RiverClan Territory

[ponyapan]

Originally Posted by Starstruck

@ponyapan

Her pelt warmed beneath her fur at the tom's words. Amazing? Me? "Yeah, right, tail-kisser. There's a difference between 'amazing' and 'better than the worst fighter in all of the clan history.' I'm only mediocre!" Even so, her chest swelled with a strange feeling. Was it- no, surely not- pride? Confidence? Such feelings were foreign to her, but her eyes glitters with exhilaration as she realized that she would do anything to feel that again. "It seems like we're doing fighting practice first. Let's see- which one of your battle skills needs the most improvement? I think I can help a bit!"

Rainpaw slouched a bit. If she's mediocre, what am I? The worst fighter in all of clan history? he thought for a second, but then he shook the thoughts out of his head. No negativity! After all, this is my chance to improve. Rainpaw looked at how motivated Eveningpaw looked, her eyes glitering. With a teacher like her, that ought to go swiftly! "Hey, I mean it! Riverclan is lucky to have you," he insisted warmly. And so am I.

"My battle skills?" Rainpaw asked himself out loud. He thought about it, and felt his pelt grow hot. "Actually, I don't really know. My mentor and I never went beyond the basics. I just couldn't manage it..." he admitted. Rainpaw knew he had a problem with his reflexes and quick thinking, but his mentor had just kind of... moved on after a while of training without fruition. In fact, this must have been his most succesful time yet, and it wasn't really anything to brag about.

[Vessel]

Originally Posted by ponyapan

Rainpaw slouched a bit. If she's mediocre, what am I? The worst fighter in all of clan history? he thought for a second, but then he shook the thoughts out of his head. No negativity! After all, this is my chance to improve. Rainpaw looked at how motivated Eveningpaw looked, her eyes glitering. With a teacher like her, that ought to go swiftly! "Hey, I mean it! Riverclan is lucky to have you," he insisted warmly. And so am I.

"My battle skills?" Rainpaw asked himself out loud. He thought about it, and felt his pelt grow hot. "Actually, I don't really know. My mentor and I never went beyond the basics. I just couldn't manage it..." he admitted. Rainpaw knew he had a problem with his reflexes and quick thinking, but his mentor had just kind of... moved on after a while of training without fruition. In fact, this must have been his most succesful time yet, and it wasn't really anything to brag about.

She took a deep breath. ¨Alright, so maybe reflexes just aren´t your strong point. Maybe you should be sneak-attacking cats instead of just outright battling them!¨ She flicked her tail as the thought struck her. ¨Find somewhere to hide while I close my eyes and wait. When you're done, just call out and I will open my eyes and walk around. Try to ambush me!¨ Her pelt twitched in anticipation. ¨But please- claws SHEATHED, for Starclan´s sake!¨ She squeezed her eyes shut and sat, wrapping her tail around her paws.

[ponyapan]

Originally Posted by Starstruck

She took a deep breath. ¨Alright, so maybe reflexes just aren´t your strong point. Maybe you should be sneak-attacking cats instead of just outright battling them!¨ She flicked her tail as the thought struck her. ¨Find somewhere to hide while I close my eyes and wait. When you're done, just call out and I will open my eyes and walk around. Try to ambush me!¨ Her pelt twitched in anticipation. ¨But please- claws SHEATHED, for Starclan´s sake!¨ She squeezed her eyes shut and sat, wrapping her tail around her paws.

Rainpaw agreed with a nod. It seemed reasonable, but he had never tried it before. "It's worth a try!"

He took a deep breath. Rainpaw immedietely calmed down when he got into his hunting mindset. With a clear mind, he calmly tasted the air before he padded downwind to conceal his scent. Despite the difference in size, he thought that the best way to think of this was like hunting a mouse or vole. Rainpaw made sure to keep his steps light as he searched for proper foliage to hide in. He paused by some cattails at a fallen log that laid slightly uphill, and then crept into a hunters crouch. All he focused on was keeping his breaths even and his body low. Every other thought was pushed away to later. "Ready," he said quietly. Then he waited...

[Vessel]

@ponyapan

Eveningpaw´s green eyes snapped open, her fur immediately bristling at the thought that Rainpaw could jump out at her at any moment. Calm down, calm down, it´s not a REAL enemy! Oh, get ahold of yourself, Eveningpaw!, she thought to herself. Eventually, she was able to get her fur to lie flat again. She took a deep breath and began sauntering about the little glade that she was in, doing her best to act like she didn´t know Rainpaw was out there. ¨La, la, la, look at me! I´m an evil WINDCLAN cat, coming to eat all of Riverclan´s kits like a mean old badger! Oh, I hope no mighty Riverclan apprentices try to stop me...!¨ She let out a little mrrow of laughter and admitted to herself that this was really quite fun.

