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Re: RiverClan Territory
Crescentfur nodded and spotted a raven she dropped into a hunters crouch, checking the wind before inching forward, once she was close enough she pounced on it killing it with a bite to the neck
Floodsight ✦ RiverClan Warrior | 28 moons | Mind Reader ; Beefed Up T3 ; empty slot
Floodsight watched as the apprentice bounced around and about in muddy lands. She, herself, preferred taking the drier path, stepping on the higher grounds where her paws wouldn't sink into the sticky...oddly textured ground. Water was one thing. Dirt getting stuck in places she could avoid was another. Her long fur had the habit of picking up useless grime and dirt wherever possible, leaving Floodsight to countless hours of grooming herself clean.
Everything Aspenpaw had told pretty much summed up the same as Sunheart's story with an additional mention of ThunderClan and Cobwebfern. She'd noticed the changes in roster, but never imagined it so severe. It wasn't only the leader and deputy, but one of the medicine cats as well. It didn't take long before the little one's word began to redirect the questions back at her. What'd she been up to...and how's she settling back?
To spare the gruesome details, Floodsight responded with a word or two. "Coyotes happened...they aren't dog nor foxes, but something inbetween."
"Got chased a little too far from home," Floodsight continued, but shuddered a little at the thought before saying, "It's good to be back and I'm settling in alright."
A bit of a lie, but the silver warrior rather not worry the little one. Instead, she found them a nice calm stream for some fishing practice and beckoned him over with a flicks of her tail. Floodsight flashed a small grin, "I'm glad you are doing a little better now...Come on. Let's get you caught up and maybe you get your warrior name next moon."
┆彡 black-furred tall & sinewy tom with vitiligo resulting in white speckles covering his fur; heavily scarred across his entire body, missing half his left ear. his eyes are a light cloudy amber due to his blindness --- has protruding fangs that overlap his bottom lip & walks with a prominent limp. smells like spicy citrus with an underlying petrichor scent. speaks in a low & raspy monotone voice. ✮
➺ wormbite listened to the apprentice beside him — their movements, the sound of water splashing and the lack of a fish thrashing about on the ground. he showed no disappointment, only giving a small nod of his head. his tail reached out to brush against seapaw's back and shoulders to assess his posture, "relax your shoulders, tension slows you down, " he recommended, pulling his tail back. ah, how he wish he had his sight back for the sole fact he would no longer have to use touch to see instead.
"different cats fish in different ways. if the cupping motion does not seem comfortable for you, you can use your claws to get a deeper grip to buy yourself some time to drag it quickly out of the water. ,, as if you are digging, " he would attempt to explain in detail, "but yes, try again, " wormbite finished.
₊✧ ⋆ ★ ULTIMATE PREDATOR ✮ JUST A SCRATCH ✮ SHADOW FIEND ✮ SURVIVAL INSTINCTS ★ ₊✧ ⋆
Seapaw
he/they - 10 moons - Go with the flow
They nodded slowly. This was tough, but they were determined to get it! Land hunting was fun and all, but they loved the water so much - so any excuse to involve it was good. Okay, relax the shoulders. They breathed in and out slowly, letting their shoulders fall - wow, they'd been quite tense hadn't they? And, he could use his claws and dig if he needed. Got it. Now to wait for a fish.
The 'paw lay in wait, keeping an eye on the surface, till... A couple bubbles appeared - now! He lunged forward, dipping a paw in and throwing the fish onto the bank - yes! Quickly, they bit it to finish it off - no need for unnecessary suffering. "I did it!" They looked up at Wormbite, grinning. It was a pretty average minnow, nothing special - but it was his first fish!
SunflowerFlare padded alongside Seabreeze, her three legs moving with practiced grace, though she still stumbled a little more than she liked. It had become second nature by now, but there were nights when she caught herself wishing for a little more balance, or a moment of solid ground beneath her paws. She rolled her shoulders in an exaggerated stretch, then flicked her tail dismissively, clearly trying to shake off any lingering discomfort.
She turned her head to look at Seabreeze, the glow of the moonlight giving her expression a softer edge than usual, though it quickly disappeared behind her usual cool facade. "Talking about it?…" She paused, clearly weighing her options before speaking again. "Yeah, sure, I’ll talk, but don’t expect it to be some amazing story. No one wants to hear about my past, trust me." Well…what she could remember of it anyways.
