A Deputy Ceremony Calls Us Together

"Are you sure you're ready for this?"

The question hung in the air, causing Hollysong's ears to snap up as soon as Ashstar asked. The pretty pale gray she-cat sat at the foot of her den, an oak tree with a hallow hole in the trunk. The black she-cat cleared her throat, nodding. Even though she was certain - no, she was sure - that she could do this, that ball of anxiety welled in her stomach, causing her paws to numb.

Hollysong looked at the AshClan leader, the one who had started up this Clan, who was trusting her with this duty. She cleared her throat, bowing her head in her respect. "Yes, Ashstar. I'm sure," she told her leader, watching as the older she-cat nodded, content with her answer.

Ashstar looked up at the Highbranch, where she called her meetings. Hollysong followed her gaze for a moment, unsure as to what the leader was looking at exactly. Ashstar shook her head, before looking back at Hollysong.

"I'm going to call the meeting now. It's moonhigh," she told the warrior, before turning her back to the black she-cat and beginning to climb the tree. Hollysong looked at the bleak, dark blue sky, where the quarter moon currently hung.

Her spine fur trembled as the leader took her position on the Highbranch, looking over at the AshClan camp. Moonlight was dotting it, causing the moss to glow an eerie silver color.

"Let all cats old enough to scent the ash gather beneath the Highbranch for a Clan meeting!" Ashstar called. Her voice was the cats wake up call; warriors and the only apprentice padded to the roots of the oak tree, craning their necks to get a view of Ashstar.

Hollysong bit her trembling bottom lip, her normally positive and upbeat attitude turning to fear and anxiety as she watched her leader address the Clan.

....

Silverflight's back arched as she stretched. Ashstar's voice had just rung out through the clearing, calling for a Clan meeting, and she didn't want to be late. The silver tabby licked a paw, drawing it over her forehead as she blinked brilliant blue eyes at the entrance to the warriors den.

Daringfire, known as the Clan's residential fighter, pushed pass her, his white tail-tip disappearing out of the warriors den. Silverflight sighed, rolling her eyes. She followed him out, suddenly getting shoulder to shoulder with the ginger tom.

"So, wonder what this meeting's going to be about?" she asked him, wonder in her voice.

Daringfire gave her a side glance, his amber eyes looking like he was slightly irritated. But, again, this was Daringfire. "I can only imagine that it's going to be the deputy ceremony. It is moonhigh after all," he growled in a monotone.

Silverflight's blue eyes widened, looking back to the leaders den. "I think you're right. I mean, Hollysong is up there, and everyone knows that she'll be the first deputy of AshClan, like, ever!" she meowed cheerfully, her long tail curling up halfway.

The ginger tom narrowed his eyes, a frown evident on his face. "Not everyone knew that, you know. I think some cats thought that Ashstar would choose them instead," he muttered crossly, his ears halfway flattened to his head.

Silverflight frowned. "Being just a warrior isn't so bad," she told him, her frown upturning into a smile as both cats reached the edge of the crowd. "Oh, we're here!" Silverflight purred, settling herself into a sitting position and grinning.

Daringfire rolled his eyes, sitting next to her. "It wasn't like we went that far, you know,"

....

Crescentpaw let out a small sigh, his tail lashing as he settled down at the almost back of the crowd. Even though he was extremely happy finally being an apprentice, he hated being the only one in the Clan. AshClan was only just beginning to become a fuller Clan, and the black tom knew that he shouldn't be expecting another apprentice to just stroll in the Clanlife just yet.

Crescentpaw turned his neck up to view the dark night sky, where the moon was rising up even more. It was exactly moonhigh now, and Ashstar's voice called him out of his thoughts once again.

"Cats of AshClan," Ashstar meowed, her voice calling the voices of the other cats to die down. Crescentpaw blinked, turning his gaze to the pale gray leader. "Today calls for a new beginning."

Please tell me they found a six moon old cat in the territory; I can't deal with the elders and sleeping alone in the apprentices den any more! He silently pleaded, his silver eyes boring into his leaders, even though she hadn't turned her head to look at him personally.

"Today is a new beginning, for I am naming a deputy for this new Clan," Crescentpaw's head lowered a bit, his ears flattening to his head. His curiosity couldn't mask over his disappointment.

....

Ashstar blinked, a formation of a smile beginning on her face. This was her new Clan, the Clan that she made out of the ashes of her destroyed Clan. She twitched her ears, before clearing her throat, continuing her speech.

"AshClan is new. I know that you all are so new to being in something as bonding, hardworking, and family-like as a Clan, but I also know that you can all live your life in this Clan, as one. And, in a Clan, at moonhigh, a deputy is named. The deputy of this Clan is someone that I am learning to trust easily, someone that I know will bring a new light to this Clan." Ashstar looked down, seeing Hollysong's bright green eyes staring up at her.

The young cat was nervous, anxious, fearful, but also excited, all at the same time. Ashstar couldn't find herself to blame her, not even one bit. The small she-cat had felt the same way when it was her turn to become leader.

Ashstar's claws groped the cylindrical shape of the Highbranch, before she used her shoulder muscles to push herself down from the branch, landing on the camp floor with a soft 'thump'. She padded over to where Hollysong was sitting, feeling pairs of eyes following her swift pawsteps as she stood in front of her.

"As you may have noticed, I've chosen Hollysong for this duty. It is not because she was the first cat that followed me on the journey to create this new Clan, no, it's because I trust her. Hollysong is completely dedicated to AshClan already; this is a quality that not many cats have on their first few days of being in a Clan," She paused, glancing at her Clan, before continuing. "I've made my choice, and I'm allowing StarClan to hear and approve of my choice. Hollysong will be the first deputy of AshClan."

Hollysong smiled as the cheers for her name cried into the night.

"Hollysong! Hollysong! Hollysong!"