It was both nice and not nice to know Crowtooth wasnt alone in his issues and irritation with the cats in question. He wasnt having individual issues with clanmates so it wasnt a him issue but that also meant that others like Lightningstorm and Twilightstar were having to deal with it too. Ugh, the catch 22 of not being the 'issue' of the situation.
Still all solutions sounded reasonable so, hearing something he probably should deal with going on in the clearing behind him, Crowtooth rose, rasping out a "Sounds good. If ya need help Im here so just call me over. An' good luck wit' all o' those situations, stars blessin's we get a break after this."
Though knowing their track record this would not be the case. So, report done, the tom gave a final nod and wave and bounded off to deal with whatever he was overhearing.
(forgot about this rp until I went to starter the new one oops)
When the newly made deputy (and that was still a shock of its own right there) approached the leaders den he was ready this time. Crowtooth would not be defeated by a stupid scramble again. He would not give Twilightstar a reason to thwap him again. He would spend a good 10 minutes dragging a rock over to the base of the den to use as a stepstool to get into the den.
Still wasnt an easy task for a tom with no hops, and the scrambling of his claws could be heard against the wood as he hauled his bulky body inside, but it worked.
Exhausted from the task and perhaps still a bit heart weary from the losses of the last moon the tom shuffled over, gently resting a head on Twilightstars flank as his breath evened. The leader was.... oddly more plump then her perhaps too skinny form leaned to but that was a good thing right? Crowtooth always thought she needed to eat more anyways.
Still he wasnt just in here to relax, though if permitted he might nap here with her after, to get some of the rest the two high ranks no doubt needed. So, clearing his throat the tom began reporting in the calm tone that belayed the lack of true concern in what the latest patrols had turned up.
"Ive started issuin' demotions fer failin' ta do patrols or make up patrols. Tallgrass, Lionpuff, Mallowflash, Loudwhisker, Amberbone and Opossumbug all are bein' demoted, though all but Amberpaw an' Opossumpaw have gone missin' after I handed down the sentence." A frustrated sigh at that. Was it a mistake, cats wandering off as it tended to be so often? Or were cats going to be skipping out on windclan now that they were cracking down on those who didnt contribute. The later idea was a frustrating one, one Crowtooth did not want to consider but it bore keeping in mind for the future.
Though it was only part of the report really.
"Rest o' thin's went well though somethin' interestin' happened at the border. When we checked sedgewater there were no signs o' riverclan but headin' over ta thunderclan afterwards I chatted ta a thunderclan warrior who said otherwise.
Apparently the fish are back an' heavily marked their border wit' thunderclan, somethin' I found right suspicious. Wondered if they were plannin' somethin' hopin' ta fool us that they werent here but I checked sedgewater again next day ta look closer an' bam! They'd scented their border like normal so Ive no rightly clue what that means.
Just somethin' ta note I suppose."
Crowtooth wasnt at the point where he could glean intent of the other clans by their strange unexplained actions but maybe Twilightstar was. Either way they'd know soon enough, the next gathering had to be coming up right?
"The squirrel was friendly though. Think if trouble does start an' we dont wanna tempt fate again wit' the rat queen the bee queen might be an option. Itsa hypothetical right now though."
This was a den. A den which was not hers. But it smelled like it. Kind of. It smelled like… like… some of the big cats in the Nursery, but Strawberrykit couldn’t put a paw on it. Did she need to, though? Someone else could do it for her, after all.
Poking her head into the den at first — and then wandering inside without seeking further permission when she noted it to be empty (in her very obviously wonderfully keen opinion; note the sarcasm), the one-moon old shuffled around, poking and prodding at random things.
After a few minutes of doing such, the speckled kitten got bored of her exploring and turned right around, heading back for the exit. Nothing interesting in here for her baby sister, anyway. Oooh look, a pebble! Gift for Seedkit.
Pebble clutched in her maw, the little thief had been about to waddle back towards the exit, intent to make her escape with her haul, when the large nest caught her attention. Pivoting and walking back over, Strawberrykit set the pebble down in it and tilted her head, tiny brain thinking.
