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dawngen · 1 year

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In spite of the long journey up Mist-Bound Mountain to its fog-crowned head, Oatbright never felt warmed by the labor involved. The chill winds as they climbed through brush and bramble, weaving through a path well-trodden these last moons, cut through his dense leaf-bare pelt like icy claws.

At his back, his warrior escort followed his lead, nimbly leaping over fallen branches and clambering up out-jutting rocks in the mountain.

All three joining him had made the journey at least once before, either to accompany the medicine cats halfway, or to guard Darkstar as she convened with the ancestors.

Even Oatbright had served as one of these escorts, remembering the journey of following Darkstar’s sandy fur that glimmered like starlight under the moon. It felt strange now being the one to head the way. Some part of him foolishly expected her to emerge from the brush and coax them on, maybe even remark on how slow they all were.

Swallowing down a new burst of anxiety, Oatbright shook out his head, and carried on.

In silence did the four cats continue to trek, all with their own thoughts.

Quietly, Oatbright wished he hadn’t left Eagleburn back at the camp. It wouldn’t have been wise to bring his deputy with him, and he didn’t want to appear too reliant on him, but he already was aching for his wisdom, anxious for his support.

“There.”

Beaverpelt spoke first, her eyes glittering as her head lifted high.

The other cats followed her motion, four sets of shining eyes seeing it.

The Sky Splinter rose like a defiant thorn at the mountain’s head, its surroundings clear of trees as if even before DawnClan’s arrival this had been a revered place of worship.

The cats resumed their pace, energy renewing their stride at the sight of their destination as they clambered through thin brush, leaf-bare making bushes especially sharp and hardening the dirt to near-stone under their paw pads.

Oatbright walked into the clearing first.

With the sky clear of trees, he looked up at the moon. It had been cloudy that morning, but now the sky was unobscured. Silverpelt shone brightly, and the moon was half-full.

Would StarClan look down upon them for performing this ceremony before the moon was full?

An especially harsh wind tore through the clearing. All four cats crouched against the blustering gale, and Oatbright felt it cut down to his very soul.

But he dared not think. He dared not let his mind wander to the possibilities, and instead quietly insisted to himself that he was no medicine cat, and could not interpret this as an omen.

“Please stand watch while I share tongues with StarClan.”

Was his voice as shaken as he felt? Oatbright tried to maintain an aura of calm and composure in front of his clan mates while silently searching for any doubt in the eyes watching him.

If his warriors thought less of him, they did not show it. All three nodded their understanding and separated after a moment of hushed murmuring to determine posts, leaving Oatbright alone in the clearing.

Slowly, he turned back.

He didn’t remember the Sky Splinter being so big before. Tonight, it seemed especially huge and imposing, looming down over him.

The way the moon was set high in the sky, the jagged rock cast a long shadow over Oatbright, no moonlight allowed to touch his fur.

Swallowing down his fears, he padded onward, and after one, two, then three circles, he settled at the base of the rock.

Hesitating, he thought for a moment, staring at the stone’s smooth, scentless surface.

What awaited him in the realm of dreams?

Would StarClan commune with him at all?

He forced his eyes shut, bent down his head, and touched his nose to the cool stone.

Sleep came faster than he had expected it would.

In what felt like a single blink, the tom stood in a sea of stars. There was no ground before him, nothing but an ink-black sky with a speckling of dewdrop stars, yet he felt no fear.

There was no feeling that he may fall, and if anything, he felt secure and safe where his paws were settled.

“Oatbright.”

Oatbright’s thoughts slammed into nothing.

He recognized the voice that purged his mind of all thinking, and with his head jerking up, he felt tears begin to build at the corners of his eyes.

“Mother?”

The long journey to DawnClan had been one he had to do without any kin.

Managed by Alderrustle and Rimebright, he had to make the long trek from their old camp alone.

Even though his kithood memories were foggy and often unclear, he remembered without a shadow of a doubt the she-cat who stood before him.

Her gray, black-dappled fur and warm yellow eyes were a welcome sight, Nettlefrost stepping forward from nothing.

Stars, like that which covered the encompassing sky, sparkled in her fur, and she bore no scars, and walked with ease.

The cruel death inflicted upon her by an enemy’s claws was gone. Almost could be pretend that she had never died saving him, that he never had to suffer the feeling of his mother’s slow-dying body covering his own in a desperate sacrificial gamble to save him.

The tears began to flow, and he took a tentative step forward.

When he found he was unrestricted in his movements, there was no stopping the tom from streaking across the stars like a feline comet straight to his mother.

Pressing his face into her chest fur, he sniffled, then broke into sobs as she gently licked his head, her rumbling purr vibrating through him.

“You’ve done so well, my son,” she whispered, and part of Oatbright didn’t want to leave.

He wanted to be here forever, with her.

There was no danger here, no hunger, no plagues.

Terrible as it was, DawnClan was far from his mind as he thought only of his own selfish wants.

“But we don’t have much time.”

His blood went cold, and Oatbright leaned back to look at her, confused and heartbroken.

Nettlefrost’s face was sympathetic.

“This time must be used wisely,” she meowed, “for you need to return to your clan and lead them.”

His heart sunk.

It seemed his selfish wants were not shared as Nettlefrost brought back his sense of responsibility, even if he wanted to play pretend longer that the world beyond was not still waiting for him.

He wanted to sleep forever, and live eternally in this beautiful dream.

