Yeah. That hadn’t helped at all. Lostspark didn’t know what she’d been thinking asking her mother how she got her gruesome-looking scars (she was pretty sure they’d hurt like hell too). Trying not to stare at her leader as if the feline had suddenly grown two heads, the single-striped Enforcer cleared her throat and averted her gaze. What in bleeding burning skies was she meant to say to that?
“That’s…” Depressing. That’s what it was. “I always assumed you got them together. The scars, I mean. It didn’t occur to me that they’re two different marks.” It hadn’t occurred to Lostspark’s roleplayer either — they really needed to stop being lazy and using the excuse that Lostspark is a former outsider for not looking into lore. For a couple moments, she merely sat there, silent and still as a statue, before exhaling softly and rising to her paws. “I have to inform Darkfall.” Was all she said finally. “Thank you for indulging me.” In other words, she was asking permission to be dismissed.
[ @Undertaker - Dawnstar | Am Mobile posting, apologies ]
Hazelstripe raised her head once more and cocked it to the side. ”What?” She blurted out before she could stop herself, genuine confusion written over her face. She had detailed what she’d done without skipping out on any of the important details. Desperately wracking her brain, she tried to remember if she’d done anything that would’ve left such lasting damage on the apprentice…
”I did not issue a warning, no.” She said, shaking her head ”I never intended to kill the little rascal. I snuck up behind him, pounced on him, gave him a few paw blows and then flicked him back towards the border. I don’t know how he would’ve gotten… No, he didn’t—!“ For a moment, a look of horror flashed across her face as a thought dawned on her. The little bugger set her up! And what was this about Hillstrider? Why was he there? That dumbass pretty tom had to go and do something inconvenient…
”Hillstrider found him, yes? And you say that he was severely injured?” She asked, slowly putting pieces together in her mind. She wanted to think she was clever, but she clearly miscalculated the stupidity of that young tom. ”My apologies Dawnstar. It seems that after I left, the little rat— errr apprentice managed to find some way to fall into the ravine. If his injuries are severe enough that he couldn’t get back on his own and needed assistance from that handso— Hillstrider, then that is the only explanation I can come up with.”
She needed to think. How could she get out of this? If she had simply killed the apprentice and dumped him elsewhere then this would’ve been so much easier, but in reality it was due to not mentioning to Dawnstar what she did that the real problem arose. Ugh this was infuriating! Keeping herself from lashing her tail in anger, she kneaded the ground in front of her in frustration. ”This is a rather imperfect inconvenience.” She half mumbled.
Fury burned in her amber eyes once Hazelstripe explained what she figured had happened. Not that it mattered, the cat looked like he had been beaten half to death because of Hazelstripe's neglect. She caused a problem and now Dawnstar had to figure out how to clean it up.
"I never expected you out of all cats to make a blunder this big, Hazelstripe." Truely Hazelstripe never seemed the same as the many other idiots that were in her clan. She wasn't as outstanding as some of Dawnstar's warriors, but she's proven reliable and had enough common sense to stay out of trouble or so she thought.
"Whether the apprentice did it deliberately or not, you may have put ShadowClan in a sore spot. This could have all been avoided had you stuck around and made sure that the little weasel had gotten back over the border instead of leaving him in our territory." Why did she do that? Beat on an apprentice and didn't even check to ensure he had gotten out of the territory before leaving him? Towards the border wasn't over it.
"You'll spend the next half-moon as an apprentice for not reporting and just downright laziness. If I have to deal with problems from ThunderClan because of this, your punishment will be steeper." Hazelstripe was in the right for defending ShadowClan's borders but in the wrong for doing it so lackadaisically. Even though this has only happened once Dawnstar would have to make some adjustments to her usual rules.
[Her punishment is finished on August 7th.]
Quote:
Originally Posted by isla
PONDPAW
SILVER TONGUE
MIND READER
KITTY SOFTPAWS
Pondpaw called into the den, voice soft. “Dawnstar? I’d like to speak with you.”
