WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[SuspiciousMindz]

Blazingstorm felt awkward now. This wasn't a topic most kits would want to talk about and he wasn't sure how to answer family questions without confusing the small kit. Of course he didn't take in account that she was about to be an apprentice and was simply smarter than what he was taking her for, he was still viewing her as a kit. The ginger tom-cat looked toward Galespring as she spoke, nodding here and there before looking back at Ferretkit when she changed the subject. This was something he could answer a little more confidently. "Apprenticeship is a lot of work, but it's worth it because you prove to your clan you're ready to be a warrior. As long as you don't complain, follow the rules, and do as you're told when you're told, you'll really enjoy your apprenticeship and all the skills the clan as for you to learn," Blazingstorm replied happily now. His friendly voice had returned, replacing a little more awkward tone. The ginger tom-cat decided to allow Galespring to answer the question about being a warrior. Perhaps this was the best way to tackle the young feline's questions. Simply through answering them one at a time as long as it's comfortable for each cat to answer. As he waited, Blazingstorm cocked his head and passed his rough tongue over his chest fur to smooth it out as it was ruffled in the breeze.
@fenic! @Spirit

[Starfall]

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

Blazingstorm's purr was still low however, his golden hues were darting around the territory so he didn't notice when she was about to say something before the rustle occurred. As soon as it did, instinctively he crouched down and narrowed his hues towards the brush. His mouth parted to insure it was prey and not a fox or another feline. As Blazingstorm's golden hues shifted to look at her, he noticed she was waiting on his to go, but he merely shook his head. She had heard the rustling and pinpointed the location first, so it was her prey. His flicked his ears and jerked his head towards the direction before his structure lowered closer to the ground and his ears flattened to his head in attempt to hide his ginger pelt the best he could against the snowy ground. Now, he awaited his sister's catch hoping she wasn't too distracted by whatever was bothering her to miss the catch.

{Should I use Blazingstar from now on? XD it changed}
The molly took the hint and began to creep forward, barely making any sounds as she got closer and closer, and the closer she got, the more she thought about her distressed brother, she thought more about how she could help. She shook her head and inwardly kicked ting annoyed by the fact that she was acting like a helpless kit, unable to solve her own problem. She's twiched her nose once she caught a whiff of what he morsel may be, a hare, excitement ruptured through her body, prey, food, fuel for the clan, for the kits, for the sick cats. She flattned her ears and cropped forward another mouse length before a twig snapped underneath the snow, the hare broke into a spring, and so did Emberdust. The ginger mollys muscles rippled beneath her fur, she may seem slim, but she was all power, muscle, and strength, sprinting like this was no problem for the agile warrior, she caught the rabbit with ease, snapping it's neck with a pounce. She tottled back, her catch dangling from her jaws, pride raidiated off of the feline, she wondered how many mouths this could feed, well how many kit mouths. Once she dropped the hare at her paws, she remembered what she brought Blazingstorm out here for, why she felt so distressed and lost "First things first, I am so very, very proud of you for ecoming leader." she stated, a soft smile plastered on her face "And...well...I heard something from Sagewhisker....Is it true." she asked softly, her Amber hues giving away no emotion, nothing, not pity, not anger, not joy. She waited, she needed to know, if it was, she would help him out in any way that she's could, if it wasn't, then she would set her plan into motion, no, no either way, her plan would begin.

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by starfall

{Should I use Blazingstar from now on? XD it changed}
The molly took the hint and began to creep forward, barely making any sounds as she got closer and closer, and the closer she got, the more she thought about her distressed brother, she thought more about how she could help. She shook her head and inwardly kicked ting annoyed by the fact that she was acting like a helpless kit, unable to solve her own problem. She's twiched her nose once she caught a whiff of what he morsel may be, a hare, excitement ruptured through her body, prey, food, fuel for the clan, for the kits, for the sick cats. She flattned her ears and cropped forward another mouse length before a twig snapped underneath the snow, the hare broke into a spring, and so did Emberdust. The ginger mollys muscles rippled beneath her fur, she may seem slim, but she was all power, muscle, and strength, sprinting like this was no problem for the agile warrior, she caught the rabbit with ease, snapping it's neck with a pounce. She tottled back, her catch dangling from her jaws, pride raidiated off of the feline, she wondered how many mouths this could feed, well how many kit mouths. Once she dropped the hare at her paws, she remembered what she brought Blazingstorm out here for, why she felt so distressed and lost "First things first, I am so very, very proud of you for ecoming leader." she stated, a soft smile plastered on her face "And...well...I heard something from Sagewhisker....Is it true." she asked softly, her Amber hues giving away no emotion, nothing, not pity, not anger, not joy. She waited, she needed to know, if it was, she would help him out in any way that she's could, if it wasn't, then she would set her plan into motion, no, no either way, her plan would begin.

