First && HIGHROCK && meeting }}

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Dreampaw relaxed as Flamefoot came to the rescue, showing her what to do in her current situation. "Thank you, Flamefoot," she meowed in response to Flamefoot's words. Dreampaw wasn't an ambitious cat, but she did wish to become a good and loyal warrior. She was a little anxious about being Flamefoot's apprentice since Flamefoot's temperament was rather... sharp, you could say, but she indeed was excited as she touched noses with the ginger pelted she-cat warrior.

Now what was she supposed to do? Dreampaw gave a sideways glance at Flamefoot, wondering what she was supposed to do. Her ears twitched as she heard a cry heaving from Inkpaw's vocal chords as he sprang to his paws, his tail-tip moving back and forth with excitement as pride blazed in his bright hazelnut colored eyes.

"Dreampaw!" Inkpaw cried out for the silver tabby she-cat apprentice, purring furiously as he looked at Dreampaw. Half of him wanted to dash up there and press his pelt lightly against Dreampaw's to show the whole Clan that Dreampaw finally loved him, but decided against it. If he were to receive a mentor today, he wouldn't want to start Northstar off on the wrong foot... no, paw, correct?

"And Flamefoot!" Viridianpaw added to Inkpaw's cheer, adding his own voice to Inkpaw's as they continued to cheer. Viridianpaw nudged Pebblepaw gently in order to get her to look up and to call out in her own voice towards Flamefoot and Dreampaw. After all, an apprenticing ceremony was quite a big deal, wasn't it?

Dreampaw couldn't help but feel rather delighted as Inkpaw, Viridianpaw, and Pebblepaw chorused out cheers for Flamefoot and her! She scanned the other SkyClan cats, seeing some other cats join into the cries. There was Oceanwing, Inkpaw's mother. Not far off where Twilightleaf and Rosepetal, both calling out, one in their French accent, the other in a Spanish one. Aspenwind was there, near the two bilingual cats. Next was Icefoot, who had been seated next to Flamefoot before the warrior had gone up to the Highrock. Cloudpuff, the tomcat who had favored her before, was also cheering, and even the cream-colored she-cat Cloudpuff was now smitten with... Mai?... was calling out.

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[Battooth]

Flamefoot called out her new apprentice's name, hearing the rest of the Clan do the same for the young she-cat. She glanced at Viridianpaw and blinked gratefully. She saw Onespot watching her, looking as proud as ever, and Mistheart next to him, calling out the names of the new mentor and apprentice enthusiastically. "C'mon, we should get down so Northstar can continue," she meowed, beckoning to Dreampaw as she leaped down. She waited at the bottom of the Highrock, patient for once in her life.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Dreampaw nodded, glad to be out of the spotlight, finally. She leaped down from the Highrock, following Flamefoot. Instead of following her new mentor, however, she made her way next to Inkpaw. "Hey," she meowed when he greeted her with an affectionate purr, rubbing his cheek against hers.

--x

Icefoot looked up as he saw Flamefoot come down from the Highrock. He pricked his ears in the air, hoping that she'd come back to sit next to him. He awaited her return, pride glimmering in his eyes as he looked at the ginger colored she-cat warrior who had just received Dreampaw as an apprentice.

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[Agii♫]

Long creamy tail flicked flawlessly in the drifting snowflakes, the leopard peach patterns upon her coat undulating with the sleek movements of her tall tail, erect and loose. Small skull turned to face the apprentice, she blinked slowly and placidly, pupils dilating to a more attention-stricken appearance. Northstar gave a comforting nod to the new-mentor and apprentice as they receded to the depths of the crowd at the base of Highrock. As she did this, her deep moss eyes flickered swiftly to the appearance of two cats coming in. Gaze hardened to a strict scolding tone, her pose becoming slighlty altered as she tensed. Why where they late?

Positioning herself, she drew away her cold eyes, retracting her sudden irritation and continuing with the ceremony with the same placid, cool edge Northstar obtained and controlled so adeptly. The leader proudly expanded her thick ivory chest as the silence of Bare-Leaf blew another chilly breath against her coat.

