Wolffang and Lichenpaw Training [P]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ WOLFFANG OF WINDCLAN ~

AMAB | HE/HIM | WARRIOR | 56 MOONS | BEEFED UP TIER 1

Large, muscular, dappled gray tom with amber eyes and light cream-gray fluff covering the front of his neck and chest.

Character bio can be read here.

Wolffang thought Lichenpaw would have plenty to say, but she was the quiet, observant type. Her unclouded blue eye was focused as she took in the Falls, and her voice was calm as she revealed that she had nothing to ask. Wolffang gave a short, brisk nod. This territory tour would be brief. As long as he was thorough with his explanations, there wouldn't be much to ask. Besides, he was sure she wanted to move along to the hunting and fighting as fast as possible - while still taking in everything, of course.

He was glad of it. He didn't want to stand here a moment longer.

With a simple nod, the large warrior headed away from Twilight Falls, flicking his tail to the tortoiseshell behind him to indicate that she should follow. His bulging muscles rolled beneath his dappled gray pelt as he crossed over open green meadows. His nose twitched at the potent aroma of rabbit, but he didn't stop. We can hunt later.

Eventually, they reached Sunset Grove. Might as well get all the unpleasant places out of the way, he thought, curling his lip.

He hated trees almost as much as he hated water. Hated the way they crowded in on all sides, hated how they created a maze of wood instead of letting him run free, hated how their lush green leaves blocked out the sky. The prey-scent here was strong, too, and the twittering of birds filled his hearing receptors. His single notched ear swiveled. The sound reminded him of his estranged sister, Rosebriar.

Another place to get things over with.

He turned to Lichenpaw. "This is Sunset Grove," he meowed. Though his tone was professional, his face did not mask his disdain for the spot. "StarClan knows why we have forest on our territory. It's a good source of prey, but in my opinion, WindClan belongs out on the open moor, not shoved between the trees. Still, it's another good source for herbs... and some don't mind crowded, dark spaces as much as others."

@Neptune.

[Neptune.]

Lichenpaw
~<>~
16 moons || she/her || honed skill [INACTIVE]
scrawny calico with one blind eye; blue eyes

Keeping on her mentor's tail, Lichenpaw followed the large, muscular tom through more of the territory until they reached the bit of their territory that was the most unlike what you's expect from WindClan. Sunset Grove, as its name might suggest, was a small tree grove where prey and herbs were plentiful. Although not exactly typical of WindClan's style, territory was territory and Lichenpaw was glad for any additional resources. Although, silently, she sort of agreed with Wolffang's assertion that WindClan belongs on the moors.

"I've been here a few times," she says, looking around, "but it looks a little different every time I come here. The shade's nice, though," and it was. After hot hours hunting in the midday sun on the open grass, it would probably feel nice to come here to cool off a bit before heading back to camp - or they could use the falls for that. "Might be good to have this place even if it's not very WindClan," she says, glancing up to her mentor, head tilted, "ya know, in case we ever need to take land from ThunderClan or RiverClan. Then we at least have the skills to hunt in those trees, yeah?"

[ @TheNyanCatMinecart - wolffang ]

[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ WOLFFANG OF WINDCLAN ~

AMAB | HE/HIM | WARRIOR | 56 MOONS | BEEFED UP TIER 1

Large, muscular, dappled gray tom with amber eyes and light cream-gray fluff covering the front of his neck and chest.

Character bio can be read here.

Wolffang listened to Lichenpaw quietly, nodding when he saw fit. So, she'd been here. He did agree that the shade was pleasant. It was a nice break from the unrelenting sun on the hottest days in greenleaf. However, there was too much of it. Way too much of it. He liked seeing the broad expanse of blue above him, and besides, there was plenty of wind to temper the heat. His apprentice also made a good point. In case they ever needed to live in a place with trees - the thought made him stiffen - it was useful to know these skills.

"You're right," he meowed. "You're a smart cat, Lichenpaw. Though StarClan forbid we ever have to live in a forest." He cast the crowded trees a rueful glance. Just standing here made his pelt prickle. "Let's move on."

The next place he went was the Starry Meadow. The instant he set paw on the sun-bleached grass of the hill, the air changed. A calm, relaxing day turned into a field of solemnity and mourning. Wolffang's expression turned grim as he crested the hill, and as the flowers popped out from the sacred earth, he bowed his head respectfully. It felt strange that he had been alive for every WindClan cat buried here. In his old territory, the burial grounds had been far older than he was, but now they were young. Still, they held many bodies. The wind hummed in his ear, and a chill swept through him. It almost sounded like the whispers of StarClan warriors.

He checked over his shoulder to make sure Lichenpaw had followed him. It wasn't an easy climb; the hill was quite steep, but the meadow stretched out on flat ground. "This is the Starry Meadow, where all our fallen Clanmates are laid to rest," he meowed somberly. "It was named by Twistedpaw. StarClan's presence is strong here. After all, other than the trees, this is the highest point of our territory. Our Clanmates' bodies are as close to the stars as we can get them." He took a deep breath as a sudden wave of grief for the loved and lost of this new chapter of WindClan swept over him. "This place must be treated with respect, though Twilightstar has said that we may pick the flowers."

