A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE]

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Wed 15 Nov 2023 - 23:55

Firefly was barely listening to Mottlestar. let alone the voices around her. Her shoulders shook more violently today as the walking stirred something loose in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her eyes focused on the fluffy tail of Acornstem, the only thing keeping her from laying down here and now and refusing to go any further. It was only when Curlyfluff fell in line beside her that her eyes dared to wander. He was quiet again today. If she wasn't feeling as though StarClan had their claws in her, she would have beat him senseless for ignoring his kits. Rosethorn's kits. Larkpaw was a great example of how badly he was doing at taking care of the family he had wanted so badly. She flicked the curly tom with a russet tail, as though to silently scold him, turning her attention to his daughters.

The incessant chatter from her sisters mini-me almost caused her to smile. Sure, looking at Sweetpaw made Firefly feel like she was looking at a ghost. But it was... almost nice to have this back so soon. "Just one? Surely you're strong enough for two!" If she had her strength back, she would have head-butted the kit, but doing it now would earn her a face full of mud and rock. Maybe next time.

Firefly is sick and weak, walking with Curlyfluff and his daughters.

There was a thrumming excitement deep within Vinecrawler's chest as he moved with the heard. He couldn't believe it! They were really leaving the forest and its misery behind! Oh, if only his dad were here. It would have been ten times better. His head swiveled left and right, looking at everything and nothing all at once. He couldn't wait to leave this place behind for good.

Vinecrawler is excited to leave the forest and is currently idle.

Green eyes scanned the gathered cats for her sister. "Badgermask? If you're not too busy, could you help me with this?" Burdock was already struggling with carrying her own load of herbs plus her badger pelt. Heatherberry would have brought her own pelt, but she opted against it with full hope they would return to ShadowClan by Newleaf. As she handed a bundle to Badgermask, she called out to an idle group of warriors and an apprentice. "Tawnyshadow, Swiftheart! If you two could spare a moment... Could you help carry these herbs? Oh, and Rookfire!" The tuxedo caught her eye at the right time. "If you're not too busy, could you help carry some as well? Burdockroot looks to be struggling a little; we brought a lot with us in preparation. Bit of a paw-full." She gave a sweet, bright smile as best she could. It was stressful keeping track of everyone, her eyes often wandering to Pineblossom's litter.

"Oh, and Frostpaw? If Swiftheart is okay with it, I'd like to take you to explore the herb selection once we safely get to where we're going. I did promise you, after all." She glanced at the white warrior, the same smile still plastered on her weary face.

Heatherberry is asking Badgermask and Swiftheart
to help her carry herbs, and asked Rookfire to help Burdockroot. Has also asked Swiftheart for permission to borrow her apprentice, Frostpaw, later.

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Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Thu 16 Nov 2023 - 1:46

cindersky

warrior | riverclan

Cindersky didn't want to believe it. She had heard it mentioned in the Gathering, the deliberation and decision-making that followed suit. She didn't believe it when she sifted out of the dens alongside her fellow RiverClanners, or when she moved through the territories with nerves pricking at the bottom of her paws. She only believed it when the other Clans faded into view, when the land before her was unrecognisable. She didn't want to believe it, but she did now.

It was one thing to be in the forest and all its dangers. She knew those dangers-- knew them well--, but she knew nothing about here. It was unknown and foreign, and that terrified her. All the cats moving past her and all the loud noises of chatter was the worst. It was like her first Gathering, but tenfold. Everyone was here. She took a deep and shuddering breath to calm herself and almost choked on it, ears back and a quiver in her shoulders that she struggled to keep under wraps. She had gotten her name. She was fine. She was okay.

Mottlestars holler in the distance startled her out of that pre-tranquil state and she bit her tongue to stop herself from yelping. She glanced over her shoulder with wide eyes, head swiveling on a circut to find someone she could latch on to-- Rookflight, Larkspring. She would even try to find Perchstar but she had her leading-duties and wasn't really her mentor anymore. She didn't know if she could shadow her anymore. It was loud.

Cindersky is looking for someone familiar. Anyone.

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Number of posts : 3185 Gender : Unspecified

Sprucebark's feelings on abandoning home were complicated. With the river poisoned and no water or food it seemed to be the only option... but what if starclan did not follow them in their journey? How would any of their traditions and ways of life be preserved if that happened? He took a shaky sigh of a breath as he trudged along the crowds. It was a mass of pelts everywhere as all 5 clans had been gathered into a big travel group. He did not recognize most everyone here so when he finally found a familiar Riverclan he pushed past a couple others with a little 'excuse me'

"Cinderpaw! ah what a day yes?" he meowed still keeping his usual politeness and pleasantries by dipping his head a little in respect. He was after all, a very formal and very polite fellow.

