ThunderClan Territory

[occultation]

Oriolepaw happily followed Sootfur to Wisteria Falls, alongside Quietpaw. It was the first time that the apprentice resembled how he’d been at the start of his training. Excited and bubbly, but dedicated to learning something interesting and useful.

When they arrived, Oriolepaw studied the area. The waterfall he’d heard so much about was currently fairly small. The melting snow had probably provided it with some volume, but Oriolepaw figured it was more magnificent in warmer moons. The grand tree that he’d heard stories about was bare, swaying and creaking in the wind. Sootfur first turned his attention to his apprentice after announcing that they’d be learning how to hunt in pairs. Oriolepaw paid close attention.

( @Willow_Tree @Wingnettle )

[occultation]

Oriolepaw continued to shiver as Mistylight ran off. He sent about a dozen prayers to StarClan, asking them to let him live. He wasn’t sure if a cat could die from what he figured was a broken bone, but it sure felt like he could in those moments.

It felt like hours before Mistylight finally returned, bringing Flameheart. The warrior asked him how bad his injury hurt. His voice hoarse with pain, he croaked, “Worse than anything I’ve ever felt before. Then again, I haven’t really gotten hurt before.” He shifted a little and groaned. “If I try to stand on it, I feel dizzy and the pain gets a lot worse.”

He hoped the pair would be able to get him up. He’d thought he’d heard them say they were going to carry him between the two of them. Would it work?

( @Spotty @SpiritedWarrior We can each do one more post, not counting this one for me. Then, Spotty can post a starter in the medicine den and Spirited can follow with a post, since they’ll both be carrying Oriole. Is that okay with you guys? )

[JackHunt_17]

Originally Posted by Oasis

—/— @Archbone —/—

~^~ Duckfluff ~^~

As he saw Berryclaw approach he waved his tail in greeting. His eyes widened even more when he saw the plump-for-leafbare squirrel he was carrying. I think that’s the best I’ve seen all season Pride in his brother sparked in his stomach, accompanied by something strange that he couldn’t quite name. Something a little bit meaner. He ignored it. “Nice catch! That squirrel is huge!” He purred. Maybe their catch wouldn’t look that bad after all. Should we try to catch something else? As much as Duckfluff enjoyed hunting and hanging with his brother, he had been out all day and was starting to get tired. He might seem to have boundless energy, but he was still a warrior. “Oh by the way did you catch anything else?” He blinked hopefully. It seemed like Berryclaw’s side of the forest was better than the one he’d picked today. Maybe he had had better luck!

“I didn’t check for anything else. We can go back that way though and maybe we’ll get something on the way back to camp. Otherwise what we have is fine. 2 pieces of prey by two warriors in leaf bare is plenty.” Berryclaw assured his brother

[Streamtail]

Streamtail fulfills her punishment quickly, catching two voles and a sparrow. She proudly pads back in the direction of camp, she did pretty well for a queen. Maybe she should consider becoming a warrior!

[Streamtail]

Dunestorm pounces on a squirrel, killing it with a swift bite to the neck. That was the fourth piece of prey, I think I'm good for now. He thinks, running back to camp to report his hunting patrol.

[beau]

Sundust was pleasantly surprised to see that Bumblebreak actually remembered what he had said - oftentimes it seemed cats didn’t pay all that much attention to the conversation while being treated, and understandably so. If he was getting a broken leg set, he didn’t he’d care all that much about whoever was fixing his leg was saying. ”That’s correct. As for other herbs, poppy seeds and cobwebs would be nice to find as well. Considering the temperatures though I suspect we won’t be finding very much apart from the cobwebs.”

Leafbare honestly had him anxious. He always disliked it, even as a warrior, for being the ‘fourth season’ in his mind as well reducing the prey which came into camp, but now with having to worry about herbs it had made things even worse. Thankfully he was decently stocked at the moment - though he’d like to adjust his count of burnet - and was only concerned about collecting the necessities.

