WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Mango]

Originally Posted by YourAromanticAlly

"The cat who raised you might know." Webcloud answered. "If not, maybe Blazingstar."

She flicked her tail,” Maybe.” She shrugged happily despite that reality.

[JustJoye]

Originally Posted by Saturnalia

Fallowpaw tilted her head and raised her eyebrow is she mousebrained ? You can barely smell anything in leafbare other than its cold sting , the wind is like a graveyard to the scents! The best way we may even find anything is hopefully by sight and hearing. her tail tip twitched with irritation as she found the need to correct the other , it was so tempting ...Then just as she thought she had it down....she slipped up "actually I think the best way to go about this is to go by sight and hearing . The winds like a graveyard for scents, they're dead. We're lucky if we manage all three . " she meowed with clear confidence, although mentally she slapped herself and on the inside she felt a bit of regret doing so but on the most part she was proud . "so I think the better question is ,can you hear anything ?" she added in before straining her ears to catch any small pawsteps as she crept forward .

Climbingmoss winced when Fallowpaw pointed out her mistake. Usually, her quest for knowledge would have allowed her to be more forgiving and recognize her own faults just as well as the apprentice had, but she was in a strange head space. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, having a cat considerably younger than her be more well trained than she was. She was a warrior, for StarClan's sake! Even if she hadn't had as much training as many of her peers, she should still be able to tell what scent to use in what season. Definitely a weird head space. Climbingmoss lowered her head in concession. Fallowpaw was right. "Good job," she mewed, not meaning for it to sound like she was giving Fallowpaw some kind of test, "you must have a pretty good mentor." The warrior managed a smile despite her self-directed anger. She bowed her body to the ground and into a crouched position, ignoring her impulse to use her nose and instead following the apprentice's direction. She focused her eyes and scanned what she could see. Her ears were erect, ready to listen for any scurrying, scuffling, or otherwise. Climbingmoss's tail fell still. It brushed the ground gently, resting on top of a patch of dead moss. She could feel her heart calming and it almost felt like the space around existed in some sort of slow-motion. Her gaze turned to Fallowpaw. "What can you see? What can you hear?" Climbingmoss was partially asking because, as a temporary mentor, she had duties like this. To teach the young skills for the future to. To train them in the Warrior Code, like StarCan intended. This, of course, was all imagined. But she also asked because her senses were failing her, something that didn't often happen and seemed very inopportune. Her gaze did not, though, communicate her hopefulness.

[Leucos]

Originally Posted by JustJoye

Climbingmoss winced when Fallowpaw pointed out her mistake. Usually, her quest for knowledge would have allowed her to be more forgiving and recognize her own faults just as well as the apprentice had, but she was in a strange head space. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, having a cat considerably younger than her be more well trained than she was. She was a warrior, for StarClan's sake! Even if she hadn't had as much training as many of her peers, she should still be able to tell what scent to use in what season. Definitely a weird head space. Climbingmoss lowered her head in concession. Fallowpaw was right. "Good job," she mewed, not meaning for it to sound like she was giving Fallowpaw some kind of test, "you must have a pretty good mentor." The warrior managed a smile despite her self-directed anger. She bowed her body to the ground and into a crouched position, ignoring her impulse to use her nose and instead following the apprentice's direction. She focused her eyes and scanned what she could see. Her ears were erect, ready to listen for any scurrying, scuffling, or otherwise. Climbingmoss's tail fell still. It brushed the ground gently, resting on top of a patch of dead moss. She could feel her heart calming and it almost felt like the space around existed in some sort of slow-motion. Her gaze turned to Fallowpaw. "What can you see? What can you hear?" Climbingmoss was partially asking because, as a temporary mentor, she had duties like this. To teach the young skills for the future to. To train them in the Warrior Code, like StarCan intended. This, of course, was all imagined. But she also asked because her senses were failing her, something that didn't often happen and seemed very inopportune. Her gaze did not, though, communicate her hopefulness.

the snowshoe blinked , she was surprised that she had been right ..or was climbingmoss not wanting to make her feel bad and not correct her as well? Anyway she was going to cherish the moment , with a purr she got into a crouch and continued to creep forward ever so slowly as she kept her ears up and eyes open, a small blast of cold wind blew at her face causing her to wrinkle her nose as she winced . Nothing but it's cold sting which was refreshing to a point before it got too much. Her ears swiveled backwards to the warrior as she spoke and shrugged in response "nothing yet . It's like a wasteland out here ..." she whispered back , the only sound she heard was of the ground crunching beneath her soft pawsteps, and her own breathing which grew annoying .

