Thunderglade

[Tavvi]

Originally Posted by Midgefur

Though the heat and humidity of Greenleaf had reached a new high, stifling and ripe with the recipe for a thunderstorm, the sky remained a brilliant blue only sparsely dotted with heady white clouds. This sort of weather made any animal quite sluggish in an attempt to expend as little energy as possible, and Flickerfur was hoping that included prey as well. He had caught something small not long after heading out; a finch that had been hopping around the base of a tree, but it didn't seem like enough when their clan seemed ever growing and larger than Flickerfur had ever seen before. He'd press on and hope for the best.

Giving his nose a lick every now and again to keep it moist in the near-unbearable heat, the spotted tom bounded neatly onto a log. The forest was beginning to thin the closer he got to the small edge of WindClan territory, nestled neatly between RiverClan and ShadowClan. Hardy trees around him gave way to leafy deciduous shrubs, and the scent of leaflitter and forest soil was traded for the fresh scent of the breeze through grass, and the trademark scent of the skinny estuary that came from the East. Lackadaisically, the warrior strutted across the length of the log before slinking off. The scent of the creek was too much to ignore, and he padded his way through tall sedge grasses and horsetail before poking his head out where the soil turned pebbly.

When Flickerfur left the cover of the grass, he flushed a whole swarm of blue and copper damselflies from their resting places on the blades. As he stepped up to the water, he watched as the insects whirred and spun gracefully in the air, colourful streaks buzzing to and fro.
@Tavvi

Paws brushed the ground effortlessly as Nimblewhisker raced across the moorland. His whiskers streaming back and wind rolling through his coat, as a sense of freedom overcame the young tom. A silly grin plastered itself onto his face as he pushed himself further, faster, until he was just a blur against the grassy fields. His stride was long and elegant while his muscles were lean from his time spent in WindClan. His duties for the day had all but ended, and the WindClan junior warrior was enjoying some solo running before he was due back at camp for the dusk patrol.

It had been a rather odd day for him. He'd started it rather late, and his hunting patrol went, well, not as expected. He wasn't surprised to see the other cats on it annoyed to see him as a companion. Of course, they would be irritated to have one of the worst hunters in all of the clans with them, but it still hurt a lot to see his clanmates so done with him. I'm just as much of a good WindClan warrior as any of them he thought, a growl escaping his ever composed lips as he thought about it. It wasn't his fault he was petite and couldn't focus well, and with all the family turmoil that kept pilling up, how could he?

Nimblewhisker sensed he was nearing the outskirts of WindClan's territory as a potent wave of a familiar scent hit his nose. ThunderClan. He skidded to a standstill, shoulders moving up and down with each raspy breath he drew in. Every nerve was on high alert as he gradually approached the border. Out here, he was visible to any cat that might be hidden in the trees before him. Not that it alarmed the young tom - he knew full well that he could outrun any mangy ThunderClanner who dared try to challenge him. Still, he kept his blue eyes narrowed, mouth parted slightly to draw in any scent of the opposition.

Suddenly, he stopped. His entire body went stiff and Nimblewhisker pulled himself upright, eyes going wide. There, just a few fox-lengths away, across a previously unseen creek stood a figure. "Hello there!" he then called, trying to level out his voice as he decided to face the 'problem' head-on. Nimblewhisker forced his hackles to remain flat and relaxed his muscles, even going the extra mile with a pleasant (not to mention) fake smile.

[Midgefur]

Originally Posted by Tavvi

Paws brushed the ground effortlessly as Nimblewhisker raced across the moorland. His whiskers streaming back and wind rolling through his coat, as a sense of freedom overcame the young tom. A silly grin plastered itself onto his face as he pushed himself further, faster, until he was just a blur against the grassy fields. His stride was long and elegant while his muscles were lean from his time spent in WindClan. His duties for the day had all but ended, and the WindClan junior warrior was enjoying some solo running before he was due back at camp for the dusk patrol.

It had been a rather odd day for him. He'd started it rather late, and his hunting patrol went, well, not as expected. He wasn't surprised to see the other cats on it annoyed to see him as a companion. Of course, they would be irritated to have one of the worst hunters in all of the clans with them, but it still hurt a lot to see his clanmates so done with him. I'm just as much of a good WindClan warrior as any of them he thought, a growl escaping his ever composed lips as he thought about it. It wasn't his fault he was petite and couldn't focus well, and with all the family turmoil that kept pilling up, how could he?

