:: Silentvoice :: Male :: Warrior :: Maine Coon :: 28 moons :: DewClan Camp :: Mentions- Open ::

Silentvoice dug his claws into the bark of the branches under his paws, his tail out to help him keep his balance. Between his blind eye and the bird in his jaws, he could only just barely see what was in front of him. He had nearly tripped several times already on the way back to the camp. This time, however, it wasn't because of his eyes that he stumbled. His twisted paw caught on a fork in the branch and he felt himself pitch sideways, the world turning sickeningly. Silentvoice scrambled to regain his hold on the branch, his hind legs momentarily kicking at nothing but air while he fought for purchase. Then his claws hooked back into the bark and he managed to pull himself back up.

Silentvoice crouched on the branch, his body hunkered low against the wood while he caught his breath. When he had recomposed himself, he glanced down at the bird he had been planning to bring back to the camp. A pang of disappoint tugged his chest. The prey was mangled and looked far less appealing than it had when he first caught it. With a sigh, the tom heaved himself back to his feet and shook bits of bark from his pelt. Prey was prey, pretty or not.

Thankfully, Silentvoice was able to climb to the fresh-kill hollow without further incident. He dropped his offering on the pile, his pelt prickling with embarrassment at the meager addition. His paw throbbed from where it had caught in the fork and a morning of hunting and this was all he had to show for it. Stepping back out into the body of the camp, Silentvoice felt his discomfort grow. He preferred it when it was quieter so he could blend in without being noticed. When the camp was this busy, he couldn't help but feel every eye on him. He would have gone out hunting again if his paw wasn't so sore.

Newtfang ; Female ; Elder ; 77 moons ; Dilute Calico ; Dewclan camp ; Mentions: Silentvoice [D]

With her watchful eye, Newtfang had witnessed the young tom's quarrel with his balance. She regarded him with concern and, raising herself to a sitting position on the branch, called the tom's attention to her. "Excuse me, young sir," she meowed, tail swaying to the side of her, "could I have a word with you?" Feeling this could be misconstrued, she added with a hum, "You're not in any kind of trouble. I would just like to speak with you." She carefully placed her paw on the lower branch and reluctantly jumped down, cringing as the limb shook beneath her. She ambled towards the tom, tail moving to and fro like a serpent to maintain her balance; the thinner calico sat about two feet from the larger tom and spaced herself in an attempt to keep from adding to his discomfort.

:: Silentvoice :: Male :: Warrior :: Maine Coon :: 28 moons :: DewClan Camp :: Mentions- Newtfang [D] ::

Silentvoice tensed, his good eye flicking towards the approaching elder. He glanced around, the instinct to escape making his paws tingle and his belly twist. Instead, he swallowed and pricked his ears forwards as an indication that he had heard the old molly's greeting. He tried to smile, to appear welcoming and like he wasn't so skittish, but the expression came off as more of a grimace than he had intended. He curled his tail around his legs, covering his twisted paw. The position was more instinctive than anything- he had learned from kithood that the deformity was a sign of weakness and that weakness was not to be tolerated. His father's words echoed through the young tom's mind and he lowered his head so Newtfang wouldn't be forced to look up at him.

Ebonypaw | 9 Moons | Tom | Apprentice | Location: Camp | Mentions: Cloversong, Tinypaw [D] Snowpaw, Foxpaw, Sparrowstar [ID]

The raven-colored tom nodded to Cloversong and turned his attention to Foxpaw, wondering if the spotted she-cat had seen their leader. His attention moved to Snowpaw and he twitched his ears, he'd ask her about it later. Perhaps he wasn't the only one who wished to set paw on the ground below? At the sound of his name being called, he lifted his head to the branches above. Palefang. He should've recognized that voice anywhere, he should know all of his Clanmates' voices! With a silent nod, the tom turned away and padded back to his place on the branch. The camp was now up and active judging by the many cats up and moving around. Ebonypaw turned his gaze towards Silentvoice and Newtfang, chuckling when he noticed the young tom's brief clumsiness. He had to admit, the branches were sometimes hard to sink your claws into. It was even harder when they were damp and wet - in his opinion anyway, he'd need to work on that skill.

