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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Characters : Sablestrike T5 Deputy (Shadowclan), Stoatclaw T3 Warrior (Skyclan), Willowpaw (Shadowclan), Gorsepaw [Bonus Slot](Windclan) | Ro is the best bud to ever exist in the world of best buds Number of posts : 1350 Gender : Copper was here <3 (& Kitty)
Leopardstar had let herself fall behind the pack as they all made their way, which was fine with him. She had lost a life, and while her wounds had been healed Sablestrike knew not all of the damage would be fixed. Part of him had wanted to stick by her side and offer support if needed, but that would mean leaving someone else to lead their clan. She would be fine. He knew the rest of Shadowclan would be there for her, though that didn't stop Sablestrike from glancing back at her every now and then.
The tom waded through the snow at an exceptional pace, ignoring the fatigue setting into his muscles and allowing the cold to keep him in the present. It was all too easy to think about the warrior they had lost to the surprise attack, or the sight of his family members throwing themselves at his attacker even with no hope of overcoming the giant beast. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of those creatures. At first sight they had seemed like simple dogs that had outgrown their own pelts. Oh how wrong had he been. Sablestrike focused on the chill that crept all the way to his belly, letting each paw step and the subsequent crunch fill his mind.
The tom hadn't noticed the presence slowly creeping up beside him until she spoke. "Don't thank me." Useless. He had done nothing to combat their foes aside from flee, practically leaving Echomist to fend for himself, and yet she thanked him? It made his skin crawl. There must have been something he could have done, even if it didn't come to mind at the present moment. All he knew for sure was that he had failed one of his clanmates so easily.
Even so, Sablestrike was glad to be able to speak with his leader for once. It had seemed nearly impossible given her sickness and his constant foraging, and while things were still dire Sablestrike couldn't help himself from trying to make conversation. "How are you holding up?" All things considered, Leopardstar seemed to be doing well. She hadn't imploded yet (at least not that he had seen), and she had found enough strength to join him at the head of the clan, but after what she had been through it was a given that she'd be in a bad state. Was this the wrong time to be asking her this? Tossing a look back at his clanmates Sablestrike decided the distance coupled with the raging winds would be enough to drown out anything the molly would have to say.
Sablestrike is talking to Leopardstar!
Despite the chill around his limbs and the general bad air around the clans, Stoatclaw couldn't banish the feeling of utter joy he held. Yes, his clanmates had been ravaged by those monstrously huge dogs, but Lighttail was with him. There would be no more hiding their relationship, no more late night trips to the thunderpath hoping to see her. The tom tried not to let his joy show. Stoatclaw pressed closer to his mate, practically clinging to her both for the little warmth that would provide and to comfort the molly. Through the grace of starclan he managed to keep any giddiness from his voice. "It's fine, my love. As long as we're together everything will be fine, I promise." He had meant that, but that didn't stop a tiny strand of doubt from worming its way into his head.
Tallshadow felt numb. Even the fragile joy of going home felt empty. The chill leaked under his short feathery pelt, but the lanky warrior stepped high over the snow, his height made plowing through it less of an effort. Snow swirled past his nose, and the golden tom twitched an ear in annoyance, but trudged forward, steadfast and solid as ever. His grief was a shadow over his face, but what else was there to do other than keep moving? He had lost his littermates, he had lost his apprentice, and now another sister was teetering on the brink of death. He was used to this weight, another empty spot that ached under his ribs. Another star to look for in Silverpelt. The tall warrior wanted to close his eyes against the fresh teeth of grief that sunk into his chest. He had pulled her from that death-scented night, but still it had swallowed her whole. He knew as deeply and surely as the wind bowed to the grass, or the clouds darkened the sky, that this was a fight his sister could not win. Goldengale’s battle yowl echoed in the mournful whistling of wind against the cliffs, vibrant, alive, stupid.
