“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Redfern |•| Female |•| Medicine Cat |•| 89 moons |•| Under Rocky Outcropping
Mentions: OPEN

Under her paws, Redfern felt the rough texture of bark. She could tell that her claws were unsheathed, gripping a branch, but she could not look down at them. Involuntarily, the red molly walked forward. As much as she tried to pull back, to resist the mysterious force pulling her forward, her paws continued to carry her further and further until her claws retracted and the breeze picked up, ruffling her thick red fur. For only a moment, the air turned hot instead of cooly pleasant and the cat's paws sunk into sand. However, as quickly as the sand had come, it vanished and was replaced again by bark. As she could feel the branch become more and more brittle underneath her, quiet sounds of cracking invaded her ears. A rush of panic swam through her, but yet again, she could not persuade herself to move. Finally, as if coming to some grand conclusion, the waning steadiness of the branch below her finally gave way.

Before colliding with the ground, Redfern awoke, jumping to her paws with a start. Her breath heaved and the fur along her spine stood straight. Her claws created divots in the sand that quickly refilled and her pulse slowed as she realized that the vision was fictional. Her mind grew troubled as she sat again, curling her long tail around her legs. Was her dream a prophecy or simply just a dream? Maybe she was just worried. To ease her nerves, the Medicine Cat tucked her head into her chest and groomed the fur there, smoothing the white hairs down.

Rivermist | Male | Warrior | 36 moons | Temporary Camp | Mentions: None

Rivermist had awoken before dawn. He'd been laying in the shade of the large outcrop, his muscular figure spread out among the golden sand. He'd stirred awake automatically after a relatively dreamless slumber, picking his skull from the grains to perform a gaping yawn and stretch, his body arching and bending; when he finally relaxed, Rivermist had rolled onto his stomach, brushing away the bits of sand that still clung to his short grey and white pelt. The sky had been grey, dull without the light of the sun to brighten it with dazzling colors that brought forth dawn, he had remained awake, running his sandpaper-like, pink tongue across the length of his fur in a relaxed grooming as he waited out the moments for the sun to crest over the desert, silently watching over his slumbering clan-mates. When it finally did, it did so magnificently, as it always had. In the clear sky, not shaded by clouds, the sun had blazed over the hills of sand and rocky pillars with bursts of reds, oranges and pinks. Rivermist had watched, his breath caught in the back of his throat throughout; sunrises were one of his favorite things to behold, they were always so beautiful, even in the most dreariest of days, like this one. Their home had been destroyed by an unexpected flood, the majority of their population had been washed away with it, leaving Dryclan to gather up the meager scraps that survived and move on.
There wasn't much birdsong to follow after the sunrise, this was not the ideal habitat for birds, it was too hot, water too rare, Rivermist did see, though, the silhouette of a vulture; it's raven black feathers the sigil of death, it's ugly, bald head cocked to the side, cunning beady eyes observing the group of cats below for a prospective meal. Not any of my clan-mates, Rivermist thought grimly, glaring sharply at the bird. It circled once more before tilting it's wide, dark wings and decided to search elsewhere for a meal.







Morningpaw | Female | Apprentice | 8 moons | Temporary Camp | Mentions: Redfern, Canyonfur[NPC],
Rivermist {indirectly}

Morningpaw awoke drowsily, content and relatively comfortable in her spot curled up near a dead fern underneath the outcropping Redfern had them make camp in for the night. The apprentice blinked open her round yellow eyes before slowly picking up her head from the ground, grainy with sand. She quivered her whiskers to shake away the little pieces that clung to them, then gazed around at her clan-mates. The flood that had ran them out of their former home had been a great devastation, many had lost kin; sisters, brothers, kits, mates. They'd mourned for those that had fell prey to the sudden flood, which included their leader and their deputy, then Redfern had urged them to move on. Morningpaw's own mother, Canyonfur was still sleeping beside her, the apprentice was just glad the light brown she-cat was safe and not a corpse, taken by the deadly waters as many had become. She inched her face closer to her mother's and ran her cheek against the older she-cat's soft fur, she was warm with body heat and she smelled of the desert that was her home. Canyonfur only murmured in her sleep, but otherwise, she hadn't arisen. Morningpaw looked around once more, noting those who were also awake. The tom, Rivermist, was laying on the outskirts of their camp and Redfern was sitting nearby, running her tongue through the white patch of fur on her chest.

