“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Redfern |•| Female |•| Medicine Cat |•| 89 moons |•| Dune
Mentions: OPEN

The trees were larger than Redfern had ever imagined or expected. The shadows cast across the sand rivaled anything she had ever seen before, abstract and strange against the pale cream. Like a kit, the ginger cat bounced toward a fallen tree and clambered onto it, feeling the rough bark beneath her paws. Purring audibly, she dragged her claws across it, creating short divots, and rubbed her cheeks and face against the wood, marking it with her scent. Swiping a tongue over her nose, the Medicine Cat's sense of smell sharpened just enough to catch the faint smell of something yet to be experienced. However, it was reasonable to discern that the odd scent was indeed dewy grass. The pale white end of her Redfern's tail twitched with excitement and anticipation, as the only thing blocking her and her displaced clan from the bountiful forest and the salvation to be found with the elusive Dewclan was a small span of flat desert. Even if she would rather sprint towards the treeline now, the molly was well aware that not everyone may share her enthusiasm and instead opted to wait patiently, sitting excitedly atop the log and making room for anyone who wished to join her.

Tinypaw | Female | Medicine Cat Apprentice | 10 Moons | Dune | Mentions: OPEN

This was new. This was... kind of scary.
Tinypaw had seen, scented the forest as they approached, and now they could see it, it was daunting. Greenery taller than the cacti that sparsely littered the landscape of their home, so, so tall, and although they weren't quite there yet, Tinypaw was quite afraid of this unknown.

She was afraid, but she couldn't show it. Her position didn't allow her this luxury - she was young, but directly under their de facto leader's wing. This meant she had to keep an even braver face than before, whereby Dogstar would be the second source of advice.
Dogstar. How he would have loved to be here. She missed him terribly.

Tinypaw brushed a small amount of dusty sand beneath her paw, and sighed, placing her herb pack on the ground. She had taken to carrying their herb storage around in a dry, rolled leaf she had found, and seeing as their supply was dwindling, this did a good job of holding everything together. The she-cat looked up at those trees, smelled... moisture, lots of it, saw the vibrant green, the earthy bark.

She swallowed. This was going to be a challenge, but she had to put on a brave face.

- [ Finchclaw ] -
36 Moons |•| Female |•| Seychellois Mix |•| Warrior
Location: Dune |•| Mentions: Rivermist {D} / Redfern, Morningpaw, Daringpaw {ID}

Apprehension crawled down the slender she-cat’s spine as the forest loomed ahead of them, only a few short stretches of sparse vegetation scattered across the sand lying between them and the shadowed trees that beckoned their arrival. Redfern sprinted forward, the aging she-cat seemingly filled with renewed vigor as she leaped atop a fallen trunk and stared out into the depths of the awaiting woodlands. As hard as she tried, Finchclaw couldn’t share the medicine cat’s excitement. ’Reaching DewClan was our goal...why aren’t I happier?’

Casting her own gaze over her shoulder, her blue eyes lingered on the desert they were leaving behind, perhaps forever, and a deep ache began to throb in her chest. Finchclaw didn’t want to leave their home...the desert called to her, urging her paws to run back to it, but the thought of abandoning her Clan was just as painful. The past few sunrises had been difficult, more than a few cats lost to predators, exhaustion and thirst. The remnants of DryClan that stood here now were closer than ever, their struggle for survival creating a bond between them unlike any other. She couldn’t let them down. Not now. Not ever.

’As the moons pass and new lives are born cats will begin to forget where we came from. I will be the one to remind them,’ she decided, determined to keep DryClan’s humble origins in the thoughts of the Clan for generations to come. Forcing herself onward, she paused beside Rivermist, gauging his own reaction to the forest. “So, what do you think?” She asked, keeping her own misgivings to herself for the time-being. “Is it everything you thought it would be?” As she waited for an answer, she scanned the gathered cats in search of Morningpaw, suspecting the young ginger she-cat was still mingling with Daringpaw and the other apprentices.





