Marigold. They had so little of it. Lostspark intended to change that. So early in the morning (or late at night), well before first light, the seemingly blind molly trekked out into the territory. 'Course, she could see perfectly well, but had Lostspark really been blind... well, she was pretty sure she could still make her way through these woods sightless.
Smirking slightly to herself at the challenge she'd unintentionally posed herself, the Medicine Cat immediately sealed her eyes shut. Her gait instantly slowed on instinct, but her gait was strong and assured. Her mind whirred, mapping out mentally a path to take. Her other senses heightened, ears swiveling with the faintest of sounds, nose picking up on the scents of the cats who'd traveled down this path just as she had.
Her strides were even and long, and Lostspark was grinning, fangs flashing white in the dark, as she stopped beside a familiar scent, one she had been searching for. Amber eyes finally opening, Lostspark cocked her head, inspecting the marigold bunch. This would do nicely. Her heart thrummed still with the glee of knowing she still had it - that mental map of ShadowClan's territory. Her muscle memory from the small while she'd been blind still stood strong in the forefront of her mind, and Lostspark intended not to lose that skill.
So after picking up that bundle of marigold flowers, Lostspark retraced her steps back home once more, eyes closed again, and her smell slightly hindered by the marigold in her maw.
Moonmeadow cheered out when they heard the call of Hawkbite ending the final round. Yes! That's how it's done alright! The warrior squeezed out from the tree roots that lined the camp and shook out their fur, keeping an ear on Hawkbite as he went through the last few things. As she picked some of the remnants of the tree bark that stuck to their fur, Moonmeadow cleaned swiftly before coming forth to gather around Hawkbite as directed. Other apprentices and kits joined but...ummm...no other warriors, surely her fellow warriors had a bit more in them? Maybe they weren't taking it as seriously because it was a game, lazy in Moonmeadow's opinion, but they won so they weren't going to complain much. She smiled and purred as Hawkbit listed the apprentices that won and offered a pleased swoosh of their tail.
Then Hawkbite signed her out, likely for being the only warrior and asked to have her follow. Moonmeadow smiled and nodded with a small 'sure thing,' before she was on her paws and following the enforcer out of camp and into the territory. When they finally slowed to a stop, the walk having left Moonmeadow wondering what kind of prize Hawkbite was going to offer her, under the shade of a pine tree the enforcer sat. Moonmeadow copied and gave the enforcer a smile, "What's so secret abou-"
Oh, Oh!! Moonmeadow certainly wasn't expecting such a question. Though, the question as it was being asked after a game of seek was kind of a bit silly. "Me being an enforcer? Now that's a thought, isn't it." Moonmeadow thought about it, being an enforcer around camp. It would mean that she could do better about taking care of apprentice training concerns, and being able to help around camp in ways that they previously couldn't, but there was no way that she was being offered such a thing, right? Moonmeadow wasn't as talented a warrior as Hawkbite or Mistlewhisker or Darkfall or any of the enforcers. Surely not, Moonmeadow almost hoped she wouldn't because while recognition was nice, Moonmeadow had only ever done her job and then helped out as she could, that should be the low bar for warriors. She took a breath, starting slowly, "Well, I suppose that I never thought of myself as anything other than a warrior, and as much as I would like to be an enforcer, being able to help in ways I couldn't before, I just...I don't know, it feels almost wrong to be rewarded for something that I feel should be the average for a warrior, you know? Almost like, I shouldn't even be considered for such a position...but I would love to be one if you see me fit."
Hawkbite's whiskers twitched in amusement. If Moonmeadow truly thought the event win was the sole reason for the question, then she'd be humbled in a moment. Quietly, he'd ponder her response, but nod a little as if he understood. There was two spots open and needing filled and Dawnstar had instructed he keep an eye on this warrior for one. So, he had. She was right, as always and now Hawkbite was confronting the warrior about the decision.
"We'd been watching you for a bit and you assisted with Midnightpaw's fox kill training. That was another test I threw at you," Hawkbite began, blinking that stoic gaze of his. "The event win was just an excuse for me to present the option to you and if you want it, I'll bring it up to Dawnstar. So, do you want to be an Enforcer?" Hawkbite spoke. He didn't need the self-doubt answer he'd received, he needed a simple yes or no. Did this warrior want the rank or not?
Hawkbite's whiskers twitched in amusement. If Moonmeadow truly thought the event win was the sole reason for the question, then she'd be humbled in a moment. Quietly, he'd ponder her response, but nod a little as if he understood. There was two spots open and needing filled and Dawnstar had instructed he keep an eye on this warrior for one. So, he had. She was right, as always and now Hawkbite was confronting the warrior about the decision.
