WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[tye]

Yikes. A lot to swallow down of what recently happened in the clearing. Of course, his mentor was some how tangled in the mess. However, from a few tongue of whispers about this Gingerrain's actions? Good riddance is all he had to say. Eliminate the idiots. Warblerpaw snorted in amusement when Leopardflare kicked the corpse. "Good thinking," he commented lightly. Standing around, eyes fluttering up in the blue clear sky, a few birds circled around directly above them. He squinted, it was hard telling if it's a hawk or some other bird.. Ah, doesn't matter. There's been a lot of birds flocking around their territory lately and he can guess why. Several actually. "So, we just stand around here and wait?" there was an edge of excitement in his tone that he rarely shows. The calico realized this would be his first hunt with older warriors. Perhaps if he catches a prey, flexing on some cool skills he'd picked up, they'll be impressed and soak him in compliments.

@Kitty Mama @GrapeGalaxy

[kittygirl]

echopaw trotted to the fresh kill and grabbed a scrawny rabbit, she slowly made her way to a shady spot away from the other cats and laid down. echopaw stared at the rabbit wanting to eat, but she was sad that she couldn't share it with gingerrain. she sighed as she curled her tail around the scrawny hare.

[kittygirl]

echopaw looked up at the camp entrance to see if leopardflare got lucky with a bird of prey. @Kitty Mama

[wolfie]

@Shimm @Dipper @shortstack
wormpaw followed after sootflare, mainly trailing behind the tom-- waiting to be pulled away. woohoo. he turn his head towards shimmeringpaw, feeling her brush against him-- entwining their tails together. he couldn't help but smile softly at her, gently bumping his head against his sister in an affectionate gesture. he had open his maw to speak but fawnsqueak had spoken up. wormpaw's ears perk up, turning his head towards the source of the voice. he held back a chuckle at fanwsqueak's obvious confusion. after the warrior finished, wormpaw would nudge shimmeringpaw away. ''sootflare isn't going to talk my ears off, don't worry. go ahead and catch up to fawny, '' he mew-- untwining their tails so she could go and move. he would begin to fall back even deeper-- not to far of course.

wormpaw would turn his head to sootflare, tilting his head. he would ignore the nervous feeling in his stomach. the lanky tom was somewhat aware what sootflare was most likely going to bring up. "so uh, ..what's -- what's up?" wormpaw questioned, unsure on what to generally say. he didn't want to wait in silence, after all.

[duckie]

Sootflare
__________

The warrior smiled back as Fawnsqueak appeared at the camp entrance and made his over to join. He was eager as anyone else to make his way home but found himself caught up with Shimmeringpaw's question. ...Stay back? Had he misspoken? Or had she simply misunderstood? He didn't mean for them to stay behind, only for them to walk and talk. Away from the group. He nodded briefly - affirming Wormpaw's own assurance.

"Nobody is staying behind, Shimmeringpaw." he meowed,"We'll just be... stepping off to the side on the way." Hopefully, that would settle the molly but if not, a little firmness never hurt anyone, "This is a talk Wormpaw and I need to have - alone. I imagine you're capable of walking home without being right by each other's sides, yes?"

With that - an upward tilt of the head, a raised brow and a challenging look in the eye - A nonverbal dare for her to challenge his authority. If this soon-to-be warrior had any sense she would start walking and keep her distance instead of trying to listen in. He didn't wait for a reply or protest, simply guided Wormpaw a couple of lengths away as they began their trek home.

"So, Wormpaw," he began gently, "Would you care to explain to be your behavior back in camp?" While Sootflare could understand wanting a quick exit to a situation like that, choosing to be indecisive involving the wellbeing of an already struggling clan was a dangerous move, "I want to understand why you thought it better to... to leave a potential threat in the paws of WindClan. As opposed to making sure the case was clear - that Dirtfur was - is a danger?"

[ @Shimm @x ghostie @Dipper ]

[wolfie]

@Dipper @Shimm @shortstack
wormpaw walked side by side, listening intently to sootflare's words. he was grateful the tom,, wasn't screaming at him or something. he would stare on ahead. ''i thought the case was clear. fawnsqueak had stated what had happened. the full case. some didn't listen but i do know foxpudge understood that dirtfur was a danger. others most likely heard it too, " wormpaw would pause for a moment. knitting his eyebrows together as he roll over the thoughts inside his head. debating on how to in minimum words explain.

''even if we didn't explain, they would have most likely figured out something was up. a deputy on their doorstep with no one with them, a sickness on their pelt. they can escort dirtfur away or do whatever. he can't go to the other clans. shadowclan and thunderclan would turn them away for being riverclan. the only threat dirtfur carries is his sickness, and--" wormpaw's face scrunched up, frowning. "he's going to die in a couple days if he doesn't get medical help. he has whitecough, right? it'll just evolve and get worse. however, i'm sorry. i did act on some of my discomfort with the fact,, it's my former mentor and i'm anxious to get back. we've been gone for long and-- i don't want something to happen and not be there to give aid. i'm sorry for acting emotional. " the apprentice would finally finish off, letting out a breath. he would finally glance at sootflare, he wasn't sure what his punishment would be.

[Starfall]

@pathos @.:Raven:. @Fuzzy

The apprentice stumbled out of the Den, his fur disheveled. Eyes were sunken in. “Ah, m sorry.” he mumbled out. “It’s been a little hard to get up recently.” he laughed sheepishly. Though it ended in a wheeze. He wasn’t lying. It was getting harder and harder to pull himself out of his nest, it was as if he was loosing more and more strength every day. With a grunt Poppypaw hobbled towards the trio, once there greeting them with a weak soft smile. “I’m sure Smallbear will catch up with us! Should we just get going? I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” he hummed, doing his best to make his voice sound less hoarse than it was.

