Hello, I'm Drake! I've been using Clangen to make stories for a while, and I think it's about time to share some of my work.
Now, I haven't actually read Warriors in a long time, so I'm pretty rusty on the lore (and hopeless in terms of the characters/storylines), but even my most canon-compliant stories are going to be pretty subject to personal worldbuilding anyways! Still, I find the series fun to bond over, and drawing/writing cats is an interesting departure from my typical focus on humans and anthros.
You can find more info on me and my blog under the cut!
Notes
I'm a butch lesbian, and I prefer to use no pronouns (just use my name!), but he/they are alright too.
As I am over 20, I would prefer not to DM with minors, but I don't mind them following/sending asks!
I am always open to asks about my Clans, characters, and stories, including in-character asks for my cats!
I use ibisPaint X to draw.
The forest image used in this post is from SplitShire on Pixabay.
Stories
Rogue Landing— A comic about two cats. It can be read here, or navigated through the first page here.
TempestClan— A serialized story about a Clan within a collaborative setting. It can be read here, or navigated through the first page here.
Tags
Stories/Clans are tagged as "#w: [name]," and characters are tagged as "#c: [name]."
All of my art can be found under "#drakeart." All of my Clangen content is tagged "#drakeCG."
Other people's Clangen content is tagged "#other CG." Non-Clangen content is tagged "#not CG."
I will probably not trigger tag horror or blood, but I will try to add other trigger tags upon request.
Patrol 1— Teamwork - Rubbleswoop, Coppershade, Flintpaw, Shalepaw. 6 - 2 = 4. Two cats open up about their pasts to each other. They feel as if they've learned a great deal more about the other, and apply this knowledge as they see fit.
ㅤㅤFlintpaw and Shalepaw had to see each other.
ㅤㅤThat was what Coppershade and Rubbleswoop had agreed on; they'd find an opportunity for Coppershade and Flintpaw's patrol to encounter the two, give everyone a chance to catch up. It's only been a moon, sure, but the apprentices have never been apart for that long. Even their convictions, freshly formed and growing more difficult to contend with every day, can't distract from the fact that it's always been them.
ㅤㅤNeither mentor hides their intentions for the outing from their apprentices. No one needs a surprise.
ㅤㅤThe ledge Coppershade and Rubbleswoop end up on is manageable enough for an outside cat, but still allows them to keep watch on the two below with relative privacy. Occasionally an argument or harsh word flares, but altogether the siblings are happy to see each other. And Flintpaw had been happy to see Rubbleswoop, too. There's some mention from the apprentice that it'd be so much easier if they were just all in TempestClan, which Rubbleswoop does her best to ignore.
ㅤㅤCoppershade examines Rubbleswoop as she quietly watches the pair, sparring together and leaping off the faces. Her white arms are tinged with grass stains, prey's blood, and a fine layer of inescapable dirt— Coppershade can't figure out how she hadn't noticed that before. Shalepaw has those stains on his white paws, too, but it doesn't look like anything more than the expected negligence of an apprentice. There's something worse about Rubbleswoop, some profound absence baked into her fur.
ㅤㅤTail curling, Coppershade breaks the silence. No use avoiding it. "Flintpaw told me what happened."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop's ears flatten, and she turns her attention to Coppershade.
ㅤㅤ"About how you all ran away. What happened to your mother." She focuses on the apprentices. "She didn't want to keep it a secret anymore, not before the Gathering. We told Mossystar, and..."
ㅤㅤHer stare intensifies, the sun tearing through the sky's veil. "And what?"
ㅤㅤA deep breath, in and out. "Mossystar decided it was best to be honest. She told the Clans that Flintpaw had been found as a kit in our territory, and, following the warrior code, we took her in and raised her to her apprenticeship." She makes eye contact. "She admitted that we'd only found out where she came from that moon, too. Told EchoClan that we wanted to respect Flintpaw's wishes to be with TempestClan."
ㅤㅤ"And... what did EchoClan say?"
ㅤㅤShe watches Rubbleswoop's body tense. "They didn't like that we'd hid it for so long, but they agreed that was probably best for her by now."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop nods, slowly. "What about..." Her eyes narrow, brow whiskers furrowing. "What about Shalepaw and I? What did she say about us?"
ㅤㅤCoppershade swallows. "Mossystar thought it'd be safest to leave you both out of it. For now, at least."
ㅤㅤA restrained nod breaks through. "Did... EchoClan ask about us?"
ㅤㅤ"...No."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop stands, and absentmindedly paces to the edge. "That... makes sense." Her tail swipes the air. "They probably assumed that we're dead. Why else would Flintpaw be alone?"
ㅤㅤ"Rubbleswoop—" Coppershade rises after her. "—I'm so sorry, about everything. I— I understand why you didn't tell me, but if I'd known—"
ㅤㅤ"It wouldn't have changed anything." Her bluntness stops Coppershade in her tracks, and in the passing silence, Rubbleswoop can only tighten her shoulders into a shrug. "This is where we're left now, and I'll... decide my next steps from there. Same as I always have."
ㅤㅤCoppershade's ears fall back, that feeling of something catching in her chest again. She can't stop the next thought from escaping. "Are you going back to EchoClan?"
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop looks down at her siblings again, wrapping her tail around herself. "I already told you— I'm deciding my next steps from there."
ㅤㅤCoppershade nods, casually averts her eyes as if that answers anything. But there's no point in pushing it. After all, the only thing that Coppershade would be able to ask her to do now is stay.
ㅤㅤDarkheart breaks out into a sprint after the apprentice, catching up fairly quickly but still not particularly willing to participate. They'll be out of Snailpatch's sight soon enough, and, thinking it over, Darkheart knows he must not have an apprentice yet for a reason. Well, aside from sheer numbers but— oh, by StarClan, she's outrunning him again.
ㅤㅤIvypaw leaps up onto a rock, only one of her legs left kicking her the rest of the way up once she reaches it. "I'll give you a headstart back to camp, if you want!"
ㅤㅤDarkheart shakes his head as he closes the distance, and stares back down the path. "I don't want to race back to camp. We really should stay with your father."
ㅤㅤIvypaw plops her chin on her crossed paws. "I thought you were a warrior too."
ㅤㅤHe blinks, and looks up at her. "I am."
ㅤㅤ"You don't feel like one." Her eyes catch something fluttering in the air, briefly. "Patrolling with you is more like patrolling with Flintpaw than with Finchflame."
ㅤㅤDarkheart's ears turn back, Snailpatch's footsteps sweeping their way. "I don't think anyone else is quite like Finchflame."
ㅤㅤIvypaw lets out a small, musing mumble, though her consideration seems to end as soon as Snailpatch arrives and she drops down from the rock. Purring, she bumps his shoulder with her head.
ㅤㅤSnailpatch's whiskers twitch. "I may not be an elder yet, but I'm still no young cat, you two."
ㅤㅤDarkheart's tail drops. "Sorry, Snailpatch."
ㅤㅤ"I only wanted to see if Darkheart could beat me to camp," Ivypaw retorts, still pressed against the older tom. "It turns out he can't."
ㅤㅤSnailpatch sighs with a "Hmph," noting Darkheart shaking his head at the assessment. Letting Darkheart take the lead on the way back, he nudges Ivypaw onwards. "Not everything is a competition."
ㅤㅤIvypaw takes a few sideways steps towards camp, bouncing along. "But, if this was, I'd be winning."
ㅤㅤOnce again, Snailpatch watches as Darkheart shakes his head, for no one's disapproving benefit but his own.
Patrol 3— StarClan vision - Mossystar, Icespeckle. 6 - 2 = 4. A cat has received a message from StarClan, but no one believes them because they are just a warrior. (Modified.)
ㅤㅤIcespeckle had been right.
ㅤㅤMossystar didn't know what to make of it.
ㅤㅤThe prediction was one thing— one thing she could overlook, at that, but the promises, the insistence that came along with it was another matter entirely. And so, when Eaglerapid couldn't offer any good explanations behind the cat's intent either, Mossystar supposed that it was time to turn Icespeckle's fascination with those patterns towards someone with a better inclination for them— even if it reminded the Clan leader that she'd neglected to tell her medicine cat about that peculiar dream a few moons ago, and was neglecting to do so again.
ㅤㅤThankfully, Kitelotus seemed more than adequately intrigued by the recent development on its own.
ㅤㅤIcespeckle ducks into the medicine den, noticing that orange molly— Fringehollow, she recalls— must be elsewhere at the moment. Good timing, since Kitelotus seems to be in the middle of fixing up the den's bedding. It's by far the most closed-off den in the camp, with its privacy lent not by the depth of the overhang, but instead the sheer stone wall encircling nearly half of it. The rest is all foliage and large stones, the latter presumably pushed here by some cats— or maybe just someone— once upon a time. With the way the sun pokes over and through the foliage and off of the wall, it's always as well lit as the sky allows. In a way, Icespeckle thinks, despite the den's purpose, it's almost cozy.
ㅤㅤ"Is this a bad time?"
ㅤㅤKitelotus looks up from her work. "Icespeckle, isn't it?"
ㅤㅤShe nods.
ㅤㅤ"Right." Kitelotus gestures towards the floor. "If you help me out here, it won't be."
ㅤㅤIcespeckle trots up and notices the spots of discolored bedding, the scent of old blood on the dried grasses and leaves. Without hesitation, she scoops it up, and sets it where Kitelotus is putting the rest of the waste outside of the den. She takes a few more mouthfuls before she starts bunching it with her paws, stalling for just a moment. "I seem to recall Mossystar saying you'd wanted to speak with me."
ㅤㅤ"You'd be right in recalling that," Kitelotus responds, though not greatly deterred. She begins to spread out cleaner materials, creating broad, even layers on the dusty rock. "When I heard about your fascination with StarClan, I have to admit that I wasn't sure what to think. Especially considering the collar around your neck— which I see no reason for you to keep on in the company of a Clan."
ㅤㅤ"Huh," Icespeckle offers, light like birdsong, before she carries out another mouthful, and returns. "I have something to admit myself, you know— I've always admired medicine cats. Not only your work as healers, of course, but your work as spiritual leaders as well. You're Clan cats, but also not entirely beheld to Clan rules. There's a lot of power in that sort of rigid freedom— it's always been something I could sympathize with."
ㅤㅤKitelotus stops. "Are you saying you'd want to be a medicine cat?"
ㅤㅤ"Oh, no, I don't think I have the capabilities for it. Some herbs even make me sneeze something terrible, fresh or plucked." She tidies up the spot before her, flattens it out. "Besides, I already told Mossystar— I'm only an ordinary cat. I'm afraid my connection to StarClan is purely faith-based."
ㅤㅤKitelotus stares at her for a while longer, before sitting down and carrying on. "Then, I suppose I should ask what exactly you were trying to do with your little snow-trick last moon." She notices that Icespeckle seems ruffled by that, though not angry. "I've seen cats predict the weather before, even with startling accuracy. But that excursion of yours seems to imply a method you have some confidence in— so I feel as if I have no choice but to wonder."
ㅤㅤIcespeckle sits too, though not without continuing to busy her paws. "I'd say the significance actually lies with you now, Kitelotus. I don't believe my abilities would end with gathering knowledge on the weather, but I do need direction— direction from someone who knows an awful lot more than me."
ㅤㅤKitelotus gently crushes the grass beneath her claws.
ㅤㅤWith no response, Icespeckle continues. "I've kept up with everything, you know. I heard about that Gathering, when TempestClan revealed the omen you'd received, just before the territory by the river flooded. And I heard how it had all come together too late, and what awful losses WickerClan faced."
ㅤㅤThe omen— Coppershade's omen, Kitelotus recalls, though Mossystar had followed her advice and decided it was best to let the other Clans believe that TempestClan's medicine cat had received and interpreted the omen instead. But Icespeckle was right— it hadn't helped much, nor did the Gathering afterwards, in her mind. Kitelotus tilts her head. "And you think that you could have prevented that?"
ㅤㅤ"With the help and guidance of the right medicine cat?" Icespeckle's tail excitedly brushes across the floor. "Only StarClan knows. But I'm here now, and I think the other Clans have been awfully quiet lately. Lost in themselves, at least. It's only a matter of time before TempestClan is entrusted with another message."
ㅤㅤDespite the cat's affability, it's difficult for Kitelotus to read any more intent in her presence, much less her words. "What makes you so sure of that? That we'll receive another message, or that you'll be of any help?"
ㅤㅤIcespeckle lets out a single laugh. "Because that's what TempestClan has always done— broken through the noise to tell all other Clans what they need to hear most." Her eyes flicker with something unplaceable. "But, as far as I know, TempestClan has never had a cat like me. Who could offer something more to elevate its voice, and make the other Clans better heed its words."
ㅤㅤKitelotus slowly traces Icespeckle's collar, dirty and frayed. Her voice is almost distant. "Where did you learn all this?"
ㅤㅤIcespeckle isn't unaware of the scrutiny, the green eyes fixed at her neck. "You'll have to be more specific. I learn from everywhere, from everyone I come across." A slight stretch of the neck. "But I teach far more to myself than any other cat has."
ㅤㅤ"Only other cats?"
ㅤㅤIcespeckle's body relaxes, finally feeling Kitelotus— even if uncertainly— understand the situation before her. She doesn't bother reaching for the collar. "What you may see as a symbol of weakness, I see as a tool." She stands, and takes one step towards Kitelotus. "And I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any other cats in or out of these Clans with the mind to wield it like I can."
ㅤㅤKitelotus looks up at Icespeckle, before standing herself. Silently, she returns to the fresh materials, and pushes a section of the pile Icespeckle's way with one sure swipe. Their eyes meet, all wind and no storm.
ㅤㅤKitelotus sighs. "Here. When you're setting it down, make sure it overlaps— every individual piece should be so noticeable and fixed as to not work its way into a wound. You don't want to make a bad situation worse."
ㅤㅤTail still swaying, Icespeckle nods, and gets back to work.
Memory
ㅤㅤ"You're going to fall!"
ㅤㅤ"No I'm not!"
ㅤㅤ"Yes you—" The young tabby bounded to the edge of the stones as the other, balancing against the face above, cautiously lifted a paw to reach the next small, jutting rock. Her fur bristled. "Shadowpaw! Stop it! Oh— if you fall, Ravensong is going to kill you—"
ㅤㅤ"I told you, I'm not—" With that, Shadowpaw's foot slipped, and she jolted back to her stable ledge, her copper eyes wide. "—uh, y-you know, maybe I will come back down..."
ㅤㅤ"Good!" She stepped back, trailing where Shadowpaw stood. "Look, I'll stay right here, so if you do fall—"
ㅤㅤ"Why don't you just come up here and get me? Since you're such a good climber—"
ㅤㅤ"Not that good!"
ㅤㅤShadowpaw whined, her tail flicking as she scanned the wall for a place to drop down. "Why did you talk me into climbing up here in the first place anyways?"
ㅤㅤThe tabby's fur bristled again. "I told you not to climb up there!"
ㅤㅤBreaking her nervousness for a moment, Shadowpaw stuck out her tongue at her sister below, though she was no closer to finding a way down. But, between her teasing and her fretting, there was a sudden noise from above, pawsteps on pebbles— and both apprentices stared up at the top of the ridge, nearly a fox-length from where Shadowpaw was stuck.
ㅤㅤTwo young cats emerged over the edge, more apprentices. They had to be within a few moons of the two tabbies, with the older one in front. He cocked his head. "What do we have here?"
ㅤㅤBefore Shadowpaw could speak, her sister didn't even bother responding to his question directly. "Where's your mentor?"
ㅤㅤThe older apprentice huffed out a laugh. "Shouldn't I ask you two the same thing?" He leaned over the edge, and brought his face into full focus— white with a brown patch crowding its left side, immediately recognizable as Halfpaw. "We won't tell if you won't. I was just wondering if you were stuck."
ㅤㅤShadowpaw's ears flattened. "And if I was?"
ㅤㅤ"Then... we'd help you?" He stood at full height again, and looked back at his companion. "Eaglepaw's great at climbing, he can probably find you a way down."
ㅤㅤBoth tabbies watched cautiously as the young gray tom walked closer to the edge and, without hesitation, leapt down to a narrow ledge. The apprentice below felt her breath catch in her throat, worried she'd have to contend with two cats tumbling to the ground, and Shadowpaw strained to look behind her.
ㅤㅤEaglepaw's head bobbed about, examining the stone. "Hm... I think... You could probably just catch the slope if you put your front paws down..."
ㅤㅤ"What? I don't want to tear up my paws!" Shadowpaw fidgeted on the spot, glancing at her sister.
ㅤㅤHer sister, meanwhile, scoffed. "Your paws will be fine! I think he's right, it's all dusty— you saw the surface when you jumped up, didn't you?"
ㅤㅤ"Maybe..." Shadowpaw clenched her teeth, and cautiously set her paws against the edge, body contorted into a half-turn. "You'd better catch me, Mossypaw!"
ㅤㅤ"I will!" Mossypaw put herself firmly in her sister's path, planting her feet.
ㅤㅤ"Alright, so... I'll go in... one... tw—" Her paws slipped, and Shadowpaw found herself sliding down the dusty slope, out of control and speeding up. Paw-pads growing hot, she almost thought she'd tumble over until cool grass met her claws, and she flew straight into her sister's body. It was then that they fell and rolled, two dark tabbies now smudged with dirt.
ㅤㅤThey rose as the pair of apprentices from above began making their way down. Now stable against her sister, Shadowpaw groomed her sore front paw-pads. Mossypaw, meanwhile, kept her eyes fixed on the approaching apprentices— and realized, suddenly, that Eaglepaw was actually probably the youngest apprentice amongst the four of them. She hardly held the comment back under her breath. "StarClan above, that cat is big."
ㅤㅤShadowpaw stopped. "What?"
ㅤㅤEaglepaw looked back at the two as his companion joined him. "Did you say something?"
ㅤㅤ"No," Mossypaw asserted, quickly giving a lick to her sister's ear to distract them both. "Thank you for the help."
ㅤㅤEaglepaw nodded as Halfpaw stepped between them. The older apprentice couldn't be more than a moon off from becoming a warrior, especially with how forthcoming he'd been. "No worries, but, as I said before— the best thanks is going to be none of us telling on each other, right?"
ㅤㅤShadowpaw quietly agreed between licks, though Mossypaw wasn't quite so willing to yield. "I still want to know why you're both out here alone."