This nest smelled like it should go in the Nursery. Bigger gift. Tadaaa. Sharp, tiny fangs latching onto the nest, Strawberrykit attempted to heave it backward with her. All she ended up achieving was landing on her rump with a small oomph. That was okay. Time for take two. Which included trying to drag the nest again.
@Moonraven - Twilightstar | @Alchemist Kitsune - Lightingstorm
He sprang up and landed soundlessly in his mother's den. He didn't check to see if Lightningstorm was following or not. As soon as he spotted his mother's familiar pelt in her nest, Leechscar wasted no time.
"Twilightstar, can we please demote Fadingdawn now? I tolerated her stupidity the last time because you said so, but she's becoming unbelievably arrogant and I think it's rubbing off on her apprentice." Leechscar moved a bit further into the den to make room for Lightingstorm when he heard her behind him. The medicine cat could go into the finer details regarding Fadingdawn, Leechscar was simply here to vent. He'd see about using a more reasonable argument if Twilightstar remained unmoved after hearing from both him and Lightingstorm.
"Only moments ago I was cautioning her against taking over a patrol that Badgerbait assigned Willowpaw to take care of and she acted like a complete kit about it. Bringing up nonsense that had nothing to do with what I was talking about, and disrespecting me. She keeps butting her nose into everything when it has nothing to do with her, tries controlling everyone regardless of their rank, and acts like she knows everything even when she's giving the wrong information or making stuff up." Leechscar lashed his tail as he complained.
"She needs to be humbled before she turns into a second Flowerpaw. She also needs to be retrained on the warrior code and the territory. I can only imagine what stupid things she's teaching apprentices. Fadingdawn keeps calling everything she's doing help, but what she's been doing is causing problems and drama." Leechscar didn't know who trained the she-cat, but obviously, they were too nice to her. Her ego was the size of RiverClan.
__________________
siggy art by redshiftreign
Dawnstar is the leader of ShadowClan and her kits currently reside in her den, enter and she may maim or kill you. She has a closed den policy. ShadowClan Resources ||| Dawnstar ||| ||| Kit Curriculum Finder
EGRETKIT she/her . 1 moon . dark brown and lilac tabby with dappling with cream markings and blue eyes
[ no purrks ]
egretkit pokes her head in the den, taking in the large interior. her jaw drops, mouth forming a small 'o' shape. this is miss twillystar's den! it's ginormous!! huge!! why does she needs such a big den if she's just one cat? she has no idea. she thinks, maybe, twillystar has cuddle parties in her nest because that, too, is super big. super soft looking, too. she wants to lay in it!
only, there's one problem. she spots a pelt in the nest, which she's pretty sure is miss twillystar. the leader seems very nice though, so she reasons that the molly won't mind sharing. so, she scampers further into the den while giggling.
"hi, miss twillystar!!" she chirps. "your nest looks super duper soft! I'ma get in it!" she announces, immediately attempting to clamber into the nest after doing so - completely unaware that twilightstar might not want a random kit in her nest.
This was a den. A den which was not hers. But it smelled like it. Kind of. It smelled like… like… some of the big cats in the Nursery, but Strawberrykit couldn’t put a paw on it. Did she need to, though? Someone else could do it for her, after all.
Poking her head into the den at first — and then wandering inside without seeking further permission when she noted it to be empty (in her very obviously wonderfully keen opinion; note the sarcasm), the one-moon old shuffled around, poking and prodding at random things.
After a few minutes of doing such, the speckled kitten got bored of her exploring and turned right around, heading back for the exit. Nothing interesting in here for her baby sister, anyway. Oooh look, a pebble! Gift for Seedkit.
Pebble clutched in her maw, the little thief had been about to waddle back towards the exit, intent to make her escape with her haul, when the large nest caught her attention. Pivoting and walking back over, Strawberrykit set the pebble down in it and tilted her head, tiny brain thinking.
This nest smelled like it should go in the Nursery. Bigger gift. Tadaaa. Sharp, tiny fangs latching onto the nest, Strawberrykit attempted to heave it backward with her. All she ended up achieving was landing on her rump with a small oomph. That was okay. Time for take two. Which included trying to drag the nest again.
Whether she was stopped or not was the question.