Tallshadow put his head down against the wind, blinking thick fat flakes out of his eyes. The tom slicked his large ears back, jaw set, and kept moving. Like maybe he could outpace the feeling, lose it in the whirling snow and jagged cut of the rocks. Behind them was nothing, death, a false-claim, a territory empty of history and tradition, a land that had taken from him time and time again. WindClan was going home now, he was taking Goldengale home where she belonged. Even the massive molly’s limp weight didn’t break his stride. Her feeble breaths were lost to the shrieking of the wind, but he could feel the thready beat of her sluggish pulse, the stubborn flighty beat of her heart pressed close to his pelt. Lavendercloud had switched out for Galepaw, and while he was thankful for the queen’s steady shoulder, he couldn’t help but be reminded of Berrypaw.
“Are you managing with the snow alright?” He asked in a rasp. The moons of coughing had not been kind to his voice, and the cold certainly didn’t soften it. It seemed like a pathetic question in the wake of everything. But the lanky golden tom couldn’t manage anything else, the fear that raged with his grief, the horror of losing another sister crushed his ribs tight. Anything else might snap that last fragile string of his resolve and let all his overwhelming emotions fall out as raw and ugly as Goldengale's ruined face.
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Daisyfang-------Cricketpaw-------Tallshadow
WindClan Medicine Cat------SkyClan Apprentice-------WindClan Warrior
"You did what I told you to do. That is all I could have asked for." Leopardstar sighed, the sound soft and low. "...Not well, to say the least. I'm sorry to say that even with the illness more or less dealt with, I'll have to lean on you a while longer."
Truthfully, all she wanted in that moment was to curl up and sleep, possibly forever; but she didn't have the chance.
Later, when there was something like safety, she would finally be free to grieve.
Leopardstar is still conversing with Sablestrike.
after all the things i’ve said and done; i don’t feel like the chosen one —— info.
(Shadowclan) The cold air bit at Larkpaw's fur as she closely followed behind her mentor, the snow making the trip more difficult for the weak young cat. She had gotten sick at the last gathering and it had gotten bad rather quickly. The rattling in her chest had became so severe she fell into a coughing fit, dropping the herbs she grabbed when they fled from the attack. She sat hunch down for a few minutes panting trying to catch her breath. Larkpaw knew she needed to recover quickly as to not fall too far behind her clan mates but she was weak and didn't know how much further she could go...
Larkpaw is now recovering from a coughing spell and will soon be beside her mentor again
(Skyclan) Myrtlekit was curled up closely to the cat that carried her, and she was sure to follow her mother's word and kept moving every so often and was sure not to fall asleep even though the cold made her eyes feel droopy. She was quietly keeping and eye on her siblings, she didn't want to lose anyone
No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing.
Thymelight was out of it. She was upset beyond belief, and more exhausted than she had ever felt. The emotional burden of the escape and the physical burden from the running was finally beginning to take a toll on her heart, and even though the Clans had slowed from a sprint to a stroll, the medicine cat’s apprehension still peaked. Glancing out into the depths of the snowy mountains caused her to sigh. Her breath formulated as a tiny white cloud of pure frigidity in front of her eyes. Thymelight had been silent the entire time as she was focused on holding her emergency herb bundle between her jaws. Besides, she wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to talk right now. Not a single cat had idle conversation in their minds… just anger, fear, sadness, emptiness.
A strained cough caused the she-cat to slow down in her tracks. Her yellow gaze flitted back and forth between SkyClanners until it landed on Creamsky. She remembered helping to cure him of his illness a while ago, but climbing in the snow must’ve been affecting him rather harshly. She quietly trudged through the white snow to reach the tom’s side, gingerly setting the bundle down to allow her to speak.
“I have something that I think may help you, Mr. Creamsky. Try some of this tansy and lean on me if you need some support.” Thymelight leaned down to unwrap her bundle of herbs. She only wished that she had been given the opportunity to grab more. She gently nudged a tansy bud onto the top layer of the snow in front of Creamsky’s paws before hastily wrapping the herbs back up again.