ㅤㅤ"And, again, I could ask you the same." The older apprentice looked back at his companion. "So...?"
ㅤㅤShadowpaw spoke before Mossypaw could argue. "I was just trying to practice my climbing. I dragged her into coming along, she didn't want to."
ㅤㅤ"I wish I could say we were anywhere close to that responsible," Halfpaw began. "Have you two heard about the haze?"
ㅤㅤBoth sisters' ears flattened in confusion, but Shadowpaw spoke up. "What, do you mean... fog? Who hasn't heard of fog?"
ㅤㅤ"No, no— well, kind of." Halfpaw sits. "There's an old story that says— when the medicine cats and the elders went out to check for incoming rain— they'd have to find somewhere really high up and taste the air. But they found out that the haze right before certain storms was more than just a way to predict them— there was something about it that would change the way the stars shined through it. At the right time of night, and with the right conditions... the cats of StarClan would appear to any cats there to witness them."
ㅤㅤAll the apprentices were quiet for a while, between gentle breezes and self-pitying licks. Mossypaw's eyes narrowed. "That sounds made up."
ㅤㅤEaglepaw finally let out an exhale of a laugh. "Trust me, I don't really believe it either."
ㅤㅤ"Would you rather I have brought Flickerpaw along?" Halfpaw said, turning.
ㅤㅤ"You only brought me because you think I can climb up high enough. High enough to see nothing..." Eaglepaw remarked.
ㅤㅤShadowpaw set down her paws. "And there's no way there's anywhere high enough for that in TempestClan territory, right?"
ㅤㅤ"Well..." Halfpaw's tail flicked. "I don't think it'd be in anyone's territory, necessarily..."
ㅤㅤBoth sisters broke into a fit of scolding protests then, mostly agreeing with each other about how that would be a step too far.
ㅤㅤHalfpaw stood. "You two don't have to come along, you know! Weren't you just curious?"
ㅤㅤThey both looked at Eaglepaw, vaguely recalling when they might have seen him most; in the nursery, though they'd always thought of him as such a— well, a kit. He was only about three moons younger, but it'd felt like such a world of difference back then, and when they'd become apprentices. Shadowpaw could only recall how annoying he'd always seemed, constantly scaling the walls and tearing up the nesting. While Mossypaw, looking at him now— she pressed up against Shadowpaw again. It didn't matter what she thought about the fact that he was as tall as her now, and sneaking off with almost-warriors.
ㅤㅤShadowpaw flicked a nod towards Eaglepaw. "You don't want to get caught doing something like that. I know I'm one to talk here, but... if you don't even want to go, why chance it?"
ㅤㅤOne of Eaglepaw's ears twisted back. "I mean, I don't want Halfpaw going off alone..."
ㅤㅤ"If you don't want to come along, I'll just get Flickerpaw, like I said." Halfpaw looked towards the clouds, growing vague in the sky's encroaching darkness. "And you'd better decide quick, because I won't be able to make it otherwise."
ㅤㅤ"Maybe you shouldn't go at all," Eaglepaw said, stepping forwards. "I wasn't really thinking about it before, but they might be right— aren't you scared of getting caught?"
ㅤㅤ"Getting caught after talking to StarClan? Yeah, don't mind if I—"
ㅤㅤAll four apprentices froze at a sudden noise from the bushes, and rose into juvenile, defensive arcs. But the leaves parted to reveal the broad form of a long-furred golden tabby, the older cat's brow fixed in curious disappointment.
ㅤㅤAll the apprentices shrunk.
ㅤㅤHe scanned the scene before him, even checking the top of the ridge. He chewed on the assessment. "You know, unless I'm missing something, I just can't figure out why four apprentices are out where the hunting is so poor..."
ㅤㅤHalfpaw immediately put himself between them, bowing his head slightly. "I'm sorry, Onelarch, I... I told them it'd be okay to practice out here because I could watch them. They wanted to tell their mentors, but I talked them out of—"
ㅤㅤ"Save it for your mentor, Halfpaw. I bet Goldensky is going to love hearing all about it. And as for the rest of you... " Onelarch shook his head. "Apprentices never change. The only reason we want you with a warrior is for your safety. A rock face that high... StarClan knows what can happen if you fall when no one around knows what to do."
ㅤㅤHe ushered the apprentices away, and back to camp. Trailing behind the older cats, and still up against her sister, Shadowpaw addressed Eaglepaw. "If we ask our mentors next time— do you think you'd mind, maybe... teaching us some climbing tricks? I mean, Mossypaw is great, but I'm pretty hopeless... I think it could help."
ㅤㅤMossypaw turned to her sister, eyes wide. "What? W-we don't need him to do that..."
ㅤㅤEaglepaw shrugged. "No, it's alright, I could try. I... don't think I'll be hanging out with Halfpaw anytime soon, so I'll probably be pretty free to do that."
ㅤㅤLaughing, Shadowpaw bumped Mossypaw a little off-path. "See, don't be such a mood-killer! I'm sure it'll be fun, Ravensong is always up for letting us do new stuff."
ㅤㅤMossypaw let out a huff as she regained her pace— and sped up to ram into Shadowpaw's side, sending her just as off-balance. They exchanged a single look, and— with Eaglepaw taking note, and running ahead to join Onelarch and Halfpaw— the battle was on. With every few paces, the sisters exchanged blows— tripping each other up, covering each other in even more dirt, and laughing along the entire way.
Patrol 3— Training - Snailpatch, Fringehollow, Finchflame, Ivypaw. 2 - 1 = 1. A warrior is leading by example, and their apprentice is picking up bad habits.
ㅤㅤSomething had struck Finchflame with the naming of two more apprentices— perhaps it was the unorthodox events, or perhaps it was seeing a cat he remembered as an apprentice gaining one of her own. And yet, she was still older than he'd been when Darkheart became his apprentice.
ㅤㅤFourteen moons wasn't many when he thought about it that way. That hardly felt like the age of a mentor.
ㅤㅤBut Finchflame is twenty-five moons now, which feels far more typical to him. All that early mentorship means is more knowledge on his side, much needed with how taxing Ivypaw has proven herself to be. She doesn't listen, goes off without him, argues with him. Tells her father everything.
ㅤㅤIt twists his insides like gnarled roots, knowing that he still relents to Fringehollow. Even if he'd never say it out loud, that's exactly the sort of mentor he wants to be— one who doesn't let their apprentice get away with anything, whose orders carry the weight of a Clan leader's even moons after the fact. But he can't crack it. She doesn't feel strict, she's far from disinterested or stoic, and yet he could never fathom defying her. There's no other way to describe it; it'd simply feel wrong to.
ㅤㅤHe slinks into the medicine den as instructed, his former mentor still recovering in there, and apparently offering some assistance to the currently-preoccupied Kitelotus in the meantime. Snailpatch and Ivypaw are already sitting beside her, waiting for him. Fringehollow offers a glint of her fangs. "There you are."
ㅤㅤFinchflame doesn't hesitate to push forwards, though he doesn't sit himself. "I still don't understand why you wouldn't involve Mossystar if you had an issue with my mentorship."
ㅤㅤ"Because it'd end the same," Fringehollow begins. "This isn't about ending your mentorship, this is about correcting it. And you need us for that."
ㅤㅤHis ears swivel back. "My former mentor, and my apprentice's father?"
ㅤㅤFringehollow rolls a paw Ivypaw's way. "Your apprentice, too."
ㅤㅤ"Then—" his eyes scan where his apprentice sits, resolute, "—tell me what you need to, and I'll be on my way."
ㅤㅤ"At least sit first." Fringehollow waits until he, reluctantly, complies. "Good. Now— to start, I just want to ask you one thing."
ㅤㅤFinchflame's eyes narrow.
ㅤㅤ"Why don't you ever help her?"
ㅤㅤ"I—" He hears his meow, pitchy and defensive, and brings it down. "—I help her. What do you mean, I don't—" It lapses into a breathy pause, then another thought. "—we're always training—"
ㅤㅤ"Training in what you want to," Ivypaw interrupts. "I don't mind fighting, or hunting, but— I'm not getting any better at climbing, and you never—" Her fur bristles, lightening the dark spots across her back. "Is it because of what I said? Do you think I'm— that I'm not trying on purpose?"
ㅤㅤFinchflame's expression finally breaks into sudden bewilderment, his tail flaring but still. "Wh— I show you how to climb!"
ㅤㅤ"But I'm not getting better!" She stands, causing Snailpatch to duck into his ruff, extending a comforting paw her way. Ivypaw's nose scrunches, her attention scattered. "You don't let me try harder. Even though I told you I thought it'd be difficult, instead you just... you don't change anything..."
ㅤㅤFinchflame turns his eyes to Fringehollow, who offers— as expected, in all honesty— nothing but silent deference to the apprentice. "W-well, if you'd only have asked—"
ㅤㅤ"I have!"
ㅤㅤHis jaw locks up. Fringehollow's brow whiskers stand alert, with there being no mistaking how impressed she is. "This seems like a good start to me if it seems like one to you, Finchflame."
ㅤㅤHe looks to Ivypaw again, having shrunk back against her father. "Alright. We'll..." Pausing, he swallows down his surprise. "We can work on that. I... I promise."
Patrol 4— Snow on patrol - Icespeckle, Mossystar, Darkheart, Eaglerapid.
ㅤㅤDespite her contributions to the fresh-kill pile, to most Icespeckle still feels distant from TempestClan. She's a wanderer by nature, it seems, not quite one to embrace the rigidity of territories or paths. It's something that Mossystar warns her about. Not only that it's dangerous, but that the Clan can't afford to behave that way— therefore, if Icespeckle truly wants to join TempestClan, she'll need to curb her wayward inclinations.
ㅤㅤWhen Icespeckle asks Mossystar if she could leave the territory for a while, Mossystar insists to the others that the most permission she gave was that she "wouldn't stop" her.
ㅤㅤAnd so, for a day, Icespeckle is nowhere to be found.
ㅤㅤShe returns more or less the same, though bearing the strange, unplaceable scents of unclaimed territories. And, according to her, she has a message for Mossystar from her travels— nothing too urgent, but hopefully something that can prove her utility to the Clan.
ㅤㅤIcespeckle happily bears bright eyes and a fluffed tail as she sits before Mossystar and Eaglerapid, continuing her story. "It's a path I've traveled plenty of times— you avoid any of the Clans going through it, and with the right timing there's no Twolegs either." She huffs out a laugh. "I even ran into a couple of nice loners! Far as they were concerned, I looked like a lost kittypet with a better sense of where I was going than where I'd been— though I don't think they were all that concerned with Clans in the first place."
ㅤㅤ"But— I'm sorry, Icespeckle, I'm not following," Mossystar interrupts. "Why travel all that way if you want to stay here?"
ㅤㅤBreaking his focus from Mossystar, Eaglerapid nods. "If there's someone else you wanted to bring here, we've— we've talked it over, and we wouldn't be opposed to—"
ㅤㅤ"Oh, no, it's nothing like that." Icespeckle shakes her head. "Apologies, I always get too caught up in a good story— my real purpose is, well, regarding those patterns I mentioned."
ㅤㅤNeither cat knows quite what to say.
ㅤㅤ"Now, I don't bring news of prophecies or omens— I'm only an ordinary cat." Her ears twist, back and forth. "But what I do bring is knowledge— maybe unremarkable knowledge at the moment, but general proof of the sort of more… relevant knowledge I could seek out in the future."
ㅤㅤMossystar and Eaglerapid exchange a glance, before Mossystar ushers on the rest with a gesture of her paw and a, "Go on."
ㅤㅤ"Ah!" Icespeckle sits up a little straighter. "Well, from today, in three day's time, it will snow. Only lightly down here, but it should be enough to turn the peaks white for a while." She offers a shrug, still pleased with herself. "Nothing threatening, of course, but knowing it now, I'd say it's something to keep an eye out for."
ㅤㅤAfter more discussion turned up no real answers, Mossystar and Eaglerapid had dismissed Icespeckle, saying they'd do so, but imploring her not to so boldly venture out again. She'd promised to do just that, though she mused that they might change their minds after a while.
ㅤㅤThree days later, when Darkheart wakes at the Leaf-bare sunrise to hunt in its scarce warmth, he takes note of the gentle snowfall setting the woods aglow.
Events 1 and 2— Flintkit has started her apprenticeship. Shalekit has started his apprenticeship.
ㅤㅤ"Are you certain about this?"
ㅤㅤ"I... I am." He swallows. "I want to become an apprentice, really, I do, but..." A brief pause as his tail flicks behind him. "I can't leave Rubbleswoop behind. Or... where we came from. TempestClan is very nice, and— I'm so thankful that you helped my sisters and I, but— I—"
ㅤㅤMossystar nods, letting him leave the rest unsaid. She'd told Flintkit and Shalekit that she was glad to make them TempestClan apprentices, if that was what they truly wanted. Both had thanked her then, but now it was solely Shalekit who'd sought her out.
ㅤㅤShe examines his lanky form, too grown to still be wearing the name kit. "Does Flintkit know you're here?"
ㅤㅤ"No. I didn't tell her." Shalekit's jaw tightens, shifting something in his cheek. "I'm tired of arguing with her about it. I know she wants to stay. She thinks..." That tail, again. "She just doesn't get it. She never has."
ㅤㅤShe can hear Rubbleswoop's tone bleeding through the young cat's voice, every stifling of a word and hint of a growl betraying that same bubbling frustration. It's as uncanny as it is expected. Mossystar exhales. "What about Rubbleswoop?"
ㅤㅤ"No," he repeats, shaking his head before the question is even through, "I... I couldn't risk her saying 'no.' I don't even... I don't know what to do, to make her..."
ㅤㅤ"I'll take care of everything. I..." She steps towards him, and bumps her shoulder lightly against his. "I trust that StarClan will guide your path as an apprentice, in whatever form it takes. You'll... ah, I feel as if you'll have made a lot of cats proud by being able to tell me this, Shalekit. I know it couldn't have been easy."
ㅤㅤShe feels his body tense as he offers a restrained nod, and a meow creakily escapes him. "Thank you."
ㅤㅤFlintkit and Shalekit stand side by side with uncertain paws, staring intermittently between the leader's perch and the woods beyond the camp. Despite being unsure as to why Shalekit hadn't wanted to come along, Flintkit had told Rubbleswoop about the ceremony. But Shalekit had simply been distant like that lately— she supposed he might just be nervous, and, after all, Ivypaw had agreed with that assessment.
ㅤㅤShe can't help but notice how her brother's face lights up when their older sister emerges from the trees. Sullen, and sticking to the very edge of camp, but present.
ㅤㅤMossystar comes into full view, then, passing her own glance Rubbleswoop's way before she begins to speak. "Flintkit, you have been raised in this Clan for six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Flintpaw."
ㅤㅤFlintpaw shoots her brother a look, beaming.
ㅤㅤMossystar, after taking a deep breath, continues, and strains to keep her voice steady. "Your mentor will be Coppershade. I hope she will pass down all she knows on to you."
ㅤㅤCalled forward, Coppershade steps proudly ahead despite her racing thoughts. Mossystar hadn't mentioned that— apprenticing the siblings, yes, but not handing one of them over to her, not assigning one as her first apprentice.
ㅤㅤ"Coppershade—" The thought catches in her throat. "—my kin, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Eaglerapid, and you have shown yourself to be exemplary in both your prowess and understanding. You will be the mentor of Flintpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."
ㅤㅤCoppershade nods, hardly thinking, offering her nose to her new apprentice and feeling the young molly meet it with a warm touch and a laugh. It centers her, for only a moment, giving her a chance to compose herself as Flintpaw's new name is called. What— she can hear her own pulse in her ears, furious and strange— what will Rubbleswoop say?
ㅤㅤWhen the chanting subsides, Mossystar offers a knowing glance to the stoic Shalekit. "Shalekit, you have been raised in this Clan for six moons." She braces herself, again. "But I know you do not feel it is your home."
ㅤㅤThere's murmurs from the Clan, with the three cats at the forefront staring amongst themselves, unable to look back towards Rubbleswoop. "Still, it is time for you to be apprenticed. As the only Clan leader present to witness your growth, I will ask StarClan that, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name from myself or another, you will be known as Shalepaw."
ㅤㅤMossystar makes eye contact with Rubbleswoop. "You are free to rejoin your sister, Rubbleswoop, and I hope that she will serve as a valuable mentor and pass on all she knows to you. And— should you decide to stay with her or not— if you ever wish to return to us and prove yourself, I will gladly name you as a warrior of TempestClan."
ㅤㅤShalepaw nods, refusing to look at his littermate, feeling no presence approach him.
ㅤㅤ"Rubbleswoop, please—" Mossystar implores, paying no mind to a single other cat in the wide gully ahead. "—please come forward."
ㅤㅤFor a while, there's silence, as Shalepaw fixes his attention on the stones at his claws. His fur on end, his eyes beginning to sting, with Flintpaw's constant glare burning into him.
ㅤㅤHe feels something brush his side. Familiar, but never so appreciated. Wordlessly, his nose meets his older sister's, and he hears Coppershade's meow ring out before the rest. "Shalepaw!" "Shalepaw! Shalepaw! Shalepaw!"
Patrol 1— Teamwork - Flintpaw, Coppershade. 2 + 0 = 2. A warrior disagrees with how one of their Clanmates is training their apprentice. (Modified.)
ㅤㅤ"See, you're a natural already!"
ㅤㅤFlintpaw offers a sheepish squint down towards her mentor, though still mostly fixated on where her paws nervously take purchase on the small juts of stone against the short face. She scours the area just before her. "What happens when there's nowhere else to step?"
ㅤㅤ"There's always somewhere to step," Coppershade insists, setting a front leg against the face to better see the path. "You're going to need to step down a little here. Remember, it's no different from walking on even ground— your next foot goes where your last foot was."
ㅤㅤCautiously, Flintpaw traces the stone until her front paw hits another hold, and, with a deep breath, puts her weight on it— only to feel her paw slip from the spot.
ㅤㅤ"Turn! This way, this way!"
ㅤㅤFlintpaw twists just in time to face her mentor below, and can almost feel herself running down the sheer slope as she comes down, nearly tackling Coppershade on the crash landing. But Coppershade doesn't fall, instead stabilizing Flintpaw as the apprentice realizes she's miraculously uninjured. She pants a few times. "I don't think I've ever stayed on a wall that long! I can't wait to show Ivypaw..."