• [ Finchclaw ] •
Female | 36 Moons | Seychellois Mix | Warrior
Location: Temporary Camp | Mentions: Redfern, Morningpaw {Directly}

Finchclaw struggled against the current, long limbs slicing through the rough water filling up the canyon with strength she had not thought herself capable of, adrenaline rushing through her veins and driving her forward . “Hold on Crowkit! I’m coming!” She yowled, watching in despair as the little black she-cat’s head disappeared beneath murky waves. “No!” She screeched, water filling her open mouth and causing her to cough it up as she fought to stay afloat. Taking a deep breath, she allowed the flood to pull her under, searching the dark water for the missing kit in desperation.

Forced to resurface moments later, breathing in deeply, Finchclaw realized in that moment she would never find Crowkit in this mess, but it didn’t stop her from diving under once more. Again and again until exhaustion saw her nearly sink to the bottom of the canyon and join her sister in death, the last of her energy sapped away but her reckless search. Her vision blurred and turned to nothing, and the next thing she knew she was on a slab of wet rock, Redfern pressing on her chest until she expelled the water invading her lungs. Someone had fished her out, she assumed, but no cat stepped forward to take claim of the daring rescue. An agonized groan fled her maw. “Crowkit,,,” She choked.

Light blue eyes blinked open, and Finchclaw found herself curled in a sandy nest, the heat of the day felt even beneath the shade of the outcrop. For a moment the black and cream she-cat remained curled in silent misery as the memories of her lost kin flooded her mind before rising to her paws, shaking grit from her sleek coat. Gazing around the temporary camp, her eyes settled on her apprentice's bright orange pelt as well as Redfern's stirring form. From the looks of it the aging medicine cat's dreams had not been care-free either, and no wonder. She was practically their leader now. Redfern had a lot weighing on her shoulders. Padding toward the two she-cats, she dipped her head respectfully to the older female. "Good morning Redfern," she greeted. "You as well Morningpaw. Did you get enough rest?" She asked the young cat.



• [ Hornetpaw ] •
Masc Nonbinary | 11 Moons | Norwegian Forest Cat Mix | Warrior Apprentice
Location: Surrounding Desert - Temporary Camp | Mentions: Dawnkit, Heathersong {Directly} / Rivermist, Redfern {Indirectly}

The young cat’s paws trembled as he lowered his body into a hunter’s crouch, tail raised mere inches above the ground as the tip flicked back and forth anxiously. A light breeze blew toward him, ruffling his darkly striped amber fur as he crept closer to the unsuspecting hare drinking greedily from a puddle that had yet to dry up a foxlength or so ahead of him. His heart raced as he drew ever nearer, conflicting emotions twisting knots in his stomach. The Clan needed prey. Desperately so with such a long and potentially treacherous journey ahead of them. He had to put his personal feelings aside for the time being. Just long enough to capture his prey.

Well hidden among the sparse golden vegetation surrounding him, he was almost within pouncing distance when the hare suddenly rose onto it’s hind legs, nose twitching while large ears swiveled. Almost immediately it returned to all four paws and darted away across the the sandy landscap. Cursing under his breath, Hornetpaw tore after it. Long legs swiftly carried him across the desert’s heated surface, but he was losing stamina quickly, his lungs beginning to burn with the exertion, his thick pelt making him feel as if he were roasting under the sun’s overbearing light. The hare vanished down a nearby burrow and Hornetpaw threw himself into the hole, wriggling into the narrow tunnel after it.

Little more than a waving tail and braced hindquarters to any creature who remained outside, Hornetpaw reached for his escaping prey. Claws lanced its haunches and the hare let out a squeal of mingled fear and pain. Hornetpaw winced. This was a messy kill. He hated messy kills. At last the rabbit was dragged close enough for his teeth to close around the back of its neck. The struggle ended quickly after that, and the hare fell limp in his jaws. Feeling absolutely wretched, Hornetpaw pulled the plump body free of the warren and dropped it near the entrance, laying flat on his belly to rest his tired legs, finding shade beneath the thorny branches of a desert bush.