"We will also be having our beloved Silverpaw be mentored by the fiery Foxflower," Northstar said with pride.

--x

A squeal was hear from admist the group of felines, and just as soon appeared a dancing she-cat no other than the coquettish Foxflower. She leaped up with burning lithefulness, her thick silver coat waving like wildfire in the cool breeze that caressed her lean body, curved lusciously to thick point.

She padded up beside Northstar, and with a wide beam, released a loud purr and rubbed the length of her neck and shoulder against her friend's side. As she pulled back to watch her new apprentice come up the rocks, the silvery she-cat blinked excitedly into the leader's amused and smiling face, waiting to touch noses with her new apprentice.

[frosty ♥]

Silverpaw felt Bravepaw nudge her gently, the silver she-cat beamed with happiness and padded gracefully away from the crowd of felines at the base of the Highrock. She glanced back at her clanmates, Lionclaw was smiling at her with joy and Bravepaw was purring so loud she could swear the whole clan heard. With a dip of her finely shaped head she trotted forward and leapt up the rock in one swift, elegant leap. Her paws touched the cold stone and made their way to the front of Foxflower. She saw her own happiness reflected in the warrior’s eyes.

Her small, dainty nosed touched Foxflower’s briefly then she lifted away and turned to look at her clanmates below. “SILVERPAW!” Bravepaw was yowling joyfully, his eyes gleamed with affection for the silver apprentice. Lionclaw joined in after a moment, his tail waving behind him in congratulations. She was on her way to become a warrior at last! Her fur tingled with pleasure, showing off her ivory smile she gazed down at SkyClan happily.

She glanced at Northstar and dipped her head in respect, her glittering frosty icy-blue eyes gleaming with excitement, a gentle purr that had been tickling her was released into the cool air as she returned her head to look down upon her clanmates. She waved her semi-long fluffy tail in her thanks. Soon enough the other cats would join in with the cheer and her name would echo through the camp. Silverpaw tried to take in everything at once, savoring the memory for future purposes.

[frosty ♥]

Bravepaw purred with happiness as he watched Silverpaw stand at the top of the Highrock, her eyes glittering like the ivory scene around them. The snow made her pelt glow with beauty and elegance, her own eyes were bright as she watched her clan chant her name. “Silverpaw!” he yowled again, his eyes gleamed with affection as she turned her icy-blue eyes to look down upon him. The silver apprentice blinked toward him, her eyes filled with gratitude…but something in those frosty depths made his mind recoil. Why was their no love in her gaze? He shook it off and gave himself a stern reprimand for thinking such. She loved him; she said so, he probably didn’t catch it that’s all. The thorn that had poked doubtfully into his thoughts was cleared away as he continued to call out her name with the same enthusiasm and glee.

Soon he would have a mentor and perhaps they could both train together! His tail curled with excitement, Silverpaw and himself, hunting in the forest together and practicing fighting moves. As Dreampaw passed him, he meowed “congratulations” in a warm tone, blinking at the she-cat apprentice and her glossy pelt. He was happy for her too, even though they had a rough time the other day but even so, he didn’t hold grudges for long… unless it was for Inkpaw and his clumsiness. He returned his happy, dark blue eyes to Silverpaw.

His love was still standing upon the rock with Foxflower, mentor and apprentice looking joyful. He purred, bringing his tail carefully over the snow and to the top of his smoky paws. He felt another painful slash of excitement bubble over him; he wanted to have a mentor so much! But who would be the one…? The question flared in his mind. Only StarClan and Northstar knew the answer.

[Battooth]

Flamefoot slipped through the crowd to Icefoot's side and sat down, calling out Silverpaw's name as she settled herself down. She purred to herself as she saw who Dreampaw had followed. "They really love each other," she meowed dreamily. She yawned slightly before calling out Foxflower and Silverpaw's names.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Icefoot purred as Flamefoot seated herself beside him again. He called out Foxflower and Silverpaw's names a few times before he turned his attention back to the fiery ginger pelted warrior. "And you and me?" he asked, a teasing tone passing through his voice as he spoke to the she-cat.

