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Post by Kibbles on Oct 14, 2015 0:47:36 GMT
This was a bad idea. No. It was a good idea. Nope, definitely a bad idea. Maybe it was both? What else was he supposed to do, though? Just let Cedarclan think they purposely killed that apprentice? Duskblaze was harsh, but he wasn't a murderer. Not that he had killed her in the first place. But he still had a heart. What if that had been one of his kits? How would he have reacted if he saw Wolfkit, Adderkit, Stormkit, or Pantherkit just laying there, bleeding out through their ripped out throat?
In all honesty, he was pretty sure they were lucky that it hadn't been one of Starlingfur's and Birchtail's kits. If it had been, he could only imagine the rage that Birchtail would have had as soon as it had happened. He was sure that Marshclan would have ahad a war at their paws. He knew that neither of the clans were strong enough to fight another war right now. Everyone was still settling in, even after the few moons they've been here. It took time to settle a clan.
And it would take time to settle this issue between Marshclan and Cedarclan.
His green eyes wondered over as he stared at Steampaw, Turtlefrost, and Patchpaw. He could feel the tension and fear radiating off of Steampaw's fur. His purple eyes were wide with fear as he stared across the border, not at anything in particular. His pelt was bristled and his claws dug into the ground as if he was forcing himself to not turn and run tail back towards the Marshclan camp.
Duskblaze shook his head. Steampaw was one of the older apprentices, but he still had plenty to learn. Even Duskblaze knew that he had to make up for his mistakes and that it should happen as soon as possible. Steampaw would have to learn that soon or he wouldn't survive long in a clan, or even in life. He would die a quick death if he didn't start acting like a warrior,
"They should be here anytime now. The sun is nearly set," he said, looking back across the border as he waited for a patrol to meet them. He looked as if he was half snarling with the wound along his face. His teeth were showing and his tongue occasionally fell out, only for him to fix it immediately. His teeth were already yellowing from being introduced to the open air for so long. Besides that, though, he looked fairly normal. His fur was flat and his eyes had no visible emotion to them. His tail was wrapped around his paws as he sat on the ground.
All there was left to do was wait.
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Post by Shad on Oct 14, 2015 18:10:06 GMT
The small calico shecat sat, patient and proud on the far side of the bridge that was the only connection between Marsh, her home, and Cedar, her enemy. She had filled out a bit more in the past moon. Reaching her 8th in the coming days, her legs had finally started to grow and her bones harden from china-shop-weak to merely fragile. She looked more like an apprentice, a real apprentice, than just an overgrown kit, much to the calico's relief. The harsh thundering of the river rapids behind them made the shecat's fur yearn to stand on end and every gust of wind brought another spray of icy water to settle on her pelt. Soon she would be as wet as the Marsh grounds. Still, if the past moons had taught her nothing else, Patchpaw had learned discipline, a terrifying amount in fact. Even as she recognized the pressure that was put on this meeting, and the fear that should race through her pelt that she would make a mistake or that Cedar Clan would attack, could not reach her. It was noted, somewhere in the back of her mind, but she felt... calm. Whatever this meeting would bring, it could not be as soulwrenching as losing her Mama. It could not be as draining as training herself and her two brothers all while still providing for the clan. It could not be as terrifying as facing down a coyote as it lunged for her brother, ready to snuff out his short life in an instant. No, no matter how angry or fierce the Cedar Clan cats would be, Patchpaw knew they could not be as destructive as all of the things she had already faced -and conquered. This was just a meeting, that was all, and she was not afraid. That did not mean everyone else was the same. Tension was thick enough in the air to clog a cat's nose, and fear was coming off Steampaw in waves. Patchpaw stood for a moment to walk over and lightly brush her fur against the white tom's in a gesture of comfort. It felt... strange. Just a pawful of moons ago she had been the scared one. She had felt so weak and helpless, saddled with the whole world on her shoulders. Back then, Steampaw and Cedarpaw had seemed so much older, bigger, and stronger. She had thought Steampaw was incredibly cool and collected and looked up to him immensely, even if he did not pay her the time of day. In her eyes, he had everything in his life together while Patchpaw had floundered, barely managing to keep from drowning. Now it seemed as if Patchpaw had grown up while she wasn't looking, and Steampaw was less of an ideal to look up to in amazement and more of a young apprentice, still learning and struggling, the same as anyone else. "You worry too much," she mewed lightly, a gentle smile curling her lips. "It will be fine, Steampaw. Do you know what you're going to say?" |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Oct 15, 2015 22:09:45 GMT
It’s okay to get lost every once in a while.
Sometimes getting lost is how we find ourselves.
Oh boy. A border patrol! How Specklefoot just loved patrols. They always made him feel so useful, no matter what kind they were. Like he was really helping his clan you know? Huh. his clan. Ahah, those words still felt so light on his mind. He couldn't even believe it sometimes. He really was a member of a clan. Cedarclan. This was his home. This was his family. And he would do right by them!
Now on border patrols, he didn't usually learn as much as hunting patrols. He had become quite good at hunting patrols as of late- but that was an unrelated fact. Oh how his mind bounced from place to place. Just like he was doing with his paws! Specklefoot hopped through the forest alongside his clanmates, a bright tune humming through his throat. It had been one that his mother had always sang. But well, Specklefoot couldn't sing. So he just hummed. And... well, most of this patrol wasn't the most chatty anyways, so he doubted that they would sing along. But that was okay! Specklefoot liked his clanmates, and he was just happy to be out with them.
Crooked-Eye was a nice tom. He was strong and made good jokes, and always made Specklefoot feel at home. He really liked him a lot. He reminded him of his father- except... well... His father hadn't really made a whole lot of jokes. Or been the coziest. But still! He had black fur, right? And Hollowfern. Why, he was just about one of the biggest cats that Specklefoot had ever seen! Just as big as Swanstrike, even! That made sense though, what with their being siblings and all. He was a bit on the quiet side, but very strong. And he had just the best tips about dealing with mountain predators, and what they should do if they run into any Marshclan cats. Specklefoot certainly hoped that they didn't run into either, but he would defend his clan with his life if they did! And there was Bramblenose, too. Everyone knew Bramblenose, even if he was just one of the quietest cats in the clan. After saving Mistlekit and Rosekit, who wouldn't know him?! He was a hero! So brave and strong, and just the best hunter. Oh, how lucky Specklefoot was to be on a patrol of such talented warriors. He seemed to be learning more and more by the minute, and he loved it.
