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

[Arkinhallow]

▸ Pebblestripe
silver & brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes
40m, warrior, het, mentoring ??
tags: fiercegaze. mentions: ashstar, rushwing, tigertalon, buzzardclaw, patchwatcher, shadowclaw.
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Pebblestripe yawned widely, her teeth bared to the cold. Her breath misted before her, looking like a cloud of fire in the dawn light. She pondered it, watching as it dissipated into the morning. Nothing lasts, she thought, feeling unusually melancholy. She wasn't one to dwell on feelings that got her nowhere, but something about the chilly leaf-fall night had stirred up... something within her. The waning of the seasons did often lead to her becoming quieter, more introspective; leaf-bare was a time of hardship and she found it hard to relax during the cold moons. Leaf-fall had been mild so far, and perhaps that heralded an easy leaf-bare, but she still felt uneasy, and knew that she would continue to until they came out the other side.

An icy gust of wind pushed through the camp entrance abruptly, and Pebblestripe fluffed her short fur against the cold as best she could. She'd been on guard overnight and more than once she quietly thought that long fur would almost be worth the upkeep on a night like that. She looked up as Rushwing passed by, and returned his nod silently, appreciating that he was up bright and early without complaint. He seemed lost in thought; perhaps she wasn't the only one affected by the strange pensiveness that seemed to settle over the camp. She looked inward to the centre of camp, for now still quiet and empty, and the movement of Ashstar by his den caught her eye. She was somewhat relieved when he loudly called the clan to meet. Pebblestripe rose stiffly, glad to leave her post, and methodically stretched herself to warm up and get her blood flowing again. Her work wasn't over yet; if she was needed on patrol she had to be ready to go immediately.

It seemed that in moments the dead stillness of the dawn was shattered as her clanmates emerged into the light. She noted Tigertalon's bright pelt among those thronging to gather at the Clanrock. She took her time padding over to the general cluster of cats, and listened attentively to Ashstar as he brought the clan up to speed and got things in motion for the day ahead. She was already thinking that perhaps she'd go find her apprentice for some morning training before she napped, when Fiercegaze's angry yowls filled the air. She was shocked at the ruthless, merciless way in which she spoke, not expecting such a blatant call to violence to come as a response to Ashstar's simple warning. She narrowed her eyes as Fiercegaze went on, highly disturbed at every word that left her maw. She flicked her ears back in further distaste as Patchwatcher tentatively agreed.

She was not so surprised when Buzzardclaw's angry voice responded. The older warrior was never one to keep his thoughts to himself. She shook her head as he retorted, and was extremely thankful when Ashstar quickly put a stop to the discussion. What foolishness, to suggest that they go out of their way to fight these reported loners. She felt strongly that such unnecessary maliciousness was unacceptable for a warrior to express. Certainly, loners and rogues may have the potential to be a threat, but to attack them simply for the crime of not being clan-blood? If they did that, they would be no better than a band of rogues themselves. It was the code that separated them, and didn't it state that they should never kill without need?

She thought the matter settled after Ashstar's stern words, but it seemed Fiercegaze needed to get in the last word as her clanmates had started to disperse. Suddenly she felt she could stay quiet no longer. She was tired, and annoyed, and this was wrong. Or perhaps I'm more like Buzzardclaw than I'd like to admit, she thought to herself. "I object, Fiercegaze," she said, her voice strong and clear. She padded closer to the striking she-cat, wanting her full attention. "I understand you personally have every reason to hate and fear outsiders, but one should never cast judgement on the many for the failings of one. You cannot blame Shadowclaw's mother for being born outside the clan. Has she not gifted us with a talented and dedicated daughter?" she paused to look for Shadowclaw, and frowned slightly upon noticing she seemed to be absent. But she wasn't quite finished. "That aside, the code calls for us to never kill without need. We have had no run-ins with these loners yet," she mewed, stressing the word, "And we have no reason to think they would be enough of a threat to warrant immediate violent action. 'An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense'," she recited, her tone serious. "You have more reason to be angry than most, but I encourage you to remember what separates us from lawless cats." She fixed Fiercegaze with a steady look, calmly awaiting her response. Perhaps it was a lost cause, and in fact it certainly seemed that way given how furious Fiercegaze appeared to be, but she had to try.