( So short! I hate writer's block! )

• [ Palefang ] •
Male | 24 Moons | Oriental Siamese Mix | Deputy
Location: Camp | Mentions: Snowpaw, Silentvoice, Newtfang, Foxpaw

A soft, barely audible purr thrummed in Palefang’s throat as Snowpaw brushed against him. They may not share the same mother, but the bond of kinship was still just as strong regardless. “I hope you’re ready for the day’s training to begin,” he commented, voice holding a purposefully secretive tone. “I have plans for you and the other apprentices.” Blue gaze once more searching for his leader among the surrounding branches, they landed on the large, approaching form of Silentvoice instead as the scarred tom tentatively entered camp. His whole body tensed as the gray and white warrior stumbled forward, his twisted paw tripping him up, and prepared to launch forward as quickly as his paws would allow.

Thankfully Silentvoice rescued himself, and a good thing too, Palefang was aware he was unlikely to reach him in time. He left Newfang to speak with him for now, his attention once more returning to Snowpaw before his eyes shifted to Foxpaw suddenly lurching into the air. Panic briefly tightened his chest as the young she-cat missed her mark, but just as Silentvoice had righted himself so did she, landing on a branch just below his own. “I swear this whole Clan wants to give me a heart attack,” he hissed under his breath before slipping down to comfort his trembling apprentice. “You’re alright now,” he soothed, reaching forward to swipe his tongue over her shoulder. Ordinarily he would have reached for her head, but even at her age she was already much taller than him, a fact that sometimes left the colorpoint tom feeling a bit annoyed.

Once Foxpaw seemed calmer his gaze grew far more stern, losing any sign of sympathy or concern. “I want you to think about what you did wrong when you jumped. I’ll expect an answer once I get back.” Leaving his apprentice to think over why her leap hadn’t gone as planned, he nimbly made his way down to Newtfang and Silentvoice. He waited patiently for a moment, allowing the two to share a few words before swiftly interrupting any further conversation. “I saw what happened,” he announced, glancing Silentvoice over as he spoke, in search of any sign of injury. “Are you hurt? It looked as if you took quite a tumble.”



• [ Swantail ] •
Female | 48 Moons | Oriental Siamese | Warrior
Location: Camp | Mentions: Sparrowstar, Snowpaw

“Of course, Sparrowstar. My greatest apologies once again,” Swantail replied, quickly moving forward to allow the gray cat to take the lead, avoiding her gaze as best she could without appearing suspicious. She had caught a glint of something in her leader’s eyes and her heart felt like it really might abandon ship and leap from her chest. How would she explain her visits to the ground? Would Sparrowstar banish her? It seemed unlikely. She’d always proven kind to her and full of compassion. That made the thought of disappointing the noble she-cat even worse.

As they drew closer to camp it finally dawned on Swantail how late she was. A few cats had already left new prey on the fresh-kill pile and the whole clan appeared to be awake. It wasn’t long before her gaze landed on Snowpaw and bidding Sparrowstar a hasty farewell, she rushed up the branches until she clambered up onto the same perch her white-furred apprentice currently sat upon. “Snowpaw! I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting dear," she panted, out of breath from the climb back to camp. "I went out for a morning stroll and lost track of time.”



• [ Cinderpaw ] •
Male | 8 Moons | Oriental Longhair Mix | Warrior Apprentice
Location: | Mentions: Tigerstripe

“The oak pound?” He questioned, pausing mid-step. “You mean...we’d be hunting on the ground? Are we allowed to do that?” Cinderpaw asked, almost hoping he had misunderstood what his mentor meant. Cinderpaw had spent so long cooped up in the apprentice's den after his father’s death he and Tigerstripe had never gotten much done in the way of training quite yet. He was way behind the other apprentices his age, but if any of them had ever felt soil beneath their paws they never felt the need to mention it. Cinderpaw had always assumed there was something lurking among the undergrowth that kept all the cats up so high. He could recall elder tales of monsters waiting below to gobble up unsuspecting young kits who wandered too close to their realm or fell from their nests. They were just stories perhaps, but...most tales did hold some truth, didn't they? “Is...is it safe?” He whispered, as if he were worried someone might overhear them.

