WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Zero]

Originally Posted by Mystical

Oriolepaw padded over to Surgestorm's side so she could study the herbs. She looked down at the white petals known as sorrel. Sorrel, I can remember that. She sniffed cautiously. She wrinkled her nose at the rather tangy scent and raised her head. She turned her head to the next pile as he spoke. Alright, daisy leaves, for not having achy joints. You can tell it from it's white flowers, but we only use the leaves. She nodded as he spoke, eager to learn about all the herbs. She looked at the next pile, the one he called chamomile. She studied them for a while, unsure if she would be able to remember the word for it. Chamomile is for soothing the mind and strengthening the heart. When he smelled them and spoke, Oriolepaw lowered her head and sniffed them happily. When she raised her head again she had a happy look in her eyes. He was right. Chamomile smelled wonderful. When she looked at the burnet she realized he was right. Burnet did seem to be all over their territory. She remembered them from when she had snuck out of camp as a kit. That was when she had met Surgestorm. When she was out there she did recall seeing something that looked and smelled a lot like burnet. She nodded when she remembered. "Then the traveling herbs are Sorrel, Daisy Leaves, Chamomile and Burnet, right?" She asked.

"Correct," Surgestorm meowed with a smile, pleasantly surprised at her determination to remember all four of them. "Good job." He gave her a playful nudge to the shoulder before leaning down to the herbs and lapping up his share of each. His face twisted into a small grimace as he chewed and swallowed, never quite used to the taste of them even after all these moons of making the journey back and forth to and from the Starcave. "We should get going," He meowed, casting a wistful glance at the length of the shadows in his den from what little light that filtered in from the outside sun. The tom could tell what time it was just from that, he didn't have to look outside to know the sun was dipping below the horizon. The moon would be rising, and if they left now, it would be in the center of the sky by the time they arrived to preform the formal ceremony that would officially make her an apprentice and him a mentor. "You ready?" He asking, watching her carefully. There was more meaning behind the question than one would first think. It may have been a little early to ask, but he had to be sure despite everything that had happened so far.

[Cosmo]

Originally Posted by Zero to Hero

"Correct," Surgestorm meowed with a smile, pleasantly surprised at her determination to remember all four of them. "Good job." He gave her a playful nudge to the shoulder before leaning down to the herbs and lapping up his share of each. His face twisted into a small grimace as he chewed and swallowed, never quite used to the taste of them even after all these moons of making the journey back and forth to and from the Starcave. "We should get going," He meowed, casting a wistful glance at the length of the shadows in his den from what little light that filtered in from the outside sun. The tom could tell what time it was just from that, he didn't have to look outside to know the sun was dipping below the horizon. The moon would be rising, and if they left now, it would be in the center of the sky by the time they arrived to preform the formal ceremony that would officially make her an apprentice and him a mentor. "You ready?" He asking, watching her carefully. There was more meaning behind the question than one would first think. It may have been a little early to ask, but he had to be sure despite everything that had happened so far.

Oriolepaw purred happily at his complement. She was determined to learn how to become a medicine cat, as she knew it was one of the greatest experiences to even dream about. She had watched kits play, and though many of their ambitions were set on being leader, she saw plenty of kits pretending to be medicine cats, and to be healing the "leader". Kits dreamed a lot. Most of them never got to be what they had dreamed of as a kit and were perfectly content being a warrior. However Oriolepaw was actually experiencing it. She was about to become Surgestorm's apprentice. She was so excited she felt like she had the energy of all the cats in the clans combined. She watched him lick up his share of the traveling herbs and decided to do the same. She lowered her head and lapped them up. She wrinkled her nose at the taste, it was not prey that was for sure. She felt like spitting it out. Oriolepaw swallowed it wincing at the bitter tang as she did. "Okay!" She chirped happily, having to restrain herself from skipping around happily. "Yes!" She purred happily and practically skipped to the entrance.

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Okapi

She flicked her tail,” Well, I can’t see what I’m clawing so I could claw a queen accidentally or who knows what.” She meowed,” Besides once I reach six moons I think Blazingstar will make me an elder because I cannot see.”

Splitkit snorted as he got up from his spot at the den entrance and moved closer to the younger cat. "You can hear ok, can't you?" the tom said, sitting on his haunches. "How about you try tackling me. I bet you can at least do that."

