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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 25, 2015 22:43:33 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
It was hard to believe how quickly this forest was changing. Each day brought something new. For twelve moons- four seasons- war had raged. And now, after so much death and destruction, the world was finally beginning to return to its senses. Senses weren't the only thing to return, however. With them came plenty to do. Territory to secure, cats to contact. Homes to restore and lives to build anew. The war may have been drawing to a close, but there was much yet to be done. And Starlingfur seemed to have found herself at the center of it all. Or at least wrapped up in a great deal.
It was both exhausting and exhilarating. Terrifying for certain, but... In a good way.. If things went according to plan- if she was able to truly do what she'd vowed at the gathering of the bloodmoon... The clans might just have a chance to return to what they had once been. Or, something close to it. There would be trials and tribulation no doubt. They had no healer, no true ranks- they were nothing. Yet. But they could be. And that was the hope that Starlingfur held on to. The hope that the generations coming after them could have a better future. That younger cats than she, and the rest, wouldn't have to live lives so difficult as they had.
For this reason, she was walking the newly expanded borders. She, Birchtail, and Ravenmist had set up a small territory when they'd first settled in their home beneath the pebblepool. The territory had once been Dawnclan's but had fallen. Now however, they would take it back. Piece by piece. Their numbers had grown exponentially beyond the tiny family that Starlingfur had expected to raise there, and with more mouths to feed they needed more land. And so, the territory that they had held had grown by a good few tree-lengths in all directions.
There would be trouble with loners and rogues of course. And former clan cats who wished not to return. But with hope, expanding their land could also bring back cats who missed their clan-life into the fold. Or even new loners, drawn in by the war or abundant resources that the basin held. Starlingfur didn't know what to expect, and she was nervous about all of it. She tried not to let it show but it was true. Even so, she had to stay strong. For herself, and all those lives that were to come. They could not fail.
Padding through the forest, she raised her muzzle to the air. Checking for predators, prey, and cats of any heritage. The forest had changed in the time they'd been gone- once familiar places were now overgrown and foreign. A cat had to be alert at all times. She smelled a number of things- stale fox, squirrel, a number of songbirds, and.... Tabby ears perked as she searched for the source of one last scent- one what was familiar in nature, but not in identity. Cat.
A she-cat by the smell of it. Young, too. But there was something.. Off about the scent. Moving through the forest Starlingfur worked to pinpoint her location. It didn't take long before she came upon a small clearing.
Starlingfur lingered along the edge, hiding within the underbrush before acting. She'd been correct in that the scented stranger was a she-cat, abeit turned away from her. A brown tabby much like herself, although taller. She couldn't discern much else from the cat's position, but from the scent of it she held no inborn clan loyalties. A loner, then. Starlingfur decided to watch from the shadows for a moment more, copper eyes curious as she tried to get an idea of whether the loner would be friendly or not.
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Post by Kibbles on Aug 25, 2015 22:53:35 GMT
The she-cat sat in the clearing, looking down at the measly mouse she had caught. It was so skinny. Smelled a bit sickly too. Should she eat it? Would her kits be safe? She wasn't sure. She was so young, so scared. She had been alone for a moon now. Her heart hammered as she perked her ears, listening for anything that could cause harm. Nothing. She was alone as far as she could tell.
She sat up, deciding it wasn't safe to eat. If it was just her she needed to feed, then it would be alright. But she had little lives to feed as well. And she didn't want to risk their health when she could find some other food for lunch. She got to her paws, her belly clearly showing that she was carrying kits now.
Her paws began moving towards the forest. She opened her mouth, fur bristling a bit in fear. Something wasn't right. There was another scent here. One she didn't recognize, although she could tell it was a cat. She began backing away, fur fluffed up still. "H-hello?" she called out, voice shaking in fear.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 26, 2015 0:21:14 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
As she watched and tested the air, Starlingfur found that this she-cat had caught a mouse. But even from her place within the bushes she could smell the sour tang of illness wafting from the tiny body. Wrinkling her nose, Starlingfur's eyes narrowed. Surely she wouldn't eat that? Even a stranger had ought not consume something so obviously tainted. After a moment however, the she-cat stood and turned away from the creature. And when she did...
