WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Barnabas]

Originally Posted by Twilight01

"Tawnykit are you here?" cried Streamkit softly, she padded gently around her mother and father looking to see if her littermate was there. "Tawnykit?"
@Lefty the bear

Tawnykit sat in their nest, clawing up their nest in anger. The kit heard their sister, hiding away from her. 'Im not letting her come anywhere near me,' thought Tawnykit.

[wolfie]

Originally Posted by Opal

Gorsebird all but pushed the shrew away but, in the end, decided not to knowing that by now the tom was probably wearing very thin of her complaints. So she instead decided to do the do the exact opposite thinking it was about time she threw the tom a bone, "Stormy," She purred using a tone and nickname that she only used for 'special' occasions, "Will, you cuddle with me? I getting rather cold." Gorsebird battered her eyes a few times in the hope that it was alluring to the tom-cat.

The tom settled down next to her, resting his head on her back a little. Warming her up, he could feel his anger melt away. He didn't even care about the shrew. Stormglare was attracted to Gorsebird easily, making a quiet purring noise. "I love you." He finally said, resting his head beside her's. It was nice to just cuddle. Now, he wasn't a cat who was all for lovey dovey stuff. Getting tired by it easily. However if you don't give him too much and when you do, Stormglare perks up easily. His mood always lifted. "Sorry about this dump, again. Some mangy cats probably messed it up." He apologized again, wanting to get his point across that he was sorry. He close his eyes for a second, taking in the familiar scent and Gorsebird's. The comforting place. He reopened them after a minute later. Stormglare still loved this den.

[ imma head to bed, see ya ]

[NightWarrior4Life]

Originally Posted by Vortex

Phantom shook her head and looked down. “I love you too... but I can't stay. There's nowhere here for me anymore.
Not with the Syndicate gone. I don't have anywhere to stay, so I have to leave,” she murmured, looking back up at Shineflower. She frowned slightly at the other molly's words, head tilted to one side. “Why is it hard when you're with me?” she asked in confusion, feeling slightly hurt, but ignoring it. It didn't matter. Stepping forwards, she stood at Shineflower's side. “I'd give almost anything to stay, but.... It's not worth starving over,” she said quietly. There wasn't enough prey in the unclaimed territory, and she was always better at fighting than hunting.

"it's hard because I know that at the end of our chat, you have to go away. I'm constantly reminded of the days we first met when we were kits...I hate having it ripped away from me again and again." ShineFlower let herself relax and go limp. She flopped to the floor and closed her eyes. "It hurts." She croaked. Then after a few moments she pulled herself back up again. "You know what? I'll go out with you for a little while. Barely anyone will notice I'm gone. Hopefully when I get back everything is sorted and the fighting is over. Or maybe I'll come back just in time to help the fight. It doesn't matter, right now, I want to be with you. I want to make sure you're okay. Come on, if we go now it won't look suspicious."

[goddess of ducks]

The day was cool. The warrior could tell that Greenleaf had not quite set in yet, but there was a promise of it just over the horizon. His pale speckled fur rustled in the wind that blew across the moor. He glanced back at the camp, his orange hues sparkling. He then looked out over the territory, and stepped out. The new warrior took off at a slow run, racing over the grasslands. The long stalks whipped at his chest and he sped by. His tail streamed behind him as he raced through the territory. Aspenburr ran full out. He had no objective for the moment and needed a free run through the territory. Then he would figure out what he needed to do. Now that he was a warrior, he didn’t need the constant company of a mentor. He was his own cat. Well, he still served under the Clan, but he could earn more respect now as a warrior than he could as an apprentice. He knew it was set this way. He knew that as a warrior now he could prosper and try and work his way to the top. Sure he was a bit ambitious, especially for such a young warrior.

His flanks moved steadily as he lengthened his strides. He ran on, stretching his legs to reach for as much ground as he could cover. In his peripheral view, he spotted a rabbit. He flicked his ears in that direction and slowly turned his direction. He already had a good speed going, and being young he was full of stamina. He turned, locked onto the rabbit. He thundered closer, and before long the rabbit was alerted of his presence. The young hare took off, heading in the direction Aspen burr was hoping it would go. Aspen charged after it in pursuit. He chased the hare down, his speed not changing as he raced. He bounded forwards, trying to close the distance between himself and the prey.

