RiverClan Territory

[wickedvirtues]

"Pleasseeeee, Almondpaw!" Acaciakit begged, jutting out her bottom lip. "Sorry, but it's dangerous and against the warrior code.." the Abyssinian replied, earning a sour look. "Like YOU care about the code!" She spat, then sighed as her tail drooped. "Whatever, Almondpaw.." Acaciakit replied, heading back to camp since she'd only gone a few steps away. She sighed, sitting in the camp entrance with a sad expression.

[AbsurdJinx]

Originally Posted by RedHead

Spicepaw's ears flicked upwards as he heard a yowl behind him. It took him by surprise, and he turned to see a pale-furred tomcat with splashes of color on his pelt running towards him at full speed. Spicepaw stared for a moment, confused. Why would a fellow Riverclan cat be running towards him threateningly? Then Spicepaw realized that the other cat was getting closer. If he keeps running like that, we'll both end up in the river! Spicepaw definitely could not have that. He'd freak and probably go crazy and break down in front of this other cat, and Spicepaw didn't want that to happen. So he did the logical thing.

Spicepaw leaped to the side, but he had spent too long contemplating on why this cat was here, that he was too late. Mid-leap, the other apprentice crashed into him, sending him tumbling towards the river. Spicepaw felt his tail hit the water, then his hindquarters. Out of pure panic, the russet tom flung his forepaw a outwards, claws unsheathed, and dug them into the bank. It was muddy and wet, courtesy of the cold water rushing around his bottom half. Spicepaw once more had the sensation of drowning, flickers of memories from that stormy night rushing through his head. He was panicking, he was scared. And he was slipping. Spicepaw scrabbled on the edge of the bank, his ears pressed against his head in fear. It was too muddy, and one of his paws slipped. Spicepaw tried to grab onto the bank once more, but his other paw slipped, and he was falling. Spicepaw let out a fearful yowl.

"Plop." The tom slowly opened his yellow-green hues to find his head above the water. It was swirling around his hindquarters and front paws though. He was sitting in the shallows. Of course, the river doesn't get deep until near the middle... Except on stormy days. Spicepaw cast hi eyes upwards. It was perfectly clear, the sun beating down on him. Spicepaw then realized he was still sitting in the water. He pretty much leaped out, then started shaking violently to get rid of the wet droplets on his fur. Thankfully, being a full-blooded Riverclan cat, his fur was waterproof, so the water slid easily off his pelt. The tom then st down and started to lick the mud off of his paws, not wanting to be anywhere near the river again. That was enough trauma for this tom today. As he was grooming, Spicepaw realized another thing. He had made a COMPLETE fool of himself in front of this other fellow Riverclan apprentice. Oh great. Gonna have to live with that one the rest of my life... He then turned around to lol or the cat, hopefully to see his reaction.

Quillpaw had stood to the side the entire time the other cat had his episode in the river. He was poised in a fighters position, his legs spread apart and his fur bristling threateningly. But his fur fell as confusion replaced his ferocity, and he stood there, watching the tom struggle in barely a mouse-length of water. Quillpaw was much too amused and confused to offer help, but he also figured the other cat didn't really need help. After all... there wasn't all that much water in the shallow part of the river. He could only stare at the stranger.

His sharp gaze was on the brown tomcat as he climbed from the shallows. Quillpaw couldn't look away, wondering if the tomcat remembered he had an audience. He was much too confused on whether or not he should he should make his presence known, so he settled for remaining where he was, waiting for the other tom to realize he was there. Quillpaw would've normally shrunk away from the shaken off water drops, but he feared just an ounce of movement would somehow betray him. Betray him how, you ask? Yeah, no clue.

Finally, the stranger turned around, and Quillpaw had to admit that the brown-pelted tomcat was very handsome. The other tom reminded him of someone in similar appearance, but he couldn't be sure the cat before him was related to Russetstar. His fur rose on end when he met the stranger's gaze, and he offered a threatening hiss. After hissing, though, he tasted a watery, fishy scent blanket his tongue. Lightening up, Quillpaw let his fur relax, and he adopted a cheerful expression. He chuckled nervously, before meowing, ``Oh, I - uh, hadn't realized you were a RiverClan cat. I'm Quillpaw!``

His tail waved behind him, a sign of friendliness. And the huge grin on Quillpaw's face supported his obvious joy, which radiated off him in waves. He was always happy to meet new friends. And meeting a friend with such a unique beginning was sure to promise a fantastic future! The two apprentices were both unknowingly looking forward to a great future.

