WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Dust]

Blue eyes rose to the sky, grief still lingering behind her muddled expression. In truth, the former queen had let herself go, especially after Fallowpaw's apprentice ceremony. The loneliness that she had once fought of with the company of her kits was starting to creep back under her pelt like a case of fleas... and she hated it to her core. Even with the company of her friends, her nest was empty. With a gentle sigh, the warrior retracted her gaze back down to the scrawny mouse between her paws. Hazelflower dipped her head and took another bite of the prey, chewing slowly and without haste. It wasn't like she had anything better to do. The prey lodged in her throat, causing a hoarse cough to sound from her throat, though she managed to quickly swallow. Her eyes narrowed as she shook out her pelt and tilted her head back up to the sky, squinting at the sunlight. Perhaps it was good she was getting out of her nest... come to think of it, Hazelflower had meant to check up on her daughter a few days ago, but couldn't find the energy to get up. She knew that Fallowpaw was still taking Mudkit's death as hard as she was. With careful scrutiny, Hazel looked around the clearing, hoping that Fallow wasn't out on patrol.

@Pluto

[Leucos]

Originally Posted by Dust

Blue eyes rose to the sky, grief still lingering behind her muddled expression. In truth, the former queen had let herself go, especially after Fallowpaw's apprentice ceremony. The loneliness that she had once fought of with the company of her kits was starting to creep back under her pelt like a case of fleas... and she hated it to her core. Even with the company of her friends, her nest was empty. With a gentle sigh, the warrior retracted her gaze back down to the scrawny mouse between her paws. Hazelflower dipped her head and took another bite of the prey, chewing slowly and without haste. It wasn't like she had anything better to do. The prey lodged in her throat, causing a hoarse cough to sound from her throat, though she managed to quickly swallow. Her eyes narrowed as she shook out her pelt and tilted her head back up to the sky, squinting at the sunlight. Perhaps it was good she was getting out of her nest... come to think of it, Hazelflower had meant to check up on her daughter a few days ago, but couldn't find the energy to get up. She knew that Fallowpaw was still taking Mudkit's death as hard as she was. With careful scrutiny, Hazel looked around the clearing, hoping that Fallow wasn't out on patrol.

@Pluto

the snowshoe slithered back into the clearing with luckily her first rabbit , she did feel proud of herself but....It was...An empty pride . maybe mum would be proud? her blue orbs lit up at that thought, she hasn't had a good chat with her mother in a long while, perhaps this was a good time to do so. She gripped the rabbit by its scruff and dashed toward the fresh kill pile, her pelt shinning in the sun, it was a little filthy with one or two pieces of fur sticking up but she managed to keep it clean this long. Fallowpaw leaped toward the pile when she was a tail length away and somewhat ungracefully landed in front of it and tossed the rabbit . She puffed out her chest as the pride she felt was starting to actually get to her, her eyes went from cat to cat trying to find hazelflower in hopes that she saw her catch . Her ears perked up once she finally spotted her mother , her tail swished happily before she raced towards hazel with her tail in the air "mom! Mom did you see what I caught!?! Momma!" she meowed loudly . Fallowpaw pounced on her mother's left paw gently with a purr before she raised her head once more " my first rabbit ! " she meowed . She earned a few glares from older apprentices and some warriors because of how kit like she acted but she ignored it as she enjoyed the moment.

[Starfall]

Meadowkiss stretched out on her nest, a purr rumbling from her chest as she listened to all the kits squeal and play. She'd always dreamed of being a mother, hopefully that dream will come true soon.

[Hexict]

Originally Posted by BILL.

Maybe he would never understand him.

Looking across the wide moor as he paused atop a hill, it was the only thought that occurred to him as he regarded the view. WindClan territory seemed like a dump, nothing in comparison to the grand pine forest of ShadowClan. It was absurd to Wheat-- he would choose this, some she-cat from this field over the family he'd known his whole life?

It troubled him more than it should, and he bristled slightly as he turned his gaze away from the distant landscape. He didn't know why he bothered, not when he didn't know the name of the she-cat his brother had been seeing-- whom he had a family with. There'd been a rumor it was one of Dapplestar's daughters, but beyond that-- he wasn't sure. A "dappled beauty" was how she was described, not that the given description would be helpful to the pale tom.

