[ruethefangirl]

Username: ruethefangirl
Storage: Sunclan
Last Patrol Post: Patrol 2
Patrol:
Oceanbreeze paused outside of the tunnel. Which way to the humanplace? Hm… she supposed Sunflower would know better than her.
Magmatuft seemed too distracted to notice Oceanbreeze’s confusion. “The trees are different here,” he noted. He’d spent his whole life in the jungle. This forest was less dense. Instead of primarily green, he saw a mix of yellows, reds and oranges.
“Oh, yeah! I guess it would be new for you,” Oceanbreeze meowed. “Leaf fall is starting here. All the leaves come down from the trees. Then it goes really cold and snow covers everything.”
“Snow?”
Oceanbreeze started walking. “Like rain but fluffy. It sticks to the ground. And it’s cold. My person brought some inside for me to play with.”
Magmatuft mulled over this as he continued to take in the new environment. The two cats startled a rabbit out of hiding, jolting Magmatuft to attention. He took off after it.
“Wait!” Oceanbreeze called.
Magmatuft grumbled in frustration as the rabbit disappeared into a tunnel too small for him to follow. They walked for a stretch before Magmatuft noticed anything weird. “… did we just go in a circle?”
“Um… I may have lost the trail we were following,” Oceanbreeze admitted. “Sunflower has been this way but I haven’t came here since I left my human nest.”
Magmatuft scented the air. “This way,” he meowed. He followed a path Sunflower must have taken semi-recently. Soon, they came upon where the forest ended, opening up to grass yards and human nests. They passed a post with a paper on it, a MISSING CAT flyer, but neither noticed. Magmatuft was eyeing the houses. “This is where you came from?” He meowed.
“Yes, inside the human nests.”
“And you didn’t hunt for your food?”
“No. The humans gave it to me. Here, look inside.” She jumped up onto a trash bin positioned under a window. Magmatuft jumped up beside her. Together, they peered in. Magmatuft didn’t know what to think of all the strange human things inside. It was nothing like the jungle. There was no plant life covering the ground. Not even grass. It just looked bare, solid, and very open. There did not look to be any water source from what he could see. A question came to him. "...where do you use the bathroom?"
"Um, the humans give me a bathroom box. When it's dirty they-"
A human monster unexpectedly roared to life nearby. Magmatuft scrambled to hide in the bushes.
“It’s okay! It won’t hurt you here!” Oceanbreeze tried to comfort him.
“What is that?!” He hissed.
“The humans use it. It can’t get you unless you’re on its path.”
He glared at it wearily.
“Let’s go.” Oceanbreeze led him away to the next house. She stood at the window with her front paws up on the glass. “There! The picture box!”
Magmatuft looked. The screen flashed between colorful images like he had never seen before.
Distracted as they were, neither noticed the human inside looking at them until a door slammed, startling them. They scattered. Magmatuft darted up a tree. Oceanbreeze hid behind the trash cans, knocking things over in the process.
The human made noises as it walked toward Oceanbreeze.
Magmatuft’s tail lashed as he watched. He did not want to go near that human, but he couldn’t just let it take her.
Oceanbreeze was cornered. She didn’t want to hurt the human, but she couldn't get out past it. Its hands reached for her.
Magmatuft shot down from the tree toward the human with a yowl.
The human jumped back. Oceanbreeze took off toward the tree line with Magmatuft on her heels.
In hindsight, going to the human place hadn’t been the best idea. It wasn’t the scariest situation Magmatuft had ever been in, though.
-
“Do not leave camp.” His mother meowed. Magmapaw continued to paw at a bug.
“Magmapaw. Did you hear me?”
“Okay,” Magmapaw meowed. He was busy! His mother walked away. That should have been suspicious enough. She didn’t complain that he was goofing off. He didn’t put it together, though.
Lavapaw waited until Magmapaw lost interest in the bug to drop down from her perch. Magmapaw yelped in surprise.
Lavapaw laughed. “How is a scaredy cat like you gonna run the clan?” She taunted.
“Shut up,” Magmapaw grumbled. They’d had this conversation before. He didn’t want to be leader.
“Wanna go on a walk?”
Magmapaw narrowed his eyes at her. “Why?”
“I bet Sparrowpaw I could catch more prey than you before sundown.”
“Don’t make bets with Sparrowpaw, then.”
“Maybe I wanted to spend time with my brother.”
“Fine. I’ll go alone.”
“Why isn’t Sparrowpaw going with you?” If she went alone and something bad happened, he’d hear all about it from their parents.
“He’s training. Come on. Aren’t you bored?”
Bored enough to spend time with Lavapaw, when she’d spent most of it insulting him? Not really. As Lavapaw began to walk away, his stomach grumbled. He sighed.
Lavapaw smirked. “A starling counts for three pieces of prey!” With that, she darted off. Naturally, Lavapaw was better at catching birds than he was.
Magmapaw zeroed in on a mouse, his hunches wiggling, then pounced. One down. He spotted another mouse ahead of him, just through the leaves. He crept forward. GRRRRR… Magmapaw swore he felt the earth rumble as orange and black striped fur appeared in his line of vision. Magmapaw froze. That was the moment it clicked. His mother’s earlier words hit him. This is why he was not supposed to leave. Lavapaw was nowhere to be seen. She probably hoped he wouldn’t return. The tiger looked right at him, golden eyes meeting his. It was gigantic. He held his breath. After an eternity, it turned its head and walked away. Prey forgotten, Magmapaw ran all the way back to camp.
“Magmapaw!” His mother shrieked. “There you are!”
Magmapaw’s ears lowered.
“Why don’t you listen?! I told you to stay here!”
“I…” Magmapaw glanced behind him as if expecting the tiger to have followed him. Or maybe he thought facing the tiger would have been better than this scolding.
Lavapaw slunk into view. “Yeah, Magmapaw. Why would you leave camp when she told she not to?”
He knew there was nothing he could say. “I’m sorry,” Magmapaw mumbled.
Word Count: 1,050

[ArithMedic]

Patrols for the week of November 1st are now closed.
To claim this XP, head over to Leveling and fill out the Patrol form! This experience will not be applied until you do so.

ruethefangirl: 105 exp

Posts for the week of November 8th are now open!

[Moonblaze-Angel]

Username: Moonblaze-Angel
Storage: MooseClan
Last Patrol Post: Mousepaw and Mintstar reunite
Patrol:

Mousepaw suddenly realizes that the cats around her have stopped meowing and looks back up at the cats. Mintstar is paused before them, looking at her. Mousepaw looks over her shoulder, expecting a badger to leap out at her.

“I was asking if you had any experience with queens kitting, Mousepaw. One of our cats, Maplefall, is expecting kits.” Mintstar sighs, looking like a cat older than he is for just a moment. “Leading a clan with no medicine cat has been rough, to start. I believe I have sent Minnowspark for herbs more times than I have claws. I wonder if Smokestar’s patience is wearing out yet.” He turns to continue plodding along, turning at a stream they come across.

Mousepaw droops her shoulders a bit. It was exactly what she had been thinking about! There was no way a clan could survive without a medicine cat, even if her old mentor was running it.

“I do! Smokestar and Owlpelt had kits a few moons ago, and Troutfur had her kits half a moon ago. If Smokestar approves it, I can-” Mousepaw is cut off by fluff in her mouth. Mintstar had stopped in front of her, by the look of the lilac fur in her face. She takes a step back. “Mintstar?”

“Smokestar has kits? With Owlpelt?” He looks back at her, ears pinned to his head. If Mousepaw has to guess, Mintstar is . . . shocked? Worried? Sad? No. Mintstar looks hurt. Like his best friend had just stolen the last mouse, or his apprentice had told him she wants to be a medicine cat instead.

She knows that look well. She sees it in her sleep all the time. The look of him not being good enough for her, of not training her right, of being a burden to the Clan. Which is entirely unfair, of course. She had always enjoyed their hunting together and the way he was absolutely silent in the dawn patrol. She had learned to read cats’ expressions and body language through him, being able to almost predict when her enemy (or sparring partner) would jump or swipe at her. Mintstar had been a perfectly fine mentor. It was her that was the problem.

She was great at hunting and decent at avoiding being hit, but she was horrified in her first scuffle. Mousepaw was more worried about the injured cats and avoiding being injured herself to fight. She had nearly been mousemeat before Mintstar had stepped in to fight the tom that came after her. After that, she had ventured into the medicine cat’s den and asked Fernflower about being her mentor. He had been surprised, of course, but she knew a warrior’s life wasn’t for her. She wants to help other cats, not harm them.

Mintstar had taken it poorly at first. He was adamant that he had failed in training her in some way. He even asked another mentor, Owlpelt, to help with her training. After about a quarter moon, he realized she was miserable. He had gone to Morningstar himself and asked for the change of mentors. Mintstar has had a rip in his ear ever since.

Right now, he looked as sad as when Mousepaw asked to be a medicine cat. It didn’t make sense to her. Why would he be sad about Smokestar having kits? He loved kits! He was always playing with them in the clearing and helping the apprentices with tasks as a warrior. When he had an apprentice of his own, Mintstar would sneak her out on hunting patrols with him. Maybe he’s sad about not having his own kits?

Realization dawns on Mousepaw just as Mintstar shakes his head and starts walking again. He likes Smokestar! It wasn’t just kits he wanted! Mousepaw stares, mouth agape.

“Come on, Mousepaw! We’ll get left behind!” Her brother nudges her shoulder, getting her moving again. “What’s wrong?” He whispers.

She whispers back, “I think Mintstar liked Smokestar! Why else would he be sad?” Leafpaw’s eyes widen in shock.

“Maybe he liked Owlpelt? Or just wants his own kits?” He tilts his head at her, one step behind.

“No, I know Mintstar hated Owlpelt. When he asked for her help training me I thought he was gonna throw up a hairball on her! Do you think he’s mad I told him?”

“No, Mintstar could never be mad at you. I’m just glad it wasn’t me!”

Alpine glances at the two of them behind her. She’s walking next to Mintstar in front of the two of them. Did she overhear? Mousepaw has no time to worry about it, because Mudpaw walks up next to her.

“Hi! My name is Mudpaw. I’m Mintstar’s apprentice. Are you an apprentice right now? Your name is Mousepaw, right? So you have to be an apprentice, and if Mintstar is asking about kitting, you have to be a medicine cat right? What’s it like? Are you able to see ghosts and talk to the dead and-”

“Mousepaw, Leafpaw, Alpine, welcome to MooseClan. Our camp is just through this rock tumble.” Mintstar leads the way, cutting off Mudpaw mid sentence. Mudpaw doesn’t seem to care and keeps talking as they squish through the camp entrance.

“I wouldn’t want to talk to StarClan! They scare me. Do they scare you?” Mousepaw stops listening as she steps into the clearing before her. There’s a large hollow, with a massive tree on the far side and rocks surrounding her. The stream cuts under another tree on the right, curving around the camp and protecting it on the far side. A single cat lays out in the sunlight next to the rocks.

Mousepaw remembers Mudpaw was asking her questions.

“Umm, I haven’t spoken to them yet. I’ve seen a few in dreams, but I really only know my herbs. I wish I could talk to them.” Her tail droops a bit. Mudpaw doesn’t seem to notice.

“Wow! That’s so cool! I wouldn’t want to talk to them, but I hope you do. Moose says I talk too much already anyways. He’s our clan elder! I bet you could meet him if you want. He helped raise me with Mintstar. He’s also pretty chatty, too, though, so I think I get it from him! Mintstar is always soooooo quiet.” He rolls his eyes at her, making her smile. Mintstar turns to look at the apprentices.

“While I speak with Alpine, do you mind showing these two around the camp, Mudpaw? I did promise them a mouse.” Mudpaw bounces on his paws.

“Of course! Let’s start over here, in the nursery!”