[yeah, we'll act like he was Blazingstar the entire time x.x]
The ginger feline sat back up as the two figures raced away. It took a few moments, but when Emberdust finally reappeared, he was happy to see the she-cat with the hare in her mouth. "Great catch!" he called, standing upright when she was back to where she was before the hunt. The clan would simply enjoy this piece of prey. They needed it. They needed to remain strong when food was so scarce. That was the thing with Windclan that the other clans didn't understand. Windclan relied on the hares so when leaf-bare comes around and they go into hiding, their prey is twice as scarce as Thunderclan and Shadowclan combined. They had it easy compared to Windclan. This made Blazingstar even more proud of his clan. Proud to be leader of such a hard working clan.
Although his thoughts were torn away from his clans needs when Emberdust brought up the she-cat that destroyed his emotions. Blinking, he was almost confused. "That I rejected her?" he inquired, embarrassment washed over him until he felt his ears grow hot. Did the entire clan know now? "Well she had that coming, how could I be with a cat that turned me down first? How can I be sure her feelings are really there...?" he asked, distress filling his voice. His golden hues tore away from his sister and towards the moors. The entire scene played over in his head. They could've been something if she had turned him away the first time. It was all Sagewhisker's fault.

[spade]

Originally Posted by Yellowpotatoes

Blackrose tilted his head. He mewed "if you think so." He shuffled his paws and then mewed "I'll be right back." A moment later he came back with two mice. He dropped one Infront of running heart and took the other. He took small bites

(sorry it took longer than usual for me to reply to this! x3)

Runningheart blinked and followed Blackrose with his uncharacteristically dull blue gaze. A small sigh escaped his lips as he let his mind wander. Not realizing that his companion had returned, the white tom started, turning his head to look at the mouse that was dropped at his paws. "You didn't have to do that..." he mumbled, a feeling of guilt scratching at his heart as he bent down to sniff the piece of prey. He felt as though he didn't quite deserve anything, not even one morsel, from the fresh-kill pile since he'd done nothing but mope around since the end of the evil era. Nonetheless, a grumbling noise escaped from the pit of his stomach and the warrior pulled his ears back in embarrassment. "I guess a quick bite wouldn't hurt," he whispered, mostly to himself, before taking a small bite of the furry creature.

[Fallpotato]

Originally Posted by Lilly

(sorry it took longer than usual for me to reply to this! x3)

Runningheart blinked and followed Blackrose with his uncharacteristically dull blue gaze. A small sigh escaped his lips as he let his mind wander. Not realizing that his companion had returned, the white tom started, turning his head to look at the mouse that was dropped at his paws. "You didn't have to do that..." he mumbled, a feeling of guilt scratching at his heart as he bent down to sniff the piece of prey. He felt as though he didn't quite deserve anything, not even one morsel, from the fresh-kill pile since he'd done nothing but mope around since the end of the evil era. Nonetheless, a grumbling noise escaped from the pit of his stomach and the warrior pulled his ears back in embarrassment. "I guess a quick bite wouldn't hurt," he whispered, mostly to himself, before taking a small bite of the furry creature.

Black rose mewed "eh it's ok." He chuckled and finished his prey. He sat up and licked his lips and groomed himself

[spade]

Originally Posted by Raywood

Briefly, she appeared startled as well when she noticed he'd not been expecting her presence, feeling a twinge of guilt stir in the pit of her belly. "I wasn't trying to pester you, Runningheart," she meowed, blinking in concern. "I.. I don't mind going back to camp if you'd prefer to be with yourself." Regardless of being a social feline by nature, she wasn't a stranger to wanting alone time and could understand if her companion was sick of interaction with his clanmates. Taking an evening or two to recollect one's self and tackle stressors head-on was sometimes necessary.

Hearing him speak her name ignited something within her, triggering memories that felt like they'd been long-since buried beneath the pain of the Evil Era and leaving what remained of her family behind in RiverClan. They'd both faced a lot of sorrow in their lifetimes, but she figured they were among those bound to suffer no matter what actions they took. The smile was enough to get her to return it weakly, his simply too difficult to resist when she could recall previous moons where it was filled with so much laughter and cheer, and now.. she didn't know what to think, yet her heart ached to help him in whichever struggles he grappled with, if she could.