The former RiverClanner slid into Dawnstar’s den with grace, crouching beside the entrance. “I spoke with Rainpaw,” She admitted, blue eyes glistening with unreadable emotions. “I’ve been told that she has no idea where her mentor went, and….and I was wondering that if..”
The blue-gray mackerel tabby trailed off for a brief moment, her ears twitching thoughtfully. “I was wondering that if it was alright with you and Tuftedtusk, could Rainpaw possibly….be reassigned to Tuftedtusk? I told her I’d speak with you.”
Dawnstar gave a low grunt as she heard the apprentice's called. She walked in without waiting for permission which was bold if you asked her. The giant molly glared Pondpaw and draws her tongue over her muzzle after the she-cat's explanation.
A reassignment. It seemed like Pondpaw simply wanted to train with Rainpaw, but as the apprentice seemed to be trying to make friends within her new clan Dawnstar didn't see any reason to discourage that.
"Tufttusked told me that you that you messed up your leg during training. Although it seems to have healed well, I don't see much reason to give him a second apprentice when he's already having trouble with the first. I don't need you getting behind on your training."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mica
Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 42 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye] Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Dawnstar - @Undertaker ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Never could Mistlewhisker show up to Dawnstar's den with good news. While the deputy took her duty of reporting what she found seriously, she wished that just once she could show up with good news to give. She was sure one of these days Dawnstar was going to start associating her with only bad things.
"Dawnstar," Mistlewhisker meowed in greeting as she shouldered her way into the den. The faint scent of blood clung to her fur. "One of the patrols I sent out never returned, so I went looking. Slytiger, Beetlejuice and Flashpaw were sent to the territory for prey. When I went in search of them, I only found Flashpaw. She was wounded." The deputy flicked a large ear in mild annoyance. "It seems she was the victim of an attempted murder. She claims Starrypelt was the one who attacked her, and based on the blood and fur in Starrypelt's claws, I am inclined to believe her." She paused. At least this next part was at least a little better. "Starrypelt died from injuries she gained during a scuffle between them, near where I found Flashpaw. I brought the apprentice to Mossfreckle and Grousepaw, who are looking her over now."
Mistlewhisker reigned in a sigh. "It looks as though we had another murderer, though this one was far more incompetent." Not that Lionflop was competent, but he did manage to kill at least one cat. Annoying news all around, but maybe this last bit could lighten things up.
"I have been regularly patrolling the territory with some of the Enforcers, and we have not found another body or any more indications of trouble at the borders. Predators, clan, or otherwise. I intend to keep doing so for the foreseeable future." In fact, once she was done here she intended on grabbing Yellowtwist and heading out to bury Starrypelt's body, as well as do another patrol. Though if any other Enforcers wanted to join her, she wouldn't say no.
The Shadow Queen's right paw dipped her head to indicate she was done with her report. "Please let me know if I can do anything else, or if you have ideas on how to prevent more attacks like this." It was getting frustrating, to be frank. A perfectly reasonable restriction was put in place, but she had already heard the Enforcers talking about many cats breaking the rule and going out on their own. Hell, Flashpaw getting separated from Slytiger and Beetlejuice--still no sign of them--almost got the apprentice killed. A small part of her shrugged and made the point that if they wanted to ignore rules put in place for their safety, that was their choice. They could live with the consequences. ShadowClan had no need for idiotic warriors.
As the large, dark she-cat entered her den, Dawntar greeted her with a glower. She had gotten used to it a long time ago. The cats in her clan often only showed up to annoy or tell her about some new problem. She wrinkles her nose as the light scent of metallic reaches it. So did this mean she had someone dead? Mistlewhisker was often associated with death in the she-cat's mind. Mistlewhisker and Lostspark.
"How did Slytiger and Beetlejuice get separated from the only apprentice in their patrol?" The fur between her broad shoulders rose with the question." It sounds like Flashpaw got lucky, although she wouldn't have to be if the warriors assigned to her had stuck around. Yay, more broken apprentices thanks to incompetent warriors.
