[ --- ◆ the clan life ◆ --- ] - warriors - o&a

[radio.active.]

bitterfang▸tom▸80m▸medicine cat▸tags- snowpaw▸mentions- ashstar, rushwing

The old tom sat in the long shadows of his den with his eyes trained on the clan's leader, who had been sat still as a statue at least since before Bitterfang himself had woken up. He often worried about the leader, but of course he would never say so out loud. Bitterfang had made a name for himself as an irritable and cold old cat, a name that gave him a wide berth from the rest of the clan unless medical attention was needed. Normally he was grateful for his reputation, but there were some days where he wished he were a little warmer to his clan.

But there's no reason to dwell on the past, he tutted himself as Ashstar called the clan to the clearing. He eased up to his paws, wincing as his bones creaked from the cold. He certainly wasn't looking forward to the coming leafbare just for the idea of his bones hurting. The thought of leafbare brought down a slew of new worries and deadlines, prompting him to dig his claws into the soft earth to relieve some of the anxiety. He forced his muscles to relax, and inhaled in an attempt to clear the worries from his mind as he settled himself back on his haunches below the highrock to listen.

At the mention of the loners, his face screwed up into something more aggressive than his usual scowl. He couldn't prove it, but Bitterfang was willing to bet his peace and quiet that the loners were responsible for trampling one of the last few herb patches in the territory. Unconsciously, his tail lashed back and forth, betraying his anger with the outsiders.

As the clan waited for Rushwing to stand and call patrols, Bitterfang turned to his apprentice. "Once patrols have been called, we're going out to check what's left of the herb patches."

embertail▸tom▸33m▸warrior▸tags- xx▸mentions- ashstar

As they did every night, bizarre and meaningless dreams danced around him while he slept. His father's voice snarled at him, unintelligible but menacing nonetheless. In the deepest ravines of his subconscious, he even swore he heard the screams of Smokepaw as the fox tore at her fur, or the sopping squish of Ravenfoot's bloated body being dropped onto the banks of the river. He tossed about in his sleep, tearing at the moss of his nest as the fear and panic overwhelmed him, until at last he wrenched himself awake. For a few heartbeats, Embertail lay in his nest, panting and shaking ever so slightly. What he would give to have one night of rest, where the ghosts of his family stayed in StarClan where they belonged.

With a small yawn, the ginger tom stepped out of his nest and shook the clinging moss from his fur. As the scraps fell to the ground, Ashstar's voice cut through the otherwise silent camp, summoning the clan to the highrock. He padded out into the rising sun, blinking the fog of sleep from his eyes and mind.

Loners? He followed this train of thought on a winding rabbit chase. He hadn't heard of any loners in the area until now despite having been on patrol the past few evenings. Had he just been too dense to notice the unfamiliar scents? He thought back, trying to retrace his steps and the experiences that came with them. For the life of him, he couldn't remember a single scent out of the ordinary. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you haven't had a full night's sleep in nearly six moons, he chided himself.

poppystrike▸molly▸41m▸warrior▸tags- xx▸mentions- ashstar

The lithe molly awoke with a ferocious yawn. She must not have moved at all in her sleep, judging by the stiffness of her limbs and the ache in her neck. She rolled her head around in an effort to work the knots from her muscles. As the pain subsided, she let out a soft purr of contentment. Ashstar's call interrupted her lazy beginning of the day, so the molly padded out into the camp to see what the leader had to say.

To her delight, the sun was already rising high enough to warm her pelt. She knew today would be one of the last few days of sun as leafbare approached, a fact that pushed her to enjoy and appreciate every ray of warmth that fell upon them. A moment later, she realized, with a hint of shame, that she had completely missed every word Ashstar had just spoken. She ducked her head, hoping nobody had noticed her basking in the sunlight while their leader made announcements.

[imperials]

☁︎ ── ( ＲＵＳＨＷＩＮＧ! )
gender. tom x age. 35 moons x rank. deputy x location. camp x tags. clan
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please, don't go. I-I didn't mean to- his voice rung in his head. bouncing around his skull like a bell going off. it had been an incredibly long time since that specific dream had haunted his dreamscape. there was something off in the air that left a bitter taste on his tongue when he rose his head from that frightful slumber.

the morning was brisk. with the sun just barely starting to break the horizon, he stretched from the warriors den, careful not to tread on any other clanmates tails and wake them up. Rushwing was always an early riser. sleep came naturally to him most nights and allowed him to wake in good time. glancing around the camp, he noted Ashstar sitting in the mouth of his den. solemnly staring off into the abyss. absentmindedly, he noted that he should go have a talk with his leader later and ponder him as to what was on his mind. though that would be for a different time.

continuing a small morning walk to stretch his muscles, he took note to pass the entrance, keeping tabs on if the guards were dozing or not, for he'd have some kind words for them later if that was so. But alas they were not, so he kept to himself, nodding towards them and taking his strides deeper into camp and rounding the outside of it. He sat momentarily near the elders den. Taking a deep breath of cold morning air in. he needed this peace and quiet. the hustle and bustle of typical clan life tended to wear his enthusiasm sometimes. every-cat needed a break in the moment.

he hadn't realized how long he had been sitting there, for the sun was now higher in the sky than it was before he had started to think. Ashstar's voice ringing out for a clan meeting broke him from his daze. oh how ironic it is that I am going to go talk to ashstar later for the same thing, he thought with a silent chuckle. stretching his legs once more, he padded over to the base of where ashstar was standing, listening careful to what the tom had to say.

