{ rise: bearclan writings } • DNP

[Micki.]

formatting is a giant wip, just want to get this posted so I can start doing some writing for these babes. I'll prob be using weegeestar5's rolling system to determine what happens in the writing pieces, but idk yet bc I need to tinker with the numbers and whatnot.

please don't post, tysm !! <:

[Micki.]

res for rolling system and / or table of contents?

[Micki.]

{ Mousestar, Whiterush, Twitchstorm }


* italics = a cat that is currently just a concept


Whiterush led the small, soaked she-cat into the camp.

Her eyes darted from place to place, trying to take in everything all at once, as she followed the large tom closely. There were young cats that seemed to be fighting with each other and older cats looking on without any attempt to stop the fighting, which confused her greatly. Where she had been raised, fighting of any kind was strictly prohibited, even among playful kits. Mouse watched as a cat entered a strange cave with a bunch of plants strung around their neck, a youngster in tow.

Before long, they were coming on a giant pile of freshly caught prey.

Mouse's mouth started to water; it had been a long time since she'd eaten anything, other than rotting animals, and she would have gladly taken a mouthful. Whiterush caught her looking at the freshkill pile out of the corner of his eye, and she looked away quickly upon realizing that he had noticed. The older tom smiled gently at her and took a decently sized bird from the pile, placing it in front of Mouse. "You may starve to death if you have to wait any longer to eat," his words were a little teasing, but soft and comforting as well.

She was beyond grateful for the food and scarfed it down more quickly than her mother would have approved of. 'Now don't eat so fast, dear. It's not polite,' her words rang in Mouse's ears and made the she-cat smile nervously. Whiterush didn't seem to mind, however, and smiled lightly in response. There was certainly something about the tom that comforted Mouse, and she was thankful for it, especially considering what a strange place this was. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. No where she had ever been before.

"Let me show you around a bit," Whiterush began walking off again, leaving Mouse to hurry behind him. Before long, he was leading her into an incredibly large den. "This is the nursery," he began, only to be interrupted when a very young kit fell to the ground and began shuddering. Mouse gasped in horror and began towards him in an attempt to help, but Whiterush waved her away. The little kit was up on his feet and starting towards the pair, a large smile spread across his face, in a matter of seconds.

"Hi, I'm Twitchkit!" he offered, completely unphased by his brief twitching fit. His unshattered enthusiasm and sweet nature made Mouse smile. She was already completely and totally taken with the kit by the time she responded, "I'm Mouse."

(435 words)

[Micki.]

{ Mousestar, Whiterush }


leader and deputy's relationship

Mousestar and Whiterush, Bearclan's leader and deputy, have a very unique relationship, to say the least.

Whiterush found Mousestar when she was a young cat, about 15 moons old. She was a lost, terrified kittypet, named Minne Mouse, who had stumbled onto Bearclan camp and was desperately trying to survive. At the time, there had just been a very harsh rainstorm, so the she-cat's pelt was absolutely soaked and she was practically frozen. The large tom, who had previously never broken Bearclan's code, was overcome with a surge of emotion when he discovered her. He brought her to Bearclan, despite it being against the code. He argued with the leader at the time, Tigerstar, until he finally managed to convince him to let Mouse stay.

He had lost his mate about 5 moons prior and was still reeling with grief and feeling incredibly lost. The moment he took Mousestar in, however, Whiterush felt different. He became her mentor and guided her through clan life, and, eventually, the two developed a relationship that was more like father and kit than anything else. Their relationship was when he first started to heal from his mate's passing.

The two cats are still incredibly close, and, despite Mousestar's annoyance, Whiterush is always looking out for her. He uses his position as deputy as an excuse, truth be told, to watch after and protect her. There's nothing he wouldn't do for her, and there's nothing she wouldn't do for him.

(245 words)

[Micki.]

{ Mousestar, Whiterush, Littleleap }


write about your medicine cat

"Littleleap, you're needed in the council chambers."

The small, dappled she-cat looked up at Whiterush, blinking the fog of sleep away, and yawned lazily. There was absolutely no way she was moving from her spot and nothing could make her. A huff of annoyance came from the large tom as he nudged her with his paw. Littleleap, in turn, closed her eyes and pretended that he wasn't there. She could sleep through anything, so he could paw at her all he wanted - she wasn't getting up. Today was supposed to be her day to rest, and nothing was going to interrupt her rest.

