WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[ConfusedCas]

The wind whistled between the branches of the tree Vos was perched in. It was one of the very few trees that edged the moors and even if it shook wildly it would do for the assassin. He had to dig his claws into the bark to remain stable but it made him sort of look like a bird all the way up there. His lime eyes were narrowed to slits as they surveyed the territory. What does that stupid clan cat expect me to do? Chase the target around until I catch them? His fluffy tail twitched back and forth in annoyance. Sure, speed was one of his strengths but he preferred to sneak around in the forest. What was was extra flustered about was the targets information. All Vos had gotten was the clan; Windclan and the name; Leopardpaw.
Vos had killed in the clans a few times and better yet he knew everything he needed from spying. Really any name ending with 'paw was an apprentice, a younger cat. Warriors roamed around hunting and whatnot while the kits were held up deeper in the territory that he didn't dare get too near. Good thing those kittens were out of distance from a sociopaths claws like his, however unlucky for this Leopardpaw. They tend to be named after appearance mostly. Leopard... He decided most likely a young spotted tabby. I could be wrong but I highly doubt it's anything too different.
His pads itched eagerly for the hunt to start but not yet did he see any felines in sight. Often times he'd have to wait for days to even set sights on the target but he was used to waiting. Not meaning he liked it one bit though. Vos remained hidden in the shivering leaves of the tree and awaited his "prey".
(Forgot to mention you, sorry @moonfang )

[Splash]

Originally Posted by Nighty

The apprentice wasn't all to fond of life. He was teased, tormented, name called. He just hated it and didn't blame his father for running off. The thing he did blame him for was not staying. Or not taking them with them. Then again, he didn't want to be with his Dad anyways, he wanted no part of him. He wanted both things: he wanted him to be here, and to be as far away as possible; he wanted him to have taken him with him when he left, and he was glad that he had been left here. He was just sick and tired of being bugged about his lineage. Gorsepaw was so lost in thought though that he didn't even realize the apprentice staring at him. He didn't care, it was probably just some other cat who wanted to torment him.

Furzepaw stood up and stretched luxuriously, then padded to Gorsepaw. He nodded to his fellow apprentice. "Hello," he meowed quietly. Furzepaw was a rather cautious apprentice, thinking it all through, only fighting cats smaller than him in battle, and saying things at a low volume. That way, if he offended a cat, he could just pretend he hadn't spoken. Often he was called a coward, and while he didn't like that name... he knew it was true. "W-what's your name?" he asked. Another thing the gray tom had a tendency to do was stutter when nervous.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Cloudy

Hearing the thumps of her pursuer behind her, Canineheart tried to run faster, but she couldn't. She knew that by any moment Obsidiansky would be next to her, trying to talk to her. That's not what she wanted, not at all. She needed to run away, to get away from him, to try to piece together her shattered heart. Why did he say that so accusingly, as though she did something wrong? Was it wrong to see if Obsidiansky felt the same way about her? Canineheart knew it was a definite no, but she knew that she had broken something between them, running away like that. She could have just played it off as though she were trying to figure out if he really found her to be a friend. She didn't, though, and ran away with tears in her eyes. Canineheart's fears had always been in the back of her head, warning her that she would get hurt by him. Though she would never admit it, the reason why she never spoke to flirtatcious toms was to protect herself from being hurt. The voice in the back of her head would always whisper, He never loved you, he'll just hurt you at one point.

Originally Posted by Cloudy

A sudden bubble of anger burst, one that she had been holding for a long time. It wasn't Canineheart that was doing things wrong, it was Obsidainsky, always seemingly alluring and kind when she needed him. It was probably just a setup to lead her on and to make her think that she was loved, only to be stamped on by him. It wasn't her. She didn't want this. She never wanted friends. If that was what he thought he was to her, a friend, she knew better now than to trust him.

As the padding of Obsidiansky got closer, she felt mud dabble at her pawpads, signalling the nearing border. Fuming, Canineheart turned around, her emerald eyes having a wild glare to them, and her back arched as though she were about to attack. "It's a ploy!" the warrior practically yelled at the chasing Obsidainsky, "I should have known better than to trust you!" She yelled accusingly, "I should have known that you were going to lead me on and then hurt me!" Her voice broke, "So, let's just forget that we ever met, and be out of each other's lives, okay?" Canineheart shuffled her paws, "You got me, now you can leave me..."

