RiverClan Clearing

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Undercover

Oakenshade sat under a dark shadow cast by a widespread willow tree. The sound of the river bubbling filled his ears. It was peaceful, and he enjoyed listening to it whenever he had some down time. His tail flicked back and forth behind his lean form, brushing quietly by the reeds that surrounded him every few moments. His brilliant gaze was fixed vacantly on his dark tabby paws as he sat there in the shade, deep in thought.

It had been a few sunrises since ShadowClan had left there territory, but their scent had yet to wash away. There hadn't been rain for a couple of days either, but he didn't mind. The ground was still working to dry itself after the flood practically drove it from dry to peaty to a full-out muddy river in places a river had yet to occupy. Oakenshade hadn't minded the unfamiliar cats' presence once he got used to the fact they were staying in camp, but it did make his territory crowded.

Oakenshade blinked and twitched an ear. These few downtime moments were nice, when he could spare them. Sure, he enjoyed training and hunting as much as the next cat, maybe more, but even an ambitious tom cat like him needed his fair time of peace and quiet for a few moments. Oakenshade took a deep breath of the moist air and relaxed his shoulders. He had hunted all morning, for him, this afternoon could be a time for rest and recuperation.
@Constellation

Knotty fur was simply...depressing! Yes, that was the word. Depressing and such a rough and tough grooming situation. Lucille sat near the bank, her paws covered by grass to not touch the murky blades that created an invisible border that the river ran along. Her teeth worked hard at her tail. The fluffy figure curled into a tight ball that made her want to whine and complain to the heavens above. If it was one thing Lucille hated; it was dirty fur. She grew up in a household that presented the finest of well-groomed cats. She had to glow wherever she went. Besides that, it wasn't bad to look presentable at all times. You never know what opportunity may come along. The pretty Molly nosed her way through her fur just to make sure there weren't any unnecessary sticky bugs on her. Once that was finished, she dipped the tip of her tail into the water to allow it to soak. To rid of any mud, she found her to clean herself.

“Ugh. I a’really wish I could be having me some massage time.” Being apart of Riverclan...wasn't so bad. She wasn't popular per se, but a lot of the cats were nice. Some gave her judging looks, ones of uncertainty, but that didn't deter the southern Belle of helping the best way she could. Even with Shadowclan cats, she was being the best helper that she could. Only with her close friend was when she talked much needed complaining about everything being too crowded, that those mangy shady felines were back where they needed to be. Even if she helped them as best as she could, Lucille found herself cautious around them. She didn't know much about the other clans. Additionally, it was nice to be sleeping in her comfortable nest once more. By all means, it wasn't the fluffy, pillowy nest she had back on her family acres, but if she had to choose freedom over confinement? Well...she wouldn't be here then.

Lucille lifted her fluffy tail, lashing it behind her to have it appear less dampened. The feline have her a paw a quick lick as she got up to bend down and stretch, curling her tail inwardly before she got up to ruffle herself up. Her fur rippled forna slight moment, appearing as falling waterfalls at a aesthetic scenery. She was ready for a nap. A midday nap. In a nice tree. Now, if she slept in her nest, reckless kits might as well awaken her from her beauty nap. In the distance, there had been a tree. A nice sized willow tree, and hopefully some sturdy branches. It seemed like a place to get some good rest, unbothered. So, she got up walking gracefully to the desired spot. At first, she hadn't noticed that another cat was near this tree, but their scent lit her hues. It was definitely a familiar one, even if Shadowclan cats aroma lingered about. Her yellow hues caught the dark brown tabby Tom, and she sauntered up to him to greet him in a loving manner. “Hi, Sugar.” She purred. It was normal for her to greet other cats affectionately. No matter their age, gender, or status. She looked around, no other cats were present which brought her giving the Tom a curious glance. “Are ya all out here on yer own?” She tilted her head. It was a red flag to Lucille. Whenever a cat was alone, they were shady. Or, something...was bothering them. So, the Molly forgot about the nap she wanted to take and she say down, wrapping her fluffy tail around herself. “Is something a’botherin’ ya, sweetheart?”

