Cats near her border. From this distance, Bumblestar couldn't tell who, but it smelled like a male and a female. After the murder of Mushroompaw, she wasn't taking any chances, and she abandoned her hunt and made for the Outskirts markers.
It didn't take her long to find them, and she was kind of disappointed to see it wasn't someone who was going to get her claws in their eyes, but a mother and a kit. She pushed through the undergrowth and squinted. The mother looked familiar, but she couldn't place from where.
"You're on ThunderClan's border," she stated. "State your business or leave."
It was not Springlight that emerged from the trees, but instead an older she-cat. She had an air of confidence; perhaps this was one of the new highranks? Autumnpaw kept her seated position behind the border, not wanting to appear threatening. In all honesty, the former clan cat had hoped to avoid running into any other warriors besides her sister. It opened up a hole of guilt in her stomach that she would’ve preferred to keep shut. But it was too late now.
“My name is Autumnpaw, or Autumn,” she introduced herself, offering a friendly smile. “I was in Thunderclan about nine moons ago. This is my son, Kestrel. I wish for him to join the clan. Are you the right cat to speak with? I was supposed to meet my sister, Springlight. Do you know her?” That was a silly question. Springlight was the medicine cat, of course this cat would know her, highrank or not.
KESTREL
Squirrel smell, squirrel smell, BIG SQUIRREL SMELL! Kestrel’s head popped up from sniffing the border, eyes locking on to a warrior. This was great, his first meeting with a super cool clan warrior. He sat up straight, a calm expression on his face. Autumnpaw. That was the first time he’d heard his mother introduce herself by her clan name. It seemed weird. From the stories she’d told him? apprentices with the “paw” name were supposed to be his age. She was much too old.
Taking matters into his own paws, Kestrel spoke up. “My mother taught me everything she knows about clan life. I want to be an apprentice. She told me Springlight and all the warriors will teach me everything else.” He dropped into a hunting stance, crouched low and tense, ears pricked up. “See? I also memorized the code. Wanna hear it?” he inquired with bright, intense eyes, popping back up.
It was not Springlight that emerged from the trees, but instead an older she-cat. She had an air of confidence; perhaps this was one of the new highranks? Autumnpaw kept her seated position behind the border, not wanting to appear threatening. In all honesty, the former clan cat had hoped to avoid running into any other warriors besides her sister. It opened up a hole of guilt in her stomach that she would’ve preferred to keep shut. But it was too late now.
“My name is Autumnpaw, or Autumn,” she introduced herself, offering a friendly smile. “I was in Thunderclan about nine moons ago. This is my son, Kestrel. I wish for him to join the clan. Are you the right cat to speak with? I was supposed to meet my sister, Springlight. Do you know her?” That was a silly question. Springlight was the medicine cat, of course this cat would know her, highrank or not.
KESTREL
Squirrel smell, squirrel smell, BIG SQUIRREL SMELL! Kestrel’s head popped up from sniffing the border, eyes locking on to a warrior. This was great, his first meeting with a super cool clan warrior. He sat up straight, a calm expression on his face. Autumnpaw. That was the first time he’d heard his mother introduce herself by her clan name. It seemed weird. From the stories she’d told him? apprentices with the “paw” name were supposed to be his age. She was much too old.
Taking matters into his own paws, Kestrel spoke up. “My mother taught me everything she knows about clan life. I want to be an apprentice. She told me Springlight and all the warriors will teach me everything else.” He dropped into a hunting stance, crouched low and tense, ears pricked up. “See? I also memorized the code. Wanna hear it?” he inquired with bright, intense eyes, popping back up.
Autumnpaw. That name was familiar, too. Come to think of it, didn't Bumblestar know this cat? A former ThunderClan apprentice came to mind if she wracked her brain hard enough... Oh. Springlight's sister. That explained it.
Grief briefly marred Bumblestar's expression before she managed to rein it in again. "Springlight is dead. I'm sorry; you just missed her." How cruel was that? So close and yet so, so far.
But Autumnpaw had said nine moons ago, and in an instant, it was back to business as usual. Bumblestar narrowed her eyes, inspecting both of them (though ignoring the kit's antics aside from a passing glance). "Nine moons," she echoed. "You should know me, then. Bumblestar, if for some reason it's evadin' you. How come you want your kit here, if you left?"
"What?" came the startled reply, escaping Autumn's throat in wrangled shock and dread. Springlight was dead? Part of her wanted to start bawling, right then and there. Just when they'd reunited... Then she was really the last of them. Winterpaw and Summerpaw were gone as well, according to her sister. "H-how did she die? She was perfectly healthy when I saw her last," Autumn inquired, trying to keep her voice from breaking. There would be time to grieve later. For now she had to figure out is it was still a good idea for Kestrel to join Thunderclan without kin to depend on.