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▸ Paleheart
striped cream she-cat with brown tabby points and pale blue-green eyes
27m, warrior, bi, no apprentice
tags: embertail. mentions: shadowclaw, ashstar, buzzardclaw, fiercegaze, tigertalon.
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Paleheart was quickly woken from sleep at Ashstar's yowl. She groaned, squeezing her eyelids closed against the day. Normally she was one to wake before dawn, but it seemed every other warrior was nudging her or kicking out in their sleep and disrupting her. She felt as though she'd barely slept at all, and immediately her mood soured. "No!" A loud yelp next to Paleheart elicited a hiss from her, and she flattened her ears in annoyance. She looked up to identify the offender, and narrowed her eyes at Shadowclaw, who hastily shook herself and exited the den, Paleheart's eyes following her. It was only after she left that Paleheart realised there had been a note of terror in her cry. We all get nightmares, she thought grumpily, but after a few seconds she relented. I suppose she's got reason enough to be haunted at night. She felt strangely uneasy and suddenly felt bad about reacting so aggressively.

She abruptly rose to her paws and trotted out of the den, hoping she could find Shadowclaw and... what, apologise? That's not going to bring back her family. She realised she'd lost track of Shadowclaw anyway; her dark pelt was nowhere to be seen. Best to just let it go, she thought, still feeling unsettled. She instead turned her attention to the meeting, listening to Ashstar's morning monologue while she groomed herself. She almost bit her tongue mid-lick when an argument broke out, led primarily by Fiercegaze. Paleheart was all for a good bit of verbal combat, but... Fiercegaze seemed bloodthirsty in a way that deeply troubled her. She felt a savage pleasure when Buzzardclaw erupted, scolding the young warrior scathingly, and was almost disappointed when Ashstar stepped in. Still, she was glad Fiercegaze was finally checked by the leader.

Paleheart was definitely wary of outsiders herself and half-agreed that they should take preemptive action, but this was too far. For once she didn't think she should engage in the argument; Buzzardclaw had said much of what she herself had been thinking, and she felt that more than likely they would come to blows if she spoke up. She was sorely tempted, and her fur bristled as she imagined the satisfaction of shredding the outspoken she-cat's whiskers... Not the time, she thought, in a rare moment of control. Instead, she deliberately turned away and made a point to seek out Tigertalon or Embertail, knowing she'd be able to vent to one of them.

She spotted Tigertalon a few cats over, sitting near the back as she was. Oh, but he'll be going on patrol, she remembered as Buzzardclaw called to him. She frowned and turned away, now looking out for Embertail's orange pelt. It took her a few moments but she spotted him halfway across the little clearing. She quickly trotted over, weaving through her clanmates, and greeted him with a grumbly meow. "What did you think of all that, then?" she asked, her tone indicating she thought it was ridiculous that it had happened at all.

[rabbit_with_a_fedora]

[ --- ◆Fiercegaze◆ --- ]

Fiercegaze--Female--25moons--Camp--Pebblestripe--

When Pebblestripe spoke up, Fiercegaze actually wasn't that mad at her. She had always listened to reason when spoken to her calmly. At that moment, she developed a respect for the older warrior. She wasn't that mad at her for objecting, since Fiercegaze HAD stated that she was open for objections. She listened intently and actually might have agreed with her occasionally. Fiercegaze's anger subsided. I still suggest that we go after them since it would be easier and safer, but nevertheless. I suppose I'm outvoted? Thank you, Pebblestripe, for talking normally, I appreciate the reason. Now, let's see what I can do, since I must admit I've wasted much of our precious daylight. However, my point still stands, so think about it. Fiercegaze nodded at the warrior, then stalked away. She had to admit she had some temper issues when it came to rogues. She was usually reasonable about all things, but rogues were not on the list. She turned to find Shadowclaw and apologize to her, but couldn't seem to find the she-cat. She's probably off to the dirtplace and should be back soon, but I won't interrupt that! She felt a strong urge to do something, either to help the clan prepare for leaf-bare, or about the rogues. She turned to Swancrest. Swancrest, I have nothing to do, but I feel like I should do something, not just laze around like a kittypet. Could I come on your patrol? Fiercegaze dug her claws into the dirt, a strange habit of hers, and scanned the warrior's expression with her golden eyes. She waited for a response but was steeling herself to be rejected.