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by RedHead

A sapphire blue gaze could be seen from the shadows in the clearing, as Shellfeather was grooming herself. Her gaze was full of mixed emotions; excitement, worry, wonder, fear. She had had suspicions about it, but now she was for sure. The little bodies she could feel inside of her were definitely not her imagination.
And the molly knew exactly who the father was. There was no other tomcat that she'd spent more time with in the last moon besides Scorchingflame. Even though she hadn't even seen the kits yet, she was certain that they were his. But that is what worried Shellfeather. She had never seen Scorchingflame as the fatherly, loving cat. More of a stoic, sturdy warrior. But maybe there was something more to him that Shellfeather didn't know.
She did know that there had been moments when she loved him. When he had made her feel wanted and safe. And in those moments, Shellfeather had felt... Real again. She'd been living in this half-life, where she was practically a ghost, floating about the clan miserably. But Scorchingflame seemed to have found her, and brought her back.
But could he be as good of a father as a lover? And would he even want to be a father? Shellfeather wasn't sure if Scorchingflame would even want to accept the kits as his. The two weren't officially mates, it had never been mutual between the two.
And then there was Shellfeather's worries about herself. She had lost half of the kits she'd gave birth to. That had led her to believe that she was cursed or something. Cursed to bear heartbreak and turmoil. Maybe I'll need to take a different approach with these kits... Maybe I need to rest more, or eat more..
or... The molly realized that before she started deciding things, she should probably talk to Scorchingflame. She needed to hear what he had to say about the whole situation. She was scared, but hopeful at the same time.
Taking a deep and calming breath, Shellfeather stepped out of the shadows and walked over to where she had seen Scorchingflame sit down. Her belly was only mildly big, it looked a little bit like she ate too much recently, it was noticeable, but not too noticeable. Sitting down in front of the large ginger tomcat, Shell curled her tail around her paws, to prevent herself from shifting them nervously.
"Scorchingflame, I have something to tell you." Her voice had come out a lot more confident than she had expected. Please Starclan, don't let him be angry.... She waited for the large warrior to respond before she told him the big news. News that could possibly change their lives, their friendship, everything.

Scorchingflame's ears twitched, alerting him of someone's approach. He blinked his eyes open, his golden eyes displaying exhaustion as his gaze fell on Shellfeather. Immediately, he felt his spirits rise, a smile crossing his muzzle and his eyes sparkling happily. He raised his head, a welcoming purr rumbling in his throat. He looked her over, remembering how close they'd come since his return. Scorchingflame, before he'd come back to RiverClan just recently, had been fighting for a chance with the pretty feline. Now that Russetswirl - he still refused to call him by his true name - was out of the picture, Scorchingflame had a much better chance, and he was taking advantage of that.


He adopted a rather concerned expression at Shellfeather's worrying words. Scorchingflame frowned, tilting his head slightly in confusion. He was afraid of Shellfeather telling him something he didn't want to here - that she regretted their time together, that she didn't love him, that she could do without him. All these haunting thoughts caused him to shrink back frightfully, a sad cloud washing over him. He knew it was coming - why not delay the inevitable? With a sigh, Scorchingflame looked down, shaking his head sadly. ``I - I'm sorry, Shellfeather. I thought I could make you happy, and I swear to you that I'm trying my hardest. I can do better - just don't leave me.``


The massive ginger tomcat who often came off as stoic and intimidating was now nearly in tears, afraid of losing his best friend and the love of his life. He pulled himself into a sitting position, his muscles tense with fear. He looked down at Shellfeather worriedly, but affection still littered his gaze. Scorchingflame seemed to silently apologize and swear to do better simply through this look, a plea to forgive him and allow him one more chance.

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Celestial

[ Thanks Charmer. I was just worried it would be too short and you'd ask me to make it longer, but I'll try my best to adapt to your length! ]

[ Uptight cats are the best my dear, it makes it so much more interesting ]