ㅤㅤCoppershade nods, but not without some concealed concern. "You're still both learning. I'd wait to show off until you're proper warriors, you know?"
ㅤㅤ"But that's so far off..." Flintpaw breaks from Coppershade, and takes a few steps ahead, surveying the stone. "And everything feels so long."
ㅤㅤCoppershade follows behind, noticing her apprentice's tail start to droop. "Let's take a break."
ㅤㅤShe guides Flintpaw up a boulder, the mostly-flat top giving them a nice vantage point under the cloudy sky without being all that visible to anything below. Lying there, she watches as Flintpaw cleans her paw-pads, marked with the familiar tender redness that comes before a TempestClan cat's calluses come in. They must be sore, though Coppershade knows they aren't at their worst yet; not without the stinging cuts the rougher rocks tend to dole out to softer paws.
ㅤㅤFlintpaw flexes her claws once she pulls them away from her teeth. "I wonder what the other apprentices are doing right now."
ㅤㅤCoppershade stares up at the clouds, gently passing across a gray sky. "I'm fairly certain Ivypaw is still in camp. I think Finchflame was going to dig caches with her."
ㅤㅤ"Hm." She buries her face in her folded paw, her meow growing quieter. "I hope Shalepaw's talking some sense into Rubbleswoop."
ㅤㅤIt's no surprise it'd come up, even this soon. Coppershade looks back towards Flintpaw, the apprentice having curled up even tighter. "I'm... I'm sure he had his reasons for going with her." Strange, how the next thought catches in her chest. "No different from how Rubbleswoop has her own for keeping her distance. Just because you don't see eye-to-eye... doesn't mean you have to be any farther apart where it counts."
ㅤㅤFlintpaw's green eyes narrow, suddenly taking on an uncertain shine that catches the clouds. "But this is where it counts. We're not even all apart, they just left me behind..."
ㅤㅤ"They're still here—"
ㅤㅤ"No they're not," Flintpaw meows, raising her head with an upward jolt. "They're..." She lays her paws flat on the rock, shoulders tense.
ㅤㅤWith a glance at the apprentice's paws, Coppershade leans down to Flintpaw's level. "They're what?"
ㅤㅤFlintpaw blinks a few times, her ears falling. The silence lingers for a while— more than moments, but neither can tell the true length beyond what feels like an eternity. But Flintpaw breaks it, trying to keep herself still. "Rubbleswoop never told you where we came from, did she?"
ㅤㅤCoppershade shakes her head.
ㅤㅤA couple of breaths escape her. "We ran from our last Clan. We— we had to, after..." She grows shakily bolder, everything in her trying to break out through tremors and whines. "...our mother, she... she was killed, because th-they knew..."
ㅤㅤCoppershade stands, bringing herself beside the apprentice, wrapping herself around the quivering body. She's felt this before.
ㅤㅤBy StarClan, she's felt this before.
ㅤㅤHer breathing picks up, and she stops it from growing erratic, tries to remain as something for the young cat to hold on to as she feels her hug closer. Between the scent of rheum and the cat herself, she swears she can almost sense something else, can make out a faint, familiar scent, buried somewhere deep in her mind but not her throat. Mossystar.
ㅤㅤShe's felt this before, from the other side.
ㅤㅤShe offers a lick or two to Flintpaw's head, uncertain what more can be done as the apprentice's soft cries only grow, her body heaving. Coppershade swallows, hears it crackle in her ears. "Does—" Her voice is far hoarser than she expected. "—anyone else know? Have you told anyone?"
ㅤㅤFlintpaw furiously shakes her head against Coppershade's shoulder. "N-no." She sharply, wetly inhales. "Rubbleswoop explai-ai-ained it, later, b-but... we... we saw her, back th-then..." As she tries to breathe, her tail slams against the rock, then curls tight. "I'm sorry, I w-was so scared to say..."
ㅤㅤ"It's alright." Again, Flintpaw pushes into her, and Coppershade lets her slowly calm herself. "It's alright..."
ㅤㅤFlintpaw lets out another whine, before lifting her head, looking up at Coppershade, eyes pleading for something she can't quite place.
ㅤㅤMaybe a different cat beside her.
ㅤㅤTrying to keep her own breath steady, and perhaps influence Flintpaw to do the same, Coppershade focuses, feeling a certain sense of responsibility— and, though she'd hate to admit it, curiosity— rise in her. "If... it's alright for me to ask," she starts, trying to keep her voice soft, "what Clan did you all come from?"
ㅤㅤFlintpaw inhales, clearer this time, and steadies herself. "EchoClan," she whispers, before her voice rises again. "We ran from EchoClan."
Patrol 2— Comfort - Shalepaw, Rubbleswoop. 6 + 0 = 6. A warrior is leading by example, and their apprentice wants to be just like them!
ㅤㅤThe vole's spine cracks with a comforting finality.
ㅤㅤShalepaw's ears flick, his eyes wide and excited when he stands at his tallest, the limp prey in his jaws just heavier than he's used to. With a few muffled calls, he rushes back to where Rubbleswoop is handling a kill of her own. Despite noticing her preemptively splitting it apart, he lets the vole speak for him, relieved to see her stop her tearing at the small bird.
ㅤㅤHe rolls over, top of his head to the ground as he lifts the vole aloft in two white paws. Laughter tinges his meow. "It thought it could run. Too bad it stunk!"
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop tilts her head, pushing her prey closer to Shalepaw so she can eat beside him. "That's good. Your tracking, I mean— it's good that you didn't give up the trail."
ㅤㅤ"I had to scare it out of a few spots." The vole slips from his grip, and he loosely attempts to bat it back towards himself. "I thought they had burrows, but I didn't see it go underground once."
ㅤㅤ"Maybe it was just unlucky." Her claws sink into the bird, slightly. "Caught too far from home."
ㅤㅤShalepaw pauses, focusing on his sister. Slowly, he flips over to lay upright again. "Well, voles aren't smart, either. I think it's fine to be unlucky if you're smart."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop exhales some half-hearted amusement. "Or, maybe you were meant to catch that vole, no matter what."
ㅤㅤ"Hm." With the back of his paw, he gives the vole a smack to the head. "No, I think it was just a really dumb vole."
ㅤㅤHis older sister lets out a genuine laugh at that, and, for a shining moment, Shalepaw knows he's made the right choice.
Event 1— Fringehollow earned a scar fighting a dog.
ㅤㅤTempestClan cats do not frequent the Twoleg trails. The Lion Rock is what brings them closest— through no choice of their own— but with Gatherings occurring in the dead of night, there's never a Twoleg to be seen.
ㅤㅤAnd, so, TempestClan cats do not frequently encounter dogs.
ㅤㅤShe must have known better than to hunt alone, once, but with the Clan's numbers it's difficult to find someone to join at every opportunity. Besides, Fringehollow knows she's a TempestClan warrior through and through— hunter, tracker, fighter. But when the scent hits her nose, it still gives her pause. She doubts her eyes when she sees the lumbering, slobbering thing, sniffing at the ground with heavy huffs. She can't make out a collar, but with no strong Twoleg scent, she gets the sense that it wouldn't help.
ㅤㅤIt's close to camp. Too close.
ㅤㅤHer body tenses. It catches one scent, and with the wrong intentions it'll make a beeline there. She can feel the blood coursing through her neck, through her legs. Thinks over, for a moment, every cat she greeted today before she left camp.
ㅤㅤTakes a deep breath.
ㅤㅤShe sprints out from her cover, back arched, hissing, catching the dog's wild, white-rimmed eyes immediately. It gives chase, snarling and snapping, and with every bound and leap, Fringehollow leads it farther and farther away from the Clans.
ㅤㅤFor a moment, Fringehollow feels as small as a kit again. Her limbs limp but tucked away, her eyes closed tight, her breathing distant and light.
ㅤㅤBut, as she comes to, she becomes very aware of the fact that her body is racked with pain.
ㅤㅤ"Fringehollow?"
ㅤㅤShe blinks open her eyes to see Mossystar, the dark tabby curled up just before her. "What...?" Fringehollow puts out one arm, preparing to stretch, but can't get herself to do anything more. "What, did no one else want to show up for me...? Too good for..." Ow. "...for a dog bite...?"
ㅤㅤ"No, no, you've been in and out of it." Mossystar looks back as Kitelotus approaches from the other end of the medicine cat's den, a half-chewed wad of herbs in her mouth.
ㅤㅤThe medicine cat leans down, and sets them in front of Fringehollow. "You've yet to talk this much, though. Chew this, and swallow it if you can."
ㅤㅤMossystar stays put as Fringehollow complies. "Do you want me to get anyone else? To see that you're alright?"
ㅤㅤ"Mind—" Fringehollow's nose scrunches while she chokes the wad down, tries not to get the sparse poppy seeds caught between her teeth. "—mind telling me what happened first?"
ㅤㅤ"Rubbleswoop found you outside of our territory, heading towards the thunderpath. No sign of any dog, she..." Her ears flatten. "She told us about you right away. Kitelotus, Eaglerapid, and myself all traveled to retrieve you. It, um..." She grows quiet as her paws fidget beneath her chest.
ㅤㅤListening along, Kitelotus approaches, and crouches beside them both. "The attack missed anything vital. You might have some superficial wounds here or there, certainly some bruising. But..." She considers it for a moment, before offering her usual pragmatism. "There'd have been no point in saving your tail. The risk for infection would have been too great; I severed it at the highest point I could."
ㅤㅤFringehollow slowly cranes her neck around to look, and— sure enough— finds herself facing a mouse-length stub slathered in a poultice. It twitches. She turns back towards Kitelotus. "Is this going to make me any worse at climbing?"
ㅤㅤKitelotus' whiskers jolt. "It might." She stands. "But cats have adapted before. I don't see why you'd be any different."
ㅤㅤAs Snailpatch and Ivykit leave the medicine den, Fringehollow quietly sees them off. After the line of cats having come to see her, now it's only her, Kitelotus, and Mossystar again.
ㅤㅤFringehollow sighs, and sets her head on her paws. "I hope this doesn't distract you too much from Ivykit's apprentice ceremony. The poor kit's waited long enough..."
ㅤㅤMossystar leans against the wall, looking down at Fringehollow. "You must know, then."
ㅤㅤ"Hm?"
ㅤㅤ"That you were going to be her mentor." She steps away, beginning to pace. "I suppose that'd have been too perfect."
ㅤㅤ"I'd still be up for it, but I don't think Kitelotus would like that very much." She shows off a tooth, glad to hear Mossystar exhale a laugh. "Did you have a second in mind?"
ㅤㅤMossystar thinks it over with a few beats of her tail. "Eaglerapid seems to be the only choice."
ㅤㅤFringehollow nods against her paws, and realizes only after a few moments that she isn't wrapping a tail around her own shoulder. "Would you take a suggestion?"
ㅤㅤHer ears straighten curiously. "Of course."
ㅤㅤ"Let Finchflame mentor her."
ㅤㅤThey fall again. "I'm—"
ㅤㅤ"Hear me out," Fringehollow raises her head. "They already have a bond, I've seen it myself."
ㅤㅤ"But—" She bites her tongue, growing quieter. "Fringehollow, you were a great mentor. I know that Finchflame couldn't have fared better under any other cat, never could have asked for a better mentor." Her tail crosses in front of her hind legs. "But we know that he couldn't pass on that same experience to Darkheart. He's... I... I don't think he understands being a mentor in the way you do."
ㅤㅤ"That's only because some half-dead cat stuck him in charge of a kit that'd never lived before."
ㅤㅤMossystar's eyes widen, the abrupt remark striking her like a kick to the neck. Not that Fringehollow has ever been particularly restrained, but openly speaking ill of TempestClan's last leader wasn't something she'd expected to hear. Not from Fringehollow, nor anyone else.
ㅤㅤFringehollow grunts as she adjusts her position. "Finchflame is stubborn, and demanding, but he's not a bad warrior. What he needs is an apprentice willing to challenge him back, who can see through all the fox-dung and call him on it." Her nose scrunches. "Darkheart never would have been that. Not with the start he had, and maybe not even without it. I..." She sighs. "I always thought that Darkheart should have been your apprentice. You'd have been good for him."
ㅤㅤA chill, though gentle, creeps through the leader's scar.
ㅤㅤ"But— to my point— Ivykit is different," Fringehollow continues. "She's always known that bigger cats were going to try pushing her around. That's why she can act bigger than any of them— she won't be silenced so easily."
ㅤㅤMossystar blinks, refocusing, and considers it with a chew of her cheek. "You know both of them better than I do."
ㅤㅤExpectantly, the orange molly folds one paw over the other.
ㅤㅤ"I'll... I'll think about it," Mossystar concedes. "But don't be surprised if I ask you again— I'm not fully convinced this isn't the blood loss speaking on your behalf."
ㅤㅤWith a quick, content purr, Fringehollow puts her head back down. "In that case, you'll know where to find me..."
Event 2— Ivykit has started her apprenticeship.
ㅤㅤMossystar takes a deep breath as she looks down at the cats gathered in the central gully. Snailpatch quietly beams with puffed-out fur, while Flintkit and Shalekit watch their smaller companion at the center of it all. Unlike at Darkheart's warrior ceremony, Rubbleswoop isn't watching from the very back.
ㅤㅤBut, with the whole Clan here, there's no point in waiting for anyone else.
ㅤㅤ"Ivykit, you have been raised in this Clan for six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Ivypaw. Your mentor will be Finchflame. I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you."
ㅤㅤFinchflame straightens to attention— apparently, even he didn't foresee this coming. And yet, Ivypaw continues looking up towards her leader, reverently accepting of the fact.
ㅤㅤ"Finchflame, come forward." He walks briskly to Ivypaw's side, and Mossystar offers him a nod of acknowledgement. "Finchflame, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent training from Fringehollow, and you have shown yourself to be a strong-willed and devoted member of TempestClan. You will be the mentor of Ivypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."
ㅤㅤFinchflame, standing tall, takes in the responsibility, and offers his nose to his new apprentice— who, almost immediately, squarely headbutts him in it. Whatever reaction he has is quickly covered by the Clan's calls of Ivypaw's new name. Tail standing tall as a tree, she bounds back towards Snailpatch, and practically pounces on her father in all the excitement, though she's just as quickly tackled by the two bigger kits celebrating alongside her.
ㅤㅤWatching Finchflame slowly follow behind his apprentice, with the occasional uncertain wrist-wipe to his nose, Mossystar feels herself relax.
Patrol 1— Ghost stories - Ivypaw, Finchflame.
ㅤㅤ"Do you want to know something nice about you being my mentor?"
ㅤㅤFinchflame glances down at the apprentice. "What is it?"
ㅤㅤ"You're small enough where I don't have to ask you to slow down," Ivypaw offers, padding along with a certain bounce to her stride.
ㅤㅤHis whiskers twitch. "Nevermind my experience as an apprentice in a time of crisis, then."
ㅤㅤ"That's important too." She speeds up to leap onto a large rock, waiting for Finchflame to pass by. "Your experience, that is. We both have to work a bit harder than most to become proper climbers." Jumping down, she rejoins his pace. "But you've already done all the extra training."
ㅤㅤHe stops in his tracks, prompting Ivypaw to face him curiously. His shoulder fur bristles as he steps towards her, halfway to growling. "I have worked harder than any other cat because anything less would make me a sorry excuse for a warrior. It doesn't have a single thing to do with my 'size.' I'm..." He holds his tail still. "I am—"
ㅤㅤIvypaw's amber eyes are wide, perhaps concerned— but, rather than cower, she interrupts her mentor's pause with an exaggerated roll of them, her head swooping to lead her back to the path. "Sure, and all of my hard work is going to come from my unrelenting can-do spirit." She snorts, still trotting along. "Not because it'd be nice to be able to defend myself, or anything. Nope, it's only your excuses thing..."
ㅤㅤ"You— Ivypaw, stop!" He pounces in front of her, narrowly missing her paws. "Are you even listening to me? Do you think becoming a warrior solely involves strolling along until you're old enough? I'd think you'd know better than that, considering your circumstances."
ㅤㅤNow he has Ivypaw's attention, facing her flattened ears and tightened jaw. She lifts her head to better meet his eyes. "Why are you so defensive?"
ㅤㅤHe bristles, no longer restraining his growl. "I—"
ㅤㅤ"No, before you say anything—" she interrupts, better planting her paws, "—I don't want to hear that it's because I'm your apprentice. You didn't even like when I pointed out that you're smaller than other cats." Emphatically, she stretches a bit taller, not able to meet his height. "You know you're bigger than me, right? And you probably always will be. That doesn't make me mad."
ㅤㅤFinchflame's claws dig into the earth, his body briefly swelling with a heavy breath. "You don't get to talk to me like that."
ㅤㅤIvypaw scoffs, her ears shooting straight ahead. "Go cry about it, then!" She pushes past him, catching him off-guard enough to storm off uninterrupted as she mutters, "I'll find my own way back to camp."
ㅤㅤShe makes it a fair length away before Finchflame calms down enough to snap back to attention, realizing that— despite everything— this is still one of his first patrols with a newly named apprentice. He bounds after her. "Ivypaw, slow down!"
ㅤㅤThe only real noise on the way back to camp is betrayed footsteps, and the rush of the wind through the gullies.
Patrol 2— Kittypet/Rogue - Mossystar, Coppershade, Darkheart. 6 - 2 = 4. The cat has brought news with them that they think the Clan needs to know.
ㅤㅤHeeding StarClan's— or, perhaps, solely Flickerspot's— request, Mossystar keeps an eye on Darkheart when she can. Though, truth be told, not much strikes her as different about him. He's the same soft-spoken cat she's always known him as, lacking any of the fairly obvious uncertainty she'd witnessed when he'd kept Rubbleswoop's secret.
ㅤㅤWith Coppershade joining them, Mossystar tries not to dwell on the thought that her niece is likely the pale loner's new confidant. That matter should be settled already, she reminds herself.
ㅤㅤWhile Darkheart is most often glad to trail behind groups, the Clan leader notices that he's dwelling longer than usual. As Coppershade stays put, Mossystar approaches him. "Do you sense something?"
ㅤㅤDarkheart's nostrils briefly flare, his mouth moving to part. "I— I thought there was a scent, but... I can't be sure..."
ㅤㅤMossystar looks back at Coppershade, and gestures for her to approach. "What do you think it was?"