(I really hope I'm not powerplaying anyone again)

[shadowbaby]

Shadowclaw| She Cat|Warrior| Location; Hunting Grounds | tags; Pixie/Ashshade
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Shadowclaw stiffened and her fur prickled as Ashshade jumped in front of her challenging her choice to bring the young kittypet to camp. 'Oh of course, it had to be him!' She seethed inwardly before deliberately smoothing her fur and meowed in a calm tone. "Why yes, I am planning on taking her back to camp. Have you seen her paw?" At this point Pixie helpfully lifted her paw, showing how the string had cut into her paw and was stuck. Shadowclaw nodded at her and looked back at Ashshade. "Why shouldn't I bring her back to camp for healing? Do YOU see any cat around who can help her?" She asked as she indicated the empty woods around her. "I know the clan distrusts loners, but not all loners are rogues who mean us harm." Here she flattened her ears and hissed out "After all, my own mother was a loner and I would like to think that I am an asset to the clan, even if I'm half clan and not fully clanborn. If nothing else. the warrior code says we should help kits no matter what their origin is!" By this point Shadowclaw was lashing her tail and her hackles had risen, 'So much for keeping calm.' She thought with an sigh. "And even if she isn't from any clan" She hurried on, feeling that Ashshade would object because of that, "Does a lost kittypet 'At least I assume she is a kittypet, what with that blue tendril around her neck' who still looks like a kit deserve our mercy any less than a clan born kit, just because she happened to be born somewhere else? Does the place of her birth deem her less worthy of help?" Shadowclaw now looked pleadingly at Ashshade, "Ashshade look, she needs medical attention and she is probably going into shock. She is still young, she looks like she isn't quite old enough to be an apprentice. Please help me get her back to camp? If not, I will still take her, and you would have to use your claws to stop me!" Shadowclaw tried to sound threatening towards the end but her voice just turned pleading. This young kit could easily have been herself. What if the clan had chosen not to take her in and treat her? She could have died. Shadowclaw then turned to Pixie again and meowed, "Come little one, lets keep going." And she braced the young cat and began heading towards camp again, but she was stiff and every sense alert in case Ashshade decided to stop her.


Pixie| She cat| Lost kittypet| Location; Hunting Grounds | tags; Shadowclaw/Ashshade
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Pixie jumped when to dark red tom jumped in front of them and challenged the dark She cat who was leading her. Her eyes grew wider as she listed to the She cat arguing to help her. When the she cat mentioned her paw Pixie lifted it to the tom could easily see it and tried to look as miserable and in pain as she felt. She was terrified, she had lost her family, lost her way, was hurt, and now depended on some strange wildcats who she still wasn't entirely sure weren't going to eat her. 'Well, at least this cat won't hurt me.' She thought as she gazed in wonder at the dark cat who defended her so vehemently. She listened quietly as the she cat ranted and pleaded. Pixie felt horrible, this was all her fault and now she was getting her rescuer in trouble. She was about to tell them she was fine, and that they could leave her there when the dark cat turned to her again and told her the were going to keep going. Pixie could feel her stiffness and apprehension as she leaned against her but at this point she was so tired that she just hobbled along after her, eyes half closed and whimpered to herself. 'If I can just go a little farther, maybe this will all go away.' It was a mouse brained thought, but it was what Pixie needed to keep going.

[Captain. A. Stark.]

❝ ━ ━ 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐏𝐀𝐖x ━ ☽
xxROLE APPRENTICE xx MENTOR POPPYSTRSIKE xx LOCATION HIGH ROCK xx TAGGED SNOWPAW

indentthe apprentice's fur was tussled, knotted with a mixture of moss and curly tangles that showed his negligence to his appearance - he didn't really care for it much, though older cats usually did take one look at him and told him to clean himself up a little. how clean you appeared wasn't going to help the clan win any battles or catch more prey. sunlight was barely peeking through the slight cracks between the bushes and leaves that formed the apprentice's den. the cat's golden orbs flitted open gently, adjusting to the dim lighting he hadn't fell asleep in, a gentle yawn shaking his delicate frame as his mind rolled itself awake. through the slight slivers of light, he could recognize that he was the only one left. the tom-cat's drowsy mind took a moment to catch up to that fact, his jaw going slightly agape as he realized that he was the last one up. had no one cared to shake him awake? blinking rapidly as the alarm set in, his ears flicked up, fearfully recognizing ashstar's voice ringing out among the crisp morning air. oh boy.. it wasn't that big of a deal that he was late, but it wouldn't look to great on his already shabby reputation. he didn't really hold the greatest track record for being.. well.. available, his mentor would always have to summon him multiple times, and he would need to be told twice to do certain duties, such as swapping out fresh nests for the elders and looking for ticks. nobody liked to do those tasks, but it was required and important to become a good, strong warrior. his attention really lacked in certain places, but it was something he was working on. certainly, no one here was perfect, although everyone desired to be. he licked his lips, quickly thinking and deciding that if he was going to be late, he was going to make himself presentable. the male furrowed his neck back to lick the scrambling tufts of fur sticking up in ends around his underbelly and shoulders, attempting to neaten and help it smooth down. at times, he was questioned to be a kit by the elders. he didn't know whether it was in a teasing manner or not, but either way - he couldn't really argue with them. he did act immature for the age he was at, but that was a trouble to come when all focuses lie in a few large areas. he wanted to be the best fighter and hunter in the clan, if a messy pelt should be forgiven for that. nose twitching slightly as he stepped out of the den, coat now hastily groomed, he could sniff the scent of tired cats, but also a rippling excitement and fearful energy. he hadn't heard the entirety of the leader's announcement, which was a mistake on his part - he couldn't keep blaming the others for not waking him up. it was his job to sleep and try to wake up on time. shaking his head slightly to rid of any remaining leaves and moss, he tilted his chin upwards to vibe a feeling of pride. he may be late, but the last thing he wanted to do was act weak and ashamed. fully knowing that the other apprentices would tease him for his lack of "interest," as they would put it - he needed to find someone that he knew, but didn't quite know. the male's eyes blinked around the now departed clearing, which had begun to disperse as the clan deputy began assigning patrols.

