WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[doghouse]

@Aquarius

Midgepaw blinked, but otherwise gave no indication that they had heard what was being said. The word "battle" was a word that instantly made them think of their days in the nursery, with their father telling them stories about how he had battled many viscous cats and won every time. Their mother had been a more distant part of Midgepaw's earlier moons, and Midgepaw still didn't understand why Horseradish had left Phantom and why Phantom had tried to kill him after that. Realizing that they had stopped moving, Midgepaw hurried into the den after Dewpaw, taking a deep breath, awestruck by how many nests clustered the den. The thin and lithe apprentice obediently followed their friend, their yellow eyes shining brightly in the dim light of the warriors' den. They shook their hard, for this was true. Midgepaw had no idea what a sheep was, although it sounded interesting, at least, the word did. “So what's this sheep wool look like?” they asked, examining each nest but unable to tell what was feathers and other plants and things and what was sheep wool.

[Phoenix Flames]

Originally Posted by Skelly

Midgepaw nodded, but didn't point out that underground, it would be dark anyways. “I'm smaller. I should go first, that way I can make sure none of the tunnels are too narrow for you to fit in.” Midgepaw said, adding a slightly teasing tone so that Rushpaw knew that they weren't trying to be mean. Before anything more could be said, Midgepaw darted in without any hesitation, instantly engulfed in darkness. They gagged on the thick, damp air, but quickly adjusted. “You comin' in?” they asked in their quiet but deep voice, unsure of what would happen. Their yellow eyes glittered unseen in the darkness, and they could barely see anything as they slowly progressed down the winding tunnel.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.", Rushpaw meowed, sticking his head back into the rabbit warren, trying to squeeze through. He soon got his shoulders through and then wiggled some more so that he was fully in the warren. He eventually got into the rabbit warren. It took a while for him to get in, but he managed. "I can kind of see a bit in these tunnels, but not a lot. It's very, very dark in here. I wonder how rabbits were able to see down here when they used to live here.", the ginger apprentice said.

[BluBunnie]

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

@Lonestar23 @Chameleon @CandyFlossCat @BluBunny

With a heart full of grief, Blazingstar rose to the Breezerock. It was just past sunset of the day his friend died. The stars were just coming out and his golden hues rose to them wondering if his deputy would be there tonight. He had to be. He was a loyal warrior and a great deputy. Lowering his gaze again, he stood atop the Breezerock now. The last rays of light were dying behind him leaving the stars to give him a silvery outline. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here beneath the Breezerock!" he called, the grief almost choking his voice. He cleared it. Slowly Blazingstar sat down. He'd start with the ceremonies that needed down then move on to the main event of this meeting. Windclan needed a new deputy now. There was no time to wait for Thunderclan could use their weakness against them. Alderscreech was missing as well, that was one more thing he had to announce to the clan. He only prayed nothing bad had happened to her. He wasn't sure what he'd do if something bad had happened to her. He did know for a fact that Thunderclan took her and he planned on taking a patrol and personally escorting her back. Grief was driving him at that moment. Grief and anger. It was a dangerous combination.

Onyxwhispers ears perked as her leader called for a meeting, she had been resting from hunting earlier that day and was almost asleep when she heard her leaders call. Her pale green hues landed on Blazingstar as she rose to join the group of cats gathering near the Breezerock. Her silky coat covered her lean muscles, she wasn't as big as other cats but she was fast and smart. She sat near the back of the group, she never liked to bring too much attention to herself, she was a half-clan cat so sometimes she would get negative responses from others. She could see the grief and anger in her leaders eyes, she frowned, Blazingstar had lost his deputy and one of his warriors, Alderscreech was missing. She felt bad for the tom, it must be hard for him to deal with the leaders duties and to grieve. She figured Blazingstar must be picking the new deputy tonight, she wondered who it was. She looked around at her fellow warriors carefully, there were many candidates that would make amazing deputies for the clan. She returned her attention back to her leader, ears tilted towards him as she awaited his announcement.

(I am making this assuming that Onyx doesn't know she has been picked as deputy, from my knowledge usually leaders don't tell anyone who the deputy will be before they pick them?? But I can change it, if you'd rather Onyx know she will be deputy)

[SacredMadness]

(Erm, how should I jump in here? Can I be someone's kit? I dont care what my name is as long as I get to choose my personality)

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Honorable Kitti

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.", Rushpaw meowed, sticking his head back into the rabbit warren, trying to squeeze through. He soon got his shoulders through and then wiggled some more so that he was fully in the warren. He eventually got into the rabbit warren. It took a while for him to get in, but he managed. "I can kind of see a bit in these tunnels, but not a lot. It's very, very dark in here. I wonder how rabbits were able to see down here when they used to live here.", the ginger apprentice said.

Midgepaw looked further down where the tunnel split into two. Beyond that was total darkness and nothing would be able to see. No sunlight had ever reached here, and it never would. They clenched their jaw and pushed forwards, hoping that Rushpaw would fit, as the edges of the tunnels just about touched their flanks on both sides. They reached the split and looked over their shoulder, where Rushpaw's form blocked out any light that had almost reached here. “This way.” the said, darting easily into the right passage, speaking while they did in case Rushpaw couldn't see them. Midgepaw hoped that this was a good idea, because being trapped underground wasn't an ideal situation, and would likely trigger Midgepaw's trauma again.

[Myst]

Jackalheart was exhausted, her fur messed up. Upon entering the den, she padded towards her nest. She then started to groom herself. After grooming her reddish fur, she plopped herself onto her nest. "Goodnight, Starclan," she sighed, shutting her eyes and entering a deep slumber...