"Recently, I have been informed that a couple of loners that have been scented around the border. Their origins and intent is unknown at this time. It does not appear that they are working together however, do not let your guard down. Remain vigilant. Refrain from leaving the camp by yourself unless absolutely necessary. That is all of the news - now for patrols." Rushwing had assumed that this was most likely what it was going to be about, and he was readying himself for the patrol to come. rouges and loners were not welcome inside the clan territory. they threatened to take the clans fresh-kill supply and to harm them. it was his duty to carry out this patrol and the invigorating morning wind that chilled his pelt pushed him onward.

dipping his head to ashstar in thanks for giving him the right to speak. standing tall, he addressed his clan with enthusiasm that would make apprentices roll their eyes for how early it was, "I will be the head of the patrol to investigate the loner scents around the boarder." pausing, he scanned the his clan, "we need to keep our wits and possibly be ready for a fight. that being said, acornheart, creekgorse, and minnowpaw, i would like for you three to come with me today.
minnowpaw, this will be a new experience for you and i would like for you to test your tracking skills on this patrol. though please listen to your mentor, and do not engage unless told to." pausing once more, he gauged what other cats he could send on patrols. "buzzardclaw, take your apparentice pikepaw and acornheart's apprentice blackpaw with you today on a hunting patrol. take tigertalon and fawnpaw with you as well, i'd like to see some good hunting from you three apprentices today. Lastly, Swancrest, take your apprentice blazepaw and a few other cats of your choosing on a boarder patrol to the opposite end of the territory from where my patrol will be going. feel free to hunt along the way if you please, but take note of any unusual scents." nodding to his clan, he sat back down in his place. "that will be all for todays morning patrols."

☼ ── ( ＦＡＷＮＰＡＷ! )
gender. she-cat x age. 9 moons x rank. apprentice x location. camp x tags. clan / buzzardclaw / pikepaw
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fawnpaw gaped at the early morning sun that cascaded from the entrance of the apprentices den. she wasn't ready to wake up yet, and everyone was going to hear about it today because of it. opening her maw in a silent yawn, she groggily exited the den. she really was not up for any sort of early morning patrol, so she hoped she wasn't going to have to do anything too straining today. it wasn't like she had anything better to do though so she went along with it.

noting where pikepaw was, she padded over to the young molly. pikepaw and fawnpaw had an odd relationship. as pikepaw typically wasn't the most favorited apprentices in the whole world by the other apprentices. their friendship was nice but rocky at times due to their highly competitive nature. "goodmorning pikepaw," she smiled and dipped her head to the warrior sitting near them as well, "and you as well buzzardclaw." continuing to look around, she noted where tigertalon's tabby pelt was in the crowd.

[shadowbaby]

Shadowclaw| She Cat|Warrior| Location; Camp/Abandoned Camping Grounds | tags; Pixie/open
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Shadowclaw squirmed in her nest as her dream took her back to the day she was always trying to forget. The dream threw her right back into the moment of her greatest terror, blood, flashes of white teeth, red fur, hot reeking breath and pain, so much pain. The dream flashed back to earlier in the day, when it had felt like it would be the best day ever. She was walking through the woods with her sister Moon and her father Shadepelt away from the den her mother had made near the abandoned camp ground, they were heading to the camp of Thrushclan so she and her sister could finally train as apprentices so they would someday be warriors just like Shadepelt and like the stories of warriors they had heard for so long. Both kits had a spring in their steps and were chattering away with each other about how excited they were, Shadepelt however was walking along with his head down and lost in thought. He had never told his clan about his mate and kits and he didn't know how his clan would take it. Shadow had just turned to her father to ask him a question when he froze and whipped around, "Run!" He screamed, but it was too late, Shadow suddenly felt a searing pain in her back and the ground fell away as a fox snatched her up in it's jaws gripping her back like it would snap her in two. He sight grew fuzzy and she saw flashes of a tabby pelt, Her father? And a light gray pelt run towards her. "No, don't" she mumbled feebly, they would be hurt if they tried to fight the fox. The fox shook her and blackness crept across her sight and she lost consciousness.

"No!" Shadowclaw yowled, struggling to wakefulness and scattering her mossy bed. Her eyes were wide and her breathing hard as if the attack had just happened. As her eyes adjusted to the morning light filtering into the den, and the roaring in her ears started to fade she caught the sound of her leader's voice calling a meeting. She took a deep breath to calm herself and glanced around the den, most of the cats had already left so only a few witnessed her outcry, but they already thought she was different so she didn't care. She quickly shook her fur so it wasn't so messy and trotted out to find a seat and listen to the meeting. Her mind was still more than half on her dream still until the word 'Loner' got her attention. Her ears perked up and she fully focused on what Ashstar was saying. 'Loners, maybe near the abandoned camp ground?' She thought excitedly, 'Maybe Velvet and my siblings came back, they didn't abandon me for good! I need to go see if they are there. But, Ashstar just said no one can go alone, but I can't exactly have someone come with me, everyone already thinks I'm not loyal since I'm only half clan.' She thought bitterly, 'Well I'll just have to sneak out then.' As soon as the meeting ended she headed for the dirtplace tunnel. 'So far so good.' She thought as she slipped through then headed through the forest towards the abandoned camp ground. Her mind was so focused on her family that when she reached the camp ground and saw something rustling in an old rotting pelt thing she ran towards it calling "Velvet? Wind? Thunder? River? Are you there?" She skidded to a halt as out came a bedraggled looking kit with scruffy dirty cream colored fur and brown points, and to make it even more shocking, this kit wore some sort of blue tendril around it's neck. Shadowclaw gaped at her unsure of how to react.