Unable to help it, Sandgust sunk at his words, ones she dreaded because she felt pathetic for falling short of providing the support he needed. But that didn't mean she shouldn't try when it was clear her friend was lonely without his brother. "It's okay," she murmured, settling beside him to gently touch her tail tip to his shoulder in hopes it would provide some comfort. "I don't think anyone in WindClan expects you to be.. alright, after something like that. Nobody blames you." She wished there was a way to alleviate the emotional pain that was undoubtedly coursing through him, but there was no possible way to bring Fourstripes back from StarClan. Raising her eyes to the stars, they reflected in the depths of her twinkling gaze, despite the despair that hid behind it. "I'm sure he's watching over you."

Shaken from her thoughts as Runningheart expressed interest in ending the conversation, Sandgust peered at him in confusion, then shook her head. "I wouldn't have followed you out here if I was afraid of a little whining," she promised, good-naturedly. "But I would hardly call it whining to begin with, when you have every right to be upset that you lost your brother." Turning around to follow after him, she stayed close in fear he truly would collapse as she realized his shoulders were shaking. It was as if he would collapse under the weight of his exhaustion and grief, and if he did, she internally swore she would be there to keep him going. "Don't apologize, please." It sounded almost begging-like in tone. "You're my only friend in WindClan, and-- I want to be there for you, in whatever way you would like me to be."

Everything going on outside of the white tom's head seemed foggy and distant, a great contrast from the chaotic storm that swirled within his head. Thoughts of his brother flashed before his eyes, all the way from kithood up until his final moments. The teasing comments and the heartfelt moments, all of them seemed to be crashing down on Runningheart. The tom felt his muscles tense up as he placed his paw firmly on the ground. His breathing came in long and slow, a tactic he'd learned from his mentor on how to center his thoughts and return his psyche to normal - well, as normal as it could be. If anyone knew Runningheart at all, they knew the tom was quite scatterbrained most of the time, and more often than not was seen taking a moment of silence to recollect his thoughts that tended to trip over one another.

Runningheart opened his eyes as his ears registered quite words escaping from Sandgust. Their sweet and soft tone seemed to light a tiny spark amongst the dull night that seemed to settle deep within his aching bones. Despite the tom being considered a younger warrior, he felt a million moons old with the grief that weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He recalled the slight touch of her tail on his shoulder before he had moved away. Surprisingly, it had offered more comfort than the tom thought necessary during a time like this. Since his brother's death, no one had been able to reach through to him, to get past the barbed wires and thorns that encircled his heart. But Sangust... unlike any cat - and quite possibly the only one aside from his brother - seemed to be untangling the sharp mess with each word she spoke.

The WindClan warrior raised his head at her last sentence, blue eyes wide. Their depths, which reflected stars just as Sandgust's did, also twinkled with another emotion - Surprise? Gratefulness? Whatever it was, it seemed to break through the somber expression that had made it's home on the warriors face. He felt something inside him crumble, and for once was glad that Sandgust was one of the most persistant and stubborn she-cat's he'd ever met. It reminded him a little of his brother, and that thought alone produced a tiny smile on his face as he looked at her. He knew that WindClan didn't necessarily welcome her with open arms when he'd come back with her. Some had even criticized him for bringing in a RiverClan warrior as a refugee. But despite all of that, Runningheart still knew deep within his soul that he had done the right thing, whether it followed the warrior code or not.

"I know," the tom said at last, his muscles that had been tense for most of the conversation suddenly relaxing, and just for a bit he felt the weight of all the recent tragedies lift off his shoulders. He moved just a bit closer his pale furred friend, and seemed to search her eyes for something. A few moments passed before he extended his neck to touch his nose to her head, closing his eyes as he let her familiar scent wash away his sadness, if only for a brief moment. "I'm glad you decided to come to WindClan. I know it's not been easy, but it makes me feel at ease knowing that you weren't around for the worst of the battle within RiverClan," he murmured, taking a step back to look at her. Having been consumed in his grief, he'd forgotten about how his friend was adjusting to life in WindClan. A stab of guilt pierced his heart at letting himself get too wrapped up in his own emotions, and he visibly winced a bit as the guilt shown on his face.