Cricketkit’s ears trembled in the cold. The bitter taste of the frigid air was familiar to her in some unnamed way, like the swirling snow-song had always been stuck up in her head. It reminded her of Paledove, and the first dark, milk-scented memories that clung to the back corners of her mind. Deep chilled earth and the stale tang of a long gone predator. She hung limp and still in her mother’s jaws, as quiet and unobtrusive as ever. Her thick tail was curled up between her back legs, safe from the snow. She stared at the passing blur of white, it shone bright and sharp against her sensitive eyes, but she didn’t blink the sting away.
Her mother’s voice pressed against the frozen dimness that shrouded her, but even that failed to bring its normal spark of confidence, or soothing warmth. Cricketkit didn’t feel much of anything. Her mis-matched eyes were unfocused, and not even the jostling of the queen’s labored steps through the snow coaxed a reaction out of her. She just hung like a disheveled bundle of white and tabby fluff, only the shivers that wracked her small body signaled that any of this had even happened at all. Distantly, she wanted to ask where they were going, or maybe if Mother wanted a break, but she had lost her voice back in SkyClan’s camp, drowned in wolf song and blood.
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Daisyfang-------Cricketpaw-------Tallshadow
WindClan Medicine Cat------SkyClan Apprentice-------WindClan Warrior
The howling of the wolves that had attacked them was distant, growing fainter by the day, but every time Wolfblossom closed her eyes she could see the snarling, gray-backed beasts as if they were right in front of her. The deputy glanced around, eyes seeking the familiar pelts of her clanmates who had fled the beasts alongside her. Honeypaw, Stormwatcher and Paledove had the kits taken care of, thank Starclan. Beechfang was with her apprentice, Graywind and most of their clanmates had made it out too. Right now, the only thing on the deputy's mind was finding safety, and the further they trekked into the snowy mountains the less sure of that she was, but it was clear there was no turning back toward the lake, either.
---
Even Beechfang's thick pelt couldn't stop her shivering as she walked alongside her apprentice, determined to keep going despite the exhaustion weighing her paws. Snow was piled high all around them, collecting in her belly fur and stinging her paws. It was uncomfortable, but they had to keep going. That was their only option.
---
Stoneheart shivered and trudged along with the rest of Skyclan, breath a silver cloud in front of her face. For the only recently-healed she-cat the cold hurt to breathe in, and her paws and muscles ached as she continued onward with the rest of the clan.
---
If Graywind never saw snow again, it would be too soon, she decided. The golden-eyed she-cat was quiet as she walked among her clanmates, dull gaze shifting from the snowy path ahead to occasionally search for her brothers or nieces and nephews.
---
Swanpaw padded alongside one of her siblings, struggling in the deep snowdrifts and grumbling under her breath as the cold bit at paws and nose and ears. More than anything she wanted to be home, along the familiar banks of the river that had been Riverclan's territory, and more than anything she wanted to forget the sight of blood and gore as those savage beasts had descended upon the clan.
Swiftheart had never felt this alone ever before. Sure, there was the rejection she had felt a long time ago moons and moons ago but it paled in comparison to what she felt now. A deep void feeling that all the walls around her were closing in. Crowspirit her daughter was gone now... so was Burdockroot her medicine cat and life-long friend who had helped her through many hard times before... and now too just earlier today she had to bury her apprentice Frostpaw. She had outrun the wolves with her apprentice on her back but in her desperation to get away had landed them far away from the clans main group, far away from the herbs that Heatherberry might have been able to use to save Frostpaw.
Swiftheart felt a lump in her throat as she trudged onwards, she knew she had done everything she could have done to save her apprentice but the nagging thoughts of:
what if you had just run a different way... stayed closer to the main group would the herbs have saved frostpaw from dying?
She felt on the verge of tears again but for once did not let them fall not wanting them to freeze up in this bitter bitter wind and cold.
She had picked up the main groups trail, it was hard to miss this many cats moving. Even a blind elder could have tracked this group the scent of them all carried so far in this breeze and even though she could not yet see them she knew she was gaining on them and soon would be united once more with them... she half wondered if anyone even noticed her absence?
