╶ avianclan, the story

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𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬xx𝐨𝐟xx𝐚xx𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫xx𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤xx𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫xx!!
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population;; 005
serving amt; 002
moonstone; n/a
word word word wor.
welcome to my archi
ve, please dont post!

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the birds sing full and proud, vibrant and lively. their songs pushing you through the long grass, singing you towards the forest edge,
pushing you into the avian. their songs welcoming you into a home you'd never known you needed, into the welcoming embrace you
never knew you'd wished for so dearly. yet here you are, now sitting on a stone over a tumultuous river, hearing only the songbirds.

[mellifluous,]

𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 the cats of avianclan have a reputation of being free-spirited and open-minded while having a deeply rooted obsession for their avian prey. while the clan will often attend gatherings and participate in the fanfare, they can often be seen as stand-offish and slightly snobby as the guardians will turn the nose up towards others and see themselves as slightly more holy given their clan's myths and traditions. in general, however, the chief and healer of avianclan will attempt at keeping peace with other clans and will try to maintain a positive reputation no matter the actions of their fellow clan members.

𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 like their beloved birds avianclan can be found within the trees. the cats flourished within the forest they call home. catching small mice in the rolling hills, jumping from tree to tree, listening to the songbirds as they awoke each morning. the cats found their small share of star-pelt on the dirt. the cats are incredibly loving of their home often refusing to hunt within certain areas, which lead them to a strange hunting pattern to keep all cats happy and to optimize their territory. the cats tend to eat smaller prey as they are the ones to grow back in numbers quite quickly giving more prey, occasionally, however, the cats will chase down larger prey that will last them much longer. the cats will also go on a diet of small fish from time to time, as they'll dig up frogs and small minnows from the small river crossing through their westernmost border and pushing water down south. the clan camp itself is found near the center of the territory. just outside of the camp a large tree with an old fox den sits where the healer makes their home, within the camp the cats don't have much for dens. the chief, second-wing, guardians, and trainees make themselves comfortable within the trees, either sleeping on branches or taking the old homes of other birds. queens, kits, and elders will either then have two options as they stick to the ground. elders will often elect for the first option, sleeping in nests sat at the base of the trees created by the clan or dropped from trees above. while queens and their kits will often take the second which is an old fox den burrowed beneath a rock at the base of a largely rooted tree. the inner dens are often kept warm and are filled with moss and leaves in order to give the queens, kits, and elders the comforts of a tree while sleeping beneath one.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 the cats of avianclan have a range of personalities causing an interesting clan dynamic as all cats alike are welcomed to the clan. it is often that the cats will be open-minded and welcoming but the clan reasonably has its fair-share of guarded and cruel cats. the clan tends to epitomize the cats who are the most charismatic and although this can lead to dangerous situations it shows how much trust and faith they have in one another as well as in star-pelt. the cats will often welcome charismatic cats into higher positions given they're often the most amicable and are more likely to welcome peace with other clans and work towards unity.

𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐊𝐒 avianclan follows the ranking system of its fellow clans closely, only renaming a few of the ranks and giving more requirements to certain clan ranks.
xthe leader is called the chief within avian, and alike other clans the chief has nine lives which were given to them by eight cats from their past and the former clan leader. additionally, new chiefs in order to gain their lives must take a hunt and gather a bird. this bird is not to be eaten and will only be used for ceremonial purposes as the chief will pluck nine of the bird's feathers representing their new nine lives before tossing them into the river along with the bird's carcass, the river represents growth to avianclan so sending their lives away down river represents a tiding of charity and good-luck for years to come making it an important ceremony to the clan.
xthe deputy is called second-wing. this is again, in reference to the avian nature of the clan. second-wing is often picked by the chief, healer, and the eldest elder. these cats often choose as they're often thought of being the closest to star-pelt so their decisions would be most agreeable. second-wings are given much of the same jobs as deputies over-seeing clan when the chief can't and taking control of patrols. the second-wing, however, is also responsible of ensuring that traditions are kept, with the belief that the second-wing will soon be chief if they don't enforce or even follow tradition it is thought of as a bad omen and often results in the second-wing losing their title.
xthe medicine cat is shortened to healer in avianclan. these cats are pretty much the same with only minor adjustments. healers in avianclan are to keep themselves distanced from other cats, having their den just outside of the camp and not taking mate or having kits. while this is often misunderstood by cats from outside of avian the thinking is that star-pelt granted them the eye of an avian and if they're often surrounded by other cats they will see their gift slowly be taken away and become the eye of a cat once more. thus leaving the healer to themselves most often and seeing cats only when they're harmed or upon the introduction and graduation of a new healer trainee.
xwarriors are called guardians in avian. guardians have much the same role as their warrior counterpart and don't often see the main difference between them, which is that a guardian does not just fight to protect the clan but also their avian brethren. the clan sees a holy significance within all birds and will try to limit the number of birds they consume as well as protecting any and all birds from being killed by cats outside of the clan as they're not seen as respecting the birds enough to truly allow the killing. but for the most part, the guardians don't exercise their additional role within the clan as they often don't associate with other clans and don't see their killing practices with birds.
xapprentices become trainees. these two cats are virtually the same as each are in preparation of becoming a guardian or one lucky trainee prepping to be a healer. the trainees of avian, however, do see special moments within their training that other clans don't give. a trainee is needed to pass a traditions test before they can begin their regular training. the test consists of their guardian briefly quizzing them on clan traditions before being taken to the moonstone where the cats will sit for as long as necessary for the trainee to hear the song of the birds who live within their territory. upon hearing the birds song it is thought that star-pelt is granting the cat passage within the clan and is speaking to the cat in a language the clan doesn't quite comprehend but hears all the same. following their song-sitting the trainee must be trained into five skills at least, being; climbing, hunting, fighting, defending, and agility. these skills are each special in their own way
xqueens do not see any changes from avianclan. they, however, are expected to kit at moonstone in order for the ancestors of star-pelt to whisper into the mother's ear and tell her the names and futures of her kits. this expectation is, however, often overlooked and queens will often kit within the healer's den and later ask star-pelt for guidance with the naming of her kits by taking them to moonstone and doing a song-sitting. after the birth of their kits queens are then given six moons of rest before they must return to their guardianship.
xkits of avianclan are called hatchlings. they again don't see much change in their role within the clan and hatchlings will often play around the camp, the one major difference, however, is that queens are to teach their hatchlings of clan traditions in preparation of their traditions test upon becoming a trainee.
xelders are the clans elderly and often thought to be close to star-pelt like the healers and chief. they will on occasion help the healer with herb gatherings but will primarily aid in the raising of kits if they're capable of such. these cats don't often go far from camp in order to keep them safe and to keep their connection to star-pelt, should they pass, strong.