"no... wait Cindersky now, congratulations on the warrior name. I apologize I missed your ceremony, I was delayed to that with final preparations to the journey which was true, he had been taking his time leaving and regreted missing Cinder's ceromony, at the time he had been taking one last look at the river and wondering if he should ever return to that spot.

Sprucebark has caught up to Cindersky and is sticking with her for now

Swiftheart turned hearing her name called and nodded to Heatherberry. "yeah, let me carry some of those indeed" she meowed happily and returning very quickly to her happy and energy filled self. She hummed a little to herself as she carefully got some of the bundles of herbs, she didnt know what they did but knew it was vital for the clans safty that burdockroot and heather had them intact when they got to the other side of... well that was just the thing, where were they going anyways? did anyone even know? She shook those thoughts from her head a bit and refocused on what Heatherberry was asking, borrow Frostpaw?

Swiftheart nodded eagerly, she firmly belived that a stronger emphasis should be put on basic herb knowledge and so this was a very good idea in her mind. "yes, that is a great thing I think. It is good you have intrest in herbs Frostpaw, it could one day save you or a clanmate. Feel free to. she nodded and kept with their group of shadowclanners.

Heatherberry had also called Rookfire over and she gave him a friendly wave. He was the only warrior who had been with shadowclan longer than herself. As such, she felt a little like he and herself should be trying to be aware as possible and thinking a couple moves ahead as to what to do when they arrived to wherever there was. "Rookfire? When we get to... our destination. Do you think you and I could scout around a perimiter, make sure we find any nasty surprises before nasty surprises find us?" she whispered quietly to him not wanting to cause uneasiness to anyone else.
Swiftheart is helping carry herbs. She has agreed that Frostpaw can train/help with heatherberry once they arrive. She has asked Rookfire about a mission once they get to destination

Lavendercloud was exhausted, it was hardly half moon ago that she had her kits and now they were all scattered about every which way! Her paws ached something wicked and she was being evicted from home to top it all off. Daisykit wanted to show her a leaf and was rambling the way that little kits do about how the old leaves were superior she squinted at it trying to make her sleepy eyes focus "ah, yes very different indeed... where did your brother go?" she asked glancing around.

She finally heard fuzzface and gave him a gentle bonk with her paw when he brushed pelts against her. He deserved a little bonk running off like that, though in truth she knew he was doing his best too as much as she played with him, it was just crowded as heck here.

before she could even tell him to look after the kits he was going around low on all his paws scooping them all up to give them a ride! Her eyes widened in shock and happiness... had he ?? had he just done something without being asked 100 times??

"yes fuzz!" she whooped and watched all their kits bounding along on his back. He knew how to make it fun for them too. Molekit begged for slower while Daisykit cheered for him to go fast.

She caught back up to her mates side and gave him a little body bonk, not enough to make him crash just a little one to improve the bumber car-ness of the ride. "ahh look out!! Imma bonk you all again" she purred a little. She was so tired but getting to have some complete goof off time with the family was some amount of silver lining to all this. At least the journey was some amount of proof that their family could pull together.

She glanced back and felt a tug of sorrow for Soot, he had lost all his kits in various awful ways. She flicked her tail in an open invite: he was part of the family too and if he should choose could join in their nonsense now as well

Lav is very happy fuzz is stepping up in responsibility and is playing with her family. Probably drawing the attention of others as their kits laugh/scream.

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Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Thu 16 Nov 2023 - 6:51

Frostpaw’s ears pricked at the sound of a familiar voice, one not part of the clamour and indistinct noise that surrounded her. Herb carrying. Interesting. The medicine cats must not be confident in the ability of herbs to flourish so far from the Clans, or perhaps they feared inviting the ire of other groups of cats by taking their herbs. Or perhaps it was just caution, and that Frostpaw could appreciate. It was always reassuring to find their higher ranks thinking ahead and warding against things that would not have crossed her mind. They would be okay.

She could carry herbs as well, but she would be asked to do so if needed, and perhaps the walk would be so long that her easily-tired limbs could not have borne the strain. Heatherberry knew better than she did, and so the small apprentice remained at her mentor’s flank, a silent little shadow blinking up at the older cats as they spoke.

