Marshclan & Hawkclan's Fate | Open & Accepting

[Mezzo]

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─────── MarshClan Warrior | Tags: Open! | Mentions: Firelight, Minkstar, Sleetpaw

Although Doeprance was far from a cat who relished in the feeling of rising with the sun in the early morning, she had been blessed with the gift of never waking up too tired to tackle what lay ahead of her. Unlike some of her clanmates who might need to take a respite to stretch and fully wake themselves up, once Doeprance was successfully stirred from her sleep, she was always raring to go, ready for action. Indeed, that was what came to pass today as well — the first few beams of sunlight creeping into the warriors’ den managed to easily pull her away from the world in her dreams and, alert, she raised her head to take in her surroundings. The nest adjacent to hers was empty; Firelight, it seemed, had already left for the day, which didn’t really come as a surprise. Trust someone as diligent as him to start the day as early as possible! Really, Doeprance had a feeling that, given the chance, her mouse-brained brother would forget that he sometimes needed to sleep too. It was a good thing for him, then, that he had her around to keep him in check!

Then, remembrance dawned on Doeprance that there was to be a full moon gathering tonight, and her pelt prickled with excited apprehension, wondering if she would be one of the warriors called to attend alongside Minkstar. Admittedly, she was curious how HawkClan was doing; call her naive, and she was fully aware that many cats - from both clans! - would disagree with her sentiments, but she didn’t understand the need for seemingly constant hostility between MarshClan and their neighbor. They were all cats, and they shared the same virtues — why was it so unnecessarily difficult for peace between them to last longer than a few heartbeats? Others occasionally reminded her that this endless rivalry was writ in their history, blood spilled on both sides borne from old grudges that had never healed properly, but so what? Doeprance knew the story of how LakeClan had split into two, she’d heard it countless times as a kit and apprentice, and that didn’t change her mind one iota — that was then and this was now, and it really solidified her opinion that Hawkstar and Marshstar were both mouse-brained for letting things get so bad that, eventually, neither side could be talked out of fighting. That didn’t mean that Doeprance was pacifistic or cowardly — no, call her that and she would unsheathe her claws to prove the accuser wrong then and there (well actually, part of her knew that Firelight would do the job for her, but she didn’t need him to fight her battles, thank you very much!), but she preferred only to fight if all other options had been exhausted first.

Well, nevermind. It was pointless to ruminate on the cats of old and their foolhardy decisions. Instead, Doeprance gracefully maneuvered past the sleeping bodies of her denmates, careful not to disturb anyone from their sleep lest she be on the receiving end of a tirade. Once she was in the clear and out of the den, she took in the sights around her. The camp was still fairly empty, at least compared to how busy it could get at peak hours, so she supposed that she and her brother had been early risers today. Her mother and father were already awake, though, sitting comfortably by each other with tails intertwined, and she padded over to them to chirp out an effervescent, “Good morning!”

Before either could reply, though, Doeprance was already moving on, flitting between each cat who was already awake to give them a hearty morning greeting like an ephemeral spark — there one moment, and gone the next in the blink of an eye. Sure, maybe not all of her clanmates would appreciate the effort, but she found that it usually paid off to be friendly rather than closed off and bitter. Maybe they would appreciate a sprightly “Hello!” to start their day off! Besides, she enjoyed this little morning ritual of hers, even if others might not, and that was what mattered most.

Once Doeprance was done with all that, she settled back down. Since she hadn’t received direct commands from either leader or deputy, that meant her first priority for the day would be to train Sleetpaw — perhaps they could tag along on a patrol together so the young tom could stretch his legs on MarshClan territory. Although, he could sleep for a little longer if he wanted; Doeprance wasn’t a particular cat, she didn’t mind prodding him awake later or if there was something urgent to attend to.

Now, did Doeprance know what she was doing as a mentor half the time? StarClan, no! This was her first time with an apprentice and she had been caught off guard when Minkstar had named her mentor to the young gray tom. But, as with any and all challenges that came her way, she simply tackled it head-on and was trying her best with every passing day. She liked to think that she wasn’t doing a terrible job of it, too, though she had little to compare herself to besides her own apprenticeship. Truth be told, while Doeprance never liked to wear herself down with needless worrying, there were times when she doubted herself, wondering if she was doing right by Sleetpaw. She wished she could confide in Firelight, the one constant in her life, about these feelings, and she knew he would gladly hear her out given the chance, but she didn’t wish to burden her brother. Besides, it would hurt him too; she’d seen the look of disappointment in his eyes when he hadn’t received an apprentice. Some things were just better left unsaid.

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─────── HawkClan Apprentice | Tags: Open! | Mentions: Swiftclaw, Sealsmog, Wolfstar, Antgleam, Pebblepaw

There wasn’t much that could seemingly knock Lynxpaw down from cloud nine, but if anything could do it, then it was daybreak — the moment when the sun, relentless as can be, bore down on the apprentices’ den, filtering in and disturbing his peaceful slumber, reminding him that there was work to be done. Normally blithe and jovial in the face of, well, everything, the bengal tom was almost like a different cat entirely in those heartbeats just after awakening, grumbling under his breath and tossing and turning as he fought off his lethargy from the night before, and if any cat were to disturb him they’d be fixed with a harsh glare from tired eyes; he was loathe to leave the cozy comfort of his soft nest (he’d carefully plucked the feathers off birds from the fresh-kill pile to line his nest and, frankly speaking, it was entirely worth the trouble), surrounded by the familiar warmth of his fellow apprentices, but inevitably, just as with today, resigned, he stretched himself awake, blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes, let out a wide yawn, then trudged to the entrance of the den, preparing for another day. There was no point in dawdling, after all — StarClan knew Lynxpaw didn’t want his mentor coming in and hectoring him for lollygagging about like a newborn kit! Though he didn’t think Swiftclaw was the type, and he’d tried not to cause trouble for his mentor in the past, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

