his bristling fur to lay flat, and steeled himself before walking over. “Thank you for greeting our visitor, Flareheart,” he said with forced pleasantness before he turned to Briarpool. He took a moment to look her over, genuinely pleased to see she seemed to be doing well in the last several moons. “Briarpool, welcome to WillowClan,” he began, cautious of the eyes on them. The reason he suspected that she might be here sent a thrill through him, but he knew it was a delicate topic, once the rest of the clan learned. “What can I do for you?” his voice was quiet enough so it didn’t ring across camp, but loud enough so he wasn’t whispering.
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Post by silentpaws on Mar 28, 2019 18:28:45 GMT -6
Briarpool turned at Shrikestar's voice, trying not to smile too much as she met her father's gaze. "Thank you," she replied to his greeting, knowing that neither he or anyone else in the camp would know the thrill that those words sent through her chest even though he didn't mean them in the way she wanted him to. Yet, she reminded herself, if she was lucky. Her smile faded when he asked her why she was there though; she'd hoped that they'd be in private when she had to explain that, but asking outright to go to the leader's den would probably come across as odd to the WillowClan warriors still watching them. So she cleared her throat before starting in a voice equally quiet "I wanted to speak to you. I'd like to join WillowClan." It was hard to keep the words from tumbling out in an uncontrollable rush, feeling the tremble in her legs as she waited for his response.
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Post by Warrioress on Apr 4, 2019 17:03:33 GMT -6
Flareheart gave a small grin to Shrikestar that looked alright to everyone else but there was a small glint in her eyes before she dipped her head and stepped back. Her ears perked as she heard Briarpool's request and was slightly shocked, though wasn't overly so.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 9, 2019 7:47:52 GMT -6
Even though a part of him knew the reason, his eyes still widened despite himself. His attention was fully on Briarpool, but the air was so heavy with tension and shock that he noticed it despite his tunnel vision. He cleared his throat, sent a cursory glance to the clan gathered around him, then focused back on his daughter. "That is... a very big decision to make, definitely one that must have taken a lot of thought. There is no precedent for an occurrence like this, so I would like to hear your reasoning. Come," Shrikestar said with a beckoning nod, and he turned towards his den. He pushed through it quickly and waited at the back of the den. He feigned his surprise well out under watching eyes, but now that he was alone, his heart thrummed with his excitement.
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Post by silentpaws on Apr 11, 2019 14:24:51 GMT -6
She didn't waver at the clear surprise on Shrikestar's face, and only nodded at the words he spoke to her in the clearing. Without word she followed him into his den, taking a deep breath when she sat down and tried to work out where on earth to start. "I'm sorry to put you in a hard position. I didn't know Floodfield had stepped down, I'm not trying to take advantage," she said in a quick apology, hoping he didn't think that of her. As for the reasoning he wanted to hear, she hesitated a moment longer before looking her father in the eye. "I'd hardly been apprenticed when I came here. This is where I first properly explored the world, it's where I found my feet. And that was all before I found out about you. Everyone else was so excited to go home but it just felt so wrong to me, I feel so trapped in those borders when I grew up with so much more and I don't have my mother there anymore. You saw me swimming - I'm not like Dreamfeather and Skywren, I'm a WillowClan cat. This camp is the only place that's ever felt like home and I just want to come back." She picked her words carefully, knowing she only had one chance to make the best impression possible and make her father believe that she was an adult making a decision rather than a kit with her head in the clouds.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 13, 2019 20:11:34 GMT -6
Shrikestar immediately shook his head at Briarpool's apology, but he didn't interrupt. It was hard to keep his expression fixed on something calm and stoic when he wanted nothing more than to welcome her, but he felt her proposal deserved the weight and respect from a warrior making a rational decision. And if Briarpool was going to be rational, there was no way he wasn't going to be. He ruminated for a few long moments, considering her points from what he knew. She was far more attuned to water than any RavenClan cat he'd ever met, and there was no doubt in his mind that she would be successful. He was concerned though about RavenClan's reactions--and her siblings. While he trusted that she knew what she wanted, would she feel the same when she was shunned by her former clan and watched closely by her new clan? It wouldn't be an easy path to walk, and there would be many times where she would question her choice. He could support her through those times, but it was ultimately her who would have to push past them, and he wanted to make sure she understood that.
"I can see you thought long and hard about this," he began. "And I am delighted that you feel that way about WillowClan. But, I want to make sure that you realize the full weight of the decision you're about to make. Once you renounce your allegiance to RavenClan, you cannot talk to any of your former clanmates. You cannot see them as friends. They will be your enemies, and there may come a time where you have to shed their blood." His insides twisted as he spoke, but he continued on. "You will have to work hard, more than you ever have before, to get WillowClan's trust. I will always be there to support you, but I can't make WillowClan believe in you. Only you can do that. Is this something you're willing to go through?"
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