He wasn't even here to see any kits. He just wanted to know what his brother had seen in this cat-- why he'd betray the Clan and die for her.
@Hexict

Trotting through the moors, Newtflecks stuck out like soot on snow. His black pelt was clear to see on the open moors, even if it wasn't leaf-bare it would be very easy to spot him. The tom came to a stop for a moment and looked around the area. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath. Newtflecks enjoyed coming out onto the territory by himself a lot. It helped that he didn't really have anyone else to spend time with. The warrior would sit around and talk to Flashfury, but he always seemed busy, trying to fulfill his warrior duties. He could understand, given that Flashfury must feel as though he has to prove himself due to who his father was. Meanwhile, Newtflecks felt that he may be letting his clan-mates down. The cats on his mother's side of the family were respected, but he was not living up to them. And then he knew nothing about his father's side. Was he letting them down too? The tom couldn't help but feeling like he had somehow.

When he felt like this, he always escaped to the territory. In a swift movement, the dappled tom was running through the moor. It helped him clear his mind and calm down. He always felt free while running. Almost like flying, as it he were a bird. Maybe he could fly away from this place? He cared about Flashfury, but in these moments, he just thought about leaving all of this behind. Go someplace where he couldn't disappoint people. Become free of his family. This thought caused him to slow down. He was reminded how much he loved his family and he didn't wish to forget them. Even when they were gone and he was left feeling lonely. They were always there for him, even when his clan-mates were harsh towards him.

Newtflecks suddenly came to a stop. After slowing down he had finally noticed somebody move around the moor. Their pale fur had kept them hidden from Newtflecks when had been further away, but not he could make out a cat moving around. The tom quickly panic when he realized that he did not recognize this cat, kicking himself for not paying attention when he was running. With great hesitation, he slowly began moving towards the stranger as he noticed that there wasn't any other warriors around for back-up. In a moment he froze with shock as he stared at the tom. His pale golden fur looked almost exactly like Lionkit's. The was so strong that the younger tom actually opened his mouth to call out to his deceased sibling. With the realization that this tom did not have any black markings, he quickly shut his mouth. Though Lionkit had very little black markings, it was still distinguishable. After a moment of reminding himself that Lionkit was dead, he continued to confront the trespasser.

"H-hey!" The call sounded weak as his voice trembled. Clearing worried about this confrontation, Newtflecks hardly looked like a threat. "You're o-on Windclan territory!"

Originally Posted by Kiramclome

Sheerpaw stopped by Cobaltblood, eyes gleaming with fear.
"Aren't ShadowClan cats evil? Like. Aren't they really good at fighting? Ooh! Could you teach me how to be a ShadowClan cat? Wait wait. Would a ShadowClan cat kill someone? Woah that's scary." He kept being talkative while following his mentor, "I want to fight good. I think I'll be a good fighter. My mom says that you're the best fighter in the whole clan. Is she right?"
Sheerpaw trotted after, chattering.

[forgot to remind you that sheer is the most annoying thing in the world to ever exist :3]

The molly's tail twitched in annoyance as the tom suddenly became more talkative and energetic. She wasn't sure if she preferred the quiet Sheerpaw better to this one. Though a wicked smile crossed her face at the thought of Shadowclan being evil. You don't even know the first thins about evil. She was able to keep herself from laughing as she thought about the moons she spent in the Dark Forest and her joy for killing. The warrior to glad that her apprentice couldn't see the smile. She was still in front of him, so he wouldn't be able to see it, and she knew it was best. She didn't wish to tip anybody off about her true nature. "Yes, a Shadowclan cat would kill someone," her voice was calm, seeming less irritated after being amused by her previous thought. "Anyone could... but, yeah, Shadowclan is known for being meaner than the other clans. We don't have a problem with them right now, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't stay away." Her nose wrinkled. Cobaltblood disliked other clans. Well, she disliked much of her own clan, but did like living on the moor and the security of being in a clan. So, since she hated most people, she took it out on anyone outside of her clan since he she didn't want her clan-mates to know that she disliked them all.

There was a quick moment of silence when Sheerpaw spoke of her being a great fighter. She felt a bit proud at the thought of others talking about her in such a light. But she also wasn't one who liked when people kissed up to others. It made her feel like they were hiding something. After all, that was the only reason why she sometimes acted nice to her clan-mates, was to hide things about herself. The warrior had to remind herself that Sheerpaw had just become an apprentice and was most likely not hiding anything from her and she had to be nicer to him or else it wouldn't look good. "Yeah, I'd say I'm a pretty good fighter." Okay, maybe she wasn't the best, but she was better than a lot of the others due to her constant Dark Forest training. "I'll teach you to be a good fighter, but not yet. We first have to do the tour. I'll think about taking you battle training tomorrow morning," Cobaltblood knew that it was early to start training her to fight, but she preferred that over hunting. She knew it would be boring teaching somebody to hunt, so she would put it off. And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little interested in teaching someone how to fight.