Her name being called came as a genuine surprise, and it wasn’t to carry herbs. Heatherberry… remembered? Despite how overwhelming the noise was, and how tired her paws were quickly growing, Frostpaw felt a spark of grateful excitement sputter into life inside her chest. She had genuinely not expected the medicine cat to remember a promise made to a sickly kit, especially not when the Clan was in such poor state. This was… she did not know what this was, but it made her paws a little lighter, and she not attempt to stop the small shy smile that lingered on her maw. She twined her tail with her mentor’s briefly in silent thanks for the approval, and gave the medicine cat a firm nod, smile only slowly fading.

“Thank you.” It wasn’t much, but she put as much of the grateful warm feeling inside her chest into it as she could, and that would have to do.

Trotting along with the crowd had very quickly gotten boring, and so Goldenpaw started looking about eagerly for anyone she recognized. Kittish yelps caught her attention, and she was pretty sure those cats were a part of her Clan, but they weren’t exactly fun traveling company. The adrenaline of the whole “ADVENTURE WOOOO!!!!!” thing was wearing off, and she wanted someone to talk to. Where was that sack of bones when you wanted him? The large apprentice flicked her tail in irritation, stifling a frustrated growl. She was tall enough to see over the backs of most of the cats around her, yeah, but for some reason she couldn’t make out a familiar sandy pelt… wait.

Aha.

Galumphing might’ve been the best word for the way Goldenpaw surged through the crowd, unashamedly knocking her broad shoulders against the frame of any cat who got in her way and probably hitting at least a few cats in the face with her tail. At long last, she came up alongside Tallpaw, lightly headbutting his side with a grin. They were almost nearly the same height now, and at any rate she’d won their last spar, and maybe she shouldn’t be thinking about fighting right now. Somehow she thought she might get in trouble for that… but Tallpaw seemed down, and she didn’t know how else to get his spirits back up. Or maybe he was just being serious. Maybe she should try to be serious.

“Um… is everything under control over here, sir?” she could hardly restrain her giggles, but made a valiant effort for the sake of serious-ness. Yeah. Unlike her brother, she held full confidence in their eventual return to the moor, and at any rate this plain was much like their territory. The full extent of their loss had not quite hit her yet.

Frostpaw is sticking by Swiftheart and Heatherberry.
Goldenpaw has made her way to Tallpaw (absolutely no shoving was involved at all haha) and is trying to get him to laugh.

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Thu 16 Nov 2023 - 11:32

Cedarkit

Kit | female | skyclan

Cedarkit stared up. Wolfblossom was the closest thing she had to a mom, and she heavily appreciated that. Her paws felt numb and sore after every step; she was exhausted. She stared up at Wolfblossom tiredly, giving her a weak smile. "Okay… Mom," Cedarkit meowed, giving Wolf a weak smile. She suddenly hesitated for a second; she never called Wolf her mom. She snapped back and continued walking, trying to shake it off. Maybe Wolfblossom would forgive her. She dragged her tail on the ground, her paws feeling as if they would bleed and break down from all the pressure she put into them. She stopped to give Wolfblossom a worried stare, feeling her head drop low in sorrow. She couldn't keep going not like this, not with the bitter cold tugging at her fur, not with the fur on her body prickling in the cold. She stumbled onto the leaves, coughing, and muttered to Wolfblossom, "How much longer?"

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Scorchlight | Riverclan Tier 4 Warrior

Burntkit | kit

—
Local prankster :D

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Thu 16 Nov 2023 - 17:41

Daffodilkit | Thunderclan

Daffodilkit has caught a leaf. She doesn't quite remember where she got it, or when she put it in her mouth. By her infinite wisdom of her two moons, perhaps it landed in her mouth as she stared up into the face of the important one, the leader of her clan. She wasn't going to chew the leaf - no, she's already been chastised once before for chewing on a bitter leaf that she had grabbed one day that made her sick. No, this leaf was to be her companion for this journey. Her friend.

"Leaf, leaf. I have a leaf. Leaf. Leaf. Leaf leaf leaf. " The small grey kit trotted around the outskirts of the gathered clan of warriors and medicine cats and others she hadn't paid much attention to, lost in her own world, awaiting directions to begin the trek with her bounty.

Pausing at the edge of the group gathered, Daffodilkit tilted her head up slightly to peer at those around her. The oldest among them looked sad, some even scared. She squinted slightly at them, her thoughts turning uncertain before pursing her mouth around the leaf. "No.. Nope! It's an adventure. A fun long walk with a bunch of friends.. Well, soon-to-be friends. Potential friends. Leaf!"

