Lessons of the Past [Whole Clan Story Event]

[Dolomedes]

Rabbitkit
He/him | WC kit | Moons: 4 | Purrks: none | Part Manx cat

Rabbitkit huffed as Crowtooth explained Dirtstar and his unfair jealousy of Windclan, that wasn't fair. If Windclan wasn't breaking rules, which of course it wasn't, they were just being happy. He shook his head, unsure on how Dirtstar could be so paranoid. "How can a cat live like that? Wouldn't it be sad thinking everyone was trying to hurt you, you'd be pretty lonely I think." He thought about it in his head and then thought to Twilightstar and Fallownose. They seemed to be alright and Twilightstar was a great leader! Rabbitkit couldn't imagine her acting like this Dirtstar guy. Though she also was a Windclan cat and not a Riverclan cat, so that makes sense.

Rabbitkit's breath was swept away as he listened to what Dirtstar did to Windclan. The little kit's fur puffed up and he bounced to his paws. Almost hissing like he was facing the real Dirtstar, "How come he was allowed to do that to Windclan? What about attacking back? Or umm, or Thunderclan or Shadowclan stepping in because it's unfair?" The kit was genuinely confused. He wasn't able to understand that the other clans don't tend to care about the others. Though one detail stuck out to him, the raptors, as much as he hated hearing about them being attracted to Windclan's camp to hurt, he was pleased to hear that Windclan learned how to fight them! The kit, tune a bit more excited but the puzzlement and frustration was still kind of there. "Also I wanna hunt raptors! I'll be like-whoosh!" He gave a quick sound effect as he pounced forwards, almost landing on Crowtooth's paws from how close he was already sitting to the warrior.

The excitable kit calmed down a smidge as he listened to Crowtooth as he continued through the story. The tunnels saved Windclan from Dirtstar. They sounded really cool and important, how come he hasn't heard of them before. After a very ominous cliffhanger, the kit looked up, close enough to the story teller to need to crane his neck back a bit. "How come I haven't heard of tunneling before, it sounds so cool! I wanna be a tunneler like Flutterbug!" The kit wagged his tail, the tunnels saved Windclan, the best clan, so why didn't more cats talk about them. What if Riverclan tries the same thing! Then they would need the tunnels. That's it, he decided with a grin, he wanted to be a tunneler like Flutterbug. Oooooh, also he could hunt down there too, right? He wasn't sure but it didn't matter.

Rabbitpaw gif made by ramen!

[taillow]

Bravebird - WindClan Warrior
She/her | 45 moons | Beefed Up T3, One with the Warren

Relief washed over her when Hawkfur confirmed he was fine. That was good, Bravebird had grown rather fond of the tom as of late and she had hated seeing him in pain. And, not to dip her toes in pettiness, but she was also glad that she hadn't seen him around that Vixenstare anymore. Even the mere thought now made her angry, so she decided to let the thought slide from her mind for now. "Haven't lost sight in my eye yet, so I call it a win," she joked lightly, then tried to give her tattered ear a flick. "Same with my ear. Mostly it's just numb around there now - can't feel it really anymore." But she could still hear, which was what mattered.

Her eyes darted then to Rabbitkit, who was displaying some pretty ferocious fighting technics. A snort came from her, eyes glittering with amusement. "Looks like a good future fighter for the Clan," she murmured to Hawk, not taking her eyes off the kit. Not all kits were like that - some wanted to just skip around and play. But those who showed an aptitude - accompanied with a desire - for fighting... well, in her opinion WindClan needed all the fighters they could get.

With the tale beginning now, Bravebird settled in to listen. She'd known that at some point, the Clan had sheltered underground. It was how most of their tunnel system had come to be in the first place. Nettlestar was not a name she'd heard though - or maybe it was with the collection of her past memories that hadn't been returned to her yet. Flutterbug was another one - though the description made her smirk. She wondered if she was considered one of those kinds of warriors under Twilightstar - a vicious fighter with strategic combat techniques.

Even if she wasn't, it didn't hurt to believe she was. Her chest puffed out just a little bit in pride, paws slipping out from underneath her loaf form to fold together at the front.

Diving into the part about RiverClan now had the fur along the back of her neck poking up. Stars, she hadn't been sure she could ever hate either ThunderClan or RiverClan as much as she did those toads across the borders, but they had been pushing their luck lately. Not for the first time she wished she had been home to rip her claws down the most vile of them all; Beanstar.

The naming of "Dirtstar" had Brave letting out a snorting chuckle. That fit the overall RiverClan theme. As Crowtooth continued, Brave could feel her anger growing. Parts of this story sounded familiar, but she couldn't latch onto them. Her fur bristled slightly at the mention of the crimes that this Dirtstar had committed. It was clear that RiverClan being the slippery, slimy fish they were was no new thing.

