The black and white calico's face split into a frown as the bigger cat rudely snorted at her introduction of Moon, and Fallen made a rare move of elderly sister protectiveness and stepped over Moon, planting herself silently in front of him so the bigger cat wouldn't see how... sickly he was. But that would've worked a lot better if she was a) a lot bigger and b) had done that much sooner. But HEY, at least she was trying! Soot was being dumb and Lark was being cranky and Fallen wasn't used to being the mature sister! When would lark go back to being the mom of the group, because Fallen disliked the stressure (stress and pressure) very much. Turning her head, snapping it around so fast that any faster she surely would've imitated an owls flexibility, she fixed wide lapis hues on her father, breath coming a bit faster.
Oh shucks. Her dad was being forced to leave. "Dad-" Fallen squeaked out, chest rising as she prepared a sequences of pleas and whines, not wanting to be abandoned twice in one day, but common sense rushed over her before she could finish her plaintive whimper for her father. Why did he look so scared? This lady wouldn't kill her or her siblings, right? No, because kits couldn't die. Young cats didn't die, only super old cats died, and it was like sleeping. It wasn't ever painful, it was just like a nap and then you woke up in a nice, warm place with all your old friends.
But Fallen didn't have any old friends or memories yet, so she couldn't die yet; no one would be up there to play with her!
Nervously twitching her tail, she shot Lark a warning glance, hoping her sister would knock some sense into herself before this big tabby cat lost her patience. She didn't want to see what would happen to cats that wronged this cat. "Is that cat fur, ma'am?" She asked suddenly, pointing to the nest behind the older cat. She didn't know cats could take their fur off! Like a snake shedding skin, that was cool! There was less fear in her voice, although that would surely change should she know where the fur actually was sourced from.
After having stopped by Elmshadow's den as instructed, the Toyger had promptly made his way to Dawnstar's den. Slytiger had a gift to deliver, so he casually popped in and preemptively did a little hop to the side to avoid any smack attempt.
"I brought your present! And I can still see out of both eyes just fine," he grinned, dropping Bumblestar's ear at his paws before scooching it toward the Shadow Queen.
Lynxshade
Shadowclan
27 moons old | she/her
Shadow Fiend | Primal Instincts | Beefed Up (T1)
₊˚.༄ ೃ - As soon as she heard Dawnstar's irritable voice, Lynxshade hesitated at the den's entrance. Was that how this clan leader spoke to every cat?
The more she heard, the more indignant she grew at every word. She didn't certainly deserve to be treated like a nuisance, and for a moment she regretted the choice to come here and share her ideas. But that's too late for that, Lynx.
The gray and black warrior walked inside the deep den until she was close enough to the irritated she-cat, noticing how her scars were visible even in the darkness. She dipped her head before speaking, certain that this cat demanded a higher level of respect demonstrations than most leaders.
It would be better to come straight to the point, she thought suddenly.
"In my original home.. we used to protect ourselves from predators and competitors with traps." She stopped for a brief moment, trying to catch even the slightest hint of interest in Dawnstar's eyes. "Sometimes we would come up with new ideas and every trap was built by ourselves, using plants and other stuff we could gather in the forest." She remembered being part of the group assigned to these tasks before the fire destroyed everything she'd ever known.
Was she listening now? Maybe it'd be better if she wasn't. Lynxshade wasn't sure anymore that this was a good idea, to provide such an unscrupulous leader with these weapons. But this was now her home, too. "These traps are not only ways of protecting the territory from bad visits but also... sort of special attacks against enemies. For example, if cobwebs were to be used for military uses, they could be used to blind the enemies."
She sat down and curled up her tail around her paws, blinking her eyes once, twice against the darkness she was trying to get adjusted to.
Lynxshade was sure she could come up with many new ideas, but the real deal would be Dawnstar's reaction to all of this.
