Chaosclan Writing Thread

[Kazin]

--Someone finally notices that Pearlpaw hasn't started any official training yet. Turns out, the apprentice has been watching each training session, though has never had a mentor. Apologizing profusely, Foxstar takes her own for her own apprentice, allowing Pearlpaw to forgo learning stealth since it seems she has already been stealthy enough to simply watch rather than be noticed. She still feels terrible. Parsnippaw sidles over to Pearlpaw, not that far behind Pearlpaw in age or that far ahead in training, cracking the joke that it's the curse of the short legs. Pearlpaw is entered into Foxglovepaw and Parsnippaw's friendship, and Foxglovepaw's heart grows fonder for the friends she has found.
--Wasppaw bonds with Turkeypaw, though there is still a hole in her heart that cannot be filled. She likes Turkeypaw, but it isn't the same as having Foxglovepaw around. Yet, the young apprentice is too proud to admit that she misses Foxglovepaw, at laest so far. She can't admit she was in the wrong. Not yet.
--Foxstar and Koalafoot easily make the decision to adopt Redkit, a small kit found on patrol. Their hearts are full as they are proud of Coyotetail for becoming a warrior, and have a new kit to look after. Not long after, three more kits are found just outside the territory lines, their parents' scents stale. Foxstar makes haste to bring them back to camp, setting them down next to Redkit and taking care of them through many sleepless nights until it is apparent that they will survive. Koalafoot's eyes glitter with an answer, smiling, before Foxstar can even ask the question. Mousekit, Charcoalkit, and Rosekit are welcomed into ChaosClan as a part of Foxstar and Koalafoot's fast growing family.
--Four apprentices find themselves on ChaosClan territory, having left their own clan after their training had come to a standstill and they wanted to find somewhere else to go, or live on their own if they had to. The bustling apprentice den and training sessions intrigued the young cats, and they were quick to ask for a spot in ChaosClan. Kestrelpaw, Dovepaw, Chickadeepaw, and Bramblingpaw are welcomed, and Hedgehogpaw and Marblepaw take it upon themselves to personally welcome the sisters into the clan and befriend them.

[Kazin]

--A look into the life of Swiftpaw, a loner abandoned by their family despite their young age. They are alone for a harsh moon, hardening into a tough little cat who refuses to give up. In a harsh world, they learned that they have to be harsher and make the first move. They call themselves Swift, self-named for their moral in life to strike first, act first, and be the best first rather than sitting around waiting for their life to have meaning or make sense. When they attack Silverstar, they never dreamed that they would be entering the life of a clan with over a hundred other cats - yet, this young cat is not going to let themself fail. They are strong. They are determined. They are fearless.
--Life doesn't make much sense anymore - not to the nameless cat who catches glimpses of his past through a haze. There are a lot of good memories to be had, and he goes about his life with a smile. "What's your name?" He hears a youngster ask. With a serene smile, he knows it must be one of his grandkits. "Silly kit," he answers in a rumbling purr. "Lion - your father is Tiger, my son. Aren't you Tiger?" Lion turns to Lakefeather, who winces as he turns with a pleading look towards the rest of the elders. "Look after him, won't you?" The young scout asks softly, another wave of sympathy washing over the tom as he watches Lion hum to himself and make a nest for his 'grandkit;' Hedgehogpaw gives Lion a flick of his tail, not wanting to tell the elder that he isn't his grandkit at all. In a better part of Lion's day, a more coherent part, he accepts joining the ranks of ChaosClan's elders with the name Lionrumble, his deep and roaring purr already a favorite for the young apprentices and kits, who seem to be magnetized towards the tom for his knack of stories... none of them seem to mind being confused for his grandkits either.
--Lunawish takes one look at Goldfishglow's fear and suddenly a rush of protection, of determination to do what's right, washes over her. When Silverstar and Foxstar are ready to create a plan to drive out the fox, Lunawish stands and offers her own suggestion, earning her an admiring glance from Goldfishglow. While the she-cat is normally passive and wants others to take the lead, she feels the need to follow her suggestion through. Somehow, she can't help but feel proud at Goldfishglow's praise for her plan, her heart feeling elated.

