Don't they know that frost can kill?

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Loonstar [break]
Our tainted history, is playing on repeat...
[break]But we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

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The passing from sunrise to sunhigh had never felt so long, and yet so short at the same time. After the clan had calmed in the wake of such a drastic change in leadership, the day had gone by like a whirlwind. With so many warriors to consider, and no prior thought that she would ever need to make such a decision, Loondusk nearly felt as though she had hardly taken a moment to breathe. And yet she did not look frazzled. Despite all the thoughts that swirled around in her mind, she maintained her composure against all odds.
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It would do her no service to get emotional.
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Even so, a steadying breath was needed as she parted ways with yet another warrior. That one, at least, she could check off the list. Not unlike the next she planned to approach, the molly was ambitious and admittedly a little volatile - however, it had also seemed she cared more about stirring up trouble than caring for her clan. As much as Loondusk could understand her distrust, the new leader could not entrust Riverclan into her paws. Not in good conscience. She would be no better than Leopardstar if she did.
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Rather than return to camp once more to collect the next cat, Loondusk had chosen to have the molly send for another. Undoubtedly, the clan was beginning to suspect what she was doing. Calling warriors to her side only to send them away again - she was sampling them, narrowing her choices. It was not a fact she was trying to keep a secret. Yet perhaps it would be easier if they did not know. If they were not before her trying to better her chances. With such time constraints, however, subtlety was a luxury she did not have.
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In the private cavern beneath the waterfall where she lay in wait, it was hard to hear much of anything over the falling water. However, her eyes were still quick to pick up the entrance of a shadowed figure, and she watched him expectantly. "Hawkfrost," she greeted calmly, breaking the silence between them as her plumed tail beckoned him closer. "Thank you for coming. Join me."

[attr="class","loonextras"]

hawkstar [break]
Notes: set just after sunhigh on the day of leopardstar's death, pre-lives ceremony

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[hawkstar]

#s://i~ibb~co/R7VVQ7p/hawkfrostside~jpg

hawkfrost

LEGENDS NEVER DIE THEY BECOME A PART OF YOU

He was no fool.

Loondusk's hesitation and her one-on-one meetings had Hawkfrost's paws itching impatiently. Like his father before him, Hawkfrost desired a reputable, powerful place in Clan. However, he dared not mention it or even consider the idea. Who would trust him, after all? His familiar tabby pelt mirrored that of his late father. Time and time again, Hawkfrost was merely a reminder of the past. The dark ages of Tigerstar. As much as Hawkfrost thought to put it behind him, the very cat was his father.

How was he to blaze his own path in the shadow of Tigerstar's crimes?

His fur prickled with annoyance as yet another warrior exited the cavern, this time summoning him to Loondusk's presence. He rose to his large tabby paws, as much as his aching muscles hated it. He had spent the night sitting vigil for Leopardstar. Despite his lifetime of arguing with her, her death hit her harder than he expected.

Not a wink of rest was in sight, and Hawkfrost knew not what he was signing up for as he approached Loondusk.

"Of course, Loondusk," he dipped his head as he approached. He wasted no time getting to the point and waved his tail in the general direction of the molly who had just left Loondusk's metting. "You're speaking to a lot of cats. Any conscientious warrior would suspect a certain important decision is on your mind."

A smile on his maw and eyes full of curiosity, Hawkfrost wrapped his tail around his paws and sat down. He turned his ice blue eyes onward, toward the horizon, and then back toward Loondusk, the strange cat who was to be his new leader. The warmth had just hardly left Leopardstar's body. Would there be dissent already? 

"For my mentor's sake, I hope you'll share with me what you're thinking."

hawkfrost, played by io

◈ MADE BY MINNIE OF GANGNAM STYLE

@loondusk

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Loonstar [break]
Our tainted history, is playing on repeat...
[break]But we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

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The warrior was quick to follow her command, although Loondusk had her doubts he would have waited for it. In still silence, she watched him, ears twitching subtly as he spoke. Her gaze did not leave the tom to follow his gesture. This was the sun of the cat who had nigh ruined their clan - yet Loondusk was far from one to mistake them for the same cat. He had yet to prove himself different, but he had also yet to prove himself the same. One day she would need to decide who she thought he might become.
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Perhaps he might help her bring that day closer.
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Hawkfrost was quick to the point. "To think otherwise would be oblivion," she acknowledged. Her slow blink was a single ripple throughout a calm, still pool. She fell silent again. Loondusk's gaze tracked the tom as he moved closer. She watched as he seated himself upon the cavern floor. As a curious smile crept its way onto his maw, and his icy gaze took a brief glimpse toward the horizon. Her tail-tip twitched slightly at her flank.
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"Leopardstar's time has come and gone. She has no need of my thoughts now." Her tone was calm, distant - and for a moment her gaze seemed to focus on something past the tom. It did not last long. Her focus returned swiftly to Hawkfrost once more, searching. "I would much rather know yours."