Copper eyes widened. This cat was younger than she'd thought. Her height hid it well, Starlingfur could tell in the face. Barely warrior aged, if even that. And she was carrying. Quite far along too, if her size was any indication. Where was this cat's mate...? It was a good thing she'd not eaten that mouse, although judging by the visibility of her ribs... She would need something soon. Attention to detail was one of Starlingfur's strong points, and if actually paying attention she could judge quite a few things in a short amount of time. And what she'd judged about this she-cat so far was that she needed help.
In her younger years- back when she'd been this young cat's age (twelve moons? thirteen? a rough estimate), she wouldn't have given a stranger such as this the time of day. Every cat had to fend for themselves in the life of a loner. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. Starlingfur had matured since those days. Now that so much had passed- now that she'd been a mother herself... And especially so now that she would be watching over an entire clan of cats who could have ended up in similar situations... Starlingfur felt a flicker of sympathy. Perhaps age and experience had made her more empathetic (much to the she-cat's continual surprise), but Starlingfur knew that if she'd been in such a position she would want help. Well... perhaps in her case not want it- but she would accept it.
The tabby had been just about to rise to her paws when the stranger seemed to catch her scent. Light green eyes searched around the clearing, bright with fear as the loner's pelt bristled. An understandable reaction. The fear in her voice was palpable as she called out, and Starlingfur figured it would be antagonizing to stay hidden for any longer.
Moving to her paws, Starlingfur exited the underbrush slowly. Making no sudden movements, she kept her copper eyes on the stranger's green. "I am no threat to you. You can relax." she meowed calmly, moving forward just a few pawsteps before stopping. Her own stomach's size was evident, and she made no attempt to hide it as she stood. There was no point in queens killing one another. Well... there could be. There could be a great number of reasons for that, come to think of it. Food, resources, population problems, rivalries... The list could go on. But Starlingfur was civil. A clan cat, not a savage. She would act accordingly.
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Post by Kibbles on Aug 26, 2015 0:30:30 GMT
Feather's fur bristled as the stranger came out. Of course, her fur began to lay flat as the she-cat spoke. It laid completely down as soon as she saw the other cat's stomach as well. She sighed a bit, looked at the older cat. She was probably older that Feather's mother even. Of course, her mother wasn't very old as it was. Well, if her mother was even still around. She wasn't sure.
"You're having kits too?" she asked. She shifted, still a bit nervous. Even so, she was more curious now. What was a queen doing out here alone? Of course, she could be asked the same thing, so she wouldn't ask. Her ears perked as she suddenly smelled other cats on the queen's pelt.
"Your mate isn't with you?" she asked, assuming one of the scents would be his.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 27, 2015 5:06:05 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
Seemingly, Starlingfur's sudden appearance put the stranger at ease. Good. The last thing that either of them would need was a fight. The stranger's fur lay flat, but she still shifted from paw to paw. When confronted in a strange location by a foreign cat, a lone young queen had a right to be cautious. Were Starlingfur in her position she may have been nervous as well. The taller cat asked of her pregnancy, and Starlingfur nodded calmly. "I am. Though i still have several weeks to go." weeks. That made it sound so soon. Starlingfur paused- thoughtful. No... She still time. She needn't worry just yet.
This she-cat seemed much farther along than she, at the very least. Or perhaps it was just her age that made it seem so. How long had she been on her own, she wondered. "How far along are you?" Starlingfur questioned, eyeing her ribs. Starlingfur was a naturally thin cat, but even she could tell that the taller tabby needed to be eating more. What were her hunting skills like? Was this her regular territory, or was she a wanderer like so many roaming these lands?
Starlingfur flicked an ear at her second question. Birchtail was back in 'camp'. Well, the pebble pool and surrounding areas. That was the place they were calling camp for the time being. Dawnclan's camp was a far walk, and as of Starlingfur's last visit still filled with... Undesirable things. It wasn't fit to be a home, but the cats that had returned with them from the gathering had to stay somewhere until they found a suitable place to call their own. However, the cave was too small to fit everyone. And so, Birchtail and some others had begun digging temporary dens beneath some of the surrounding bushes. It was slow, labor intensive work, but cats needed shelter. This cat, very obviously, needed shelter. "He isn't. Not at the moment, at least. Although I'm certain that if he could be with me every minute of the day he would be." She snorted, shaking her head. But there was affection for the tom in her quiet voice. "He, and the rest of my family, are back in our home. Along with several other cats. Where is yours?" Obviously, whoever and wherever they were, they weren't doing a very good job of providing for their mate.