As the sun rose higher and higher on the horizon Hornetpaw knew he should return to the temporary camp or his Clanmates might very well assume he’d been picked off by a predator or lost his courage for their travels. Hornetpaw was reluctant to leave their flooded home, wishing to wait out the savage waters and excess the damage before abandoning their land forever. It had taken Rivermist and Redfern quite a bit of convincing to him lure him away from their ruined territory. Tired pawsteps at last brought him back to the outcropping the remnants of Dryclan resided under, the sight of Rivermist’s outline among the shadows bringing him a sense of comfort. Like many other cats, Hornetpaw had lost the majority of his kin to the flood. He thanked Starclan every day his mentor hadn’t been taken as well.

His green gaze glanced over each cat as he slipped under the rocky shelter as if making certain everyone was accounted for before landing on Dawnkit curled at Heathersong’s side. He approached the she-cats with his catch first, huffing with the effort of dragging the hare’s limp corpse through the sand before dropping it at Heathersong’s paws. “Mothers and kits should eat first,” he offered, nudging his prey closer. Heathersong might not be Dawnkit’s birth mother, but she had always been close to the young she-cat and appeared to be taking over the role of caregiver. There was certainly enough flesh on the hare to be shared by the whole group once Dawnkit and Heathersong were fed and Hornetpaw was determined they would both eat their fill.

Adderbite | Male | Warrior | 46 Moons | Rocky Outcropping | Mentions: Redfern, Finchclaw (Indirectly), OPEN

All the trekking that the group of Dryclan cat's had been doing left Adderbite more exhausted than he usually was, especially since there wasn't a steady amount of food or water. So when they had found a shelter for the night he had passed out as soon as he got to lie down. He had slept like a log for the whole night, and even when Redfern leaped up from her spot because of her unpleasant dream, the large tom cat had only stirred slightly. He awoke a few minutes later, when he heard the familiar voices of his clanmates. He turned over in his nest and slowly opened his eyes to see Redfern and Finchclaw already awake. The two she-cats already seemed to be having a conversation, and he didn't want to intrude. So instead he pushed himself to his feet and stretched out before making his way out of the clan's temporary den, letting the sun warm his brown pelt. He leaped up onto a rather large rock and began to smooth down the fur that had been ruffled while he was sleeping.

Tinypaw | Female | Medicine Cat Apprentice | 10 Moons | Under Rocky Outcropping | Mentions: Redfern, Finchclaw, Morningpaw (Indirectly)

Weightlessness.

That was all she felt in that moment; weightlessness. In that limbo between sleep and wakefulness, Tinypaw felt weightless. She really shouldn't be even remotely close to sleeping, but... she was only resting her eyes. There was little time for rest these days, and Tinypaw didn't allow herself much rest if she could survive without it.

The tabby yawned, raising her head from where she was bent over a sparse pile of uprooted greenery, to blink the sleep from her pale eyes and return to sorting what few herbs they still had in the... temporary camp. Ever since the flood, things had been so very hard. Prey had moved on, medicine was so very hard to find, and cats just kept dying. It was honestly quite bad for morale that cats were still dying sometimes - it was a fact of life that Starclan takes their own when the time comes, but Tinypaw was still inwardly saddened every time she and Redfern lost a patient, no matter how elderly or decrepit.
She had lost her mother in the flood, and was still grieving. She had lost her father to pilgrimage. But she would never admit her sadness, not even to Redfern. As far as Tinypaw was concerned, it was business as usual, just... harder.

She took a moment to take in the sunlight past what little shade the outcropping provided that she had sheltered in. There was Redfern, jumping awake - the wild look in her mentor's eyes perturbed her, but she decided she would let the molly recover before she even thought about questioning her on her state. And, oh- there was Finchclaw, wandering in for... conversation? Conversation was uncommon in the air of mourning that still hung over their camp like a graveyard mist. Morningpaw was here, too, apparently. Tinypaw knew that Morningpaw was still hurting, whether it was expressed or not, though she couldn't make much judgement on Finchclaw. As for Redfern...
Redfern was very official about the whole thing. Tinypaw was never really sure what Redfern felt about hard matters, but she knew that keeping your head to your work was an effective ethos.

So she bent her head, ears flattened against her skull, back to her work.