As she took a few rabbit hops to the right she stoped dead in her tracks and flicked her tail tip before raising it up in the air as a signal to stop for the other feline behind her. Her whiskers twitched as she spotted two rabbit ears in the distance over the slope making her eyes widen finally ! And she said we'll find nothing but a squirrel ....the creatures probably desperate for food at this point to be foolish enough to come out here , her mouth watered as she stared at it for a while before looking at Climbingmoss " and you said we'll find nothing but a squirrel . " she whispered with a small smirk.

[JustJoye]

Originally Posted by Saturnalia

the snowshoe blinked , she was surprised that she had been right ..or was climbingmoss not wanting to make her feel bad and not correct her as well? Anyway she was going to cherish the moment , with a purr she got into a crouch and continued to creep forward ever so slowly as she kept her ears up and eyes open, a small blast of cold wind blew at her face causing her to wrinkle her nose as she winced . Nothing but it's cold sting which was refreshing to a point before it got too much. Her ears swiveled backwards to the warrior as she spoke and shrugged in response "nothing yet . It's like a wasteland out here ..." she whispered back , the only sound she heard was of the ground crunching beneath her soft pawsteps, and her own breathing which grew annoying .

As she took a few rabbit hops to the right she stoped dead in her tracks and flicked her tail tip before raising it up in the air as a signal to stop for the other feline behind her. Her whiskers twitched as she spotted two rabbit ears in the distance over the slope making her eyes widen finally ! And she said we'll find nothing but a squirrel ....the creatures probably desperate for food at this point to be foolish enough to come out here , her mouth watered as she stared at it for a while before looking at Climbingmoss " and you said we'll find nothing but a squirrel . " she whispered with a small smirk.

Climbingmoss mimicked Fallowpaw for a few moments, keeping her low stance and focusing in her senses. She was generally a pretty decent hunter, but no body looked good when there was so little prey around and almost no way to tell. She could hear the apprentice's breathing, which she recognized as loud, and slowed her own. The clouds billowing out of her maw softened, now forming a pillowy mist the she-cat was more comfortable with.
As Fallowpaw inched forward, Climbingmoss follow a few pawsteps behind. She watched her partner carefully, waiting to see if she could identify any nearby prey. Internally, the warrior was skeptical. She'd gone out hunting just yesterday and come back with almost nothing. Her prediction was a little pessimistic, and was only getting worse when the apprentice gave a signal to stop. Climbingmoss stopped mid-step, a paw hovering off the ground as she waited to see what Fallowpaw would do. But, for a moment, her eyes wavered and she caught a glimpse of what she was sure the younger molly had stopped for. Two scrawny ears, almost pale enough to blend in with the surrounding whiteness, poked out of the underbrush. She chuckled when Fallowpaw turned to speak to her, appreciating the joke even if it was at her own expense just a little. "You stay here, I'll go around to its other side and frighten it towards you," Climbingmoss whispered gently, as to not scare the prey, "Okay?" Her mossy eyes shone with excitement.

[Leucos]

Originally Posted by JustJoye

Climbingmoss mimicked Fallowpaw for a few moments, keeping her low stance and focusing in her senses. She was generally a pretty decent hunter, but no body looked good when there was so little prey around and almost no way to tell. She could hear the apprentice's breathing, which she recognized as loud, and slowed her own. The clouds billowing out of her maw softened, now forming a pillowy mist the she-cat was more comfortable with.
As Fallowpaw inched forward, Climbingmoss follow a few pawsteps behind. She watched her partner carefully, waiting to see if she could identify any nearby prey. Internally, the warrior was skeptical. She'd gone out hunting just yesterday and come back with almost nothing. Her prediction was a little pessimistic, and was only getting worse when the apprentice gave a signal to stop. Climbingmoss stopped mid-step, a paw hovering off the ground as she waited to see what Fallowpaw would do. But, for a moment, her eyes wavered and she caught a glimpse of what she was sure the younger molly had stopped for. Two scrawny ears, almost pale enough to blend in with the surrounding whiteness, poked out of the underbrush. She chuckled when Fallowpaw turned to speak to her, appreciating the joke even if it was at her own expense just a little. "You stay here, I'll go around to its other side and frighten it towards you," Climbingmoss whispered gently, as to not scare the prey, "Okay?" Her mossy eyes shone with excitement.