- [ Scorpiontail ] -
48 Moons |•| Male |•| Domestic Shorthair |•| Warrior
Location: Dune |•| Mentions: Redfern, Lobo {D}

Scorpiantail slid up onto the log beside Redfern, silent for a time as for once in his life the dark-furred tom seemed utterly speechless. The forest ahead was a sight he had only heard about in tales from elders. It was easy to assume such a place perhaps had never existed. “So, we’re finally here,” he murmured aloud, his mismatched gaze now focusing on Redfern. “I must admit, I was skeptical about this journey when we left the canyon. Even more so as our quest seemed to lead us to nowhere beyond more sand. I’m glad to see my doubts were unwarranted in the end.”

Slipping back down to the dusty ground on the other side, curiosity gleamed in his eyes as he detected the faintest trace of movement among the trees, venturing out into the surrounding desertland. Crouching, he tiptoed forward, wanting a closer look at whatever was creeping among the roots. Any potential reprimanding words from his Clanmates went ignored. Scorpiontail was unfortunately rather renowned for doing as he liked regardless of being asked otherwise, and this behavior had only grown worse with Dogstar’s lack of presence.

It wasn’t all that large, whatever it was, the size of a young hare with grizzled black fur that held an almost silvery sheen. A sizeable rat possibly? His pawsteps hastened, the promise of fresh meat in his belly encouraging him to confront the creature. The wind was blowing toward his prey and Scorpiontail’s black pelt was another disadvantage, but the beast was too distracted sniffling across the sandy terrain to take notice of him. It lifted its head abruptly, eyes widening as Scorpiontail darted toward it. A screechy yowl exited the animal’s throat and Scorpiontail realized with some alarm the creature was a kit, skidding to a halt mere inches from the odd looking cat as the little tom hissed and spat at him, back arched and claws extended, a small paw raised threateningly.





- [ Hornetpaw ] -
11 Moons |•| Genderfluid |•| Norwegian Forest Cat Mix |•| Warrior Apprentice
Location: Dune |•| Mentions: Tinypaw {D} / Redfern {ID}

Hornetpaw’s ears partially folded back against his skull, equal parts thrilled and anxious as they drew closer to the forest. Something inside him wanted to keep going immediately. Plunge right into the dense undergrowth, sink his claws into cool bark and hurl himself upward until he stood atop the mighty branches. At the same time, venturing into the unknown and leaving their old home behind was undeniably daunting. Could they truly survive in a place so different from DryClan’s former territory? He couldn’t bear the thought of losing another Clanmate…

Glancing around, he searched the other cat’s expressions, relieved to find he wasn’t the only one among the group proving a bit anxious. Spotting Tinypaw, he hesitated before moving to walk beside her. The future medicine cat was careful to wear a guarded expression, unwilling to show any sign of fear or unease, but Hornetpaw had a feeling she might be in need of some reassuring, and at the very least talking made him feel a bit less nervous. “It’s a bit scary, isn’t it?” He asked softly, watching as Redfern climbed onto the fallen log. “I wish I was as confident as she is.”





- [ Eyesore ] -
43 Moons |•| Female |•| American Burmese Mix |•| Loner
Location: Somewhere |•| Mentions: Fallowpaw, Commaclaw, DryClan {ID}

Eyesore had lost the Clan somewhere among the dunes, but their scent still left a strong trail and the scarred she-cat followed it with slow pawsteps as she had been doing for days since encountering one of their apprentices sunrises ago. She had allowed the young tabby her kill, tracking him back to his Clan undetected and recognizing a cat among them that evoked a sense of familiarly. Many moons had past since she had last set eyes on her sister. She couldn’t be sure it was her, and Commaclaw’s scent was too intermingled with the other cats to pick out clearly.

Still...the thought that her kin lived among these cats kept her following them, lingering indecision urging her to either turn away and forget them or else risk approaching in the hopes of reunion. Eyesore was unsure how Commaclaw would react to her presence. She was quite certain the other calico thought her dead, and Eyesore was certainly nowhere near the sister she once knew. Perhaps it would be better to let Commaclaw remember her as she once was, soft and kind and full of warmth. A group of dots on the horizon signified she had found the journeying cats moments later and she paused, watching the Clan from afar.

