Vinepaw lay restlessly in the clearing, the shadows of early dusk stretching long across the ground. His usually bright blue eyes were clouded with fatigue and worry. He shifted uneasily, trying to find a comfortable spot, but sleep eluded him.
The nightmares from the previous night had left him on edge. Images of dark, shadowy figures and foreboding, twisted landscapes haunted his thoughts, making it difficult to relax. Each rustle of the wind or distant sound seemed magnified, as if it were a threat lurking just beyond his sight.
He glanced around the camp, his senses heightened. The familiar sights of his Clanmates moving about and the soft murmur of their conversations did little to calm his anxious mind. Vinepaw’s whiskers twitched, and he gave a small sigh, trying to shake off the remnants of his dreams.
Determined not to let his fears show, he forced himself to appear calm, though the unease gnawed at him. He hoped that staying active and engaged with his Clanmates would distract him and bring him some semblance of peace before nightfall.
Birchpaw noticed an apprentice laying all by himself and he decided to go see if he was okay. He stopped in front of Vinepaw and shyly smiled and shuffled his paws.
"Hi.. um.. are you alright..? You were all alone over here so I thought I'd uhm.. come say hello."
Small, skinny, black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a mangled tail, a crooked jaw, and one blind eye.
Twistedpaw lay stretched across the clearing, mismatched eyes half-closed as the sun's warm rays sank into her matted pelt. She felt more comfortable than she had in a long while. Her fur was heavy with heat, each hair tinged with gold, and the lush green grass created a soft blanket beneath her. It was a beautiful day. The sky was pure and blue, not a single cloud drifting across it, and the air was filled with the scents of fresh growth. A gentle breeze caressed her. She purred softly, the sound slightly distorted by her crooked jaw. Due to the way her head rested against the ground, her jaw had slid a little to the side, her single oversized tooth glinting white against her black coat.
The small apprentice never would've thought she could be this content. So much pain and suffering had plagued her life, casting a dark cloud over her since birth. However, there were so many good things that the world had to offer. She couldn't spend every second of her existence stuck in the past. That didn't stop it from hurting sometimes, but today was too good a day to dwell on that. I'm doing so much better, she thought with a rush of pride. Here Twistedpaw was, right in the center of the clearing, not caring that cats would see how her crooked jaw went off to the side or how her mangled tail dipped and twisted all around her like a jagged branch. She didn't care that she was older than most apprentices or that her pelt was matted or that she was skinnier than normal. It was one of those rare good days where she didn't feel continually self-conscious or insecure.
However, a weak pang ran through her, temporarily breaching the perfect day. If only Brightpaw were here to see this... It would've been so nice to lay here with her foster sister and chat about the good times, enjoy the sun, maybe even share a piece of fresh-kill. Speaking of which, Twistedpaw was rather hungry. However, she always felt particularly insecure about eating in front of her Clanmates. Besides, she was so comfortable here, and she didn't want to move from her spot.
The black-and-light-gray apprentice shoved her grief and worry away. It was too nice a day to dwell on what wasn't here, on what hurt or made her uncomfortable. She should just enjoy this.
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Some of my characters think or act in ways I disagree with. Please understand that I do not support or condone these thoughts or actions.
Crowfeather
he/him || tall, black lanky tom with a white marking on
his forehead & bright amber eyes || 13 moons || no Purrks
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Crowfeather was enjoying the day, it was incredibly pretty and oh how he loved the sound of birds chirping. He had a great smile on his face as he trotted in the clearing. He spotted a she-cat that caught his eye. She was a sight to see, for sure, but she wasn’t ugly, not at all. At least not in his eyes. This must be the older apprentice he hear about, he wonders why she’s still an apprentice. He decides to start a conversation with her. He walks right on over. “Hello there, the name’s Crowfeather. What’s your name?” He introduced himself in a playful manner, as he always did.
Small, skinny, black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a mangled tail, a crooked jaw, and one blind eye.
Footsteps headed in her direction made Twistedpaw's single tiny ear prick. She forced her sleepy lids open and found the warrior Crowfeather standing over her. She didn't know him very well, but she was getting more comfortable around her Clanmates, so she didn't feel the familiar twinge of self-consciousness. Don't assume others think badly of you unless they give you a good reason. And Crowfeather didn't look judgmental at all. His bright amber eyes, glowing like twin suns against his black pelt, were friendly, and a playful smile danced on his white-marked face.
Twistedpaw lifted her round black head and used a paw to adjust her jaw into a better position. Her bulging light gray tail-tip twitched. "Hello," she meowed. Her voice was a little distorted, as usual, but it sounded much clearer than it did in the colder moons. The warmer and drier it was, the better. "I'm Twistedpaw." She was a little surprised that he didn't know. Everyone knew each other by name, and she'd become more popular than she would've liked, what with the RiverClan patrol attacking her and Wolffang's death... though he could be a little forgetful, or perhaps just be asking to be polite. There were so many cats in WindClan, it wasn't easy to remember all the names! And asking for names was a simple pleasantry.
