WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Panic]

Originally Posted by The Little Robin

“We’ll just go by the prefixes of our names.” The dark-furred male explained, looking at Shiverpaw with a small smirk placed on his maw, “Don’t worry, I have everything covered - see you tonight when the moon is highest.” With that, the apprentice left his friend there as he retreated back into the apprentice den to rest up so that he wouldn’t be tired for their small adventure.

"Right." Back to Shiver, then... I should probably rest as well. We'll be traveling tonight, so... He followed Ferretpaw into the den before curling up to sleep.

[Captain]

@Panic

Later the night, the young apprentice awoke in the comforts of his moss nest, surrounded by the other young cats that he trained alongside with. His amber-hued eyes gleamed in the darkness as he slowly and quietly heaved himself to his paws, stepping out of his bed and padding outside, making sure to step over any stray paws and tails that could wake someone up if stepped on if he wasn’t careful enough. Once he had reached the empty clearing of the camp, Ferretpaw lifted his head and gazed up at the moon that shone in the night sky above him. The Windclan territory was a good place to see the stars and moon, since the sky was not hidden by looming trees like pine or maple. His eyes flickered over to the warrior’s den as he thought about his mentor, Tealeaf, knowing that she would wonder where he had gone, but he refused to let this stop him. He would return, yes, he was not becoming a rogue or a loner. The dark brown-furred apprentice just wanted to see the outside world for once in his life. Hawkfeather, his older adopted brother, wouldn’t notice he was gone either, too distracted by a molly that had caught his eye a few moons ago. The young male had seen them together in the camp many times before. He shook his head and continued on his way, making sure to not stay out in the open for too long, knowing that there was a chance that he could be stopped by the cat that guarded the entrance of camp each night. With silent paws, he snuck out between two dens and into the hunting grounds, free from any possible prying eyes as he broke into a run, dashing through the green and yellow uncut grass that covered the land that he knew so well now. Ferretpaw wanted to show his clan that he could survive without needing anyone to constantly tower over him. The distant sound of crickets echoed in his ears as he ran, seeing the distant tree that stood on it’s own at the edge of their hunting grounds - he had remembered seeing it when Tealeaf had shown him all of the land on his first day of training. He did not stop as he headed through the grass, determined to see the wonders that he had been kept from ever since he was born. Ferretpaw skidded to a halt, looking up at the single tree for a moment as his tail swept back and forth behind him. Now, it was a test of waiting. Would his closest and only friend, Shiverpaw, show his face? Or would he chicken out on their plans? Ferretpaw did not know, but he did not assume anything either. The dark-furred apprentice rested on his haunches in the softened grass, his tail curling around him as he patiently waited, his amber-hued eyes showing in the darkness.

[Panic]

Originally Posted by The Little Robin

@Panic

Later the night, the young apprentice awoke in the comforts of his moss nest, surrounded by the other young cats that he trained alongside with. His amber-hued eyes gleamed in the darkness as he slowly and quietly heaved himself to his paws, stepping out of his bed and padding outside, making sure to step over any stray paws and tails that could wake someone up if stepped on if he wasn’t careful enough. Once he had reached the empty clearing of the camp, Ferretpaw lifted his head and gazed up at the moon that shone in the night sky above him. The Windclan territory was a good place to see the stars and moon, since the sky was not hidden by looming trees like pine or maple. His eyes flickered over to the warrior’s den as he thought about his mentor, Tealeaf, knowing that she would wonder where he had gone, but he refused to let this stop him. He would return, yes, he was not becoming a rogue or a loner. The dark brown-furred apprentice just wanted to see the outside world for once in his life. Hawkfeather, his older adopted brother, wouldn’t notice he was gone either, too distracted by a molly that had caught his eye a few moons ago. The young male had seen them together in the camp many times before. He shook his head and continued on his way, making sure to not stay out in the open for too long, knowing that there was a chance that he could be stopped by the cat that guarded the entrance of camp each night. With silent paws, he snuck out between two dens and into the hunting grounds, free from any possible prying eyes as he broke into a run, dashing through the green and yellow uncut grass that covered the land that he knew so well now. Ferretpaw wanted to show his clan that he could survive without needing anyone to constantly tower over him. The distant sound of crickets echoed in his ears as he ran, seeing the distant tree that stood on it’s own at the edge of their hunting grounds - he had remembered seeing it when Tealeaf had shown him all of the land on his first day of training. He did not stop as he headed through the grass, determined to see the wonders that he had been kept from ever since he was born. Ferretpaw skidded to a halt, looking up at the single tree for a moment as his tail swept back and forth behind him. Now, it was a test of waiting. Would his closest and only friend, Shiverpaw, show his face? Or would he chicken out on their plans? Ferretpaw did not know, but he did not assume anything either. The dark-furred apprentice rested on his haunches in the softened grass, his tail curling around him as he patiently waited, his amber-hued eyes showing in the darkness.