:: Silentvoice :: Male :: Warrior :: Maine Coon :: 28 moons :: DewClan Camp :: Mentions- Palefang, Newtfang ::

Silentvoice's eyes widened when he finally took notice of the clan deputy's approach. His fur rose and he fought the urge to take a step back. As it was, he still lowered his body to the branch in an effort to make his bulky form look smaller. His ears flicked back for an instant but he forced them back forwards. He swallowed, acutely aware that he wouldn't be able to get away with remaining silent in front of the deputy. "I'm fine," he mumbled, looking anywhere but the two cats. His voice was rough and sounded foreign even to him. He used it so rarely that even he sometimes forgot what it sounded like. He swallowed and shuffled his paws, wincing when the twisted one twinged. The deformed limb ached most days, worse when it was rainy out. It was something he'd learned to live with, but the embarrassment was something else. Had everyone in the camp witnessed him tripping over his own paws like a mouse-brain?

Cloversong | Female | Warrior | 26 moons | Dewclan Camp | Mentions: Silentvoice {indirectly} Palefang, Foxpaw, Swantail {directly}

Rasping her course tongue over her muzzle, Cloversong continued to linger just outside of the warrior's den, lowering herself onto the thick base of the branch underneath her paws, her thick tail, thick and sleek in appearance, was draped over the cavity, disappearing into the gloomy hollow. Her attention was no longer on her appearance, instead, those large green eyes of hers drank in the activity of the camp. It seemed the majority had already awoken, some returning from patrols while others reclined in the sunlight that filtered through the limbs and leaves of the trees. She flicked a triangular ear and crossed her lean forelegs over one another, tucking her hind-legs underneath herself. She noticed Foxpaw had almost slipped as she attempted a poorly performed pounce and while Cloversong watched with great attention, her muscles tense at the possibility that the young she-cat would fall, the mottled feline soon relaxed once more when it became clear Foxpaw would not fall this day. She swung her gaze away and waited patiently for Palefang to explain what they would be doing that morning.



Snowpaw | Female | Apprentice | 9 moons | Dewclan Camp | Mentions: Cloversong, Ebonypaw, Swantail,
Palefang {indirectly}

"I'm ready for anything." Snowpaw assured him, a determined expression on her pale complexion hardening eyes as golden as the sunshine. She followed her half-brother's gaze towards Silentvoice as the warrior had almost lost his balance, the tense moment of worry that had passed between them eased once it was clear that the tom was in no danger but it had arisen yet again when Foxpaw had failed in her jumping. As Palefang began to scramble from branch to branch in order to reach the tall, spotted she-cat, Snowpaw followed at a slower pace. She reached the two just as Palefang left Foxpaw to check up on Silentvoice and instead of following him further, she paused next to Foxpaw. "Are you-" The white she-cat was cut off by the sound of her name being called and she pivoted herself around to locate her mentor, Swantail. The lithe, older she-cat seemed to be out of breath as she panted, explaining her absence in short bursts of speech. "It's fine, Swantail. I'm just glad you're here. Maybe Palefang will let you join us." Snowpaw purred, her expression positive and not suspecting a thing.

Sandpaw
Male | 9 moons | Medicine Cat Apprentice
Location: Camp
Mentions: Frostwing

Mornings had always started early for the medicine cat apprentice. As the other cats were still hours from waking, Sandpaw would stretch and begin anew. It wasn't that he enjoyed the silence of sleeping cats, he found it eerie in fact, but rather that he knew how much had to be done. So, with the weak sun nosing its way through the canopy, Sandpaw made his way down the trees to the floor below. Despite his many trips down, he still found it unsettling being so low. A huge blind spot and many cats sat above him. Though the worst he'd get would be a playful kit leaping down, he still felt unnerved. Every noise from the depths of the woods made his fur stand on end. Any cat who saw him likely would have mistaken Sandpaw for a strangely coloured porcupine. And like a porcupine, he sniffed and searched through the undergrowth. Not for food, but rather herbs. So few of them grew in the trees, preferring the fertile earth and its layers of leaves. He couldn't blame them. If the ground were made of fresh-kill he would likely live there too.

