[Moonblaze-Angel]

Username: Moonblaze-Angel
Storage: MooseClan
Last Patrol Post: Mothsight origin #1
Patrol:

Mudleap pushes his way through the rock-tumble entrance of camp, bounce in his step. His first patrol as a real warrior! Yesterday, he had saved Echokit from the river and been named Mudleap. This morning after his vigil Mallowcloud had greeted him and he had almost not responded. It will take a while for him to get used to his new name.

In the meantime, Mudleap is leading the evening patrol to the northern border. A part of it runs along EagleClan territory, so he needs to be prepared for any issues that could come from them. He also has to think about the rogues and kittypets to the other side of the north border. There's also the cats inside the border to worry about, too, with whitecough going around and prey being scarce. What if one of the cats on patrol collapses? What if they find a fox den and none of them are strong enough to fight them off? He's so busy worrying, he nearly runs into a tree. Just before the tree attacks him, he receives a friendly nudge from Ginger.

"So warrior, wanna tell us what to look out for while we patrol? I've only been this way once or twice now." She gives him a goofy smile, most of her teeth on display. Ginger had joined the Clan more recently, about one moon ago, after her and her friend Sprite had encountered a nasty fox in the meadow. Mudleap and Mintstar had seen it off, but both of the cats they rescued had sustained severe injuries. Sprite has a slightly shorter tail and a nicked ear, while Ginger got off with a nasty side scar. Both of them had decided to stay with the clan after spending so much time there recovering. Mudleap is pretty sure Sprite would follow Ginger anywhere she goes, but she denies it.

Rounding out his patrol is Maplefall, stretching her legs and getting out some nervous energy leftover from the day before. As the most senior warrior here, she really should be leading the patrol. Mudleap is pretty sure her presence is to keep a close eye on him. After all, why else would she willingly leave her kit? Sure, Minnowspark is watching her, but they're not exactly the most responsible cat in the world. They're well known for disappearing on sunny days to go fishing. Of course, they bring back fish for the clan, but they could easily be doing more important stuff. Every now and then when Mudleap was their apprentice, Minnowspark would leave him with Maplefall to train instead.

"Oh, uh, it's just a fairly normal patrol! Just marking the borders up north, hopefully nothing too exciting happens." He mutters the last bit under his breath. It would be great if everything could go exactly as planned for once! Mintstar had trained him really well as a kitten to 'expect the unexpected', but it's much more difficult to do so in reality. His biggest flaw as a clan member so far is his ability to overthink everything. When it comes down to it, he can make important decisions, but it's so much more satisfying to work out every single possibility and take the correct course of action. For example, mapping the exact route to mark the border before getting there. His preferred route is EagleClan pine, EagleClan boulder, clearing with yarrow, stream, but you could go in the reverse order. Technically, you could jump around or stop at other places, too. Maybe he should consider alternate routes, in case of emergency.

While marking the border, he pays attention to the details of the landscape, looking for slightly-larger-rocks or trees-with-knots to add to his memory map. If he can memorize these details, it will be easier to train his own apprentice one day. As the three cats get close to the stream-past-yarrow, he notices the snow is scuffed along the border. It looks as if a cat had come right up to the border and left, multiple times. Perhaps debating on crossing? They had chosen the correct choice, however, in staying on the outside of the border. Crossing would mean a fight.

As Mudleap raises his head to observe further down the border, he spots a lone cat. The large, fluffy she-cat blends in with the snow on the pale red mud beneath her, looking almost like a moving landscape. She paces away from the group, towards the stream, before turning around, muttering to herself. She notices the group at once.

"Finally! How long does it take for a cat to patrol their own territory?" She speeds up her walk toward them, stopping a few tail-lengths away. Maplefall flattens her ears, while Ginger looks uncertainly between her and the mysterious stranger. Mudleap, the defacto leader of the group, takes a single step forward.

"Hello. My name is Mudleap, and this is MooseClan's boundary line. I'm going to have to ask you to leave, please, or go around the territory." He shuffles his paws, pleased with how his words came out. The she-cat rolls her eyes.

"I don't have time for that! My name is Jinxy and I'm a friend of Minthop's. Can you please go fetch him for me? I didn't want to cross your silly little line and be attacked, but I need his help." Mudleap opens his mouth to speak, then closes it. Best to figure out what he wants to say before speaking. Maplefall fills the silence.

"That's Mintstar to you, fox-face." Maplefall dips her head a little, arching her spine just a tad. Almost as if she's looking for a fight. "Why should we be at your beck and call and 'fetch him' for you, huh?" She takes a step forward, snow soft beneath her unsheathed claws. Mudleap flicks his tail near her face, making sure to catch her attention. He gives her a tiny shake of the head and whisker twitch, to make sure she knows. I don't want to fight. He turns to fully face Jinxy.

"Why do you need Mintstar? Is it urgent?" Mudleap had best try to get all the information possible before bringing Mintstar all the way to the border. He would never admit, but the snow and cold makes their leg hurt worse. Mudleap isn't quite certain they could physically hop all the way to the border. He can, but it'll hurt him, Mudleap silently corrects in his head. He needs to make sure that his adoptive father doesn't face any issues as leader. Having an injured leg is already some point of contention at the gatherings with EagleClan. Making his leg hurt enough that the actual Clan takes note and starts doing tasks for him would crush him.

Mudleap remembers the day he had been found by Mintstar, very similar to the current weather. He refused to say where exactly he had been found, just that it was a snowstorm. Mintstar had noticed him due to his fluffy dark coat, curled up in a ball next to large tree. He had been sheltering in the roots of it, trying to stay warm. It had been a while since he had eaten anything and Mudleap - then Muddy Waters - had been mewing pitifully in the cold. Thankfully, Mintstar heard his mews and came to his rescue. He grabbed him by the scruff and took him home to Moose. Mintstar went back to the site a few days later and found a dead fox and a dead cat, similar in coloring to him. They were both pretty certain his mother killed the fox before succumbing to her wounds, just feet away from her kitten.

It sometimes made him sad to recall it, but she hadn't been his mother in a long time. Now, his family includes his father, Mintstar; his dad, Moose; and an older sister figure in Maplefall. She had joined the clan a little later, but she was just as much a fixture in his family as the others. In fact, Mudleap had been a little sad to get Minnowspark as a mentor instead of her. It had turned out to be a great decision - Minnowspark is incredibly patient and observamt - but at the time he had thrown a fit to Mintstar. Mudleap twitches his whiskers as he remembers that particular fight.

"I told you, I don't have time for this! My friend is starving and injured and she needs help." Jinxy's tail lashes behind her. "Either you bring me Mintstar, or I'm coming in to find him." She pins her ears against her head, mimicking Maplefall. If Mudleap doesn't act soon, the two she-cats might be in for a fight.

Mudleap weighs his options fast, determining the best outcomes and possibilities. It would be best to ask Mintstar himself what to do, but that would require bringing him out here. That would be difficult, especially if he's out hunting on the territory. It might take a while to find him, much so less bring him all the way out here to the furthest border. Maybe...

"May we escort you to our camp to discuss this with him? I'm not sure . . ." Mudleap trails off, not wanting to reveal any weakness about his clan. "I'm not sure how easy it will be to find him, but since it's getting dark, he should be near the camp. That way you can speak to him sooner." Jinxy relaxes her posture a tad bit. Her tail goes from fully lashing to just gently flicking the end of it, swishing in the snow. The end had little splotches of mud on some of the fur.

"Fine. Thank you. Mudleap." Gingerly, she steps over the border. Maplefall's position has barely changed.

"Maplefall, run ahead and tell Mintstar or Mallowcloud we're coming, will you? You're faster than me and-" He stops mid sentence as Maplefall races off before him, kicking up little puffs of white. She hadn't even waited for him to finish speaking! It takes him a minute to remember that her kitten and mate are both back at camp. If this turns out wrong, Mudleap could be putting both of them in danger. Hopefully, his temperament reading skills are sharp. If not, Mudleap might get his ears clawed off on his first day as a warrior. He sighs, before falling in the lead of the new trio. Jinxy follows closely behind him, barely a mouse length away from his fluffy black and orange tail. Ginger stays behind her, effectively giving her no escape. This way, they can keep an eye on her without really being obvious about it. Mudleap decides to make conversation as they trot through the forest.

"So, Jinxy, how do you know my dad?" He glances over his shoulder just in time to see her look of bewilderment. She looks him up and down, seeing his large size and dark coloring. Honestly, the only thing he has in common with his dad is his thick fur.

"Your . . . father? Mintstar had . . . kittens? I thought he . . ." She trails off, mildly embarrassed. Obviously, this whole concept wasn't something she could easily wrap her brain around.

"Adoptive. Adoptive dad. He's pretty much a real dad! Just. Without the. You know, blood relation." Mudleap goes for the easy fix. "He raised me though, this past year. How come I haven't met you, if you're friends with him? Why didn't you join MooseClan?" Many questions swirled around in Mudleap's hyperactive brain. Where did you meet? How long have you known him? Did you know him before or after he left EagleClan? How old are you? Did you know my mother? Who is this friend who needs saving? Wouldn't it be smarter to grab Mousewhisker in stead of Mintstar? The list goes on and on.

"Ah. That. Makes more sense." She quietly follows beind him, no longer responding to his questions. He's a little sad, frankly, because he hardly knows anything about Mintstar during his time in EagleClan. He talks all the time about his life as a kittypet, trouble he would get into as a kit, this weird twoleg thing called Star Wars. Sometimes, he would mention how he met the other cats in the clan, like Maplefall and Sprite and Ginger and Mossypaw.

"He helped me out a while back. Maybe a year? Little less?" She starts off, softly. She looks around at the snow gently starting to fall through the pine trees. "Mintstar helped me get back on my feet after. . ." she trails off. "after an attack. Showed me how to better defend myself and hunt after the accident." Jinxy looks back at me, mildly sad. "He'd be a good dad." Mudleap almost doesn't catch the last bit, with the snow crunching nearby. He turns his head back to the front, scenting the air to see which cats had come to greet them.

Minnowspark and Mallowcloud pop out of the underbrush before them.