[Kazin]

--Introductions to Fireflicker's (heartbreak, makes them a bit prickly now because they feel abandoned... as we get a look into their life, we see the prickle they produce on the outside is a defense mechanism, not wanting to trust too easily, afraid of giving love to the wrong cat again), Minnowshadow's (shyness and nervousness rule his life a bit more than he'd like to admit, but he has a lot of love to give and enjoys being around the large clan, even if he just observes and listens rather than contributing for the first bit), and Tarragonmuzzle's (he was tired of living alone. He was suited for clan life, he always knew that, and it broke his spirit when his clan disbanded. When he scented markers, he thought it might be another rogue group - his broken spirit finally lifting when he saw a patrol, so unusual for the rogue groups to have; it had to be a clan! When he heard "Foxstar" he knew he had found the right place, and thanked the StarClan that he believed in for bringing him here) lives.
--Foxglovepaw gets to know Turkeypaw as they spend a moon in the healer's den recovering. She ignores him at first, much to the disappointment of her mentors, and their disappointment is enough to get her to begrudgingly talk to the other apprentice. Eventually, she learns that Wasppaw, while she is Turkeypaw's friend, always steals glances at the medicine den. Sometimes, Turkeypaw says, Wasppaw will start talking about how she knows the clan is in good paws in the healer's den. When Pearlpaw and Parsnippaw come over to say hello to Foxglovepaw after their training is done for the day, giving a friendly nod towards Turkeypaw, they light-heartedly tell Turkeypaw that Foxglovepaw shares the same sentiment about the apprentices in training. Foxglovepaw frowns, but she is starting to loosen up. She does miss Wasppaw more than she cares to admit out loud to her friends, and she doesn't want to hold this grudge forever...
--A flashback to Atlasrain's life, his ceremony celebrating his life, and his introduction into The Fallen. He is a treasured cat who will be missed, such a steady presence among the clan. All of the apprentices knew they could rely on his softspoken advice. The warriors did their best to protect him, knowing that he always did his best to keep the clan safe at the expense of his own safety. The Fallen cats that came before him welcome him as an old friend.

[Kazin]

--Orbweaver's past -- their best friend and Barley, and how Orbweaver fits into the equation. Their best friend, a gentle soul named Speckle, a more outgoing and social, charismatic version of Orbweaver themself. The two cats meshed perfectly, Orbweaver always afraid to speak their true feelings to their best friend, devastated when Speckle died and they never even got the chance. They vowed to look after Barley like he was their own kit. As they meet ChaosClan cats, Orbweaver has to do a double take when they swear they can see the vague outline of Speckle behin some of the cats, nodding sadly as she watches Barley and Orbweaver get accepted into the large clan. With a heavy heart, finally allowing themself to feel grief instead of a fierce protectiveness of Barley, Orbweaver grieves, dreaming of Speckle and all of the things they never got to say... Faintly, as they wake up in the dawn light in their new home, a voice whispers on the wind - "I will always love you, Orbweaver."
--Foxglovepaw receives the first vision from The Fallen in a long while - she keeps it to herself for now, the vision terrifying her, and she herself is unsure what to even say to her mentors. Surely The Fallen would have told a more senior cat if they wanted action taken? Orange eyes, red eyes, glowing eyes stare down Foxglovepaw in her dreams, making her shiver even in the daylight. Something terrible lurks in the darkness, she knows it...
--Swiftpaw dreams from The Fallen, though they have no idea that it is a vision at all. Sounds fill their ears, in their sleep, in the daytime. Silverstar sees the young cat's restlessness, pulling them aside and asking what's wrong. Swiftpaw tilts their head, unsure of how to even begin deciphering what they're hearing day in and day out. The cat opts for what he believes - they're having nightmares about their past, unaware that something even more deadly lurks in the darkness.