[ponyapan]

@Starstruck
Rainpaw had to surpress his purr of amusement, nearly revealing his position. But he just couldn't resist it when he heard Eveningpaw talking to herself while she wandered around. Okay, maybe I can let myself relax a little. While it was important to be ready, it would be no good to be tense! Rainpaw readjusted himself, this time putting more flow into his stance. Maybe I'm getting the hang of this, after all.

He could smell Eveningpaw before he saw her. I'll make the move before she sees me! he thought, but then stayed in his place for another moment. Have patience, you're hidden, you have the high ground. Don't mess it up...! He took another breath, then waited until the right moment . Now! Eveningpaw had turned away and was about to walk the other way. This time, Rainpaw skipped the leap, since that could easily start of badly. Instead, he darted forward and tried to pounce at her back legs using his whole weight.

[lone]

The weather was getting colder, and very soon, it would be too cold to swim in the river at all. It would freeze over, and the majority of RiverClan's prey would be gone with it. Nightsky was not looking forward to that, but for the moment, she could at least go sit by the river. With a paw dipped into the water, the she-cat swished it back and forth, watching the ripples. There were no fish around; she'd already checked, to be sure that she wouldn't scare them away. For the moment, everything was quiet.

That was until, of course, she somehow lost her balance.

Splashing into the water, Nightsky gave a muffled yowl of indignation, the freezing liquid soaking her pelt through and, of course, bothering her to no end. She would've been happy to get in the water slowly, but this? Regaining her balance, and standing up, the she-cat emerged from the water sopping wet and looking like a drowned kit. At the very least, she'd maintained some of her dignity. She wasn't bleeding on top of everything else.

@xeno

[Jesse]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The weather was getting colder, and very soon, it would be too cold to swim in the river at all. It would freeze over, and the majority of RiverClan's prey would be gone with it. Nightsky was not looking forward to that, but for the moment, she could at least go sit by the river. With a paw dipped into the water, the she-cat swished it back and forth, watching the ripples. There were no fish around; she'd already checked, to be sure that she wouldn't scare them away. For the moment, everything was quiet.

That was until, of course, she somehow lost her balance.

Splashing into the water, Nightsky gave a muffled yowl of indignation, the freezing liquid soaking her pelt through and, of course, bothering her to no end. She would've been happy to get in the water slowly, but this? Regaining her balance, and standing up, the she-cat emerged from the water sopping wet and looking like a drowned kit. At the very least, she'd maintained some of her dignity. She wasn't bleeding on top of everything else.

@xeno

While his clanmates whined and bellyached over stiff joints and numb paws, young Sunblaze found himself eagerly counting the days till the river . "It's dangerous," they warned him. "You'll fall through and drown!" Of course, Sunblaze would go ahead and do it anyway. There was no way he'd miss out on a once-a-season opportunity just because some dusty old senior was too yellowbellied to do it themselves. He'd done it plenty of times over and hadn't fallen through yet. What were the odds today was the day of all days he'd meet his untimely death at the bottom of a river? That was, if it had even frozen over yet. It wasn't quite leaf-bare yet, but occasionally it got cold enough during leaf-fall to create a thin layer of ice that was just barely thick enough to stand on. He was supposed to be hunting, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to drop by and check. They wouldn't mind, right? A few moments of fun wouldn't starve anyone.

Sunblaze reached the riverbank and, much to his disappointment, found that it was steadily flowing like always. Guess today isn't my day. he thought glumly, kicking a pebble into the water that made a satisfying plink and sunk. Maybe Starclan was trying to tell him to focus more on his duties. He was getting ready to turn back when a distressed yelp caught his attention from further down the river. It wasn't very loud, but whoever it was didn't sound very happy. Without giving it a second thought, Sunblaze bounded towards the mystery cat. What if they are hurt? What if a rogue got them? Or a giant fish bit off their paw?!

