WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[~Breadsticks~]

Originally Posted by Maplefur

Laughter wouldn't stop falling from Flarerunner's mouth- that is, until she looked behind her. She let out a squeak, seeing Thornpelt gaining on her. She turned her head back around, just in time to see a rabbit den in front of her. She jumped over the hole, then darted suddenly to the right in an effort to catch him off guard. "Sure, I'll watch- watch you get left in my dust!"

Thornpelt laughed as she squeaked and pushed forward. As he watched her jump over the rabbit den he launched forward, soaring over it. The warrior was just behind her until she suddenly turned. As he tried to turn his paws slid out from under him and he crashed to the ground, giving a surprised yowl.

[Maplefur]

Originally Posted by TheBread

Thornpelt laughed as she squeaked and pushed forward. As he watched her jump over the rabbit den he launched forward, soaring over it. The warrior was just behind her until she suddenly turned. As he tried to turn his paws slid out from under him and he crashed to the ground, giving a surprised yowl.

Flarerunner stopped, hearing Thornpelt's yowl. Turning around, she froze as she saw him laying on the ground. "Thornpelt!" She called out, rushing back to him. "Are you alright?" Her green eyes glittered with concern, and she lowered her head to sniff at him. "I'm sorry!" She blurted. He's hurt and it's my fault! "Where does it hurt? Do I need to get Surgestorm?" The molly babbled on, not waiting for him to answer. She didn't spend a moment to think that perhaps he really was fine, and she was over reacting. "Surgestorm's bound to be in his den right now..." She meowed to herself, raising her head to look in the direction of camp.

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by Nighty

Singenight scowled. He saw the disapproving look on the Savannah cats face. He knew it all to well. It was the one he had given to Mumblenose many times before. "You misunderstood Mumblenose. I said why did you intruded into our training session. You and your apprentice Heatherpaw seem to have been fine over there." He said curtly and coldly. None of his expressions or posture gave a warm or friendly remark, which caused him to wonder why his father was still standing before him. Is he really that dim minded? Can't he see I do not want him, or that I never have? He thought scornfully. True he hated his father, not because of his personality, but because of his person. Who he was as a cat. His actions, his intentions, his priorities. Obviously though his priorities for his only kit weren't high on the list.

MumbleNose nonchalantly discarded SingeNight's harsh response, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply to prepare for future disappointment. His narrowed eyes focused on the large tomcat before him, and he frowned as he spoke, his fear of SingeNight not visible nor audible. ``Your leadership is a disappointment. You've changed what the Clans have known for ages! What's gotten into you?`` He snarled lightly as to make his point, but as to avoid coming off much too coldly.

``I know I've probably been the world's worst father, and honestly, I'm not going to try to fix my mistakes - not when you're acting like this. Most likely, you'd prefer me not to attempt to fix anything, and I respect that. I've been, well, a disappointment to you, and vice versa,`` MumbleNose released a heavy breath when he realized what he was saying was going the wrong way. His words were a disappointment. ``I mean... Your leadership is awful. You've brutally murdered several of your clanmates before WindClan, and I just... Eventually, you will become overpowered, and you will lose your rank. Things will return to how it used to be, I assure you. Evil never wins, don't you know this?``

His voice adopted a desperate tone as he practically begged his son to change his ways. His ways now were unacceptable, and MumbleNose could only imagine what would happen to SingeNight when the good made a comeback. As much as he disliked SingeNight's actions, he truly did care for his kit. He simply didn't share his care that much due to his past with his kin. ``I worry about what will happen to you when all this is over... What will happen to your kits when all this is over.``

[HwangHarin]

Shinepaw patted out of the apprentice den and stretched. She fluffed out her pelt.

[Fiery]

Originally Posted by Aashka

Shinepaw patted out of the apprentice den and stretched. She fluffed out her pelt.

Quailfeather stretched in her nest, enjoying her long nap. She spotted an apprentice doing the same.

[HwangHarin]

Originally Posted by Fiery

Quailfeather stretched in her nest, enjoying her long nap. She spotted an apprentice doing the same.

Shinepaw felt like someone was watching her but she ignored it and stepped into the light letting the sun warm her shiny and bright orange pelt.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

To be truthful to herself, she wasn't exactly surprised to find that annoyed look on his face still, she never expected him to be overjoyed at the prospect of staying in the camp for a whole moon when he was used to the freedom of sneaking around as he pleased. But she was happy to see that he was annoyed, it meant that he was going to go through with this, it meant that he was actually thinking about staying in the camp at her request and it gave her hope, it gave her certainty that again, he was telling the truth to her. And he was actually trying.

Though she was a bit confused at seeing the small look of alarm that passed over his features momentarily, she decided it was best not to question him on it, it was probably him getting used to this whole 'actual friendship' thing. And it was probably best to simply not question him on it, if he had a question, he would ask her, he would be forward about it now.. Right? She hoped so.
Clearing her throat a bit, she shifted as if uncomfortable by his remark that he cut off, she was doing her best to try and forget the whole idea that he had been trying to trick her through the whole beginning part of their friendship and him bringing it up was certainly not a good idea, but luckily enough her certainty that he was done with that chapter of his life never wavered. She still believed that he was going to put that behind him, or at least attempt to work on it.
Relieved to hear the the conversation moved on from the cut-off sentence, she relaxed and looked over at him with a smile and a nod of her head, agreeing with what he had to say.
"Oh, yeah, sure, I'd love to show you some games I used to play with my littermates! And we can always act out imaginary scenarios, that's always fun!" Purred out the apprentice to her friend.

