ShadowClan Clearing

[Shade.]

Originally Posted by pidgeon

Mothkit blinked as he noticed his denmate entering the clearing. He recognized that Frigidkit was older than him, and he was aware that her littermate had moved on to the apprentice's den, but he didn't understand exactly why. He was naturally very curious, but the expression on the much larger cat's face told him that he probably shouldn't pry. He was too young to understand Dawnstar's leadership style, but old enough to know that there was probably a reason.

When the she-cat didn't greet him, he turned his gaze back towards the sky.
"...The moon is huge tonight," he muttered quietly. This was only the second full moon he'd seen. "How does it change like that?" He wasn't really trying to get a response, but the presence of another cat was enough for him to share his thoughts out loud.

Frigidkit hated to admit that there was a slight feeling of anxiety in her, now that the kit whom she'd never bothered learning the name of was speaking to her. She really didn't know how social interactions work. Well, she knew, she just always envisioned them as arguments or establishment of dominance, not small talk. Frigidkit could bully the heck out of cats but she had no idea how to form positive relationships. So instead she decided to scare the kit.

"Everyone knows how, don't be silly. Why wouldn't you know about the eye?" she said, already formulating an answer for the question that was about to be asked.

[pidgeon]

Originally Posted by Shade.

Frigidkit hated to admit that there was a slight feeling of anxiety in her, now that the kit whom she'd never bothered learning the name of was speaking to her. She really didn't know how social interactions work. Well, she knew, she just always envisioned them as arguments or establishment of dominance, not small talk. Frigidkit could bully the heck out of cats but she had no idea how to form positive relationships. So instead she decided to scare the kit.

"Everyone knows how, don't be silly. Why wouldn't you know about the eye?" she said, already formulating an answer for the question that was about to be asked.

"The eye?" Mothkit echoed, eyes widening even further with intrigue. "I guess not everybody knows, 'cause I don't know. What's the eye?" he asked her honestly, curiosity making his pelt prickle. Was the moon a giant eyeball? StarClan's eye maybe? He shuffled a little closer to Frigidkit, anticipating a story.

[Shade.]

Originally Posted by pidgeon

"The eye?" Mothkit echoed, eyes widening even further with intrigue. "I guess not everybody knows, 'cause I don't know. What's the eye?" he asked her honestly, curiosity making his pelt prickle. Was the moon a giant eyeball? StarClan's eye maybe? He shuffled a little closer to Frigidkit, anticipating a story.

Frigidkit's eyebrows lifted theatrically, signiftying fake surprise. Heheheh, just as planned. Frigidkit was about to do some gaslighting.

"I suppose I should tell you then. The moon changes because it's a big glowing eye. It blinks very slowly, so one blink takes it a whole moon to complete. Seriously, what else did you think it was used for. It stares at the clans all the time, and judges us constantly. I don't know what it's attached to, though. Must be something pretty big. And pretty hungry."

Frigidkit was testing the waters a little, seeing if this kit was easily frightened or if she'd need to add more "definitely real" details.

[Wintersun]

Originally Posted by RiztheHuntress

~Spiritfire| @/Cherry~ @Wintersun~

Giving a flick of her fluffy tail, Spiritfire folded her paws beneath her chest, making herself comfortable.
"I'm doing just fine myself, thank you," she replied, her chant-like voice carrying a tint of thankfulness. Shadowfur wasn't a bad cat it seemed. He truly regretted the loss of his apprentice.
She turned her attention to the apprentice, Willowpaw, awaiting the little cat's response.

Willowpaw

Willowpaw felt the gaze of the other cat on her and institutionally froze. "A-ah, um, I'm doing o-okay!" She finally responded trying to get over her nerves.

[Dirtfur]

Originally Posted by Wintersun

"Okay!" She brightened up, and quickly a memory flashed before her eyes, suddenly she remembered she had either done this exactly or she had done something similar, when she caught that sparrow a few moons ago. Their light conversation had been long enough to bring some of the prey back, and she noticed a black looking bird upon a branch some ways away. Quickly giving her mentor a sign that she had found something, she crawled up until she was almost under the branch, and easily leaped up catching the bird, as she now knew was a crow, in her maw. Her anxiety had chased some of the memory of what her mentor had done away but she thought is was something like this. She landed silently and she had already killed the bird so if she did mess up, she could try again without having to either move or wait.

Back to the calming atmosphere, Redheart noticed that a few more prey were now in the area. Recognizing the sign Willowpaw had given to him, he strayed back, crouching down and hoped that his dark red coat would not disturb the prey.

He watched his apprentice complete the hunting move, nodding to show how proud he was. Unbending his limbs, he padded over to Willowpaw. “Well done,” he praised. “You want to try again?” Practice makes perfect, perfecting a move so complicated, at least to Redheart he thought it was complicated; it seemed like his apprentice had been through this move before.

[Wintersun]

Originally Posted by Dirtfur

Back to the calming atmosphere, Redheart noticed that a few more prey were now in the area. Recognizing the sign Willowpaw had given to him, he strayed back, crouching down and hoped that his dark red coat would not disturb the prey.