[mellifluous,]

clan families & deaths

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mentors & apprentices list [ w/ skills ]

[mellifluous,]

ill code this later but for now
herb inventory:: - x1 catmint -- use greencough & whitecough
herb inventory:: - x1 bindweed -- use mend broken bones w/ sticks
herb inventory:: - x1 borage -- produce milk, aids fevers, bellies, & chest pain
herb inventory:: - x2 burnet -- use give strength, good for queens
herb inventory:: - x1 mallow -- soothe bellyache
herb inventory:: - x1 goatweed -- eases grief

[mellifluous,]

clan associations [ allies / enemies / borders ]

[mellifluous,]

𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒

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xthe tom slowly crawled through the forest, making sure to track every little noise and movement. it wasn't long before he came across a strange looking stone jutting out over the small river that coursed through the forest in which he sat. puffin sniffed it curiously before deciding to sit upon it. he'd traveled for a long time and sitting upon that rocks cold surface letting the gentle wind ruffle his fur as the river lightly misted him. all seemed peaceful and quiet for a moment. it seemed as though nature had stopped to just listen and watch the moment that was beginning to unfold before its very eyes. then, before the quiet became noticable to the cat, a single songbird let out a quiet symphony and a cat purred to life beside the tom.
x"puffinstar, we've been awaiting you." the cat smiled softly at the tom. puffin looked at the cat in shock having not seen or heard their entrance and couldn't smell them even as they sat beside him. "don't fright my chief," the cat purred as their tail flicked to the side in amusement.
x"puffinstar? chief?" puffin finally stumbled, his eyes narrowed as he peered closer at the cat. they were quite curious, a dark coat like the night that seemed to gleam every now and then like the night sky itself. the cat could see puffin's confusion and curiosity and simply stood and gently pressed their head to puffins own and softly blew on his face.
x"awaken great puffinstar." the cat murmured softly to puffin. without knowing it puffin's eyes softly closed and he could see everything the cat knew, hear everything the cat had done, and knew exactly what the cat was setting him out to do. "we will help you on your great quest my chief, but first you must see and forgive your past and then we will let avian take flight." puffin nodded knowing what was to happen but not expecting to see it all the same. as puffin slowly opened his eyes he was greeted by eight familiar faces in front of him, hovering over the river slightly. the cat from before sat beside him nodding to the first familiar face to begin.

x"my sweet puffin," he heard the voice say softly but did not see the cats mouth move. he knew his mother's voice well and could not help but smile at hearing her speak once more. "i wish for you to forgive me for letting you go to the two-legs for letting them abandon you on that thunderpath. i'm so sorry my puffin." the mother purred her voice dripping with sorrow but her face stone cold and motionless. puffinstar didn't need to see his mothers face move to forgive her though he sweetly smiled at her and said the four words that she needed; "i love you, mama." upon saying such her face finally gave and softly smiled before her figure dissipated into a feather and gently landed in the river below floating away downstream.
xthe second figure began quietly, "i'm sorry my puffin." the she-cat stated, the face showing no emotion but the voice giving all the emotion neccesary. "i should have been the mate you deserved, we were both just so young." she continued he could hear the gentle sob in her voice as he remembered the time he'd spent with her, the love he'd had for her. "i should never have left you that night, i only wish for you to forgive me." he could hear her sobbing now but the face stayed expressionless not even a tear left the she-cat's eyes. puffinstar felt her guilt and pain and nodded softly at the cat, "i forgive you." and like his mother before the she-cat gave an apologetic smile before dissipating into a feather and floating to the river below where it floated away downstream.
xthe figures continued one by one asking for forgiveness before dissipating and floating away. and after each cat puffinstar felt himself feel light, felt his sorrows and pain from the past float away with the feathers downstream. soon the last feather dropped and disappeared from view and the black cat beside him moved from their place stepping before him like the other cats had done, hovering over the stream. "we have witnessed your great charity with our own eyes, my great chief. and we ask for one last forgiveness." the cat purred their voice faltering slightly but their expression still and gleaming with pride. the cats fur transformed to the coat he knew all to well. one he'd looked at with hatred and despise for years. one that had followed him each and everyday and had seen all his pain and suffering. puffinstar looked at the reflection of himself.
x"my puffinstar, i know you hate me more than any of the other cats you'd seen before you." puffin muttered their face still gleaming with the pride of the previous cat but their voice full of deep sorrow and regret. "you have every right to walk away and turn me away, but i plead for you forgiveness. i plead you mercy. i plead to you to let me wash away with the others, let me become just another face you've seen and forgave on this morning." the cat said, puffinstar could feel all of those sorrows he'd washed away only moments ago resurface, all his feelings of anger and regret come into a single being of their own kind. and it stood before him, asking for forgiveness. "for you and i are not the same anymore. i am a mere puffin and you are the great chief, puffinstar of the avian." the cat sang softly letting all of the cards lay before puffinstar. "i hold nothing above you, my chief, and i ask for your forgiveness." puffinstar looked at the cat his face stonecold before finally letting a tear escape and lightly muttering the words he himself longed to hear so much, "i forgive you puffin." he heard his voice say, and he saw the cat before him whisper it back to puffinstar. then like all the cats before him puffin became the feather, filled with regrets and angers of times past and floating downstream to join the others.