[lone]

Originally Posted by SpiralTheRival

Excitement radiated off of Heartkit in waves that were constantly growing. Her enthusiasm nearly knocked Rainkit off his paws and he had to resist flinching as it was like she was shining brighter than the sun itself. He didn't know a kitten could be so joyous of an apprentice ceremony but apparently his best friend was. "Yeah, I can't wait to see who my mentor will be either." He purred, sitting back on his haunches and watching her hop happily on each paw. "I'd like to learn how to fight. Hunting moves should be interesting too." His whiskers twitched as he remembered his dream, well rather a nightmare. Though he was bursting with curiosity Rainkit wasn't sure he wanted to see that dark misty forest again. He squinted his eyes and gazed up at the sky, the sun peering behind the usual gray snow clouds that grouped close together and riddled the horizon. He turned his dull yellow gaze back on her and caught the side ways glance. The tom narrowed his eyes and searched for what was behind the humor in her glowing hues but it was gone before he could interrogate further.
He shrugged it off and started to groom his stormy gray pelt. "Would you rather be the leader, medicine cat, or deputy?" He inquired between licks as he smoothed down his white striped chest fur. "What rank do you think is best in Windclan?" Rainkit straightened his back and met her gaze as he asked the second question. He always wondered what their futures would be and in truth he could see Heartkit making a fantastic medicine cat. A little smile appeared on his muzzle as he remembered their first escapade. He noticed how she just admired the many flowers that covered the moor, but then again, it takes more than that to become a medicine cat apprentice. Right? Deep down Rainkit silently hoped she would never become one. He hated the selfish feeling but he didn't know what he'd do if he would barely ever see the cheerful she-cat. I should support my best friends dreams, if that's even what she would want to do. But... We wouldn't train together and we probably wouldn't ever be able to go on adventures... Rainkit forced the thoughts away as he realized he was scowling again, He didn't want Heartkit to notice.

Heartkit grinned, her joy growing by the minute, and she thought she might burst from how excited she was. She wasn't sure how she could be so happy, but she was. She hopped from paw to paw again, watching Rainkit. "I hope whoever it is is nice. Too bad a mentor can't have two apprentices at the same time, that way we'd always be training together, but I guess it'd be too hard. Rainkit, I'm just so excited I really don't think I can calm down!" The last word sounded around an octave higher and was spoken with a squeal...a very loud, very overexcited squeal, and Heartkit stopped, feeling just a little embarrassed. She realized she certainly wasn't acting like a nearly-apprenticed kit should, and felt horrible for it. How was it possible that she could feel so- so excited and so bad at the same time? She had no idea, but she really wished she could feel this way all the time. It was the greatest feeling, and it made her so warm, too...though that might have been her pelt keeping her warm even in the cold weather. She glanced over at Rainkit, before sitting down right beside him, her tail still twitching happily but it was much less obvious now, more like the slight unconcious jerking that sometimes happened and much less like the overexcited twitching that had been going on earlier. She fixed her blue hues on the tom, watching him with an excited gleam.

She paused at his question and thought for a moment before speaking. "We-ll...I think I'd rather be Deputy. It's not so much responsibility, and you get to hang out with the leader and help them out and stuff, but you don't have as much pressure. And then when the leader dies, you get to be leader! If you survive that long. I mean, being Medicine Cat would be cool and all, and I respect them a lot, but...then I wouldn't get to spend as much time with you!" Heartkit mewed, a happy grin on her maw. "What about you?" She asked, looking at him expectantly before he spoke again, asking her another question. This time Heartkit thought a little longer before realizing her stand. "I think they're all equal. The leader runs the Clan, keeping things in order, the Deputy helps them do that, and the Medicine Cat takes care of us and has a connection with StarClan," Heartkit explained, glancing over at Rainkit to see if he understood. She knew he didn't believe in StarClan. She knew it would be hard for him to, but...she so desperately wanted him to.

She just wasn't sure if he could ever understand.

[Ghostly Cristalline]

@xxJaggededgexx

(She had her kits)

Quailfeather walked out of the nursery, leaving her newborn kits inside. She looked around for her mate.

[Reverie]

Originally Posted by Cristalline

@xxJaggededgexx

(She had her kits)

Quailfeather walked out of the nursery, leaving her newborn kits inside. She looked around for her mate.

The tom found his mate, "How are the kits, dear?"

[Ghostly Cristalline]

Originally Posted by xxJaggededgexx

The tom found his mate, "How are the kits, dear?"

"They're good and their healthy little things." she purred. She had finally felt happy, that now she has something to do.