It would take a little bit of getting used to, his actual voice, but she.. She thinks she could get to liking in, in fact, she much preferred it to that silky, artificial voice he had been using to speak to her for so long. She could tell that this voice.. It was his actual voice, and while it wasn't perfect, it was nice to hear.
Giggling out at she heard his first real purr, she couldn't help but grin and eagerly nod her head. This was.. The first time she had seen him actually truly happy, not the fake happiness he had expressed after the past few moons, not the smooth fake purr he had used, but the gravely, imperfect purr that was him. She couldn't explain why, but it made her happy, extremely happy. She absolutely loved it and if her confidence wasn't complete before, she was absolutely confident now that they were going to be real friends this time. That this would work out..
"Yeah me too Pinekit, me too.. I.. I think we're going to be great friends now. Now that we got over that bump, I think we might even be best friends, what do you think?"
Her eyes alight with hope and happiness, they focused on the kit, her muzzle widened into a huge grin, it was clear she believed what she said was going to be true. They were going to be great friends.
After settling down and agreeing to just lay here and talk with him, her ears perked up as he spoke and she listened to what he had asked.

"Oh, uh, well...." There was a long pause and the yellow tabby looked down at the ground, scraping it a bit with a paw before glancing over at Pinekit as if embarrassed by what she was about to say. "No... I haven't.. It's just that most of the other apprentice's are either busy doing training, or they're talking with each other or sleeping and I don't want to seem rude and butt in when I'm not wanted, so I just kind of.. Stick to myself.. I wish you were there, then I could have someone to fill the nest beside me, and we could talk all night long about stuff... I don't think the other apprentice's like me.. Maybe they think I'm too confident or something, I'm not sure."

She sighed out, glancing in the direction of the apprentice's den for a moment before looking back at him. I hope he doesn't think I'm weird for saying that, but it's true.. I wish he was there with me, it's so lonely in there without anyone to talk to.. No one even sleeps in the nests beside me, it's like.. Like they're avoiding me or something.. Adderpaw thought to herself rather glumly before shaking her head a bit and focusing her eyes back on Pinekit to see what he had to say.

Pinekit looked a little surprised. "Imaginary...scenarios?" He asked, cocking his head to the side for a moment. It was clear that these sorts of games would take some getting used to. He was unable to see the fun of pretending to fight things that weren't real, although he guessed it might be something like his old game. That hadn't been real either, but he had found it enjoyable, and perhaps it would be the same with this as well. "Oh! Oh sure, that sounds cool...sounds like fun!" Pinekit purred, sounding a lot more energetic then usual. He wasn't quite sure what to think of this new and uncharted territory that he had gotten himself into. It was...strange. Very, very strange. The brown tom's excited expression faltered for a moment and he looked puzzled, once again unsure of what exactly it was he was doing. It would take a while before that expression would leave completely. After all, he was taking on a new way of life. A new and different way. But it'll be worth it. I'll make new friends, I'll be able to learn a lot more this way. And besides, I couldn't keep holding onto those things when I got older, right? Pinekit thought. If he were being honest with himself, there were still parts of him that were longing to go back into his silky voice, back into his fake routine, back into getting things that he wanted by trickery rather then by trust or respect.

This was going to work. Pinekit would make it work. He had to; turning his back on everything he had known had to be worth it. Otherwise he would probably slip right back into his old ways. Either that, or he'd find a new hobby. Adderpaw was his first real friend, and he was hoping it would be a smoother journey from here on. They had gotten over most of the bumps, at least it appeared that way...and maybe, just maybe, it would work out better then any other tricks he had tried so far.

This was proving to be one of the biggest adventures of the young tom's lifetime, and whether it was a good thing or not was highly debatable with him. Still, an adventure was an challenge, and Pinekit had never been one to back away from either. "Best friends? Is that like, really close friends? What is that?" Pinekit asked, cocking his head to the side. He had heard other cats talking about 'best friends' before, but he had never really pursued the thought any further. He barely knew what a real friend was, let alone a best friend...and he was more confused then before. What was this strange thing he had gotten himself into? Was this something else he needed to do, was it like a test that you took to be friends? Had Pinekit known what a best friend was, he probably would have agreed readily. As it was, he was now looking at Adderpaw in confusion and even fear. This was much, much different from the picture of friendship he had envisioned.
In his mind, he had pictured no tests or anything. If you said you were friends, you were. That is how friendship works, right? It's built on trust and stuff like that, right? Pinekit thought, realizing he was even less educated in friendship then he had originally thought. Embarassment filled him more then before, and he looked away from her, slightly worried that she could read his thoughts somehow. He was more confused then he had been about his original decision to give up his ways, and now even anger was beginning to play a part. He wasn't upset with Adderpaw; she hadn't done anything to upset him, but he was growing increasingly frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he figure this out on his own? He had never really needed actual help before...benefits were just added things that could make him grow faster, but he hadn't needed actual help with things in life.