With a more stubborn expression on her face, the ball of grey begins her prance once again around the gathered cats of Thunderclan.

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Daffodilpaw/seed	Minnowpaw/dart
*Thunderclan \| 20HP / 60SP*	*Riverclan \| 20HP / 60SP*
#AC9032 \| Daffodilseed Art:	#217DA5 \| Minnowdart Art:

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Thu 16 Nov 2023 - 17:53

It didn’t feel real quite yet that they were leaving home. Strange ground, open sky, all these things were new to the young warrior. It hadn’t sunk in that they would not be seeing their homeland for a long time, the date of their eventual return unknown. That was alright. He knew the woods implicitly, knew how they looked and smelled and sounded all throughout the year. When he closed his eyes, Redsun could still see whatever part of the territory he wished. Still walk from camp to Sunningrocks. From the Thunderpath to Fourtrees. In his mind’s eye he kept a vision of songbirds lilting around the Owl Tree, and in his nose the musky scent of leaf litter and acorns.

Peaceful thoughts like these kept his hunger at bay, encouraging him forward. If the forest was to heal, if he were ever going to experience all those things he had taken for granted again, ThunderClan would have to depart. Letting his imagination fade out and the murmurs of the growing crowd fade in, Redsun watched and listened to his mother speak to their Clan. At the announcement of his role, he waited until Mottlestar had ended her speech to approach her. Affectionately pressing against her side, he hoped to impart some of his inherent energy along with some warmth. “I’m here for you too, mom. We’ll all support each other through this!” Still at the tortoiseshell’s side, the tom stretched up and his bright gaze flitted about in search of Crocuspaw. As large as she and her littermates were, Redsun had his mother’s issue in that he was often too short to see above the shoulders of the average cat. He turned back to Mottlestar, pressing his muzzle into her neck fur. “You can rely on us. We’ll share this burden with you.” With a purr, he broke away to really find Crocuspaw, weaving quickly among the cats.

Part of him wondered how many cats had heard his name. It was coincidence, surely, that what they were meant to follow in the prophecy sounded a lot - no, exactly like his name. He didn’t like to be secretive about his name, he was proud of it! It wasn’t in his nature to withhold such basic information, but if he had any bit of common sense in his body, he knew that carelessly telling it to cats outside ThunderClan might cause some… strange situations. He’d already gotten stares from Fawnshine and Echosong. Fawnshine's words from the Gathering echoed in his ears.

'Your only hope clinging to what remains, look forth, and see the red path right that lays. A future uncertain, if you hold still. Run, dear kits, the trial is here.' . . . 'The red sun calls for you and for your children. Choose your path, and trust the sun's warmth. Your rivers will run dry, and your trees will die, and any meat you eat will turn to ash should you stray from your forsaken path.' . . . 'Our vision ended with the cat being swallowed by the earth as they walked away into the red sun. While we're still unsure of what definite meaning this significant 'red sun' symbolism might be—it would be much appreciated if some of you could give your own interpretations and decipher it for us.'

He had no intention on forcefully interpreting the prophecy to pertain to him; carving out a role for himself in all this uncertainty, taking advantage of the situation to gain some power. He was no prophet. Pretending to be one was out of the question. He was here to faithfully perform the role given to him and support the clan in any way he could.

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{help me update the wcc family tree!}
Harebounce | Redsun | Snaildance | Snakepaw

A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] - Page 2 June2012

"Close your eyes, I'll be here in the mornin'."

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Thu 16 Nov 2023 - 20:13

pixel-hourglass-f2u-by-lost-in-ashes-dd0zota

Birdstar

The momentous day had come. The half-moon had completed its arc through the sky--Mothermouth's caverns unfamiliarly barren--with the force of SkyClan following in the pale light it lent them. Having the shroud of night cover much of the journey cemented its gravity. There was no illusory hope to be found that there might have been in the brightness of daylight. For some, the sight of Silverpelt overhead could provide a similar comfort. Birdstar wished she could be one of the warriors who maintained enough faith in their ancestors to feel anything but their stomach turning when they looked up. Frequently, she looked, raking her gaze across every speck and point of light against the deep black. They were all so cold, so far away, just as they always were. Heart tightening, Birdstar cast out a wordless prayer to any of the spirits residing in StarClan that held love for her. Prayed they would find a territory to care for them throughout the depths of leaf-bare; they were able to find their way to the forest again, and there stood a forest to return to; that every cat embarking on this journey would survive.