"I want Slytiger and Beetlejuice found. Get their side of the story and decide if they need to be demoted, exiled, or executed for putting Flashpaw at risk. I expect a punishment for both of them. If Flashpaw hadn't known how to defend herself, or Starrypelt was not as incompetent, the outcome could have been very different and ShadowClan would be dealing with another murder mystery." They were getting far too frequent.
Despite what some thought, Dawnstar did not overlook, or privilege those close to her. She didn't care who they were if they were causing her problems they'd be dealt with accordingly.
"Did Flashpaw say anything about why Starrypelt was trying to kill her?" Dawnstar had no clue why so many in her clan seemed to have taken to killing each other. She wondered if it had something to do with the dead whispering in their ears or something else entirely. It was difficult to nip the issue if she didn't know the cause.
Dawnstar had genuinely been thinking about lifting the restriction but after this, she wasn't sure. Perhaps she'll cut down on the number of cats allowed outside and add a harsh punishment for those caught out alone. "I can't think of anything outside of sending Enforcers out with cats to avoid stupidity like this. I swear they refuse to follow simple rules to piss me off." She seethed unhappily.
She didn't need cats questioning her leadership because of this. She was trying damn it. "Continue with your regular patrols and try ensuring those with good patrol records are sent out as patrol leaders to take care of our borders and hunting. I don't understand how both warriors managed to lose Flashpaw. Start adding me more frequently to patrols as well." Perhaps with her on patrols more often it would deter some of the foolish that happened outside of camp.
[dream]
Perhaps it was time to bring the news to Dawnstar. He'd been dwelling on the dream he had for quite some time. It was closure. Dawnstar had taken in his sister as her own so she deserved some closure as well. Unfortunately for them, this wasn't like the Woollyfeather situation at hand.
"Dawnstar," Hawkbite greeted from outside the den before entering and taking a seat just within. His tail wrapped around his paws and he inhaled deeply before beginning. "I have a dream to share with you," Hawkbite spoke, a solemn tone taking over. "My sister came to me- I mean, Vixensnarl did," The Commander spoke. He never could tell who did and didn't know of his relationship to the former Enforcer, so he'd taken a habit to clarifying.
"She's gone. Actually gone," Hawkbite got straight to it, pinning his ears momentarily as he let the words sink in. Grief was a strong feeling, one that always caused tension in his muscles. They'd ache every time the feeling overtook him. At least this time, there were no tears. There was only closure.
The scarred she-cat looked up when a cat casually walked into her den. She yawns and stretches before standing at her full height after finding it was just the head of her Enforcers. She couldn't help but stare at him with just a hint of caution in her eyes. Dawnstar was expecting bad news, she was always expecting bad news, but it seemed he wanted to chat about his dream.
She would have hissed at him and dismissed him if he were anyone else. But Dawnstar has learned to listen to her Enforcers as rarely did they ever waste her time. Vixensnarl, now that was a name she hadn't heard in moons. Dawnstar never forgot her adopted kits, but she didn't allow herself to waste away concerned about them either. The fact that Hawkbite was coming to her about a dream already confirmed a distasteful thought.
"So she is truly among the dead." The leader hummed thoughtfully. "At least she's not imprisoned in a twoleg den for the rest of her days. There are fates worse than death. If she came to you, I assume she is well and among the stars?" There was no grief in her eyes, nor anguish, it was akin to relief. To know the fate of the one she called daughter for the longest time quieted some restless part of her soul.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose
Lostspark
Yeah. That hadn’t helped at all. Lostspark didn’t know what she’d been thinking asking her mother how she got her gruesome-looking scars (she was pretty sure they’d hurt like hell too). Trying not to stare at her leader as if the feline had suddenly grown two heads, the single-striped Enforcer cleared her throat and averted her gaze. What in bleeding burning skies was she meant to say to that?