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

@Suspiciousmindz

Fawnskip had been spying. She'd seen enough. She was in the wrong. Blazingstar deserved her apology and as strange as it sounded, she was completely willing to ask for his forgiveness. She found herself wondering what it would be like if she never admitted her wrongdoing and the tension between the two never went away. The thought of losing the ginger tabby tom was unbearable and she preferred not to think that way. She was currently on her way to Blazingstar's den where, hopefully, the tom would agree to see her and maybe even accept her apology. Fawnskip had plenty to say and she could only hope the leader was in a good mood.

Blazingstar was just exiting his den as a long sigh left his body. He took a few pawsteps away from the den when soft pawsteps on the ground growing closer caught his attention. He turned his head slightly and found himself staring at a familiar, beautiful, calico she-cat. Still a little bitter about how they left things off, he stopped in his tracks and waited for her to get closer. Blazingstar held back his greeting and instead waited for the warrior to say what she wanted to say. Was she here to continue bashing him? To continue telling him that his warrior was disloyal and that his interest in her was making him look bad? At that reminder, he felt the muscles around his shoulders tense, but didn't let her notice it.

[yummyluc]

Originally Posted by king kaleb!

a molly? shouldnt that be a good thing? fireflare was experienced in forbidden love, specifically regarding honeypool. they were long gone now, but he still felt the longing at times. he could only wish the best for spiderflight,"Did you make a move? did anything happen at all?" he spoke with a softer tone on the second question, obviously by her reactions to things something...something happened, and it obviously wasnt good. she didnt look to be injured by any means, which was good.

hearing fireflare's words, spiderflight couldn't stifle her snort. it wasn't amused as it usually would have been, it more or less resembled more of a scoff, if anything. she sat up and sighed, gritting her teeth together and staring at the ground below, tearing it up with her claws. yes, she had made a 'move' but it certainly wasn't what fireflare would have in mind. her brows knit together even more as if she were having a hard time putting the words together. perhaps it was because she didn't often feel so troubled, or maybe because it felt awkward for fireflare to be initiated a heart-to-heart like this, at least with her. she knew he could be a kind cat, but truthfully, it was so very foreign to her that she hardly recognised his tone. she chewed on her thoughts a minute, shutting her eyes and taking a deep, even breath before opening them again.

" i... i made a move, probably not what you're thinking, though, " she practically mumbled, moving her paw around in the loosened dirt beneath, " i... i had a bit of a scuffle with fallingheart, during the war. " spiderflight admitted, not as proud to say it as she had been before, " i was an inch from killing her before she fled and we retreated. the 'move' i made ended up with her bawling her eyes out, long story short. " she stopped, staring at the small mound of dirt she had mindlessly created. it would be a miracle if fireflare understood a single word, from how softly she spoke. it wasn't new, really, for her to say she made a cat cry. but what was, was her reaction to seeing it happen. turning, she looked the tomcat right in the eyes for a moment and just for a second, something in her dull eyes cracked, and she looked back at her dirt pile, crushing it as she finished her monologue.

" and i regretted it. "

[graves]

Originally Posted by yummyluc

hearing fireflare's words, spiderflight couldn't stifle her snort. it wasn't amused as it usually would have been, it more or less resembled more of a scoff, if anything. she sat up and sighed, gritting her teeth together and staring at the ground below, tearing it up with her claws. yes, she had made a 'move' but it certainly wasn't what fireflare would have in mind. her brows knit together even more as if she were having a hard time putting the words together. perhaps it was because she didn't often feel so troubled, or maybe because it felt awkward for fireflare to be initiated a heart-to-heart like this, at least with her. she knew he could be a kind cat, but truthfully, it was so very foreign to her that she hardly recognised his tone. she chewed on her thoughts a minute, shutting her eyes and taking a deep, even breath before opening them again.