There was something about Seabreeze’s approach that reminded her of the kind of cat she used to be, before everything had changed. Maybe that’s why it was easier to talk to him now, even if just a little. She let the silence stretch for a moment before her eyes shifted toward the stars again, though it wasn’t like she was really seeing them this time.
“I don’t really talk about it,” she began, her voice almost soft. She cleared her throat, trying to shake off the discomfort, but the words were already coming, and there was no stopping them. “The fox attack, I mean. Some things... they just don’t go away. Not in your head.”
She was careful not to meet his eyes, her gaze staying fixed on the ground as she continued, more to herself than to him. “I lost a lot. My eye, my balance…my sister… but the worst part is, I can’t remember it. The moments leading up to it, the pain, everything just feels… foggy. Like it didn’t even happen. I woke up and realized I couldn’t remember myself—who I used to be, what I used to think, how I used to act.” Her voice was quieter now, tinged with the bitterness of frustration. “It’s like I’m stuck between being the cat I was before and the one I am now. But no one cares about that. They just want me to be me again. They want me to remember who I was, like I’m supposed to know how.”
A pause. She exhaled deeply, as if the weight of it had been too much to hold in for so long. “My sister didn’t survive, y’know? And I’m left here trying to piece together who I was while everyone expects me to be this cat who’s not even here anymore. Sometimes I don’t even know who I’m supposed to be, but… I still try. Even when I don’t remember how.” She stopped walking, her paws still as she faced Seabreeze, her expression conflicted. “I guess that’s the real struggle. People think I’m fine, but I’m not. I’m just... trying.” She gave a small, almost apologetic shrug, as if that was the best she could offer. The sarcasm had faded from her voice, leaving behind only raw, unguarded truth.
After a moment, she finally glanced up at him, her gaze quieter than usual. “That’s why I don’t talk about it. It doesn’t really get me anywhere. But… there it is.”
very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude t3 | just a scratch | dreamwalker
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 58 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, heart o’ gold; loyal to a fault ]
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Ahh, newleaf.
Stagheart padded along the forest, happy to see fresh green growth springing up. The breeze was still brisk but refreshing, carrying with it the scents of budding flowers and the sounds of scuttling prey. As much as his ear fur twitched at the noise, Stag knew he had to focus on what he came here for: to help Starrypaw learn how to fish. All the enticing prey could wait till later.
The young cat hadn't gotten to that part of her training yet, and with a word from Sunheart, the senior warrior was happy to take it over. He walked alongside the apprentice, giving her a faint, crooked half-smile in encouragement.
"Y'ever been out by the river? The water flowers real fast in early newleaf 'cause of the snow meltin' 'n all the rains we get. So we'll be headin' downstream where it slows down." He swiveled his large tabby head, assessing the terrain as he picked the most direct route, though he let them take a leisurely stroll alongside the riverbank as well. It was nice scenery, now that the forest was coming alive again after the barrenness of leaf-bare.
Finally, he took them to a stop at a sandy part of the bank, nice and soft to sit on. There were a few stones to lay out as well, basking in the dappled sunlight streaming down from the tree canopy above. Stagheart's whiskers twitched; he recalled this spot, the same one he'd helped teach Willowtail how to get used to water and catch some minnows many moons ago now. How time flew, eh?
His scarred flank flexed as he came to a halt, peering into the calmer waters this far down the river. Already he could see some gleaming silvery bodies darting beneath the water, causing ripples to echo across the surface. A few small fish even sprung up and landed with gentle splashes, making droplets fly everywhere. One fat droplet landed on his nose, and he snorted, shaking his head to clear it.
"Mmnh... at least they're active today," Stagheart huffed, casting an amused glance at Starrypaw. He batted his muzzle with a large paw as he meowed, "Tell me, kid. Have ya been swimmin' at all, yet? Y'ain't need to know how to swim for this, since we're in the shallower waters, but I 'spose I'm tryna see how comfortable you are 'bout gettin' wet. We can stick to the minnows if ya want most of yer pelt dry today." Despite his gruff accent and imposing stature, the large tabby did genuinely sound thoughtful as he gazed down at the smaller, younger cat. He'd always had a soft spot for anyone who vaguely reminded him of Berryshine.
Starrypaw
Riverclan | 11 moons Mind Reader, Lucky Duck 3
Starrypaw followed Stagheart with a small, almost unnoticeable smile on her muzzle.