Clementine nearly jumped out of her fur at the mention of her name. The Orange apprenitce spun on her paws to face the direction where it came from and spotted a grey tabby she cat approching steadily. Instinctively she shrank to the ground digging her claws into the dirt and curling her tail around her body. Come hunt with me. the thougth terrified Clem. She hadn't any expriance prior to this meaning she was basically useless on a hunting patrol. The she cats bottom lip quivered as she thought about how much of a fool she could appear to be. Nobody would ever talk to me again! whilst caught up in her own day,ares she suddenly noticed the she cat was gone. Did I imagine that? as she looked around in complete confusion until she spotted the sassy feline making her towards the entrance of camp. There was no way that she could get out of this one. Scrambling to gather her mind clemtinepaw scurried after the she cat keeping her mouth glued shut. Perhaps mentioning I have no mentor would maybe make her change her mind, nobody wants a clutz around right? the small orange apprentice probed her mind for possibilities of escaping this hunting patrol, and nothing seemed to really be a viable option. With a heavy sigh clementine stuck behind the grey she cat as they padded out into the open. The fresh breeze tickling her whiskers as they left the shelter of the camp walls, if she had pretended that she couldn't swim or maybe that she couldn't find fish maybe she could turn right around and run home. Even if I'm enjoying the weather I won't enjoy a bath. Ice chips pricked on the she cats neck and spine at the thought of plunging into the icy water. When she had been with her house folk the little kids used to do it to her all the time, take her upstairs and grudgingly throw her into the bath. All the while the two legs watched and laughed. Clementine shut her eyes, that's the past. Your a clan cat now. the molly shook her head clear of the thoughts and proudly padded ahead keeping herself just behind the she cat. As the silence dodged on between them the thought of the she cats name completely slipped her mind, clementinepaw hadn't even asked her name yet! Does she think I know? Should I know this? Is she my mentor?!? No no no she can't be, could she? while clementine thought of ways to speak she began simply "I- I uh didn't catch your Na-!" as the she cat walked she hadn't even noticed the branch in the path way before the words came out clementine panicked. As she plummeted, She caught her paw in the crook of the branch and fell face flat in the dirt with a wail of confusion before she was on the peaty soil. An embarrassed flsh came over her cheeks and suddenly she was very self concious, but frozen with fear she remained with her face in the dirt.

Rainpelt turned around with her ears up and her hackles raised, startled by the sudden crashing sound. They she saw the orange-furred apprentice flat on her face and not moving. The warrior sighed heavily and padded over, tail swishing through the air with annoyance. Rather than help the apprentice up, she stood beside the face-planted cat. "Are you alright," she asked, her voice flat and cold. She had caught the first part of the apprentices question and guessed the rest, so she added, "It's Rainpelt, by the way. I wouldn't expect you to know me. I just remember you from your naming." Though oddly enough, the warrior was having trouble remembering who had been designated at the former kittypet's mentor. Whoever it was best keep their tail low around her though. Rainpelt was aggravated by many things, but mentor's not diligently working to train their apprentices was definitely in the top five. Her annoyance grew as she wondered whether this cat's mentor had even bothered to teach er to fish at all. With an irate sniff, she decided to find out. "Have you ever fished before Clementinepaw?"

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by tawny~

Runningpaw blinked at Juniperpaw's statement. She knew her mother wouldn't want her to be sulking around the camp all depressed, or her littermates either. Allurepaw would probably tell her to stop being so down, and chin up, Rainkit would try to cheer her up somehow, and as for Tricklekit.. he would probably just blink at her and tell her bluntly to stop being sulky and sad. As for her mother... Minnowstream would probably gently try to cheer her up with something she liked to do. Butterflies being one of them. She smiled slightly at the thought of all her siblings and mother. Their disappearances were sad, yes, and she needed to move on. And then she looked down at the mouse.

Kittensteps, Runningpaw, Kittensteps... She told herself what Juniperpaw had said, before taking a small bite of the mouse, chewing, and then swallowing it. That was a start.. Runningpaw thought. Her blue green eyes blinked, and she looked up at Juniperpaw. "I.. thank you..." She muttered, looking down at the mouse thoughtfully "I didn't really know, or think of how my siblings and mother would think, or.. anything really..." Runningpaw paused at what she just said, thinking for a moment. Their disappearances hit me really hard. They were their, and then... gone the next.... I need to worry about who I have left, and the present, instead of the past.. Perhaps, her mind and herself was slowly, moving on. She looked up at the medicine cat apprentice again. "Thank you.. again..."

Juniperpaw brightened at the sight of Runningpaw's small smile, but it was enough to make her feel worthy of herself and her role. In all honesty, Juniperpaw was merely guessing. She wasn't very skilled when it came to mental health or the loss of a family member as she still had her entire family supporting her. However, based off what Runningpaw told her, Juniperpaw knew her father was still breathing, and surely that was enough to fight for? So she had said what she thought was best. There was still so much to fight for, and if what Runningpaw said about her mother being amazing and her siblings being, well, siblings, they probably wouldn't want to see their daughter or sister in such a state of depression.