Fallowpaw smiled at the older feline and nodded in response before looking back at the rabbit or what she could see anyways . she's not that bad at this .she'll be a good mentor . I'm sure of it . but as she thought of that she thought about her sister again making her forget about her surroundings almost she could have been mudkits mentor. I don't think she would have much of a problem with her....And since Climbingmoss and I are getting off to a good start , we could have trained together as well! .....She would be proud of me....id be proud of her....I'm still proud of how far she's gotten....but...She would have been a great warrior . and at that her heart sank , now feeling empty . Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered those times in the nursery, which were nothing but. Although at that moment she swore she saw Mudkit off in the distance ,standing and watching them, smiling . She tried to control her actions but it failed as she opened her mouth "Mudkit!" she meowed loudly hoping to get which she would soon know to be a hallucinations attention .

[Sum]

@JustJoye
[ I actually have no idea what the clans/markings smell like, so I'm just winging it here, haha cx]

Dawnsong felt bombarded by the questions that spilled out of Quillpaw's mouth. She opened her own mouth, but closed it quickly, no answers at ready. Was she really that lacking? Her eyes dropped to the apprentice's soaked coat, feeling guilt wash over her. She hoped dearly that Quillpaw wouldn't catch a sickness because of her! An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head. Enough, Dawn. This is only the first day, she admonished herself. "Alright, but let's keep going while I answer," she said, turning around to walk along the treeline, where the snow was lightest. The quicker this was over, the better. The ebony warrior didn't speak for a moment, watching the ground pass as she stepped while thinking over her answers. "Yes, we usually mark where the scent is weakest. For instance, along this border, we mark wherever ThunderClan's scent is strongest." She paused, brow creasing, as she thought how to describe what a ThunderClanner smelled like. It was a little humorous to think about, actually. But mostly awkward. "Every cat's scent is different, but ThunderClanners tend to smell more like leaves and trees. More forestlike." It was a simple answer, maybe too simple. But that's all that she could think to describe. She bit her lip as she glanced at Quillpaw again. What was so intimidating about the apprentice? Her confidence? Dawnsong wasn't usually so cowed by others; it frustrated her. She wanted to befriend the younger cat, make a good impression on her. Or maybe she was just too eager to please? She shook her pelt, as if casting the thoughts away.
Enough.

[JustJoye]

[i've got no clue either, it's no big deal c:]
@canine
Walking and getting answers was totally Quillpaw's style. She appreciated being able to both do and learn something productive at the same time, especially now that she was an apprentice. There's a whole lot to learn as a kit, but a lot of it when over Quillpaw's head. Learning how to make friends-- how to foster relationships was something she had felt was arbitrary to becoming a warrior. Now with her new mentor, it might help to have those skills at the ready.
After Dawnsong answered her first question, the apprentice nodded, attempting to commit it to memory. Where the scent is weakest. Where the scent is weakest. Mantras never really did the trick for her, but she was willing to give it another shot if it meant she could actually remember. She followed her mentor across the border line and waiting for the next answer. Her paws moved easily, now, one in front of the other. She exhaled softly in gratitude to no one in particular. "Forest-like. Does that mean we smell like... Wind? Soil?" This lesson was becoming more difficult than Quillpaw had anticipated before the duo left camp. She guessed Dawnsong wasn't have any easier a time. Quillpaw sped up her gait to walk shoulder-and-shoulder with her mentor. "You know I've actually heard other warriors mention we smell like soil," she mewed, clearly attempting to answer her own question to be kind but still not making eyes contact. She hoped if she gave Dawnsong a break she might be a little more composed when Quillpaw eventually started asking about the really important stuff.

[JustJoye]

Originally Posted by Saturnalia

Fallowpaw smiled at the older feline and nodded in response before looking back at the rabbit or what she could see anyways . she's not that bad at this .she'll be a good mentor . I'm sure of it . but as she thought of that she thought about her sister again making her forget about her surroundings almost she could have been mudkits mentor. I don't think she would have much of a problem with her....And since Climbingmoss and I are getting off to a good start , we could have trained together as well! .....She would be proud of me....id be proud of her....I'm still proud of how far she's gotten....but...She would have been a great warrior . and at that her heart sank , now feeling empty . Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered those times in the nursery, which were nothing but. Although at that moment she swore she saw Mudkit off in the distance ,standing and watching them, smiling . She tried to control her actions but it failed as she opened her mouth "Mudkit!" she meowed loudly hoping to get which she would soon know to be a hallucinations attention .