Whiterush's gruff voice broke the silence again, this time louder than before and heavy with annoyance, "Littleleap."

"If she wants to see me, she can come to me," the she-cat mumbled, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Littleleap, she's the leader and-"

"And it's my day off! No warrior here," Littleleap interrupted, purring softly as she curled tighter to her dappled pelt. Whiterush said nothing and after a long while of silence, the she-cat thought that he'd simply given up and left. She started to drift back to sleep when the loud sound of twigs snapping startled her, making her jump up from her sleep. A low growl escaped her throat as she stared back at the large tom, who was standing over several broken twigs - grinning. Of course it was him. The small she-cat narrowed her eyes at Whiterush, but followed as he slipped out of the den.

They entered the council chamber to find that Mousestar was the only one inside. "Hello, Littleleap," she greeted, cheerily, as the younger she-cat sat down, waiting. Littleleap dismissed the words of the other she-cat with a flick of her tail and let out a giant yawn, as if to show Mousestar how much she didn't care about whatever this meeting was about. The slightly larger she-cat let out a soft chuckle at Littleleap's show of boredom, glancing over at Whiterush, who simply shrugged and smiled softly back.

The dappled she-cat's tail flicked, rapidly, in annoyance, before she finally growled, "Well? What is it? Why have I been summoned?" Her words made Whiterush laugh a bit, causing her to turn and glare at him briefly. Mousestar, on the other hand, shook her head lightly and smiled, "You've been summoned here, sister, to be honored."

Littleleap's pride momentarily got the better of her, and her ears pricked up, "Honored?"

"Yes, honored," the large tom behind her piped up, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Mousestar's own smile widened as she elaborated, "You're being honored with the duties of medicine cat, until Tea returns from her journey." The younger she-cat growled, heavily annoyed by their amusement and even more annoyed by their little joke. She shook her head as she spoke, "Well, I refuse the honor. Good bye." She turned around and started to leave, but her path was blocked by Whiterush.

Mousestar tapped her foot impatiently, "Littleleap, it's an order. I order you to temporarily take over as Bearclan's medicine cat, and as a warrior you cannot refuse."

"But it's my day off - I'm not a warrior today," the other she-cat retorted.

Mousestar opened her mouth to argue, but Whiterush flicked his tail with a sigh, signaling for her to be quiet. He turned his attention to the dappled she-cat, "You're the only one that can take over Tea's duties until she's returned," his words were gentle, "and you know it's true. No one else has half the knowledge of herbs as you, not even myself." Littleleap's eyes narrowed, this time all too aware that he was trying to appeal to her sense of pride. He and Mousestar both looked at her with big, hopeful eyes, waiting on her response and hoping that it would be the one they wanted.

Fine," she mumbled under her breath, "but not because you appealed to my pride."

The other two cats grinned back at her, while she rolled her eyes.

(668 words)

[Micki.]

{ Mousestar / Minnie Mouse, Esmerelda }


my choice - snippet of Mousestar's life as a kittypet


* italics = a cat that is currently just a concept


A gorgeous, long-hair lilac cat lay on a sofa.

"Momma, come play," a young, mostly white molly begged. The cat on the sofa simply shook her head, ignoring the young cat's request. Playing was simply beneath her - she was used to a life of luxury and pampering, not roughhousing with kits.

"Mommaaa," the kit whined, jumping up onto the sofa and batting at her paws playfully.

The older she-cat, in turn, stood up and walked to the other end of the sofa. She scoffed, "No, Minnie Mouse. I'm busy." Then she lay back down and returned to her very important business of being lazy. Her long fur was incredibly fluffy and clean, picture-perfect even. She started grooming herself diligently, ignoring her kit's silly antics on the other end of the sofa. Her fur needed fluffing, after all.

A door opened and a twoleg walked in, which prompted the older cat to stand up and meow at them. The twoleg laughed, "Hello, Esmerelda. How has your day been?" Esmerelda meowed again in response, which elicited another laugh from the twoleg.