" i... i made a move, probably not what you're thinking, though, " she practically mumbled, moving her paw around in the loosened dirt beneath, " i... i had a bit of a scuffle with fallingheart, during the war. " spiderflight admitted, not as proud to say it as she had been before, " i was an inch from killing her before she fled and we retreated. the 'move' i made ended up with her bawling her eyes out, long story short. " she stopped, staring at the small mound of dirt she had mindlessly created. it would be a miracle if fireflare understood a single word, from how softly she spoke. it wasn't new, really, for her to say she made a cat cry. but what was, was her reaction to seeing it happen. turning, she looked the tomcat right in the eyes for a moment and just for a second, something in her dull eyes cracked, and she looked back at her dirt pile, crushing it as she finished her monologue.

" and i regretted it. "

well.

thats not when he was really expecting. even if he had never had a heart to heart with the molly, that didnt mean he could try to be there for her. he wasnt the best at advice by any means, no love doctor either. he knew the molly was really...out of it, just by her monotone mew, how soft and fragile it seemed. raw. not to mentioned the broken eye contact, dull eyes that were once filled with fire. he sighed, making his way over to sitting next to the other warrior, green eyes dragging themselves down to follow the same trail spiderflight was staring at, which was the dirt she was currently trying to distract herself with by kneeding. "Im not saying youll ever see her again, but perhaps you should make another move. an apology, more like. even if she doesnt accept it, itll go a long way." he replied, not really knowing what else to say.

[Zero]

Originally Posted by Mystical

Oriolepaw purred happily at his complement. She was determined to learn how to become a medicine cat, as she knew it was one of the greatest experiences to even dream about. She had watched kits play, and though many of their ambitions were set on being leader, she saw plenty of kits pretending to be medicine cats, and to be healing the "leader". Kits dreamed a lot. Most of them never got to be what they had dreamed of as a kit and were perfectly content being a warrior. However Oriolepaw was actually experiencing it. She was about to become Surgestorm's apprentice. She was so excited she felt like she had the energy of all the cats in the clans combined. She watched him lick up his share of the traveling herbs and decided to do the same. She lowered her head and lapped them up. She wrinkled her nose at the taste, it was not prey that was for sure. She felt like spitting it out. Oriolepaw swallowed it wincing at the bitter tang as she did. "Okay!" She chirped happily, having to restrain herself from skipping around happily. "Yes!" She purred happily and practically skipped to the entrance.

Surgestorm purred as Oriolepaw hopped up and bounced over to the entrance after eating her traveling herbs. It reminded him of his own apprenticehood, which made him excited for her. After taking a small glance around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he followed her to the exit. "Let the journey begin," He meowed, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Follow me." The medicine cat slipped by her, leading the way out of camp.

(I'll post a quick starter in the StarCave!)

[wren]

@Fuzzyfeline


The breeze swept across the windclan moor with such a sweet scent that seemed to call out to the clan cats. It’s warm caressing everyone’s heart pulling them into a deep longing for the newleaf or greenleaf that was coming on the clouds. The sun seemed to be climbing down the sky slower than normal casting its long ghostly shadows across the brown grass. Crouched beside a stream a graceful creature drank daintily from its cool water. Haunches bunched and eyes closed in momentary relief as the frigid water ran down its throat. There in that moment, the serene silence with the exception of the chuckling of the water over the smooth stones. A tan coloured cat with dark bengal marks sitting its muscular body was completely still until it reared it’s head bring a few clear drops of water from his chin. Marbledtongue was a handsome tom, nobody could deny the fact his sharp features, slim build, and muscular arms and legs built up a pretty handsome windclanner. Beside him was a rabbit, it’s grey fur was fading into a brown as it shed its leafbare coat to blend better with its surroundings. The transition had come to late for the poor creature, it had become prey.

The lanky warrior turned and grabbed up the rabbits scruff lifting it without struggle allowing it to sway before he climbed out of the small ditch with the steam up onto the grassy moorlands. It stretched far off on all sides, the trees of other territories only a grey blur in the distance. His lower legs was coated in dry mud and bits of soggy grass. His green eyes pierced the world as a contrast to his slender body and tan basefur. With the recent battles his fur had been tainted with nics of claws cutting away some fur nothing too serious except for identical scars running down his rib cage. He remembered the fury in the she cats eyes as she raked her claws down his ribs from beneath him- giving him the stun of a lifetime only for her to escape into the crowd. Memories of the most recent battles flashed through his mind and he could only remind himself those deaths had not been his fault. None of their faults, or at least nobody he had known. The tom continued his trek towards camp when he stopped to glance at the sun, it had only begun to climb back down the sky. He blinked from the harshness of its brightness and glanced back down. Just scan and see if there’s anything left. he crouched and set the rabbit down before digging up a hole and setting the rabbit in before pathing it up with twigs and branches.