She was with a kind, gentle cat that she liked, she was going to the river and especially to learn how to catch her favorite type of prey. Nothing could ruin this day. Her day.
She nodded, then reminded herself that he could not see her while walking behind. "Uh... yes. I did swim a little bit with Primroseadder." She replied, feeling a sparkle of pride in her chest as she announced her little victory. She wondered now what kind of relationship these two cats might have.
The landscape was beautiful, and the weather just perfect. Everything seemed in place for her today, and she wanted nothing more than to work super hard to achieve a new goal. She was also trying to learn not to mourn too much on what she had lost, and try to focus on what she had found instead. Stagheart was a good example. She would gladly spend more time with the old tom.
"Uhm.. no, I really want to learn how to catch the good fish. Bigger ones." She wanted to test herself out, maybe? Probably. But there were too many good signs out here today not to be hopeful, and the river seemed more like a friend than a possible threat.
She padded into the water, gazing down and farther to catch a glimpse of long, shiny shapes. Those were her goal!
She turned back, waiting patiently for instructions, staring into Stagheart's eyes.
very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; killer aptitude t3 | just a scratch | dreamwalker
[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 58 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, heart o’ gold; loyal to a fault ]
—
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wingnettle
Starrypaw
Riverclan | 11 moons Mind Reader, Lucky Duck 3
Starrypaw followed Stagheart with a small, almost unnoticeable smile on her muzzle.
She was with a kind, gentle cat that she liked, she was going to the river and especially to learn how to catch her favorite type of prey. Nothing could ruin this day. Her day.
She nodded, then reminded herself that he could not see her while walking behind. "Uh... yes. I did swim a little bit with Primroseadder." She replied, feeling a sparkle of pride in her chest as she announced her little victory. She wondered now what kind of relationship these two cats might have.
The landscape was beautiful, and the weather just perfect. Everything seemed in place for her today, and she wanted nothing more than to work super hard to achieve a new goal. She was also trying to learn not to mourn too much on what she had lost, and try to focus on what she had found instead. Stagheart was a good example. She would gladly spend more time with the old tom.
"Uhm.. no, I really want to learn how to catch the good fish. Bigger ones." She wanted to test herself out, maybe? Probably. But there were too many good signs out here today not to be hopeful, and the river seemed more like a friend than a possible threat.
She padded into the water, gazing down and farther to catch a glimpse of long, shiny shapes. Those were her goal!
She turned back, waiting patiently for instructions, staring into Stagheart's eyes.
Stagheart nodded in approval at Starrypaw's initial answer; good, the she-cat had at least been around the water. With how hesitant Willowtail had been (and the incident that'd nearly swept her down the river all those moons ago), he felt a bit better to see the apprentice looked confident enough. Even to step into the river herself before he had to direct her. The waters were shallow and calm here, but still! It was encouraging.
The senior warrior kept that half-smirk of his as he observed her looking expectantly at him. He'd had the same kind of eagerness and ambition when it came to wanting to catch prey — the bigger, the better. Who was he to deny the courage to face the challenge?
"Heh, good. Looks like I see plenty of 'em today." Stagheart padded several pawsteps away from where she was standing in the water, though he stayed on the bank. Glancing up at the sky to gauge the position of the sun and its shadows, he returned his gaze to Starrypaw.
"Generally, ya don't want yer reflection or shadow loomin' over the water. That makes the fish to swim away." As he explained, he purposely leaned over the water in one spot, letting it hover there. The ripply reflection and shadow caused the fish to dart away, disturbed. He chuckled a bit before rising to his paws, heading back closer to Starrypaw, though he still gave her space.
"Then, it's mostly just a matter of waitin'... till you see a good opportunity, that is." Stagheart plopped down on the bank, extending a forepaw. His claws flexed, glinting in the late morning sunlight. "Ya want yer claws unsheathed, paw 'n ready. Then, you wanna try and shoot it under the fish, hookin' it up with yer claws. Best thing to do after that is flingin' it onto the bank, where y'can give it the killin' bite... or catch it in yer jaws, if you're quick enough."
He demonstrated by waiting several moments, and then... once one fish got a little too daring to come near him, Stagheart launched his paw. It splashed into the water, a quick blur of a moment from many moons of practice. He hooked it, claws curling agains the scales, and swiftly lurched his paw back out of the water. The fish went soaring through the air, landing with a thud on the sand beside him.