Birdstar shook her head and pushed out a cloudy breath. Seasons away- that was seasons away. She had to focus on the present, on placing one paw in front of the other. On leading SkyClan--all of them, every warm-blooded life that stood for SkyClan's name--to Highstones. With a pang in her chest, Birdstar cast a solemn look over her shoulder, taking a quick survey of their state. She prayed she would not be leading them to their doom. Particularly in the case of her mother... hackles bristling, Birdstar turned forward.

Deep night eventually paled into thin twilight, quick to give in to the melt of dawn. Birdstar looked skyward again. There was something bitter and ironic about watching the stars fade from sight as the Clans gathered to leave their reaches. Shaking out her pelt, she set her rights on the mountains rising ahead and pushed onward. She could hear Mottlestar's voice in the distance, too far to make out the words but recognizable nonetheless. None of the other leaders caught her eye or ear as she took in the large mass forming. While she could not spot them, the air was filling with every Clans' scent. The other Clans were already arriving, then. and there was relief in seeing they had been earnest in upholding her promise.

Tail waving to call for a halt, Birdstar turned to face SkyClan again before they would grow too close to the crowd. For a moment, she just stood and took them all in--the gaunt, exhausted faces looking to her as a figure of guidance. There was the aching want to apologize--for what, Birdstar wasn't sure. Perhaps for the simple fact she was the one leading them through this. When she gathered herself and raised her voice, she instead called a singular: "Creamsky." Blinking focus back into her eyes, Birdstar searched for his face among all her warriors. When she caught sight of him, she continued, "Creamsky will be representative of SkyClan as our scout. I trust him, alongside the warriors chosen by other Clans, to guide us on the path we're meant to follow." She bowed her head low as the sentence finished. Creamsky was a dependable warrior; one whom she'd watched grow, who was Blackbear's son and Rainfrost's close friend, who she was deeply fond of even if from a distance. "When we join the other Clans, find their other scouts, Creamsky. Discuss with them."

Looking away from him to face the Clan at large again, "Smokepetal will need help carrying herbs- make sure to assist her. Queens and kits, elders- they will all need support as well. Apprentices and warriors, you will be expected to aid in any of these tasks. Senior warriors, especially: keep an eye on our Clanmates. Change jobs if needed, or ask another to help where it's most needed. Let myself or Wolfblossom know immediately should anything be wrong." This had already been addressed with the Clan once, but it was worth saying again. As was her next piece. "The five Clans are making this journey together. Remember, this is not a time of strife." She looked for Sunfire through the crowd, but did not intend to zero in on him. "We all need each other if we want to survive long enough to see the territory promised to us... if we want to return to our home. All your hostilities must be left with the land." Birdstar would not dare to make this wish aloud, but she hoped RiverClan was of a similar mindset. More than that, she hoped each of their Clans held to it.

"This will be an arduous journey, especially as hungry and tired as we are. But SkyClan has a history of survival, strength. As much as my paws are capable of doing, I will make sure we are safe throughout this." With that and another exhale, she gestured with her head for the Clan to consider themselves dismissed. "Prepare yourselves; rest; whatever you need. We'll depart soon. Make sure you're ready for what lies ahead." Birdstar nodded, a low gesture of respect for all who stood before her. When her head came up, she looked through the drifting crowd, and only when she saw scarred silver sheltered safely between other large-bodied warriors did she turn around.

Rising up the stony slope, she passed by the fringes of ThunderClan until she saw Mottlestar perched on a slightly elevated rock. Padding closer, Birdstar waved her tail in greeting and said, "Hello, Mottlestar. I'm... glad isn't the right word, I don't think. Grateful, maybe, that you're here. The other Clans are arriving swiftly." She wasn't sure what she would have done, if the other Clans had failed to show... Birdstar thought she might have led SkyClan away on their own. They would not starve just because others were keen on it. "I'll keep you from answering too many questions before everyone else joins us. We'll have plenty to discuss then, and hardly enough energy between the five of us, I imagine."

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FishpawShadowClan
Apprentice
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SilverhawkShadowClan
T5 Warrior
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RowansongRiverClan
T5 Elder
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RookflightRiverClan
T4 Warrior
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PigeonpounceRiverClan
(T3) Hybrid MCA
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FalconpawWindClan
Apprentice
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FoxsnapSkyClan
T2 Warrior
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Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Fri 17 Nov 2023 - 17:47

Cedarkit referred to her as 'mom' and Wolfblossom felt her fur grow warm. "Don't worry, things will be okay." Eventually, she hoped. The question of how much farther was one she had asked herself, and there was no real answer. "I don't know." She admitted truthfully. Some might have lied and given something optimistic, but Wolfblossom felt wrong doing so when she herself did not have the answers.