"And what about you, Minnie Mouse? How was your day?" The kit ignored the twoleg, opting instead to pounce at her now-standing mother. Esmerelda batted the kit away, glaring at her briefly before meowing at the twoleg again, who rewarded her with some petting.

(223 words)

[Micki.]

{ Littleleap, Mousestar, Tearoot, unnamed kit(s), Whiterush }


* italics = a cat that is currently just a concept


Littleleap paced outside of the council chambers, anxiously waiting on Mousestar to emerge. The other she-cat was in the den alone, but had sent word throughout the camp that she didn't want to be disturbed. And so the young, dappled she-cat waited. It was the most excruciating wait that she'd ever experienced - no wait in the world could be this awful.

Still, the she-cat waited. She had to wait.

She needed her leader, but, more importantly, she needed her sister. Littleleap needed her sister's comfort more than she needed the leader's blessing. She was in untested waters - afraid and alone.

Finally, the tiny, dappled she-cat couldn't wait any longer. She burst into the council chambers to find Mousestar fast asleep, curled up comfortably. The sight made Littleleap smile - her sister was clever, asking not to be disturbed in the council chambers simply so she could get some uninterrupted sleep. She deserved it, too, the other she-cat thought to herself. She padded over to the sleeping she-cat, a fraction bigger than herself and much lighter in color, and gently prodded her awake.

"Mouse, I need your help."

The older she-cat did a quick stretch before sitting in front of Littleleap, waiting on an explanation. In turn, the dappled she-cat pawed at the ground, suddenly too afraid to tell even her sister. What would Mousestar even say? Would she lecture her on being irresponsible? Or would she comfort her? It was anyone's guess, really. Mousestar raised an eyebrow at the other she-cat, jabbing a paw at her in annoyance. The leader opened her mouth to say something.

"I'm expecting," Littleleap blurted, eyes wide.

Mousestar furrowed her brow and returned a look of confusion. Surely the other she-cat was simply messing with her? Littleleap was known to play tricks on others, and she seemed especially fond of tricking Mouse. However, the look of terror on her face assured the older of the two that she was serious. They sat there, staring back at each other, for a long while before Mousestar broke the silence, "Come with me."

Littleleap was slightly taken back by her words - how could her sister's first words after such news be an order, and such a cryptic one at that? She sighed and followed the other she-cat out of the council chambers. They made their way to the medicine cat dens in silence, both too afraid to speak. Tearoot smiled and greeted them in a sing-song voice, "Hello, girls!" Her time as a kittypet had given her a strange vocabulary, Littleleap thought silently.

Only silence met the she-cat's greeting, prompting her to realize that something was wrong, "Well? Spit it out, what do you need?"

Mousestar glanced at the younger she-cat and back to Tearoot, "Chasteberry.

"What? No," Littleleap objected, firmly, with a scowl spreading across her face, "I don't want them gone, Mouse."

"But you said you needed help?" the leader questioned, eyebrow raised.

The young, dappled she-cat scoffed, "Yes, help telling Whiterush and Tea - not getting rid of the kits!" A low growl escaped her throat as she looked at Mouse and added, "Do you really not know me at all?"

At that, Mousestar glanced at the ground, slighly ashamed and slightly embarrassed, before returning her gaze to Littleleap. "I just assumed... since it's against the clan's code."

The younger she-cat shook her head and growled, "No, no it's not. It's just frowned upon. There's a big difference."

Mousestar opened her mouth to reply, but Tearoot waved her away with a flick of her tail. "Now, girls, calm down. Little, dear, I'm sure everything will be fine with the kits. Mouse, sweetie, give your sister your blessing."

"But it's against tradition to bless a singl-"

Tea looked at the leader with furrowed brows and repeated, sternly, "Give your sister your blessing, Mouse."

---

And so Littleleap was giving the leader's blessing - big, traditional ceremony and all - but she couldn't help feeling like things were still... off. Whiterush, ever the diplomat, had been off at another clan the whole time, unaware of the news, and it was only days until the kits were going to arrive. They could come at any day now, any moment. Her father would miss it, never even knowing that she had been expecting to begin with, and what was Littleleap's family without him?

She sighed and curled up on the den floor, hoping Whiterush would return from his journey soon. The dappled she-cat closed her eyes and started to drift off into sleep when a sudden pain struck. Littleleap cried out, and Tearoot rushed to her side.