Against his will, Nettlefrost backed away from him, and when Oatbright forcibly wiped away his tears with a paw, he saw they were no longer alone.

From the ink darkness stepped out more StarClan cats, and immediately did he recognize the group. Boulderfrost, the old deputy, walked with an easy and smooth stride, accompanied by Egretpaw, whose siblings Splinterwatcher and Harecatcher missed her daily.

They smiled fondly at him, yet, he could not help but notice a lingering trace of concern in Boulderfrost's stare, while Egretpaw bounced with a giddiness her mortal body hadn't allowed her.

"Hello, Oatbright," Boulderfrost meowed, and he politely bowed his head. He never knew Boulderfrost too well. While she had been one of the original clan members, she had never had the time to specifically seek him out. But, he never faulted her for that. Just like he could not fault himself for not knowing Egretpaw better, for she had left them before he could even begin to make a connection.

Nettlefrost stepped forward again, and with a flick of her tail, she nodded to the others.

"Oatbright, you are here to be honored for your service to your clan, and to prepare you for the next pawstep in your journey."

Her voice was silken and gentle, and striding forward, she gently touched noses with her son.

"May you take this life, and use it to cherish and love your clan for what they bring to you."

In an instant, Oatbright felt it. The surge of power that rushed through him as his first new life was added to his original count left his paws tingling and head spinning, but he hadn't time to recover as Egretpaw bounded up from behind Nettlefrost, overly eager to perform her part. Nettlefrost chuckled as Egretpaw squeezed in, Oatbright barely having a chance to catch his breath.

"I'm giving a life for patience," Egretpaw meowed, her eyes bright and warm, "So you can teach the apprentices of DawnClan unhindered."

Oatbright had no choice but to close his eyes and brace himself as Egretpaw leaned up and touched her nose to his.

Like a rush of cold water did the new life flood over him, leaving a chill in his fur as she bounded away.

"It's okay to be overwhelmed." One eye opened, and then two.

Boulderfrost was before him, the she-cat young and spry again, like in his early memories of DawnClan. She appeared sympathetic, reading through his discomfort with ease. Under his pelt, he flushed with embarrassment, and wished again to return to the quiet of it being just himself and Nettlefrost.

There was no time to dwell on wants as Boulderfrost stepped closer.

"I give a life for grace," Boulderfrost said, "Use it to remain fair and balanced." Instead of touching nose-to-nose, she settled her chin upon his forehead, surprising Oatbright. The life that collided with him was gentler this time, softer.

The reprieve was welcomed, and before Boulderfrost stepped away, he carefully licked her shoulder in an unspoken thank you.

She purred, bowed her head, and retreated to join the others.

One by one, more cats emerged.

Crowflit, a young she-cat stolen too soon by yellowcough, stepped forward, granting him the strength she had boasted in life. Following her was her brother, Pinehawk, who had died by a coyote's attack, winking and giving him a life of endurance.

Timberkit bounded forward, who tragically joined Azaleakit, Slatespots' and Creekberry's other kit, in StarClan after dying of kitten cough.

With some hesitance, Oatbright leaned in, and winced, accepting Timberkit's life of curiosity.

Bittersweet was Elmstripe's life. His heart squeezed seeing the old tom cat who had been one of the clan's founders and one of his adoptive parents. It took a clan to raise young Oatbright, and Elmstripe had not minded this responsibility.

Even now, he looked upon him with a paternal kindness as he granted him wisdom with which to guide the clan, and stepped back to allow Sunsplash, Darkstar's former apprentice, to approach.

As Sunplash granted him a life of confidence, Oatbright shut his eyes, wondering if it truly would give him the confidence he so desperately craved.

So badly did he need it even now, thinking enviously of how Darkstar had grieved Sunsplash when he had died of snake venom.

"You've done well to reach this far, Oatbright."

For a beat, he thought his heart stopped.

Finally, the first leader of DawnClan emerged.

The madness and exhaustion in her eyes was gone, and they now sparkled with a clarity of mind she lacked in her final days.

The other StarClan cats parted to allow her through, elegant pawsteps approaching Oatbright.

Resisting the urge to cower under her gaze, he watched as she studied him, pausing a mouse-length away.

"... You will find your strength," murmured Darkstar. "I believe that you will. You must." Oatbright flinched at the flickering doubt in Darkstar's gaze. Was she… reflecting back on her choosing him as her deputy? In her purified mind, illness and exhaustion erased from it, had she realized she had made a mistake?

A whisper rippled through the StarClan cats, but when he looked at them, they were nothing more than strange, shapeless creatures.

Their eyes were bright white, with warm irises gone. Muzzles and noses were like starshine rippling in clear pools, and he felt himself freeze down to his core, horrified.

The tranquility of StarClan's domain was shifting, and he felt himself plummeting down with it.

Down, down he went into a frigid pond, yet he could not move, he could not swim.

All he could do was slowly turn his head back, back to Darkstar in front of him.

But she was no longer Darkstar.

The same shapeless, rippling mass of stars and burning-sun eyes bore into him, and he could not look away this time.

Breathing restricted and tight, as she–no, it–pressed forward, he was desperate to lean away. But there was no escaping this.

Destiny was an unavoidable thing. "You must," hissed Darkstar's voice, and when its pulsing body connected with his, the world went black.

#clangen #warriors #warrior cats #oatstar #eagleburn #darkstar #boulderfrost #well that got fun real fast sorry oatie!

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