Before she could speak further, Birdstar had raised her voice. Creamsky was chosen to be their scout, and Wolfblossom nodded in approval. He was a responsible, trustworthy warrior, and a capable one. She just hoped that the scouts did not find trouble on the path ahead, though the strength of the clans would be able to deal with anything that would arise. Orders to help each other were reiterated, something Wolfblossom hoped would not have to be reiterated again.

She would disagree that this was, in fact, a time of strife. The only clan that mattered to Wolfblossom right now was Skyclan, regardless of traveling together or not. Riverclan made her wary as well, knowing who was within their ranks, knowing the secret that Skyclan had been keeping. Traveling together was a risk, and one that could end in disaster if they weren't careful. The start of the famine had slowly turned Wolfblossom's focus, and she would protect her clan above all else. From the youngest kit to the weakest elder.

---

Swanpaw plodded along with the rest of Riverclan, sticking close to her siblings. Beneath her fluffed up pelt she was shivering, and she took in the unfamiliar surroundings the clans found themselves in with wide eyes. The idea of leaving Riverclan territory had never occurred to her until it had been spoken of at the gathering, and to actually leave the home she had grown up in felt surreal. But the home she had known seemed barely recognizable between the poisoned waters and the famine, so maybe for now it was the best. Already though, the young apprentice deeply missed the familiar territory by the river.

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SkC Leader | Profiles | Plotting

WolfstarSkC
T5 Leader
#a0c8e6

SwandiveRC
T4 Warrior
#0881ab

BriarpatchSC
T3 Warrior
#867b6b

HoneybeeSkC
T2 Warrior
#ff4732
Not Pictured

Cloudjumper [Bonus]WC
T4 Warrior
#a45ee9
Not Pictured

Stoneheart [Perma NPC]SkC
T5 Warrior
#616d87
Not Pictured

Starclan: Beechfang, Mistyfalcon, Birdsong, Swiftspirit, Brackenwing, Harechaser, Moondancer, Graywind

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Fri 17 Nov 2023 - 18:58

It didn't feel real. Every pawstep that Perchstar took away from RiverClan felt sluggish, dreamlike, as if trapped in some nightmare where no matter how far she walked, she wasn't making any progress. Her mind was fogged by the hunger and thirst and exhaustion she had been suffering from the past moon, but perhaps it was a good thing. If she could think clearly, then she would have to comprehend just what she was doing. Leaving her home. Her only home. RiverClan, the place that had been hers for her entire life. The sandy banks, the leaders' den she'd been living in for more than a year, the beech copse that held so many bittersweet memories, the trinkets in her nest, even the poison-clogged waters themselves. If anything happened to it... If perhaps, she wasn't able to return... The thoughts caused her so much pain that she was physically forced to stop walking for a moment. But she blinked hard and forced the idea away. Since when had she been allowed the luxury of feeling? Of thinking for herself? Her job, her only job, was to keep her Clan and her kits safe. And unfortunately, if they remained here, they would starve. That was the fact she had to keep at the forefront of her mind. They were leaving so that Willowwisp, Mistwalker, Wrenpaw, Poppyshine, Rowansong, Sprucebark, Rookflight, Cindersky, even Larkspring--all of them, all of her Clanmates, every one--would live. This was the only way. Grief could be buried in her heart and felt later, as she'd always done.

Perchstar halted for a moment when they reached the large gathering. This was bigger than any group of cats she'd ever seen before. It wasn't just the warriors and apprentices and occasional elder... this was everyone. She saw small kits being carried by queens and warriors alike. Her heart twisted. There was no way they could comprehend what this journey meant. She turned back, looking at her own Clan. Ice-blue eyes, no longer able to completely maintain the mask of neutrality, rested on each and every face. Her Clanmates. They would have to be her home now. They would be each others' home. "Stay together," she told them, trying to keep the heaviness from her voice. "Feel free to mingle with the other Clans, but most of all, keep track of each other. I can't be everywhere at once. Assist each other where you can, help each other. RiverClan may be a place, but it is also a group of cats. We are RiverClan, no matter where we are. And no matter what, we will survive." It was all the hope she could offer. She had no stomach for trying to soothe and reassure that they would return when she could barely remain standing. All she could give was the knowledge, the surety, that they had each other. "If you need anything, if you have any questions... do not hesitate to let me know. I will not be hard to find. But please, be careful." Any more words and the emotions would begin to tighten her throat, so she forced herself to stop. Perchstar gave them all one more nod then continued forward, forward, into the swirling mass of the crowds.