---

After a particularly long labor, Littleleap lay, curled around tiny, wriggling kits. Mousestar lay in front of her, watching the new kits almost as intently as her sister. The younger of the two she-cats had barely taken her eyes off of her kits, afraid that if she looked away for too long she would find it were all a dream. Tearoot sat next to Littleleap - once a little kit herself, now a parent.

The love between the three cats and the new arrivals was almost tangible. These kits were the first addition to their little ragtag family, and they would be more loved than they could stand. Littleleap watched her kits, a lazy smile across her pretty features, and thought happily about all of the things that she would get to do with her kits. Just then, Whiterush entered the den, padding towards the little family.

"I'm sorry that I missed it," he offered, curling up behind Littleleap. Littleleap just smiled, happy to have her whole family with her. "They're perfect," Whiterush smiled back, "And they're surrounded by love."

(942 words)

[Micki.]

Whiterush, Morningdew*, Mousestar, misc. Bearclan cats (some may be NPCs)


* cat is not mine, belongs to dimi. <3


write about a clan meeting


The whole clan was gathered in the ceremony area, chatter spreading across them in hushed tones.

Littleleap flicked her tail impatiently, padding back and forth in front of her small group of cats. "What is taking so long?" she hissed, her footsteps coming harder and harder and her nostrils flaring. She was debating marching into the council chambers to see why things were taking so long with her own eyes, truth be told. "If they take one more moment," her hiss was more a growl now, low and rumbling, as she continued, "I swear I'm gonna-"

"Gonna what? Charge right in and demand that they perform the ceremony this very moment?" Smokestream cooed, his voice soft, with a smile. The tom washed his paw and watched as the dappled she-cat continued to pace. His smile widened a bit as he added, "Just calm down a bit and be patient, Littleleap. It won't be long now - they have to perform it at moonhigh, after all."

Clovercreek laughed, "Calm? Patient? When has she ever been that, dear brother?"

Littleleap shot the fawn she-cat a glare, but said nothing. Instead, the small she-cat simply continued her pacing, anxious for the ceremony to begin. Only a few moments later, another young she-cat padded to the group and sat beside Smokestream, who was still intently cleaning one of his paws.

"What's she doing that for?" the she-cat whispered to the tom, watching Littleleap's tail flick back and forth. The blue tom smiled in response before whispering back, "Anxious for it to start. Where were you anyways, Stormreed?" He raised a brow at her, and she giggled in response to the suggestion.

Stormreed thought for a moment, deciding whether to give up the details of her night, before replying, "What's she got to be anxious about? It's not her being bonded."

Twitchstorm let out a bellowing laugh, "When isn't she anxious? Isn't that right, Littleleap?"

Littleleap shot a glare at him as she continued her pacing.

---

Meanwhile, a little while away from the group of young warriors, Dovetail sat next to Dovesong - ears pricked - listening to the latest clan gossip.

"I hear that Berrysplash is on the hunt for an apprentice to mentor," Dovesong whispered excitedly in her ear, taking care to keep his voice low enough that only she could hear. The she-cat snorted in response, nearly falling over with laughter.

She whispered back, through laughter, "Really? Berrysplash? A mentor? She's even less suited to it than I was!"

The tom laughed with her, "And I don't know what would possess her - she hates apprentices!"

Dovetail started laughing even harder, struggling to get the words out, "Can you imagine that poor apprentice? What an unlucky little thing they'll be!"

---

Only feet from Dovetail and Dovesong, Orchidpaw was laying down in the soft grass, washing his ear as he waited on the ceremony to start. The other apprentices around him were more lively - angrier, really - and little Shimmerkit was fast asleep cuddled next to him. 'I'll wake her when it starts,' Orchidpaw thought, glancing down at the young molly.

Wolfpaw sat next to him, yawning lazily, and listening to the former Silentclan she-cats bicker.

"You shouldn't be an apprentice? I shouldn't be an apprentice!" Poppypaw grumbled, rolling her eyes at the black she-cat.

Moonpaw hissed, flattening her ears, "I was in line to be leader!"