Nimblewhisker sensed he was nearing the outskirts of WindClan's territory as a potent wave of a familiar scent hit his nose. ThunderClan. He skidded to a standstill, shoulders moving up and down with each raspy breath he drew in. Every nerve was on high alert as he gradually approached the border. Out here, he was visible to any cat that might be hidden in the trees before him. Not that it alarmed the young tom - he knew full well that he could outrun any mangy ThunderClanner who dared try to challenge him. Still, he kept his blue eyes narrowed, mouth parted slightly to draw in any scent of the opposition.

Suddenly, he stopped. His entire body went stiff and Nimblewhisker pulled himself upright, eyes going wide. There, just a few fox-lengths away, across a previously unseen creek stood a figure. "Hello there!" he then called, trying to level out his voice as he decided to face the 'problem' head-on. Nimblewhisker forced his hackles to remain flat and relaxed his muscles, even going the extra mile with a pleasant (not to mention) fake smile.

Taking a moment to collect himself and take a few quick laps from the creek, the spotted tabby let his tongue loll over his muzzle, refreshing and cool. The damselflies began to edge closer to his ears, so with an air of curiosity, Flickerfur lifted his muzzle up and held as still as possible. Sure enough, a black and blue striped insect inspected, and then landed on the tip of his nose. Awe was apparent in his cocoa-brown eyes, but the tom quickly realized how prickly the damselfly's tiny feet were, hooked right onto his snout. With a shiver, he could feel the fur at the base of his tail quivering.
Don't sneeze, he thought, don't...
But he did, Flickerfur couldn't help himself and with his eyes watering he let out a loud sneeze that sent the damselfly tumbling through the air. Probably for the best however, as only moments later the sound of rustling grass and the subtle scent of WindClan touched his nose. The light pelt of a cat shifted in and out of view like a wave among the grasses, before an unfamiliar face appeared wide-eyed with a taut smile.

Flickerfur sat there dumbfounded for a moment. It wasn't the fact that a cat appeared that made him pause, but the friendly demeanor the WindClanner used that threw him off. At the pointed tom's greeting, the warrior sat more upright and gave a nod, a little curt but his whiskers were relaxed and curved in friendly arches.
"Afternoon," he meowed, dusky eyes following the petite tom, "just stopping for a drink."
Though perhaps a little obvious, Flickerfur wasn't much of a sprinter. Even if he crossed the creek, the fleet-footed prey in WindClan wouldn't be any easier for the tabby to catch, hot day or not, so he didn't expect much dispute. He did however, catch himself watching this new cat. WindClanners were renowned for leanness, grace, and agility, and the way this pointed tom slunk so smoothly along the creek-bed he had no doubt in those assumptions.
"I'm Flickerfur... like the bird." He smiled, bobbing a paw in the air, "I don't think I've seen you around before."

[Tavvi]

Originally Posted by Midgefur

Taking a moment to collect himself and take a few quick laps from the creek, the spotted tabby let his tongue loll over his muzzle, refreshing and cool. The damselflies began to edge closer to his ears, so with an air of curiosity, Flickerfur lifted his muzzle up and held as still as possible. Sure enough, a black and blue striped insect inspected, and then landed on the tip of his nose. Awe was apparent in his cocoa-brown eyes, but the tom quickly realized how prickly the damselfly's tiny feet were, hooked right onto his snout. With a shiver, he could feel the fur at the base of his tail quivering.
Don't sneeze, he thought, don't...
But he did, Flickerfur couldn't help himself and with his eyes watering he let out a loud sneeze that sent the damselfly tumbling through the air. Probably for the best however, as only moments later the sound of rustling grass and the subtle scent of WindClan touched his nose. The light pelt of a cat shifted in and out of view like a wave among the grasses, before an unfamiliar face appeared wide-eyed with a taut smile.

Flickerfur sat there dumbfounded for a moment. It wasn't the fact that a cat appeared that made him pause, but the friendly demeanor the WindClanner used that threw him off. At the pointed tom's greeting, the warrior sat more upright and gave a nod, a little curt but his whiskers were relaxed and curved in friendly arches.
"Afternoon," he meowed, dusky eyes following the petite tom, "just stopping for a drink."
Though perhaps a little obvious, Flickerfur wasn't much of a sprinter. Even if he crossed the creek, the fleet-footed prey in WindClan wouldn't be any easier for the tabby to catch, hot day or not, so he didn't expect much dispute. He did however, catch himself watching this new cat. WindClanners were renowned for leanness, grace, and agility, and the way this pointed tom slunk so smoothly along the creek-bed he had no doubt in those assumptions.
"I'm Flickerfur... like the bird." He smiled, bobbing a paw in the air, "I don't think I've seen you around before."

