✶. 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐍 [Full]

[Ranger 9]

Runningshadow: location, in camp : feeling, shook, inquisitive : tagged, Morningflood

Runningshadow was running through a dark forest, paws stretching weightlessly beneath him, following the flicker of a bushy red tail. He was panting with the effort, reaching as far as he could with each stride, but the fox remained several tail-lengths ahead no matter how hard he pushed himself. He had to reach it. He had to stop it.

Heart pounding, blood roaring in his ears, Runningshadow gave one last burst of speed, one last push, all the reserves he had going into this surge. He closed the gap, agonizingly slow, and reached forwards with his paw, gritting his teeth. He snagged the tip of the fox's tail with one claw. He snarled with the effort, lunging forwards and yanking back on the tail, catching hold and tumbling with the creature, growling, slamming onto the rocky ground below the hill leading to the top of the hidden caves.

Yet when he looked at the monster beneath his paws, it was no longer a fox, but a faceless cat.

Runningshadow woke with a gasp, lungs dragging in the air. He looked around the warrior's den, eyes wide, chest still heaving. The early morning light was filtering through the branches above his head. Running steadied his breath, realizing that he was in the waking world now. Too shaken to deal with the nightmare that had been haunting him for moon upon moon, Runningshadow hauled himself up out of his nest and into the daylight outside. He picked out a shrew from the fresh-kill pile and brought it over to a sunny spot in camp to eat. As he chewed, he mulled over the dream.

There wasn't much to interpret this point. Runningshadow had been struggling with the nightmare for several seasons now, ever since the death of Birchstar. Looking at the evidence, and listening to the stories both the medicine cats and Morningflood had told, Runningshadow had a hard time being convinced that a fox had really been the thing to take down his hero. The more time that passed the more convinced in the doubts he was. Something wasn't right with the explanation everyone had concluded.

Birchstar had been with a guard. He'd gone for a walk, said guard went with him. This much Runningshadow believed. Morningflood said a fox had gotten to him after that point. There had been a fox spotted earlier in the territory that day. Would it really have come back? Possibly. Then why didn't Morningflood look injured? Birchstar's body, while broken awfully, showed no signs of a fox attack either. And he certainly was in no state to be running from one. The elderly cat could hardly shuffle to the closest spot of sun near his den.

Runningshadow lashed his tail. A fox would have left a scent, pungent as the creatures were. Dawnlight hadn't been a warrior for moons but would she really miss a fox's scent? Runningshadow doubted it, even if the medicine cat had admitted she may have.

Birchstar had been with a guard. He'd gone for a walk, said guard went with him. This much Runningshadow believed. Anything after that he could only speculate. He finished his shrew, cleaning his whiskers, then his pelt, as the camp came to life around him. Morningflood came into sight and Runningshadow jumped at the chance to greet her before the deputy could assign her to a patrol.

"Hi, Morningflood!" He greeted, tail held high in greeting as he hurried over to her. "Hey, I was wondering if you'd be able to come with me to the northwestern border? I caught rogue scents again there last night and I want to check on them again." He tipped his head, the picture of innocence. If he could get Morningflood alone, maybe he could get some answers. His paws itched to go. It had been too long since the incident, too long left in the dark.

Too long running in that forest at night.

Darkkit: location, in camp : feeling, content : tagged, Russetheart, Redkit
- sleeping still -

[stingmynettle]

xxxxx

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warrior of stormclan → 33 moons → location;; inside camp → mood;; tired, content → tagged;; open → mentioned;; runningnose, morningflood
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Emberhaze was awoken by the quiet tap of footsteps and a tail brushing against his fur as another cat pushed their way out the warriors den. Sunlight was filtering in from mouth of the den, and faintly he could hear the chirps of birds in the distance. They seemed to grow louder with each passing moment, and with a quiet sigh he accepted he wouldn't be able to stay curled up in his nest any longer. He stood and stretched, and after quickly grooming his long russet fur he headed out into the camp.

Though it was bright, it didn't seem there was much activity in the camp just yet. Perhaps it was earlier than he'd imagined? Either way, for the first time in a long while it was vaguely sunny, and he'd be damned before he wasted the opportunity to soak up the warmth before being assigned any patrols. He trotted to the fresh-kill pile - absently noting its size - and selected a small sparrow he'd caught the day beforehand. Then, he made his way to a sunny spot towards the entrance of camp and began to eat.

