Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C]

Subject: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Mon 12 Feb 2024 - 21:51

OATPAWare you going to age with grace?
he/him - windclan apprentice

"Come on, Sycamorepaw!" Oatpaw called, pelting toward the stump as fast as he could. Fresh fallen snow crunched under his paws with every stride, and his pads were numb and cold to the touch from the distance they'd traveled in the brisk chill of late winter morning. He shook off the thin dusting of snow that had built up in his fur. Where was Sycamorepaw? He turned to look for his companion, panting. The tom was...a good few foxlengths back. Oops. Oatpaw felt guilty. Maybe he should've taken it slower - but he couldn't help it! He was so excited to get to know his new friend and show him the territory that he'd forgotten Sycamorepaw might not be used to the moors, or running long distances. The tom paused and waited for him to catch up, fluffing his coat out against the piercing wind.

As the other apprentice approached, Oatpaw straightened and pricked his ears, thrilled to bits. "Just you wait! You're gonna love the view up here!" He grinned, motioning toward the stump with a nod. "You really have to see it for yourself." The mottled tom remarked. It was a spot he'd only discovered recently, but the first time he'd seen it had taken his breath away. Maybe it was a bit far from camp, but he'd promised he would show Sycamorepaw the territory! That included all the coolest spots - even if he himself was just finding them.

Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Mon 12 Feb 2024 - 22:37

Sycamorepaw was excited when he was invited to go tour the territory with his new clan mate. He was starting to adjust well clan life and he had gained a little bit of the weight he lost back. He enjoyed his time with the other apprentices and his mentor. Sycamorepaw was still getting used to his new name, but everything seemed to be going well in the young tom's life.

The snow crunched under Sycamorepaw's large paws as he trotted after Oatpaw; and the winter air snapped at his lungs making it hard to breathe as he ran. He still wasn't used to the outside air, and it was hard to adjust. He stopped a few times to catch his breath and then followed after the young tom, which put him back a few paces. He let a smile slip across his face as he made it to the other apprentice's side. "Ah, the view is already great as is!" Sycamorepaw huffed out trying to catch his breath. After catching his breath, Sycamorepaw jumped up on the stump, his eyes widened in amazement. Oatpaw was right, the view was amazing. It seemed like he could see everything from the stump.

"This is a really cool spot, Oatpaw. How did you find it? The wind ruffled the young tom's fur as he peered back at his new friend. He hopped off the stump and padded up next to Oatpaw. "I hope we will be able to find new spots together some time. I really enjoy exploring the territory with you." Sycamorepaw happily wagged his tail a bit as he spoke.

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Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Tue 13 Feb 2024 - 23:17

OATPAWare you going to age with grace?
he/him - windclan apprentice

Oatpaw watched his new friend hop onto the stump with a grin. Sycamorepaw liked it! He felt a rush of satisfaction as he watched the other tom look across the moor, a look of wonder settling across Sycamorepaw's features. After a moment, he scrambled up onto the stump beside Sycamorepaw, his ears perking up as he gazed across his home. It really was beautiful - even in leafbare. He wondered if, come newleaf, the land would be painted with brilliantly colored flowers like the ones Daisyfang kept in her den. He really couldn't wait to see the land in each of its seasons.

Oatpaw looked further into the distance and pointed out a small, barely visible patch near where they'd travelled from. "I think that's camp!" The brown tom exclaimed, squinting as though he thought he might be able to make out a few familiar faces. Really, the camp itself was barely a speck - he'd never be able to make out the dens, much less Clanmates.

He hopped off the stump and landed next to his friend, purring gently. His tail raised high in the air with delight, and he gave his chest fur a few embarassed licks. "I really like exploring with you, too! We should explore the territory more often. The Clans only just got back, so I've had to find all the cool stuff on my own! It's nice to have a -" He paused. He was going to say friend, but he wasn't sure if that was getting ahead of himself. Oatpaw looked over at the tom, his brown eyes glittering with excitement, and decided he didn't care. "It's nice to have a friend to explore with." He blinked happily, then turned back to the land before them.

"Up there is Fourtrees! Quickfrost says that's where Gatherings are usually held." Oatpaw tilted his head, looking at the cluster of large oaks not terribly far from where they stood. Then he realized his friend might not know what Gatherings even were! "Every moon, the Clans meet there and talk and discuss their news. You'll love it - there are so many other cats to talk to! But you'll see that soon enough. Where would you wanna go next? We could explore near the Falls, or the tunnels, or I could show you the RiverClan border..." He trailed off, happy just to be in the company of a friend.

Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Fri 23 Feb 2024 - 14:10

Sycamorepaw, wasn't able to make out the camp while he was on the stump, which he wasn't sure he would know where the camp was if he ventured out into the trees by himself. He was still getting use to camp and the scents of Windclan. He watched as Oatpaw squinted his eyes, peering off in the distance. 'I wonder what he sees' Sycamorepaw thought as he licked his paw and ran it across his face.

"Well you don't have to explore alone anymore. You can just ask me, and I'll tag along!" Sycamorepaw said flicking his tail towards the young tom. He had seen other clan cats do that as a friendly gesture. Sycamorepaw had never been around another cat until he was brought into the clan and he had also never had a friend. He spent a lot of his time silently watching how other cats interacted with each other. He now, knew not to run up and approach cats like he did with Sleepyhollow, but a lot of social interactions were lost to him.

The young tom shook his head and his golden-green eyes met Oatpaw's amber eyes. The other apprentice had just mentioned a gathering of clans. "How many clans are there and what kind of news do they share?" Sycamore turned his head to look at the large oak trees in the distance. "What are the falls? That sounds like it could be interesting. It all sounds interesting actually." He said turning his attention back to his friend. Sycamorepaw was just happy to be out and exploring the area. Outdoor life was just as magical, now that he is part of Windclan, as he had hoped.

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Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Mon 4 Mar 2024 - 21:31

OATPAWare you going to age with grace?
he/him - windclan apprentice

The mottled brown tom turned back to his newfound friend and purred. With a gentle sweep of his tail, he tapped the apprentice's shoulder in a friendly, affectionate gesture. Sycamorepaw seemed to feel a bit awkward at times, but Oatpaw didn't mind. He hadn't really clicked with any of the other apprentices yet, and he was eager to get to know the white tom better. Besides, Oatpaw couldn't imagine if he stumbled upon a Twoleg den and was suddenly part of some Twoleg family. He'd probably be more shy than Sycamorepaw was now! He tilted his head at his friend, giggling. "You and me will be doing a lot of exploring, then! I'm happy to have someone I can take on all my adventures." Oatpaw chirped, blinking slowly and warmly.

"Oh!" Oatpaw blinked in surprise. He didn't even know what a Gathering was. The fluffy brown apprentice hadn't realized just how much Sycamorepaw had to learn about Clan life. He was excited to show him, though. "There are five Clans total. Us, of course, then there's RiverClan, ShadowClan, ThunderClan, and SkyClan! Each Clan has their own strengths and way of life. And don't let anyone tell you that any Clan is less than another." He explained, his voice sincere at his ending comment, though his ears were still perked happily. It was fun, being able to show another cat the ropes instead of feeling like he was less-than. "We might talk about how prey's been running, announce any kits that were born in the last moon, or any new warriors or apprentices! Er... sometimes the leaders like to fight, though. You're not... supposed to, but some cats seem to think being a warrior means unsheathing your claws all the time." Oatpaw shook his head disapprovingly, his ears flattening for a brief moment as he thought about those hotheads that were responsible for wars and skirmishes.

He recovered quickly, chuckling at Sycamorepaw's line of questioning. It was cute, really. He liked the tom's enthusiasm. "I've never actually been to the Falls! I don't think we're supposed to go over there, but y0u and I are pretty smart, I think. They're the waterfalls on the border we share with RiverClan. I've only heard about them." Oatpaw glanced toward the RiverClan border, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He turned back to Sycamorepaw again, purring at the look of wonder in his denmate's golden eyes. "It really is! I'm happy to teach you all about it." He meowed sincerely.

Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Tue 5 Mar 2024 - 21:36

Sycamorepaw listened intensely and made mental notes as Oatpaw spoke, ‘Five clans… River, Shadow, Thunder, Sky and of course Windclan… Own strengths and lifestyles. I wonder what the different strengths and lifestyles are?’ His held tilted and his green eyes revealed his curiosity, “Why do the leaders fight? What is there to fight about?”

The young tom looked at the other apprentice as he chuckled; he wasn’t sure why Oatpaw was chuckling, but it made him smile and purr. “I agree, I think we are smart!” Sycamorepaw’s eyes had a brief twinkle of mischief before turning back to curiosity. “Why wouldn’t we be allowed to go by the falls? Can’t we go anywhere we want?” He looked in the direction Oatpaw had, when he spoke of Riverclan.