Stopping short after exiting the apprentices’ den, Lynxpaw sat back on his haunches, taking in the camp and seeing who was already awake and about. Now that he himself was up, roused out of drowsiness by the feeling of the crisp morning breeze against his fur, he was ready for the same old song and tune as that of every morn since he’d become an apprentice, and pale yellow eyes were scouring the surrounding area for the familiar spotted coat of Swiftclaw, or even Sealsmog or Wolfstar — whomsoever could direct Lynxpaw and give him an idea of what he should expect to be doing today (and, though he’d be hard-pressed to confess it, part of him sincerely hoped it wouldn’t involve helping Antgleam and Pebblepaw with gathering herbs or tending to the elders and fixing up their nests. He couldn’t help if he found such tasks mundane, now could he?! Great StarClan, if he had to deal with the pungent smell of mouse bile one more time… it may be an apprentice duty, but that didn’t mean he had to enjoy it!). Admittedly, back when he’d first been named a ‘paw’, all starry-eyed and ready for adventure, Lynxpaw had been a tad impertinent at that stage, audacious in his impatience, and he remembered bounding over to the warriors’ den on countless occasions with a spring in his step, eager to get Swiftclaw up for his training since he figured if he was awake then his mentor ought to be too. He may have ruffled a few feathers here and there with the sleeping warriors in doing so, but he was older now and, he liked to think, wiser, and he knew the age-old adage of haste makes waste… especially when it came to not waking tired warriors who simply wanted their rest!

In the back of his mind, Lynxpaw recalled that there was going to be a gathering tonight, but if he were being frank, that didn’t matter so much at present to him. If Wolfstar saw fit to choose him to attend, then great, but he knew there would always be chances in the future to go to one. Instead, he preferred to focus on the here and now, and that meant being the best apprentice he could be and making his clan and his mentor proud of him!

… Speaking of which, where was his mentor? Lynxpaw’s ears twitched as he looked around again fruitlessly, still seeing no signs of Swiftclaw emerging from the warriors’ den just yet. Perhaps the older tom was still dozing… should he fetch him and wake him up? No, no, it wasn’t worth it — he’d caught onto that particular lesson early on, courtesy of a few short-tempered warriors who had given him quite the talking-to when he’d accidentally woken them up before, and he wasn’t itching for a cuffed ear today, no thank you! Some of those warriors could be harsh! Instead, shifting on his paws, Lynxpaw turned to look for a familiar face he could share tongues with. While he was always eager to pick up new things from his mentor - who, despite his flirty reputation, was surprisingly reliable - Lynxpaw wasn’t going to rush into training when it was still so early in the day, and besides, he liked being around his fellow apprentices. Perhaps one of them was awake by now and game for a chat before they got their day going?

… Another look around camp, and it didn’t seem like any of his denmates were out and about just yet. Huffing frustratedly, Lynxpaw collapsed where he was standing, tail flicking about impatiently as he pouted, his expression not unlike that of a kit who hadn’t gotten their way with their parents. Swiftclaw had been trying to drill into the young tom’s head that patience was a virtue and all that, but he was still… learning that lesson. He’d get there one day before his naming ceremony. For sure.

[fortissimo]

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marshclan warrior | tags: open! | mentions: doeprance, minkstar, rosedance
It was still early in the day — too early, if you asked some of Firelight’s clanmates; indeed, the sun had barely begun to peak over the horizon, basking MarshClan’s territory in various shades of pink, orange, and purple, when Firelight had emerged from the warmth of his nest in the warriors’ den. He was far from infallible, and even the normally strong-willed tabby-and-white had felt some stirrings of regret pulling at him as he left behind the comfort of the den and his sleeping denmates, especially the warmth of his sister, a familiarity that persisted since their nursery days. But the leal young tom had forced himself awake early for a reason; the dawn patrol. He’d volunteered for it the night before because, in his own words, idle paws were a luxury reserved only for elders, queens, and kits. Warriors could not afford to be lazy, not when there was always, without fail, something left to do.

Thankfully, the border patrol had ultimately turned out uneventful. Firelight found that there was a certain serenity to be found in the early mornings — a tranquility that one would undoubtedly be hard-pressed to find at any other time throughout the day, as the world and the creatures of the marsh first started to rise with the sun, the quiet of the marsh only occasionally interrupted by the quotidian croaking of a frog or trill of a songbird. Eventually, as the patrol continued on their path, the familiarity of the marshwater gave way to the lake, the border between HawkClan and MarshClan and, if you asked some of the elders, their historical home. The scent markers were renewed quickly and without complication; perhaps it came as no surprise that the HawkClan cats wouldn’t dare try anything so close to the night of the full moon, when the two neighboring rivals would meet at the nearby islet for their traditional gathering. There was no point in stirring up old rivalries just before what was supposed to be a peaceful occasion.

Though, frankly, the idea of there being peace between the two clans seemed increasingly unlikely in recent times, ever since Lilypetal and Threshflight had fallen before HawkClan claws and teeth. True, that scrimmage had been five moons ago, but it seemed both clans were still licking their wounds, waiting and biding their time for a chance at revenge.

This was the subject brewing on Firelight’s mind when he returned to camp with the other cats from the patrol. Would this eventide see tensions rise between the clans, shoulders hackled and teeth bared, or would the hostility be suppressed, if temporarily, with diplomacy? Would the clans ever truly see each other as equals? Had they not been one, once upon a time?

It was for all this, and more, that Firelight secretly hoped Minkstar would allow him the privilege of attending the upcoming gathering. Sure, he didn’t hold any lost love for HawkClan in the least (who would?), but if agitation were to give way into full-on fighting, he wanted to be there to protect his clanmates. He hadn’t had the chance to do so for unfortunate Lilypetal and Threshflight, and he sought to rectify that mistake, for it was something he would regret until the end of his days.