[Whistlekit] Kit|2 moons|Windclan
· · ─────── ·· ─────── · ·
What was that? A kit? What was she doing wandering outside the nests of the bigger cats? How fun. Whistlekit shakes her brother, but he doesn't reply. He's resting, napping, and just wouldn't wake up.
Whistlekit ignores him. It wouldn't be her fault if he missed out on the fun, she thinks sourly, stretching her limbs in excitement. But maybe this was actually a good thing. Her brother being her brother, he would immediately rat them out on the queens, which would be boring.
Whistlekit quietly follows the kit and waits until they're clearly inside and dragging the nest before she reveals herself and meows playfully to Strawberrykit, "What's your name, and what are you doing?"
Last edited by Badwolf; September 1st, 2024 at 12:00 AM.
Heathernose took a heartbeat to steady her breathing before entering Twilightstar’s den, dipping her head respectfully. “Lionscar and I are expecting kits.” She meowed coolly, though her vibrating whiskers and quiet purr betrayed her excitement. “I know that I’ll need to move to the nursery with the queens, so that’s partly why I’m here.” She continued. “But I also was hoping to try and finish out Snowpaw’s remaining training, and hunt for the clan as long as possible…”
She hoped that Twilightstar would understand that she wasn’t trying to be reckless, she just didn’t want to let Snowpaw and wasn’t used to being idle. Her paws itched to keep her routine of running in the morning and hunting for her clan, it was what she loved to do. But I also don’t want to risk my kits…so I’ll accept whatever Twilightstar says. She knew she’d have little choice in the matter.
“Snowpaw is really very gifted at combat.” She mewed, random yes but she was quite proud to be the mentor to such a gifted young talent. And she would have liked to have been her last mentor. But that’s not why you came here. She restrained herself from shaking herself, but refocused. Not knowing what else there was to say, she looked at Twilightstar with expectant eyes.
"Congratulations." Twilightstar purred in reply. She was a little surprised that Heathernose was eager to finish Snowpaw's training while pregnant, if that is what she truly wanted, but still.
"If you want to continue training Snowpaw, that's your choice. However, I do think you should settle in the nursery sooner rather than later. I am happy to hear you are so devoted to your apprentice, but you have more than her to worry about. Another warrior can continue Snowpaw's training, what you've already taught her won't be forgotten." She assured, knowing the she-cat took great pride in the apprentice. Motherhood was quite a blessing, few cats get to experience it more than once. She trusts Heathernose to know her limitations but if something happened to her kits...
It was both nice and not nice to know Crowtooth wasnt alone in his issues and irritation with the cats in question. He wasnt having individual issues with clanmates so it wasnt a him issue but that also meant that others like Lightningstorm and Twilightstar were having to deal with it too. Ugh, the catch 22 of not being the 'issue' of the situation.
Still all solutions sounded reasonable so, hearing something he probably should deal with going on in the clearing behind him, Crowtooth rose, rasping out a "Sounds good. If ya need help Im here so just call me over. An' good luck wit' all o' those situations, stars blessin's we get a break after this."
Though knowing their track record this would not be the case. So, report done, the tom gave a final nod and wave and bounded off to deal with whatever he was overhearing.
(forgot about this rp until I went to starter the new one oops)
When the newly made deputy (and that was still a shock of its own right there) approached the leaders den he was ready this time. Crowtooth would not be defeated by a stupid scramble again. He would not give Twilightstar a reason to thwap him again. He would spend a good 10 minutes dragging a rock over to the base of the den to use as a stepstool to get into the den.
Still wasnt an easy task for a tom with no hops, and the scrambling of his claws could be heard against the wood as he hauled his bulky body inside, but it worked.
Exhausted from the task and perhaps still a bit heart weary from the losses of the last moon the tom shuffled over, gently resting a head on Twilightstars flank as his breath evened. The leader was.... oddly more plump then her perhaps too skinny form leaned to but that was a good thing right? Crowtooth always thought she needed to eat more anyways.
Still he wasnt just in here to relax, though if permitted he might nap here with her after, to get some of the rest the two high ranks no doubt needed. So, clearing his throat the tom began reporting in the calm tone that belayed the lack of true concern in what the latest patrols had turned up.