After the tour of the camp, including meeting Moose (who had talked their ear off about Mintstar as a young loner) and Maplefall (the pregnant queen who was sunning herself), Mousepaw has three takeaways. One: the camp is extremely well made, with a stream on two sides, the rock pile on one, and brambles on the last. Two: the medicine cat den here is placed nearly perfectly, under the edge of where the big tree and the rock tumble meet. There’s a small crack in the rocks with a tiny stream in it and plenty of storage alcoves. Mintstar had even thought to put a nest under the tree roots, so she - or whoever the medicine cat is - could look up at the stars in greenleaf and see StarClan. And third: the clan is tiny.

So far, Mousepaw has counted six cats. Seven, including Alpine. The territory is so large that they must be walking their paws off just to patrol. In fact, Minnowspark and Mossytail came back with fresh kill, and then left almost immediately again to patrol. So few cats had to make life much harder here. If Mousepaw could help at all, she would!

A thought crosses her mind. What if . . . what if I did help?

---

“Come on, Sprite! You’re such a scaredy cat.” Ginger hops up onto the fence, excited to see the world for herself. Ever since that flood a few weeks ago, their owner had kept them in the house. He watched them like a hawk when they came outside to the backyard and had only let them start roaming again this morning. So far, Ginger has seen exactly nothing.
Her housemate, Sprite, is a fretful thing. He had almost been swept up in the flood three weeks ago and now worried about heading outside. Before then, he was just as confident as her. Well, not quite as confident, but close. The two of them would go roaming in the meadow nearby and try to catch rabbits. Neither of them had ever caught one, but they knew it was possible. There was a cat down the lane that had caught a bird once and let them try it. Once you got through all the feathers, it was pretty tasty!

Ginger has always had a taste for adventure. When she was younger, a real kitten, she had escaped her mother’s watchful eye and scampered out of their den near the docks. She went right up to the edge of the water, took a few licks, and was heading back when some humans found her. They were trying to be nice when they took her, she was certain, but she had never seen her mother or littermates since. To be fair, she hadn’t seen the docks since either. Her new family lived closer to the mountains than the water, but sometimes on the roof she could catch a glimpse of the lake. It always seemed so far away, much further down the mountain than where she is now.

Sprite slowly groans and takes a big stretch.

“Do we have to? We could stay in our perfectly safe and not damp at all house instead?” He sniffs the brisk morning air, scenting what the night rain had brought in.

“We could. Or we could go exploring again!” Without waiting for him, Ginger leaps down on the opposite side of the fence. She starts the familiar path towards the meadow nearby, pausing only briefly to confirm Sprite is following her. He may talk a big game, but he would never let her adventure alone. She’s too accident prone, as he would say.

Without fail, on every adventure, something fun or exciting happens to Ginger and Sprite. One time, they had nearly been caught by the pound, some nasty humans who capture strays and take them who-knows-where. Another time, the two of them had run across a wild dog roaming nearby and had to give it a few good licks before it ran off. This last time, it had been the flood. They were traveling along the river as usual when the flood surge had broken the dam further up. It had swept both of them off their feet, but Ginger managed to cling to a log. When it got jammed under a bridge, she had taken the opportunity to fish Sprite out of the water. Both of them went home absolutely soaking wet.

Their human had been worried sick, calling for them and shouting and waving treats. He promptly scooped them both up, took them inside, and locked all the doors and windows to get out. They can’t waste this chance!

Ginger flicks her tail at Sprite to acknowledge him, then continues on. She stops for a brief chat with a neighboring cat - who claims she saw a cat traveling with a squirrel - and to sniff a new human contraption down by the sorrel bushes. The rest of the journey goes by uneventfully as they push their way into the tall grass of the meadow.

“All right, we’re here. What do you want to do?” Sprite looks around, smelling the grass. “Do we want to try to hunt again? Maybe this time you can chase the prey towards me and I’ll grab it with my paws?” He looks at her for her opinion. Ginger is mildly distracted by a bee buzzing by.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah! I can definitely scare it towards you, I’m nice and scary.” She crouches down, shaking her haunches and puffing her tail. To Sprite, she just looks like a kit pouncing for a leaf.

Together, they head to the far edge of the meadow, closest to the trees, to listen for prey. Sprite spots one first and indicates the vole with a flick of his ear. Ginger nods at him and disappears around a tree, trying to find a good angle to spook the prey. Sprite loses sight of her, but keeps an eye on the vole. He ignores the sound of the grass rustling behind him, attributing it to the light breeze.

A red and white tail pops up out of the undergrowth in front of him, and Ginger leaps towards the vole with a cry. “Ahhhhh!” She screams.

Sprite jumps as the vole darts towards him. He lunges forward, missing it by a hair. It weaves past him, towards the grass, and he pursues. He’s not letting it get away this time! Sprite puts on a final burst of speed and snags the tail of it with a claw, throwing it up into the air. It lands down, dazed, and he bites the vole to kill it. A flash of red and white out of the corner of his eye announces Ginger’s arrival.

“I caught one! I actually caught one!” He lifts it up in his mouth by the tail, triumphant. He turns to show Ginger the catch.

Facing him is a red and white fox, not a cat. The fox has its jaws open in a snarl, eyes fixed on the vole. Sprite freezes, not sure what to do. He drops the vole.

Just as the fox lunges for him, Ginger leaps in front and claws its muzzle. Suddenly, the three of them are fighting. A small stray dog is one thing, but a whole grown fox? The two of them are hardly avoiding being mauled. Sprite looks around, trying to find anything to help them, when two cats appear out of the trees. One is a young tortoiseshell, while the other is a fluffy grey and white cat.

The tortie jumps on the fox’s back, digging his claws in and biting the fox’s ears. While the fox is distracted, the grey cat lunges forward and chomps his jaws down hard on the fox’s leg. Sprite and Ginger hear a crunch and the fox yelps, throwing the two cats off of it. The fox lets out one last growl before running into the grass.

Sprite’s first thought is to check on Ginger. She had thrown herself in front of him so the fox would attack her instead!

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” remembering the two cats who had helped fight off the fox, he follows up. “Is anyone hurt? I have a little scratch, but that was an intense fight. Are you okay?” He turns around in circles, checking for injuries. Ginger has a nasty scratch down her side, while the tortie has a torn claw. Sprite looks towards the fourth cat and gasps in horror.

“Your leg! Your leg is broken! Oh it is so broken oh my treats that is so broken-” He rushes forward to sniff the injury.

“My leg is fine, it healed wrong a few years ago. That torn ear, however, needs to be tended to.” The strange cat flicks his tail at the younger one, who immediately falls in step behind him. “My name is Mintstar, this is Mudpaw. We have a camp nearby with medicinal supplies and a cat who can help heal those wounds, if you want to come with us.” He looks at Ginger. “I highly recommend it, that cut needs fixed up.”

Ginger, unsteady on her feet, looks to Sprite. She will follow his choice.

Sprite, looking at Ginger, sees the amount of blood and knows they should probably get tended to before they head home. Their humans can take them both to the vet again, but that means they’ll be locked in for ages.

“Oh, uh, yeah! Yeah. We need fixed up. I like to be fixed. Well, not injured. I don’t want to be fixed but-”

“Sprite. You’re rambling. Is he rambling? I think I’m rambling.” Ginger takes a woozy step towards him. “Can I stand? Am I standing? Maybe I should not be standing.” She starts to lean to the left, and Sprite rushes up to hold her weight. He looks back to Mintstar.

“Please take us to your camp.”

Mintstar nods his head and turns to Mudpaw. “Can you be on her other side? To help take some weight?” The young tortie solemnly nods and scurries onto her other side. Together, the two of them help hold Ginger up the entire way to the mysterious camp. By the time they get there, Ginger’s side is covered in sticky red and Sprite’s ear is throbbing. Mintstar goes under a large tree next to the stream and brings out a beautiful young tabby. She comes right up to the three of them.

“Let me see her. Mudpaw, help this tom put spider web on his ear. Actually, help him put it on your paw, too.” She completely ignores him, going straight to Ginger. Mudpaw helps to wrap his ear in spider web, which helps to slow the bleeding. By the time Sprite manages to figure out how to wrap Mudpaw’s, well, paw, the tabby is finished with Ginger.

“She needs to rest here for the night, Mintstar. I don’t want her moving around with that cut, and I can check for infection in the morning.” The tabby looks around the clearing, spotting a few more cats. “Minnowspark! Mallowcloud! Help me move, uh -” the tabby looks at him, waiting for a name.

“Ginger. I’m Sprite, we have the same housefolk.” Sprite responds, giving more info than he meant to.

“Ginger. Help me move Ginger into my den, please.” The two cats - another orange cat, like Ginger, and a snub nosed cat - help Ginger walk over to the large tree. The tabby approaches him.

“My name is Mousewhisker. I’m the medicine cat, and you must be a kittypet.”


Word Count: 3042

[ruethefangirl]