xhe sat quietly listening, waiting. the birds singing softly overhead their joyous songs relieving the pain and sorrow that puffinstar had just heard and witnessed. he closed his eyes softly and breathed in the fresh morning air as the birds continued to sing softly letting the happiness of life breathe into his body and fill the void the cats had just left him with. then quietly he heard the purr of a cat coming to life once again.
x"you've proven yourself worthy of our time and effort, my puffinstar." the black shimmering cat from before purred into his ears. their tail gently caressing puffinstar's own fur. "what is it that you need our aid for?" the cat whispered gently. puffinstar thought carefully reflecting on the knowledge the cat had given him for his quest before opening his maw. but no words came out and the black cat nodded in reflection all the same. "we will find you a cat, now go my chief. find yourself a meal and check avian's borders. waste not anymore time with us." the cat smiled before dissipating. it, however, left no trace behind. and with the cats dissapearance puffinstar heard the soft singing slowly quiet and in its place the river erupted to life warbling like the birds but singing no familiar tune.
xpuffinstar watched the river curiously before standing and leaving the stone, knowing its name now as he left it. moonstone.


moonstone request puffinstar requests a guardian xx border patrol puffinstar surveys xx hunting patrol puffinstar hunts xx

[mellifluous,]

xpuffin padded into the old fox den they had turned into a den for the small kit. her bright blue eyes were the only thing the young chief could see as the kit hid herself deep within the den. the small black body still shivering with fear as the tom drew nearer. he stopped himself when he could make out the outline of her face, lying himself down and staring into her eyes. she had yet to say a word since he'd rescued her, opting instead for small mews and an occasional purr.
x"you don't have to talk to me, hatchling," he told her softly, trying to pour his heart into every word he said. "i just want to tell you a story." he could see her left ear twitch at the word story, perhaps her mother had done so before. he gave a soft smile and set his head on the ground, visibly relaxing before the kit to help calm her. "there once was a little birdling, whose nest was sat atop the tallest tree in the entire woods..." his story began.

xxx────

xthe little birdling sat in his nest with his siblings, waiting for their mother's return each evening. one day, however, a monster appeared and snatched the birdling from its nest. it left the birdlings siblings be and carried the single bird away from its nest. the monster dumped the bird in the middle of the forest before speeding away without a second thought. confused and scared the young birdling hid in bushes and trees as it tried to find its way back to the nest. the bird met many strange creatures on its journey. from a yapping dog who wanted only to play to the mischievous fox who lured the bird away from its quest to a gentle beast that mothered the bird for a short while. it took many moons of wandering around the forest, meeting many foes, and many friends until the bird met another young bird. lost and abandoned the two fell in love, spending every moment together, creating a nest of their own in the woods. the birdling thought he had finally found his own nest, he thought he no longer needed the security of his mother and he grew comfortable. that was until one night, the young bird he had fallen in love with abandoned him too.
xthe young birdling thought his life was over at that point. he had lost everything he had ever loved and he had nothing left. it took many, many more moons of wandering life now filled with numerous foes trying to bring the birdling down further.

xpuffin paused briefly in his story to clean his front paw. at this pause the young kit watched him curiously. "that's not the end it it?" her first words. he looked up at her with pride swelling in his heart. the kit moved closer to him cautiously. "the birdling hasn't gotten his happy ending yet, what's the ending?" the kit mewed as she now stood a kitten step away from puffin. he gave her a soft, sad smile before sitting back on his hind legs.
x"of course not," puffin said coyly as he move toward the den's entrance. he walked slowly allowing the kit to trail him at a comfortable pace. puffin nodded toward sparrow as the two cats exited the camp and moved toward the river. "now where was i?" he whispered playfully before beginning again.

xone fateful morning, exhausted and battered the birdling stumbled across a river. he had traveled long and far, had eaten a handful of seeds and berries on his travels but not nearly enough to appease his stomach. when he saw the river he landed on a small rock overlooking it. the birdling sat there on the rock for ages resting his wings and listening to the warped song of the babbling brooks. it was then he heard it. a small, familiar song not that far away from his resting place. the bird's eyes flew open, his body suddenly rejuvenated with the hope it gave him. and the bird found his home. but his mother was nowhere to be found and neither were his siblings, nor his mother's nest. it was not his tree, it was not even his woods. but he knew deep with his soul that he had come home. he would need to fill it with life and love, but it was the place he had been unknowingly searching for. it had been calling for him to return, and he knew from the songs that filled the air that he was exactly where he needed to be.

