ThunderClan Territory

[MEAT ANGELS]

@Bravekit

The prey scattered around Fogwhisper's paws, and she whirled around, digging her claws into their little bodies, and scooping them into a pile. "I kinda need some help here!"

[RedHead]

Originally Posted by Spiderfrost

Shaded sat by, their side. A silent guard to the tom breaking down and his apprentice trying to desperately comfort him. The aged warrior felt sympathy and an awkward, pulling need to calm the sobbing of a cat drowning in his own misery. Misery that had been piling up from inside him for many moons, she thinks.

Turning to face that warrior then as he asks questions most are too scared or unsure to answer, Shadedpath simply took in and processed to give him an honest answer. He deserved that much. Stepping closer, the elder pressed her paw into the toms back. She couldn't quite hug him like she would her children, or Myrtlepaw. He was a grown tom in her eyes and needed more than any physical affection a cat like she could give him. They grew up in different generations, she was there for Ratnight's fall as an apprentice, there for Gyrestar's cold contempt for her, and had been a well established warrior by the time he was born.

"Shut up." she started.

"You've done nothing to warrant these apologizes but loose control over a pile of emotions and insecurities that have perhaps been building since before your rise to leadership. It hurts. And you perhaps hate yourself. But let it go and hug your apprentice before she climbs a tree to offer you a woodpecker anyways." she ordered. The paw against his back tense and unsure with how else to offer her comfort.

Shadedpath gave a bitter chuckle. Her eyes caught Flintspirits swimming ones.

"This isn't hysteria...not yet at least. No, this is simply everything you hate coming out to bite you in the butt and mess with your head. This is regret, and self-loathing and anger at every little thing that lead you to this point without so much as a by your leave." She said is such a hushed tone, her paw pat the tom between the shoulders as her face expressed a rare expression, passed her typical indifferent shield, of pained understanding.

"Trust me Flintspirit, been there done that, got a name because of it. Let it out. and when your mind is clear you can start rebuilding again."

Originally Posted by Arie

-- @RedHead @Spiderfrost --

The little apprentice just pressed her body against Flintspirit. She realized there wasn't much she could do as the adult cats talked but just be there for him. Silent comfort was often just the best even though it hurt the apprentice that she couldn't do more for him, she so wished she could do more for him. It hurt her to hear his pain and feel his sobs through his fur and... she just wanted him to feel alright, but even at her age she knew that this was not something that would just go over, it was something that her mentor would struggle with that he would be struggling and then slowly piecing himself together, piece by piece... And Doepaw knew she would be there to help him every step of the way... or well she would at least try to. And so she offered her quiet comfort. When Shadedpath started talking about not repeating mistakes Doepaw got curious but... it was not the right time to ask any questions regarding the other's past. They were here for Flintspirit and here they would remain until her mentor was good enough to come back. She wasn't willing to leave his side again... He helped her, she wanted to help him... "Do.. you..need...anything?" she voiced slowly. She could hunt... or well, she could attempt to. She had yet to receive any lessons, but she could pick up the sounds of small steps fizzling over the ground and she well... she could probably try her luck at catching anything.. "Do.. you... need... water? I think... I can... find... some.. moss... and... a...stream... I... can... hear...water... Shouldn't... be too... hard. Or... or.. maybe... I... can... try... to... catch... something... something.. that.. isn't... a... woodpecker."

At Shadedpath's blunt command to stop, Flintspirit looked at her with wide, surprised green eyes, not really having been expecting that. He opened his mouth to say something in return, but snapped it shut once thinking the better of it. Doepaw sitting beside him and trying to help with all her might was so comforting, and Flintspirit curled his tail around her, in comfort for both himself and for her in hopes that it would help the both of them.
His ears flicked as he listened to Shadedpath ramble on, saying all the words that he hadn't known he needed to hear. It was like with each word of hers, a piece in his brain was clicking back and understanding and doing just that, helping him rebuild. She was much wiser than he ever gave her credit for. Flintspirit had always thought that Shadedpath was this cold... unforgiving warrior that he would tell scary stories about to the younger cats when he was an apprentice. But here he was, listening to her spout words that he needed.
Because she was right. It wasn't hysteria. It just was his emotions. And ever since kithood, Flintspirit had always had very strong emotions. A very strong empathy for others that would eat him up inside. Because he'd hated having outbursts when he was younger. He'd hated having others stare at him like he was crazy because he got upset over the smallest thing. So he'd started holding everything in. Every emotion, every pain he felt, everything. So that he couldn't hurt others around him and they couldn't hurt him. But now he realized, that was something he never should've done. If he had strong emotions, so what? It was much healthier for him to let them out than to try and cover them up. Because then when things like this happened, they all spilled out all at once in one big, mess of Flintspirit's torn mind and broken heart.