The tom gave a yelp of surprise as his friend suddenly stopped, turning on him, her back arched and her hues snapping with anger. She was furious. At him. But, what had he done? Being oblivious to others' feelings was not an often occurance for the tom, but he had been completely oblivious here. Why? What was going on with Canineheart? "Wait, wait, what? A ploy? Why do you think that?" He asked, his voice obviously hurt. Obsidiansky was not a flirt. He was not a player. He couldn't help his feelings, the ones he was sorting out, and it was incredibly difficult to sort them all out. He couldn't know whether he liked one cat or another. How was he supposed to know?
　
And yet, Canineheart was acting as though he had committed the crime of the century just for doing something wrong. "I was never leading you on! I thought we were friends, Canineheart! It's not my fault I don't know what to think, or what to feel, or anything like that... how am I supposed to know, huh?" He asked, looking down at the ground, his heart feeling as though it were about to snap it two. He wanted her to trust him. She'd trusted him so much just earlier this morning, and now... within a moment... all of that had been taken away. "Why would I leave you?" The tom asked, a truly confused look on his features.
　
He wasn't going to leave her. They were friends. Even if she didn't believe it, she was still his friend. Even if she hated him, she was still his friend. He liked her. He loved her, just-- he didn't know if it was in that manner. Feelings were complicated, difficult, strange things and he never knew what to do with them. Obsidiansky hated them more then almost anything else. He wished he had never gotten any feelings. And yes, perhaps he was crushing on his best friend. But was he in love with her?

Originally Posted by CandyFlossCat

The jumble of words made her strain her ears to understand the information he told her, surprised he could manage so much in a single breath without even taking a breath. She sighed, but had to admit, racing sounded fine. "Fine, and yes, I've raced before. I don't hate all fun you know, just the fun that keeps you up at StarClan knows when laughing randomly." She mewed, flicking her tail and stretching out her limbs. Did this tom think she was a mouse-brain? She wasn't a liar! "And by the way, we start... NOW! First one to the starting line gets a ten second head-start!" She joked, racing off. "Come on, Hailpaw! You're gonna lose at this pace!" She yowled, waiting for him with pricked ears to begin the actual race. (Inserts happy Caracalpaw here)

Darting into the territory, Hailpaw glanced back to see if Caracalpaw was following. Running through the clearing had been a little more difficult then he had expected-- meaning he'd had to be careful in order to avoid trampling different cats-- and he wondered if Caracalpaw had been having more luck then he was. Darting through the grasses, his pelt not the only blur of color; flowers were in bloom now, and he slowed to admire the coloring. It was a gorgeous day, a beautiful day... and Hailpaw enjoyed it very much. His eyes flitted from one side to the other, glancing for the caricat that he now knew a lot better. What was her idea of fun? He was almost dreading her choice. Caracalpaw didn't seem like the cat that would be considered fun whatsoever. She seemed like the type who would say 'patrolling the borders' or 'hunting' or 'battle training.' Sure, sparring could be fun... but it wasn't the type of messing around that he imagined. He hoped she had almost run into a few cats. That would mean that she was loosening up!

[Brunch]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The tom gave a yelp of surprise as his friend suddenly stopped, turning on him, her back arched and her hues snapping with anger. She was furious. At him. But, what had he done? Being oblivious to others' feelings was not an often occurance for the tom, but he had been completely oblivious here. Why? What was going on with Canineheart? "Wait, wait, what? A ploy? Why do you think that?" He asked, his voice obviously hurt. Obsidiansky was not a flirt. He was not a player. He couldn't help his feelings, the ones he was sorting out, and it was incredibly difficult to sort them all out. He couldn't know whether he liked one cat or another. How was he supposed to know?
　
And yet, Canineheart was acting as though he had committed the crime of the century just for doing something wrong. "I was never leading you on! I thought we were friends, Canineheart! It's not my fault I don't know what to think, or what to feel, or anything like that... how am I supposed to know, huh?" He asked, looking down at the ground, his heart feeling as though it were about to snap it two. He wanted her to trust him. She'd trusted him so much just earlier this morning, and now... within a moment... all of that had been taken away. "Why would I leave you?" The tom asked, a truly confused look on his features.
　
He wasn't going to leave her. They were friends. Even if she didn't believe it, she was still his friend. Even if she hated him, she was still his friend. He liked her. He loved her, just-- he didn't know if it was in that manner. Feelings were complicated, difficult, strange things and he never knew what to do with them. Obsidiansky hated them more then almost anything else. He wished he had never gotten any feelings. And yes, perhaps he was crushing on his best friend. But was he in love with her?



