WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Poprock]

Peachfrost was getting antsy. Being holed up in her den with no word on her sister, the looming threat of Shadowclan, and the constant tension at gatherings would do that to a cat. She checked the herb storage daily, if not hourly. Her green eyes constantly scanning for anything she might be low on.

Just for her own sake, perhaps she could send out a few patrols... just to make sure she would have enough for any upcoming battles.

"Excuse me everyone! I'm sending out a few quick herb patrols, so listen for your name if I call it!." She called out to the clearing, making sure her voice was loud enough to be heard. Her tail twitched behind her, anxiety at its peak.

"For warriors I would like Stonemask ( @WinterRabbit5350), Gustsprint ( @Songwing), Softwing ( @Jayden) and Bunnybounce ( @Socks)!" For apprentices I would like Midnightpaw ( @Stardust~) and Badgerpaw ( @Celeste)
---
Please just make a quick post so I know you're aware of this patrol! These are going to be quicker patrols, so 2-3 posts of your cats getting the herbs are fine. If you are unable to do a patrol this week pls lmk asap!

[~Sayonara~]

Originally Posted by Rockfall

Peachfrost was getting antsy. Being holed up in her den with no word on her sister, the looming threat of Shadowclan, and the constant tension at gatherings would do that to a cat. She checked the herb storage daily, if not hourly. Her green eyes constantly scanning for anything she might be low on.

Just for her own sake, perhaps she could send out a few patrols... just to make sure she would have enough for any upcoming battles.

"Excuse me everyone! I'm sending out a few quick herb patrols, so listen for your name if I call it!." She called out to the clearing, making sure her voice was loud enough to be heard. Her tail twitched behind her, anxiety at its peak.

"For warriors I would like Stonemask ( @WinterRabbit5350), Gustsprint ( @Songwing), Softwing ( @Jayden) and Bunnybounce ( @Socks)!" For apprentices I would like Midnightpaw ( @Stardust~) and Badgerpaw ( @Celeste)
---
Please just make a quick post so I know you're aware of this patrol! These are going to be quicker patrols, so 2-3 posts of your cats getting the herbs are fine. If you are unable to do a patrol this week pls lmk asap!

Softleaf nods and stands up, giving his chest a few quick licks and he heads over to the entrance to wait for the rest of his patrol.

[WinterMara]

| Stonemask, The Mental Support of Windclan |

Oh, looks like another patrol, this time an Herb Patrol, hopefully he could get something good. He nodded, and headed to the entrance to prepare a bit before leaving.

[Moonraven]

Originally Posted by Flowermask

@Moonraven

(may i ask why she needs a name change?)”what did she say?”she said, her head snapping up in alarm. Her expression looked pained and weary. “because it wasn’t true i promise- She probably lied..”

(Sable aren't native so the Clans would have no clue what they are.)
That was concerning and made her wondered about the apprentice's relationship with Curltuft. "She said that you went to fetch some prey you hunted earlier and got attacked by a rogue. She got knocked out and you apparently vanished."

Originally Posted by Shade.

@Moonraven

Rapidkit understood that he shouldn't go out of camp. But he wanted to find his mom so badly. He accepted the comforting lick and literally buried his face ib the leader's leg.
"I promise I won't sneak out again" he sobbed.

Twilightstar wasn't sure if the kit actually understood the trouble he caused, but wasn't going to keep pushing it. "Alright, I'll take you back to the nursery then."
(Done)

Originally Posted by Lavender'fur

[ @Moonraven ]

;Poppybreeze;

Noticing the Clan Leader, she turned and moved over.

"Twilightstar," she greeted the Leader as she grew closer. "I went outside Camp," she explained. "Turns out spending some moons in the Nursery doesn't help your Warrior skills. I got caught up,"

The Queen flicked her ears towards her ruffled fur and light thorn-scratches. "Maybe these explain a bit? I ran into some thorns,"

Twilightstar returned the greet with a slight dip of her head and listened as the she-cat explained what happened to her. She assumed that 'caught up' meant lost. She wondered where the queen had gotten to see as thorn scratches.