Even if they were a bit too talkative.

(i think Cobalt is figuring that out for herself, lol)

[Dust]

Originally Posted by Pluto

the snowshoe slithered back into the clearing with luckily her first rabbit , she did feel proud of herself but....It was...An empty pride . maybe mum would be proud? her blue orbs lit up at that thought, she hasn't had a good chat with her mother in a long while, perhaps this was a good time to do so. She gripped the rabbit by its scruff and dashed toward the fresh kill pile, her pelt shinning in the sun, it was a little filthy with one or two pieces of fur sticking up but she managed to keep it clean this long. Fallowpaw leaped toward the pile when she was a tail length away and somewhat ungracefully landed in front of it and tossed the rabbit . She puffed out her chest as the pride she felt was starting to actually get to her, her eyes went from cat to cat trying to find hazelflower in hopes that she saw her catch . Her ears perked up once she finally spotted her mother , her tail swished happily before she raced towards hazel with her tail in the air "mom! Mom did you see what I caught!?! Momma!" she meowed loudly . Fallowpaw pounced on her mother's left paw gently with a purr before she raised her head once more " my first rabbit ! " she meowed . She earned a few glares from older apprentices and some warriors because of how kit like she acted but she ignored it as she enjoyed the moment.

The felines eyes lit up with joy as she watched Fallowpaw trot into camp, the rabbit hung from her jowls. Perfect timing! She thought to herself, her previous worries and thoughts melting away into loving warmth. Hazelflower couldn't have been more proud of her. "I did see darling!" Her voice mirrored the excitement of the young apprentices. "Your very first? No way! I thought you've caught plenty of them before." The mothers voice was gentle and comforting as she sat up and lifted her paw away from Fallowpaw with a chuckle, only to reach out and scoop the apprentice closer towards her body. A rhythmic purr rumbled in her chest as she nuzzled her only kit, any previous melancholy completely gone. "I'm so proud of you, Fallow." She mewed, her eyes shining. "Now, tell me... how did you catch such a huge rabbit! Growing into a good hunter, are we?" There was a tinge of humour on her tongue.

[Leucos]

Originally Posted by Dust

The felines eyes lit up with joy as she watched Fallowpaw trot into camp, the rabbit hung from her jowls. Perfect timing! She thought to herself, her previous worries and thoughts melting away into loving warmth. Hazelflower couldn't have been more proud of her. "I did see darling!" Her voice mirrored the excitement of the young apprentices. "Your very first? No way! I thought you've caught plenty of them before." The mothers voice was gentle and comforting as she sat up and lifted her paw away from Fallowpaw with a chuckle, only to reach out and scoop the apprentice closer towards her body. A rhythmic purr rumbled in her chest as she nuzzled her only kit, any previous melancholy completely gone. "I'm so proud of you, Fallow." She mewed, her eyes shining. "Now, tell me... how did you catch such a huge rabbit! Growing into a good hunter, are we?" There was a tinge of humour on her tongue.

Fallowpaw giggled as her ears flattened horizontally when her mother started nuzzling her, her orbs went towards her paws "well.....I've been really tired a lot before this current leaf bare.....so I didn't bother doing a lot of things .....I was about to catch one this leaf bare ! Buut....I ruined my hunt ....because of ....things..." she explained a tiny bit nervously with a small smile before grumbling and stomping "it was the first good rabbit I saw all leafbare too! Foxdung ! " she grumbled. She still felt really embarrassed when she remembered her mess up. It was almost annoying as a swarm of mosquitoes! And besides she didn't put in anything extra because she didn't want hazel to worry too much . However she purred with a shine in her eyes at those words and nuzzled her mother back with a swish of her tail, she was so glad hazel didn't get sick and die! Then she would really be alone. " well I watched and listened in on others learning to hunt ! " she answered proudly , she sighed "I'm just glad leafbare is over ...and no other cats are sick. And if you got sick I don't know what id do! " she added before sounding saddened by that thought at the last sentence .