"Ive started issuin' demotions fer failin' ta do patrols or make up patrols. Tallgrass, Lionpuff, Mallowflash, Loudwhisker, Amberbone and Opossumbug all are bein' demoted, though all but Amberpaw an' Opossumpaw have gone missin' after I handed down the sentence." A frustrated sigh at that. Was it a mistake, cats wandering off as it tended to be so often? Or were cats going to be skipping out on windclan now that they were cracking down on those who didnt contribute. The later idea was a frustrating one, one Crowtooth did not want to consider but it bore keeping in mind for the future.
Though it was only part of the report really.
"Rest o' thin's went well though somethin' interestin' happened at the border. When we checked sedgewater there were no signs o' riverclan but headin' over ta thunderclan afterwards I chatted ta a thunderclan warrior who said otherwise.
Apparently the fish are back an' heavily marked their border wit' thunderclan, somethin' I found right suspicious. Wondered if they were plannin' somethin' hopin' ta fool us that they werent here but I checked sedgewater again next day ta look closer an' bam! They'd scented their border like normal so Ive no rightly clue what that means.
Just somethin' ta note I suppose."
Crowtooth wasnt at the point where he could glean intent of the other clans by their strange unexplained actions but maybe Twilightstar was. Either way they'd know soon enough, the next gathering had to be coming up right?
"The squirrel was friendly though. Think if trouble does start an' we dont wanna tempt fate again wit' the rat queen the bee queen might be an option. Itsa hypothetical right now though."
It was hard not to know when Crowtooth was coming to her den. He was always so loud. Usually, she'd peek her head out and see what he was up to while trying to get into her den. However, she wasn't in the most festive of moods, and trying to muster one seemed more trouble than it was worth.
So she listened and waited, grooming herself until the tom somehow managed to scramble into her den. Her deputy. The very thought made her insides twist with apprehension. Much like Batglare, Crowtooth never aspired to be anything more than what he was. The pair were like sturdy reliable stones, perfectly content with their places in the clan and always there to help carry the weight of responsibility.
So him becoming a deputy let alone hers, she was certain had never been in his plans. But here he was doing what he could for everyone whether he wanted it or not for the good of the clan. Haha, that sounded a lot like the start of her story. Never desired her rank or responsibility she fulfilled a dream that wasn't her own. It made her feel quite bitter and guilty about not wanting him.
The molly drags her tongue along the tom's tatter ears after he rest his broad head on her flank. These past moons have been exhausting everything, mentally, physically, emotionally. She soaked in what little comfort their presents brought each other and sighed softly as he began explaining what brought him here.
"That's a lot of demotion and failures. It seems the lack of crises has gotten too many slacking again." She replied evenly. "We'll have to set stricter punishments if this continues." Twilightstar has been far too lenient. If cats don't start doing their duties she didn't want them in WindClan.
"So they are back." Her ears stand straight at the news of RiverClan's return. "I'll have to let the clan know and inform them that they are not to wander around the Valley alone. I can't rightly say what they're up to with the borders. Either their clan is still in disarray and thus it's taking time to mark the borders or failing too, or they deemed ThunderClan the biggest threat out of the three us of and wanted to let them know first they were back. Or, it could do with the territory that ThunderClan took back while RiverClan was gone." She speculated aloud.
Twilightstar hadn't wanted anything from the filthy minnows, and she wasn't sure why ShadowClan hadn't taken any territory for themselves, but regardless RiverClan had somewhat of a reason to mark ThunderClan's border more heavily than the rest.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it, trying to understand Riverrats won't do you any good. I am glad to hear that ThunderClan is being friendly enough to warn us. We'll have to make an effort to keep a neutral stance with both ThunderClan and ShadowClan more than ever since RiverClan is back. I don't trust any of them, but ShadowClan and ThunderClan have proven to be better company than RiverClan over the past moons. We should remain on as good terms as possible with them."