Would they care or know if I never came home? a small part of her asked and doubted.
She shook her head frustrated at her self pity and thoughts of this darkness. This is not who she was! She picked up her pace and soon afterwards she could see her clan up ahead and went quickly to go join them
Swiftheart has rejoined her clan and is open to interact now
✾ Lavendercloud ✾
The queen of windclan shook her paws out every other step as the snow crunched in between her paw pads. She must have looked as miserable as she felt because not long after Tallshadow was asking how she was doing in this snow.
Her first instincts were to tell him just how fine she was in fact... SHE WAS DOING JUST FINE THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! she thought to herself a bit upset that someone thought she needed help.
But these fiery initial instincts lasted only mere seconds before she blinked realizing who it was and also that... yeah okay maybe she was not doing as great as she would have liked to believe.
She blinked sighing aloud. "I certainly don't enjoy the snow if that is what you mean" she huffed trudging onwards by his side.
The poor tom... he looked as miserable as she felt even if she was a bit too stubborn to admit that.
"I'm ... sorry about Goldengale" she meowed quieter.
The warrior had been hurt and it was bad... she had been hit hard by those wolves.
Lav is talking with Tall and helping where she can with goldengale (I am a little unsure if golden is alive at this point so left it ambiguous on purpose somewhat)
Eaglefly
Eaglefly did his best to tuck his ears low to try and keep them from freezing up this wind was something else.
The windclan tom squinted in the snow trying to see what all was around him. He made out Coyotegrin and Kestrel his mum and brother and ran over to be with them.
"Guys wait up" he meowed as he ran up to them. He fell in line right by kestrel's side. Kestrel was always their sibling litter leader... but with Jay disappearing and Sparrow gone for so long now... there was sadly not much to lead anymore. Nevertheless, he would always follow his brother into anything.
He gave a goofy smile to his sibling and rested his tail momentarly on his brother back in a friendly greeting type.
He glanced at coyotegrin too, if they had to be stuck in an aweful snowstorm... at least he would not be lost or left behind now.
"You... you doing okay mum?" he meowed quieter... they had not even gotten a chance to spend time together after Jay leaving.
He looked around a little "Where's .... Where's sleepy?"
Reaper King Former Staff
Characters : Tiger [Ti], Owl [O], Raven [R], Hare [H] Clan/Rank : [Ti] Windclan Leader, [O] Riverclan Warrior [R] Riverclan Warrior, [H] Skyclan Warrior Number of posts : 10049 Gender : Any Pronouns Age : 26
Subject: Re: Perilous journey (Sitewide) Sat 27 Jan 2024 - 21:45
He was a little behind everyone else, diving between trees and rocks to help lose the wolf that he had kept distracted until his clan could escape, and make some distance. Eventually the leader had managed to dive into a rabbit hole and come out on a different side, completely escaping the wolf, but not without his injuries.
Now he trudged behind the rest of Windclan, the snow was freezing to his paws. He was thankful that his height helped keep the snow from touching his underbelly too much. He didn't know how he felt about being back in the mountains, but from here they needed to decide what to do. They certainly couldn't go back to the lake. "Sootstorm, Daisyfang, to me. Please." The leader called out among his clan. They needed a plan.
Harepaw trudged through the snow, not pleased at all with the cold that was slowly settling into his bones. He wasn't still fully grown so it made this trip a lot more difficult. It also wasn't helping with his sickness either. It still lingered in his chest, and the cold air was making it harder to breath but it wasn't terrible enough to make him stop. If Beechfang could keep going then so would he, no matter how slow he was. The tom let out a huff that soon delved into coughing. He wanted to go home.. wherever home was.
Subject: Re: Perilous journey (Sitewide) Sun 28 Jan 2024 - 1:18
Daisyfang struggled through the deep snow. Goldengale had been tended to as best as could be expected. The cobwebs were enough to keep the bleeding under control and her leg immobilized, but it certainly wasn’t ideal. Oatpaw was barely able to keep up now that the adrenaline was wearing off and his symptoms were worsening in the weather. At least everyone had made it out alive, it was all they could hope for. The medicine cat finally reached Tigerstar, and promptly wrinkled her nose at the sharp tang of wolf stench and blood that wafted from his pelt.
