Username: Hazelfang
Clan: Kin of the Vixen
Quest Number: 1
Response:
Adventus Solis
Within the camp walls beyond the icy waterfall, the Kin were bustling with life. Kits full of boundless energy bounced around their Ministra, asking as many questions as their hearts desired. The Doyen were indulging in nostalgic memories with a trio of wide-eyed Softpaws. A blended group of Marauders, Stalkers and Guardians admired the overflowing prey pile in delight. Even the Servus were walking around the camp, leaves around the center with an evidently intended design instructed by the Sybil Superior. Pure delight buzzed in the air as each Kin busied themself and chatted away cheerfully.
The dark brown tabby sat atop her rock, watching her Kin with a pleased expression on her face. Today would be a day for celebration and everyone the camp had a paw in it. Nothing united her Kin more than the celebration of Adventus Solis. The Spirits truly have blessed us this winter, she pondered to herself while her eyes followed a rowdy duo of kits wrestling over a deer bone. And I am certain a blessed spring awaits us as well. She slowly stood up and made her way towards her kin. She nodded her head to three of her Kin who exuded a commanding presence. "How have your missions been, my Legatus? Prosperous I assume?"
The tallest of the three, a lanky black cat let out a satisfied purr, "Splendidly, Kestrelspirit. The Marauders have found many rare offerings for Callidus (Spirit of Cunning). Our newest Marauder even found a stunning piece of human jewelry with the most radiantly crimson gem." Her eyes glowed with pride while speaking of her younger Kin's accomplishment.
Kestrelspirit purred back in response, "How wonderful, I have been very impressed by the newest batch of Marauders. Well done, Hiddenmoon," she turned to face the other two foxes standing by, "How about for the Guardians, Dovecloud?"
The plump grey tabby lifted her chin boastfully, "My Guardians have been working hard and have been preparing the pelt of a cougar we defeated earlier this winter. It should be entirely clean and presentable for Vianimo (Spirit of Strength) before the ceremony." Her striped tail swished back in forth, telling of her own excitement.
The third cat, a slick white cat touched with the sun along his muzzle and ears, speaks up before Kestrelspirit has a moment to ask, "The Stalkers have done fantastic as well! We have gathered enough prey to last us until next Adventus Solis! I guarantee Lautitia will be very pleased (Spirit of Grace)." His icy blue eyes sparkled with elation. "I mean, they even managed to catch the ice hares which you know how difficult they can be to catch with the snow crunching with every pawsteps. But I managed to teach my Kin how to step as if their body is air. If you'd like, I can show you?" The tom stepped forward eagerly, his tail tip twitching back and forth.
An amused purr escaped from the brown tabby, "Maybe after the ceremony, Flameleap, and you can teach it to the kittens as well. I am sure Cherryshroud would appreciate the break." As she said the Ministra's name, she points her tail at the red-and-black she-cat buried under a fluffy pile of kittens.
Hiddenmoon softly chuckles, "The kittens have been hard at work themselves. With the wonderful guidance of their Ministra they managed to collect a sizable amount of flowers from the meadow. They have been very eager to see if Amicitia will be proud of their work (Spirit of Companionship)."
The grey she-cat nods in agreement, "Even the Softpaws joined them on their little mission. And they managed to collect a fair amount of soft feathers as offerings for Malum (Spirit of Mischief). I believe they got lucky and even found the carcass of a massive hawk."
"As massive as you?", Flameleap quips. With a frustrated hiss Dovecloud swats at his head, narrowly missing him as he dodged. The mischievous snow-white tom crouches, his tail lashing, "Try me, Pudgy!" Unable to resist the very evident bait, the large tabby jumps atop the tom, the two rolling in the melted snow. Hiddenmoon watches the duo, shaking her head but not moving a whisker to stop them. Even Kestrelspirit finds herself simply watching the two, knowing better than to get between them.
A raspy, annoyed voice speaks from behind the group, "What are you two, a pair of Softpaws? Quit splashing muddy snow everywheere. You are Legatus, for Terra's sake, act like one." A stiff black-and-white tom approaches the four cats, scowling at the two wrestling. Flameleap and Dovecloud almost immediately separate, their pelts ruffled, but their ears folded back in shame. Each murmured an apology before sharing a mutual glare at one another. The cranky tom swipes at the ground with his tail, drying up a spot for him to sit down, "I hear we are talking about preparations for this evening?"