Username: ruethefangirl
Storage: Sunclan
Last Patrol Post: Patrol 3
Patrol:
The mouse stood on its back paws, nose twitching in the air.
Oceanbreeze crept forward. She was downwind. Surely it would not smell her.
Tink, tink.
The mouse’s ears twitched before it ran off. Dung! That was the third escaped prey today.
Ginger padded over with her own kill. She dropped it on the ground. “You should stick with the fishing,” She meowed. “Or take off your necklace.”
Oceanbreeze frowned. Take off her collar? Ginger was right, though. The sound was giving her away.
“Why do you wear it?” Ginger asked.
“I like it. It’s pretty.”
Ginger couldn’t argue with that logic. “Let’s go back.”
-
“There is a game we play at the junkyard,” Ginger meowed.
“Yeah? What is it?”
“You say three things about yourself but one of them is false. The other cat has to guess the lie.”
“I see! That sounds like fun. I did not really have many games when I was living with humans. I mean, I did have hide and seek sometimes. Or chase the laser. Sometimes there were new toys. The boxes were really nice. I liked going inside them and then jumping out.”
Ginger purred. “I liked boxes, too.” Sunflower’s rambling was cute. “I will go first,” She meowed. “I have a brother named Root. I tried to eat a slug. I have never dated another cat.”
“The lie is you’ve never dated anyone?”
“Nope.” There was a cat at the junkyard who liked her, but she’d never gone out with him.
“Hm… you don’t have a brother?”
Ginger shook her head.
“Rats! So you really tried to eat a slug?”
Ginger giggled. “Yeah. It was a dare.”
“I think the weirdest thing I tried was a human liquid. It was bubbly. I thought it was water! But it tasted so funny. Like it was spicy!”
They both laughed.
“My turn! I had siblings. I am great at fishing. Oceanbreeze taught me how to do it and I picked it up quickily. Or, I never left the humanplace on my own before Sunclan.”
“You are not great at fishing.”
“How did you know?”
Ginger’s whiskers twitched. “I can’t tell you. I am the queen at this game.”
Sunflower laughed. “What?”
“A queen has to keep her secrets.” Like the fact that Sunflower’s tail had flicked when she lied.
-
Ginger could not take her knotted feelings anymore. It was time to talk to Sunflower. She had to get closure at the very least.
“I need to talk to you privately,” Ginger meowed.
“Okay.” Sunflower led Ginger to her den. “What is it?”
“I really like you,” Ginger meowed. “I mean, I like it here. I do.”
I really like YOU. Was Ginger admitting to liking her as more than a friend? Did she do something wrong? Sunflower waited, biting her tongue. She tended to talk way too much. She needed to listen.
“I keep thinking about the way I left the junkyard. I should have told my family I was going.”
“Oh… I see.” Sunflower had been surprised at how quickly Ginger decided to come with her, but she just assumed Ginger was ready to leave the past behind. Come to think of it, Ginger had not talked about her family much at all.
“I need to go back.”
“To… say goodbye? Or… forever?”
“I don’t know,” Ginger answered honestly. She did not mind her new clanmates. She liked Sunclan but she did miss the junkyard life.
Sunflower spoke through her own feelings of sadness and maybe a little hurt. Had she done something wrong as leader? “When do you want to leave?”
“Tomorrow morning. Will you walk me there?”
Sunflower nodded. She would not want Ginger to get lost.
Ginger paused near the exit as she was leaving. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she changed her mind. “Goodnight.”
…
It was a calm morning. Sunflower found herself at a loss for words on the walk. Their clanmates had bid Ginger farewell. Magmatuft and Ginger had bickered like they seemed prone to. It hurt her to think they wouldn’t do that again. Oceanbreeze had been sad. MouseSqueak was quiet like always, but Sunflower suspected she was thrown off by Ginger’s abrupt departure. Or maybe Sunflower was just projecting.
Sunflower left her at the junkyard border where they’d met. “You’re always welcome back to Sunclan,” She meowed. “I... we will miss you at camp.”
“Thank you, Sunflower.” Again, it looked like there was more she wanted to say, but she wasn’t ready yet. She could not talk about her feelings for Sunflower when she was not sure if she would go back. It would not be right. “Goodbye.” She padded forward.
…
“Who goes there? Why are you on our- GINGER!!”
“Ginger?!”
“She’s alive! She’s home!”
“Ginger’s here!!”
Ginger purred as junkyard cats flanked her. They licked her cheeks, patted her head and inspected her for injuries.
“Glad to see you back, dear.”
“What happened to ya?”
“Where were you?”
Ginger was always truthful and forward with her words. She knew she could not lie to them. They had to forgive her, right? They adored her. “Well… I… the truth is, I got swept away. By this beautiful she-cat. I couldn’t say no.”
“Ohhhhh!”
“Aye, Ginger got herself a cutie?”
“You left us thinking you were dead for some random cat?! Why didn’t you say something?”
“At least she’s back now.”
“When do we get to meet this cat?”
“We aren’t official,” Ginger admitted.
“Aw, why not?”
“I really like her. But I kept thinking about coming back here…” Ginger trailed off.
“Couldn’t stay away from home? Missed us, did ya?”
Ginger smiled.
“Why not bring her here?”
“Her name is Sunflower, and she has her own home. She built this colony of cats. She’s just…” Ginger trailed off again. “She’s amazing.”
“Awwww.”
“Our little Ginger with a crush!”
Ginger looked around. “Where’s Veno?”
“Veno left. Got bored, I reckon.”
“Never thought he would stay long, anyway,” another cat chimed in.
Dang. Ginger really should have said goodbye. She had never reciprocated the feelings Veno had for her, but she had enjoyed his company. “Oh,” She murmured. Someone else was missing from the group. “And Root?”
“Oh, Ginger. Root has his own sweetheart, too! You’re gonna love them!”
“Them?”
“Faye showed up after you left. Root was mooning over her instantly.”
“Yep, yep. No surprise she ended up kitting so soon after.”
“Adorable little kits. Faye’s a sweetheart, too.”
Mamacat had tried to have another litter after her and Root, but they were stolen by humans. The second time, Mamacat’s babies had died only a few days old. Secretly, Ginger had been happy to remain the youngest cat at the junkyard. She had enjoyed being the center of attention. Now… she was not sure what this meant for her, but she felt tiny prickles of jealousy eating at her. It is fine, she told herself. You just got back, and everything will be normal again. “That’s great!” She said with false cheer. “Let’s go see them.”
“About that… we gave Faye your old bed. We didn’t know…”
“It’s fine.” It was not fine. Ginger took a breath.
“It’s okay, dear. We will fix you up with something else nice again.”
Ginger nodded. She followed them over to where Faye was laying with her kittens.
Root’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ginger?!”
“Your favorite sister.”
“Oh, you’re Ginger! They talk so much about you,” Faye meowed. “And your little squirrel. I almost didn’t believe it. A cat carrying around prey. They did say you were a character.” She chuckled.
“That’s me…” Ginger meowed. Her fur prickled slightly at the way she described Lulu. “And Lulu.” The squirrel clinging to Ginger’s back looked over at Faye.
“It even has a name? How lovely! Well, I’m Faye, Root’s mate. These are our kittens. Root thought of the name Ginny for our girl, after you. I thought it was sweet. He is so thoughtful. Then we have Tiger and Thunder.”
“Cute,” Ginger murmured.
“Do you need anything, Faye?” One of the other cats asked.
“Oh, I would not want to be a bother, but I haven’t had lunch yet,” Faye meowed.
“I haven’t had lunch either…” Ginger meowed.
“You know where it is now, Ginger. Same place as always. You are grown.”
Veno would have brought it to her. In fact, any of the other cats would have before she left. Before Faye showed up.
“Yeah, lunch is crawling around in her fur,” Faye joked.
Ginger bristled.
Before she could speak, Faye started talking again. “Actually, I could stretch my paws. Will you watch the littles, Ginger?”
“Um…” Ginger looked down at the kids. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do with them.
“Great!” Faye trotted off.
“…sure…” Ginger meowed. Thankfully, they were not walking. Just squirming around mewing at each other.
Root was staring off after Faye. “Isn’t she great?”
Ginger made a noncommittal sound.
“I just care about her so much. She’s the best thing in my life. And these kits…” Root went on.
They were cute, sure… Ginger personally wasn’t sure she wanted kits. What did Sunflower think about kits?
“I’m so lucky, Ginger. It’s like I’m in a dream.”
Ginger swallowed her discomfort with the comments Faye made and the way she felt like everything was slowly shifting out of her favor. Her brother was happy. She should be happy for him. He hadn’t asked about where she’d gone or how she was doing, but he was distracted. And it was not as if he had forgotten about her completely. He had named his daughter after her. “That’s wonderful,” She meowed. “Where did she come from?”
Root happily told her about how they met and their love story. Ginger listened, thinking about Sunflower in the back of her mind. At some point, Faye came back and jumped into the conversation. Ginger excused herself to go find something to eat. After that, she wandered around. The junkyard was the same as it had been. She was different, though. As night fell, the cats gathered together to get ready for bed. Ginger found a different nest that wasn’t as nice as her old one, but it was enough. She thought maybe they would spend the night chatting but… besides a little murmuring, it was quiet. “Cat got your tongue?” Ginger teased Jack. “What are you thinking about?”
“Faye says the talking keeps her up. Wouldn’t want to do that. The kits need her to be sharp,” he replied.
Oh.
Ginger had a rough time falling asleep that night.
…
Morning came. The cats were a lot more chatty as they ate breakfast together. Ginger got them to play a game of Truth or Dare, until Faye got too worried about Root getting hurt and convinced him to quit. The game ended not too long afterward. It was fun, but for some reason she could not shake off thoughts of what her old clanmates were doing in Sunclan. At the end of the week, she said goodbye for real. The junkyard just was not her home anymore.
…
It was happening. The moment they had planned for. Someone was coming through the tunnel. Magmatuft’s body tensed, ready to spring.
“Hello?!” Ginger called.
Magmatuft jumped out of the shadows, landing in front of the unsuspecting she-cat.
Ginger yelped in surprise. Lulu let out a squeak. Magnatuft laughed.
“Ugh, you rascal!”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t miss me,” Magmatuft meowed.
“Ginger!” Oceanbreeze ran over. MouseSqueak poked her head out of the den. Ginger almost laughed at the way the scene matched the first time she met MouseSqueak.
“Okay… I did miss you guys,” Ginger admitted.
Sunflower walked around the corner. “What- oh. Hi.” She felt the tension drain out of her. She knew Ginger was originally from the junkyard, but she could not stop thinking about if she was okay. If she was happy.
“Hey.”
Magmatuft and Oceanbreeze shared a look.
“Let’s go share tongues! You can tell us what happened,” Oceanbreeze suggested.
They found a place in the sun to sit. Ginger told them everything. She had been too guilty to tell them much about her old life before, but now it was a relief to share it with them.
-
“The game is simple. You ask someone, ‘truth or dare?’ If they chose truth, they have to answer a question honestly. If they chose dare, you must challenge them to do a task. Got it?” Ginger surveyed her clanmates to make sure they understood. She saw nods and heard sounds of agreement.
“Like, any task?” Oceanbreeze clarified.
“Yep. Anything.”
“Yay! That sounds fun,” said Oceanbreeze.
“Oceanbreeze, truth or dare?”
“Ohhh… hm… dare?”
“I dare you to… lick Magmatuft’s foot!”
MouseSqueak made a face.
“Oh my stars. Okay.” Oceanbreeze had not expected that.
Magmatuft grunted. “Why me?”
“That’s for scaring me earlier,” Ginger meowed.
Magmatuft rolled his eyes. Oceanbreeze went through with the dare, getting it over with.
“Ginger? Truth or dare?”
Ginger told the truth all the time. “Dare,” She meowed.
“I dare you to jump in the pool,” Oceanbreeze meowed.
“Too easy,” Magmatuft protested. “Make her eat fish.”
“Oh, she hates that…” MouseSqueak added.
“No changing the dares,” Ginger retorted. She heaved a dramatic sigh before splashing around in the water, effectively soaking her pelt. When she got out, she made sure to shake out her fur near Magmatuft.
“Rude,” He grumbled.
“Who goes next?” Sunflower asked.
“You can go. Truth or dare?”
Sunflower thought about it. “I chose truth.”
Ginger wanted to ask, ‘do you have feelings for me?’ but that conversation was better had in private. Instead she asked, “Who is your favorite clanmate?”
“Oooh…” Oceanbreeze said.
“You can’t ask that,” Magmatuft responded.
“Why, are you afraid it’s not you?” Ginger argued.
“I think you’re all important for different reasons,” Sunflower meowed. “Like, Oceanbreeze teaches us how to fish and she’s really fun. MouseSqueak is organized and always pays attention to what is going on. Magmatuft has experience living in the jungle. He protects us, and he goes with the flow. Ginger… you know how to tell it like it is and make sure everyone is filling their role.”
“But if you had to pick a favorite…”
Oceanbreeze jumped back in. “Magmatuft? Truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
“I dare you to… hm. What’s a good one? To eat that red fruit!”
“What red fruit?” Sunflower questioned.
MouseSqueak’s eyes widened at this. “I-I don’t know… I’m not sure what that is. Wait-“
“He’ll be fine,” Ginger protested.
It was too late. Magmatuft had already swallowed the fruit that Oceanbreeze had pointed out. “What? Sorry…”
Ginger continued, “it’s just fruit- oh!”
Magmatuft had collapsed.
“No, get up. Stop with the pranks!” Ginger demanded, concern etched on her features but trying to play it calm.
“Magmatuft! Oh no! I killed him!” Oceanbreeze prodded him with her paw.
MouseSqueak paced, freaked out.
Sunflower ran over to check if he was still breathing. “Does anyone know what that fruit was?!” No one answered. “MouseSqueak?”
“Um… I don’t know. I have- I have ideas,” She replied.
“Okay. It looks like he’s breathing. He’s just unconscious. Maybe he’ll wake up,” Sunflower meowed. “Ginger, Oceanbreeze. Let’s move him into the den. MouseSqueak, you work on figuring out what it is if you can.”
...
Sunflower sat at the top of the cliff looking up at the stars. In one day, they had gotten Ginger back but their other clanmate was hurt. It seemed like Magmatuft was in an unconscious state, like a coma. She had no idea what to do. She had no knowledge of herbs. She felt like it was her responsibility to watch over her clanmates and somehow she had failed.
Ginger padded over to her. “Hello,” She whispered.
"Hi," Sunflower replied.
"I did not mean for the game to turn out like that."
"It wasn't your fault. I don't blame Oceanbreeze, either. I just wish I knew what to do."
"Did MouseSqueak find out anything?"
"She thinks it may be something poisonous, but she is not sure what the fruit is specifically. I told her to go to bed and we would figure it out in the morning. It seems like he's stable."
Ginger nodded. That made sense.
Sunflower looked at her. "How are you doing?" From what she had shared, she had been fond of the junkyard. Finding out she did not fit in anymore had to be rough.
Ginger sighed. "You know... I thought it would be more heartbreaking. It turns out I like it here. A lot."
"That's a relief to hear," Sunflower meowed, laughing a little.
"I did not want to hurt you. I did not leave because you did anything wrong. It was me. I had some things to figure out," Ginger meowed. She met Sunflower's gaze. "I have feelings for you. I came to Sunclan because I was drawn to you. I wanted to get to know you. I still want to learn more about you."
Oh. "Oh," Sunflower meowed, intelligently. She felt a little stunned. Ginger had implied that before, but it was different hearing it put like this. "I.. I like you, too," she confessed. "Do you want to be in a relationship?"
Ginger purred. "Yes."
-
As a young cat, Lavahiss's dreams of being on top of the world were only magnified by her mother proclaiming that her brother, Magma[tuft], was to be leader. She listened to the adults talk. She paid attention. She saw things her goofy brother did not pay attention to. So how was it fair that he was going to be leader just because he was a boy? Her competitive nature led to her challenging the other kits around her to games and competitions. She saw it as a means to prove herself, showing them her creativity and wit. While her mother fretted over Magma[tuft]'s every move, Lavahiss tried her best to be the "unproblematic" child. That meant doing whatever her parents asked and needling her brother in secret, hoping that she could push him to leave or even lash out in a way that would show he was not stable enough to be leader. Lavahiss became skilled at sneaking around and fading into the background so that she could gather information to use to her advantage. Lavahiss loves having a leg up on her clanmates.
Word Count: 3,056