xpuffin turned to the young kit. they were now sitting at the moonstone he had stumbled across only a paw-full of sunrises before. the kit watched the river intently, her eyes open but the images of the world were not registering. puffin watched her for a touch longer when a single bird deep in the forest sang a short melody. the kit's ears swiveled toward the noise as her eyes stayed on the river a beat longer.
x"i understand now." she whispered cryptically before returning puffin's stare. "i understand." she repeated herself. puffin smiled at her and softly pressed his face to hers. a peaceful air surrounding the two as they listened to the songs of surrounding birds begin to grow louder and louder. it wasn't until sparrow cleared his throat that the two cats came back to reality.
x"i'm sorry to interrupt chief, but it would be best if we got the kit back to camp." he spoke softly, his voice kind and apologetic as he broke the moment. puffin looked to the kit and nodded, softly licking her forehead before leading the trio back camp. as they walked he could hear the kit whisper so softly he almost didn't catch it.
x"batkit." the name filled the tom with joy as he had gained the kits trust. he looked over to sparrow who gave a small smile to show that he had heard the kit.

xupon returning to camp batkit walked to her den, settling on the small moss bed sat near the entrance. sparrow followed her curiously, sitting next to her bed and whispering a soft thank you and goodnight. the older tomcat then returned to puffin with a sad smile. "the kit needs a real mother, she can't go on with two tomcats trying their best to fill in the holes her mother left." puffin turned his eyes back to batkit who now appeared to be sleeping soundly, it was something he'd yet to see her do. it was another of her firsts.
x"you watch the kit, i'll be back." puffin told sparrow as he wandered back to the moonstone, glancing back to see the older tomcat heading toward the small den.

xwhen puffin arrived back at the moonstone the sun was peeking over the edge of the hills, it would be dark soon. puffin quietly sat on the moonstone and waited for the telltale song. when the small melody finally found its way to his ears he knew what he would find once opening his eyes. "you're back already great chief?" the silvery black cat purred as they circled puffin slowly, their tail caressing puffin's face for a beat. puffin watched as the cat sat once more at the edge of the rock, the sun's rays shining not on but through the strange cat. "tell me, do you at least know my name now?" the cat toyed.
xpuffin fixed the cat with a confused look, "sparrow calls you ward." the cat gave a mischievous smile at the name. "he is my favorite, that's why i sent him of course." the cat continued. "is he a faithful servant?" the cat chirped their tail flicking with amusement. puffin thought for a moment before agreeing that sparrow had served well so far. "that is good." the cat replied quickly looking deep into puffin's eyes their right ear twitching slight before the cat hummed a question. "and the hatchling, how is she?"
x"sparrow and i think the kit needs a mother." puffin breathed, thinking of his own kithood of how he had lacked a mother when he was bat's age. it was something he wanted no other kit to feel. ward nodded slowly, their tail curling around their front paws as they sat across from puffin. "a mother." they repeated softly. "i will see to it. in the meantime you must focus on caring for the clan." ward told him softly, a smile splattered across their face.
xpuffin nodded returning to his feet, quickly padding back to camp. when he briefly looked back to see if ward remained he saw not a cat but a small black crow sat atop the moonstone, its head tilted slightly before springing from the rock and taking flight. puffin shook his head and continued back to camp. there he found the older tom now spread out across the moss bed as bat nuzzled into his stomach. with a soft smile, puffin moved closer, settling on top of the rock that covered the den entrance. it didn't take long before darkness overtook his vision and he drifted into a state of dreaming.

tipmoonstone request puffinstar requests a queen xx border patrol puffinstar and sparrowfoot survey xx hunting patrol puffinstar and sparrowfoot hunt

[mellifluous,]

xxthe small mud-colored tabby watched the other cats wander around the camp restlessly. his eyes quick to dart to the sky every now and then, his mind playing tricks on him as the leaves shifted with the wind. puffin had asked bat and loonflower to leave the den empty and give mudtail ( as they had affectionately named him ) space. sparrow and puffin had spent the better part of the day creating a small spot for loon and bat to sleep while sparrow and puffin took turns watching the camp.
xpuffin thought back on the strange encounter that led them to mudtail with curiosity...