"We ran ahead to escort you to the camp. We're not far now." Mallowcloud takes the lead, naturally falling into her deputy position. She's always had that air of confidence about her, although it might just be her stern-looking face. Mudleap decides to stay next to Jinxy, hoping to be a bit of a friendly face for her. He bets the two of them could be friends, if Jinxy were in the clan or he had grown up outside of it. She seems to have a fun streak to her, despite the cautious face she's showing currently.

The ragtag group of cats pushes through the rock tumble tunnel and into the main camp. Maplefall furiously paces the camp, while Moose and Sprite are clustered together on the far end whispering. All three of them stop to stare at Jinxy as she comes in. Yikes, tough crowd. He sure is glad it's not him at the center of attention. He sits a tail-length away from Jinxy, tail tip flicking in the clearing. Mallowcloud lifts her head.

"Everyone not directly involved in this can go back to their dens." She states, voice ringing clearly. Everyone ignores her. Ginger and Sprite settle down for a bird from the fresh-kill pile, while Maplefall and Minnowspark lurk outside the nursery. It isn't long before Mintstar returns, Mousewhisker at his heels. She must have gone to fetch him. Mudleap notices a faint scent of daisy, probably something one of them had eaten or collected recently. Seeing as Mousewhisker has none on her, probably the first. Did she offer to find him so she could give him something for his leg? Mudleap is constantly surprised at how thoughtful Mintstar's former apprentice could be. She'd joined the clan out of loyalty to him and a willingness to help, after all.

"Jinxy? Are you alright dear?" He asks as he walks up to the pair of them. Jinxy rushes forward, pushing her head against his flank. Mudleap is surprised by the familiarity there.

"Mintstar! Oh, Mintstar, it's awful!" She buries her face in his fur. He licks her ears to help calm her down, a comforting gesture he used to do to Mudleap when he was a kitten. It's an odd sensation, seeing him use it on someone else.

"My old twolegs got another cat and she was attacked by a hawk but they haven't taken her to a vet, they're just keeping her in a little shed and she can't even hunt for herself not to even think about escaping! She's just a little dainty thing and I'm worried she won't be able to fight off the infection by herself. I'm not strong enough to carry her out and I thought that maybe we could get her together, maybe." Suddenly, Jinxy seems to remember she's at the center of the clan, surrounded by strange cats. She unburies her face, ears pinned to her head in shame. She glances up at Mintstar, uncertain for the first time since Mudleap set eyes on her.

"Of course we can help, Jinxy. There should be enough of us to distract the twolegs and get her out." He gives her another lick on the head, before turning to the cats gathered. No one had listened to Mallowcloud about going to their dens, but that was a good thing for now. "Mallowcloud, take Mudleap and Sprite with you to help rescue . . . What name do we call your friend, darling?" He looks over to Jinxy once more.

"Nutmeg. Her name is Nutmeg." Jinxy says clearly, seeming to find her voice again. "If we can get two cats to distract the twolegs after they open the den, then another two of us can carry her out. It might be dangerous, though, with both twolegs."

Mousewhisker pipes up from near Mintstar's other side. "I want to go, too, Mintstar, if Nutmeg is ill. I might need to patch them up before we can move her, and one of the others may get hurt by twolegs."

"Including you, Mousewhisker. I would prefer you stay here." Mousewhisker flicks an ear.

"Come on, you literally trained me in evasive maneuvers and fighting! Who better to help an injured cat than your ex-apprentice medicine cat?" She nudges him with her nose. "Come on, Mintstar! Don't be a maggot-filled sparrow, let me have some fun for once." She bounces to her feet, prancing around him. Jinx looks bewildered. Mintstar sighs heavily.

"Fine, but if you get hurt-"

"I won't! I'll go grab some herbs really quickly and then we can go! Before the twolegs nest up and go to sleep." She darts off into her den, presumably to grab cobwebs and whatnot. Mallowcloud comes up to Mintstar, whispering in his ear. Thankfully, Mudleap's large ears are great for eavesdropping.

"Are you sure about this, Mintstar? Can Jinxy be trusted?"

"She can, Mallowcloud. She's fierce, maybe even brash, but not a liar. If she says there's a cat in trouble, there is." The two of them look over to Mudleap and Jinxy. Mintstar catches his eye, and Mudleap immediately knows he's been caught. He guiltily shrugs his shoulders. Mintstar ever so quickly darts his tongue out at him, and Mudleap wrinkles his nose in return.

Mousewhisker reappears from her den, cobwebs across her back and an herb bundle in her mouth.

"Wea-wee!" she exclaims, mouth full.

This is going to be a long night. Mudleap thinks to himself.

---

Mudleap goes over the plan in his head one more time. First, Jinxy will start caterwauling, causing the twolegs to come out of their den. She'll pretend to be injured, and since they know her, they'll go to put her in the shed with Nutmeg. Once the nest is open, Milkvine and Mallowcloud will dart out at the twoleg, pretending to go after Jinxy. The twolegs should go after the two of them, with Jinxy causing extra chaos by running around and trying to trip the twolegs. He glances over at Mousewhisker, coated in cobwebs. With her fur patterning, it almost blends in and looks normal. His own mouth is full now, carrying the herb bundle. While those three distract the twoleg, Mousewhisker and I will sneak into the den and find Nutmeg. Mousewhisker will assess them while I stand guard. Once she's cleared Nutmeg to be moved, the two of us will help them escape through the main opening to the den. Then we have to just dodge the towlegs, carry an injured cat, and hike all the way back to the camp without leaving a trail for them to follow. Easy. Totally easy.

At least their trail would be easy to cover, with the snow falling down. As long as none of them get caught before Nutmeg is rescued, it should be an easy trek home. The path is fairly straightforward to get back to the border, while the territory itself is known to all of them. His only worry right now is if the plan goes off the rails. Or someone gets captured. Or stepped on. Or-

Mudleap's train of thought is interrupted by the screaming cat before him. Jinxy may look small, but her lungs are massive. It's not long before the twoleg comes out to see what the commotion is. The first one steps outside and sees Jinxy, exclaiming something in their nonsense language. He takes a few steps towards Jinxy before looking around and heading back inside. Mudleap and Mousewhisker exchange concerned looks. What if the twoleg just goes back inside? Before Mudleap can step up to help, Sprite jumps from out of the bushes. He hisses furiously, more fierce sounding than Mudleap has ever seen before. Sprite arches his back and fluffs up his tail, spitting aggressive barbs at the twoleg.

"Come and fight me, you overgrown rat! Your mother was a badger and your father smelled of crowfood, you lily-covered, mouse-brained, fox-dung coward!" Mudleap is shocked to find Sprite could give Maplefall a run for her money in the cussing department. The exact meaning may have gone over the twoleg's head, but he got the message all the same. The first twoleg shouts for his mate before grabbing a large stick-thing from in front of his den. He waves it at Sprite, shooing him off. Sprite hisses a bit more, waiting for the other twoleg to appear, before running back into the bushes.

The second twoleg brought some sort of tiny sunlight device, lighting up the snow around the bushes Sprite disappeared into. The first twoleg moves to pick up Jinxy, who leans into his legs. She gets scooped up, a curious expression on her face. Almost sad looking. The twolegs head toward the smaller den where Nutmeg is being kept, and Mousewhisker flicks her tail tip into him. Go time. He nods in response and Mousewhisker starts to move from her position on the hay bales. She balances carefully on the bale before him, judging the distance to the gap in the beams above them. She leaps, landing almost perfectly on the ledge. She disappears into the twoleg den, leaving Mudleap to follow.

He takes a deep breath before jumping after her. He manages to get three of his paws on, the other slipping at the end. He digs his claws in, careful not to be seen by the twolegs. His dark coat should help with hiding him from their weak eyes. He steps forward, realizing for the first time just how small the gap is before him. Jinxy and Mousewhisker could slip in relatively easy, but his large frame might be an entirely different story. He decides to go one paw at a time, sticking his head in after. He gets just up to his shoulders when he gets stuck.

With his mouth full of precious herbs, he can't even call out to Mousewhisker. He would risk dropping them and he's more terrified of her wrath than being stuck in a dark hole. A dark hole in a twoleg den with two vile, vicious twolegs just outside. Mudleap shoves and wiggles himself harder, popping himself out of place. Unfortunately, he pops right on out over the small ledge and directly down into the den.

Luckily, Sprite and Mallowcloud chose that exact moment to leap out at the twolegs, distracting them. Jinxy frees herself from their grasp, landing on her feet and immediately swiping at their legs. The five creatures disappear around the corner, hissing and spitting and yelling. Mudleap untangles his feet and stands up, unsteady. He shakes his head and walks over to Mousewhisker, currently hovering over a sickly brown tabby. ow ow ow ow ow Every time he steps down with his right front paw, a sharp pain shoots up his leg. He sets the herb bundle down next to the two of them. Mousewhisker immediately hooks it with a claw and starts sorting the herbs.

Mudleap checks over Nutmeg with his mediocre knowledge of injuries and illness. Mintstar made every apprentice (and warrior) spend a few days with Mousewhisker, learning about basic remedies to easy injuries. Comfrey could fix a sprained paw, while cobweb is used for bleeding. Juniper berries could help with stomach ache, and burdock root is great for rat bites. None of that looked like it could help.

Nutmeg has a ghastly wound down her side, yellow and smelly and oozing. There are multiple other scratches down her back and tail. Their left ear is missing a chunk, and her eyes are closed in pain. Mousewhisker pulls out some leaves and starts chewing. She places the herb poultice on the worst of the wounds, squeezing some berry juice on top before wrapping the cat in cobwebs. Nutmeg winces before sighing in relief. Mousewhisker has her lick up some poppy seeds before turning to me.

"Can we put her on your back? I can help balance them, but I'm not sure if they'll be able to walk at all." I'm not sure if I can walk at all. Yelling from outside interrupts his response. He nods, crouching down next to Nutmeg. The sooner we leave, the better. A little bit of a painful paw was worth it. Mousewhisker sets Nutmeg up on his back, draping her over his broad shoulders. He stands up, careful not to jolt her too much.