Nonchalantly, Icefoot touched his muzzle lightly to Flamefoot's, keeping it there for a few moments before moving it back to resting in the air like it had done before. Although Icefoot wasn't a cat that easily got embarrassed, he still wan't extremely big in the love department. He could be, however, quite charming despite that fact.

--x

Dreampaw nodded her thanks to Bravepaw's congratulations, but she didn't dare purr at it in case Inkpaw would feel a little jealous. To prove the fact that she loved him, she let out a soft and tender purr that reached Inkpaw's ears only [it was quite an easy thing to do, for the noise around was increasingly growing].

Deciding not to neglect the regular Clan duties, Dreampaw began calling out the names of Foxflower and Silverpaw with enthusiasm as she relished in her own excitement at receiving a mentor tonight. She entwined her tail with Inkpaw's again, her pelt touching the black tomcat apprentice's. Dreampaw couldn't help but purr with affection as she noted the spirit that Inkpaw had in his bright hazelnut eyes as he met her own bright multi-colored gaze.

--x

As if a chain reacction, Aspenwind began her own cheers for Foxflower and Silverpaw. She was soon joined by Rosepetal, who eventually realized what she was supposed to do. Rosepetal's voice, however, was rather meek since she was rather uncertain of what to do and was afraid to make a mistake that would take the title of "La Espanola Rosa" or "The Spanish Rose." Twilightleaf immediately understood Rosepetal's shyness and rasped his tongue lightly over her ear in a single, soothing stroke, not bothering to think of the fact that he had just made a rather bold action. After he did so, he began calling out the names of the two she-cats, one who had just received a mentor, the other who had just acquired an apprentice.

--x

[The rest of my SkyClan cats are cheering; I'm just too lazy to type out the rest. x33]

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[Battooth]

Flamefoot's fur prickled, not uncomfortably. She rather liked having a tom that was like that with her: gentle, teasing, and caring- even if they had only just started acting that way towards each other. "Mouse-brain," she meowed affectionately. She turned her attention to what was going on at the Highrock, purring happily as she realized how the two must seem to the rest of the Clan. She with her quick temper and rash personality compared to his calm and collected front.

A quick glance at the Clan to see who was left to apprentice brought Flamefoot's amber eyes to Mai. The kittypet. She knew that she had told Icefoot she would let the new Clan cat be, but she couldn't help but feel a little more than dislike towards the she-cat. 'She won't stay,' the ginger pelted she-cat told herself. 'She'll be like every other cat who wasn't born to a Clan. She'll leave the second she feels like it, leaving cats behind who for some reason liked her.' Flamefoot narrowed her eyes angrily at Mai before thrusting this thought away.

Until that day, Flamefoot would pretend she didn't exist.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Icefoot followed Flamefoot's gaze to the new cat in the Clan, the former kittypet known as Mai, whom Cloudpuff was hankering after even more then he had done when he had been in love with Dreampaw. He watched the ginger pelted she-cat's expression across her face change from happy and comfortable with him to a rather frustrated look. Icefoot gave a mental sigh of a exassperation, but decided not to let it show.

Well, Flamefoot had the right to not like Mai, correct? After all, he hadn't made the fiery tempered she-cat warrior apologize to Mai, only to Mistheart. Icefoot was rather unsure whether to bring the topic of Mai up or to just leave it be. He didn't want Mai to feel the wrath of Flamefoot's anger [even if Flamefoot did manage to vent her agitation and not take it out on the kittypet herself, Mai would probably know that Flamefoot's demeanor wasn't... amiable]. Then again, however, this current spot beside Flamefoot was relatively comfortable.

"Cloudpuff's after Mai, isn't he?" Icefoot meowed in a nonchalant tone. After the words came out, he prayed silently to StarClan with all his might that Flamefoot wouldn't instantly rush to contradict everything about the new cream-colored female kittypet.