Rivermist | Male | Warrior | 36 moons | Dunes | Mentions: Finchclaw [directly] Redfern [indirectly]

Through amber eyes, Rivermist watched as Redfern, almost as giddy as a kit, occupied herself upon a log. Their little group had paused itself just before having to transfer from rural desert to a green biome. It was ethereal, seeing so much green in one place; with trees stretching as high as the eye could see with thick leaves and shrubbery that would more than likely make for good shade - something the Dryclan cats had little of out in the open land of their dust bowl habitat. Just faintly, he could detect tracing of moistness in the air; the kind that lightened the ache he felt within his chest slightly. Hopefully, his senses rang with truth and there was to be rainfall; it would be a pleasant change from the sweltering heat that made his paws sweat. Tugged from his thoughts upon the approach of Finchclaw, Rivermist greeted the other warrior with an inclination of his broad head before beholding the forest once more. "It is." He admitted. It was everything he'd ever hoped for and more. They had traveled for many days and nights, pushing themselves through the dry, hot climate of their territory and beyond to reach such a beautiful place; it had been worth it. "The prey will most definitely be abundant here, don't you think?" The grey-and-white tom went on, rasping a tongue along his pale maw at the possibilities. "After what we have endured, plentiful prey and shade is well earned." He would miss their desert home, with it's beautiful golden sand and it's dunes but already, Rivermist was sure this land would make a fine replacement.



Morningpaw | Female | Apprentice | 8 moons | Temporary Camp | Mentions: Canyonfur (NPC), Daringpaw, Tinypaw, Hornetpaw, Finchclaw, Redfern [indirectly]

Morningpaw paused beside her mother, Canyonfur, and beheld the forest with wide eyes filled with wonder. She'd never seen so much color in all 8 moons of her life! It was certainly an awe-inspiring experience, one she didn't think would ever quite leave her. Her pads ached from all their traveling, she didn't think it was anything to worry Tinypaw or Redfern over so she'd decided to keep her aches and pains to herself, shielding them even from her mentor, Finchclaw. Her pads weren't as thick as a seasoned warrior's, who was used to travelling far along the hot sands of the desert but despite being uncomfortable, she pressed on and provided for her clan as was necessary. Her fluffy stub was hiked high in the air, her expression one of glee. She pivoted this way and that, searching for another apprentice in which to share this moment with; she spotted Tinypaw and Hornetpaw together but her aim - Daringpaw - was lost among their small gang and Morningpaw couldn't immediately find her friend.

Tinypaw | Female | Medicine Cat Apprentice | 10 Moons | Dune | Mentions: Hornetpaw (Directly); Redfern (Indirectly)

She studied Hornetpaw gently as he drew himself up beside her, and she raised her chin a little, managing a small smile that appeared only a little false. Hornetpaw was just a moon older than she, yet almost twice her size. He was a gentle giant at the best of times and honestly, if she had continued a different line of work, she might have been worried!

"It's definitely scary," she laughed, shaking her head a little to clear her head, to momentarily throw the scent of greenery from her nose. "And I think we all wish we were as brave as Redfern is. Besides, she has... a kind of duty, I suppose, to be brave. For all of us."

She lifted her gaze to the sky, and took a deep breath, her maw open just slightly to test the scent of the air again. New scents. So many new scents it almost overwhelmed her for a moment. Would Starclan follow them here? Would they have to find a new set of ancestors, or would Starclan move their skies to suit them? Did this forest have their own laws? They were strangers in this land, after all, and the unfamiliarity of it unsettled her. For one, she didn't know the prey, the herbs, the medicines, the religion, the local fauna.

For two, she was just plain scared.

Her eyes rested on her mentor for a moment. Redfern looked quite at home here. As if she had been waiting.
Tinypaw gave a quiet sigh and looked back to Hornetpaw a little helplessly. "It's what must be done," she mumbled.