“That’s…” Depressing. That’s what it was. “I always assumed you got them together. The scars, I mean. It didn’t occur to me that they’re two different marks.” It hadn’t occurred to Lostspark’s roleplayer either — they really needed to stop being lazy and using the excuse that Lostspark is a former outsider for not looking into lore. For a couple moments, she merely sat there, silent and still as a statue, before exhaling softly and rising to her paws. “I have to inform Darkfall.” Was all she said finally. “Thank you for indulging me.” In other words, she was asking permission to be dismissed.
[ @Undertaker - Dawnstar | Am Mobile posting, apologies ]
It was hard not to chuckle at the look she received from Lostspark. The stories of her scars never bothered her, but she could see how it might disturb or bother others. Dawnstar felt no negative feelings at the avertion, it was expected. She was intrigued by the fact that they were thought to be one scar. Did everyone think that? Few were around to know how she had gotten the scars so she guessed that could be a possibility.
Dawnstar eyes were drawn back to Lostspark who asked to be dismissed. Aw, she scared off her daughter. Perhaps she'd have to keep the stories of her past quiet from her. She seemed troubled by them. Dawnstar flickered her tail allowing the she-cat to flee.
__________________
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
Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 42 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye] Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Dawnstar - @Undertaker ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker could feel the irritation radiating off of Dawnstar, and frankly the deputy wasn't much better. She had purposefully put Slytiger as the leader of that patrol, hoping that whatever Dawnstar saw in him as her mate would translate to a competent warrior. Seemed not. Her mistake. "It will be done." She meowed, green eye hardening. She had a distaste for punishing clanmates, but if they were going to let something like this happen, they deserved what was coming to them.
At the next question, Mistlewhisker shook her head. "No, I did not ask. I reported to you immediately upon escorting her to the medicine den. I plan on asking her once the shock has worn off." If she asked Flashpaw right now, she wasn't sure she would get much out of the apprentice.
Mistlewhisker's tail lashed in sympathetic frustration, and she pursed her lips. "I find myself stuck. Only assigning warriors I know won't mess up to patrols in order to keep patrols reporting in, or giving warriors chances to prove themselves to be competent." She hissed slightly, but it might have just be a sharp sigh for how quiet it was. "When I would rather be assigning apprentices to patrols in order to ensure they are getting hunting training and border tours." Because it certainly felt like a lot of apprentices were missing those. Hm, she had been wanting to run an event for a while... perhaps now was a good time for it. But that was for another day.
Dawnstar's last request was met with another brisk nod. "Understood."
The Commander shifted on his paws at her semi-rhetorical question. She was well, yes, but among the stars? He couldn't contest to that, but would answering in the lie calm the leader or would she catch on to it? Part of his soul couldn't bring himself to the lie to the leader, but he could avoid answering, right. "She is well, and she promised she'd be watching pretty closely. Would smack me back down to the living if I ever did something stupid and got myself killed," Hawkbite huffed with some amusement. The emotion even glittered in his eyes as he watched Dawnstar's reaction. If only he could accurately mock the sass in his sisters' tone, he might've mimicked it.
"It's nice to have closure. I hope you didn't mind my sharing."
Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 42 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye] Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Dawnstar - @Undertaker ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Mistlewhisker could feel the irritation radiating off of Dawnstar, and frankly the deputy wasn't much better. She had purposefully put Slytiger as the leader of that patrol, hoping that whatever Dawnstar saw in him as her mate would translate to a competent warrior. Seemed not. Her mistake. "It will be done." She meowed, green eye hardening. She had a distaste for punishing clanmates, but if they were going to let something like this happen, they deserved what was coming to them.
At the next question, Mistlewhisker shook her head. "No, I did not ask. I reported to you immediately upon escorting her to the medicine den. I plan on asking her once the shock has worn off." If she asked Flashpaw right now, she wasn't sure she would get much out of the apprentice.