She smiled benevolently. ``No need to thank me. I like to help my friends, and we're friends, right?`` Juniperpaw was a very social feline and enjoyed making friends whenever she could. Often, she'd share a brief conversation with someone and before leaving, she'd ask if they were friends. However, Juniperpaw wasn't looking to leave Runningpaw quite yet. Though she wasn't very knowledgeable when it came to mental conditions, she knew it couldn't be good to leave a depressed cat all alone. At least, not until she was sure Runningpaw has eaten. Common sense reminded her of the importance of maintaining strength and energy, which food offered without a price.

[Aballet]

Emberpaw pawed out of the apprentices den into the clearing. She didn't have anyone to talk to, and she wasn't in the mood to eat, so she decided to go hunting. Maybe then she wouldn't be lost, for once.

[MaskedBandits]

Originally Posted by BluBunny

(Since Shadowclan has moved back home do you want to do a small time skip?)

(Sure *even though I'm so unreasonably late*)

[BluBunnie]

Originally Posted by MaskedBandits

(Sure *even though I'm so unreasonably late*)

(its fine lol I'll mention you!)

[fresh]

I'm so sorry I forgot to post this earlier! It slipped my mind. @Undercover
~~~

Mockingfeather slipped into the clearing, exhausted. Dropping a single thrush on the pile, she grabbed a mouse and sat on a sun-warmed rock, the twilight glinting above her. The she-cat that was normally happy was now tired, but with each bite of the prey she received more energy. Glancing around for cats to talk to, Mocking took another bite, bored.

[Undercover]

Originally Posted by blue jellie

I'm so sorry I forgot to post this earlier! It slipped my mind. @Undercover
~~~

Mockingfeather slipped into the clearing, exhausted. Dropping a single thrush on the pile, she grabbed a mouse and sat on a sun-warmed rock, the twilight glinting above her. The she-cat that was normally happy was now tired, but with each bite of the prey she received more energy. Glancing around for cats to talk to, Mocking took another bite, bored.

No problem!
Oakenshade padded into camp, his eyes bright. The young tom had just been for a walk along the WindClan border, and his energy level was high after getting outside. The sun was high in the sky, and it was pleasantly warm outside. Spotting Mockingfeather alone, he twitched his whiskers with pleasure. Oakenshade made his way to the fresh-kill pile. He grabbed a small pike for himself and hurried over to her, his gait even and long brown tail flicking lazily. "Mind if I join you?" He asked, offering a half-smile and blinking in a friendly way. The tom cat liked getting to know his clanmates, and it always helped when he was in a good mood.

[wren]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Rainpelt turned around with her ears up and her hackles raised, startled by the sudden crashing sound. They she saw the orange-furred apprentice flat on her face and not moving. The warrior sighed heavily and padded over, tail swishing through the air with annoyance. Rather than help the apprentice up, she stood beside the face-planted cat. "Are you alright," she asked, her voice flat and cold. She had caught the first part of the apprentices question and guessed the rest, so she added, "It's Rainpelt, by the way. I wouldn't expect you to know me. I just remember you from your naming." Though oddly enough, the warrior was having trouble remembering who had been designated at the former kittypet's mentor. Whoever it was best keep their tail low around her though. Rainpelt was aggravated by many things, but mentor's not diligently working to train their apprentices was definitely in the top five. Her annoyance grew as she wondered whether this cat's mentor had even bothered to teach er to fish at all. With an irate sniff, she decided to find out. "Have you ever fished before Clementinepaw?"

Clem's shoulders slumped and she lay there in the dirt not bothering to answer her question. She was fine but saying it would hurt her pride, especially if she was face flat on the ground eating worms. Why now? Why couldn't this have happend when I was alone? with a grunt the orange furred she cat rolled over onto her side and pulled herself up in a graceful motion shaking her fur off from the dried leaves and twigs. She had practiced getting up quickly, she would often tussle with her other friend from the twoleg place, she had learned how to roll away from him to avoid being crushed. It proved helpful sometimes. As she picked out the last bit of moss clementine made accidental eye a
Contact and flinched away nervously seeing the mollys irate behaviour. She didn't bother to look directly at rainpelt who was standing in front of her, the anger was rolling off her like waves. Avoiding any eye contact the she cat clementine paw fidgeted with the grass below her, pulling it out with a claw every few seconds and twisting it into stalks. Fish, that's the most mouse brained thing ever! And she's asking me if I have. She should know I don't have a mentor.. the thought of being mentorless made her stomach turn with guilt. Was it her fault she didn't have one? She shook her head and looked at rain pelt finally, she would find out soon enough. "N- no ma'm" she stuttered rembering how insignificant the she cat made her feel at times.