RiverClan Territory

[Starfall]

@PokeCat
[Sure! I can have Fallen tell her now /v\ ]

The ebony tom turned to face the pale golden molly, uncertainty plastered on his face. He appreciated her trying to cheer him up, bringing up the past...but it hurt more than it helped. " Thank's Li, they're gonna have to like my views, since I'm going to get my 9 lives once Juniperpaw comes back from herb hunting." he stated, realizing that she hadn't found out he was the new leader, and in all honesty, he was still processing the fact too. He still didn't believe that he was the leader, he felt as though Russetstar would come back, that Starclan would appoint a new leader, it would relieve him. He had already messed up so many times, had already let his clan down, what good is he as a leader, how could he become the very thing he hated?

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Shoes

Runningpaw nodded as if approving they knew the spot their mentor was talking about, they rather liked to hunt there because of they thought the area looked lovely. They slowed down just a bit when Rainpelt sped up to meet their pace, they were already realizing their goals for the day might have already been foiled by their previous shouting but at least they could try to just forget about that and start again and not stupidly alert the whole forest’s prey of their presence. The next words made their ears pick and their face change to a small pout. “Well, I’m with my denmates all the time, ya know. We only talk or anything when you take me out training.” They looked over and gave a small shrug as they walked, they must have sounded silly. They were just worried they might not have as close a relationship with their mentor as the other apprentices have, Rainpelt was the cat they spent the most time within the clan so why shouldn’t they be friends. “But if you’re busy or somethin’ I won’t be bothered.” They perked up again, choosing to believe that their mentor did want to share a meal but she just didn’t have the time.

“We’ll see,” Rainpelt said noncommittally. Not long after, the willow was in sight. Sge stopped about five tail lengths from the tree and turned to her apprentice. “Alright, show me what you’ve learned so far,” said Rainpelt, her tail thumping against the ground as she waiting.

[wren]

@Absurdjinx


Daisyshade sat with her paws neatly crossed over each other. The sun was warming her fur as it trickles down through the atmosphere lighting up the clearing and warming the cats. She had recently been hunting and as luck would have it, caught a good size fish and was happy to drop it off at the freshkill pile. Yet at the expense of this she completely soaked herself by accident and looked like a drowned rat. Fortunately she was able to get back to camp without freezing her tail off. Now she lounged happily as the sun chased away the oncoming freeze of leafbare.

A constant worry in the back of everyone’s minds, not only to bring to the matter the fact that russetstar had stepped down leaving fallenstream to take his name up as fallenstar and begin his lead during the hardest time of the cats lives. The dreaded freeze, not to mention riverclan cats often struggled with land faring prey which caused problems when the river and lake finally froze over completely. The white and orange tabby gently ran her tongue over her cool fur licking out the odd pieces of debris she had picked up with her little swim earlier that morning and began to rasp her tongue over her legs.

With a satisfied sigh the molly leaned back and stretched out over the dyeing grass of the clearing plucking out little strands with her claws before laying back and settling into a comfortable position to watch the clans constant hustle. Just as she laid back she had a perfect view of the medicine cat den and her ears gently folded. You wouldn't have guessed daisyshade was stressed, but she was and for at least a few days now she had been avidly considering going to the young medicne cat for guidance. Yet the off chance of tumblestep seeing her worried her greatly and she wasn't sure if she wanted to risk worrying him sick.

With an exhausted huff she got to her paws stretched and padded closer towards the den, pausing every few seconds until finally giving up her chances and padding in. "Juniperpaw?" she called softly. Her tail whisking throguh the air as she padded in under the shade. "I just wanted to talk if that's alright?"

[PokeCat]

Originally Posted by starfall

@PokeCat
[Sure! I can have Fallen tell her now /v\ ]

The ebony tom turned to face the pale golden molly, uncertainty plastered on his face. He appreciated her trying to cheer him up, bringing up the past...but it hurt more than it helped. " Thank's Li, they're gonna have to like my views, since I'm going to get my 9 lives once Juniperpaw comes back from herb hunting." he stated, realizing that she hadn't found out he was the new leader, and in all honesty, he was still processing the fact too. He still didn't believe that he was the leader, he felt as though Russetstar would come back, that Starclan would appoint a new leader, it would relieve him. He had already messed up so many times, had already let his clan down, what good is he as a leader, how could he become the very thing he hated?