"Be more careful from now on," Twilightstar replied, calling the cat to follow her as she got up. "I'll take you home, you should finish Peachfrost for the scratches." She advised before padding off.
(Done)

Originally Posted by ~Fierceclaw~

~Brownkit~

Brownkit was scared. She had wandered from camp by accident, too intent on chasing a wandering butterfly to notice that she had walked away from camp. She looked around with scared, green eyes. "T-twilightstar?" She mewed, her stutter entering her voice.

@Moonraven

"I thought I smelled a kit." Twilightstar grumbled low underneath her breath as she bounced over a small shrub in her path. The leader shook out her pelt and settled her green eye on the young dark pelt she-cat with brown patches. "Brownkit, what are you doing all the way out here?"

Originally Posted by ~Kitty~

HollyFeather-
“Finally, I am back home!” HollyFeather mewed. Seeing TwilightStar, she stopped “Hi, I am back.”

CinderKit-
“TwilightStar?! Yay! I am home!” CinderKit meowed. She had wandered out of camp and got lost. @Moonraven

Twilightstar cocked her head a calico she-cat padded over to her. "Hollyeather, I'm glad to see you've returned, but where did you go in the first place?"


It seemed that two for one today, as a missing Cinderkit arrived with an enthusiastic cry. "I can see that, although you shouldn't have had to find your way home at all. What had you break a rule and leaving camp?"

Originally Posted by Rippleshade

// @Moonraven
Ripple didn't know what she was doing. Her history of sleepwalking out of camp was not beyond her. (I can back this up with her backstory, etc, even if I don't have rps with it yet)
SHe went to Twilightstars den.

Twilightstar noticed the confused she-cat wandering the moor. The black and white pelt had Twilightstar recognizing the cat immediately. "Rippleshade," another missing cat seems to have returned home. "I haven't seen you in a while."

(That's fine, but this excuse will only work once.)

Originally Posted by Star Dashie

{Cloverpaw}

Home! She was home again! Relief flashed through Cloverpaw's pelt like a fast growing fire, making her aqua eyes brighten with cheer. The molly had aged up a little while she was gone. Her body was much leaner. Her pelt smoother and softer. Although the only fracture is that she was rather small for her age. She was only 8 moons old, that wouldn't get in the way of her finishing her training correct?

Cloverpaw's fur bristled as she shook her head. Her folded dark brown ears flapping a little as she did so. The darker rims of her ears also started to show more decently, becoming more visible. Don't be stupid, Cloverpaw. Twilightstar will let you back in WindClan! You were just missing for a few moons! That immediately caused butterflies to swarm in her belly. Would she be able to go back into WindClan? Oh she hoped she did. Living on her own was dreadful. Just like when ShadowClan ruled over WindClan.

She shut her eyes quickly as she forced herself to not have her fur ripple in fear. That was in the past and it WON'T happen again. Her eyes shut as she thought about Ashfeather. How has she been doing? She remembered hunting her first rabbit with her, the thought making a loud purr rumble in her chest, making the tip of her tail curl with glee from the thought. Oh it would be SO good to he home again! She sat down on the familiar ground of the moor, feeling the wind blow against her smooth coat. She lifted her head up high and sniffed the air, the strong scent of heather, rabbit, and her clanmates taking over her sensed.

Her eyes drifted over the moor, almost urging to run over the ground and feel the wind rush through her fur, but she forced herself not to as she wasn't quite returned yet. Suddenly, her eyes squinted as she noticed a familiar fluffy lilac colored shape. Her eyes suddenly widening with glee as her paws took over, dashing right over towards the shape, opening her jaws
wide, a loud gleeful yowl escaped from them. "Twilightstar! I'm back! I'm home!"
@Moonraven

Twilightstar paws drummed rhythmically upon the ground, eating up the distances between her and her target. She pushed her legs to move just a bit faster, timing her spring just right, shoving off the ground completely with her hind legs, satisfaction surged through her body as her front claws connected with a small furry body. Twilightstar managed to land without losing her balance which was a point for her. Lifting up a front paw, one green eye peered down at the chipmunk crushed below it.