"Really Hollowfern?! I ain't never seen a goat, but they sound pretty darn scary!" he exclaimed, moving through the thick grass that marked their border. Just to his right lay the Waterfall. Such a steep drop... Ehhhhh, Specklefoot moved a little more inward. He didn't want to fall, and- wait... Were those cats way off in the distance on the bridge?
"Bramblenose, I think I see cats ahead!" he piped from his place at the front of the patrol. Even though he was older than the tom, Specklefoot was the newest of the four to have joined the clans. And since he was still learning, and Bramblenose was one of the best hunters in the clan, he figured it would be important to let him know to check for sure. Wasn't that the border with Marshclan? What if those were Marshclan cats! Oh boy, they would definitely be in a tussle then. Specklefoot wouldn't let them get away with trespassing, especially after what they'd done to poor little Patchpaw... Lichen green eyes narrowed with distrust and anger. He wasn't an angry cat by nature, but something like that was just... Despicable! Horrible! Terrible! Like Starlingfur said.. Only a monster would kill a cat so young. Or... Kill at all! That wasn't what clan life was about!
"DON'T TAKE ONE STEP CLOSER, YOU HEAR?!" He called out, sending birds scattering from distant trees. He then... Ah, fell back. Letting one of the other toms take the lead. He didn't know how to deal with other clans yet... Especially ones right on the border. Oh boy, he really hadn't expected this when he'd set out this afternoon! Any trace of sleepiness left by his recent waking was immediately evaporated.
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Post by Kibbles on Oct 16, 2015 0:58:44 GMT
Steampaw jumped as Patchpaw came up to him. He gave her a smile and nodded once. "Ah, well, I'm not sure yet. I mean... what am I supposed to say? I don't know how any of these cats react. Except for the ones on the patrol. And even then, I'm not sure. I guess it depends on what their leader says."
He shifted a bit and his head snapped to the side when he heard someone yelling. Purple eyes narrowed a bit as he saw cats in the distance. All of them looking much too big to be apprentices. Especially one of them. He looked as if he could swallow a mouse whole. Oh no. What was he going to do? None of these cats had been on the patrol from before.
"Calm down, Steampaw. He is only being bossy. We'll answer when they get closer."
Steampaw glanced over at Duskblaze and nodded again. He leaned slightly onto Patchpaw in a friendly manner, but he didn't look at her. She had helped him build his own den when he couldn't sleep in the Apprentice's den. And that had been more than enough for him to consider her a friend. And now, he was looking for a bit of comfort. After all that has happened with him, he had really been on edge lately.
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Crooked-eye let out a loud laugh with several snorts mixed in as he took the lead. His black tail was held up high and he had a goofy grin on his face. His eyes were filled with interest and excitement as he spotted the Marshclan patrol. What could they want now? At least they were polite and waited at the border. That was something, right? That means they probably wouldn't attack.
"Greetings, Duskblaze and Marshclan patrol! Can we help you with something?" he asked, his folded ears perked up. Well, as far as folded ears could be perked up.
"Hello, Crooked-eye. We've come to speak with Starlingfur about what happened on the patrol the apprentice died on. Can you take us to her?" Duskblaze asked.
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"What happened to your face?" the brown tabby tom asked. Bramblenose was known for being blunt and getting to the point. He wasn't one the beat around the bush about anything. Plus, he was curious to know what happened to the tom's face. Who wouldn't be, though? He was missing half of his cheek. And by the way that it was still packed with cobwebs, it was fairly fresh. Maybe a quarter moon old at the oldest.
"None of your business. I want to get to the business and wish to see Starlingfur, if you don't mind."
Bramblenose curled his lip once in a warning, but uncurled it when Crooked-eye started laughing.
"Of course, of course! Come on over! We'll take you back to the camp! No need to be waiting on this two-leg thing. You all will get sick waiting here all day in the spray," the black and white tom said, rather cheerfully.
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Duskblaze dipped his head in respect to the oldest tom on the patrol and got to his paws. He waved his tail for his patrol to follow and stepped over the border before shaking his pelt. He heard a growl from the largest cat, but he ignored it.
"Thank you. Perhaps you should teach that loud mouth not to shout at us next time. You're scaring off prey on both sides of the border. And with leaf-bare coming up, everyone will need as much prey as they can get.."
He glanced at Specklefoot as he said this, making sure Crooked-eye and the rest of the patrol knew whom he was speaking about.
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Post by Shad on Oct 17, 2015 16:08:47 GMT
The calico shecat twisted her head around to lick Steampaw's head next to his ear. Perhaps it was a bit forward of her, but he was worried and deserved comfort -something she wouldn't trust Duskblaze to give if his life depended on it. This was what she always did for Cherrykit when he was nervous. The older apprentice needed someone else to be big and strong for him now. "It will be alright. We are all here for you, Steampaw. We will keep you safe. Trust us. Trust your clan. And above all," she purred quietly in his ear as the patrol approached. She flashed the tom a winning smile, "Make some friends!"The idea that a half-grown, still-undersized apprentice like Patchpaw could protect anyone was hilarious, but the little calico was not speaking as Patchpaw right now. No, the small shecat knew her faults. She was not strong or overly smart or capable of putting others at ease, but she knew who was. Patchpaw had long ago held tightly to every small scrap of memory she had of her mother, going over and over them until they would never fade. This was the cat the small calico channeled now. She drew on these memories as a tether to hold her up and guide her when she was lost. "Borders were fierce, dangerous places with the War," her mother had told her. "Only the strongest Warriors could be sent out lest the clan wanted to be attacked and invaded in an afternoon, but it was not always this way. Before the War, borders were simply the end of a clan's territory, not a battlefield. They were places to see friends from other clans and share news or warnings. The loss of those friendships is what caused so much death and pain. It made us weaker. If we want to survive, we have to learn how to rebuild those bonds. We have to learn how to be stronger."Patchpaw was not strong, unlike Honeyheart, but she would learn to be. One day. And that started right now. As soon as the group got moving the small apprentice abandoned ship from her March Clan group and jump right in with the Cedar Clan cats. Patchpaw had never spent much time making friends in her own clan. She was always too busy training or patrolling or (rarely) passing out from exhaustion, but she had a pretty good idea that it started by saying 'Hello'. She eagerly inserted herself between the grey cat with the funny ears (oh she really wanted to touch those. Just once. That was it. Just to see if they felt like real ears or softer), and the cat with white fur and the most interesting coat pattern she had ever seen. It was beautiful. It looked like little brown roses were dappled all over his fur. She wondered if he was called Rose-something. How cute would that be? A tom called Rose! "Hello. I like your ears," the apprentice told the grey cat quickly. She looked over at Rose. "And your voice is so interesting! I heard it when you called out to us. Does it always sound like that?" She looked back to the grey cat. "Does all of Cedar Clan sound like that?" She looked to Rose. "Can you teach me? It is so neat! You should say something interesting! Like..." Patchpaw looked back to the grey one now. She kept switching between the two so quickly it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash. "What should he say? Oh! I know!" The calico beamed back at Rose. "Say both your names! I bet those sound great!" |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Oct 17, 2015 18:23:25 GMT
It’s okay to get lost every once in a while.