Kestrelspirit nods calmly, "We are, Ashenfrost. How have the Servus been?" Her whiskers twitch, the Sybil Superior is always in an icy mood but that's what she enjoyed most about him. His words were never minced and you could always trust his honesty.
The tom lets out a snort, shaking off muddy droplets from his paw before rubbing it over his scarred ear, "As well as they ever are. They've gathered a variety of the finest leaves, supervised by myself, for Majesta. I would have no less for the Spirit of Dignity herself." The fur along his chest puffed up after responding, the ice in his eyes melting ever so slightly. He couldn't quite hide his pride in his fellow Kin despite how hard he tried. With a quick shake of his fur, he continued, "As for I, well I have gathered some of our freshest herbs as offering. The Spirits have blessed us this season, so the collection of Paramela and Vitalba I gathered earlier went unneeded. I believe it will be a fitting offer for Sophos (Spirit of Wisdom)."
The other four cats all nod in agreement, "A very productive celebration indeed, it seems," Kestrelspirit notes whiel looking off at her Kinmates once more. Her eyes land on the Doyen with the group of Softpaws, "Oh, your Servus were aiding the Doyen with their offering as well, isn't that correct?" She turns to face Ashenfrost once more her lets out yet another contempt snort.
"Yeah, those lazy bags of bones did manage to get their offering- all thanks to my Servus. It seems they are offering some fragments of bark they collected during that storm about a moon ago. I find it far too trivial for Verentia, but they insisted this would be the best possible gift for her," his tail swishes once more in annoyance. "Stubborn fools," he murmurs under his breath.
The tabby brown she-cat shakes her head, "Nonsense, I think the Spirit of Tenacity will greatly appreciate their offering. After all, with her blessing we survived that storm and those fragments comemorate that moment. Without her protection, that tree would have crushed the Doyen's den." Ashenfrost rolls his eyes but doesn't comment any further on the subject, knowing better than to argue with the Magister herself.
Flameleap nods in agreement then peers at Kestrelspirit quizzically, "What about you, Kestrelspirit? What has the great Magister gathered to offer for Vindicta? I am sure it wasn't easy thinking of a gift for the Spirit of Conniption." Dovecloud and Hiddenmoon nod in agreement to the tom's statement and turn their attention towards their Magister.
With the attention now so focused on her, Kestrelspirit kneads the ground self-consciously, "It was difficult, I will admit. Each winter season I find myself pondering what could Vindicta possibly want. I think this season I finally figured it out, however." She smiles ever so slightly, "Do you remember the secret mission I went on a few sunrises ago?"
"Of course, we were very worried as you insisted no-Kin join you," the Legatus Guardian spoke, folding her ears.
Kestrelspirit nods, "Yes, I apologize once more for worrying you. However, it was certainly worth it. I trekked to the FlameMouth and found something I have only seen in dreams. The Flammadamant (Obsidian)." The three Legatus stared at her in shock, even the Sybil Superior seemed surprised as his eyes widened.
"Incredible... My Marauders have been seeking one for as long as I have been a Legatus."
"Indeed, incredible. It must have been a blessing from Terra herself," Ashenfrost slowly nodded, considering the possibility of Terra's influence.
"How did you do it? You have to show me! I can't even imagine how beautiful it looks," Flameleap hopped up, his tail curling above his back in delight. "You have to tell us!"
The Magister chuckles heartily, amused by the excitement in the young Legatus' voice, "I'm afraid it is a secret, dear Kin. A secret between myself and the Spirits." She smiled at the now disappointed tom and winked to help lighten the mood. "Besides, what matters most is that all of our gifts for the Spirits have been gathered and we are ready to celebrate the coming of the sun. I do believe this Adventus Solis will be the greatest one yet."