After pushing his way through the brambles of the camp’s edges, Firelight noticed that, in his absence, only a few more cats had since woken up to start their day. He wasn’t taken aback in the slightest to see Doeprance already up and about; the effusive young she-cat was always raring to go — where she got her endless energy, he had no idea, and in a way he envied her for it, as neither he nor their parents were quite as sprightly. Speaking of Aspenleaf and Scorchfur, the two senior warriors were also awake, having settled in a spot where they could bask in the sun’s lucent rays and share tongues until they were called to duty by the deputy or leader. Firelight considered joining them for a moment, but ultimately decided against it; ever the observer, the one on the outside looking in, he was more the type to wait for someone to address him rather than seek out interaction.

Instead, he settled in a spot a few fox-lengths away from the tree stump that was Minkstar’s den. His paws were caked in mud, some patches which were still wet, and he had undoubtedly left a trail of prints in his wake but really, that was to be expected when you made your home in the swamplands. HawkClan cats, prideful and spoiled by their forests, always teeming and rich with prey, would likely never understand that. He snorted at the thought. No doubt they believed the fault behind the territory dispute five moons ago lay entirely in MarshClan’s paws, but to believe such a thing would be myopic. While Firelight could never abide by needless violence and death, the attack had nevertheless been justified; they needed more territory, more prey, always more if they were to survive leafbare.

In any case, the inspection of their territory had fully woken him up, so Firelight had no particular desire to return to his nest for a quick nap. Instead, he sat there, like a guard on standby, rigidly still save for his ears tilting this way and that as he occasionally looked around, waiting for either Minkstar or Rosedance to emerge from their respective dens in case they had any other tasks he could pick up. Amidst his self-imposed vigil, his stomach rumbled to remind him that he hadn’t eaten since the night before, but he ignored it, pushing the familiar pangs of hunger aside. Kits, queens, and elders eat first — an axiom of the warrior code that had been ingrained into his mind by his mentor at a young age. The smell of the fresh-kill pile nearby wafted into his nose, tempting him, but he remained where he was.

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hawkclan kit | tags: open! | mentions: heathermoon
Fallowkit raced after the mouse, her small legs carrying her as fast as they could. Tall, verdant trees glowing with life came and went in a matter of heartbeats with each step that she took; her paws barely touched the ground underneath, to the point that she felt like she was flying. Come on! Just a little more! Picking up a new burst of speed, she sprang forward, claws outstretched and ready —

And then she, quite literally, jolted awake, her soft yellow-green eyes snapping open and blinking sleep away rapidly. The familiar scent of her mother and milk flooded her nostrils and filled her little body with warmth, reminding her where she was; safe and sound, tucked away in the curve of Heathermoon’s belly in the nursery of HawkClan’s camp — not out and about, winding through the lush forestry of their territory as her dream had misled her to believe. She pushed herself to her paws, propping her head on top of Heathermoon’s belly to peer through the den entrance and see if she could pick up any signs of life in camp. It seemed to be early morning and normally, she would have happily returned to the adventures her dreams brought her, but now she was wide awake, bright and early. Chances were that she wouldn’t be returning to sleep anytime soon, not unless she worked off her excess energy. Too bad, really, because her dream had felt so vivid, as if she could really feel grass beneath her paws and the wind in her fur!

Okay, so maybe Fallowkit didn’t actually know what her clan’s territory looked like beyond the confines of camp, and she had no idea how to do a hunting crouch just yet, but her mind had concocted a vague idea from what she’d heard others tell her. And besides, she’d once seen some of the apprentices practicing their crouching from the opening of the den, and had done her best to mimic their positioning from where she watched. So really, if you think about it, she was practically already an expert at hunting!

… Well, maybe not, but a kit could dream.

Assuming her mother was still asleep, judging by the rhythmic rise and fall of the older she-cat’s chest, Fallowkit stood up, moving away from Heathermoon’s prone body, and padded her way to the mouth of the den, peering around with wide, curious eyes. If you asked her, though no one did, the nursery was too big for just two cats; Fallowkit wished she had more playmates around her age to keep her company, but alas, there were no other queens at the moment. She had been complaining to the elders about it just a few sunrises ago, but they had merely purred with amusement. “Careful what you wish for, little one,” they had said, “it wasn’t too long ago that the nursery was overcrowded! There were kits stepping on each other’s tails all the time!” She supposed that had to be true; she’d heard one of the warriors mentioning that the apprentice’s den was also getting cramped now with all the recent arrivals… but that sounded better than being the only kit in the clan!

Now, apparently there was supposed to be something called a… gathering? tonight. Fallowkit had overheard Pantherscar, her brother from another litter, use the term recently, but her snooping had availed her to little other information. She wondered what the gathering was supposed to be, though. Being only one moon old meant she didn’t know quite as much as she liked to believe she did. Oh! Maybe she could ask one of her clanmates to tell her? Of course, Fallowkit knew she could always ask Heathermoon who was, frankly speaking, easily the smartest and prettiest cat in all the clans… but she didn’t want to disturb her mother’s rest and, moreover, if she were being honest with herself she would take any legitimate excuse to sneak out of the nursery. It felt so stifling being in there all the time! She had been more hesitant than most kits to initially leave the safety and comfort of her mother’s side, but ever since she’d first stumbled out of the den, now she sought any reason to leave it again.

Resolute with this newfound goal in mind, Fallowkit stepped out of the nursery, peering around curiously this way and that. Even though she’d walked around the camp a few times, it still felt like there was always something new to be discovered, like she hadn’t seen all of it just yet, and she felt nervous excitement prickling through her belly at that notion.

It seemed that, given the early hour, not many other cats were awake, but that was okay. She could wait until someone came around to give her answers. Surely no one would begrudge a curious kitten from asking questions!

