[IC] The Rise of WillowClan

[PrankFox]

Mentions: Mention of Blackpelt and Fernstar

The sudden influx of noise that came with Blackpelt and Fernstar returning to camp pushed Duskwing to her paws. Thank Starclan, hopefully Fernstar will have an idea of what to do about these strangers in our nursery. Their medicine cat was yowling about his herbs, but it was the call to a clan meeting that caused her ears to prick slightly. Surely Fernstar had gotten her nine lives and was now the recognized leader of Willowclan, she seemed to hold a new authority and confidence in her just at a quick glance.

She knew she should go and join the rest of the clan underneath Highstump, but she wasn't about to leave the nursery unguarded. If Fernstar asked it would be easy enough to explain why she wasn't joining them. Besides, it was easy enough to listen from where she was. She peered into the nursery for a moment, just to be sure these strangers were still there, before sitting back down to listen to what she hoped was good news.

Mentions: Mentions of Sunfur, Maplestream, and Spidernose

Stormheart took the time as Sunfur and Spidernose explained the happenings of the day to sit for a moment and gives his paws a rest. They were mostly numb from walking through the snow and spray from the rapids, but what Spidernose said about these strangers sent a surge of nerves across his pelt. Were they the same ones that he and Sunfur had caught wind of when they were out? It was wise to keep them away from the rest of the clan, especially when two of their most important clanmates were gone.

His eyes briefly drifted over to where Stonefall had padded away from Maplestream; the she-cat looked as exhausted as he felt. He wanted to talk with her and ask why she'd run off, if she way okay, but he couldn't just walk away from the patrol. Maybe when we get back, if she isn't asleep.

He tore his eyes away from Maplestream and sprang back to his paws as Blackpelt, followed shortly by Fernstar, rushed into camp. He felt his whole body sag in relief as they both returned unharmed; from what he could see. He glanced over at Sunfur for a moment as Spidernose stepped away; the patrol could come after the meeting. He was very interested in what Fernstar had to say. He padded over to sit in front of Highstump and wrapped his tail around his paws, before staring intently up at their leader.

[savannahssu]

Interacting with: @solokolos @The Elvenqueen @PrankFox @Shadow Dragon @Hazelrah

Fernstar waited for her cats to assemble below the Highstump and as Spidernose greeted her, she dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Thank you Spidernose. I am certainly glad to be back." Scanning the small crowd forming below her, she noticed that Duskwing was not among them. She raised her head and began searching the camp for her. On the far side of camp, she spotted Duskwing crouched outside the nursery, looking rather paranoid. Raising her voice, she called out to Duskwing, "Duskwing. Is there a reason you aren't sitting with your Clanmates I should know about?" Glancing down below the Highstump at the rest of her cats, she did notice there seemed to be an air of worry in the camp. Had something happened while she had been gone? Maybe she should have a conversation with Stonefall, alone.

[savannahssu]

Interacting with: @Hazelrah @The Elvenqueen @PrankFox

Sunfur let out a sigh, and he could feel both relief, frustration and worry weighing on his chest at once. Of course he was relieved Fernstar and Blackpelt had gotten back to camp safely, but he couldn't ignore his sense of frustration around not getting out of the camp to hunt. He felt like he had delayed too long to ask permission from Stonefall. As the deputy, he knew Stonefall was the authority in camp when Fernstar was not around, but perhaps if he would have just gone without waiting for permission, the Clan would have fresh kill for after the meeting was over. He hoped Fernstar wouldn't be disappointed in him. . . He padded towards the Highstump and sat down next to Stormheart. He noticed Spidernose part from their trio and settle down next to Stonefall. His ear perked as he noticed their tails entwined together, and he heard a soft purr from Stonefall. Are Spidernose and Stonefall mates? Why wouldn't they say something? As Fernstar addressed Duskwing about not joining the other Warriors, he wondered whether he should speak up and let her know about the problem or if Stonefall was going to take her aside and inform her on his own.

[solokolos]

Moosepaw

Interacting with:Mostly @Hazelrah
Partway through Moosepaw trying to think of a way to delay Honeypaw further, Fernstar arrived. She strode into the camp with a gait that communicated purpose and pride. Moosepaw watched Fernstar’s stable pawsteps as she sprung to the top of the Highstump. At the leader’s announcement, Honeypaw raced forward before coming to a precarious stop. She glanced back and called out to Moosepaw. The bulky apprentice rose and walked closer, his eyes on their leader. She seemed more confident now, more poised. Moosepaw sat down next to Honeypaw, the cold barely reaching past his thick fur. He saw Spidernose and Stonefall closer than he would’ve expected. Moosepaw hadn’t known the two were that close.