The three of them slowly make their way towards the escape route, Mousewhisker checking the entrance before they leave. Mudleap is painfully aware of every step he takes out of the den, Nutmeg's weight added to his, making his paw hurt even more. The three of them are about halfway to the tree cover when the twolegs notice them. Mudleap notices their attention after something crashes near him, breaking into bits that scatter and attack his fur. None of them make it through his dense fluff, but he worries about the cat slung across his back. He picks up his pace, while Mousewhisker turns around and hisses at the twolegs. He scampers forward, fast as he can with Nutmeg on his back, while she turns to join the fight. Mudleap makes it to the trees and turns his head, just in time to see Mousewhisker jump up and scratch at the twoleg's upper paws. She lands safely and races into the forest towards him. Sprite, Jinxy, and Mallowcloud follow closely behind, clustering around him and helping push him to safety.

The five of them run as fast as they dare to the border, taking turns balancing Nutmeg on Mudleap's back. When they reach the border, they transfer her to Mallowcloud and make their way home at a more reasonable pace. Mudleap drags his paws, stumbling through the snow, exhausted. By the time they make it back to the clearing, he can hardly put any weight on his paw. They carefully help Nutmeg through the rock tumble, bringing her directly to the medicine cat den. Mallowcloud goes to report to Mintstar, while Sprite heads to the warrior's den. Mudleap stays with Mousewhisker, briefly getting a poppy seed and some comfrey for his paw, before being shooed out of the medicine cat den. Jinxy is waiting there, hunched over in the snow. Mudleap approaches her.

"If you wanted to stay the night, you can come sleep with me in the warrior's den. There's also the apprentice den, if you want, but Mossypaw snores something fierce. I'd say stay in the medicine cat den with Nutmeg, but Mousewhisker will eat you alive." Jinxy looks up at him with big, sad eyes. He nudges her to her feet. "Come on, you need some rest."

Mudleap gently leads her over to the warrior's den, careful not to step on any stray tails. He curls up in his new nest, fur touching Jinxy. I could get used to having a friend.

Word Count: 4632

[ruethefangirl]

Username: ruethefangirl
Storage: Sunclan
Last Patrol Post: Patrol 6 - Nov 27
Patrol:
Cobaltstream was named after her blue eyes and markings that reminded their leader of a stream. Like water, she can be multifaceted. One hand, Cobaltstream strives to be like a gentle and nourishing flow. She wants to help out others and be the best mom she can be. On the other hand, over time water can be strong enough to wear down stone. She tries too hard, gives too much of herself, and either lashes out or retreats by giving the silent treatment. She hovers over her child, overprotective, and ends up overstepping her bounds. Cobaltstream hates being the bad guy. She would rather twist the truth than look negative. For example, one time Sandchill asked if she could bring him home a starling. Instead of telling him she was not in the mood to catch starlings that day, she told him she did not see any while she was hunting. Ambergaze believes her to be a bit disingenuous, helping other cats only because she likes to maintain what little power she has over them. Cobaltstream likes to have control because it gives her a sense of safety and comfort. Part of the reason her relationship did not work out with Darkviper was because of their constant power struggle.
-
Sandchill stalked Magmatuft through the thick leaves. He was too busy watching a lizard to notice. Sandchill tackled him before he could pounce. They rolled, and Magmatuft struggled for a moment before going limp under him. “Sandpaw?!” Magmatuft exclaimed. Several emotions rolled through him. Surprise, Guilt, Happiness. Their shared past flashed through his mind. Growing up as part of The Jungle Cats colony. Getting into mischief together. Bonding over their strained relationships with their parents. Hunting. Sharing prey. The tension humming between them the morning of their battle to see who would remain in the colony and who would be exiled. Their current roles reversed.
“Nah. Not Sandpaw anymore,” He meowed.
“What should I call you?”
“You know, I always thought Sandchill would be my warrior name…”
Magmatuft winced.
Sandchill didn’t mean that as a jab, though. “You can call me Sandy. Like old times. Hey, you got your warrior name?”
“Ah… yeah. It’s Magmatuft.”
“Magmatuft, huh? I woulda thought they’d pick something more tough like your sister.”
Magmatuft shrugged. He had been given a different name but that was neither here nor there. “Where have you been? I-I tried to find you…” Emotion crept into his voice.
“It’s cool, bro. I had to hide from the tiger after being beat up and all. How’d you get all the way across the jungle? With you in line to be leader, I never thought they’da let you leave.”
“I snuck away. Walked until I passed out. These cats found me. Sunclan. It’s different. Better.”
“Sunclan?” Sandchill tilted his head. “They takin in new cats?”
Magmatuft nodded. “Sunflower is pretty open to building up the clan.”
Sandchill let him get up. “Take me to this Sunclan.”
-
The sisters gained their warrior names, Blackberrygaze (after her mother) and Raspberryshine (after her personality), before they left Meadowclan. Since the names tend to be a mouthful, they go by their prefixes. Raspberry rarely called her sister by her full name growing up, so Blackberry was already used to it.
-
Blackberry would not call it a secret talent, but she does have a penchant for bonding with animals. Other cats find that their companions tend to be relaxed around her, partially due to the calming effects of the lavender in her fur. She bonded with her bunny, Nutmeg, when she was learning to be a medicine cat. As she was reading up on herbs, she noticed the curious bunny would get closer to her as the days went by. She began reading out loud for both of them. Nutmeg decided to stick by her side, even assisting on her in collecting the herbs. While visiting the Starlight Market, the rats, Mocha and Hazelnut, were drawn to her. She brought them home, but they began following her sister around. Now they spend time with either of them, though Raspberry prefers when they do not mess with her fur and Blackberry does not care.
-
Sandchill was a sickly kit. He never let it bother him, but his mom was constantly on top of him to make sure he had the herbs he needed and did not play too rough with other kittens. He loves Cobaltstream, but he did learn to lie to get around her helicopter parenting. His father, Darkviper, was the fun parent, if a little too nonchalant. One time Darkviper did leave him behind on a walk around the territory. Darkviper walked too fast with his long legs for Sandchill[kit] to keep up. To be fair, Raspberry and Blackberry also had a tough time keeping up with him, so it wasn't an exclusive event.
-
Cobaltstream's faith in Starclan is important to her. It brings her peace knowing that she will be safe in the afterlife and rewarded for helping other cats. She needs to know that everything she endured happened for a reason. Starclan was guiding her.
Word Count: 850

[dimi.]

Patrols for the week of November 29th are now closed. Sorry for the delay.
To claim this XP, head over to Leveling and fill out the Patrol form! This experience will not be applied until you do so.

ivyy.: 150 xp
moonblaze-angel: 463 xp
ruethefangirl: 85 xp

Posts for the week of December 6th are now open!

[dimi.]

Patrols for the week of December 6th are now closed.
To claim this XP, head over to Leveling and fill out the Patrol form! This experience will not be applied until you do so.

No one posted this week!

This week is a DOUBLE XP WEEK! Meaning your word count will be doubled and you will be given xp accordingly. This is a great time to get a ton of space for cats and level up for those sweet bells for the shop! Please contact me if you have any questions

Posts for the week of December 13th are now open!

[Kazin]

Username: Kazin
Storage: Evergreen Forest
Last Patrol Post: n/a
Patrol: Sparrow knew that everything was going to change. From the moment he started having the strange dreams, he knew he had to fulfill them somehow. Whispers of an ancient clan, lost to time, filled his every waking moment - and even drifted into his dreams, disturbing him during his sleep. He was used to being on his own, even cherished it a lot of the time, but he knew it was time for change as the dreams became clearer, more persistent. There was something, someone, somewhere calling out to him, asking him for help, to rebuild a lost colony of cats that once roamed the forest.

One day, Sparrow had set off on his own, leaving the beach in which he grew up. He wasn't even sure why he was there in the first place, once he started moving - traveling towards the forest just felt so much better! The shade given to him by the trees were much nicer than the lack of cover of the sand and beach. He would miss the ocean spray in his face and on his fur, but so far, he knew it was a good idea to leave, to travel, to find this colony territory he had been dreaming about.

As he progressed, his dreams kept getting more clear. He knew that he was heading in the right direction as he started to catch clearer flashes of the landscape - of the tall evergreen trees littering a forest, causing there to be sunspots on the forest floor. He got dreams of squirrels staring at him through branches, felt his paws scaling the bark of trees, and felt the sun-spotted warm patterns on his fur. It all felt so real that when he woke up, he felt himself itching to get moving, almost breaking into a sprint each morning in his anticipation to keep moving forward, towards the dream.

Once his paws hit the forest floor, everything felt different. The dreams stopped, and Sparrow almost felt like he had lost a true friend. He found himself crying out, trying to capture any sort of essence of whatever had been sending him the dreams. But where there had been such vivid dreams, there was now only silence, darkness, and nothing at all.

At least, until Sparrow found the ruins.

The rubble was ancient, he could tell that much. It was almost buried under the tangle of vines, almost unable to be perceived at all. But something kept Sparrow's paws moving forward, until he had found a small tunnel that led underground, leading to a small stone that almost seemed to glow, even though there was no light.

Despite the strangeness of it all, Sparrow felt strangely calm. Somehow, he knew that this was what he was being led to all along. Almost like it was an instinct, he reached forward with his nose, letting it rest against the decrepit, crumbling relic.

Welcome, Sparrow, a voice drifted into his psyche. You have done well to reach us.

"Reach... us?" Sparrow whispered out loud, spinning around in the dream-like quality vision slowly, looking for anyone around him. He was rewarded with a soft shimmer, cats stepping forward out of the mist, vague outlines of who they once were.

Yes. We are The Ancients of the Forest. We are your ancestors. We have led you here together.

Voices, individual voices at first that battered at his senses, indecipherable to his ears, suddenly become one. It was as if there were a hundred different cats speaking to him, but at the same time.

You have a great destiny, Sparrow. We chose you to rebuild The Ancients, though you may choose whatever name you wish for us now. We will be here to guide you.

Sparrow found himself nodding before he really had even absorbed the words. "I accept this duty," the cat said confidently, rising to his paws and staring straight at the misty cat closest to him. "I am honored, great Ancients."

A resounding purr of satisfaction came from all directions, both calming and intimidating to hear. We are glad to hear this, the Ancients echoed. You will find a suitable area to camp within a day's journey to the west. Following the setting sun, our kin, and rebuild the great clan into something amazing. We will be here if you need guidance, and remember... you are strong, with the blood of The Ancients in your paws.

