Kestrelstar, Howlpaw, and Goldeniris handle border patrol and encounter a Rogue.
As Kestrelstar led the border patrol, Goldeniris and Howlpaw followed after. The new apprentice quickened his pace to catch up with the black and ginger she-cat, falling in line beside her with a huff. "Why didn't Softpaw come with us? Isn't he your apprentice?"
"He is, but he's cleaning the Warriors Den today. Clan chores are still clan duties, and you'll learn that for yourself soon, Howlpaw."
"Not too soon I hope?" Howlpaw nervously coughed back.
"Can we focus on our duties, Goldeniris?"
The warrior straightened up, looking ahead to meet the gaze of her leader. Kestrelstar flashed her a sharp look before sauntering on further into the woods. Goldeniris felt her pelt prickle with annoyance, tail lashing.
"I'm sure it's nothing, Goldeniris," Howlpaw quickly spoke up, looking up at her with a nervous smile.
Dead giveaway. The warrior narrowed her eyes. "Of course. Why would it be something?"
Howlpaw's fluffy gray fur began to rise, looking down as he padded along with a sheepish stutter to his voice. "Well um- I didn't mean it like that so... I-I don't know why anything would-"
A long and annoyed sigh escaped Kestrelstar, causing both of the cats behind her to tense as she slowly looked back at them. Her tail tip twitched, the annoyance in her gaze clear as day. "Howlpaw, can you go up ahead and scent the air. Identify what has passed in the last sun-walk, alright?"
"Yes, Kestrelstar!" Howlpaw squeaked as he bounded past the two she-cats. The tension in the air practically broiled, Kestrelstar and Goldeniris eyeing each other as Howlpaw left them be.
"... Howlpaw told me you also think it was wrong of me to punish Honeyeagle," Kestrelstar admitted softly.
Goldeniris' ears flattened. "That little snake should mind his own business. He'd be wise to keep out of things that don't concern him."
"It concerns our clan!" Kestrelstar hissed back sharply. She paused. Taking a steady breath as she backed off, the gray tabby flicked an ear at her clanmate. "You and I can agree that we need to stick together during these times. The Great Division has been hard on every cat in the forest."
"Which is why we can't let our clan be divided then too. All we have is each other, and we can't trust the others." Goldeniris glared daggers at her leader pointedly. "Not even Chivestar," she'd spat, venom on her tongue.
Kestrelstar snarled. "Any reason you're mentioning him?" she challenged, daring the black and ginger she-cat to make her case.
Instead the warrior spit on the ground with a hiss. She didn't look away from her leader, pelt beginning to lie flat as she remained pointedly silent.
"...Not him. Not Ryestar. And not Whisperstar. You should be putting our clan first," Goldeniris finally spoke.
"You think I'm not?"
"You punished Honeyeagle for doing just that. You tell me."
"I punished Honeyeagle for making things unnecessarily worse. The Great Division was no doubt the hardest thing we have ever been through, and you want to only drag us down further and further? Under StarClan's eyes we are all one, and just as we curse that very day, we should curse further trials of divide. Who are you and the others to tear down the progress we have made, that we can now sit in front of each other in a solemn vow of peace without ripping each other apart?!" Kestrelstar snarled, her pelt bristling as she spat in Goldeniris' face. The black and ginger she-cat would back up as her leader approached her, flattening her ears and looking down as her leader scolded her like a kit. Kestrelstar's voice felt hoarse, the gray tabby taking a few breaths as she finally backed off and sat back down.
"...If we let ourselves be absorbed by anger... like what's happening to Whisperstar... like what happened to Driftsight..." Kestrelstar spoke in a hushed murmur.
"Havenbramble was the only mediator to survive..." Goldeniris murmured back.
"And no cat has been brave enough to step forward since. We need to train a new mediator, Goldeniris."
"Don't look at me," Goldeniris scoffed, chuckling under her breath as a moment of softness flashed in her bright eyes.
Kestrelstar chuckled. "I know. It doesn't suit you."
The two she-cats sat quietly, the tension and aggression having faded. As Goldeniris turned to look at her leader, she opened her mouth to speak when-
"Kestrelstar! Goldeniris! Um- can you come quick now?!"
Howlpaw... Kestrelstar realized they had left him alone far too long. Growling to herself in frustration, the SeedClan leader quickly stood up to jog past Goldeniris to find her apprentice. The warrior would close her mouth, shaking her head before following after. As the two she-cats followed Howlpaw's scent, they'd find the fluffy gray tom standing before someone... unfamiliar to them.
"Howlpaw, get back!" Kestrelstar snarled, using her tail to herd the new apprentice away from the stranger. "Why didn't you speak up sooner? You found an outsider?"
"I-I didn't want to interrupt you both..." the apprentice mumbled.
Ok, she'd deal with that later. Kestrelstar turned to eye the cat in front of him. A pale ginger tom with long and soft-looking fur stood in front of them. Since Howlpaw found him he seemed to have flopped over to relax atop the soil, not minding the dirt that got tangled in his mane. Goldeniris' nose scrunched up when she caught his scent.
"I don't recognize you as a CherryClan cat."
