SkyClan Territory

[Role]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Shinefang was out gathering herbs, grumbling at the slight chill in the air. Leaf fall was here, which meant leaf bare was going, which meant herbs would die, and food would grow scarce and cats would die. Shinefang never envied the Medicine Cats during leafbare. As a warrior, he may have had to scour the territory in search of food in the bitter cold, but they had to see cats die in their den. And now it was his turn. Shinefang knew he wouldn't be able to save every cat. He couldn't as a warrior either. Some cats who entered his den would die but never be the same. Shinefang was just examining a plant that he was fairly certain was yarrow, but it looked different here and fresh than in the den. Suddenly, a sound caught his attention and he listened. He turned around, his torn ears swiveling as he tried to determine where it came from. He was just about to chalk it up to his old senses playing tricks on him when he heard it again. This time, it was much more clear, and a definite call for help. He rushed in the direction of the noise, ignoring his protesting joints. He kept his senses open, and caught the tang of blood on the wind. That's what ultimately led him to the sight of the little shecat sitting on her haunches and holding out her paw at an odd angle. He approached, snapping a twig as he trod forward, his scarred up body, single-eye, and scarred muzzle twisted in an eternal half-grimace on full display. "What's all this then?"

It was then that the molly noticed the older tom. Her eyes flashed with alarm, but her gaze softened. He didn't look hostile. Oakpaw frowned, and let out a sigh. She knew she must admit to her disobedience and foolishness, but that was very hard. "I wandered past the border, found the Thunderpath, and a monster.." she summerized, ending as she trailed off. Oakpaw shuddered, and examined the much older tom. He looked as if he had lost many battles, but won some too. Old he may be, but determination was still shining on his features. That's when she realized this elder wasn't just any elder, he was a medicine cat. The brand new medicine cat of SkyClan. Her amber orbs traveled down her leg as another wave of pain made her tremble. She had accidentally placed it down, and blood began to seep through her fur. Oakpaw stooped to lick her twisted paw. It was too bloody, and the wounds couldn't be distinguished well. Wrinkling her nose at the metal tang, Oakpaw successfully cleaned her paw. "How bad is it? Can you see it?" Her tail lashed anxiously. "Will I become a warrior? Please, oh, please don't tell me I won't!"

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Role

It was then that the molly noticed the older tom. Her eyes flashed with alarm, but her gaze softened. He didn't look hostile. Oakpaw frowned, and let out a sigh. She knew she must admit to her disobedience and foolishness, but that was very hard. "I wandered past the border, found the Thunderpath, and a monster.." she summerized, ending as she trailed off. Oakpaw shuddered, and examined the much older tom. He looked as if he had lost many battles, but won some too. Old he may be, but determination was still shining on his features. That's when she realized this elder wasn't just any elder, he was a medicine cat. The brand new medicine cat of SkyClan. Her amber orbs traveled down her leg as another wave of pain made her tremble. She had accidentally placed it down, and blood began to seep through her fur. Oakpaw stooped to lick her twisted paw. It was too bloody, and the wounds couldn't be distinguished well. Wrinkling her nose at the metal tang, Oakpaw successfully cleaned her paw. "How bad is it? Can you see it?" Her tail lashed anxiously. "Will I become a warrior? Please, oh, please don't tell me I won't!"

Shinefang said nothing at first and padded closer to the apprentice. He came to sit in front of the younger cat and turned his head sideways to fix his gaze on the paw. The old tom knew right away that this injury was bad. Very bad. The paw appeared to have been partially crushed. Shinefang had still been a kit in the nursery when he'd seen a similar injury on a reckless warrior from a tangle with a monster. That warrior had joined the elders early. "It's hard for me to tell how bad it is out her. Let me get you back to my den. I'll be able to get a better look and get you some herbs there," the medicine cat said. Sinking to his belly with a grunt. "Go ahead and climb on my back. I don't want you walking on that paw," he ordered.