indenthe admired rushwing - the tom always stood tall and spoke clearly with authority - he could already tell that he would be an amazing leader one day. gosh, if batpaw could be his deputy.. that would be a dream come true. but those thoughts were forbidden at the present moment they were in, it was way too early to be thinking of things like that. he wasn't even a warrior yet, and forget receiving his first apprentice. that was plenty of moons away. the youngster's golden eyes flicked between an older warrior and the pair of medicine cats standing near the medicine den. well.. he wasn't very familiar with snowpaw, but he recognized her out of small scrapes he had received with some premature training. one of the apprentices had tackled him awkwardly to the ground and he had managed to twist a muscle in his shoulder. it was a minor injury, but it had took a little while to relieve the pain. taking a deep breath, his chest heaved with exhilaration as he approached the snow-coated female, offering a small smile to her. or something that looked like a smile, anyway. "hey.. snowpaw," he murmured with a slight blink, glancing at the older, experienced medicine cat by her side, hoping that they were out of earshot. he didn't exactly want the whole world to hear about his little slip-ups, although they all seemed to know at this point. "it's a nice day, right?" it wasn't a completely bouldered attempt to start a conversation regarding ashstar's words with her - it was an okay day. the sun was shining behind a couple of heavy clouds, it was slightly misty. there was a certain air of chills and humidity at the same time, usually that type of weather would get him flustered by the way his pelt would fluff up against the air. but today, he had gotten a lot more rest than he usually would. the day hadn't' exactly started that well, but he felt a hope that he could make it a lot better than it was going. he was hungry though. batpaw's stomach rumbled with unearned hunger, yearning a juicy bite out of a squirrel that was lying on the top of the meek pile.. but he shouldn't eat. he had a personal policy that he had to do at least something, before he got a bite to nibble on. he had to earn his prey. besides, he liked to let the older cats eat first. perhaps he could do something with snowpaw, if it was alright with her. maybe in the middle of it he could slip in his question. "wanna do some battle training? i could teach you some moves, and you can critique me," he offered with a small wink, hoping that would sweeten his deal, although the small motions went unnoticed or disregarded. "if it's alright with bitterfang, of course." he hummed, scraping his paw absently against the ground in wandering thought. he wasn't quite sure where his mentor was at, but until then, he didn't see the harm in taking out some battle moves to sharpen his skills. even some of the.. non busy apprentices could jump in if they wanted, if they weren't doing anything. snowpaw was.. an interesting cat, to say in the least. she looked like she had an interesting story, or like most of the cats here, had lost her parents at an early age. she didn't seem like one to share any sympathy, though her name said otherwise. her name made her seem like a gentle petal. this was probably his first time speaking to her outside of his own personal needs, so perhaps he was getting a little too far in his head. he didn't know her well enough to predict or tell anything about her - but perhaps he could make a new friend. a new cat to chill with, to take his adventures out with. that would be fun, wouldn't it?