Aspenburr seemed to be closing in, but he was running. He couldn’t entirely tell. For all he knew, it was just an illusion. He wanted to be closing in, so maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. Maybe he was falling behind. With that thought, Aspenburr growled. He breathed out heavily and kicked out hard, propelling himself further, faster. He looked ahead, they were heading for a small rise. With a quick scan of the hill, Aspen’s orange optics could pick out a faint hole. He quickly inferred that this was either a hiding spot or the rabbit’s burrow. Aspenburr kicked out hard, trying desperately to reach the rabbit before it got to the hole. But because he had been running since before he found the rabbit, he was getting winded. He could feel his legs growing tired from the high speed chase. He couldn’t make it. The hole was close now. It was now or never. Aspen tensed his muscles and sprang forwards, aiming his claws for the pelt of the rabbit. A claw caught in the fluff of its tail, but it wasn’t enough. The rabbit got away, and all Aspenburr was left with, was a small clump of white fuzz caught in his claw. The rabbit sprang away hastily and dived into its hiding hole.

[lone]

”We’ll probably start with ShadowClan’s. I think we’ll skip the ThunderClan border - there’s been some trouble there recently, and it’s probably not safe.” He answered, turning around to look at Russel while he spoke. As the younger cat approached, Obsidiansky winced - already able to see what was about to happen. And sure enough, Jitterpaw crashed headfirst into the larger tom. By some miracle she wasn’t hurt - and neither was he - but it still looked like it was uncomfortable. How energetic Jitterpaw was was astounding the dark tom. How could she have that much energy? Obsidiansky himself had a tendency to have seemingly endless energy sometimes - there were days when he did nothing but work, and then there were days when he was exhausted and did the minimum amount of work that he thought was still appropriate.

The warrior smiled at the younger she cat as she began asking questions, about to respond before Infernosky cut her off - and his smile faded. ”It’s really okay. She’s just curious - it’s a new place and there’s a lot to take in everywhere. C’mon, wouldn’t you have wanted to run around and explore if you were her age and in her place?” Obsidiansky asked with a half-teasing smirk, before it faded again and he looked away from the she cat. He’d almost felt like he was talking to Sagewhisker, or someone like that - he had forgotten it was best to take things slower. Just in case he did something that would cause a massive step back. Clearing his throat, he then went to address Jitterpaw, answering her questions -

”We’re going to a place that separates us from another Clan, so you need to be very careful… we’ll be there soon, it’s not too far now… hopefully we won’t have to do any fighting there, but if there is fighting, you should probably stay out of it - maybe you can learn some fighting techniques later. And that way is nothing but more of what you’ve been seeing.” He didn’t know what her last question would have been, so he felt satisfied with his answers - hopefully most of her curiosity had faded away with the way his answers had been phrased. A few moments of silence passed before he glanced over at Infernosky again, feeling a little guilty for teasing her - maybe that wasn’t something she liked, and he wouldn’t have wanted to mess things up. It was going really well - in his opinion, anyways.

”I, um… I wasn’t trying to be rude before. Just so you know.” He mewed, and then it was silent again. To his surprise, Infernosky answered his questions from before, when everything had died down, and he listened to the story she was telling. It was good - but also kind of sad. The former deputy must miss her leader, having worked alongside her and everything, and with them being so close… and she had just barely missed seeing Dapplestar again. ”Well… maybe you’ll meet someone like Dapplestar in the future. Or, someone who can do the same things you used to do with her - well - maybe a little different, unless it’s Blazingstar or Onyxwhisper, but…” His voice trailed off and he sighed. He knew it was difficult to truly replace someone - most of the time, no one could ever really be replaced. It was just an ongoing cycle of trying to find someone to fill a hole, tossing them aside when they didn’t work anymore, and moving on to find the next cat. He didn’t want to be used to fill a hole.

Because he knew all too well what could happen. Obsidiansky hoped that he would really get to be better friends with the outside trio - he wanted to learn more about all of them. What was Jitterpaw’s past, had something happened to her? How was she still so happy even after being in… well… what sounded like a horrible place? And Russel, what about him? The outside cats held a great deal of mystery to them, at least for Obsidiansky. He’d known them for a little while now - but it still felt so different. So… strange. He wasn’t used to these types of cats - Jitterpaw was probably the closest one to the friends he currently had. So of course, there were times when he wondered if he should be acting a little differently around them. But - for the most part - Obsidiansky tried to act the same. He didn’t want to be something that he wasn’t.