[KelpieMomma]

Username: KelpieMomma
Storage: storage
Last Patrol Post: Patrol 3
Patrol:
Skeeter hated what had happened to the cats he'd started calling his family. Spice had started spending less time with them, Mousedapple staying near but only to antagonize when she got the opportunity, Koi made attempts to keep the peace but it was clear that she also enjoyed the drama of what was going on and so her attempts were half-hearted at best, useless at worst. Glass and Paol said nothing, though Paol still made attempts to flirt when he wasn't flinching in terror at the sound of a branch breaking- which Skeeter definitely didn't understand. The cat who had caused it all - not just the strife, but from what he'd gathered from Jagged, complete destruction of other cats' homes - was covered in scars, missing an eye, and had a crooked jaw that revealed her bottom teeth. Perhaps she'd been pretty, back in her youth, but now she was a mess. Her voice was rough, scars covered what seemed like every bit of her body, her ears were torn and ragged- and yet Paol all but hung off her tail when she spoke.

He watched, Slip laying across his head, as Jagged spotted Talonstrike and turned away. Talonstrike, despite being blind in one eye, didn't fail to notice the dismissal. She watched Jagged leave the same way she'd come, and Skeeter sighed as Koi and Paol started whispering. He missed the camaraderie from before her arrival.

--

The day of Talonstrike's descent into their group began as any other. Jagged was up first, opening her eyes to the dappled sunlight on the ground of the grotto they'd decided to stay in for the next few days. The sound of water gently flowing greeted her ears, and Skeeter was pressed to her side as he usually was. The rest of their small group - a clan, her mind said, but it was a title she tried desperately to ignore - was sleeping in singles or pairs around the grotto as well. There was a heavy weight in Jagged's stomach from the start, one that she'd learned not to ignore. The Beyond was trying to tell her something and she knew that whether she listened or not, something was going to happen. Perhaps if she'd found a place to communicate with them she'd have had earlier warning, but it was another feeling she'd been fighting. Another part of the path she knew she was on that she was desperately trying to ignore. Mousedapple truly had the right idea- what use was a clan when it could be so easily destroyed? It was bitterness talking, because she did miss her clan. She missed them so much it hurt. But she feared that pain again.

She got up without disturbing Skeeter. The young tom liked to sprawl out, taking up three times the space he rightly should. It was why none of the others would sleep with him. There was a scent of chill to the air and Jagged realized she had been here over a year- snow would soon begin to fall, and if they were all together still she would have to figure out somewhere that was more enclosed, safer, that they could stay. Somewhere that would keep them all warm. She did have a couple ideas already, as it was hard to linger in the same territory for so long and not know, but she still hesitated. Would they want to stay? Skeeter slept on as Jagged stretched out and looked around. Koi was beginning to wake, and Glass was once again sleeping with his eyes open. She would leave first and see if she could find some prey. They had something like a fresh prey pile, but she still wanted something truly fresh.

Maybe, if she had been paying more attention to what was driving her instead of being lost in her thoughts, she'd have fought what was coming. She'd have gone a different way, or she simply wouldn't have left that day. Maybe she'd have successfully kept herself safe from her memories for just a little while longer. But she was thinking about the cats whose company she had come to enjoy, the prey they would need to survive over the winter, who was most and least likely to lose weight and need extra care- so caught up in thinking about how to take care of them, that thinking about where she was going never crossed her mind. Not until a shadow crossed her path, a shadow twice the size of herself, and she finally stopped and looked up. Standing before her was a cat she had thought, hoped, to never see again.

Before she could control herself, Jagged's ears were pinned and her teeth were bared. The feeling in her stomach that had guided her here was quiet, the usual feeling of I need this cat having taken its place, but she wasn't listening. Before her was the cat that had helped destroy her home, her clan, her family. She was not prepared to forgive. Without a word, Jagged leapt forward with her claws unsheathed.

---

Talonstrike wasn't surprised about the attack. It was something they had come to expect anymore, not just because of who they were and what they had done, but because there were far more cats scared and wanting to protect themselves than they'd ever thought possible. There were so many cats whose instinct was "I will get you before you get me" that it made her... sad. When she saw the spotted cat, at first she thought it was a ghost. Every now and then they thought they saw one, out of the corner of her eye mostly. A shadow here, a trick of the light there- enough that they knew it wasn't just a prank of the dapples, but the Beyond guiding them. They followed, faithfully, because if the Beyond were involved then it meant something. It meant she could be something again. But they hadn't expected to be led to a cat that they recognized, a cat they thought had perished in the war, and a cat that upon seeing them immediately went for the throat.

It was a good thing that between them Talonstrike was the warrior, the fighter. She stepped to the side, the other cat landing hard and immediately spinning wildly, claws unsheathed. Talonstrike easily took a step back, pulling their head away from the slashing claws, and watched as the spotted cat stumbled. She shrieked in anger and lunged again. Talonstrike didn't speak- she knew that there would be no conversation yet. The anger that was built up in the stranger's eyes was enough to tell them that. They would need to calm her down, in some sort of way, before they could move beyond a battle. As the stranger kept advancing, Talonstrike simply kept dodging. There was no need for them to both come to blows- the spotted cat before her was already losing stamina, another sign that she wasn't a fighter, and beginning to pant. Another lunge ended with her opponent mis-stepping, and Talonstrike took the chance.

She surged forward, knocking into the other cat with her broad shoulder. It sent the stranger stumbling backwards, and the larger cat spun, using her tail to trip the stranger up. Once she'd fallen onto her side, Talonstrike lunged forward and put her claws at the cat's throat and belly, a threat she would follow through with if she had to. The cat was spitting mad below her- literally. She was hissing and spitting, words barely making any sense. It was just a string of hateful words. When she finally ran out of breath, Talonstrike spoke.

"I take it you recognize me, then." She said, her words simple.

"I recognize you, traitor. I never thought you would simply waltz right into my paws like this, though. Release me and lay yourself down- you destroyed my home, my clan, and you should submit yourself for punishment." The cat snarled. If it had been a year ago, Talonstrike may have. They had been in such despair at the loss of their possible-lover, their clanmates and friends, the trust they'd had in their leader, that they would have laid themselves down and accepted their fate to become part of the Beyond. They'd spent time traveling, now, had met others, and knew better. They knew, as well, that their verbal sparring partner would have been more enraged that they'd given up then if they'd been killed in battle.

"Punishment?" Talonstrike repeated. "I have faced my own punishment. I've watched my best friend, my beloved, lose their life before me, taken from them by the cat I thought I could trust most. I took a life in return, but before I could finish the job I was caught, taken back to my clan, and exiled. I was stuck watching cats battle for a losing war that I helped start but couldn't finish. I have lost my family as well, everything taken from you was taken from me, and I helped it. Knowing that has been punishment. Taking my life? That is not punishment, is it? It's just a desire, something you think will make you feel whole, feel fulfilled. You have no idea how to truly deal with your pain, do you?"

The cat below her claws shrieked in anger. It was answer enough. Talonstrike lifted their head as a flurry of paws came thundering through the trees, a little white cat with a twisted paw managing to break through first, followed swiftly by a dappled tortoiseshell, a cinnamon colored she-cat, and then several more. They paused, taking in the pair before them. Talonstrike flicked an ear.

"Let Jagged go!" The little tom spoke first, his words trembling slightly but brave. Talonstrike's whiskers twitched in amusement. He was clearly frightened, but trying not to be.

"I would love to. Truly, I would, but I would also prefer not to have any more of my fur torn free from my pelt. If you can convince... Jagged, was it?" They turned their gaze down to the single-named cat below them. They could see the humiliation mix in with fury. Jagged had given up her clan name, and yet she still wanted to take revenge on Talonstrike, who kept it, embraced it, and would grow with it. "If you can convince this Jagged to leave me unharmed, then I will let her go."

"Jagged..." The little white tom whimpered slightly. The cat below her was still tense, clearly wishing to strike out, but didn't dare. Not yet.

"Well, Jagged? Shall I release you? We can have a conversation with our tongues instead of our teeth." Talonstrike snapped her jaws shut. Jagged flinched, looking to the cats watching them, and then sighed.

"I'll leave your head attached... for now." She hissed. It was good enough. The larger cat removed her claws, stepping clear of the younger quickly. It was a good idea, as even as she pushed herself up Jagged was striking out. She retreated to her side, to her cats, and stared balefully at the destroyer of her old home.

"Who are you? Why did Jagged...?" One of the other cats spoke up, and Talonstrike sat down. They lifted a paw, cleaning some fur out from their teeth and letting silence sit for a moment.

"I am Talonstrike. A former warrior, now in exile. I am the reason Jagged is here. It was by my paws that her former home was destroyed, and it was by her paws that she wished to take my life in vengeance for it. But that is not what the Beyond want, is it, Jagged?"

The cats split their gazes between the two, and Jagged didn't look away from Talonstrike. They met her gaze just as strongly, lifting their chin. Her fur was standing straight on end, and for a moment Talonstrike thought she might attack again.

Instead, Jagged turned around and stalked away through the bush.

"I'll take that as an invitation to follow."
Word Count: 2000

[ivyy.]

Username: ivyy.
Storage: the abandoned order
Last Patrol Post: meeting esper [patrol #2]
Patrol: Panting as the pair of she-cats caught their breath, Beetle's ears twitched nervously at the sound of quick paw steps, dry grass and leaves crunching against seemingly rough pads of nearby cats. Several unfamiliar faces, broke through the valley grass, all looking beat up and some even burnt. Was there a fire nearby? Recalling the sharp scent of smoke that rushed her when Esper had guided her away from the humans, she realized that there must have been. In her tired state she hadn't seen the plumes rising over the not-so-distant city where the slightly chaotic bustle of humans grew to be an all-out war zone, according to what Esper had informed her on the way here.

Esper rose from where she had laid, recovering from their long run over to the meeting spot, "This..." She murmured, shaking out her fur and stepping in front of the group of strangers, "...is my crew. Everyone! Meet Beetle, she'll be running with us from now on as we rebuild." Standing up as well, Beetle felt bashful under the curious and untrusting gazes of the surrounding cats. They smelled of singed fur and flowers, most likely from having to run through the open valley. Out of the uncertain crowd, a blue she-cat with a medal around her neck stepped forward. The dusty medal caught the moon's gaze for a moment, shining into Beetle's eyes and momentarily blinding her.