"And I've been medicine cat since before you were even alive!" the other she-cat hissed, low and rumbling.

"So? Leader trumps med cat, and besides-"

"Maybe we should... be a bit quieter..." Wolfpaw interjected, voice barely a whisper. Neither she-cat appreciated the interruption, however, and both shot him nasty glares. He furrowed his brow in response, but remained silent as they continued to bicker.

Pearpaw and her sister, Peachpaw, padded up to the group of other apprentices - and Shimmerkit - and sat down next to Orchidpaw, who smiled at them in return. Both mollies ignored the bickering she-cats; Moonpaw was always yelling, and Poppypaw was always arguing with her. It didn't take long for Pearpaw's, ahem, curiosity to take over, though, and she was soon listening to the bickering intently.

Peachpaw prodded her in the ribs. "It's not nice to eavesdrop," the young molly reminded her sister.

Her sister, however, shrugged it off, "It doesn't count as eavesdropping if they're being this loud. Besides, what else am I supposed to do while we wait? I'm just a little curious, is all."

"Nosy, more like," Peachpaw corrected, grinning playfully.

---

It wasn't long until Mousestar was leading a tom through the ceremony area, the clan parting to let them pass more easily. They made their way to the vantage point and climbed the large oak tree before leaping down onto the rock below it. The tom flicked his tail nervously, sitting down and waiting.

Only moments later, Whiterush was walking towards them with a giant sage wreath hanging from his back and gently tapping against his back legs as he walked. Two cats followed him as he made his way to Mousestar and the other tom. Whiterush sat in front of the other tom, a small, nervous smile settling on his features as he greeted him, "Good evening, Morningdew."

Morningdew smiled in return, the other tom's formal greeting betraying his nervousness. "Whiterush," he purred, settling the other tom's nerves.

A few moments later, the cats that had followed Whiterush to the great rock were raising the wreath over Morningdew's head, encompassing both toms. The sage and dove feathers were expertly woven together; Whiterush had taken the time to ensure that the ends of both the feathers and sage were tucked in neatly to prevent being stuck with them.

"Hmm, very well-made wreath... who did it?" Morningdew asked softly, looked down at the wreath encircling him.

Whiterush smiled, knowing that the other tom was aware of the bonding tradition, "You know that it was me." Morningdew just smiled and gave a little wink in response, his mismatched eyes sparkling.

Mousestar smiled as well, happy to see the small display of affection between the two toms. "The bonding ceremony is a sacred tradition, watched over by the ancestors themselves. It signals the intertwining of two cats' lives, thereby bonding them to each other as long as they both shall exist, in this world or the next," Mousestar began, before adding, "Do both cats agree to the bonding of their lives?"

Whiterush's ears went deaf as he whispered, barely audible, "Y-yes, I-I do."

The small she-cat smiled gently and whispered back, "Louder, for the whole clan to hear."

The tom puffed out his chest and stood taller, repeating, firmly, "Yes, I do."

Morningdew smiled at the display of confidence, and echoed his words, "Yes, I do." The tom smiled, nuzzling the larger tom gently. And, for the rest of the ceremony, the two cats were completely and totally in their own world, oblivious to the words that Mousestar was saying. They weren't important right now - in this moment, the only thing that was important to either tom was the love between them.

They stayed close, nestled together, until the end of the ceremony.

Mousestar dipped a toe in a bowl of berry stained water next to her and spoke, drawing a line across each of their foreheads as she did, "The two of you are now bonded - your paths forever intertwined. May the ancestors bless your journey. Rise as one."

The toms rose, wreath still around them, and faced the clan, looking out over them all as one.

(1251 words)

[Micki.]

Clovercreek, Smokestream


write a scene of your choice


Water calms fire, just as lullabies soothe souls.

Clovercreek? She was fire - mesmerizing and intense - burning strong. She wasn't one to mince words, to hold anything back. Nor was she one to back down from a fight, regardless of who she was up against. Clovercreek was fire, unable to be contained, burning everything she touched.

For all her fire, she was loyal. At least, she'd always considered herself loyal.

Now, though?

Now, looking down at her bloodstained paws?

Now she wasn't so sure.

She was afraid for the first time in her life. What would Brackenstar say? What would he do? And Whiterush, who valued nothing above family? She had committed a heinous, unforgivable crime...