Slowly, his eyes scanned the rest of the cats present, before resting on their leader. She started by asking why Duskwing was sitting apart from the group. Moosepaw looked over at the fiery she-cat. He had heard earlier that Duskwing was guarding the nursery because of the outsiders they were sheltering for the moment. Moosepaw’s wide eyes returned to their leader, though he didn’t speak up immediately. Training hadn’t quite instilled into the young apprentice enough confidence to speak out, though that would come with age. It was even harder to consider speaking up now, since Fernstar seemed more confident than ever.

[savannahssu]

Felix was abruptly awoken by a paw jabbing him in his side. Otis' large brown frame was standing over him hissing something with a sense of urgency. He shook out his fur and got to his paws, sleepily making eye contact with Otis. "Is their leader back?" He pricked his ears forward towards the entrance of the den and he could hear the excited chatter of the cats in the center of camp. Glancing over his shoulder, Heather was still asleep, and he wasn't sure if there was a reason to wake her yet. Otis crept up towards the brambles at the front of the den and peered through a small gap, and Felix stood right behind him, trying to see whatever he could. As he was fixing his gaze on the calico she-cat sitting on the Highstump, Otis spoke. "Their medicine cat came bursting into camp yowling about his herb store and scared everyone's fur off. The she-cat came through the camp entrance a few heartbeats after he did and called a meeting straight away. I woke you as soon as I saw her." Felix nosed Otis out of the way so he could get a better look through the gap. He saw a large brown tom with thick fur sitting next to a small black and orange she-cat who looked like she was barely more than a kit. She must be a brand new apprentice. He noticed again the large orange tom sitting towards the back of the crowd with another cream and black speckled tom. They don't have many Warriors but the ones they do have look strong. He glanced upwards at the she-cat sitting on the Highstump and realized she was looking directly at Duskwing who had been guarding the entrance to the den they were sleeping in. He couldn't quite make out what she had said, but he was genuinely stunned by how confident and sure of herself their leader appeared to be. He flicked his ears and gathering his thoughts, he rose to his paws and padded towards Heather. She needed to be awake for this.

As he crouched in front of her sleeping form, he was tempted to pass a lick over her ear to wake her, but instead, he gently laid his paw on her flank and rocked her back and forth. Her ears twitched as she woke and Felix got a glimpse of her beautiful icy eyes. "Wake up. Their leader is back and she's called a Clan meeting. We need to know what this is about." As she sat up and stretched, Felix flinched as he noticed how hungry he was. He wondered if he could sneak out of camp to hunt something down. . .

[Shadow Dragon]

Blackpelt: Camp, Base of Highstump

_______________________________________

Blackpelt walks to the bottom of the Highstump, and sits down, tail flicking about. He seems.... unstable, like he hasn't had a good night's sleep in almost a moon. He takes a deep breath, and licks at his chest, trying to calm down. I'm not seeing any of them....yet. Why am I so jumpy? Am I coming down with something? His eyes flick from one cat to another, bloodshot and somewhat wild. His small frame, matted pelt, and wild eyes make him look somewhat crazy.

[PrankFox]

Mentions: @savannahssu

It didn't surprise Duskwing that the first question was directed at her, but she had expected an announcement that the ceremony had been a success, or something similar, to come beforehand. Though based on the confidence that was obviously visible in Fernstar's stance she assumed that it was. She dipped her head respectfully before meeting their leader's gaze, "My apologies Fernstar. While you and Blackpelt were away we had three strangers come charging into camp scratched and panicked, they said they had been attacked by raccoons somewhere nearby; though none of us have heard or scented anything since they arrived. Stonefall didn't want to send them away, but he thought it best that they be put under guard until you returned to decide what it is to do with them. I didn't want to leave them unguarded, just in case." She flicked her tail towards the nursery, "They offered to help hunt as an apology, but that decision is best left to you." She didn't want to take up too much time explaining the whole situation, and speaking in front of the entire clan made her somewhat uncomfortable. The rest of the situation would best be left to Stonefall; he was the one who made the decision to let them stay after all so he could explain his thoughts on the matter better than she could.