xsparrow diligently sniffed the air, they had been trailing a small creature for many treelengths along their border. when they came upon the large prickle bush the two cats stopped. they took one long look at each other speaking silently with the swish of their tails before turning in opposite directions. puffin walked a fox length or two before he heard a small voice. "sparrow," he called out once as he quickly moved toward the voice. the older tomcat was at his side within seconds his ears at attention and his nose searching the air. "it is over here, i heard it." puffin said quickly before moving closer to the bush.
x"there is nothing over here, maybe your ears are playing tricks on you." sparrow said as he paced behind puffin. puffin's ear twitched with annoyance at the guardian's words, he lowered his head searching the shrubbery before spotting the gentle glow of a pair of eyes watching him. "i found you." puffin muttered as he lowered his body to the ground. "you can come out, we won't harm you." puffin called out to the cat watching him.
x"i can't, the birds. the birds are watching." he muttered quietly his eyes darting to the sky swiveling from tree to tree. puffin watched the cat curiously as he began to become more manic by the second. "you've blown my cover. they'll come for me, they will." he muttered again but his volume was steadily rising as his eyes and movements grew more anxious. the cat rose slightly and began winding through the bushes toward puffin. "they're coming, we must leave. they'll get you too." the cat was now yelling their tail raised in fear and their eyes the size of the moon.
xsparrow got to his feet quickly pushing puffin away from the bush as the mud-colored cat exited. the tabby's movements were still frantic their eyes searching the skies for enemies. puffin watched curiously, even turning to search the sky himself. "we'll hide you." puffin offered to the cat. the cat, in turn, looked to puffin with a sigh of relief while sparrow looked to puffin as if he had lost his mind. "no you will not, puffinstar." sparrow growled using puffin's full name. the chief looked to his guardian sternly, his look telling sparrow all he needed before he backed off. puffin turned back to the tabby and nodded, "follow me, we will give you a hiding spot."

xlooking back on it now, puffin realized perhaps he may have made the wrong decision. sparrow had avoided talking to puffin after bringing mudtail back and insisted on keeping watch over mudtail himself. loonflower had appeared shortly before they had taken in mudtail. she said ward had called for her to join the young chief and that she was set to watch over a batkit. puffin had been grateful for loon and ecstatic to learn she was pregnant with kits of her own. sparrow, on the other hand, was weary of the she-cat. or perhaps that was just a part of his personality puffin had yet to learn.
xbat was shy around loon at first, clinging to sparrow's side until when loon brought bat a small flower from outside of camp. the little kit had become attached to the pregnant queen immediately afterward. sparrow watched with envy as the kit elected to sleep nestled into loon's belly rather than his own. loonflower, however, tried to reach out to sparrow with kindness.
x"sparrow," she mewed sweetly as she padded towards him. "i found this small feather and thought it might be nice to put in your nest." she smiled as she nodded toward batkit who was playing with it tenderly looking up quickly to give sparrow an encouraging smile. sparrow's eyes watched the she-cat for a moment before quickly glancing back at batkit. his eyes softening only for him to give his head a quick shake and face loon again.
x"i don't want it, give it to the kit." he said quickly before leaving the camp in a hurry. loonflower watched him go the disappointment washing away her sweet smile. she sat for a moment before plastering on a smile and returning to batkit. the two she-cats then moving the feather toward their nest. puffin had watched the exchange curiously before following sparrow out of camp. "you know she's just trying to be friendly right, for the sake of batkit, sparrow." puffin called as he trailed the older tom. sparrow huffed his tail flicking in annoyance, "she should have tried that before stealing the hatchling away from me."
xpuffinstar let out a hearty laugh as he followed sparrow to the river. "she didn't steal batkit from you." puffin snickered as sparrow sat along the river edge with a soft thump. his eyes sternly watching the fish swim in the river. "except she did." sparrow muttered his voice fraught with pain and anger. puffin chuckled again as he watched the fish as well. sparrow's tail sat rigidly beside his body as puffin's swished back and forth gently patting sparrow every now and then. "would you just quit it puffin. i don't need this right now." sparrow cried out as he looked to puffin in exasperation.
x"you know you're acting like a real hatchling right now." puffin muttered as his eyes stayed trained on the river not bothering to acknowledge sparrow's actions. sparrow watched him for a few seconds before nodding softly the tension leaving his body as he turned back to the river. "i suppose you're gonna tell me to apologize to her next." sparrow muttered with a slight frown. puffinstar didn't respond, instead letting his tail gently brush sparrow's tail. puffin then thought for a moment before standing. "at least get to know her, for batkit." he said once before heading back to camp.
xsparrow sat at the water's edge for a long time. it wasn't until sundown that he began moving toward camp. his feet padding softly toward the nest where loonflower was taking a small nap. sparrow hesitated for a second watching her breathing before beginning to turn away. he decided he would speak to her in the morning.