ㅤㅤ"A cat." His eyes narrow. "But that can't be it. It's... It's strange, I don't..."
ㅤㅤ"A cat's scent is hard to mistake," Mossystar insists. "But, if it was strange, do you mean that there wasn't a Clan scent?"
ㅤㅤ"Maybe?"
ㅤㅤCoppershade drops her head, investigating the stones he'd stopped at. "I smell it too." She looks back. "He's— you're right, it's odd."
ㅤㅤMossystar's tail tip twitches as she comes nearer, the two young warriors immediately parting the way. But there's no mistaking the scent as soon as it strikes her, the wind catching it just right. "It's strong, but not a marking. Both of you, check it again."
ㅤㅤCoppershade and Darkheart exchange a glance, but don't hesitate beyond that to comply.
ㅤㅤMossystar looks through the foliage. "That's mule-scent. Like Greenleaf and Twolegs, and like anything else with hooves. You usually can't smell them over the scent of the thunderpath."
ㅤㅤDarkheart focuses ahead, on that same foliage. "By the thunderpath..."
ㅤㅤ"Why would it be all the way out here?" Coppershade half-whispers.
ㅤㅤIt only takes saying it to recall the accompanying feline scent, and, more cautiously, the group carries on down their path.
ㅤㅤFor a long while, there's no further interruption, but when circling back the scent returns. The cat scent is stronger, though its musty accompaniment isn't lost. Keeping the fading sunlight on their side, Mossystar positions Coppershade behind them, and insists that— against his comfort— Darkheart carry on in the front, beside her.
ㅤㅤThe scent grows stronger. It must only be one cat, either that or only one with the mule-scent; still, there's no scent of marking, no scent of blood. Traveling along the path, they brace for an encounter with a rogue, hoping that numbers alone will dissuade any ill intent.
ㅤㅤCoppershade jolts in place, staring dead behind them.
ㅤㅤThe unfamiliar molly freezes, her outstretched, prowling leg turned enough to make a scar on her shoulder visible from just behind her head. It takes no questioning for the two warriors to let Mossystar take the lead, her attention immediately fixed on every aspect of the loner. "How long have you been following us?"
ㅤㅤShe withdraws her paw, and straightens up, revealing a heavily scuffed collar around her neck. "O-on the path, not long." She coughs her meow into something steadier. "And I had no intention of attacking you, I promise. You're— you're Mossystar, aren't you? From TempestClan?"
ㅤㅤShe'd have been more prepared for a fight than a kittypet knowing her by name, especially with her sudden suspicion that this was the result of one seeking her out. Mossystar relaxes, only slightly, from her readied pose. "Why were you following us?"
ㅤㅤShe watches the kittypet glance at her scar. Confirmation. "I'm seeking out TempestClan." She straightens her posture, her collar and the strange shape— not quite a "tag," Mossystar thinks— dangling from it becoming more distracting with each movement. With a quick gesture of her chin, though, it becomes obvious that the kittypet isn't unaware of the fact. "My name is usually Clarice, but you Clan cats have also called me Icespeckle. I don't mind either."
ㅤㅤMossystar can feel the two cats behind her looking to her for guidance. The molly ahead must be around Kitelotus' age, just over seventy moons, and— despite the obvious marker on her neck— doesn't bear the usual softness of a kittypet, at least not beyond the natural sort of softness a cat like herself or Snailpatch might have. "There's nearer Clans to the mules, you know."
ㅤㅤ"I do know that, actually." Her meow is sweet, as if that weren't a rebuttal to Mossystar's statement. The leader might even believe it's genuine. "But it would do me no good to stay so close to the Twolegs. TempestClan is—" Icespeckle pauses, considering her next sentence. "I believe that your Clan is in a very unique situation. I'd rather have met you at your camp, but..."
ㅤㅤIcespeckle approaches, slowly, and sits before the group. Entirely at their mercy, she continues, "I think my presence in your Clan could be mutually beneficial. There is the obvious— that I am an able cat who could hunt for your Clan's numbers, but– with your Clan's values, I could offer insight you may not be able to receive elsewhere." She blinks. "Aside from StarClan, that is."
ㅤㅤMossystar's ears twitch, and she notes the sun dipping farther below the trees. An able cat— she can't push Fringehollow's fresh injury from the forefront of her mind. She turns her head just enough to address Coppershade and Darkheart. "You two should return to camp. I'll meet you there."
ㅤㅤCoppershade looks between her aunt and the kittypet. "Are you sure?"
ㅤㅤHolding in a deep inhale, Mossystar nods, and hears Darkheart already abiding to her word. Coppershade takes a moment longer to follow along, but soon walks away alongside Darkheart anyway.
ㅤㅤThere is an undeniable fear suddenly evident on Icespeckle's face, though she stays seated. When the two other cats are gone, Mossystar approaches, and joins her, dropping her voice. "What do you think you know about my Clan's values?"
ㅤㅤIcespeckle blinks a few times, puffing the thought out with quick breaths. "You... You value the weather. Your Clan can— can read things into it that the others can't. You know that it's not random, that there's patterns beyond moons and seasons, beyond signs from StarClan—" Her face tenses as she pauses the rush of ideas. "—Ah. I understand how it might look, but I do believe in StarClan— I even know that I was born in a Clan. Everything since then hasn't been the life of a kittypet or a warrior. I've always been... something else."
ㅤㅤPerhaps it's only Mossystar living up to her former warrior name, but it feels sincere. "Why do you need TempestClan, then?"
ㅤㅤ"Things have... changed." Her tail tightens around her body. "I need to be in a Clan now. Staying where I was... I'd lose that warrior part of myself. But in a Clan..." She nervously licks her muzzle. "I wouldn't lose myself in a Clan. Especially one that understands... patterns."
ㅤㅤMossystar slowly tilts her head to the side, but tries to stay open. "Ironically, you may have lost me there."
ㅤㅤIcespeckle lets out a laugh, sounding half-relieved. "If you give me a chance, I think I can make it make sense."
ㅤㅤWhen Mossystar returns to camp, she finds Coppershade and Darkheart waiting for her, though there's others present to witness Icespeckle being welcomed into the camp. She's not set to become a member of the Clan quite yet— but it's clear to them all where this will end if she can prove herself.
Patrol 1— Vision - Darkheart, Finchflame. 4 + 0 = 4. The cat in question leader has actually received a message from StarClan, but no one believes them, because they are not a medicine cat; decide what the prophecy is, and how it might affect the Clan. (Modified.)
ㅤㅤMossystar awakens to the leader's den in a frosty haze.
ㅤㅤShe's struck instantly with a panic, the thought that something has woken her up, even if she can't place it. Her body shoots upward, one paw reaching beside her for where Eaglerapid sleeps— and meeting nothing but cool stone, an empty space. She tenses, and stands, letting a harsh whisper escape her. "Eaglerapid?"
ㅤㅤ"He's not here, Mossyheart."
ㅤㅤHer ears flatten, and she tries to make out the figure of a cat at the den's entrance. The voice is familiar. Her hackles raise as she holds back a growl, gently placing one foot before the other.
ㅤㅤ"It's just you and me."
ㅤㅤThe cat steps fully into view now, a fluffy white tom, a few moons younger than herself, with patches of orange fur strewn about his pelt like clay stains. "Not that there's any reason to worry. You're not awake, and I'm not alive, so I can't see any way this turns ugly."
ㅤㅤHis hazel eyes squint with a certain smug glimmer. "Who else would it be?"
ㅤㅤ"Wh—" Mossystar pauses, mind racing.
ㅤㅤ"Hey, it's alright. I know, StarClan's speaking to you, it's a lot to take in—"
ㅤㅤ"Why is it you?"
ㅤㅤFlickerspot's expression dulls. "I'm sorry, were you expecting someone else?"
ㅤㅤMossystar begins to pace. "Why you? Why not— why not my sister, or—" She stops. "Gah, I hardly even knew you!"
ㅤㅤHe thrusts his shoulders forwards. "I had to die for you to become deputy in the first place, that's got to be worth something."
ㅤㅤ"Only because you got sick!" Her face falls, and she turns to the StarClan cat. The cat who was deputy before her, who was meant to be leader. Who should be standing in this den, alive.
ㅤㅤ"Oh— no, no, I'm sorry, I— I didn't mean that. I..." She takes a deep breath. "I just... after she wasn't there to give me a life, and Coppershade was sent that vision— I assumed I'd be seeing her again, maybe. If I were to see anyone..."
ㅤㅤFlickerspot sits, legs poking out from either side of him, apparently a touch less offended. "Ah, well, I'm sure a lot of other great cats were there to give you your lives."
ㅤㅤShe stares at the orange patch over his eye. "Flickerspot, you were one of those cats."
ㅤㅤHis whiskers twitch. "Oh. That's right." He holds his paw to his chin. "I gave you that life for, uh... you know, for..."
ㅤㅤFloundering for a while, it soon becomes evident that he's trying to get her to finish the thought.
ㅤㅤRight, that's why she never knew him that well. "I'm not telling you what you gave me a life for."
ㅤㅤ"Fine, fair enough. Besides, I'm not here to catch up— obviously I know everything that's happened in TempestClan, I can see it up—" He lifts his paw, gesturing to the overhang above. "—up there. This— this is all for you, oh, great leader. "
ㅤㅤMossystar looks ahead, and promptly walks past Flickerspot, finding no scents to follow.
ㅤㅤ"Are—" He stands up. "Are you looking for other cats right now? I told you, it's just us. This is your vision from StarClan, Mossyheart."
ㅤㅤ"Mossystar. I'm Clan leader now, remember?" She shakes her head, feeling a mist fly off the top of her fur. "This can't be right. None of this feels right, a vision from StarClan, this..." Her hind legs buckle, defeated, as she forces herself to sit. "...is a vision from StarClan." She looks over to Flickerspot. "Are they all like this? With a conversation?"
ㅤㅤNow he's starting to sound offended again. "How would I know? I never had one."
ㅤㅤ"Uh... huh."
He walks up beside her, and she realizes for the first time that he's not all there. His unclear form extends beyond the haze, his body a cloud-like collection of warm, swirling dust. "Think of it this way instead— you get the opportunity to ask a StarClan cat whatever you want."
ㅤㅤHe's close enough for his whiskers to phase through hers. Her scar feels cold. Asking whatever she wants— she looks to where the haze floats just over the stones. Am I a fit leader?
ㅤㅤWas I meant to warn WickerClan more?
ㅤㅤDoes Kitelotus trust me?
ㅤㅤHer jaw parts. "Why..."
ㅤㅤWhy haven't I had kits?
ㅤㅤShe clenches her eyes shut, pushing away the thoughts. "No, I'm... I'm sorry. All of my questions are selfish ones. I don't know what I'm meant to ask."
ㅤㅤFlickerspot remains silent for a moment, before tilting his head. "If it helps, I wouldn't have been able to answer any of that." His brow whiskers bounce. "I'm still only one cat, dead or not."
ㅤㅤShe recoils from him slightly, as if it'll stop him from hearing anything more. A shaky sigh escapes her. "Maybe there's nothing I'm meant to ask, then?"
ㅤㅤ"I mean, I didn't say there was."
ㅤㅤHer tail flicks, back and forth, the only noise permeating the silence for a while as Flickerspot's attention seems to wane. There is one thing she could ask. "Do you like it, in StarClan? Is it nice?"
ㅤㅤConfused for a moment, Flickerspot considers it. "I wish I were still in TempestClan, most of the time, but..." Even he can tell she's not asking for his sake. "It is nice. Different, mostly, but nice. The company's great, and the prey's better." He glances at the ground. "Mm. You still miss a few things, though."
ㅤㅤMossystar nods along, focus broken only when the wind suddenly picks up, sending a chill through her body. Flickerspot's form shimmers as he begins to dissipate, immediately pushing her to stand. "Oh, n-no—"
ㅤㅤ"It's alright," Flickerspot interrupts. "Seems our time is up for now, but Clans never get much peace and quiet for long, do they?"
ㅤㅤHer ears flatten, and she watches as Flickerspot slowly walks out into the haze. There's no point in arguing— no point in a goodbye, either.
ㅤㅤHe turns back, for only a moment. "Oh, and one more thing. Keep an eye on Darkheart for me, won't you?"
ㅤㅤ"D... Darkheart—?"
ㅤㅤMossystar's eyes shoot open to meet the dawn, with Eaglerapid's warmth immediately evident beside her. Heart pounding, she doesn't lift her head, only taking a few deep breaths to steady herself, the dream still fresh in her mind.
ㅤㅤSoftly as she can, she buries her face against Eaglerapid's chest, wrapping her tail tighter around his hindquarters as she fixates on his breathing, his scent. A slight, sleepy groan escapes him, but he's still fast asleep; which she's immensely thankful for. He wouldn't force her to explain anything, of course, but for now it's easier like this. She swallows something down.
ㅤㅤ"What? I didn't say I would become deputy. Only that I could see it happening someday."
ㅤㅤ"It's because of how you said it," Rubbleswoop snorts. "As if that wouldn't be a massive responsibility. No different from getting assigned on a patrol..."
ㅤㅤ"You're digging into things too much," Coppershade offers with a shake of her head. "I didn't even say that I wanted it to happen. It just— who else would it be?"
ㅤㅤ"It's a while off, don't you think? Give your kin a chance...."
ㅤㅤ"I am!"
ㅤㅤ"Really?"
ㅤㅤ"Really."
ㅤㅤMossystar stands frozen, hidden, her ears set straight ahead. She thought she might find Coppershade here, but she'd expected that her niece would be... alone.
ㅤㅤShe feels her tail begin to sway uncomfortably, and stops it. So much for asking if Coppershade had any strange dreams lately. It'll have to wait for another time. There'll be other times, this— this isn't meant to involve—
ㅤㅤThe young warriors break out into stifled laughter.
ㅤㅤMossystar emerges from the foliage, the two growing silent as they stare towards her. "Coppershade," she begins, her breath half-gone, "I... was looking for you." Her eyes dart to the white molly. "Rubbleswoop."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop folds her paws, and nods, sounding more sincere than the leader would expect. "...Mossystar."
ㅤㅤCoppershade rises, the fur on her shoulders twitching. "Did... something happen?"
ㅤㅤ"Nothing that has to be handled immediately." What are you doing? "If you're busy, that is."
ㅤㅤHer tail still, Coppershade glances down to where Rubbleswoop is lying. "No, it's— it's alright. I can go back to camp."
ㅤㅤThe thought rattles in her throat, but Mossystar tries to remain resolute. "Good. Thank you."
ㅤㅤCoppershade nods, and walks ahead to follow her aunt back to camp. Briefly, while Mossystar is turned away, she looks back at Rubbleswoop, tries to mouth an apology.
ㅤㅤBut Rubbleswoop doesn't return her gaze.
Patrol 3— Prey - Eaglerapid, Fringehollow. 6 - 1 = 5. Cat 1 has found that another Clan member's kit has taken a bizarre liking to them, following them around and copying their every move... when not being corrected by a caretaker, that is. Cat 1 decides to go to Cat 2 for advice before confronting the situation. Decide how they choose to act, and if this is the start of a lifelong mentorship/grudge, or just a silly memory. (Modified)
ㅤㅤ"Ah, Eaglerapid! Think you could help me with this?"
ㅤㅤThe deputy blinks, but quickly composes himself as he faces Fringehollow in the middle of camp, paw resting on a leaf-covered branch. Curiously— but not surprised— he trots forward. "I've got a moment, sure. What's all this for?"
ㅤㅤ"Don't worry, I only need help dragging it," Fringehollow meows. "Found it fell while I was out hunting, and I thought it looked like great bedding— don't you think? Supposed the whole branch was easier than plucking the leaves off, going back and forth."
ㅤㅤHe exhales a laugh. "Good call. Where are we bringing it?"
ㅤㅤ"Nursery."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid's chest tightens. "Oh."
ㅤㅤ"We've got three apprentice-aged kits in there, overstaying their welcome... ripping it up to no end." Her ears flick. "Snailpatch can't catch a break."
ㅤㅤ"It's... not ideal, certainly." He tries to shake off his mind's rolling fog. "But why not make the kits gather up their own bedding, then? This could be better spent—" His tail shoots straight up. "—in the elder's den, at least at first. Onelarch deserves something nice, don't you think?"
ㅤㅤThough Fringehollow genuinely considers the thought, it's clear she isn't fully unaware of his pivoting suggestion. "He should be out gathering herbs at the moment, if I know him. I suppose it'd be a nice surprise— by far a nicer gesture than leaving all this to get torn up by tonight."
ㅤㅤContent with that, they drag the branch to the elder's den, and agree to leave anything left over for the kits to gather themselves. And, despite Fringehollow insisting otherwise, Eaglerapid gladly stays to help strip the branch.
ㅤㅤ"I do keep telling Snailpatch he doesn't have to be so vigilant. Ivykit's an apprentice next moon, she hardly needs babying. And those two storm-clouds Rubbleswoop brought along never did..."
ㅤㅤ"Mm-hm."
ㅤㅤShe glances up. "And now I'm the one constantly going back and forth to the nursery. Me!" A laugh escapes her. "Don't get me wrong, I like kits, wouldn't mind taking a mate or two down the line, seeing where that got me— but StarClan knows I was never made to be a queen. I always thought sires were the lucky ones, but even Snailpatch proved me wrong there."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid focuses on his tearing, his scratching. "I'm glad you're helping him out."
ㅤㅤ"I'm sure it'll settle down for him soon enough, let him be a warrior again— well, if he wants that. Not sure how that would work out, though..." She shakes her head. "But nothing's the same, nothing's the same. I couldn't have imagined anyone in that nursery again so... so soon."
ㅤㅤHe swallows, and can't quite offer another mumble of acknowledgement.
ㅤㅤIt doesn't dissuade Fringehollow, though. "Kind of nice to have the lulls, but only because you know that means something else is coming." She pats her paws on the floor, a thick bedding all set for Onelarch's return. "I almost like the anticipation more. I think that's what always made me love being a mentor."
ㅤㅤ"The... anticipation..." He snaps his jaw shut, not even realizing he'd repeated it. One set of claws tightens around a clump of leaves, and he blinks, once, twice, too many times.