Shiverpaw glanced around the dark territory, moving slowly towards the tree that they were to meet Ferretpaw at. I'm glad I didn't wake anyone up when I left... that was close. Their eyes caught on two amber dots nearby. Ferretpaw! They padded up next to their friends, mewing a quiet greeting. "Hey, Ferretpaw. You haven't been waiting here too long, have you? I just wanted to be sure I didn't wake up anyone..."

[Captain]

Originally Posted by Panic

Shiverpaw glanced around the dark territory, moving slowly towards the tree that they were to meet Ferretpaw at. I'm glad I didn't wake anyone up when I left... that was close. Their eyes caught on two amber dots nearby. Ferretpaw! They padded up next to their friends, mewing a quiet greeting. "Hey, Ferretpaw. You haven't been waiting here too long, have you? I just wanted to be sure I didn't wake up anyone..."

The small apprentice gazed up at the stars above him as he quietly awaited his friend’s arrival, his ears twitching to the nightly sounds of the woods behind him. Ferretpaw almost began to doubt that they wouldn’t show, but to his surprise, the dark-furred male heard the grey-furred apprentice greet him as he saw them head towards him and join him underneath the tree. “Hey there, I’m glad you could make it. I started to wonder if you weren’t going to show.” He admitted, blinking at the cat before him, “I haven’t been waiting long, don’t worry. It seems that we escaped without anyone noticing, which is good.” There was a moment of silence that went between them as he looked off into the distant forest. “Alright, let’s head this way. We’ll need to hurry through Thunderclan territory, but as long as we don’t stop, we should be fine. Just follow me and don’t stray too far.” Ferretpaw said, standing up, “Are you ready to head out with me?”

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by Lilly

At this point, Indigo wasn't exactly sure what residence this strange tom called home. His implied tone was much nicer than that of a rogue who wanted nothing more than to protect his territory. And what was this talk of a 'camp'? His head was tilted just as bit as his mind analyzed the new information. The older tom was right to suggest that if Halite or his father were in fact chasing him, they would soon be able to catch him, and Indigo didn't want to even ponder what his fate might be then. Despite the mystery that still shrouded this newcomer from him, the younger tom saw it as his best bet for safety. "...I guess you're right.." Indigo murmured, forcing the remaining tense muscles to settle into a more relaxed state. Ears twitching at the teasing tone, his mouth hardened just a bit, and ears went a bit flatter against his head. "I am strong, you know," he grumbled pointedly. The ginger cat glanced back up at Blazingstar, only a bit of a frown making his maw twitch. "I could defend myself." What's the point in arguing, Indy? He's obviously bigger than you, and already tripped you, the voice in his head pointed out, causing Indigo to wince just a smidge. "But," he stated quickly, so as not to annoy this tom any further, "I would like to eat something."

Blazingstar's rose to his paws and stood straight, his tail raising straight up in the air behind him. It waved a little in the air with his satisfaction at winning the kits agreement. Now, he had to simply get the kit all the back to camp. "Well you can eat when we get back. There should be some prey from the dusk patrol waiting. If they're not already back, then it'll be very fresh kill," he replied, gesturing with his head towards the direction of camp. "Shall we be on our way then?" he asked, taking a few steps in the direction he gestured before looking back at the kit to make sure they were following. Despite getting the kit to agree, he knew that this was another way the kit could simply run off. "Perhaps you could tell me a little about yourself too? It'd be rude to come back to my home without telling me a little about yourself," he spoke calmly, his tail swishing behind him as he walked at a normal pace now, assuming the kit would keep up.