[stormythecloud]

MARSHCLAN;


Leopardbreeze | She-Cat | Queen | 34 Moons | Mate: Falconwing | Tags: Lionfur | Mentions: Creamflower, Gatorkit, Kestrelkit

Leopardbreeze was not too thrilled when she had learned she was having to share the nursery to another full-grown cat other than Creamflower, especially when she had learned quickly it had been the new clan member; the former loner. Had she known them prior to them coming into the nursery, she would of not cared like any of the other mothers that had been in the nursery while she had been. All she cared about was that none of them tried to completely mother her kits as they were hers. She had her friends even though she hadn't been too close to them in some time as she had been busy trying to be a good mother especially after the loss of one of her kits but also with the loss of her mate prior to finding out they were expecting kits had made her push a few friends away. Her daughter, Lightkit, whom she had in this litter she was tending to now had unforunately fell ill and joined Starclan and all that Leopardbreeze hopes is that Starclan had a reason to take her daughter away but at least her daughter would finally meet her father. Starclan finds reasons and has meanings of why they happen but it doesn't help when it happens a lot to her.

When hearing Lionfur's yowl, her motherly instincts ended up quickly waking the queen wake up and grumbling lowly to herself when she noticed it wasn't one of the kits. She sighed and glanced down at her own kits, seeing the two of them curled up against her which relaxed her and licked each of their ear's contently to help herself calm down. "No one will hurt you here Lionfur, unless its the kits with their teething," she tried to gently joke with the new queen. She wasn't too trustworthy of them yet as they hadn't been with the clan that long but she did want to try to get to know them.

Darkpaw | Tom | Medicine Cat Apprentice | 13 Moons | Mentor: Blackfrost | Crush | Tags: | Mentions: Blackfrost

Darkpaw may had chosen to be a medicine cat apprentice once he had needed to be tended to after injuring himself as a kit but the longer he has been an apprentice, the more he has completely gotten to earn it. The tom truly understands most things nearly as soon as Blackfrost tells him, he has gotten a little ancy to become a full medicine cat but knows when Blackfrost is ready he would get his full medicine cat name when the time was right. He just feels like he has proven himself several times especially since he does go out sometimes alone to fetch things they are out of or that he can treat the clan nearly without any help. Hearing paw at the end of his name just made him a little upset due to some of the cats that are his age are now warriors and he knew things were different but the feelings were there regardless.

Darkpaw felt the sun starting to peak into their den, making him slightly groan at it before slowly opening up his eyes. "Fine," he sighs to himself before slowly stretching as he moved to get up. He was tired but he knew there were things to attend to, the battle was five moons ago but there were still cats he regularly liked to check in on whether affected personally by emotions, injuries or death. He felt bad for those that did unforunately loose close family to. He glanced towards Blackfoot's sleeping area, noticing they weren't up yet for once and slowly stretched a little more before cleaning off the moss to make himself look presentable before going into camp to see the others that were awake.

Aspenwind | Tom | Warrior | 32 Moon | Apprentice: | Crush: | Tags: n/a | Mentions: Reedwhistle, Rosedance

Aspenwind was simple, he just kept to himself a lot of the time but he was quite friendly and caring. Sometimes not always taking the hint, whether it was someone having a crush on him or them wanting him to leave and what not which it wasn't bad but you had to nearly say things straight to him or it was not going to make it through to him all the time. The crazy thing was that he is smart, he is a great warrior as it was something physical and obvious on how to go about things. He knew he could always do those things good so it never bothered him but he knows he can annoy some with how oblivious he was too like he was sure he annoyed his sibling Reedwhistle like that at times.

By some amazement, Aspenwind was among the first to already be up and out in the camp clearing this morning. It was possibly the nerves of it being a full moon the following day which meant it was time for another gathering but it still felt like yesterday sometimes where the two clans were battling even though it had been five moons. He focused on getting ready to potentially be among the first to go on a hunting patrol for the clan, it was just waiting on Rosedance's patrol wishes.


HAWKCLAN;


Irispaw | She-cat | Apprentice | 8 Moons | Mentor: Fadingwind | Crush: Pebblepaw | Tags: | Mentions:
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Brackenclaw | Tom | Warrior | 32 Moons | Apprentice: Sugarpaw | Crush: | Tags:
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[Mezzo]

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─────── HawkClan Warrior | Tags: Antgleam | Mentions: Sealsmog, Wolfstar, Irispaw, Pebblepaw, Blackfrost, Darkpaw

Never one to raise a fuss, Fadingwind remained quiet and relatively still even as he awoke, stirred from his slumber by the sun’s rays followed by the telltale shifting, grumbling, and sighing that inevitably came from some of his fellow warriors - those who were decidedly not early birds - as they, too, began to awaken. Blue eyes blinked slowly as he took in the dawn colors, fighting back a final wave of drowsiness, before he made to leave the warriors’ den, careful as ever not to bump into anyone still trying to cling to their last remnants of rest before the day properly began. He himself had been a part of the night patrol the other day and he still felt a residual tiredness from it, leftover droopiness in his eyes that would normally not be present threatening to tug him back to his dreams — but, as always, he was hardly going to complain; he still recalled how his parents had fretted over him so in the nursery, wondering between themselves how such a little kit could already be so subtle and placid, blue eyes reflecting a strange sense of wisdom beyond his age, and they’d hoped he would grow out of it. But in the seasons that passed since then, they came to realize that this was just the type of cat Fadingwind was - was then, was still; sensitive by nature, one who would only ever make small demands on life, who would never burden others, who would never let on that he, too, had sorrows, disappointments, dreams that might never see the light of day.

And if there had been one recurring reverie that haunted him in particular, glimpses of a future where he was able to walk side by side with his lifelong friend until StarClan saw fit to pull them apart… well, Fadingwind was certainly no stranger to yearning for the unattainable, holding onto a pipe dream that, more than likely, would never come true, one that he could never dare confess to anyone, not even to the cats he trusted most. Even if he wanted to confide in someone more objective, like Sealsmog, whose steady but strong company always brought him peace of mind, what troubled him seemed so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

In his purview, there were always, unfailingly, other cats who had suffered worse, or who would suffer worse, and realizing that tended to put things into perspective. His closest friend - though he felt a pang at the poisonous voice in his mind whispering that they were not as close as they were before, when they had trained together, ambitious young warriors who hadn’t yet faced real battle - Antgleam was a prime example; it seemed, to Fadingwind, that no other cat could love and adore their mentor like Antgleam had Cedarspring - seeking the older tom’s approval and admiration more than anything else, as Fadingwind had witnessed firsthand when they were both apprentices - but in the end, StarClan had loved him more. Antgleam had lost both his mentors now, not to mention the three apprentices killed in that pointless border dispute five moons ago… Fadingwind would never, could never pretend to understand the pain a medicine cat must go through when they lose a patient, especially when duty required those of such a highly-esteemed position to treat each clanmate like family, but his heart still went out to his oldest friend, knowing the other tom’s tendency for blaming himself for each death, wondering if there was more he could have done, should have done, to save a life.