[Role]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Shinefang said nothing at first and padded closer to the apprentice. He came to sit in front of the younger cat and turned his head sideways to fix his gaze on the paw. The old tom knew right away that this injury was bad. Very bad. The paw appeared to have been partially crushed. Shinefang had still been a kit in the nursery when he'd seen a similar injury on a reckless warrior from a tangle with a monster. That warrior had joined the elders early. "It's hard for me to tell how bad it is out her. Let me get you back to my den. I'll be able to get a better look and get you some herbs there," the medicine cat said. Sinking to his belly with a grunt. "Go ahead and climb on my back. I don't want you walking on that paw," he ordered.

Oakpaw swallowed nervously as the older tom spoke. Then, she stood with a stumble. Her orbs examined Shinefang's back, searching for a good spot to climb. With a grunt of effort, the apprentice limped forward and slowly climbed onto his back. "Are you sure you can carry me?" Oakpaw knew that sounded blunt, but she was secretly concerned for the old tom's health and stability. Her tail twitched with worry. What would her mentor say? What would her family say? Would she be shamed for her foolishness? She knew that was an obvious yes. Disappointment would cloud everyone's gaze. A wave of sadness crashed over her. Would she be remembered for this forever? Would she ever be a warrior? Her gaze hardened as she repeated that last question in her head. Will I become a warrior?

[Charmer]

Originally Posted by Role

Oakpaw swallowed nervously as the older tom spoke. Then, she stood with a stumble. Her orbs examined Shinefang's back, searching for a good spot to climb. With a grunt of effort, the apprentice limped forward and slowly climbed onto his back. "Are you sure you can carry me?" Oakpaw knew that sounded blunt, but she was secretly concerned for the old tom's health and stability. Her tail twitched with worry. What would her mentor say? What would her family say? Would she be shamed for her foolishness? She knew that was an obvious yes. Disappointment would cloud everyone's gaze. A wave of sadness crashed over her. Would she be remembered for this forever? Would she ever be a warrior? Her gaze hardened as she repeated that last question in her head. Will I become a warrior?

Shinefang snorted as the apprentice climbed on his back. "Kit, if I couldn't carry you, I wouldn't have offered," he griped. When the younger cat was in place, he slowly began to stand straight, grunting with the effort, as his old muscles strained, a very clear popping sound erupted from his shoulder. "That's normal," he meowed dismissively, beginning to walk forward with Oakpaw on his back. It was slow going, as Shinefang had to be cautious of the terrain, and in all honestly, he was a bit too old to be carrying cats on his back like this. "You hurt your paw on the Thunderpath, you said?" he asked huffing with effort as he trekked, "That's a long way from here. What were you doing out that far?"

[Role]

Originally Posted by Charmer

Shinefang snorted as the apprentice climbed on his back. "Kit, if I couldn't carry you, I wouldn't have offered," he griped. When the younger cat was in place, he slowly began to stand straight, grunting with the effort, as his old muscles strained, a very clear popping sound erupted from his shoulder. "That's normal," he meowed dismissively, beginning to walk forward with Oakpaw on his back. It was slow going, as Shinefang had to be cautious of the terrain, and in all honestly, he was a bit too old to be carrying cats on his back like this. "You hurt your paw on the Thunderpath, you said?" he asked huffing with effort as he trekked, "That's a long way from here. What were you doing out that far?"

Oakpaw winced as the audible joint popping entered her ears. Is that what she would be like when she was old? After the few moments of silence, she nearly jumped as the old tom spoke again. She swallowed. This would be hard to explain. "My mentor.. they let me go hunting alone for the first time," she began slowly. "I was so excited I ran into the territory and right past the border. I was out of all Clan territories, and I felt free. So I kept walking and walking until I smelled the Thunderpath." Just thinking about the path made her shiver from head to tail. "Then the monster.. it ran off of the path," she finished, unable to go on without sobbing.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The whole story left the tom stunned. Of course, there had been trauma there - how could there not be? But he hadn't been expecting anything... anything even remotely close to this. This spot suddenly seemed to be covered in blood. His head swam. It was too much - there was so much going on here. Any normal cat would have gone by now. They couldn't deal with the sudden rush of information. It seemed as though everything became brighter to Palmettoleaf - the birds singing in the trees seemed to be singing a sadder song, and he could see feathers through the leaves... was hunting really appropriate now, though? The sun hurt his eyes, the light reflecting off the water and showing his reflection clearer. For the moment he hated the look of himself. All the tom wanted to do was close his eyes to the world around him and go. Go far, far away where no one would ever be able to find him or hurt him. But he needed to stay... for Marblestrike. She was depending on him, or so it seemed. She was almost depending on him, or so he thought.