”You’re bleeding.” The bi-colored molly looked thoroughly unimpressed, though her exasperated glance was colored with concern. “Stars-cursed wolves and their big stupid teeth.” She growled quietly under her breath, white-tipped tail lashing. The roar of frustration in her ears was easier to lean into than the fear. She looked back over WindClan’s leader, a little more critically, and winced slightly. The wounds were jagged and deep. They already looked irritated, and the torn fur around them was starting to clump and mat with half-dried blood and dirt. Daisyfang sighed, turning her amber gaze back to Tigerstar’s face and away from his injuries. “I know you have a lot to think about now, but those need to be tended to sooner rather than later.”
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Daisyfang-------Cricketpaw-------Tallshadow
WindClan Medicine Cat------SkyClan Apprentice-------WindClan Warrior
Subject: Re: Perilous journey (Sitewide) Sun 28 Jan 2024 - 3:41
Yewkit didn't know how to truly feel about what he had seen back at the camp: cats crushed by the jaws of ravenous beasts, tails bit clean off. Thinking about it, he wanted to scream all over again. He felt convinced that he would never get the scent of blood and fear off of his pelt - that he was permanently marked by this event. If beasts like that could exist, could he beat a badger like he imagined in that same clearing? And now, he'll never see it again. He had no idea where he was or where they were going. He had heard warriors talk about going 'home', but that camp was all that he had ever known. He felt overwhelmed and numb, and the intense cold dug through his short pelt like the fangs of the wolves.
When Honeypaw adjusted him, he couldn't bring himself to say a word in response. Instead, he nodded. He nestled between Honeypaw's shoulders, releasing a soft sigh at the warmth. He lifted his gaze to Mallowkit as he shuffled closer, softly smiling out of courtesy before he rested his head protectively on top of the smaller tom. They were in this together. The things they've seen have bonded them for life. The rhythmic bouncing of Honeypaw's shoulders was oddly soothing, and he tried to focus on her breathing and pace as opposed to the terrifying frigid surroundings that surrounded him.
His thoughts drifted to his littermates and mother. He hadn't thought to do a head count. Him and his siblings had gotten separated and he failed to think about what mattered most to him: them. "Is everyone okay?" He mewed quietly, mostly to himself, his small voice barely audible over the wind. He lifted his head to glance around in hopes of answering his own question.
Yewkit is on Honeypaw's back with Mallowkit, looking for his siblings.
Last edited by kieer on Sun 28 Jan 2024 - 3:44; edited 2 times in total
Subject: Re: Perilous journey (Sitewide) Sun 28 Jan 2024 - 4:59
You can’t fix the past, but you can change the future.
Sootstorm's ears perked up at his leader call. He glanced over his clanmates, wondering if he should place someone in charge of making sure that no one would wonder off while he was gone, but ultimately decided that his Clan was capable of taking care of itself for a few moments. Beside, it wasn't like they'd be out of his sight. He signalled for WindClan to continue moving, then slipped through the crowd to reach Tigerstar and Daisyfang's side. He entered just in time to hear the medicine cat's chiding tone, and nearly gagged when he caught a wiff of Tigerstar's wounds. "Maybe you should clean it," He suggested meekly, eyeing the wounds with worry. They wouldn't get infected and take one of Tigerstar's lifes, would they? He could see the determination clearly in his leader's eyes, however, and knew that the tabby wouldn't rest one bit until he was sure that his Clan was safe. That probably included cleaning himself. He bit back a sigh and met his leader's gaze. "What's your idea?" He prompted.
