Rippling Current Guide Us

A pawful of sunhighs had passed since the last time Dappleshine had been able to get to the gorge, but the conversation she had with Ravenpaw remained fresh in her mind. She thought about it as she curled in her nest to sleep, when her mind wandered during hunts, and especially when she tried to approach Magpiepaw only to have him turn away without a word. The harsh silence that he kept greeting her with was wearing down on her, although she tried desperately to hide it from everyone, but especially Magpiepaw himself. To help with this, she had thrown herself even more into patrols, spending as many of her waking moments as she could asking to join hunting or border patrols, even if she preferred hunting ones. If there wasn't a patrol waiting, she would talk to Scorchclaw about going out alone, promising that she would be careful and stay close. On those days, she took her time, trying to take enjoyment in what she was doing while dreading the return back to camp. If there were no patrols to be had, or her paws ached so much from being out all day, she had simply returned to her nest, ignoring the fresh-kill pile to curl up tightly, her white-tipped tail covering her nose as she tried to convince herself that things would be okay.

It was on a day that she had been allowed to go out alone that her paws carried her farther away from camp than she had promised, back to the gorge. She approached the edge carefully, staring down at the rapid currents countless tail lengths below her. After several heartbeats of being dazzled by the sparkling droplets of water below, she looked up at movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking across the gorge, she saw a figure, but was disheartened when it wasn't the black pelt of Ravenpaw. After a moment of staring though, she found she did recognize the pelt. She raised her tail in greeting. "Hey! Over here!" Moving around to the area where cats could cross the gorge safely, she stood in the neutral area waiting for the other cat to come around, her eyes still searching behind the other tom for the familiar pelt of her friend.

It was a radiant day on the moor; it seemed that greenleaf had finally caught up with the rest of the world, the sun coming out like a flower in full bloom to cast a warm light on the moor, from the tallest tree in SkyClan to the lowest boulder of Highstones. Barleytuft intended to take full advantage of the appearance of warm weather, and going for a run seemed a good way to manage it. He had checked in with Graybriar, who was getting restless in the nursery and was ready to return to her warrior duties, and his kittens, who were furballs of boundless energy by now, before he made up his mind to go running the moors and scanning the borders. 

Though the thought of tunnels collapsing beneath him still made him uneasy, it hadn't been difficult to determine where those sorts of incidents were most likely to happen. As Barleytuft made his way over the moor at a quick and steady pace, he kept close to large outcroppings of rock and stone, noting where there were several rabbit warren opening near to each other. Where there were openings there were likely tunnels, and as he had devastatingly learned, tunnels could collapse. He avoided them when he noticed them and changed his direction or moved more quickly when he was already passing by. Nothing happened, and he expected that nothing would, but the fear held him.

As the lean tom approached the part of the territory that marked the Gorge - the now-neutral territory between RiverClan and WindClan - he could spot a pale shape on the horizon near the border. Barleytuft kept up his speed as he crossed from WindClan's territory to the unclaimed land, and almost instantly the cat on the border was meowing, calling for Barleytuft's attention. He tilted his head and picked up his speed, changing his direction to move towards the summon. As he drew nearer, he realized that he recognized that RiverClan cat who had come to the Gorge:

"Dapplepaw!" he called cheerily as he drew within a few fox-lengths, and then he corrected, "Or, no! Dappleshine now!" He slowed before her and greeted her with a friendly wave of his long tail, meowing, "I heard at the Gathering, congratulations. Is there something you need?" He decided already that he liked the neutral territory; it seemed much lower stakes to talk side by side rather than over an invisible line.