The immense weight of tired, agonizing sorrow was offered the lightest breath of relief by the combined faces of Mottlestar and Birdstar standing nearby. She wasn't alone in this, at least. She had her entire Clan... and she had her allies. They would be strong together. Through thick and thin, so far, she had been able to trust the two other leaders. Despite it all, they had not let her down. She believed somehow that they would continue to have her back through this nightmare. Every step was a battle in and of itself, but eventually Perchstar made her way to where they stood. "I suppose there is little point in asking how you fare," she said, eyes shifting between them, attempting somehow to keep her voice light instead of shaky and exhausted. It wouldn't do to let them know she was still barely standing as it was. "Still, it is... good that you are here. Doing this alone would be... unpleasant."

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A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] - Page 2 833dIG1

⸙ Larchbreeze ⸙ ~ ♡ Hedgepaw ♡ ~ ◈ Dovetail ◈ ~ ○ Bubblebeam ○
⸙ WindClan ⸙ ~ ♡ ShadowClan ♡ ~ ◈ RiverClan ◈ ~ ○ ShadowClan ○
⸙ Tier 4 Warrior ⸙ ~ ♡ Apprentice ♡ ~ ◈ Tier 4 Warrior ◈ ~ ○ Tier 3 Warrior ○

~~PM me here or on Discord if you want a topic with any of my cats!~~
~Signature and Avatar by Xaandiir!~

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Fri 17 Nov 2023 - 20:54

Rookfire never thought he'd ever leave ShadowClan's lands again.

The last time he left, it was by force. Twolegs caught him and forced him to be in their nest. And while he didn't have many objectively bad memories in his time there - and a lot of good ones, too - it never really was home. So when he came back, he swore to never leave the forest again.

This time, though, he had to help the clan make the journey to whatever land those feral cats came from.

His ears perking up at Heatherberry's request, the black tuxedo nodded at her. "I can do that, sure!" he said, searching for her signature badger pelt. Swiftheart catching his attention, he turned back to her. "Sounds good to me," he said, before making his way over to Burdockroot.

"I can help carry some of the herbs," he volunteered. Even though he never really got his own pelt - mainly because Nightstalker's policy seemed too risky for any cat to deal with, and Rookfire found himself happy living without one - he could still carry a good amount of herbs with his mouth.

Besides, it was a good distraction from the journey they were going to take.

~~

Adventures usually soothed Ambersun's spirit.

Perhaps it was because after every adventure, they always returned home, and she could always have comfort knowing that they had a nest to sleep in every night. In this journey to an unknown land, she didn't have that safety, that security, that she always grew up having. It was... jarring, to say the least.

At least she had the rest of SkyClan to rely on.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, too. She could never adventure to this place again, so she had to be strong for the journey. And if they could make it to the place where those outsider cats from ThunderClan came from... well, that was even more exciting.

I just gotta believe in myself, and push the doubt away.

~~

Poppycloud trusted the judgement of his leader.

So when she said that ShadowClan was going to leave their territory along with the other clans, he trusted her decision. The place talked about sounded... perfect. But it also left him wondering.

Why did those outsiders leave that place? Just a change of scenery, or were they running from something? Also, would there be more outsiders back where they used to live? If so, would they just let the clans go in, or would they do something else? He didn't have any answers, and he knew ShadowClan didn't have any answers, either.

Sighing, Poppycloud silently followed the rest of ShadowClan to their meet-up spot at Highstones.

~~

In hindsight, leaving their home made a lot of sense.

With the poisoned river and all, the clan was both hungry and thirsty, and Kitespring was especially malnourished. She felt like she could hunt, so she tried hunting more for RiverClan, but there was very little she could do when there was no prey to be found. She couldn't even find a goose to try and take down (not like she had the strength to do so, anyway).

Still, the emotional connection was something she couldn't just let go of. She had always lived here, along with her clanmates. Her warrior ancestors watched from above them. Would they be able to follow us to our destination, or will we have to let go of them?

If their place wasn't that far away from Highstones, then StarClan could probably follow them to where they would be able to go. I just want to know that I'll see all of them again. Dovesight, Flywhisker, Martenpaw, Rushtalon... her mom. Perhaps she would never know until she died, and right now her goal was to live as long as possible, to talk with people as long as possible.

Seems like I'm doing a great job of that.