The she-cat took a few tentative steps forward and smiled softly, "Hello." She whispered, "I'm called Crystal." Her intensely sympathetic and understanding eyes searched Beetle. Noticing Beetle's discomfort, she took a few paw steps back and turned to look at the others over her shoulder, "She seems to have been a house cat, like me." Beetle found comfort in the fact the Crystal may have suffered the same as herself. "I-it's nice to meet you all." Beetle choked out, still uncomfortable under their prying eyes. Crystal and the others hovered around Beetle uncertain, still.

After a long moment of silence passed between everyone, only quiet murmurs and whispers echoed around her as she shifted uncomfortably. A ragged tom, young but covered in scars similar to Esper, stepped forward, a ripped bandana adorning his tabby throat. He bore a tired yet confident look as he stepped forward to speak next to Esper and in front of Beetle, Crystal stepping sideways to the left to allow space for him to fill in. "Welcome," He bowed his head in a warm yet respectful manner, "My name is Archer, we call ourselves the Strays. We're happy to welcome you as one of us." His welcome set off a chain of greetings from the cats surrounding him, Esper, and Crystal. It seems the tom has a heavy influence on the others around here. Sniffing, Beetle bowed her head as well, mirroring his gesture.

Esper was the next to raise her voice above the now much more friendly murmurs of welcome, "Let's rest for tonight, tomorrow we will continue through the valley- I don't feel comfortable with how close we are to the sickly humans and their loud sticks." Crystal lowered her gaze to her paws, seemingly lost in thought, her eyebrows furrowed as if recalling something unpleasant. Archer turned and led a small group of the stragglers away to a dip in the peat where they would make camp for the night. After Crystal had followed him, Esper was the only one who remained, gazing curiously at Beetle. "Would you like me to come with you to set up your nest? I'm going to set up a few guards first but then I will meet you by that patch of daisies over there." Her tail flicked in the direction of a shielded path of flowers. Beetle only nodded and they split paths, Esper already ordering her guards to watch for the men with loud sticks and the diseased humans.

---

Opening her eyes to the sound of muffled yowls, her head pounded, and her gaze was met by Archer as he loomed over her, his shoulder and neck fur bristling with tension. "Get up!" He murmured, pushing her shoulder with a heavy, rough paw. Beetle jumped immediately at his touch; the sounds no longer muffled through her migraine. The night prior Esper had settled her at the base of a lone tree sitting just a few fox-lengths from where the daisy patch had been. "Hurry, they're trying to kill us." His voice was quiet but the level of seriousness that echoed made Beetle shiver. "Lead on." The moment they broke through the grass shielding her from the atrocious view, red was everywhere. Velvet splatters soaked through the ground; the bodies of cats she had just seen alive the night before littering the ground like ominous leaves. "Crystal!" Archer yowled, Beetle turned her head to see the normally sleek blue she-cat arching her back and hissing as a man in a thick protective outfit tried to grab her, a shiny, sharp claw held in his other hand and a loud stick attached to his waist.

Without thinking, Archer and Beetle slammed into his legs, knocking him unsteady and catching him off guard, allowing Crystal the time to break away into the undergrowth. For a split moment, Beetle briefly saw her ruffled tail disappear through the tall grass. Darting away from the human next to Archer, she panted as they also dove into the tall patches of grass, "Where's Esper?" Beetle whispered, her tail fluffed up twice its size and her heart slamming against her ribcage. Archer looked pained as he shook his head, "I don't know. All I know is we have to get the surviving cats and drag them away from here. The guards had fallen asleep at sunrise before anybody was up- they found us and..." His voice faded as he heard the wail of another cat, "Follow me, we need to get the rest out of here and fast." His voice hardened with determination as he leaped out of the grass, the human they had slammed into gone from where he had wobbled earlier.

Beetle nodded quickly and they split paths, both cats intent on gathering the surviving stragglers as the humans continued to shout and shoot their loud sticks into the undergrowth after the tails of escaping cats. Yowling, she searched fearfully for Esper and Crystal, the others as well, swerving through the valley's bloodstained grass to avoid the harsh boots of the humans. After what felt like ages of weaving, Beetle nearly crashed into a white fluffy she-cat with petals trapped in her fur. The dirty she-cat held a small scrap of mewling fur in her jaws although it didn't seem like it was her kitten. "Come on, this way." Beetle growled through gritted teeth as another loudstick boom sounded through the valley, echoing the fresh death of yet another cat. She had noticed this matted she-cat before, her smushed muzzle easily recognizable within the group of wanderers. Taking the kit in her own black and white maw to give the white cat a break, she tore across the valley towards a forest bordering the edges of the wide-open plains. "Hurry!" Beetle yelled through the kits scruff which muffled her voice. The other cat kept a slower pace, but adrenaline seemed to urge her forward.

Reaching the trees, Beetle huddled under a briar bush, the kit and the white she-cat pressed closely to her side- the scent of the petals stuck to her fur releasing a sweet, somewhat comforting smell. The white she-cat pressed against Beetle; the kit tucked itself safely between her paws. Luckily for her, the stranger's cloud-colored fur was safely hidden behind the deep green leaves of the thorny, spindling twigs. Beetle, in an attempt to keep the kitten and the young, white she-cat comforted, she wrapped her black and white tail around them and settled into a rested position, neck fur still bristling. They needed to hide until the humans left. Esper, Crystal, Archer, and the others would have to wait. The kitten, eyes still squeezed shut, wiggled to the white cat's flank, beginning to knead her belly and cry for milk, muffled through the thick, snowy pelt. Despite the chaos ensuing and yowls of orders following the loud shots of the human weapons. Beetle couldn't help but close her exhausted eyes and pray the others were alright, her heart still beating rapidly in her chest, the events haunting her as she drifted in and out of conciousness.

---

A ball of fur tugged at her flank, a bright pink maw gaping and a whisper of a cry escaping the little scrap's mouth. "Oh, you poor thing." Her voice cracked, partly due to her throat being dry from the lack of water and partly because of pity for the kit. Wrapping her tail closer around the wiggling furball, she glanced at the white she-cat to her left, dozing slightly despite looking extremely troubled. Pressing a paw to the white cat's side, she awoke her, the other cat jumping up and scratching herself on the thorns above them. "Calm down," Beetle whispered as soothingly as possible. "It's just me and this little scrap." Lifting her tail to reveal the kitten briefly, she assured the she-cat that the kitten was still alright. "Oh thank goodness he's still alive." Her eyes shadowed with grief, "I don't know how I'm going to feed him." Tears welled sharply in the stranger's eyes before she could stop them, the unfamiliar cat clearly having a hard time controlling her emotions through the memories of the events a few hours before. "His mother is dead. They killed her before I could help. His sisters too." Beetle wasn't sure what to say to comfort this heartbroken cat besides allowing her a few moments to process.

"You're Beetle, aren't you? I saw you yesterday." Eyes still glittering sadly, she sighed. "I'm called Onion." Voice cracking she rested her gaze once more on the kitten, still squirming hungrily, his snout peaking out from under Beetle's tail. Beetle followed her gaze before finally murmuring, "The noises have gone, we should look and see if any others have survived." Beetle forced the word survived out of her maw, how could anyone have survived after those horrifying, evil people had come and use their loudsticks at every cat? Onion stood but winced, holding a paw up gingerly. Beetle's eyes rounded, "You're hurt." Gently offering her shoulder, Beetle picked up the little tom and allowed Onion to lean against her for support, carefully crawling out of the briar bush after peeking out and determining the coast was clear.

Eyes glowing in the dimly lit forest, the valley stretched a few trees ahead of them. Despite being desperate to discover the fate of the cats she had met not too long ago, a part of her rather not revisit the bodies of the cats she had seen die that morning. Taking a deep breath through the scruff of the little tom, Onion watched her closely, seemingly noticing her fear. Instead of attempting to comfort Beetle, the soft she-cat blinked slowly at her and the little tom kit, "He didn't have a name yet." Onion shuffled her paws awkwardly. "I know it's a bad time but... I think he deserves one, don't you?" Placing him on the squishy moss, the grass tickled the tomkit's nose, causing him to sneeze gently. Despite herself, Beetle smiled a little. "Yes. I reckon he does need one." After a long moment of silence stretched between the two she-cats, both kept their eyes watching him affectionately. It may have been the worse time for a heartfelt moment, especially considering the rest of the group was scattered or dead, but Beetle felt as though the sun had touched her heart as she gazed at the surviving little tom. Touching her nose to his forehead as he squirmed, she breathed in his milky scent.

"What about Little Bird?"

---

The sun had begun to set by the time Beetle had arrived at the bloody scene once more. Onion stayed back in the forest with the newly named tom-kit to ensure his safety, still tucked away soundly under the briar bush they had successfully used as shelter beforehand. Bobbing through the clumps of valley grass and flowers, Beetle was relieved to hear the quiet chirping of the crickets and humming of the fireflies beginning to drift back to life in the evening summer daze. Despite their beauty, Beetle refused to allow herself to become distracted watching them dance through the air. No, she had a job to do. Picking her way back to the clearing, she felt herself let out a loud gasp. The clearing, still littered with sticky, red puddles and clusters of ripped fur, was void of any of the bodies that had been there before.

Instead, a silver and gray tom sat with his pelt bushed in the middle, eyes darting around the scene of gore and terror, fear scent clinging closely to him. Apon her gasp, he jumped and turned to her, "Stay back!" He hissed, claws flashing out despite her being still several fox lengths ahead of her. Beetle remained calm as best as she could even with her heart beating in her throat. Opening her maw to speak, the tom spoke first, his voice in a fast pant even though he was still, "Beetle, is it not? The one welcomed by Esper..." His voice trailed off as she nodded silently, not sure what to say to this young tom. He looked about a year old and seemed to have also been a part of the group before the mass killing the humans had participated in. Beetle blinked slowly at him, attempting to seem non-threatening, "Yes, that's me. I promise I don't mean any harm." He still remained where he was, looking her over suspiciously. "You didn't bring those humans to us?" His voice shook with grief and a hint of rage towards the wretched two-leggeds.

Beetle hesitated, her breath catching in her throat as she attempted to answer. Did she lead the humans to the Strays? Was it her fault? She hadn't thought of that in the short time the horrific events had ensued. "No." She managed to finally murmur. "I was with Esper, and we had long outrun them by the time we arrived." She held his gaze, ready to dash off if he chose to fight. When his silver and white fur began to gently smooth from its bristling, tense state, she had felt more comfortable in taking a few steps toward him, avoiding the red patches of grass as best she could. "What's your name?" The black and white she-cat flicked her tail back and forth, searching the tom's gaze for any kind of hostility. "Steel. Archer named me Steel." Intrigued, Beetle drew closer until she could rest her tail on his shoulders. Her curiosity edged her on to ask why he hadn't a name of his own, but she pushed the question down, now was not at all the right time. "Alright, Steel. Do you know Onion? And perhaps a small tabby kitten?" He thought for a moment before slowly nodding, "I know Onion. And there were a couple of kittens here before..." His voice trailed off once more, dropping his gaze to his paws as glittering tears welled in his eyes.

"They're tucked away under a briar bush. I'm looking for the others so if you'd prefer me to take you to them, I can." Steel seemed to have a new feeling of energy, his claws digging into the dew-covered grass. "Not if they're already safe. I want to help find the others." Steel lifted his gaze and retracted his claws, determination lining his grieving eyes. Beetle nodded again, leading him away from the clearing and through the tall grass. Noses to the ground, they began their rescue anew, eager to find any scent or trace of the cats who may have escaped from the terrorizing humans. Scanning the ground for any sight of a clue or perhaps a scent, she was disappointed to find that nothing caught her attention. Steel shook his head after catching her eye, "Nothing, just blood." He wrinkled his nose, his muzzle forming disturbed lines along the top.