[The Elvenqueen]

___________________________________________________________________________

WillowClan Camp, Highstump

interacting with: @savannahssu’s Fernstar, @Hazelrah’s Stonefall, mentions of Duskwing
___________________________________________________________________________

As she felt the grey tom’s tail twine with hers properly, Spidernose too began to purr, as much in contentment this time as it was to comfort Stonefall. She still couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling or how stressed he must be, but the she-cat knew she would be willing to sit at his side and offer him any support he could possibly want. One ear angled slightly backwards to catch the deputy’s words, though her eyes faced forward and gave her full attention to their leader whilst Fernstar prepared to make her announcement.
“And I yours...I know you’re deputy now and that’s important but...if you need a shoulder to lean on.” You always have me. While it might not quite be official yet, if Stonefall ever did ask her, well, Spidernose would undoubtedly say “yes”. Or perhaps, when an appropriate time presented itself, she would ask him herself...

She couldn’t quite finish the sentence before Fernstar began addressing the Clan, but she hoped the quick blink she gave the tom would convey the rest of it well enough. “We are very glad to have you back, Fernstar. A lot happened in your absence." the warrior held her tongue from saying much more, however, allowing Duskwing to explain things herself. No doubt Fernstar would want to speak to her deputy about this...

[savannahssu]

The clamor of voices from outside the warrior's den woke Maplestream and she took a few heartbeats to adjust her senses to the freezing air and the foggy dawn light. Even though the camp was covered in snow, the warrior's den felt surprisingly warm. Upon standing, she realized how much she had needed to rest. Her paws no longer ached, and she felt like she could hunt anything in the forest. And I better do just that. I owe my Clanmates one thing after causing the confusion I did. Even now, she couldn't figure out what had driven her decision to leave camp the way she did to discover what laid beyond WillowClan's borders before Fernstar got to the Moonpool. There was never any specific goal she had in mind, no planned route, not a trace of structure anywhere to this sudden and irrational plan. A pang of embarrassment made her flinch as she remembered that Stormheart and Sunfur had gone looking for her in the freezing rain, steeped in cold and worry for no reason. She had to make it up to them, somehow.

Just as she rose to her paws, she heard a familiar she-cat's voice ring through camp, almost echoed by the cold air of morning. Fernstar! Shoving through the stiff, frostbitten brambles, she saw Fernstar sitting tall upon the Highstump, with the whole Clan gathered in the center of camp below her. Just as Stonefall had asked, she saw Duskwing crouched outside the nursery where the three strangers were being kept. I wonder what Fernstar will want done with them. Feeling suddenly small, she slunk towards the back of the crowd of Warriors and tried not to draw any attention to herself. Her belly let out a dejected moan, reminding her how hungry she was. I wonder if Stonefall will form a hunting patrol when the meeting is over.

[savannahssu]

Interacting with: @PrankFox @Hazelrah @solokolos

Fernstar leapt to her paws and her fur stood on end at Duskwing's words. Strangers in the camp? Blackpelt and I were gone for less than a sunrise. Where did they come from? Forcing her fur to lie flat, she recomposed herself, sat back on her haunches and dipped her head towards the she-cat, pleased with her ability to follow orders so diligently. "Thank you Duskwing. The first piece of prey from the dawn hunting patrol is yours for your dedication." Turning her attention towards Stonefall, she called her deputy forward. "Stonefall; join me at the foot of the Highstump. I want to hear more from you about these strangers. You and I will address them together after the morning patrols are sent out." Trying to keep her focus on the original reason she had called the Clan meeting, she breathed deeply in the cold morning air, then spoke again. "I have spoken with cats of StarClan; many of them our ancestors from more moons ago than any of us have lived. They have given me great wisdom, understanding and leadership skills which I intend to use to be the best leader I possible could be for all of you. Even though for many moons before Maplestream, Sunfur and I formed WillowClan, the traditions and camps of Warrior Clans had died, I have chosen to continue their great legacy. I return to you with nine lives, and StarClan's blessing to lead." Once again, the feeling of pride and dedication to her Clan surged in her chest, and she felt the urge to yowl a call of triumph into the snowy sky. Then her eyes fell upon Maplestream, sitting towrds the back of the cluster of Warriors, and she let a small purr escape her. She waved her tail towards the small brown she-cat and smiled warmly. "Maplestream, I'm so glad to see you've returned safely. However, you must inform me of whatever the reason was for you to disappear from camp without telling any cat. Meet me in my den at sunhigh and we will speak."