[Kazin]

--Another apprentice joins the vision world, though none are aware of each other just yet. Hedgehogpaw and Finchpaw start jumping at every sound, unwilling to train after dusk. Their mentors roll their eyes, wondering if the apprentices have been having late night excursions that are making them restless during the day. Foxglovepaw takes notice first of the others becoming more jumpy at the darkness, and she feels a deep chill that she can't quite explain reach her paws. Is there something that she is being told, and can't figure out? Distracted by her upcoming naming ceremony, Foxglovepaw shakes her head. Must be the heat, she tries to convince herself, watching Swiftpaw, Hedgehogpaw, and Finchpaw from afar, trying to block out the rising suspicion she has... Apprentices don't receive prophecies or warnings. That wouldn't make any sense...
--Swiftpaw can't ignore the terror they're feeling at night, the dream relentlessly causing them to mess up their training. They try to talk to Silverstar, but the leader gives his apprentice a sympathetic talk about how past burdens can stick with a cat for a long time. An emotion of loss crosses the leader's face, and Swiftpaw knows that Silverstar has his own battles to fight, but doesn't quite understand what Swiftpaw's are. They know that this has nothing to do with their past, and everything to do with ChaosClan's future. Somehow, they can sense it. Watching Foxglovepaw keep her steady gaze on them, Swiftpaw makes a snap decision to confront the healer apprentice - "you've been having these dreams too, haven't you?" Caught off guard by their forwardness, Foxglovepaw stares in shock before nodding. ChaosClan has to be in danger, and she now realizes she needs to confront Hedgehogpaw and Finchpaw too. Maybe she'll need all the help she can get, but will the adult cats listen?
--The loss of Thistlepath, so soon after the loss of Atlasrain, hangs heavy in the air. The camp is subdued, realizing that as the clan grows, the clan will start to lose more of its founding members. As the same happened for Atlasrain, the clan holds a night long celebration of Thistlepath's life - those closest to him sharing all their favorite memories of the courageous cat, one of the first kits born in the clan. Kiwituft puts on a brave face, but can't shake the feeling that he lost a piece of him too when Thistlepath passed. He holds his kits close that night, Avocadostream and Limetail pressing their pelts into their father's side. Family was an important part of the clan.

[Kazin]

--There seems to be an influx of kits in the territory... What seems like a coincidence to many warriors, is becoming alarming for Silverstar. He shares his suspicions that something is going wrong out there, somewhere, which a small group. Unfortunately for him, Swiftpaw overheard on their way to get fresh air from their den, unable to sleep once again. They froze at Silverstar's words, the worry in his voice, the way his words sounded... was there something out there? Did their dreams actually mean something? Somehow, were this kits not abandoned, but losing their parents in terrible attacks?
--Foxglovepaw glows with pride when she finally goes to receive her full name. Yet, something sparks in the back of her mind that there is something that she cannot celebrate yet. Something is out there. Ominous words echo around her, a warning from The Fallen about what is to come. Fangs, glowing eyes, snarls... Foxglovepaw awakes as Foxglovesnap, a full healer, though the fire that burns inside her with pride is quickly snuffed out by the icy grip of fear that grabs her chest. Her clan is in terrible danger, and she needs to warn anyone who will listen.
--Wasppaw turns her back on Foxglovesnap when she comes back with her full name, unwilling to accept that she has to wait to receive her own full name, thinking Foxglovesnap will gloat or give her a haughty look. Yet, the opposite happens - when the sisters finally make eye contact, Wasppaw sees nothing but fear trapped behind her sister's eyes, so much so that it takes Wasppaw's breath away. What happened?
--More apprentices and newly made warriors are receiving the visions from The Fallen -- Foxglovesnap, Swiftpaw, Hedgehogspark, and Finchpaw are joined by Wolfhowl, Eveningmist, Bramblingpaw, Wrenpaw, Redpaw, and Icepaw. The Fallen gathers them all at Moonhigh on the full moon, giving them their next step. They must work together to get the clan to understand that this threat is very real, and it will destroy them if they aren't careful. Deciding to tell their mentors to start with, and the few newly made warriors agreeing to split up and talk to Lichendust, Quartzheart, and Silverstar to start with. They had to understand the threat, and they had to make a plan now, before anything bad was going to happen.