As he ate, Emberhaze could faintly hear chatter coming from the middle of camp, and as he scanned around he spotted Runningshadow and Morningflood. The sight of the molly gave him pause. It was no secret within the clan that she'd been guarding Birchstar the day he was killed, and he couldn't help but worry for the she-cat. Surely she felt horrible about the event - having being separated from her leader and inadvertently becoming a part of his demise. He'd make sure to try talk to her sometime. Stars only know how hard that all must have been.

[rookfern]

───
𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶: terse───𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: camp
───𝚃𝙰𝙶𝚂: scuttlepaw, runningshadow, morningflood

𓅊 𝙷𝙰𝚆𝙺𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙿, she-cat; 50 moons; deputy
────────────────────────────────────────────────
──────"now you won't see all that I have to lose, and all I've lost in the fight to protect it"


Maybe Hawkstep had just woken up on the wrong side of her nest. A discomforting feeling had been settled in her chest since sunrise, when she had pulled herself from a bad dream that she couldn't remember. Perhaps she would visit Dawnlight later if the tight feeling persisted. There was also a sore crick in the center of her back, and silently, she was missing the moons when she could bounce around like an excitable apprentice. The past few moons had been arduous, and she felt aged beyond her time. Hawkstep stifled a sigh and pulled herself from the shade that was acting as her reprise from the rest of the clan. It was already late enough as it was, and there were duties that needed doing.

Her first stop was the apprentice den. Scuttlepaw had yet to show himself out in the camp clearing yet, so she assumed he was still dead asleep. She stuck her muzzle into the den entrance and barked out her apprentice's name. "Scuttlepaw! Training, now." Perhaps the words were a bit brusque, but they were effective. She ducked back out of the den as several startled apprentice heads popped up. Satisfied that Scuttlepaw would emerge soon, she went about assigning patrols.

As she padded to the center of camp, she cast an eye towards the camp entrance. The dawn patrol should be arriving back soon. They had been out for a while. The tightness in Hawkstep's chest twinged at the thought of something having befallen the patrol. They would be fine, she reassured herself. Things had been quiet since the illness. StarClan seemed to be taking pity on them at last.

"Runningshadow, Morningflood," she said as she spied to two chattering, "Hunting patrol. The pile is looking a little thin. Find two others to go with you." Orders given, she turned away from the duo. It looked like Scuttlepaw still hadn't shown his face from the apprentices' den. Hawkstep lashed her tail and started back to the den.

───
𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶: calm───𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: elders' den
───𝚃𝙰𝙶𝚂: nightspark

❧ 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙴𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚁𝙽, tom; 104 moons; elder
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──────"the pines, they often whisper, they whisper what no tongue can tell"


It was the slant of sunlight peering through the den's entrance that woke Pinethorn. He yawned languidly and stirred in his nest with a crackling of old joints and stiff limbs. He pulled himself into a sitting position and started working the scraps of moss and leaves out of his pelt. Beside him, he heard Nightspark snoring softly in her sleep. He allowed himself a few moments of tranquility, simply drinking in the warmth of the watery leaf-fall sun.

With another yawn, he turned to his denmate and prodded her gently in the side. They certainly weren't young warriors anymore, or even young elders, but Nightspark still had a good fewer moons than him. There was plenty to tease her about her sleeping habits. He waited for her to wake, tucking his paws beneath his fluffy chest. "You snore more than a sleeping badger," he rumbled to her, even if she wasn't fully awake enough to hear it.

There was a bit of a rasp to his voice, a sore remnant of the illness that had gripped the camp and nearly taken his life as it had taken the lives of so many younger than him. It was a miracle of StarClan, for sure, but Pinethorn wished StarClan had favored someone else, one of the young warriors that had succumbed to the illness, and not an old burden such as himself.

───
𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶: chipper───𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: territory, returning to camp
───𝚃𝙰𝙶𝚂: russetheart, dawn patrol

❦ 𝙷𝙾𝙽𝙴𝚈𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚃, tom; 17 moons; warrior
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──────"been a hell of a ride, but I'm thinkin' it's time to grow"


Honeyheart padded a little ahead of the rest of the dawn patrol. While the older warriors had grumbled at the early hour, he enjoyed the briskness of the morning. The dew was beginning to turn to frost with the bite in the air, and there was a feeling of sharp freshness that permeated the forest. He watched as a songbird flitted in the branches above them. If they were a hunting patrol, he might have tried his paw at catching it.

But they were already running late on getting back to camp, no thanks to Honeyheart. The slick of mud down his left flank was a testament to that. He had nearly fallen into the creek in his attempt to jump over it. His paw had caught on a rock, and he had slipped. Thankfully, the other warriors had kept him from taking an early morning dip in the cold waters.