_____________________________________________

This had started the journey of Sparrow's to start his clan. He had spent the day traveling west, just as The Ancients had told him, finding a hollow surrounded by tall evergreens, sheltered from the elements and from predators by the dense undergrowth. He found what must have been dens, overgrown but easy enough to clear out. For himself, he claimed the one under a rocky outcropping, sensing that this was where a leader of the past had stayed. He dragged his claws across multiple claw marks, the marks of the leaders from long ago. Though the camp was a bit unkempt and he knew he had a lot of work to do - especially if he was to do the work alone - he felt ready.

As the next few days came and went, and Sparrow worked on restoring the camp, he thought of a name for the clan he was ready to re-establish. He had thought about keeping it as The Ancients, but it didn't seem like it made sense, not if he wanted others from the outside to take him seriously. He knew in his heart that no one else was having these dreams, and it would be hard to convince others that something called The Ancients was worth their time. Instead, he played around with other names - ForestClan, as he had heard of other groups referring to themselves in this style, but it felt strange to him. Perhaps Forest Dwellers? no, too fantasy sounding... but then the name hit him as he took a break on the third day; Evergreen Forest. It was simple, a reminder of the great territory that surrounded him, and easy enough to explain to outsiders. He was the leader of the Evergreen Forest.

And so Sparrow's journey had officially started. He kept up his own daily patrols, waiting for the day his first clanmate would arrive. He had never felt more sure that this was the correct path for him, and looked forward to being the leader of a new group.

Word Count: 1,074 words

[Mazzikin]

Username: Mazzikin
Storage: Foliageclan
Last Patrol Post: N/A first one
Patrol: Fiona stared out of the window of her twoleg home, spring was in full bloom. Flowers were sprouting and butterflies danced in the air, she wished to be outside chasing them, feeling the wind in her fur. She longed for a different life. Sure her twolegs were always nice to her, they fed her lots and brushed her fur free of knots, they kept her warm by the fire and loved with each pet, but Fiona still itched for something more. She wondered what it would be like to sleep under the stars rather than at the foot of her twolegs bed. Sure there would be no warmth or covers for her to burrow into but watching the twinkles as she fell asleep was something she wanted to experience more than ever. Most of her time she spent day dreaming of outside, her twolegs would open the window and let her smell the outside but never had she been outside herself. Fiona yawned and stretched her back in a satisfying arch, her claws poked out and got stuck on the material that lined her cat post, she pulled them out with a satisfying snap and looked outside once more before hopping down and heading to her bowl where the stale brown pellets were. She preferred the soft food way more to the tasteless pellets but they still filled her belly. As she finished her fill she licked her lips and withdrew the infront of the fire to warm her belly, “maybe this is the life” she thought to herself as she slowly drifted to sleep.

Claws flashed. Fiona felt free, she was chasing a mouse, zig zagging through the Forrest hot on its trail, she almost had the perfect stalking technique to catch it but it heard her last minute and took off and now it was a game of who’s faster. The mouse tried to dart under a root but Fiona snapped her paw down blocking its escape, the mouse froze with a squeak and Fiona made her killing blow. Before she could eat her mouse she heard the droning sound of pellets hitting her bowl and was awoken from her dream. Disappointed she sat up and groomed her fur until all her fur way laying flat. “I have to find a way out there, even just to explore, I need to feel free just for one night, my twolegs can’t miss me that much aslong as I’m back” she thought to herself and she jumped up tit he window that was open in the room with the fireplace. Slowly Fiona pushed the black material that kept her inside, her claws got stuck in the small squares and as she ripped her paw back a hole appeared. “Huh that seemed too easy, these twolegs must not be trying to keep me in as much as I thought they were” with a quick slash of her razor sharp claws Fiona made a hole big enough to squeeze through, the edges of the black material scratched her pelt as she wriggled through but after a moment she felt nothing under her paws “Oh no, what have I done” she thought and panicked to find footing only to lamp with a soft thump on the grass below. Fiona wiggled her paws and extended her claws allowing herself to enjoy the feeling of grass and dirt under them, with an excited yowl she took off running but in every direction threes was a wooden fence blocking her path, and the way up seemed a lot higher than the window she just half fell out of “I wonder if I could make that jump” Fiona thought out loud

“Sure you can!” A cheery voice answered her “You just have to put all your weight on your haunches and push with your back legs and you can make it, I promise!” Fiona looked around and seen a very plump pale brown she cat slumped in the fence with one paw hanging over to Fiona’s side “I’m Hazel by the way!” The she cat responded “my twolegs live in the den next to yours… though I’ve never seen them let you outside before.. are you supposed to be out here?” She asked with her held tilted to one side. “Well” Fiona started “I managed to put a hole in the window the twolegs keep open, I wanted to feel the breeze in my pelt and hear the secrets of the Forrest when the wind blows, there’s nothing more magical to me than that! So I snuck out and now” Fiona looked to the trees that lined the distance “I’m going to go there and see what I can find out about this place, I only want to be gone for a day maybe two, I wouldn’t want to worry my twolegs too much now!” The she cat looked at her like she was crazy “You, you want to go into the trees?! It’s so dangerous out there, what if a monster gets you?” Fiona started for the fence, “I’m not worried about monsters, they dumb and only works when the twolegs tell them to wake up, I think I’ll be okay” Fiona braced herself for the jump as Hazel had told her and launched her self up the fence, surprisingly she cleared it easy in once jump “I should be back my sunhigh tomorrow! Wish me luck Hazel!” Fiona didn’t wait for the she cats reply, she instantly jumped down to the other side of the fence and stood in awe. All this time she had imagined being outside her twoleg nest and now she finally was, as excited as she was she was a little sad and very nervous about leaving her twolegs behind, she wasn’t sure if they would worry but she planned to bring them back a nice mouse to show them her appreciation!

Fiona set out for the trees, she had to be careful going through twoleg place as several monsters were awake at this time and the maze of thunder paths seemed to never end, by the time Fiona got to the tree line her paws were scratched and sore from the grit and her fur was sticking out in all directions and no longer sandy orange, now she looked brown and black from the dirt on the thunder paths, she tried to groom herself quick but the taste was nothing she had ever tasted and it took all that was in her to not retch at the taste, she decides she would leave her cleaning to her twolegs when she got back, with one last look at the twoleg nests that lined up row by row Fiona turned to enter the Forrest.

A voice calling caught her attention, there was a twoleg man standing there calling softly to her, curious Fiona followed the voice, it was bringing her close to a thunder path were a big white monster with beady yellow eyes sat growling. The twoleg approached her waving some good smelling food infront of her nose and tossed it a little ways away, he had a metal stick in his hand with some sort of loop on it but Fiona was more concerned with the food, slowly the twoleg put the loop around her neck and within seconds it’s tightened. Fiona yowled startled and struggled to get the loop off, spitting and hissing she tried to hook her claws into the loop or the twoleg which ever one she got first. She was starting to give up when all of a sudden another yowl came through the Forrest and a cat launched themselves at the twoleg man, he started yelling and grabbing at the cat but they were sleek and fast and scratched the twoleg before he could even see where the cat was going, Fiona finally got the loop to loosen and took off towards the Forrest, she didn’t stop running until she was sure she was deep enough for the twoleg not to follow. Fiona collapsed under a maple tree, panting hard she tried to figure out her surroundings, she could hear her heartbeat in her ears and could smell blood, as she looked down she noticed a cut from the twoleg thing around her neck, slowly and carefully she began the clan the wound. All of a sudden Fiona heard the swishing of fur and immediately switched to a guard stance, the growl in her throat causing a dull pain to the cut on her neck. “You know, growling like that is only going to open the wound worse, you could use some cobwebs on that for the bleeding” an almost white she cat with blazing orange feet and tail came out of the bush, her long fur swishing in the leaves on her way out. “I could find you some quick if you’d allow me to treat your wound, I’m a medicine cat for my clan, I’m trained in the ways of healing cats and communicating with our passes on ancestors” Fiona looked bewildered, this was the same cat that helped her escape the twolegs, how was she acting so calm and claiming to communicate with dead ancestors” Fiona realized she must’ve been sitting for a moment staring into this cats blue eyes, “Oh I’m y-yes please, my neck is a little sore after that, and thank you for your help escaping that man, I’ve never dealt with a twoleg being so mean before” The she cat nodded her head while digging through the roots of a tree picking up cobwebs. “Well that was a trapper we call them, they trap animals and take them away from outside, we don’t know exactly where they go but we’ve lost a couple good cats to them” the she cats started working on Fiona’s wound “I’m Bristlefur by the way, it’s good to meet you, we don’t see many new cats around here and usually kitty pets like yourself aren’t brave enough to make the journey through all the thunder paths” She finished applying the cobwebs “I don’t have much for pain here but if you come back with me to my camp I could use some herbs to reduce the pain, our current leader is kind and fair but he doesn’t take too kindly to strangers or kitty pets so I of course will have to tell him I found you wandering not that I saved you or had any contact, just so we’re in the same page” Bristlefur nudged Fiona to her feet “I’m Fiona, thank you for helping me, are they’re many of you out here?” Bristlefur laughed a little “there’s lots of different cats out here, I’m apart of a clan called Foiliageclan but there’s many more clans out there on our borders, just be glad you didn’t run into one of their territories, they’re not quite as nice as I am” Bristlefur kept leading for what seemed like ages until they reached a hallow, an old log with a hole burrowed through the middle sat at the front , blocking out wind and unwanted visitors. “Come on, come meet everyone in camp” Bristlefur pushed through the thorns that covered the hole in the log and disappeared inside, cautiously Fiona padded forwards, the thorns scratched her nose and scrapped her fur as she wriggled inside. The hallow opened up to a massive camp, there were dens woven into bushes with sticks and held together with mud and leaves, there was a massive tree with a hood in the middle standing proud, the smell of cat told Fiona this tree was also a den, above the hole stood a large sturdy branch with several claw marks in it like a cat would haul itself up the branch to the top, there was more the colour but Fiona got called to a large tree root which had a rabbit burrow underneath it, covered by fronds, there was many herb smells coming out of the burrow and Bristlefur popped her head out with a couple leaves in her mouth. “Here eat these, they’ll stop the pain”

“Bristlefur!” A voice demanded from behind Fiona “Who is this Kittypet and why did you bring them here” Fiona gulped as she turned to face a powerful Tom, his shoulders ripples and long tail twitched with anger at the newcomer. “Well?!” He demanded Bristlefur looked unphased as she answered “She needed help and I can help, plus we need more warriors anyways and she made quite the journey to ge there I think we should atleast keep her until she recovers, what do you think?” The Tom thought about it for a minute, “Very well, but I want constant updates and she is to stay in camp until you deem her fit” with that he whisked his tail and retreated to the tree with the hole in it. “Well, welcome to Foiliageclan! I hope you like it here!!” Bristlefur gave Fiona’s head a quick lick.” Why don’t you explore a little?” Fiona stared in awe at all the cats and places to explore, “where to start first” she thought to herself as she looked over the clans hallow with curious eyes.
Word Count: 2200 :o

[Alizba]

Username: Alizba
Storage: Tree'Roots Clan
Last Patrol Post: Here
Patrol:
The snow in the fields covers the ground. More of the white softness falls from the sky as the sound of footsteps is heard walking up to the large tree the clan calls home. Doe’Eyes runs up to Snow’Owl as they walk back to the clan.