[Clover]

Originally Posted by Zero to Hero

Swampstone scowled as they ventured into a particular slushy mess of melting snow. Although the warm rays felt good on his pelt, it was certainly making a mess of the white snow, turning it into a puddle of brown. Even though he enjoyed the small bit of warmth, he almost wished it wasn't there so the snow would be frozen enough to walk on top of. He let out a small sigh, weaving through the wetness at the same pace. If he were alone, he probably would have sped up his pace to be through the particular area quicker, but he resisted the urge in the thought of his companion. The tom wasn't super bothered as the white patches of his fur turned brown, almost making his look like a full brown tabby; but at the very least he hoped he didn't look too stupid. At least his dirtiness gave him an excuse to spend even more time grooming with his mate after this hunting patrol was over. He looked up from the ground as Cloversplash responded to him, not minding the bit of silence as they worked their way through that mess. The tom fluffed his pelt out a bit in response to the feeling of his long fur on his legs and near his stomach freezing.

"That's true," He meowed softly, his hopes for a warm meal diminishing a bit. "Anything is better than nothing at all, I suppose."

However, they came to a small fork in the tiny paths the clans had dug into the territory after moons of walking the same way day after day, and Swampstone froze at the sound of small scuffling somewhere under the snow ahead. Opening his jaws, the scent of mouse washed over his tongue, his mouth watering at just the smell. Figuring Cloversplash heard the same, he gave her a small look; almost as if to say that he had this one. The warrior slunk forward, grateful that this particular area was frozen enough that he could actually balance himself on top of the layer of snow without having to push through it. He kept his paw steps as light as he could, but the snow would still occasionally crackle a bit under him, causing the tom to freeze and listen again for the sound of the mouse. Whether it was luck or skill, he didn't know, but he managed to make it close enough to pounce at the particular patch of snow the mouse was under. With a soft breath in, the hunter imitated a fox, jumping almost straight into the air and shoving his paws and snout face forward into the patch of snow when he landed; his heavy weight an advantage for once in this terrain.

She smiled amusedly at his now brown fur; it looked like he had been born a dirty sleet-brown, the color mixing with his natural gray. "You look like me. May as well be your sister," she joked, smiling almost sarcastically, tail twitching above the surface of the slush puddle. Her own white underbelly was now a complete murky slate, and she looked less like Cloversplash and more like an aging elder. Slowing her pace, she let Swampstone lead; he had always portrayed a sort of odd confidence, like an older brother who was responsible and willing to take care of others. Even though she was older, and maybe even more experienced, she still let him take the lead; the more practice he got, especially in unideal conditions, the better of a warrior he could become.

A sudden sound perked her attention; her ears snapped forward unintentionally, an immediate subconscious reaction to moons upon moons spent hunting in the wild. Simultaneously, her muscles stiffened to prevent further noise on her part, a leg held frozen in the air, poised to step again into the muck. Cloversplash opened her mouth, and the sharp, tangy scent of fresh prey flooded her her nose and tongue, tantalizing and fresh. The aging warrior glanced over at her young companion; he too seemed intent on their quarry. She crept after him, stalking silently and surely, ready to bring back even the scrappiest of food items. The ice beyond the half-frozen pond was stiff, allowing for both of them to put their weight on it without fear of crashing into water below. Every noise made her pause, muscles locking up, eyes intent and focused on whatever may come. Suddenly, in a flurry of movement, Swampstone jumped, and came down onto the terrain below, breaking the delicate layer of ice, revealing more packed snow. But, in another flash second, she realized that there were not one mice, but a near colony of them, rare but necessary in the cold of winter; one alone might die, but a group could survive the freeze.

Without a thought, Cloversplash sprung forward, hind legs tensing, and then releasing suddenly, forcing her forward a good few feet. There was one just in front of her, all squeaking and scurrying to escape the predators. She catapulted onto it, attempting the same technique of leaping. She landed practically on top of their prey, and with a quick nip, it was silenced.