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hawkstar[break]
Notes:

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[hawkstar]

#s://i~ibb~co/R7VVQ7p/hawkfrostside~jpg

hawkfrost

EVERY TIME YOU BLEED FOR REACHING GREATNESS

With Loondusk's calm words, Hawkfrost could not help but break into another smile, but this was was more jaded. What was the use of her testing them all now? Had she not gotten to know her own warriors well enough to even pick a deputy?

Some might interpret that as a weakness, he thought briefly.

"Know mine?" he chuckled lightly in response and almost in a sigh. He raised an eye at the idea that such a strategic she-cat would ask the opinion of Tigerstar's son. As ambitious as he was, Hawkfrost would never even dare think that Loondusk considered him an option for deputy. After moons and moons of seeking it and snapping at Mistyfoot's heels, Hawkfrost knew that in the end, he would be too radical a pick.

Instead, he thought Loondusk might be questioning his loyalty to RiverClan's new leadership.

"I am a cat of the present, Loondusk," he answered quietly and warily, with his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Don't take me for a fool. If you're here to scout me and question my loyalty on the basis of my past heritage, I assure you that you will find nothing."


Hawkfrost let his tail tip twitch slightly at Loondusk's reaction to Leopardstar. His mentor's body had just been laid to rest, and Hawkfrost almost felt uncomfortable with the idea of such a sudden transition in leadership. Leopardstar had always touted such an adherence to the code and their ancestors. But perhaps it was for the better, for now. Change might even be a nice thing.

"I suppose if you are as quick to move on from my father's leadership as you are Leopardstar's, then sure, I can give you my thoughts."

He tucked his front paws under his chest and stared patiently at Loondusk. Well, strategy was indeed his strong suit. Perhaps she might want to discuss that?

hawkfrost, played by io

◈ MADE BY MINNIE OF GANGNAM STYLE

@loondusk

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Loonstar [break]
Our tainted history, is playing on repeat...
[break]But we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

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A suspicious gleam was quick to settle over the tom, his eyes narrowing at her warily. Loondusk watched him, unruffled as he seemed to evaluate why she might be asking. There was always a reason for her lack of explanations - she liked to see how her warriors would think, how they would react. Hawkfrost did not disappoint. She had expected two things - he might leap at the thought of being chosen for deputy, or he might take offense to her prying.
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It would seem the tom had selected the latter.
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As the tom responded, her ears pricked, curious. The contrast of his words perplexed her, though she was not sure if it made her more amused, or uneasy. The warrior seemed awfully quick to offend, but that had not been unexpected. "You say you are a cat of the present," she mused, gaze cool as she watched him. "And yet you think in the past. Who your father was is irrelevant to me."
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Loondusk noted the subtle twitch of Hawkfrost's tail as the tom settled before her, paws tucking beneath his chest. His gaze seemed to have settled to something more patient now, perhaps calmer. Her whiskers twitched at his words. 'How generous.' Not bothering to comment on that, Loondusk went on with her own words. "You have coveted Mistyfoot's position for many moons now - tell me, what future would you lead our clan toward, if you had attained it?"

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hawkstar[break]
Notes:

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[hawkstar]

#s://i~ibb~co/R7VVQ7p/hawkfrostside~jpg

hawkfrost

THEY NEVER LOSE HOPE WHEN EVERYTHING'S COLD

So Loondusk was scouting him for deputy. Hawkfrost was a little baffled at the thought. Of course, he hungered for such a position. Yet he never quite imagined an opportunity like this would come, especially not so directly.

"Mistyfoot," Hawkfrost began with the name and a small smirk. "She and Leopardstar led the Clan far too softly for my liking. You can tell her that - she knows I think so."

His old resentment about being passed up for the kinder and gentler Mistyfoot over the Bonehill incident began to bubble up again. It was easy to see favoritism in Leopardstar's lead.

"I have always had a vision for RiverClan's future, one of radical change. RiverClan needs to distinguish itself more from other Clans. During the journey, too much of our culture and identity has become lost. Too many of our warriors still hold friendships among the other Clans. Our apprentices mingled with frog-eating ShadowClan. Mistyfoot and Leopardstar even seemed to encourage that. I care little for the other Clans, Loondusk, and you should already know that."

He let his claw scrape idly against the floor and ice blue eyes hardened in thought. Part of his mind drifted to the Clan's half-blood members. He himself was half-loner, of course, but he could not imagine for a moment even considering a change in loyalties. Hawkfrost scowled at the thought of putting love above Clanhood, looking down on the mistakes of cats like Silverstream, Oakheart, and even Tigerstar himself. 

"In a new land with new territories, there is no better place to reestablish RiverClan's identity. We must make our warriors feared. Not that we need to attack the other Clans, no. We shall not repeat that travesty. But we must guard what is rightfully ours with sharper claws and unwavering loyalty."