Doe’Eyes speaks “Oh thank the stars above your back Snow’Owl! There is a new layer of snow coming and it is not safe out there while it falls. Did you find anything while you were out?” Snow’Owl nods their head no. “There is nothing out there, not even a scent as if there is something coming for the longer snow days ahead of us. All the prey has just vanished before us…” Snow’Owl informs Doe’Eyes. With fear in her eyes Doe’Eyes replies “You don’t mean… You said when we got here no cat would need to leave! We could live here in all four seasons as the years go by!” She roars out in anger.

“Look I know you're not happy about it neither am I but you have no say in this… Look just… Stay here, I am calling a meeting.” Snow’Owl walks off leaving Doe’Eyes alone. Doe’Eyes just stares at Snow’Owl bewilder by the words they just said… What had happen to there once trusting leader who cared for all and always follow through with their promises. Doe’Eyes walks to the nursery and lays there hugging their squirrel friend and keeping them safe ready to keep an ear out on the meeting knowing they were not allowed to be there.

“All cats who can fight their own fights come and gather below the tree's protection and hear what it is, I have to say.” Snow’Owl looks down at the cats as she roars out to the cats. “The snow this year brings too many layers. The prey has run from the lands and so must we. What little food we have cannot feed us all this hard snowfall season. So, in two dusk times we will leave for the journey ahead of us. There will be foes who will not let us through the paths, but we will find a way around them, and we will find new lands to find peace at. For now, we will share what we have and get ready for the long travels ahead of us.”

---

Doe’Eyes continues to lay in her nest… They are traveling in two dusk time… That's not a lot of time she heard of one the cats trying to remove Snow’Owl of the leader position should she talk with? So many thoughts race through her head before she drifts off to sleep trying to get her mind off of it.

---

Pony’Fur walks off after the meeting is over. Something not right with Snow’Owl there was plenty of prey yesterday… But their leader making it sound like there been nothing for many dusk times. Plus, the past few hunts sure the snow makes it hard to hunt but they brought at least something back every time. Pony’Fur finds a spot in the sun before looking up at the snow falling down. She wonders for different reasons on why they might move from their beloved home… Was there by chance something out there that Snow'Owl was looking for someone or were they hiding from something she wonders before getting up to something productive before the snowfall becomes harder.

---

Fox’Tail stayed in the branches above the leader as they spoke about them moving. He wonders what led them to wanting to move. All the cats in the clan knew that prey would last to the end of the snowfall so what was going on he had to question himself. That's when it hit him Snow’Owl was hiding from something or someone. They are often seen alone yet still talking to someone and talking about how it was coming back. Perhaps this journey is just what Fox’Tail needed to remove Snow’Owl from the leader position. He jumps down after all the cats walk off to do their own thing. He heads to the prey pile and picks something up. If Snow’Owl wants to make up stories then Fox’Tail will make them come true. He heads to the lake and throws the few prey in it before heading back to the camp knowing the snow will cover his tracks back up. Unknowing to him on the other side of the lake lay two bright yellow eyes watching him.

---

The moon starts to set as Doe’Eyes gets up to watch the clan in the nighttime and the rest of the clan heads off to their nest getting ready for the long cold days ahead of them. Doe’Eyes sits and at the end of one the tree's roots watching as the moon slowly moves. The night was quite other than the sound of an owl and the leaves rustling in the background. In the rustling leaves laid the yellow eyes watching the cats but staying out of sight. There was now one dusk left before the cats had to move on to new lands.
Word Count: 845

[ruethefangirl]

