WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Jingle]

Willowsong padded into the den, as she had completed her duties for the day. She was growing older now- watching the kits turn to warriors in what felt like no time at all. She let out a heavy sigh and curled up at her nest, covering her nose with her thick floofy grey tail. Maybe it would be time she retired to be an elder, after all her joints were starting to lock up on her.

[SuspiciousMindz]

@Lilly
Blazingstar happened to be on an afternoon stroll as he padded over the moors. They were open and there was only a small breeze in the air from what he felt. With the moors so open, everything that moved could be spotted which made Windclan's hunting tactics differ from all the other clans. Windclan didn't stalk, they ran. They ran as fast as they could for as long as they could to catch the hares that overpopulated the territory this season. They were few at first since the moors had to heal from the leaf-bare fire, but now everything was lush and wonderful. Just as he was thinking about how easily things were seen out here, his gaze rested on some grass swaying rapidly at the base of the hill he was on. Eyes narrowing, he tried to see what was causing it. This was no hare. There was a slight break in the grass and that's where he noticed it was a cat! Instincts kicked in and Blazingstar shot down the hill after the small feline he saw. It didn't take long for his long strides to outmatch those of the kits and before he knew it, he tripped the feline just as he would a rabbit. A quick tap to the hind legs would send most creatures sprawling to the ground. Hopefully, this tactic worked and assuming it did, Blazingstar then stood, panting, over the small body of a kit. His golden hues narrowed in on the small feline until he mustered the breath up to speak properly. "You look like you've come a long way, kit. What are you doing out in this territory?" the leader spoke with slight concern showing in his tone. Of course he was worried about the kits well-being, from the scent of it, it had come a long way. Plus the sight of the kit made him feel the need to bring them straight to Surgestorm.


@starfall
Blazingstar was out on his daily stroll, noting each detail of the territory as he went. Lately things had started to look up for the tom. He had gotten his mother back and Thunderclan appeared fairly silent since Snowstar was too preoccupied with her kits to deal with her clan. It was a shame really. Blazingstar knew he'd never take the time out of his leadership to do something like that. Or maybe that was just because he wasn't ready to. With a quick flick of his tail, he brought his sense into focus only to hear a small voice a short distance away. Now, the moors were open, so how Blazingstar couldn't see the cat speaking, but he could hear it, concerned him. It didn't help that he was downwind in that moment too. Focusing in the direction of the voice, his ears pinpointed the last bits of the question they appeared to ask themselves. The voice seemed young. Then it hit him. Quickly, the pieces were placed together mentally and the only conclusion Blazingstar came up with... the voice belonged to a kit. With his whiskers twitching momentarily, Blazingstar simply strode up to the kitten, parting the grass as he went. He only stopped when he could clearly see Scorchingkit facing away from him. Blazingstar, as loud as he could, cleared his throat and awaited the kitten's response. If they should run, he would simply catch up to them, though he expected nothing but a jump of fear. What the typical kitten would react.

[spade]

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

@Lilly
Blazingstar happened to be on an afternoon stroll as he padded over the moors. They were open and there was only a small breeze in the air from what he felt. With the moors so open, everything that moved could be spotted which made Windclan's hunting tactics differ from all the other clans. Windclan didn't stalk, they ran. They ran as fast as they could for as long as they could to catch the hares that overpopulated the territory this season. They were few at first since the moors had to heal from the leaf-bare fire, but now everything was lush and wonderful. Just as he was thinking about how easily things were seen out here, his gaze rested on some grass swaying rapidly at the base of the hill he was on. Eyes narrowing, he tried to see what was causing it. This was no hare. There was a slight break in the grass and that's where he noticed it was a cat! Instincts kicked in and Blazingstar shot down the hill after the small feline he saw. It didn't take long for his long strides to outmatch those of the kits and before he knew it, he tripped the feline just as he would a rabbit. A quick tap to the hind legs would send most creatures sprawling to the ground. Hopefully, this tactic worked and assuming it did, Blazingstar then stood, panting, over the small body of a kit. His golden hues narrowed in on the small feline until he mustered the breath up to speak properly. "You look like you've come a long way, kit. What are you doing out in this territory?" the leader spoke with slight concern showing in his tone. Of course he was worried about the kits well-being, from the scent of it, it had come a long way. Plus the sight of the kit made him feel the need to bring them straight to Surgestorm.