"We'd been watching you for a bit and you assisted with Midnightpaw's fox kill training. That was another test I threw at you," Hawkbite began, blinking that stoic gaze of his. "The event win was just an excuse for me to present the option to you and if you want it, I'll bring it up to Dawnstar. So, do you want to be an Enforcer?" Hawkbite spoke. He didn't need the self-doubt answer he'd received, he needed a simple yes or no. Did this warrior want the rank or not?
Moonmeadow stalled for a moment more, trying to put her own thoughts in order but eventually she decided that she would certainly regret not trying for this opportunity. The feline nodded, "Yes, I want to be an enforcer." There, much better than the messy answer that they gave moments before. Still they really weren't sure that they would live up to the Shadow Queen's expectations, same with Mistlewhisker and Hawkbite but she would try. She already put her all into what she does for Shadowclan so she'll just have to do even more, easy enough! He also brought up the fox fight. That had been something, but they hadn't thought it a test for themself. Well. They waited for Hawkbite's response, she took a moment to lay her tail across her tail. Regardless of the outcome, at least she has done well enough to be considered for something like this.
Moonmeadow gif made by ramen!
__________________
"Thoughts so heavy doesn't mean you're unsteady but that you're only getting ready to say "nice to meet you" to someone you never knew...you."
Faith Marie, Toxic Thoughts
Trotting out of camp after Starlingstreak, Mirepaw couldn't help the 'o' shape her mouth took on as she gazed around at the tall trees around her. Everything out here was so big! The black-and-gray apprentice nearly tripped over her own paws from not paying attention, blue-green eyes snapping back towards her mentor. The hunter's crouch? "What's that?" she piped up, unsure really what the older warrior meant by that. Was 'crouching' like 'crawling'? They sounded similar but the apprentice wasn't too sure.
Glancing at Howls, she nudged her sister and tried to whisper in her ear - though didn't realize that their mentor could likely hear them. "Psst, Howls, do you know what 'crouching' is?" Howls had to know - she knew everything! Mire was confident that she'd get an answer, and then she'd be able to impress her mentor!
╔══ ≪ °❈° ≫ ══╗ Iceclaw
Blind white furred tom with pale blue, almost white, siamese points and long, non-sheathable claws. They’re cold! Perhaps they’re ice?
He/Him | 30 Moons | Aggresive, Harsh
. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.
. 。・゜✭・.・✫゜・。.
With a sigh, he turned to the direction of where Mirepaw's voice came, thinking whether or not to answer the apprentice. After a moment, he decided not to, the question was directed to him, was it? He found no importance in answering a question that was directly asked to him. It was common manners, really.
He heard Mirepaw whisper something but he couldn't make up what it was. Iceclaw frowned. He was already blind, was he going deaf, too?
so the kiddo didn’t know what the hunters’ crouch was. oh dear. she shouldn’t have been surprised, she was barely six moons afterall, but uh, how was she supposed to proceed. ah, nevermind. the show must go in. come rain, come sleet, come snow. the show must go on, and so it would. she was a trendsetter, not a dissapointment. she would never disappoint, could never disappoint. and today would be no different.
as the apprentice leaned over to whisper to her sister, starlingstreak smiled.“ah! no worries, dearie! i’ll be teaching the both of ya, then we can head on back, alright?”
“the hunters crouch is a little thing us warriors find important. while hunting, it helps to have a specific stance to use, our ‘hunters crouch.’ it helps with staying quiet and keeping hidden. here i’ll show ya.” she took a few steps back before dropping into the stance, tail hovering above the ground as she took a few steps forward. starling sat up, twitching her tail as though bowing. “now you try. it’s alright if you don’t get it your first try, there’s always later.”
after giving them a chance to test it out, she’d turn back towards the trees, raising her nose to the air. “do you two want to see some hunting in action?” it wasn’t so much a request. they would watch her hunt and they would be impressed. she was wonderful, how could they not? catching the scent of a shrew, she’d pace forward, dropping into a crouch before eventually leaping onto its back. nice. risking a glance backwards to see if the others had seen, she continued onwards, eyes alighting on the plump form of a thrush.
ohoho, it had no idea what was coming for it. (it was starlingstreak. she was going to eat it later. revel in her glory and all that jazz.) this time, the approach was slower, toe-beans moving silently across the ground until she was just close enough to leap onto its back.
returning to the pair with the bird in her mouth, starling grabbed the shrew from the ground. “lets find the others!” the words had become mangled around her prey, falling out in an untelligable spattering of giberish. ah how unfortunate, but an actor did not dwell.
Re: ShadowClan Territory
]