He watched his apprentice complete the hunting move, nodding to show how proud he was. Unbending his limbs, he padded over to Willowpaw. “Well done,” he praised. “You want to try again?” Practice makes perfect, perfecting a move so complicated, at least to Redheart he thought it was complicated; it seemed like his apprentice had been through this move before.

Willowpaw (She/Her/They)


Willowpaw visibly brightened seeing that she had done it correctly. She actually enjoyed this one quite a bit, but she also didn't want to over hunt. Maybe they could do a quick spar before going back?
"Hey, Redheart? Would you be up for a sparring lesson? Just a quick one to see where I'm at and maybe get a little more training in it?" She already knew that the enforcer she had gotten paired up with would help quite a bit more than a quick lesson with her mentor, but she still wanted to see where she was at, even if it was up against her mentor.

[pidgeon]

Originally Posted by Shade.

Frigidkit's eyebrows lifted theatrically, signiftying fake surprise. Heheheh, just as planned. Frigidkit was about to do some gaslighting.

"I suppose I should tell you then. The moon changes because it's a big glowing eye. It blinks very slowly, so one blink takes it a whole moon to complete. Seriously, what else did you think it was used for. It stares at the clans all the time, and judges us constantly. I don't know what it's attached to, though. Must be something pretty big. And pretty hungry."

Frigidkit was testing the waters a little, seeing if this kit was easily frightened or if she'd need to add more "definitely real" details.

Mothkit stared intently as he listened, surprise gleaming in his eyes. Something big and hungry? There's no way anything could be THAT big! The thought did frighten him, but he was more intrigued than anything else.
"Is that how StarClan watches us?" He asked, shuffling even closer with his questions. "Is there a giant cat in the sky, like, StarClan's leader? Where's its other eye?" He looked from Frigidkit to the sky and back again repeatedly.

[Shade.]

Originally Posted by pidgeon

Mothkit stared intently as he listened, surprise gleaming in his eyes. Something big and hungry? There's no way anything could be THAT big! The thought did frighten him, but he was more intrigued than anything else.
"Is that how StarClan watches us?" He asked, shuffling even closer with his questions. "Is there a giant cat in the sky, like, StarClan's leader? Where's its other eye?" He looked from Frigidkit to the sky and back again repeatedly.

Frigidkit decided she needed to dig deep for inspiration and turn up the scare factor. She still didn't want to be too theatrical, though, that'd make it less believable.
"I don't know, maybe these were two, once. maybe someone took it out. Maybe it fell somewhere. As for whom it belongs to, it could have a connection to StarClan, but that would imply...some interesting stuff about what they're really like." Frigidkit said with a slight but well-acted-out shudder.

"See, when I was 3 moons old, just around the time I came to ShadowClan, I was out waiting for my grandmother to come back from the gathering, just like tonight. I was staying in camp so I wasn't bothered I was all alone. While I waited I looked at the moon and wondered what it was looking at. Could it be looking at me. Then, suddenly, I felt like I was being watched. I looked around and I didn't see anyone. However, I noticed everything suddenly gain a reddish hue. So I turned back to the sky. That's when I saw it: The moon was red and a big, slit-like pupil was looking right at me!" she exclaimed, somewhat hushed, closing one sharp yellow eye and opening up the other one wide.

"I was suddenly worried. I mean, I knew the moon was an eye but I'd never seen it do that. Then I heard pawsteps and I realized the clan was returning from the gathering. They were running. My grandmother told everyone to go to their dens, including me. So I ran inside before I knew what had happened. A bit later the light turned white again. Some cats fell asleep and others were about camp, although I couldn't sleep so I stayed up. In the morning no one told me anything about what happened, they were all going on patrol and acting as usual, except a little quieter. All I managed to pick up was this: That night, a warrior disappeared."

[HopeFeather]

Foxshade ~

Foxshade found a spot in the clearing to sit in some shade to take a nap before he would go hunting later.

Spottedface ~

Spottedface joined Foxshade in a shadier area of camp. Grooming himself whilst waiting as they were to go hunting later.

[occultation]

Originally Posted by RiztheHuntress

~Spiritfire| @/Cherry~ @Wintersun~

Giving a flick of her fluffy tail, Spiritfire folded her paws beneath her chest, making herself comfortable.
"I'm doing just fine myself, thank you," she replied, her chant-like voice carrying a tint of thankfulness. Shadowfur wasn't a bad cat it seemed. He truly regretted the loss of his apprentice.
She turned her attention to the apprentice, Willowpaw, awaiting the little cat's response.

Originally Posted by Wintersun

Willowpaw

Willowpaw felt the gaze of the other cat on her and institutionally froze. "A-ah, um, I'm doing o-okay!" She finally responded trying to get over her nerves.

Shadowfur was relieved his Clanmates were okay. It seemed many cats in ShadowClan had suffered recently, beyond just himself and Hailpaw. He glanced down at Willowpaw as she stuttered out a response. Did the younger cat fear him? He hoped not; it would be unfortunate if he was developing that sort of reputation among the apprentices of his Clan. He was a strict, intense cat, but he considered himself fair and caring all the same.