As Fadingwind breathed in the familiar smells of camp, blinking against the light, he noticed that neither Wolfstar nor Sealsmog were currently up and about communicating orders, so, for the moment, it seemed that he’d come across a little free time — a rare commodity for a warrior. His first instinct, as ever, was to make way for the medicine cat’s den and see Antgleam immediately, an old habit instilled in him since the two were still paws together, but he shook off the thought. Things hadn’t really been the same since the other had become medicine cat - not just because of what was left unspoken - as both of them had new responsibilities now, not just to their clan but to their apprentices, and opportunities for small talk seemed to diminish by the day.

Now, Fadingwind hadn’t caught sight of Irispaw’s familiar pelt in camp just yet, and it occurred to him that she might still be sleeping. Either that, or, he thought wryly, she was with Pebblepaw in the medicine cat’s den. Since being named her mentor two moons ago, Fadingwind had made it a point to get to know his apprentice’s idiosyncrasies in order to better understand how best to get through to her and teach her and, well, he had eyes. If he hadn’t noticed by now the way her eyes softened when her gaze fell upon Antgleam’s apprentice, then what kind of a mentor would he be? There had been, on occasion, instances where he had caught her watching Pebblepaw working from a distance, and Fadingwind recognized the look in her eyes at once. Pure admiration, not for the skill with which the other apprentice worked, but for the cat himself.

It was the same expression he wore when gazing upon Antgleam.

And while Fadingwind never dared to broach the subject so openly with his apprentice just yet (really, how do you approach such a sensitive subject? He was her mentor, not her conscience!), he feared that if she looked at Pebblepaw the same way he looked at Antgleam, that could only mean one thing. And was it his own friendship with Antgleam that had served to push their apprentices closer?

The notion left him full of conflicting feelings, to say the least.

Nevertheless, it was not his place to warn her against anything with Pebblepaw… he was not going to start a row over something like this, at least, not yet. Besides, perhaps he was simply mistaken, and even if he wasn’t, a crush was harmless. If it evolved past that, then he supposed Sealsmog would want to know. He would just have to keep an eye on them, make sure that didn’t happen.

… StarClan, he felt like such a hypocrite.

Well, it was his responsibility to find Irispaw and get their day going - perhaps he could check in with Sealsmog afterwards, to see if there was anything she wanted them to do - and if she wasn’t asleep, then she was most likely with Pebblepaw. Heaving a sigh at the thought, Fadingwind got to his paws and padded toward the rock that was the medicine cat’s den with purpose. Did it occur to him that he could check the apprentices’ den first? Yes, but the silver lining of having an apprentice that seemed more interested in being a medicine cat than being a warrior was this: he had a legitimate excuse to see Antgleam more often, even if it was just to drag Irispaw away, and if he was wrong, then at least he’d gotten to see his friend in the process. Indeed, he was already feeling lighter at the thought of seeing the black-furred tom — it would be a nice start to his morning. Upon reaching his destination, the smell of multiple different herbs already assaulting his nose, he peeked his head inside, looking around. The familiar scent of resin and honey was like a chain reaction to his body; his posture relaxed, and he felt butterflies beginning to flutter in his stomach.

Antgleam.

Hoping he hadn’t interrupted anything important, Fadingwind cautiously traversed the herbs filling the den (yeah, he had no idea what any of those were, but they certainly smelled) before mewing a friendly greeting, “Good morning Antgleam. I don’t suppose you’ve seen my wayward apprentice yet today?” As an afterthought, recalling the impending gathering, he asked, “Excited for the gathering tonight? Blackfrost and Darkpaw seem… nice.” Actually, Fadingwind had never had cause to speak to MarshClan’s medicine cats, but he didn’t want to bore the other with irrelevant conversation — it had all felt so natural when they were both warriors. The words had come so easily then, but now… he wasn’t so sure anymore.

[Queen of flames]

Rosedance
Marshclan deputy - male - crush/ mate - open - apprentice: open-tags: nursery (kind of), open

The red and white furred tom was being up for a while now, he stayed at the safe place near the den's entrance looking for any cats to get out of their dens to be ready for this morning. There were those who sis come out, but there were plenty of cats who didn't show up. His leader Minkstar didn't show up yet either and made him wonder if he needs to organize the patrols himself today, of course, he didn't want to step to the leader's paws if she actually wanted to do some of those herself. ¨

Shooking his messy red fur he stood up and decided to visit the nursery now when he had the time, it was still early and he didn't want to be the one who woke the clan too early like some tyranny, as mush doing their daily duties, having a good sleep as good for them too.
He walked over to the nursery entrance stopping for a moment but stepped in when heard the conversations between the two queens the Leopardbreeze and the newly joiner Lionfur. He didn't really know the young queen at all, but so far she seemed like a trustful cat and Minkstar let her join too so, maybe she will become a great warrior of the can after her kits are ready for the apprenticeship, which could take time.

His eyes looked to the messy nest at the corner, looking at his two kits there laying there. He loved his kits a lot but hated to get near their nest as it still a little bit smelled of his fallen mate Tigerhaze, even if he was changed most of the bedding there. As the kits were still sleeping he didn't want to wake them, they were kits and can sleep as much they wanted. He started back himself out of the nursery giving one last look to his kits and giving a nod to the queens there.