Rivermist | Male | Warrior | 36 moons | Temporary Camp | Mentions: Hornetpaw, Heathersong [indirectly]

Rivermist soon pulled himself upright until his belly was arisen from the ground, settling himself back on his haunches, raising a white-toed mitt which would receive a brisk licking before being run over the long, thin whiskers highlighting his white muzzle. Lidded amber optics would slide breezily to the side at the detection of movement, the broad tom spotted the long-furred body of his apprentice approaching their camp with a rabbit in his jaws, limp and recently killed. Rivermist hadn't seen the young tabby leave their temporary camp, it was an alarming thing to have a clan-mate suddenly disappear, especially when they were all still shaken from the flood. Rivermist had cause to give the apprentice a little scolding but he was also quite thankful for the prey Hornetpaw had caught, it would feed many mouths. The tip of his gray tail twitching, Rivermist began to slowly wash his face as he watched Hornetpaw approached a familiar she-cat called Heathersong, who had recently taken the responsibility of one of the clan's kits onto herself. Rivermist released a weary breath through his pale nose, nostrils flaring sightly and yet his facial expression remained tender and understanding. Hornetpaw had done a good thing for the right reasons, Rivermist could admit. Perhaps a warning was deserved but no scolding. He ran his broad paws over his ears and swung his head towards the way they had came, their paw prints already covered by the winds that blew the golden grains of sand every which way. Rivermist's chest constricted with his melancholy mood. No, he thought somberly. Now is not a time for scolding but for grieving.





Morningpaw | Female | Apprentice | 8 moons | Temporary Camp | Mentions: Finchclaw [directly]

Morningpaw glanced up sharply at the sound of approaching paw-steps, the tabby apprentice picked herself up from the sand, watching with lifted spirits as her mentor, Finchclaw, approached. Morningpaw had been made an apprentice only two moons prior and had learned much during the time between spending her first night in the apprentice's den in their old camp and travelling with their loose band of cats. Even though the flood had devastated both their home and their hearts, Morningpaw had continued her hunting training, often accompanying the pretty cream and black she-cat on small patrols to find food for their clan-mates. Not so seasoned as the other apprentices, she still made mistakes and had to be constantly corrected and schooled on proper techniques but Morningpaw always did the best she could. "Good morning, Finchclaw." The young she-cat purred softly, tilting her round, orange head slightly to the side as her mentor aimed a question towards her. "I think so." Morningpaw replied. "I was tired yesterday from all the walking but I think it helped put me to sleep."

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Redfern |•| Female |•| Medicine Cat |•| 89 moons |•| Under Rocky Outcropping
Mentions: Finchclaw; Morningpaw; Tinypaw

A friendly greeting made Redfern look up from her grooming, meeting Finchclaw with the usual geniality. "Good morning to you, Finchclaw," she chirped, slowly tapping the striped end of her tail against the sand contentedly. She watched calmly as the slender she-cat greeted a young orange tabby, Morningpaw, who received a friendly nod before Redfern stood. Her sunrise fur fluffed out in its usual way — somehow neat and unkempt simultaneously — as the Medicine Cat shook off and stretched her paws. "I'll be back in a moment," she said, smiling gently to Finchclaw and Morningpaw before moving towards a small Siberian cat. Good morning, Tinypaw, Redfern said gently, sympathy lacing her voice. If her apprentice would allow it, the kind molly would scrape her tongue over Tinypaw's delicate ears, and purr softly, hoping to provide an ounce of comfort to her apprentice.

Tinypaw | Female | Medicine Cat Apprentice | 10 Moons | Under Rocky Outcropping | Mentions: Redfern

Tinypaw allowed Redfern to tenderly groom her ears, though she inwardly sighed at how her mentor was being so... so... She struggled for the word. She wished that things could just return to normal, to how things were before the flood, the normalcy of scolding and playful back-and-forth argument. However, she could tell that Redfern could tell she was still in pain - as was a medicine cat's intuition, she reckoned - and she accepted the comfort with only slight hesitation.
This didn't help her to appear any more composed, though, as she sifted through that greenery on the dusty ground.

The tabby she-cat moved to brush her cheek against Redfern's, a small purr of appreciation bubbling up in her throat.
"Good morning," she meowed, voice quiet, and she drew her head back then to smile at the molly. As if to pretend she hadn't herself been plagued by nightmares. "How are you feeling this morning?"