Nimblewhisker's nose and ears both twitched, attempting to identify any accompanying scent as he continued to stare at, the apparently named, Flickerfur, only a few tail-lengths (and a small creek) away from the border. He wasn't about to let even a seemingly friendly cat catch him off-guard, he wouldn't put it past an enemy Clan - especially with one where tensions were high - to set up an ambush. Plus, Snowstar had seemed to be fond of stirring up drama, so why should he expect anything different from her self-appointed next-in-command, and now leader Passionstar? Once, however, he realized that they were alone on the moorland, he let his muscles fully relax. "Don't blame you." He mewed, casting a friendly look Flickerfur's way, the grin present on his maw melting into a much calmer one and less forced one.

"Oh, well hello Flickerfur! I'm Nimblewhisker...-- like the word!" The warrior cheerfully joked, a chuckle rumbling in his chest. For being serious only a few moments previous, he knew he had quickly melted back into his always bubbly self, but what could he say? Being all brutish and stoic was no fun! "I don't go close to the borders that often, so that's probably why. I'm not the best fighter, and the idea of a border dispute between an enemy warrior doesn't seem very...pleasant. Which is why I try to avoid the chance of one at all costs, and what better way to do that then to not go anywhere near the border?" He fibbed, licking his paw pad, the hot ground having made it sore, and wincing. The lie was an easy one to make. The other tom would never think to question him about his fighting skills, he had no reason.

Nimblewhisker then let out an internal sigh of relief, knowing no one would ever know about his and Orangetail's little outings moons back. He had been so young and so dumb when they had first started them, and the very thought of how devastated and just plain destroyed he had been when he found out the short-tailed tom had gone missing was enough to make him want to start crying again. He had thought they'd have kits together, that they'd one day they'd live together in the same clan, that they grow old into grumpy old constantly complaining elders with each other by their side. But now none of that would ever happen...well with Orangetail at least.

[Mauve]

@Lonestar23

(I was eager to start and had a starter post worked up, so I figured I'd post this for whenever you can get around to it love ^^)

The sun has just began it's descent in the sky, golden rays shining across the moorland, when Jaypaw had slipped out of camp. He'd managed to be apart of the dawn patrol, participate in a mid-day hunting party, and meet his newly assigned mentor Moorfoot. But tonight, he had other plans. He'd promised a special feline that he would be here, at the border. His legs had practically sprinted him out of camp, the adrenaline and excitement pumping through his veins carrying him just as much as the air in his lungs did. He hadn't seen her since the Gathering, and even though it had only been a pawful of days, Jaypaw felt as though he'd waited moons. A grin broke out on his face now as he stood, breathless, on the border between their two Clans.

For a brief moment, the tom wondered if she would recognize him. He'd grown quite a bit in the last few days, his height sprouting him though his frame stayed lean and wiry - a signature that he was, indeed, half WindClan. Jaypaw was the age of a warrior now, but with difficulties in his training and Shiningfeather disappearing, it had been put off for awhile. He knew the feline he was meeting had already received her warrior name, and he couldn't wait to join her. I wonder if we would've received out names together if I had stayed in ThunderClan... he thought to himself, glancing around with flashing yellow eyes to try and catch sight of the light furred she-cat he was waiting for. His claws flexed in and out, creating scuff marks in the soil beneath them.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Mauve

@Lonestar23

(I was eager to start and had a starter post worked up, so I figured I'd post this for whenever you can get around to it love ^^)

The sun has just began it's descent in the sky, golden rays shining across the moorland, when Jaypaw had slipped out of camp. He'd managed to be apart of the dawn patrol, participate in a mid-day hunting party, and meet his newly assigned mentor Moorfoot. But tonight, he had other plans. He'd promised a special feline that he would be here, at the border. His legs had practically sprinted him out of camp, the adrenaline and excitement pumping through his veins carrying him just as much as the air in his lungs did. He hadn't seen her since the Gathering, and even though it had only been a pawful of days, Jaypaw felt as though he'd waited moons. A grin broke out on his face now as he stood, breathless, on the border between their two Clans.