"...And?" Impatience displayed itself in the way Bravebird leaned forward, eyes round as she watched her friend purposefully pause. "We shredded them, right? Showed them what happens to cats who mess with WindClan??" To add onto this, she continued, "the tunnels have always been WindClan's domain; there's no way they could win a fight in them against us."

[ @Rani @Mica ]

[Rani]

Crowtooth
Windclan Tunneler | He/him | 49 Moons
Power Card: Cold Gust

Art by Marigoldwhisper

Whoah lotta questions this time! Not that Crowtooth was upset, actually he was quite happy about the interest, despite the terrifying subject matter. The tom went to address the questions in order.

Mosspaw got a sad look and an admitted "I dont know exact numbers but even before Dirtstar did his major strike it was at least a couple of full patrols of cats worth of deaths. Warriors and apprentices both were killed by vultures and riverclan warriors and given hunting was less possible hunger took a couple of our weaker elders. This affected everyone, even the cats sheltered below and hidden."


Rabbitkit got a grin for his enthusiasm, if a bitterweet one. "Well maybe once Dirtstar wasnt as horrible and just let things corrupt him. See clan life is hard, cats will die and sometimes grief warps cats if they dont hold hope and care for others even if theres risks of loosing them. Dirtstar probably knew he was a bad leader, and feared if someone was a good deputy they'd overthrow him because everyone knew they'd be a better leader. He didnt care if he was lonely, leaders like that only care about power."

As for the other questions..... "Well you see Rabbitkit we and maybe others would strike back against this, but no one knew about what riverclan was doing. They'd hidden their tracks so everyone only thought it was vultures plaguing windclan, not cats."


This lead into Bravebirds question, the tom shifting to look at his friend after a parting "Well if youre interested in tunneling Ill probably be teaching you in the future!" to Rabbitkit. Bravebird, familiar with Crowtooths moods and expressions could probably read both the pride, fury, and sorrow in his gaze as he simply responded "Had it been an actual fight, in the tunnels or above oh they wouldve been crushed. But they knew that and made sure it wasnt a proper fight."




The toms face was grave, looking out over the crowd.
"Riverclan descended upon the sedgewater valley, Dirtstar once more too cowardly to take part of the attack, and with the sudden invasion managed to force all our warriors inside the tunnels. They couldnt gain ground further after that, as every fish foolish enough to try and invade our burrow camp was killed with ease by superior skills, and Nettlestar was even in the process of planning a charge from a river bank exit for a counter attack to drive them out.


However their plan had never been to fight. It'd never been to attack our camp honorably. Their plan had been to corner us in our camp all along so that Dirtstar could trigger his vile plan."


Crowtooth let the words hang, letting the listening group realize Riverclan had basically trapped an entire clan in their own home like hunted rabbits stuck in a warren.

He let them realize themself that whatever Dirtstar had planned for windclan, it didnt leave any mercy for the kits, queens, or elders also sheltered in the camp. That'd his plan had been to wipe out the whole camp.


"Windclan was stuck underground with Riverclan blocking all exits, even caving them in when possible, and upstream Dirtstar and a patrol were messing with the river. What they did, I do not know, but the effect was first noticed by Flutterbug.


The lowest levels of our burrow camp were flooding with the waters rising."
It was a devastating thing a flood, but one only made worse by the underground nature of things. Flooded tunnels collapsed.



"The clan burst into motion, fighting no longer an option and the routes to other landmarks were found to be salvation. In efficient motions the camp was evacuated and all cats ran to a higher landmark with not one left behind, with the tunnelers rushing to collapse the routes after the last cat so the floodwaters could not follow them.


It was dangerous work, as wet tunnels collapse at random or flood faster then a cat can run, and two tunnelers alongside Nettlestar died, with only one having the extra lives to come back. However Flutterbug managed to complete the lost cats heroic work, and even carried Nettlestar out after he fell, and in the end for an entire clan against a worst case disaster only two died to Riverclans vile scheme to wipe out the entire clan."




A miracle, one born of quick thinking and pure skill, but couldve easily have been the end of windclan just like that.


"We escaped the waters, the riverclan force above stamping on the wet and softened ground to collapse it further, but lost our camp herbs and prey to their cruelty.
Even now when you go to the sedgewater you can see a large indent, sunken into the valley inbetween large roots, the remains of our old home below your paws.


A tragedy but now we finally knew who the enemy was, and in the end justice was had without us even needing to lift a paw."


Though Crowtooth really wished they had lifted a paw, wished Windclan couldve shredded riverclan and got their revenge for how that clan had wronged them, but could understand why it hadnt happened. The loss of the camp had to have rocked the clan, forced them to build up from nothing and focus on surviving rather then attacking, especially given what'd happened to riverclan after their vile actions.



Still, it stung.

 

@CrimsonOaks @taillow @Dolomedes @nyx @Katiethewolfchild @MangofDoom @Rustleaf @Ladieratt @Blazing @CloudlessEve @blxze. @gs29513 @Artemis @MockingRabbit @Alchemist Kitsune @Morrigan @bubble[error]. @Moonraven @Estelle @GoopyGoopz @starry @Mica

[Blazing]

lilykit

The kit listened attentively to the story.