Autumn tilted her head at the she-cat's observation. Bumblestar, Bumblestar...oh! "Bumblebreak!" she said in realization. "You were the deputy. I remember, yes. Thrushstar had just gone missing last I remember, but you hadn't received your leader name yet..." Oh she was rambling. This was besides the point. Focusing on the leader's inquiry she replied, "Pax and I aren't suited for parenthood, not yet at least. I'm still learning to survive out there, and he's always off hunting or patrolling and so on. And we're both so young. I've been telling Kestrel stories about the clans since he was born, and teaching him what I remember from my training. It's been his dream, to join Thunderclan. He's a natural. And when I came to visit Springlight, we thought we found a solution. She could take him in, raise him until he's ready to be a warrior."
Of course, now that Springlight was...dead, everything was up in the air again. She looked over at her son, curious what his reaction would be. Would the absence of his aunt discourage him from wanting to join? And would Bumblestar even allow him in without a ward to vouch for him?
KESTREL
Springlight was dead? Kestrel was too young to fully comprehend the severity of death, but he knew that it meant she wouldn't be around. This disappointed him greatly. He'd been looking forward to meeting and learning from her. And his mother was sad. The six-moon-old kit brushed his tail against her flank in an effort at comfort, unsure what to do. He'd never seen her sad before.
Bumblystork was ignoring him. That was bothersome. He sighed and sat in obedient silence as Autumn proceeded to explain their reasoning. When she was done, he felt her gaze burning into him and looked up. Her eyes were full of concern and doubt. Oh no. Was she second-guessing letting him join the clan? He could still do it! He would find another warrior to teach him! He was impressive! He was a natural, right?!
Jerking his head to the stranger with wide eyes he added, "Bumblystork, I can still be a warrior! I mean, an apprentice! And then a warrior! I wanted to meet Springlight, but I can still help the clan without her guidance, promise!"
"What?" came the startled reply, escaping Autumn's throat in wrangled shock and dread. Springlight was dead? Part of her wanted to start bawling, right then and there. Just when they'd reunited... Then she was really the last of them. Winterpaw and Summerpaw were gone as well, according to her sister. "H-how did she die? She was perfectly healthy when I saw her last," Autumn inquired, trying to keep her voice from breaking. There would be time to grieve later. For now she had to figure out is it was still a good idea for Kestrel to join Thunderclan without kin to depend on.
Autumn tilted her head at the she-cat's observation. Bumblestar, Bumblestar...oh! "Bumblebreak!" she said in realization. "You were the deputy. I remember, yes. Thrushstar had just gone missing last I remember, but you hadn't received your leader name yet..." Oh she was rambling. This was besides the point. Focusing on the leader's inquiry she replied, "Pax and I aren't suited for parenthood, not yet at least. I'm still learning to survive out there, and he's always off hunting or patrolling and so on. And we're both so young. I've been telling Kestrel stories about the clans since he was born, and teaching him what I remember from my training. It's been his dream, to join Thunderclan. He's a natural. And when I came to visit Springlight, we thought we found a solution. She could take him in, raise him until he's ready to be a warrior."
Of course, now that Springlight was...dead, everything was up in the air again. She looked over at her son, curious what his reaction would be. Would the absence of his aunt discourage him from wanting to join? And would Bumblestar even allow him in without a ward to vouch for him?
KESTREL
Springlight was dead? Kestrel was too young to fully comprehend the severity of death, but he knew that it meant she wouldn't be around. This disappointed him greatly. He'd been looking forward to meeting and learning from her. And his mother was sad. The six-moon-old kit brushed his tail against her flank in an effort at comfort, unsure what to do. He'd never seen her sad before.
Bumblystork was ignoring him. That was bothersome. He sighed and sat in obedient silence as Autumn proceeded to explain their reasoning. When she was done, he felt her gaze burning into him and looked up. Her eyes were full of concern and doubt. Oh no. Was she second-guessing letting him join the clan? He could still do it! He would find another warrior to teach him! He was impressive! He was a natural, right?!
Jerking his head to the stranger with wide eyes he added, "Bumblystork, I can still be a warrior! I mean, an apprentice! And then a warrior! I wanted to meet Springlight, but I can still help the clan without her guidance, promise!"
Bumblestar glanced off to the side, ears twitching. "An owl got to her. Just a few days ago. It was a freak accident. We're planning on dealing with it."