ㅤㅤMossystar had said a lot about her dream. Explained it from beginning to end— Flickerspot, the general oddity, her own behavior. What she'd asked the former deputy. Every question she thought to ask. She hadn't dwelled on it at the time, but... why would she? When they'd talked over it before, when they'd asked StarClan before? One moon had become two moons, become three, become four, become five. Five moons wasn't many, though they knew it was really eight moons, knew that for most cats it didn't even take one moon.
ㅤㅤ"Eaglerapid?"
ㅤㅤHis ears perk towards Fringehollow's voice, far softer than her raspy tone usually allows. He can only stare at her.
ㅤㅤSitting now, her tail is wrapped around her paws, her ears gently back. "Sorry, deputy. I, uh..." Her green eyes trace the floor. "I won't pry, but know I'm sorry if I said something wrong."
ㅤㅤHe nods, though he quickly forces himself to shake his head instead as he tries to stand up straighter. "No, it's alright. I was... I was only..."
ㅤㅤ"I said I won't pry, Eaglerapid." She silences him with that. "My main point is that you're a great warrior, and an even better deputy, helping to run a Clan destined for great things. I can't wait to see what becomes of it." Her ears relax as her voice lowers, her snarl just peeking through. "TempestClan's almost as lucky to have you as Mossystar is."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid finally lets out a steady exhale, and returns the friendly ears. "Thank you, Fringehollow."
ㅤㅤThe two let themselves rest for a while, before bringing what's left on the branch back to the middle of camp for smaller maws to make meandering work of.
No TempestClan this week because I forgot to schedule it and am not at the device to do so RN!! It'll return normally next Friday— maybe a good chance to catch up, if you've been looking to do so!
Patrol 1— Mouse - Rubbleswoop, Coppershade. 3 - 2 = 1. It's been a terrible moon for Cat 1. Noticing how miserable they've been, Cat 2 decides to reach out and see if there's anything they can do to help, whether Cat 1 wants it or not.
ㅤㅤWhen Coppershade strikes out alone, she's allowed to remain just that— alone.
ㅤㅤOn some level she does feel bad, taking advantage of Mossystar's compassion; she's started to get the impression that her aunt thinks she needs "space" after hearing about the flood, but, in all honesty, Coppershade had prepared herself for the worst the very night she'd pieced the omen together. The flood had seemed to be the most obvious conclusion there could have been, but at least that meant it was over. Or, as far as she knew, over for now. She wondered, sometimes, if that was only the beginning. If something more were to happen, there'd be no way of knowing if it'd come in another, terrible vision, or without warning.
ㅤㅤMaybe she does need the space, come to think of it.
ㅤㅤRegardless, she always ensures to stay especially alert whenever hunting on her own. That's why she's prepared the moment another cat's scent hits her nose, close enough to make out even over the dead mouse in her jaws. She stays low, approaches quietly, peers through—
ㅤㅤShe's pinned in an instant. A single cough dislodges the mouse from her grasp, and her body tenses, ready to twist out and slide upwards, until her eyes meet those above.
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop steps off of Coppershade's shoulder, practically throws the cat against the ground. "For the love of StarClan, I thought you were a rogue. Try not to sneak up on a cat next time, huh?"
ㅤㅤWith a huff, Coppershade stands. "What, a cat can't hunt in her own Clan's territory?" She walks over to the dropped mouse, but hesitates in picking it up, watching Rubbleswoop as she steps away. "I honestly thought you'd left us. I haven't seen you since... Since we all heard about WickerClan, I think."
ㅤㅤThe white cat turns. "Thought I 'left?' Do you all just think I'm abandoning my siblings whenever I'm slightly out of earshot?"
ㅤㅤ"I mean, sort of. I'm can't prowl your mind." She places her paw on the mouse, fidgeting with it. "Though I can't blame you for the absences. It can't feel... good, being away from your Clan like this."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop glances back at where she was, growing quieter. "You don't know the half of it."
ㅤㅤLooking around at the solitude, Coppershade prods the mouse a little more. "Were you hunting out here?"
ㅤㅤA half-hearted shrug. "I usually am. But I was about to eat and head back off..."
ㅤㅤ"...mind if I join you?"
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop's eyes narrow. "Aren't you supposed to be hunting for your Clan?"
ㅤㅤCoppershade exhales a laugh. "Unless you're telling on me, I can't see how anyone would know I snuck one first. There's always more mice."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop watches as Coppershade scoops up the prey, and approaches, apparently already having made her mind up. Supposing there's no harm— only annoyance— in relenting, Rubbleswoop guides her over to where her own kill is, and the two lay just shy of the leaves above.
ㅤㅤ"I was always under the impression that you were some sort of goody-goody."
ㅤㅤCoppershade looks up from her meal, and swallows. "Because I'm related to the leader?"
ㅤㅤ"No, because you always acted like one. I'm sure Mossystar being your kin helped and all, but I don't think I ever saw you say no to her or Eaglerapid. Never saw you do anything but haul in the most after a hunt, never saw you do anything when you had nothing to do but ask for something else to do..."
ㅤㅤOne of Coppershade's ears perks forward. "What do you call this, then?"
ㅤㅤ"This is weird, is what it is." Rubbleswoop almost takes another bite, but continues. "I don't know. Everyone else is more or less what I expected of them. Snailpatch dotes and meanders, Mossystar cares too much, Darkheart... don't get me started on Darkheart."
ㅤㅤThe other ear joins in. "Are you saying I'm not what you expected?"
ㅤㅤ"Maybe." She adjusts the mouse in her paws. "It's odd to say I even had expectations in the first place. It feels as if I'm not supposed to know any of you, or... as if I'm not where I'm supposed to be." She pauses, and looks away. "But I guess I knew that last part already."
ㅤㅤCoppershade stares for a few moments. "Not everything has to make sense at first. That's how StarClan sends things at us, it's all... messes, and chaos, all of these things that don't make sense. Then one day it might click, but..." Her shoulders tense. "You still won't feel any closer to understanding everything. Instead, you'll just... find out you've been chasing the wrong thing all along."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop tilts her head. "It sounds like you've thought about this before. A lot."
ㅤㅤ"Maybe instead of a 'goody-goody,' you should be expecting me to be an overthinker," Coppershade remarks. "I think most of my life has been spent trying to figure out why in StarClan's name any given thing's happened to me."
ㅤㅤThere's some hesitation before the young molly responds. "If you wouldn't mind me asking... what exactly happened to you?"
ㅤㅤCoppershade freezes, realizing she may have said too much. She can't just go and tell Rubbleswoop about the omen— could she? No, no, of course not. Instead, she digs a little deeper. "Mostly it was, uh... I..." She takes a breath. "I lost my mother, just before my apprenticeship. She... It was when the illness was still going around, but... it started to slow after that. After a while it stopped spreading altogether, with basically everyone who caught it dead, and..." The whiskers of her brow tense. "Well, our old leader lost his last couple of lives, and that was it. It was done with, just like that, and suddenly no one was sick anymore, and I was the leader's niece, and the deputy's apprentice."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop doesn't realize she hasn't taken a bite in a while.
ㅤㅤCoppershade continues. "It's strange. I sort of wondered if I was meant to feel lucky after all that, if... if that made my mother unlucky. But it doesn't matter in the end, does it? I'm alive, and... she's dead. I can't do anything about it. Whether or not StarClan decided all that, there was probably no changing it. And now..." She's getting dangerously close again. "Now, whenever something happens to me, I go through the entire cycle again. I wonder if anyone is lucky, or unlucky, or if things just happen. And I... I wonder if we're actually meant to change anything, or if... we just act to keep things happening as they always would have, pretending it was all up to chance, or strategy, once we come out on the other side."
ㅤㅤThere's a brief silence, before Rubbleswoop breaks it. "I'm sorry about your mother."
ㅤㅤSomething lurches in Coppershade's chest, but she nods. "Thanks."
ㅤㅤThere's a few more bites between the both of them. Rubbleswoop finishes first. "I've been thinking about my mother a lot recently, too. But I don't wonder about things like luck, or chance." She catches those copper eyes flicking up towards her, curious and alert. "I think sometimes we get so caught up in the spectacle of tragedy, that we forget that everyone chooses how to react to it. Sometimes they act wisely. Sometimes they act poorly."
ㅤㅤNow Coppershade listens, attention unbroken.
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop crosses her paws. "The problem is that it's a fine line. What's wise for one cat is a poor choice for another, but sometimes one cat has to make a choice for another. And that's when it all gets messy, because the choices aren't so black and white. But deciding to see them— as either gray, or black and white— that's all a choice too, and it's as wise for some cats as it is poor for others. And when those choices just build and build, coming together until they crash down into their consequences..." She takes a deep breath, and holds it, for what feels like an eternity, before letting it go. "...you start to wonder how anyone could be to blame for anything, and if your anger towards them is a wise choice, or a poor one."
ㅤㅤCoppershade also finds herself suddenly beginning to breathe again, and blinks. "I'm sorry about your mother, too."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop's fur stands on end as quickly as it smooths down. Hoarsely, she returns, "Thanks."
Patrol 2— Mouse - Finchflame, Fringehollow. 3 + 2 = 5. Cat 1 has found that another Clan member's kit has taken a bizarre liking to them. Decide how they choose to act, and if this is the start of a lifelong mentorship/grudge, or just a silly memory.
ㅤㅤ"Finchflame, you're coming with me."
ㅤㅤFinchflame groggily opens his eyes, squinting against the pale light and the orange silhouette in front of him. Lifting his head with the slightest stretch, he holds back a yawn. "What? What's going on?"
ㅤㅤFringehollow nudges him with her paw, forcing her former apprentice to sit upright. "We're going to gather nesting for the nursery. Come on, up."
ㅤㅤ"Stop that— why—" He fully stands, now out of reach. "Why are we doing that?"
ㅤㅤ"Because it's a nice thing to do for Snailpatch. If we had a queen in there, I'd be volunteering to do the very same." She turns around, already starting to walk off. "And I'm not doing it alone— you won't catch me making all those trips, I need another set of teeth. So hurry up!"
ㅤㅤHit with an unmistakable sense of recollection, Finchflame stretches out the rest of his body, and drags himself along behind her. "Alright, whatever you say..."
ㅤㅤThe nursery is loud, even with only three kits and an easygoing tom. Not a moment of it seems to phase Fringehollow, who walks straight in and readily shakes off any white-and-gray kits pouncing on her, meowing Snailpatch's ears off about the trip the whole way through. Finchflame gladly dodges away to the nursery's edge, and drops the material from his mouth onto the ground. Relieved, he stands up straight, spits out the last bit of roughage stuck to his tongue— and immediately locks eyes with the small, spotted form of Ivykit, curled upright and silently observing him just off to the side.
ㅤㅤHe blinks. "Hello." It's a fine start. "How... are you?"
ㅤㅤIvykit's eyes narrow. "Really? That's the best you could do?"
ㅤㅤFinchflame's face twitches through a myriad of confused expressions, until he settles somewhere on vaguely taken aback, and scoffs. "Apologies for not knowing how to talk to a kit. If you haven't noticed, I don't exactly make it a point to come around here."
ㅤㅤShe meets him with a scoff of her own. "You know I'm six moons old, right? The only reason I'm not an apprentice yet is because everyone thinks I'm too small for it."
ㅤㅤFinchflame tilts his head. "Hm, maybe they've got a point. Even I wasn't your size at six moons..."
ㅤㅤ"Very funny," Ivykit offers, and sulks.
ㅤㅤ"What's funny about it? I mean it. You're little, so what? Everyone's got problems." He shakes his head at some distant thought. "You won't be complaining once you get named something like Ivymouse, and all anyone can talk about is how good you are getting shoved into burrows. That's something, isn't it?"
ㅤㅤAfter some silence, he looks back at Ivykit, who's eyeing him with some stern curiosity, before her muzzle curls and she breaks out into a few laughs. "They're not going to shove me into burrows!"
ㅤㅤFinchflame shrugs. "Says who? One day, you'll be out chasing a rat, and when it goes down a hole, someone is going to say, 'Hey, Ivypaw, follow that rat!' unless you volunteer first."
ㅤㅤ"No they're not!"
ㅤㅤ"They are, I've seen things like that happen. Cats are horrible to each other. One day, they're your favorite Clanmate, the next?" Another shrug. "Shoving you in a rat burrow. It's very sad."
ㅤㅤThey carry on, back-and-forth, arguments about the kind of prey nests that older warriors definitely shove apprentices into, with Ivykit laughing along the whole time.
ㅤㅤFringehollow approaches, and pushes apart the clump of material Finchflame didn't bother to actually turn into nesting. Looking down at Ivykit, her lip twitches into a snarl. "Sorry to pull your friend away, but we've got to haul in the rest." Her tail flicks up, the lazy tip catching Ivykit's eyes. "Unless... you wanted to join us."
ㅤㅤ"Really?" Ivykit stands up. "Alright, but he's not my friend."
ㅤㅤWatching her trotting towards the nursery entrance, Finchflame slowly follows along with flicking ears. "Try not to fall in any holes along the way."
ㅤㅤIvykit peeks back at him, and sticks out her tongue.
Patrol 1— Practice - Mossystar, Rubbleswoop. 1 - 2 = 1. Two cats open up about their pasts to each other. However, the conversation escalates, until one either physically or verbally attacks the other, driving a seemingly inconsolable wedge between them.
ㅤㅤThe Clan is called together as soon as Mossystar, Eaglerapid, and the few others who'd accompanied them returned from the Gathering. It's typical enough, with everyone who stayed behind ready to hear whatever news they've brought— but the uncertain cloud hanging over the group sets everyone on edge.
ㅤㅤHeads hang low, uncertain, all ears flat and tails still. How easily could TempestClan drown, some think, having been told for so long that their territory could never flood again. What good is relying on the ebb and flow of the rain, when storms and rivers can be such fickle forces?
ㅤㅤMossystar stands, determined, at the peak of the leader's den. "I've assured WickerClan of our support in this time. According to Gannetstar, they expect to manage just fine, but I still want you all to be prepared to be called upon. And, in the meantime, I want everyone to keep an eye on the weather— if even the slightest thing seems strange, then tell myself, Eaglerapid, or Kitelotus." She pauses, mind swarming with every half-formed notion of reassurance or gratefulness that she wishes she could bring to voice for her cats.
ㅤㅤIn watching over the cats below, Mossystar takes note of her two youngest warriors. Coppershade stands stoic— if she's shaken, she doesn't show it. This very well may have been the omen she saw coming to fruition, Mossystar knows, but she also trusts her. Enough to know that her niece might come to her in her own time, enough to know that she can hold her own. Unlike others.
ㅤㅤUnlike Darkheart.
ㅤㅤThe young tom is obviously unsettled by the news, darting off as soon as the cats begin to disperse. Mossystar supposes that— even if she can't quite express her thoughts to the entire Clan— she can attempt to at least calm the most disturbed among them. She lets him go for a while, before following his trail.
ㅤㅤHe's curled on a flat edge of stone when she finds him, quiet and closed-off. Gently, she approaches, and sits a body's length from him— where he immediately jolts in place with a start, before nervously electing to stay put.
ㅤㅤMossystar inspects the view ahead, pure darkness between the trees, broken only by where stars peek in through the leaves above. For a while, she lets the awkward serenity remain, before looking over to Darkheart. "I know the news is a lot to take in."
ㅤㅤDarkheart can hardly bring himself to glance over, tucking his paws closer. "Mm-hm."
ㅤㅤHer tail brushes the ground. "It's strange to be looking at the situation from the outside-in. We were entrenched in that sort of loss for so long—"
ㅤㅤ"Right," Darkheart mutters.
ㅤㅤShe stops, and lets him compose himself for a moment. "I'm sorry, if you'd rather not talk about—"
ㅤㅤFuriously, Darkheart shakes his head, rising to his feet. "No, I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so worried, I'm— I'll go back to camp—"
ㅤㅤ"What?" She stands too, and steps closer. "Listen, it's perfectly understandable to be worried. This came out of nowhere, I couldn't expect anyone to take it without some difficulty."
ㅤㅤIn that instant, the young warrior's eyes catch hers, and his entire body turns rigid. His jaw drops with a small, rasping noise, nearly chattering with the way he's started shivering. "You..." He clenches his mouth shut, whispers the rest. "You don't understand."
ㅤㅤA confused meow catches in the back of her throat.
ㅤㅤDarkheart breaks focus, ducking his head as he continues. "I— please, you can punish me however you see fit, just don't— please don't tell— especially—"
ㅤㅤShe approaches him again, leaning down to his level. "Darkheart, it's alright, calm down. What's wrong?"
ㅤㅤHe clenches his eyes shut. "Y-you don't understand—"
ㅤㅤ"I will. I'll try— I promise."
ㅤㅤ"No, n-no, I— I knew."
ㅤㅤMossystar raises her head. "You...?"
ㅤㅤ"About the flood, I already knew about the flood. On— on the day it happened, I— someone told me—"
ㅤㅤ"Someone? As in a StarClan cat, a vision—?"
ㅤㅤ"No!" Darkheart sheepishly glances up. "It was... she... you can't tell her I told you this, she— oh, but she'll know..."
ㅤㅤ"Who will know? Darkheart, what happened?"
ㅤㅤHe inhales with a sniffle, growing shakier by the moment. "I... I was on patrol, and... I came across Rubbleswoop. She'd been up near WickerClan territory, and she saw the flooding— and she told me— and she made me swear not to tell anyone—"
ㅤㅤ"Wh—" Mossystar closes her eyes, shakes her head. "Why would she do that? And... why would you—"
ㅤㅤWhen she looks back at him, the softness of his face is contorting to hold back his quivering features, his cheeks gathering to scrunch up his eyes, his bottom lip drawn tight. There's still a kit behind that hint of jowls, stuck in those ever-blue eyes.
ㅤㅤMossystar sighs. "I'll talk to her myself. As for you..." She glances away. "I'm disappointed, because I would expect better of you, Darkheart. I know there's always been a warm, kind core just beneath your pelt, but... you can't let that become a weakness." It feels terrible to scold him. "Just carry on as you were. I'll... I'll have to think about how to handle your part in this."
ㅤㅤSnailpatch sets Mossystar on the right path. Maybe he'd wanted to talk her out of it initially— maybe he just didn't want any of the kits to get worried, to start talking. He's already tearing himself up over how he's meant to explain the flood to them. He may just be too preoccupied to stop her, come to think of it.