410 words | Starlingfur | Afternoon |
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Post by Kibbles on Aug 28, 2015 0:23:23 GMT
Feather looked down at her belly and shrugged. "I think about a moon? I've lost track, honestly," she said, fur heating up. She had been so busy trying to feed herself and find shelter that she hadn't been able to keep track of the days that have gone by. Her eyes moved to look at the other queen at the mention of family. Oh, she had a big family. That was good.
"Far, far away from here. We're not even mates anymore," she admitted, looking a bit down. "It's just me and my unborn kits."
She wasn't sure how she was going to survive when they were born. She wouldn't want to leave them to go hunt. And it wouldn't be safe for them to just stay there, alone. She was conflicted on what to do.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 28, 2015 16:18:31 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
Starlingfur nodded thoughtfully. Understandingly. Her first pregnancy, she'd been at least a moon in before she'd even realized that she was expecting. At least this she-cat had an estimate. At a moon in however, she had really ought to be finding some kind of shelter. And.... eating things other than thin, sickly mice. Especially in Green-Leaf, when fat prey was so plentiful.
So her mate wasn't here at all. Brows raising slightly, Starlingfur made a commental noise. So she was on her own. Well... that would certainly explain a lot. What kind of mate must her partner have been, to leave such a young cat all alone like this? Not one that she would have anything to do with willingly, that was for certain. Memories flickered back to her second pregnancy. Boltfang had been exiled, but at least she'd still had her first litter, Wrenface, and Shrikestar... This poor cat was all alone.
There was certainly no way that she would be leaving her out here like this. Not a chance in Starclan. ".... I'll tell you what. I'm the leader of a group of cats- a clan- a ways south of here. Warriors. There are perhaps twenty of us at the moment. We look out for one another. It's a way of life that doesn't have to involve constant bloodshed and struggle." she meowed, eyes calming. Motherly, even. Curse her hormones, but even if she and the rest of the clan she'd pulled together were having a difficult time, she couldn't just leave a young queen and her unborn kits out here alone. "We could always use more cats, and you and your kits would be more than welcome. You'd be fed, protected, and you'd have a place to sleep. Your kits would grow up somewhere where they would know they'd be safe and loved."
322 words | Starlingfur | Afternoon |
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Post by Kibbles on Aug 28, 2015 23:54:48 GMT
Feather's ears perked at the suggestion. She listened, absorbing the information like her life depended on it. It did depend on it, actually. So did her kits' lives. Her eyes were wide by the time the other she-cat was done talking. She shifted back and forth on her paws, tail swaying a bit as she thought.
"But... you don't even know my name? Why would... you do this for me? I have nothing to offer you," she said, tilting her head. Tears of happiness appeared in her eyes. Her mother had always told her there were good cats left in this world still. Feather didn't believe it until now. This she-cat was offering Feather a home, protection, food. And would even let her stay after she had her kits.
She nodded quickly. "Thank you. Yes, I would like to join. Thank you. My name is Feather," she said, bowing her head towards the other queen. She still couldn't believe this was happening. But, what would Feather be able to do to offer this group? It was a large group too.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 29, 2015 4:23:25 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
Tears. Was the other she-cat going to cry? The stranger's face changed, looking as though she'd been given the greatest gift possible. Thankfulness, wonder, and tears mixed on her face, and Starlingfur felt her heart soften. This poor she-cat... From her words, it seemed as though she'd never been offered such an act of kindness. Though it was true, joining a clan was an honorable thing. But the stranger looked like someone had just given her the world.
Well... she might very well have. Given her current state, Starlingfur understood that she might very well have just saved this she-cat, and her unborn kits, lives. And... That was a kind of power that she didn't know what to do with yet. If she ever would. Were there leaders who would turn a queen like this away? It was a frightening thought. "... I know a queen in trouble when I see one. Were I, or any of my kits in your position, I would want them to be offered at least the same kindness." she meowed. Empathy. There it was again. "You have yourself. Your unborn kits. You don't need anything to offer us. Not now, at least. We can teach you to hunt and fight, after the birth of your kits. And once they are old enough, we can train them as well. I can tell you about the ways of the clans as we walk, if you like." Starlingfur offered, nodding in the direction from which she'd come. It would be a decent walk, but shorter if they didn't walk the border as she had.