(sorry it took so long! been a super crazy week!)

Lighstream smiled at the tom as his face went through the motions. She loved everything about him, even if she wasn't sure in what way. The look of uncertainty in his eye when he told her about his promotion to leader make her heart skip a beat. Pride swelled in her heart as he unintentionally gave her some of the best news she had ever heard. "Leader? You must be kidding me. Fallenstream, that's amazing!" She walked up to him and licked his muzzle, her head feeling like a mother to kit who had just become an apprentice. She stepped back and smiled, the urge to spill all of her secrets to him steadily increasing. She looked down at her paws, juggling uncertainty.

[lone]

A small kit was crouched down, huddled in a terrified position, her tail wrapped around her and ears plastered back to her head. Anyone who found her here would surely kill her. At least, that was what Honey was currently thinking. Her throat was sore, but she wasn't going to complain about it - complaining would get her nowhere. All she needed to do was get out of this place. It smelled like many, many cats... prey... and blood. She couldn't remember the last time she had been around so many cat-smells. Her Mother had always taken care of her, but now she was surrounded by every smell but that one. And she couldn't call out. Because she was too scared of drawing attention to herself. Two small, raindrop-shaped tears slid down her face, and were followed by more. Honey was alone.

She had never minded being left on her own for a day or two, but it had been probably half a moon without any sight of her Mother. The worst part of crying had always been the emptiness that it left behind afterwards. This time was no different. She felt like she had been crying for moons when the tears finally subsided, and she was able to sit up some and examine her surroundings. Focus. Use your surroundings to your advantage. Where's a good, small hiding spot that's too small for bigger cats or predators to get into, but small enough that you'll be comfortable? She thought to herself. There wasn't time to feel sorry for herself. If Honey didn't hide, a predator was sure to get her. Her claws and fangs weren't sharp enough to do any damage. Her Mother had taught her enough to be able to surprise an attacker, but certainly not enough to seriously hurt them.

And it was only because she was left alone so much. Honey had thrived off of small insects, or young rodents when her Mother's prey supply had run out... and that was what she had been living off of now. It was surprising how much meat there was on a bug. Even if it left a funny taste in her mouth. And as for small rodents, well... they were normally babies, and Honey was able to draw one or two out with her paw. If she had been lucky, a bird would have it's nest on a low branch where her Mother would help her to get to the eggs. Honey loved eggs... they were an especially special treat that her Mother had given her when she got back from longer adventures.

@meraki @mompaws

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by Celestial

@Absurdjinx

Daisyshade sat with her paws neatly crossed over each other. The sun was warming her fur as it trickles down through the atmosphere lighting up the clearing and warming the cats. She had recently been hunting and as luck would have it, caught a good size fish and was happy to drop it off at the freshkill pile. Yet at the expense of this she completely soaked herself by accident and looked like a drowned rat. Fortunately she was able to get back to camp without freezing her tail off. Now she lounged happily as the sun chased away the oncoming freeze of leafbare.

A constant worry in the back of everyone’s minds, not only to bring to the matter the fact that russetstar had stepped down leaving fallenstream to take his name up as fallenstar and begin his lead during the hardest time of the cats lives. The dreaded freeze, not to mention riverclan cats often struggled with land faring prey which caused problems when the river and lake finally froze over completely. The white and orange tabby gently ran her tongue over her cool fur licking out the odd pieces of debris she had picked up with her little swim earlier that morning and began to rasp her tongue over her legs.

With a satisfied sigh the molly leaned back and stretched out over the dyeing grass of the clearing plucking out little strands with her claws before laying back and settling into a comfortable position to watch the clans constant hustle. Just as she laid back she had a perfect view of the medicine cat den and her ears gently folded. You wouldn't have guessed daisyshade was stressed, but she was and for at least a few days now she had been avidly considering going to the young medicne cat for guidance. Yet the off chance of tumblestep seeing her worried her greatly and she wasn't sure if she wanted to risk worrying him sick.