A shriek pierced the rather silent air as Indigo felt a tap on his haunches, sending the young tom sprawling into the grass before him. Once again, his heartbeat picked up and raced off against his chest, the blood rushing past his ears again. "I-I'm not doing anything. I'm just o-on my way h-home, I didn't m-mean to intr-intrude," he stuttered as he spoke fast, lips moving like lightning as he scrambled to his paws. Loose grass and dirt clung to his fur where he'd fallen, but the panic that Halite or one of his warriors was standing right behind him sent this thought to the back of his mind. His fur was sticking out in all sorts of random places and his claws were unsheathed, ready to defend himself. You can take him. At least your father's training will finally come in handy, he thought as he opened his eyes once more. Taking a last deep breath, Indigo whirled around as he lashed out one forepaw, claws glinting in the sun, towards Blazingstar. Without waiting to see if his attack had landed, the fluffy golden kit backed up, crouching away from Blazingstar and glaring up at him. Despite trying to make himself appear as menacing as he could, fear was written all over the kit's face. His whole body shook, each muscle fighting the waves of exhaustion that lapped at the edge of his consciousness. Please don't be one of Halite's Guards. Please, he begged in his mind, swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat.

[spade]

@Suspiciousmindz

Moonpaw beamed as the leader looked visible less tense, glad that her words were able to provide him some comfort in his troubling time. She knew a little about the trouble between her Clan and ThunderClan from gossip around the clearing - when it wasn't focused on her - but she didn't want to push Blazingstar to speak on the subject. After all, disability or not, she was still an apprentice, and some things were just above her training and knowledge right now. It didn't bother Moonpaw, she simply went about her own business, only trying to make those she came across smile at least once in their day.

"I better go and find Surgestorm; I left the den without telling him and he's bound to be turning the herb storage upside down looking for me," Moonpaw chuckled, her thoughts going back to her spastic uncle who always seemed to be itching to do something active. She rose to her paws and gave her chest fur a few licks to settle it down. It felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and Moonpaw was glad that she had come to seek council from Blazingstar. As she turned to leave the den, she cast a glance at him over her shoulder. "Thank you, for giving me a chance," she began, holding his gaze with her one good eye. Their watery blue depths shimmered even in the dim lighting of the leaders' den. "I promise I won't let you down." With that, she dipped her head to him once more before turning and pushing her way back out into camp, a smile resting on her face.

[spade]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"I'm glad I'm able to watch out for her." Aspenpaw smiled back, partly showing his fangs in a full grin - Tawnypaw hadn't been exaggerating when she had mentioned how nice of company Moonpaw was, although he wasn't planning on mentioning that. It might make her uncomfortable, she didn't seem entirely enthusiastic about recieving compliments such as the one he had given her. Olive eyes settled on Moonpaw's face, though still no word about the destruction that had been done. No sign that he had realized there was anything wrong. And, Aspenpaw didn't think it honestly made her look that bad. There were cats with awful scars all around camp, so why should anyone judge for another? It hadn't messed with her personality at all. Or it if had, Aspenpaw was already beginning to think it was for the better. For him, there was no one worth spending time with more then a cheerful cat. And Moonpaw "fit the bill" on that, so to speak. And she was certainly making this day a lot more fun, more so then he had been having before she showed up, anyways. Which made Aspenpaw want to thank StarClan again for sending him someone to talk to.

"If the prey's running at all, it's probably slipping in the mud." His voice sounded calm, though there was a playful tint to it. Aspenpaw loved doing that. His voice was naturally that way, and so when he was joking around... it could take some cats a while to realize it. It was sort of a blessing and a curse, though he would take it. "Mm... never? But hey, with all the prey slipping - bet everyone's having some good luck hunting, don't you think?" A purr entered his voice, and he gave Moonpaw a smile. It was nice to be around an apprentice who was light hearted. He had gotten used to dealing with shyer, more insecure or broken down cats. Moonpaw? That was certainly not the case with her, although he was surprised she wasn't self-concious about her appearance. To him it was going to be fine. But he knew she cats could be a little funny about that sort of thing, and he supposed she was an exception to that as well.

One thing he did note, right from the first he met her, was that the feline had a nice smile. A winning smile. Something that seemed to make up for any kind of scars she might have, and Aspenpaw wondered why, with that kind of a smile, everyone was so worried about her features? No one wanted to be stared at all the time. And, realizing he might be making her uncomfortable, Aspenpaw's own gaze was quickly lowered to the ground. An apology was spoken in his head, although no words actually left his maw. He hoped she wasn't uncomfortable with his olive gaze roaming her features, watching her as though she were a caged animal. It was a habit with him. He liked to watch the cats he was talking to, as though he could see their mood or their feelings just through watching them.