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[Battooth]

Flamefoot's head snapped to the side to look at Icefoot. "Yeah," she meowed angrily. "He is." Sharp words longed to fly from her mouth as she thought of the two cats. What she let out was simply, "He's over my apprentice and has moved on to lesser things." She glared at the kittypet and looked at her new apprentice. What was wrong with Cloudpuff? Didn't he see that Dreampaw was much better than Mai? She was a warrior apprentice, with warrior blood running through her veins. She was far better than any kittypet-born cat could ever be.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Well, well, well. Prayers to StarClan didn't always work, now did they? This realization quickly came to Icefoot's mind as Flamefoot meowed out a few sharp phrases against the new cream-colored she-cat former kittypet. The tomcat warrior sent a glance in the direction of Cloudpuff and Mai. "Cloudpuff's known for having reasonably good and sound judgement," Icefoot meowed, attempting again to speak to Flamefoot about Mai.

Why didn't Flamefoot just leave Mai alone? Flamefoot didn't even have to speak to Mai; Icefoot just didn't like it that Flamefoot was almost shunning Mai from the Clan life. Sure, he understood the fact that Flamefoot's father had been a rogue that had taken leave of his mate and kit, but Icefoot couldn't quite imagine Mai leaving SkyClan for the sake of leaving Cloudpuff behind -- when she finally got around to loving him.

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[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

Gentlpaw walked over to the highrock, her delicate paws bringing her to follow Moonrun. So handsome he was, and kind--. Gentlpaw cut off her longing thoughts as she sat down next to him. Moonrun loved Northstar, not her. Gentlepaw sighed, and wondered if she was really falling in love with the silver-toed black tom. She should be sitting next to Ravenfeather, right? But he loved Azelealeaf, and Gentlpaw loved..maybe...Moonrun? She looked over at him, wistfulness in her lavender eyes.

[Agii♫]

Smitten with the affections of her leader, clan, and apprentice, the bushy-tailed warrior leaped down from Highrock in a few graceful bounds, her delicate, small silver paws falling beside her companion. She turned to see Smokesoul blink bashfully up to her and rotate his shoulder blade in a nudge, making her chuckle lightly.

"Finally got one, huh?" The smokey-gray tom asked.

Foxflower beamed and nodded with a grin. "I know this girl's got some stuff, she ain't kiddin' me. A'ight? Now you gotta go get an apprentice fo' yourself, Smokesoul, 'cause I ain't wanna see you sad 'n all. Don't get yourself so down 'bout it, a'ight?" The silver she-cat whisked her long tail against his side, wrapping it around his small body affectionately before turning her rounded face back to Northstar's attention to see what was coming next.

--x

Satisfied that the new mentor and apprentice were now back to their positions, the leader took back her own authority and arched her neck defiantly.

"As well, we have another apprentice and mentor to unite. The blossoming Rosepaw shall be mentored by the ever-lasting Icefoot."

Northstar slowly blinked, shutting out the sounds of the clan's cheering as Icefoot and Rosepaw came to touch noses. Gaze cast downwards, she locked it to her paws for what seemed like hours; days, months. She felt an odd presence, a presence of unease and agony that surrounded her. She knew it was the weight of the anniversary of his passing, and knew that it was affecting her greatly; but this was something else.

But, was it?

--x

Moonrun sighed, his blue and gray eyes brightening up as Foxflower came into his view. His jaws parted to speak out her name, but the tom remembered that he could not be heard; not heard by anyone. Swallowing back his call, he lowered his head, ears flat, and stared at his moon-tipped paws.

"Why can I not be heard?" he whispered to himself.

[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

"Living cats cannot hear the voices of StarClan so clearly when they are not at the Mooncrystal", Gentlpaw whispered to Moonwind. "You love her dearly, don't you?" She asked, tears stinging in her eyes. She blinked, and one came down, leaving a small dark spot where it had melted the thin layer of snow.