Yellowoon
Marshclan warrior - female - crush/mate: Whiteflame - apprentice: open- tags: open

The black bright amber eyes she-cat walked near there cleaning her eyes and watching the cats here and there. Her eyes focused on her adoptive brother for a moment as she saw him walking near the nursery. She remembered how as a kit either she or he, thought that they could never find a mate or that love is stupid. Then he had this special connection to Tigerhaze, at first she felt like the she-cat took her brother out of her and she was jealous. It took some time for her to accept her brother's mate and now she felt sad that she died, leaving her kits alone.

For a few moons, she started to look for the cats in her clan too, wondering if any of them was the right one for her just like Tigerhaze was to her adoptive brother. There was one tom who did catch her eyes, but she was unsure about him, he felt like a tom who could never ever look in her way without good reasons. A sight escaped her jaws as she looked in the direction of Whiteflame there.

Pumpkinkit
Marshclan kit - female - crush/mate: open - mentor: n/a - tags: open

still sleeping...

Deepwater
Marshclan elder - male - crush/mate: none - tags: open

The dark-colored elderly long hared tom stood up at his nest, which felt like he was being slept on rocks. He was not whining, but now he did whine a lot on his mind, his back hurts, his left leg hurt and his pelt felt like he was being landed into a cactus bush. Licking his lips he shook his pelt and enjoyed as the wind touched his skin, blinking his eyes to get used to the sunlight before he made a better look around the somewhat silent camp.

There were plenty of cats there, including his son and adoptive daughter, but the Minkstar was nowhere to be seen yet. He sat down there, wondering if he could have his grandkids with him today, they were so close to becoming an apprentice and he knew that their free time could be limited then.
___________________________

Heathermoon
Hawkclan Queen - female - crush/mate: open - apprentice: n/a - tags: Fallowkit, Bushsparrow

She opened one eye, after feeling the movements of her kits, it was weird at the last time she had kits there were three to take care of and a father to look after them too. She took a deep sight, feeling a little disappointed and stupid for herself that the tom she was was so in love with, maybe she still was, but in the end, the tom was a traitor from Marshclan. In the end, her kit never got to know or meet her father, even her older kits kept silent about it. She felt bad about what kind of chaos the little Fallowkit will face in the future, even though she didn't truly get or know what was happening, her father being a Marshclan tom and what truly happened to one of her older kits Pantherscar. After the leave of her mate her son Pantherscar vanished as well, did he join his father? or did something else happen, which could answer the question of why he is not back yet?

She closed her eyes for a moment before hearing his son's voice talking to Fallowkit. She opened her eyes and looked up to her well grew son Bushsparrow "morning dear" she meowed with a smile.

Mushroomshard
Hawkclan warrior - male - crush/ mate: open - apprentice: open - tags: Ashfall

The dark grey tom padded out of the warrior's den, his bones crashing as he stretched them so far that it almost hurt him. Yawning he shook his pelt and looked around the clearing seeing the Wolfstar there likely waiting for the deputy and the medicine cat doing his own things perhaps. He stopped near his fellow inmate Ashfall "well good afternoon Ashfall" he said giving his front paws a few licks "are you excited for the meeting perhaps? I myself don't know what to think" he said thinking what if he will meet his father there now. Tawnyheart was not being shown at the meetings after he left here, but what if he is back to his home clan by now?

Bushsparrow
Hawkclan warrior - male - crush/mate: open - apprentice: Bumblepaw - tags: Heathermoon, Fallowkit

He took a quick morning time to himself and managed to catch two mice, not wasting too much time there as he knew that the clan will be waking soon and he needed to be aware there if he was needed for any patrols. He was given an apprentice to train too and he didn't want to disappoint the young one, by being always late of anything.
He took the mice and run back to the camp, dropping the other one to the pile as he took another one to the nursery to his mother and younger sibling. He didn't need to even call if they were awakened or not as Fallowkit seemed to be already up "hello there Fallowkit, mother...I brought you mice..." he meowed giving the kit a smile "don't devour it, it still bigger than you" he murmured with a laugh.

Sugarpaw
Hawkclan apprentice - female - crush/mate: Bumblepaw - mentor: Brackenclaw - tags: open
X

[cadenza]

ｂｕｍｂｌｅｐａｗ
⏤⏤ hawkclan | tom | apprentice | 11 moons | mentor: bushsparrow | tags: lynxpaw | mentions: bushsparrow, sealsmog, wolfstar

bumblepaw blinked open his bleary eyes as the early morning sun streamed into the hawkclan apprentice den. yawning wildly, the fluffy calico swept his gaze along the bodies of his sleeping friends - most were yet to stir, but he noticed that lynxpaw's nest was empty. standing and stretching carefully, making sure not to wake any of his fellow apprentices, the fluffy young tom made his way to the entrance of the den and slipped outside. immediately he let out a soft grumble of disdain as the chilly morning air nipped at his nose, and his fur fluffed out in order to combat the cold.
gazing around the camp, bumblepaw noticed his mentor bushsparrow, as the older tom slipped into the nursery. he must be visiting heathermoon, the apprentice guessed. assuming his mentor would be a short while before he came to find him, the fluffy young cat let his eyes wander the camp once again, noting that neither wolfstar nor sealsmog were anywhere to be seen. a flicker of movement drew bumblepaw's attention; lynxpaw was laying nearby, his tail twitching impatiently. happy to see a familiar face, he bounded over towards him excitedly. "good morning, lynxpaw!" he meowed loudly, forgetting to be quiet in the early morning as he came to a sudden stop before the younger apprentice. his fluffy ginger-black-and-white tail stuck up in the air proudly, waving in excitement. "what do you think you'll be doing today?" bumblepaw asked in an attempt at friendly small-talk, though the loud volume of his voice made it sound like he was yelling.

[FerretMonarch]

Shadowpelt•Tom•Warrior•16 moons•He/him•Tags: Deepwater, open

Ignoring his own upset at his prior actions Shadowpelt got up and headed to the elder den. Shadowpelt saw Deepwater and headed towards him.