Though Aspenpaw knew that was also impossible. His olive eyes fixed themselves first on the ground, then the sky, but out of pure habit... they kept coming back to Moonpaw's face. Oh well. She would understand if he explained, right? Already Aspenpaw had her pegged as the type that was understanding. That got things. That was easy to talk to because she was just a cat everyone loved. Was she still as loved as she had been? If an injury had changed that, then there were some things seriously wrong with the cats of WindClan.

As the joke left his maw, Moonpaw found herself laughing a real, genuine, deep-belleyed laugh for the first time in quite awhile. It felt nice to laugh at something as stupid as hares and other prey slipping and sliding in the gunky mud. Sure, the rain bothered most cast, but not Moonpaw. To her it felt clean, and it gave her the sense of adventure - though not as much as it had before. Her eyes gleamed as she watched Aspenpaw, the laughter fading into a soft smile as it died down. "I would hope so. Even I could catch something, one eye and all!" she joked, laughing even more at her own joke. It was the first time she had made a joke about the attack, and while some might say it was "too soon", or that she shouldn't joke about it, her talk with Blazingstar earlier had lifted her spirits enough to not let this small thing stop her from being happy.

Plus, it didn't seem like Aspenpaw was in a hurry to leave. That didn't surprise the feline one bit, after all he was a friend of Tawnypaw's, and Tawnypaw was a special kind of cat. Moonpaw's thought began to wander where her best friend was at this moment, and how great it would be that she had finally been formally introduced to Aspenpaw. Now they could all three hang out and go on adventures! Excitement raced from ears to tail tip as the black and white apprentice imagined the outings they would go on. Of course, she would have to relearn parts of the territory, but Moonpaw would do about anything to be up there with her two closest friends. Well, more so Tawnypaw than Aspenpaw, but she sincerely hoped she would get to know him better as time drew on.

Her knack at reading people though was impeccable, and Moonpaw quickly took notice of Aspenpaw's eyes. Though she knew he was simply making eye contact, the analyzing part of her brain told her that he was studying her appearance - but not in the way most did in the Clan. Instead, he seemed to be memorizing every detail about her, and for some reason it set loose a little pack of butterflies in her stomach. "It's gonna take awhile for everyone to get use to, huh?" she asked, her tone a little lower as a crestfallen look appeared over her expression. The edges of her smile dropped just a little as she looked away, a slight look of sadness flashing in the depths of her good blue eye.

Moonpaw realized how that must've come out, and quickly snapped her head back up, alarm registering in her eyes. "Not that I think you were staring - 'cause I don't! I just, you look at me as some cat you're trying to get to know," she stated, a tiny smile appearing at those words, before she continued, "while others look as if they've just seen a murder..." Her voice trailed off and she heaved a sigh, giving Aspenpaw a "what can you do?" look before shrugging, glancing down at her paws once more.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Lilly

As the joke left his maw, Moonpaw found herself laughing a real, genuine, deep-belleyed laugh for the first time in quite awhile. It felt nice to laugh at something as stupid as hares and other prey slipping and sliding in the gunky mud. Sure, the rain bothered most cast, but not Moonpaw. To her it felt clean, and it gave her the sense of adventure - though not as much as it had before. Her eyes gleamed as she watched Aspenpaw, the laughter fading into a soft smile as it died down. "I would hope so. Even I could catch something, one eye and all!" she joked, laughing even more at her own joke. It was the first time she had made a joke about the attack, and while some might say it was "too soon", or that she shouldn't joke about it, her talk with Blazingstar earlier had lifted her spirits enough to not let this small thing stop her from being happy.

Plus, it didn't seem like Aspenpaw was in a hurry to leave. That didn't surprise the feline one bit, after all he was a friend of Tawnypaw's, and Tawnypaw was a special kind of cat. Moonpaw's thought began to wander where her best friend was at this moment, and how great it would be that she had finally been formally introduced to Aspenpaw. Now they could all three hang out and go on adventures! Excitement raced from ears to tail tip as the black and white apprentice imagined the outings they would go on. Of course, she would have to relearn parts of the territory, but Moonpaw would do about anything to be up there with her two closest friends. Well, more so Tawnypaw than Aspenpaw, but she sincerely hoped she would get to know him better as time drew on.