Sometimes getting lost is how we find ourselves.
Specklefoot puffed out his chest and tried to make himself seem any bit larger he could as they approached the twoleg path that marked the border. Specklefoot was on the larger side as it was- his soft leanness was quickly turning to hard muscle under clan teachings. But he wanted to look as tough as possible. Even if... He kind of hoped that they wouldn't fight.He didn't know what these cats were here for. It was in his nature to be trusting- accepting of all newcomers he met. But with Miss Starlingfur so angry about these Marshclan cats, and Miss Rookshadow so teared up.. Well, it just made a tom mad! It made a warrior mad! No other cats should make a queen cry, or a leader upset. And no other cats should just kill little ones what ain't done nothin wrong! So.... He would fight... if he had to! He had to keep reminding himself of that as the lot of them approached.
But when they finally got there.... Huh. Specklefoot blinked suspiciously. It aint looked like no battle patrol he'd ever thought of. Of course, he didn't like to think of many battle patrols. But from what he could see here... There was an apprentice, right? A little tortie who looked a whole lot like Patchpaw... And three warriors. One seemed to not have much of a face at all, and Specklefoot flinched back at the sight. His face was all... wrapped up in cobwebs, but there was blood underneath, and- OH MY GOD WHEN HE TALKED YOU COULD SEE THE INSIDES OF HIS FACE. When Bramblenose mentioned the injury, Specklefoot nodded vigerously in agreement. He felt like his fur was standing up on his spine, and his eyes had to be wide as moons. He'd never seen a cat with a face like that. What happened?!
Oh. Uh. So they were here about Patchpaw! Specklefoot tried to make himself look intimidating again, but he, ah, left the talking more to Crooked-Eye. They all did, sort of. He was big and strong, and the oldest one here. So he was in charge of the patrol. Plus... Specklefoot didn't think he could say much of anything other than look at that tom's face.
Well. He could look at the rest of the patrol. Yeah, he could do that. There was uh... Wow she was pretty. One of the most beautiful cats Specklefoot had ever seen stood there, awfully close to the tom with the ruined face. She had short, dappled fur.. A sharp face and long limbs... And the biggest blue eyes that Specklefoot had ever seen! But was she holding.. Uh... plants? Specklefoot tipped his head. Was she uh... A cat like Ravenface? Who fixed others? Looking at the tom, it seemed like she would have a whole lot of work to do. Were her eyes... angry though? It looked sort of like she had something she wanted to say, but the plants were in the way. Huh. Whenever Specklefoot wanted to talk and Ravenface was having him hold her plants, he just dropped him. Course, that usually made her mad.
And then, there was a tom. A gray tom with purple eyes- wait! That matched the description! That matched what Birchtail an Starlingfur had told everyone to watch out for! "You're- you're!" he stammered, pointing with one paw towards the gray adn white creature. He looked back and forth between Crooked-Eye and Hollowfern, trying to urge something with his eyes. Uh... They should..!! Do something! Wait- were they already taking them to Starlingfur?
A few choice words from the tom with the ruined face shut him up. Specklefoot frowned, looking at his paws and moving slightly closer to Hollowfern. "Well, I still got lots to learn, but they're doin an awful good job of teachin me already." he protested, not meeting the warrior's eyes. Was yelling out a.. dumb thing to do? He did a lot of dumb things, cats told him, but he never really understood. Wasn't a warrior.. 'Sposed to challenge strangers at the border? Hmm, where was all of that eager determination now? Somewhere, that tall dappled she-cat rolled her eyes.
Oh- but wait! Was... someone talking to him again?! As they started walking, the littler she-cat with patched fur chirped up. Specklefoot rose his head again to meet her eyes, and as she went on excitedly, all dejectedness disappeared from his face. Instead, it was replaced by a bright and friendly curiosity. Like night and day! She was talking to both he and Crooked-Eye it looked like, and well, Specklefoot always liked when cats talked to him. Even if they were Marshclan. Little cats aint done nothing wrong, right? So she was fine! "M' voice?" he meowed curiously, tipping his head. "Uh.. I ain't sure! I never realized I talked different!" that was something new! He would really have to ask Ravenface or Starlingfur when they got home. "I thought so, but I guess not! I 'spose you'll just see when we get to camp though, huh?" he grinned. Something interesting... She wanted him to say something interesting? Specklefoot's eyes glowed. Okay, this cat was a new friend. Cats never asked him to say anything. More often than not, they asked him to STOP saying things! Maybe these cats weren't so bad after all! "Uhm.... Hmm! Okay! Well, I'm Specklefoot. This right here is Crooked-Eye, this is Hollowfern, an this is Bramblenose!" he decided to introduce all of them instead of just a few! That would be even better! "Whats your name?"
951 words | Specklefoot | Sunset |
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Post by Kibbles on Oct 17, 2015 22:16:35 GMT
Crooked-eye began leading the patrol back through the territory, Duskblaze walking right behind him. The dark gray, nearly black, and white tom looked back and smiled brightly at the young apprentice. He just let Specklefoot do all of the talking, though. He didn't have much to say at the moment. But he was curious as to why they had brought the tom who had killed Patchpaw to them. He wouldn't ask, though.
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Duskblaze glanced at Turtlefrost as the walked, glad that her mouth was stuffed with herbs. He could see the anger in her eyes, but she couldn't say anything without dropping the herbs. And that would risk his injury getting infected, which would cause Eveningblaze to be angry at himself and her. And he knew Turtlefrost and Eveningblaze were basically the only family each other had left, so he doubt she would want to anger him.
His ear flicked back once when he heard his apprentice speaking with the whitish tom. He just shook his head a bit, but he wouldn't say anything. He wasn't one for making friends in other clans. Well, he wasn't one for making friends in general. Did he even have any friends? He wasn't sure, but he didn't need to think about that now.