[radio.active.]

bitterfang▸tom▸80m▸medicine cat▸tags- snowpaw, shiveringwillow▸mentions- fiercegaze, rushwing, buzzardclaw

The scene unfolding before the entire clan was quite the spectacle. Fiercegaze, a freshly minted warrior in her own right, standing up and openly arguing with the deputy no less. Bitterfang scoffed, rolling his eyes. I'm caring for a clan of mousebrains who will rip out each other's throats before the outsiders get a chance. The familiar sinking feeling in his chest announced that his daily social quota was full.
"If any of you are injured in another of your disagreements, do make sure you bask in your suffering a little before you come bother me," he growled, hardly loud enough for even the nearest few cats to hear. His tail lashed in annoyance as he got to his paws and stalked back to his den, pausing only for a moment to add, "Snowpaw, come along."
As he approached, Shiveringwillow's voice weaseled its way into his conscious. He didn't know the molly well. It seemed she avoided his den, though he wasn't sure it was out of fear like the rest of the clan.
"What do you need?" He asked with a voice tinged with only mild annoyance.

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

Somehow, his heart rose and sank at the prospect of having his morning open. On one paw, he could dawdle about camp as he so chose without the concern of dealing with others. On the other, there was nothing to occupy his conscious. Perhaps he would go bother Ashstar for any solo tasks he could undertake to keep himself busy.
Yes, solo. His final thought was definite and solidified as he watched the standoff occur. With every word thrown out, he felt his will to stay awake dwindle away. The more he thought about it, though, the more he considered how much he disliked the idea of being alone with his thoughts. Somehow Sootpaw and Ravenfoot always found their way into his mind when he was left alone with himself. To his relief, Paleheart's voice broke his train of thought.
"It makes me wonder how we haven't slaughtered each other by now," he laughed, though it was only partly a joke. Tensions were high and rising still as leafbare crept closer. "I'm sure greencough will be the least of our worries."

poppystrike▸molly▸41m▸warrior▸tags- batpaw▸mentions- fiercegaze, rushwing

With a gentle sigh, she got to her paws and padded away. Despite her typical urge to resolve the issue, she knew better than to step between Fiercegaze and Rushwing.
"Batpaw, she chirped, scanning the clearing for her apprentice. "Batpaw dear, it's time for training." She wasn't certain what they were training for exactly, but anything was better than sitting and watching the bitter argument going on before them.

[∂αмє υмвяα]

Sable| Male| Loner| 28 Moons| Location; abandoned campground/hunting grounds | tags; open
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The pure black tom cat finished his meal fairly quickly, though he wasn’t satisfied with the plump mouse that he had caught in the close by forest. Though he was a kittypet for most of his life, he craved adventure, and the thrill of the hunt that the forest provided enough of an adventure that he craved oh so desperately when he was but a kit. Pushing pass the tattered tent that served as his makeshift home, he made his way to the forest once again to get another meal for the day. In approaching the dense undergrowth and foliage that was the forest, a scent was strong in the air. It was a hare!

Crouching down into the foliage, his black fur and the dark undergrowth covered him completely. The only thing that was seen, if you could see him, was his golden-orange eyes in the blackness of the covering bushes that covered him. He approached the hare as stealthily as he could, for any unexpected sound could spook his prey and make it run into the underbrush, making it harder to catch in the long run. Getting as close as he could, without snapping branches or rustling the leaves on the bushes near him, Sable rushed forward to catch the hare, but the hare ran fast to outrun the cat to save its life. But, it wasn’t quick enough, as eventually it tired itself out and Sable got his prey.

”Sweet! This will definitely be a sizable meal to carry over into the night.” The black tom said to himself before he picked up the rabbit to carry to his tattered tent. As he made his way to his home though, the air felt different as he left the forest with his recent catch of prey. It was as if he felt as if he was being watched. Though, the tom cat always felt like this, after all he was a loner. It was survival of the fittest out here all on your own.
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Snowpaw| Female| Med Apprentice| 10 Moons| Location; med cat den| tags; Bitterfang, Shiveringwillow, Batpaw
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In the middle of Rushwing calling out patrols, she heard that Bitterfang wanted to check up on the herb patches when the patrols leave as Bitterfang believed that the loners where the cause of them not growing as well. “Of course Bitterfang.” The small white she-cat said to her mentor. After all, it was important that the herb stores where readily stocked for the upcoming leaf-fall as greencough will eventually make its way into the clan. And if the stores were not stocked up to full, that would become a problem as cats would possibly die if it got serious.