[Zero]

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

@Zero to Hero

A murmur. Small touches. A faint smell.

Enough new things in the past few days to cause Blazingstar's hues to open. At first, his vision was blurry. Surgestorm's figure nothing but a gray blur and his voice nothing but a whisper. He blinked, slowly. The vision cleared up a bit before he could recognize the medicine cat. His jaws parted ever so slightly, as if to say something, but his parched throat wouldn't allow him to. They simply shut again as he tried to roll back over, but to no prevail. A soft moan of defeat left the Windclan leader's body as he felt his breaths drew more shallow and his chest tighten at the lack of oxygen. Glazed over, golden hues shut once more and a bright flash of light left the ginger tom's body very still.

---

Blazingstar opened his hues again to find stars beneath them. He felt weak, but looked better than his real body. He recognized this place. Starclan. He spun, looking around for any cats, before a few heart beats passed and a voice shook him to his roots.

"Blazingstar, you need to eat,"

The ginger tom spun, his gaze settling on an ebony feline dropping a mouse onto the ground and rolling a damp moss ball with his paw. His chest tightened again, but no words left his mouth. He felt like an apprentice again. Slowly, he padded up to the figure, trying not to grieve. The ebony tom's hues were soft and a friendly smile stuck on his face. Blazingstar didn't hesitate as the scent of mouse -- something he ate rarely -- tempted his hungry body to eat. It felt like only moments going by, everything was in a fast-forward pace. By the time he was finish lapping the damp moss-ball, another flash of light blinded him.

----

He blinked a few times. In real time, Blazingstar had died for at least a few minutes. However, the leader felt stronger than he did before. His gaze rested on Surgestorm, doing whatever he was doing at that moment. The ginger tom rolled onto his stomach, his head spinning, making him nauseous, but he had nothing in his stomach to help. As he laid there, dazed, he simply didn't say anything, just waited for the questions, the concerns, from his loyal medicine cat.

Surgestorm's heart clenched once more when his gaze briefly met Blazingstar's dull hues, and he leaned forward to try to comfort the other tom with soothing words and the soft touch of his tail over his shoulders. There was nothing else he could do to help him in that very moment, it would be StarClan's duty to give him a boost of strength after he lost this life. He sat there warily as he watched his leader's flank rise and fall, growing ever more slow with each second to tick by. And when he ceased breathing, Surgestorm seemed to do the same - holding his breath and watching over the still body. It was strangely eerie to Surgestorm, seeing Blazingstar in such a state; it was almost af if his brain couldn't grasp the fact that he was dead. As each minute ticked by, Surgestorm panicked a little bit more. He has to come back, right?

However, after once what seemed to be a century passed, Blazingstar came back - startling Surgestorm as he suddenly inhaled once more after few minutes or so of complete stillness. He pulled away slightly as he turned and rolled onto his stomach, shocked. The tom was at a loss of words for the moment. "W-what-" He was surprised to feel a strong wave of anger overcome him. "... are you doing?" Surgestorm rarely, if at all, got angry; but he was now fuming. He spun on his heel, rushing over to a puddle and retrieving a soaked bundle of moss before dropping it nearby.

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Zero to Hero
Blazingstar was startled at the fact Surgestorm was... angry. He'd never known the medicine cat to get angry? But why was he angry? Blazingstar was doing what he had thought was best for his clan. He was apart of those hunting patrols, up until he could not longer do them. He was giving his share of prey up to the clan. He saw no wrong in what he was doing and didn't bother to answer Surgestorm until he was back with the moss ball. Blazingstar hesitated, staring at the damp ball of moss. At first, he didn't think he needed it, remembering the tasty water from Starclan. So, as he was about to finally answer Surgestorm, he realized that when words didn't leave his mouth, how parched his real body was. He hesitated another moment before reluctantly lapping at the moss. He could feel his throat become moist and the water was great.

"Yo- You shouldn't have been he- here for that," he mustered out, his voice raspy. A small cough followed and he didn't dare meet Surgestorm's eyes as he spoke. "I- I'm doing m- my best," he finished his statement, his tail tip twitching uncomfortably.