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Eclipsemoon the Therian

Fallenspirit thought for a moment, going over the dives in her head. "First, we need to swim out to where we can dive straight down to the fish. Then we have to duck down under then water and push the water behind us as hard as we can. The fish will feel this, so you have to go fast to grab one before they swim away. We catch them with our mouth because our paws are busy keeping us under the water." Fallenspirit finished and looked down at her apprentice, ears pricked forward, head slightly tilted, signalling Dewpaw to ask any questions she had.

Dewpaw nodded slowly, her ears pricked and tail swaying as she paid attention. It sounded easy enough, just a matter of quick swimming and quick biting.

"So we have to dive down as fast as we can, and catch the fish unawares?" she asked, in attempt to sum up the explanation.

[Casual Scribbles]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

Dewpaw nodded slowly, her ears pricked and tail swaying as she paid attention. It sounded easy enough, just a matter of quick swimming and quick biting.

"So we have to dive down as fast as we can, and catch the fish unawares?" she asked, in attempt to sum up the explanation.

"Yup, that's basically it. You ready to try?" Fallenspirit stood, flicking her tail toward the water.

[lone]

Leading the way into the territory, Jasperpelt glanced back to make sure that the other warrior was following. Words were not something he was good with. He never knew the right thing to say, it seemed. It wasn't like the ebony feline didn't try to be friendly... he really, really did. And it certainly wasn't like he didn't attempt to cheer other cats up... but, after several failures and realizing his words were not that encouraging, the tom had resorted to different things. Distraction was always a good method. Trying to get the cat's mind off of her current situation. And, at this point... it seemed like she really, really would appreciate getting out of there as fast as possible. Now more in his element, and knowing that he would be able to cheer her up with the beauty of the small cave, Jasperpelt glanced back at his female companion. "It's not too far now." He mewed, clearly struggling to think of a conversation topic. Maybe he didn't need to talk. There were always times when it was better to be silent... and perhaps this was one of those times.
@Clover

[ameko]

Originally Posted by Airabelle

Tigerstorm's ears twitched when he heard more rustling, and he relaxed marginally when he caught wind of his brother's familiar scent. When his taller brother emerged from the long grasses, he noticed that Brackenspirit was empty-pawed. His assumption about the lack of prey was confirmed when he told him that he had lost his prey.

"Eh, that's alright, Sprout." he meowed, using one of the nicknames that he had come up with in their Apprenticehood, when his brother had started to surpass him in height, like a flower sprouting towards the sun. "Can't catch em' all. But yeah, I got real lucky." he ended his boasting with a purr, shoving his nose into the grasses and pulling out the fluffy grey squirrel. "Don't see many of these on our side of the border." he meowed, puffing out his chest pridefully. "What do you say we try further down the river? I'll bet there are some voles that we can catch." he suggested, flicking his tail affectionately against his brother's side, then tilting his head thoughtfully. "Unless you have a better idea." he added. His brother had always been better at calculating where they would have more luck when it came to prey.

Another gentle breeze blew through the clearing, and Tigerstorm turned his nose up towards the sky. The blood from his catch was the most pungent odor, just barely masking Brackenspirit's scent. Below those two scents were too many to count- prey, grass, the river... it would be overwhelming to an Apprentice, or even a young Warrior, but he and his brother were seasoned, and they knew how to pick out different scents.

(Haha, I love the reference!! Sorry if the post isn't the best, I'm in a classroom right now that's a little loud XD)

[i couldn’t resist a reference P: ]
[also, wow--this is a short /and/ late reply. sorry!! i don’t really know why, but i had a lot of trouble thinking up a post. i'll likely make brackenspirit get injured in the next post, i think?]

Brackenspirit looked at his brother’s catch with approval glinting in his gaze. “Haven’t seen a squirrel in moons,” he meowed, eyeing the prey. Heartbeats later, he glanced over his shoulder, thinking about the area Tigerstorm had suggested. Down the river..? Brackenspirit pictured a map of the territory in his head, determining where that would be in relation to their position. He took into account that it was Newleaf, as well—the prey was beginning to come out of their nests. “No, that’s a good idea,” he agreed. “We could even find a family of water voles further down.” This was one of Brackenspirit’s favorite times of the year: the weather was nice, and the prey began to multiply. There would certainly be plentiful amounts of food soon enough; but it was up to the warriors and apprentices of RiverClan to make that happen. He had a duty.