Twilightstar didn't want to blantely make friends with ShadowClan and ThunderClan, however, she didn't want anyone going out of their ways to make enemies either. They'd hold up their end of the truce with RiverClan so long as they didn't cause any trouble neither would they.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose
She/Her | Post Count: 14/10
This was a den. A den which was not hers. But it smelled like it. Kind of. It smelled like… like… some of the big cats in the Nursery, but Strawberrykit couldn’t put a paw on it. Did she need to, though? Someone else could do it for her, after all.
Poking her head into the den at first — and then wandering inside without seeking further permission when she noted it to be empty (in her very obviously wonderfully keen opinion; note the sarcasm), the one-moon old shuffled around, poking and prodding at random things.
After a few minutes of doing such, the speckled kitten got bored of her exploring and turned right around, heading back for the exit. Nothing interesting in here for her baby sister, anyway. Oooh look, a pebble! Gift for Seedkit.
Pebble clutched in her maw, the little thief had been about to waddle back towards the exit, intent to make her escape with her haul, when the large nest caught her attention. Pivoting and walking back over, Strawberrykit set the pebble down in it and tilted her head, tiny brain thinking.
This nest smelled like it should go in the Nursery. Bigger gift. Tadaaa. Sharp, tiny fangs latching onto the nest, Strawberrykit attempted to heave it backward with her. All she ended up achieving was landing on her rump with a small oomph. That was okay. Time for take two. Which included trying to drag the nest again.
Whether she was stopped or not was the question.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Badwolf
[Whistlekit] Kit|2 moons|Windclan
· · ─────── ·· ─────── · ·
What was that? A kit? What was she doing wandering outside the nests of the bigger cats? How fun. Whistlekit shakes her brother, but he doesn't reply. He's resting, napping, and just wouldn't wake up.
Whistlekit ignores him. It wouldn't be her fault if he missed out on the fun, she thinks sourly, stretching her limbs in excitement. But maybe this was actually a good thing. Her brother being her brother, he would immediately rat them out on the queens, which would be boring.
Whistlekit quietly follows the kit and waits until they're clearly inside and dragging the nest before she reveals herself and meows playfully to Strawberrykit, "What's your name, and what are you doing?"
She had been out disposing of her latest meal. The leader's been eating more than usual since she was eating for more than one. Twilightstar returned to the Galewood and leaped silently into her den. Her single eye was greeted by the strangest sight. Why? The WindClan leader returned to her den and stared at the two kits inside. Her things were not where they were last stationed. She sat and watched as the pair of kits struggled to move her nest. She hadn't the faintest clue where they were going with it.
"Um, excuse you, little thieves. What are you doing here and stealing your clan leader's nest?" She quired utterly baffled by the sight. Twilightstar's seen a lot, but kitten thieves was a new one. The fluffy one she knew was one of Snowybreeze's babies. She's been hearing that his kits like to bite, a strange rumor, but she kept her tail close. Whistlekit, she's heard was a mischievous maker. If she wasn't causing trouble she was finding it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by furrensic
EGRETKIT she/her . 1 moon . dark brown and lilac tabby with dappling with cream markings and blue eyes
[ no purrks ]
egretkit pokes her head in the den, taking in the large interior. her jaw drops, mouth forming a small 'o' shape. this is miss twillystar's den! it's ginormous!! huge!! why does she needs such a big den if she's just one cat? she has no idea. she thinks, maybe, twillystar has cuddle parties in her nest because that, too, is super big. super soft looking, too. she wants to lay in it!
only, there's one problem. she spots a pelt in the nest, which she's pretty sure is miss twillystar. the leader seems very nice though, so she reasons that the molly won't mind sharing. so, she scampers further into the den while giggling.
"hi, miss twillystar!!" she chirps. "your nest looks super duper soft! I'ma get in it!" she announces, immediately attempting to clamber into the nest after doing so - completely unaware that twilightstar might not want a random kit in her nest.
She had been resting on her side with her tail coiled protectively around her belly, her dreams and nightmares muted for once. She's lazily stirred awake by the extra body joining her in her nest. Twilightstar's nose twitches frantically picking up the strong scent of milk and the fur that bristled along her back smoothes. She extends her front and begs her legs in a stretch. She's careful not to bump into the kit.