Right as the tuxedo she-cat turned to lead Steel towards Onion and Little Bird, a whimper of pain softly reached her ears. Steel heard it too- confirming that it wasn't just her distracted imagination. Whipping around, both cats frantically searched the grass clumps and flower patches, daisies and grass blades left swinging after Beetle rustled them. Stumped, the pair returned together, exchanging confused glances. A silver she-cat broke through the tall patch of grass in front of them, grunting, and collapsed into a bruised, gray pile. Gasping, Beetle and Steel lurched forward to help her.

"Esper!"
Word Count: [2,811 words]

[dimi.]

Patrols for the week of November 8th are now closed.
To claim this XP, head over to Leveling and fill out the Patrol form! This experience will not be applied until you do so.

I apologize for the closure on this being delayed! I thought Arith had posted but that is totally my bad. Everyone above this point who has posted will be counted in this week - meaning if you posted AFTER this week technically rolled over, you may make another post! [ivyy is the only one this applies to]

Moonblaze-Angel: 304 xp
Ruethefangirl: 305 xp
Kelpiemomma: 200 xp
ivyy. 281 xp

Posts for the week of November 15th are now open!

[Moonblaze-Angel]

Username: Moonblaze-Angel
Storage: MooseClan
Last Patrol Post: Ginger & Sprite join the Clan, Mousepaw has an idea
Patrol:

Once upon a time, I was a Clan cat. I was born there, raised there, apprenticed there, earned my warrior name there. I was so proud to be Mothtuft. It reminded me of the orange and white moths that came to visit in the spring, the ones we called ghost moths. Rumor had it if you ate one, it would give you the power to see ghosts.

I wish that were the case. I wish that was why I could see ghosts.

---

“Mothtuft! Over here!” He turns his head around to look at the she-cat calling his name. Beenose had been kind to him since they were apprenticed together, and recently, she had wanted to be mates. Mothtuft is too nice to tell her he’s already taken.

“Mothtuft, come hunt with me! There was a nest of baby birds spotted by the dawn patrol. I bet we could snag ‘em all if we go now!” Beenose pushes her head against him playfully. Mothtuft scooches a hint to the left, away from her touch. Still, baby birds would be a great snack for the elders and kits in their dens. Mothtuft sighs, reminded once again of his double life.

“Mothtuft? Is something wrong?” Beenose looks up at him, concern in her gaze. She could always tell when he’s having a bad day, or under the weather. She had almost caught his whitecough this winter before the medicine cat did. He could almost taste the medicine in his mouth, sharp berries and tangy leaves. He licks his lips.

“No, just remembering my whitecough this winter. I’m grateful you caught it in time.” He pushes past her, flicking his tail tip across her nose. “Now, where is this bird nest? I think I’ll get there before you do!” Mothtuft races forward, pushing through bracken and reeds. He hears a meow of joy behind him as Beenose races after him.

Mothtuft leads the way towards the southern border, where the dawn patrol had been earlier. There was hardly any fuss coming all the way down here, as the river started to taper off and go into the twoleg place beyond. He had never been that far, believing himself to firmly be a Clan cat. The warrior cat code is something sacred, guided by StarClan, and he has been privileged to learn this life. Sometimes, a stray loner or kittypet would find their way to their Clan borders, only to be ushered away. He can’t imagine being all alone in the world, wandering place to place, struggling to find his next meal. Having the Clan to rely on is one of the biggest benefits of being in a large group of cats.

Even when his mother had died of greencough this past fall, his only kin since his sister became a kittypet, the Clan had held him steady. Mothtuft had been supported in every way. Beenose had sat next to him the entire vigil, while Sorrelfoot had checked in on him every night, making sure he had eaten. Even stingy old Yelloweyes had taken his apprentice, Riverpaw, for a few days while he recovered from both the sickness and the grief. It had really made him feel at home and wanted by the Clan. Leaving it would kill him.

It was why he had broken his partnership off with Flora. She was a fantastic cat, bold and outspoken, not at all as cautious as a kittypet should be. Flora had gorgeous swirling patterns on her fur, reminding him of a swirl of stars or leaves caught in a tidepool. Her pretty green eyes were great to look at, too, but it had been her attitude that drew him in. As a warrior, he appreciated her spunk and the guts it took to stand up to him, even when lost. He had helped get her on her feet after being injured from a fox trap, and since then, the two had met at a clearing nearby every quarter moon.

Well, they had. Since about four moons ago, Mothtuft had not seen her. He asked her, for the final time, to join his Clan. He could not leave, not now, not with his mother freshly buried. And yet, Mothtuft recalls, he had wanted to share the experience, the grief, with her. He had been so excited to see her as a warrior. He had even picked out a name to ask Lionstar to give her: Flowerclaw. She had explained how Flora meant Flower in twoleg and that she was named for ‘being as pretty as a flower’.

It had nearly killed him to break it off with her. Well, for her to break it off with him. She loved her twoleg. She would hate it out in the wild, with the wind and the foxes and the greencough that kills. She told him that if he wanted, he could join her. Her twoleg would love him, she said, with his pretty fur and his mismatched eyes. She was so hopeful that night.

Leaving the Clan would kill him. Mothtuft was certain of that, knowing his love for patrolling and hunting and fighting practice. He is the most alive when running around in the wild, leaping and dodging and hunting. He would never give that up, not even for her. The two cats had decided to part ways, after all.

Not even a season since, and Mothtuft is already considering Beenose as a mate. She’s much perkier, happier, than Flora, with considerably less spunk. Softer around the edges, with a great sense of humor and a love of silly pranks. Mothtuft could see himself loving her eventually. It may take a few seasons, though, and he’s not certain how long she’s willing to wait for him to make up his mind. She’s already waited so long for him, not knowing why he kept rejecting her moves. Mothtuft should really give her a mouse sometime, share tongues with her more often.

He pulls up to the southern border, just a few leaps from where he and Flora would meet. He sniffs the air.

“Bird . . . that way?” He asks Beenose, letting her take the lead. She was the one who wanted to come out here, anyways. She sniffs the air, too, taking in the scents of the area.

“I think so! I also smell something else, but it seems like it’s old.” She shrugs her shoulders a tiny bit, giving up on tracking the old scent. Beenose has always been worse with her scent than the average cat, relying on hearing to hunt most of the time. Flora would have hunted the scent down the second she got a whiff of it.

Beenose leads the way, trotting just a teeny bit in front of him. Mothtuft happily follows along, until they find a large, old oak tree. The red bark starkly contrasts the new leaf buds on the branches, reminding him of the season. Newleaf always comes with more prey . . . and more dangers. The twolegs would start romping through the shrubs and trees soon, trying to find . . . something. He’s not exactly sure what, but they all seem to follow the same paths, so they must all be doing the same thing. A few would wander off and get lost, but the cats in his Clan know to lead them back to the path. The one time they hadn’t, hoards of twolegs and leashed dogs came to the forest, trying to find the lost twoleg. They had almost found the camp before the cats realized what was going on and led them away.

Beenose suddenly stopping before him jolts Mothtuft back into the present day. He flicks an ear at her, questioning her sudden stopping. She nods her head upwards, towards the nest. Mothtuft looks up, spotting a loosely woven pile of twigs about halfway up the tree. Perched on top is a mean-looking hawk. Mothtuft understands - to get the baby birds, they first have to deal with the adult bird.

He nudges Beenose, pointing to the back of the tree with a single claw. If they can climb the tree out of sight of the predator, then the two of them can ambush it. If all goes well, the two of them will have baby birds and a hawk for the fresh-kill pile. Beenose narrows her eyes and starts up the tree, gently placing her paws down. She takes about half the time it takes him to climb up, being half his size and a lot lighter on her paws. When he finally makes it to her height, she flicks her tail to get him to stop. She climbs a little higher, about two branches up, before nodding at him. Time to attack.

Mothtuft puts one paw on the branch with the nest before the hawk spots him. It cries a warning, fluffing its feathers up and shuffling toward him. He balances on the branch, sturdy enough for even him, and hisses a menacing hiss. Mothtuft fluffs his fur up, distracting the hawk. Just before it lunges for him, Beenose drops from above.

She lands squarely on its back, used to ambushing things from the trees. Her favorite fighting moves involve tree-falling. Her weight knocks the wind out of it, and before it can react, she breaks its neck with a swift blow from her paws. She tosses the bird down to the soft earth below.

“That was brilliant! Where do you come up with these ideas, Beenose?” Mothtuft leans his nose forward to touch hers. She shyly sits down next to the nest of screaming baby birds.

“It just seemed like the easiest thing to do. I’m sure if you were my size, it would have made more sense.” She licks one paw, then rubs it behind her ear. “I suppose we should take this nest down, huh?”

After silencing the birds and dropping them to the ground, she grabs a mouthful of feathers from the nest. She hops down and spits them out next to Mothtuft, having climbed down earlier.

“For the elders, right?” Beenose nods.

“And the queens, for the kits. Do you smell that?” She lifts her head again, trying to scent the wind that had suddenly changed direction. Just as Mothtuft smells the wind, the bracken behind them moves. The two of them whip around, ready for trouble.

Instead, what faces them is a she-cat and her kit. A very pretty, classic tabby and her kit. Flora and her kit.

“Busy? Hopefully not too busy for business, Mothtuft?” She sits down, tucking the kitten to her with her tail. The kitten looks almost familiar to him.

Beenose fluffs up beside him, trying to look bigger and more threatening.

“How do you know him? What business do you have with us, kittypet?” Beenose spits the last word out as an insult. Mothtuft forgot you could see her collar, plain as day, jingling around her neck. The green color complements her eyes. Mothtuft watches her green eyes narrow with distaste.

“My business with Mothtuft - not you - is right here.” She gently pushes the kitten forward, towards him. She stumbles a bit before sitting down between them, looking confused. “This is yours. Now that she’s old enough to leave my nest, I’m bringing her to you. You didn’t want to join me, and I don’t want to keep looking at her. She deserves better than me being snippy all the time.”

Mothtuft goes through several emotions at once. A kitten? His kitten?! He steps forward, sniffing the tiny little scrap. No wonder she had looked familiar! The little creature looks just like his younger sister, with the markings of her mother. The same rosy-orange color as him, with the same mismatched eyes. Definitely his! And hers! Flora and him had a kitten together! He looks up, eyes filled with joy, before he recalls exactly what she had said.

She . . . didn’t want her? His perfect little kitten? Why not?

“Why not?” He repeats out loud. His kit deserves better. “What did she do to you?”

“Her so called father abandoned me for his Clan. So I think she needs the same treatment. Mother abandoning her for her twolegs, as it were. I think you mentioned something similar in leaf-bare.” Mothtuft winces as she throws his own words at him. He had said she was leaving him for twolegs, hadn’t he? That was rather cruel of him.

“It’s not like that, Flora, truly! We could coparent her and I can bring her to visit you sometimes and we can both teach her things and-”

“Excuse me, hi, remember me? Beenose? The cat who has literally been pining over you for moons? Who just found out you have a mate and a kitten??” Beenose interrupts him, venom in her voice. “What exactly is going on here?”

Before anyone can answer, the bracken rustles again. All four cats - kit included - turn to see what emerges and are faced with a much worse fate than an unwanted kit. Two hungry yellow eyes stare at them, brown nose sniffing the air. The red fox’s nose twitches as its teeth pull back into a snarl. None of them have the time to react as it leaps for the closest cat.

Flora gets the brunt of the attack. The fox snaps at her with its slobbery jaws, landing a very solid, very loud, bite. It whips its head side to side, throwing her in the bushes nearby. It turns its body to face the remaining cats.

Mothtuft, terrified for his ex-mate and kitten and clanmate, launches himself at it. Beenose disappears in the fight, hiding or running for help. Mothtuft claws the fox’s muzzle, landing a blow before ducking under its stomach. He pushes up with all his might, briefly throwing the fox on its back. Mothtuft goes in to attack the fox’s stomach, briefly glancing back at the kitten to make sure she had gotten to safety. To his horror, the kit is frozen in fear just whiskers away from them.