Darting into the territory, Hailpaw glanced back to see if Caracalpaw was following. Running through the clearing had been a little more difficult then he had expected-- meaning he'd had to be careful in order to avoid trampling different cats-- and he wondered if Caracalpaw had been having more luck then he was. Darting through the grasses, his pelt not the only blur of color; flowers were in bloom now, and he slowed to admire the coloring. It was a gorgeous day, a beautiful day... and Hailpaw enjoyed it very much. His eyes flitted from one side to the other, glancing for the caricat that he now knew a lot better. What was her idea of fun? He was almost dreading her choice. Caracalpaw didn't seem like the cat that would be considered fun whatsoever. She seemed like the type who would say 'patrolling the borders' or 'hunting' or 'battle training.' Sure, sparring could be fun... but it wasn't the type of messing around that he imagined. He hoped she had almost run into a few cats. That would mean that she was loosening up!

Canineheart stared at Obsidiansky, her whiskers twitching. She couldn't decide if the tom was telling the truth. She wanted to believe him, she wanted to trust him, but somewhere deep inside, Canineheart felt the urge not to, as though someone were pulling her deeper into anger. A thought suddenly struck her. It wasn't Obsidiansky, it was her, and her idiotic anger. Her fury wasn't toward him, but towards herself, for being so ignorrant to ask that question, and expecting a good reaction. The tom was just her friend, nothing more. Canineheart's emerald gaze fell as Obsidiansky tried to explain himself. She knew that she did something that would tear a whole in her friendship.
"I-I'm sorry," Canineheart muttered, staring at her creamed paws, tail tip twitching with frustration. She couldn't deal with another friend leaving her, she couldn't comprehend another tom making her feel as though she made mistakes. But you have... A tiny voice in the back of her mind reminded her. You were the one who asked the question. You did this to yourself...
"I'm sorry," Canineheart repeated again, mostly to herself this time, to her conscious that had warned her about falling in love so many times before. "Forget I said anything about this... Please... I don't want this to hurt our relationship... Our friendship..." She corrected herself, realizing that it would be an almost idiotic choice of wording. There probably isn't even a friendship anymore... The tiny voice warned her, urging her to start running away. She couldn't handle another cat telling her she wasn't good enough for them.
Instead of running, Canineheart stood there, on the verge of tears, readying herself for whatever hurtful comment Obsidiansky was about to say. She didn't know the tom as well as she would have claimed.

[appariitiion]

A gray tabby tom sat at the edge of the clearing, glancing around. Nothing interesting seemed to be happening, so he decided to eat and then take a walk. Stonefall stood up and made his way towards the fresh-kill pile. He picked up a plump mouse and took it back to his original spot. He dug into the juicy prey, enjoying exact bite. His attention was now fully on his meal, not aware of what was going around him.
@ChameweonRainbow

[ChameweonRainbow]

Originally Posted by ItsATryp

A gray tabby tom sat at the edge of the clearing, glancing around. Nothing interesting seemed to be happening, so he decided to eat and then take a walk. Stonefall stood up and made his way towards the fresh-kill pile. He picked up a plump mouse and took it back to his original spot. He dug into the juicy prey, enjoying exact bite. His attention was now fully on his meal, not aware of what was going around him.
@ChameweonRainbow

A very fluffy cream colored kit was bouncing along in the clearing reveling in his first time outside of the nursery. His large spring-green eyes sparkling in awe at the beautiful green swaths of grass and the sky blotched with rain clouds. Grasskit was so excited to be exploring the outside world that he didn't notice the gray tabby tom sitting in front of him. He ran right into the warrior's rump and his tiny, fluffy body went tumbling backward into the grass.

[appariitiion]

Originally Posted by ChameweonRainbow

A very fluffy cream colored kit was bouncing along in the clearing reveling in his first time outside of the nursery. His large spring-green eyes sparkling in awe at the beautiful green swaths of grass and the sky blotched with rain clouds. Grasskit was so excited to be exploring the outside world that he didn't notice the gray tabby tom sitting in front of him. He ran right into the warrior's rump and his tiny, fluffy body went tumbling backward into the grass.