xmany sunrises later puffin had convinced mudtail to leave the den. he had claimed that he had found a spot where the birds could not hear or see him, but in actuality, he planned to bring mudtail to ward and figure out how to best take care of the odd tabby. upon reaching moonstone puffin directed mudtail to sit on the center of the stone and wait.
x"this spot is too open, the birds will see. the birds will see." mudtail continued to mutter as he paced around the moonstone. puffin watched in amusement as he sat on the stone's edge. he waited for ward, expecting the cat to be along shortly. but they never appeared. puffin's amusement quickly soured as his patience for ward ran thin and mudtail continued to pace. "well they will surely see you if you keep pacing like that. so sit down, shut your mouth, and shut your eyes mudtail." puffin hissed at the small cat. mudtail looked at him incredulously before sitting. puffin nodded and walked up the river as mudtail sat. his mind wandering with why ward never appeared for him.
xhe sat along the river's edge momentarily before walking back toward moonstone. as he did he saw the shadow of a crow sitting in the treetops. it let out a single caw before flying away. puffin watched it disappear on the horizon before turning back to mudtail whose eyes opened slowly. puffin prepared himself to deal with the cat's incessant muttering and drew closer. "well mudtail, we better get you back to camp before the birds spot you."
x"that's alright puffinstar, i quite like it here actually." the cat spoke softly his eyes cleared of the anxiety and nerves that had once filled them as he looked out over the tree line. his eyes no longer searching for birds but for the sun that laid behind them. puffin narrowed his eyes as he circled mudtail. "are you sure?" he said the confusion evident in his tone. mudtail nodded once before rising to his feet and taking a moment to stretch. "i suppose we should return to camp anyways." mudtail breathed before beginning to walk toward the camp looking back toward puffinstar once to call out "i'll meet you there."
xpuffin watched the cat disappear before turning back to the moonstone perplexed. he sat down and watched the river for a second before closing his eyes. within a heartbeat, the familiar songbird sang and he opened his eyes to the mischievous smile of ward. "did you do that?" puffin asked immediately not wasting time for pleasantries. "oh, my dear puffinstar. you have so much to learn of the avian." the cat purred mysteriously. their face turned upward toward the sky. puffin waited, watching them expecting an explanation of her words. ward slowly turned their attention back to puffin. "yes. it is called a song sitting. it turns any ordinary cats into avian." ward took a moment to pause letting the words sink into puffin's mind before continuing. "like you. like sparrowfoot. and like batkit. mudtail is now an avian."
xpuffin slowly nodded. "and what of loonflower. she hasn't done one yet, is she not avian." ward nodded slowly their face changing slightly. it was no longer kind and happy as it had previously been, now it seemed to be solemn and serious. "she will need to soon," ward said seriously before their ear twitched and with a sly smile they continued. "or like mudtail said, the birds will come to collect her." puffin's eyes narrowed in concern. "is that a threat? she is with kits!" puffin said hurriedly his face turning with concern as his tail twitched. he was now eager to return to camp. "now, now. great puffinstar, it is but a warning but you must ensure she does it soon. i cannot protect you forever." the words loomed over puffin as he turned toward the river trying to calm his racing mind. "you have yet to find a healer. i'll be sure to find you one." and with a flick of the tail ward was gone.

xpuffin had been cautious to return to camp, his mind still racing from the conversation. it wasn't until the next sunrise that he could look loonflower in the face. he watched her care for batkit that morning before going to her and whispering in a hushed tone. "i need you to do a song sitting, by the river. today." loon looked at him as if he had gone crazy. before a stroke of realization hit her and she let out a soft laugh. "haha very funny puffinstar, i told you i won't leave camp until the kits are born." puffin shook his head vigorously his eyes pleading with loon as he asked her to song sit again. this time she responded back more adamantly, her voice drawing the attention of sparrow.
xsparrow padded toward the two watching them carefully. puffin turned to him his eyes pleading for someone to understand. "sparrow you must convince her, she has to do it. the birds. the birds!" is voice became panicked and drew the attention of batkit and mudtail now, they moved closer now with perked ears as puffin became manic. sparrow glanced to loon before returning his gaze to puffin. "maybe we should go on a patrol, to cool you down." he answered cooly, quickly turning toward mudtail who nodded in understanding. the two toms quickly escorted puffin out of camp and walked in silence for a long time.

xafter walking a pawful of tree lengths puffin began to calm. the cool morning air filling his nose as he trailed behind mudtail. sparrow walked beside puffin his eyes turning to watch him every now and then. "are you going to explain what happened back there? you sounded as crazy as mudtail." sparrow let out a soft chuckle at his joke. it had only been a day since mudtail had forgotten his strange fear but sparrow recalled it as if it had been moons before. puffin watched the ground as his mind searched for the best way to explain without sounding crazy. "ward told me she has to do it. ward said bad things would happen if she did not do a song sitting. the cat threatened her hatchlings and all!"
xsparrows ears perked momentarily as he let puffin's words sink in. "ward is a crow." he corrected. the trio walked in silence after that. all of them thinking about what had just been said. "what do you mean?" puffin finally broke the silence. sitting on the ground as the other two walked a step or two forward before joining him.
x"it appeared to me in what felt like a dream." sparrow explained to puffin. his eyes wandering the sky as he recalled the weird encounter.

"except it didn't quite feel like a dream. i was wandering the woods when i decided i would sleep in a small fox den i had found. i slept for maybe a few hours when i suddenly felt like i was being watched. when i opened my eyes there was a small birds nest laying on the ground outside of the den. there were three young hatchlings dead inside of the nest. and a black crow stood above it. i could sense it talking to me, i could hear its words but it's beak never moved. it told me it was ward, and that i had been called to join a great chief. i had been called to my destiny and i must search for an avianclan. then i saw a flash of the moonstone and the river, you were sat there but there was something different about you. you seemed older puffin. i then woke up with a jolt and when i looked outside i found the nest but it had been emptied. i spent almost three sunrises searching for you, not sleeping a second of it. and when i finally came across the moonstone all of the dread seemed to be erased and i heard a single bird singing. then you appeared in the woods."
xpuffin sat quietly as he thought through what sparrow had told him. his eyes turning from sparrow to mudtail who only shrugged before saying "i don't know, i never met no crow." puffin and sparrow watched mudtail for a moment before collapsing into laughter, mudtail let out a single chuckle to not feel left out before returning to his feet. "are we still patrolling or just airing out our life stories now?" the mud-colored tabby said quickly the nerves in his voice not caught on by the two cats as he slowly padded away. puffin and sparrow raised to their feet after he was foxlength away, they looked each other in the eyes smiling before padding after him.