"Hello Deepwater. How are you today? Did you sleep well?" Shadowpelt asked wondering if the older cat wanted to chat or if they had something they wanted to do.

Lionfur•Molly•Queen•13 moons•They/them•Tags: Leopardbreeze, Rosedance

"I'm sorry Leopardbreeze I hadn't meant to wake you. Did I wake them?" Lionfur whispered hoping to not stir the kits if they hadn't already.

Lionfur gave a weak smile at the joke; they didn't quite trust this queen, but doubted she would do anything that may pose threat to her kits.

Lionfur glanced at Rosedance "I doubt Minkstar would mind if you spent a bit of time with your kits." Lionfur said coolly.

"I know it's not my place, but they need their parent and you need them too." Lionfur mewed.

They didn't want to step on the tom's paws, but they couldn't stand to see kits get almost abandoned by their only parent.

[Animals65]

Creamflower is eating a fish from the fresh-kill pile, savoring the delicious taste. She scans the MarshClan clearing, seeing whose up and about this morning.

[razzberry]

˗ˏˋＳＥＡＬＳＭＯＧ´ˎ˗
tall, medium-furred seal point molly with crystal blue eyes
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❪ hawkclan deputy ❫ ❪ she-cat ❫ ❪ 46 moons ❫ ❪ location; camp ❫ ❪ mentions; wolfstar, wortpaw, fadingwind ❫ ❪ tags; ashfall, mushroomshard ❫

The deputy's gaze slid over the pile of prey, taking inventory of what they had so she had an idea of how many hunting patrols would need to be sent out that morning. Sealsmog's crystalline eyes zoned out momentarily, her thoughts wandering back to the battle only recently fought between the two existing clans in the area. Thinking back to the battle and what had led up to it had her claws twitching and a snarl curling in her throat. It was disgusting what those Marshclan cats had done, and to three apprentices nonetheless. Cat's barely able to defend themselves against grown warriors, young clan members struck down like stalks of grass. The molly had to close her eyes and take a deep inhale before she released it. Dwindling on what had happened would do no good to anyone. Not when she knew Wolfstar was probably fixated on it and one of them had to be clear-headed right now. The clan needed to keep going and Sealsmog would bear the weight of being called callous if it meant the clan were taking steps forward instead of letting anger and the thirst for vengeance root them in time.

Pulled from her thoughts by the muffled sounds of waking cats within the dens, Sealsmog turned from the fresh-kill pile and strode over to the large mossy rock that doubled as the meeting place and led to the leader's den. Settling back on her haunches she twisted her body and drew her tongue over the soft fur on her flank. It would be a little while before enough cats awoke for her to be able to send out patrols so until then she'd busy herself with her grooming.

It took mere minutes for her clan mates to begin to emerge from the dens, blinking in the morning light, some with tired, sleepy eyes while others were wide-eyed and alert with eagerness to start the day. The molly was aware of the lingering tension that permeated the camp, the uneasiness that she could only suspect was due to the gathering that a select amount of Hawkclan cats would be attending with Marshclan. Sealsmog knew she would have to be on alert during this time, emotions were running high and the last thing either clan needed was more conflict with one another. Though if it came to it her clan mates could count on her as they always had to diffuse a situation with force, when words didn't work of course.

As more and more familiar faces came into view, milling about and grabbing their first meal of the day Sealsmog mentally went over her options for patrols. She wanted to spend the morning doing some training with Wortpaw so she'd make sure to get him on one of the afternoon patrols before they left for the gathering. Seeking out her first option had her rising fromh er spot and crossing the camp to where she'd noticed Ashfall, who was now joined by Mushroomshard. As the molly approached the pair she gave both cats nods in greeting before jumping right to the point. "Good morning. Ashfall, I wanted to ask if you would like to take out a hunting patrol this morning" her gaze were settled on the grey warrior as she spoke before flicking sideways towards Mushroomshard. "You can join him if you'd like Mushroomshard. Take Fadingwind with you two as well" Sealsmog finished with a flick of her tail, waiting to hear their response.

˗ˏˋＣＲＯＣＵＳＷＥＢ´ˎ˗
thick-furred silver-grey tabby with amber eyes
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❪ hawkclan warrior ❫ ❪ tom ❫ ❪ 40 moons ❫ ❪ location; warriors den ❫ ❪ mentions; fallenpaw ❫ ❪ tags;-- ❫

He didn't want to move from the warmth his nest provided, in fact he was certain if he laid there long enough he would be able to fall back asleep and be dead to the world in no time at all. Alas, that wasn't something he had the luxury of attempting, not when he had an apprentice that he was responsible for. Crocusweb enjoyed being a mentor and Fallenpaw was a talented apprentice who he saw a lot of promise in. He would have to think of what their training session would consist of that day but that would be decided once he actually had food in his belly and shook the sleep free of his brain. Hoisting his lean frame upwards to his paws, Crocusweb arched his back in a deep stretch, belly touching the ground while his jaws stretched in a wide yawn. The silver tabby craned his neck around when pieces of his nest caught his eye, clinging to his fur almost like they were taunting him when he turned and twisted his body in different ways to reach his jaws around to the tricky places to pluck the nesting free.

˗ˏˋＲＥＥＤＷＨＩＳＴＬＥ´ˎ˗
large mostly white maine coon with tabby patches and hazel eyes
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❪ marshclan warrior ❫ ❪ she-cat ❫ ❪ 42 moons ❫ ❪ location; camp ❫ ❪ mentions; -- ❫ ❪ tags; aspenwind ❫

When she sat up and looked towards the nest nearest to her she wasn't at all surprised to see it empty. her brother had always been the early riser out of the two while Reedwhistle preferred to snag an extra minute of shut-eye when she was able to. However since the battle that took place only five moons ago that cost them the lives of two of their own she had been getting less and less sleep and it was beginning to show in her mood. She was sure Aspenwind had picked up on that because lately she felt as though he picked his words more carefully around her which was odd for the pair.