Back to the task at hand. She looked down at Kestrel as Autumn carried on explaining. The kit seemed eager and prepared enough, as far as apprentice-level preparation went. Silence reigned for a moment before she sighed. "I can take him back to the Clan," she said. "He'll be trained 'n I'll be sure to keep an eye on him. Family of Springlight's is family of mine."
With one paw, she reached out to gently nudge Kestrel. "You won't be able to keep your name, I'm afraid," she told him. "Already got a Kestrelpaw lurkin' around. What do you think about Hawkpaw, if you wanna keep the bird-theme? Could go with..." She squinted at him. "Copperpaw, too, I guess, if you want somethin' different."
She looked back up to Autumn. "You're welcome to return if you want. Your mate, too. ThunderClan's turned around; there's still a place for you here if you want it."
An owl. What a dreadful way to go. Autumn began to tear up once more. The assurance that the bird of prey would be dealt with made her feel slightly better, but not even close to filling the pool of sadness in her heart.
Kestrel's tail brushed her side, and she knew it was the furball's only way of comforting her. He still seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the clan, which refocused her on the goal of this meeting. Bumblestar seemed hesitant, but she eventually conceded. The promise to watch over her son was comforting.
"Thank you," she replied, nodding in acceptance. The offer to join the clan caught her off guard. She was silent for a moment, bewildered. It was tempting, to return home. But that was just it. It was no longer her home. Pax was her home. And there was no way in the Dark Forest that he would ever put up with that many cats in one place, even for her.
"I appreciate it, but I'm happy where I am," she said with a small smile. Autumn turned to her son, who seemed about ready to burst with happiness. She reached out a paw to cuff him gently over the ear. "Be good for Bumblestar, yes? And you know where to find me, should you ever need it." The young molly gave him one last look and a nod towards the leader before beginning the journey home.
KESTREL
Owls. Those were scary. They had the ghostly white ones back home, and father had told him how terrible they were. He shuddered at the thought.
He bounced to his paws, scary owls forgotten at Bumblystork's words. "Thank you, Bumblystork!" he cheered, purring obnoxiously. "I'm going to be the best apprentice. Ever," he nodded stoically, sitting back down. A name change, interesting. He'd expected the addition of a suffix, as his mother had warned, but an entire change was very unexpected. "Hawkpaw...Copperpaw..." he tried them out, deciding which one he thought sounded better. "Copperpaw!" he announced. Pax had told him his fur looked like copper in the sun one time, and it sounded very pretty. He didn't know what copper was, of course.
He winced at the affectionate smack, flicking an ear in annoyance. "Goodbye, Mom," he said, watching after her until her bobbed tail was no longer in sight. Turning back to Bumblystork, he asked, "When do we start?"
Name Bean
Age 24 Moons
Gender Male
Rank Request Warrior
New Name Loading
Reason For Joining Loves The Whole Clan Idea, And Finding That He Works Best In Groups When Helping RiverClan (Not Knowing What They Did) And Missed His Chance To Join Them, And Made His Way To ThunderClan.
Mention @dino.
BEAN
BILIGUAL T2
The Barn Cat Walked From His Barn Over To The Edge Of ThunderClans Territory, Tracking A Rabbit. He Only Noticed It Was ThunderClans Territory And Not His Own, The White And Tabby Spotted Tom Walked Right Into A Marked Tree. Ouch. He Sniffed Around And Sat On The Edge Of ThunderClans Border, Head Spinning.
__________________
Ain't No Rest For The Wicked.
Money Don't Grow On Trees.
From The Song "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked"
SILVS Is An Exiled ThunderClan Apprentice.
If He Is Needed, Mention Me.
An owl. What a dreadful way to go. Autumn began to tear up once more. The assurance that the bird of prey would be dealt with made her feel slightly better, but not even close to filling the pool of sadness in her heart.
Kestrel's tail brushed her side, and she knew it was the furball's only way of comforting her. He still seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the clan, which refocused her on the goal of this meeting. Bumblestar seemed hesitant, but she eventually conceded. The promise to watch over her son was comforting.
"Thank you," she replied, nodding in acceptance. The offer to join the clan caught her off guard. She was silent for a moment, bewildered. It was tempting, to return home. But that was just it. It was no longer her home. Pax was her home. And there was no way in the Dark Forest that he would ever put up with that many cats in one place, even for her.
"I appreciate it, but I'm happy where I am," she said with a small smile. Autumn turned to her son, who seemed about ready to burst with happiness. She reached out a paw to cuff him gently over the ear. "Be good for Bumblestar, yes? And you know where to find me, should you ever need it." The young molly gave him one last look and a nod towards the leader before beginning the journey home.