Moosepaw, the burly brown apprentice caught her eye as she scanned the crowd below her. It's time he becomes a Warrior. Cracking a smile, she addressed him, a hint of mischief in her meow. "Moosepaw. Do you feel you are ready for your assessment? I feel the time has come for you to serve as a full Warrior of WillowClan."

[solokolos]

Moosepaw

Interacting with: @Hazelrah and @savannahssu
Attempting to be subtle, Moosepaw glanced over at Duskwing as Fernstar spoke to her, and watched her as she responded. The camp seemed on edge, as if they were suddenly under that much more pressure—At least, that's what it felt like to Moosepaw. As he turned back to Fernstar, the pair that apparently was Spidernose and Stonefall caught his eye again, their tails twined together. He even thought he could make out the sound of their purrs. Fernstar's response snapped Moosepaw's attention away from the couple, and he felt his fur heat up. Hopefully no one would think of him as overly interested in the lives of his fellow clanmates.

Fernstar spoke of her meeting with StarClan, the wise cats watching over them, and other details concerning her leadership ceremony. Moosepaw felt like a kit, so many questions bubbling up in his belly. He wanted a description of every StarClan cat, what they said to her, everything. Their leader spoke to Maplestream briefly, before she turned her eyes on him. Every question inside of Moosepaw was silenced once she opened her mouth. He didn't-couldn't respond, his mouth was suddenly dry.

"I do—I mean I am... Um—I think I'm ready." Despite his size, the meow that came out of his mouth was very small. His paws were already quivering with anticipation. Was he ready? He sometimes had made small complaints away from his mentor that he had been ready for a while, but now he wasn't as sure. He regretted those complains, regretted wishing for his time as an apprentice to go faster. He would only be an apprentice once, and if he became a warrior before he was ready then he would regret that for the rest of his moons. Moosepaw was suddenly sure every cat could see his shaking paws.

[savannahssu]

Interacting with: @solokolos@Hazelrah@PrankFox@The Elvenqueen

At Moosepaw's awkward acknowledgement, Fernstar chuckled and twitched her tail in amusement. "Good." Turning her gaze back towards Duskwing, she relieved the she-cat of her watch-guard post. "Duskwing, you can step away from the nursery. I'm sure that these strange cats don't have the claws to burst out and attack us being so outnumbered. Besides, you and Moosepaw need all the rest you can get. I want you to conduct his warrior assessment at dawn. I trust that you have taught him well, and know exactly what he needs to master. We will discuss his performance when you get back to camp." Raking her eyes over the edges of camp, she noticed there wasn't a single piece of prey to be seen, and she was sure that after all the commotion she had just been made aware of, her cats must be hungry. Glancing down at the crowd she thought about who should leave camp in a hunting patrol. "I'm sure every cat is hungry, myself included. While I discuss with Stonefall about the strangers, Spidernose, Sunfur, and Stormheart go out and catch as much prey as you can. When you return, we will all eat then settle down for the evening." With that, Fernstar rose to her paws and meowed, "That is all." before leaping down off the Highstump onto the snowy ground. As the crowd dispersed, she trotted towards Stonefall and gestured with her tail towards the nursery. "I need to know what's going on with these strange cats. Tell me everything you know."

[The Elvenqueen]

___________________________________________________________________________

WillowClan Camp

interacting with: @PrankFox’s Duskwing, mentions of Fernstar, Blackpelt and Stonefall as well as the rogues @savannahssu in case you want to do anything with that ;)
___________________________________________________________________________

Frogkit hadn’t been in the nursery when the rogues arrived in camp and the Clan deputy had sent them into the den, and perhaps that was for the best, there was no telling the questions she would have bugged them with. Who are you? Where’d you come from? Why do you smell so stinky? To name but a few. In fact, the small kit had spotted Blackpelt and Fernstar leaving camp earlier and taken that as a prime opportunity to sneak into the medicine cat’s den and explore.

The tom never let her look in his den, it wasn’t fair! There was no need to be so darn mean, he acted like she was going to eat all his herbs, but all Frogkit wanted to do was look around, honest! But with the medicine cat gone, the little tortie-and-cream kit was easily able to slip past the unsuspecting eyes of her older Clanmates, all preoccupied with some sort of important “grown up warriors” thing that Frogkit didn’t really care about, and wiggle her way into the den.
Using her nose, she followed the strong smell of herby-ness towards the herb store, her eyes shining brightly as she began running from one crevice to the next to investigate its contents.