[plum]

A wave of relief washes over the she-cat when her mentor doesn't turn her down, but instead gives her instructions. She was definitely grateful he took her seriously, at least just this once. It was a chance to show him that she actually deserved a chance! And, more importantly, an opportunity for her to learn. I can catch prey for my Clan! Elderpaw's heart raced excitedly at the idea. Or help Batglare, at least. Listening attentively to him, she nods and tests herself first. Paws light, weight distributed... Dropping into her imperfect hunter's crouch, the molly scrunches her nose as she messes with leaning her weight around. If she thought of it like a reeeeaaally heavy mossball loose in her belly, it was actually easier to re-calibrate herself. But her tail! It still twitched about with a raging mind of its own.

Looking over her shoulder at it, Elderpaw pouts. She didn't think she had ants in her pelt! It was leaf-bare!! But why else would she be unable to control her own darn tail? She was excited, sure, but really? Narrowing her light green eyes at it, she wills it to stop. And... It does! A little...! She had no more time to waste fooling around, though, and she knew that her mentor desired this catch as much as she did. We both want to feed our Clan, she promises Batglare silently. Blinking at him to acknowledge she's understood everything he told her, the apprentice sets off. She traces a large semi-circle in the snow as slithers around the rabbit, praying that the wind (which was somehow favoring her!) didn't change course. It was a good thing everything stunk less in the cold climate... The rabbit couldn't detect them as easily as it might in the spring, but at the same time tracking it was made that much more difficult. Still, Elderpaw manages to make it around the thing without fault. She peeks across the snow and observes it as it... Foraged or whatever rabbits did.

Suddenly the molly feels her tail do a little jitter. At first, she ignores it. It was only happening because she was excited and fixated! But it happens again, lashing without consideration for her or the severity of the situation they were both in! Elderpaw rolls her eyes and cranes her neck, looking back at the darn thing to tell it silently to- "Stop it already!" Oh. Oh no. No! No!! Snapping herself back to attention to look at their prey, the she-cat sees its head had raised. It was sitting as tall as it could, attentive and nervous, ready to spring. Without missing a beat, the tabby utterly launches herself forward. For a new apprentice who had absolutely no leg muscles, it was almost a wonder of the feline world how Elderpaw did it- Her mission-driven leap sent her nearly gliding over the snowy moor for a considerably long heartbeat as she dove for the rabbit. Run towards Batglare! Run towards Batglare! Please, please, please! "BaaaatglAAAAREEE!"

@Moonraven

[Sweetie]

Originally Posted by CheetahPelt

@Shimm
@Jane

His eyes softened as Songbird told him she was fond of him. He opened his mouth to speak before he heard pawsteps.

"Well, well, well."

Creekrunner. He knew he recognized the name of the tom. He had never spoke to him before but he had seen him earlier with the queen, Lynxstep.

That lying, cheating...

Whitesong had to grit his teeth, putting energy into keeping his hackles laid flat.

"Glad to see Songbird getting out there and finding new love~"

A low growl surfaced in Whitesong's throat. He didn't know if he should read into it as a taunt or...

But the injured tom stood there. He didn't make a move towards the other tom, but his soft voice was dangerously low, very different from his normal melodious tone. "I think you should leave, Creekrunner."

"Aren't our kits just the cutest?"

The big tom pulled himself up to his full height, hackles bristling slightly, head hung low and stalked forwards. "Creekrunner, I swear by the might of Starclan. I'm not a tom to be messed with."

Songbird drew her two sons closer and covered her tail over them before she looked up at the two toms. "I suggest that you both take this out of the nursery! I do not need my kits to experience this." She hissed through her gritted teeth, eyes narrowed. The molly turned her attention back to Charkit and Reedkit, her voice quiet and velvety like. "It's okay my Loves, Mama is here." Nuzzling each with affection that was sweeter than honey.

@CheetahPelt @Jane @mochi

[mochi]

@CheetahPelt @Shimm

Creekrunner
The older warrior chuckled as Songbird drew the tiny kit closer to her side, her mention of a bee-brained warrior bringing an amused grin to his face. He caught her gaze then, and her hidden words beneath it, though the smile never faded. "Yes, ma'am."
His ears twitched at a low growl coming from the wounded warrior, and he turned impish, yet amused eyes on his bristling form. How scary. His taunt seemed to have worked. So did that mean Whitesong had anger-issues? Or maybe it was his pride or blind love for Songbird that brought this out of the wounded warrior. Whatever it was, Creekrunner was having his fun. "You want me to leave? That kind of hurts you know." His eyes widened as if Whitesong's words had actually pained the tom, a front paw rising to cover his chest in mock hurt.

But Songbird definitely didn't need the stress of Creekrunner egging on her new interest, and she did ask him to be more mature, albeit silently. He let out a sigh, the fake hurt and tease in his voice and posture fading away as he turned away from the two. "Yes, you're very scary. I'll do my best not to mess with you around the lady." His long tail swayed behind him as he padded towards the entrance, glancing over his shoulder at Songbird with a cheery smile that held none of the back-handedness he'd used with Whitesong. "See you later Songbird, I'll come back sometime to check in on you and the kits. But I guess I'll leave you and grumpy paws here be for now." And with that cheeky remark he turned back around and trotted nonchalantly out of the entrance.