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop's trail is easier to follow than most. She doesn't climb the rocks, has to stay on whatever high or low path the ground takes her on. It's worrying to think of her out there, unsteady as an apprentice, after all the moons the young warrior must have spent training for... something else. Mossystar dismisses the thought and carries on between the rock faces.
ㅤㅤShe sees the warrior's form just ahead, two pale ears immediately twisting around to herald her body doing the same. Rubbleswoop's mouth parts, though she hardly relaxes beyond that. "O-oh, Mossystar." She forces her ears to rest forward. "Hello."
ㅤㅤMossystar's expression is stern, but soft, as she steps forward. "Rubbleswoop." She nods a greeting, just as quickly returning to her purpose. "I'm not going to pretend I didn't come out here looking for you. There's... something I think we need to discuss."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop lets out another "oh," breathless this time. With a bristle of her fur, she composes herself. "Alright. If you say so."
ㅤㅤThere's not much Mossystar can read in Rubbleswoop's facade, other than the barrier she's putting up. It's all so strange. At least Darkheart was straightforward. The leader tries to reveal just as little. "You were there when I told the Clan about the flood in WickerClan, weren't you?"
ㅤㅤA tight nod, and silence.
ㅤㅤ"Mm-hm. And I'm grateful that you were there to listen, and participate, really, but..." She takes a glance around, and lowers her voice, cutting straight to it. "But that wasn't when you first learned about the flood, was it?"
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop blinks, her ears falling again as her voice escapes— more resolute than defeated. "Darkheart told you."
ㅤㅤ"He didn't want to," Mossystar begins, "but I don't know why he felt the need to keep it to himself in the first place." She tilts her head. "Or why you told him not to tell anyone."
ㅤㅤOne of Rubbleswoop's front paws rides up on her other arm. "Does it matter? It's done with, isn't it? Everyone knows now."
ㅤㅤMossystar's tail flicks. "If it didn't matter, you wouldn't have tried to hide it." She steps closer. "But I... I can't work out why you didn't tell us. It's not like you did anything wrong—"
ㅤㅤ"Then we don't have to talk about it."
ㅤㅤ"—did you just not want us to know where you were?" Mossystar's voice raises to eclipse Rubbleswoop's, without the leader even realizing. "Because... what, because you thought it'd offend us? Or because we wouldn't understand?"
ㅤㅤ"Why do you care?" Rubbleswoop pushes, turning her side to Mossystar. "It's not like—"
ㅤㅤ"Three cats died." Mossystar looks to the rock faces, holding something back. "And it took us days to know. Days of further storm, carrying on as we had. The river may not be in TempestClan territory, but it affects us as much as—"
ㅤㅤ"Do you think I knew it'd killed anyone?" Rubbleswoop falters, sputtering briefly with a few half-words. "This isn't my territory. I— I've never been this far from the river."
ㅤㅤ"I understand that you were scared. Truly, I do, but— Rubbleswoop, I still don't know why you'd hide it from us. It... it makes me wonder what else—"
ㅤㅤ"Because I'm not part of your Clan!" Rubbleswoop snaps, hackles raised, face immediately shifting to some bizarre regret.
ㅤㅤIt's enough to get Mossystar to back off, her expression losing whatever shred of sternness it still held. She steps away, gathering her thoughts, but the words still spill out. "Then what Clan are you a part of?"
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop's eyes grow foggy as she remains silent.
ㅤㅤMossystar's shoulders tense. "I... Please, believe me when I say that I don't want to hold your situation— whatever it may be— against you. But..." She takes a quick, deep breath. "Whenever I'm in the nursery, and I see your siblings there, I can't help but think about how Ivykit is probably going to become an apprentice in only a few moons. And she's only being delayed because of her size. Shalekit and Flintkit..."
ㅤㅤThere's another pause to let Rubbleswoop speak. Nothing.
ㅤㅤMossystar continues. "They're typical, healthy kits. Once Ivykit becomes an apprentice... don't you think they're going to have questions? That they're going to want more, to start growing up? It... it wouldn't be fair for me to keep that from them, as a Clan leader." Her eyes are fixed on Rubbleswoop's. "If you insist that they belong elsewhere, I'll respect that, and help in whatever way I can. But I'm willing to take them in as TempestClan cats unless you say otherwise. I..." She can't stop herself. "I will, unless you say otherwise."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop looks to the ground beneath her paws.
ㅤㅤ"And, if it comes to the point that they make the decision before you do, I'm following their word instead." She considers stepping forward, but stays put, her voice escaping soft, almost hoarse. "I don't want it to come to them having to choose between TempestClan and you."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop's muzzle twitches, her vision closing in, Mossystar's words setting into her skin like cold raindrops. Her flattened ears sweep the warming air around her. "Then you figure out how to stop it from coming to that. You're a Clan leader, aren't you?"
ㅤㅤSomething courses up Mossystar's back, but she lets out a sigh, and tries not to let her voice falter. "If you say you're not part of TempestClan, then you're not. And I'm not going to punish you for any of this— there's nothing I could do to punish you that wouldn't go against my own code. I just..." Steady. "I just want you to work with me here. Regardless of what happens, within this territory or outside of it. For Shalekit and Flintkit's sake, at the very least."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop's claws grip the dirt, before she turns away, tail swaying uncertainly. Her legs quiver, and in a moment she springs off, running through the narrow path and out of sight.
ㅤㅤAlone, now, Mossystar stares at where the young warrior once was. She can't help but wonder when those kits will see their sister again.
ㅤㅤEaglerapid can't work out what to make of Darkheart anymore.
ㅤㅤOf course, news of the warrior's secrecy hadn't made it any further than himself and Mossystar, so on a patrol also joined by Finchflame there'd be no bringing it up. And, so, Eaglerapid simply carries on, bearing in mind Mossystar's request that he remain a role model of sorts. Still, when Eaglerapid recalls how he himself might have acted at about thirteen moons— well, nobody's perfect.
ㅤㅤAt least Finchflame, for all his faults, seems to have an eye for the straight and narrow. He's pushy about it, maybe— alright, too pushy— but between the two of them, Eaglerapid can hope for the best.
ㅤㅤIt's the territory's edge. There's the far-off scent of the thunderpath, though it'd take more than doubling the trip's length to make it there. The three toms are quiet as they reinforce the border, and check for any disturbances; which makes the sudden rustling all the more apparent. Instinctively, Darkheart draws back, leaving the others to face whatever approaches, hardly even questioning if he should be standing among them. With no choice but to stand strong, Eaglerapid silently takes note.
ㅤㅤA cat emerges from the foliage ahead. One that Finchflame and Darkheart recognize immediately.
ㅤㅤFinchflame growls, though Eaglerapid steps between him and the stranger. "You should know this is TempestClan territory."
ㅤㅤA flick of the ears. "I was just heading back to my camp— so much for shortcuts, hm?" The stranger passes a glance at Finchflame, then Darkheart. "I'm mostly relieved to see someone who actually knows a thing or two about borders. Looks like your apprentice grew up, but I can't say much of the same for you."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid looks back at the young warriors. "You've met this cat before?"
ㅤㅤFinchflame's chest heaves with agitation. "I didn't exactly get a name, but yes, we have. On the border, too."
ㅤㅤ"You mean outside of your territory," the cat pushes, eyeing Eaglerapid. No doubt the deputy's size is a cause for second thoughts.
ㅤㅤ"Well, there shouldn't be any issues as long as we keep our distance, right?" Eaglerapid offers.
ㅤㅤThe stranger huffs out some acknowledgement, but doesn't leave just yet. "You're TempestClan's deputy, aren't you?"
ㅤㅤ"I am."
ㅤㅤ"Right, I saw your display at the Gathering." It's a more judgemental assessment than Eaglerapid expected. "So you must know a thing or two about the goings-on around your territory."
ㅤㅤHe puffs his shoulders slightly. "I'd like to think so."
ㅤㅤThe stranger offers a quirk of the head. "Has anyone seen a gray tabby around here? Silver-furred, dark stripes, green eyes. Probably about the size of your tabby back there. We've been looking for a few moons now."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid's face falls. He recalls red on silver, that weak swipe at his chest, that desperate leap upwards. Crashing against him, slowly leaking life. The unceremonious drag of the body back to camp, the silence between himself and Snailpatch, and that single, pitiful look that Onelarch had passed him at the exchange.
ㅤㅤHe feels all eyes on him, and swallows. "I'm... I'm sorry. I believe we found that cat deceased in our territory. We were tracking a fox's scent, and..."
ㅤㅤAs he trails off, the stranger's ears flatten, a desperate growl rising. "And, what? What did you do with her?"
ㅤㅤHer. Eaglerapid's tail stills. "Our Clan's elder buried her, near our own. We let everyone visit the grounds, I— I wasn't there when she was, but our leader spoke—"
ㅤㅤ"And your Clan didn't tell anyone? Didn't think the others would want to know?"
ㅤㅤEaglerapid stays tall as the stranger slowly approaches, trying not to look back at Finchflame. "There was no telling how the tragedy could be misconstrued. It— it was only the moon after our leader's ceremony, we were hardly established. We entrusted StarClan to guide the cat home."
ㅤㅤHackles high, the stranger's head turns away. "As if StarClan stopped you from telling anyone. As if no one would understand a fox." A sudden lunge to one side sets everyone tense. "Gah, no wonder your Clan's in the state it is. When TempestClan is quiet, cats die, and no one notices. And yet, when you speak, it's worse. Because— somehow— you make everyone wish you'd just stayed quiet."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid's whiskers twitch, but he remains steady. "What Clan are you from, then?"
ㅤㅤ"It doesn't matter, since you didn't even have the dignity to tell us you'd found one of ours dead." The stranger turns away fully, and begins to walk away. "For your sake, let's hope we never meet in my Clan's territory."
ㅤㅤWith the stranger gone, Eaglerapid turns to the two young warriors, looking equally confused in their own ways. Darkheart's ears raise slightly. "That… that can't mean the Clan would try to kill us, right?"
ㅤㅤ"No one's going to try to kill us," Eaglerapid offers.
ㅤㅤ"And why shouldn't they?" Finchflame steps before the deputy. "Mossystar promised our aid to WickerClan, and they don't even need us! What's our use alive to a Clan with a grudge?"
ㅤㅤEaglerapid's eyes narrow. "It's an empty threat. Our 'use' is that killing another cat puts a stain on their claws, and keeping us alive keeps them clean."
ㅤㅤFinchflame matches him. "Are your claws clean, Eaglerapid?"
ㅤㅤAn agitated breath pushes its way through the deputy's throat, but he clenches his teeth and turns to address Darkheart too. "TempestClan has only grown stronger with every moon since Mossystar's ceremony. There's no reason to doubt that."
ㅤㅤDarkheart averts his eyes, though Finchflame doesn't think anything of it, going off his own way instead. "If that's what you think."
ㅤㅤShaking his head, Eaglerapid ignores the remark and walks over to Darkheart, bringing him back to attention with a quick brush to the shoulder. "Let's all get back to camp."
ㅤㅤDarkpaw proves himself quietly— he's alright at hunting, alright at tracking, alright at navigating the stones. He'll be an alright warrior, with all that considered, whether or not Finchflame thinks he's ready.
ㅤㅤ"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Darkpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Darkheart. StarClan honors your loyalty and resilience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of TempestClan."
ㅤㅤHis vigil passes with nothing extraordinary, nothing strange. He tries to reflect on the world around him— on his place in the Clan, on StarClan, on his future— but turns up little, just churned-up silt beneath his anxious paws. He wonders if he's making someone proud, somewhere, or if he's even proud of himself. At the end of it all, he's just another moon older, a cat with no one left to fall back on.
ㅤㅤHe recalls names, of those long gone who might be watching down on him now. He can't put faces to their distant warmth.
Patrol 1— Practice - Mossystar, Eaglerapid, Coppershade. 6 - 2 = 4. Two cats open up about their pasts to each other. They feel as if they've learned a great deal more about the other, and apply this knowledge as they see fit.
ㅤㅤEaglerapid sets himself beside Mossystar, where she's overlooking Coppershade's current hunt. He doesn't waste a moment. "Do you think the warning took?"
ㅤㅤIt takes her a moment. "What, at the Gathering?" One ear twitches off to the side. "Is this really the best time to ask?"
ㅤㅤ"I'd rather now than later— I'd hate to lose sleep over it." His tail brushes over hers. "Unless you'd prefer to postpone it..."
ㅤㅤMossystar shakes her head. "It's fine. If you want my immediate answer..." A pause. "I can only hope so. There wasn't a single leader who didn't hear it— whether or not they actually listened isn't something I could tell you."
ㅤㅤ"How about you give me your best guess?"
ㅤㅤ"Hm..." She shifts over, and lays her head atop his shoulders, lowering her voice. "In all honesty? I don't think my voice means much of anything to them. I'm some panicked obsessor about water and weather at the tail-end of Greenleaf, the same as TempestClan's always been. And— even if the omen isn't about anything all that awful, even if it is just poor hunting or a turn in the rain— I'll have no idea if it's been of any use until it's either passed or too late."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid gives her silence for a while, composing his own thoughts. "But you still warned them. It never hurt anyone to be wary of a river, and the rest even we don't know what to make of." He tries to peek back at her. "After all, we've got to keep it in mind too. Just because we're not by the river doesn't mean the warning might not have been for us."
ㅤㅤ"I can't shake the feeling that it isn't, though. That's hardly even been a question in my mind." She sinks into him more, gives a lick to his fur just below. "Maybe they did listen, though. It could all be in my head, thinking of how I could have made it sound more urgent, or important, or—" A huff escapes her. "—huh. I'm saying all this as if I don't expect you to understand. But you did ask..."
ㅤㅤ"And I'd have accepted nothing less than your genuine thoughts," Eaglerapid responds, a certain decisiveness lightening his tone.
ㅤㅤBefore Mossystar can speak again, Eaglerapid flips beneath her, his back to the ground, his chest to her chin, and wraps his arms around her. She gasps, and briefly writhes in his grasp, until her body settles somewhere more comfortable against his. In the midst of having her cheek relentlessly groomed, she scrunches up her face, tries not to laugh through her very stern whispering. "You— Coppershade is right there—"
ㅤㅤHe pauses. "Should we move away from the ledge, then...?"
ㅤㅤHolding back another laugh, she plants her front paws against the ground, lifts herself free from his grasp, and stares down at the tom. "We should get back to hunting, deputy."
ㅤㅤShe steps away from him, a single paw still pressed against her fur until she's just out of reach. Lazily, Eaglerapid rolls onto his side with a satisfied flop.
ㅤㅤ"Besides—" Mossystar looks back. "—with all that out of the way, it seems to me like we're going to have to find something else to talk about later."
Patrol 2— Vision - Darkheart, Rubbleswoop. 5 + 0 = 5. The cat in question has actually received a message from StarClan, but doesn’t tell anyone; decide what the prophecy is, and how it might affect the Clan. (Modified.)
ㅤㅤDarkheart is content to patrol alone, most of the time. Maybe Coppershade will invite him along here and there, and he'll gladly go along, but otherwise it's easiest not to bother anyone. Someone might worry, but they don't tell him as much. Good, to think he's not worrying anybody.
ㅤㅤIt's alone that he darts off at the noise of pawsteps, bounding over the wet dirt. He shouldn't be so panicked— TempestClan cats are meant to fare better in the rain, after all. He scales a rock face, claws flexing to combat where the stone has grown slick, and crouches down.
ㅤㅤThere's something— someone— running, shimmering, droplets on white fur. Darkheart feels his face soften, not even realizing he'd looked so stern. Rubbleswoop? But what's she doing out here?
ㅤㅤShe doesn't patrol, necessarily; since sheltering with the Clan, everyone had noticed her tendency to run off on her own, leaving her brother and sister with Snailpatch without so much as a simple thanks. While she doesn't eat their fresh-kill or make use of any of their dens— aside from the few times she'd fallen asleep in the nursery— it was certainly odd behavior for a guest, especially considering that she hadn't revealed any further intentions after staying in TempestClan for nearly a moon.
ㅤㅤDarkheart had even seen her at his warrior ceremony, standing way in the back.
ㅤㅤ"Rubbleswoop?" His voice is hoarse at this volume, unsteady as always.
ㅤㅤYellow eyes turn up to pierce him, wild and shocked. Her jaw twitches in deliberation, but nothing comes out.
ㅤㅤCautiously, he jumps down to her level. "I-I was just out on patrol, I didn't think I'd see anyone... Usually I don't..."
ㅤㅤShe blinks, suddenly focused, as if just returning to where she's standing. "I'm sorry if I distracted you, then."
ㅤㅤ"No, it's alright. It's... a change." He takes a closer look at her pelt— she hardly looks as if she's taken any shelter from the downpour. "I, uh, take it your Clan doesn't mind the rain either..."
ㅤㅤ"What?"
ㅤㅤHe tenses, and gestures at her fur. "You haven't dried off in a while, right? Some cats— that would annoy some cats..."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop looks down at her chest, and in another moment of sudden lucidity, shakes out her coat to little effect.
ㅤㅤUncertain, Darkheart looks around, almost expecting to see some pursuer. But only the stones surround them, gently dripping. "Well... it's still warm, I think under cover you could... dry off easy..." His paws shift awkwardly in place. "I could help you back to camp. Only i-i-if you want, though..."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop shakes her head. "No, I'll find my own way back— my own cover, I mean." She starts stomping off down the path; in Darkheart's eyes, entirely aimlessly.
ㅤㅤThere's only so long he can hold back, watching her unsteady steps to StarClan-knows-where. Swallowing his doubt, he tries to think what a better warrior might do— what someone like Coppershade, or like Eaglerapid might do. He rushes her way, his voice nearly cracking. "Please, let me help you find somewhere. I've— I've grown up here, I know where we can find somewhere dry."
ㅤㅤOne paw shivering above the ground, Rubbleswoop takes a good look at the young warrior, and swallows. "...Fine."
ㅤㅤThe rain lets up slightly by the time Darkheart finds a large enough overhang, though he shakily assures Rubbleswoop that it's only a matter of time before it gets worse again.
ㅤㅤ"Greenleaf showers are always the worst, I think— the air being so sticky, it's— it's bad enough, right, but then it breaks, and... I don't know, I don't like it. It's..." He looks at where Rubbleswoop sits, despondent, against the stone. At that point, he sort of wishes that she'd just tell him to shut up or something, save him the trouble of these awful formalities. He sits too, tail tucked around himself. "I don't know. Maybe some cats... maybe they just wouldn't go out at all..."