"Starlingfur isn't busy, is she? I heard that you all have quite a few kits, including her litter. Congratulations. Kits are a blessing to every clan," he said. Yes, that was a good move. Always congratulate them about kits. That showed that they at least cared a little, right? That they weren't heartless.
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Bramblenose gave an annoyed snort and looked at Duskblaze. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Don't be trying to soften us up. We ain't idiots," he said, following at the very back of the group. He looked at their small patrol and shook his head again.
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Steampaw had flinched back when the whitish tom started accusing him. He flattened his ears to try and block out the sounds, but it never came. He just stared at the ground, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Patchpaw said make friends. Could he do that? Could he make friends with the cats of this clan? They probably didn't want to be friends with him, though.
Still... he had to try. So he inched over so he was walking a bit behind Patchpaw and the two toms she was talking to. His tail flicked back and forth as he let the two talk real quick.
"That's Patchpaw. I'm Steampaw. And that's Duskblaze, he's the leader. And the she-cat with the herbs is Turtlefrost," he commented.
He froze when the patrol stopped and looked back at him. He lowered his head a bit, trying to avoid the gazes that the three Cedarclan warriors gave him. Had he already said something wrong? Then the truth came out and his heart ached a bit.
"The one who died in the patrol was named Patchpaw."
Oh, that made things a bit awkward now. He just let his eyes stare at the ground. He couldn't do this. He had killed a Patchpaw and he was friends with a different Patchpaw. Was this Starclan trying to remind him of what he had done? He followed them as they began to walk once more, but he kept his mouth shut and eyes on the ground.
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Post by Shad on Oct 18, 2015 2:53:39 GMT
"Ooooooo heehee," the calico shecat giggle and skipped slightly as they walked. "You say 'Crooked-Eye' so differently! It sounds like 'cooked-aye'. No, that's not quite it. I can't say it right but you do it so perfectly!" The small apprenticed laughed her approval. "It's so cool! I like it!"Patchpaw was usually much more serious than this, but that was due to the restrictions and expectations put on her by her clan and her family. These cats... they knew none of that. The only thing of importance between them and Patchpaw was forming a friendship and it was... invigorating. No. That was too stuffy a word. It felt great! With every pawstep Patchpaw fell just a little bit freer, a little bit less held down by all the things that were expected of her. She found that making friends was very fun. She even liked it -which felt strange. When had she last done something she genuinely enjoyed? When was the last time she even thought about what she liked and didn't like rather than go through a list of the things she must accomplish before falling asleep that night? It was only now that Patchpaw realized she did not even know what her favorite color was. Orange, she decided quickly, rectifying this lapse. Orange like the soft cream of her mother's fur. The small calico winced as her friend waltzed right into a land mine, but she hardly let it slow her down. "Well, I think that means Patchpaw's mother had excellent taste in names," she said firmly, refusing to let her friendly mood be dimmed. She nudged the white apprentice beside her and winked. "Steampaw agrees."She looked at the grey tom, Cooked-aye (heehee), determined to get something out of him. Friendship was a two way path, confound it!, and he was going to be Patchpaw's friend whether he came the easy way or the hard way. "Do you know Patchpaw's mother? Is she nice? Do you like her?" She cast an encouraging glance to Steampaw. "I think Steampaw was worried about her. Is she doing okay?"
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Oct 18, 2015 22:02:58 GMT
It’s okay to get lost every once in a while.
Sometimes getting lost is how we find ourselves.
"Oh, there are just so many kits in camp." Specklefoot purred, curling his tail. "There are too many litters to count!" he counted in his head. One, two, three, four.. Were there five? Huh. It was good to talk about their strengths to other clans though, right? It would make them look strong! Which they definitely were, and definitely would be with so many cute little kits growing up into big strong cats! Oh, Specklefoot just loved playing with them. Even if the nursery had been a little quiet lately, what with the illness and poor Flickerkit's injury..
"But oh no, miss Starlinfur's awful busy." Specklefoot shook his head at Duskblaze, all previous animosity between the two seemingly forgotten. "She works so hard to take care of her kits n' the clan! I don't think she even sleeps anymore!" The muscular warrior chirped. Eyup, ever since poor little Flickerkit got hurt, Starlingfur had barely been seen not doing something around camp, in miss Ravenface's den, or in the nursery! Specklefoot didn't know how she did it. Even he got tired from his patrols! And yet there she always was, like a zippy little bee. (She had the stripes for it too!) Specklefoot thought it was admirable. Among other things that were admirable about her. Which was... just about everything!
Maybe these Marshclan cats weren't so bad after all. I mean, they were askin how their clan was doin, and they had little ones like the apprentice... Maybe they were just a lot like Cedarclan? Specklefoot thought he might like the idea of that. But... all this fighting and stuff, it just wasn't any good. But.. Even if some of these Marshclan cats were alright... They had still hurt poor little Patchpaw! Oh, clan life could just be so confusing sometimes. So much gray.
But... Waiiiit a second. Had that tom said that the little apprentice's name was.. Patchpaw? Specklefoot squinted, looking back at the two. Patchpaw... That was... Well, that just added insult to injury! Oh, poor miss Rookshadow would not be happy about this. And neither would their Patchpaw's sick Papa, Mountainclaw. He opened his mouth to say something, but Marshclan's patchpaw quickly cut in. Again, disipating all animosity from the atmosphere.
"I suppose thats right! Although, Starlingfur chose our Patchpaw's name. Before that, she had a right awful one." Specklefoot shook his head with a tsk. Really, what kind of Mama would name their daughter sinister?! He didn't even know what that word meant but it just sounded... Bad! And given how his clanmates had responded to it too, it must have been.
455 words | Specklefoot | Sunset |
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Post by Kibbles on Oct 18, 2015 22:52:31 GMT
Crookedeye purred a bit. "Patchpaw's mother never came to the clan with her or her father. Her father is sick right now, but I'll let him know that you were worried," he said in a friendly manner. He didn't look back at the group, though as they headed towards the camp.
"Why? It don't change anythin'. Steampaw here will be talkin' to Starlin'fur anyways. Not Patchpaw's father. Don't make any sense."
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Steampaw looked over at Bramblenose. He looked back at the ground again and went along with what Patchpaw was saying. "I just wanted to pay my respects and all. I mean, family is important and all. That's why I wanted to come on this patrol. So I could speak to Starlingfur and Patchpaw's family myself."
He glanced at Duskblaze as he said that, hoping that he wasn't stepping out of line when saying that. Instead, he just saw Duskblaze nodding his head. Maybe that'll make him and Marshclan look at least a little better. To show that they weren't heartless, even if some cats in the clan were.