((Feel free to have someone follow her))

Pixie| She cat| Lost kittypet| Location; Abandoned Campground | tags; Shadowclaw/open
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Pixie slowly blinker her eyes open as the first rays of dawn hit her face. She groggily lifted her head and looked around, then her eyes flew open and she staggered to her feet. "Oh no." She meowed in sadness and disbelief. "It wasn't all a dream? But I thought, I mean. Oh no." She meowed and sat down, feeling shaky and very upset. Finally she took a deep breath, glanced around one more time, then got to her paw. "Ok, I need to find my way back to where my house folk are." She meowed, trying to fake confidence. After looking all around her she decided to head back towards where she could see the trees were uneven most likely due to a hilly area. She had remembered going through some hill on her way out so that most be the right way. The sun steady rose as she walked and trotted towards the uneven ground. By the time it was mid morning she had made it through the hills and started recognizing where she was. She burst into a sprint as she scented a very faint trace of the smell her house folk's car made when is ran. She wrinkled her nose but kept running until finally she burst into the abandoned campground. "I'm here! I'm back!" She yowled as she looked wildly back and forth. But she couldn't see her family, or their car, but she could see the imprints from their feet all over the camp, and she smelled their scents as well. Finally she crept into an old fabric den where she could strongly smell her house folk. "They must have looked through here for me." She realized sadly, "Oh I was so stupid! Why did I have to go and run off?" She idly clawed at a string that stretched from one corner of the den to the top. With a sudden burst of anger she sliced at it and it snapped causing part of the den to collapse on her. With a yelp she struggled to get free, but she just managed to tangle her paws in the string until it wound tightly around on her fore paw and bit deeply into her fur and skin. She yelped in pain and jumped back, her collar's bell tinkling wildly as she backed rapidly out of the den. The string just grew tighter the further she pulled so as soon as she was free of the fabric she stopped. She heard a cat yowling for, Wind? and she froze as she then heard a gasp and looked up to see a dark spotted she cat staring at her with her mouth open. Pixie's fur prickled, 'A wildcat!' She thought frantically 'Mom was right, I ran away from my house folk and now a wildcat is going eat me for being bad!' She tried to run but was instantly tripped by the string and let out a yowl of pain as the string bit deeper.


Shadowclaw| She Cat|Warrior| Location; Abandoned Camping Grounds | tags; Pixie/open
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Shadowclaw shook herself out of her shock and darted forward as the kit fell, tripped by some sort of strong cobweb? She wasn't sure. "Its ok, calm down, I won't hurt you. I can help." Shadowclaw meowed, trying to keep her voice soothing. She approached the frightened kit slowly, then faster as she stopped struggling. "Here, let me help you get that off your paw." Shadowclaw meowed, studying the tendril. "Maybe I can bite it off?" She murmured, then at the look of alarm on the young cat's face she hastily meowed "The tendril, I meant bite off the tendril. Not your foot or anything. For Starclan's sake why would I want to bite your paw off?" She huffed, then not waiting for a response bent down and tried to bite the tendril free. Her teeth pinched the cat's skin and Pixie let out a cry of pain. "Sorry! Sorry!" Shadowclaw meowed as she backed away. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Ok, I'll need to figure out something else, um, how about I just try to claw at it further away?" She walked a few paces away to where the tendril attached to the weird pelt den. She slid her claws out and raked it across the tendril a few times. Finally it snapped. "There" Shadowclaw announced, looking pleased. She walked back to the young cat and tried to pull the tendril off her paw. Pixie screeched in pain and Shadowclaw backed off again hastily. "Right, not working. See? This is why you aren't a medicine cat." She meowed, annoyed with herself. Then forcing out a calming purr she meowed "Little one, lets take you back to my camp. We have a medicine cat who can help you with that, it looks like its starting to make you bleed." At a cautious and sort of glazed nod from Pixie Shadowclaw helped her up and leaned against her to support her. "Here, lean on me and I'll help you." 'Oh Starclan I will be in so much trouble bringing her back. But what can I do, she is hurt. Just watched, they will blame it on me being half clan.' Shadowclaw slowly but steadily led Pixie back towards the camp silently dreading facing her clan.

[-solar eclipse-]

➴ 𝐀 𝐂 𝐎 𝐑 𝐍 𝐇 𝐄 𝐀 𝐑 𝐓
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xx27 moons old ⟶ warrior ⟶ tom ⟶ mentors; blackpaw ⟶ interest; open ⟶ location; camp ⟶ mood; calm
xxtagged; tigertalon m, rushwing
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Racing through the forest he grew up in, he had no trouble navigating after a rabbit in the undergrowth. Pouncing next to it, he’d finally cornered it in a tree’s roots, but the rabbit tried to scratch him and he thought he’d dodged well enough. Swiftly ending its life, it wasn’t until after he began to carry it that he realized that it had cut his left cheek.

The catch itself was sheer luck, he thought, heading back towards the camp, doing his best to ignore the slight stinging. He didn’t have the best pain tolerance, but it wasn’t the worst it could be either, more average than anything. He was simply an average cat. Walking back into the camp entrance, it was obvious he must have missed the leader call out for a clan meeting, as he was already speaking when Acornheart realized exactly what was happening.