Word Count: 1542
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Username: Hazelfang
Clan: Kin of the Vixen
Quest Number: 3
Response:
As a Guardian, Peonyfrost has always been expected to be strong and brave. And for most days, she is both of those. She prides herself in being a talented and experienced Guardian with very little who can defeat her. When she was younger, many believed she was too pretty and quaint to survive in this position. However, she proved them all wrong and grew into a respected and valued member of the Kin... and yet, she had a secret. A secret that she was certain would crumble the entire reputation she spent so many moons forging. A secret that, in her eyes, meant she could lose her role as a Guardian. That secret? Well, she is absolutely unequivocally petrified of frogs. Yes, the small slimy bouncing bundles of prey that are relatively harmless. Luckily for her sake, frogs do not pose a threat to her Kin. If anything, her Kin pose a threat to frogs as they are considered prey- albeit, an unpopular choice even amongst the starving.
This fear, rather phobia, of her's carries a long and difficult history for her. Many cats have fears, this she knows and understands very well. However, for Peonyfrost, it is not simply a fear. For if Peonyfrost were to come nose to nose with the oozey beast, she would be so frightened her consciousness would leave with her heart leaping out of her chest. At least, that's what has happened in the past...
Shortly after her Guardians ceremony, while sitting vigil outside the camp walls, she heard the creature's dreaded croak. Even though she was absolutely terrified, she knew she had to stay still for her vigil and not move a muscle. Resisting her instinct to flee as far as she possible could, she kept herself planted at her post. As still as stone. At least, for now, the noise isn't getting louder. It mustn't be getting any closer, she had once naively thought. She would regret the false sense of comfort she created as shortly after, the screeching frog noise pierced the night. A shiver had rippled down her spine, her fur lifting until she looked twice her size. As long as I don't see it, I should be fine, she attempted to reassure herself, but knew deep down it was futile. She was aware that as long as she stayed seated, the frog would soon find her and although it was horrid thought, she stayed still. As a newly appointed Guardian, it would be most shameful if she left her vigil out of fear for a measly frog. And so, she waited... and waited... and waited until she felt certain the frog wasn't nearby anymore.
Hours had passed and she was nearing the final moments of her vigil. Soon this nightmare would be over and she could sleep it away. As she thought about how she would curl into her nest and disappear for the day, she felt something slimy touch her paw. Like a droplet of water rippling along the surface of a lake, Peonyfrost's fur rose from the point she felt the cold impact. Before she could even truly react to what she felt, the world around her began to swirl and darken. Consciousness was slipping rapidly and there was nothing she could do to stop herself from collapsing onto the ground. As her body limply thudded onto the ground she could hear the voices of her Kin approaching. During a flurry of shocked exclamations and hurried pawsteps, she hardly felt her body rise and get taken back to camp. It wasn't until she was inside the Servus den when she regained full consciousness.
"Peonyfrost? You're awake! What happened, dear?" she recalled a gentle voice speak to her accompanied with the blurry face of her distressed mother. Looking back, Peonyfrost couldn't remember what she had responded, all she remembered was her mother insisting she lay back down and urging her to stay quiet.
A grouchy voice spoke next, "These younguns, they should know better than to starve themselves. They need all the energy they can have for their vigil," Starved themselves? Wait, what does he mean? .
Her mother hissed at the tom, "Oh quiet! Have you nothing better to say than criticism? Peonyfrost was just trying to be the best Guardian she could be, there's nothing wrong with that."
The best Guardian she could be? Surely they know it was a frog that made me faint? Unless. While lost in her thoughts she realized abruptly that they seemed to think she had fainted from a lack of food. Otherwise, her mother wouldn't be defending her so fervently. Peonyfrost sat herself, ignoring her mother's protests, "I am sorry to worry both of you. I just was so excited for my vigil, I completely forgot to eat. It won't ever happen again," she anxiously kneaded the ground. To them, it seemed she was embarrassed for making what seemed such a silly mistake, but the reality was that she felt ashamed for lying. They don't need to know the truth anyways, what would it matter? I will just let them believe I fainted from hunger. That's better than them knowing the truth.[i]
The memory of her most shameful moment as a Guardian still haunts her to this day. Sometimes she thinks about telling the truth, admitting that she did not faint that day due to hunger but rather to her phobia. Yet, she also knew that it would be meaningless at this point. It would be best for nonone to know. Yes, as long as she lived, no one would ever find out of her deathly fear of frog.
Word Count: 945