If that were true - as long as that were true - then Palmettoleaf would stay. He couldn't walk away, not when she appeared to be so weak and frail and broken... he couldn't. It would be almost impossible for him. Because for one thing it wasn't in his nature, and for another, he just didn't see himself being able to leave someone in their time of need. The tom swallowed somewhat hard. It was difficult for him, seeing Marblestrike in this state. Just moments before she had been so much stronger. And reluctant to trust him. And now she had trusted him, and everything was falling to pieces. The tom flinched at the thought that this could be his fault. What had he done? How bad was he at making other cats feel comfortable? The smallest shudder split through his spine, but he stopped and tried to take a deep breath. It was okay. Everything was going to be okay... it was going to have to be okay... he couldn't have it not be. "I'm sorry." Oh way to go, Palmettoleaf! That's really going to comfort her! He thought angrily to himself, tail twitching against the cool stone of the rock, making a brushing noise that was continuous.

At the moment it seemed to be the only continuous thing. The only way this could possibly get worse was if Marblestrike confessed to killing someone, and that wasn't going to happen. No... Palmettoleaf knew that it couldn't possibly be true. He thought he might end up being the first cat that she killed, from the look on her face when he had first started pestering her about this, but he hoped she would be glad about it later. Having someone to tell your problems to, it... it would release them. "I know you don't think you are, but you're safe now, Marblestrike. I guarantee it. You have my word - nothing like that will ever happen again." And it wouldn't. He would make sure that nothing like that could happen again. He would never let it. Because, after all, the tom remembered being scared that he would lose his clanmates. Not being as close to family... it made it so that you counted on your clan for things. When you were scared, or hurt, or lost, you turned to your clanmates... not your family. And Palmettoleaf certainly had turned to his clanmates a lot. Now... it was his turn to help Marblestrike, whether she liked it or not. The tom curled his tail tightly around her as though shielding her from the sun, the water, the birds, whatever else she was afraid of.

The outside world. To keep her pain from entering again. Except he didn't have the power to do that, and if he did, he would have used it very long ago. Very long ago... indeed. See, Palmettoleaf wanted just one thing in life, and that was the safety and happiness of his clanmates. And unfortunately it seemed to be the thing that was in shortest supply. Everywhere he went, he could find at least one in two cats who had a problem that was related to safety or happiness.

And the others probably had problems relating to someone else's safety or happiness. The multicolored tom wrapped his tail tighter around her and sighed. There was nothing he could say that would make her believe the world was keeping an eye on her, that StarClan was going to protect her, that he was going to protect her no matter what. It was up to her to make this pain fade. She had to let go. She had to move on. But Palmettoleaf wasn't going to ask her to, he couldn't - he knew how hard this must be. So instead he moved further into her memories, invading her mind, but in the healthiest way possible. "Tell me more about Slip, okay? What was he like? What did he look like?" The tom asked. Yes, talking about someone was the easiest way to let them go. He knew her brother wouldn't want her to grieve for moons and moons like this... even though he didn't know the other tom personally.

No sibling would want theirs to be crying about something, they would want them to move on. To be strong. And as hard as it sounded, Palmettoleaf knew that Marblestrike had it in her. She was a strong cat - just looking at her, he knew that. It might be the most hollow kind of strength there was, but it was there. And that was important - it was important for her to remember that she was strong. But he stayed there, as her support. Marblestrike would be okay, he could feel it, as long as she had someone who was willing to be by her side. Something told the tom she hadn't recieved too much support lately. He was going to be there for her.