She had little to show for her hunt, small game such as mice, chipmunks, and thrush, but small prey was better than nothing. She hasn't heard anything about patrols from Wolffang since they were trying out a new method for lazier cats. Since she was out here anyway, extra prey wouldn't hurt. Picking up the small rodent by its tail, she padded back over to the buried pile of prey was and dropped her newest catch there, and covered it again. Looking up at the sky, she had yet to see the wings of a flying predator and figured it was safe enough to move a bit further into her territory. Nothing should steal her prey.

The leader's ears remained erect at all times as she steadily trotted further away from her usual hunting grounds. The lilac feline froze, one paw raised mid-step, staring in the direction of the figure some distances away. She lifted her head, parting her maw to try and taste the scent, but the wind was blowing the wrong way, Twilightstar was downwind instead of upwind. She huffs, debating on unsheathing her claws in case it was a rogue, but found the thought snatched from her mind when she notes the other cat's already spotted her and darting straight at her.

The delightful cry of her name allowed Twilightstar to relax the fur stiffening on her neck. It clearly wasn't an enemy. It was a small white she-cat, those fold ears were what Twilightstar used to recall the cat's name. "Cloverpaw, it's you." An elegant smile graced the one-eyed molly's face. The apprentice's delight was somewhat contagious. "You look alright, healthy." She observed after the younger cat settled in front of her. "Where have you been though, it's been so long."

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ ROSEBRIAR ~

Rosebriar hated to admit it, but she was getting slightly more interested on what Stonemask was saying. Not interested. It was shocking that a Clanmate was trying so hard to make a wretch like her feel better. Had he liked her before? Had she retained some of her past dignity? But someone who looked like her… who didn’t have the full abilities of a normal cat… surely didn’t deserve love? She swallowed, hard. Did Stonemask’s words matter? She wasn’t sure…

He talked about disrespect, and Rosebriar had to think about that. She disrespected the Clanmates who deserved disrespect! Like the ones who couldn’t serve their Clan fully, or who looked ugly, or who hated on either her or her brother. Why should she treat cats like that with decency? But now I am one of them. A pang of sadness struck her. She’d have to get used to living like this, wouldn’t she? Looking horrid? Would her mother or brother even talk to her anymore? Rosebriar swallowed. Stonemask is right. I can’t go back. I have to keep going forward because I look terrible and there’s no going back… But she wouldn’t like it. She would never forget who she had once been.

Rosebriar tensed as his final words. Would her Clanmates respect her? No, they’d laugh at her for how she looked, especially since she had discriminated and belittled those who were like her now. And how dare he speak about her mother like that! Featherwhisker was the most perfect cat, and Rosebriar would deserve it if she came back to WindClan… only to leave her again. And she also thought of her brother, who’d been thinking a little… differently. She hadn’t seen him yet, though. Maybe he was busy, but why was he avoiding her?

“Thank you for your time,” she meowed quietly, her gaze falling to her paws. “My mother is a wonderful cat, and beautiful as well. My Clanmates will just laugh at me for the irony. I hate those who can’t serve their Clan properly, or who look ugly. I’ve never honey-coated it. But now I am one of them. And I realize how much my Clanmates hate me. Without my beauty, I truly am nothing. You don’t know me; you wouldn’t understand. Now I know that I can’t change anything, though. I’ll just go forward even if they all hate me, and even though I look terrible. I hate cats like this, so why is it so hard to hate myself? I don’t know whether I should accept that I should be treated like them… or if I’m scared of myself now, and I don’t wanna be hurt like this.”