With an exhausted huff she got to her paws stretched and padded closer towards the den, pausing every few seconds until finally giving up her chances and padding in. "Juniperpaw?" she called softly. Her tail whisking throguh the air as she padded in under the shade. "I just wanted to talk if that's alright?"

Juniperpaw was just finishing gathering the bits of herbs littering her den when she heard the entrance rustle quietly, bringing her to carefully turn around and see who may require her attention. Her gaze settled on a feline she recognized as Daisyshade. As medicine cat apprentice, Juniperpaw felt it was her duty to know the names off all her clanmates so she's been doing her homework. Now, she could proudly name almost every cat in the clan - if only she could do that with the herbs. Unfortunately, it took much time and practice to learn the names and uses of every single leaf and berry; a lifetime of studying was required, Juniperpaw felt, much more observation than cat-watching.

``Of course it's alright,`` Juniperpaw purred, flashing the she-cat a welcoming smile. ``Would you mind if we spoke outside camp? I just need to toss these scraps here,`` she meowed, beckoning to the bits of chervil that were piled upon an unrecognizable leaf-wrap, ``and then perhaps we could go on a private walk around the territory? I believe it would be nice to stretch our legs, hm?`` The young feline cautiously secured the leaf-wrap with her clumsy paws before leaning down and grasping it between her jaws. With a flick of her tail-tip Juniperpaw guided Daisyshade from the medicine den, wove her way through the camp, and slipped out into the territory.

She didn't stray very far from camp to rid herself of the leaf-wrap. Juniperpaw padded a couple fox-lengths from camp, set the wrap down, and began the process of digging. While she scraped away at the slowly-hardening earth, she glanced back at Daisyshade and asked warmly, ``What is it you'd like to talk about?`` Juniperpaw, in all honesty, did not know why Daisyshade would come to her. Unless, of course, she was in need of medical assistance, but a hunch told her that was not why Daisyshade came to her today.

[Starfall]

@meraki

The ebony tom pushed his way through the reeds that covered the clan, shuddering as they tickled his sides. It was fairly early in the morning, a small layer of frost still coated everything. A blanket that both protected and hurt the vegetation around him. Of course the crispy air hadn't bothered him, his fur was thick enough that the cold air couldn't penetrate and poke at his skin. Still, the crunching of the frost beneath his paws was a different story, with every step he felt a chill trickle down his spine. The ebony tom let out breath and watched as the cloud slowly faded away. He turned and gave his companion a small smile "Sorry, forgot it was Leaf-Bare. I plan on wading through water, so tell me if you plan on going back." he stated, his tail tip twitching. He needed a distraction, he was still wrapping his head around the fact that he was leader now, he still hadn't gotten used to being deputy. He was confused and in all honesty a little shaken up, he had done so many bad things, and they were things he couldn't take back. He never thought he would need Honeypool so badly, that he leaned on her so much, that he depended on her smile to pull him through, show him that he was right.

Fallenstar twitched his whiskers, his pink nose twitched as he tried to smell any other type of kill, trying to dig out the tempting scent of food that was greatly buried by the fresh scent of the frost and dew. He had seen Rowanflicker around camp, he seemed like a dependable tom, and the tom knew that he had to pick a deputy, and soon. He was on the look-out, and the tom was one of the first that caught his eye. The burly tom wasn't sure how he was to go about this, ask questions about the tom? To him, that would seem weird, and it would be incredibly akward to ask the questions. He let out a sigh and shook his head, for now, he would act like normal. " Should we go upstream or downstream?" he asked the warrior, his ears twitching as the wind made the reeds dance. As he asked that, he thought of Waterstreak and his stomach dropped. So many horrible deeds, so much spilled blood on his paws, how in the name of Starclan was he named deputy, and why did Starclan approve of him being leader?

[wren]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

Juniperpaw was just finishing gathering the bits of herbs littering her den when she heard the entrance rustle quietly, bringing her to carefully turn around and see who may require her attention. Her gaze settled on a feline she recognized as Daisyshade. As medicine cat apprentice, Juniperpaw felt it was her duty to know the names off all her clanmates so she's been doing her homework. Now, she could proudly name almost every cat in the clan - if only she could do that with the herbs. Unfortunately, it took much time and practice to learn the names and uses of every single leaf and berry; a lifetime of studying was required, Juniperpaw felt, much more observation than cat-watching.