[wickedvirtues]

Originally Posted by The Little Robin

Hawkfeather smiled down at his mate, looking at her with such pride and happiness within his amber-hued gaze. “You’re very welcome, beautiful.” He said with a slight wink, amusement sparkling in his expression at their playful teasing and lovey interactions. He chuckled when she softly cuffed his ear, making his whiskers twitch slightly. “The most romantic male you’ve ever met.” He purred with satisfaction, “And yes, you shall be spoiled with all my attention and more.” Hawkfeather loved showing her how much he cared for her and he would do anything to make her happy every single day. He had grown up with Owlsparks as his brotherly figure to look up to and was often teased by the other apprentices for his lack of strength, but no longer would he stand by and let other feel sorry for him - he would show his worth to his beloved and he would prove to her that he could be the best mate ever seen. Her next words, however, made him laugh. “Perhaps we are a bit sappy, but we’re happy - so that’s all that matters.” He remarked with a warm smile. They could possibly be the most sappy mates in the whole forest, but she made him feel like the most happiest tom-cat in the entire world, so he could take being called sappy if it meant feeling this way around her. The smile on his maw would never be able to leave him as she spoke, making the male rest his chin on her head, giving her forehead a gentle stroke of his tongue. “I am known to be someone to play games, sweetheart.” He teased Carcalspirit with a purr, closing his eyes for a moment as he enjoyed this time and wished to savor this time in his life. “Hmm..” He hummed, thinking about what they could do on this lovely day, “Would you mind joining me on a hunting patrol - just the two of us? Nobody to disturb us..” The thought of this made him purr deeply, nuzzling his mate and being the hopeless romantic he was.

Caracalspirit giggled, booping his nose with hers. She looked back at him with the same emotions, purring softly. "You're so charming" she smirked, teasing a bit. Hawkfeather and her were extremely sappy, yes, but it was a good kind of sappy in all honesty. She giggled as he chuckled, sticking out her tongue in a teasing mannor towards him. "Yep, pretty much." She laughed. She purred back, her eyes glowing with amusement. "Good, that sounds nice." She laughed, smiling. Caracalspirit, while she liked all the attention, was determined to give some of it back. Hence why she was also being so romantic..ish. Caracalspirit enjoyed the familiar feeling of her mate besides her, wondering how she was just his friend for those seemingly long, boring moons. It was much better this way, she thought. Hawkspirit was a good cat, he was brave and friendly, and an added bonus was that he was handsome, but that didn't really matter. She laughed along with him, unable to help it, she just thouroughly enjoyed his laugh. "Yeah, that's true" she managed without laughing, as her fit of giggles died. Caracalspirit returned his smile, filled with bubbly joy. If they were the sappiest young couple in the Clans, she wouldn't be surprised. She was a mix of embarrassment, for being watched, joy, for being with Hawkfeather, and excitement, for other reasons. She kept a tiny smile on her face still, as he rested his chin on her head and she giggled. She purred as he licked her forehead, glad for his affections. It would be a normal thing now, since they were mates. "Fun" she giggled, teasing back. She liked that they could tease each other, it added a bit of humor to all of this. She wanted to do something a bit..exciting, like a hunting patrol or something. But just with the two of them. "I think you literally just read my mind." She gasped, a bit overly-dramatic, and then snickered. "And yes, i'd love that."

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Random Melchester

Sorrelkit was growing annoyed with this Tom. Her eyes narrowed as he made the leaves flutter, but she didnt move to chase them. She did growl when one floated too close to her nose, and ended up ripping it out of the air, tearing it even more than it already was until the small bits were barely... Anything anymore. Satisfied, she let the shavings drop from her jaws, teeth bared. She calmed after a moment though, bringing satisfied eyes up to his face. "Good. You think its fun sitting around, not learning anything about fighting? Well, think again, mister. Being a kit isnt as fun as it looks." She hissed out lowly, her glare meeting his calm gaze. She wasnt sure why she was so angry, but she was. Her calmness had vanished.