"Oh, that's because I'm not," the tom replied simply.
Kestrelstar raised an eyebrow then. "Who are you then? You're very close to SeedClan territory. If you cross our borders without good reason, we will only give you a single warning before we chase you off."
The ginger tom's tail swished back and forth, amusement in his gaze. It agitated Kestrelstar, and the same energy could be felt from Goldeniris. Who was this tom to practically laugh in their face when they could rip his pelt off him in a few seconds?
"My name is Churro. Don't worry, I'm just keeping an eye on things around here, but not on your territory. If I understand your customs correctly, it's not your problem so long as it doesn't affect you, right? You know I'm the lonesome type myself, but you as a group take it to a whole new extreme. Pretty impressive."
"Watch it, Chewy," Goldeniris hissed.
"Churro."
"What's a Churro?" Howlpaw asked.
"Oh, it's a very sweet piece of two-leg food that's-"
"Enough! You'd be wise to get out of here. I can't imagine Whisperstar will be pleased learning an outsider is lurking on her territory after-" Kestrelstar paused, trailing off as a thought crossed her mind - a thought that made her fur rise.
Could this be... the one who killed Bushclaw?
Kestrelstar debated saying something, but caught the gaze of Goldeniris. The black and ginger she-cat gave a small shake of her head, reminding Kestrelstar of the times they were living in.
The clan has to come first...
There was no evidence to hurl such accusations at Churro, furthermore they were in no position to insert themselves into CherryClan politics. The next time they happened upon a patrol, they could mention Churro, simply give CherryClan a word of caution. But to act now and not only risk more trouble for her clan, but the other clans as well... it was simply unwise.
"...Move along then. Our borders are fresh, so even you should know not to cross them."
"And I didn't, and I won't." Churro smiled and gave a flick of his ear. "It was nice to meet you all, even if you never said your names while I said mine. Kinda unfair, but that's ok. Either way, bye-bye now." The ginger tom gave a wave of his fluffy tail, before trotting off back into CherryClan's territory. He'd push his way into a nearby bush, disappearing out of sight with the rustling of leaves.
"Odd."
"Hm? Yeah he did act kind of funny, didn't he Goldeniris?" Howlpaw chimed.
"No. I mean yes, he did, but I'm talking about his scent. It's strong with CherryClan. He has to have been dwelling in their territory for some time now, Kestrelstar."
The leader nodded in agreement. "But he says he's not with them either. To simply exist all that time and not have anyone catch you is rather impressive. We should strengthen our borders here and be mindful. If he can blend in with their territory, it'd be foolish to think he couldn't do the same to ours."
"I agree."
Goldeniris voice was soft as she dipped her head, her cold eyes from earlier having been replaced with glimmers of respect. Kestrelstar couldn't help but purr, dipping her head in turn to the black and ginger warrior. For all the times they didn't see eye to eye, Goldeniris was a warrior Kestrelstar greatly respected. As the two she-cats looked at each other, Goldeniris paused.
"I was going to say that I'm-"
"It's fine. I know."
Goldeniris blinked, before dipping her head. "So be it, but you can't take that back."
"Fallendapple, use whatever herbs you need. Do not be afraid to refer to Maplefern's knowledge when assisting her."
"I am a fully trained medicine cat, Kestrelstar. I may be young, but I can handle this."
The SeedClan leader paused, before nodding, flicking her tail as she left the healer to her task. Fallendapple would feel the fur on her back lie flat, sighing with relief. She didn't need eyes prying over her shoulder.
"Hollowkit, can you please come with me. Fallendapple needs to work," Softpaw pleaded, voice almost whining as he only had Bluekit listening to him. "You too, Slatekit."
"I want to stay with Mama," Hollowkit whimpered, snuggling close to Maplefern.
"Me too!" Slatekit crawled atop Maplefern's back, trying to tuck himself back into the crook of her belly and next to his littermate.
Fallendapple hissed. "Don't do that! Can't you see I'm trying to work here." She sighed with exasperation, looking to Softpaw expectantly. The apprentice could only stare at her, as if asking if she couldn't see his futile attempts.
"Those herbs are cool! What are those?" Bluekit asked eagerly.
----------
Goldeniris watched from the other side of camp, tail twitching angrily. She growled under her breath, shoving a red feather over to the pale colored tom next to her.
"Thanks for the bedding," Quillbeak muttered under his breath. "Does this mean you're not going to pass Softpaw?" he asked, side eyeing his clanmate.
"I wouldn't, but Kestrelstar would have some words for me if I did," she hissed. "I understand avoiding unnecessary conflict, but this will only make more of a mess. Sheltering a code-breaking healer and her three kits? CherryClan kits no less!" Goldeniris kept her voice low, unable to understand why her leader would waste valuable resources like this. Whisperstar was out for blood, and she'd surely create problems for SeedClan if she learned they took in Maplefern!
Quillbeak paused a moment, before looking back towards Fallendapple. He watched the spotted brown she-cat work diligently, even as one of those kits clung onto their mother. For a moment his eyes darkened, and his matted tail would flick in annoyance.
