Re: Arrival of the Patrol

[Runfast]

"No," Sinface hissed at Paleclaw - his cousin. This was all to... What? The Servants served by choice in the old days - there would still be Servants. Sinface had to clear that up for himself in that moment. "Servants," he looked at all that were there - Grace was coming out of the den. "You are treated like dirt. But in the old days, that was not so. The title Servant was optional - she-cats could be anything - and they were treated as equals, having knowledge of the stars, writing, songs, healing, and fighting. And I think -" he paused. "I know we can get back to that."
Grace looked at Sinface, looked at the similar shaped head and face that she was so used to seeing everyday on Loveless. "Could we really?"
The tom looked at her. He was starting to understand what it meant to have a leader's tone, pose, expression. "If I say so."

[Meany]

Razorclaw stepped forward as he spat, "But that's against tradition! Against everything Abyssclan has ever stood for, the attitude that every leader has set forth!"
Snarlgag nodded in agreement.

Charmless, on the other hand, was interested in the thought of learning about stars and writing and songs. Her ears were pricked, eye sparking with curiosity.
She looked more lively than she had when she was a kit.
This did not go unnoticed by Luckless - "You better be telling the truth, King." There was warning in her voice.

[Runfast]

"There's never been tradition," Sinface snarled. "There's never been a constant in this Clan - not even after Scourge's reign. Remember?" He looked each cat in the eye. "His son refused to follow Those Above, causing the chain of events that would eventually lead to the creation of the sister Clans. But..." He calmed down. "Maybe there should be. The way I wish to rule is in the same fashion as Scourge." He glared at the remaining Dark Toms. "Problem with that?"

[Meany]

Razorclaw bared his teeth but averted his gaze. "No."
Snarlgag looked at Luckless, whiskers twitching in amusement at her tone.

[Longstorm]

Cunningheart was thinking about what her fellow Warrior - now forever separated - was saying. "Do you think the Clan will be stronger for it?"
Paleclaw was mulling it over in his mind. Equals... His gaze slid over to Grace, the lovely she-cat she was.
"What about kits," he asked suddenly. "We're so strict - would the protocol change?"

Bitter was sitting and listening intently. "Doesn't seem too bad, Fire," he murmured to the Choosing next to him.
See, although Bitter was an ass to just about everyone, Fire had never wronged him - meaning, he'd never paid him any attention. After this, they'd probably never talk to each other again.

[Runfast]

Sinface looked at Paleclaw, seeing him look at Grace. That explains a lot. He sighed. "I'm not king yet." He looked at the Powerfuls. "What now?" For the record, he'd been following their advice.
This is where Soulvoider padded up to Sinface - the Warriors parted as he went by. "You must stand where Shadowstar had the greatest presence. Move swiftly - this will be over in moments."
Sinface looked into the Powerfuls golden eyes and understood why even his father seemed to tip-toe around the three toms. There was such... Vast wisdom. Crushing seniority, maturity. Just - ageless, eternal.
It was terrifying and he looked away.
"Where he had the greatest presence..." Sinface padded towards Shadowstar's den.

[Longstorm]

Searingeyes looked to Shadowstar's den as well and strode past Sinface into the den.

Inside of the former Leaders den, the young brown tom looked at the body of his King. "Shadowstar," he murmured. "My mentor two times over." Though the glow was gone from his golden eyes he could still hear thousands of voices all around him.
"Where is Shadowstar, where has Shadowstar gone, he is not with us, where has he gone, where has he gone," but one voice raged louder than the rest, "Where is my descendant."
Searingeyes cowered at the harsh voice, flattening his ears and himself to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused nearly a century's worth of experience against the sound.
After many moments of a roaring noise and sheer terror, it was silent.
"He's..." The maturing tom's voice was hoarse. "He's not... With Those Above?" Searingeyes gave a cat smile. "He's not.. with you." Searingeyes stared into the pale blue crystal imbedded in the wall of the den as he rose to his feet. "You don't have him. HA!"
He rolled his shoulders and sank his teeth into the scruff of Shadowstar's neck, dragging him out of the den and into the darkness of the camp.

Searingeyes dropped the small body in front of the den they'd just emerged from. Searingeyes turned to Sinface and mewed, "Prepare yourself."

Bitter watched with intense interest.

Cunningheart was born two years late when it came to witnessing a Leader's Ceremony. Unlike the Clans, it wasn't a private event. No one had to be there except the King and those who held the knowledge of the ceremony, and no one was prohibited from being there.
Yes, she was very curious.

[Runfast]

Sinface didn't go to the very front of Shadowstar's den or to the top of it. He went to the top of the slope of the Clan, the head of the 'L' shape the camp was made of. For Sinface, whenever Shadowstar stood amongst them was when he was the most terrifying. Such authority even when he was a head shorter than everyone else.
Yeah, Sinface wasn't exactly the tallest in the Clan, but he didn't let it bother him... usually...
He exhaled sharply - he had an idea of what was going to happen - something along the lines of the next eight lives he took would become his and then it was best to let others kill for him.
Reasonable.

Dauntless stood next to Grace. "What's going to happen?"
Grace looked at the not-yet mature she-cat and mewed, "I think... it's something about for each life the Leader takes, that life is his."
Dauntless's eyes widened - but she was gruesomely fascinated.

[Loki]

Switchblade looked around himself warily. Everyone was so absorbed in the ceremony... he thought darkly and wanted to see for himself, to see what the commotion was. Voices whispered around him, laughing and taunting. "Their coming to sway you!" They warned and he hopped the bank and left...

[Guest]

Meanwhile...

Despairingcall saw Switchblade leaving and padded after him. "Switchblade," he called down the slope, "You cannot leave!"

Fire was shocked that everything had apparently turned out so well - but what was to happen next?
Thunder rumbled ominously - it was going to rain.
"I think the moon is rising," he said to no one, seeing a faint orb of light past the blackness.

[Loki]

"But... ," He said with a hint of urgency, then shook his head, "Yes of course..."
He jumped down the bank and looked back warily.

[Guest]

Despairingcall nodded once, calmly. "What happens next is the will of the King. May all go well and be blessed." He turned back to the camp as the wind began to pick up.

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