She hoped that, at least, she wouldn't be thrown away from Shadowclan if Dawnstar wouldn't find this useful.
Dawnstar glared harshly at the she-cat as she entered her den. She was not usually this moody with every cat, but Lynxshade had rubbed her fur the wrong way. She had to deal with it now. Despite her foul temper, Dawnstar listened openly to her little idea involving traps.
The only traps Dawnstar had ever heard of were the ones that twolegs laid out to catch or harm cats. Quiet frankly, she wasn't crazy about the idea of following in twoleg paw steps, but as Lynxshade spoke more she could see the advantages of at least trying it out. Dawnstar was always open to new ways to better her clan, even if she wasn't crazy about them.
"You speak as if wish to line our territory with these traps, how are your clanmates supposed to avoid triggering these traps?" Dawnstar quired without giving Lynxshade a positive or negative answer yet. She didn't need cats being set to Elmshadow or time wasted spent getting them out of a trap they triggered by accident. Since it was extremely unlikely every clan mate would be made aware of the location of trap made...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red_Fang
@Undertaker RedFang was outside the den "DawnStar maI i come in?" he asked
Oh, look he learned his lesson. Still, she was expecting to see him again so soon. "Enter Redfang," Dawnstar hissed. "What is it now?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Estelle
Family. Family was still such an odd subject for the moon-old kitten. She knew Larkfire was her family, because Larkfire was her mama, and she had come to learn that Cougarbite and his kits were family as well. What did they call in again, their relationship? Cousins? Cousins, she had come to learn, weren't that close in the family line. So Sleepykit didn't go out of her way to talk to them specifically, at least, not when she didn't feel like it.
But then there was Spiralkit. And Spiralkit had introduced a whole new concept to her: siblings. She knew Cougarbite's kits were all 'siblings', but what made them siblings, really? Was it because they shared a parent? That was the only explanation Sleepykit could think of. But then, how come Spiralkit said they were siblings? Cougarbite's kits didn't all look alike and yet Spiralkit and Sleepykit were a similar shade of black.
It was confusing, truly. And don't even get her started on the concept of a 'father'! Cougarbite was a father, but it was just Cougarbite and his kits. Larkfire was a mother, but it was just herself and mama. How could anyone have both? But, no matter. No, there was one certainty here: and that's that Dawnstar - leader of all - was all their mama. Or, well, grandmama in her case. Because apparently, that's what you call your mama's mama.
And Sleepykit, well, she'd been feeling a little alone. Mama was out doing her duties, and the white-patched feline hadn't seen Spiralkit around today either (...Not that she wanted to hang out with him). And she cared not for 'hanging out' with Cougarbite's kits, frankly, their numbers and energy were a little intimidating - but don't tell anyone. That's why she ventured out here.
Sleepykit, you see, rarely went beyond the mouth of the nursery. She was obedient and the clearing was far too populated and busy for her taste... She wouldn't dare cross it without mama or her permission. Except for today. Because, surely, if she went to visit grandmama, Larkfire wouldn't mind?
Sleepykit had taken extra care of her fur today, to make sure its unruly appearance looked a little more... Presentable. After all, she had a reputation to uphold, as was made evident by the gossip she had gotten to hear inside and beyond the nursery as she crossed the busy clearing. Sleepykit didn't want to do anything that would sully her mama and grandmama's good names.
And here she was. The imposing den (for the small kitten) in which she'd so often seen her grandmama disappear. She stared in awe for a second before turning around and quickly giving a few last licks to her fur - ever so bushy and fluffy. Now, Sleepykit didn't want to be rude. Oh no, being rude would be terrible! She couldn't risk it. So, she neatly stood in front of the den's entrance - not quite entering just yet - putting her paws nicely together.
...What was she supposed to call Dawnstar? She was the mighty ruler of ShadowClan, but also her grandmama. Could she be familiar with her? Or did she have to be formal? "..Miss.. Grandmama? It's Sleepykit."