She had murdered her own mother.

But was it truly a surprise? After all, she was fire - burning everything she touched.

---

Clovercreek padded into camp, staring blankly ahead. It wasn't until other cats came rushing towards her that she fully comprehended that she'd made it to camp. Everything felt unreal to her, like some sort of faint dream.

Smokestream was the first to come to her aid, of course. He was always first to come to his sister's aid. "Clover, where are you hurt?" he asked, worry breaking his voice. The she-cat simply shook her head, unable to form words - there was a relentless fog encasing her. Moments later, Clovercreek's body was hitting the ground.

(230 words)

[Micki.]

clovercreek, smokestream, thistlebrook, sorrelpaw, littleleap


write about a patrol - hunting patrol

"What are you doing here, Clovercreek?" a small molly questioned, still practicing her hunting crouch.

The fawn-colored warrior scoffed gently, "Me? What are you doing here, Sorrelpaw?"

"Thistle is on the hunting patrol!" the young apprentice replied, enthusiasm and delight oozing from her words.

Clovercreek winced at the mention of "Thistle," almost as though she'd been struck. She shook her head, scolding herself silently. Sorrelpaw looked up at her, a brow raised in curiosity. Before she had a chance to ask about it, however, Clovercreek was already talking, giving out a warning really, "Don't let him hear you call him 'Thistle' - he'll likely give you a lecture."

"And we both know what a snooze those are!" Sorrelpaw interjected, a playful grin played out on her features. Clovercreek matched the grin with one of her own as she looked down at the younger she-cat, green eyes glimmering mischievously.

"Sorrelpaw, Clovercreek."

The fawn she-cat's stomach started to knot at the sound of Thistlebrook's voice. 'And what a cold greeting,' she thought bitterly, clenching her teeth in an attempt to hide any signs of her true feelings. The tom herded Sorrelpaw off to the side, taking the opportunity to go over a few hunting techniques with her while they waited on the final member of the hunting patrol. Clovercreek watched, scowl firmly planted on her face as she mumbled, mostly to herself, "Very last minute, Thistlebrook. What happened to," she puffed out her chest and imitated the tom as she continued, "If you're not prepared, there's no point in going over it again?" The she-cat scoffed and continued, still in a low mumble, "Getting soft in your old age? Or maybe you're finally wisening up?"

Thistlebrook shot a quick glare at the fawn she-cat, making it obvious that he had heard her, before returning his attention to his apprentice. "Make sure not to put to much weight on one side, and keep your tail low," he crouched down as he spoke, demonstrating an appropriate hunting position one last time. Sorrelpaw mimicked the tom's position, squinting in concentration.

Clovercreek sighed impatiently, tail flicking, "Who else are we waiting on?"

"Dovesong," his voice was even and the glance he gave her was verging on bored. Still, despite no hostility from him, the she-cat's fur bristled. She hissed under her breath and opened her mouth to swear at Thistlebrook, but, before she could manage the words, Smokestream was beside her, nudging her quiet.

"Son!" Thistlebrook smiled at the other tom's presence, mood notably improved.

Smokestream nodded, a light purr in his throat, "Father."

"Why are you here?" Clovercreek hissed, impatient as ever, and annoyed at her brother's display of affection towards Thistlebrook.

The younger of the two toms flashed a bright smile, immune to his sister's thorny personality, "Why, I'm here for the hunting patrol, of course," before continuing, even more cheeky than before, "Dovesong sends his regards."

His father let out a low, half-laugh, clearly thrilled by the news. His sister, on the other hand, let out a hiss and batted at the back of his head. Smokestream let out a small 'oof' as one of the blows made contact, giving Clovercreek a look that clearly said, 'what? I was only trying to help!' Despite the lack of words exchanged, the fawn she-cat knew exactly what the look meant.

"I don't need your help - I can handle one day with him," she hissed, voice low.

Smokestream smiled in return, "Too bad - I'm here."

"Well, if we're all here, what are we standing around for? Lets go," Thistlebrook spoke, taking the first step forward. Clovercreek silently noted his control issues, frowning heavily as she - and the rest of the hunting party - followed him.

---

The group padded through the forest, noses twitching.

