The first gathering after the Battle with BloodClan is tense. Everyone remembers battling here, Firestar can’t even look at the spot where Whitestorm died, everyone seems to be walking gingerly. But there’s work to be done.
Firestar, Graystripe and Cinderpelt call a meeting of the other Clan Leaders, deputies and medicine cats beneath the Great Rock. It is not a formal thing but Firestar wants to speak to them. Tallstar agrees of course and Leopardstar and the newly named Blackstar agree to hear him out.
Neither Leopardstar and Blackstar want to be there but they are keenly aware they are the leaders on the wrong side of history right now and are willing to listen. But to everyone’s surprise what Firestar has to suggest has nothing to do with BloodClan.
He wants to abolish the tradition of naming cats after their injuries. Elders or not, he thinks it needs to stop. He’s thinking of Brightheart, of Lostface, and wants that cruelty to end.
Before Blackstar can finish scoffing Tallstar has agreed. He sees the compassion in the suggestion, the kindness he associates with Jake and Firestar but more than that he is grieving. Deadfoot was his deputy and his first apprentice and he remembers clearly the moment he was named Deadpaw. He bore it with pride but his deputy and friend, the cat who should’ve succeeded him, deserved to be known for more his front paw.
Littlecloud is nodding in agreement, while Russetfur doesn’t seem to have an opinion. But Blackstar is acutely aware of the way Mistyfoot is not looking at him. Of the legacy he has made for himself. Deputy to the two cruelest leaders in ShadowClan history. He has helped murder kits, elders and Stonefur after he’d been starved and half-beaten by another cat. Cruelty and murder will be his legacy as deputy. As leader he has a nine new chances to change that. He agrees.
Leopardstar hesitates, she no longer trusts her own judgement and almost wants to say no just to prove she can make her own choices, before Mudfur says that Brambleberry always considered it a cruelness on Rainflower and Hailstar’s part to have renamed Crookedstar. He agrees with Firestar, they should be known and remembered for more than their injuries and their battles. Mistyfoot says nothing, she is busy trying not to look at Blackstar. Leopardstar once made a choice for power and regretted it. This time she makes a choice for mercy. She agrees.
Watching overhead, some of StarClan objects but the living had cast their vote.
By the time the Clans reach the lake many of them never knew there was such a tradition, such a ceremony. Brightheart watches with relief as Berrypaw and Jaypaw worry about such cruelty and quickly reassured they are being ridiculous, never to know that once they might’ve been more right than they knew.
The ceremony fades from memory, the words forgotten. Their Clanmates are more than their scars, than their injuries. They go to StarClan with the names they earned.
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