For a brief moment, the tom wondered if she would recognize him. He'd grown quite a bit in the last few days, his height sprouting him though his frame stayed lean and wiry - a signature that he was, indeed, half WindClan. Jaypaw was the age of a warrior now, but with difficulties in his training and Shiningfeather disappearing, it had been put off for awhile. He knew the feline he was meeting had already received her warrior name, and he couldn't wait to join her. I wonder if we would've received out names together if I had stayed in ThunderClan... he thought to himself, glancing around with flashing yellow eyes to try and catch sight of the light furred she-cat he was waiting for. His claws flexed in and out, creating scuff marks in the soil beneath them.

It was so, so, so dumb for her to keep coming back to this border. The war between ThunderClan and WindClan was over, but Kestrelflight was still fairly petty over what had happened. She’d been injured, and she’d had to take it easy for a little while, and what made things worse was that her best friend had been on the opposite side. Her golden eyes blazed with anger as she approached the border, but… she was still hoping to see him. If Jaypaw was okay, then maybe she wouldn’t be as angry anymore. Somewhere in her calculated mind and grudging heart, there was a special spot for her WindClan companion. Slipping along the border, remaining low to the ground for the moment just in case any ThunderClanners were lurking alongside it, it didn’t take the she cat long to spot Jaypaw. He had… grown, quite a bit. He looked nice, she thought, but it was a grudging sort of thought - and in her opinion, just a fact.

”Hey there, furball.” She greeted him with a half-smile, her tail waving back and forth as she remained on her side of the border, her paws lined up with the edge of it, a sort of cautious light in her eyes as her whiskers quivered. Part of her wanted to lean over the border and lightly tap her nose to his cheek, or ear, as part of that greeting - when they were younger, and both had been in ThunderClan, Kestrelflight would have thought nothing of it. It was too bad that things were different now. That everything had to change because of some borders and the fact that both were older now. Nothing seemed innocent anymore, and Kestrelflight’s rank-change (not to mention ambition) had caused a few young toms to take notice of her. She wasn’t that interested, to be honest. It was hard to be interested in attention-seeking jerks, despite what other cats said about her.

”Did your get your warrior name yet, or are they still making you work for it?”

@Mauve

[Mauve]

@Lonestar23

As a familiar voice drifted through the air to his ears, Jaypaw felt a grin already sliding onto his face as he turned to see Kestrelflight. She was gracefully making her way towards the border, each step light like she was dancing. The young tom had a hard time looking away, and he felt something flicker deep inside his chest. A nervous sweat began to dampen the bottom of his paw pads and he lifted them one by one, shaking them off as subtly as he could. Wow... he thought, his smile growing wider as she called him a furball. "Hey yourself, fluff-foot," he purred in response, padding closer to the border. The ThunderClan scent rolled off of her fur in waves, and Jaypaw took a breath, letting the smell bring back old memories of chasing her around camp, or swatting a moss ball back and forth. Times when everything was much simpler, and there were no borders to separate them. It was a thought in the back of his mind, but right now with Kestrelflight standing before him, his head was a tad bit foggy in that area.

"They're practically making me run my paws off," Jaypaw joked back, lifting one of his forepaws and shaking it as if it was sore. He grimaced for good measure, before a laugh overtook him and shook his shoulders along with it. He didn't feel the need to be as sophisticated and composed as he did when he was in WindClan. Still smiling, he glanced over at Kestrelflight once more. "My mentor actually disappeared, Shiningfeather? We sent a search party, but her scent trail went cold..." His voice dipped a bit towards the end, and he forced himself to swallow a lump that had risen in his throat. He missed the kind and sweet feline, but after meeting Moorfoot he was hopeful that in a few days time his assessment would be given. "My new mentor is Moorfoot. Hopefully I'll be receiving my name soon. I'm twice as old as all the apprentices now, it's a little embarressing," the gray tom admitted, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. It wasn't that he was humiliated, per-say, but by now he should've received his warrior name. Being a 'paw still, especially when meeting the other Clans at Gatherings, wasn't exactly how he wanted things to go.

