TreeClan
Last Explore Post | Last Response Received
There were many reasons that Novafrost and Solarspark both agreed to come with Stormbranch on the next patrol, and though they came up with many excuses - they wanted a change in scenery, they wanted to help the clan, they wanted to refresh their memory of the border... only one was true, but a thought they would keep hidden, at least for now. In truth, they were looking for Lunarblaze.
No one even know that he was missing yet. It was common that a TreeClan cat end up venturing for a few days, but they always found their way back. But Novafrost and Solarspark knew this was different, and that Lunarblaze was not coming back. He had spent too much time talking to Winterdrift, spent too much time criticizing Hemlockstar's leadership (or what he viewed as a lack thereof), and too much time ranting about how he was going to leave and start his own clan, become Lunarstar, and show the world what a true clan would look like.
At first, Novafrost and Solarspark laughed it off. They never thought that their littermate, a cat born and raised in this clan, who shared the same ideals they did growing up, would ever think of leaving. After all, they could work together to make the clan better for them here, rather than leave behind their family, separate from everything they had ever known. While there had been others upset with Hemlockstar for a little while, the disquiet seemed to calm, and the cats who wanted to leave seemed to do so without much fanfare. But Lunarblaze was different... His scent was gone, nearly wiped out in the Greenleaf rains that had swept through the territory last night, and Novafrost felt her heart freeze.
Solarspark pressed himself against Novafrost, feeling her shiver against him, though the air was warm, the sun shining through the trees. Novafrost looked around at the other patrolling cats, engaging in their own conversations, and let her tail drop. "I don't think we're going to see him again," she whispered to her brother, her heart feeling like it was going to shatter into a million little pieces. "He's gone." Solarspark stiffened beside her, though his silence spoke volumes.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The patrol had just turned from the farthest point, the beginning of the Twolegplace just outside the territory. It was a relatively normal route, one that TreeClan tried to cover at least once a moon, but the fatigue shown from both Solarspark and Novafrost was clear. It looked like they hadn't slept in days, and they never seemed to allow themselves to rest. Stormbranch had an inkling why, and he knew he needed to tread the conversation lightly, to help them rather than hurt them more.
"Hey, this is the third patrol you've gone in in the past day. I think that we need to let you rest," Stormbranch said carefully, making his way over to the youngest cats on the patrol. He felt his heart twist in worry, seeing the haunted and saddened look in both the cats' eyes. It was a look he knew he wore well, after many a heart break throughout his life. First, at the deaths of his parents. Then, the heartbreak of Winterdrift stating that she had never loved him. Yet, there were always the good things in life too - becoming the deputy of his clan, protecting his clanmates, growing his family, meeting Leaf...
Solarspark met Stormbranch's eyes, though it seemed Novafrost was unable. "We can't rest until we find him," the tom finally said after a long pause. It didn't take much for Stormbranch to understand who he meant - Lunarblaze, who had left without a word to anyone in the clan. Most were still optimistic he was just taking his time coming back from a venture out of the clan, but it seemed Novafrost and Solarspark had accepted the inevitable. "We have to convince him to come back. I know we can."
A soft breeze rustled the tree branches above, the only sound spreading across the darkening forest as Atlasdash made his way closer to the other three cats, his own features set in a frown. Despite being family, Atlasdash had been refusing to speak with Stormbranch, blaming his father for the disappearance of half of their family. When Winterdrift had left, she took not just herself, but Blizzardstorm, Azaleawhisker, and Snowheart. Half of the family, gone in an instant. Just because Winterdrift had decided she never loved Stormbranch.
With a heavy heart, Stormbranch felt choked up. He couldn't help these young cats, and he couldn't reconnect with one of his only kits left in the clan. Atlasdash turned slightly, ignoring the others, making his feelings on the situation known. Stormbranch glanced at the back of Atlasdash as he spoke. "Sometimes, we cannot change someone else's mind," Stormbranch finally said, his voice not much more than a light whisper. He didn't meet Solarspark's eyes anymore, looking away as he thought of the many sleepless nights he had spent agonizing over Winterdrift's words to him when she had left, taking many of their kits they shared with her, spreading rumors and lies about the leadership of TreeClan.
