Warrior Cat Clans 2 (WCC2 aka Classic) is a roleplay site inspired by the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Whether you are a fan of the books or new to the Warrior cats world, WCC2 offers a diverse environment with over a decade’s worth of lore for you - and your characters - to explore. Join us today and become a part of our ongoing story!
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A new leader, a new face. A cat who was supposed to lead the clan from these dark times into times that were bright again. Could she do it? Maybe. Violetstar found herself feeling doubtful, and knew that seeking council from a surviving past leader would do her well. So the she-cat has come from her den and into the depths of the cave that the clan sheltered, the pounding of the water fall loud, but comforting. The tortoiseshell she-cat then made her way to the elder’s den, which only held one feline. Gravelshell. “Are you awake?” It was midday, but she knew that the elder was still recovering from near starvation, just as she herself was.
Oh, how the mighty can fall. Sitting alone in the elder's den, Gravelshell felt like a shadow of her former self, curled up in the far corner of the cave. Her normally sleek and glossy tortoiseshell pelt was covered in dirt and looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks. It probably hadn't; she hadn't been able to bring herself to do much of anything, not since her son died. Perhaps it was a mercy that Caspianpaw had been one of the first to die. The former leader wasn't sure if she would've been able to bare it if her son was forced to watch his own kits die as well; they fell to the sickness not long after their father did. There had been no hesitation in sending the rest of her family away after that. She might've had lives to spare, but they didn't. It was only Yuccablossom; foolish, naive, beautiful Yuccablossom, who refused to leave her mother. The old she-cat thanked Starclan every day that they hadn't taken her only daughter as well.
As the sound of a familiar voice, Gravelshell lifted her head, a small, tired smile crossing her face as she recognized her visitor. "Violetstar," she meowed softly. "Starclan bless you, my dear." When the new leader of Waterclan opened her mouth to speak, the elder quickly cut her off again. "-Shush! I hate it when cats attmept to waste my time. You're here because you weren't a Deputy, and now you have to lead an entire clan, yes? Don't be embarassed, just ask me what you need to ask."
It was not quite what she had expected out of the older feline. Violetstar tried to hide the shock from her features, but she had definitely been taken off guard all the sudden. Sighing softly she found herself sitting before the old warrior, and her eyes searching the cat’s. “Yes.” She admitted, though was not quick to do so. It took a lot to be a leader, and it took even more to be a good leader.
Gravelshell smirked good-naturedly as the new Waterclan leader settled down beside her, and she scooted to the side a bit to give Violetstar room in her nest. "That wasn't a question, my dear," she purred jokingly, before letting out a long sigh. "I understand how much stress you must be under, with all this responsibility being thrown on you. I had been trained as Deputy under Phoenixstar for many moons before she stepped down, and even then I still had trouble finding my balance as leader. It's like being thrown onto an icy lake, I suppose; no way of knowing which way is safest, or which patch of ice will break beneath your paws."
The elder was right. It wasn’t a question, but she didn’t even know how to word what she was feeling and the immense pressure that laid on her shoulders at every turn. Then, Gravelshell continued speaking. And suddenly, the way she felt? It was said.
She gave a slow nod, almost wanting to lean into the she-cat. It was tempting, to feel soemone’s Comfort, someone that actually understood.
Gravelshell watched Violetstar's face closely, noticing how her eyes lit up in surprise and awe when the elder managed to say exactly how she was feeling. "To an extent, you need to trust in your instincts," she continued, closing her hazel eyes as she thought back to the early days of her own leadership. "Your clan will follow you to the ends of the earth, but only if you show unwavering confidence in your decisions. Don't waver, even if you end up leading Waterclan into a tight spot. Bad times are just times that are bad, they will pass as all things in life do. But then again, don't go running head-first into unknown situations either. You are cautious, Violetstar. I saw that at the gathering. That is good."
It was always a plus, having former leadership in the ranks of the clan. At least, that was how Violetstar looked at it. The cats could be her council in times where she found herself at a loss and what to do for the decision of her clan. They could guide her with their seasons of wisdom, and she appreciated that more than any cat could realize. A small sigh slipped from her lips. “Thank you, Gravelshell.” The feline’s words hit her deeply. Some cats thought it a threat to have former leaders staying in their camps, but she did not. She trusted Gravelstar, and wouldn’t dare drive out such a respected cat.