[Dust]

Originally Posted by Pluto

Fallowpaw giggled as her ears flattened horizontally when her mother started nuzzling her, her orbs went towards her paws "well.....I've been really tired a lot before this current leaf bare.....so I didn't bother doing a lot of things .....I was about to catch one this leaf bare ! Buut....I ruined my hunt ....because of ....things..." she explained a tiny bit nervously with a small smile before grumbling and stomping "it was the first good rabbit I saw all leafbare too! Foxdung ! " she grumbled. She still felt really embarrassed when she remembered her mess up. It was almost annoying as a swarm of mosquitoes! And besides she didn't put in anything extra because she didn't want hazel to worry too much . However she purred with a shine in her eyes at those words and nuzzled her mother back with a swish of her tail, she was so glad hazel didn't get sick and die! Then she would really be alone. " well I watched and listened in on others learning to hunt ! " she answered proudly , she sighed "I'm just glad leafbare is over ...and no other cats are sick. And if you got sick I don't know what id do! " she added before sounding saddened by that thought at the last sentence .

Hazel listened intently as her daughter rambled on, a relaxed smile stretched across her maw. She couldn't help but chuckle at her mishap, "I certainly didn't catch anything like that during my first few moons as an apprentice," she mewed in thought. "You should be proud. What do you say we celebrate? Enjoy a nice meal together? Why don't you go grab something off the pile that we can share, kiddo?" As cheesy as it was, this was a huge accomplishment in the eyes of Hazelflower. To her, Fallowpaw seemed to be handling her sisters death much better than when it had happened. Pain flashed in her expression briefly before she pulled herself away from the swarming thoughts of Mudkit. It was relieving to have reciprocating affection from the apprentice - the worst thing Hazelflower could imagine is Fallowpaw completely shutting down from the grief. Hazel herself knew the dangers of that... all things considered, even after the disappearance of her mate, the birth of the kits seemed to pull her back to her priorities. Her ears perked forward as she waited for the Fallowpaw to, hopefully, race away to pick out their meal.

[Leucos]

Originally Posted by Dust

Hazel listened intently as her daughter rambled on, a relaxed smile stretched across her maw. She couldn't help but chuckle at her mishap, "I certainly didn't catch anything like that during my first few moons as an apprentice," she mewed in thought. "You should be proud. What do you say we celebrate? Enjoy a nice meal together? Why don't you go grab something off the pile that we can share, kiddo?" As cheesy as it was, this was a huge accomplishment in the eyes of Hazelflower. To her, Fallowpaw seemed to be handling her sisters death much better than when it had happened. Pain flashed in her expression briefly before she pulled herself away from the swarming thoughts of Mudkit. It was relieving to have reciprocating affection from the apprentice - the worst thing Hazelflower could imagine is Fallowpaw completely shutting down from the grief. Hazel herself knew the dangers of that... all things considered, even after the disappearance of her mate, the birth of the kits seemed to pull her back to her priorities. Her ears perked forward as she waited for the Fallowpaw to, hopefully, race away to pick out their meal.

Fallowpaw blinked and her eyes slowly widened , she was surprised to hear that actually , she thought her mother was just as good as any warrior , and even better just because she was her mother . She huffed with a shake of her head "I don't believe that , most apprentices probably catch their first rabbit near the end of their first moon or the beginning of their second moon! I bet you did and your just not telling me! " she meowed as her whiskers twitched and a smirk making itself known . Her head perked up at the words and she nodded " ok" with that she dashed off and in a few heart beats she was at the base of the pile, her nose twitched as she went from each scent and was trying to pick out the right piece of prey. However as she did she swore she spotted Mudkit in the corner of her eye making her stop to look in the same direction , she was itching to go after the hallucination but she folded her ears back and she shook her head no....not her....don't get distracted like last time! Go away you stupid what ever you are! she closed her eyes and opened them again only to see that the hallucination vanished . She huffed with a nod before snatching a semi plump squirrel and quickly turning around before racing back, her heart was beating faster by the minute , she felt....paranoid now....She felt like everywhere she went that thing would pop up and possibly ruin something ! why won't it leave me alone? I know it's not her! her blue orbs showed the same panic and paranoia as she placed the squirrel down with another smile "this ok?" she asked as she sat down .

