ShadowClan Territory

[RedHead]

Originally Posted by Socks

Littlepaw's fur fluffed up when Lightbubble said 'good boy.' He wasn't sure if he liked it or felt it was too childish, though in this context he was leaning towards the latter. He was being told to smell, it was something he was more familiar with so he didn't even bother acting cocky. Scenting was something anyone could do, after all. He had even taken the time to recognize the scent of his food before he ate it, though it was different it seemed to the live prey because everything he could recognize as prey just melded together into one smell that made his mouth water.
He faced his muzzle away, towards the direction of the wind and closed his eyes. Focus on one thing, not all of it. There was something, at least he thought there was. Was it... a squirrel? It had to be a rodent. "There's something, over there." He nodded a little to his left, he wasn't sure how far that direction, but it was coming from there. "Should I go get it?"

Lightbubble took a quick moment himself to scent the air, recognizing a couple scents nearby. Squirrel, frog (ew, absolutely disgusting), but the closest one being a vole. That was alright, voles were nice and easy to catch. He looked towards Littlepaw as the young tom correctly identified where the scent was coming from, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he didn't voice what the creature was. He probably doesn't know. Lightbubble wouldn't be surprised. Tilting his head in thought, Lightbubble scrunched up his nose before letting out a small sigh. "Sure. Why not. That over there is vole, so like with a mouse, you're going to have to be light on your paws. They can feel the vibrations through the ground." Lightbubble stepped back a few mouselengths, enough so he wouldn't disturb the hunt by following, but close enough he could still watch his apprentice. "Remember the hunting crouch. That's your greatest ally when hunting, of course. Especially with ground creatures like these." Lightbubble himself crouched down, flicking his ears towards the creature. "Now. Go ahead. Stalk, pause, then pounce."

[Fawn]

Originally Posted by Casper

Daintybird was right--a lot of the cats in this clan probably would walk straight off a cliff without even realizing it. But all of this praise did make the leader's chest puff out with pride.
"It should be dry," Icestar commented when she mentioned puddles. She understood why a cat with short legs would find that undesirable. She wondered in passing if Daintybird spent much time hunting in the marsh. "The hot weather would have dried up any stagnant water."

When the queen mentioned her kit, Icestar flicked an ear. Ah, right. The kit. What was its name? Lilackit? Violetkit? "What do you mean by that?" She asked. The smaller cat sounded rather displeased. "Did something happen to your kit?"

"Yes, good. I'm no frog," she emphasized with a haughty snort, chin tipped upward again, "I can't be seen wallowing around all day in the watery muck." The mud would take ages to clean from her fur.

Ahh yes, the kit, this was a conversation she'd been preparing to have. "It was terrible," Daintybird moaned, "the days.. the nights, searching for her, hoping my kit would be returned to me by whatever divine force decided to take this light away from my life." Translation, she'd woken up one morning and noticed Heatherkit wasn't there, and brushed it off under the assumption she'd come back. But the little squirt hadn't, and it was endangering her entire livelihood. "I feel so empty! My kit, gone! Nowhere to be found. My dreams of motherhood are beginning to fade into the distance already, I can feel it..."

[Wings]

[ @Moon Lily ]
-Echopaw-

Now away from Irisflame, the young she looked around. Marigold, dande-! That was fast! Looking around in the clearing that she stood in, was a bunch of dandelion! Some white and puffy, others perfect for herbs.
Putting her oak leaf down, she when around and picked the bitter plants before putting them into her leaf, which was already full.
Picking up the leaf, she trotted over to a oak tree where she clawed a large piece of bark off.

Little while later she had gotten all of her herbs, plus she had found some cobwebs around the base of a tree which she had wrapped around her leg.
Emerging into the clearing that Irisflame was already in, she was smiling with her tail high in the air as she carried her herbs.
Echopaw set down the oak leaf that unfolded to show lots of dandelion, and she put the oak bark piece full of poppyseeds, marigold and coltsfoot.

[Exis]

Blackpaw jumped from tree to tree, looking for danger or anything for that matter.
@~Splash~

[Sorrow]

Originally Posted by Mentallyunstable

Blackpaw jumped from tree to tree, looking for danger or anything for that matter.
@~Splash~

Ivykit stumbled across the ground, sniffing the air and falling over. Where was she? Where was camp?