ㅤㅤHer wet cheek lightly darkens the rock it sits against, her eyes fixed on a small rain-waterfall cascading down from the stones above.
ㅤㅤDarkheart stares there too. "It's a good thing the camp is so secure. You don't have to worry about getting caught out there..." His tail tightens. "It could even be kind of, uh, kind of fun... jumping through the fall... when you're little, I guess..."
ㅤㅤ"Please stop."
ㅤㅤHis jaw snaps tight. Precisely what he asked for, though it stings to actually hear it. But he'd hate to bother her— and, for a while, they both keep quiet. The rain patters against the stones and leaves and grass, with both cats gradually drying.
ㅤㅤ"Is this... normal?"
ㅤㅤHe looks back to her— she's remaining still, but undoubtedly asked something. "Wha—"
ㅤㅤ"The rain, I mean. I... can't remember if it's always like this."
ㅤㅤHe inhales, gently. "I'd say so. Strange would be... falling trees, or too much lightning, or hail..."
ㅤㅤ"I know that'd be strange, but—" Her hackles stand on end. "—does it ever... overflow?"
ㅤㅤ"Overflow? No, no, uh..." His paws are bristling, looking for something to itch. "They say it used to flood, all throughout TempestClan territory, but then one day it stopped. And that's when the Clan moved in properly—"
ㅤㅤShe clenches her eyes shut. "What about the other territories? Like the... uh, the ones by the river, maybe..."
ㅤㅤDarkheart's ears flatten, his voice dropping. "...I'd hope not. That'd— if one of the other Clans' territories flooded, I..." A pause. "....I-I don't know, I'm... I don't think it'd..."
ㅤㅤ"Forget I asked," Rubbleswoop interrupts, falling into a ball, paws tucked tight.
ㅤㅤThe rain keeps falling, unrelenting, rhythmic. Darkheart's mouth parts, the words quietly spilling out. "Why did you want to know?"
ㅤㅤBuried in herself, Rubbleswoop stays silent for a while longer— Darkheart swears she's shivering. "You can't tell anyone about this."
ㅤㅤ"What? Rubbleswoop, I can't—"
ㅤㅤ"I was up by WickerClan territory. Don't ask, I just—" That shivering, again. "—I've never seen water move like that. It was... it was like it wanted to take everything, like... a monster, with some mind of its own..."
ㅤㅤHis face falls. "If— if there was a flood, we... Rubbleswoop, we have to tell Mossystar, or someone, so the Clan can help—"
ㅤㅤ"No!" She stands, body alert and rigid. Her eyes meet Darkheart's again— hers harsh, but pleading. Scared. "No one can know I was there. I can't tell you why, but— you have to trust me. And it'll be safer for everyone to stay here anyways, right? No one has to know, not right now, not from me." She closes the distance between them, staring up at the young tabby's own quiet shock. "Please, Darkheart. You can't tell anyone."
ㅤㅤMouth still agape— the bristling in his paws coursing through his whole body now, twisting his mind every which way— Darkheart is stuck, stunned. There's too many questions, too much he needs to know, but can't bring himself to say, can't force past his tightened throat. He grits his teeth, trying his best to compose himself.
ㅤㅤAnd— deep down, knowing he's far from being the warrior he's meant to be now— Darkheart finally breathes, and promises his silence with a few reckless nods.
Gathering
ㅤㅤUnder the light of the full moon, the Clans gather at the great Lion Rock. No one can ignore the fact that WickerClan's deputy now stands among the leaders.
ㅤㅤNow its Clan leader, Gannetstar informs the others that a recent storm flooded the river, claiming the lives of a warrior, an apprentice, and Piperstar. It echoes terribly of Coppershade's omen. But with such brief warning— who could have thought that Clan would be stuck with two sudden tragedies, that river claiming all those poor cats?
ㅤㅤMossystar extends an offer of aid to WickerClan, insisting that the natural disasters are nothing any of the Clans are above. CedarClan's leader, Alderstar, joins in the offer and expresses her own sympathies, while EchoClan and AshClan remain silent on the matter— all are acutely aware that EchoClan, especially, holds nothing but spite for the Clan of its defectors.
ㅤㅤHowever, an anguished outburst from an EchoClan cat causes tensions to flare. It spurs Eaglerapid to act, reflecting on how TempestClan was absent in the time of WickerClan and EchoClan's conflict, due to the illness the Clan faced— disaster isn't something anyone chooses, and he insists that the Clans, and EchoClan especially, need to cooperate if they want to avoid more in the future.
ㅤㅤEvery cat present drags the Gathering's tension back to their own territory. No one is quite certain where the Clans stand at the end of it.
Patrol 1— Vision - Darkpaw, Finchflame, Mossystar. 6 + 1 = 6. The medicine cat has received a message from StarClan, and tells the leader about it. Decide what the prophecy is, and what the leader does in response. (Modified.)
ㅤㅤIt's only a few nights before the moon's Gathering when Kitelotus pulls Mossystar aside. It's strange— nerve-wracking, with how unusual the gesture is for the medicine cat. But Mossystar still agrees to meet her in the solitude of the medicine cat den, and hear her out.
ㅤㅤ"No one's hurt, are they? Or..." A chill courses through the leader's body. "Don't tell me someone's ill."
ㅤㅤ"Trust me, it has nothing to do with that." Kitelotus sits, and waits for Mossystar to— however nervously— do the same. "It's about Coppershade's vision, the message she discerned from it."
ㅤㅤMossystar nods. After some further consideration, she'd convinced her niece to involve Kitelotus with the discovery. She'd also allowed herself to believe that Coppershade's hesitance was a result of the stress she must have been under at the time, and nothing else— certainly not some innate mistrust of Kitelotus. "Alright."
ㅤㅤ"You must be thinking about it too. Did you have any intention of sharing it with the other Clans?"
ㅤㅤ"I did," Mossystar admits, without giving it any thought. "But only because I can't stand it dragging on like this. Having to hold my tongue with this knowledge weighing over me..." Her nose scrunches up. "It's awful. Now that we— she's actually discerned its meaning, I can't see the point in keeping it to ourselves any longer. "
ㅤㅤKitelotus nods, slowly. "I thought as much," she begins, "but I'm worried that going in unrehearsed won't help anyone."
ㅤㅤ"...Go on."
ㅤㅤ"Mm, right." Kitelotus stands, and begins pacing the area. "Just because I don't— and you don't— question StarClan's word doesn't mean others wouldn't. Coppershade... she's intelligent, and dedicated, but she's still only a warrior. Her being shown some omen—" She stops. "—you can see why some cats might doubt it."
ㅤㅤMossystar's ears flatten, her voice growing distant. "Not to mention that she's my kin..."
ㅤㅤ"You see where I'm going with this, then."
ㅤㅤ"But you still want to tell the other Clans, don't you?" Mossystar meows, refocusing, and tilting her head. "We can't go in unrehearsed, that's what you said."
ㅤㅤ"Of course. I can't deny StarClan's message." The choppy, unbroken brown of her fur glistens with her movement. "So... I think we've got to tell the Clans the story they want to hear."
ㅤㅤMossystar stares at her.
ㅤㅤ"We'll tell them I'm the one who had the vision. I collapsed in the den, and Eaglerapid, Coppershade, and Darkpaw found me there. On the night of Coppershade's vigil I finally realized what it all meant, and you and I decided to share it with the others."
ㅤㅤMossystar chews the inside of her cheek, and nods along, before stopping. "But... why not just tell them I had the vision? I know that it's only been a few moons, and TempestClan has never been the most forthcoming, but— surely I must have some credibility?"
ㅤㅤ"We can't risk them thinking you might have a similar fit again. They'd see it as a weakness, even knowing it was a sign. And..." She pauses, and sighs. "I think StarClan chose Coppershade for a reason. I can only wonder, but..." She finishes the thought hastily. "If it's because of her connection to you, then... maybe she's not going to be the only one receiving messages in this Clan."
ㅤㅤThat's new. Mossystar can feel her scar itch, her head spin. It doesn't mean trust from the medicine cat, necessarily, it's only an observation; but it's still something, something more than all that indifference prior. Even as her fur puffs out, she tries not to reveal her racing mind. "If that's really what you think, then we'll go ahead with your plan."
Patrol 2— Rat - Coppershade, Eaglerapid. 5 + 1 = 6. Recently, Cat 1 seems to be a lot luckier than usual, even if they were pretty lucky before. After one particularly dramatic success, Cat 2 decides that it's time someone showed Cat 1 some recognition. Cat 2 gathers up a small group of cats to help plan out a way to celebrate Cat 1. Decide what the celebration is, and how it impacts Cat 1's standing in the Clan. (Modified.)
ㅤㅤ"What if it happens again?"
ㅤㅤEaglerapid stops on the path, and turns to face Coppershade. He's comfortable enough to shrug. "Then you, Mossystar, and Kitelotus will work through the vision again. And I'll be here to help pick you up along the way."
ㅤㅤ"But... if it happens at the Gathering, or something. They'd know that we're lying to them, when we're just trying to protect the other Clans…"
ㅤㅤ"If that happens, then that'll be the will of StarClan, too."
ㅤㅤ"But why chance it?" Coppershade walks up to him. "I know Mossystar won't listen to me— she wants to protect me, I know. But I think I should be able to weigh the options for myself. If she thinks that it'd somehow endanger me, then that's a risk I'm willing to take."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid's voice remains even. "We can't help that the truth could stop the other Clans from listening. The message is still going to get across this way, isn't it?"
ㅤㅤ"I... guess so." Coppershade paces to the side. "But if they wouldn't be willing to listen then... why assume they'll listen like this? Why even bother, if it takes bending the truth?"
ㅤㅤHe watches her go, back and forth. "I can't answer that for you, you know. I could probably tell you why Mossystar thinks it's worthwhile, or why I think it's worthwhile, but not why you should."
ㅤㅤCoppershade slows. "And, because I'm not Clan leader, my reasoning wouldn't matter either way. Even though it's the vision I had." She pauses, and finally stops. "So there's really no point arguing it."
ㅤㅤ"Not unless you want to bring it up to Mossystar," Eaglerapid offers.
ㅤㅤ"Which, again, I doubt would do anything." Her copper eyes flick to his. "Do you actually think this is the best choice? Nevermind what Mossystar thinks, or what Kitelotus thinks. You were my mentor, you... you must see both sides of this."
ㅤㅤHe considers it for a moment. "I think it is. Whatever moral ground we think we lose by lying... it's outweighed by the help we could give," he insists. "I have no doubt in my mind that you'd be able to handle any repercussions there'd be from sharing the whole truth— but I also know that TempestClan isn't the Clan it used to be. We can't only be cautious for the sake of individuals; we need to be cautious for the sake of the entire Clan."
ㅤㅤSilent for a while, Coppershade drops to a sit. "No wonder you're deputy."
ㅤㅤ"Yeah, well, I generally like to believe it's not for nothing," Eaglerapid adds in a lighter tone, walking over to her. "Either way, what you saw, what you deduced— it's going to help someone. And if anyone tries to say you can't still be involved in the conversation, whether that's Kitelotus or— I mean, even if Mossystar says as much, I'll argue for you. Trust me."
ㅤㅤShe pauses again, before gently relenting, holding on to the hope that he truly means it. "...thanks."
Patrol 3— Loner - Fringehollow. 5 – 2 = 3. They are an ex mate/lover of a patroller who begrudgingly needs their help. (Modified.)
ㅤㅤThere's white fur caught, fluttering, on the low thorny brambles that sit away from the stones' edges. Fringehollow may be a touch more immediately practical than she is one for speculation, but she couldn't mistake the cat fur for anything else. She follows the path closely, the direction growing more clear as she draws closer.
ㅤㅤShe crouches before the sight. A young cat, walking, frenzied. Two kits are beside her, huddled close, whining and tripping over their own paws as she shushes them, scolding them for the noise.
ㅤㅤFringehollow stands, the cat ahead's ears twisting around towards her. No time to wait. "You're in TempestClan territory, you know."
ㅤㅤThe young cat spins around with raised hackles, jumping in front of the kits. "Wugh— we're just passing through, just about to— to leave—" As the kits turn, letting out a few exclamations of their own, she begins pushing them down the path. "Come on, come on—"
ㅤㅤWith a couple of quick leaps, Fringehollow blocks their way. "I'm not here to chase you off. If—" She can see the three clearly now. The young cat can't be any older than Finchflame, if that. The kits, a couple of moons old. Something tightens in her chest. "—if any of you are injured, or hungry, or need shelter— we can help."
ㅤㅤThe young cat's rapid breathing slows, and she looks down at the two kits staring up at her. She stands taller. "I don't want any trouble."
ㅤㅤ"Neither do I." She walks to their side. "I'm Fringehollow. Our Clan doesn't have any queens, but we do have..." In a better situation, she'd laugh. "...well, we have a 'Snailpatch.' Between him and our medicine cat, I'm sure your kits will be just fine."
ㅤㅤShe straightens the kits out with her paw, ushering them the right way. "They're not mine, they're— these are my siblings." She pauses. "We've... we've been walking for a while."
ㅤㅤ"You don't have to explain anything to me. I just want to see you all safe."
ㅤㅤThe young cat doesn't reveal anything, even as Kitelotus tries to pry so much as a name from her. But the young cat simply refuses treatment, and says she just wants her siblings fed.
ㅤㅤBut as soon as the two are eating in the nursery, the white-bellied kit spills everything— she's Flintkit, that's Shalekit, and their big sister is Rubbleswoop.
ㅤㅤSnailpatch leans in, quiet, careful not to let anyone overhear. "What were you three doing out there?"
ㅤㅤFlintkit talks through a mouth of mushy meat. "Running away."
ㅤㅤ"From where? From what?"
ㅤㅤHer eyes turn up, blankly. Slightly sad. "Rubbleswoop says we're not supposed to say."
ㅤㅤSnailpatch watches as Shalekit buries himself deeper into the meal, trying to ignore his sister. The tom pushes a little more their way. "Do you... know where your parents are? Your mom, maybe?"
ㅤㅤFlintkit's ears flatten, and she takes another bite, offering nothing else.
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop soon rushes back into the nursery, distantly trailed by Kitelotus. She sniffs at her siblings. "Come on, eat up. We're leaving as soon as—"
ㅤㅤThe kits start whining, a mess of, "I don't want to leave!" and, "My paws hurt!" and, "Pleeeeeeaase Rubbleswoop!" until finally she shushes them again.
ㅤㅤ"No, no, we can't take up any more of their time. We—"
ㅤㅤ"It's not a problem, really," Snailpatch interrupts. He glances back at where Ivykit sulks beside the wall. "StarClan knows it gets lonely in here, and TempestClan can certainly bear the few extra mouths. At least until the passage back to your Clan is safe, of course."
ㅤㅤRubbleswoop stares at her siblings, eating away, and weakly offers a few resigned nods.
ㅤㅤUntil it's safe.
Gathering
ㅤㅤRegarding Kitelotus' advice, Mossystar shares Coppershade's omen with the other Clan leaders, posing it as a message Kitelotus received.
ㅤㅤWickerClan's leader, Piperstar, pulls Mossystar aside and reveals that Turtlekit was, as the omen detailed, lost to the fury of the river. There was a dog— she was too close to the edge— she was too small to traverse the Crossing Rocks— it was too late once she was on dry land again.
ㅤㅤMossystar quietly informs Coppershade of the truth before she tells Kitelotus.
ㅤㅤThe news had been impossible to ignore. Her own kin, sent a vision from StarClan— and one so terrifying, at that. Copperpaw wouldn't show it, but Mossystar knew that the experience had shaken her. Not that Kitelotus' attention helped— but Mossystar had no choice but to abide by her medicine cat's word. Could she honestly claim that she knew better than Kitelotus? Better than StarClan?
ㅤㅤWait and see had seemed to be the prevailing solution. If there were no developments by the time the Clans next gathered, then Mossystar would carefully assess the leaders' discussions to see if the vision was relevant, and decide whether to disclose it accordingly; otherwise, nothing would be shared until TempestClan gained its own understanding of the vision.
ㅤㅤStill, in the moon Copperpaw had grown old and skilled enough to become a fully-fledged warrior. Mossystar hadn't had to ask Eaglerapid— she'd seen her niece's progress for herself.
ㅤㅤThe Clan gathers within the central gully of camp, with Mossystar poised on a rocky ledge above the leader's den. From there, she looks down to observe Copperpaw, standing, alone, and can see in the apprentice's dark tabby stripes and copper eyes the form of her sister, once upon a time.
ㅤㅤThe emotion catches in the leader's throat. She'd have loved to be here for this. No, no, StarClan is watching on— she is here, right beside her daughter, where she'd want to be.
ㅤㅤ"I, Mossystar, leader of TempestClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." Copperpaw puffs her dark chest, and Mossystar continues. "Copperpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
ㅤㅤCopperpaw's tail flips back and forth, slowly. "I do."
ㅤㅤ"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Copperpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Coppershade. StarClan honors your dedication and initiative, and we welcome you as a full warrior of TempestClan."
ㅤㅤCoppershade beams as the Clan congratulates her, shouts her new name with the fervor of welcoming a new era. She approaches her vigil in stride, ascending the stones with the expected grace of a TempestClan warrior, even amongst fears of another vision. A cat will check, every so often, but never interrupting her. She insists it's unnecessary, but Mossystar won't allow the protest— there's no point to the vigil if the Clan ends up weaker on the other side of it. And so, Coppershade agrees to her leader's conditions, but insists that she trusts in StarClan.
ㅤㅤThere's a comforting mist in the air when she sets off for her night in solitude.
ㅤㅤCoppershade returns with a purpose. She gladly greets any cats she encounters on the way back, but has only one destination in mind; the leader's den.
ㅤㅤMossystar lifts her head, eyes lighting up at the sight of her niece, who she immediately rises to greet. "Coppershade! I expect everything went well?"
ㅤㅤ"Yes, I— could we talk? I've been thinking about..." She drops her voice. "...what I saw."
ㅤㅤMossystar's ears perk forward. "Oh? Should we get Kitelotus, or...?"
ㅤㅤ"I'd rather keep this between us, actually."