KESTREL
Owls. Those were scary. They had the ghostly white ones back home, and father had told him how terrible they were. He shuddered at the thought.
He bounced to his paws, scary owls forgotten at Bumblystork's words. "Thank you, Bumblystork!" he cheered, purring obnoxiously. "I'm going to be the best apprentice. Ever," he nodded stoically, sitting back down. A name change, interesting. He'd expected the addition of a suffix, as his mother had warned, but an entire change was very unexpected. "Hawkpaw...Copperpaw..." he tried them out, deciding which one he thought sounded better. "Copperpaw!" he announced. Pax had told him his fur looked like copper in the sun one time, and it sounded very pretty. He didn't know what copper was, of course.
He winced at the affectionate smack, flicking an ear in annoyance. "Goodbye, Mom," he said, watching after her until her bobbed tail was no longer in sight. Turning back to Bumblystork, he asked, "When do we start?"
[ go ahead and submit him to the allegiances if you haven't already!! ]
So no Autumn return, and no joining of her mate, either. Bumblestar offered the she-cat a small smile in response, before she returned her attention to the kit.
'Bumblystork'. Her whiskers twitched. "It's Bumblestar," she corrected. "And that's cool, we can go with Copperpaw. C'mon." With a flick of her tail, she gestured for him to follow. "I'll take you to camp, get you settled in, 'n get you set up with a mentor at the next meeting. Welcome to ThunderClan."
He is hungry and tired. His paws hurt. He does not know where he is. All he knows is that he needs safety. A home. Somewhere to live. Anywhere. He will do anything. The fluffy kitten doesn't notice the scent lines as he stumbles across them. He is too disoriented, focusing completely on placing one paw in front of the other. He only knows that he is a survivor. And he will survive if only someone will give him a chance.
MOOSECRASH
51 Moons (Mentally 35) | He/Him | Well Insulated | Two Left Paws (Exp 7/29)
Feeling another wave of dizziness, Moosecrash decided this energetic tripod warrior had the right idea, and sat with a soft thump on the ground, nodding as he listened to the explanations. "Yes, I remember Sparrowflight vaguely, I can't say for sure if I remember Thrushstar, though," he replies before a sadness flashed through his eyes.
"Rosep- Roseraven is missing? How awful. She's such a good cat," he added, his deep voice filled with sorrow at the information. Things really had changed. He had been gone for much longer than he thought. And there were so many questions he still had. How did he get the scars that now adorned him? Why had the camp moved? What had this Thrushstar done to incite such animosity just at the mere mention of the name?
It was a lot to take in in such a short time. And this cat didn't seem to know of the other cats that Moosecrash had mentioned. "So Dawnstar is back with Shadowclan, the camp has moved, and many of the cats I remember seeing just yesterday are missing or dead..." He trailed off. His tail tip twitched as all of the questions raced through his mind.
"And, if i understand correctly, Thunderclan has faced not one, but two major battles since then?" As he mentioned the battles he felt his shoulder twinge again, almost as if his body was recalling what his brain could not. He gave the fur on his shoulders a good cleaning, and then turned his hazel eyes towards the forest.
"I certainly hope your Bumblestar can help me make sense of some of this..."
Mudhound
Thunderclan Hornet | They/them | 35 Moons
Bilingual T2 | Flock Together T3 | Rapid Recovery | Beefed up T3
"....You see: Cindersky was leader and Bumble-sis says she was a good one but she died cos she never got all nine lives. Bumble says Sparrowstar (Sparrowflight) after her was a disappointment though and she may be alive but last anyone saw of her a twoleg got her and that was a while ago. Then there was Thrushstar who was a lame bad person and vanished so now we have Bumblestar! Bumbles is great and now thunderclan is too again, we even beat up riverclan a couple of times when they were mean.
Rosepaw is actually someone I know and she became Roseraven but apparently she did something bad on accident (not my business) so she was demoted from med cat to warrior and only recently went missing.
I dunno who Necterflame is though, sorry."
Did Mudhound need to breath? Could they talk forever? All questions without an answer as the tripod rambled on, waiting for the leader alongside Moosecrash. At least the day was nice for it, birds chirping in the trees and if they werent watching the other maine coon Mudhound would go hunting again, just for the fun of it.
Somehow Bumblestar's outings these days seemed to turn into run-ins with trespassers and returning Clanmates. Mudhound's scent wafted through the air, accompanied by another she didn't recognize, and she changed directions to quickly trot in their direction.
The tom sitting next to her sibling was someone who was only vaguely familiar. Bumblestar squinted at him, trying to wrack her brain for a name without success as she slowed to a stop. "Mudhound, who's this?"
Re: ThunderClan Outsider Joining