[Exis]

Originally Posted by ~Splash~

Ivykit stumbled across the ground, sniffing the air and falling over. Where was she? Where was camp?

Blackpaw leapt to the ground behind her, “Ivykit, why are you so far from camp?’l He demanded an explanation out of the overgrown kit.

[pidgeon]

Originally Posted by Dipper

"Yes, good. I'm no frog," she emphasized with a haughty snort, chin tipped upward again, "I can't be seen wallowing around all day in the watery muck." The mud would take ages to clean from her fur.

Ahh yes, the kit, this was a conversation she'd been preparing to have. "It was terrible," Daintybird moaned, "the days.. the nights, searching for her, hoping my kit would be returned to me by whatever divine force decided to take this light away from my life." Translation, she'd woken up one morning and noticed Heatherkit wasn't there, and brushed it off under the assumption she'd come back. But the little squirt hadn't, and it was endangering her entire livelihood. "I feel so empty! My kit, gone! Nowhere to be found. My dreams of motherhood are beginning to fade into the distance already, I can feel it..."

Icestar felt the smallest pang of sympathy for the queen. She couldn't understand actually wanting to care for a kit, but Daintybird had seemed very enthusiastic about it. "I'm sorry for your loss," The leader dipped her head in condolences. "I know it must be very difficult for you. I feel as if life as a queen suits you rather well." She knew the she-cat wasn't one for getting her paws dirty--and being in the nursery would keep her far safer than returning to warrior duties. She had seemed happier there.

"If you wish to stay a queen, I will not make you return to the warrior's den," The leader offered, trying to lift her spirits. "I know nothing can replace what you've lost, but there are many kits in the nursery who are in need of supervision as well, if you wish to help with their care. ShadowClan has had a sudden influx of kits joining our clan without mothers."

As they padded along, it became clear that they had entered the area that had suffered the fire. The trees were still blackened and the ground was still not fully recovered, but there were buds glistening in the sunlight and many small trees that had sprouted since the burn. Birds could be heard singing in the less-barren branches, and prey scent was beginning to return. It gave Icestar a hopeful feeling.

[wolfie]

Originally Posted by bmkmb

"Okay," Fallenheart meowed. "We can work on that later." He paused and glanced at the sky, then continued, "We should really start heading to the borders now, or we might not get back until past dusk."

Flicking his tail for Jaypaw to travel beside him, the warrior began leading the way in a steady jog. It wasn't too fast, so the younger tom shouldn't have any trouble keeping up. He could even go faster if he wanted.

"ShadowClan shares three borders - one for each clan," Fallenheart informed. "Herondive Hollow is the border we share with ThunderClan. Then there are the Whispering Wetlands - or border with WindClan - and Saltmeadow Marsh, which we share with RiverClan."

Spying his apprentice from the corner of his eye, the warrior meowed, "Any preference as to where we go first? If not, we'll just walk until we get to one of the borders. Herondive Hollow is currently the closest."

Jaypaw glanced up, taking in the darkening sky with all it's beauty. Huh. It looked better out here. ''Oh sh..shoot, yeah. you'r..re r..right, " He meowed.

Trailing after his mentor, his mind would simply wander. Every so often he would pause to examine a tree or such. The borders. Jaypaw would frown for a moment. He.. needed to do something after this, he made up his mind finally.

Jaypaw blinked, looking back at Fallenheart. "Um, can-- we check out the.. Salt..tmeadow Mar..rsh?" He asked, hesitant.

[Moon Lily]

[ @Wings ]

Irisflame let out a relieved breath as Echopaw padded out of the dense foliage, the pine needles cushioning her pawsteps. Perhaps that was why she couldn't locate her... Shaking her head in amusement, the older she gazed down at her rather large stash. Her apprentice had located the herbs accurately, something she felt a pang of pride at. Setting down her own parcel, she lifted off the top cover of bark to reveal her mini-store. After a brief lookover, she let out a relieved breath, happy to see that they were all there. And quite a fair amount, due to their lengthy collecting periods.
"Good work, Speedy! Let's get back to camp, shall we?" She praised, bundling up her previous herbs once more.

[Dawneye]

Moonpaw trotting through the forest behind her mentor, a bit happy to be constantly walking rather than staying still. She looked up at her mentor, beginning to shake quite a bit. What if they don't like her? What if she messes up? What if she can't become a proper warrior?
@Hazel Nut