In Mothtuft’s brief moment of distraction, the fox rallies and claws him with its filthy back claws. It lands a devastating blow to his face, sending Mothtuft reeling back, unable to see from one eye. He can feel the claw marks scoring up and down the side of his face, starting to throb. He stumbles, and the fox lunges.

His kit, no longer frozen, moves.

His brave little kit runs.

His brave little kit runs in front of him, protecting her father.

Mothtuft sees Beenose drop from above, onto the back of the fox, before his vision is washed with black.

---

The next thing Mothtuft sees is the inside of the medicine cat den. Smooth, bark-stripped roots form a ceiling above him, while soft feathers and moss line the ground. Mothtuft sees the medicine cat, Sorrelfoot, curled in a tight ball nearby. Her flank moves ever so slightly, her fur dusted with stray herbs. She looks exhausted. His sight strays over to his own body, slightly sticky with herb poultices. Looking at his chest, it’s no wonder Sorrelfoot seems exhausted. There are deep, long scratches running down his side from the fox. Something seems a little off to him, but beyond the sharp scent of herbs, he cannot place it.

His head is fuzzy, his throat dry. He lifts his head a tiny bit, trying to see if anyone left him moss nearby. The second he moves his head, even the tiniest bit, his vision clouds again. His head feels stuffed to the brim with cobwebs, a fierce headache bothering him now. He closes his eyes again.

---

“We should keep him asleep as long as we can, Lionstar. He won’t want to be awake when we tell him the news.” Mothtuft identifies Sorrelfoot’s soft voice nearby, still too sleepy to open his eyes.

“If he stays asleep much longer, he won’t wake up, Sorrelfoot. I want him awake. I need him to see what his actions have cost him.” Lionstar responds, much fiercer than Mothtuft expects. He twists an ear toward him.

“I’m not sure he needs that, Lionstar. Let him wake at his own pace. His actions can be addressed after he heals.” Sorrelfoot puts her foot down, sounding much more sure of herself than before.

“At least Mothtuft will heal. Look at what happened to the others! Look at what happened to my daughter, Sorrelfoot. Beenose lost part of her tail.”

“And others lost their life, Lionstar. Leave Mothtuft alone. He wakes when he wakes, and that’s final.”

Mothtuft falls asleep once more, his thoughts on Beenose.

---

Mothtuft wakes with a start, bad dreams frightening him awake. There had been a dream about a fox, and Beenose, and Flora. He winces as the world comes into view.

“Mothtuft! You’re awake!” Sorrelfoot rushes up to him, pushing her nose into his fur. The two of them have always been good friends. He looks up at her, confused as to why there are cobwebs wrapped around half his head.

“Sorrelfoot? You look terrible! What happened to sleeping?” Sorrelfoot has bags under her eyes, looking like she had aged twice as fast while he was asleep. Asleep . . . why was he asleep again? “I should go, I’m sure Lionstar needs me on a patrol.” Mothtuft attempts to move, the pain from his scratches bringing him back to the present time. The fox hadn’t been a dream!

“Wait! Beenose! And Flora! Are they alright? I can’t see them, Sorrelfoot, are the two of them okay? I can’t see with this cobweb on my face like this, not sure why you did that, but you can take it off now. I need to see them both.” He tries to get up again and Sorrelfoot pushes him down. She crouches in front of him, pity in her eyes. Pity?

Mothtuft sees something at the edge of his vision, and flicks his eyes over to see her new apprentice in the corner, watching him. She looks young to be a medicine cat apprentice, but there would be no other reason for a kit to be in here. She looks healthy enough. His eyes wander back over to Sorrelfoot.

“Mothtuft, I.” She pauses, looking at her paws. “I don’t know how to say this nicely, so I’ll just say it.” She looks up at him. “The kittypet, Flora?” He blinks. “Flora is dead, Mothtuft.”

He closes his eyes in shock. Grief rolls over him in waves. It takes him a minute to find his voice. “Beenose? Is she alive?” Sorrelfoot brings him a bit of moss soaked in water.

“She’s okay. She lost half her tail dragging you away from that fox, though. Thankfully Yelloweye’s hunting patrol heard the ruckus and stepped in, or I’m sure you would both be in worse shape.” She looks at Mothtuft and winces. “Well, Beenose would be. You’re about as worse as it gets.” The apprentice comes closer, still hanging back in the shadows of the den, but now close enough to see her age. She is definitely too young to be in here.

“What about me, Sorrelfoot? Is it the scratches on my shoulder? I saw those, they should heal up. It’s this cobweb on my face that’s really bothering me. I can’t hear well or see from that side at all . . . I . . .” It slowly dawns on Mothtuft that there is no cobweb on his face. He gingerly lifts a paw up to his face, feeling bare skin and scar tissue. He had lost so much more than Flora.

“I . . . I couldn’t save her, Mothtuft. She was gone when I got there, but the kitten.” She pauses. “Your kitten. I tried, Mothtuft, I tried so hard, but she didn’t make it through the night. She joined StarClan, though, I know it. She wouldn’t be left to wander the skies by herself.”

Mothtuft looks back at the kitten in the den, seeing the same swirling pattern on her as Flora, the same mismatched eyes as him. StarClan had allowed him to see his kit again. Behind her, at the entrance to the den, Lionstar peeks his head in.


Word Count: 3386

[KelpieMomma]

Username: KelpieMomma
Storage: storage
Last Patrol Post: Patrol 4
Patrol:
The mood in the little campsite they'd created didn't get better with the appearance of the cat calling herself 'Talonstrike's apprentice'. Jagged had to be prevented from driving the young cat out, which didn't sit well with the cats in the group and drove a clear wedge between Talonstrike and her 'apprentice', Nala, as well as Jagged and her own follower, Skeeter. Skeeter and Nala, being the youngest, clearly wanted to interact with each other- but also very clearly were supporting their own mentor figures. It wasn't until things started coming to blows between them, with Skeeter losing almost every time due to his smaller stature, lack of experience, and disability, that Mousedapple of all cats finally approached Jagged. She very clearly looked irritated, and none of the cats around them could blame her.

"What are you doing?" Mousedapple asked, her voice tense and short.

"None of your business." Jagged snapped back. She'd been short tempered since being overrun by her companions into letting Talonstrike return with them.

"Because it looks like you're pouting, being childish, and causing discord in this group you brought together." Mousedapple continued as if Jagged hadn't spoke, ignoring her words. Jagged's tail lashed, but the spotted she-cat paid no mind. "I don't know what happened between you two, do not interrupt me," She quickly prevented the darker cat from butting in, fixing her with a nasty glare, "I don't know what happened between you, but you need to fix it. Poor Skeeter is getting the garbage beat out of him trying to defend your nonexistent honor, the cats you've collected are on the verge of dispersing because you can't get your act together, and-"

"Ah, I have finally found you." A voice cut into the lecture Mousedapple was on the cusp of giving Jagged. Every eye in the clearing turned to look at the newcomer, hackles raising and ears pinning back. It wasn't just the voice, the fact that they'd been snuck up on, but the look of the new cat. They had a tortoiseshell pattern with weeds of some kind draped over their back, and eyes that - quite literally - looked like stars. Those strange eyes bounced from cat to cat, pausing only on Talonstrike for a moment before they finished at Jagged. Mousedapple could hear the quiet gasp of Jagged behind her, and glanced back to see the she-cat looking pained.

"I am Seeker. I have been sent to help by the Beyond."

-----

Seeker had been sent to help, but trying to get these cats to listen to him was like trying to change the course of a river with one paw. Jagged's pain and anger lingered, having only grown in intensity with the appearance of Talonstrike. Her mental discord and pushing back against the wishes of the Beyond had caused them to find Seeker, lost in their own mind, and send them to help. Unlike the rest of them, Seeker could very nearly see the cats that were guiding them, hear their voices and wishes. Talonstrike had a cat smaller than her by her side almost constantly, their words a mixture of fondness and chewing her out. Jagged also had a cat lingering beside her, trying to guide her to Talonstrike, but each attempt made her pull further away. The rest of the Beyond lingered only to try and speak through Seeker, telling them what to say they wanted.

A clan. They wanted a clan to be made, with cats who loved each other as family and would defend each other no matter what. Unfortunately, that 'no matter what' hadn't accounted for the destroyer of several clans joining their prodigal child's fledgling clan, and said prodigal child remembering the destroyer. Every step forward Seeker took was on that Jagged took away. Every word they spoke was one that Jagged closed her ears upon. It came to a point where Seeker, finally, broke off from Jagged. They would need a new direction to come at her with. They didn't know what it would be yet, though.

Talonstrike was the first cat they approached after their attempts at speaking to Jagged. The older cat was far more forth-coming with information, thoughts, and ideas.

"I destroyed our old home," She had readily admitted, looking pained, "I believed in, trusted, the wrong cat even when I was being told and shown otherwise. I was convinced that I was better, and that strength would prevail over our ancestors... it did, but the turnabout was... horrifying. I succeeded in killing many cats important to the Beyond of our old home, and in return they sent down a storm, a fire, that wiped out what was left. I don't know how many escaped- I helped those I could, those who would accept it. My territory is gone, and I'm certain that hers is as well, or else she wouldn't be here."

"Can you help me guide her?" Seeker asked. Talsonstrike met their gaze, one of the few who would, and stared into their eyes for a moment before turning their head to look at Jagged. Jagged had been staring at them, glaring more like, and upon the gaze of the pair focusing on her, her expression turned sour and defensive before she looked away. She got up and stomped out of camp, Skeeter following close behind.

"Not as she is now. She needs... to speak to someone." Talonstrike replied after a moment. She turned her gaze back to Seeker. "She needs to speak to the Beyond."

"I may be called their mouth, but I can only repeat their wishes. They cannot actually talk through me." Seeker said. Talonstrike was quiet for a moment.

"There was a place, in our old home. The medicine cats would meet there every half moon, sometimes more frequently if it was important, to speak to our ancestors. If you can locate that place... there must be one here, if they want her to stay.


"They want you all to stay." Seeker said. The black and white cat didn't look convinced- a battle for another day.

----

Firefly was their guide to Talonstrike's suggestion. The sleek, long-furred tom had been a member of a group that explored and lived in the numerous caves around the territory, mapping out the ways up and down and through and the dead ends. His eyesight was poor, relieved by slipping fireflies, or glow worms, or even plants in the little trinket he wore around his neck. They would help offer a dim light in the caves, enough for the cats around him to see clearly and enough for him to get an idea of where they were going. He very much disliked the idea of ghosts walking with them, but Seeker assured him that the ghosts meant no harm. They simply wished to help guide the cats who were going to make a home here, and the best way to make a better connection was to find the place where they could help communicate better. Firefly still seemed dubious, but he was willing to entertain Seeker. It was clear she made him a bit nervous, but that was fine. He was polite about it.

Even with the Beyond whispering in Seeker's ears, telling her where to go and what to look for, it took time to find where they wanted. She and Firefly traversed many caves, stopping in tunnels for breaks, Seeker hunting and Firefly pointing out where it was and wasn't safe to drink.

"Most cats don't know, because they don't spend much time down here, but you shouldn't drink from still water. If you see a pond, don't drink from it- the water will make you sick. You want to find the water dripping from the ceilings or walls, if there's nothing else available, and use that to drink. Better yet is the rivers, but you have to be careful when you're drinking from them that you don't fall in. If they flow quickly, you could get pulled under and you can only hope and pray that there will be an air pocket soon. We are underground. And if there is an air pocket, you should hope no one has used it before you. Ah, if you look here, this is one of the marks we use to guide us. I'll have to teach anyone else who comes down here so they don't get lost, this is saying we need to head in this direction..."

