MOON 0, New-Leaf - Doves
Dove`Star sat in her nest, listening to her daughter - Pear`Paw - talk about her training that day. However, Dove`Star's mind was elsewhere, thinking of her own duties, her own burdens. It was the beginning of New-Leaf, and the Harvest was almost here. She shuddered thinking of what Fish`Feather would have to do, going into the tunnels and-
"Mimi, are you listening?" Pear`Paw's voice broke through the spiraling thoughts, causing her to lift her head. "Y... Yes, I just got distracted, I'm sorry kitto." Pear`Paw sighed, laying next to the Orator. "Are you stressed about the upcoming Harvest?"
"Yes, I am." Dove`Star sighed. Her daughter gave a bright smile, so infectious Dove`Star had to smile back. "Mimi, if you need help I can help you and Ant`Stripe. It is gonna be my second Harvest anyways." Dove`Star's heart jumped to her throat, at the thought of her daughter being as complicit as her and her advisor.
"No need, that's alright. Now why don't you go run back to the apprentice den, and hang out with Peach`Paw? Unless Peak`Thistle has something for you to do." Pear`Paw squeaked, mumbling about being busy with her friend, padding outside of the den and wishing her mi a good rest of her day.
Dove`Star looked at the small pool of water that had formed in the den as the snow melted. Three lives. Three lives was all she had left to make sure her daughter could fill her position, or brace for Crane`Slash's bloodline to take over. She sighed, standing up and stretching. It was the seventh day, which meant a rousing speech about the Stars and the Promised Paradise for the Blessed. Dove`Star wished she never became the Orator.
"All cats of the Nightshade Order, join me at the Tall-Stone for our seventh sunrise sermon!" The molly yowled on the large, cylindrical boulder as the sun was beginning to rise. Crane`Slash joined Dove`Star quietly, sitting on the Small-Stone. One by one, her troop members joined in the clearing. Ant`Stripe, the Cleric and Advisor, Ebony`Flood, the Peacekeeper, Short`Tooth and the Soldiers. The apprentices came out one by one, followed by Fish`Feather, the elder, Weed`Paw, the Nurse apprentice, and the two kits currently in the nursery, Light`Kit and Blue`Kit
Dove`Star, once all the cats were gathered, began her rousing speech of the Soldier's Code, filling their heads with the belief that following it to the letter would grant them a chance of becoming a Blessed One. Her eyes drifted ahead, into the forest.
"Do not pay attention to the thing under the ground, focus on keeping them in control. Without control, they'd all be prey for The Thing Below." That's what the Orator before her beat into her head repeatedly.
Dove`Star's eyes darted back to the crowd, who seemed so small from up here. She ended the speech with a request for giving thanks to The Stars.
"Please, repeat after me. Thank you Starry Soldiers, for giving only us the chance for one of us to enter the Promised Paradise, and thank you Divine Ones for entering the tunnels and allowing for the Harvest to grace us with plentiful prey and promising weather. Blessed Be."
Murmurs throughout the crowd repeat the mantra. "Blessed Be," They say. It made Dove`Star nauseous. Once the crowd dissipated, her eyes lingered on the camp's edge. "My Blazing Star, would you like me to watch over the camp while you go get some air?" Crane`Slash asked. Dove`Star nodded, padding out of camp a bit too quickly.
Dove`Star wandered the territory with no destination in mind, but she found herself in front of the tunnels' main entrance. She always did. Something from below called to her, one of her former lives. But she won't go back in. Can't go back in.
Dove`Star doesn't want to remember what's under the ground
[Notes: I am attempting to put the story in this type of formatting. All Moon 0 parts will be about each position's story, whether the post is long or shorter than this]
Cats in Picture:
Dove`Star (She/Her) - 83 Moons- Orator - Confident, Dormouse - A trans grey mackerel tabby molly with green eyes and medium fur.
Pear`Paw (She/Her) - 8 Moons - Soldier Apprentice - Confident, Picky nest builder - Mentored by Peak`Thistle - A bluish-white classic tabby molly with a medium pelt, one green eye and one green-yellow eye
Mentioned cats (In order):
Fish`Feather (He/Him) - 124 moons - Elder, Former Peacekeeper - Stoic, Comforting prescence - A cream, long-furred tabby tom with golden eyes
Ant`Stripe (She/They) - 63 moons - Cleric, Advisor - Grumpy, Guardian - A light brown mackerel tabby molly with medium fur and cobalt eyes
Peach`Paw (She/Her) - 7 Moons - Soldier Apprentice - Gloomy, Morbid Curiosity - Mentored by Crane`Slash - A pinkish cream rosetted, long-furred molly with green-yellow eyes and white tear marks
Peak`Thistle (He/Him) - 100 Moons - Senior Soldier - Daring, Great decorator - Mentoring Pear`Paw - A brown short-furred tom with pale yellow eyes
Crane`Slash (She/Her) - 60 Moons - Second - Meek, Beloved Kitsitter & Great speaker - Mentoring Peach`Paw - A black, short-furred molly with one bronze eye and one emerald eye
Ebony`Flood (He/Him) - 111 Moons - Peacekeeper - Aloof, Lore keeper - A black long-furred tom with cyan eyes
Short`Tooth (She/Her) - 118 Moons - Senior Soldier - Arrogant, Incredible runner & Trinket Stower - A Light grey tabby molly with medium fur and pale blue eyes
Weed`Paw (She/It) - 7 Moons - Nurse Apprentice - Adventurous, Good fighter & Problem Solver - A pale grey and golden long-furred molly with green eyes
Light`Kit (She/Her) - 5 Moons - Kit - Patient, Lives in groups - A warmly diluted golden, medium furred molly with dark blue eyes
Blue`Kit (She/Her) - 2 Moons - Kit - Secretive, Always Learning - A Dark grey, short-furred masked molly with blue eyes