Username: ruethefangirl
Storage: Sunclan
Last Patrol Post: Patrol 7 - Dec 05
Patrol:
It was not like she remembered them well, but Millie’s dreams were usually filled with her chasing mice and embarking on whimsical adventures. Falling in love with charming kitties who would dote all over her. Lately… she found herself standing in the jungle in vivid detail. It felt like she was really there with the sun warming her pelt. As she had done before, she wandered around the forest. “Hello?” She called. “Why am I here? Where am I?”
This time, a ghostly spirit with starry eyes appeared before her. She jumped, surprise causing her fur to raise.
“Millie.”
“Yes?”
“You must enter the jungle.”
“Me? I am a house cat. What do I know about the jungle?”
"You will come to hold the knowledge of healing at your paws."
"But... I am famous. Don't you know? I'm Millie the Mouse Cat. I cannot simply leave."
"If you do not go, they will die."
"That is... well... who will die?"
Suddenly, Millie was standing in a dark cave. There was a red-brown cat laying still on the ground. A few other cats were gathered around him.
"The flower should have healed him," One cat meowed.
"Maybe we could try something else? Another herb?"
"So are we are just guessing now?" said the curly furred cat. "What if none of them work?"
Between blinks, Millie found herself standing in a different forest, at the mouth of a cave. These trees were the ones she was used to seeing outside of her own home.
The starry cat spoke again. "They are not open to me. I cannot give them the information they need. But you... you can save him. You can save them all."
Was it worth leaving her internet legacy behind? Well... she had heard stories. Whispers about cats that were forgotten after their five seconds of fame. She was not like them, though. The internet loved her too much to let her fame die off. Right? You can save them all... Her thoughts echoed. She supposed saving the clan would be grander than anything she had done before. They would need her, and that would last far longer than the internet attention. "What do I do?" She asked.
"Touch your nose to mine."
Millie stepped forward to touch noses with the cat. Her eyes closed. Energy flowed from them into her like a river. She gasped as their knowledge passed into her mind, flooding her with information. It was too much-
"You can handle it. Be strong."
She was strong. She continued to withstand the process. Finally, it ended. She would have much to sort through. Her eyes opened again.
"Millie, from here on out you will be known as Moonbeam. Starclan grants you our wisdom and strength. Call to us when you need us. We will guide your paws. With this power, you shall be able to heal with magic, faith, and knowledge passed on from generations of medicine cats. If you chose to use magic, there is a cost. If you chose herbs, there are challenges with that as well. Follow your intuition."
Moonbeam dipped her head. "Thank you," she meowed.
"Find Sunclan. You know the way."
Yes, she had seen the path in her dreams. She knew what she needed to do now.
"Good luck."
Her dream faded. She awoke in her bedroom. The catio door, which was usually closed at night, was open and letting a cool breeze ruffle her fur. She rose to her paws. She would save Sunclan. Save Magmatuft.
...
MouseSqueak padded across the sleepy camp to get a drink. It was a nice night. The ever present drone of the waterfall and shill of cicadas filled her ears. A slight breeze ruffled her fur. She was kneeling by the water when the shadows began to shift in her preferential. MouseSqueak’s gaze darted toward the movement. A figure with giant ears stepped toward her out of the darkness, eyes glowing in the moonlight. MouseSqueak jumped into the air with a frightened yowl that jolted her clan mates from their slumber and sent them running to her side.
“MouseSqueak! What happened?” Sunflower asked.
Even Oceanbreeze, who was a deep sleeper, stumbled over. “Are you okay?!” She asked. MouseSqueak was puffed up as round as a moss ball.
MouseSqueak stumbled over her words, too frazzled to give a coherent answer, but the word “monster” might have been mentioned.
Sunflower and Ginger both seemed to spot the cat at the same time. Ginger hissed, startled at the sight of a stranger. This is why she had said they needed guards at night! But their primary guard was out of commission right now…
“Why are you here?” Sunflower asked.
The cat blinked at them calmly. “I was called here by the stars to aid your wounded.”
“Did the stars tell you to lurk in the shadows like a weirdo?!” Ginger inserted herself. She needed her beauty rest! What did she mean by “the stars” anyway? Stars didn’t talk!
Sunflower’s tail flicked to cover Ginger’s mouth. It was late, she had no idea who this stranger was or where she came from, but if she could heal Magmatuft…
“Who are you?” She asked.
"I am called Mi- Moonbeam."
Ginger batted Sunflower’s tail away. “Why would you come to heal a stranger in the middle of the night?”
“I made it here as quickly as I could. I was told he will not survive without me.”
Sunflower’s tail flicked uneasily. It was probably true. None of them knew the cure for the toxic fruit that Magmatuft had consumed. They barley had enough basic healing knowledge to cover non life threatening injuries. “We would appreciate your help-“
“Why should we trust you?” Ginger fired off over Sunflower’s reply.
“The stars led me here-"
“Stars do not-”
“Ginger, it’s okay. Go back to sleep,” Sunflower meowed in the kindest way she could muster. She turned back to the new cat. “Thank you, Moonbeam. I will take you to Magmatuft. You can rest here if you wish.”
...
Moonbeam sat next to Magmatuft and placed her paws on his side. Here it goes. First time using her healing powers. Her paws glowed. She watched as his breathing became deeper and proper color returned to his features. He stirred, cracking his eyes open. Moonbeam felt exhilaration roll through her. "I did it!"
"You did it," Sunflower echoed in awe.
Moonbeam also felt... weak. If she was standing, she was sure her paws might have given out. The Starclan cat had warned there was a price. "I must rest now," She meowed.
"Yeah, of course. Whatever you need to do. Thank you so much!"
Moonbeam was sure Sunflower continued talking, but she was drifting already. She curled up into a ball and closed her eyes. "Well done, Moonbeam," The starry cat's voice murmured.
...
Magmatuft blinked. How did he get here? The last thing he remembered, they were playing a game.
"Magmatuft?" Sunflower meowed.
"Hm?" His voice felt odd from not using it. His pelt felt icky. There was some leftover herbs in it.
"Are you okay?"
"Erg... what happened?"
"You ate bad fruit and it knocked you out. We weren't... we were not sure if you would wake up. We went searching for herbs to help but the ones we tried did not work out. We even split up to search the jungle and the humanside."
Oh. It was that serious.
"How long was I out?"
"A few days," Sunflower meowed. "Moonbeam healed you."
Magmatuft just noticed the strange cat asleep in the corner. "Moonbeam?" What else did he miss?
"She showed up here tonight out of the blue. I don't know how she found us. She said something about stars? Starclan? Mousesqueak was shocked out of her mind when she saw her. Do you think you can stand? Or do you want to stay here?"
"Uh..." Magmatuft supposed he could attempt it. He rose shakily to his paws, feeling both weak and oddly better at the same time. He took a few wobbily steps without needing any help. "Seems fine."
Sunflower stood ready to offer support if he needed it. "What was it like?" They made their way out of the den.
"Being unconscious?"
"Yeah. Did you hear anything?"
"Not really... kinda hazy, I guess." A nothingness.
"Want to wash off?"
Magmatuft nodded. They went over to the little pool of water so he could remove the herbs from his pelt.
"Are you hungry?"
"Starved."
Sunflower brought him some prey. "It was so hard, not knowing. We missed you."
"Really?"
"Why wouldn't we miss you?"
Magmatuft shrugged. He had joked with Ginger about her missing him before, so he did not know why it surprised him. They needed him, so part of him just assumed they wanted him awake because they needed their guard. His family only seemed to care about how he was going to serve the clan.
"You're valuable to Sunclan. Not just what you do for us, but you. Everyone is important," Sunflower insisted.
"Heh... yeah. Thanks," Magmatuft meowed. "You're good at the leader stuff."
Sunflower chuckled. "Thank you. It's a learning process."
Magmatuft looked out at the night sky. "You tired?" He assumed the others were asleep.
"It's fine. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
He nodded.
"And, it's part of my leader duties."
They laughed.
"I'll take guard tonight to make sure we don't have any more surprise guests," Sunflower meowed. Moonbeam had healed Magmatuft, but she was still a stranger. "You get some more rest."
...
A few days later…
“Moonbeam is strange,” Ginger huffed.
“She’s unique. She just offers a different perspective on life.” Sunflower wasn't sure she herself believed in destiny, prophecies, or the universe speaking to her, but she was not going to judge Moonbeam for it. Moonbeam was not hurting anyone. In fact, she was the reason Magmatuft had awoken from his coma-like state.
Oceanbreeze joined them. “Who, Moonbeam? She's so cool. I knew I recognized her! I saw her on the picture box!"
"I think she is full of herself," Ginger grumbled.
"Hey. Give her a chance," Sunflower meowed. "She is still adjusting."
Across camp, Moonbeam was teaching MouseSqueak the difference between two herbs. MouseSqueak had still been a bit weary in the days following Moonbeam's arrival as was pretty typical for her anyway, but it seems her interest in learning about herbs rivaled her uneasiness.
-
Oceanbreeze, Sunflower, and Ginger paused what they were doing as Magmatuft entered camp with a new cat. Sunflower had been sharing tongues with Ginger. Oceanbreeze was eating a fish.
"Hi, Magmatuft!" Oceanbreeze greeted merrily. "Who is this?"
"Heyo! You can call me Sandchill, or Sandy," He said.
"We grew up together," Magmatuft explained. "He wants to know if he can stay?" He looked at his leader.
"Yeah, of course!" Sunflower meowed. "Welcome to Sunclan! I'm Sunflower.”
“Great to meet you. Thanks for letting me crash here! What about you two?” He looked at the other cats.
“Ginger.”
“Cool, cool.” Sandchill spotted the creature in her fur. “And who’s that little guy?”
“Her name is Lulu,” Ginger meowed.
“I’m Oceanbreeze.”
“Yo!! Sandchill and Oceanbreeze. We go together!”
Oceanbreeze purred. “I guess you were meant to join us!”
“Did you catch any prey?” Ginger asked.
"I um... kind of got distracted,” Magmatuft meowed sheepishly.
Ginger’s tail swished. “I’ll go hunting.”
“I’ll go with you. Let me know if you need anything, Sandchill,” Sunflower meowed.
“Will do!”
“I can show you around camp?” Oceanbreeze offered.
“That’d be rad,” Sandy meowed.
“I should get back to hunting, too,” Magmatuft meowed. “Are you okay here?”
“Oh yeah, you know me. It’s all chill,” He replied with a grin.
Oceanbreeze giggled.
Magmatuft shook his head, but smiled. He was glad to have his friend back. “See you.” He left behind Sunflower and Ginger.
“He said you two knew each other growing up?” Oceanbreeze prodded gently.
“Yeah! Best buds. Magmapaw and Sandpaw. We had a lot of good times,” He meowed.
Oceanbreeze showed him the fresh kill pile and the Speaking Rock where Sunflower made announcements. She showed him around the dens.
“Magmatuft didn’t say much. He’s been kind of quiet about his past,” Oceanbreeze meowed.
“Ah, probably just wanted to forget. His mom was pretty pushy. Mine, too. That’s how we became buds. They wanted him to be leader one day.”
“Oh…what’s so bad about being leader?” Oceanbreeze asked, confused.
“It was a lotta pressure for him. His sister was a thorn in his paw about it. He wasn’t very happy about the whole thing,” Sandy explained. “Always had to look his best.”
“I see.” Oceanbreeze meowed.
“Yeah, his sister is how I got this scars, actually.”
“His sister did that to you? Why?”
“A fight. Loser gets kicked out of the clan. I guess the warrior ceremony would be different here?”
“What?” Oceanbreeze looked at him in horror.
“Yeah… I guess that’s just a Jungle Colony thing. But I’m surprised Lavahiss didn’t find a reason to fight with me before that. She didn’t have a problem starting arguments. Poor Magmatuft had to be on his toes.”
“Oh…” Oceanbreeze had such a privileged life.
“What was your growing up like?” He asked. “You have any siblings? Family?”
“I don't remember much about them. I lived with humans. It was comfortable.”
“Humans. Huh.”
“Yeah. I came here because I wanted to see more of the world with my own eyes.”
“How long you been in the jungle? You ever see a tiger before?”
“Four moons. I’ve seen a tiger on the picture box! It’s a human device. Not with my own eyes, though. That sounds scary.”
“Magmatuft saw it with his own eyes! Man, I was so jealous.”
“Wow.” They came upon the den where the herbs were stored. “This is where cats can come to get herbs if they’re injured or sick. MouseSqueak makes sure everything is stocked up. She’s a bit shy.” She called softly, "Hey MouseSqueak!"
MouseSqueak emerged from the den. “Hm?”
“I wanted to introduce you to our newest clanmate. This is Sandy. I was just showing him around,” Oceanbreeze said.
“Hi.”
“Hello! How are you doing?” Sandy asked.
“Good."
“Thanks, MouseSqueak. Now for the best part,” Oceanbreeze meowed. “Let me show you the waterfall. This is my favorite place in camp.”
“Alright.” Sandchill followed her. “Holy Starclan! That’s impressive!”
“I know right?!”
“That water is stunning. Like your eyes.” Sandchill said the words without his brain really registering how it would sound.
Oceanbreeze blushed. Did he really think that about her? She didn’t know what to say. “You’re too kind. The medicine cat den is over the way…”
“Oceanbreeze, hello. Oh, a new cat!” Moonbeam exclaimed. “You didn’t tell me there was a new clanmate!” What if her fur was sticking up? “What’s your name?”
“Sandy. Or Sandchill, whatever you dig.”
“I am Moonbeam. Starclan called me here to be the Sunclan healer. I saved Magmatuft’s life.”
“Oh? What’s the story there?”
Oceanbreeze’s content expression faltered, remembering the hand she’d had in the accident.
“He ate poisonous fruit.”
“Oof.” He did not ask for more details. It wasn't like his friend was the most careful cat. They had gotten into some hijinks behind their parents’ backs. “Can’t say I wouldn’t make the same mistake.”
“Yes, well. I know how to heal that, thankfully. Where are you from?"
"The Jungle Cats colony. It's a ways from here. You?"
"I came from the humanplace. You have not heard of me?"
"Can't say that I have. Do you have a reputation?" He tilted his head.
"Oh, nevermind. It's not so important anymore," Moonbeam meowed. "Well-" It was still hard to let her past go. "I used to be famous in some circles, that is all."
"Famous?"
"Yes, humans and cats would recognize me when we went out places. I was known by another name."
"Millie the mouse cat!" Oceanbreeze exclaimed.
Moonbeam stood up straighter. "That was me."
Sandy chuckled. "Well, pleasure to make your acquaintance. Never been in the presence of someone so popular before," He meowed. "Should I be bringing you prey?"
"Alas, that venture is over. I am your medicine cat now."
"A noble sacrifice."
"Yes, you get it. Do you believe in Starclan?" As she had learned, not every cat in Sunclan believed in them. Ginger was clear with her opposition. Moonbeam did not really care what the other cats thought. She knew what she saw in her dreams. They were not part of her imagination. They were real cats speaking to her. She had seen them before, but she had not realized it. It was only when she began reflecting on her past after Ginger questioned her that she realized they had been guiding her all along.
"My mom raised me up with tales of Starclan, yeah." He did not clarify if he really believed or not.
"Splendid."
"We are almost done with our tour," Oceanbreeze stepped back in. "I just wanted to loop back around to the Little Falls. Unless you two want to keep talking. I don't mind. I'm not trying to drag you away or anything."
Sandchill nodded. "Lead the way."
Oceanbreeze said goodbye to Moonbeam before moving along. "I don't remember if you answered. Do you have siblings?"
"My stepsisters, Blackberry and Raspberry. My dad left with them, but I used to be around them sometimes."
"Do you miss them?"
"I didn't know them that well, honest. But I do miss my dad sometimes. His new mate was nice to me, too."
Oceanbreeze nodded. "That sounds rough." She stopped in front of the smaller waterfall. "This is the Little Falls."
"Niceeee. Do you slide down this thing?"
"Yes! I was just going to tell you that," Oceanbreeze said.
"I'm going upside down!"
"What? That's-" Oceanbreeze cut off, watching him do it, torn between concern and amusement.