@InfernoFlicker

[lone]

It felt like Aspenpaw had been alone for a long time now. Tawnypaw had been nowhere around for quite some time - had she left WindClan? The tom didn’t know what could have happened to her, but whatever it was, he was still… alone. Moonpaw was dead. Just thinking the words hurt a little bit, and he was determined not to dwell on that - but that determination seemed to fade a little with every passing day. He needed company. Aspenpaw was a cat who thrived off of the companionship of one or two other cats, and his “other cats” had disappeared. Featherpaw was a good cat to talk to for a little while, but she just wasn’t the same… she was sweet, of course, but it was hard for Aspenpaw to really care about her in the same way. There was just a difference. He’d met a little kit a long time ago - Peachkit - but she hadn’t been around for very long either. Aspenpaw suspected she had died sometime after the Evil Era - maybe something had happened during it to cause that death. Either way, he was still alone. Especially right now, in the earlier hours of the morning, when there were only a few cats out in the clearing, and everyone was moving around talking in low voices to each other. There were a few other “stragglers” hanging out in the corners of the clearing, looking around with deadly glares or sitting with their heads down, or just observing, but Aspenpaw didn’t approach any of them. Maybe he was afraid to. Or maybe, for right now… he wanted to be alone. To have his self pity and to be able to think. He thought about leaving the Clan himself - most of his friends were gone, and his loyalty was fading, why would he stay here? Aspenpaw’s will to stay in WindClan was dying, just like his relationships were… and pretty soon, it would be gone altogether.

@chiaki

[Fel]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

It felt like Aspenpaw had been alone for a long time now. Tawnypaw had been nowhere around for quite some time - had she left WindClan? The tom didn’t know what could have happened to her, but whatever it was, he was still… alone. Moonpaw was dead. Just thinking the words hurt a little bit, and he was determined not to dwell on that - but that determination seemed to fade a little with every passing day. He needed company. Aspenpaw was a cat who thrived off of the companionship of one or two other cats, and his “other cats” had disappeared. Featherpaw was a good cat to talk to for a little while, but she just wasn’t the same… she was sweet, of course, but it was hard for Aspenpaw to really care about her in the same way. There was just a difference. He’d met a little kit a long time ago - Peachkit - but she hadn’t been around for very long either. Aspenpaw suspected she had died sometime after the Evil Era - maybe something had happened during it to cause that death. Either way, he was still alone. Especially right now, in the earlier hours of the morning, when there were only a few cats out in the clearing, and everyone was moving around talking in low voices to each other. There were a few other “stragglers” hanging out in the corners of the clearing, looking around with deadly glares or sitting with their heads down, or just observing, but Aspenpaw didn’t approach any of them. Maybe he was afraid to. Or maybe, for right now… he wanted to be alone. To have his self pity and to be able to think. He thought about leaving the Clan himself - most of his friends were gone, and his loyalty was fading, why would he stay here? Aspenpaw’s will to stay in WindClan was dying, just like his relationships were… and pretty soon, it would be gone altogether.

@chiaki

Tawnypaw was still around, but perhaps she was better off dead.

The she-cat had been doing nothing but mourn, mourning over a friend who was already dead and gone, who had gone through so much just to end up passing away at the flick of an ear. It was one of the most heartbreaking things she’d ever witnessed, and perhaps the entirety of the Evil Era couldn’t compare for the shattered feelings she held for Moonpaw. She was a miserable wreck, wasn’t she? Someone who could barely take care of herself, nor her friends or what seemed to be a broken, fractured family. Her best friend had been the closest thing to family he’d had. Slowly slinking out of the apprentice’s den with a grim expression on her face, the she-cat’s fur seemed matted and unkempt. She hadn't been taking care of herself, and the apprentice’s usually bright emerald eyes were dull with disappointment. Perhaps she should be feeling rage- rage with Surgestorm for not being able to save her, anger towards herself for not protecting her enough. But instead of feeling anything, there was simply a void where her heart used to be, an overwhelming feeling of emptiness which consumed the she-cat. Letting out a long, breathy sigh, she glanced around the clearing for a few moments, paws shakily traveling out of the den before she caught sight of a familiar face. Aspenpaw… someone she’d know. Someone Moonpaw had known. All Tawnypaw did was move to duck her head at the mere sight of him, face twisting into a frown as she dug her paws into the camp floor.

[lone]

Originally Posted by chiaki

Tawnypaw was still around, but perhaps she was better off dead.

The she-cat had been doing nothing but mourn, mourning over a friend who was already dead and gone, who had gone through so much just to end up passing away at the flick of an ear. It was one of the most heartbreaking things she’d ever witnessed, and perhaps the entirety of the Evil Era couldn’t compare for the shattered feelings she held for Moonpaw. She was a miserable wreck, wasn’t she? Someone who could barely take care of herself, nor her friends or what seemed to be a broken, fractured family. Her best friend had been the closest thing to family he’d had. Slowly slinking out of the apprentice’s den with a grim expression on her face, the she-cat’s fur seemed matted and unkempt. She hadn't been taking care of herself, and the apprentice’s usually bright emerald eyes were dull with disappointment. Perhaps she should be feeling rage- rage with Surgestorm for not being able to save her, anger towards herself for not protecting her enough. But instead of feeling anything, there was simply a void where her heart used to be, an overwhelming feeling of emptiness which consumed the she-cat. Letting out a long, breathy sigh, she glanced around the clearing for a few moments, paws shakily traveling out of the den before she caught sight of a familiar face. Aspenpaw… someone she’d know. Someone Moonpaw had known. All Tawnypaw did was move to duck her head at the mere sight of him, face twisting into a frown as she dug her paws into the camp floor.