``Of course it's alright,`` Juniperpaw purred, flashing the she-cat a welcoming smile. ``Would you mind if we spoke outside camp? I just need to toss these scraps here,`` she meowed, beckoning to the bits of chervil that were piled upon an unrecognizable leaf-wrap, ``and then perhaps we could go on a private walk around the territory? I believe it would be nice to stretch our legs, hm?`` The young feline cautiously secured the leaf-wrap with her clumsy paws before leaning down and grasping it between her jaws. With a flick of her tail-tip Juniperpaw guided Daisyshade from the medicine den, wove her way through the camp, and slipped out into the territory.

She didn't stray very far from camp to rid herself of the leaf-wrap. Juniperpaw padded a couple fox-lengths from camp, set the wrap down, and began the process of digging. While she scraped away at the slowly-hardening earth, she glanced back at Daisyshade and asked warmly, ``What is it you'd like to talk about?`` Juniperpaw, in all honesty, did not know why Daisyshade would come to her. Unless, of course, she was in need of medical assistance, but a hunch told her that was not why Daisyshade came to her today.

There was no place more secret that the territory with a little chance of being found when the territory was so huge and vast. So she was glad to follow the small medicine cat out of the den. “Oh. Of course that’s fine” she meowed, truthfully she was pretty exhausted from the hunt earlier but she wasn’t going to complain. It was rare for her to just get out and get some fresh air, maybe explore and just talk. Not to mention the kitten boom she was struggling to find places to eat or simply lounge alone anymore.

Once they were a few fox lengths out of the camp she settled across from juniper, at first watching her dig and thinking up a few ways of sparking up a conversation about her concerns. Than after a few minutes of watching she dug her paws deep into the soil pulling out a pile so it was out of junipers way as she busily worked away at the whole. When she asked why she had come, Daisyshade felt her body slightly tense.

You were supposed to trust a medicine cat and believe that they should know what’s the best for you. Maybe that was physically what about mentally? With a contemplative huff she rubbed her paw across her temple trying to calm her buzzing nerves. “I’m… I’m… “ she paused catching her breath despite not having talked much. She hung her head and stood up pacing in an oval trying to calm herself and not panic. “Its. It’s the idea of starting a family” she paused. She turned back around and faced the medicine cat. “It was a few moons before the gathering… the night that the Dusk sydndicate attacked”

she meowed sitting back down and curling her tail nervously by her flank. “It was between those events that we had discussed starting a family… After some negotiation we had decided that maybe- we were ready for it” bile rose in her throat and suddenly her eyes began to water. She didn’t looked scared she looked concerned to the point of tears. She wiped her eyes with a paw and settled back down after a few heavy breaths.

“I was so sure at the time that I was ready for it. I was so sure I wanted a family and that’s how my life was supposed to go… growing old with tumblestep with kits growing into warriors. Now I’m not to sure” she said with a sigh under her breath. She leaned over the while juniper had made and started to push the pile in not making eye contact with juniper despite not asking if she could. Once it was in she pushed a pile of dirt forward but didn’t start to bury it. “I know I could tell him anything… But I was sure that if I did tell him I was scared or having second thoughts he would worry and he would start having second thoughts too”

[meraki]

Originally Posted by starfall

@meraki

The ebony tom pushed his way through the reeds that covered the clan, shuddering as they tickled his sides. It was fairly early in the morning, a small layer of frost still coated everything. A blanket that both protected and hurt the vegetation around him. Of course the crispy air hadn't bothered him, his fur was thick enough that the cold air couldn't penetrate and poke at his skin. Still, the crunching of the frost beneath his paws was a different story, with every step he felt a chill trickle down his spine. The ebony tom let out breath and watched as the cloud slowly faded away. He turned and gave his companion a small smile "Sorry, forgot it was Leaf-Bare. I plan on wading through water, so tell me if you plan on going back." he stated, his tail tip twitching. He needed a distraction, he was still wrapping his head around the fact that he was leader now, he still hadn't gotten used to being deputy. He was confused and in all honesty a little shaken up, he had done so many bad things, and they were things he couldn't take back. He never thought he would need Honeypool so badly, that he leaned on her so much, that he depended on her smile to pull him through, show him that he was right.