"We can." Novafrost said loudly, making Stormbranch jump. "I won't let him do this. We have to make them understand they can't just... leave because they disagree with someone! We work through things! That's what makes us a clan! That's what makes us family!"
Even the wind stopped after her outburst, sending an awkward chill throughout the patrol. Stormbranch found himself paralyzed, unsure of how he could lead his patrol home knowing there was such immeasurable sadness between them. Fractured was the definition of TreeClan, just as the branches of the trees they were so named after fractured through the sky when he looked up. Yet, a fire rose in Stormbranch - if he couldn't make things right for his own family, perhaps he could make things right for someone else's. Lunarblaze was still young - if they could find him, perhaps Stormbranch could help talk reason into him. Perhaps Winterdrift's poisonous notions had not quite infected the young cat's brain. "We are still family, TreeClan is," he finally said, letting out a deep sigh as he rose to his feet, not daring to look at Atlasdash. "And family means we help each other. You're right. We'll keep searching as best we can, and that's a promise. If we can talk it out with him, we will. I'll do my best, as your clanmember."
It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. With the promise hanging between them, the four cats headed back home, each knowing they would keep trying to find Lunarblaze and the other deserters, though each also knew that the other cats' minds were already made up. And one someone's mind was made up, it was near impossible to change it. For better, or for worse.
But they couldn't stop themselves from trying.
Last Explore Post | Last Response Received
There were many reasons that Novafrost and Solarspark both agreed to come with Stormbranch on the next patrol, and though they came up with many excuses - they wanted a change in scenery, they wanted to help the clan, they wanted to refresh their memory of the border... only one was true, but a thought they would keep hidden, at least for now. In truth, they were looking for Lunarblaze.
No one even know that he was missing yet. It was common that a TreeClan cat end up venturing for a few days, but they always found their way back. But Novafrost and Solarspark knew this was different, and that Lunarblaze was not coming back. He had spent too much time talking to Winterdrift, spent too much time criticizing Hemlockstar's leadership (or what he viewed as a lack thereof), and too much time ranting about how he was going to leave and start his own clan, become Lunarstar, and show the world what a true clan would look like.
At first, Novafrost and Solarspark laughed it off. They never thought that their littermate, a cat born and raised in this clan, who shared the same ideals they did growing up, would ever think of leaving. After all, they could work together to make the clan better for them here, rather than leave behind their family, separate from everything they had ever known. While there had been others upset with Hemlockstar for a little while, the disquiet seemed to calm, and the cats who wanted to leave seemed to do so without much fanfare. But Lunarblaze was different... His scent was gone, nearly wiped out in the Greenleaf rains that had swept through the territory last night, and Novafrost felt her heart freeze.
Solarspark pressed himself against Novafrost, feeling her shiver against him, though the air was warm, the sun shining through the trees. Novafrost looked around at the other patrolling cats, engaging in their own conversations, and let her tail drop. "I don't think we're going to see him again," she whispered to her brother, her heart feeling like it was going to shatter into a million little pieces. "He's gone." Solarspark stiffened beside her, though his silence spoke volumes.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The patrol had just turned from the farthest point, the beginning of the Twolegplace just outside the territory. It was a relatively normal route, one that TreeClan tried to cover at least once a moon, but the fatigue shown from both Solarspark and Novafrost was clear. It looked like they hadn't slept in days, and they never seemed to allow themselves to rest. Stormbranch had an inkling why, and he knew he needed to tread the conversation lightly, to help them rather than hurt them more.
"Hey, this is the third patrol you've gone in in the past day. I think that we need to let you rest," Stormbranch said carefully, making his way over to the youngest cats on the patrol. He felt his heart twist in worry, seeing the haunted and saddened look in both the cats' eyes. It was a look he knew he wore well, after many a heart break throughout his life. First, at the deaths of his parents. Then, the heartbreak of Winterdrift stating that she had never loved him. Yet, there were always the good things in life too - becoming the deputy of his clan, protecting his clanmates, growing his family, meeting Leaf...