Climbingmoss was halfway to where she needed to be positioned when Fallowpaw's cry rang through the trees. Their deadness added a small echo to her words, eerily repeating them as if in a chant. Her ears perked and her eyes widened in surprise. A loud yowl in the middle of a hunting trip was the last thing she'd expect to hear, especially from an apprentice in training. Maybe her mentor wasn't so great. Climbingmoss snapped out of her shock to the sound of their prey running away. It's little paws scuffled for a second before it settled into a rhythmic bound away from the pair of hunters. Her initial reaction to the prey's sudden exit was a mix of frustration and concern. her time as a mother had, even if she wouldn't admit it, left an imprint on her. The first thought to come to her mind was, What could be wrong?, followed closely by, Who in StarClan is Mudkit? The warrior swiveled quickly, returning to Fallowpaw in a somewhat distressed state. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?" Her ears instinctively drew backwards, and her tail lashed with worry. She scanned the apprentice quickly to find that she wasn't injured. Climbingmoss guessed something had happened to her emotionally, and she knew how painful mental scars can be, even if their moons old.

[Leucos]

Originally Posted by JustJoye

Climbingmoss was halfway to where she needed to be positioned when Fallowpaw's cry rang through the trees. Their deadness added a small echo to her words, eerily repeating them as if in a chant. Her ears perked and her eyes widened in surprise. A loud yowl in the middle of a hunting trip was the last thing she'd expect to hear, especially from an apprentice in training. Maybe her mentor wasn't so great. Climbingmoss snapped out of her shock to the sound of their prey running away. It's little paws scuffled for a second before it settled into a rhythmic bound away from the pair of hunters. Her initial reaction to the prey's sudden exit was a mix of frustration and concern. her time as a mother had, even if she wouldn't admit it, left an imprint on her. The first thought to come to her mind was, What could be wrong?, followed closely by, Who in StarClan is Mudkit? The warrior swiveled quickly, returning to Fallowpaw in a somewhat distressed state. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?" Her ears instinctively drew backwards, and her tail lashed with worry. She scanned the apprentice quickly to find that she wasn't injured. Climbingmoss guessed something had happened to her emotionally, and she knew how painful mental scars can be, even if their moons old.

Fallowpaw felt her paws itch from the want to run towards the hallucination , it looked so real ! Although as she was giving in to that ,she saw the hallucination turn it's head away and walk off the opposite direction and vanish . Her eyes widened with pain and what looked like desperation ,she didn't want to be left alone . She had weaslepaw but ....she hasn't seen him in moons. Nor her mother. Ignoring everything for the time being she dashed towards the hallucination and passed climbingmoss all the while kicking up what was underpaw "mudkit please don't go!" she yowled her tone filled with pain as she ran, she finally made it to where the hallucination had been, but skidded to a halt to find that her sister was gone. Now knowing full well that was she saw wasn't real she folded her ears back and felt tears rise before shaking her head " don't go...." she meowed in a hushed tone before lowering her head as a few tears dropped on to the cold ground. Time seemed to have flown by but after she had her moment she was brought back to reality causing her head to perk up as well as her ears. Fallowpaw looked at where the rabbit had been and was wide eyed, it was gone! The mollys tail rippled at her mess up you idiot ! That was the only good thing now look what you did! the snowshoe frowned and looked at climbingmoss with an look that mirrored her emotions . She's gonna be so angry ....starclan help me....

[Sum]

@Okapi

His words, simple but straightforward, somehow brought clarity back into her train of thought, smoothing over her rough emotions. Unexpected tears stung her eyes, but she quickly blinked them back, embarrassed even though she knew he couldn't see them. She'd wanted to help him, but now it seemed he had helped her. "Thank you, Pikerunner. That was kind of you." A small smile graced Dawnsong's lips, and this time it stayed. Maybe.. Just maybe, what he said about her family was true. It certainly felt right. If anything, it made her feel better about life. She sat a little straighter and inhaled the crisp air deeply. It was near dusk now, shadows nearly gone. It was getting colder and probably time to sleep, but Dawnsong finally felt a little more comfortable-- she wasn't about to end the conversation just yet. "Have you ever night-hunted, Pikerunner?" she asked.