His heart swelled and his eyes grew with tears again, but not of pure sadness this time. This time, it was understanding. It was relief that someone else understood. He remembered the days when he would talk to his mother about all his problems, that at the time had seemed to important, and she would give him advice and then let him deal with it. "Because you're a strong boy, and I know you can handle whatever comes your way. And momma's always going to be here to help in any way she can." This.. This felt like those times with his mother.
Pulling Doepaw close with a foreleg, Flintspirit turned and put his other around Shadedpath, squeezing the two she-cats in a hug that he figured Shadedpath might not like, but it was something he needed. "Thank you so much..." He whispered, tears falling down his face again. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear those words." He then turned his face towards Doepaw, loosening his arm a little to make sure she wasn't getting squished. "And thank you. I couldn't ask for a better apprentice, you really have my whole heart Doepaw." Flintspirit smiled brightly, tears streaming down his face but he felt immensely better. How could he continue to be sad when he had an apprentice like Doepaw and such an understanding warrior like Shadedpath? He couldn't.

[Spiderfrost]

Originally Posted by RedHead

At Shadedpath's blunt command to stop, Flintspirit looked at her with wide, surprised green eyes, not really having been expecting that. He opened his mouth to say something in return, but snapped it shut once thinking the better of it. Doepaw sitting beside him and trying to help with all her might was so comforting, and Flintspirit curled his tail around her, in comfort for both himself and for her in hopes that it would help the both of them.
His ears flicked as he listened to Shadedpath ramble on, saying all the words that he hadn't known he needed to hear. It was like with each word of hers, a piece in his brain was clicking back and understanding and doing just that, helping him rebuild. She was much wiser than he ever gave her credit for. Flintspirit had always thought that Shadedpath was this cold... unforgiving warrior that he would tell scary stories about to the younger cats when he was an apprentice. But here he was, listening to her spout words that he needed.
Because she was right. It wasn't hysteria. It just was his emotions. And ever since kithood, Flintspirit had always had very strong emotions. A very strong empathy for others that would eat him up inside. Because he'd hated having outbursts when he was younger. He'd hated having others stare at him like he was crazy because he got upset over the smallest thing. So he'd started holding everything in. Every emotion, every pain he felt, everything. So that he couldn't hurt others around him and they couldn't hurt him. But now he realized, that was something he never should've done. If he had strong emotions, so what? It was much healthier for him to let them out than to try and cover them up. Because then when things like this happened, they all spilled out all at once in one big, mess of Flintspirit's torn mind and broken heart.

His heart swelled and his eyes grew with tears again, but not of pure sadness this time. This time, it was understanding. It was relief that someone else understood. He remembered the days when he would talk to his mother about all his problems, that at the time had seemed to important, and she would give him advice and then let him deal with it. "Because you're a strong boy, and I know you can handle whatever comes your way. And momma's always going to be here to help in any way she can." This.. This felt like those times with his mother.
Pulling Doepaw close with a foreleg, Flintspirit turned and put his other around Shadedpath, squeezing the two she-cats in a hug that he figured Shadedpath might not like, but it was something he needed. "Thank you so much..." He whispered, tears falling down his face again. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear those words." He then turned his face towards Doepaw, loosening his arm a little to make sure she wasn't getting squished. "And thank you. I couldn't ask for a better apprentice, you really have my whole heart Doepaw." Flintspirit smiled brightly, tears streaming down his face but he felt immensely better. How could he continue to be sad when he had an apprentice like Doepaw and such an understanding warrior like Shadedpath? He couldn't.

Shadedpath stayed in place as she let Flintspirit pull himself together. piecing each piece of himself that broke off after that...loud confrontation with Duskstar. While not particularly focusing on him, but their surroundings to give the twice deputy the privacy to cry it out and breath.

What she didn't expect, was a foreleg reaching out and tugging her into a hug right along with his little tabby apprentice. The elder certainly gave a more flustered expression. But not expecting an emotional tom like Flintspirit to just...turn off affection when he wanted to give it was not wise. And Shadedpath liked to think with her growing age came wisdom. So the large she-cat didn't pull away and simply crouched lower in silent acknowledgement that the warrior needed her.

"I swear, just like my kits..." she muttered, though not harshly. A brief thought flashed through her mind--would Ploverspot and Softbriar be mad if she chucked a new younger brother at them? Her last litter were far too caught up in their own apprenticeships anyways...


--@Arie

[Dawneye]

Nightkit just ran into the territory, not caring that she will get in trouble, she just wanted to be far away from camp and every cat there.

