Evergreen Grotto

[Rose]

[ credit to redshiftreign ]

Moving deeper into the conifer forests that dominate ShadowClan's territory, the soil becomes thinner and rocky. The dense pine canopy gives way to a small clearing, roots gnarling through the hard ground around the outskirts. Sunbeams cascade, painting the forest floor in Moss flourishes in the humid shade. In patches where the soil runs the deepest, many herbs poke through the short grasses and drink in the sunlight.

Some herbs that grow better in shade dot the ground around the ridge, which near its center gives way to a large nook infested with moss and ivy. Though the cave might have once gone deeper, old rockslides block off what were once paths deep into the earth. Though not very deep, the grotto can be used as a shelter. A thin stream splits on the lip of the cave, spraying mist out over the plants below. The occasional small rodent can be found poking around the underbrush, attracted by the lush greenery that dominates this idyllic corner of ShadowClan.

[glitch]

Silverpaw smiled. Perhaps ShadowClan could rebuild.

(first reply lets go??)

[alec]

->> rookpaw <<-
[ they/she | shadowclan | 14moons | purrks ]
a scarred dark blueish grey cat with minimal white markings and grey eyes

with the move more or less completed, lostspark had approached her regarding the chervil they had attempted to find shortly before the move. the new territory was obviously the most appealing place to look for herbs, unknown or unfamiliar to a vast majority of cats rook had brought up one of the places to try again. thats why when they made their way deeper into the forest, large pine-like trees towering over them and casting them in shadow, the ground growing more rocky with every step, rookpaw could feel the excitement burning in her paws. but with lostspark around she played it off, casually sped up a bit to get a look at the place while lostspark caught up, maw slightly agape to taste the air, before giving her mentor another glance and sniffing around some undergrowth.
it had been rather disappointing to not be able to actually show lostspark the chervil last time, the sweet familiar scent had lead them to something that mightve once been chervil but it looked too destroyed and ripped apart to be worth anything.
this place however, looked really promising, the more rocky soil and more direct exposure to the sun made her hope that the scent she had caught, would lead her to a healthy chervil plant.
the shade was mostly mossy and too wet for chervil so after looking around there for a while she moved a bit more inwards, nose to the ground in hopes of catching the sweet scent. "looks like we'll be met with more success today" she mewed, head lifted to glance at lostspark over her shoulder.

[ @Rose ]

[Rose]

Lostspark
She/Her | Purrks Overlook

Trailing after her apprentice, gait measured, each pawstep placed with caution in this new, unfamiliar territory, this bountiful haven, Lostspark remained mostly silent. Her clouded amber gaze took in their surroundings with rapt attention, not missing a single detail as she mentally mapped out where they were going. It wouldn't do for them to get attacked, and whether she'd admit it or not - actually, scratch that, Lostspark would admit that she was willing to protect Rookpaw from danger. This was her apprentice, her Clanmate, and there was no way in hell Lostspark was letting her get injured.

She needed one warrior apprentice to actually make it to warriorhood, at least. Eveningpaw and Hollowpaw had disappeared on her.

It probably seemed scarily creepy how accurate her pawsteps were in this uncharted terrain, especially since she was supposedly a 'blind' cat, but Lostspark paid no mind to pretending this time around. She was wary of this territory and what it could hide, so the fickle subject of keeping up appearances did not matter in this moment.

Nodding at Rookpaw's words, the lithe grey feline found her steps quickening as she picked up the scent trail. . . of a cat. A ShadowClan cat, of all things, one who was neither enforcer nor highranking. A low snarl rumbling in her throat, the scarred feline pivoted slightly to the right, changing course to emerge from the underbrush, stalking up to Silverpaw.

"Silverpaw." She snapped, her tone stern and biting. "Have you got bees for brains? What part of Dawnstar's announcement on not leaving camp without an Enforcer or a highrank not get through to you?"

[ @alec - Rookpaw / @Aolani - Dizzycloud / @glitch - Silverpaw ]

[alec]

->> rookpaw <<-
[ they/she | shadowclan | 14moons | purrks ]
a scarred dark blueish grey cat with minimal white markings and grey eyes

the edges of this clearing somewhat mapped out, the side she had started at at least, rookpaw stepped a bit further towards the middle, sun shining atop dark grey fur and warning the moss beneath her paws. the grass was short and rook was sure that if there was any chervil around here, it would have a hard time hiding, still, she took her sweet time to familiarise herself with this part of the territory. nose low to the ground she watched a insect hop from blade to blade, almost to the point of not noticing lostspark move in the opposite direction. keen on catching up with her mentor, rookpaw sped up to a trot, taking note of a bit of chickweed she had to swirve around as to not crush it. by the time rookpaw has reached lostspark, she wasnt trying to go particularly fast anyway, the grey feline was putting another apprentice in their place. the grey apprentice stayed back, hovering close enough by lostsparks side that the blind herbalist would be able to take note of her, but far enough that she wasnt invading her space or this scolding. stars rook hoped this wouldnt mean having to take silverpaw with them..she had hoped to maybe talk to lostspark a bit, maybe even ask her some questions she had been wanting to, while looking for chervil, but silverpaw had made the great choice to sneak out of camp..oh well. at least she wasnt the one being scolded.

[ @Rose @glitch ]

[Rose]

Lostspark
She/Her | Purrks Overlook

Aaaaaand of course Silverpaw had disappeared off to somewhere. She hoped he liked being Silverkit. Sighing, the ShadowClanner turned to her apprentice. "Well, let's get our chervil-hunting started. Can map out Evergreen Grotto as well while we're at it."

[ @alec - Rookpaw / @Aolani - Yellowtwist | iiii think you offered yellow to be with them. ]