Would she recognise her? ...Sleepykit hoped so. She liked Dawnstar. Would Dawnstar like her too? "May I enter?"
The cold, although often no bother thanks to her thick pelt, was aggravating her. Her wounds have long since healed after the battle with ThunderClan, but she had forgotten about how the chill could cause irritation in the scar tissue. There was nothing Dawnstar could do about the ones irritating her face, scratching would result in bleeding, but she carefully nipped and licked at the newest scar on her shoulder and chest.
Outside of a lack of prey, and the snow, Dawnstar didn't mind leafbare too much. So long as she remained at the head of her clan she knew that she'd ensure that her clan would get through each and every one. The leader was pulled out of her head when the squeaky voice sounded outside of her den.
Dawnstar felt a frown pull at her maw at the nickname... or was it a title? She couldn't even get upset with it since there was meaning behind the name. It was another one of her family came to pester her, wonderful. Dawnstar wasn't certain exactly what these kits wanted from her. She was anything but sweet and maternal, yet still, they sought out her attention. She supposes she tolerate it while she could, perhaps she'd find a new apprentice to train out of one of the bunch.
"Come in, Sleepykit." Dawnstar replied, faintly recalling that this one was of Larkfire's litter, not Coguarbite's. The hulking she-cat didn't bother sitting up, the distance between herself and kits was so large that her ears could have difficulty picking up what they were saying when she sat at her full height. She went back to nipping at an itch alone her flank while waiting for the younger one to enter.
"Do you need something, Sleepykit?" Dawnstar asked once the kit had stepped inside. "Or are you just bored?" She peered at her granddaughter, faintly recalling that this one was actually her granddaughter and Cougarbite's hairballs were her great grandkits. Weird... this is why she simply referred to them as kin or family, easier that way.
After having stopped by Elmshadow's den as instructed, the Toyger had promptly made his way to Dawnstar's den. Slytiger had a gift to deliver, so he casually popped in and preemptively did a little hop to the side to avoid any smack attempt.
"I brought your present! And I can still see out of both eyes just fine," he grinned, dropping Bumblestar's ear at his paws before scooching it toward the Shadow Queen.
Dawnstar was staring at the back of her den as her ears listened to the noises outside of it. She was tired but not actually interested in any sleep, leaffall and leafbare simply made her sleepy. You'd think that made her less grumpy and irritable, but her drowsiness did not such thing.
Her leader's tattered ears twitched and claws unsheathed as paw steps entered her den. She turned, front paw raised to swat at Slytiger's head, but to her faint amusement, he was all ready to dodge before she could actually extend her paw to hit him. Thoroughly disappointed, she lowered her paw and lashed her tail instead.
Her grumpy glare remained steady even after Slytiger dropped Bumblestar's ear at her paws. "Aww, how disheartening I was looking forward to tearing out one of the squirrel's eyes." Dawnstar grunted after his news. Even though she was pleased that his eyesight was intact, Slytiger had taken the fun out of mauling a cat. Grabbing the ear, she placed it with the rest of her macabre collection.
"Didn't I tell you to drop the ear off earlier, have you just been running around with that the entire time?" Considering the numerous things cats have brought into ShadowClan, she doubted anyone noticed such a thing.
DreamingBloom padded up to Dawnstar's den, waiting outside. "Dawnstar? May I come in?" She asked politely, not wanting to anger her leader and get more injuries. Her fresh scars were sore, but the brown molly didn't care.
@Undertaker
__________________
PLEASE KNOW THAT MY CHARACTERS HAVE VERY DIFFERENT VIEWS AND OPINIONS THAN ME!! And that they may think or act in ways you might not deem acceptable, but I do not think or act in these ways.
Lynxshade
Shadowclan
27 moons old | she/her
Shadow Fiend | Primal Instincts | Beefed Up (T1)
₊˚.༄ ೃ - Gosh, I wish I was out of here instead of talking with this huge she-cat who stares at me as if she wished my death. And it was true. Dawnstar's glare was certainly something all clan cats were aware of.