"Y'gotta get it before it gets back in the water—" Quickly, before it could flop around too much, the warrior held the silvery creature down with his paw and performed the killing bite. With a satisfied huff, he leaned back, the now-stilled fish gleaming in his jaws as he smirked around it. "Jus' like th'at," he mewed, muffled around his prey.
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art by c1nder Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat!
she has a semi-closed den policy.
Starrypaw
Riverclan | 11 moons Mind Reader, Lucky Duck 3
Starrypaw smiled. The brown tom seemed pleased that she had already learned how to swim, but she was still waiting for a diving lesson. Maybe... Yes, maybe she could even try it out herself. It was a bit scary from one side, but it felt exciting from the other one. And she wanted to build up her confidence! Yes, she would think about it.
She listened intently as Stagheart explained the shadow theory and demonstrated it immediately. The fish was scared and instantly fled away, but at least they wouldn't alert the other fish in the upper river!
Patience wasn't a problem. She had learned how to be patient through the endless moons of solitude spent in camp as a young, outsider kit and apprentice with no friends, without games to play or too many tasks to do.
She crouched and sneaked to his side, peeking into the water with the utmost attention at not giving herself away. Sparkling, glittering scaled-creatures swam away at incredible speed and they melted themselves into the water flow and ripples.
She unsheathed her claws, and waited. Silently, patiently. She knew biting into a fish wouldn't be a problem, for there wasn't really too much blood and the fishy taste was strong enough to cover that. She observed and listened and when Stagheart focused on one and immediately managed to snatch it up, she smiled with excitement and admiration. He caught it in one move! It was... just incredible. I want to do that, too.
"Please, let me try it.." She murmured, turning her gaze to the water and keeping still. She waited and waited, and as the prey returned she prepared herself for a quick move. Still... still, Starrypaw... wait a little bit more... She repeated to herself, then instinctively reached out with her paw... but the fish slipped out and she lost it. She gritted her teeth and stepped back again. She wasn't going to give up!
Once again, she tried to grab another fish but her claws just couldn't grab it. "It's so slippery!" She commented, starting to feeling frustrated after her third time.
Finally, she adjusted her time and tried to foresee where the next fish would arrive. She landed a paw as swiftly as she could,using all her strength to sink her claws into the scales. I got it! I got it!
A rush of adrenaline hit her, and she quickly pulled her paw back without sheathing her claws.
This time the fish ended up on the earthy bank, and she bit it near the head to break its spine.
Floodsight ✦ RiverClan Warrior | 28 moons | Mind Reader ; Beefed Up T3 ; empty slot
Floodsight watched as the apprentice bounced around and about in muddy lands. She, herself, preferred taking the drier path, stepping on the higher grounds where her paws wouldn't sink into the sticky...oddly textured ground. Water was one thing. Dirt getting stuck in places she could avoid was another. Her long fur had the habit of picking up useless grime and dirt wherever possible, leaving Floodsight to countless hours of grooming herself clean.
Everything Aspenpaw had told pretty much summed up the same as Sunheart's story with an additional mention of ThunderClan and Cobwebfern. She'd noticed the changes in roster, but never imagined it so severe. It wasn't only the leader and deputy, but one of the medicine cats as well. It didn't take long before the little one's word began to redirect the questions back at her. What'd she been up to...and how's she settling back?
To spare the gruesome details, Floodsight responded with a word or two. "Coyotes happened...they aren't dog nor foxes, but something inbetween."
"Got chased a little too far from home," Floodsight continued, but shuddered a little at the thought before saying, "It's good to be back and I'm settling in alright."
A bit of a lie, but the silver warrior rather not worry the little one. Instead, she found them a nice calm stream for some fishing practice and beckoned him over with a flicks of her tail. Floodsight flashed a small grin, "I'm glad you are doing a little better now...Come on. Let's get you caught up and maybe you get your warrior name next moon."
So the coyotes had been the ones to force his mentor- uh former mentor away from home. Aspenpaw frowned as he listened, thoughts going back to how stormstar had died. If he remembered correctly, and he was, Stormstar had been killed by those same breed of mutts. Seabreeze had been there. Aspenpaw had never encountered coyotes before but he'd already solidified a negative opinion on the dog-like fox-like creatures. ”No worries Miss, as long as you're home now everything should be fine” and that was true right? Everything was better when you were with your clan. So Floodsight really had nothing to worry about now cus she was home.
