Breezy Wandering [closed]

Wanting to leave the unpleasant and unfortunate discovery of a dappled tom's car-mangled body behind, Summer spent the next day or so meandering away from the upwalker settlement within earshot of the road. Until she became more acquainted with the new territory, the loner would have to use that treacherous winding path as a landmark for where she'd been and where she intended to go. For now, she simply intended to explore, and so she did. She moved through trees and underbrush, from pines to sycamores, until a branch of the river directed her away from the road towards great, powerful oaks. When the pale ginger-pointed she-cat walked through a hollow with four massive oak trees, she was surprised by an overwhelming volume of stale cat scent in the earth and on the foliage. How could so many cats exist in one space? Were they the settled groups that she'd heard about in her travels? Where were they now? They were gone, and she couldn't learn anything from their absence.

Summer rested in the clearing of the four great oaks that night, and when the morning was bright and fresh she then found her way back towards the great upwalker road and continued to walk alongside it. Stretching before her now were vast, rolling hills. The cream colored she-cat was impressed by the expanse, marveling at the proof of life she could hear and see: the swooping of birds, the blur of hares, the buzzing of crickets and beetles. It was lovely, and Summer found herself wandering away from the road with a sensation of lightness. She could run, if she wanted, but she had been through enough peaty fields to know she needed to learn her terrain first. She simply strolled, her fiery tail flicking contentedly behind her as she moved.

Morningpaw had been tracking this hare for hours (well, twenty minutes, but it's basically the same thing)- usually, she wouldn't devote so much time to one creature, but from the size of its tracks in the slightly-disturbed underbrush, she was sure it'd be worth it. And sure, it didn't quite smell like hare, but it didn't smell like WindClan either. Had she given it more than a token amount of thought, she'd have realised hares don't have ginger fur. Perhaps WindClan's only brain cell really did die with Finchstar, but in her defense, she'd been up late planning revolution. Her common sense wasn't exactly up to par. But the hare- oh, the hare! It carried itself with more grace than most prey, Morningpaw noticed- the tracks were not blindly stumbling around, but moving with direction and purpose. Curious! It had travelled all the way from Fourtrees, along the edge of WindClan territory, up to the Thunderpath- and back towards WindClan's land again. Her mission was simple- to track it, hunt it, kill it, bring it back for the clan, and then sleep (and truthfully, that last part of the plan sounded the most enticing).

And it is with this in mind that the grey tabby stalked across the moors, following the scent as best she could and remembering the hunting advice her mentor had given her- keep low, stay downwind, and move with the breeze. It was a truly beautiful day, Morningpaw had to admit- the sun was shining, the clouds were parting, and for a few moments, it seemed as if the fury of the stars had abated. It felt like a good day, and the apprentice- much like the rest of her Clan- was in dire need of good days. So as she neared on the prey, stalking ever closer, catching a brief glimpse of pale fur and a long, bushy tail--

Wait a minute.

-and that's when it clicked. The tiny traces of fur along the path, the purposeful, intelligent movement, the pawprints that looked far more like a cat's. What Morningpaw meant to say as she raised herself from her crouch, revealing herself, was something along the lines of This is WindClan territory, stranger- who are you, and what brings you here?.
But what the apprentice actually said, staring at the sleek-furred she-cat before her?

"You're... not a hare. Hi."

Summer realized she wasn't alone as the wind shifted, bringing to her attention a suddenly very strong scent of a nearby cat. She wasn't particularly concerned about crossing paths with a cat at first; however, a short time later she heard a sudden rustling behind her, and the sensation of being watched prickled through her pelt then. The moment the she-cat turned, her sky blue eyes landed on a stark contrast to the grassy moors: a beautiful gray pelted she-cat. Summer realized immediately that this strange cat had been following her. To their credit, they confirmed it immediately whether intentionally or not. The reason for stalking her was... wonderful, actually.

The loner's silvery whiskers twitched with amusement, and she answered easily, "Hello yourself, dear. My name is Summer. A pleasure to meet you." I am certainly not a hare, but I'm glad to now there are some out here. I'll have to keep my eyes out. The flame-pointed she-cat bowed her head politely, feeling that the situation was calm and under control and would likely only require some friendly chatting to ensure the encounter would remain casual.