With quiet steps, Sandpaw made his way to each herb spring he'd found. He gathered up any newly matured growths, and checked on the plants with the diligence of a Queen tending to her kits. He supposed if he became a medicine cat, this would be the closest to kits he'd get; little plant kittens. He watered a newly emerging plant and debated naming it Daisysprout. He almost laughed to himself. No, he couldn't get attached to plants. But still, he checked under the foliage for more sprouts and cleared the leaves away so they had plenty of sun. Once finished, he picked up the herbs and made his way back to camp. As he neared the border, he spotted Frostwing glancing around at the trees. "Frstwrng!" He called, the mouthful of herbs mumbling his words. He bounded over to her and held his head up proudly, displaying his finds. "Lrk whur I furnd!" He placed the herbs down and tried again. "Look what I found! I got up reaaaally early and went to all the spots I remembered and I got a whole bunch!"
He fluffed himself up. Though very proud of his work, his pile consisted of exactly one correct herb which was, in fact, a daisy. The rest was an assortment of chamomile, shastas, lavender, poison ivy, hemlock, a bundle of both holly and deathberries, and various useless weeds.

• [ Palefang ] •
Male | 24 Moons | Oriental Siamese Mix | Deputy
Location: Camp | Mentions: {D} Silentvoice, Newtfang / {ID} Foxpaw, Frostwing, Sandpaw

Silentvoice’s discomfort didn’t go unnoticed, and for a moment Palefang looked entirely uncertain about how he should be approaching the larger tom, the dread and embarrassment in Silentvoice’s body language causing the deputy more than a little discomfort. His tongue may be sharp and his gaze occasionally scathing, but fear was not an emotion he hoped to cultivate among his Clanmates. His gaze briefly shifted to Foxpaw, and shame had his ears flicking back against his skull. He’d been unnecessarily hard on her, but the sight of his mother and sister soothing the spotted apprentice smoothed over some of his growing guilt.

Blue gaze switching back to Silentvoice and Newtfang, Silentvoice offered a raspy reassurance he was alright, but the wince that followed as he moved his twisted paw said otherwise. “We all make mistakes Silentvoice,” he replied, his voice unusually gentle. “There isn’t any shame in admitting you’re hurt. Ignoring an injury doesn’t only hurt you, it will hinder your performance in future hunting and border patrols. Why don’t we pay Frostwing a quick visit?” His tone left no room for argument and he turned, glancing among the surrounding branches in search of the pale-furred medicine cat, soon spotting her as her enthusiastic apprentice rushed toward her with a mouthful of herbs clutched between his teeth.

“I’ve been meaning to see her myself,” he added, doing his best to sound humorous. “I missed a branch chasing a squirrel the other day and hit a few more on the way down. I thought I was fine, but I’m a bit sore today. You should have seen poor Foxpaw. It gave her quite a fright.” It wasn’t completely a lie. He hadn’t missed the branch so much as tried to avoid colliding with Swantail as she clumsily leaped forward they same moment he had from the opposite tree. It was just their luck they’d both had their eyes set on the same squirrel. “See? Even deputies can make mistakes.”



• [ Swantail ] •
Female | 48 Moons | Oriental Siamese | Warrior
Location: Camp | Mentions: {D} Snowpaw, Foxpaw

“I would certainly hope so! Is he trying to steal you from me?” She inquired with an amused purr. “One apprentice must not be enough of a challenge for my son,” she added, mirthful gaze landing on Foxpaw next. The laughter in her eyes quickly vanished upon noticing how shakin the young she-cat was and she immediately pressed closer to the lanky apprentice, draping her tail around Foxpaw’s slender frame as best she could considering the difference in height. “StarClan above, what happened Foxpaw? Are you alright?”



• [ Cinderpaw ] •
Male | 8 Moons | Oriental Longhair Mix | Warrior Apprentice
Location: Outside Camp | Mentions: {D} Tigerstripe

Relief washed over the young tom as his mentor assured him their paws would not be touching solid ground any time soon, though that relief was quickly replaced with embarrassment moments later. Hoping his question wouldn’t mark him a coward, Cinderpaw was quick to defend himself. “I wouldn’t mind going to the ground,” he replied earnestly. “I’m not afraid! I was just wondering was all. Is...is there a time we ever will go down there?” Tigerstripe’s explanation had him nodding his agreement moments later. “It makes sense. Most prey don’t hydrate themselves the same way we you. The pond is a steady resource for them.” Tail rising in excitement, he hurried after the striped warrior as the ventured closer to the pond.