Thankfully, Blackpelt had kept all the dangerous herbs high up where a little kit like her couldn’t reach - though she tried, and after a few jumps, which ended in her falling back to the ground on her bottom with a bump and an annoyed huff of air. The she-kit’s tail lashed and she instead found the cobwebs. She’d never touched those before...they looked interesting. So, she stretched forward to push her nose into the silky strands, only to pull a face and jump back, her tiny tail shooting straight up and her fur poofing out with a squeal. “Ewwww, it’s slimy!!” she squeaked out to no one in particular, she was the only one in the den after all, but that wouldn’t stop Frogkit from announcing her displeasure. She shook herself out crossly, sneezing several times from the small amount of cobwebs that had stuck to her nose and only succeeding in dislodging one clump, the other still hung there fluttering in the breeze as she got distracted by the next most interesting thing.

Some sort of bug, she didn’t know its name, but it was brown, and quite big, and it waddled really funny, skittered across the path of her paws and the tortie-and-cream kit was soon skittering after it. As she came out of the den, she noted the rest of the Clan all seemed to be gathered in quite a big group and she suddenly noticed the raised voices as Blackpelt and Fernstar had clearly returned. Raising her little nose to sniff more, she made another “icky” face as she caught the scent of strange cats, and...something very, very smelly that they’d apparently rolled in. Gross!

Frogkit looked across to see Spidernose trotting away to join Sunfur and Stormheart, and though she’d started towards her big sister she was dismayed to find them heading for the camp entrance. “Noooo, Spidernose waittt don’t leave! Spidernoseee!” she whined, but it was too late and the warrior was out of earshot, her tail disappearing through the entryway before Frogkit could get to her. “Spiderrr, where you goin’, why’s the nursery so stinky! I gotta sleep in there!” the kit sighed dramatically and flopped down onto her bottom in the middle of camp, her stubby ears pricking up as she managed to catch just a few words exchanged by the leader and deputy.

What was a rogue? Was that what smelled so horrible? She spotted Duskwing across the camp, heading for the warrior’s den, and bounced across towards the older she-cat to ask her. “Duskwinggg, there’s somethin’ icky in the nursery! It smells funny and I live there, that’s not nice! Why’s it smell, what’s everybody so excited about an’ an’ what’s a rogue?!” she blurted out every question on her mind all at once, the little piece of cobweb from the medicine den still hanging off her tiny black nose.

[Shadow Dragon]

Blackpelt: Camp, Base of Highstump

_______________________________________

His ears flick up, and he bolts to the warriors den, flying past the warriors frantically. He skids to a stop, and grabs Frogkit by the scruff, picking her up with a low growl. He's very, very angry and scared for her safety. He holds her there for a moment, just letting her dangle by her scruff, ignoring any protests. He sets her down after a bit, his eyes slits. She's never seen him this furious. "Frogkit! What have I told you about messing with my herbs? You could easily get hurt, or make yourself sick with them! Never, and I mean never, touch them without my permission. Do you understand me?" He stares at the little kit, tail lashing behind him in anger, ears pulled back.

[PrankFox]

Mentions: @savannahssu, @The Elvenqueen, @Shadow Dragon

Duskwing pushed herself to her feet and dipped her head at Fernstar, "Thank you Fernstar, I've already prepared for his assessment and I'm confident in his abilities." She stretched out her legs and let her claws sink into the snow and dirt briefly before shaking out her pelt and beginning to walk in the direction of the warrior's den. She knew that Moosepaw was capable and she felt that she had prepared him well for the trials that come with being a warrior. She hoped the young tom wasn't too nervous. She would have to check in with him before they went to sleep, or in the morning, to make sure he he felt prepared. Based on the stutter when he talked to Fernstar she wasn't so sure.

She was snapped out of her musings by the small form of Frogkit bouncing in front of her. Her whiskers twitched in amusement at the sheer speed the questions were leaving her mouth at. "I know it smells strange, there are some cats who aren't from around here that are staying there for now, but once they leave we'll clean it so it won't smell bad anymore alright?" She reached forward with one paw to bat away the little piece of cobweb that was stuck to Frogkit's nose, "And a rogue is a cat who isn't associated with Willowclan. You can stay in the warriors den with the rest of us until they leave so you don't have to worry about the smell."