Rosebriar’s single-eyed gaze dropped, and she felt herself trembling.

@WinterRabbit5350

[Flowermask]

@Moonraven

(man that sucks they are such cool animals i’ll think of a new name for her then)

she looked around anxiously. “yeah yeah.. she flexed her claws in and out of the dirt, repeating the behavior unconsciously.“Can I just go home already?” she meowed seeming suddenly uninterested in speaking or remaining here.

[WinterMara]

| Stonemask, The Mental Support of Windclan | [Lol, I had so much trouble coming up with Stonemask's title, so I just went with this]

The tom sat in silence for a bit, he knew what he said didn't really matter, and he knew that, it probably never would. But the least you can do is to help your clanmates, knowing them well or not, heck, maybe even help a random cat who needs it, of course, it's dependent on the situation, clan loyalty comes first.

Stonemask would admit to himself later that he did let, a bit of his stress take over towards the edge? Mostly on the mother comment, he missed his own mother and, well, he knew he wouldn't get to feel that again, the acceptance of a good mother. Then again, seems as if both of the cats had let their emotions take over at one point or another, and maybe that was, okay?

Well, maybe Rosebriar was right, he didn't truly know her or truly understand, and that was a lot for a cat to admit, when they try to help but can't, but that didn't mean he couldn't be empathetic, true empathy surpasses that.

' 'You're welcome, I'll go ahead and leave you be now, and, I'm sorry for the mother comment, I'm sure she is wonderful if you, get to know her. I also get that, yeah, some of your clanmates will hate you, not sure if they'd laugh since, we're not Shadowclan, but with your, lack of honey-coating your dislike of disabled cats, it's, understandable, not right, but makes sense.' '

That was also something difficult to admit, even for him. But if a cat is going through losing what is everything to them, it's better to not use it as an advantage to get back at them for, well, being a jerk. Yes, they might be a foxheart, but to make a situation worse for them when they are like this? It wouldn't make sense to Stonemask, or, maybe it would, now he was unsure.

' 'It's best to, well, do as you said, go forward and try to move on, and, don't worry. I'm not disabled but, I'm sure the confusion with this is, normal, becoming something you hate and being confused seems normal to me, it's new, terrifying territory, and, maybe you're right. Maybe I don't know or fully understand you, but I can understand a situation and, at least try to help, that's the least a cat can do, they can try to help.' '

He then stood up, and dipped his head in respect.

' 'You're welcome, and, try and do something to clear your mind, at least, the best you can.' '

With that last tid-bit of advice, he went on his way, maybe he at least helped her understanding better, in all honesty, now the whole 'understanding the situation' thought was in his mind, would he actually fully understand? He left the situation with more questions than answers, but that probably was happening to both sides.

| @TheNyanCatMinecart

[iliri]

Originally Posted by Moonraven

(Sable aren't native so the Clans would have no clue what they are.)
That was concerning and made her wondered about the apprentice's relationship with Curltuft. "She said that you went to fetch some prey you hunted earlier and got attacked by a rogue. She got knocked out and you apparently vanished."




Twilightstar wasn't sure if the kit actually understood the trouble he caused, but wasn't going to keep pushing it. "Alright, I'll take you back to the nursery then."
(Done)




Twilightstar returned the greet with a slight dip of her head and listened as the she-cat explained what happened to her. She assumed that 'caught up' meant lost. She wondered where the queen had gotten to see as thorn scratches.

"Be more careful from now on," Twilightstar replied, calling the cat to follow her as she got up. "I'll take you home, you should finish Peachfrost for the scratches." She advised before padding off.
(Done)




"I thought I smelled a kit." Twilightstar grumbled low underneath her breath as she bounced over a small shrub in her path. The leader shook out her pelt and settled her green eye on the young dark pelt she-cat with brown patches. "Brownkit, what are you doing all the way out here?"