Whoever the cat was, they weren't very far away. He found them quickly. Maybe even too quickly, as he nearly barreled headfirst into them, but was able to skid to a stop just whisker-lengths away. It was a quite pretty black she-cat, who- to his relief- seemed only to be quite wet and disgruntled. Flustered, he wheeled backwards and landed flat on his rear. "A-are you okay? You aren't hurt are you? You aren't bleeding.. anywhere? Do you need some help? I can help if you need help. I-If you need help, of course." Sunblaze blurted out words faster than even he could keep up with. He wasn't sure if he was genuinely concerned or just embarrassed anymore.

[lone]

Originally Posted by xeno

While his clanmates whined and bellyached over stiff joints and numb paws, young Sunblaze found himself eagerly counting the days till the river . "It's dangerous," they warned him. "You'll fall through and drown!" Of course, Sunblaze would go ahead and do it anyway. There was no way he'd miss out on a once-a-season opportunity just because some dusty old senior was too yellowbellied to do it themselves. He'd done it plenty of times over and hadn't fallen through yet. What were the odds today was the day of all days he'd meet his untimely death at the bottom of a river? That was, if it had even frozen over yet. It wasn't quite leaf-bare yet, but occasionally it got cold enough during leaf-fall to create a thin layer of ice that was just barely thick enough to stand on. He was supposed to be hunting, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to drop by and check. They wouldn't mind, right? A few moments of fun wouldn't starve anyone.

Sunblaze reached the riverbank and, much to his disappointment, found that it was steadily flowing like always. Guess today isn't my day. he thought glumly, kicking a pebble into the water that made a satisfying plink and sunk. Maybe Starclan was trying to tell him to focus more on his duties. He was getting ready to turn back when a distressed yelp caught his attention from further down the river. It wasn't very loud, but whoever it was didn't sound very happy. Without giving it a second thought, Sunblaze bounded towards the mystery cat. What if they are hurt? What if a rogue got them? Or a giant fish bit off their paw?!

Whoever the cat was, they weren't very far away. He found them quickly. Maybe even too quickly, as he nearly barreled headfirst into them, but was able to skid to a stop just whisker-lengths away. It was a quite pretty black she-cat, who- to his relief- seemed only to be quite wet and disgruntled. Flustered, he wheeled backwards and landed flat on his rear. "A-are you okay? You aren't hurt are you? You aren't bleeding.. anywhere? Do you need some help? I can help if you need help. I-If you need help, of course." Sunblaze blurted out words faster than even he could keep up with. He wasn't sure if he was genuinely concerned or just embarrassed anymore.

The fast approach of another cat drew Nightsky's attention. She would've attempted to clean herself up a little, but at the moment, she was much too cold - and tired - to worry about something like that. She'd have to hope it was only another she-cat; preferably someone who would help her dry off and get back to her usual, flawless self. That mindset was shattered once she saw Sunblaze approach. Unable to move quickly enough, Nightsky prepared herself for him to crash into her, but was pleasantly surprised when he managed to stop; almost in front of her face. She put on a playful smirk, stretching her head forward until the distance between them was almost closed before pulling away. He looked like he got easily flustered.

Oh, this'll be interesting.

"You can relax, darling," She mewed, finding a place that was semi-warm to sit, curling her sopping tail around herself. She was far from at her best right now, but Nightsky could work under these conditions. After all, she was good at this sort of thing. Especially because Sunblaze already seemed so nervous, it would only make her work easier. She recognized him; she'd seen him around the clearing before. He was a few moons younger than her, but not a newly-made warrior, as far as she knew. She didn't remember training with him, but then again, Nightsky didn't remember much of her apprenticeship. A few hard days here and there, a lot of working out the type of cat she wanted to be, and, as she fondly remembered, a lot of sleeping.

"I'm not hurt, but I appreciate the hero act. It's very sweet of you; very attractive," She purred, her voice dropping into a soft, sweet tone that had proven effective in the past. Everyone was different; some cats preferred physical flirtation, others verbal, and Nightsky usually tried a mixture of both until she learned what worked. It all depended on how desperate a tom could get for attention.

"You're Sunblaze, aren't you? I think I've seen you around. Are you more into nicknames, or do you prefer your own name?" She asked, her tail twitching back and forth even as she spoke. She was still wet, but at least she was entertained. This would give her something to do in-between trying to clean the water off and (hopefully) avoiding freezing. Perhaps Sunblaze would be interested in keeping her warm.

[BEAR.]

Firehawk wasn't happy with these plans by any means.

It was one thing to expand above ground. To agitate the other Clans with bold border changes and to take territory long abandoned. But to go back underground after everything that happened? The thought made him shiver.