Well, this was an awkward experience. Not at all an unpleasant one, admittedly- but the sight of another cat was just enough for Morningpaw's sleepy eyes to snap open and her mind to push into overdrive with questions such as Who is this?, Is she a ShadowClan spy?, Does ShadowClan even have spies?, How do they get their information if they don't have spies? Do they talk to the birds or something?, Can she talk to birds?. Thankfully, those questions remained in her mind where they belonged. She took a moment to survey the loner before her, bowing her head in return; though at first she'd thought this might inevitably end in claws and teeth and Morningpaw having her head slammed into the ground, the other cat's demeanor had disarmed her more than she'd expected- the apprentice had always preferred diplomacy, after all. The fact that the she-cat before her was very pretty and very nice was entirely incidental.

"I, uh-" She blinked, looked up, took a breath, and started from the beginning like a sensible cat. "My name is Morningpaw of WindClan. It's good to meet you as well, Summer." She wasn't sure what kind of a name 'Summer' was- it had a good ring to it, it was a nice name, but Summerwhat? Summerpaw? Summermist? Maybe she was like Zinnia- just one of those cats with a funny name? Well, only one way to find out.

"Which Clan do you come from? I don't think I saw you at the Gathering."

The other she-cat dipped her own head in response, and Summer raised her head again with a serene smile on her face. The lithe gray tabby seemed to examine her for a moment before trying to speak - and failing, at first. The loner blinked her blue eyes innocently and waited for the she-cat to gather herself. When she did, she introduced herself as "Morningpaw of WindClan". Summer had heard a few interesting names in her life, but she still paused a moment to try to understand what she'd been told. Morning-paw. Should be simple enough, she thought.

What this "WindClan" might be was a mystery to Summer, and as the stranger asked about what "Clan" she came from she tilted her long, narrow cream head. "I'm not sure which gathering you're referring to, darling," Summer informed the stranger politely. "You're one of the first cats I've come across in a few sunrises." She considered what she had been told on her journeys, though, of the groups of cats who had supposedly claimed territories beside the river. The scents she'd smelled by those oaks - were those the leftover scents of a gathering of those cats?

The brilliant green eyes of the WindClan apprentice stared at Summer, Morningpaw trying her hardest to assess the honesty of the cat before her- and, despite (or perhaps because of) her fatigue, she was convinced. The she-cat before her was clearly no spy, and the apprentice couldn't detect a hint of malice in those beautiful sky-blue eyes. How do you explain the Gathering to someone who hasn't lived in a Clan?, she wondered. What could it be like, to have no knowledge of the way of a warrior? To spend your nights without the safety of your kin and kith? She wasn't sure. Maybe the cat before her was a loner- or a rogue (truthfully, Morningpaw wasn't too sure of the difference- rogues were meaner?)- or maybe just a runaway kittypet. But the cream-and-ginger cat before her seemed so certain of herself, carried herself with the grace and elegance that even some Clan cats seemed to lack. I wonder if Finchstar will be okay with her hunting here, she wondered- Ravenstar, even. (She'd still have to get used to that...)

... and- she should probably have replied by now. Right. "Well, I'm glad you came to this side of the Thunderpath. ShadowClan on the other side isn't very nice to trespassers- which, you kind of- technically- are. But it's fine, you don't have to go. Just- saying, that this is WindClan's territory, and... I mean, you can probably be here, we're pretty nice, I don't think Ravenstar will mind-"
Even the most charismatic cat could still trip over their words like a kit chasing a mossball, it seemed.

At first, Summer's explanation received no response. The she-cat, Morningpaw, simply stared at her with an intent, thoughtful expression, and Summer fluttered her lashes and sat to let herself be examined and considered. She didn't intend to be a threat, after all, and hopefully the pretty young thing examining her would be able to discern that. The silence stretched for a time that teetered on uncomfortable; however, Summer was skilled at keeping her cool. The only sign of her acknowledgement of the pause was her blue eyes darting towards a bird flying overhead and then back to Morningpaw. Summer could afford the wait. She had nowhere to go, nothing to do, and, more importantly, a well thought-through situation was least likely to end with fur flying.