Dulled green eyes glanced up at the sound of pawsteps coming from the apprentices den. Most other apprentices were sleeping (if they were lazy) or training - the clearing was filled with warriors at the moment, so who could this be? Aspenpaw’s gaze became a little more hopeful at the sight of Tawnypaw… but what was she doing here? Where had she been? ”Tawnypaw?” His voice was low, quiet, almost like he didn’t want her to hear him - but he did. He really wanted to talk to her, except he was afraid to. He knew she had been close to Moonpaw - he had often heard her speak of the other apprentice. Aspenpaw hadn’t been as close as Tawnypaw had to the other she cat, but he could see why she was spoken so highly of - she was a wonderful cat. [Or… she had been a wonderful cat. Aspenpaw hated death so much. He’d never thought that a cat he cared about so much would die so soon. She’d been way too young to die. Clearly StarClan hadn’t felt the same way, because they had taken her from the Clan. And, the fact that Tawnypaw was avoiding him now - or appeared to be trying to avoid him - wasn’t helping much. So Aspenpaw stayed where he was, unsure of whether or not he should approach the she cat. He didn’t know what to say to her to help, and he was afraid to so much as touch her - she clearly didn’t want him to. Maybe she was ashamed to look at him? It was doubtful - as far as Aspenpaw knew, he hadn’t done anything to make her upset. Grief was a funny emotion… it ripped you apart from the inside. Everyone had different ways of dealing with it. The tom wanted company, but he wasn’t as willing to work for it anymore - and Tawnypaw? She seemed to want nothing more than to be left alone.

[Mauve]

@king kaleb!

Pawsteps sounded by the camp entrance, and shortly after came Jaypaw. The young apprentice trotted into camp with a juicy looking finch that was rather big dangling from his jaws. He'd felt guilty after his meeting with Kestrelpaw, so close to the ThunderClan border, that he had decided to hunt. It was a rather dull prey day, with the cold winds chasing every scurrying creature to the safety of their burrows. No hares or rabbits had been present on the moors, and he considered it lucky to have caught this small bird before it too had taken fly and disappeared to StarClan knows where. The guilt didn't weigh on him as heavily as he deposited his contribution to the Clan on top of the prey pile. I am a good cat, he thought to himself firmly, his expression giving away none of his thoughts. I am loyal to WindClan, and my friendship with Kestrelpaw won't distract me from that.

It had only been a short while after the battle between the two Clans - a battle in which Jaypaw had stayed out of - and tensions were starting to reside. Each Clan was healing their wounds, and with WindClan taking the loosing end of the stick, it seemed his new home was also healing their pride. He was too afraid to approach any of the warriors to ask what exactly had happened in the battle for fear of getting any dirty looks or snarky comments. His father had been too busy to disturb, but Jaypaw had been glad to see that he was alright - after all, he had been the reason the young tom had joined WindClan in the first place. Glancing around now, things seemed rather peaceful, and Jaypaw relaxed a little. Part of him was glad that his absence hadn't been noticed; though his composure was surefire, he hated to lie to his Clanmates about where he spent his time.

[Tavvi]

Originally Posted by Spiral Whirl

The tom settled down next to her, resting his head on her back a little. Warming her up, he could feel his anger melt away. He didn't even care about the shrew. Stormglare was attracted to Gorsebird easily, making a quiet purring noise. "I love you." He finally said, resting his head beside her's. It was nice to just cuddle. Now, he wasn't a cat who was all for lovey dovey stuff. Getting tired by it easily. However if you don't give him too much and when you do, Stormglare perks up easily. His mood always lifted. "Sorry about this dump, again. Some mangy cats probably messed it up." He apologized again, wanting to get his point across that he was sorry. He close his eyes for a second, taking in the familiar scent and Gorsebird's. The comforting place. He reopened them after a minute later. Stormglare still loved this den.

[ imma head to bed, see ya ]

Gorsebird let out a gentle purr the warmth soothing her, "Stormy, I can't wait to have more kits with you. I hope we have a least one little tom-kit in our next litter. One that's strong, and charming and perfect like you~" She cooed, deciding that now was the time to pepper the tom with compliments.