The sudden interruption of Blackpelt caused her fur to bristle slightly, "Calm down Blackpelt, she's just a kit, you know they're inclined to wander," Duskwing took a step forward to slightly cover Frogkit, there was always something slightly off about their medicine cat, "Besides you're careful enough to keep the dangerous things out of the reach of a kit. She didn't mean any harm." She turned her attention to the kit between her paws, "But you do need to be careful messing with things you're unfamiliar with." She knew that Blackpelt would never hurt anyone in the clan, let alone a kit, but he could afford to be more gentle about it.

Mentions: @savannahssu, @The Elvenqueen

Stormheart listened closely to Fernstar and Duskwing as they explained everything that had happened while he and Sunfur had been out looking for Maplestream. He honestly wasn't sure what to think about this whole thing with these rogues and everything else; he just wanted to get some food and go to sleep in the warmth of the warrior's den. He knew that himself and some of the others would need to go out and hunt, but it felt like his paws were about to fall of both from he snow and sheer exhaustion. He wasn't about to let his clanmates go hungry though. He'd leave all of the complex politics to Fernstar and Stonefall when it came to dealing with the strangers.

He wasn't surprised at all when Fernstar called for himself, Sunfur, and Spidernose to go out and hunt. There was no more freshkill in the pile and he knew everyone would be hungry after all the traipsing around everyone had been doing. He pushed himself to his paws and followed Spidernose as she made her way out of camp, and shook his thick pelt in an attempt to wake himself up. "Where do you think is the best place to hunt? With how cold it is most prey is going to be hidden underneath the ground." He pricked his ears in an attempt to hear the scrabbling of small paws or the flap of wings, but all he could hear was the whistling of the wind in his ears. With luck one of the other two would be able to pick up something.

[savannahssu]

Interacting with: @PrankFox @The Elvenqueen

Sunfur glanced at Stormheart sympathetically as their small hunting patrol trotted towards the bramble entrance. He was exhausted, just like the rest of his Clanmates, but what was really keeping him going was the hope of biting into a piece of fresh kill. In response to Stormheart's inquiry, he drew in a deep breath and focused all his senses on the surrounding area. When no prey noises or lingering scents reached him, he waved his tail to signal his Clanmates to follow him. He never wanted to come off as pretentious and assume that Fernstar had implied he lead the patrol, but it only made sense considering he had lived on this territory the longest. He was always open to suggestions and criticisms if any cat had them to offer. "Near the roots of large trees is usually where small animals scavenge for nuts and insects. With this much snow on the ground, chances are what we don't find near trees will be underground in their burrows." Sunfur heaved a sigh as he said something he wished didn't have to be done. "We may have to dig beneath the snow to force some prey out of their nests. Anything that surfaces won't be big enough to run fast enough through the snow to escape us, so that's our best shot." Turning his gaze towards the high branches of the trees above, he was able to make out small chirping noises, although not that many. He wasn't sure if the others would be up for this, but birds may be the largest pieces of prey the Clan could hope for right now, and catching even 2 birds and one smaller rodent would be enough to go around until the dawn hunting patrol was sent at sunrise. Suddenly, he had an idea. Lowering his meow, he turned to Spidernose and began to explain himself. "Spidernose, you're the lightest of the three of us. Do you think you could climb this tree and get close to one of the bird nests up there? I was thinking maybe, if you were able to scare the birds away from their nests to settle on nearby branches, Stormheart and I could hide in the canopy and catch them there." He hoped the she-cat wouldn't think he had bees in his brain for suggesting something like this, but the reward seemed more than worth the risk to him, and they were all strong and capable warriors. Fernstar would be relieved if they could make this work.

[The Elvenqueen]

___________________________________________________________________________

WillowClan Camp, Highstump ---> WillowClan Territory

interacting with: @savannahssu’s Sunfur, @PrankFox’s Stormheart, mentions of Fernstar and Stonefall
___________________________________________________________________________

As Fernstar instructed Spidernose to resume the hunting patrol with Stormheart and Sunfur - which Sunfur had been about to lead anyways before the leader and medicine cat arrived back at camp - the brown-and-cream she-cat dipped her chin in confirmation, her tail flicking up to brush along Stonefall’s flank soothingly as she passed him, almost as if Spidernose were trying to tell him that everything was going to be okay, and she’d come to sit with him later once they were both back in the warrior’s den later. Then, she hastily trotted over to join the rest of her patrol, the three warriors leaving camp so quickly and so laser-focused on hunting that she didn’t even hear her younger sister calling out to her before they were out into the territory.