"I came to explain what happened and to apologize. But I guess you'll hear about that when we get to your camp."
He saw Hollowfern nodding a bit, seeming to accept his answer. Seeming to. Steampaw couldn't quite tell with that emotionless face of his. Bramblenose didn't seem to accept it, though. And Crookedeye just kind of giggled in response. He wasn't sure what that meant.
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Oct 19, 2015 19:16:09 GMT
It’s okay to get lost every once in a while.
Sometimes getting lost is how we find ourselves.
It was a good bit of time before the lot of them got back to camp. The sun had just begun to sink that last bit below the horizon, shrouding the forest in darkness. The undergrowth became thick and confusing, but for Cedarclan cats? It was nothing. Especially with trackers and navigators like Hollowfern and Bramblenose on their side. Might have been a lick confusing for those Marshclan cats, though. Specklefoot didn't know what kind of territory they had. But after a decent walk, they finally approached that big bramble tunnel.
The clan was waking up at this hour. Specklefoot smiled as he walked into his clan's camp. His home. He could see queens outside the nursery stretching. Hawkkit and Shrikekit tumbling about and crawling all over little Rosekit, who in turn stubbornly tried to scramble up Swanstrike's back. Cats chatting by the fresh-kill pile- he smiled at Boltfang and Rookshadow as he walked in. Warriors talking to Shadowfrost about their daily patrols, and Starlingfur beside him, making important decisions no doubt. This was clan life. And every time he came into camp, he couldn't help but smile.
"Welcome to Cedarclan's camp!" he chirped, waving his tail. The moon rose and with it the clan. He wondered how Marshclan compared? "Miss Starlingfur is right over there with our deputy, Shadowfrost." he pointed with his tail. Had she even noticed them yet? Boy, she sure must have been busy with that patrol!
263 Words | Specklefoot | Early Night |
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Post by Kibbles on Oct 21, 2015 17:40:23 GMT
Crookedeye looked back at Specklefoot. "Well, come on. Lets get them over there. Its rude to not take them directly to the leader and deputy, after all."
He put a small hop into his step as he approached the two cats across the camp. He had a huge grin on his face still and seemed completely relaxed with intruders in the camp. Of course, there was no reason to be nervous after all. The intruders were the ones surrounded by Cedarclan. Literally.
"Hello, Starlingfur and Shadowfrost! This Marshclan patrol wished to speak with you," he said, looking back at the cats.
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Duskblaze followed after Crookedeye and bowed his head when he was brought to the leader and deputy. "Greetings, Starlingfur and Shadowfrost. I wish to speak with you about the issue we had at the border not too long ago. I trust you can see why we never came before," he said, angling his face a bit so that the wounded side could be seen even more.
"WOAH, LOOK AT THAT CAT'S FACE!"
He looked over at the small voice and spotted a small black and white kit just staring at him. He then watched at Fernheart quickly picked her up and stuffed her into, what he assumed to be, the nursery. He could see her just staring at him, but he looked away and looked back at Starlingfur in front of him.
"As you can see, I've brought one warrior and two apprentices with me. You may remember Turtlefrost. She was Crowstar and Foxflower's daughter, if I remember correctly. Then this is Honeyheart's daughter, Patchpaw. And this young tom right here, is Steampaw. I believe he'd be the one you would want to talk to."
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Steampaw's breath caught in his throat as he looked at Starlingfur and Shadowfrost. They had clearly been through a lot. They looked as if they could rip him to shreds. And if he didn't word things right, they probably would. He waited patiently as Duskblaze spoke to them, before he was finally introduced.
"Oh, ummm, uh.... ummm...," he trailed off. Everything he was going to say left his mind in a split second and he was standing there looking like an idiot. He quickly dipped his head as low as he could get it, nose nearly touching the ground. Might as well do something right.
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Post by Shad on Oct 22, 2015 1:58:30 GMT
The Nursery
The kits had been peacefully playing... or... er, as 'peaceful' as twin brothers could get, outside the Nursery under Swanstrike's watchful eye when it happened. Frostkit saw it first. She cried out in amazement and disgust at some cat's face. The twins immediately recognized the sound because it was exactly the same noise she made when they had left a slimey, gooey frog leg in her nest. That had been great fun. Both Frostkit and her sister had screamed when they found it just before bed. It had been priceless to see their faces and the two boys had almost suffocated they laughed so hard. Now they eagerly turned to see what this new curiosity was. Two sets of deep blue eyes landed on the intruding cats -and the one with the jacked up face. Awesome! The toms gasped in appreciative horror. One of them burst out into laughter. "Look at his face! HA! He looks like he lost a fight with a badger. It was probably just a queen though. What a rogue." The term was stretched and, if spoken by a twoleg, would likely have been translated to 'noob'. The other twin seemed more fascinated than amused. "No way. A badger would take off his whole face! And look how fresh it is! Maybe these guys just ran into Cavernstorm and he got sick of being our welcoming committee. I totally knew he had it in him. Ew! You can see his teeth! Gross! He's like a zombie!"Nearby, Swanstrike, who was supposed to be watching the two but was actually paying more attention to her own kit, Rosekit, as he clambered up between her massive shoulderblades and who had been staring openly at the mangled tom in shock and horror, finally came back to her senses. "Quailkit! Quiverkit! Back in the Nursery!"This certainly caught the tom's attention as the both whirled around, protests already pouring out of their maws. "What? / Why? / He's just a rogue! / And Cavernstorm probably did it! / No way! It was a badger -or a queen." The second kit laughed. "Yeah. Queens are definitely scary.""Now!" the shecat demanded, her eyes sharpening and her white fur fluffing in agitation, or perhaps embarrassment. Both tom's froze, kitten eyes widening in alarm and mouths snapping shut before they got into any more trouble. The hastily escaped into the Nursery to hide behind Featherpaw, using her as a Mother-shield. from the decidedly very scary white Queen. The Fresh Kill Pile Dawnkit's ears perked as she heard her sister cry out, rapidly followed by the twin's voices, which made her wince. Those two were a bad influence on Frostkit, she was sure of it. Or maybe they were just a bad influence on each other. Either way, she wished they would think before they talked sometimes. Even if the cat they were talking about was... Dawnkit's eyes widened and she gave a squeak of terror at the horrible sight of a cat, half his face covered in spiderwebs and half... half of it mangled flesh and tooth and blood. She darted behind her father to hide, shaking with fear. What was that?! What had happened to him to make his face like that? Dawnkit did not know what it was or what it meant but it was terrifying and she wished it would go away. She burrowed into her father's fur, trying to hide. Patchpaw caught sight of all this commotion and could not help but cringe. She had no love for her mentor, not after all he had done to her mother and their clan, not after losing all her trust in a cat she had once looked up to more than anyone, but he still did not deserve this. No cat deserved this. To have children terrified or repulsed by your face, to have cats gasp when you entered the field... what a terrible feeling that must envoke, but her mentor seemed to ignore all this, or perhaps show only a simmering layer of anger at it so she decided to ignore it herself. She would not coddle the emotions of a cat that had never