It was fascinating. Seeker could easily have laid there and listened to Firefly discuss how to get around caves, what to look out for, and how to survive. She could have listened for hours as he discussed the different signals and carvings his group had used to ensure they didn't get lost, how one needed to use every sense in order to find their way in pitch dark, how even Firefly himself - despite his lamp - had undergone training to find his way with no light.

"It doesn't last forever, after all. I needed to know what I would have to do in order to make it out without it, what I needed to feel for and listen for. It helps me, more so when there's no moon up above- I have ways of finding my way underground, but there aren't such guidelines above ground." He explained.

"When the clan becomes true, there will be ways. I'll make sure of it."[b] Seeker promised. Firefly seemed a bit embarrassed, but thankful nonetheless.

They finally found what Seeker was looking for nearly a week into their journey. Underground, yes, but a hole had been taken out of the mountain either through time or other means, leaving the moon to fall upon a slight river. Firefly was the one who tested the current, and the pair spent some time mapping it out, finding the shallowest part. In the middle there was a small island, a waterfall from the hole in the mountain falling gently upon a rock in the center of it and leaving trickles of water in each direction. The water fell from the rock to the island it sat upon, leaving divots as it found its way back to the river. The Beyond grew so loud at that point that Seeker wished closing their ears would dim the voices.

[b]"THERE! THERE! THERE! THERE!" The voices chorused, shrieks and howls and screams and yells all mingling into a cacophony that nearly deafened them. It was excitement and despair, anger at how long it had taken but jubilee at finally being found.

"Oh, great shadows..." Firefly gasped, and Seeker turned their gaze from the sky and the moon and the waterfall to the rock. They had missed what lay behind it before, but as Firefly approached they followed and felt exhaustion growing. There was a skeleton behind the rock, one that had been there for some time. Dark fur scraps remained, hinting at what color this cat had been in life, and they were curled up. It was clear this hadn't been a violent end, but one that this cat had simply laid down and waited for. In the darkness, in the light of the moon, a form took shape. Firefly yelped and hid behind Seeker, but she simply stood and watched. The cat that formed was dark, their eyes glowing with the stars, and their smile was missing several teeth. Their fur was crinkled and curly, their ears torn to shreds, but the expression on their face was one of grateful welcoming.

"At last, you have made it. But you seem to be missing some cats... and brought the wrong one." The cat did not appear disappointed; indeed, if they had any idea of what was going on above the ground, they would know exactly why the cats they wanted had not appeared.

"I had to locate this place before I could bring them. I had to know where I was going, where they would be joining us. I could not lead them away from their clan without knowledge of what they were to find." Seeker explained, dipping their head. "I would not have found this place without him and his experience. We only received rough directions, ideas of what we were looking for, but they did not or could not tell us exactly how to get here. I'm sorry it took us so long. I will bring the pair you want before the next moon rise."

The whiskers on the starry cat twitched in amusement.

"As quickly as you can get them here, you should. They need to speak to those who have passed to move into their future."

Seeker acknowledged their words with a dip of their head.

"As you require it, I shall do my best." Gently guiding Firefly with their tail, Seeker turned around headed back into the tunnel that would lead them to the surface.

It was time to bring the leader and medicine cat down for their announcements.[/b]
Word Count: 2183

[lacke]

Username: lacke
Storage: Eclipseclan
Last Patrol Post: 10/02
Patrol:


the golden rays of the setting sun filtered through the dense forest canopy as serenity led her patrol deeper into eclipseclans territory. serenity scanned the undergrowth with practiced precision, while beside her, ivory padded silently, her white fur glowing like moonlight against the shadows. flame and frisky trailed behind, their movements purposeful yet distinct - flame with quiet confidence, and frisky with her typical youthful energy that occasionally made her snap a twig or two.

“serenity,” flame mewed softly, his orange ears twitching. “it's quiet ahead, be careful.” serenity nodded, her tail flicking to signal caution. she shared a quick glance with ivory, who read her unease in her eyes. ivorys sharp gaze darted toward the undergrowth, her expression tense.

frisky, ever curious, bounded a few steps ahead before stopping abruptly. her tail shot straight up, her body stiff with excitement, the hair on her neck rising. “i see something!” she whispered, her voice a mixture of awe and apprehension.

the group gathered around her, their attention drawn to a bramble-filled hollow. beneath the dense tangle of brambles lay a large, spotted gray tabby tom - his massive frame battered and scarred. his fur was unkempt, streaked with mud and blood, and atop his head sat a crown of thorns, its jagged edges catching in his long, feathery fur and leaving faint scratches around his ears and above his eyes. the toms teal eyes opened, fierce and piercing despite the exhaustion etched into his face. he struggled to his paws, his movements slow yet deliberate, his head held high.

“who are you?” serenity asked, her voice steady but commanding.

the toms gaze swept over the group before settling on serenity. “i'm... stormflame,” he rasped, his voice as rough as the brambles around him. he appeared as though he didn't want to share the name, but yet, a sense of familiarity hit serenity. that was a warrior name.

“what are you doing here?” flame asked, his tone cautious.

stormflame hesitated, his gaze flickering to the ground. “i... i'm a traveler,” he said finally, his voice guarded. “i’ve come a long way and needed rest.”

serenitys eyes narrowed slightly. she didnt miss the way his claws flexed, or how his gaze darted nervously between everyone on the small patrol. there was more to his story, but he wasnt ready to share it. “you’re hurt,” she said simply. “let us help you. we mean no harm.”

stormflames ears twitched, and for a moment, he looked as though he might refuse. but his legs shook beneath him, and with a reluctant sigh, he sank back to the ground. “fine,” he muttered. “but dont expect me to stay long.”

as flame and frisky began tending to his wounds, serenity sat beside Ivory, who watched the tom intently. serenity used her tail to brush against ivory’s, a silent gesture of reassurance. the white mollys blue eyes softened as she leaned slightly into serenitys side, their bond unspoken but tangible.

while frisky fumbled with cobwebs and herbs they had found nearby, flame took over with steady paws. “you’ve got to press it like this,” he said gently, showing her how to wrap the cobwebs tightly enough to stop the bleeding without causing discomfort. frisky huffed in frustration but nodded, her determination overriding her impatient nature.

once they were back at camp, stormflame was given a quiet corner to recover. for several days, he said little, keeping to himself and watching the clan with a mix of caution and longing. he had barely even eaten. serenity and ivory often sat nearby, discussing plans for the day or simply enjoying each others company, while keeping an eye on the estranged tom.

one evening, flame joined serenity and ivory as they shared tongues near some of the lanterns in the clearing. frisky sat nearby, her ears twitching as she eyed stormflames thorny crown. “stormflame,” flame began cautiously, his orange fur glowing in the lantern light, “where did you come from? you carry yourself like a warrior, or so it seems, based off what we know of them. were you apart of a clan?”

stormflame stiffened, shutting his eyes tightly. serenity, sensing his hesitation, brushed her tail lightly over ivory’s shoulder before stepping closer. she glanced at ivory, who returned a knowing look—together, they would make sure stormflame felt welcome, no matter the weight of his past. and they were confident that frisky and flame would as well.

“you dont have to answer if you're not ready,” serenity meowed quietly, flicking her tail in what appeared to be some sort of silent language that her and ivory shared. ivory nodded in agreement, her expression calm and understanding.

the gray toms shoulders slumped, and for a moment, he seemed to wrestle with his own thoughts. finally, he sighed, his voice heavy with weariness. “i was a clan cat,” he admitted. “but i’m not anymore.”

“why not?” frisky asked, her head tilted in curiosity. her eyes were wide and sparkling, a familiar look when she was entranced by something... or someone.

stormflame hesitated again, his claws flexing in the dirt. “i... i was exiled,” he said at last, the words falling like stones into the silence.

the group exchanged glances, a mixture of surprise and concern rippling through them. frisky’s wide eyes flicked to serenity, who remained calm and composed, her gaze steady on stormflame.

“why were you exiled?” flame pressed, though his voice held more caution now.

stormflames ears flattened against his skull, and he stared into the lantern as though seeking answers in its flickering light. “snowclan,” he began, his voice bitter, “fell under the rule of a leader who cared only for power. she broke the code, demanded we turn on innocent cats to expand her territory. i refused, i spoke out, and for that... i was cast out.” the group fell silent, the weight of his words settling over them like a heavy fog. “they called me a... traitor,” stormflame spat, his voice raw. “they put this on me”, he flicked his tail toward the crown of thorns, “as a mockery. a reminder of my ‘betrayal.’”

frisky’s tail twitched anxiously, and flame’s gaze softened. “thats not betrayal,” frisky said quietly. “thats... bravery.”

stormflame looked at her, startled by her sincerity. he shifted his gaze to serenity, who met his eyes with determination.

“stormflame,” she said softly, “you’ve been through more than most cats could bear. but that doesnt mean your story ends here. eclipseclan is a home for those seeking balance, a place where light and dark coexist. if you want, you can be part of that.”

the gray toms eyes searched hers for sincerity. “you’d trust me? after what i’ve done?”

“i trust what i see,” serenity said firmly. “and what I see is a cat who values honor, who stood against wrong even when it cost him everything. that’s the kind of strength any cat could dream of. and its the kind of strength we need.”

stormflame looked around at the gathered cats - at flame’s understanding gaze, frisky’s admiration, and ivory’s calm, knowing stare. slowly, he inclined his head. “i’ll stay,” he said quietly. “if you’ll have me.”

the next morning, as the sun began to rise over the horizon, stormflame found himself with the clan - not as an outsider - but as part of something. his days were quiet, but the balance he sought in his life, as well as the one he now found in eclipseclan, began to soothe the wounds of his past.

as the sun dipped lower one day, casting long shadows across the camp, stormflame found himself surrounded by a small group of cats - frisky, flame, and, of course, serenity and ivory watching from a distance, content to let the younger cats form their own bond with the gray warrior.

frisky’s excitement was palpable as she bounded over to sormflame, her eyes wide with anticipation. “stormflame! teach me how to hunt! i want to be the best hunter in eclipseclan!” she blurted out. "i can kind of hunt, but i want to learn from an expert!"

stormflame chuckled, his teal eyes twinkling. “hunters are patient, frisky. are you patient?”

“of course! i can be super quiet!” she replied, her voice filled with exaggerated seriousness.

“lets see then,” stormflame said, settling into a crouch and mimicking the stance he had shown frisky the day before. he leaned forward and whispered, “watch closely, it’s all about control. control of your paws, control of your body, control of your mind.”

frisky nodded eagerly and crouched beside him. she was bouncing slightly in her stance, too eager to keep still. “like this?” she asked, her eyes wide, staring intently at his paws.

“not quite,” stormflame said, holding back a chuckle. “you need to flatten your body more - stay low to the ground. you don’t want to give yourself away, both by being seen or being heard.”

flame, who had been sitting back, observing their interaction with quiet interest, stood up and approached. “dont rush her. let her figure it out. that’s how she learns best.”

stormflame nodded in acknowledgment but couldnt help the small smile that tugged at his maw. “you’re right,” he said. “frisky, try again. don’t think about rushing. think about being as quiet as a... shadow.”

frisky took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. she focused on her movements, flattening herself to the earth as she tried to mimic his actions. “like this?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper as she slowly crept forward.

“that’s it,” stormflame praised, his voice soft and quiet, matching frisky's, but filled with approval. “now keep going, and we’ll see if you can catch something.”

frisky’s tail twitched in excitement as she continued, eager to prove herself. nearby, serenity and ivory sat side by side, watching their clanmates with a quiet sense of pride. serenity’s bi-color eyes sparkled with admiration, and her tail brushed ivory’s lightly. ivory’s soft gaze never left frisky, watching her with quiet appreciation.

“stormflames teaching her well,” Serenity signed to Ivory, her paws moving fluidly, their shared language speaking volumes between them.

ivory’s response was a slow, thoughtful nod, her blue eyes reflecting a quiet approval. “she’ll get it. she’s learning from the best.”


Word Count: 1,708