[Shrew]

SparrowKit

he listened closely, Wow. A battle!

[Mica]

Hawkfur
WindClan
he/him | 49 moons
[Russet tabby with tuxedo markings and sky blue eyes]
Purrks: Flock Together T3
· · ────────────── · ·
[Bravebird - @taillow ]
· · ────────────── · ·
Hawkfur snickered as Bravebird called for Crowtooth to continue, the tom rather excited for the story to continue himself. He had to admit, Crowtooth was a fantastic storyteller. As the tunnler described the vile actions of Dirtstar, Hawkfur felt his fur bush in fury. The absolute nerve of this guy! To not only go and dishonorably trap the clan in their camp, but to flood it! The fact that someone could have that much hatred in their heart was beyond him.

[Rustleaf]

Mosspaw:

“A few patrols worth!?” Mosspaw repeated, “Wait… were they actually in patrols when Dirtstar killed them, or were they just individual cats?” If they were actual patrols, Dirtstar must have been more powerful than he had first imagined!

Willowpaw:

Wow, Mosspaw sure did have a lot of questions, but Willowpaw had one herself. “How did RiverClan divert the river into our camp?”
@Rani

[CloudlessEve]

Honeykit
6 Moons

As Honeykit listened, she paused, rarely somewhat serious. She noticed her clanmates getting agitated about how Dirtstar and RiverClan had acted all those moons ago. Then, she heard Crowtooth mention the plot to wipe out WindClan. Her eyes widened in surprise. If he did wipe out WindClan, where would I have been born? RiverClan? They smell weird! Honeykit was grateful to her ancestors for their wit and ability to carry on. I hope I have that when I'm a warrior!

[MockingRabbit]

"It was more than two," Brightpaw pointed out to Crowtooth, referring to uncounted cats he had mentioned earlier to Rabbitkit. So many WindClan cats died, because of one foolish cat. Still, it was impressive that they had escaped the flood with so few casualties. She was interested, what happened to RiverClan after that? Surely Crowtooth wouldn't leave the story at that!

[gs29513]

Mmmmmmmm. Deadmoon was much warmer now, with Snowybreeze draping his blanket of a tail around her and preventing any excessive wind from chilling her beyond what that ambient temperature of the day required. Though, this did little to prevent a shiver of another type. Crowtooth, while never exactly the most cheerful of cats, was pushing deeper into dark and ominous stories than she had previously heard. The description of being......preylike. That was what it was. That was what was getting to her. It sounded worse, even, than things had been with Shadowclan. Hiding in tunnels, more prey than cats.

This sobering reminder was, of course, not enough to stop Deadmoon from snorting somewhat explosively at Snowybreeze's quiet insult. Nothing about the story was funny. Cats had DIED, unjustly, and yet she found it a great struggle, one she would not win, to reign in her amusement. It was partially the rarity of Snowybreeze insulting anycat. She could count on a single paw the number of times he had uttered unkind words, even when there were quite a few (the entirety of Riverclan and Shadowclan came to mind, alliances notwithstanding) in the forest who would deserve them from even one so charitable in his opinions.

Realizing that her nonverbal outburst of sound had been highly inappropriate, and probably embarrassed Snowybreeze to no end not to mention messed up the mood, she cast her eyes downwards and mewed a softer Sorry. This didn't stop her from turning to Snowybreeze as Crowtooth got ready for his next soliloquy and whispering I agree with you kiddo, just never thought I'd hear you insult anyone. and, just because she couldn't resist causing a bit of trouble, added impishly Do it again sometime. Should she be encouraging her former apprentice towards her own, rather pessimistic and bitter worldview? Probably not. But in her defense........funny.

Not funny was the description of what came next. In all honesty her breath became a bit quicker and shallower just imagining it. Deadmoon wasn't especially nervous around water, but she also had no knowledge of how to swim. Underground was also fine enough, but she much preferred being aboveground. Being underground, water pouring in, knowing that there might not be air above you even if you could swim to it's top, was terrifying. Nightmarish. Riverclan didn't have the power to do such a thing to them now, they couldn't pull the river from it's banks and drown their camp, but it was still a horrible thought.

It was a surprise that so few had perished, though tunneling knowledge had probably been greater in those days of yore. There were levels to the tunnels as well, so if it was noticed at low elevations everyone could move she supposed, but it was still something of a miracle. It gave her a bit more respect for this Flutterbug, and even less for Dirtstar. Noticing the issue and connecting it to it's source and what would come was quick mind-work, something she'd never been able to master to the extreme, and so it was quite the feat. Not to mention the bravery involved. As much as she wanted to be useful, her own fears would probably have prevented her from being part of that honorable rear guard. @Alchemist Kitsune