It made her jerk back when he cooed at her. Now she was used to that from her sister, but not from Springwind. She didnt even know the Tom, after all. And goodness, it made her even more angry that he was speaking so softly, like she was the cutest thing in the world. Then complimenting her. And then- Sorrelkit snapped her teeth at his tail with a small snarl. A sound that shouldnt come from such a young kit at all, but it did. She focused an angry gaze on the Tom. "Dont do that." Her voice was sharp. "Unless you wanna lose that tail." The young kit was aware that she was pushing her limits; She didnt care. She wanted to break through them. Wanted him to snap. Wanted him to be afraid. Wanted him to stop treating her like some little angel.

As he scolded her, Sorrelkit didnt flinch once. She listened to him, only interrupting when she felt necessary. "Love?" A mocking laugh escaped her, though there was no humor to her tone, just a very cold edge. "That's funny, buddy. I dont love anyone. I dont even like anyone. I dont care about anyone. Not Lemonspotted. Not Ratheart. Not Lynxkit. Not Hunterfang. Not Breezeflower. Not Eclipsemoon. Not Curlypaw. Not Snowpaw. Not you." With each name her voice grew colder, more sure of herself. Saying it aloud made it real, made that tiny part of her that wanted to like them go away, silenced it. Sorrelkit sat back and jerked her chin up to give him a defiant look, before glancing back around the clearing. "Not anybody." she finished lowly, sinking her claws slightly into the ground before sheathing them again.

All the signs should had said something was wrong. Very off balanced with this small she kit. The way she spoke in such a dullness in her voice, should had struck a nerve in him. Yet, Springwind had blocked that out. It was simply because - kits could do no wrong. They were these precious little things that the clan needed to protect. And, she was no different from the rest of them. He had met Lyxnkit, and such a sweet tom he was. So, why would Sorrelkit be different? Springwind didn't even catch her aggressive looks when he futtered the leaves in the air. As he was too fascinated with the scattering as well. Though his ears had flickered upon her voice, and he kept an even smile. ''You sound so bitter about it! Remember - A warrior had to start from somewhere. I used to be a kit.'' He spoke to her, looking towards the sky as he could remember the fond memories he shared in his past. Specifically with Larkkit and Lovekit. ''Some days were better than others, but other than that? I wish I could go back to being a kit. You don't have to worry much about anything. You're as free as a...'' The grey and white tom looked around trying to find a good specimen that she could relate to. Being this tender age. When his eyes landed on a beautiful winged butterfly, he offered the kit a small smile. ''butterfly. See how they fly without a care in the world? That's something you should appreciate.''

When the tom cooed at her, he could see Sorrelkit didn't take that well. It made his whiskers quiver, but he didn't say anything at first. He didn't want her to take the compliment as something she needed to be offended by. Springwind loved kits! Since he bonded with Hunterkit as a young age - why wouldn't he? So, he brushed off her threats with a twitch of his tail. It was obvious he could handle a small kit. She hardly was even taught combat moves. Though Springwind knew he would never harm a kit. Just put them in their...place. In a nice manner as possible. ''Haven't your mother ever taught you to be nice to others now?'' He chided her, giving off a snort-like laugh upon her words. Obviously, Lemonspotted hardly taught her kits anything. He hoped that the mentor Sorrelkit was assigned to would at least have the audacity to teach her how to respect her older warriors.

Then, she told him that she didn't love anyone. She didn't like anyone. Another red flag that Springwind should had paid much attention to, but he didn't. It had went over his head because he refused that such a kit held a violent nature. She was depressed that her parents were hardly around. Yes, that had to be it. No wonder she had such rough edges! Springwind shook his head. More so, to pity the young kit than anything. ''It's nothing wrong with loving someone,'' He spoke softly to her. ''Let alone liking someone. It's a wonderful feeling. And, I refuse to believe that he don't care or love any of your siblings.'' Now, it was time for him to be serious. He was all for games, but he was picking up that this kit didn't want to play games. But, as he gazed at her with a serious dark green gaze, he wrapped his tail around him. ''Looks like someone is cranky! Are you ready for a cat nap?'' He teased her. The funny thing about it was that he was looking for a great spot to nap! He liked to relax. And, with no apprentice on his heels - he could do all the relaxing he liked. Except for Moonpaw, who he promised to prepare her for her warrior ceremony. But, even now he was trying to avoid her! Avoid everyone...but he thought he would say 'hi' to the kit.

[CinnamonCookie]

NO ONE??