taken a shred of mercy on her own or that of her family. She did feel bad for the little tuxedo kitten that had ducked to hide from the horror of Duskblaze's face. Yeah. She had felt that reaction too when she first saw it, although she would never admit it. Duskblaze did not need that pain, even if a small, kittenish part of her still yearned to hurt him for all the things he had done. Patchpaw was better than that, and even if she wasn't, she would pretend to be. Her Mom deserved that much from her daughter. When Steampaw crumbled, the calico was quick to jump in for her fellow apprentice. "It is nice to meet you, uh," the shecat's soft white eyes glanced over to Specklefoot and winked at him. "Miz Stahlin'fur." The apprentice permitted a tiny giggle as she tried to mimic Specklefoot's pronunciation with a grin. Just because they were here to smooth things over, did not mean they could not do it playfully. In fact, to Patchpaw's frame of mind, that was a far more effective way to go about it than trotting over, glaring them down into the dirt, and proclaiming some sort of non-committed apology that not even a kit would believe. Duskblaze, as far as she was concerned, had not chosen his battles well when it came to this foolhardy mission. He had brought a terrified Steampaw, who was going to be no help, a mouthy Turtlefrost who was going to curse out everyone with foul and degrading statements against their clan as soon as she put down those herbs in three seconds, himself, which while important admittedly, was no great talker and, in fact, his I'll-kill-you-if-you-look-at-me-wrong stance was going to send a message of attack-our-clan-now rather than please-lets-be-friends-or-at-least-not-kill-each-other-before-the-moon-is-over, and, to round out this motley crew, he had tagged along Patchpaw, an ineffective apprentice. Virtually any other collection of cats would have trumped this group. Snowstorm could easily have led it with Tornpelt at his side to make Steampaw feel secure again and Siverheart who was proving to be a gentle, kind voice of reason in the clan, but far be it from Patchpaw to point that out to anyone. A teeny tiny part of her wanted to think Duskblaze had brought her along because he trusted her skills. She wanted to hope that her mentor had been trying to teach her about clan negotiations and prepare her for life as a Warrior. She wanted to think this whole trip was an honor. But Patchpaw was a realist, not a dreamer, and realism said the only two reasons Duskblaze would bring her out here, when he had not trained with her or even seen her constant (if slow) progressions in weeks, were to keep Steampaw in check (because she was an apprentice and clearly that meant she could do these things (yeah, right) ), and to watch her. To watch to see how loyal she really was to Marsh Clan. This, more than anything, stuck in Patchpaw's craw and made her yearn to lash out at the arrogant tom her clan called a leader. Maybe it was in part due to the fact that he would be right. If Patchpaw had been alone after Honeyheart's death, she would have run off to Cedar Clan without a single glance backward, perfectly content to leave all the corrupted souls there, the selfish cats that had abandoned her family in their time of need, to rot in their own little pit of hell in the marshes. However, Patchpaw was not alone and so long as her brothers drew breath, she would fight tooth and claw for their home with every last breath she had in her and even then Star Clan would have to drag her away from the battlefield kicking and screaming. Or Maybe it was just because she hated the fact her leader, the cat that was supposed to bring everyone together, made her feel like an outsider. She cast a quick, sideways glance to the fierce, proud, and arrogant tom. She firmly resisted the urge to grind her teeth, but she was not quite that stupid. Yeah. It was probably the second one that bothered her more. A lot more. The shecat blinked, shoving back down the revulsion for her own leader and instead smiling at the leader of Cedar Clan. A leader she might have grown to know and adore if Gullkit and Cherrykit had never existed. Starlingfur had a distant expression on her face, impassive. She could have been evil and corrupt just like Duskblaze or kind and loving like Honeyheart, it was impossible to tell. But as a grey-white shecat barged her way over and the shecat gave a rueful smile at the newest clanmate to approach, Patchpaw had a fair idea it was the latter. Turtlefrost was hauled off and Patchpaw laughed quietly at her clanmate's misfortune as she sat beside Crooked-eye and Specklefoot, who she suspected to be laughing too. Clearly, the tom was well acquainted with this Ravenface and her habit of kidnapping random cats with herbs stuffed in their mouths. Patchpaw supposed she really should be standing with her clanmates, but it was only a few inches of difference, hardly noticeable and... well, it felt nicer over her. Specklefoot was funny and Crooked-eye winked at her, making the shecat giggle. Even Bramblenose did not seem all that intimidating. Tense, but not outwardly angry or hostile. Nothing like her own clan. Yes. Patchpaw liked Cedar Clan. It felt more like home than Marsh Clan had in a long, long time. The Medicine Den The petite, grey form of Ravenface, ever holed up in her den with her sick patients, was even drawn out by the commotion of so many cries and terrified squeals that Duskblaze had garnered with his unexpected (and decidedly not well received) appearance. "What? What? What?!" she growled. "Someone had better be dying or-" The shecat stopped when she caught sight of the invading party. Either they were a rogue group (which Raven was highly sure was a oxymoron), or they were an envoy from Marsh Clan nextdoor, and likely not here to chat about anything good if her haphazard knowledge of the previous clans' workings was anything to go by. Still, that was of little to no interest to her as she caught sight of the injured tom. She was across the camp and had one paw on his face before even he could protest. She jerked and angled the tom's head, ruthlessly. She did not irritate his injury in the slightest, but his uninjured ear and neck were not afforded the same courtesy as she began taking in the wound with an expert eye. She pulled her paws back before he could swipe at her though. Warriors were notoriously irritable, a rumor she had been most disappointed to find was almost always correct. She caught sight of the calico beside the mangled tom and her mouth full of herbs. "You did this?" she asked. I sounded more like an accusation. She hardly waited for a response. "It sucks," she informed the shecat bluntly, then a grin spread out over her face, lightening the harsh rebuke. "But not bad for an amateur. I'll give you that. You must have tried pretty hard. I like that. Conviction. It's good in a cat, but, seriously, having herbs stuck in your mouth all day is just annoying. Come on. Those are probably half chomped down anyway and useless. You can trash them in my den and I'll give you some new ones and repatch this face when we come back. I'm Ravenface by the way."The shecat was already sliding her tail over the calico's shoulder and shipping her off for the den, happy as a kit with milk. Finally another cat that knew herbs! And one from Marsh Clan no less. Ravenface's mind flashed back to her dream. To the rotting cypress. Maybe this shecat could help her understand it... Or, at the very least, she could help ease the Medicine Cat's stress level by letting her chat with someone that was not a complete dimwit or her brother (or both) for the first time in far too long. |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Oct 25, 2015 0:16:25 GMT
Nursery Oh, and the camp had been just so quiet moments ago! "Mistlekit- Mistlekit look!" a little red tom urged, climbing farther and farther up one of the queen's backs. The two younger toms who had been pursuing him stopped in their tracks, jaws dropping as they saw what had just come into camp. Their game was completely forgotten in the presence of new scents and even newer... sights. To put it kindly. A little white head popped out of the nursery at the sound, quickly emitting a gasp of horror.