The stranger accepted her invitation, and Starlingfur gave a small smile. Feather, then. That... had been Wrenface's name. Something flickered in Starlingfur's eyes. A distant memory- something soft that had become painful with age. But it disappeared as quickly as it had shown. "Feather, then. I am Starlingfur. You would be welcome among us. Our home is this way, if you'd like to come with me." she offered, flicking her tail back. She seemed like a kind cat. One that, once she began to think... did remind her of Wrenface. Hm.
374 words | Starlingfur | Afternoon |
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Post by Kibbles on Aug 29, 2015 13:13:09 GMT
Feather got to her delicate paws and padded after Starlingfur. She purred loudly, unable to help herself. She hoped the rest of the cats in the group were as friendly as this queen. She was fairly sure at least a few were. Right? Hopefully, especially if Starlingfur was their leader. Well, she had a feeling that Starlingfur wouldn't allow cats to hurt her, so that was always a good sign. She could deal with verbal abuse. As long as her kits were safe.
The she-cat looked around, tail swaying neatly behind her as she walked. "How'd you become leader of this group?" she asked curiously. A leader had to be a strong and wise cat. And she could tell that Starlingfur was those, as well as kind and caring. Perhaps these cats were all just cats that were in a similar situation as Feather. Just young, old, or injured cats who all needed help. And then Starlingfur and her mate all just took them in?
Feather smiled at the idea.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 30, 2015 1:07:26 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
And so, they went on their way. Their nameless clan had been expanding their borders, piece by piece. As she'd met Feather on the northernmost edge of what they'd regained thusfar, it would take a time for Starlingfur and the she-cat to return. Although, they would likely be back sooner than Starlingfur had anticipated when she'd first set out on her patrol. Someone else would have to be sent out to finish the markings- perhaps a patrol, instead of just one cat if they could spare the numbers. Birchtail... might be right. Now that she was leader, it could potentially be unsafe for her to wander alone in the stat that she was in. But Starlingfur was reluctant to retire to the nursery, or the leaders den. Once they got one, that was. There was too much to be done. And who knows what another cat may have done if they'd found this cat? They could have scared her off, or even attacked.
Feather seemed excited at the very least. Ecstatic, even. It was good. She would fit in well. Who knew, perhaps she and Starlingfur's own kits would grow up together. But for now, she was asking how she'd come into this position in the first place. And that... Was a question with a difficult answer. "Well..." Starlingfur began, tilting her head in thought. It was a long story. One requiring the explanation of the former clans. The journey. The destruction. Such things were not exactly walking talk however, so for now... she could give a shortened version. "I was the only cat with the experience enough to do the job." she meowed after a moment's silence.
"There was a war here. There were other clans, once. Seasons upon seasons, generations upon generations old. The war, however, ended near all of that. Before they fell, I was in a high ranking position among the clans. There were five, although mine was Dawnclan." she gestured to the forest around them now. "The basin was all of ours, but we warriors of Dawnclan lived in these forests. Among the trees that touched the sky." It was... painful, still. "Time has passed, and the war is ending. What cats of us who are left- who seek peace- are rebuilding. I am one of the few cats left with leadership experience. And so, for all of our sakes and the sakes of the genereations to come, I took this place. As our leader." Leader. Every time she said that word, it felt more real. This felt more real. It was... Frightening. It would be to any cat. But she did what she had to, and knew why she had to do so. And... she enjoyed it. Or at least, she would come to. Despite her experience, each step before her was still so new.
488 words | Starlingfur | Afternoon |
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Post by Kibbles on Aug 30, 2015 1:25:27 GMT
Feather listened to the explanation, looking around at the tall trees. Dawnclan. That was a pretty name. She picked up the pace so she was walking beside the leader now. "A war? That's terrible. It is good that some cats survived, though," she said, tail curling. She looked around some more, imagining cats running through this forest. She tried to imagine cats fighting in this forest as well.
"What... is a clan anyways? I know its a group of cats, but what keeps them together?" she asked, looking at the queen beside her again. She was very curious now, not having heard of a group of cats that wasn't family living together.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 30, 2015 2:14:57 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
"... It was." Starlingfur nodded, copper eyes clouded over. It still was. Day by day, more and more corpses seemed to turn up. But... such things would probably not be best to say to a cat so recently decided on joining their clan. Besides... Things would be different from now on. "We all lost so much. Friends. Family. Homes. Our very way of life. But those of us who still survive have found one another, and we must count our blessings." Starlingfur meowed as they walked. Literal blessings, perhaps, considering the Bloodmoon. Whether it had been sent by Starclan or not was something debated daily. But no matter who- or what- had sent it, cats were finally returning to themselves. And that was something enough.