Fallenstar twitched his whiskers, his pink nose twitched as he tried to smell any other type of kill, trying to dig out the tempting scent of food that was greatly buried by the fresh scent of the frost and dew. He had seen Rowanflicker around camp, he seemed like a dependable tom, and the tom knew that he had to pick a deputy, and soon. He was on the look-out, and the tom was one of the first that caught his eye. The burly tom wasn't sure how he was to go about this, ask questions about the tom? To him, that would seem weird, and it would be incredibly akward to ask the questions. He let out a sigh and shook his head, for now, he would act like normal. " Should we go upstream or downstream?" he asked the warrior, his ears twitching as the wind made the reeds dance. As he asked that, he thought of Waterstreak and his stomach dropped. So many horrible deeds, so much spilled blood on his paws, how in the name of Starclan was he named deputy, and why did Starclan approve of him being leader?

The smaller calico tom had always been more fond of Greenleaf; he wasn’t a fan of being constantly cold all the time, and he assumed others would likely agree. His pale green eyes wavering, Rowanflicker scanned the area around the two. Honestly, he was still rather surprised that the leader of their clan had asked to go on a patrol with him; he was rather average in his mindset, but the tom shrugged it off. This he would use as an opportunity. Rowanflicker exhaled slowly, watching the smoke-like heat release into the chilly, crisp, winter air. As a kit, he used to be amazed by the cloud that was released at each breath; but now, it was more of an evil omen, one that hinted at the coming of leaf-bare. He looked up at the sky, at the ominous grey clouds that sheilded the sun. His multicoloured tail swished back and forth as they walked, the slight kink in it painless. Rowanflicker had always been a loyal cat; one that seldom ever doubted his leader, and such was the case with Fallenstar. If StarClan decided he was worthy of being leader, then Rowanflicker believed Fallenstar was worthy of being a leader- and that’s just how it was. At the other tom’s comment, Rowanflicker simply shook his head. “Of course not; a little chill shouldn’t be much of a problem at all. A slight setback perhaps, but nothing impossible.” He replied calmly, a mere shrug of his shoulders.
Lifting his cranium up towards the sky, Rowanflicker lifted his nose and checked to see if he could catch the scent of any prey, though all he could smell was cold air. They continued on their way, the small tom still keeping lookout for any rabbits or voles, just in case some were late to hibernate. The rushing sounds of the river caught his ears as they swivelled in its direction. Soon though, the more lentic parts of the river would freeze over; but likely not for another moon if they were lucky. Rowanflicker’s eyes flicked over to Fallenstar, considering this question thoughtfully. “Perhaps we should head downstream? That’s the direction the fish generally go this time of the season. Though in spring they’ll move upstream, of course.” He added sensibly. Rowanflicker did not know much about the leader’s backstory; he only knew of bits and pieces from rumours that fluttered about the camp. Personally, he was not one to listen to rumours; that was just something about the tom that distinguished him from others at times. He wouldn’t assume anything of a cat without actual knowledge of the fact.

[Pounce]

@Charmer

The moon had begun its nightly trek across the sky, leaving the first few shining stars in its wake. Silver light sifted down, shining bright on the rippling water of the river below. A silver tabby lay on a rocky overhang, soaking up the last few minutes of warmth the day had left. At his side lay the glistening remains of his dinner; a small pile of shells. A few more remained, he had gathered too many, it seemed.

This was a strange place. Far different than the wooden boards and sandy shores that made up his home. The scent of fish and salt still hung heavy in the air, that much was comforting. But there were other scents too. The sleek tom licked his paw and ran it over his ears, pondering them. Damp earth, small warm-blooded things, the stale scent of two-legs. And cats. Plenty of cats.

Watch had spent the past few nights on the shore, where the river fed the sea, tasting that cat-scent on the wind. Yet, he had never seen any cat down this far river. His curiosity had gotten the better of him and he had decided to spend today exploring up-river, unknowingly crossing into RiverClan territory. Tonight, the wind blew from the sea. The familiar tang of salt clung to the roof of his mouth, and there he bathed, unknowing that he would soon not be alone.