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Rookfire, ShadowClan T4 Warrior: 60/170
Kitespring, RiverClan T3 Warrior: 50/140
Laurelriver, WindClan T3 Warrior: 50/140
Hollypaw, SkyClan MCA: 20/50

pfp of rook drawn by the amazing xaandiir!

A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] - Page 2 Image10

Number of posts : 318

If cats had winced seeing Lavenderpaw before, when truthfully he was an eager new apprentice with strength to easily pull along his back legs, then it was difficult to look at him now. His energy was sapped, he was weak and spidery thin, unbelievably light. His fur was dull, eyes dull and fluttering closed. His chest felt waterlogged and heavy. He would have liked to see the cats from the other clans. He would have liked to congratulate the RiverClan apprentices becoming warriors. He was only foggily aware of which clanmate helped him now. He would have liked to help in turn and carry herbs. Lavenderpaw would have liked at least to say thank you, but all that weakly came out was a thick cough.

Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Sun 19 Nov 2023 - 4:47

Scorchlight

Tier 1 Warrior | female | riverclan

The newly named Scorchlight padded with the rest of her fellow clan mates, a smile spreading across her face. She was bubbly as ever, while the rest of RiverClan seemed depressed and exhausted. Though one similarity Scorchlight had with her entire clan was hunger, the famine had destroyed the forest, and now all of this had made the clans leave the territories, which Scorch was unsure of. Rogues and loners were roaming the clans free of passage, which seemed abnormal; usually, it was disallowed. They'd become pieces of scraps, but now they fed themselves in the clans, even entering the camps. Scorch didn't know, but she just had a hunch it could've happened. It was no use being miserable and sad in Scorchlight's opinion; what would that do? She was trying to stay near the huddle of cats, maybe someone would talk to her?

template by #kiikko

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Scorchlight | Riverclan Tier 4 Warrior

Burntkit | kit

—
Local prankster :D

Number of posts : 3185 Gender : Unspecified

Sprucebark was following near-ish to perchstar. Keeping close to the main group of riverclan his eyes spotted the bright orange pelt of the clans newest warrior. He went over to the bubbly and excited warrior’s side. Congrats once again on your warrior name. I remember being very excited for mine. he purred thinking back on it. He had not missed either how down and hungry the clan appeared. Maybe himself and scorch could hunt soon and try and get some meal for the clan.

Bluepaw was near the back of thunderclan. He had fallen a ways behind with helping his friend brightpaw since he had a hurt leg. He let his friend lean on him to try and help keep the weight off brightpaws busted leg. Hmm brightpaw? Do you need to rest at all? Bluepaw asked. He would have been worried about falling behind but mottlestar was somewhere nearby it seemed. She had been earlier at least as he glanced around.

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Subject: Re: A Beginning, an End [OPEN, SITEWIDE] Sun 19 Nov 2023 - 7:32

Brightpaw flicked his ears towards his friend, smiling once more at him."I'm healing," he meowed, "I just want to return to my apprentice duties." His foreleg seemed better, though it still ached. "I'm glad I still have you to keep me company," he purred, licking his foreleg cast in cobwebs. All he could do was tell the truth and wait for it to heal. Silly lies, especially to a friend, would be pointless.

He looked ahead to all the other ThunderClanners and stared back at Bluepaw. "ThunderClan is an amazing Clan," he meowed, "it's keeping me safe enough. You don't have to worry." He picked out his words carefully when saying this. It seemed Bluepaw was thinking pessimistically, and Brightpaw wanted to put an end to that. All Bluepaw would do was worry. "Fawnshine said I'll get better next Gathering. That's only in a few days."

Scorchlight was happy to see Sprucebark. They seemed to talk more now. "Nice to see you, Sprucebark," she purred, licking her flank. "We've run into each other a couple of times," she meowed, trekking through the leaves, crunching them. "I'm happy I'm a warrior now, though it seems most of the Clan is starving. So am I. Maybe we can hunt together sometime in the future." Turning her head towards her friend, she thought, at least she had someone who respected her as a friend.

She turned her gaze into the overhead foliage and trees, then back to Sprucebark. "I'm just unsure if we should leave RiverClan. I've been there so long, but..." she paused. "I guess we have to go..." It felt like the loss of another cat, but it was their home, their territory. She barely ever got to fish in the river. She unsheathed her claws in worry, then sheathed them back. "It feels weird leaving."

She turned her head back to the long-gone territory. She felt a tingling sensation whenever talking to Sprucebark, though she was never sure if she should or even could mention it.

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Scorchlight | Riverclan Tier 4 Warrior

Burntkit | kit

—
Local prankster :D

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