She cleared her throat, deciding that she would not lower her gaze only because this particular leader looked so intimidating. She had teeth and claws too, in the end.
The gray and black she-cat sat down lightly, seeing that Dawnstar was at least trying to make a decent conversation about it. Not that I care about it, but having had trouble with other clans, I wouldn't want to... end up in a war where we could get ambushed at all times. "That depends. Not all traps are designed to remain in the territory all the time, and some would be placed in specific places only." Was she even understanding what she was saying? Sometimes, it felt like talking to a tree log. Sturdy and unmovable.
"Since Shadowclan is big, as you say, not all cats would easily get the location of traps in their own territory. That's why they're designed mostly to... be placed around times of war. When all the movements of cats are tracked, and precisely studied." Memories of her old life in the long-lost forest were pouring into her head once again, thinking back at the times his brother had outwitted bigger enemies and thus, protected their little territory as if, in a way, they were a clan of their own. My family. I miss it so much.
"For example..." She stepped forward just a little bit closer, not wanting to get too close to Dawnstar, and unsheathed the claws from one paw. "I know Sunkissed Creek was recently taken away from Thunderclan, and that Bumblestar still has eyes on it." And she hoped this would spark a bit of interest in the leader's eyes. "What if we knew they'll come soon? What if all of Shadowclan left Sunkissed Creek, let's say, free?" She tried to draw a circle on the ground with her claws, hoping Dawnstar would get it. "If we leave it, they try to take it. But if the whole area was actually filled with traps..." She then marked several points in the circle, and threw a look at Dawnstar in silence.
"...Then, Thunderclan would fall into them. Trip into them. They would get weakened even before an attack on our part. We've got claws to dig, paws to use plants and so on. Why not protecting our land before raising a claw to draw blood?" Lynxshade tipped her head to one side, trying to figure out whether this was all a bunch of frog-dung for the Shadowclan leader or if it actually made any sense. And I'd rather set traps than go into battle, honestly... Now that I know how easy it is to lose lives on the field. She knew that Bumblestar was ready to kill, and so was Dawnstar. But would she do it, had she gotten the opportunity?
There was one last thing that worried her. The current situation was dramatic, given that warriors were still allowed to go around on their own with dangerous beasts free to roam in their territory. They were prey now. "Or what if..." Her voice darkened as she imagined terrible consequences. "...we were to get rid of a couple of dangerous lynxes with a pair of well-placed traps?"
@Undertaker "I was thinking you could set up a patrol to scent the thunderclan cats" he said walking in "I mean It's just An Option" he sat down waiting for a a reply
Lynxshade
Shadowclan
27 moons old | she/her
Shadow Fiend | Primal Instincts | Beefed Up (T1)
₊˚.༄ ೃ - Gosh, I wish I was out of here instead of talking with this huge she-cat who stares at me as if she wished my death. And it was true. Dawnstar's glare was certainly something all clan cats were aware of.
She cleared her throat, deciding that she would not lower her gaze only because this particular leader looked so intimidating. She had teeth and claws too, in the end.
The gray and black she-cat sat down lightly, seeing that Dawnstar was at least trying to make a decent conversation about it. Not that I care about it, but having had trouble with other clans, I wouldn't want to... end up in a war where we could get ambushed at all times. "That depends. Not all traps are designed to remain in the territory all the time, and some would be placed in specific places only." Was she even understanding what she was saying? Sometimes, it felt like talking to a tree log. Sturdy and unmovable.
"Since Shadowclan is big, as you say, not all cats would easily get the location of traps in their own territory. That's why they're designed mostly to... be placed around times of war. When all the movements of cats are tracked, and precisely studied." Memories of her old life in the long-lost forest were pouring into her head once again, thinking back at the times his brother had outwitted bigger enemies and thus, protected their little territory as if, in a way, they were a clan of their own. My family. I miss it so much.