tipmoonstone request puffinstar requests a healer xx border patrol puffinstar, sparrowfoot, and mudtail xx hunting patrol puffinstar, sparrowfoot, and mudtail

[mellifluous,]

xpigeon and neetle arrived a few days before gull. puffin had been cautious with speaking to the two grey tabbies. he had, however, taken to gull quickly; making sure her den was well prepared, ensuring she had done her song sitting, and making sure she was third to eat following loon and bat.
xgull was reluctant to take puffin's kindness at first, she had seen the way he avoided the other cats. he had spoken maybe a word or two to pigeon since she had arrived and not spoken at all to neetle, who probably preferred it like that anyways. the elderly tom cat refused to be friendly with any cat but his young granddaughter had made it her mission to befriend every cat who called avian home.

x"gull," puffin's voice pulled her from her thoughts. she looked over at him slowly, her gaze lingering on his voice momentarily before she looked back over the camp humming lowly for him to continue. "i need you to go looking for more herbs." puffin told her. after arriving he had given her many sunrises to settle into the camp letting her forget her duties to heal the clan briefly. a small part of gull had hoped it would continue and she wouldn't become overwhelmed with her roles in the clan, but healing cats was her job and despite the small clan size they were rapidly growing.
x"okay, i will in the morning." gull replied as she laid her head on the ground, motioning that she was done with the conversation. puffin didn't leave her. he sat beside her den a moment longer before speaking again. "no." he croaked. gull could see that he was trying to be stern and put his foot down with her, but his voice betrayed him and reflected that of a child trying to maintain control. "no?" gull echoed him, rising to her paws as she leveled him with a cool gaze.
x"you will go herb hunting now." he affirmed, his voice now under control and reflecting the glare that he gave her. this was a different side of puffin. even though she hadn't been in camp long she had heard the other cats speaking of him as a kind and thoughtful leader. gull believed them for the most part, but he was still young. she maintained his gaze, waiting for him to squirm and break, but he didn't. she gave a soft sigh and nodded her head.
x"very well." she muttered as she stretched quickly and moved towards the woods. she waited a moment to look back at puffin, his tail was rigid and his ears twitched with irritation or pride she wasn't sure. as she watched puffin the elder neetle raced forward from the camp with his young granddaughter tailing him. "are you going herb hunting, i'll go with you." the tom cat said quickly before pigeon could protest. gull smiled at the pair and accepted neetle's offer to help. her eyes trailing back to puffin as he marched into the woods the opposite direction, one ear trained backwards listening to the conversation.
xthe young molly guardian was quick to ask gull to be careful with the elder. gull gave a small smile before waving pigeon away and leading neetle into the woods.

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xpuffin had wandered far into the woods. his mind racing through everything that had happened over the past few weeks. sparrow had been the first to invite pigeon and neetle into the camp, mudtail had quickly approved of the invitation, and with the four cats turning to puffin for confirmation he had panicked. puffin didn't want the strange cats his thoughts still scared for loon's safety. but after thinking for a moment he realized something, "of course the two can stay." puffin had said giving the nothing more than a small smile.
xas he sat in the woods he thought through that realization, creating his plan of action.

xxx────

x"have you seen puffinstar?" pigeon asked sparrow. she had waited for the chief to return for a few hours, but he never returned. sparrow had been playing with batkit while loon quietly watched from afar. sparrow told bat to go back to loon before turning to pigeon. "he probably went to the moonstone, he does that when he needs to think." the tom answered kindly as he walked toward the camp exit, briefly pausing to look back at pigeon.
x"well, are you coming?" sparrow asked, pigeon quickly followed after him as he led them out of camp. the pair spoke softly as they moved through the woods toward the stone. "so how did you and your grandfather wind up on your own?" sparrow asked politely as pigeon looked to the ground.
x"our clan was ravaged." she said curtly. "a flock of crows destroyed everything, and then once nightfell they got hungry." pigeon didn't continue after that letting sparrow's imagination wander. he didn't speak again after hearing that, his mind wandering slightly to when they had found mudtail and then again to when puffin had returned.

xthe birds. the crows. his crow. ward.

xwhen they had gotten to the moonstone and found it empty sparrow quickly told her to wait there, that puffin would be along soon, before leaving her alone. he thought for a long time trying to piece together what it all meant before returning to the nest he shared with loon and bat, softly licking the foreheads of the two. he said goodnight to bat and climbed high into the tree to think through everything.

xxx────

xafter watching sparrow disappear into the woods pigeon sat on the rock he had called moonstone. she watched the river for a long time, letting the mist coat her chest. the burbling of the water against the rocks lulled her eyes shut and she heard the faint bird songs begin to grow louder, filling her ears.

xclose to sundown puffin began making his way back to camp watching the trees like mudtail had done when they first found him in the prickly bushes. the woods were quiet for the most part, the only noise he could hear was the murmur of the river that flowed maybe a tree length or two to his west. as he walked he could feel his nerves slowly dissipate, his plan would work, he would figure it out and protect his clan. he stepped over a branch sat on the floor when his ears suddenly perked at the noise of fluttering overhead.
xcaw. he immediately searched the tree branches. the nerves rushing back to him quickly. his eyes darted trying to find the crow, trying to persuade himself that he was imagining it. he knew what the caw symbolized. he had sat in for gull's song sitting to confirm it himself. paws moved before his own mind could think about what was happening.
xit took him a matter of minutes before he stumbled upon the moonstone where a cat sat silently with eyes closed.