Summer perked up as Morningpaw spoke. "Oh?" For a moment, the loner paused to consider what "Thunderpath" would be. The obvious conclusion seemed the road; it was a sort of path that sounded a bit thunderous, after all. The word "ShadowClan" seemed odd in the same way as "WindClan" did. The loner's ginger ears focused on Morningpaw at the word trespassing. She couldn't help but chuckle lightly at how the gray cat danced around the issue, trying to tuck her laughter into her thin chest fur. Another interesting name was spoken - "Ravenstar" - and Summer discerned that cat must be in charge of this "WindClan" and its territories. She wondered what that made Morningpaw; leader's mate, perhaps? She seemed a little young to be a matriarch.

Summer remained seated, raising her head again to give Morningpaw another pleasant smile. "Alright, I'll stay, then," she trilled playfully. "You certainly seem nice enough, after all, being so gracious as to teach me about the locals such as yourself. I don't suppose you could tell me more? I'd hate to step on anyone's tail." Her tail flicked, inviting Morningpaw to sit with her, blissfully indifferent to whatever schedule her new young friend might need to abide by.

Oh, stars, Summer was laughing at her already- Morningpaw was not good at this conversation. But she wanted to be, and she had never been one to turn down a challenge, even if the challenge was 'don't make a fool of yourself in front of the loner'. And she hadn't even come out here with a purpose anyway- she just needed time away from camp and something to focus on to clear her head- so being offered a very nice diversion by a very nice new friend? Well, that wasn't bad at all. And it wasn't as if she could share WindClan's deepest secrets (given that she didn't even know WindClan's deepest secrets yet-- did WindClan even have deep secrets?), so the only real risk was having a predator stumble across them, and Summer looked more than capable of holding her own in a fight, so that wasn't something the apprentice was concerned about either, and--

--Morningpaw blinked, and she was already sitting down by Summer, looking over at the other cat with a gentle smile. Her mind had made itself up for her, it seemed, and she was pleased with its decision; but a part of the apprentice yearned not just to talk, but to listen- she'd always been curious, and learning more about How Things Worked was one of her duties, right? So with her tail curled up around her paws comfortably, she purred, "I'd love to-- but only if you answer some of my questions as well." She'd have been willing to talk even if Summer wasn't- sharing her knowledge was one of the best ways to ensure she knew it properly, after all- but the loner beside her seemed talkative enough, and given the choice between staying here and going back to camp? Well, staying here was really the only sensible choice. "And I have a lot of questions," she admitted. "How about- you ask one, I ask one, and so on? What do you want to know first?"

Summer only smiled further in response as her gray companion sat beside her and gave her a friendly smile. Once Morningpaw had settled in, she agreed to Summer's request - on a condition. Ah, conditions. Hoops through which to jump. Obligations. Those might be enough to chase Summer away in any other case, but the request young Morningpaw made was perfectly doable: answer some of the she-cat's questions in exchange for answering Summer's questions. Apparently, Morningpaw had a lot of questions. "Ah, is that so?" the loner meowed with a chuckle. At the WindClan cat's offer, Summer nodded agreeably. "That sound perfectly reasonable, Morningpaw. I accept your offer." It was her turn to ask first, and she chirped faintly with surprise.

"Oh, but I have so many questions already - how will I choose what to ask first?" Summer asked with a playful purr. She hummed for a moment and then meowed, "Ah, here's one, darling: where does your, ah... WindClan, was it? Where does your territory begin? I hadn't the faintest idea I'd wandered into it, of course, as I've had no idea what to look for. Perhaps you could tell me what I ought to watch out for?" It seemed a reasonable enough question. She waited curiously for the answer.