She was definitely overthinking this. It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, so she tried to find a way to continue the conversation. "You can sit here if you'd like," she offered. It was a little awkward, seeing this full-grown warrior who was younger than her, but she pushed the feeling aside. Once again, it was too nice a day for such worries. She was simply enjoying the sun and her Clanmate's company. "How are you today? It's very nice out." Almost immediately after the words left her mouth, her stomach growled. Twistedpaw tried not to feel embarrassed. Every cat got hungry... but, even though Crowfeather seemed nice and she didn't want to feel uncomfortable around a friendly Clanmate, she wasn't ready to eat in front of someone she didn't know very well.
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Some of my characters think or act in ways I disagree with. Please understand that I do not support or condone these thoughts or actions.
Crowfeather
he/him || tall, black lanky tom with a white marking on
his forehead & bright amber eyes || 13 moons || no Purrks
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Crowfeather’s smile didn’t falter as he sat next to her. “Ohh, yes! I remember your name now, i’ve heard about you around the clan. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.” He said in quite the positive manner. “I’m quite curious though…May I ask why you have not been made a warrior quite yet?” He questioned but there was no apparent judgment on his face, he was genuinely curious.
Vinepaw looked up from where he was sitting, his tail curled around his paws. The shadows from his recent nightmares seemed to linger at the edges of his vision, making it hard to fully focus. He blinked and noticed Birchpaw approaching.
“Oh, hi, Birchpaw,” Vinepaw said, trying to muster a friendly tone despite his lingering unease. He gave a small, grateful smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m okay, just needed a bit of quiet time. Training’s been a bit overwhelming lately.”
He shifted slightly, offering Birchpaw a more welcoming posture. “Thanks for checking in. It’s nice of you to come over. How’s your training going?”
Small, skinny, black she-cat with a light gray belly and tail-tip, a mangled tail, a crooked jaw, and one blind eye.
Twistedpaw waited for Crowfeather to settle himself on the warm grass. Even though she was older than him, they were both fully grown, and he was quite taller than she. Twistedpaw had always been a small cat, but it still felt a little strange, especially since she had seen more moons. Still, it hardly bothered her. The beautiful day and Crowfeather's smile kept her content.
He's heard about me... Not surprising, considering everything. She couldn't help but search his face for any signs of judgment. She knew she shouldn't assume, but it was difficult not to. What if they've been saying bad things about me? However, Crowfeather thought it was nice to meet her, which meant it wasn't anything awful. A warm feeling blossomed in Twistedpaw's chest, and she smiled - as best she could with a crooked jaw, anyway. It was always a bit lopsided, but no cat could doubt its authenticity.
However, his next question made the smile fade. Twistedpaw had had a feeling that it would come up. After all, an 18-moon-apprentice wasn't common. She glanced up at the clear blue sky. How was she supposed to phrase this? It's such a nice day... She wasn't sure she wanted to get into all of the terrible things that had delayed her. And yet... talking about them with others was therapeutic, almost. It helped explain herself and connected her to her Clanmates. Some cats didn't like having things dumped on them, though. Especially not on such a nice day. She'd hoped that today could be a bit of an escape, but these things never left her. They were a part of her. They didn't control her, but they shaped her.
And talking to a Clanmate she didn't know about these things... it built a sense of community. A sense of trust.
Crowfeather was nice. She was sure he wouldn't judge her.
Twistedpaw looked back at the tall warrior. She was still a little dazzled from staring up at the sky. His black fur turned him into a silhouette as the sun shone upon him, masking his features, but a few blinks helped her see clearly again. She took a deep breath, the air whistling over her oversized tooth.
"Well... my mother, Willowsky, hated me. She didn't want to be an apprentice. So, on the day of my ceremony, she attacked me." The scars on her sides and the back of her neck seemed to burn. "You would've been a young kit... I doubt you'd remember. She was exiled. But, for a long time, I believed what she said about me. I thought I was horrible, that I was only hurting other cats. It took a long time for my mentor, Batglare, to convince me that that wasn't the case. I was able to train properly once I was doing better. It took a while to get things down due to my deformities. Then I was attacked by the RiverClan patrol, which set me back again."
Twistedpaw shuffled her paws. They stood out starkly against the green grass. The rustling noise helped calm her a little. This really isn't what I wanted to talk about today... But Crowfeather had asked, so she'd felt obligated to answer. Besides, everything that had happened was a part of her. It hurt... but she didn't want to hide from it.
Even if she would've preferred a bit of peace on such a nice day.
__________________
Some of my characters think or act in ways I disagree with. Please understand that I do not support or condone these thoughts or actions.
Crowfeather
he/him || tall, black lanky tom with a white marking on
his forehead & bright amber eyes || 13 moons || no Purrks
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Crowfeather’s smile faded as he heard her story. That’s terrible! How could a mother do that to her own kit? He thought. It’s not like he remembered his own parents but he knew that wasn’t right.“You know… Whatever she said, it isn’t true. What the patrol did to you was terrible but that doesn’t take away from your beauty. It makes you unique.” He told in a way he hoped would encourage her, especially since hearing that what the patrol did set her back. “I’d love to be friends, if that’s alright with you.” He smiled softly, it’d be great for them to be friends since he was sure she’d join the warriors soon.
Re: WindClan Clearing