Flattening his ears as Ashstar continued, he briefly glanced over at his best friend practically bouncing with energy as always, he wondered if he should have waited before heading out when everyone else was asleep. Having quietly placed the rabbit into the fresh-kill pile, he hoped that he wouldn’t be too noticed as he walked back in, giving a smile to Rushing as he headed over to him as the leader had finished. "Good morning, Rushwing, are we heading out soon?" He greeted cheerfully, having completely forgotten about the decent scratch on his cheek.

➴ 𝐁 𝐋 𝐀 𝐙 𝐄 𝐏 𝐀 𝐖
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xx10 moons old ⟶ apprentice ⟶ she-cat ⟶ mentor; swancrest ⟶ interest; open ⟶ location; camp ⟶ mood; impatient
xxtagged; open
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Waking to the early morning chill, she couldn't help but curl up in her nest even tighter, but the quiet rumbling of her stomach was enough to wake her up and nearly shoo her out of the den itself. She never used to dream of when she was a kit, usually having a dreamless sleep but apparently not the night before. It was odd, the dream, she was a kit, but in it she had another mother before Sandpebble. Of course, she knew that she was adopted but never knew the reason why.

But she wasn’t going to fret about that today, was she? No, she had plenty of training and chores to do, she was not going to think about it anymore. And she didn’t. Leaving the den finally, she heard the overly serious leader’s voice practically booming across the camp. To think, she had nearly slept in, she never slept in late but she wasn’t sure what was causing it. Overtraining, possible lack of sleep to say a few possibilities, but did it matter? It didn't to her.

As she did so, she quickly scanned the clearing for her mentor, only to see that she wasn’t either awake or in the camp. Flicking her tail tip impatiently, she almost wished that she knew which one so that she could at least do something.

[rabbit_with_a_fedora]

{--- ◆FIERCEGAZE◆ ---}

25 moons--Warrior--She-cat--Camp (her nest)--Pondering--no tags--Mentions Ashstar and Minnowpaw

Fiercegaze woke with a start, as the cool led fall wind blew gently against her whiskers. She should wake up soon, but she lay in her nest for a bit, listening to the other warriors around her start to rouse. She wondered again and again if the rogue who murdered her mother was still alive. If so, he or she wouldn't stay they way for long after Fiercegaze found them. She remembered what her elderly father had told her once her kit eyes had opened."Remember, my Fiercekit, respect the warrior code. Now you know what cats who don't follow it can become: savage, wild murderers." Fiercegaze still remembered those words and had always strived to become a warrior. On the day of the naming ceremony, she was bursting with pride. Her father's milky eyes had been glowing as bright as the lake in leaf green. Since then, she knew she could never allow rogues and other savages inside the camp to cause chaos. As she heard Ashstar call the summoning, she got up, stretched, and readied herself. She padded out gracefully and looked up at her leader. The announcements started alright, but when she heard the word "rogue" and "our territory" she snarled so loud, Minnowpaw beside her jumped. She dug her razor-sharp claws into the soft earth, using all her willpower to not rip someone to shreds. Those insufferable rogues! They murder, pillage, steal and break the warrior code. How DARE they even think about coming on Thrushclan's land?! They had already caused so much damage. When Ashstar announce their intent was unknown, Fiercegaze scoffed "What do you mean, unknown? They're going to attack camp, murder, and steal! They ARE rogues after all!". Everyone soon grew suddenly silent. Fiercegaze realized she had stood up, fur bristling, eyes blazing. She could feel everyone's gaze on her, including the warriors. She could only imagine what her leader what say, however, Fiercegaze seethed with rage at the rogues. She growled "If there's a patrol to find those rogues, count me in." She took a deep breath, and swept her golden, piercing gaze across the cats, and continued.

[bunsniff]

PATCHWATCHER >> tags; ashstar , fiercegaze
Patchwatcher had his paws planted on the ground and a stony expression upon his face. He listened intently to what their leader had to say and found his muscles tensing with the news. His claws dug into the earth as his head turned in the direction of Fiercegaze. He appreciated her honest, brute-like nature. He hoped she wouldn't pay a terrible price for her honest opinion on the rogues. He imaged those loners feeding on the clan's rightful prey and nesting in their rightful land. His eyes narrowed with irritation at his own thoughts. "Shouldn't we go after them? Not simply investigate but... Drive them out?" He called, his tail lashing.

CREEKGORSE >> apprentice; minnowpaw // tags; rushwing , minnowpaw
Creekgorse nodded his head at the deputy Rushwing and listened intently to his plan. He trusted his leader and deputy to choose the best path and plans to keep them safe. He purred towards his apprentice, smiling at her with full confidence that she would do great. He lashed his tail against the dirt beneath him at the thought of those rogues being found. He wondered whether or not their plan was to communicate or chase the rogues out. His eyes gleamed with a challenge; if his clan needed him to fight he would happily wrestle with a rogue. He breathed in the smell of his clan-mates and stood to his paws eagerly--wanting to track down the intruders.

ASHSHADE >> tags; shadowclaw
Ashshade had only recently awoken from a nap, but he was quickly gaining awareness as he listened to Ashstar's statement about the rogues. He became alert and his eyes dashed around the camp as if he thought the rogues would leap at them from the walls. His eyes narrowed on a certain figure wandering towards the dirtplace. Though she could very well just be heading to do her business, something made him suspicious as his pelt bristled a bit and he followed her. "Shadowclaw... What on earth are you doing." He hissed the words through his teeth but kept his distance so she wouldn't hear or see him. He watched from a distance as Shadowclaw aided a small feline who had been hurt in the abandoned camp grounds. Lashing his tail irritably, he waited until the she-cat was helping the unknown feline towards their camp before jumping out in front of the two with a yowl. "I sure hope you aren't planning on bringing this stranger to the camp."