[spade]

Originally Posted by fenic!

Tawnypaw wasn't very happy, either- she'd been doing a lot lately to try and busy herself from thoughts of the 'accident', but it had only seemed to dig her deeper into despair. The apprentice had started to lose faith in the ancestors she'd followed so diligently, taking their silence in the face of so much tragedy as proof of abandonment. She'd never felt so alone in her life- all she had was her best friend Moonpaw, a father who seemed too distant from her to really connect with, and on a lesser note, her friend Aspenpaw as well. Dragging herself into camp from the territory quietly, the black, white, and russet molly flicked her ears in exhaustion, two large scars stretching across the base of her right ear. She'd refused medication for her own wounds when the badger had attacked, and so she'd developed scars on the area, lucky that it hadn't become infected yet. Tawnypaw wouldn't accept treatment until she knew Moonpaw was better- she cared too much for her friend to accept anything else. Maybe she cared too much.
She'd happened to meet another cat in the territory, someone who, though he seemed innocent enough, she couldn't help but hate his guts already. "I'll be your first friend", she said. If killing your new clanmates wasn't a crime, she'd have done it in a flash. His father had murdered her mother twice, and she wasn't one to forget easily. Walking out quietly, she caught sight of someone who could take her mind off of Flash for now- Moonpaw. "Moonpaw!" The molly smiled, her heart instantly lifted as she saw how well her best friend was doing.
You're the only one who makes me happy, Moonpaw.
Please don't leave me like the rest of them.

At the sound of a very familiar voice - one that Moonpaw hadn't had the pleasure of hearing in quite some time - the she-cat's ears twitching and instantly her good eye shot wide open. She frantically searched for the source, heart beginning to pound in her chest. Finally resting her eyes on a quickly approaching Tawnypaw, a genuine smile broke out across the molly's maw. "Tawnypaw!" she gasped, happiness overwhelming her in waves. She hadn't seen her friend really since the accident, as she hadn't stopped by much, really at all, and Moonpaw had been confined to the medicine den since she'd woken up. But seeing Tawnypaw here, alive and doing well, the black and white feline let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding in.
"I'm so happy to see you!" she purred, not caring about the pain that shot down her spine from her face as she nuzzled her good side against her dark furred best friend. Feeling the ridged scars along her ear however brought reality snapping back, and Moonpaw pulled away, eye filling with worry as she examined the rugged scar that began around her ear. "Tawnypaw, you're ear. Oh, my sweet Tawnypaw why haven't you gotten it looked at?" With the question hanging in the air, Moonpaw brought her blue eye back to Tawnypaw's face, worry and grief evident in their vibrant depths. Of course she was glad to see her best friend, but it looked as though she needed medical attention soon, before it had the chance to get infected. For a moment, there was no one else in camp as Moonpaw stared at the she-cat, waiting for her response. I'm so glad you're okay, and that you're doing well, she thought, though it didn't appear to her, at least not yet, just how hard things had become for her dear friend.

[Phoenix Flames]

Originally Posted by Skelly

Midgepaw looked further down where the tunnel split into two. Beyond that was total darkness and nothing would be able to see. No sunlight had ever reached here, and it never would. They clenched their jaw and pushed forwards, hoping that Rushpaw would fit, as the edges of the tunnels just about touched their flanks on both sides. They reached the split and looked over their shoulder, where Rushpaw's form blocked out any light that had almost reached here. “This way.” the said, darting easily into the right passage, speaking while they did in case Rushpaw couldn't see them. Midgepaw hoped that this was a good idea, because being trapped underground wasn't an ideal situation, and would likely trigger Midgepaw's trauma again.

Rushpaw followed, hoping they wouldn't reach a dead end. "Are you sure this is a good idea?", he asked as he continued walking. "Because I don't think it is....", he meowed.

[meraki]

@Zero to Hero
The weather was nice. Nicer than Featherpaw had ever known to feel, having been born in the middle of winter. She'd spent all of her kithood in the cold, as well as some of her moons as an apprentice. She decided that she liked spring. She liked it a lot, and envied the kits born during this time. How nice would it be to be able to frolic and play in the sun, with colourful flowers to keep you interested? She thought to herself. But, a second thought did cross the fluffy white apprentice's mind. Perhaps kits born during leaf bare grow to be stronger. This thought made sense, if the facts were added up. Kits who'd never experienced a leaf-bare and were born during leaf-fall, would be more likely to die than a kit who'd been born during leaf-bare, survived, and encountered another leaf-bare once more. Then again, the cat would hardly be a kit. They'd most likely be a young warrior or older apprentice.
Featherpaw was a rather visual learner, who best learned by watching intently. She had a photographic mind, which was always helpful. As her eyes scanned across the grassy clearing, her eyes fell upon the forms of cats she recognized, but was unaware of their names. Featherpaw wondered if they knew hers.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Honorable Kitti

Rushpaw followed, hoping they wouldn't reach a dead end. "Are you sure this is a good idea?", he asked as he continued walking. "Because I don't think it is....", he meowed.

Midgepaw had been thinking the exact same thing by this point, and stopped. “Yeah . . . let's go back.” the younger apprentice muttered, and it would've been impossible to hear under normal circumstances, but under the earth, the noise seemed to echo eerily, unnaturally loud to the cat's sensitive ears. Well, everything about Midgepaw was sensitive, both physically and emotionally so. They started back up, because there wasn't enough room for them to turn around. Ignoring the sharp stoned that caught in the pelt and seemed to slow their progress. Panic started to boil up in the apprentice, and they started moving backwards more frantically.