ㅤㅤThey walk into the recess of the rocks, a chamber under the largest stone overhang in the camp. It's always been the leader's den, the wide stone floor covered in generations of nesting materials. In the harshest storms— where even the nursery, even the elders' den are too low— the entire Clan can shelter in the den's embrace.
ㅤㅤThey sit against the back wall, far enough from the entrance to be out of earshot from the bulk of camp. Silently, Mossystar wonders again whether she knows enough— as a leader, as just a regular cat— to be of any use with this vision. Her tail wraps around her paws.
ㅤㅤCoppershade feels her heart pound, trying to organize her thoughts. "It's all I thought about out there. I know I was meant to be thinking about— my responsibilities, my life as a warrior now, but— I couldn't help it, my mind just wandered—"
ㅤㅤ"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Coppershade, I understand."
ㅤㅤThe young warrior nods, steeling herself with a deep breath. "I... I think I've figured it out. It's bigger than just what I saw— maybe... maybe we couldn't have ever prevented that..." She can feel her voice begin to quiver, thinking of it again. The kit's little orange paws, slipping, kicking. "I-I'm sorry, I—"
ㅤㅤMossystar rises, and presses her head against her niece. "It's alright. Take your time."
ㅤㅤCoppershade leans in, returning to the moment. When they part, it's warm eyes meeting warm eyes, steadying her. She takes another breath. "It's not about the river. It's about the water— the flow of the water." Mossystar is silent, uncertain, and Coppershade composes StarClan's message, loud and clear. "Something's wrong with the way the water flows."
Event 2— Snailpatch adopts an abandoned kit.
ㅤㅤSnailpatch is observant— more observant than most, some might say. He catches scents easily, is a tracker more than worthy of TempestClan's reputation.
ㅤㅤWhen he picks up the scent of a cat again, it makes his stomach drop like a stone. StarClan knows what happened not long ago— alone on patrol, how much better could he fare than he did alongside the Clan deputy?
ㅤㅤBut the scent is tinged differently— not like another Clan, but something else. Something familiar, almost.
ㅤㅤThere's a thicket, strong with rat-scent. Snailpatch is careful to enter— his long fur has always got stuck in branches, he's not one for foliage— especially as a call begins to sound from within.
ㅤㅤ"Myeh! Myeh! Myeh!"
ㅤㅤArms tucked tight to his thick body, crawling through, Snailpatch is soon face to face with the small brown face of a kit, now ceaselessly crying out. He puts his head even lower. "Hey! Hush, hush, it's okay, it's—"
ㅤㅤ"Myeh..."
ㅤㅤHe draws closer as they slow, sniffing the kit's nose— and being sniffed back in response. "Hello, yes, hello..." he coos, before looking around. "Is your... is your mom around?"
ㅤㅤ"M... myem..."
ㅤㅤHis heart catches in his throat, and he licks the kit's head, tasting pollen and dirt. The kit draws closer, kicks and nestles into his silvered ruff. "How'd you even get out here? If someone were to come looking... Oh, but if someone weren't... I don't know if it'd be safe to leave you until then..."
ㅤㅤThe kit squirms against him. No, it's decided, then— he scoops the kit up by the scruff, to the sound of little protests, and works his way out of the thicket.
ㅤㅤHe arrives at the medicine cat den without being seen. Kitelotus is there— secluded, as always— and her eyes catch the kit in Snailpatch's grasp. She walks over, head tilted. "By StarClan— whose is this? Yours?"
ㅤㅤ"Mm—" he plops the kit down in the nesting. "No, they were alone, out on a thicket. Off the paths, it has to have been an outside cat..."
ㅤㅤKitelotus sniffs the kit, and flips them— to their very vocal dismay— onto their back with a flick of the paw. "I'd certainly hope that— she's— not a TempestClan kit. There'd be an awful lot of explaining to be done, then."
ㅤㅤ"She's so tiny..."
ㅤㅤScooping the kit close, Kitelotus prompts her to bite her paw. "She's a lot smaller than she should be, at this age. Less coherent, too. Malnourished... Hm. Could probably do with eating fresh-kill, given some help." She looks up at Snailpatch. "Milk would be preferable, but it's not as if the Clan has queens to provide. It won't kill her— she'd just need a constant eye at her back."
ㅤㅤSnailpatch fidgets in place. "What are you suggesting?"
ㅤㅤKitelotus' eyes narrow curiously. "I'm not suggesting anything, I'm just telling you what I've observed. She's not injured, only underdeveloped— I'd say she may catch up as normal, or may never catch up. It's hard to tell." After a brief pause, she shrugs. "You could always bring her to a Clan that still has queens. Otherwise... Well, it's not as if the nursery's at capacity, if you can find someone willing to chew up fresh-kill for her."
ㅤㅤ"Someone..."
ㅤㅤThe kit mewls again, and gradually makes her way across the nesting to where Snailpatch stands. He leans down, offering another lick to her head. His eyes dart to Kitelotus, and he nods. "Thank you. I— I'll tell Mossystar straight away. And grab some fresh-kill— I suppose I could get Darkpaw to help with the water— oh! Do you think she needs any herbs? Anything to help her grow, or digest the fresh-kill...?"
ㅤㅤKitelotus snorts out a laugh, walking back into the den. "Go on, get yourselves settled. I'll see what I have."
Patrol 1— Fox - Snailpatch, Fringehollow. 6 - 1 = 5. All/both of the cats on patrol form a friend group. Unfortunately it’s more like a clique, and they often gossip about other cats.
ㅤㅤIvykit is fast asleep when Snailpatch hears a rustling just outside of the nursery entrance. Not his first visitor, certainly— he can't seem to shake all the cats trying to fawn over the little kit— but not one he'd planned for either.
ㅤㅤAn orange head pokes around the rock, a fluffy bundle of moss in her maw.
ㅤㅤFringehollow sees the sleeping kitten, and quietly enters in response. She drops the bouncy moss toy to the side, before curling up just away from where Snailpatch and Ivykit are cuddled together.
ㅤㅤ"What did I tell you?" Fringehollow quietly teases.
ㅤㅤSnailpatch sinks into his ruff as he meets her whisper. "Oh, please, don't remind me..."
ㅤㅤ"Why not? Isn't this that family you wanted? A kit, all your own, the next generation of TempestClan..."
ㅤㅤ"Is it?" He looks at the kit. "I mean... it isn't, quite..."
ㅤㅤHer muzzle lifts into that snarl. "Of course it is! You're going to raise her until she's an apprentice, aren't you? Until she's a warrior? That seems like a new generation to me."
ㅤㅤ"I... suppose it is. I..." His ears pivot back. "I don't know. I didn't picture it like this."
ㅤㅤThere's silence, for a while, before Fringehollow responds. "...I'm sure you didn't really picture it with me, either. Or... any other cat. You..." She inhales, hoping for the best, knowing she's poking a wound. "...you wanted it with her."
ㅤㅤSnailpatch's eyes grow wide, and then narrow again, his ears still pinned. "Hm." His back leg hugs Ivykit closer, and he can only offer the same, a little more forceful. "Hm."
ㅤㅤ"That doesn't mean what you have now isn't good— isn't worthwhile, I mean. It's different, but... everything is different now. Maybe if everything were the same, you wouldn't have Ivykit. Maybe we wouldn't even be talking in this nursery, or be thinking about TempestClan's future." She stares off at the stone faces. "I can't lie. It's scary. Terrifying, even. But we've all got to endure— for that next generation." She turns back to Snailpatch. "For Ivykit, and every cat after her."
ㅤㅤSnailpatch's ears swing forward, and he takes a deep breath. "I think you may be right." He looks down at the still-sleeping Ivykit, the tiny rise and fall of her body. "And... I do want to do everything I can for her, really. In the same way I would for any kit I'd have."
ㅤㅤFringehollow relaxes, and leans into her curl. "You're a natural already. I know she'll turn out great— even if she gets handed off to someone like Finchflame once her apprenticeship comes around..."
ㅤㅤSnailpatch swallows a laugh, chest puffing with it. "Oh, now wouldn't that be something? Not to imply that I've got strong feelings either way, but... thank StarClan you said it first..."
Patrol 2— Doubt about deputy - Finchflame, Eaglerapid.
ㅤㅤEven knowing it's at the loss of precious time he could be spending as a mentor, Finchflame would never turn down a hunt with TempestClan's leader or its deputy. Though he can't shake the knowledge that it's the very deputy who has a tendency to watch over Darkpaw instead of him, and, by extension, that deputy's former apprentice who Finchflame suspects put the idea in Darkpaw's head in the first place.
ㅤㅤ"Finchflame, slow down for a moment."
ㅤㅤHe obliges, and stands still, looking to where Eaglerapid is holding a rat down in the shallow gully. "Is something wrong?"
ㅤㅤEaglerapid picks up the rat, and rushes up to Finchflame's level, dropping it again. "Everyone's already hunting beyond the Clan's needs, especially with all the buzz around Ivykit. You've done well today— but we've got to preserve our energy to dig caches."
ㅤㅤFinchflame's shoulders tense. "I'm not tired."
ㅤㅤ"And I'm not implying you are." Eaglerapid sits. "But bringing in that much prey isn't going to do any good if it rots in the sun. It is Greenleaf, after all."
ㅤㅤ"I know it's Greenleaf—!" Finchflame nearly snaps, just cutting himself short. "And I know what I'm capable of. I don't— I don't need to be lectured."
ㅤㅤIt takes everything to hold back, not point out everything Coppershade told him about the young warrior. "It's not a lecture, it's just a word of advice. Coppershade, Snailpatch, Fringehollow— I'd tell them all the same."
ㅤㅤHis ears flick, and the next thought just slips out. "Not Mossystar?"
ㅤㅤEaglerapid snorts, entertaining the comment. "Yes, Mossystar too, but I also trust her to already know that."
ㅤㅤFinchflame looks out over the gully. "You'd just trust her to know everything, wouldn't you?"
ㅤㅤHis tail stills. "Yes, I would. I do. She's our leader."
ㅤㅤ"And you're our deputy!" Finchflame snaps, stepping forward. "It's as if there's no room for any other thought— I know you'd never go against her—"
ㅤㅤ"Of course I wouldn't—!"
ㅤㅤ"Shouldn't you? If TempestClan starts to fall again, who's going to speak up? Not you, that's for sure! You and her— I don't know what it is, but you two—"
ㅤㅤ"Finchflame!" Eaglerapid rises with a growl, and the young warrior backs down immediately. The deputy lets it stand for a moment, allows his own hackles to fall. "I don't know what you think you're accomplishing here, or what's getting so far under your skin in the first place— but I'd strongly urge you to actually think before you say something you can't take back."
ㅤㅤFinchflame nods, quick and unfocused. "You're right, you're— I'm sorry, Eaglerapid, I don't know—"
ㅤㅤ"I don't need excuses, I just don't want to hear any more of it in the future. Understand?"
ㅤㅤAnother nod, and the two stand, silent, before Eaglerapid picks his rat back up and heads off. Finchflame is left to compose himself, unsure what he even meant to accomplish— or why he couldn't even follow through with it. Still, he heads back to where he hid away the prey he already caught, and tries not to let the thought make him do just what Eaglerapid warned him of. It doesn't mean he can shake the ideas completely, though. He's seen the way they act together. It's not going to get any better, especially if times get worse.
ㅤㅤHe'll start digging caches the moment he gets back to camp.
Gathering
ㅤㅤWickerClan, though withholding the greater details, reveals the loss of a kit— especially bleak news, not only due to such small paws now walking amongst StarClan, but because Turtlekit was the only kit in the sparse Clan to begin with.
Stumpymoth guides Darkpaw to sit, gently asking what's wrong.
Darkpaw whispers that they feel like a failure, that they're not doing good enough.
> Retreat. || Advance.
[ Moon 2: Part 2 ]
BONUS:
...
“He’s been— Weird, lately. Patchoulistar's reign was before I can remember well, but he always seemed… Better, after. When Alderstar came around it was like he had something… I dunno, driving him. But not recently. He’s just…” Her paw comes out to flick indecisively. “Listless.”
Her eyes turn to him, and Stumpymoth realizes she’s looking to him for answers. Great StarClan, he's too young to have them. He swallows, trying to think of words, and Darkpaw looks away.
“He’s always been alone. I know that. But he’s… my dad, and I want him to be happy. Whatever that means.”
A twinge of sympathy tuggs in Stumpymoth. At last, he finds his words. “Your dad… He and I, we grew up under Patchoulistar, but he was the one who really... Gave it his all, I guess. I always thought he was ambitious in general, but,” He hesitated, “Now I think maybe he just wanted recognition from his dad.”
Darkpaw gives no obvious sign of hearing, but her fur ripples slightly.
He continues, “When Patchoulistar died, it was like all he focused on was revenge. That kinda drive, maybe it was good for him, in a way. Having something. But you can’t count on it to carry you forever.” Stumpymoth’s eyes focus on the apprentice’s ears, turned away but ever so slightly quivering. “...He might’ve finally realized that.”
Silence stretches again, until Darkpaw finally breaks it in a whisper. “I want to help him. But I don’t know what I should do.”
It’s not fair, Stumpymoth thinks, for a cat like Darkpaw to be gifted with such insight and kindness. He moves closer, wrapping his tail around her until she gives up and leans into him.
“Your dad’s already got all he needs to keep him going— he’s got you.” Rasping his tongue over her ear, he assures Darkpaw, “Faithspore will figure it out. You love him, and that’s all you need to do. Keep loving him, and trust that he can figure it out.”
Patrol 1— Vision - Darkpaw, Copperpaw, Eaglerapid. 1 + 1 = 2. The cat in question (Copperpaw) claims to have received a message from StarClan saying the current leader, deputy, or medicine cat is unworthy; proceed. If the patrol works through the vision, they agree to stage a coup. (Failed, modified.)
ㅤㅤCopperpaw begins coughing. It's softly, at first, of no great concern, but then it doesn't stop.
ㅤㅤEaglerapid cocks his head to the side, looking back at where she's stopped on the path. "Copperpaw? Are you feeling alright?"
ㅤㅤCopperpaw's eyes shoot open wide, shimmering in her name's shade, as she lets out an "I—" and is instantly cut off by a violent gasp for air. The coughing turns into hacking, her chest lurching and heaving with each movement. She tries to steady herself, but all at once her feet fall out from under her. They're kicking, spraying dirt in every direction, her eyes unfocused, that gasping persisting.
ㅤㅤDarkpaw nearly screeches in shock, but draws his panic into a "Copperpaw!" as he rushes beside her.
ㅤㅤEaglerapid reaches her just before the apprentice does, and holds him back with a strong paw. "Careful, careful, we don't want to hurt her."
ㅤㅤDarkpaw whimpers, but abides to the command, watching as Copperpaw's frenzied movement slowly subsides. Her kicks grow weaker, and soon her coughing and dry-heaving dies back down to heavy exhales. Gradually, her eyes return to focus, and her body goes slack— exhausted, breathless, but out of the fit. It's then that Eaglerapid approaches her, and tells Darkpaw to help him get her up and back to camp.
ㅤㅤDarkpaw can't imagine how Eaglerapid stays so level-headed, but knows there's no use dwelling on the thought. They've got to get Copperpaw to Kitelotus.
ㅤㅤThe medicine cat straightens up as soon as she sees the deputy enter her den— doubly so, when she sees Copperpaw's dazed state. She rushes to her herbs. "Go on, lay her down somewhere. Tell me what happened."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid obliges, and begins. "We were on patrol, and Copperpaw suddenly had this coughing fit—"
ㅤㅤ"I was in the water."
ㅤㅤAll eyes turn to Copperpaw, her prolonged silence broken. Darkpaw's claws dig into the ground. "N-no you weren't, we were just in the forest..."
ㅤㅤ"I was, I was—" Copperpaw swallows. "I just felt... terrified, and... I slipped, the rocks..."
ㅤㅤKitelotus preemptively shushes Darkpaw with a paw, and grabs a few relevant herbs, setting them beside Copperpaw. She sits before the apprentice. "From a ledge, you mean?"
ㅤㅤ"No, it was... it was in the water." Her ears flatten. "The river, maybe? But I've... I've never been..."
ㅤㅤ"That's alright. What else?" Kitelotus pushes.
ㅤㅤ"Uh... I don't know... Everything just... it all felt so big. I think I heard someone, before I was here again, but I couldn't tell you who— and my paws, they were..." She looks at her paws, the same gray as always. "This orange, I can't..." She clenches her teeth, before making eye contact with Kitelotus. "It was like a dream. I wasn't... me."
ㅤㅤ"Or like a vision." Kitelotus brushes the herbs aside. "StarClan, speaking to you, through you—"
ㅤㅤEaglerapid steps forward, noting the abandoned herbs. "I don't mean to question, uh, StarClan itself, but— Kitelotus, she fell. She could hardly breathe. What if that happens again when no one's around? Or if she's somewhere dangerous when it occurs— she must still need treatment, at least for that aspect."
ㅤㅤKitelotus prepares to speak again, until Darkpaw mumbles to Copperpaw. "Orange... who's orange? Like Fringehollow?"
ㅤㅤCopperpaw shakes her head. "No, paler than her, and... I must have been a kit, not even an apprentice is that small..."
ㅤㅤ"A kit by a river..." Kitelotus muses, ignoring Eaglerapid. "That couldn't be our territory. It may not have even been our Clan..."
ㅤㅤEaglerapid bristles slightly, but still approaches Copperpaw, letting his apprentice steady herself against him. "Sending our apprentices visions of terrible things in other Clans... that's unusual, isn't it? We're not exactly river cats, are—" He properly addresses Kitelotus. "Are we meant to act on it?"
ㅤㅤ"For TempestClan, no visions are unusual," Kitelotus responds, conviction pushing the remark out ahead of her breath. And, as if surprised by her own haste, she pauses for a moment, tail flicking. "If you don't mind, deputy, I'd rather handle this matter with Mossystar. She's Clan leader, and this is her niece— while I know you're her mentor, I think it'd be wisest to leave this issue to a more select circle."
ㅤㅤThe tom, again, bites his tongue, and folds to the medicine cat. It's not her fault that his own concern doesn't actually make him any more informed. "Very well. I'll take Darkpaw along to bring her here as soon as Copperpaw's ready. And then maybe we'll all hear what Mossystar thinks." He looks down at Copperpaw. "Right?"
ㅤㅤCopperpaw nods graciously, tired, and Kitelotus begins packing away all but a single thyme-thick cluster of herbs.