Mistlewhisker's tail lashed in sympathetic frustration, and she pursed her lips. "I find myself stuck. Only assigning warriors I know won't mess up to patrols in order to keep patrols reporting in, or giving warriors chances to prove themselves to be competent." She hissed slightly, but it might have just be a sharp sigh for how quiet it was. "When I would rather be assigning apprentices to patrols in order to ensure they are getting hunting training and border tours." Because it certainly felt like a lot of apprentices were missing those. Hm, she had been wanting to run an event for a while... perhaps now was a good time for it. But that was for another day.
Dawnstar's last request was met with another brisk nod. "Understood."
Dawnstar couldn't help but be disappointed in Slytiger, he was usually better at handling such mundane things. She had mostly taken him as a mate cause she found him pretty, not competent, he was no Grimhound. But even so, if he got exiled for this even temporarily, he better expect trouble.
As for Flahspaw, even though she hoped the apprentice had a swift recovery, Dawnstar was hoping more that she didn't turn out overly fearful or nervous like some of her cats are with violence. Soft. These days it was tough to find apprentices with the same stuff as Rookfire and Sleepysunrise. Whether it was guilt for killing a cat or fear of being attacked again, it always left them more feeble than they were before. So much waste potential.
"I don't want to waste the clan's safety or resources on mere chances." Dawnstar understood what Mistlewhisker was trying to do, but as the clan needed these borders patrol and prey it was risky giving cats mere chances to prove themselves.
"I don't care if you want to increase the number of hunting patrols you send out and give cats chances as patrol leaders there. So long as you place a few more trustworthy cats at the heads of border patrols and some hunting patrols. I can't have the clan go hungry or borders unmarked for a few chances." So long as prey was brought in and the borders were scented, Mistlewhisker could play around with the patrols as she pleased. Dawnstar just wanted results.
"The apprentices can get off their lazy asses and seek out additional training from numerous warriors and enforcers if they wanted to. If they're behind on their training that's partly their fault." Dawnstar had no empathy for those lacking training these days, ShadowClan had how many fully trained warriors they could seek aid from.
"I would start telling apprentices that they must return to camp if they lose their patrol mates. I'm not sure how we'll do it, but we should ensure apprentices know the territory before they're sent out in case they get left behind like Flashpaw. That or make sure there are reliable warriors with those that haven't had a tour yet." Dawnstar didn't hear many cases like Flashpaw, but if they could prevent it from ever happening again it'd make her feel better.
The Commander shifted on his paws at her semi-rhetorical question. She was well, yes, but among the stars? He couldn't contest to that, but would answering in the lie calm the leader or would she catch on to it? Part of his soul couldn't bring himself to the lie to the leader, but he could avoid answering, right. "She is well, and she promised she'd be watching pretty closely. Would smack me back down to the living if I ever did something stupid and got myself killed," Hawkbite huffed with some amusement. The emotion even glittered in his eyes as he watched Dawnstar's reaction. If only he could accurately mock the sass in his sisters' tone, he might've mimicked it.
"It's nice to have closure. I hope you didn't mind my sharing."
Dawnstar smirked at the answer she was giving. She noticed Hawkbite was evading her prior question on the Vixensnarl's whereabouts but didn't mind much. If he didn't give her a positive answer, she'd assume that Vixensnarl was not in StarClan, and genuinely preferred that. She's never been fond of StarClan, and still wasn't, but heard and listened to them when necessary. Her dislike for the stars did not make her stupid enough to full-on revolt against them.
That did make her wonder where her soul had ended up. Perhaps in a space like her mother's? Hmm, guessing wasn't going to get her anywhere. The battle-torn ears tuned back into Hawkbite when he next spoke. "Yes, thank you for that. It brings a sense of peace knowing what happened to her." If only her other missing adopted kits were as thoughtful. Unless he had more to share, the leader allowed him to leave.