"I smell something," Sorrelpaw whispered, more to herself than anyone else, "A rabbit!" Her eyes got big, excitement coursing through her. Only moments later, however, her excitement was dulled by the impact of a paw on her rump. "Hey!" she protested, whipping around to find a scowling Thistlebrook, who smacked her again in response.

"Quiet," the tom hissed, "Or you'll scare all of the prey away!"

"Lay off her!" Clovercreek hissed, rounding on Thistlebrook, "It's only her first hunt!"

"This is none of your business, Clovercreek - she's my apprentice, not yours. How will she ever learn if she isn't corrected?" he countered, eyes narrowed dangerously but voice still even.

She took a step closer, hissing, "Punishment isn't always necessary!"

"How would you know?" Thistlebrook snapped, "Have you ever trained an apprentice? Have you ever raised children?"

The fawn she-cat bared her teeth and took another step forward, hissing mere inches from Thistlebrook's face. Before the fight could go any further, Smokestream pushed between the two cats. He looked at his sister, eyes big, and mumbled, "Clover, please." He hated when his father and sister fought, but more than that, he hated when his sister was hurting. 'And you are still hurting, aren't you, Clover?' he thought, still quietly staring her down with his big green eyes. Her expression remained hard and unchanged, fixed on Thistlebrook, but soon softened when she looked her brother in the eyes.

Clovercreek took a step back and turned away, but managed to get in one last biting remark, "You were never a father to us."

Thistlebrook said nothing, instead turning his back as well. Smokestream sighed, and the three cats stayed there, silent and unmoving, for several moments. 'What a mess family is,' he thought, looking around the area. It was then that he realized Sorrelpaw, who had been unusually quiet during the spat, wasn't there.

"Sorrelpaw is gone," the young tom mumbled.

Clovercreek's ears pricked up at his words. She snapped back around to face the older tom once more, hissing, "See what your punishment has done!"

Smokestream took a step closer to his sister and touched her shoulder with his tail. He looked her in the eyes afterwards, until she was noticeably calmer. The young tom then gave her a final look that read 'tsk tsk' before speaking, "Now, I think we should search-"

"Absolutely not," Thistlebrook interrupted, "If she ran off, she can find her way back to camp by herself." His words elicited more anger from Clovercreek. She hissed, eyes narrowing, but before she could say anything, Smokestream was talking over her, "Well, Father, you can go back to camp. Me and Clover will look for her."

Then a small voice came from behind the bushes, somewhat muffled, "Look for who?" Sorrelpaw emerged from the bushes, mouse hanging from her jaws and brow raised in curiosity. She beamed, clearly thrilled by her catch.

The fawn she-cat greeted the young molly with a smile, "Sorrelpaw, I'm glad to see-"

However, her words were cut off by Thistlebrook, "See? She's fine. Though she ought to have caught a rabbit instead of a measly mouse."

Clovercreek hissed under her breath, swearing at the tom in her mind. Her brother was quick to calm her, though, tail flicking over her shoulder. She turned and started walking back towards camp without waiting for the others. Smokestream followed, nudging Sorrelpaw to come with him, while Thistlebrook remained.

As they walked, Smokestream turned his attention to Sorrelpaw, who no longer beamed at her catch - rather, she looked quite sad now. The young tom smiled gently, "It's quite something for your first catch, Sorrel."

The small apprentice scoffed, "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not - honest," he countered.

She raised a brow at him suspiciously, "On the ancestors?"

Smokestream let out a small half-chuckle as he nodded, "On the ancestors."

The young molly perked up at his words, her steps now bouncy and light once more, "You really think so?"

A deep, bellowing laugh rumbled from his chest, "Absolutely! Much better than my first hunt."

"Really?" Sorrelpaw's ears pricked forward, intrigued, as she continued, "What happened?"

"Well, for starters, I didn't catch anything," Smokestream let out another chuckle, "And, on top of that, I nearly broke my paw going after a rabbit."

The molly let out a gasp, eyes wide, "Really?"

"I swear - on the ancestors!"

"I'm glad I didn't go after a rabbit then," she replied. Smokestream laughed once more, ruffling Sorrelpaw's fur gently as the camp entered their sights.

(1377 words)