Well, this day was going far better than Morningpaw had expected. She hadn't caught the oversized hare, but she'd found something even more interesting- a very nice new friend who, through some miracle, was actually willing to indulge her limitless curiosity! (A curiosity that would, one day, kill her, she was sure- but that day was a long way off.) For now, though, she simply gave a blink of acknowledgement at the question, thought for a few moments, and tried her hardest to describe the territory;

"Well, you know the Thunderpath already- big, black, prowled by monsters with eyes that shine in the night- that's one of our borders. We share it with ShadowClan on the other side- they like night hunting and stealth attacks and that kind of thing. Highstones is also near there, that's where we... okay, that's going to take forever to explain, we'll get back to that. So, Thunderpath. There's the old Twoleg farm that it connects to, that's another of our borders- it doesn't sound like a lot from here, but there's so much more the other way too. And then it kind of... goes around to the gorge. Steep drop, fast waters, lots of rocks; it's pretty much impossible to cross, but on the other side is RiverClan. They, uh... eat fish and swim and- do all sorts of things that cats were not meant to do." The apprentice gave an exaggerated shudder and an amused purr- not in a thousand seasons would she even consider those kinds of shenanigans. "And then the final border is the Lone Stump and Fourtrees- I think you've seen those already, it's the big rock in the clearing with the four great oaks, it's where we hold the Gatherings I mentioned- where all the Clans just meet up and share news. It's usually pretty peaceful," Morningpaw murmured, glancing away for a moment as her smile faded. "Usually."

"Anyway- we don't need to mark our territory as much as, say, ThunderClan and SkyClan, we can just use the gorge and the Thunderpath as a reference point, but we still leave scent markers; the easiest way to tell which ones are ours is that WindClan scent markers don't smell like crowfood, but the others do," she continued, looking back over at Summer; she waited a few moments to let the other cat process the barrage of new information, and then purred, "Okay, my turn- where do you come from if you're not from a Clan? Were you always a loner?"

The gray cat nodded in acknowledgment of Summer's question and stayed silent for a moment, and Summer adjusted her bright ginger tail to wrap it comfortably around her paws to express her patience and comfort. Soon Morningpaw was speaking, answering in full detail. Summer's large ginger ears perked with interest. She nodded at the repeated mention of the "Thunderpath" and "ShadowClan", now certain that the first term referred to the road after Morningpaw's description of it. "ShadowClan", it seemed, was another group sort of like "WindClan" that lived off on the other side of the road. Summer turned her narrow head to look in that direction, but she could see very little past the hills, road, and immediate wall of pine trees.

She looked back to Morningpaw. While Summer did her best to try to retain the information given to her, it came to her in rapid succession. The younger she-cat seemed ecstatic to share about her life and her home, and the loner found herself grateful that this was the cat who'd stalked her over the hills. Summer nodded along, trying to visualize the farm and gorge that made up other edges to the WindClan border. Yet another Clan, "RiverClan", was mentioned, and Summer was enchanted by their apparent lifestyle despite Morningpaw's clear disapproval. Summer merely laughed lightly, a melodic chuckle.

Morningpaw then confirmed the earlier connection that the holow with the four great oaks had held a large group of cats earlier. It had been these so-called Clans, apparently. Summer hummed, and though she noticed the flicker on darkness on her young friend's face, Morningpaw gave her no chance to pry, and, truthfully, Summer didn't care to try. She nodded her angular head while Morningpaw finished her explanation, marveling at how a group of cats could hold so much territory. She felt her next questions formulating: Do you check your territory often? When abouts, might you say? Is it usually a pretty consistent schedule? What do you tend to do with cats you find trespassing?

Summer asked none of those things, for Morningpaw asked her question first. The pale she-cat's tail flicked out away from her paws, and she raised one forepaw to lick it nonchalantly. "If a loner is what you call a cat not in your, mm, WindClan, then yes, I have always been a loner. My mother and father were loners as well, as were their mothers and fathers before them, and so on, of course. I like to think of myself as more of a drifter, darling. I came from, well, somewhere." Her sky blue eyes flickered woth amusement. "Truth be told, I couldn't remember where my travels began, and I don't want to. It was just a silly place with silly cats who don't know what freedom is like."