[Dust]

Originally Posted by Pluto

Fallowpaw blinked and her eyes slowly widened , she was surprised to hear that actually , she thought her mother was just as good as any warrior , and even better just because she was her mother . She huffed with a shake of her head "I don't believe that , most apprentices probably catch their first rabbit near the end of their first moon or the beginning of their second moon! I bet you did and your just not telling me! " she meowed as her whiskers twitched and a smirk making itself known . Her head perked up at the words and she nodded " ok" with that she dashed off and in a few heart beats she was at the base of the pile, her nose twitched as she went from each scent and was trying to pick out the right piece of prey. However as she did she swore she spotted Mudkit in the corner of her eye making her stop to look in the same direction , she was itching to go after the hallucination but she folded her ears back and she shook her head no....not her....don't get distracted like last time! Go away you stupid what ever you are! she closed her eyes and opened them again only to see that the hallucination vanished . She huffed with a nod before snatching a semi plump squirrel and quickly turning around before racing back, her heart was beating faster by the minute , she felt....paranoid now....She felt like everywhere she went that thing would pop up and possibly ruin something ! why won't it leave me alone? I know it's not her! her blue orbs showed the same panic and paranoia as she placed the squirrel down with another smile "this ok?" she asked as she sat down .

Blue orbs intently watched Fallowpaw as she scampered away to the fresh kill pile. In all honesty, Hazelflower wasn't that hungry, but she wanted to share this special moment with her daughter. You don't know when it may be your last... She thought bitterly to herself as she lowered herself back on her paws, belly fur brushing the ground. It wasn't until Fallow came trotting back that Hazel perked up once more. "Nope," The feline mewed, "I was probably three moons into my apprenticeship before I caught my first rabbit. I used to be quite the runner, but the little buggers were too fast for me," An amused purr rumbled in her chest at the thought, though as Fallowpaw sat down beside her, the mother knew something was wrong. Even though she was unaware of the inner turmoil that her daughter was dealing with, Hazelflower wasn't stupid and she could immediately recognize the anxiety and panic in Fallow's eyes. "Yes... this is ok...." There was a long pause, "Fallowpaw, honey, are you ok?" Her meow was careful not to intrude on toes, though she could feel her own blood pressure spike at the notion that anything was remotely wrong with her child.

[Sum]

Originally Posted by Peachy

to hear a voice this late at night definitely gave pineclaw a startle. he lept nearly a tail-length in surprise, claws flexing with his fur all spiked up. his head swiveled ‘round to greet the unfamiliar voice, green eyes trying to adjust on the dark-furred figure behind him. he gave a sheepish smile when realizing it was only a fellow warrior, swiftly licking his thinly ruffled fur to settle himself. “why, hello there!” he greeted in a single (gentle) breath. “pardon my jump, i...wasn't expecting company at this hour.” once he recollected his bearings, the tom trotted gracefully up to his new acquaintance. though as he got closer, he couldn't seem recognize them. he always struggled keeping check with his clanmates - a flaw he desperately wished to fix. “i don't believe we met,” pineclaw purred as he took a seat in front of her. “allow me to introduce myself - the name’s pineclaw, but you can call me whatever feels appropriate. im always down for nicknames, it makes you feel closer with the cat, you know?” he smiled and cocked his head with interest brightening his eyes. “what might your name be?”

Dawnsong stifled a laugh, biting her lip, when the poor fellow basically jumped out of his skin. Of course she felt guilty, but it was funny, especially after he gave her that sheepish grin. She grinned back when he spoke, but managed to suppress it before she spoke again. "Oh no, I'm afraid I was a little tactless!" she said, apologetically. Her eyes followed him as he trotted up to her. She tried to pick him out -- why had she never met him before? Of course, she usually stuck to only a few of the Clan. Perhaps she should start being more social, and give up some of her nighttime wanderings? Dawnsong almost rolled her eyes at herself. That was laughable. Though it was hard to pick out any features this time of the night, the she-cat could tell he bore green eyes as he placed himself in front of her. His pelt was a lot shorter-furred than hers, but he stood -- well, sat -- rather taller than she did. She might say that he was rather nice looking, although she hated to even think as superficially as that. Her head tilted with interest when the tom introduced himself as "Pineclaw", but her ears flickered when he mentioned "nicknames". She'd heard of cats calling each other by their prefixes, and sometimes adding an ee sound at the end (to make it cuter, she'd guessed). She nodded; she might like that. "Dawnsong," she answered simply, with a smile. Her eyes fell to the stream of moonlight lighting her dark paws and lifted, for a moment, to the sky thoughtfully before returning back to Pineclaw. "So, what does bring you out at this time?" she asked, rather before realizing it might sound like she was being nosy. Eyes widening a little, she quickly added,"I mean, I don't usually see anyone out and about on my nighttime outings."