Even if he was a complete stranger, who she knew practically nothing about, he would be there for her. And as weird as that might seem... Palmettoleaf knew it was what she needed. "Or - you don't have to say anything. Just... let me stay with you." And the tom was half-expecting a snarky comment back. But he would fire one back at her, and show her that kindness was NOT always weakness. No matter what anyone thought. Oh sure, he knew what some cats said about being kind. They said it was a sign of weakness. That it was going to end up being your downfall. But, Palmettoleaf had found that kindness was a good thing. It created beauty - more perfect beauty then anything else, and that made him happy. Even from her pain, beauty would eventually come. It was just a matter of time. A matter of... very, very long time. "I'm glad you survived." And that was the absolute truth - he was glad that the she cat had survived. That she was still alive now. And that they were... friends. Or at least, on the road to it. Friends. Palmettoleaf smiled to himself as the word dwindled in his mind.

@Doodle

Marblestrike didn't like this silence. It made her nervous and on edge. Now that Palmettoleaf knew, would he act differently? What if he suddenly turned aggressive? A shudder went through Marble and she shifted herself away, becoming a little defensive. As soon as she heard his apology, she deflated from relief- he wasn't going to attack her for it. Even though he knew what happened, knew that she stood there and did nothing, he wasn't going to turn on her. Marble glanced nervously up at the tom, no more looking like the confident and snappy feline she normally was. Where was the cat she thought she was, anyways? It seemed as if she had up and walked away as soon as the she-cat started her retelling.

Safe? He was trying to tell her that she was safe now? The molly instantly shook her head; how could she be safe when her father was still out there? Who knew what he could have done in the time since she left. A pang of fear and regret hit her as it usually did when she thought about what her father could have done. Did her hurt her mother? Marble had left the same day as the fiasco, as soon as she had buried Slip- because, no matter how scared she had been, the molly would never have left a loved one without giving them the respect they deserved. Slip had been a good cat, and was barely more than a kit at the time. He deserved a nice burial. But afterwards, the young feline had wasted no time in running as far away from that 'home' as she could.

And now that she was gone, now that she had hoped she could leave it all behind her, everything stuck with Marble instead. How ironic was that? She feared her home, and yet she couldn't help but fantasize about all the good times her and Slip had spent together back as kits. What would she give up to get all that back? Everything; Marblestrike would give everything up if she could go back to having Slip as her brother, alive.

Marble felt Palmettoleaf's tail wrapping around her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Realizing she had been staring off blankly, she refocused her gaze on the tom. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on what was happening at the moment, she still felt dazed. And, before she knew it she would be back lost in her memories. Even now, a scream rung in her ears, causing the molly to wince. She refocused herself once more, paying close attention to the warrior's words. Slip? Marblestrike could practically feel her eyes glaze over once more as she thought over the questions given to her. Before she had a chance to reply, Palmettoleaf had continued talking and she missed the first part of what he said. What she did catch, however, was his plead- to stay with her. She felt her eyes mist with emotion and quickly looked down at the ground, ear flicking to acknowledge him when he spoke for a last time. "Sometimes, I'm happy I survived too," she uttered, vaguely aware of the depth of what she had said.

Suddenly feeling awkward for what she said, the molly cleared her throat and went back to the previous topic. She had never answered Palmettoleaf's questions about Slip. "Slip was... well, the best. My family thought he was skittish, and weak, but if they had given him a chance they would've seen he was so much more than that." The molly's voice was thick with emotion as she spoke. "He was funny, and had the most brilliant ideas! Well, at least game ideas." She gave a small laugh, but it felt hollow- forced. "He was very perceptive. To this day, he's the only cat who would be able to tell my thoughts just by looking at me- and he wouldn't even need to look at my face! Somehow, he just knew. He could tell I was upset, just back looking at me from behind even." Really, the young tom had known his sister so well. He had memorized every little unique thing she had about her- from how her paws shook the slightest bit when nervous, down to how her right ear would rotate back a bit when surprised. He could tell exactly what she was thinking. "It's too bad I couldn't always tell what he was thinking. Maybe then I'd have known all that was going on, and he wouldn't have yelled at Father..." And then, he'd still be alive. And she wouldn't be here in Skyclan, but back home with Slip, spending their days swimming and laughing.