Stonefall jumped up, startled. He looked behind him quickly, heart racing. He calmed down when he noticed that the attacker was only a small little kit. The tom then proceeded to chuckle slightly, amusement in his laugh. He leaned down and helped the young one up, saying, "you ought to watch out where you're going. I could've been a hungry badger!"

[Starfall]

Originally Posted by Nighty

Forestpaw, despite his offering, remained very stiff and uncomfortable. It would take more than a kind smile to get her to loosen up. She had bad, horrible memories of training, and she wasn't exactly ready to start here, sure she knew that Clan cats were very different from the a Syndicate, but still, the memories that haunted her from training with Broken were enough to scare a cat for life. She had seen him murder so many innocent kits, so many unknowing apprentices, it was crazy. That was the first thing she had been taught too, killing. Killing, always killing. Kill these kits, kill those apprentices. Kill that kittypet, but play with it first. Always killing, and it was scary for her. Yes she had seen a lot, been through a lot, but those memories with Broken were the most horrifying. She always had to act like a pristine little feline for him, Incase he would loose temper and lash out at her. The habits just carried over. She didn't exactly want to go sit beside him, but she did. Stiffly, she moved her long black lombs, made and built so long ago for a Windclan cat. She padded over, her pale green gaze, forcedly and calmly looking at him. She forced herself to sit down next to him, and she waited for the next thing.

Forestpaw listened to his words, yet she wasn't so keen yet on actually taking it to heart. It was true though, she was stressed, mostly because she knew not one thing anout hunting, nor much fighting. What she did know was the one thing Clan cats tried to do if it was avoidable, killing. Yes, she wanted to prove her worth, show that she wasn't what her father was. She could be better than him, she could have different beliefs, she could have different intents. And it wasn't bad to do so.

At the praise that he gave her, a small smile flicked across her maw, but disappeared quickly, as the habits kicked in again. She couldn't show emotion, as the time she cried because she was unwilling to kill an innocent kit, had ended with her getting slashed on the face. Pleasant memories, right? No emotion. That's what she showed when it came to training sessions. At the touch of his paw on her shoulder, she immediately stiffened, becoming rigid and slightly nervous on what he would do. She really wanted to trust him though. She really wanted him to be her friend, but it wasn't his fault that she stiffened every time he touched her. It wasn't his fault that she was always formal and terrified when he spoke to her. None of it was his fault. It was Beokens fault for conditioning her this way. But it was her job to break down the barriers and get to know him. It was her job to form new habits and learn the new ways. "Yes Sleepingcloud. And I'm terribly sorry." She mewed apologetically. She pulled away from his paw, but still sat next to him. "Its just...where I came from, my mentor wasn't anything like you." She pointed to her cheek, the claw marks visible, the scar showing in a nice pink color against her black fur. "He gave me this. I showed emotion, and he gave me this. I'm sorry, but please give me some time. I know..." She paused, taking in a deep shudders breath. "I know things are different here. It's been carved in my system though to act this way. So give me...just a little time. But for now, can we please train?" She asked, shifting her paws the entire time, gazing at the ground. With the last line though, she looked up, eyes full of past pains and horrid memories.

The warrior nodded as she spoke, he knew it wasn't going as easy as a speech to break her shell, but he atleast hoped that it would have made a crack, a dent, something. He flicked his tail as sadness flickered across his blue optics as the apprentice pulled away, but he couldn't stop that, although he was saddened by her gestures he knew it wasn't all purely her fault. Sleepingcloud let out a light huff and shifted his weight onto the other paw, soreness began to kick in. At Forestpaws apology he let out a chuckle and shook his head "There's naw need-ta be sawry little layy, ay'm just lettin ya know" he said softly, his eyes softened and a warm smile spread across his maw, it was true, he wouldn't get her to crack just yet, but that just made him even more determined, even more excited to see the pearl that lied within the young molly. The Siberian picked himself up with a huff and flicked his tail, making a small little dust cloud behind him, he could tell by the apprentices gestures and facial expressions that she was eager to train, and he couldn't blame her, she seemed to have a thirst for knowledge, a yearn for the unknown, it reminded him of himself a little. When the dark furred molly gestured to her cheek he saw red for a few moments, rage boiled and bubbled in his stomach as he thought of her being hurt, for being a cat, for showing emotion. The warrior lashed his tail and spit out an inaudible insult before he let out a long, drawn out sigh and looked up at forest paw. "Just how hawrid are thay cats there?!" he spat before he once agin tried to regain his cool "If y'all evuurr see him near here just point him out ay'll deal with him personally" he huffed before he shook his head once more "Ay wasn't expecting y'all ta warm up ta me raheet away, but hey, ay can still hope" he chuckled before he crouched down, his rear up in the air. "Do as ay do" he instructed.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by NightWarrior4Life

(To the territory!)
ShinePaw sighed with relief and let her muscles untense and let her tail flop to the ground. Trailing her tail behind her, ShinePaw left the apprentices' den and raced out of camp to the open moorlands of WindClan, the place she was proud to call home.

