Left To One's Thoughts And Their Consequences

As he stood among the others for Nightfall’s ceremony, several thoughts and emotions went through his mind behind an attempt to keep a blank expression. Jaegerpaw was still in the empty elder’s den while Nightfall’s body had been set up. Heronstrike wasn’t still at a lost what’d the proper way to comfort him would be, if he was even a cat who’d be the right one to help comfort. The elder’s death had also wakened Heronstrike up more to the current state of his clan. Sure, he had already figured that they’d need allies in the future, more than what can be said as ‘allies’ that they had with Thornclan. But is had also made him realize that Moonclan’s tiny numbers were likely going to stay as such… and probably even smaller as time went on. The numbers that they did have weren’t exactly well themselves, and he honestly wasn’t sure which matter he would try to take care for when Silverstar eventually did pass on. During his whole self-training, he had tried to push those sorts of thoughts in the back of his mind in hopes it’d help him focus on the current goal of getting strong enough to challenge the leader with an actual chance.

He had to face these thoughts for a possible future and the emotions they brought now as the ceremony went on. Thornclan was their only ‘ally’ and even then, in very loose terms. Their numbers were bound to decrease, maybe not soon if they were lucky, but a paranoid part of him wondered if it ever went across the minds of the other clans of how easy it would be to just chase out Moonclan if it wasn’t against the rules. Even if Silverstar set key cats up with each other, it would likely just make the situation worse. Most of Moonclan were wrecks, Silverstar’s own son and apprentice very much at the top of that list. In the case of him even having that chance of beating Silverstar in a challenge, there wasn’t a single cat in the clan that was a warrior or was soon to be a warrior that he would choose as his deputy. And he was likely no better than Silverstar in some respects if the conversation with Merlinfeather had gone just slightly different at the end.

The tom was absolutely terrified of repeating any of Silverstar’s actions that had brought them all up to this point, and it set him even more determined to keep training himself, ‘not walking being advisable’ be damned.

He’d remain in the center of camp even after the ceremony, keeping to his thoughts. 

(Endurance raise)