"No need for thanks, I'm just telling it like it is," Gravelshell purred good-naturedly, turning her head to lick Violetstar on the ear as one would do to a young kit. "More than anything, however," she continued as she pulled away, "Learn from my mistakes. That's the true power of having ancestors; you can learn and do things better than they could. I learned from my leader Phoenixstar, and Emberstar, in turn, learned from me..." Her voice trailed off, having a hollow feeling in her chest as she thought about her loyal Deputy and friend's fate. He never deserved what had happened. The elder quickly shook it off, her voice becoming grave as she stared the leader right in the eyes.
"He can't teach you anymore, which means that I'll have to. Tell me, Violetstar, you might be too young to remember; do you know the tale of Yellowmoon?"
She was listening carefully. Soaking in words of wisdom that she may even pass on later to another cat before they should take over. Violetstar curled her tail before speaking. “Faintly, but I was young when it was told to me, and I have not heard it in many many moons.” She explained, clear that she didn’t quite remember any details of the said story.
Gravelshell let out a hum of understanding, shuffling in her nest to make herself comfortable before she recounted the story. "That is fair enough, I believe your mother had just become pregnant with you when the incident occurred," she explained.
"You see, when I first became leader, my main focus was to ensure Waterclan's protection from outside threats. We had dealt with multiple incidents involving Sunclan by that point, including several Waterclan toms getting Sunclan she-cats pregant, and then having them leave the kits on our boarder. Meanwhile, both Winterclan and Primal Instinct had been rising in power, and Brookclan had been nearly completely destroyed by the latter. I was...paranoid, to say the least, but not without reason. I was willing to go any length to build Waterclan as an island, untouchable by our enemies."
"I even became mates with Leucisticcrow, the son of Glowstar, to secure an alliance with Dayclan. Though I was initally unaware of his heritage when I chose him, and have since grown to truly love him."
Violetstar was not rude. Most cats would hardly be paying attention, but not herself. She had come here for a reason, and that was for the guidance of a previous leader. She nodded softly as the story began, her entire attention was placed upon Gravelshell. Violetstar trusted the feline, more than most, anyways.
"But...I had become blind as a result," Gravelshell continued, her tone grave. "I was so...obsessed with protecting my clan from the dangers outside of it, that never for a single second did I consider that there might be danger hiding among my clanmates, my own friends and family. When behavioral concerns were brought up, I was usually only half-listening; I'd maybe give the perpetrator a small scolding at best. A-and, because of that..."
Gravelshell hissed under her breath as she pulled away from Violetstar, wincing as if in pain. "I was blind...to Yellowmoon torturing her own kits." "She hid it well from her family, and forced her kits into complete silence, but it happened all the same. All under my authority as Waterclan's leader. By the time I realized and tried to stop it, two of her kits were already dead from mysterious circumstances, one had run away to Dayclan, and the last...she murdered right before my eyes. Tricked into a fox's den."
She was quiet for the longest. Yet, finally spoke. “What of the kit whom fled to DayClan? Are they still alive now?” She asked, her eyes never leaving Gravelshell. It was a question that held deep meaning, perhaps even had an underlying idea. An idea to offer the cat their home in return.
Gravelshell let out a heavy sigh, her voice soft with an edge of sadness and hurt in it. "They are Eternallaughter, member of Dayclan's Immortal Council, which makes him the equivalent of Dayclan's Deputy," she answered simply, refusing to meet the leader's gaze. The faint hope in Violetstar's voice had given her a clue about what she might've wanted to do, but that was impossible. "He...he doesn't hate Waterclan, so should he succeed Glowstar there shouldn't be any trouble. Perhaps some resentment, but probably not outright aggression. It's...it's only me that he hates. And he has every right to."
"When I saw the trap Yellowmoon had laid to kill her son, my eyes were opened to the monster she really was. I declared her a traitor. I attacked her. She...took a life from me, before we finally overpowered her. But we didn't kill her; I wanted the whole of Waterclan to know what she had done. As a clan, we collectively disowned her and exiled her. What we didn't know was that she had become pregnant again when she left. The kits were found abandoned by the river; from what we know now they each had a different father...my brother Bluepelt being one of them. He and Yellowmon had been close friends, and she took advantage of him when he was mourning the loss of his previous mate, who died of illness two moons prior. Jaysolstice is their son."
Violetstar listened carefully. It was a lot of weight upon her shoulders, to lead a clan. TThough knowing that the cat before her had lived the life she did, as a leader, was comforting. It was nice to know that someone knew what she felt, and hearing stories of wisdom, was nice.
She was silent, saying nothing, but obviously paying full attention to her clanmate.