x"what in the world do you think you're doing here?" puffin hissed as he stomped toward pigeon. her eyes opened quickly ears quickly flattening against her head as she looked at puffin confused. "i was looking for you, sparrow said you would be here." puffin hissed at her again, a paw raising. pigeon flinched quickly expecting him to hit her but he instead turned himself around. pacing the length of the rock.
xthe anger rolled off of his body in waves, pigeon's mind told her to run but her body refused to move as it filled with fear. the puffin the others spoke of was kind and caring, the puffin she had met was recluse and stern. the puffin that now stood before her was terrifying and brutal. although he seemed to have some control after electing not to attack her the tension was clear. "you've already finished it," he muttered in a low growl his eyes never quite landing in one spot as it searched the stone. "i'm sorry." pigeon offered him, hoping it would remedy whatever she had done. his head whipped toward her with a menacing growl low in his throat. she averted her gaze down to the stone as he circled closer to her.
x"your sorry means nothing to me, you went behind my back. this is treason!" he spoke, but the words weren't for her. his tail batted her head and she let out a small whimper in fear. "i-i can leave the clan." she offered. puffin sat at the edge of the stone his back toward her. he muttered to himself quietly, pigeon couldn't make out his words and she was to scared to leave her spot but her eyes watched him.

xthey sat that way for a long time. the moon had rose by the time he finally turned back to her. "you will stay in the clan, but you will speak to no one of what happened tonight. do you understand?" he growled the last words. pigeon quickly nodded her head. "now get back to camp." he said his voice as sharp as claws as pigeon stumbled to her feet and ran for the camp. she made sure to slow back to a walk before entering as not to raise suspicion.
xsparrow was still sat within the tree when she returned. gull and neetle had returned not long before. and batkit slept peacefully in loonflowers side. neetle was quick to ask pigeon where she had been but the young guardian brushed him off climbing into a tree to rest and calm down. gull watched the cat settle in the branches, her eyes watching the fur still standing at attention along pigeon's spine.
xnot long afterward puffin entered the camp. he gave a curt nod to loon and neetle before climbing into his own tree. he went straight to the higher up branches and settled in for sleep. gull watched him for a long time, her mind slowly going over the cat's strange actions before allowing herself to return to her own den and sleep.

xxx────

xmany sundowns later the strange events had been mostly forgotten. pigeon avoided being alone with puffin and sparrow avoided asking any more about the birds. the clan had settled into a calm for the time being. mudtail had taken over the role of a secondwing as puffin distanced himself from the clan. the guardians often spoke in hushed tones on the outskirts of camp.
xgull assumed they were trying to piece together what to do about puffin. it was on this day that he had left early in the morning before anyone had woken up and had yet to return. sparrow and mudtail assumed the worst, and while the two tomcats appeared worried for their chief's safety a hint of relief shown in pigeon's eyes as they spoke of the dire possibilities. gull had been watching the molly ever since the strange evening. she wanted to know what the she-cat had seen, she wanted to know what puffin had done.

xthe clan didn't have to worry long, however, puffin wandered back into camp not long after sun high. upon returning he corralled the clan into the center of camp.
x"i have decided that it is time for batkit to begin training." puffin announced. batkit looked to loon with excitement written across her face, the queen giving her a warm smile. "sparrow, you will be training batpaw. you will teach her to be a faithful guardian of avian." puffin continued as his gaze moved to sparrow. the tom cats gave each other knowing looks before sparrow gave a solemn nod. puffin let out a relieved breath before turning back to address the clan. "now let's celebrate our youngest avian." puffin called with a charismatic grin, the clan gave a small cheer for the young kit.

xgull watched the cats celebrate from a distance. her eyes moving over the cats one by one. she sat for a minute longer before moving to leave the camp. she wandered for a long time before settling at the moonstone. she sat down as she had done before and listened to the river. "gullnose?" a voice purred in curiosity. when gull opened her eyes she saw the copper eyes of a black cat. "it is a pleasure to be able to finally greet you." the cat continued, a soft smile tugging at their lips. "to what do i owe this honor?"
xgull watched the cat for a moment before speaking what had been bothering her. "what do you know of puffinstar?" the healer asked. the smile on ward's face quickly dissolved, her eyes turning cold. "he is the great chief, set to restore the clan of avian." the cat said. gull watched them curiously. ward begrudgingly continued, "i called you to aid the clan gullnose. i will warn you only once." ward's voice lowered with every word until they were whispering.
x"he is scared for his clan, the birds are approaching, you know the pain that can be caused by scared children." ward's eyes closed with this and gull had to search for the cat before her as a cloud covered the moon. deep within the woods gull heard a strained caw. "leave, now." ward whispered into gull's ear before disappearing. the threat clear as gull wound through the woods back to camp.

xwhen she arrived she found it empty. sparrow and loon had wandered off into the woods, while batpaw slept on her own nest. pigeon slept in the trees. mudtail sat on a branch a few fox lengths above her. neetle was settled on his own nest fast asleep. gull could not find puffin anywhere and decided it best to go back to her den and to try to sleep, she would make sense of ward's word in the new day.

tipborder patrol puffin, sparrow, mud, & pigeon xx hunting patrol puffin, sparrow, mud, & pigeon xx herb hunting gull & neetle xx apprenticeship batkit becomes batpaw, sparrow is assigned as her mentor