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Quillsplash | Bird / Tom / ShadowClan T5 Warrior / #802318 Leopardwind / Tom / WindClan T4 Warrior / #cc9900 Milkkit / Tom / RiverClan Kit / #dbc6ad
Characters : Falconmoon, Sagefeather, Asmodeus, Snowhunter Number of posts : 3142 Gender : Female; She/Her Age : 33
Subject: Re: Perilous journey (Sitewide) Sun 28 Jan 2024 - 23:48
Falconmoon trudged through the snow, silver mist bellowing from his nose as he forced himself to keep going. He despised moving through snow on the ground. It always took more effort than just regular walking. His eyes landed on Honeypaw and a grin broke through the look of exhaustion and frustration on his face. If I were leader and you were a warrior, I'd name you deputy right now. He felt warm, but not feverish for once. No, this was a good warm. A proud, fatherly warmth. Falconmoon would say nothing for now however. He slowed his movements to stay at the back and keep a lookout for the wolves. He'd also be looking for any stragglers to assist or collect along the way. Right now, it didn't matter what clan they came from.
With the realization that he was suddenly ready and willing to assist anyone regardless of their clan or origins, confusion flashed in his eyes. Stars... what have I become?
Sandy ears perked at Silverpaw's voice. While he was not her mentor, he didn't want to carry the small kit he had in his jaws anymore. With Emery on his back, he handed off Faraday to Silverpaw. Exhaustion made speaking his born language easier than the forest's. "If you get tired, tell me or Quailprowler. I can easily carry them both, so don't strain yourself."
Vinecrawler has handed a kit to Silverpaw.
Each step made her chest heave, the excitement of the wolf attack making it hard to calm her heart. Her eyes raced around her scattered clanmates, hoping to find two cats in particular: Acornstem and Mottlestar. Relief washing over her when she spotted the one fluffy deputy and one barely visible in the snow Mottlestar. She could make it back, then. As long as Acornstem pushed through, so could she.
Firefly is dragging behind, but keeping her mate within sight.
Slowly treading behind ShadowClan, the graying young she-cat watched over her clanmates. For so many traumatic events to have happened to her in so little time, Heatherberry's thoughts were strangely... Silent. The snow crunching beneath her large paws the only loud thing about her as she watched Leopardstar and Sablestrike, a bundle of herbs clamped tightly between her teeth. The world around her felt incredibly numb and unforgiving, no thoughts given to herself and hollowed eye socked that still soaked her face with blood as she walked, a trail of crimson in her wake.
Heatherberry is trudging behind, Burdockroot's badger pelt on her back, wounds still fresh.
Rookfire would not normally have ran straight into a wolf. He knew the vivid details Iniko told him - and even they still didn't prepare for how giant they were - and yet, he ran forward to protect his son trapped under the giant beast.
Sunflare had his own injuries from his skirmish, but he was mostly okay. His brother, Poppycloud, did the right thing and ran with the rest of ShadowClan. That alone gave Rookfire a sigh of relief. They were the last of his kits - Marshmallow's kits, the ones he adopted as his own - and they were a part of his family he couldn't let go of.
Slowing his pace to meet up with the familiar badger pelt Burdockroot carried - or used to carry, he reminded himself - the black tuxedo turned to Heatherberry to ask for some herbs. "Hey, Heather, can I borrow some herbs for Su-"
The black tuxedo stopped as he saw her eye - or more accurately, the socket where her eye was supposed to be. Her face was soaked with blood, trickling down onto the herbs she tightly gripped in her jaw before giving the cat death as well.
"You need something for your eye." Grabbing a sprig of horsetail off the badger pelt Heatherberry wore, the black tuxedo began vigorously chewing it while scanning the pelt for cobwebs that he could place to hold the poultice down once it was ready. It didn't really matter if she complained, Rookfire wasn't going to let a clanmate suffer in silence, and he knew how to treat an open wound.
Rookfire is treating Heatherberry's wounded eye.
______________________________________ Rookfire, ShadowClan T4 Warrior: 60/170 Kitespring, RiverClan T3 Warrior: 50/140 Laurelriver, WindClan T3 Warrior: 50/140 Hollypaw, SkyClan MCA: 20/50