Honeyheart glanced back at the rest of the patrol. They didn't really seem like a talkative bunch. He let his steps slow and fell into place beside Russetheart. He cleared his throat and tried for an awkward conversation with the older tom. "So," he said after a moment of dawdling, "how are Darkkit and Redkit doing?" He had seen the two kits on the occasion, but between warrior duties and the fact that he never really strayed near the nursery, it had only been passing glances. That fact did not abate his curiosity at the clan's youngest members, though.

───
𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶: neutral───𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: camp
───𝚃𝙰𝙶𝚂: emberhaze

௮ 𝙱𝚄𝙼𝙱𝙻𝙴𝙿𝙰𝚆, she-cat; 10 moons; apprentice
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──────"ooh, baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river"


Hawkstep's sharp yowl had ripped Bumblepaw out of her dreams, dispelling the sleep like a cloud of smoke on the breeze. Once she had calmed her bristling pelt and realized the deputy's ire was not focused on her but rather her brother, she allowed herself to relax. She scraped her nest back into its proper shape and gave her mussed pelt a few laps of her tongue. The wayward tufts finally laid tamed, and Bumblepaw pushed her way out of the apprentices' den. A slight chuckle caught in her throat as she spied Hawkstep making a b-line back towards the den. She sent a quick prayer to StarClan for Scuttlepaw's safety and sidestepped past the deputy.

There was no sight of her mentor in the camp clearing. He must have either been in the nursery or out on patrol, Bumblepaw decided. He had never really struck her as the type of cat to sleep in. Her stomach rumbled, and she looked forlornly at the small fresh-kill pile. Elders and queens must be fed first, a voice in her head chimed; annoyingly, it sounded a lot like one of her siblings. She couldn't discern which one, though. Maybe it was her own. Bumblepaw muttered under her breath and bound up to Emberhaze. He looked like he had at least part of his head screwed on right. "Emberhaze," she puffed as she neared him, "do you know if the elders have been fed yet?"

No one could yell at her about that rule if it wasn't being broken, right?

[stingmynettle]

xxxxx

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warrior of stormclan → 33 moons → location;; inside camp → mood;; amused → tagged;; bumblepaw → mentioned;; nightspark, pinethorn, icepaw
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Emberhaze couldn't contain a fond chuckle as Hawkstep's sharp voice echoed around camp, calling for her apprentice. Her loud voice was sure to wake them - perhaps he wouldn't have to drag his own apprentice out after all. He huffed again softly, before a voice interrupted him.

Surprisingly, it wasnt his own apprentice's voice, but instead Bumblepaw. He greeted her in kind, and let out a cheeky grin at her question. "I reckon they've just woken up now." He watched her gaze forlornly at the fresh-kill pile, and decided to cut her a deal.

"I'll tell you what - if you drop off some fresh-kill to Nightspark and Pinethorn, I'll save you something to share with your brother. It looks like he'll definitely need it, he'll be worked to the bone for sleeping in!"

Speaking of, it seeemed he'd have to find his own apprentice, Icepaw, and give him some cheek for sleeping in too.

[tealfeather]

slightstep { camp } { sloepaw, hawkstep mentioned }
>> she/her. thirty-five moons. warrior.
>> cream tabby with green eyes and a twisted paw.

Woken by the harsh sunlight slanting into the warrior's den, Slightstep reluctantly pulled herself from Chesnutfall's side and left the den, with only one fond look back. It was getting cold enough that she was no longer too hot sharing a nest, and it was a big sacrifice to leave it in the morning. But it was nice to be back in the warrior's den -- she'd barely spent any time there after her naming ceremony before moving with Ches to the medicine cat den and then the nursery. It was reassuring to know it was still where she belonged, and not the apprentice den.

After scanning the camp and the sky for the time, Sly waved a short hello to Hawkstep, her former mentor, before bee-lining to the apprentice's den. Maybe her and Sloepaw could go on patrols later, but since she hadn't been assigned anything the night before, she wanted to go out training first. Plus, she hadn't had Sloepaw as an apprentice long, and she was excited to do her best to train him, especially since she knew Elkstar had chosen her as a show of trust. With that in mind, she ducked her head into the familiar den and scanned it for her apprentice. "Sloepaw? Ready to go train?"

morningflood { camp } { runningshadow, hawkstep }
>> she/her. forty-eight moons. warrior.
>> white long-hair with gray tabby accents and blue eyes.

