ʀ ᴀ ᴠ ᴇ ɴ ʜ ᴇ ᴀ ʀ ᴛ
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(rank). deputy (clan). lakeclan (location). camp (mood). motivated (tags). Lakestar, Dewpaw, Silverpaw
Ravenheart navigated her way up to the high falls spot, but it wasn’t easy. It had taken moons and moons of practice. With a wry grimace, Ravenheart remembered when she had stumbled her way up to the high rock as an apprentice. She was young and had recently lost her sight. The young kit was so ready to make a name for herself, yet was so unconfident and unprepared. Right when she was about to receive her “paw” name, she stumbled on an obtrusive rock and nearly tumbled down to the shallow pool below. It was beyond embarrassing. With a huff, Ravenheart picked up her paws extra high.
Ravenheart smiled and dipped her head respectfully in Lakestar’s direction. “I did, thank you very much Lakestar.” The blind deputy still wasn’t quite sure how she’d become deputy. Sure, she’d worked harder than almost every warrior but… To be entrusted with such a big responsibility was an honor. She worked tirelessly every day to prove she was worthy of such a position, and to make herself the best deputy for her clanmates. Somehow, Lakestar knew that Ravenheart had potential, despite her disability. She never wanted to let her leader down.
Ravenheart had to stop herself from letting out a proud smile when Lakestar voiced her approval. Instead, she kept her stony, clouded eyes staring forward. “Ah, yes Lakestar,” she nodded. “How bad are the trenches looking?” With an inward sigh, this was another one of the challenges of being a blind deputy. Ravenheart couldn’t see their surroundings. If any sort of disaster and invasion were to happen that Ravenheart couldn’t assess from her other senses, the clan would be doomed. Although Lakestar meant nothing by her comment and it was only a gentle reminder, it gave Ravenheart another twinge of self-doubt. “Of course, once the patrols are finished, I’ll see to it that the warriors and myself get to it right away,” she mewed, not letting Lakestar sense her apprehensions. That wasn’t the quality of a strong leader, and the black molly knew she needed to block these doubts from her mind – or she would fail.
The mention of Dewpaw’s name brought a smile to Ravenheart’s face. Her apprentice had bounded her way up to the high cliffs as well. “Yes, we’re working on that, aren’t we Dewpaw?” So far, Dewpaw hadn’t given Ravenehart many problems. She wasn’t particularly strict on her apprentice, but the spoiled molly knew better than to act out too much. Sure, she complained and muttered tings under her breath, but Raveneheart tried her best to nip these problems in the bud, and show her apprentice that everything required hard work. Even though she knew Dewpaw complained about receiving a “sightless loser” once she first received Ravenehart as her mentor, she quickly learned to respect the blind molly. Now, the two were getting closer by the day.
“Good morning Dewpaw,” she chirped to her apprentice. “Well I suppose you heard that you’ll be coming on a patrol with me. Get ready, we’ll be leaving soon.” She could sense that Dewpaw was to the left of her, based on her breathing. Ravenheart affectionately laid her tail on the apprentice’s flank, and then swiveled her ears back to Lakestar.
Two loud sneezes in the clearing instinctively made Ravenheart turn her head in the noise’s direction. “Was that Howlingpaw?” she asked with a frown. A sneeze was usually just a sneeze, but it was never a good sign around leafbare. “Yes, hopefully she won’t overreact,” Ravenheart agreed, “but you can never be too careful around leafbare.” Sickness was another painful reminder for the deputy. If she hadn’t gotten so ill as a kit, she would still have her sight.
Ravenheart heard another apprentice padding up. They just keep coming, she thought to herself with a small smile. It was Silverpaw; apparently, he’d survived Dewpaw’s tongue-lashing. “Good morning Silverpaw,” Ravenheart responded, turning to face the apprentice. Her cloudy eyes gazed slightly above his chest. “If you didn’t hear, you’ll be coming with me, Dewpaw, and some other warriors on the patrol. Come meet me whenever you’re ready.” Ravenheart nodded at all three cats, and then carefully made her way down the high falls.