Boulderclaw |•| Male |•| Warrior |•| 29 moons |•| Dune
Mentions: [ID] Redfern

Boulderclaw slunk along through the desert landscape, taking up the rear of the group for much of the journey. It was more for his own sound of mind, able to keep an eye on what remained of the group and nudging anyone who started to fall behind. He was ready for the whole ordeal to be over and when the lush greenery came into view, he had one thought and one thought only. Get out of the sun! He'd seen the occasional sparse tree through the glass pane in his short time as a kitty pet, but this was just ridiculous. The land has been washed over in tall, reddish barked trees covered soft moss that stretched up into the canopy. Redfern's exploration onto the fallen tree was all the invitation he needed. Bounding forward on his hind legs, he bound up onto dead log and right back over to the otherside. He didn't go any further than that, but quickly flopped onto the soft ground, rolling onto his back, the cool grass attempting to appease his scorching back. Belly exposed, feet finally off the ground, he could feel them pounding and a sigh of relief escaped him.

"Thank Star Clan!" His exasperated voice carried over the log to the other clan members, but he didn't care, too engrossed in his new found fondness of grass and the cover from the bright ball of fire that seemed intent on turning him into a raisin. He looked up at Redfern who still remained perched on the top of the log above him and smirked. "You're gonna just have to roll him the rest of the way, I'm afraid." A deep rumble of a purr was almost inaudible within his chest. Almost.

Shatterpaw || Female || Apprentice (no mentor) || 10 Moons || Mentions: Hornetpaw (D), Tinypaw (D)

The female couldn't help but stare in awe and fear at the thick forest that awaited them, her tail flicking anxiously behind her. She'd never seen plants that tall or that lush or green before and she blinked hard several times, expecting the image before her to vanish into endless sand dunes and unbearable heat as it usually did. After a few times, she finally figured that it wasn't a heat caused mirage this time and allowed herself to simply stare in wonder. After a few moments of this, the shock had worn off enough for the apprentice to move and she gingerly padded over to where Hornetpaw and Tinypaw were talking.

Catching the last few words of their conversation, she gave a quiet nod in agreement as she walked up alongside Hornetpaw. "I'm glad I'm not the only one a little afraid of this place. I always thought the elders were making it up when they spoke of trees and bright green grass." Another thought crossed her mind as she thought of the plants she was used to and her ears pulled back against her skull. "What if these plants are poisonous guys? How would we even know?"

Tinypaw | Female | Medicine Cat Apprentice | 10 Moons | Dune | Mentions: Hornetpaw, Shatterpaw (Directly), Redfern (Indirectly)

The smaller tabby's lip curled ever so slightly - Shatterpaw was right. One of her worries was that she and Redfern would have to learn every poison from every salvation regarding those aforementioned plants. It wasn't as if they would be granted ethereal knowledge regarding herbs, Tinypaw didn't think that was how their ancestors worked. Many more would die as she tried to save them and that was something that was very hard to come to terms with. She didn't know if Redfern had been here before except in dreaming. She hoped so. She didn't want to accidentally kill every strong warrior in their rabble trying to calm their pain with unfamiliar methods.

"We wouldn't," she eventually sighed, that strong demeanour faltering for a moment. "We would have to learn everything all over again. But," She straightened up again, a determined look flashing into her washed-out eyes, "I'm absolutely confident that we can do this. We're stronger than a few funny-coloured plants, after all!"

Oh man, she hoped this was convincing enough. It was to be her duty next to keep the Clan strong, and she had to be strong for that to happen. Or at least, she had to appear to have some semblance of calm about the situation.

- [ Finchclaw ] -
36 Moons |•| Female |•| Seychellois Mix |•| Warrior
Location: Dune |•| Mentions: Rivermist, Heathersong {D} / Redfern, Morningpaw, Daringpaw {ID}

Rivermist’s optimism didn’t come as a surprise to Finchclaw and she pushed her own doubts aside. There was no reason to trouble her friend with her own misgivings. “I agree, but we should remain alert. Marking a new home territory likely won’t be easy...especially if the tree cats Redfern claims to live here actually exist. They may not welcome us. We should be prepared to fight…” she muttered, claws unsheathing and churning the sand beneath her paws.