But he obeyed his deputy, leading the small patrol through RiverClan's territory until he came to a stop near the mouth of a collapsed hole. For many, it'd look like an abandoned den that sank overtime, but he knew better. This was one of the many entrances the Clan had fled from that fateful night.

"This is one of them.." Every word felt like sand in his mouth, tasteless. A little gritty. Mostly unpleasant. "There's several spots scattered throughout all of the territories. I doubt all of them are in this state, and some might even be the home to foxes or badgers by now."

Firehawk turned to the patrol, determined eyes scanning each individual cat. "I can't stress enough how stupid and dangerous this is. We left these tunnels long ago for a reason, and it'd be the best interest of all the Clans if we didn't do disturbing the dead. It's bad luck, and it'll only cause more harm than good." Disrupting the already fragile ground? That was asking for the territory to sink under them.

@Dust, @Venus, @Fuzzyfeline, @Bliss Girl

[Jesse]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The fast approach of another cat drew Nightsky's attention. She would've attempted to clean herself up a little, but at the moment, she was much too cold - and tired - to worry about something like that. She'd have to hope it was only another she-cat; preferably someone who would help her dry off and get back to her usual, flawless self. That mindset was shattered once she saw Sunblaze approach. Unable to move quickly enough, Nightsky prepared herself for him to crash into her, but was pleasantly surprised when he managed to stop; almost in front of her face. She put on a playful smirk, stretching her head forward until the distance between them was almost closed before pulling away. He looked like he got easily flustered.

Oh, this'll be interesting.

"You can relax, darling," She mewed, finding a place that was semi-warm to sit, curling her sopping tail around herself. She was far from at her best right now, but Nightsky could work under these conditions. After all, she was good at this sort of thing. Especially because Sunblaze already seemed so nervous, it would only make her work easier. She recognized him; she'd seen him around the clearing before. He was a few moons younger than her, but not a newly-made warrior, as far as she knew. She didn't remember training with him, but then again, Nightsky didn't remember much of her apprenticeship. A few hard days here and there, a lot of working out the type of cat she wanted to be, and, as she fondly remembered, a lot of sleeping.

"I'm not hurt, but I appreciate the hero act. It's very sweet of you; very attractive," She purred, her voice dropping into a soft, sweet tone that had proven effective in the past. Everyone was different; some cats preferred physical flirtation, others verbal, and Nightsky usually tried a mixture of both until she learned what worked. It all depended on how desperate a tom could get for attention.

"You're Sunblaze, aren't you? I think I've seen you around. Are you more into nicknames, or do you prefer your own name?" She asked, her tail twitching back and forth even as she spoke. She was still wet, but at least she was entertained. This would give her something to do in-between trying to clean the water off and (hopefully) avoiding freezing. Perhaps Sunblaze would be interested in keeping her warm.

Sunblaze cheeks felt hot, even in the chilly breeze. She really was pretty, he thought, shuffling his paws nervously in the dirt. He hadn't realized how intensely he was staring at her until she spoke, snapping him out of his momentary trance. He jerked his head away and bashfully turned his gaze to his paws. Don't stare, it's rude. he remembered the advice of an old warrior who had once caught him aggressively eyeing down a particularly funny looking elder. Of course, she wasn't funny looking or an elder. He was so uncomfortable he wanted to crawl out of his skin. She was okay, right? Maybe he could just leave.. But somehow he just couldn't bring himself to lift his feet. They were rooted in the ground. Ugh. He hated this.

Sunblaze flushed violently at her next words. If he had no fur, he'd be beet red from head to tail. He couldn't help but squirm and fidget like a fish out of water. He was so preoccupied trying to keep himself composed, he hadn't noticed he was stirring up leaves with his tail. She was so nice.. She was being nice, right? Sometimes he couldn't tell. He flattened his ears against his head and forced a timid smile. "Thank you.." he practically whispered.

"Yes.. That's me. I'm Sunblaze.. You can call me whatever you like.. though." He dipped his head sheepishly, trying his darnest not to make eye contact. "Y'know.. if you want." Wasn't she cold? She wasn't even shivering.. Even after all these moons training and finally becoming a warrior in Riverclan, he could never understand how comfortable they were with water. He had since learned to grin and bear it, but he couldn't say it wasn't still unpleasant. "Aren't you cold? It's pretty cold.. And you're.. wet." The time he caught a nasty cough from being out in the snow too long came to mind.