As was the usual, Morningflood was awake before the sun rose. She had stayed in her nest longer than usual, ruminating in her thoughts, before she left the den, but it was still early when she did, and a while before Runningshadow approached her. She spoke briefly with Rainjaw before he went on the dawn patrol, but she hadn't been asked to join, so instead she loitered about camp until everyone else woke up, just using the time to slowly wake up and let calm wash over her.

When Runningshadow did talk to her, she was slightly surprised since they hadn't spoken much before, but it was a pleasant surprise. Before she could even open her mouth to reply, though, Hawkstep cut into their conversation. Morningflood hadn't even seen her approach, but she nodded nonetheless. Despite being close in age, Hawkstep's brusque demeanor meant they didn't talk much, but Morning didn't mind. "Of course," she meowed in response before turning back to Runningshadow. "We can chat later, right?" She knew his invitation was so he could talk to her alone, but she wasn't necessarily alluding to that. Most cats knew if they started a conversation with Morningflood, even a mundane one, it would lead to a lot of chattiness, and she was sure Runningshadow was aware of that too. Or he had something specific to ask. She wasn't bothered either way; she liked to talk.

nightspark { elder's den } { pinethorn }
>> she/her. ninety moons. elder.
>> graying tortoiseshell with multiple scars and yellow eyes.

Nightspark was sleeping, but once the sounds of her denmate's voice reached her ears, she wasn't anymore. With a grumble and another wheeze, she opened her eyes and lifted her head, blearily looking around. It was daylight, so she had slept in, which meant Pinethorn was waking her for a totally understandable reason. Still, beauty sleep.

Once she was coherent enough and her surroundings in place, what he had said to wake her up registered and she paused in her daily grooming to send him a good-natured glare. "How dare you say such a thing," she meowed, voice dripping with fake indignation. "I sleep like an angel, thank you very much. And even if I did happen to breathe a little loudly, I blame being strong enough to get over a deadly sickness." She put her nose up in the air, but it was a little early to really put the act on, so she settled back into grooming quickly, and meowed in between, "What do you want to get up to today?"

The aforementioned beauty sleep meant that for the first time in a while, she actually felt able to get up to her old tricks, which usually included slipping out of camp or annoying the apprentices. She could settle for either, or both.

carawaypaw { camp } { open, bumble & scuttle & sly mentioned }
>> she/they. ten moons. warrior apprentice.
>> brown tabby with white accents and green eyes.

Sunrise was when you were supposed to wake up, right? Carawaypaw was unsure, since she hadn't seen many cats when she tumbled out of the den, but then again, it was getting cooler, so maybe they were just enjoying the warmth of their nests. She couldn't really remember a time when it was this cold, so she didn't know.

Either way, her mentor had yet to appear, so she settled down near the apprentice den to groom and chill for a bit before he did. She flinched a little at Hawkstep breaking the silence, and hoped her brother wouldn't be as bothered by it. Then again, he'd had her as a mentor for four moons now, so surely he was used to her. Besides, her mother had also had Hawkstep as a mentor, and she waved at her when she emerged from the warrior's den. If Carawaypaw hadn't known before, that would have confirmed that they were good friends. And Hawkstep was the deputy. She was a good cat, though Cara didn't think she'd be suited to be her apprentice. When her mother got closer, she sent her a little nod of acknowledgement, but didn't get up to say hi, since she looked like she was on a mission. Ah, training. Made sense. And oh, Bumblepaw was awake too, and chatting to her mentor. That meant Snowdrift would appear soon, right? Carawaypaw kneaded the ground in anticipation.

[nightmyth]

𝚎𝚕𝚔𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 [ˈelk - stär] — 50 moons
𝖫𝖤𝖠𝖣𝖤𝖱. a massive black-brown maine coon tom with pale green eyes
location: camp | tags: morningflood & runningshadow

Elkstar sat at the entrance to his den, grooming out his fur in long, rhythmic strokes. He'd been up since the dawn patrol left camp, but had kept to his nest in order to have some time for himself. Moons ago, he never would have allowed himself a moment of privacy. Acting as both deputy and leader, the upkeep of the Clan had rested solely on his shoulders, and oftentimes it had seemed as if everyone was making an already cumbersome task even harder. He thought things would smooth out after Birchstar's death, but he had only ever gotten the feeling that he was some fraud, a cat who had simply tiptoed past his broken leader to the head of the Clan. The sickness hadn't been helpful either: not only did it seem to confirm his beliefs, but they had spread to others as well, others who had taken the adversity as a sign that he was not legitimate in the eyes of his ancestors, even if they had granted him nine lives.