She kept her ears up to listen, and every few paces opened her jaws to try and draw in more scent, but most of the trails seemed to be stale by now. The whisps of their breath blowing from their muzzles were a dead giveaway.
"Where do you think is the best place to hunt? Stormheart asked, but Sunfur beat her to the answer, so the she-cat simply twitched her whiskers in agreement with the older tom.
“Sunfur’s right. Most of the prey will have gone to ground by now, and I don’t fancy our chances of digging them out. Even if we do get through the snow, the ground’ll be hard by now in this cold, we’d never get through it before we tore our claws or worse.”

That did not leave them with very many options, unfortunately, but flushing voles and mice out of the roots was probably their best bet, right?
"Spidernose, you're the lightest of the three of us. Do you think you could climb this tree…”
Oh, no… Spidernose’s heart sank in dread at the ginger tom’s suggestion. She couldn’t deny that he was right, she was the most slight of build in the hunting patrol, and had the best chance of the spindly, snow-laden branches holding her weight. But it was still only a chance, dear StarClan what if she fell?! She could break a leg!

But she couldn’t very well refuse either, the Clan’s fresh-kill pile was utterly depleted, with at-best more friendly mouths to feed sitting in their nursery, and at worst, suspect rogues that they may need to fight if things went sour. The Clan needed food. She had to go.
So, despite her trepidations, clear from the way her hackles bristled with unease as she padded up to join Sunfur at the base of the tree trunk, Spidernose peered at the branches in question and nodded. “Y-Yeah...Yeah, I think so. W-Worth a shot, right?” she laughed, hoping it would get rid of her nerves, and sprang up to dig her claws into the bark as well as she could, inching herself up the tree trunk until she was level with the branches where the birds had made their nests.

___________________________________________________________________________

WillowClan Camp

interacting with: @PrankFox’s Duskwing, @Shadow Dragon’s Blackpelt
___________________________________________________________________________

Although Blackpelt hadn’t been rough with the kit when he picked her up, Frogkit hadn’t been expecting to suddenly be whisked off her paws and into the air, and so the movement startled her enough that it still made her squeal in shock. She dangled limply from the medicine cat’s jaws, as all kits did when they were grabbed by the scruff, though soon became indignant as Blackpelt began to scold her and the tiny kit began to twist and squirm in his grasp in an attempt to break free. “Gerroff me! Put me down, y’don’t gotta be a foxbreath! Duskwiiinggg, make him put me doooowwnnn I can walk on my own I don’t gotta be carried!” the tortie-pointed kit whined sulkily, scowling up at him as he did, thankfully, set her down again. Frogkit’s tiny tail shot straight into the air and she let out another huff, sneezing for the final time as the piece of cobweb continued to tickle her nose. This time, it seemed she had finally dislodged it, and she was distracted from her sulking for a moment as she giggled triumphantly and poked it with one paw, then pounced on it to pin it to the ground.

“Aha! Gotcha, ya dumb gross sticky thing! I got it, Duskwing, look, I’m a real hunter now!” she boasted to the warrior proudly, forced to turn back to the medicine cat as Blackpelt continued to scold her about being careful with his herbs. The she-kit rolled her eyes, having heard this lecture too many times to even count on her paws anymore, she could almost recite it in her sleep. “Yeah yeah, we’re not supposed to touch things ‘cause it’s dangerous, I know, Blackpelt!” she sighed dramatically, apparently not seeming to understand what she had done wrong, because she still hadn’t apologised for it. “What’s the big deal anyways, I didn’t eat nothin’, I just touched ‘em! I’m not a dumb kit anymore, I’m big now!” she insisted, puffing out her chest.

[Shadow Dragon]

Blackpelt: Camp, Medicine Den

_______________________________________

He snorts. "Oh really now? Tell me, do you know what could happen if you eat the wrong herb. Hum? You could get sick, or even die. Some of my herbs can't be eaten, they're just applied, because they're dangerous. It's my job to make sure you're back to full health, not to watch careless kits who can't seem to keep their paws where they belong!" His tail lashes around, betraying his seething anger. His eyes are slits, and it's evidently taking all of his self control not to cuff her ear with a paw.