[ @dino. ]

[MockingRabbit]

Harefire caught the scent of mouse, and prowled forward, one paw in front of the other. A quick leap brought him to the mouse, and with a sharp nip of his teeth, the mouse was dead. His belly growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since early morning, that seemed like a long time ago. He scratched dirt over the prey, then turned to find some more. It took Harefire a few moments to find the next mouse, but he eventually added it to his collection. He spotted a bird, but he missed it and it escaped into a tree. He caught another mouse or two, then collected his catch and padded to camp.

[Bonsai]

—/— @Archbone —/—

~^~ Duckfluff ~^~

He heaved a sigh. “I guess your right.” He was, of course, but Duckfluff never liked to go back with little prey. Disappointment dragged at his stomach as he started the journey back to camp.

[This was so fun! I might ask to do another interaction like this in the future hehe]

[wren]

Rabbitchatter | he/him
A long furred brown tabby tom with amber eyes
—

The warrior could not say he understood or related to anything Alderstep was saying. Quite frankly he was struggling a fair amount to grasp what “work hard and not care” even meant. Did Alderstep deprive himself of a social life for the sake of menial clan chores? Rabbitchatter was even stunned at the idea, he could understand the process at which most felines made poor choices, but this he could not link a single understanding from.. working meant you couldn’t care. Rabbitchatter had then completely enveloped himself trying to understand… or perhaps he has the whole concept wrong?

What was normal about that? The tabby just let the thought marinate while Alder absentmindedly chewed on his claws in his discomfort, which he really didn’t need to do considering he had not looked up from the ground as he racked his brain for answers. Whatever. You understand what you understand for now.

Rasping a tongue down his chest a few times to re-Center himself he let his gaze fall gently on Alder, another softening of his gaze to acknowledge he appreciated what Alder was being so forth coming about. “I’ll be honest k-“ he stopped himself short of the nickname but brushed it off and continued. “I have never been in that boat before. Could you explain it to me? I know I ain’t the smartest cat in the bag but… I’d like to help. Er- even listen if that’s what yer comfortable with.”

@val

[odessa]

alderstep
he/him
thunderclan
russet tabby w/ white paws, green eyes
---

A small bit of snow-melt dripped down onto the warrior's ear. Alderstep flicked it off and scrunched up his face in confusion. What was a boat? Or a bag? Rabbitchatter had carried some weird loner slang into Thunderclan. He shrugged off his confusion. Best not to dwell on it. He fixed his gaze on Rabbitchatter's tail, aware of the other cat's gaze on him. Alderstep could swear that his amber gaze was disarming him. That, or he's just starved for a break from his little mental hole. The warrior believed the former.

Rabbitchatter's humble admission that he was, essentially, a bee-brain caught Alderstep's attention. This cat really would be some sort of a role model. It was nearly eerie how model-like he was. Well, whatever a boat was, Alderstep had some suspicion that Rabbitchatter had somehow surrounded himself with cats just like him in that boat. Maybe that explained how he was so...Alderstep gave up on finding a word for it. Deep down, it nagged him that Rabbitchatter was just as good a clan cat as he was yet happier.

Was he doing something wrong? Alderstep chuckled softly. Of course not. He raised his head to look Rabbitchatter in the eye. "Let me pose it as this: what if a cat liked to tree climb? In Thunderclan, that's cool and all. But this cat doesn't like to catch prey for the clan, he just does what he wants. That's not very useful, is it?" Alderstep explained, his voice dipping briefly into a condescending tone. He cleared his throat to return to general neutrality. "If clan cats did whatever they wanted and let their feelings run loose, then there is no clan." He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the ground. "Work and don't care about anything but the clan. That's what you're supposed to do to help the clan," he finished.

Alderstep couldn't help but wonder, though. If that were true, which it was since he'd been taught that, why was Rabbitchatter standing here as a warrior? He clearly expressed his feelings and wanted everybody to do the same. So how exactly was he helping the clan by doing that? Was it because he was a loner before clan life? Alderstep narrowed his eyes at the anomaly. Thunderclan, and every other clan, depended on the work of its cats. How could one possibly be productive if they had feelings? Those got in the way and were useless. Weak? But what about Rabbitchatter? Alderstep curled and uncurled his tail rhythmically, trying to beat the thought out of his mind. He was right, wasn't he?

@wren