The thought came back again of how him and Kestrelflight could've been named as warriors together if he'd stayed in ThunderClan. As Jaypaw thought on this, he let his mind wander, eyes watching the molly. "Kinda makes me wish I hadn't let ThunderClan. I'd have been a warrior by at least a couple moons now if I had stayed," he joked, a trace of humor lining his words. There was an underlying taste of seriousness though, as if it was a thought he had actually considered. And it was - returning to ThunderClan. Not that things were getting hard in WindClan, but he missed ThunderClan at times. He missed sleeping in the forest, he missed his fellow denmates... Most of all, he missed Kestrelflight. Sure, there were a few older apprentices and younger warriors who'd began to hang around Jaypaw more, and he certainly enjoyed their company. But none of them were Kestrelflight.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Doodle

Grovepaw nodded quickly to show she understood, making a mental note for when the time of the Gathering came. When Monarchstep announced they were near the border, her green eyes darted to in front of them as she eagerly scanned around. She opened her mouth to scent the air and sure enough Windclan scent was heavy. "Windclan smells weird," she commented with a laugh, wrinkling her muzzle. Almost as weird as Riverclan did." She wanted to get closer, but she reminded herself that she was meant to be on her best behavior- running ahead of the warrior kind enough to bring her out here was not considered good behavior, not even by a long shot. "Do you think we'll run into a patrol?" The swirled molly perked her ears, listening for any pawsteps, but found none. Chances were a patrol had passed by not too long ago, and the two Thunderclan members had missed them.

He paused,” They aren’t guarding the border anymore, so if we did they’d simply be patroling the border and either would ignore us or would greet us and ask how Thunderclan is doing. If a cat asks how we are doing always say we’re doing good and the prey is plentiful, because if they hear we are weak, other clans might use it to their advantage. And atleast this border doesn’t stink of fish, just fresh air and rabbits.”

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Okapi

He paused,” They aren’t guarding the border anymore, so if we did they’d simply be patroling the border and either would ignore us or would greet us and ask how Thunderclan is doing. If a cat asks how we are doing always say we’re doing good and the prey is plentiful, because if they hear we are weak, other clans might use it to their advantage. And atleast this border doesn’t stink of fish, just fresh air and rabbits.”

"Okay, Monarchstep," Grovepaw spoke, storing the new bit of information into her brain. That made sense- if other clans thought Thunderclan was weak, they may use it as an opportunity to attack. She didn't want to be the cause of an attack, so this lesson was something she'd definitely remember. "Yeah, fish smell funny," the apprentice agreed and wrinkled her muzzle, remembering the smell of the Riverclan border. The molly inched forwards a bit, staring out at the Windclan moor- their territory was very different from the forested place she called her home. In fact, she wasn't sure if Windclan had any trees at all on their territory. Satisfied with the amount of time she got seeing their last enemy clan on their borders, Grovepaw turned to the warrior. "Are we going to go for battle training now?" the young molly asked eagerly.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Doodle

"Okay, Monarchstep," Grovepaw spoke, storing the new bit of information into her brain. That made sense- if other clans thought Thunderclan was weak, they may use it as an opportunity to attack. She didn't want to be the cause of an attack, so this lesson was something she'd definitely remember. "Yeah, fish smell funny," the apprentice agreed and wrinkled her muzzle, remembering the smell of the Riverclan border. The molly inched forwards a bit, staring out at the Windclan moor- their territory was very different from the forested place she called her home. In fact, she wasn't sure if Windclan had any trees at all on their territory. Satisfied with the amount of time she got seeing their last enemy clan on their borders, Grovepaw turned to the warrior. "Are we going to go for battle training now?" the young molly asked eagerly.

He purred lightly at Grovepaw’s ensusiasm and excitement,” Unless you are worn out from this I’m ready to head to the training cave.” He meowed, as he wasn’t her mentor, he would allow her to rest if she needed to. If she didn’t want to train, so be it. He only was a warrior not a mentor.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Okapi

He purred lightly at Grovepaw’s ensusiasm and excitement,” Unless you are worn out from this I’m ready to head to the training cave.” He meowed, as he wasn’t her mentor, he would allow her to rest if she needed to. If she didn’t want to train, so be it. He only was a warrior not a mentor.

Grovepaw didn't want to go back to camp, not when her and Monarchstep had practically just left. "I've got energy for days," the molly exclaimed with a small hop. "Let's go to the training cave! I haven't been there yet- in the past I've only really been trained by other mentors in the territory for hunting." She liked to say she had gotten pretty good at hunting in a fairly short amount of time. It was easy for the young molly to catch onto new teachings fairly quick, making for relatively easy practices. Of course, there was always something that would stump her from time to time, but so long as there was someone willing to explain it further to her she'd be fine.