But that was many moons ago. The sickness was gone -- with it many beloved clanmates -- and afterwards Elkstar was truly able to dissipate his worries over the Clan. He was sure his deputy, Hawkstep, was finally more comfortable with her position. He couldn't imagine she much enjoyed him hovering over her shoulder and double-checking her every act to make sure things were going smoothly, as he had done in the beginning of her deputyship. Of course, nothing had allowed him to take a step back more than starting his own family. A rumble shook his chest at the thought of greeting his mate, Silverstrike, and checking in on the son they had together. Nothing made Elkstar happier than knowing his kit could grow into a fine warrior in these times of peace.

Satisfied at last with his grooming, the massive tom got to his paws with a sigh. His stomach grumbled, but he was in the mood for something warm and fresh, not cold leftovers. The leader ambled towards the center of the clearing with a slight limp, the result of having never let his injuries from Birchstar fully heal. He wasn't one to mind, though, what with his fresh warrior days behind him. Seasoned, yes, but the harsh moons of stress and sickness had taken a toll on him, and he didn't doubt that there was some truth to Silverstrike teasing him about looking far older than he really was.

His tufted ears twitched as he caught the end of Hawkstep's order to Morningflood and Runningshadow. Hunting sounded nice. Elkstar approached the two warriors with a light nod. "I'll tag along," he mewed, "I've been meaning to see how the prey is running anyway; leafbare is soon upon us."

𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕 [ˈches(t)ˌnət - fȯl] — 36 moons
𝖶𝖠𝖱𝖱𝖨𝖮𝖱. a tall, fawn-colored she-cat with light green eyes
location: camp | tags: Carawaypaw

A light murmur of protest passed through the molly's lips as her mate rose and left her side, providing a rush of crisp leaf-fall air the opportunity to roost beneath her fur. Ches was never an easy cat to wake, but today she rolled over almost as soon as Slightstep left the den, alert and anxious. She'd had something on her mind for the past few days, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on before her mate took notice and inquired about it. Am I ready...? Are we ready? She inhaled a shaky breath and sat up in her nest. Once she was presentable, she slipped out into camp and was pleased to see it buzzing with activity. That was the best part about not being an early riser: her Clan was always there to greet her alongside a new day.

Hawkstep calling for her apprentice caught Chestnutfall's attention, and she stifled a chuckle at the thought of what her son was getting himself into. She caught herself thinking, He gets that from me, reminding herself not for the first time that she had not birthed the kits she had raised alongside Slightstep. But StarClan above, it sure felt like it. That litter had been a saving grace, pulling her out of the depression she had melted into during her recovery from the sickness that had come so close to claiming her life that she had dreamed of stars. Unfortunately, she had never really recovered, and grew tired and breathless if she wasn't carful with her day's activities. Which was another reason she was so hesitant to come forth with her desires: what if Slightstep didn't think she was strong enough for...that?

Apprehensive, Chestnutfall headed over to Carawaypaw, who seemed eager for something. "Ready for the day, are we?" she greeted warmly, her words punctuated by the soft trill she'd sing when her children were tiny little kits, weak and trembling. "I take it Snowdrift will be along soon; perhaps he's just caught up thinking of something new for you." The lilac molly suspected this might not be the case considering the laziness of her daughter's mentor, but she was feeling like her morning could use a bit of optimism.

𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕 [ˈlärk - tril] — 25 moons
𝖶𝖠𝖱𝖱𝖨𝖮𝖱. a golden tabby she-cat with blue-green eyes
location: heading home | tags: dawn patrol

Larktrill followed after the dawn patrol -- if following meant darting this way and that, hovering no closer than two or three foxlengths as she poked her nose into every nook and cranny as if it were her first day out of camp. But it had been ages since she was on the dawn patrol, and she was happy to use up some of the energy that normally brewed beneath her fur each morning. She was surprised nobody had realized that she was far less annoying with some morning exercise beneath her paws...or maybe they had, and Hawkstep would have her on dawn patrols for the rest of her days. I suppose that's fine by me, she thought, chasing after a tumbling crimson leaf; I shall rule the dawn, the rising sun my burning crown.

Particularly enjoyable was Honeyheart's near plunge into the stream. Larktrill had immediately fired off a round of sarcasm and teases, and probably wouldn't let him forget his actions for awhile. A grave thing it was to mess up before her eyes, she who was as cheeky as a crow and just as sharp. As they neared the camp, though, her thoughts wandered to the tom she hoped to find inside. With a patrol out of the way, she was hoping they could catch some alone time. Now that they were well into being warriors, Larktrill was hoping they might be able to take their relationship a step further. Well, maybe half a step. Romance wasn't exactly her thing, nor did she think it was Windchaser's. She didn't have any doubts about her feelings for him, it was just...well, hard to express it in ways that weren't jives and quips and shoves on the shoulder.

𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚝𝚙𝚊𝚠 [ˈTHikit - pȯ] — 10 moons
𝖠𝖯𝖯𝖱𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖨𝖢𝖤. a dark gray tabby tom with a white underbelly and mint-green eyes
location: camp | tags: robinsong [m], pinethorn & nightspark

Thicketpaw glared at Hawkstep as the deputy barked out his brother's name, though he wasn't sure she caught it on her way out. He glared harder, hoping she could feel it instead. Well, at least it wasn't his mentor barging in with the intent of bossing him around until sunset. Thicketpaw couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be the deputy's apprentice: her job was literally to give orders all day! Screwing up his muzzle like he'd taken a bite of bad prey, the young tom shot his brother a have-fun-with-that look and slipped out of the den.

He couldn't spot Robinsong anywhere, so Thicketpaw trotted over to the fresh-kill pile. There wasn't anything fresh, but there was a decent enough squirrel on the pile that he didn't think the elders would refuse it. Picking it up, he trotted over to where the old cats made their den. Contrary to what others might think, Thicketpaw quite enjoyed hanging out with Pinethorn and Nightspark -- he'd be lying if he said that some of his mischief didn't originate from the seasoned molly. Normally he was against other cats making imprints on his character, but this was one of the few exceptions he was proud to flaunt. "Greetings, Wise Ones," he mewed as he entered the den, his words easily mistaken for disrespect if not for the warm, teasing look in his green eyes. "Thought you might want some breakfast. I won't be offended if you'd prefer to wait for something fresh, but that might coincide with a stinkbug in your nest later."

[wildsight]

❄ ━━ ＩＣＥＰＡＷ ！！
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
7 ms | tom | apprentice | tags; open, mentioned emberhaze
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━━The seal-point tom was not awaken by one of his fellow apprentices, but by a slight chilly breeze on the morning air. The air was sharp, surely meaning that colder weather was on the way, despite the bright sunlight that filtered into the den. Leaf-fall had come and would no doubt be leaving soon, making way for the horrid time of leaf-bare. The tom's tail twitched as his icy blue eyes fluttered open, awakening from slumber at last. The tom's gaze slowly scanned the den, noticing that most of the apprentices had already left the den. As the tom rubbed the last of sleep from his eyes with a paw, he began to realize it was a good time after dawn. No doubt his mentor would be waiting for him, but as usual he didn't really worry about what his mentor would say or do.

━━Icepaw had a very...complicated relationship if his mentor so to speak. The tom wasn't very fond of his mentor, he wished he had gotten someone else. Not that there was anyone really that he had wanted in particular, all of his clanmates seemed to annoy him in someway or another. He couldn't stand it sometimes and would often hide in one place or another, when irritated beyond his normal standard. Sure, he was normally quite irritable already, but some cats made him even more so. One of them being his mentor. The tom had been kneading his nest with his paws absently as he thought about such things, before letting out a huff and slowly rose to his paws. He blinked as he cast his gaze around the den once more, before slipping out of his nest and padding out of the den.

━━The tom had to blink rapidly as he exited the den, the muffled chatter from earlier now becoming quite clear. He could see a few warriors chatting among themselves, presumably getting ready to head out on patrol or take on some other task. He had no desire to become a warrior anytime soon and since he was only seven moons old, it would be quite awhile before that happened anyway. Still, he didn't even know if he would want to become one moons from now. He didn't know if he had it in him. Besides, warriors could be worse than his fellow apprentices sometimes. And that was saying a lot.

━━It wasn't long before the tom spotted his mentor, seemingly chatting with one of the apprentices of the clan. Bumblepaw if he remembered correctly. He didn't make any move to approach his mentor, he wasn't in a hurry to train today anyway. He never was really. Training seemed so boring to him and was such a waste of time in his eyes. His tail flicked from side to side as he considered his options on what he could do in the meantime - his mentor would surely come for him sooner or later and he would simply wait until that time came. Part of him seemingly enjoyed that part of the day. He let out a yawn and settled down nearby the apprentice den, beginning to tend to his pelt as he awaited for his mentor to fetch him - whenever that might be.