Dappleshine smiled as the other cat came closer, confirming her suspicions. Her long-furred tail swayed in a greeting as well with a purr. "So you were at the Gathering! There were so many cats, I must have missed you entirely, I'm sorry! I hope you're doing well, Barleytuft? It's good to see you!" She looked the tom over, he looked like he was feeling okay, which was a good sign. His question made her hesitate for a moment and she blinked at him before looking down at her paws nervously. "I just... Saw you across the gorge, and thought I recognized you. I thought I'd see if it was you and check in, on you and Ravenpaw, if he was around." She looked back up to the WindClan warrior, trying hard to hide the hope in her eyes. She couldn't let their meetings get out to the wrong cat, but Barleytuft had been kind on the way home from the shores, so surely she could trust him with it... Nah, better to play it off and see what happens from there. "I'm sure he's doing well, I'm just worried since I didn't see him at the last Gathering, is all. Has he been staying out of trouble? Avoiding RiverClan cats who throw fish?" She laughed, thinking fondly back to the memory on the shore of the river that long ago day, when things had seemed so simple.

The RiverClan warrior greeted Barleytuft warmly and his heart was warmed with memories of meeting Flamewish and sparring with her on the border. In fact it was in these now-neutral lands that the two had first really met and interacted. He was grateful he'd gotten the opportunity to meet the she-cat who opened his mind to friendships with cats from other Clans, for now it had allowed him to befriend Dappleshine. Her cheer made him beam, and when she apologized for missing him at the Gathering he shook his head softly. He replied with a bit of a vague shrug, "It's alright, I guess I wanted to be missed that night." It was too near Brookclover's death. He remembered how he had gone to keep an eye on his dear friend, Finchstar, who had lost his mate - Barleytuft's former apprentice. He'd been grateful not to spend much time interacting with anyone but his mate that night.

She went on to answer his question, asking if Ravenpaw was around. Barleytuft's ears perked up. He was surprised, but pleased, to hear that their friendship had survived the journey from the lake back to the forest territories. Immediately he thought of the patrol he had gone on with the two cats as apprentices, though now Ravenpaw had received his warrior name as well: Raventail. I think he'd like to tell her that, Barleytuft thought, unable to hide the grin on his face, I won't ruin the surprise. She went on to mention she'd missed him at the Gathering, asking if he'd been staying out of trouble and, much to Barleytuft's amusement, avoiding cats who throw fish.

He laughed and responded, "Yes, he's staying out of trouble." Playfully the lean WindClan tom began to look around Dappleshine, searching under her paws and behind her legs before joking. "And I think so long as you're not hiding any fish he'll be able to avoid another fish attack." Barleytuft's whiskers twitched with amusement as he thought to consider. "I don't believe he's on a patrol at the moment - I could run back to camp and fetch him for you, if you'd like. I hadn't heard him talk about you, but he's been... a bit quiet lately." Barleytuft's dark hazel eyes shifted sadly and he asked, "You heard at the Gathering about Brookclover?"

Concern filled her blue eyes as the tom shrugged, and she hesitated. Gazing at Barleytuft, she thought back to the Gathering, remembering everything that was reported. There were kits, and some new warriors, and Brookclover's death, which she had found out from Ravenpaw before the Gathering. Of those options, the only one that made sense for Barleytuft to be withdrawn was Brookclover's death, and her tail lowered sadly. Ravenpaw said that Brookclover had been a huge part of the clan, and as the leader's mate she must have been well-known, but it still hurt to find out that another of her friends had to go through such a difficult trial of losing a clanmate and friend. Maybe she was wrong in her assumption though, so she didn't mention anything.

As his ears perked up and a grin spread across his face, her heartbeat quickened. He seemed content at the thought that Ravenpaw and herself had remained friends, and she felt herself relax more. She joined his laughter as he searched her paws, and even stepped aside for him to check under them jokingly. "No fish this time, I promise! Besides, the last time we saw each other I'm almost certain his ears still smelled like fish, so I don't think I need to! Provided he doesn't try to take a swim, that is." She purred, her ears twisting towards the moor at Barleytuft's offer to go fetch the apprentice. "Actually, if you could, that would be greatly appreciated! I worry about him sometimes, you know..." She trailed off as Barleytuft spoke again, asking if she had heard about Brookclover and she nodded, lowering her head sadly. Apparently she had been right after all.