The dark tabby raised an eye and looked sideways at Loondusk with a sly smile. Even the exile of his own sister had not swayed Hawkfrost's resolve. Some might say he was heartless, but Hawkfrost saw it as just an unfortunate necessity. He continued in a more light-hearted voice.

"I'm sure you've noticed the tension since Leopardstar's death. Clearly, our leaders must be stronger and more resolute going forward. Which, I assure you, won't be a problem for us, huh?"

He tipped his head almost playfully at Loondusk. In truth, he doubted Loondusk just as much as Loondusk might doubt him. He would test her just as much. No leader who would listen to him before, but since Loondusk was relatively new to this, Hawkfrost would test the soils.

hawkfrost, played by io

◈ MADE BY MINNIE OF GANGNAM STYLE

@loondusk

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Loonstar [break]
Our tainted history, is playing on repeat...
[break]But we could change it if we stand up strong and take the lead

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Like a cat with a canary, the shift from suspicious to sly and pleased was plain. The tom seemed to register that this was not a question of his loyalty, and with her words in the air between them, it seemed he knew exactly what to strike for next. This was the opportunity he had longed for - she knew that. However, they both knew it was not guaranteed. Though perhaps he was more blinded to that than she would like to think. Hawkfrost was an ambitious tom, and sometimes, ambitions could make a cat blind.
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Radical change? As the tom went on with his ideals, Loondusk watched him in silent contemplation. The only indication she was listening and not simply staring through him was the set of her ears and the occasional, ever-so-subtle shifts in her expression. Truthfully, this was about what she had expected from Hawkfrost. She had her hopes and her base expectations for each cat, in truth - and it was often that her expectation was what she saw to be true.
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His raised eyes and sly smiles were noted silently, as were the variations in his tone as he went on. Ever observant, she listened in silence, focusing instead on what she could absorb from the tom. Every little movement drew in her gaze, from the shift of his tail to the scraping of his claws. Yet she said nothing, her own tail flicks or ear twitches unmarked by telling expressions. She felt something rise up within her, something that threatened to spill across her face, but she pressed it down with force.
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"And how would you make us feared, Hawkfrost?" She said at last, gaze finally meeting his. It was a simple question, one that skipped over commenting on much of what she had heard. It seemed as though in his mind he already saw himself in the coveted spot, and it made Loondusk wary. Even so, she disregarded that comment. Let him fantasize what he would - nothing was set in stone yet.

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hawkstar[break]
Notes:

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[hawkstar]

#s://i~ibb~co/R7VVQ7p/hawkfrostside~jpg

hawkfrost

CAN YOU HEAR THEM SCREAMING OUT YOUR NAME?

"Oh it won't be easy," Hawkfrost's face once again morphed into a shrewd smile as he joked lightly. "Especially in front of the arrogant ThunderClan lot."

He had always wanted to bring out the things he loved about RiverClan, their affinity to water, their powerful paws, their sleek coats and precise hunting skills. Hawkfrost thought if only the other RiverClan cats could see that too, then perhaps they could band together, repairing the distrust and tension that had risen in the last few moons. That always worked for him when he felt alienated from certain members of the Clan. He would remember the things that made RiverClan who they were, the things that only they shared.

"We must become more unified. I would punish forbidden relationships harder. Allow cats to only mate and befriend among our own Clan. In training apprentices, we should reform to focus on RiverClan's unique tactics and develop new ones specifically unknown to the other Clans. Every RiverClan warrior should learn thoroughly, the traditions of RiverClan. But if they somehow leak this information out, they will be punished severely."

But that only solved the problems internally. Hawkfrost wanted to redesign the RiverClan persona. He cared not if Loondusk agreed with him at this point. Long ago, he had voiced similar ideas to Mistyfoot and Leopardstar who never took a second glance at him. He let his gaze remain fixed on Loondusk, not flinching when she met his eyes. To him, there was nothing intimidating about the new leader. She would either prove to be pleasantly different in time, or just another bland one like her predecessors. He paused and then continued.

"Most importantly, I would suggest we rarely form alliances with the other Clans. Knowledge is power in politics. Let the other Clans be curious about us or plead us for help in times of crisis, but never allow them to learn too much. Let them think we are mysterious and cryptic. Should they transgress our agenda, let them think we are strong and eager to fight, even if we have no intention of attacking."

"RiverClan's strength has always been its grace. Let us be proud of that," Hawkfrost meowed steadily. WindClan touted its agility and ShadowClan its stealth, but he knew where where RiverClan's strengths were and the graceful, refined tactics RiverClan needed to thrive.

His words ended on a soft purr as the kinder part of him remembered with fondness how he, born part-rogue and part-ThunderClan, fell in love with the Clan of the waters. "I will make RiverClan feared by protecting our secrets and honing the strategies that make us RiverClan in the first place."

hawkfrost, played by io

◈ MADE BY MINNIE OF GANGNAM STYLE

@loondusk