[rabbit_with_a_fedora]

[ --- ◆Fiercegaze:◆ --- ]

IFiercegaze—Warrior—Gorse Wall—25 moons—Rushwing

Fiercegaze’s eyes blazed, and she swept her defeaning gaze across the gathered clan cats. Exactly, Patchwatcher. They are ROGUES. LONERS. REBELS. MUDERERS. Can’t we just send out a patrol to find them and get them of our land? Foxes could find them in a weakened state... her eyes gleamed maliciously. We have to stop them before they attack first! If we sit here and watch them, being « peaceful » they’ll attack us! When have rogues, loner and kitty pets done us any good?! Best we get rid of them once and for all! Plus, how many rogues are there? We have ten times more warriors. And plus, they are not trained. I have some moves I could show you all. We could beat the easily! Two bonuses: We rid the land of attacks, and we do it easily! Why NOT attack? We, Thrushclan, have been shunted in the shadow of the other 4 « Greater clans ». But we survived! Why? Thunder clan allowed too many rogues and kitty pets in, and they spurred chaos among the clans. Do you all wish for us to fall to that same fate? Well, we should go attack. I see many of you itching to chase them out, so why don’t we? If so many cats all believe the same thing, then is it wrong? I say we chase them out, once and for all! The other rogues will never think of coming to our land ever again! Any objections? Rushwing, (her gaze turned respectfully to the deputy) can you organize a patrol to literally find them and drive them out?, not just investigate? I would suggest Fawnpaw, with her outstanding tracking skills (she nodded to the young apprentice), but the rest are all good warriors and apprentices. Of course, I would like to go. Her words seemed to spur the camp.




Feel free to have someone object to her ideas!

[clickbait]

【ｓｈｉｖｅｒｉｎｇｗｉｌｌｏｗ】

gender; molly rank; warrior age; 27 location; warrior's den > camp mentions; snowpaw, bitterfang tags; xx

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strong sunlight shone through the warrior's den and dappled the pelt of a long-furred silver molly. she opened her eyes to see the bright warrior's den. the cat blinked, she would have liked to stay in the warm sunlight more, slowly thinking away the day, but the constant worry of her needing so be somewhere made the molly rise from her nest. she sighed, picking herself up. she arched her back. a sharp pain that pulsated up her spine caused the molly to tumble back down. what is going on? she thought, confused. she pulled herself back up, scrunching her face in pain. she lifted herself back up again. she wondered why she was feeling this pain. to her knowledge, it had just appeared out of no-where. yesterday she had gone on two relatively low active patrols. she didn’t have an apprentice and there wasn’t a battle. the grey cat was only 27 moons, too young to be feeling any bone pain. the cat, called shiveringwillow, twisted her head around to try and take a look at her back, but she became frustrated when her neck wouldn’t turn that far. shiveringwillow padded to the side of the den and lifted a paw to her back. nothing feels wrong… shiveringwillow thought. she sighed and padded out of the den. the sudden light stung the molly, causing her to blink rapidly. shiveringwillow only just realized how dry her throat was and she was going to go find a drink before a sharp jolt reminded her of her agonising back pain. relentlessly, shiveringwillow padded over to the medicine cat den. truthfully, the grey tabby cat hated going to see the medicine cats, she normally ignored any small pain, but this was something no cat could ignore. “bitterfang? snowpaw?” shiveringwillow meowed as she stuck her nose through the inside of the medicine cat’s den. the worry about her needing to be somewhere hit shiveringwillow again. she contemplated dashing back out to the clearing, but she knew deep down that she needed healing. instead, shiveringwillow glanced over to the deputy. he didn’t seem to make any eye contact with the grey warrior. shiveringwillow sighed and turned back to the medicine cat den. she sat down, her tail flicking over her front paws as they dug into the soft dirt. she held her head high as she waited.
(394 words)

[yeeee.]

Ａｓｈｓｔａｒ
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|53 moons| ◆ |leader| ◆ |location : highrock| ◆ |w/ Fiercegaze, Patchwatcher, (mentions Rushwing & all three patrols)|

Ashstar didn't have to wait but a moment before the meeting continued. From the base of the Highrock, he spotted his deputy, Rushwing, emerge from seemingly nowhere. Although the leader has not initially seen where he was seated, the leader knew he was present, as the diligent deputy knew the drill as well as Ashstar himself. With a respectful dip of his head, the deputy launched straight into patrols with the energy of someone who loved their job. As he did so, the stoic russian blue sat back on his haunches and let his gaze once more dance over the faces of Thurshclan, his expression as stoic as ever. Many cats appeared a bit more awake, the sleep fading from their eyes as if the enthusiasm from Rushwing had somehow seeped into their pelts. As the deputy continued with his annoucements, Ashstar made internal notes to himself.