Her knack at reading people though was impeccable, and Moonpaw quickly took notice of Aspenpaw's eyes. Though she knew he was simply making eye contact, the analyzing part of her brain told her that he was studying her appearance - but not in the way most did in the Clan. Instead, he seemed to be memorizing every detail about her, and for some reason it set loose a little pack of butterflies in her stomach. "It's gonna take awhile for everyone to get use to, huh?" she asked, her tone a little lower as a crestfallen look appeared over her expression. The edges of her smile dropped just a little as she looked away, a slight look of sadness flashing in the depths of her good blue eye.

Moonpaw realized how that must've come out, and quickly snapped her head back up, alarm registering in her eyes. "Not that I think you were staring - 'cause I don't! I just, you look at me as some cat you're trying to get to know," she stated, a tiny smile appearing at those words, before she continued, "while others look as if they've just seen a murder..." Her voice trailed off and she heaved a sigh, giving Aspenpaw a "what can you do?" look before shrugging, glancing down at her paws once more.

The tom laughed, his own eyes sparkling with amusement. [B]"If it wasn't raining, you could always scare them - like say 'boo' or something, and hope they run so fast they fall. It's happened to me before, I was running and a friend of mine scared me, and -" Aspenpaw stopped, feeling a little embarassed at admitting this. He didn't really talk about it - he had been young - but Moonpaw was very, very easy to talk to. It was easy to see why Tawnypaw liked her so much, why Tawnypaw would praise her so readily. "And I was going too fast and fell," He finished with a laugh. Even though he averted his eyes from her at this point, it wasn't like he was that embarassed - the laugh was genuine, though Aspenpaw wasn't quite sure what she was going to think of him now. Not that he had ever been one to worry about that much, it seemed as though he couldn't be effected.

Lately Tawnypaw hadn't seemed to think much of him - no matter how much he tried. And it hurt, if he were being honest, just a little more then he would like to admit. So this conversation with Moonpaw was very much appreciated. Her words caused his ears to flicker backwards, and his eyes seemed to become a little more solemn and sad as well. Her quick correction seemed to take a little of that away, but he still looked a little worried. "Sorry, I - don't have to stare. It's just something I do, are you... comfortable with that?" The things Moonpaw said made him feel like she felt better about it, but he wasn't sure... some cats just didn't like being stared at in general, whether he was taking in the shock from her injury or not. Already he felt okay about it. It wasn't exactly 'just one of those things,' but he was pretty sure she had already recieved all the startled looks and comments that she wanted.

"I'm sorry to hear that, though. Cats are... scared of things they don't know. I'm sure you've already heard this a thousand times, but -" He stopped, wondering if this was something he should even say. Was it going to sound weird? They had just met. Still, Aspenpaw had always done his best... she didn't really seem like she needed cheering up, but he could definitely say something nice anyways. Just because she looked a little sad about the fact that other cats were going to take some time to warm up to it. He wished he could tell her that they were staring because she was so pretty, or so awesome, or something of the sort, but... he wasn't that type of cat. Everything he said - when he wasn't joking - had to be serious. Flirting was completely out of the question, so what he said... he really believed it.

"You're a survivor and a fighter. I can see how beautiful you are on the inside, so - I'm not scared."

Mm, maybe 'beautiful' had been the wrong word to use. There were lots of cats who were 'beautiful' on the outside and nothing but hollow, almost soulless shells on the inside. So Aspenpaw loved it when he found a cat who was both. And while yes, it might take some getting used to, he wasn't scared of it. He could see who she was. And it was very, very beautiful. No wonder Tawnypaw praised her so heavily... this was an extremely special cat.

[cute skeleton]

Originally Posted by River of roses

"i don't think so" she answered him.

@Chameleon here was my reply)

[Mango]

Originally Posted by River of roses

@Chameleon here was my reply)

Lionkit nodded," Alright. Umm...What else can I ask about?" He meowed.

[cute skeleton]

Originally Posted by Chameleon

Lionkit nodded," Alright. Umm...What else can I ask about?" He meowed.

"if you don't know how the ranking system works you can ask about that, or about the warrior code or anything else" she told him.

(i gotta start counting his questions again..)

[Mango]

Originally Posted by River of roses

"if you don't know how the ranking system works you can ask about that, or about the warrior code or anything else" she told him.

(i gotta start counting his questions again..)

Lionkit blinked," What exactly is the warrior code. The only part of it I know is don't take a mate outside you're clan."