"A clan, is...." ... How did one explain it? They were different from rogues and loners, and from other groups such as the tribe and city cats. But where the distinction was drawn was... complicated. There were many places. But for starters... "A family. All cats in one share a bond. Even if not by blood. We fight, hunt, sleep, relax, and live together. We... trust one another with our lives, and every member of the clan matters. From the youngest kit to the most experienced elder, every cat is cared for." That was a clear distinction. Other groups- such as the city cats- had seemed disgusted by the notion that the old ought be honored. That queens and kits must be fed before the strongest of warriors. "Most are born into clan life. Some- such as myself, at a younger age- join for various reasons of their own. However, we are all one unit. We are bound together by a sense of honor, code, and a belief in Starclan. The stars you see at night- those are our dead. And when we die, if we've lived according to the code and done good by our clans and the stars, we join them." she meowed, looking to the sky. It was light now- but when the sun fell, they would be visible.
When she'd first joined the clans, Starlingfur hadn't cared about any of it. Starclan had been a foolish tale to keep cats in check. Code and honor only went as far as shelter and a full belly. But living with the clans for so long... had changed her. She'd become less closed off. More empathetic. She began to see herself as a part of a whole, rather than the center of the world. It was... a life changing transformation, if a slow one. "It's... being part of something greater than yourself. Helping others. Being helped by others. What keeps us together is.. a mix of a great number of things."
472 words | Starlingfur | Afternoon |
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Post by Kibbles on Aug 30, 2015 20:27:17 GMT
Feather nodded as the queen spoke, paying as much attention as she could. So it was a family. But not a blood family? That was odd. Was everyone adopted? She blinked, wondering how old everyone would be. She said elder, so perhaps there were some older cats in the clan.
Oh, so this she-cat hadn't been born into the clan life. She had been a loner as well. That was cool. That showed that even outsiders could grow in the ranks of the clan. And that they could be trusted if they prove themselves. She wasn't sure what Starlingfur did to prove her loyalty, but she must have been doing many things right.
She blinked a bit. The stars? Were dead cats? That sounded so... weird. What about the shooting stars? What were those? She was skeptical on that bit, but she wouldn't criticize others. Especially for letting her join them. She would keep her mouth shut and when she saw some sort of proof, she would believe it.
"All of this is so much to take in. It's a good concept and I am excited to be a part of something like this. I know many cats don't get these sorts of opportunities," she said.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Aug 30, 2015 21:15:14 GMT
When you get to the end of your rope, Tie a knot and hang on.
"It is, at first." Starlingfur agreed. "When I first joined it took me moons to learn the most basic things- and seasons longer to truly understand them. You... never truly stop learning in the clans." she explained. About others. About their customs. About yourself. Every day Starlingfur had learned new things- granted she quickly forgot them, but after a while they'd begun to stick. And it seemed that every time she spoke to Rookshadow, Birchtail, or now Firecloud, she learned something new about the clans. It was strange- especially now being a leader. Cats would... rely on her, to teach these things. To pass down these lessons. She; forgetful, rogue-born Starlingfur. She... hoped that she would be able to live up to the task.
"Our warriors will welcome you. I'm sure there already a few who would be excited to have you among us. My mate Birchtail, and a she-cat named Rookshadow, to name a few. You'll fit in just fine." she meowed as they walked. Birchtail would love having more kits in the clan. He was already getting along fantastically with Pool. And no doubt Rookshadow would be sympathetic to the she-cat's situation.
"You're right, not many do. But the warrior code states, always help a kit in need. No matter the clan, no matter the heritage. Even an unborn litter is subject to that rule." she looked over Feather, sympathetic. "And even if it weren't for that, a cat would have to be cruel to leave someone seemingly in need to the elements." truly, a great deal of the warrior code was just common sense. Still.... as a rogue... Starlingfur might not have followed that common sense. She, and many others she knew would see a lone queen as a burden. But clan life- clan life was different. "You'll have plenty of time to learn all about these things, however."
329 words | Starlingfur | Afternoon |
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