"Avoiding unnecessary conflict? If you ask me, I don't think we create enough conflict. Kestrelstar puts up with too much." He slowly lifted himself to his paws, gaze fixed upon the brown and white kit across the camp.
Hollowkit gave his mother a gentle nuzzle. A chill ran up his spine though, causing his fur to rise. He looked around, still fearful of this new camp - before he locked eyes on the pale tom who stared at him from what felt like so far away for such a little one.
Quillbeak growled. "We should have stayed divided."
Softpaw completes his Hunting Trial - but not without making a bit of a mess of his catch.
Goldeniris assigns Softpaw to use those extra feathers to freshen up the Elders Den with fresh bedding.
Howlpaw overhears Goldeniris talking about the other clans.
"This isn't fair..." Softpaw grumbled.
"I'm already being quite nice by passing you."
The spotted tom looked up at his mentor with a frown, his tail lashing with annoyance. "I caught that bird, didn't I? Why should I have to also clean up the bedding for the Warriors Den?"
"Barely." Goldeniris took a seat beside her apprentice, flicking her ear in acknowledgement. "It was a messy catch. That was not the standard I trained you on. I'm allowing it because you did catch the bird, but let it be known I expect you to not fumble so much and end up making a mess with all of those feathers." With a soft purr, the black she-cat smirked, her tail flicking a loose black feather resting on the top of Softpaw's head. "Now you have good use for those feathers. The Warriors will be quite happy to have something so soft and fresh to rest on."
Softpaw only grumbled back, sighing though as he nodded. He knew Goldeniris was right. Still, as his silver eyes glanced towards the Warriors Den, he'd look back up to his mentor with a slight tilt of his head. "Why hasn't Honeyeagle been sleeping in there lately? His nest looks plenty fresh. Can I skip giving him feathers?"
Noticing how his mentor's ears fell back though, Softpaw regretted his words, lowering his head apologetically.
"It's fine, Softpaw," Goldeniris quickly spoke, glancing around before nodding back to her apprentice. "Look... Honeyeagle and Kestrelstar are having a bit of a rough patch between them. The relationship between a leader and deputy is very important. They rely on each other to lead the clan. When that relationship's trust is shaken, it can make things... a bit difficult. The issue now is that the whole clan is feeling it," she explained.
"Oh..." Softpaw looked down. "Is that why Quillbeak has been more grumpy than usual lately?"
Goldeniris was unable to stifle a purr. "I suppose so, yes," she admitted. "Quillbeak has a strong dislike for the other clans, especially after we lost Serpentpelt. We're a small clan right now, and we have to be united and look out for each other. Such division causes problems. Quillbeak and Fallendapple want our clan to stick together more than anything, and Kestrelstar lashing out at Honeyeagle is no way to do that."
The apprentice paused as he listened. He shuffled his cream colored paws in thought. "Do you think Kestrelstar was wrong to scold Honeyeagle like that then?"
Goldeniris paused. "...I do. Honeyeagle was looking out for the clan. I think that is what we need to be doing most right now. Every clan is struggling, but it is our duty to stand at each other's side. That is what good clanmates do."
"... I understand, Goldeniris." Softpaw had never realized how difficult it must be to be a leader. Kestrelstar had always seemed so cool, and strong. Every kit dreamed of being a leader at some point, or at least imagined what it would be like to stand as the pinnacle of your clan. But now... Softpaw saw it in a very different light.
"Come on now, enough talk. Get to work on the Warriors Den. And yes, Honeyeagle deserves new feathers from this as well," the black she-cat spoke.
A watched pot never boils or in this case blooms. The golden iris bloomed and I missed it but there are 2 more to wait for. Isn't it gorgeous? . . . #mondaymood #goldeniris #blooms #flowers #flowerstyle #floral #flowerstagram #flowersforeveryone #iris #prettyflowers #lejardin #gardening #pnw #flowerpower🌸 #irisbloom #floralesque #prettythings #wildandfree #wildchild #naturelovers #photography #mystuff #swipe #mondayvibes #Mondayfinds #goldenflower #irisflower #gardenlife #digginginthedirt #blooming #oregonlife https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx-q7Xsh65G/?igshid=pxyfoerj0g60
"Golden Iris" is a beautiful reminder of Spring 🌷. I was inspired to create this piece on a walk , one early Spring morning they my mom's gorgeous flower gardens. To see more: http://www.creativeartstac.com/78031/83710.html #MitzkaFineArts #goldeniris #Wallart #wallsculptures #walldecor #sculptureart #sculptedwallart #3doil #floralsculptures #design #luxaryart #artforsale #cdaliving #spokaneliving #sandpointliving #homedecor #NorthIdahofineartsandphotography #northidaholife #northwestartist #TammyAMitzka #nothingisreal #tacrawford https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw4hL59JXA0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14v2t0edwjrvy
Who loves Batman more then moi? Only Lady Catwoman 😉🙋🏼🙆🏼🙈🙊🙉😽😽😽 (#artprint "Bad or Good, there's no food " by Prozerpinah (L.M.P) aka me ) #Russia, #Batman, #Catwoman, #BatmanAndCatwoman, #ProzerpinahLMP , #painting , #GoldenIris , #RussianArt , #watercolors , #LMPism