[ColonelHamster]

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❆ age: 28 moons ❆ gender: male ❆ rank: warrior ❆ tags: open

Earlier that morning Snowdrift was woken by the dawn patrol as they exited the den. The tom had grumbled out a complaint as someone moved passed him, but soon followed up with wishing them luck on the patrol as he snuggled deeper into his nest. After the dawn patrol had left, Snowdrift found himself unable to return to his sleep. The young warrior quietly made his way out of the den, going on a morning stroll before everyone started to stir. He wanted some time to himself before getting the day started with Carawaypaw.

It was crazy to think he’d been training Carawaypaw for four moons now. It had come as a shock when Elkstar asked him to take on the apprentice. He’d been stepping up his game in his duties, but most still saw him as the lazy apprentice he’d been for so long. Snowdrift almost said no, not sure if he was up to it, but he had said yes in the end. Elkstar was trusting him with an apprentice, and Snowdrift wanted to prove he could do it. Snowdrift also wanted to pass on what Bearclaw had taught him. He wanted her memory, her legacy to continue. She had trained him, and saw him through until he was a warrior. Now was his chance to prove his worth, and all the work Bearclaw had put into him by training up a new warrior in the clan.


The thought of his mentor made the young tom’s heart sink. Even after all this time, it still hurt. The passing of his mentor was a hard blow to him. Snowdrift hoped he was doing Bearclaw proud as she watched from Starclan.

Snowdrift continued on his walk until suddenly realizing how late it was getting. A feeling of panic set in briefly as his heart rate rose. Snowdrift swore under his breath, he was late. He’d been out longer than expected. The tom turned sharply making his way back to camp at a quicker pace. Carawaypaw would surely be up already, getting her nose into who knows what. The young molly was always keeping him on his toes. Thank Starclan she wasn’t very wasn’t very good at covering things up, otherwise he might never sleep. The tom swore again at how he lost track of time. He had spoken to Robinsong the day before about getting Carawaypaw and Thicketpaw out training together, he hoped the molly would still be up for it today, despite his lateness.

[Scoinwolf]

Dawnlight || she-cat, medicine cat, 46 moons| tagged: open, outside of camp
Dawnlight carefully crept down to the riverbed, lapping up a few mouthfuls of the cool water before sticking her paws into the flow. She shivered a bit at the chill and watched as the mud caked between her toes loosened and swirled away.
It had been a long morning collecting herbs but the payoff was great. She'd gotten the ones she'd needed and found a new stash of borage growing along the trail she'd take to the river. It was a very welcome surprise even if it meant she might end up having to take two trips back to camp now when she'd been planing only one.
But that was alright.
Dawnlight pulled her paws back out of the stream before they could go numb and ran her tongue over them, gently tugging at her claws to get the last bit of grit out from underneath them. She stayed there a moment longer, staring down into the lazy water, reminded of how this had all started. Finchflight, Birchstar, everyone lost to the plague .. It was all too much some nights.
Wolfrunner.
The medicine cat shook herself out of her thoughts and went to go recover her stash of herbs. No use lingering on the past this morning, she had a lot of work ahead of her, reorganizing her herb store.

Russetheart || tom, warrior, 41 moons | tagged: Honeyheart, dawn patrol
Russetheart had been caught in a yawn for most of the dawn patrol. He couldn't remember the last time he had been anything but really, spending all day bouncing between his warrior duties, his duty as a mentor, and his duty as a father. As exhausting as it was, he wouldn't have it any other way. Even if Softwing and his siblings had made it through the plague of bad luck the past few seasons he would probably still be spending just as much time and energy doing exactly what he did now.
The pang of grief, though lessened with time and acceptance, still tugged at his gut at the thoughts. He missed them. So much. It had been so hard when his siblings passed, but at least he'd had Softwing to comfort him throughout. And then when she had ended up in Dawnlight's den, the result of a horrifying hunting accident, Russetheart had been near inconsolable. It was his kits who had gotten him through it - were getting him through it. He had to be strong for them, and in return, realized he could be strong for himself as well.
He blinked at Honeyheart as the young tom dropped back to say hi to him, and it took a moment for Russetheart to process what the other warrior had said, but once he had his face split into a wide smile and a loud purr rumbled through his frame. "They're doing amazing." He meowed, unable to hide how proud he was of his kits. "They're getting bigger everyday. Darkkit is so studious, he listens so well. The elders absolutely adore him, as does he them. Redkit on the other paw.." He chuckled. "Starclan only knows what's going on through her head. I had to catch her from stalking Elkstar of all cats the other day. She'll be a great warrior but I hope she'll take pity on whoever her mentor ends up being." His smile was blinding, some energy restored to his paws just by talking about his kits.