__________________
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
Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 42 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye] Purrks: Beefed Up T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
· · ────────────── · ·
[Dawnstar - @Undertaker ]
· · ────────────── · ·
It seemed that once again the leader and deputy were on the same page about everything. Mistlewhisker nodded briskly at the suggestions and critiques, taking them into account and storing them amongst her thoughts for later. "I will do that. Thank you." With that, once she was dismissed, Mistlewhisker slipped out of the den.
Now Bleedingpaw had never been in this den before but after interrogating his big sister on the method for going into Dawnstars den he was pretty sure he knew the gist. ....Though it didnt stop the slight terror in doing so. This was that cat who could, no matter how well he was doing in training and how many cats liked him and wanted him around (he was wanted and that fact was never not shocking), just boot him from the clan should he cross her.
Bleedingpaw didnt wanna cross her, in fact a small part of him that never stopped viewing her as Miss Tiger his savior who'd given him a home and family away from Rosa desperately wanted her to want him around like she did some of his adoptive family. However with a cat as powerful complex as Dawnstar you could never be sure what small unintentional movement would be it for her. Especially heavily pregnant, Bleedingpaw had seen queens slap their mates for seemingly no reason, irritated and uncomfortable with their state.
However Bleedingpaw was here because she was pregnant, complete with a gift he hoped would be a good omen like he thought it may be from the elders tales, and he was armed with Dawnstar 101 from Sleepysunrise and determination.
So he wobbled his way to outside the den and gently knocked, meowing a muffled bid through his gift(s). "Miss Dawnstar? It Bleedingpaw, I have a gift for you I wanted to give. Its probably not as cool as a pelt or skull but Miss Brairsplash says Im 'not up to that level yet' so I can go away if this is a bad time."
He'd timed it well however, placing his arrival when he knew Dawnstar was awake and not fed up with dumb cats right now so when he was eventually brought in he gently made his way in careful not to wobble over into something of the leaders and placed the bundle down.
The rabbit was just that, a rabbit, collected for a hearty meal for the leader, Bleedingpaw having remembered Nightshivers lessons on queens needing to eat for multiple. However the 'rock' was far more interesting even for it being a rock.
It was nose sized and so small, rough cut but obviously meticulously cleaned by the apprentice for evident reasons as it glistened in the slight. A garnet, not that Bleedingpaw knew that, that refracted blood red in the light flashing the translucent sections in the gem. A pretty little thing and rare, if slightly ominous and the golden bengal passed it over as he explained. "The elders were telling stories of the starcave and the gems in the walls that shone in the moonlight and gave blessings and Ive never been there of course but... Well I found this out in the territory and it kinda sounds like the starcave gems but red.
Mama says the darkforest blesses shadowclan more then the starclan cats who give blessings through the cave do so I thought maybe you'd get blessings for your kittens from a red gem like this instead.
Even if that isnt the case I hope you think it looks cool at least."
An odd gift from an odd apprentice but Bleedingpaw had put a lot of thought into it. Dawnstars kittens would be important and so targeted by their enemies, so while the wobbly cat doubted he could protect them maybe his gift could.
Now Bleedingpaw had never been in this den before but after interrogating his big sister on the method for going into Dawnstars den he was pretty sure he knew the gist. ....Though it didnt stop the slight terror in doing so. This was that cat who could, no matter how well he was doing in training and how many cats liked him and wanted him around (he was wanted and that fact was never not shocking), just boot him from the clan should he cross her.
Bleedingpaw didnt wanna cross her, in fact a small part of him that never stopped viewing her as Miss Tiger his savior who'd given him a home and family away from Rosa desperately wanted her to want him around like she did some of his adoptive family. However with a cat as powerful complex as Dawnstar you could never be sure what small unintentional movement would be it for her. Especially heavily pregnant, Bleedingpaw had seen queens slap their mates for seemingly no reason, irritated and uncomfortable with their state.
However Bleedingpaw was here because she was pregnant, complete with a gift he hoped would be a good omen like he thought it may be from the elders tales, and he was armed with Dawnstar 101 from Sleepysunrise and determination.