Sumer shuffled excitedly where she sat and chirped, "My turn!" She curled her tail in over her paws again. "You are from WindClan, and you've said there's also RiverClan over the gorge and ShadowClan over the road - and Thun...ThunderClan and SkyClan?" She blinked for confirmation, then carried on. "Are there others? Why do you all have different names? Do they mean something?" Summer blushed and laughed breezily, raising one paw to wave it dismissively at herself. "Oh, my, that was too many questions - silly me. Pick whatever you'd like. I don't mind; I'm not particular," Summer purred.

A drifter! That was fifty times cooler than a loner, which itself was fifty times cooler than a rogue. Morningpaw, being a cat and thus incapable of higher-level mathematics, wasn't sure how many times drifters were cooler than rogues, but it was a lot- and Summer was a very cool drifter. She could just imagine the she-cat beside her walking the land, the sun at her back and the breeze in her fur, having so many adventures to live and and tales to tell- never settling down in one place for long, moving like a blossom in the wind... Does that mean she's going to leave here too?, Morningpaw wondered with a pang of dismay. She'd just have to convince Summer that the forest was worth sticking around for, she resolved- Clan cats didn't quite have the freedom of a loner, but she was still free to hunt for her Clan and fight for her Clan and patrol for her Clan and do what the leader said and obey StarClan's wishes-- okay, yeah, never mind.

"I'm going to answer all those questions," the grey tabby replied with a soft chuckle. "WindClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, ThunderClan and SkyClan! They all have different names because, well... they're different groups of cats. There'd probably be less drama if we all just became one big Clan, but there's always been five- well, six- and that's how it's meant to be. WindClan gets its name because we move like the wind- we're fast, nimble, and light on our paws, and our hunting and fighting techniques often involve using the wind or our speed to our advantage."

"RiverClan and ShadowClan, you know already- fish, swimming and rivers, and night-fighting and stealth. ThunderClan and SkyClan are..." Morningpaw moved a little closer, whispering conspiratorially with a gleam of mischievous amusement in her eyes, "Basically the same thing, but neither of them wants to admit it. They both like fighting using trees, and hunt similar prey because their territories are so close together. SkyClan tends to jump from the trees, though- hence the name- whereas ThunderClan sticks closer to the ground."

"There's also StarClan- the spirits of our ancestors and fallen friends watching over us," Morningpaw finished with a glance to the sky. "Things are, uh... complicated with them right now." Thankfully, keeping the smile on her face wasn't too hard this time around; no matter how things may have been with the Righteous Few, they weren't an issue here in this moment. So with a soft purr and a gentle smile, Morningpaw asked, "So if you've been a drifter- I love that word, by the way- all your life, and your parents and their parents- why haven't you settled down anywhere? And do you ever want to?"

Summer's mild embarrassment was almost immediately resolved by Morningpaw's gracious reply, and the loner made sure the gratitude shone in her eyes as she watched the she-cat speak. It was confirmed that the five Clans already mentioned were the fabled groups which had claimed territories around the river. Summer chuckled at the circular logic of groups having different names because they were different groups; however, it wasn't wrong. Certainly cats could share ideals yet differ in specializations.

As Morningpaw explained further, Summer began to understand slightly better. It was indeed as she'd understood jt that each Clan had skills and talents that allowed them to thrive in different parts of the territory. "How interesting!" Summer chimed in. Morningpaw explained her brief mention of a sixth Clan, and the loner realized why she'd have no trouble running into this "StarClan": they were spirits! Summer blinked with mild surprise at how suddenly the similarities between the groups were explained: they had a central belief binding them to themselves and to each other. She wasn't sure she believed in such things as ghostly ancestors herself, but she had come across other odd beliefs. This one was harmless to her.

Thankfully, Morningpaw seemed to agree this "StarClan" didn't concern Summer, and the pretty gray tabby switched her attention to the loner and asked why she'd never settled down. Summer chuckled, her shoulders trembling slightly with the gentle movement. "Oh, perhaps someday when I'm a cranky old stray relying on the charity of strangers to survive," she answered, "but no, darling, I don't care to settle. Not as long as I have the claws and clarity to drift, anyways. There's far too much too see to stay in one place for long." her ears perked with interest. "And these Clans - they stick around? You have borders, do you make dens? Or where do you gather your WindClan? I heard from others I passed abut the groups of cats and how they had been here for ages, but I thought that was simply queens' fluff!" Summer was impressed to learn it didn't seem to be false.