Redkit|| she-cat, kit, 4 moons| tagged: Darkkit, Nightspark + Pinethorn + Thicketpaw, nursery then elder's den
Redkit woke with the birds every morning, having been up early enough today that she'd been able to wish her father goodbye when he left for one of his warrior duties. She'd been polite as could be, but Russetheart had seen through her front and told her not to cause too much trouble while he was gone. Her father had chuckled though when he said it, so she doubted she'd be getting into toooo much trouble if she were to start some of her own.
Poking at her brother's side yet again, Redkit flopped ontop of him with the most dramatic sigh she could muster. How Darkkit could be such a deep sleeper, she had no idea. Nudging him one last time, she gave up, and poked her head outside of the nursery to watch what was going on in camp.
Bored almost instantly, Redkit edged closer to the den opening, casting a suspicious look around. No one seemed to really be paying attention to her, and it wasn't like she was going to go faaaarrr. Even still she crouched down into her best approximation of a hunting crouch, trying her best to sneak across camp to the elder's den unnoticed. Redkit hopped from shadow to shadow, wiggling under bushes, peeking out at the warriors as they bustled around getting into patrols. Elkstar was making his way over to her uncle and Redkit almost pounced, but remembered her father's look of horror last time he'd caught her about to do that.
Oh, right, she was going off to the elder's den.
Redkit made it over at last, distractions left behind, and bounded into the den with an exclamation of excitement at seeing that both Pinethorn and Nightspark were awake. "Good morrrrning!!" She giggled, eyeing Thicketpaw, who was also there. The last time she'd tried to wrestle him hadn't gone so well. But maybe this time ..

[tealfeather]

carawaypaw { camp } { chestnutfall, snowdrift }
>> she/they. ten moons. warrior apprentice.
>> brown tabby with white accents and green eyes.

Carawaypaw had been so intent on watching for her mentor that she didn't even notice Chestnutfall's approach. With a little jump and a blink, she turned to her mother with a grin. "Good morning," she meowed warmly. "And yes! I certainly hope he has something new for me, because I've already practiced everything else. Do you think Slightstep would teach me her tricks, once I'm a warrior and not learning anymore? I don't want to get bored, and I know she does things differently." She tipped her head to where her other mother was standing a few paces away. Not many cats would notice, but Cara saw how Slightstep hovered one paw above the ground so she didn't put any weight on it. And she knew other things, too, like how she relied more strongly on the senses she was strong in. That meant she had some skills that no other warrior did, and Carawaypaw was endlessly curious about it, but pestering Slightstep herself would get her nowhere, so Chestnutfall it was.

While she was talking, she flicked her gaze from Ches to the camp entrance to the warrior's den and back, still intent on spotting Snowdrift the moment he appeared. She saw the flash of white at the camp entrance and was standing by the time he was fully visible and recognizable. She was still buzzing with excitement to go and train, but she would at least finish her conversation with Chestnutfall first. It was only polite.

slightstep { camp / territory } { sloepaw }
>> she/her. thirty-five moons. warrior.
>> cream tabby with green eyes and a twisted paw.

As an apprentice, Slightstep had been very no-nonsense and one-minded. Spending time with Ches helped her mellow out, especially now that she could fully express her feelings towards her, but it didn't mean she was suddenly a bleeding heart. Sloepaw obviously knew that, but he seemed to be equating it to her having no sympathy. She wasn't sure whether she should be amused or pity him, so instead, she set her own feelings aside. "I slept in too, so it's no loss," she meowed, starting with facts, because those she could always do. Logic was easy. If it happened to soothe Sloepaw's worries at the same time, then good, though her tone wasn't particularly soothing.

Shaking her head at his offer of punishment was easy, too. "No," was the firm reply, as she motioned with her tail for Sloepaw to follow her out of camp. She shot Ches a look as she passed, since she was right there. It said something fond, and also a message of we can catch up later. She didn't turn to Sloepaw as she continued because that wasn't something she could do without tripping, but she made sure to keep her voice clear. "You're a new apprentice. I want you learning skills, not in the elder's den."

Once they were suitably out in the open, Slightstep sat down and used the opportunity to catch her breath. Even though Sloepaw had slightly shorter legs than her, it was still a pace she wasn't particularly fond of. But she wasn't about to hold back her apprentice when she was capable of walking at his speed. "Now," she meowed after a moment, swishing her tail to indicate the forest, "smell any prey?" The classic question of what do you smell was pointless to ask such a young cat; that was for testing ability. Right now, she knew there was nothing dangerous nearby from her own scenting, and of course he would know what food smelled like.