The future's in your paws. Shape it well.Roleplay in a cat Clan of warriors. Based off the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Takes place in an AU before the cats in the books existed.
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Newleaf is finally here, and the Clans hope to find reprieve from the tough Leaf-bare.
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Subject: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Thu 21 Sep 2023 - 7:43
Quiet people have the loudest minds
The place that the rouge had shown her had seemed suitable for her to stay in. Nice enough, with water close by and no Twolegs or dogs about. But she wanted to be a hundred percent sure that it was where she wanted to stay, and where she would raise her kits. Copperlark wasn't a mouse-brain-- she knew that her kits would be coming soon. Hunting was beginning to get even harder, and a constant hunger followed her everywhere she went. Her movements were clumsy, and each time she fell it was harder to get back up. She would get unexpected pains as well, but with no medicine cat or experienced queen beside her she could only guess what had caused them.
Copperlark stopped in front of a large Twoleg den. It was old, and despite obviously being of Twoleg origins there was only a faint wisp of Twoleg. There was a much more noticable scent of dogs though, and it was with wary steps that the queen made her way into the den. Golden hay was strewn across the otherwise hard floor, giving her aching pads some relief. The scent of mouse hung heavy in the air, and even now she could hear the tell-tale sounds of a mice nest. Plenty of prey and bedding, then. Suddenly, she froze. There was two other scents, cat scents, mingled with the others. They were fresh, and horribly familiar. Windclan cats. What were they doing here? She had specifically went the long the route when it came to coming here, and yet all her efforts were in vain. She needed to leave, now. Copperlark turned around as sharp as she could with her size, ready to rush out of the den, but a voice made her stop in her tracks.
Subject: Re: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Thu 21 Sep 2023 - 15:55
Brackenwing had been half-curled in the nest when the sound of pawsteps made her lift her head. Unfamiliar pawsteps, that were not Whisperear's. Unfamiliar too was the scent that the cat who padded into the barn carried, and the now-former Windclanner was immediately on edge as she pulled herself from the nest.
"Who are you?" The she-cat was already turning to leave, but her movements were slow and clumsy. Awkward. That... Made Brackenwing feel a little better about her own trembling paws, the old injury that had led to her retirement not at all liking that she tried to stand. The elder opted instead to sit, green eyes narrowed on the strange she-cat. "I expect neither of us are in a state to be fighting each other." She added, tail tip twitching.
Subject: Re: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Thu 21 Sep 2023 - 21:07
Quiet people have the loudest minds
Copperlark turned around reluctantly to face the Windclanner. A brown she-cat sat a few fox-lengths away, green eyes narrowed on her with a familiar wariness. She couldn't help but notice the she-cat's leg-- damaged, and clearly unable to support the Windclanner's weight. The she-cat's words gave her a bitter taste in her mouth. Who was to say she couldn't fight? Her movements might be clumsy and slow, but her mouth worked just fine! Still, the she-cat didn't look hostile, and there was no point in starting a fight.
"I'm Copperlark... former warrior of Thunderclan," She stumbled over the 'former'. She still thought of herself as a member of Thunderclan, despite having already left for more than a moon. And they wouldn't take her back either, not after what she had done. "And you are?" Copperlark asked, raising her chin and meeting the Windclanner's eyes. She had every right to be here-- Windclan had no claim over this stretch of territory! She would not be shamed for what she had done. Of course, the best case scenario would be that the Windclanner didn't ask, but if telling her that she had killed someone before would scare her off... Copperlark wasn't opposed to it.
Subject: Re: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Sat 23 Sep 2023 - 13:58
The she-cat regarded Brackenwing with the same amount of wariness that she had regarded her with, on fair, only natural. She was a former Thunderclan warrior, though the name was unfamiliar. Not many clan cats turned out to be former clan cats, and that was curious, but it also wasn't Brackenwing's business. Perhaps she had left on her own, no longer feeling part of the clan as Brackenwing had, or perhaps being formerly of Thunderclan was under different circumstances. As long as those circumstances did not involve Brackenwing or Whisperear, the former elder was content to let the matter stay, for now. She noted the way Copperlark seemed to stumble over her words - evidently it had been recent, or maybe not by her choice. Brackenwing however, didn't stumble when she spoke. She was glad to no longer be attached to that life.
"Brackenwing... Former 'elder' of Windclan." When all of Windclan's leadership had been older than she, calling herself such had felt silly. It still did, regardless of the injury that had landed her in that stifling den.
Subject: Re: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Sat 23 Sep 2023 - 18:01
Quiet people have the loudest minds
Brakenwing... she had heard that name before, though she couldn't remember from where. Hadn't she been in a fight with Shrikestar or Smallstar? Was that why she was here now? Copperlark didn't think Windclan would be cruel enough to throw out an elder simply because of her opinion, but you learn new things everyday. Copperlark's eyes lit up at the next question. "I am looking for somewhere to stay for a few moons, to... to raise my kits," She could trust this cat, and it's not like it wasn't obvious to see. Even then, the words sounded foreign. Despite everything, it still didn't seem possible that she was having kits. That she could be bringing life to this world.
Subject: Re: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Mon 25 Sep 2023 - 17:24
The she-cat freely admitted to needing a place to stay, both for herself and her kits. Brackenwing nodded, though the way she spoke gave her pause. "Is nobody else raising them with you, then?" Like a father, she almost said, but the circumstances were not truly her business. Brackenwing herself hadn't grown up with a father. "The barn has been quiet enough, though Whisperear and I've only been here a couple days." Not that the quiet would last that much longer with a queen and kits around, but that was a different kind of quiet than clan drama was.
Subject: Re: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Tue 3 Oct 2023 - 2:30
Quiet people have the loudest minds
The question came, but Copperlark wasn't nearly as nauseous as she would have expected. Had she already gotten over Cedarstalk's death? No. She was in love. She had cared about him, like he had cared about her. A sinking feeling tugged at her heart. She did love him, right? Her mind flashed back to the time she had spent with her mate, but all she could think about was what Cedarstalk had been doing for her. Did she never show Cedarstalk the love he deserved? Great. She was a horrible mate to the one cat who cared about her. She truly was a monster.
"I'm raising them alone," Copperlark mewed softly. She hesitated, not daring to voice the question on her mind. After all she had done, she didn't deserve to ask something of these cats, let alone such a big thing. But if she wouldn't do it for herself, she had to do it for her kits. "Could I stay here for a few moons? At least until my kits are weaned?" She asked warily.
Subject: Re: Unexpected, but not Unwelcomed[C] Tue 3 Oct 2023 - 11:47
Copperlark was raising them on her own. Brackenwing simply nodded. It wasn't something uncommon, at least from her own lived experience. She had been raised without a father too. It would be more work for Copperlark, of course, but hardly an impossible task.
Copperlark's question wasn't exactly surprising. With how heavily pregnant she was and being on her own, it was no surprise that she needed shelter. Were it Brackenwing, she might have been much more wary about raising kits in a barn occupied by relative strangers. Brackenwing herself was wary of the other she-cat, too. Pregnant or not, she was not someone she knew, not someone she could trust. But Copperlark was risking plenty by being so vulnerable here, and as wary as Brackenwing was, she wasn't cruel enough to turn away an expectant mother.
"...Alright. You'll need the shelter. So will the little ones." She mewed, "I don't think Whisperear will mind, either."