Her single eye opens and she lifts her head a tad to peer down at the blue-eyed kit in her nest. It was a baby bird. "Hello Egretkit." She trilled and dropped her chin to rest on her front legs as she sat upright keeping the kitten in sight. "What are you doing in here?!" She hoped the kit had told her father she was coming to visit her.
The she-cat's maternal instincts were blaring more so than usual thanks to her future litter. So Twilightstar didn't mind the company in the slightest. She did have a compulsive urge to groom the little tabby though. So she lowered her head to give the kit pelt some gentle licks purring softly.
"Congratulations." Twilightstar purred in reply. She was a little surprised that Heathernose was eager to finish Snowpaw's training while pregnant, if that is what she truly wanted, but still.
"If you want to continue training Snowpaw, that's your choice. However, I do think you should settle in the nursery sooner rather than later. I am happy to hear you are so devoted to your apprentice, but you have more than her to worry about. Another warrior can continue Snowpaw's training, what you've already taught her won't be forgotten." She assured, knowing the she-cat took great pride in the apprentice. Motherhood was quite a blessing, few cats get to experience it more than once. She trusts Heathernose to know her limitations but if something happened to her kits...
Heathernose had to admit, speaking about her pregnancy out loud and talking about it felt nice. And she couldn't restrain a purr in response to Twilightstar's. Then grew more serious and focused as the discussion continued. She considered Twilightstar's words carefully, and realized with a jolt that she was right. Heathernose had been so concerned with fulfilling her duties to her apprentice and her clan, she hadn't calculated her duty as a mother to her unborn kits. The thought struck her suddenly and sent ice through her veins. Something so simple... Her kits could be harmed while she pushed herself. Oh mom...how could I have missed this?
She knew that Twilightstar's were true. Snowpaw's training would continue, the clan would operate as normal, as it always has when a new queen moves into the nursery. The best thing she could do now, is shift focus to taking care of her kits and protect them. Heathernose looked back up at Twilightstar, meeting her leader's eyes with a gaze filled with appreciation and love. "Of course, Twilightstar. I know you're right." She meowed softly. "My priority needs to shift to my kits...I am deeply appreciative of you reminding me of this. As you know, this will be my first litter. I'm not...used to the idea yet." She meowed with a nervous chuckle. "I needed the reminder that things have shifted for now, and I'm sure Snowpaw will be placed in good paws." She dipped her head respectfully. "I'll go ahead and settle into the nursery then." She purred. "Thank you, Twilightstar. I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me and being honest with me." Heathernose always knew that Twilightstar was an intelligent and thoughtful leader, and always had faith in her. She knew she could trust her. These kits are being born into a strong clan...I can't believe I'm going to be a mother! Warmth flooded her pelt and joy prickled like electricity in her fur. All she wanted to do right now was find Lionscar and built her nest in the nursery. It took until this moment for her to truly feel the excitement of becoming a mother, until now she was too anxious about her clan duties and her apprentice to truly grasp it.
| Lightningstorm | 22 Moons - WindClan Medicine Cat Flock Together [Tier 3] - Active | Mind Reader - Active | Dreamwalker - Inactive | Katty Krueger - Inactive
The conversation with the tom had admittedly gotten a few giggles out of her, the mere notion of trying to bap someone on the head to fix the lack of common sense seeming so nonsensical she couldn't help but wonder if someone had tried. Maybe it was like trying to wake someone up by biting them, but for intellect instead of consciousness. Regardless of the situation, she was happy to note that the fury did not seem to be against the idea of her joining with him, and she nodded before following along, only making a light snort of amusement at the nickname as they both entered the den. Considering this was Leechscar's case first, Lightningstorm sat down promptly, letting the tom voice his concerns. And stars almighty did he. The calico had not been certain what she was going to say outside of voice her concerns from what little she had seen, as it had evidently started impacting her apprentice's attitude towards his clanmates already. It seemed that her general arrogance was not confined to these few moments, and there was a history between her and the clan regarding these sorts of situations, and the comparison to Flowerpaw had her twitching an ear in distaste in an instant.