Her white pelt bristled when she overheard Buzzardclaw and Fiercegaze talking about the recent mentions about loners near the borders of the clan territory. She didn’t dislike Buzzardclaw, but she didn’t hate him either. It was on a border between hating the tom and not liking him in general. But, she did not like his primary actions on fighting others, for he could easily hurt some cat with his words then his claws. Claw wounds can heal overtime, but words spoken with malice and venom could strike deep and take moons to heal. As for Fiercegaze? She didn’t know the she-cat well, but she already disliked her attitude about the loners. As couldn’t she take a more diplomatic route instead of bloodshed? The white apprentice shook her head. Most cats rather take a route that leads to bloodshed instead of talking.

She padded after her mentor after her told her to follow him back to the medicine den. The she-cat’s gaze was surprised when she saw Shiveringwillow at the mouth of the den, waiting for them to return. Snowpaw rolled her eyes at Bitterfang’s attitude towards the warrior as she heard the annoyance laced in his voice. “Bitterfang, please allow Shiveringwillow to at least say what’s wrong before you scare her away and she gets even worse without treatment. Now, what’s wrong Shiveringwillow?” She asked calmly. Even though she was an apprentice of ten moons, she spoke as if she was a seasoned veteran of being a medicine cat, and she sort of kept the old tom in check as he’d rather not do any interaction with any cat.

In the mist of talking to the warrior, an apprentice known as Batpaw came over to the white cat. ”Hey Batpaw!” She spoke to the other apprentice. She listened as Batpaw asked if she wanted to do any battle training with him. The small apprentice frowned slightly. “I would like to, but I have to help Bitterfang with Shiveringwillow right now. And, after that we are going to have to check the herb patches afterwards.“ The she cat said with an apologetic tone. “Perhaps afterwards? When me and Bitterfang return?”
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[jaculus]

▸ blackpaw !
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flattening herself against the caresses of the shrubbery and undergrowth, blackpaw slunk her way back into camp, cautiously taking step by step as to not alert others of her absence. her heart thrummed from the simple thrill of sneaking back as she graced her maw with an innocent smile. the midnight apprentice had thankfully caught wind of rushwing's announcement as she neared the gathering, taking her sweet time to wander over to buzzardclaw.

"blackpaw, tigertalon, what's the hold up? you're moving like a bunch of elders. we need to get moving if we want to bring back a decent catch." blackpaw shook her head, giving a slight roll of her eyes. she wasn't particularly fond of him, always seeming to ask the world from her. do this, do that. you're not doing it right. sure, he was it was usually justified as she was more than known for her ambivalence and lack of effort but she found him obnoxious all the same.

"woah, don't lose your other eye, buzzardclaw," she mewed. "i'm here." neatly wrapping her tail around her paws, the midnight apprentice began grooming her chest fur. a hunting patrol? blackpaw gave a curious twitch of her whiskers, amusement dancing on her face.

▸ mentions rushwing, tigertalon ▸ tags buzzardclaw

[Captain. A. Stark.]

❝ ━ ━ 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐏𝐀𝐖x ━ ☽
xxROLE APPRENTICE xx MENTOR POPPYSTRSIKE xx LOCATION HIGH ROCK xx MENTIONS BITTERFANG xxTAGGED SNOWPAW, SHIVERINGWILLOW, POPPYSTRIKE

indentbatpaw felt mildly conflicted as he heard his mentor begin to call his name, her waverly voice drowning out the chatter of the cats about to leave on patrols. he didn’t quite know why.. but he felt obliged to finish what he had started. unless snowpaw refused, that was. he felt that the prospect of a new friend would leave with him if he left the scene, would she remember that he had made the offer? he had the most nonchalant worries - he needed to stop stressing over the small things. why would she forget? it wasn’t like she had an interaction like that everyday.. unless she did. he wasn’t sure. he could feel his confidence take a slow dump down a gentle slope, his anxiety shooting up on the rise. he was just like that at times, stressing over the tiny little problems, but it was hard to do anything else at times for him. he had problems playing attention with things, and he had problems keeping things in his head for a long time. perhaps he was more afraid that he would forget rather than the other apprentice. that was alright though. it seemed that the stark white female had other things to do anyway, such as helping bitterfang with shiveringwillow. her mentor’s name really suited him - he wouldn’t be able to put up with the medicine cat like snowpaw did. he was always so.. rude. he understood that he wanted to help his clan to the best of his ability, but he couldn’t act so sour everytime someone came to him with an injury. accidents happened, no one was perfect - besides, if no one got hurt, if everyone did as they needed to with accurate precision - what purpose would he serve? he wouldn’t be very helpful towards his clan, but he couldn’t really make that mental note just yet.. it wasn’t like he had seen bitterfang in action before. and he owed it to him for helping him come into this world and scolding him as a kit when he came with thorns in his paw pads, and even now when he got scratched or wrenched his shoulder (which seemed to happen more often that he would like). the male found himself glaring at the older tom, but quickly halted his unnecessary glances. the clan wouldn’t be able to function without him, regardless of whether he scolded them all too much or not. “i understand, snowpaw. i have to go too… maybe. i’ll ask poppystrike if you can come when i’m doing my battle practice,” he piped up a little, excitement shining his immature orbs as his tail raised with the probable good outcome of a predictable idea. “hopefully i’ll see you later. have a good day! and also feel better, shiveringwillow.” he hummed to them, dipping his head in acknowledgement and respect to bitterfang, not wanting to tick him off more than he already was. the orange and white patched youngster then rotated on his heels, ears pricking to detect the location of his mentor’s calling. he didn’t feel like snowpaw’s answer was a rejection, which made him feel mildly better. the fact that he had a (potential) friend was a ray of sunshine through out his gray endeavours.