Phantompaw's lithe and sleek form made it easy for her to blend in among WindClan, even though she now knew that she wasn't really all that much of a WindClan cat. The silvery calico raced after her best, and pretty much only friend. Shinepaw was the only cat that had stuck by her side though thick and then. It'd been moons since they'd first met, and Phantompaw could still recall every detail of it. How they'd very nearly become enemies rather than friends. Sometimes, Phantompaw wondered if perhaps Shinepaw could've become a different cat without Phantompaw. One with fewer murderous thoughts and probably more friends. She gave a silent sigh and raced on, pushing herself harder and harder until she ran at Shinepaw's side, her breath coming out in ragged gasps as her body tired. She knew she would have to stop soon, but she kept going, running her anger out of her thoughts and body.

[goddess of ducks]

Originally Posted by AbsurdJinx

Mumblenose shifted uneasily, casting his now-nervous gaze onto the ground. He watched the grass move below him, and his shadow dance with every single movement. His ears flicked frequently, a silent sign that he was thinking deeply. How would he answer Forestpaw's question without sounding like an awful cat? He couldn't. He closed his eyes tightly, almost like he could escape the question through his purposeful lack of eyesight. He would inhale heavily before exhaling shakily, and his forepaws fidgeted before him. Finally, Mumblenose looked up until he met Forestpaw's gaze. His eyes were flooded with sadness and regret.

He was aware that, eventually, the two of them would discuss their family history, but he didn't expect the topic to come up just yet. Mumblenose knew his history was quite dark, which was one of the reasons he was reluctant to relive it. He was not knowledgeable of Singe's soft side. After all, the two were on negative terms. However, he liked to believe that his son could find kindness - even for those outside his family tree. And when Singe became leader - a cruel one, at that - Mumblenose took it upon himself to show Singe what kindness was. He had hoped Singe could be a caring leader. Though it didn't go so well, and it was very appropriate to say Mumblenose failed.

The fact that Forestpaw was named after such a horrendous event seemed to shock Mumblenose. It was in that fire that WindClan was introduced to evil. And he mentally shivered at the idea that Forestpaw had the capability to become a leader like Singe. He didn't want his granddaughter to follow in his son's pawsteps.

``Do we need to discuss such a serious topic so soon?`` Mumblenose laughed nervously. In an effort to distract Forestpaw, he changed the conversation. ``How are you settling in? In WindClan, I mean.`` He adopted an uneasy smile, forcing his anxious movements to stop.

It bothered her, yes, that he was so quick to avoid and dodge the question. Forest didn't know why it was such a touchy topic of conversation for them, but she wanted to understand. Was their relationship worse than Mumblenose was letting on?

Or maybe it was just the fact he didn't want to loose her. If their relationship was so bad, he might not want to anger her. She was close to her father yes, as she got her fur bristled up at any harsh remark she heard about him. That could quite possibly be it, but there were so many things she didn't know, but that's what she wanted, was all the unknowns to become known. She liked being in the know and this wasn't helping.

But obediently, she obeyed his wishes. She would drop the subject, but that wouldn't make her stop from asking at another time. Settling in though? Jeez where did she even get started. There were so many different emotions that flooded her with that thought.

"Oh, it's alright I suppose. Coming back has its ups and downs." She said trying to sound nonchalant about it, but it just sounded forced. "Lots of cats see me with Brindle who looks more like Dad. They know her father so they know mine. Some have even gone as far as..." She trailed off, sentence left dangling. She didn't want to say it. Saying it aloud just kind of made it seem more real and she didn't want that for her life. She wanted to be like him, but not like him; if that made any sense to most. Her mood swung. The statement she had been about to make, it would only have torn herself down. If the Clan was tearing her down, what would she be if her own kind and body tore her down as well?