"Woahhhhhhh!" He landed in the water with a splash.
Oceanbreeze leaned over, trying to see if he was okay at the bottom. Her paws slipped, sending her tumbling in the water after him. "EEK!"
"You okay?" He asked when she surfaced, flailing.
Oceanbreeze relaxed a bit. She was fine. "That was a little scary," She admitted.
"Are you two swimming?" A voice asked above them.
Oceanbreeze and Sandchill looked up to see Magmatuft had returned.
"Who knew the tour ended in a slide?" Sandy answered. "Best tour ever."
"I fell," Oceanbreeze answered.
"We brought back some prey if you're hungry," Magmatuft meowed.
They both got out of the water. Oceanbreeze shook out her fur. Sandchill ran up the rocks to his friend. Before Magmatuft could say anything else, Sandy barreled into him, throwing them both into the pool.
"Arg, you suck," Magmatuft meowed after surfacing. "I missed you."
"Ha, I bet you were bored without me."
"I dunno, princess Ginger was keeping me entertained with her nonsense."
"I hear you talking about me!" Ginger yelled back.
They all laughed about it.
-
“He’s doing it on purpose,” Ginger insisted.
Sunflower snorted. “He is not. How would he be able to do that?” Sunflower questioned.
“I don’t know! I swear, he’s always in my way no matter what I do. How do you explain that?”
“It’s not like he’s falling asleep in the same spot every time. He’s not targeting you,” Sunflower meowed. “You’re just the one complaining the most about it.”
Ginger’s ear twitched at the dig. “Magmatuft!” She called out to the cat as he walked by the leaders den.
“Huh?” Magmatuft moved closer to them.
“Can’t you tell your friend not to fall asleep all over the place? I keep tripping over him.”
“You can tell him that,” Magmatuft meowed. “Won’t really do much…”
“Ridiculous! Why can’t he sleep in the warriors den?”
Magmatuft shrugged. “He likes to lay in the sun.” He left the den.
Ginger huffed. Sunflower’s whiskers twitched.
“Don’t laugh at me,” Ginger whined.
Sunflower laughed again. “But I love teasing you. You’re so silly.” She nuzzled her. Ginger rolled her eyes affectionately but nuzzled her back.
-
As Millie looked around at all the other famous cats at the event, she had a thought. I must be the prettiest cat here! She purred as she posed for another picture. Humans came up to talk to her people. She humored their need to touch her silky soft fur or her large ears. She heard a loud wail from all the way across the event space. Chonk was having a freak out again. He could not handle all the attention of the events. She really did not know why they continued to bring him! Millie trotted across the table to her friend, Sriracha. "Do you hear Chonk having a meltdown back there? How embarrassing." Sriracha looked. "Oh, dear. Not surprising really." They sat together for a picture. Millie's human offered her a treat to entice her back to her side of the table. How could anyone not love this life?
-
What do cats say about Blackberry?
"I honestly thought you gave off push over vibes when I first met you. Like you would let anyone walk over you. I was so wrong," Her friend, P, said. "I'm sure you have your own struggles, like everyone else does, but you seem so comfortable in your fur and don't hold regard for others negativity. I really admire how you protect your peace like that."
Blackberry laughed. "I used to be when I was younger. I let my best friend walk all over me. I was afraid of losing her since we moved around a lot. I let her do whatever. Once she scratched me for no reason! When her parents asked me if I was okay, I just kept crying and told them I got cut by a rock. My mom felt bad that she didn't know what was happening at the time. It's not like I didn't trust her enough to tell her. I just wanted to keep my friend. Looking back on it, it was silly. My friend after that would do things that were infantilizing, too. She would treat me like... a cute little companion. Not a real cat. It sucked. I think it's harder when you're apprentices and feel like everyone has already made their own cliques. I stopped letting cats do that when I got my warrior name. I realized I could chose who I wanted in my life. And, my mom says that, too. She's like, 'you always seem so confident and sure of yourself.' I just don't care what anyone else thinks about me. They can call me weird or nerdy or whatever but it doesn't hurt me. I'm just vibing."
In a different conversation, her other friend E said, "We can talk about everything and nothing at the same time and it is the best. I'm happy to have such a passionate friend. I feel like I remember knowing you but I don't remember meeting you, like we were always meant to be friends. I'm grateful for how you're always down to go with me when I go hunting or just hang out in the dens with me while I'm changing the moss."
-
Who does Blackberry relate to most in Sunclan?
"Maybe a mix of Oceanbreeze and MouseSqueak? I mean, I tend to be more of a listener and an observer like MouseSqueak. I am not as soft-spoken as her, though. Sometimes I can't hear what she's saying. I'm not as nervous as her, either. I think I do that thing where if someone else is more socially anxious than me, I take over and become the mom friend who can speak for them. I relate to Oceanbreeze because we're both relaxed. I wish I could be more outgoing like her, though. She's so fun to hang out around. She always makes me feel included."
-
What is Blackberry's biggest strength?
"I feel like I am very adaptable and go with the flow. I like to be spontaneous. I usually do not have a rigid schedule that I stick to. If hunting or patrol plans change, I am fine with that. I hate waking up early, but I do like to get my hunting and duties done so they are out of the way before I do my socializing. And I love spending quality time with my friends even if we are just watching birds together or something. We do not always have to be hunting or playing with moss balls. We could just share tongues and I would be fine with that. Just chilling."
-
"Ughhhhh. It is so cold," Blackberry complained. Nutmeg, the rabbit, hopped along behind her, not seeming to mind at all. Meanwhile, the rats were huddled in her fur. Maybe if they had left sooner, it would not have been so bad, but Raspberry was notorious for taking forever to get up.
"It's fine. I don't love it, but at least I'm not sweating," Raspberry meowed.
"I prefer spring, but I would take sweating over this any day." Her paws were going to freeze off. She hated the snow. As a kit, she had been happy to play around in it. Now, she would rather avoid it. "Hey, I can hear other cats."
"I hear them, too."
"This stuff is crazy!!" Sandchill exclaimed. He was hopping around in the snow, jumping this way and that. Magmatuft was batting at the snowflakes falling from the sky.
"You two look like a bunch of kits," Ginger meowed.
"You act like a spoiled kit all the time," Magmatuft shot back.
"I do not!"
"You two..." Sunflower meowed, shaking her head.
Ginger swiped at a branch above her head, dumping snow on Magmatuft.
Blackberry chuckled to herself.
Sunflower looked in their direction. "Hi," She meowed. "I hope we're not in your territory?" She had not seen these two cats before when she had been through the area, but it had been a while.
"What?" Blackberry meowed. "Oh, no," She added, processing what she said.
"We're from Meadowclan. It's not very close," Raspberry meowed. "They let all their new warriors travel for a few moons before they decide if they want to stay in the clan."
"That makes no sense..." Ginger murmured. Why would they do that? How would they make sure their warriors came back?
"How does that work? Sunflower asked.
Blackberry watched Magmatuft and Sandchill play around, amused by their antics.
"After the ceremony, the new warriors take off wherever they want the next day. It's like an opportunity to see new things, discover hobbies, and get more experience with life before contributing to the clan."
Sunflower nodded. "What are you two planning on doing? Are you staying somewhere?"
The sisters exchanged a look. "We've just been staying wherever we can find shelter," Blackberry meowed. After all the moving she had done in her childhood, she thought about staying in Meadowclan. The traveling thing was not totally required. But all her friends were going on their separate adventures, and she had not been able to join them. They had chosen to go up to the mountains, where it was cold year around. Leafbare was bad enough. So, she had stuck with Raspberry.
"Do you want to come to Sunclan?" Sunflower offered. "We'll have to leave the forest through a tunnel. It takes us behind a waterfall, where camp is. There's this cave system. It's located in the jungle. Have you ever been?"
"No, but I have a friend that mentioned that it's warm there?" Blackberry perked up at the thought of getting out of the snow.
"That's true," Sunflower meowed.
Blackberry looked at Raspberry again. Please? She seemed to be silently saying.
"Okay!" Raspberry meowed.
"I don't think I got your names?"
"Oh, yeah." Blackberry chucked. "I guess that's important. I'm Blackberry."
"I'm Raspberry."
"Nice to meet you! This is Ginger, and Lulu. Magmatuft, Sandchill." They were wrestling in the snow now.
"Sandchill? Is that...?"
"Sandpaw?"
"Do you know him?" Sunflower asked.
"He is our older stepbrother? We moved so we haven't seen each other in a while."
"Really? That's so interesting."
"I guess it is a small world."
Lulu climbed down from Ginger's fur. She hopped over to Nutmeg, sniffing her curiously.
"That's Nutmeg. Plus, Mocha and Hazelnut." The rats joined Lulu and Nutmeg on the ground. They started a game of chase.
"We can go back to camp now," Sunflower meowed as she led them away. "I heard you say you wanted to pick up new hobbies or skills. Do you two know how to fish?"
"When Raspberry was a kit, my grandpa tried to teach her. She got sooo scared. I went fishing a few times," Blackberry said.
"I don't even remember that."
"It was funny, but then for some reason seeing you scared made me a little scared, too."
"Oceanbreeze is our best teacher if you want to learn," Sunflower told them. "She tried to teach me. Not my best skill, I admit. But don't worry, we have other prey, too. Lizards, birds, mice."
"I've never tried a lizard!"
"See, you'll have plenty of new experiences."
-
All Cobaltstream ever wanted to do was protect her family. The leader had his reasons for changing the ceremony, but it had not truly set in on what it meant for her until she realized her own kit was getting closer to his ceremony.
"Please. You can't make him do this," She pleaded. "My warrior ceremony wasn't like this. You can give him the standard hunting test."
"It's fine, mom..." Sandpaw meowed. To be fair, he did not want to fight anyone. Magmapaw had said the same thing. But the other apprentices before them all done it. Plus, a scar or two would make him look tough.
“No. This is the warrior ceremony now,” The leader replied.
“He was born sick. He’s not as strong as the other apprentices,” Cobaltstream argued. “He gets fatigued quicker that them.”
“His mentor says he is ready."
“You know me. We grew up together. You know how important this is to me. Please.”
“I won’t change up the ceremony for one cat. It would not be fair.”
“This is because you want your kits to come out on top,” Cobaltstream hissed. “Do you know what this will do to me? Watching my son fight for his life?”
“Cobaltstream, if you’re unsatisfied with the warrior ceremony, then leave with Sandpaw. I'm not forcing you to stay here.”
“This is my home!” She should be able to live in her home without worrying about her son being kicked out because he lost a fight to another apprentice!
“There’s your answer.”
Cobaltstream stormed out. Sandpaw glanced at the leader, then followed his mother. She was crying. He did not know what to say to comfort her. He looked across camp, spotting Magmapaw. His friend shot him a concerned look. He shrugged.
-
Blackberry sees herself as a scholar. She loves to read about different clans across time periods and record histories that she gathers from other cats. Her favorites are love stories. She also picked up knowledge about herbs, so she has taken on a medicine cat role in the clan. She struggles with self confidence, though.
-
Cypress grew up in a house with his mom and two blood siblings. Plus the human parents and their three children. Every year in December, they go on a month long trip in their RV. They bring the cats with them, but they learned the hard way when he was a kitten that Cypress does not do well in the car. He cried the whole time they were driving, got sick, and refused to eat anything. The motion of the vehicle and the blur of everything out the window freaks him out. They were not sure what to do with him. Their grandpa, despite claiming at first that he was not a cat person, agreed to watch Cypress. This became the best solution for all of them because Cypress LOVED grandpa! He was so happy, and grandpa enjoyed his company very much. He will brave the car ride to visit grandpa.
-
Sunflower gazed out at the rain pouring down beyond the shelter of camp. Beside her, Ginger seemed to be thinking the same thing she was. Her tail flicked unhappily. "Perhaps we could stick with fish today?" She suggested. Lighting illuminated the canopy.
Sunflower nodded. As if agreeing, thunder rumbled. She turned back toward the center of camp. "I'll make the announcement." Sunflower jumped onto the Speaking Rock. "May all cats old enough to eat fresh prey join me around the Speaking Rock," She called out. She watched as cats roused themselves from their slumber. Oceanbreeze yawned. "Good morning," She meowed. Sandchill bounced out of the warrior's den. Blackberry walked over and prodded Raspberry. Moonbeam came over to join the others, though Sunflower doubted she needed to sit as close as them to hear. MouseSqueak crouched near the back.
"Good morning. It's raining hard out there, so I thought it would be better to stay in camp instead of getting completely drenched. We can catch fish for all of us and have a feast together. Oceanbreeze, Sandchill?"
The two cats perked up at their names.
"Will you help give guidance to anyone who needs it?"
"Of course," Oceanbreeze meowed.
"Yeah, I'm down," Sandchill agreed.
"Thank you. That's all, unless anyone has anything to add?" When no one spoke up, Sunflower got down. She brushed up against Ginger. Ginger purred and licked her cheek. Their clanmates made their way to the pool. "I guess I'll give this another try. For your amusement," Sunflower meowed. "Maybe you won't fail like all the other times," Ginger replied. "Cold," Sunflower replied, but she was smiling.
When they joined the others, Blackberry was watching her sister do attempt to catch as fish. She was pretty sure Raspberry was doing it wrong, but she said nothing. Oceanbreeze came over. "Hmmm. How about you try it this way?" She gave her instructions. While Oceanbreeze's approach was to place her tail tip in the water to attract curious fish, patient, Sandchill just went for it, swiping them out of the water with his paw or pouncing when they got close to the shore. Sunflower crouched close to the water, hoping to snatch one up with her mouth. Once a fish got close enough, she went for it. It darted away.
"Oh, you almost had it," Ginger replied, helpfully.
Sunflower's eyes twinkled. "I want to see you try," She meowed. "Don't you care about feeding your clan?" She teased.
"Moonbeam and MouseSqueak don't have to do it," Ginger pointed out.
"They have other duties."
"Starclan did not instill this knowledge to me," Moonbeam added.
"I'm deputy," Ginger argued, weakly.
"I'm leader."
"Hm." Ginger narrowed her eyes at a fish. She batted at it.
"You have to be more aggressive than that."
Ginger sighed. She waited for another fish to come. There was no way she would stick her fluffy tail in the water. It would take too long to dry. From where she was by their feet, Lulu quickly reached into a water and grabbed a minnow. Ginger took it from her, killing it before it thrashed out of Lulu's grip.
Sunflower laughed. "Wow." The squirrel caught fish better than she did!
"Teamwork," Ginger meowed. "How is that?"
"That does not count. Lulu deserves credit."
Ginger rolled her eyes. She turned to the water again.
"Look, there is one."
"Where?" She leaned forward.
Sunflower swiped her paw in the water, splashing Ginger.
"Hey!"
Sunflower laughed.
Ginger narrowed her eyes and then swiped water back at her.
As much as she was having fun, Sunflower stopped herself from doing any more. She had to set a good example as leader. "Okay, okay. We don't want to scare off all the fish."
"I think Sandchill is doing that..." They both looked over at him. Oceanbreeze was watching him, too, amusement written across her face. Sunflower purred, happy to see her clanmates getting along. It looked like they had more luck than her on their catches.
Word Count: 6,003