indenthe hoped that their conversation hadn’t come off as flirting.. he didn’t have any interest, in anybody. frankly, it was never too early to catch feelings, but it was premature to focus on them before his training and development into a warrior. he always dreamed of having kits, and a beautiful mate, but it was too early to even think about it. and snowpaw was no exception, especially since considering having an interest within her heart would be against the warrior code. he didn’t understand why medicine cats couldn’t have mates and kits - they served the clan in the way of a scarcity, not every cat had their agile skills and knowledge of herbs like they did. the least they should be allowed to do is have a family, right? he shook his head of the thought, deciding to ask poppystrike once he found her. the molly was probably used to his nonsense inquiries at this point. batpaw had a lot of questions, and it bothered him when they went through his head without answers. they would be at the front of his mind, intuition only looking forward to satisfying the endless limits of his curiosity. he couldn’t really focus at times due to the riddles racing through his head at a million miles an hour. he was a very, very distracted cat - but he tried not to let that get in his way. the apprentice was panting by the time he had found poppystrike, paws scrambling to halt in front of her with a mildly apologetic look. he had so much to tell her! as soon as he opened his mouth, it came pouring out “poppystrike! guess what? so, i woke up late and ashstar had finished giving her speech, wait, i probably shouldn’t be telling you that but it’s too late now. i don’t know what she said so i went to find snowpaw because the other apprentices might laugh at me for it, but i ended up asking her to practice later today and she said she could, am i allowed to bring her to my battle training if it’s okay with bitterfang?" he blurted without pausing, slightly jumping around on his feet, as if there were ants nipping him from beneath, on the ground. “oh! oh! one more thing! why aren’t medicine cats allowed to have mates? it seems kind of.. unfair, doesn’t it?” he questioned, swiping his tongue gently over his jaw as he slowly stopped moving, letting his breath catch up to the rate he was talking. he was just.. like that at times. most cats found it annoying, but he was glad that there were a few that were patient with his shenanigans and antics. few took the time to unravel his tangles and web of words to actually understand him for the young, wreckless cat he was. “wait wait, before all of that, what are we doing today?” he grinned innocently as a final question, shaking his pelt of leaves he had gathered from the mildly shedding trees as he had ran through camp. he was a mess of a cat, but he was sweet once someone took the time to get to know him. he also got attached to cats very easily.. he was quite peculiar, but in the absence of the two he needed most to bring him up, he didn’t blame himself, and he definitely hoped others didn’t as well.

[bunsniff]

PATCHWATCHER >> mentions; blackpaw
Patchwatcher kept to himself as he listened to the eager conversation spreading like a wildfire through the camp. He felt no need to get involved at the moment, but he was definitely taking in everything and filing it away for later. His eyes narrowed abruptly as he caught sight of a short, black she-cat creeping back into camp. Blackpaw... He didn't dare say a word--he has surely had his apprentice days of frolicking off on his own, but if he believed she was in danger he would definitely bring it up to her mentor. He flicked his tail against the earth and continued on surveying.

CREEKGORSE >> apprentice; minnowpaw // tags; minnowpaw
Creekgorse managed to throw one last glare at Fiercegaze before following the patrol out of the camp. He listened intently to his apprentice's worry before speaking to her in a soft voice and a playful grin. "Don't mind what that loon says--she simply wants to sink her claws into anything nowadays." He then leaned towards Minnowpaw and gently touched the tip of her ear with his nose. "Remember, always choose kindness first. If we evaluate the rogues and sense a danger we will take care of them. But the best warriors will not claw without reason." His eyes sparkled with pride towards the young she-cat.