Wolffang padded to the center of the field and touched his nose to the earth. He shut his eyes. "Good-bye, Fernrise. I hope you're at peace."

Then he rose and nodded to Lichenpaw. "Just let me know if you have any questions."

From there, Wolffang moved to the Windy Hills. The air felt lighter after leaving the Starry Meadow behind, but old grief hung in the air, whispering of the trials and troubles of a warrior's dangerous life. He would be buried there one day. And if he was, he hoped it would be next to the love of his life. But not for many seasons. They had so much to see, so much to experience.

He needed to ask Leopardsong to be his mate as soon as possible.

These thoughts lingered in the warrior's mind as he paused before the three great hills. The sweet smell of flowers and the more pungent odor of herbs swamped him, and the wind whistled with enough ferocity to blow back his ears and flatten his whiskers. It was a nice cooldown after the sun's heat. He also caught strong scents of prey.

"These are the Windy Hills," he called to Lichenpaw, raising his voice above the wind. "They were a part of our old territory and were luckily spared from the fire. There are many prey animals hiding in the crevices and plenty of herbs for the medicine cat to use. Be careful around here, though - birds of prey like to scout at the tops of the hills, and the wind can be brutal. You don't want to be knocked off the hill while you're hunting - or to have your kill be blown away."

Finally, as the sun began to descend from its highest point, Wolffang reached the Sky Glade. He always hated this place. It made his stomach tighten and his claws unsheathe, carving paths in the grass. The faint scent of ShadowClan from the border made a low growl rumble in his throat. His hatred for Dawnstar returned anew. I don't care that she saved me or that we're allies. Everything she's done is inexcusable. Grimhound swam in the corners of his mind, and Wolffang curled his lip. He paused, and his slightly shortened tail lashed behind him.

 

"This is the Sky Glade, also a part of our old territory. It holds many sorrows," he growled. Dark memories flooded over him. "As thanks for helping Twilightstar while she was kitting, WindClan came here to give Dawnstar and ShadowClan some prey. But ShadowClan didn't care. They slaughtered the patrol, spreading their remains all over the place and stealing their pelts for their dens. Among those cats were two of my close friends, Fernpaw and Skyleaf. They also took this territory for their own. I led the battle patrol to take it back, but it didn't succeed. WindClan later reclaimed this land when Twilightstar took one of Dawnstar's lives. I wish I'd been there."

Wolffang turned to look at Lichenpaw. "Our territory holds many stories, some fresh, some as old as the wind itself. Some of the memories are painful, vile even. But most are happy. Most nurture us. All of them have shaped us. This is why it is so important to learn not just the borders, but the landmarks of our territory." He glanced up at the sky. "It's growing late. We can review your skills another time." He began to walk home, not wanting to spend too much time in the Sky Glade. "Any additional questions?"

@Neptune. [I DID IT]

[Neptune.]

Lichenpaw
~<>~
16 moons || she/her || WindClan apprentice || honed skill [INACTIVE]
scrawny calico with one blind eye; blue eyes

She snorts at Wolffang's sour comment about dreading the day WindClan would need to live among the trees, though the compliment before that doesn't go unnoticed. Praise had always been her weakness, and, though she'd grown up some in the moons since she was first apprenticed, in the moons since Sleethound was alive, the compliment still makes her feel like a giddy kit.

"Sure!" She readily agrees at the suggestion to move on, and scrawny calico follows grey tabby through the territory and to the next landmark. The change in Wolffang's demeanor does not go unnoticed as they pass onto the burial grounds, and Lichenpaw slows to match the more sedate atmosphere. She knew that the burial grounds were young, hardly older than her by very much, but she'd never put into perspective just how weird that might be for the senior warriors of WindClan. They might have friends or kin that wasn't even buried here.

It was Lichenpaw's belief that the souls of those who were buried in the old territory still followed the Clan, their spirits would come here to rest, and to guide the souls of the newly departed cats up to Silverpelt. Her ear twitches as Wolffang murmurs something, a goodbye to a cat named Fernrise... Lichenpaw does not recognize that name, but they must have been important to her mentor, so Lichenpaw, gazing out over the meadow, dips her head.

"I'll watch out for him, Fernrise, don't you worry," she promises, and then, turning back to Wolffang, she says louder, "nope! No questions!" And follows after him.

Next up on the list was Windy Hills, and, boy, do these hills live up to their name! Lichenpaw flexes her claws into the dirt below her paws for a more stable grip, painfully aware that, these gusts could easily knock her off balance. Watch out for hawks or other birds of prey... got it, noted. They didn't spend very long in this part of the territory, and Lichenpaw was thankful for that, though the next section of territory, the Sky Glade, seemed to make Wolffang upset in a different way that Starry Meadow did. This place seemed to make him mad and, as he told her the story, Lichenpaw didn't think that was an overreaction.

The description of ShadowClan's brutality makes her shudder, no good rogues, the whole lot of them... but the tour comes to a close then, and Wolffang suggests going home. Tail dipping a little, disappointed they wouldn't be doing any skill assessment today, Lichenpaw nods regardless.

"I think I'm good on questions," she says, "thanks for takin' me out! I'm ready to get things moving along finally."

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