"MARSHCLAN INTRUDERS!"
"Oh- oh my gosh!"
"Is that cat dead?!"
A chorus of mews erupted from outside of the nursery, sending the formerly sleepy Cedarclan camp into an uproar. Yep, this was going to be an interesting morning. An exhausting one for the queens no doubt, but certainly a fun one for the kits.
"Maybe it was one of the other Marshclan cats? That's what they do after all."
"I bet it was a queen! Oooh- ooh! Or Cavernstorm! Or maybe... both!" Shrikekit and Hawkkit joined in on the twins guessing games, Hawkkit's eyes bright and Shrikekit's accusatory. No big bad Marshclan cat was gonna get out of Cedarclan's camp unscathed! Be it by paws or tongue!
"Swanstrike, can I get up for a better look?"
"Y-you shouldn't... Make fun of him! There's something wrong with him." Mistlekit protested, big green eyes nervous as she looked from the nursery to the clearing. What kind of situation was this? Oh- was this an envoy? The little she-cat's eyes lit up. Just like theirs! Just like stories, where one kingdom sent a party to another to talk about something! Oh! Oh! And that cat with the ripped up face... Was a knight!
A little brown tabby stuck his tongue out at the pale she-cat, puffing out his chest and rolling his eyes. Wait- he should get a closer look! Golden eyes lit up as the tom dashed forward- and was quickly jerked back by a large paw. Oh shoot, Swanstrike. Yeah. The sudden movement sent Rosekit tumbling off the queen's back and Mistlekit rushing forward to see if he was okay- the kits might as well have been having a battle of their own with all of the movement going on! But a sharp look from Starlingfur and some angry orders from Swanstrike sent them scattering. Shrikekit pouted and Hawkkit rolled his eyes, but both toms dashed back to the nursery with a giggle. Mistlekit and Rosekit followed quickly after, though both hung at the nursery's entrance, watching the spectacle with big eyes. What was going to happen?! This was better than any of their stories! The Fresh Kill Pile It was the kits voices that first alerted Starlingfur to the presence of outsiders. The tabby she-cat raised her head, tired eyes searching for the source of the commotion. And oh did she find it. Eight cats making their way through the crowd of warriors that had gathered for their daily patrols. And four what she did not recognize. Or recognized... Very vaguely. And then the scent hit her. Marshclan.
Tired copper eyes narrowed. She recognized the descriptions of two of these cats, now. Duskblaze, their supposed leader. But- there had been no mention made of his face being so... Bare. Cobwebs were draped haphazardly over one half, but even through them could Starlingfur see blood and... teeth. Horror flitted through the leader's gaze for a moment, but it quickly vanished. What kind of things were the cats of Marshclan dealing with? .... It was no matter. There was one more cat here whom she recognized. The gray and white tom with violet eyes. The one who had killed Patchpaw. He walked nervously now, seeming to shrink in upon himself. He was warrior sized- easily over twice Patchpaw's The other two- tortoiseshells- she did not know. But if there were two cats such as Duskblaze and this tom here.. There had to be some reason for it. It took a grand deal of nerve for these cats to show their faces in their home after what they'd done, and it showed in the expressions what Cedarclan warriors littered the clearing. Distrust. Nervousness. Hatred, even. But Starlingfur ignored them- save for the kits, whom she shot a silencing look before padding forward to meet the head of this patrol.
"Duskblaze." Starlingfur meowed evenly, copper eyes meeting green. She listened as the tom explained their presence in Cedarclan's home. So it was as she suspected. The tabby she-cat looked away from him, flicking her ears in dismissal of the warriors surrounding them. Most cats didn't leave at first, murmuring among themselves, but after a few moments they began to dissipate. Clinging to the sides of camp or leaving, talking amongst themselves and watching. There had been a stark shift in mood at the arrival of these Cedarclan cats. And as she heard shuffling outside the nursery, she was inwardly thankful for Swanstrike as the queen ushered her kits into the nursery. But not before-
"KICK SOME MARSHCLAN TAIL, MAMA!"
Starlingfur closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose. She couldn't even keep down the upwards quirk of her muzzle, no matter how hard she tried. And it took all her restraint to resist laughing. Starclan, it had to be the lack of sleep taking its toll on her. The leader shook her head, coughing a few times, before righting herself. This was a serious situation. "Ahem. The kits are... overexcited, it would seem. Please excuse them." she meowed, attempting to retain at least a bit of that leader-like dignity that she was supposed to have. Starlingfur never cared for such things- but really now. Hawkkit would be getting a talking to later. Still, a bit of amusement broke through her distant, calculating eyes.