So he wobbled his way to outside the den and gently knocked, meowing a muffled bid through his gift(s). "Miss Dawnstar? It Bleedingpaw, I have a gift for you I wanted to give. Its probably not as cool as a pelt or skull but Miss Brairsplash says Im 'not up to that level yet' so I can go away if this is a bad time."
He'd timed it well however, placing his arrival when he knew Dawnstar was awake and not fed up with dumb cats right now so when he was eventually brought in he gently made his way in careful not to wobble over into something of the leaders and placed the bundle down.
The rabbit was just that, a rabbit, collected for a hearty meal for the leader, Bleedingpaw having remembered Nightshivers lessons on queens needing to eat for multiple. However the 'rock' was far more interesting even for it being a rock.
It was nose sized and so small, rough cut but obviously meticulously cleaned by the apprentice for evident reasons as it glistened in the slight. A garnet, not that Bleedingpaw knew that, that refracted blood red in the light flashing the translucent sections in the gem. A pretty little thing and rare, if slightly ominous and the golden bengal passed it over as he explained. "The elders were telling stories of the starcave and the gems in the walls that shone in the moonlight and gave blessings and Ive never been there of course but... Well I found this out in the territory and it kinda sounds like the starcave gems but red.
Mama says the darkforest blesses shadowclan more then the starclan cats who give blessings through the cave do so I thought maybe you'd get blessings for your kittens from a red gem like this instead.
Even if that isnt the case I hope you think it looks cool at least."
An odd gift from an odd apprentice but Bleedingpaw had put a lot of thought into it. Dawnstars kittens would be important and so targeted by their enemies, so while the wobbly cat doubted he could protect them maybe his gift could.
The she-cat was lying on her side grooming her once flat flanks, and occasionally hissing when she saw something alien push against her flank. That was never going to get old nor was the shock that she had literal life inside in her stomach. Life that made hers miserable and irritating. Dawnstar wasn't exactly certain when these spawns were arriving, but she still had to figure out if she was sticking them in the nursery.
Dawnstar knew that she made several clanmates uncomfortable; it didn't wear off because she was pregnant. If anything it made others more wary of her due to her uncontrollable mood swings. The queens would not find her presence in the nursery calming, and she'd feel the same with theirs and their kits. So it's probably best to keep them in her den for at least a moon.
She felt like she'd be paranoid about cats trying to either kill or turn her innocent parasites against her if she left them on their own too young. She wouldn't let these things become her weakness just because she bore them. If anything they should be grateful she bore them. The leader unconsciously yearned for the family she was denied during her younger years. As those who were adopted kept leaving her or dying, she was hoping she'd have been lucky with these kits. She wanted something she could call her own and actually keep. It was a bonus if they could become great warriors, like Lostspark and Ivysnake had been.
Thinking of Lostspark, she should go find her and talk to her more about what to expect when the little dung beetles are born. The muffled mews from outside her den made her ears stain to pick up who was speaking and what was being said to her. She made out her name, Bleedingpaw, and gift, and that was all that was needed to get in her den. "Enter."
Dawnstar lifted her from where sat on her badger pelt but made no actual attempt to sit up. She didn't see the need to put in that much effort for her grandson. "Wobbles," She greeted the youngling and eyed the rabbit and the stone he was carrying. Once it was set on the smooth flooring, Dawnstar turned her bulky frame to gather her paws underneath her and stood up.
She shook out her pelt and walked over to inspect both gifts as Bleedingpaw droned on. The crimson stone reflected in her amber irises as she reached out and rolled the stone in closer. She couldn't help but smile softly after hearing that Lostspark taught Bleedingpaw that ShadowClan was more tuned the dark of the forest over the light of the stars. Dawnstar couldn't say that was true, but she's always been more drawn to the supposedly eternal imprisonment over the hypocritical stars that apparently could do no wrong.