And now...now in one swift moment, he had been thrown into an abyss of confusion and desperation, and...was that wanting? Did he actually want help now? This was much different from anything that the young tom had ever experienced, and he was struggling to find his way out. Adderpaw's words helped him gain a grip for the moment being, and he looked at her in surprise. Not for the first or last time, either. He was truly stunned by what she was saying. He was unsure of quite how to respond, and for a moment he said nothing, avoiding her gaze and looking down at the ground before he cleared his throat, opening his maw to speak before closing it again, realizing he didn't quite have his thoughts all together. Okay. Comfort her, maybe? That would probably be the right thing to do in this situation...ugh, why isn't there some kind of a Code of Friendship or something that tells you what to say in these situations? Pinekit thought. His tail began to twitch uncomfortably and he moved towards her a little, a little worried about approaching her since their earlier drama, but this seemed like the right thing to do at the moment.

Slowly, although he was scared to, he curled his tail around her in a comforting manner, looking at her with his sage hues calmly, as calmly as he could despite his confusion and anxiety whether he was doing the right thing here. "I'm sorry to hear that...you deserve so much better...hopefully someday things will be different...but if they don't- if they don't change, I'll be in there in a moon, and I won't be going anywhere for a while. At least, I think so...and hopefully things will go uphill from there. I hope. I think so." Pinekit mewed a little awkwardly. He had never been good in these sorts of situations, and his nervousness only made it worse. Still, he managed a small smile as he looked at her, hoping she would catch his meaning or at least that he had spoken clearly enough for her to understand. Because I seriously doubt I'll be able to figure something else out, He thought, remembering how hard it had been for him to pick out the right words to portray his message.

[Hexict]

@Zero to Hero

Northpaw watched the medicine cat make his way over, twitching his tail at the sight. He wondered how Surgestorm could be so disorganized - though to the black tom it wasn't disorganized since he knew where everything was. I could never imagine Zerosight having the den like this, he thought, giving a small chuckle at the thought of Zerosight being in the middle of the mess. He didn't view his mentor as disorganized and rather the opposite, but he supposed that Surgestorm was much more relaxed than Zerosight.

But he decided not to bring up the clutter, and only offered a warm smile when the black medicine cat apologized for it as he approached Northpaw. The dark tabby was glad that Surgestorm had moved closer to him, doubting that he would've been able to get through the disorder. It's so strange... seeing his den. You can really tell a lot about a cat by how they keep their place, he noted.

His tail gave a small twitch as he was questioned about his visit. "After we heard that the fire had reached Windclan as well, me and Zerosight was worried about your clan," he began, trying to form his words before speaking. "So I came over to ask if Windclan is fine... I can see that some of your herbs were burnt, so were ours," Northpaw mewed as he noticed the herbs. "Fires are terrible, but it's even worse so close to leaf-bare, you know? The herbs are already going to be so low, it doesn't help that many of the ones left were destroyed during the fire," the apprentice spoke his worries he had already told his own mentor.

"Not to mention Ratnight..." his ears perked up. "That's why I'm here. I want to know if you have enough herbs for the leaf-bare and to help any injuries caused by the fire," Northpaw informed him. "Plus, I also wanted to make sure that Dapplestar is alright - it might sound strange ad random, but after the fire we got a new leader who's... dubious," he hoped that was the right word, and hoped that Dapplestar was actually fine.

[~Breadsticks~]

Originally Posted by Maplefur

Flarerunner stopped, hearing Thornpelt's yowl. Turning around, she froze as she saw him laying on the ground. "Thornpelt!" She called out, rushing back to him. "Are you alright?" Her green eyes glittered with concern, and she lowered her head to sniff at him. "I'm sorry!" She blurted. He's hurt and it's my fault! "Where does it hurt? Do I need to get Surgestorm?" The molly babbled on, not waiting for him to answer. She didn't spend a moment to think that perhaps he really was fine, and she was over reacting. "Surgestorm's bound to be in his den right now..." She meowed to herself, raising her head to look in the direction of camp.

Thornpelt chuckled as he sat up, wincing at the pain that shot through his paw. "I'll be fine." He said, favoring one of his back paws. He stood and slightly held one leg up, giving her a small smile, "I'm alright, I'll be fine." He repeated, "Surgestorm has more to worry about then a bruised leg."

[Maplefur]

Originally Posted by TheBread

Thornpelt chuckled as he sat up, wincing at the pain that shot through his paw. "I'll be fine." He said, favoring one of his back paws. He stood and slightly held one leg up, giving her a small smile, "I'm alright, I'll be fine." He repeated, "Surgestorm has more to worry about then a bruised leg."

Flarerunner gasped. "No, you're not fine!" She sniffed at his leg, guilt coursing through her. This is all my fault! I've ruined what was a wonderful morning. "I'm sorry," She meowed dejectedly. "I got carried away..."