:: Silentvoice :: Male :: Warrior :: Maine Coon :: 28 moons :: DewClan Camp :: Mentions- Palefang, Newtfang {Directly}, Frostwing {Indirectly} ::

Silentvoice swallowed and let out a nervous chitter that only barely passed for laughter. He glanced to Newtfang and dipped his head as respectfully as he could, offering a silent apology. His attempt at a grin came out as more of a grimace despite his efforts. He wasn't sure if he was apologizing more for having to leave without speaking to her or just for the sheer awkwardness and embarrassment that was his presence. He hated that he was so terrible with clan interactions. He just clammed up and went stiff.
Silentvoice's feeling of awkwardness didn't lessen when he left Newtfang to follow the deputy towards Frostwing. He stayed a tail-length behind. That was a respectful distance, wasn't it? He wasn't sure. The pads of his feet prickled. The tom focused instead on putting one paw in front of the other. Truthfully, most of his concentration was on disguising his limp, which was noticeably more pronounced than usual. Now that he looked, he could see where his paw had gotten caught. A patch of fur was thinner than it had been and he could glimpse angry red skin underneath where the bark had raked over it. There was no blood but that didn't stop it from hurting.
Silentvoice couldn't contain his nervous chitter at Palefang's attempts at making conversation. He knew Palefang was just trying to make him feel better by filling the silence between them but the chatter just served to worsen his feelings of humiliation. He was grateful for the deputy's efforts but he didn't like feeling that his clanmates had to pander to his needs like he was a kit. He felt bad that his silence was what made the situation so off-putting but the knowledge didn't help him to find any of the words to say that would change it.

“The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.”

Sparrowstar |•| Female |•| Leader |•| 63 moons |•| Camp
Mentions: Swantail (ID) Ebonypaw (D)

Silently, Sparrowstar followed Swantail and glanced at the branches around her, studying them for other cats or notable prey. A young sparrow took off a ways to their right, coaxing a smile onto her elegant features. She'd always liked seeing her diminutive, quick namesake flutter through the trees and usually ignored them for food purposes. She wasn't against eating them, of course, but if there was other meat to choose from, the dead sparrow would be happily passed over. Continuing in the direction of camp, her nose twitched as the smells of other cats reached her. Her legs picked up their pace as she split off from Swantail, moving at a purposeful and practiced trot, and headed towards her dark apprentice. "Ebonypaw!," she called cheerfully, slowing as she reached the young tom, "Forgive me for my tardiness, dear, I just got taken by the beautiful day and crispness of the morning." Her solid skull sought to graze against Ebonypaw's and, if the gesture was welcomed, an affectionate purr would bubble up from her throat.

|:|



“Accidents happen. Our bones shatter, our skin splits, our hearts break. We burn, we drown, we stay alive.”


Foxpaw |•| Female |•| Apprentice |•| 11 moons |•| Camp
Mentions: Palefang, Swantail (D) Silentvoice (ID)

Pulse still racing violently but calming by the second, Foxpaw listened to Palefang's words and relaxed her former death-grip on the wood, feeling flecks of ground bark loosen and flutter towards the floor below. She swallowed, still slightly nervous, as her mentor's words turned stern and he gave her an instruction. In truth, she didn't know why her jump failed. Had she gotten distracted? Certainly not, she had trained herself against that after more than a few spills. Was the branch too high up? Maybe for a young apprentice or a kit, but Foxpaw was older and already as tall, if not taller than, the adults and they could have made their way to that branch easily. Ah, or perhaps she had simply miscalculated her own strength and tensed her hind legs too much, so much that she was sent higher in the air than was intended. That sounded right, but Palefang had already gone off and was heading towards the Medicine Cat's den with Silentvoice, who seems to have been almost equally as clumsy. But he had a valid reason for it! Herself, she felt, did not. As the picture of lankiness, one would not be ridiculed for thinking that Foxpaw would be able to sprint across the forest with ease and without flaw. But they would be wrong. She couldn't even do what the clan was basically raised to do. Her thoughts were interrupted by Swantail's caring, sympathy-laced voice. "I'm... fine," she stammered, feeling her tall ears lie flat against her spotted skull, "Just overshot a branch is all."