"This is an interesting stone, I don't think I've ever seen one quite like it before. I'm impressed you managed to find it. Thank you, Bleedingpaw." The leader sounded grateful. He was right, it wasn't Dawnstar's usual favorite, but this might make her want to start collecting stones. The leader grabbed the stone in her maw and set it in the back next to the golden pelt that Adderpaw had brought her. She always kept the gifts that she'd treasure further in the back so no one would mess with them.
She sat back down on her pelt and pulled the rabbit he had brought closer to her. "Did you catch this yourself?" She asked, wondering how the apprentice's training was going.
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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
Mistlewhisker
ShadowClan Deputy
she/her | 43 moons
[Large black cat with a half white muzzle and a pale green eye] Purrks: Killer Aptitude T3, Shadow Fiend, Mind Reader
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ The Chariot ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
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[Rookfire - @alec ] [Yewkit - @TheNyanCatMinecart ] [Dawnstar - @Undertaker ]
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Coming into Dawnstar's den with news that wasn't exactly negative was rare for Mistlewhisker. The deputy shouldered her way into the hollowed out cave, making sure Rookfire and the kit followed suit. "Dawnstar. Rookfire, Adderpaw and I were out in the territory and found two dead outsiders and this kit. Yew poisoning, it seems." Mistlewhisker glanced at Rookfire to see if the tom had anything to add, since he had done most of the investigating. She purposefully left Adderpaw out of this conversation, directing the apprentice somewhere else so the leader, deputy and Enforcer could talk without plans being revealed. Once this kit was foisted off on someone, they could address the plan they had to catch the cannibal.
[2 weeks late but I finally remembered to get this out ]
When they entered some kind of hole in the rocks and plants, the dark gray she-cat with the weird eye put the unnamed she-kit down. Plop! She was so exhausted that she immediately collapsed onto the ground. It was hard and smooth, unlike the squishy mud and soft earth she usually walked on. Much new! She'd traveled farther in the span of... however long it had taken the smelly she-cats to walk here than she and Mama and Papa had in days. There was so much to see! Tall trees that towered into the sky and which were much straighter than the ones she was used to, clearings covered in green growth that looked like it would be a lot of fun to play in, and a ton of cats. More cats than she'd known existed! All of them were smelly, but she didn't say anything. No complaining. No making anyone unhappy. Be strong, she thought with a flash of pride.
However, she felt very weak. No one had given her food yet. Her stomach let out another desperate growl. She wanted to rest like Mama Cheeto and Papa Lion. But she couldn't because these strange cats were here. Be strong, she repeated silently. With a great deal of willpower, she pushed herself to her paws. Her head and tail drooped, matted with mud and foliage, but little patches of bright scarlet shone through, even in the den's shadows.
The she-kit looked around with wide amber eyes. It was so cool in here! Even though it smelled stinky. There were things in the shadows, too! Little scraps that looked like the bones from the prey Mama and Papa ate. Furry things that looked like they belonged to other cats. Resting? she wondered, squinting through the darkness. It was hard to see them. They were even skinnier than Mama and Papa!
Beyond that, there was something else, too. A massive, hulking shape. Ba-ger? She'd heard stories about badgers and foxes. Was this one of them? Everyone else looked calm, so surely it must be alright.
The black she-cat with the single green eye was now talking. To the hulking thing? Did badgers speak cat? They must. There were a lot of confusing words involved. However, she used the word "dead" again. Mama and Papa weren't dead! They weren't gone! They were just resting somewhere else, and these weird wild cats would bring them here soon. Right?
Some energy sparked back into the she-kit's paws. "Nuh-uh! No dead! Mama and Papa resting!" She looked at the badger. Did badgers have pointy ears or amber eyes? Did they smell like stinky she-cats? It was a little scary, but she wasn't scared of anything! She was strong! "When you bring Mama and Papa? When food?" she mewed. Forcing herself to move, she began nudging the dark gray she-cat's and the black-and-white she-cat's bellies. Did they have milk? No. The small, colorful she-cat wasn't here anymore, not that she cared much. What about the badger-cat? She tottered forward curiously.
Re: ShadowClan Leader's Den
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