The drifter before her was positively fascinating, Morningpaw had decided, resting her head on her paws and looking over with starstruck eyes at Summer's tale. Her primary motivation truly did seem to be freedom and discovery, following the wind and seeing the world and all it had to offer; and, in her own way, Morningpaw could relate. The freedom to live in the forest unhindered by StarClan's anger, and the discovery of all there is to know about clan life and serving WindClan, was what drove her- different results, but very much a similar drive. Perhaps this was why she found herself listening to the loner as she might listen to a revered leader- or perhaps her weakness was just pretty cats. A little of both.

"I'm sorry, but I can't see you ever being a cranky old stray who relies on others," Morningpaw replied with a mrrow of laughter. "You strike me as the type to keep on walking until your legs give out under you. We've been here for ages, though- longer than any cat in living memory can remember. Maybe we were here when the forest first became a forest, and the first trees grew. The queen's fluff is right!"

"And we do make dens. The WindClan camp isn't too far from here, in fact-- maybe I'll show you around sometime?", she offered after a slight pause of hesitation. She was sure Raventail - Ravenstar? - wouldn't mind having a visitor, and it's not as if the Clan hadn't just adopted a kittypet either. But her concern lay more in how Summer might respond- she didn't seem the type to stay in one place for long. "You wouldn't have to stick around or help out or anything, it's just- a place you might like to see if you're curious. But, uh, that's not a question, that's just an offer- I do have a question though- I mean, you don't have to answer it, but-"

"What's it like, to... not have a home? To not have anywhere you can go after a long day, people you know will be there to share tongues and fresh-kill- doesn't it get lonely?"

Summer chuckled warmly at Morningpaw's flattering words, her tail waving with delight. "You might be right," she chimed, the thought of ever settling anywhere for any reason but death holding no real appeal for her. The cream she-cat listened intently as Morningpaw went on to describe how long her group had been settled. Summer's blue eyes widened with amazement at the tale, murmuring, "How fascinating!" Learning more about WindClan in particular seemed to be the best choice, given that she was on their land, and her pretty gray tabby friend was glad to assist in the endeavor. At first she was quite interested to learn that the camp lay not far from where they sat that moment; however, the invitation to come visit made her fur prickle slightly, and once again her mind thought of duties and obligations.

Thankfully, Morningpaw seemed to detect the uncertainty - Summer was grateful the pretty young molly learned so quickly about the loner's aversion to restriction - and quickly reassured Summer that she wouldn't need to stay or participate in any way. The loner relaxed ever so slightly and chuckled, convinced by her friend's stammering attempts to rectify a momentarily precarious situation. She was about to interrupt to assure Morningpaw when the she-cat seemed to get herself back on track, and suddenly it was the WindClan she-cat's turn to ask a question again. Summer raised a pale brow and mrrowed, "Hm?" She didn't expect the question she was asked, and it surprised her mildly. Her gut response was "perfect", but she knew that wasn't entirely true.

"Oh, darling, how can I be lonely when I'm free to chat away with cats like you?" Summer questioned charmingly, her bushy tail flicking to play for a moment with Morningpaw's. She trilled with her own amusement before continuing with a wave of her paw, "Of course, it can be lonely when there are no cats around for fields and forests wide. In those times, though, I have free reign of the land. No competition for prey or shelter. No need to fight for land or lunch. No messes to clean up. Once I've done all I please, I'm free to wander to the next place. I find it just... just dreadfully boring to circle 'round the same lands day after day my entire life." Her sky blue eyes scanned Morningpaw's lithe but powerful frame, unable to hide the mild attraction flickering in her blue gaze. She could see the kitten fluff thinning out on the edges of Morningpaw's face, though. Still practically a baby - much too impressionable for Summer to risk. She added, "Thankfully, I've never had to, but you seem to enjoy it. Is that right?"