- Elders sleep in the the Elders Den
- They enjoy respect from their Clanmates for the work they have put in as warriors; keep Clan history alive by passing down old stories
- Goldenflower Speaks: A New Role to Play
As a young apprentice, I dreamed of being a warrior, and I wondered what it would be like to have kits. But I never thought about becoming an elder. Now I know I am lucky to have made it this far.
All the cats treat elders with respect. Even apprentices listen to me; I can't say they always did when I was a warrior. We elders spend our days peacefully, for the most part-discussing the goings-on in the forest, telling stories about the old days, or just snoozing in the sun.
Don't get me wrong. I still have plenty of fight left. I'd be ready to hunt or defend the camp in an instant. When I was a queen nursing Swiftkit, an elder named Rosetail died defending us from a ShadowClan attack. I would do the same for our nursery kits today.
There is one sad duty we elders perform. When a cat dies, all Clan cats gather for a final vigil. We share tongues and groom our Clanmate one last time. That night certain cats lie beside the body in mourning-its family, mentor, apprentice, and littermates. At dawn, we elders are the ones who take the body out of the camp for burial.
So it has always been. I've served my Clan for a long time, and it's nice to finally have some peace and quiet. I hope I get to stick around and enjoy it for many moons to come. More