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Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Wed 27 Mar 2024 - 15:37

OATPAWare you going to age with grace?
he/him - windclan apprentice

Oatpaw looked at the tom beside him solemnly, an expression that was rare for him but certainly not nonexistent. Happy-go-lucky as he was, he tended to worry - and while Sycamorepaw and, yes, Oatpaw himself were both untouched by war, Oatpaw had witnessed his fair share of pain and suffering all around him - by cats he held so much love for, no less - while the former kittypet wore an expression that was all too naive.

What was there to fight about? As naive as his words seemed, Sycamorepaw had a point. "Nothing," Oatpaw meowed, and his own voice surprised him. "If the Clans would just work together, we could all be happy. But cats get so caught up in matters of pride, of territory and prey, and... sometimes it doesn't end well." His face had dropped, and he searched Sycamorepaw's gaze for a moment to gauge his reaction. His own chestnut gaze held a deep sadness. Had Sleepyhollow ever taught the tom about war? Was it Oatpaw's place to tell him something like that?

But the moment passed as the white tom broke into a purr, his green eyes twinkling. Oatpaw blinked hard, trying to clear his head. He was supposed to be cheerful - optimistic - but since the wolves and his illness, he found himself getting so serious sometimes. It just didn't usually happen around other cats. He followed Sycamorepaw's gaze back to RiverClan, trying to brighten up. "Not exactly. We're not allowed on the other Clans' territories, unless we have a real reason to be there, and even then we're s'posed to wait for an escort. But the Falls are dangerous, I've heard, so apprentices aren't suppposed to go over there." Oatpaw frowned, shifting his gaze to look at his friend again. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Mon 1 Apr 2024 - 12:15

Sycamorepaw
Apprentice | Windclan | He/Him

Sycamorepaw was confused when his friend told him the clans had nothing to fight over. He sat down staring at Oatpaw with his head tilted as the older apprentice spoke. “Well, this is all very confusing! But I wouldn’t want you to get hurt either.” He purred to lighten the mood, but he was still really confused about the clans and territory stuff.

The cold air blew through the young apprentice’s fur. He shook and looked at his friend. “We should probably head back to camp. It’s getting cold. I’ll race you!” Syacmorepaw dropped down into a sloppy crouch and waited for Oatpaw to race him.

Rolling an effect die to see who wins the race, just for funsies! Highest number wins!!!!

Discord: ChaoticCrow | Timezone: Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) | Code (c) Kieer

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Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Mon 1 Apr 2024 - 12:15

The member 'ChaoticCrow' has done the following action : Dice roll

'Effect Dice' : 2

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Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Sun 7 Apr 2024 - 0:05

OATPAWare you going to age with grace?
he/him - windclan apprentice

Oatpaw nodded. He couldn't imagine trying to learn everything about the Clans if he'd been born elsewhere. "I'd imagine it's pretty overwhelming. Just, I mean - I don't know. Be careful and all. Some cats are itching for a fight." He frowned and tilted his head thoughtfully.

A frigid gust of wind threatened to knock him off his feet, then, startling him back to the present moment, here with Sycamorepaw. "Ooh, a race! Good idea! Maybe I'll be able to feel my own paws again!" Oatpaw flailed his right paw, trying to get some feeling back into it. He crouched down beside Sycamorepaw, his legs itching to move. "I bet you a quarter moon of tick duty that I win!"

Last edited by chicago on Sun 7 Apr 2024 - 0:06; edited 1 time in total

Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Sun 7 Apr 2024 - 0:05

The member 'chicago' has done the following action : Dice roll

'Effect Dice' : 6

Subject: Re: Beneath Her Sky, a Punishing Cold [C] Tue 9 Apr 2024 - 13:47

Sycamorepaw
Apprentice | Windclan | He/Him

“Deal!” On the count of three, Sycamorepaw raced Oatpaw to the entrance of the camp. He was shoulder to shoulder with the other apprentice for most of the race, but the final stretch he fell behind and his shoulder was even to his friend’s hip as they made it into camp.

“Geez… You’re Fast!” Sycamorepaw huffed as he collapsed to the ground. His large front paws stretched out in front of him, pounding with every beat of his heart. He gazed up at his friend and burst out into laughter. “I.. I don’t… don’t even… know … know what… tick duty…. Is!” He managed to form a sentence in his burst of laughter.

Discord: ChaoticCrow | Timezone: Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) | Code (c) Kieer

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