"I did. I'm so sorry for your clans loss, it must have been difficult. I actually heard about it from Ravenpaw first.... He was at the border a couple sunhighs before the Gathering looking lost, and we talked... He said she was a mother as well as a mentor to him, and we talked for... a while." She glanced up at Barleytuft's face to try to gauge his reaction to the news that they had met at the border, and Ravenpaw revealing the news to someone other than one of his clanmates. Her paws shuffled in the dirt under them as she quickly added. "He looked so lonely and sad, and I couldn't just leave a friend like that.. Please don't be upset with him..."

It was a good inside joke, one that would likely last in the three's memories for the rest of their lives. What had been an awkward slip-up at the time had become a hardy memory to help them bond. Dappleshine laughed at his jest and threw a few of her own, offering that perhaps her dark-furred friend was getting himself involved with fishes. The thought amused Barleytuft, and he imagined how bedraggled the already-slender tom would look soaked to the bone in river water. It was a good thing he'd have a RiverClan cat to help him back out if he fell in. When he offered to fetch Raventail from camp the she-cat brightened like a flower in the sunshine, and she responded with enthusiasm.

Barleytuft wasn't certain how much Dappleshine had paid attention during the night of the full moon; he had barely paid attention during his first Gathering as a fully named warrior, or at least he thought he remembered it that way. She might have been just as preoccupied. He quickly learned, however, that was not the case, and in fact Dappleshine knew even more than was shared. His dark hazel eyes glimmered with surprise to hear that the two had already met once by the border, but for the most part his face simply remained furrowed with sadness for himself and for his young friend. Dappleshine shuffled her paw and offered a quick defense of Raventail's actions.

The WindClan tom shook his head in a wide arc from side to side, answering reassuringly, "In dark times, we need friends wherever we can find them. I'm glad he happened to find you. You being there in that moment probably meant more to him than either of us even knows." Barleytuft took in a deep breath and sighed, continuing on. "Brookclover was something special to everyone. Losing her was... hard. She was my first apprentice, and one of my closest friends. For me, she was half of what life in WindClan was meant to be." His dark eyes stared out sadly past Dappleshine, unseeing as they gazed towards Riverclan territory. He remained quiet for several moments, lost in thought, but then he shook himself lightly as if shaking his mind back into his body. He smiled at Dappleshine and finished, "She lives on a little bit in all of us now. It's never enough, but we're blessed to have any of her at all."

Barleytuft seemed to remember himself then and turned just slightly from Dappleshine, his side to her and one paw lifted. "Right, you wanted your friend, not some sappy reminiscing - if he's not able to come and see you then I'll come right back to tell you. Hang tight?" he purred.

"I was more than happy to be here for him. I didn't really have great words to say... But he seemed to leave feeling a little better than he had come. At least he was smiling, even if it didn't last very long." Her eyes saddened at the news of what Brookclover had been to Barleytuft, and she gently rested her tail on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Barleytuft.... I can't even begin to imagine how you all must have felt, and must still feel." She paused, trying to choose her words carefully. "That's along the same lines of what I told Ravenpaw, that she remains in the wind across the moor and the swaying of the grass. She runs with you, I'm sure. I know it's not the same, but... Well, I'm sure you know what I mean." She ended a bit awkwardly, remembering suddenly that the tom was much more experienced than she was.

When Barleytuft moved suddenly, she blinked, and let out a small breath. "I'm always open for some reminiscing, and besides, Ravenpaw said that someday he'd introduce me to her, so the more I know the better impression I can try to make!" She let out a light, nervous chuckle before continuing. "That sounds good though, run safely, and may the breeze be on your side, my friend." She purred as the tom made his way away from gorge, watching until he disappeared into the moorside before laying down, the warm sun shining down on her back and warming her fur. Maybe she'd have to try out Sunningrocks soon, she'd heard it was a great place to laze around in the sun.