Solarspark met Stormbranch's eyes, though it seemed Novafrost was unable. "We can't rest until we find him," the tom finally said after a long pause. It didn't take much for Stormbranch to understand who he meant - Lunarblaze, who had left without a word to anyone in the clan. Most were still optimistic he was just taking his time coming back from a venture out of the clan, but it seemed Novafrost and Solarspark had accepted the inevitable. "We have to convince him to come back. I know we can."
A soft breeze rustled the tree branches above, the only sound spreading across the darkening forest as Atlasdash made his way closer to the other three cats, his own features set in a frown. Despite being family, Atlasdash had been refusing to speak with Stormbranch, blaming his father for the disappearance of half of their family. When Winterdrift had left, she took not just herself, but Blizzardstorm, Azaleawhisker, and Snowheart. Half of the family, gone in an instant. Just because Winterdrift had decided she never loved Stormbranch.
With a heavy heart, Stormbranch felt choked up. He couldn't help these young cats, and he couldn't reconnect with one of his only kits left in the clan. Atlasdash turned slightly, ignoring the others, making his feelings on the situation known. Stormbranch glanced at the back of Atlasdash as he spoke. "Sometimes, we cannot change someone else's mind," Stormbranch finally said, his voice not much more than a light whisper. He didn't meet Solarspark's eyes anymore, looking away as he thought of the many sleepless nights he had spent agonizing over Winterdrift's words to him when she had left, taking many of their kits they shared with her, spreading rumors and lies about the leadership of TreeClan.
"We can." Novafrost said loudly, making Stormbranch jump. "I won't let him do this. We have to make them understand they can't just... leave because they disagree with someone! We work through things! That's what makes us a clan! That's what makes us family!"
Even the wind stopped after her outburst, sending an awkward chill throughout the patrol. Stormbranch found himself paralyzed, unsure of how he could lead his patrol home knowing there was such immeasurable sadness between them. Fractured was the definition of TreeClan, just as the branches of the trees they were so named after fractured through the sky when he looked up. Yet, a fire rose in Stormbranch - if he couldn't make things right for his own family, perhaps he could make things right for someone else's. Lunarblaze was still young - if they could find him, perhaps Stormbranch could help talk reason into him. Perhaps Winterdrift's poisonous notions had not quite infected the young cat's brain. "We are still family, TreeClan is," he finally said, letting out a deep sigh as he rose to his feet, not daring to look at Atlasdash. "And family means we help each other. You're right. We'll keep searching as best we can, and that's a promise. If we can talk it out with him, we will. I'll do my best, as your clanmember."
It wasn't a lot, but it was a start. With the promise hanging between them, the four cats headed back home, each knowing they would keep trying to find Lunarblaze and the other deserters, though each also knew that the other cats' minds were already made up. And one someone's mind was made up, it was near impossible to change it. For better, or for worse.
But they couldn't stop themselves from trying.
[1157 words]
[completed May tasks 1 and 2, detailed more below]
[completed May tasks 1 and 2, detailed more below]
-- cats on patrol
Stormbranch | he/they | HP 100% | HUP 0% | Sick: N
Atlasdash | he/him | HP 100% | HUP 0% | Sick: N
Solarspark | he/him | HP 100% | HUP 0% | Sick: N
Novafrost | she/they | HP 100% | HUP 0% | Sick: N
-- custom predators / prey
prey:
bugs, scraps, eggs | 1 FP
mouse, shrew, minnow, chipmunk, songbird | 2 FP
frog, small fish, bat, squirrel, snake | 3 FP
rabbit, woodpecker, trout | 4 FP
weasel, turkey, raven, goose | 5 FP
predators:
foxes, coyotes, bobcats, bears
-- level 1
experience: 95/200
-- items in inventory used
n/a
-- active quests | monthly tasks
Monthly tasks completed: 1. [traveling to Twolegplace]
2. [Stormbranch/Atlasdash are enemies right now]
-- opted in to death?
no
-- inventory
eggs | 1 FP | x9
chipmunk | 2 FP | x2
songbird | 2 FP | x2
prey | 3 FP | x0
prey | 3 FP | x0
prey | 4 FP | x0
herb | x0
herb | x0
herb | x0