"For example..." She stepped forward just a little bit closer, not wanting to get too close to Dawnstar, and unsheathed the claws from one paw. "I know Sunkissed Creek was recently taken away from Thunderclan, and that Bumblestar still has eyes on it." And she hoped this would spark a bit of interest in the leader's eyes. "What if we knew they'll come soon? What if all of Shadowclan left Sunkissed Creek, let's say, free?" She tried to draw a circle on the ground with her claws, hoping Dawnstar would get it. "If we leave it, they try to take it. But if the whole area was actually filled with traps..." She then marked several points in the circle, and threw a look at Dawnstar in silence.
"...Then, Thunderclan would fall into them. Trip into them. They would get weakened even before an attack on our part. We've got claws to dig, paws to use plants and so on. Why not protecting our land before raising a claw to draw blood?" Lynxshade tipped her head to one side, trying to figure out whether this was all a bunch of frog-dung for the Shadowclan leader or if it actually made any sense. And I'd rather set traps than go into battle, honestly... Now that I know how easy it is to lose lives on the field. She knew that Bumblestar was ready to kill, and so was Dawnstar. But would she do it, had she gotten the opportunity?
There was one last thing that worried her. The current situation was dramatic, given that warriors were still allowed to go around on their own with dangerous beasts free to roam in their territory. They were prey now. "Or what if..." Her voice darkened as she imagined terrible consequences. "...we were to get rid of a couple of dangerous lynxes with a pair of well-placed traps?"
Dawnstar wasn't sure what it was about Lynxshade but she reminded her a lot of Shadowfur. And that was not good, this she-cat came to her clan wanting a new home and Dawnstar had granted her such, but she showed so little for it. The other she-cat was doing a terrible job of hiding her dislike for the ShadowClan leader. Normally, Dawnstar wouldn't mind such a thing, but when you have paranoia as intense as her...
Dawnstar faintly wondered if she should toss the she-cat out on her ass. It would save Dawnstar the headache of having to reason with her less sane concerns. Normally Dawnstar could at least be civil with cats amongst her clan so long as they proved useful, former outsiders usually took a bit longer to warm up to if she warmed to them at all. Dawnstar had put in a lot of work to ensure that despite any cats' personal feelings for her, respect was well maintained within the hierarchy.
Dawnstar didn't work her way to the top of ShadowClan just to be treated like a featherbrained imbecile by some nobody who was granted permission to be here. If she were a lesser cat and as impulsive as she had been in her earlier moons, Lynxshade would be walking out of this den with new scars and a lesson on respect.
"You've got quite a bit to learn about our ways." Dawnstar huffed as she finished hearing the warrior out. "Your idea is interesting but it's sorely lacking due to your insufficient knowledge of ShadowClan and the other clans. Bumblestar is currently dealing with RiverClan's antics and whatever other problems her clan is causing for her. She'll not be coming for Sunkissed Creek any time soon or so I assume. We won't know when she comes for it unless someone catches word about it at the gathering or she announces her intentions, which is unlikely."
"You can't bait her to take Sunkissed Creek either, the second ShadowClan leaves the Creek alone is the moment ThunderClan's suspicion rises. Leaving the Creek alone doesn't fit ShadowClan's behavior, we'd don't leave territory we've stolen alone. We're as aggressive with defending it as we are all of our territory." Dawnstar was really wondering why Lynxshade even wanted to be in ShadowClan. The more she spoke the less she sounded like she belonged here.
"True ShadowClan cats have no problem defending their territory with tooth and claw even at the cost of their lives. We do not shy away from battle, if anything we look forward to it. Something you don't seem to." Dawnstar told her with a thoughtful frown on her maw. Dawnstar wasn't keen on this trap idea after hearing how it would weaken their opponents before they even fought them. That sounded dull. Still, learning something new would be good for the clan.