"I'm inclined to agree," she mewed, eyes on the leader as Leechscar finished speaking, her tail tapping on the wood beneath her in thought. "The first time I had any sort of conflict with her was when Sunpaw decided to ingest the death berries at the clan's entrance. Batglare had already secured the location, but of course kits and apprentices are curious by nature, so Fadingdawn decided to intervene. Now, I have nothing against ensuring the safety of the younger, more vulnerable kits in the nursery... And I will admit that the kit in question definitely was being a little... stubborn about staying but..."
Lightningstorm became quiet for a moment, pausing as she carefully weighed her words. She had a strangely overprotective notion to defend and ensure nothing happened to Littlekit. This was a feeling that her littermates evoked as well, and despite understanding that she only felt this way because of the circumstances behind her loss of memory - how could she not feel some connection to the first newborn bundles of fur her eyes met when she first found herself in the clan's nursery - it was still something that could weigh favor towards them. Perhaps blind her to the situation if she wasn't careful. But even after careful consideration the medicine cat knew. She would have hated these words spoken to any cat in the clan, kit or otherwise.
"Telling a curious kit to get out because the events transpiring in the midst of the clan clearing - meaning the only home said kit has ever known - do not concern her is questionable at best. Yes. You are of course welcomed to ensure the safety of your clanmates. But even with the events that transpired... There is absolutely no reason to tell any of your clanmates that affairs of the clan do not concern them. Tell them it is dangerous. Tell them it might be best to not crowd and let the grown ups handle it. But never tell a kit that they are beneath clan matters."
Lightningstorm didn't notice when her claws had unsheathed. When her ears had flattened. Nor her tail lashing out angrily behind her. Rationally perhaps this wasn't something she would normally get angry about, but something deep inside her roared in fury at the mere thought of having Littlekit shoved aside and discarded as if she was not a part of the clan. And what was worse was that there had been no grounds for it. True, the kit had been less than amicable, but then... she probably wouldn't have been overly friendly if some strange cat decided to order her around because it had suddenly been decided she didn't belong either.
The storm brewing behind her eyes simmering down, the herbalist took a deep breath before continuing, "What Leechscar mentions right now is accurate as well. Willowpaw came to me asking if there were any herbs I needed, offering to look for a few on her own volition. I appreciated the can do attitude, and despite the fact that some of the herbs were not quite in season, I gave her a replacement and told her to go gather a patrol. Figured at her age she should start having a taste of patrol leadership and some extra responsibilities. Would be good for her while her assessment comes closer.
That went right to bloody hell though. Fadingdawn decided to take over that as well. I had gone out of the den with Willowpaw to grab a bite, proper starvin' I was. Turned out it was a good thing, because I saw as Willowpaw was taken out of the leader role and simply sent off to me to find out what herbs I needed. She was so quick to take command of the situation and call over her own apprentice that she couldn't be bloody arsed to ask if the paw had talked to me already or not. The rest is as Leechscar says. He tried to intervene, but she threw a right tantrum about being approached by him and supposedly having him yowl at her for stepping out of line. I was there. True, it wasn't the sort of talk I would use on an injured kit, but she's a damn warrior, isn't she? Surely one can be expected to speak to her like a grown up?" Lightningstorm inquired, licking her paw for a moment as she took a breather before continuing.
"Now, I'll be honest. If it was just this, I wouldn't have bothered none. Bit melodramatic, but we got all sorts here. Couple of cats like to live up to their WindClan names by blowing out a lot of hot air and little else. No big deal. But it was... disrespectful to a fault. I wouldn't have allowed some warrior to speak to me that way as a bloody apprentice. That sort of crap is left for enemy warriors, and that is assuming they have the decency to understand that the level of yowling to went on there makes you about as threatening as a gnat. And the apprentices noticed. Cardinalpaw had a grin as he looked at Leechscar like if he was nothing more than day old crowfood. The mockery was there. An apprentice shouldn't be so obviously disdainful towards any other cat, much less a fury. But then, what else is the apprentice going to learn if his mentor decides to leave after her tantrum is done, pulling him with her to some herb patrol that she decided to go out on her own?