She was on high alert as she weaved her way through the cats. Typically, Lakeclan cats were respectful of the blind molly and tried not to get in her way. Still Ravenheart was a naturally anxious cat. It was rare to see her relaxed; she was always ready for the next disaster or crisis, or for some cat to pop in her way. The deputy sat down at the edge of camp, waiting for her patrol to gather before her. Even though navigating her dark world was occasionally difficult, no one could doubt her tracking skills. Patrols were her favorite, and she was anxious to check on the territory. The cold wind bristled her fur, and she fluffed her fur in anticipation.
ℍ 𝕠 𝕨 𝕝 𝕚 𝕟 𝕘 𝕡 𝕒 𝕨
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(rank). apprentice [color=#80BF](clan).[/color] lakeclan (location). camp (mood). talkative (tags). Orchidpaw, Dewpaw, Iceflight
“Oh, I’ll give you a Yawningpaw,” the tom grumbled and stepped forward, unsheathing his claws. He wasn’t quick enough, though, and Dewpaw quickly bounded off to her mentor. Grumbling, the tom sat down and sheathed his claws again. “Why does she get the deputy as mentor? She doesn’t even work hard enough! I don’t know how Ravenheart hasn’t put her in her place by now!” Ravenheart was notoriously strict on the apprentices. Evidently, though, she and Dewpaw got along quite well, as the tom noticed Ravenheart’s tail on Dewpaw’s flank. “Not fair,” he muttered once again.
The tom didn’t dwell on Dewpaw’s rudeness for long – it was simply a daily occurrence. Orchidpaw was next to speak up, and Howlingpaw couldn’t help but admit he was a little disappointed by her response. For some reason, he really wanted the medicine cat apprentice to come with them. Blizzardleaf was hardly seen around camp, and he didn’t want the pretty she-cat to be sorting herbs all day by herself. “I guess, whatever suits you. If you can even find Blizzardleaf, though,” he countered.
“I understand though, you do what you need to do! The clan wouldn’t get by without you two.” However, her next words brought an even bigger frown on his face. “Cold? Oh no, I don’t get colds. Birdkit, she did, but not me,” he argued, bringing up the name of his dead sister. She had died in the tragic mudslide a few moons before. While saying her name brought pain to his heart, he would rather say her name and preserve her memory than forget her all together.
Another cold wind whisked its way through the frosty camp. Howlingpaw felt his nose twitch and dug his paws into the cold ground. He fluffed his mottled brown fur and let another shiver. As hard as he tried to suppress his sneeze, he couldn’t for long. “HA-SHOO!” he sneezed this time, even louder than the last. He let out two more loud sneezes and was left burning in embarrassment and rubbing his nose on his paw.
Orchidpaw’s intent eyes were focusing on him, and after his next sneezing fit, his fate was decided. “W-wait no no no!” he protested, trying to follow the molly. He wasn’t quick enough, though, and she quickly returned with the most foul-smelling herbs he’d ever been exposed. “Great Starclan, what is that?” he spat, his nose curling in response. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, no way. I don’t have a cold, and I won’t be eating that,” he decided with finality.
His mentor, Iceflight, bounded up to the two. “Good morning Iceflght,” the tom chirped, albeit a bit stuffily. The more he was awake, the cruddier he felt. However, he wouldn’t let it ruin his hunting patrol. As he stifled a sneeze into his tail, he realized that if his nose kept up its act, he’d scare away all the prey in the forest. With a sigh, he turned back to Orchidpaw. “I suppose… We’ll see if it works. But I don’t have a cold,” he insisted. With a deep breath, he cautiously bent down and licked up the garlic clove.
He was gagging and coughing within seconds. “Starlan, that was awful!” he whined, green eyes squinted up in disgust. “This better work, or I’ll…,” he started making fresh threats. “Or I’ll stuff ants in your moss!” he finished with a sly grin. It was an empty threat and a joke, but if it didn’t cure his cold and sniffles, he’d never let the medicine cat apprentice forget it.
The bitter stench of the garlic stuck to Howlingpaw’s pelt. “Well, I’m ready Iceflight,” he sighed, “if the prey doesn’t run away from my stinky scent. Whenever you’re ready let’s g-g-g,” he stopped mid-sentence, scrunched up his eyes and let out another large,”YESHOO, RASHOO, Hah’NGTCH, Heh…H’ESSHU! !” He finished with a miserable sniffle. “I hate leafbare,” he muttered.