Fortunately Dappleshine seemed to relax at Barleytuft's gentle reassurance, and she described her interaction with Raventail when they'd met a short time ago. The WindClan warrior was happy to hear that his Clanmate had gotten a momentary reprieve from his grief, and the thought of the young tom smiling once again even caused Barleytuft's lips to smirk a little. Happiness was what they both deserved - all the forest, really. Truly, Dappleshine was a blessing for Raventail in what must have been some of his darkest days, and the tabby tom himself found peace in the compassion and gentle speech of the RiverClan cat. He was soothed by her kind words, even though they trailed away awkwardly as she seemed to lose her words.

"I know what you mean," Barleytuft purred with a chuckle. "She's not gone forever, just gone from this world. She's a part of our lives always, whether she's on the earth or in the stars." As he began to excuse himself Dappleshine spoke more words of comfort, even going on to say that she hoped to meet Brookclover one day and make a good impression. Though the idea was bittersweet since it likely meant Dappleshine and Raventail would've gone to join her, Barleytuft was amused at the thought of a non-WindClan cat trying to earn his late friend's approval. She hadn't even approved of all their Clanmates. Nonetheless, he sent up a silent prayer than perhaps Brookclover would go easy on the kind-hearted RiverClanner.

With Dappleshine's final parting words, Barleytuft beamed and purred, "May the water flow smoothly off your pelt," and then he turned and began to race back across the moor towards camp. Some of his wariness was forgotten and he ran a bit straighter over open stretches, though still he found himself scanning nervously for sinkholes to come gaping before him.

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Barleytuft slowed to an easy trot just outside camp before he pushed through the tunnel of gorse into the flat, grassy expanse of camp. He was feeling refreshed and revitalized, and he padded contentedly through his home in search of a familiar black pelt with two distinct patches of white. The newly named warrior was easy to spot in the bright sunshine, and Barleytuft waved his tail from afar to catch the tom's attention as he approached. "Afternoon, Raventail, are you doing anything at the moment?" he greeted casually, not quite wanting to ruin the surprise yet.

Once upon a time, Raventail had wondered whether he could shoulder the responsibilities of warriorhood, whether he wanted to give them a chance. Several sunups had passed since his ceremony, and he was learning it wasn’t as bad as he’d feared. The workload was similar, but it took a different form. Even his busy days were hardly as tiring as those of his early apprenticeship. Better yet, his quiet departures from camp raised fewer eyebrows, as long as he made sure someone saw him leave. His new name was proof of what he’d known for a while: He could take care of himself.

But there would be no leaving camp today. Raventail had privately sworn to reach out to his Clanmates, especially Finchstar; while he hadn’t gotten the nerve to manage that last part, he was putting effort into the first by lazing about closer to home. Seeing the rest of WindClan would be his first step toward becoming part of it.

A wave of a tail caught his eye, and he raised his head; upon recognizing the cat to whom the tail was attached, the rest of him followed. Barleytuft was another potential friend he’d been avoiding (less stubbornly than Finchstar and Grousefrost, yes, but that hardly made a difference). All the more reason to meet him with a smile now. With an easy flick of his tail, the smaller tom meowed, ”Hey, Barleytuft. I’m just sunbathing—greenleaf’s much better for that, you know?” He'd already decided he preferred it to newleaf; the growing heat was a small price to pay for less rain. Raventail's expression settled into something slightly more serious. ”Did Swiftstep put me on patrol or something?” He hoped that wasn't the case—he couldn't exactly abandon a patrol to check on the Gorge the way he could when wandering alone.

Dappleshine smiled after the tom, happy that she had seemed to understand what she was trying to say. His well wishes had lightened her spirits, and the brief talk with him had made her feel happier than she had when she first arrived at the gorge. This was amplified by the knowledge that Barleytuft was going to get Ravenpaw, and would be back soon with her dear friend. As the sun beat down, a noise caught her attention and her head perked up, ears pointing towards it. At first she thought maybe it was a patrol of River or WindClan, but as the noise drew closer she found it was something else altogether.