Excellent, so I will not have to worry about not receiving a thorough report. Each cat has an experienced warrior, or a few, that knows their stuff. This situation with the loners will be resolved quickly and methodically, hopefully with no causalities, Ashstar thought to himself. If only he had taken into account the ire some of his warriors would feel. As the lithe gray tom listened to the rest of the patrols get called out, he was pleased to note that each angle got covered. Both borders would be covered, and and a sizable yet skilled hunting patrol had also been issued. This would cover the fact that prey was a bit more difficult to find, the leader was certain. Good work, Rushwing. Thorough and inspiring as always. After his deputy finished speaking, the lithe gray tom stood once more, stretching his legs a bit before mewing, "That concludes this morning's meeting. May Starclan be with all of you."

At that ending note, Ashstar turned to jump down from his rock, thankful to be down from the perch. The cool breeze sliced through his short pelt, and the higher-than-average vantage point did little to retain heat. However, before the leader could place a paw upon the cool earth, he heard an angry, shrill yowl pierce the camp. "What do you mean, unknown? They're going to attack camp, murder, and steal! They ARE rogues after all!" Ashstar's turquoise eyes immediately located the outspoken cat - Fiercegaze. The silver molly's fearsome gaze - the one she was aptly named for - was trained on the stoic leader. Her claws kneaded the soil, and her eyes blazed with passion. "If there's a patrol to find those rogues, count me in." The leader took a deep inhale, collecting his thoughts before he spoke. Fiercegaze had a point, and while the leader did not agree, he was certain there were cats within the camp that did.

As if confirming his thoughts, Patchwatcher spoke up. "Shouldn't we go after them?" Ashstar now turned his gaze to Patchwatcher, his cool gaze dancing over the golden tom as if seeing right through him. I must be careful how I address these... thoughts. Quite a few warriors within this clan have a reason to hate loners. However, they have no done anything yet, and as such we will not handle this violently. We will handle it within reason, without any bloodshed if possible, as that is the way of a warrior. And then once again, before Ashstar could open his mouth and utter a single word, Fiercegaze continued her passion-driven speech. Then, as soon as she finished, another warrior - Buzzardclaw - spoke up, his voice angry, his words coarse, and his pointed glare leaving plenty of invitation for a debate or perhaps some physical action. The leader internally cringed. He hated silencing his warriors, but he could tell this little "debate" already out of control. And honestly, he did not want to hear such vulgar language so early in the morning. Additionally, no one would speak to his deputy in such a way. Ashstar knew that Rushwing was a kind and patient tom, so this wasn't bound to send him over the edge, especially so early in the morning. But the gray tom was a stickler for obedience, or at least, if you want to voice your concerns, doing so in a reasonable, respectful manner. No disrespect was to be tolerated.

"Silence."

After the buzz and conversations died down - which happened relatively quickly, as the leader had taken a very no-nonsense tone - the gray tom focused his steely, golden-flecked gaze on Fiercegaze and Patchwatcher.

"I understand your concern, Fiercegaze, Patchwatcher. You two believe if we do not strike first to drive them from our lands, we could be in dire danger. However, at this point, I have absolutely no reason to believe that this is the case. I did not call them rogues, because they have no harmed any clan cats at this time, and such, it would be unreasonable to assume they mean harm. We have detected only two loners - hardly a number that would pose a threat to us, so long as we exercise proper caution and do not travel alone. By merely demonstrating our strength and discipline, we can prevent any accidents before they happen, and potentially scare the loners away. We don't want unnecessary bloodshed, especially so close to leaf-bare, when all of our strength will be needed to survive. Rushwing has already organized patrols to find out more information and perhaps dissuade these loners, so at this time, no further action will be taken until we have obtained more information as to the exact whereabouts and condition of these loners. Thrushclan has thrived where others have failed, because we obeyed the code and exercised caution. If violence can be avoided, it shall, because it benefits no one.

That is all." Ashstar swept his steely gaze over his clan once more, waiting for another outburst. None came, at least not at that exact moment. Satisfied, the gray tom sat down again, gesturing with his tail to all of the remaining cats. "If you are still concerned about the loners, feel free to come see me personally. However, we have wasted enough time as is - the sun climbs higher every second. Patrols, please head out. Everyone else, please resume your duties."

With that, the stoic leader waited atop the highrock, just in case this minor disagreement had not been resolved.

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|48 moons| ◆ |warrior| ◆ |location : entrance to camp| ◆ |w/ Pikepaw, Fawnpaw, Fiercegaze, Ashstar (mentions Rushwing & other patrols)|

Buzzardclaw was forcing himself to focus to his leader's announcement. As in literally forcing his single chocolate eye open, and only because he knew there was important information within. Honestly, Ashstar bored him to death. The monotonous voice never displayed any emotion, and as such it was like listening to his father lecture him all over again. But once the cold leader mentioned loners, the grizzled old tom felt everything snap into place, and finally, he was fully awake. Loners. Never a good thing. Either they eat their weight in prey, or the nosy little foxhearts cause trouble to the clan in due time. Or both. If left unattended, this could be a serious issue. The striped tabby thumped his tail on the ground, scrunching his nose in displeasure. The scarred tom was definitely not the biggest fan of loners. However, the key was loner, not rogues. They had not done anything.... yet. It would be beneficial to just chase them out before they can do anything, but that's not gonna happen. The next best thing is to keep tabs on 'em, so we don't get caught with dull claws like a clan of mousebrains.