[PrankFox]

Mentions: @The Elvenqueen @Shadow Dragon

Duskwing couldn't help her whiskers twitching with amusement at the complete lack of awareness that Frogkit had for what she did, and why Blackpelt was so upset about it. She knew that the kit was smart enough not to eat anything that was in the medicine den, every cat even at a young age knew better. She could tell Blackpelt was getting more and more frustrated with Frogkit and forced herself not to sigh. This was why she didn't tend to the younger cats in camp as much, or deal with conflict between clanmates. That was something left to the deputy most of the time not her, but Stonefall was busy with Fernstar and this needed to be resolved before something came of it.

"Frogkit," she waited a moment to ensure that the little she-cat was at least listening to her, "I know you're aware not to eat anything that is in the medicine den, but while Blackpelt isn't here it's rude to go in and mess with his things. What if someone got hurt or sick and he didn't know where something was in the den because it had been moved around while he was gone?" She gently tapped Frogkit on the flank with her tail, "Even if you didn't mean any harm by it you still need to apologize to him."

Hopefully some of that would get through to her. She didn't really want to have to take something as simple as a kit messing around in the medicine den to Stonefall or Fernstar to deal with. It shouldn't be necessary to do something like that. In the moment though she became more and more grateful for how easy Moosepaw was to train and deal with. The fluffy tom always had a great deal of respect for everyone in the clan even when he first arrived. With luck the situation would be resolved and she could go to sleep and be ready for Moosepaw's warrior assessment the next morning.

Mentions: @The Elvenqueen @savannahssu

Stormheart followed after the older tom as he lead the way through the trees, keeping an ear out for any chirps or small paws; nodding in agreement with what Sunfur said. Normally he would've been able to make a decision like that on his own, but he had to focus on putting one paw in front of the other more than he'd like. Spidernose also made a good point, he didn't fancy digging through snow and hard earth for the possibility that there might be a mouse or vole underneath.

At Sunfur's suggestion Stormheart's eyes went wide as he glanced up into the branches. They were thin and partially covered in snow, possibly ice, but he didn't have any way of defending why they shouldn't other than the obvious tremble he could hear in Spidernose's voice. He didn't blame her for the fear. He was not a climber and the prospect of potentially falling from that height was terrifying. "Be careful," he knew it went without saying, and he kept his voice low, but it felt better just to voice it. The last thing they needed was someone with a broken leg that would prevent them from hunting at all. With the strangers in camp, as long as they weren't allowed free reign, they would be feeding three additional mouths, so they needed all hands on deck.

He glanced towards Sunfur as Spidernose slowly clawed her way up the tree for some sort of indication of what the rest of the plan was. He didn't like the idea of perching up in the canopy, but the birds could easily get away from them if they were still on the ground. He sighed slightly, looking up at the branches of the nearby trees or even a spot on the ground that might work better. They needed this prey and he wasn't about to let it get away.

[Hazelrah]

Stonefall: WillowClan Camp

Interacting with: @savannahssu

Stonefall realized he’d been almost...zoned out for a moment as cats mulled and moved around him, falling into the roles they were assigned. Meanwhile he’d just...sat. Vanished into the warm feeling of Spidernose next to him, got absorbed by the doubts and worries about the rogues that had crept into the camp, all of his insecurities about not knowing how to protect this Clan as their Deputy...and then Fernstar was padding up to him and he realized Spidernose was gone, off to hunt like the strong Warrior that she was. The grey tom shook his head a little bit, pulling himself from his solemn reverie, straightening his body and wrapping his tail tightly around his paws. ”Sorry, Fernstar,” he started, ears flicking back with a little bit of anxiety. ”I didn’t mean to space out. I’ve got...a lot on my mind.” He took a breath, eyes glancing down at the snow for a moment before he focused his gaze back on Fernstar. ”The rogues found their way into our camp, claiming that they were escaping from a raccoon, but something feels...off. I had them put in the Nursery so that Duskwing could watch them, made sure that Honeypaw and Moosepaw were away and safe from them. Then Sunfur was organizing a patrol to go hunting, and then you got back. But as far as the rogues go, they said they were escaping a raccoon but none of the patrols, myself included, scented any hint of racoon on our territory. Neither did Maplestream. But she did scent the rogues themselves at the edge of our territory, so there’s a chance the racoons were just beyond the border, but…” he twitched a little anxiously, voice lowering in concern. ”But Maplestream is a good warrior. I feel like she would have scented the racoons as well. Something feels off but I don’t know what. What he didn’t voice were his doubts about how he had handled it, worries that his tendencies to overthink were going to be his downfall--the Clan’s downfall? No, never, may StarClan take me first--and that he didn’t deserve this post at all.