"If you want to teach the clan about your traps, go ahead, but at the moment I'm uncertain how useful they'd be. I don't know how small your former group was, but the clans are too large for the movements of cats to be tracked, and precisely studied, even during war. If you can't figure out a way to inform the entirety of the clan where you're laying these traps, all I see is a lot of clanmates getting injured in turn and more problems for Elmshadow to deal with." Dawnstar growled unhappily.
"As for the lynxes, I've got no updated report on their whereabouts, however, as I prefer to avoid picking a fight with those wretched beasts, go find Silverlark and the rest of the Enforcers. Silverlark had lynx tracking duty. If he has confirmed a location that the lynxes have settled in, you come up with an actual detailed plan about these traps of yours and how they'd work on the lynxes, and get the Enforcers' approval, you can return to me and I'll see about enacting it."
Currently, Dawnstar felt like this had been a waste of her time. If Lynxshade had given her more details and worked out a plan that blended with how ShadowClan actually operated they might have gotten somewhere.
But all she got was little to no details and a dull idea that would draw more suspicion than anything from their opposition. Lynxshade had been willing to choose ShadowClan as a home, but it didn't seem like she had put much thought or bothered learning about ShadowClan's overall nature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosBringer.
DreamingBloom |The scarred molly|
DreamingBloom padded up to Dawnstar's den, waiting outside. "Dawnstar? May I come in?" She asked politely, not wanting to anger her leader and get more injuries. Her fresh scars were sore, but the brown molly didn't care.
@Undertaker
Dawnstar looked towards the light the streamed into the opening of her den. Not feeling like actually getting up and leaving her nest Dawnstar parted her maw and called out. "Come in, Dreamingbloom. What is is that you need?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red_Fang
@Undertaker "I was thinking you could set up a patrol to scent the thunderclan cats" he said walking in "I mean It's just An Option" he sat down waiting for a a reply
Dawnstar bit down hard on her tongue to keep from snarling at Redfang. "I don't recall needing anyone to tell me how to run my clan," Dawnstar growled, obviously unamused with Redfang's suggestion. If he had come to her with an actual suggestion she would have considered his words, but it sounded like he was just telling her how to do her job. A job that she has been doing for eight seasons now. "Vulturefang takes care of patrols and he's yet to inform me that ShadowClan needs to step up scenting ThunderClan's border."
Stopping briefly in the clearing after leaving his den, he'd quickly searched out Larkfire. Giving the enforcer a blank green stare, he meowed simply, "Larkfire, come with me. I'm on my way to Dawnstar's den." Without waiting for a reply or to make sure she was indeed following, the dark medicine cat turned away and continued to his stated destination. Pausing at the mouth of Dawnstar's den, unsure if the massive leader was indeed within or not, he announced, "Dawnstar, if you have a moment, I have a matter that needs discussion."
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Active Purrks Elmshadow - The Collector Cougarivy - Beefed Up Sunsetpaw - Biligual, Flock Together:Tier 2
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Larkfire
She/Her | The Wraith Shadow Fiend & Beefed Up (T1) Purrk
Larkfire knew not why Elmshadow had requested her presense. She knew not why he required for her to accompany her to Dawnstar's den — but if given a guess, the lithe enforcer would say that perhaps ShadowClan's dark Medicine Cat was wondering after the absense of his mate. Cougarivy, who Larkfire had not seen in quite a while.
A frown pulled the edges of Larkfire's maw downward as she rose to her paws and trailed after the green-eyed medic. Where was Cougarivy, actually? She knew without doubt that the Enforcer Commander would be back eventually from wherever she'd gone, but who knew, really? Pausing right behind Elmshadow, Larkfire peered around him into her mother's den, tail tip flicking from side to side.
Re: ShadowClan Leader's Den
Plum'Star is the Current Leader of OliveClan 