[Abyssopelagic]

Originally Posted by Bravekit

Bonepaw managed to stand up. “Y-yes. A-alright... w-what’s the first step?”

( @Rainquail )

"You were doing well. Now, stand in front of me, not too closely now," he softly chided when Bonepaw accidentally knocked into his chin, suppressing a chuckle.
"Try the crouch again." A pause. "Just like that. Very good. Now, don't worry about running at me and just swipe your paw at me, alright?" Mossyflight steeled himself for the blow, also crouching.

(I'M SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING! I got caught up in the site wide events.)

[The Cannibal]

{Just moving us to the territory so we can get started }
@Rainquail @FlamingScars

Getting a final yawn out and making sure her legs were limbered up, Rootstone led her small hunting patrol out to the territory, heading more towards the Sunkissed Creek, though she didn't have plans on actually visiting that part of the territory to hunt. With the weather warming, she was sure that some of the predators that inhabited the sanctuary were out and about and she didn't feel like dealing with them.
Instead they'd be hunting in the undergrowth for rodents and birds, whatever was unlucky enough to get in their path. "If you smell something, say something," she grunted out lowly to the other two warriors as she parted her jaws to pull in scents. Now Rootstone's hearing wasn't the best, she had been cuffed over the head too many times, but her nose still worked decently well. And she could smell a good number of different trails, squirrels, mice, songbirds of all sorts, some fresh, some old. She personally liked chasing the squirrels up trees, climbing was a good work out.
"We make our pile here. We'll collect it when we're done," she meowed, scratching a shallow hole into the dirt to serve as a place to put their catches.

[Abyssopelagic]

"Yes, ma'am," Breezehen lowly chirped in response to where Rootstone was scraping out a little hole. She went back to sniffing around the area, mostly squirrel trails near trees and under roots. That Shadowclanner really did a number on her sniffer.
She opened her mouth slightly to get a better scent, but accidentally yawned instead. "Uh," she flicked her ears and tried again. Still mostly squirrel, but she did hear slight scratching on a nearby tree and slowly turned her head towards it.
She swishes her tail to get the others attention. "Scratching on the tree over there," she breathed before beginning to creep towards the tree, briefly waiting to be given the ok by Rootstone.
@The Cannibal @FlamingScars

[Arie]

Originally Posted by Spiderfrost

Shadedpath stayed in place as she let Flintspirit pull himself together. piecing each piece of himself that broke off after that...loud confrontation with Duskstar. While not particularly focusing on him, but their surroundings to give the twice deputy the privacy to cry it out and breath.

What she didn't expect, was a foreleg reaching out and tugging her into a hug right along with his little tabby apprentice. The elder certainly gave a more flustered expression. But not expecting an emotional tom like Flintspirit to just...turn off affection when he wanted to give it was not wise. And Shadedpath liked to think with her growing age came wisdom. So the large she-cat didn't pull away and simply crouched lower in silent acknowledgement that the warrior needed her.

"I swear, just like my kits..." she muttered, though not harshly. A brief thought flashed through her mind--would Ploverspot and Softbriar be mad if she chucked a new younger brother at them? Her last litter were far too caught up in their own apprenticeships anyways...


--@Arie

-- @RedHead --

Doepaw said nothing and just remained there, a steady presence for her mentor to take comfort in should he ever need her. She listened to Shadedpath speak, her respect for the old warrior growing and maybe... maybe she should apologise for dragging the warrior out into the territory with her. Turning her body so that she could nuzzle a bit into Shadedpath's fur she let out a little, rumbling purr. "Thank you... For...coming..with...me...out...in...the...forest. .I would...not...have...found..him..without...your... help." With that she nuzzled back into Flintspirit's fur and began licking it slowly for comfort. It was nice... to be the one comforting. And so she remained in this embrace... in these comfortable surroundings and everything... it was nice. It was peaceful... It was just.... this. They were, they just were. In the now... Not thinking or drifting towards the past or the future. They existed. And it felt peaceful.

[plum]

The sun was high in the sky over the forest, and Rainywhisker had chosen to lead Poppypaw out finally for some training. It took a little while regrettably, following some very turbulent events transpiring in the Clan along with a raid... The warrior had gotten just a little preoccupied. But this oddball apprentice needed all the help he could get if he wanted to experience true warrior life, and it was (unfortunately) this tom's duty to guide him. When they are far enough out in the wood, the stormy gray tabby slows his pace. "Do you know anything about hunting, Poppypaw?"
@Xeno

[Dark Flame]

(It's okay)

Bonepaw carefully got into the crouch, then swiped as hard as he could, being cautious not to get his claws unsheathed. He placed his paw back on the ground, then moved into a sitting position. "I-is that good?"

@Rainquail