The older warrior was so deep within his thoughts he did not hear Pikepaw approach until she was practically beside him. "good morning Buzzardclaw," the usually motivated apprentice mewed sadly. Of course, Buzzardclaw was not so into his own head that he did not note how dejected she sounded, nor the little quiver at the end of her sentence. After a heartbeat - just long enough for him to identify something was wrong with his apprentice - the scraggly turned his undivided attention towards her. The sight that greeted him was, unfortunately, the last thing he wanted to see - slumped shoulders, an angrily lashing tail and slightly glazed eyes. It took him a few seconds to take in the scene, in which during the time his one good eyebrow was slowly climbing up. Either Pikepaw had a horrible rest, or she had cried. Or both. The tom was immediately tempted to tell her to take a minute for herself or go talk to Poppystrike. An emotional cat meant mistakes, mistakes that could prove fatal given the current circumstances. After all, who knew what rogues would do? But neither of Buzzardclaw's first thoughts were an option because a) Poppystrike was nowhere to be seen and b) they had just been selected for patrol. That's not the face I want to see. If she's upset, there must be a reason, one I have to get to the bottom of. She'll carry it around inside her all day, and at best it will her more irritable and bossy than usual, or at worst it will make her mess up and potentially have an explosion. Neither of which are good options. This was the part that made Buzzardclaw worry. He could teach an apprentice with any amount of talent how to fell a cat in three blows, or how to chase a hare, or even climb a mountain, given enough time. But emotions? Dealing with that stuff was something he himself struggled with.

But it was obvious what needed to be done. "Good morning, Pikepaw, though judging by the long face I'd say it's anything but good. What's the matter? You look like you just got a thorn pulled out of your tail." Although per usual, his words were laden with less-than-pleasant terms, true concern was clearly displayed on his face. This was so unlike Pikepaw, and as such a potentially dangerous time. But even before Pikepaw could reply, Fawnpaw came, dipping her head respectively and greeting the two. Buzzardclaw gave a slight nod to Fawnpaw, mewing politely "Good morning, Fawnpaw. I trust everything is going well so far?" But before either apprentice could reply, a loud yowl filled the air. Buzzardclaw made a face. What mousebrain is screeching like a confused thrush so early in the morning?

A quick, none-too-discreet survey revealed the culprit to be none other than Fiercegaze. The silver spotted molly was standing, fur bristling and eyes a flame, glaring at the leader. "What do you mean, unknown? They're going to attack camp, murder, and steal! They ARE rogues after all! If there's a patrol to find those rogues, count me in." All of her words were emphasized with a sharp lashing of her tail. And knowing Fiercegaze, Buzzardclaw knew it was not an idle threat.
I can't say I entirely disagree. But the thing is, at this time, they are loners. They have not attacked us, nor given us a reason to attack them. Additionally, we know nothing about them. They could - although its highly unlikely - be potential members, or harmless. However, given the fact that we abide by the warrior code, it is out of the question to do anything more.

However, before anyone else could speak, Patchwatcher mewed in agreement. "Shouldn't we go after them? Not simply investigate but... Drive them out?" And fueled by her clanmate's agreement, Fiercegaze quickly escalated. Namesake gaze sweeping her fellow warriors, the molly continued on her anger-fueled speech. As Fiercegaze not only lectured the clan but stopped short of immediate demanding action, Buzzardclaw felt himself go from agreeing to completely annoyed. You don't know a darn thing about these loners, so we need more information before we do anything. I think chasing them out would be the best option. However, you do not demand the deputy do anything, first of all. Second of all, you cannot insinuate what happened to Thunderclan - you weren't there! Also, again, who put you in charge?

Buzzardclaw stood up, his own tail lashing. Perhaps in this situation it would be best to bite his tongue and let the deputy and leader handle it, however, when was the scarred tom ever known for that?

"Fiercegaze, I believe you have a point. We should be exceptionally wary of these outsiders, and potentially strike before we're caught with our claws dull like lil' mousebrained kittypets. However, that said, we know nothing of these loners, which is why patrols were issued to y'know, find out." That was enough right there. He could have merely quieted down, having said what he believed needed to be said in a rather non-antagonizing manner. For him. But Fiercegaze had annoyed him. The older warrior respected her fierce, bold disposition. Most of the time. But in this situation, he believed her to be 100% out of line, for not only jumping to conclusions, but blatantly disrespecting authority? That was something he would not tolerate.

"But to the greater issue, who died an' put you in charge, Fiercegaze? Rushwing, our deputy - note that is not you, Fiercegaze - has already organized patrols to deal with this situation. We are not going to chase after and kill all of the rogues like a bunch of crazed foxhearts until we know what's goin' on. Also mighty bold of you to assume that, of all things, is what destroyed Thunderclan. Are you Starclan's gift to us? Better yet, are you the late Briarstar reincarnated? Because I don't recall you being there to know what happened some two hundred moons ago. So tie up that tongue of yours, and find something else to do with your energy. Maybe you should go an' clean out th- "

The usually silent, stoic leader stood up to his full height, and gave a direct order, accompanied with his usually blank turquoise eyes twinkling, betraying the slightest hint of annoyance. Should of said something sooner, before Fiercegaze ran her tongue like a bored elder, Buzzardclaw thought a snort. Feeling increasingly irritated by Ashstar's handling of things, the scarred warrior sighed and stood up, stretching out his claws and padding to the entrance of the camp, keeping an eye on Fiercegaze as he did so. Sometimes cats didn't take well to a dressing down from him, and he was honestly raring to go at this point.

"Blackpaw, Tigertalon, what's the hold up? Your moving like a bunch of elders. We need to get moving if we want to bring back a decent catch."