ASHSHADE >> tags; shadowclaw , pixie
Ashshade found his ears slowly perking up as he listened to what Shadowclaw had to say about the she-cat that leaned against her. The aggression was slowly sinking away from his posture, even after his clan-mate welcomed the idea of wrestling him to get the stranger to their camp. He gave a soft sigh and murmured to his pretty clan-mate. "If you feel that strongly about it... There is no way I'm going to lose an ear over this. I suppose I will follow along." He grinned at the two she-cats in a friendly manner before beginning to follow the two of them. He hoped their leader wouldn't be too offended by their actions. He didn't want to find out how viciously Shadowclaw would defend this loner, so he followed along without a fuss.

[imperials]

☁︎ ── ( ＲＵＳＨＷＩＮＧ! )
gender. tom x age. 35 moons x rank. deputy x location. camp x tags. acornheart, minnowpaw, creekgorse,
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to say rushwing was absolutely seething with rage was an understatement.

rushwing is always known as a very laid-back tom. very compliant with following the warrior code and seeming to have boundless energy for even the rudest of apprentices. but warriors who snapped back at him and disregarded his authority, that was a completely whole other rabbit-hole for him. those who have known rushwing for long knows that he does not take kindly for those who question his judgment. his otherwise kind demeanor will snap within a moments notice if you think chattering back in the way fiercegaze had to him is a good idea.

the younger tom was beyond thankful when buzzardclaw spoke up and became his usual cranky self. he noted to himself that he would thank the tom at a later time over a mouse or two.

after a few more squabbles back and forth between his warriors and himself not getting a word in, his pelt suddenly sprung on end after a seething "Silence." split the air.

"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." rushwing breathed out an audible sigh after ashstar stepped in. thankfully ending the squabble. "Thank you Ashstar." he formally dipped his head towards the leader and then, stood up from where he was sitting after the remaining mews died down once more.

ignoring the final bickering remarks, he walked away from where he had announced the patrols and sat a small bit away. acornheart came over, prompt as always, and asked if they would be heading out soon. "yes we will, i'm just going to wait until the rest of the patrol comes over to join us and then we will leave as soon as possible." minnowpaw excitedly bounced over to him as well, hardly containing herself. letting out a rumbling purr, he prodded the molly in the chest, telling her to sit still so she doesn't loose her energy for the trek to the boarder.

though his rumbling purr fell after the mollies next sentence. "Is that true? If they might hurt us, shouldn't we chase them out first, before something really bad happens?" his heart was skipping beats of annoyance. "absolutely not. there is a fine line within the warrior code that we must follow. what fiercegaze was suggesting is plain reckless and boarder-line rouge-like itself. we do not attack cats who have done no harm to us. if they were to attack one of us or seem to try and take territory from our lands, then yes, we would form a patrol to go and chase them off. but we will not be risking our lives and blood over some harmless loners who have done nothing as of yet." as he finished speaking, creekgorse piped up as well, and he nodded in agreement with what the tom said also. "sometimes allegiances with cats outside of your own clan is a great asset. being enemies to all will get you nowhere but the dark forest."

shaking his pelt, he looked around himself and noted that his warriors that he asked to come with him had gathered. it was nearing sun-high now and they needed to set out immediately. "alright everyone, if you all are ready to go, let's go find and talk to some loners who are straying too close."

☼ ── ( ＦＡＷＮＰＡＷ! )
gender. she-cat x age. 9 moons x rank. apprentice x location. camp entrance x tags. patrol
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fawnpaw shrunk down into her pelt as the arguing from the meeting continued. i-isn't this going a bit too far? her voice shook inside her head as she flattened her ears back. she was never one who enjoyed fights or arguments. it was all too much for the young molly and often got her way too overwhelmed. which is why she always spent most of her days hanging out in the medicine cat den and helping snowpaw find herbs. it was serine and a very calm process to partake in. unlike with what was happening at this very moment.

one moment it felt like the clan was collapsing in on itself, and then the next the whole meeting was over. fawnpaw shook her head clear after she noticed that buzzardclaw had stood up and was about to take herself and the patrol she was going on with him. jumping to her paws, she scurried over to the tom, slowing down after she tripped up slightly on a small rock. "where are we going to try first?" she asked the older warrior, her voice still slightly shaking from the commotion before, though her mew broke off after blackpaw came padding over as well. "goodmorning blackpaw!" she purred, trying to be friendly.