Taking a moment to quickly groom her thick pelt before she left the den, the large molly had to duck her head just a bit to avoid hitting it as she exited the warrior's den. She immediately spied her brother and stretched out her front legs before loping over to him. "Up early again today, huh?" she meowed and took a seat next to him, lifting her paw to lick the fur between her toes.

˗ˏˋＳＬＥＥＴＰＡＷ´ˎ˗
small silver tabby tom with folded ears and light amber eyes
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❪ marshclan apprentice ❫ ❪ tom ❫ ❪ 7 moons ❫ ❪ location; camp ❫ ❪ mentions; -- ❫ ❪ tags; open ❫

--- xxxx

˗ˏˋＦＩＳＨＥＲＳＩＧＨＴ´ˎ˗
lanky, shorthaired honey-brown tabby with large amber eyes
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
❪ marshclan warrior ❫ ❪ tom ❫ ❪ 44 moons ❫ ❪ location; camp ❫ ❪ mentions; -- ❫ ❪ tags; open ❫

--- xxxx

[anathema]

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♀ ━ 38 moons ━ marshclan leader ━ location - camp ━ tags - cats in the clearing

Minkstar stirred in her feathery nest as dawn blossomed through the mouth of the leader's den. Tonight, MarshClan and HawkClan would gather to share tongues, and the pressure of the imminent event hung heavy upon the young leader's shoulders. She rolled over onto her left side, swiping her tongue over her soft brown-and-white pelt to work out any knots or tangles that may have materialized overnight. She was stalling, though only a little bit; she didn't want to go outside and start her day, because that would bring her closer to what awaited her and her Clan once the sun fell behind the horizon.

With a begrudging grunt, she finished primping herself as to be presentable to any cats already waiting outside. Minkstar wanted the Clan's morale to be high as ever in the foretaste of their peaceful meeting with HawkClan. But would it actually be peaceful? Every MarshClan warrior had a differing opinion about HawkClan, as did she. MarshClan was no hive-mind.

Not that Minkstar minded. She didn't want every member of MarshClan to think uniformly. Groupthink preceded tyrannical dictatorships, and Minkstar was a deeply democratic cat. Of course, then again, she didn't want their meeting with HawkClan to fall to the wayside - that is, if any of her warriors vocalized any unsavory sentiments toward the rival Clan. And if that was to happen, any chaos would immediately be pulverized under the leader's usually velvet paw...

But she could only hope that Wolfstar would do the same.

Will she, though? I doubt she's thrilled about the current state of affairs... all this death... I'm not happy, either!

Minkstar just wanted a ceasefire for good, really. She was willing to call a spade a spade. But there weren't many other cats thinking like her... not even her own sibling. A pang of agony gripped her chest as she wondered what Heronsw—no, Kiteswoop was up to this morning... and if they were they going to tonight's gathering.

Never mind that. Patrols were a much bigger issue right now.

Minkstar stretched one last time before heading outside, drinking the air that greeted her. A few cats were already up and milling about in search of a purpose to fulfill. It warmed the leader's heart and put a big smile on her face to see that so many cats were willing to sacrifice sleep in favor of serving their Clan.

Stealing a glance at the nursery, she noticed Rosedance inside and tipped her head in greeting. She'd handle assigning patrols for now if it meant he could spend a bit of time with his kits. Not only that, but he was grieving his lost love. MarshClan had been dealt a tough hand lately, and the leader fully understood if anyone sought bereavement before anything else.

"Good morning," Minkstar mewed, albeit not to any cat in particular. She mostly just wanted to get the attention of everyone currently outside of their respective dens. "I need a border patrol and a hunting patrol, with at least three cats attending each." She took a moment to scan the clearing. "The fresh-kill pile is faring well, so I reckon a big border patrol - mostly to make sure the scent markers are in their usual places - would prove a bit more significant."

A cordial grin spread across the leader's white-splashed muzzle. "Any takers?"

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⚲ ━ 38 moons ━ hawkclan warrior ━ location - camp ━ tags - open for any interactions!

Kiteswoop was intent on going to that fox-dunged gathering tonight.

They nearly sprung out of their nest, pale yellow eyes clouded and weary from a long, hard slumber, and flexed their claws before stretching out their long haunches as they exited the warriors' den into the crag formations that made up HawkClan's scenic camp. A few cats were already outside, but this was common. Kiteswoop was almost never the very first HawkClan cat to wake, but they were always one of them. It was a stark contrast from MarshClan, were the pace of Clan life had always felt slower.

It had been moons, though - and many at that. Kiteswoop could barely remember what it was like to be a warrior of MarshClan. HawkClan felt like their true-born home at this point - the only home they'd ever had - even with full MarshClan blood still running through their veins with every step they took. Even so, HawkClan seemed to graciously accept them, and Kiteswoop didn't care whether this sentiment derived from altruism or not.

I don't care one bit if I'm just a wagering pawn to these cats, Kiteswoop thought, glaring up at the blushing morning sky. Political chess piece or beloved turncoat warrior, Kiteswoop, for the first time in their life, finally felt free... and for the love of every cat that danced upon the stars of Silverpelt, they wanted their sister to know it.

Minkstar. Kiteswoop's mind spat the cat's name out. Leader of MarshClan. Leader! How preposterous. How... rich. Kiteswoop had been more of a leader as a kit. MarshClan was doomed, and Kiteswoop reveled in the thought of it.

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♂ ━ 3 moons ━ marshclan kit ━ location - camp ━ tags - leopardbreeze, kestrelkit

A young Gatorkit slowly began to wake up in the warm confines of MarshClan's nursery, pressed against his mother and sister for warmth. A soft smile spread across the bengal tom's face as he turned over and nuzzled his resting sister.

The conversation taking place between his mother and the other two queens caused him to fully wake up, though - not that he minded. It was time, anyway, and he was already a little hungry. Gatorkit yawned before slowly sitting up, wrapping his tail around his body as he blinked his amber eyes open - not yet knowing that this key trait was given to him by his late father.

"Mmmorning," he mumbled to his mother and the other queens, tilting his head sleepily.