After a few minutes of trotting around he finally caught a pleasing scent of another rabbit just ahead. The tom dropped into a low crouch his claws sinking into the frozen ground and the grass brushing by his sides. The hunt was on yet again.

[lone]

Being an apprentice was the strangest thing. It was funny - Mercurypaw had waited a long time to be respected, to get to tell his remaining Dad about being an apprentice, and now that the day had come… both Dads were dead. Gone forever. Mercurypaw was angry, definitely - but not sad. Sadness was weakness, and within the first week or so of hearing about Thrushflight’s death, he had hidden it away and revealed only anger. I’ll make you proud, Dad. I’ll make whoever killed you pay one day. That was going to be hard, considering he didn’t know who it was or even what Clan they were from - every Clan but SkyClan had been involved, which only made Mercurypaw angrier.

It had been between ThunderClan and WindClan, and certainly if it had been a fair fight that way, Thrushflight wouldn’t have died. No puny ThunderClan cat could have killed his Dad, but… Mercurypaw still couldn’t bring himself to rule them out. It could have been anyone. And whoever it was, one day, he would find them and he would make sure they knew exactly who he was killing them for. He would kill them very slowly, making them beg for mercy before he finally ended their wretched, pathetic little lives. Right now, there was a furious expression on Mercurypaw’s features as he watched the other cats in the clearing, going about their business like it didn’t even matter. Mercurypaw had been taking care of what he needed to - but in his free time, you would never catch him aimlessly wandering around. He rested, waited, watched… always wondering if perhaps it had been an “inside job” and a WindClan warrior had killed Thrushflight.

It was almost consuming him. This was why caring about anyone, anytime, was weakness. Mercurypaw’s family was the one thing he couldn’t help but care about. He was fiercely loyal towards them, more so than his Clan, almost. And it was a weakness. An awful one.

@RedHead

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Celestial

@Fuzzyfeline


The breeze swept across the windclan moor with such a sweet scent that seemed to call out to the clan cats. It’s warm caressing everyone’s heart pulling them into a deep longing for the newleaf or greenleaf that was coming on the clouds. The sun seemed to be climbing down the sky slower than normal casting its long ghostly shadows across the brown grass. Crouched beside a stream a graceful creature drank daintily from its cool water. Haunches bunched and eyes closed in momentary relief as the frigid water ran down its throat. There in that moment, the serene silence with the exception of the chuckling of the water over the smooth stones. A tan coloured cat with dark bengal marks sitting its muscular body was completely still until it reared it’s head bring a few clear drops of water from his chin. Marbledtongue was a handsome tom, nobody could deny the fact his sharp features, slim build, and muscular arms and legs built up a pretty handsome windclanner. Beside him was a rabbit, it’s grey fur was fading into a brown as it shed its leafbare coat to blend better with its surroundings. The transition had come to late for the poor creature, it had become prey.

The lanky warrior turned and grabbed up the rabbits scruff lifting it without struggle allowing it to sway before he climbed out of the small ditch with the steam up onto the grassy moorlands. It stretched far off on all sides, the trees of other territories only a grey blur in the distance. His lower legs was coated in dry mud and bits of soggy grass. His green eyes pierced the world as a contrast to his slender body and tan basefur. With the recent battles his fur had been tainted with nics of claws cutting away some fur nothing too serious except for identical scars running down his rib cage. He remembered the fury in the she cats eyes as she raked her claws down his ribs from beneath him- giving him the stun of a lifetime only for her to escape into the crowd. Memories of the most recent battles flashed through his mind and he could only remind himself those deaths had not been his fault. None of their faults, or at least nobody he had known. The tom continued his trek towards camp when he stopped to glance at the sun, it had only begun to climb back down the sky. He blinked from the harshness of its brightness and glanced back down. Just scan and see if there’s anything left. he crouched and set the rabbit down before digging up a hole and setting the rabbit in before pathing it up with twigs and branches.