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|6 moons| ◆ |apprentice| ◆ |location : leaving camp| ◆ |w/creekgorse, acornheart, rushwing (mentions Ashstar, Fiercegaze)|

Minnowpaw had to admit, the leader was a bit boring. Actually, a lot boring - she just did not understand how one cat could sound so monotonous all the time! And he portrayed no emotion, and was as still as a statue. But still, the silver molly trembled with excitement. Deep down, she really wanted to be selected for a patrol. She wanted to prove how good of a warior she could be! Although loners and whatnot sounded kind of scary, the silver molly knew that she would not be put into harms' way without a capable warrior beside her. Right? As the leader finished his boring announcements, Rushwing stepped up. Upon seeing the deputy, the silver molly brightened. Although she had recently reached the qualification to actually, y'know, listen to the announcements, she already liked the deputy a lot. He was the exact opposite of their dull leader - full of life and zest. Energy radiated from his pelt with such force the young molly could almost feel it entering her bones. Literally squirming in her seat, Minnowpaw kneaded the ground with her paws, her baby blue eyes wide and eager.

"I will be the head of the patrol to investigate the loner scents around the boarder." acornheart, creekgorse, and minnowpaw, i would like for you three to come with me today. minnowpaw, this will be a new experience for you and i would like for you to test your tracking skills on this patrol. though please listen to your mentor, and do not engage unless told too."

The young apprentice's eyes got as big as saucers. Meeeeee? I got selected to on border patrol? The one where the loners were scented! Holy Starclan! The silver molly jumped to her paws so quickly she almost fell. Not only that, I am going to be one of the main cats that are in charge of scenting to loners so they don't get the jump on us! Minnowpaw should have been nervous, but she was soo excited! I get to show of my skills to the deputy, and so soon! I can't mess this up! I have to prove to him I'll become a great - no, the best - warrior someday! Beaming with pride, Minnowpaw forced herself to sit back down for the rest of the announcements. As soon as they were over, however, the silver molly made a beeline over to Rushwing.

"Good morning, Rushwing! I will be sure to do good on this morning's border patrol and not let you down," Minnowpaw mewed determinedly, looking up the deputy with excited eyes. She then turned to her clanmate, Acornheart, and beamed at him as well. "Good morning Acornheart! Wow, you caught such a big rabbit, and so early - I hope become as good a hunter as you someday!"

The silver molly was already energetic, but feeding off of the energy of her patrol, which consisted of rather light-hearted and kind clanmates, Minnowpaw was practically dancing in place. "I can't believe they picked me, Creekgorse- I am so excited! I'll be sure to remember what you taught me and s-"

Before the silver molly could finish her sentence, mayhem broke out through the camp. Fiercegaze went on a - well, fierce tirade about the loners and how they should be dealt with before they became a real problem. But what stuck out most to Minnowpaw was what Fiercegaze said - ROGUES. LONERS. REBELS. MUDERERS - and the fact that they were the reason Thunderclan had collapsed. Eyes wide with confusion and fear, the silver molly turned to Acornheart, Creekgorse and Rushwing, her tail twitching with fear. "Is that true? If they might hurt us, shouldn't we chase them out first, before something really bad happens?" Even as the patrol exited the camp, leaving Ashstar to handle the rest, Fiercegaze's terrifying warning swirled all around her. Minnowpaw hoped that all wasn't true, because if it was, then nothing good could possibly come out of this patrol. Taking a deep breath, the silver molly tried to refocus, but worry and fear gnawed at her heart.

[rabbit_with_a_fedora]

[ --- ◆ Fiercegaze◆ --- ]

Fiercegaze—27 moons—Camp—Buzzardclaw,Ashstar,Shadowclaw

Fiercegaze was known for her calculating nature, but that was when she had a calm mindset, and the others were reasonable. When she realized some cats’ ignorance, she just burst. She HAD started to calm down, but that old cat Buzzardclaw just had to spur her on. She spoke with all her debating logic and prowess, using her subtle but noticeable body language to communicate as well. Fiercegaze swivelled her head, eyes blazing. She glared daggers at Buzzardclaw. I'm acting on experience and prudence for the clan, Buzzardclaw. What else could have killed the clans? Twolegs? They could just move! No, only within the clan could there have been something to destroy them. Without outsiders, the clans would have been safely guarded, with well trained warriors who learned discipline and the warrior code, thus allowing respect for each other, and no civil war. They could have been safe, preserved forever, but the clans led themselves to their end by allowing rogues, outsiders, and un trained vampires, sucking the blood, the prey, the discipline, that keeps the clan going. That’s logic. Also, my mother was MURDERED. But that’s not prejudice. We have all suffered under the chaos erupted from the rogues who interacted with us. Shadowclaw’s mother was a rogue, and look what the complications of that led to! When have rogues been good for the clan? Just imagine, the great Thrushclan, who survived the fall of the great clans, will meet its end by being too soft. They let in rogues, and learned nothing from the experiences of their predecessors. (She scoffed) Buzzardclaw, is that enough people dying? Plus, I’m not leader. I’m making suggestions. You could object. Ashstar could just ignore me. He could just shut me off! Others could to. I’m just suggesting. Fiercegaze seemed to have confidence in her words. Fiercegaze strutted away defiantly, head held high. Now, I’m going to go check on some things. Ashstar, is there anything I could do to help the camp? I’m not sick, and have no apprentice, however, I wish to prepare us for rogues and the leaf bare season. We wouldn’t want to loose any kits! Anything I could do to help? she looked apprehensively at her leader. Her tail still lashed viciously, as if still beckoning Buzzardclaw to challenge her again.