Sandpaw
Male | 9 moons | Medicine Cat Apprentice
Location: Camp
Mentions: Frostwing

As Frostwing divided the piles of herbs, Sandpaw sat patiently. Some apprentices would have been disheartened, but not him. He knew he was still learning, and he wouldn't gain knowledge if he did everything right the first time. His tail curled as Frostwing praised him for the helpful herbs and explained that the other pile were simple plants without healing properties. At the mention that they would revise herb identification, his ears perked up. That was his favourite lesson! He wiggled excitedly. Maybe he should find the wrong herbs more often? At least then he wouldnt have to spend all day diagnosing the elders newest aches and pains.

The nervous look on his mentor's face had Sandpaw a bit worried too. She eyed the final pile with a hesitant gaze. "Can you tell me what these do?" She asked. Sandpaw's head tilted in confusion. Maybe he'd brought back something she'd never seen before? But surely she had, these weren't entirely uncommon plants. Or maybe she just didn't know what they did? He touched each of the plants as he explained them. First the death and holly berries, then the ivy, and finally the hemlock.
"These two are currants and that one is a blackberry sprig. They help with digestion. And that one is parsley, it's good for infections and cats who have trouble ah... 'making water'." His ears folded back shyly. He shouldn't be embarrassed, every cat did it, but it was still somewhat weird to talk about. He sat back nervously and waited for her to inspect the herbs.

Cloversong | Female | Warrior | 26 moons | Dewclan Camp | Mentions: Silentvoice, Palefang, Snowpaw, Foxpaw, Swantail {indirectly}

Noticing Palefang getting distracted rather than explaining what it is he had in store for Cloversong and the apprentices he'd rounded up, the tortoiseshell molly rose a paw and rasped her course tongue along it's length before drawing her mitt against her nose and whiskers, her eyes trained on Foxpaw, Snowpaw and Swantail as the warrior appeared oh so suddenly at her apprentices' side. Tail lashing in her slight irritation, Cloversong tore her emerald green gaze away. She didn't much mind the older she-cat but Cloversong had known of Swantail's secret after attending a small patrol; she'd wandered away from her group to chase prey that had been a little too quick for her paws and as they danced upon the limbs of trees in a rather deadly battle, Cloversong had spotted the pale she-cat on the ground, walking as if such a thing were so natural to her. And it was. Cloversong couldn't say she was surprised however. Swantail wasn't clan-born and how could a cat who wasn't born in Dewclan be as honed to their way of life? Perhaps Foxpaw would resort to such a transgression, too, once she realized her utter clumsiness exposed her a sheep among wolves. Huffing slightly in contempt, Cloversong curled her tail neatly around her paws and pivoted her head towards where the two toms, Palefang and Silentvoice, made their way towards their medicine cat. She had no problems with Palefang, their deputy was clan-born and had quickly adjusted to Dewclan's way of life and Silentvoice? He was clan-borne and raised but if not for his deformities, perhaps he would be a formidable warrior. But such was not the case. Still, she bore no ill will against the striped tom; he could not help how he was born and how it now affects him any more than Clovertail could help how her attitude can affect her in social situations.



Snowpaw | Female | Apprentice | 9 moons | Dewclan Camp | Mentions: Palefang {indirectly}
Swantail, Foxpaw {directly}

Snowpaw continued to purr, amusement lighting her golden yellow gaze and her complexion brightening with her positive demeanor. "He won't have me. I like you much better for a mentor." The white apprentice promised. She liked Palefang a lot and they got along just fine but Snowpaw couldn't talk to the deputy the same way she could talk to Swantail, firstly, he was much higher in rank than she was and sometimes Snowpaw had to catch herself from saying things that might offend him or seem like criticism to his station or Sparrowstar's, secondly, well, Palefang was a tom and while usually Snowpaw felt at ease discussing certain topics with him, he didn't really harbor any satisfying answers another she-cat could give. Snowpaw turned her attention back to Foxpaw as the large, spotted apprentice answered Swantail's fussy commentary. Snowpaw's expression shifted into one of concern. "You should practice more. What if you missed that branch and fell off? Who will I use for a nest warmer, then?"