Aspenpaw slowed his pace as the sound of rushing water filtered into the mostly quiet environment. Soon enough they had reached one of the many winding rivers that dotted the territory. It seems most of the ice had melted and those few pieces left behind would be gone soon. The river's current looked strong, strong enough that it was probably wise to avoid falling in on accident. Amber eyes looked up and down the river trying to locate shadows of the prey within its waters. ”You think there'll be fish here?” he asked, turning back to Floodsight for confirmation.
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“All toasters needs some bread and all bread needs to be toasted” - infamous burntToast
The former lionheart wouldn’t lie, he was greatly surprised when Sunflowerflare actually agreed to talkin things out with him rather than keeping it to herself. Not for any bad reasons, the blue-grey feline could only assume that what was going to be shared was deeply personal and while Seabreeze has found himself around the tripod more lately, he wouldn’t blame her for telling him to bug off. Perhaps she just really needed someone to offer an ear. It was sadly a fact of the clans that mental health was brushed over more often than not, espeically with how frequent losing the cats you care about happens.
Maybe that should be something he brings to attention in apprentice lessons, it could certainly help if they made it explicitly clear to the youth that as a clan they were the most stable thing you were going to get, even in Riverclan, while the clan inside is rocky it isn’t going anywhere if the cats that truly care for it have anything to say. On top of his head, Starrypaw, Aspenpaw, Rosemarypaw, Rabbitpaw, even cats like Beanpaw, Duckpaw, and countless more could probably benefit- well would’ve benefitted in the cases of his late and missing apprentices.
Oh wait- His blue eyes shifted to Sunflowerflare’s muzzle as she started to speak, it made him feel bad for getting so spacy, but she gave him a great idea and he was sure she would be happy to have helped him reach such a conclusion. Seabreeze found himself agreeing on countless points as the amputee spoke about her past and what was keeping her awake on this instance, down to the loss of a sister, and playing pretend for a clan that didn’t ever seem to really understand. He didn’t say anything for a long time, looking away from Sunflowerflare and keeping a consistant walking pace.
“I can’t say my case is the same, and I don’t want to, because it isn’t. I just want to say that I understand in some ways.” Everyone who has been around him for a fraction of a second knew what was his ‘problem.’ Unreliable, depressed, never trying enough to just be better, everyone loses so many, more and the same as him and they just kept going like nothing ever happened. “When I was 5 moons old, my father died, in a scuffle with Thunderclan along the border. I consider it as the omen that it was, everything fell apart after that. My mom, my sister, the fighting, being a husk of myself… dealing with everyone being so.. okay with their loss while I felt like I was floored every other moon.”
The tom took a moment to sigh, “I told Stormstar once, that I always told myself that my issue was because of Cloverpaw, losing my sister, my only family left. I was always too scared to talk to anyone other than her, anxiety framed my mind and blinded me to the clan. But now I think my… depression, was something that’s always been there.” Get to the point, you always did like to lecture, didn’t you Seabreeze. His eyes shifted as he thought about his sister, the one that was supposedly out there and alive lurking among the outsiders after being revived when such a feat shouldn’t be possible with the starcave and the fractured connection.
“Cats expect you to be okay. No matter what. There’s been this long standing tradition of pushing through, and we happen to be part of the cats that go against the river, we get the rapids. You can’t ignore it, or you’ll drown.” He would’ve. Several times it was mere coincidence that Seabreeze still stood here today when so many cats instead of him should. “If I could change just one thing, I would change that thought. That the only way of dealing with things is to push through or pretend until the facade breaks.” That was enough, dreamer. Perhaps Cloverpaw always wanted to be something more within the ranks of Riverclan, providing physical stability, but the shared trauma passed down from generation to generation as each kit was born or brought in was a lurking poison that would only lunge like a snake when it thought it was fully forgotten.
“And for one, don’t.” Seabreeze stopped then, staring straight at Sunflowerflare, “I’ve rambled uselessly a lot, but if you remember one thing from tonight: Don’t try to be a cat that’s gone. The you from before, you’ll only drive yourself mad trying to find it because that cat is dead and gone. I find that addressing what happened and accepting it as another experience into shaping you into someone knew, no matter how horrible that experience is, is one of the only ways to keep living in the presence and looking to the future.”
Re: RiverClan Territory
Re: RiverClan Territory
fishin' time! ]
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