• [ Finchclaw ] •
Female | 36 Moons | Seychellois Mix | Warrior
Location: Temporary Camp | Mentions: Redfern, Morningpaw {Directly} / Dawnkit, Heathersong {Indirectly}

Finchclaw's blue gaze trailed after Redfern as she moved to comfort and greet her own apprentice before Morningpaw's voice drew her focus back to the young ginger tabby. "Good, we'll have a long day ahead of us," she muttered, wondering what obstacles their journey would confront them with as they ventured further into the desert in search of the enigmatic Dewclan and their fabled trees. "Before long your body will grow used to all this walking. If anything our travels will only strengthen us," she added, attempting to sound encouraging. Glancing toward Dawnkit and Heathersong, she watched as the two took their share of a hare Hornetpaw brought back. It was plump enough that everyone could have a share, but gathering a bit more prey couldn't hurt. "Redfern, will we be leaving soon?" She called across to the medicine cat. "Should a few of us rustle up some more prey before we head out?"



• [ Hornetpaw ] •
Masc Nonbinary | 11 Moons | Norwegian Forest Cat Mix | Warrior Apprentice
Location: Temporary Camp | Mentions: Dawnkit, Heathersong, Rivermist {Directly}

"You're most welcome," Hornetpaw purred, a rare rush of pride in his own achievements creating a warm feeling inside the apprentice. "Please eat as much as you like." Dipping his head politely to the she-cat and kit in a temporary farewell, his attention turned to his menor. Rivermist's gentle countenance was reassuring. but didn't leave the golden tabby fooled into thinking he wouldn't receive a gentle reprimanding for disappearing without a word.

Anxiety pushed aside any positive emotions he had previously felt and he padded toward the older tom with a flicking tail and ears partially folded back against his skull. "Good morning Rivermist..." He began as he reached the warrior, sitting back on his haunches, the look on his face expressing his guilt. "I know I shouldn't have left camp without saying anything, but I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake anyone." it wasn't quite an acceptable excuse, but Rivermist deserved an explanation of some sort at the very least.

Rivermist | Male | Warrior | 36 moons | Temporary Camp | Mentions: Heathersong [indirectly, Hornetpaw [directly]

The grey-and-white male drew his gaze away from the vast stretch of golden sand and rocky outcrops, the form of his approaching apprentice now snagging his attention. Rivermist stood a little straighter, his expression kind though a little sterner than usual. As Hornetpaw sat, Rivermist opened his maw to speak but clamped it shut at the young tom's apology, which both caught Rivermist off guard and filled him with slight amusement. "As long as you know you shouldn't have done it," The tom replied in his smooth, masculine tone. "But I don't want you sneaking out all alone again, understood? We've already lost many." And I do not want to lose you as well, Rivermist inwardly added. He hadn't lost any kin the flood, he hadn't had any siblings and his parents had been elders who'd long made their journey to Starclan, without any true blood-kin Rivermist had grown a sort of bond towards Hornetpaw that grew more than simply mentor and apprentice. Whether this feeling was one-sided, the tom wasn't certain. He motioned towards Heathersong with a flick of his long tail and praised, "You did a good thing, Hornetpaw. The clan will thank you for it."



Morningpaw | Female | Apprentice | 8 moons | Temporary Camp | Mentions: Finchclaw [directly] Redfern, Tinypaw [indirectly]

Morningpaw watched as Redfern dismissed herself and moved towards her own apprentice, Tinypaw. The medicine cat's apprentice had been sorting through some herbs, nothing Morningpaw took interest in. She stretched herself into a standing position as Finchclaw further spoke, giving the cream-and-black she-cat her complete and undivided attention. "I hope so." She mewed. Walking all day wasn't fun but Morningpaw knew that at the end of their long, tiring journey, it would all be worth it. She had hope that Redfern was leading them to a new beginning and not a definite end. At the sound of the possibility of a hunt, the young ginger feline perked up a bit and swung her gaze towards Redfern with enthusiasm in her bright yellow eyes. Hunting was just the thing Morningpaw needed to get the blood back flowing in her limbs and it also wouldn't hurt to shape up her skills a little more.