Now, how Slip had looked? "His pelt made me think of fog- he had light gray markings on him, the same color as mine, that looked like mist. Mother said that's why she named him Slip. His eyes were strange- sometimes I'd swear they were a blue grey, and other times they'd look blue green." Slip's eyes were a bit like a blend of their parents'. Marble's mother had eyes like hers, blue and wide. Their father had bright green eyes. Thinking this, the molly glanced once more at Palmettoleaf and the eyes that had been catching her attention all day. Was that why she couldn't pull her gaze away when caught in them? Did the unconsciously make her think of her father? A small frown formed on her maw as she thought this over before realizing how she might look strange to Palmettoleaf, quickly pulling her gaze away then.

A small sigh left the molly as her gaze followed back upstream, in the direction of her home. She thought once more of how the rest of her family was doing. Oh, how much Marble wanted to go home and see them again- at least, her mother. And maybe her brothers; she still wasn't sure how she felt about them. Because of them, because of how their father had compared her better siblings to her and Slip, Slip was dead. Maybe if they had been loving towards the two of them things would have been different. Shaking her head, she tried to tell herself not to get caught up in the 'maybe's. She knew any cat would say she was only torturing herself with thinking how things could have wound up, but she couldn't seem to help herself. Marblestrike doubted there would be a day when she didn't imagine a different outcome. Because this sure wasn't the outcome she wanted. No, this was a nightmare to her- only it was true.

(I'm so sorry for how long this took!)

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

"What's the matter, gorgeous - don't you trust me?" Blazingcomet was a hard cat to say no to. He liked to push himself, and push others towards him. It was easy to believe that he really cared, that all he wanted was your well-being and safety, and most of the time - the orange tom did care. But right now he was just flirting to flirt. Just talking to talk. Words were words, nothing more... actions were what won everyone over. Except these words, the words he was using on Petal? Were almost working. They had been until she'd brought up a mate. "Alright, look. So things aren't exactly - worked out. But I'm sure you've had that happen, haven't you? I just have a feeling about you, pretty Petal - everything will work for the best. You'll see." A more optimistic note, but hey! It would work. If it worked, it worked.

Her ears flattened a bit at his question. Should she really trust a cat she just met? The last warrior she met wasn't too bad... so perhaps he isn't either. "O- Oh, of course I trust you!" she blurted out without thinking about it. However, she didn't flinch after the statement. Petal's ears just kept burning after the nickname too. Couldn't he give her a break from that feeling? "Yeah..." she started, averting her wide gaze to look into the territory a bit as she replied. "Yeah, I guess I can understand that. I just..." her gaze shifted back towards the handsome feline. No.. she wouldn't ruin this right now. She'd have to give him a chance at this point. "I guess I'll have to see what happens..." she spoke, her voice quieting towards the end. Shying away for a moment.

[Rivergold]

Originally Posted by Chameleon

Cucumberpickle followed.

(Whups)she leaped easily into the branches of a tree, disappearing among the leaves.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by Rivergold

(Whups)she leaped easily into the branches of a tree, disappearing among the leaves.

Cucumberpickled shoved under the branch and noisily heaved himself back up following.

[goddess of ducks]

The golden apprentice galloped through the territory, towards the small woods that they had. His long pelt longed for some shade, as it trapped in the heat and made him hot. He fluffed his pelt out, letting the cooler forest breeze run wild through his mangy pelt. He gave a relieved sigh and went along on his way. He traveled through the woods at a steady pace. His golden amber optics kept a look out for signs of prey or even intruders. He was closer to the Syndicate territory now and kept watch. It was a good thing he was or else he would have run straight into the tall Savannah tom that lingered in front of him. Duckpaw stopped, his muscles tensing and a cold chill coursed through his body. He knew this cat. He had heard stories of this cat. And even though the elders and warriors said he acted cowardly and ran away at the sign of danger, he knew this cat was a killer.
Singe frowned in disappointment at the cat. "Well, you're not who I was looking for." he meowed simply, his deep voice resonating through the quiet woods. "You don't happen to know a Cliffheart do you?" he asked curiously. Duckpaw shook his broad golden furred head. "Well, I can't have news spreading of my appearance here. Grousestar and Auroraflame don't exactly, like me." he said, a snarl curling on his lips as he pounce the large apprentice, quickly and easily dispatching him with a snap of the jaws.