Those same copper eyes drifted over the patrol, landing on the smaller calico as she spoke. Starlingfur cocked her head slightly at how she said her name- before she looked to Specklefoot, who was grinning sheepishly behind her. Starlingfur gave a soft snort. It had certainly been an interesting patrol what had gotten these cats here. She could only imagine the walk back. "Hello.. Patchpaw?" Starlingfur blinked. The gears in her mind stopped. This little calico.. bore the same name as their own lost apprentice. Starlingfur look to Duskblaze. Had it been a cruel joke of some sort, bringing her along? It was no fault of the apprentice, but a leader- a real leader had ought to know better. The leader resisted shaking her head, though her eyes did narrow slightly as they made contact with Duskblaze's. Two apprentices on one envoy was odd enough, but this... So the she-cat was Honeyheart's daughter. That would explain things more. But then, what of Honeyheart? Had the she-cat not intended to lead this clan? Or perhaps, it had been the second black she-cat with her who was in charge. In that case, was Duskblaze her deputy? No. She would have time for questions. For now-
And there was Ravenface. Now, Starlingfur's look was slightly sympathetic (though more amused) as her medicine cat approached, jerking the head of the Marshclan patrol around roughly. She was a very... paws on medicine cat. She reminded Starlingfur so much of Flamestripe at times. The leader shook her head apologetically. "Ravenface, they've only just gotten here." she meowed, before looking back to the patrol. "This is our medicine cat, Ravenface." Their medicine cat. Yes, Marshclan had been the only one with a healer for a time, hadn't they? If Eveningblaze had stayed. But now, they had a healer of their own. And a healer with a very full den she noted as the silver she-cat dragged the herb-holding tortoiseshell off and to her den. Starlingfur flicked her tail. Hopefully.. that cat wouldn't take the illness plaguing their medicine cat's den as a sign of weakness. Cedarclan was having their... difficulties, yes. But they didn't need any more.
"We can discuss these... sensitive matters in my den." she meowed, flicking her ears. They did not need an audience for this. Her den as of late... no- as of coming to this camp, had been the nursery. But the nursery.. would not be ideal for this. Not with the kits overexcited as it was. That left the leader's den. Starlingfur glanced at the leaning branch above them. She had spent very little time in her den since their repair of this camp. But for now... it would have to make due. Starlingfur moved now, leaping atop the branch with ease and padding along it's length.
Pushing through the long lichen covering, Starlingfur took her seat on the dusty earth once she reached her den. A decent sized hole, halfway up the camp's Eastmost cliff. Only reachable by the leaning branch, it was no wonder she had chosen not to raise her kits within its walls. Despite the thin layer of dust that seemed to cover it (and the lack of moss), this den would suit their purposes. For now. Starlingfur wrapped her tail over her paws, waiting for the Marshclan cats to follow. The Medicine Den Ugh, these cats were as Duskclan as the worst of them. Or 'Dawnclan' as they liked to call themselves. No amount of tree names would change that awful stench. Even if it weren't for the nasty herbs clogging her senses, Turtlefrost would still be grimacing. Of all the cats to have survived this stupid war.... It had to be these old murderous fools. Starclan take her now. Wait- no. Not yet Starclan. Turtlefrost still had a life to live. So much work to do, so much clan to support. Maybe just take these cats instead? Oh, alright. sigh. Yeah, Duskblaze and Eveningblaze had both told her to be on her best behavior but it was hard when their idiot warriors gawked at them like fish and kits screeched like rats. And now, she had this nobody medicine cat criticizing her work?
Turtlefrost let herself be lead to this cat's den. Anything would be fine so long as she could spit these stupid herbs out. Ugh, she would never want to be a medicine cat. Not in a million years. These herbs were so disgusting- how did Eveningblaze do it? How did he do all that wrapping and pasting and chewing? Alright, so maybe Turtlefrost hadn't done the best job on patching up Duskblaze's jaw. Maybe she didn't chew up the paste fine enough, and maybe she didn't know how to keep the cobwebs sticking when he kept talking. But that wasn't her fault! She wasn't any medicine cat! Still, she'd be damned if she admitted any of her flaws. Her pride wouldn't let her.
Ugh. Turtlefrost spat out the herbs with pleasure once they got to that den- only for the scent of sickness to overtake her. The tortoiseshell wrinkled her nose anew as she looked around the den. Sick cats. Great. Just like Marshclan. "Ugh, i hate carrying herbs." she scowled with a shudder. But she hated being in dens full of sick cats even more. Oh yes, this would be reported to Duskblaze. And Eveningblaze. But this cat had said that she would give her new herbs... Right? Turtlefrost blinked cautiously. Knowing Duskclan, they'd probably be laced with deathberries. But... she'd leave that up to Eveningblaze to find out. Despite her stubbornness, Turtlefrost knew how busy her cousin was with herb gathering these days. And she knew that they could use all the herbs they could get. "But I'm Turtlefrost." she meowed, looking around the den with distaste. Ugh. She didn't want to touch anything. But she had to be good for Duskblaze. Sighhhhhhhh. "So you're...'Cedarclan's' medicine cat?" She said the word like it was a slug that she didn't want to touch. Which it totally was. But she had to make conversation. Or something.
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Post by Kibbles on Oct 28, 2015 18:03:16 GMT
Duskblaze looked towards the nursery as all the kits were shoved in. His ears flicked as he heard one of the she-kits call Starlingfur mama. His green eyes turned, amusement filling them. He nodded once. They were kits after all and were still learning how to act.
He then saw the look that Starlingfur gave his own apprentice and snorted. He would comment later on the look, when not so many cats were around. Plus, it's not as if he had time to comment. Within the next moment, a she-cat was moving his head around, looking at his wound. Then she commented on Turtlefrost's handiwork and he couldn't help but give his warrior an amused look.
But then Starlingfur spoke up again. He nodded once and looked over at Steampaw. "Come with us. Patchpaw, stay here and... do what you're doing," he said. He then followed after Starlingfur and heard Steampaw following. In just a few moments, all three cats were sitting in the leader's den.
"If you think I brought her for some cruel joke, think again. She is here to learn and nothing more. She is my apprentice after all and I pray to Starclan that she will become leader one day. She has it in her blood after all," he said before anyone else could speak.
He gave Starlingfur a hard look before looking over at Steampaw. He noted that the large tom was at least trying to put on a brave face, although his jerky movements and wide eyes pretty much gave away his fear.
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Steampaw hadn't wanted to leave Patchpaw behind. She made him relax more, although it still wasn't quite relaxing. But when he heard that she wasn't going to the leader's den, he panicked even more. Being judged in front of two leaders was nerve wracking. He had already been punished by Duskblaze. But how would Starlingfur react to what really happened? How would she see it? Would she believe him?
"I'm so sorry, Starlingfur. I didn't mean to kill her. It was all an accident. I never meant to kill anyone, just get them off of our territory. I was just trying to scare her and the cream she-cat ran into me when I was biting too hard. I didn't have time to let go of her throat. And then, a moment later, she was just.. gone. I didn't want to kill her. I didn't mean to kill her."
He saw Duskblaze giving him a stern look. Perhaps he had said too much. Perhaps he didn't say enough. Perhaps he made Marshclan look weak at this moment. But what apprentice wouldn't be nervous while alone with two leaders? What apprentice, who had killed another apprentice, wouldn't be nervous as two pairs of stern eyes were on them?
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