That in and of itself leads to the conclusion that she abandoned Willowpaw because it was told to her that she would be lead by an apprentice, and she couldn't be arsed with that. She also never came to me to ask for herbs, which isn't surprising I suppose, considering she very openly stated that she only needs to prove your loyalty to you, Crowtooth, and Dapplebreeze of all cats? Seems like anyone else she's either had a problem with and she doesn't want to deal with them anymore or they are beneath her and not worthy of her time. Last I heard though, loyalty was stretched to all cats of the clan, not just the select few you decide are worth your time. Right mess it'd be if I suddenly went around declaring my loyalty to only a select few and left the rest of you to die because being a right arsehole is more important than some basic respect for the cats you live with."
With this the medicine cat yawned, not used to speaking quite so much while her stomach rumbled mercilessly, her hunger gnawing at her. She hadn't been kidding when she had said she'd been about to go eat. At this rate, Lightningstorm didn't care what it was. She'd eat a rabbit whole if they let her. Damn her need for professionality and getting problems solved before she could check the bloody prey pile for a vole... or three.
"Steal a nest?" Whistlekit blinks innocently. "I'm not stealing a nest. She is." She points to Strawberrykit, exposing her nefarious deeds and plan, "I'm just here to see what she's up to."
Which was the truth. Whistlekit had no want to get involved and possibly get scolded. She just wanted to see what interesting fun things may happen, and maybe tattletale to the queens to get their attention as a bonus. It was a pity Strawberrykit was found out so quickly; if not, Whistlekit could just imagine the stories she could tell to her brother back at the nursery. The nest stealer! Quick as the wind, but small and light as a feather!
Whistlekit pokes Strawberrykit to get her attention, "We should leave now. You've been found out," She meows, glancing at the leader. No matter how many times she saw Twilightstar, her scars still disturbed her. Unlike in the past, they didn't scare her, but she felt it was a pity that the leader's good looks were ruined like this. Unlike her own pelt, which, Whistlekit thinks vainly, is maintained very prettily.
Thus far the tom hadnt been too stressed out being the new deputy really. Riverclan was stressful but they were always that and he'd be concerned about the situation as a fury or even just a warrior, so it barely counted. In a way the role had helped even, not a distraction from Bravebirds death but a way to uphold her memory in a rank she'd aspired to that'd helped Crowtooth move not on but forward. It felt... Settling, though if the tom knew the internal conflict his new position brought to the leader perhaps it might not be.
All that to say Crowtooth relaxed immediately as his ears were groomed given his usual dislike of the task. Twilightstar was, as always, the exception after all and her care took him back to simpler times with ease, prompting a deep crackly purr.
A single black paw reflexively kneading her flank the tom rasped a reply through rumbles, eyes closed in contentment and not that bothered. "Ta be frank Im o' the opinion cats are just in a rut o' thinkin' they can get away wit' slackin' 'cuz its calm right now an' Im new ta the rank. Once they settle ta there bein' a dep an' real consequences again I think they'll shape up.
Ill keep ya updated though."
This would have been more urgent in winter or if windclan was weak but it being summer gave the tunneler some relief, knowing starvation was not as close as it could be even with cats being bums. Plus, he'd been minding the border personally, just in case so while cats were whipped into shape it wasnt like windclan would be caught slacking.
The tom had little comment about the other clans, his piece having been said but avidly listening to Twilightstars view, absorbing it all. She knew better by experience after all and this was all stuff Crowtooth needed to learn sooner rather then later. Still, it was a task taken in silence, Crowtooth only really having the mild complaint of "I wish the other clans changed leaders less. It'd be easier ta make a judgement call if we had a better grip on their personality, at least shadowclan is predictably simply wit' Dawnstar always at the helm." as he started rasping a tongue over Twilightstars slowly greying pelt.
Because honestly, while Bumblestar was being rather consistent and showed promise to stick long into the future her reactions to things werent quite known among the other clans yet, and this Fadingstar even less so. It was all very- ???????
Crowtooth jolted, train of thought thoroughly interrupted as the the leaders side he was currently grooming moved just a little bit. It was almost comical really, how the tom was now looking at said belly startled as if it'd slapped him, completely uncomprehending.
"..... Didya eat bad prey this mornin' wow maybe Lightnin'storm has somethin' fer that."
What a spectacular idiot.
Re: WindClan Leader's Den