[Kazin]

--Icy fear grips the leadership of the clan - at least everyone but Lichendust and Foxglovesnap. We have to leave, they whisper, shivering as they remember the disaster that was trying to fight the alligators in their swamp. We can't stay here. We aren't safe. The fear begins to spread throughout the clan, the other cats noticing the frightened looks that a lot of cats are giving. Yet, there are warriors that rise against the fear rather than succumbing to it, seeking out to counsel those that Silverstar and Foxstar turned away, stating that this was a warning to leave rather than to fight. Some more warriors join the forces of the apprentices and young warriors - for now, Laurelbreeze, Rainspark, Walnutshell, Frostpuddle, Sweetchirp, Lakefeather, Squirrelheart, and Parsnipstomp are agreeing that they simply can't just turn their back and run. They have to fight.
--Though the cats are forming a plan, a wrench comes along when the first casualty of the unknown threat claims its first victims. Larkember and Hyenamuzzle, gone out on a late night excursion when they couldn't sleep, were found killed. The teeth marks were unmistakably canine, and the threat grew impossibly larger as the whispers spread like wildfire throughout the camp, hardening the fortitude of some, but mostly confirming the thought that ChaosClan had to leave. Now.
--Foxglovesnap is the one to come up with the crazy plan. If the small group willing to fight can get rid of the threat, the clan can stay. Together, she and the others start slipping away to strategize a plan, knowing that Silverstar and Foxstar would never agree to it, remaining in secret for now. They would not let their territory be claimed so easily, not when it seemed even The Fallen was asking them to fight rather than flee. There were too many lives outside ChaosClan that would be effected by this threat if they left - too many lives that would be shaken up as so many they've taken in recently already have been.

[Kazin]

--As the moons go on, more cats join the fighters rather than choose to flee. Though they try to maintain leadership in the clan, Silverstar and Foxstar eventually give in to the thoughts of the majority of the clan. They will stay, and they will fight - though it is known that the fight is going to be hard, and there will be loss. In the night, the pack starts howling - never close enough, not yet, to cause physical damage, but the chilling fear gripping the clan is enough.
--The cats start training in more attack and defense, even giving the kits some practice with their claws, just defensively. Brambles and thorns are taken to reinforce the camp, protecting the entrances to each den. No one grumbles about the changes, though plenty more cats are going to the healers for thorns in their paws or pelts. Guards at night are doubled, patrols now being sent out at all times of the day.
--Foxglovesnap, Hedgehogspark, Finchpaw, and Swiftpaw are at the heart of the planning as the ones that have received the most visions regarding the pack. The visions are still to haunting for the cats to be able to decipher well, but they vow to work together to figure things out as best they can, no matter how scared they might be.
--Gilavenom's friend from the nearby Twoleg barns comes to join ChaosClan; Bitternclaw has heard the howls at night, and couldn't stand not knowing anymore if Gilavenom was ok. With Shrikemist and Azaleasong entering the clan as well, each with their own fear packaged behind their eyes as the threat loomed, ChaosClan's preparations became hastier.

[Kazin]

--Swiftpaw and Finchpaw share a vision, the glowing eyes that lurked in the darkness revealing a wolf-like creature with large fangs, bristling fur, and huge paws. The sheer size of the canine was daunting, let alone the teeth and claws. But now, knowing what they were up against, the clan could start preparing more. Get smaller, hide more, go where they couldn't reach... The cats were going to have to rely on their numbers and their agility rather than their strength.
--The first attack comes mere days after Swiftpaw's and Finchpaw's vision, the wolves attacking the training grounds during an extra session. Though it was just the warriors training, and many of the clan are thankful the apprentices remain safe, many warrior's lives are lost from the attack. Foxstar is in critical condition from her wounds, on her last life.
--Silverstar takes sole leadership of the clan for the timebeing, not only creating more training times but also posting sentries for patrols, training sessions, and herb gathering times. At least two cats at all times, no matter where anyone is, will have the task of keeping their eyes and ears on the lookout for attacks.