And so he turned, padding to the location Tigerstorm had specified—not without uttering a quick few words to make sure his brother followed along. He was keenly aware of how loud his pawsteps were on the grass, and in an attempt to become stealthier, Brackenspirit slowed, keeping himself light on his toes. Scaring away all of the prey in the new area was not preferred.

[rascalcats]

Originally Posted by Pathos

[i couldn’t resist a reference P: ]
[also, wow--this is a short /and/ late reply. sorry!! i don’t really know why, but i had a lot of trouble thinking up a post. i'll likely make brackenspirit get injured in the next post, i think?]

Brackenspirit looked at his brother’s catch with approval glinting in his gaze. “Haven’t seen a squirrel in moons,” he meowed, eyeing the prey. Heartbeats later, he glanced over his shoulder, thinking about the area Tigerstorm had suggested. Down the river..? Brackenspirit pictured a map of the territory in his head, determining where that would be in relation to their position. He took into account that it was Newleaf, as well—the prey was beginning to come out of their nests. “No, that’s a good idea,” he agreed. “We could even find a family of water voles further down.” This was one of Brackenspirit’s favorite times of the year: the weather was nice, and the prey began to multiply. There would certainly be plentiful amounts of food soon enough; but it was up to the warriors and apprentices of RiverClan to make that happen. He had a duty.

And so he turned, padding to the location Tigerstorm had specified—not without uttering a quick few words to make sure his brother followed along. He was keenly aware of how loud his pawsteps were on the grass, and in an attempt to become stealthier, Brackenspirit slowed, keeping himself light on his toes. Scaring away all of the prey in the new area was not preferred.

Tigerstorm's mouth turned upwards into a half-grin, half-smirk, pleased that Brackenspirit had gone along with his idea. While he would have accepted any ideas that his brother came up with - unless they were completely mouse-brained; it warmed the older tom's heart that his baby brother still trusted him when it came to his own ideas.

When his brother attempted to make himself quieter, Tigerstorm took a few larger strides to catch up with his brother, and nudged him gently on the shoulder. "Lighten up, huh?" he suggested playfully. "We're still a ways from where we're going to hunt; let's relax a little."

Partly to prove that nothing bad would come from them making a bit of noise, and partly to annoy his brother, Tigerstorm darted forwards and leaped up into a low tree-branch, sending a few leaves scattering down. He let himself down rather quickly and landed with a thud. Nothing stirred.

"See?" he prompted. "C'mon, Sprout, let's just be cats for a little while."

(That's okay!)

[Captain]

@Blizzardfang

Sproutwhisker quickly rushed after her into the lush, beautiful territory of Riverclan as the soft grass tickled his paw pads lightly as he ran after her. It certainly had been awhile since he had gotten this much exercise and felt this excited to spend time with someone else. He looked up at the sky once again, seeing it’s darkening grey-color and wondering if it would rain soon. It wouldn’t stop them from having fun though, right? The young tom-cat soon caught up to her and stuck out his tongue playfully as he rushed past her, but was not looking to where he was going. Sproutwhisker soon could not feel ground underneath his paws and before he could process that he had ran off the side of a small drop, he landed into the water of a nearby river. “Mousedung!” Sproutwhisker cursed, his head breaking through the surface as he shook the water from his ears.

[SacredMadness]

Originally Posted by Robin-chan

@Blizzardfang

Sproutwhisker quickly rushed after her into the lush, beautiful territory of Riverclan as the soft grass tickled his paw pads lightly as he ran after her. It certainly had been awhile since he had gotten this much exercise and felt this excited to spend time with someone else. He looked up at the sky once again, seeing it’s darkening grey-color and wondering if it would rain soon. It wouldn’t stop them from having fun though, right? The young tom-cat soon caught up to her and stuck out his tongue playfully as he rushed past her, but was not looking to where he was going. Sproutwhisker soon could not feel ground underneath his paws and before he could process that he had ran off the side of a small drop, he landed into the water of a nearby river. “Mousedung!” Sproutwhisker cursed, his head breaking through the surface as he shook the water from his ears.

Talonfang burst out laughing. She collapsed. She stood back up, "Loop before you leap," she said with a few laughs out of her. "I haven't laughed that hard in awhile, in fact I don't think I have ever laughed that hard." She said matter-of-factly. "Thank you'" she said shyly. Wait ago and make everything awkward. She scolded herself. "Need some help?" She asked nervously, her tail twitching.