A small white head poked out of a nearby hole in the ground, and the RiverClan Warrior stared at it. The prey noticed her before she could even twitch a whisker, and a stare off ensued. This stare off lasted several heartbeats, Dappleshine too surprised and caught off guard to move, and she knew that laying down there was no way to get to the rabbit in time, and wasn't sure how well her WindClan friends would take it if she did happen to catch it. So she simply watched it, and it her, before it bounded away further into the moors. Taking note of the direction it went to let them know when they came back, she relaxed again, looking up towards the sky.

The member 'Mosspelt' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 9

His dark eyes watched as the new warrior, lounging in the camp, lifted his head, shimmering eyes lifting to meet Barleytuft's. He was relieved and pleasantly surprised to see Raventail's face split into a smile, a friendly expression on his face that had been notably absent for a time. The dark tom greeted him pleasantly and commented on the weather, explaining he was sunbathing. Barleytuft turned his face to squint at the sun for a moment, feeling it radiate against his nose and cheeks until he felt as though he might be glowing. Raventail was right - greenleaf was certainly better for sunbathing than newleaf, and especially better than leaf-bare. The forest was all grateful for the warmer weather and return of sunshine.

When Raventail asked if he had been assigned to a patrol, Barleytuft shook his head and beamed at his young friend. "Oh, no, no assignments," the cream tabby replied coyly. "I saw something interesting while I was out on the territory and it seemed like something you'd like to see." He flashed a grin at the tom and asked, "Care to join me for an outing?"

Or something it was. Raventail’s feelings on this revelation were made clear by how quickly he shed his seriousness in favor of another smile. Those had been easier and easier to find as time passed; this one, too, was genuine, though confusion lingered at its edges. Whatever this something was, Barleytuft seemed awfully proud of it. If it wasn’t an assignment… There were plenty of good things that weren’t assignments, but Raventail couldn’t imagine why any of them would be important enough to pull him onto the territory.

Not that he minded, really. Barleytuft was his Clanmate as much as any of the cats milling about the camp were; no harm in a brief trip outside with him. Either way, Raventail was making progress. Besides, from what he knew, Barleytuft was a kind cat. Their earlier hunt—the first one, somewhere between the shore and the Clans—had been fun in the end despite how it had started, and after the sinkhole…well. ”As long as this isn’t a secret patrol,” he joked as he padded over to stand beside Barleytuft. Even if this thing Barleytuft wanted to show him didn’t meet his expectations (unlikely, as he had no expectations whatsoever), it was nice to have something to be excited about again. A mystery that held no danger beyond whatever the moor had in store for them. Bumping his shoulder against the older warrior’s, he said, ”So, ‘something interesting’? Do I get to guess?”

The grasses waved around Dappleshine in the breeze, and she found herself dazed as she watched the clouds lazily float by overhead. Was this what Greenleaf was like? She much preferred it to the muddy, wet season of newleaf. And as those were the only two seasons she had experienced, to this point, she was determined that only good times were to come. Some petals floated down from a far away tree, scattering over her length as she lay in the amber grasses, varying shades of pink contrasting against her gray and white pelt. She looked at her back, and deciding she quite like the aesthetic they provided, turned back to gaze into WindClan territory without bothering to remove them... Even if Ravenpaw might make fun of her for it.

Despite having given no description as to what exactly Barleytuft had seen, Raventail's face immediately lit up upon learning it wasn't a patrol. In fact, he joked that he was only alright with patrolling so long as it wasn't secretly one. Barleytuft chuckled and shook his head as Raventail came to stand beside him. "No patrol," he promised again with a purr. Raventail asked if he could guess and the tall tom nodded, replying, "You can have three guesses along the way. I'll only answer yes or no."

With that, the tabby warrior turned back towards the camp entrance once again, his tail high in the air as he pressed through the gorse tunnel first and waited for Raventail to emerge. Once they were side by side again, Barleytuft picked up his speed in the direction of the Gorge, no longer walking but still keeping at a leisurely pace. He looked at Raventail, waiting for the new warrior's first guess.