Twilightstar cocked her head a calico she-cat padded over to her. "Hollyeather, I'm glad to see you've returned, but where did you go in the first place?"


It seemed that two for one today, as a missing Cinderkit arrived with an enthusiastic cry. "I can see that, although you shouldn't have had to find your way home at all. What had you break a rule and leaving camp?"




Twilightstar noticed the confused she-cat wandering the moor. The black and white pelt had Twilightstar recognizing the cat immediately. "Rippleshade," another missing cat seems to have returned home. "I haven't seen you in a while."

(That's fine, but this excuse will only work once.)



Twilightstar paws drummed rhythmically upon the ground, eating up the distances between her and her target. She pushed her legs to move just a bit faster, timing her spring just right, shoving off the ground completely with her hind legs, satisfaction surged through her body as her front claws connected with a small furry body. Twilightstar managed to land without losing her balance which was a point for her. Lifting up a front paw, one green eye peered down at the chipmunk crushed below it.

She had little to show for her hunt, small game such as mice, chipmunks, and thrush, but small prey was better than nothing. She hasn't heard anything about patrols from Wolffang since they were trying out a new method for lazier cats. Since she was out here anyway, extra prey wouldn't hurt. Picking up the small rodent by its tail, she padded back over to the buried pile of prey was and dropped her newest catch there, and covered it again. Looking up at the sky, she had yet to see the wings of a flying predator and figured it was safe enough to move a bit further into her territory. Nothing should steal her prey.

The leader's ears remained erect at all times as she steadily trotted further away from her usual hunting grounds. The lilac feline froze, one paw raised mid-step, staring in the direction of the figure some distances away. She lifted her head, parting her maw to try and taste the scent, but the wind was blowing the wrong way, Twilightstar was downwind instead of upwind. She huffs, debating on unsheathing her claws in case it was a rogue, but found the thought snatched from her mind when she notes the other cat's already spotted her and darting straight at her.

The delightful cry of her name allowed Twilightstar to relax the fur stiffening on her neck. It clearly wasn't an enemy. It was a small white she-cat, those fold ears were what Twilightstar used to recall the cat's name. "Cloverpaw, it's you." An elegant smile graced the one-eyed molly's face. The apprentice's delight was somewhat contagious. "You look alright, healthy." She observed after the younger cat settled in front of her. "Where have you been though, it's been so long."

{Cloverpaw}

The young molly's smile drooped a little. She knew that her leader was gonna ask that. Looking away slightly,
she pawed the ground with a forepaw. "Well..let's just say I got lost and I couldn't come back for a few moons because I lost my way. Although I did learn some new stuff while iI was gone!" She admitted, a sudden loud purr rumbling through her chest.

"How is everything doing in WindClan? Did I miss any new kits coming into the clan? Any new arivals?" She wanted to chatter away, but the thought of kits made her tailtip curl with excitement. She LOVED seeing newly born kits. Or any new kit at that matter. Although,
Cloverpaw's eyes immediately clouded with sympathy as she noticed how much Twilightstar lost from her body. From missing a paw to missing an eye.

"I'm still used to the way you used to look Twilightstar.
No offense." She raised a paw, waving it a little. Although she still hoped to see Ashfeather again. So she had decided to ask the leader where the molly was. "How's Ashfeather?" a little bit of worry and sympathy crawled into the molly, digging into tone as she spoke.

[AppleCat4]

@Moonraven

Thistlewing padded over the open moor. I can’t believe I got lost again, she thought. She hoped that Cloudpaw hadn’t gotten into too much trouble. Thistlewing almost laughed. Just a quarter moon or so ago, she had been teaching her apprentice the landmarks in WindClan territory so the young cat wouldn’t get lost. Now she had lost track of those same landmarks.
But not for long. Thistlewing squinted and spotted the Breezerock in the distance. She was almost home. Now all she had to do was wait for Twilightstar to find her.

[Songwing]

Guststrike nods and continues over to the entrance to prepare to leave.