[YourLostTeddyBear]

Username: YourLostTeddyBear
Storage: XXX
Last Patrol Post: n/a
Patrol:

DartStar, as usual, has woken up late once again. It’s near mid-day when he finally opens his eyes, flexing his paws as he stands, and stretches his legs out with a loud yawn. His gaze flits across the land before him, sunlight peeking through the trees to light the path before him. Slowly, he steps out of the den he calls home, leaving his trusted Dino companion to rest in the leaf pile he sleeps within.

It was past patrol time by now, but DartStar knows he must still go, regardless of his sleepy state. So, walking towards the forest, his ears remain upright, his nose twitching with each subtle sniff of the air around him. DartStar’s paws barely make a sound as he pads forwards, taking care to renew scent marks in the correct places and keeping an eye out for any intruders. It was a surprisingly quiet day.

Soon, he comes across a small bird lying injured on the forest floor. Picking it up with his teeth, he brings it back with him, and calls it quits on the patrol for a lunch break.

Word Count: 186

The writers block is real.

[Zentropy]

Username: Zentropy
Storage: DawnClan
Last Patrol Post: n/a
Patrol:
Patrol Type: Dawn | Dusk
Season: Newleaf | Greenleaf | Leaffall | Leafbare
Weather: Sunny with a warm southern wind
Participants: [3/6] Goosefeather | Honeymouse | Dewleaf
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The morning sun breaks over the hill tops and scatters its rays across the valley. Newleaf is a time of rebirth and awakening, the perfect season to start a new clan. Goosefeather, a former house-cat, dreams of the independence a clan cat has, and seeks to learn all he can of the mythos of Starclan. The first step? Gaining members and building up a territory and reputation. Thankfully, his little group is steadily growing. Honeymouse and Dewleaf have both agreed to join him on this journey, and together they rise with the sun and start a dawn-patrol.
"Our goal today is to obviously do some hunting. The fresh-kill pile is pretty barren." Goosefeather states, staring longingly at the knot of tree roots where excess food is typically stored. With only three cats in the clan, it remains empty more often than not as the three cats eat pretty much everything they catch each day.
"You may have to get used to it, Goosefeather," Honeymouse counters. "Food isn't as readily available as you may be used to, and you can't just scream for more whenever you want."
A sly smirk flashes across her muzzle, knowing Goosefeather was a pampered kittypet still makes her chuckle whenever he stumbles on adapting to clan life. It's not much different from her own past as a barn cat, but at least she's more used to the elements. After a luxurious stretch, Dewleaf cuts in, "Alright, that's enough. The prey isn't getting any slower with us just chatting away here. Let's get hunting!"

---

The forest feels alive with the birds chirping and the rustling of small creatures in the budding brush. Goosefeather suggests heading to the farm to try and catch some prey before the heat of the sun causes most things to hide. Exactly as he predicted, a rabbit can be spotted by the fence line, clearly debating whether to nibble on the nearby grasses or risk the vegetable garden. Goosefeather crouches, ears pricked for possible noises that might scare the rabbit away. His whiskers tell him that the wind is moving up from the farm and thus masking his scent. Moving quickly, he gets as close as possible before leaping into a sprint and overtaking the rabbit! A delicious first meal to share amongst his companions.
Moving to the nearby field, Honeymouse spies a small flock of sparrows chirping raucously. She thinks that their distracted nature will make this an easy catch. Their chittering isn't distracted but calculated, as almost all the birds have spotted Honeymosue. Seeing her chance quickly diminishing, she jumps just short of snagging a particularly plump sparrow and the flock flies to a lone tree by the fence-line. Impossible to hunt now. Feeling slightly dejected, Honeymouse returns to the other two. "Sorry, I made a rather beginner mistake and cost us some prey."
Goosefeather looks up from grooming his lower back, "Hey now, it's alright! Sparrows are tricky little things and besides, there is plenty more where they came from." Dewleaf pads up, returning Honeymouse's tabby plush back to her with a tiny flower crown addition. "Goosefeather is right, the sun is high now so lets return to the forest and use the shade of the trees and underbrush to help hide our presence.
Dewleaf takes up the lead and the trio heads towards their eastern border, a small creek. The other two cats groan, sharing knowing looks between each other. They should have know Dewleaf would want to hunt here, she is obsessed with fish. To their surprise, Dewleaf actually begins her hunt by setting out a lure by the creek edge for a thrush to come upon. Hiding herself under a bush jutting out over the water, it isn't long before her prey appears. The thrush is able to cautiously peck once when Dewleaf pounces, swiftly trapping the bird's wings and delivering the killing blow. She proudly carries the bird back to Goosefeather and Honeymouse, presenting them with a quick meal. It's part of the warrior code to always offer your kill to another first.
"Oh thank you Dewleaf, though I wish I had some prey to give to you," Honeyleaf gently protests. She knows its part of the code, but eating in front of a friend feels wrong.
Dewleaf's gaze softens and she bumps her head into Honeyleaf's, "It's okay, I'm not actually that hungry anyway. Besides, there's always fish!" With a devious smile, Dewleaf turns her attention back to the creek and searches for her next victim.


Word Count: 750 words