After a few minutes of trotting around he finally caught a pleasing scent of another rabbit just ahead. The tom dropped into a low crouch his claws sinking into the frozen ground and the grass brushing by his sides. The hunt was on yet again.

The wind tugged though the moor bringing scents of new plants and wondering animals. The weather was warming meaning rabbits and hares would be coming farther out of their borrows and would be getting easier to catch as Newleaf and Greenleaf came closer and the heather grew bringing a warm sun and sweet secants. The long windswept grass covered the well known moor leaving cover and beauty to any WindClanner.
A creamy ginger molly stood on a high point on the moor her lean body covered in thick medium length fur. The molly's muzzle was slightly lifted framing in all the secants of the more. Buttercupbreeze, a mouthful of a name for some, was out on a hunt. The deputy decided to go herself just because she realized she forgot to plan herself into the patrols. A rookie mistake for a Deputy but Buttercup had only been Deputy for a little over a moon tops. She was getting used to organizing patrols, hunting and border patrols and have cats ask her questions. Honesty it was strange going from a young warrior with only an apprentice to train and worry about to be the deputy of WindClan.

The wind wiped the molly's face and played with her whiskers. Her thin yet strong legs pushed through the long grass she'd already caught a hare and had it buried not far away but a single hare wasn't much for a hungry Clan. Newleaf was almost upon them witch meant more kits would be born and that meant they needed to keep the prey pile well stocked. With the chilly weather and light rain fall that has been going on all sunrise there could bring in a storm.

A chill ran though the molly as a drop of cold water landed on her nose from the grass she'd pushes through. Shaking out her fur she fluffed it a bit to keep the chill of the wind from bothering her as much. I thought I smelled rabbit. She thought opening her mouth to try and catch the secants again. Dampness and mud was a strong secant here but amongst it she caught the secant of rabbit. Just like I thought. The molly had also smelled a strong secant of WindClan but guessed that a Clanmate had just passed or was hunting near by.
Lowering herself she crept though the grass as quietly as she could, her puffy tail held just above the ground. The wind was blowing into her face which varied that she was upwind of the rabbit. As a swish of gras was moved from her view she caught sight of the rabbit, almost completely blinding into the area around it. Scanning around it she looked for a borrow but didn't spot one. It looks like it stayed from its borrow. She noted. Dragging in a breath she came a little closer till her cover was almost gone.
Know or never Buttercup. The molly told herself. Pushing off the ground with her powerful hind legs the deputy lunched into the air. This alerted the rabbit making it run, scampering as fast as its legs would carry it.
Pushing through the slippery mud and damp grass Buttercupbreeze gave chance. Mud splashed her legs and underbelly but she didn't seam to notice as she speed past Marbledtongue, which she didn't know was there in pursuit of the rabbit.
As the rabbit got caught in a slippery slope the molly pounced digging her claws in the flesh of the catch. Though as she bent to nip it's neck she lost her footing and slipped down the slope dragging the rabbit through the mud with her. Kicking it tried to get away but the mud coved deputy jerked it and snapped it's spine, killing it.
When the creamy ginger molly started to stand up she almost slipped again but she caught herself this time. It was a close one.
Looking over herself Buttercup noticed how dirty she got.
"Geez I'm a mess." She meowed out loud. Mud cracked her legs and underbelly making her fur spiky in spots and flat in others her back and face was spattered with specks of it. This made her scrunch her nose at the thought of cleaning it. She hated the taste of mud but seeing how she looked made her purr in amusement. I can wash in the stream if I get desperate. The molly thought as she picked up her catch. It was covered in mud as well. And the rabbit. She added still purring.

As she turned to head to the stream she spotted the bangle tabby for the first time. Had he been there the whole time? Feeling a bit embarrassed that she hadn't noticed the tom she sat down her catch.
"Hello." She meowed in greeting.
Scraping through her mind she tried to place a name on the tom. Come on he's your Clanmates your suppose to remember these things. She told herself flicking mud from her ear. It was normal for her to sometimes go completely blank on what to say when she was caught of guard and figuring out you'd just butted in on a Clanmates hunt took her aback. Then his name dawned on her. This tom was Marbledtongue, she didn't know him that well. Maybe she could. If she didn't agitate him by stealing his catch.