In truth she wouldn’t mind a fight at all, hypothetical yowls of battle already roaring in her ears. A flash of orange fur among the crowd distracted the young warrior from further thoughts of war, blue eyes following Morningpaw as she searched the surrounding cats for Daringpaw. An amused smile pulled at the edges of her mouth, and when Heathersong joined her and Rivermist atop the dune she greeted the other she-cat with a raised tail.

“You can say that again,” Finchclaw agreed, licking her lips in anticipation. “I can’t wait to see what kind of prey waits for us in there.”





- [ Hornetpaw ] -
11 Moons |•| Genderfluid |•| Norwegian Forest Cat Mix |•| Warrior Apprentice
Location: Dune |•| Mentions: Tinypaw, Shatterpaw {D} / Redfern {ID}

“I suppose that’s true,” Hornetpaw murmured, his green gaze lingering on Redfern a moment longer. “It must be difficult, carrying all that responsibility. Hopefully once we’ve finally settled StarClan will send her or you a sign in regards to who our new leader will be. Redfern shouldn’t have to make all these decisions alone.” He nearly jumped when Shatterpaw padded up beside him, so caught up in his musing. Shooting the younger tortoiseshell an embarrassed, but welcoming smile, her next comment had his eyes widening in horror. He hadn’t even considered that!

“She has a point...how will we know which plants are safe to use?” He fretted, glancing toward the forest with renewed anxiety. “Maybe...maybe other cats live here and we can ask them?” He suggested hopefully. “Surely a place this lush can’t be completely unclaimed?” His own proposed solution combined with Tinypaw’s confidence soothed his racing heartbeat. He had to believe that somehow, someway they would figure this all out. DryClan hadn’t made it this far to be taken down by a few measly plants.

Tinypaw | Female | Medicine Cat Apprentice | 10 Moons | Dune | Mentions: Hornetpaw, Shatterpaw (Directly)

Maybe other cats live here, and we can ask them. Surely a place this lush can't be completely unclaimed.
She couldn't help but chuckle at that, and paused to touch her nose to Hornetpaw's shoulder in a sort of affectionate oh, you sort of way that felt entirely weird afterward seeing as he was, after all, elder than she. Tinypaw brushed it off, however, with a quiet cough, and she shook her head.

"Plausible," she meowed, "entirely plausible. But I do doubt there would be cats in here. We barely survived out in the wastelands, so whilst it's entirely possible you're right, Hornetpaw, I wouldn't get your hopes up too high. We've lived by ourselves for ages out there and not caught so much as a sniff of other cat life besides rogues and the such. Whatever happens, though," she added firmly, "we've survived this long. I think that's saying something. I doubt Starclan would be so cruel as to let us trek to this new land to let us fall to a few bad berries."
She shifted her gaze from Hornetpaw to Shatterpaw during the space of this sentence, pale green eyes seeming to flit momentarily between the two before she sighed quietly. "Although these are legitimate concerns. But as I say, I do doubt we'll have much problem."

Rivermist | Male | Warrior | 36 moons | Dunes | Mentions: Finchclaw [directly] Redfern [indirectly]

Rivermist grunted in agreement to Finchclaw’s words, while they rang with truth he was reluctant to admit such. Fighting was not the way the grey-and-white tom wanted to be welcomed into their new home but should the present cats that resided in this green, ethereal place were to become hostile to him and his clan-mates, Rivermist would fight tooth and claw to protect them, as was his duty as a Dryclan warrior. Upon the approach of Heathersong, Rivermist released a soft purr of greeting. ”I wonder if forest squirrel tastes different than dessert squirrel.” He wondered aloud, his whiskers twitching in thought. It was certainly something he actually thought about the prospect of such made his mouth fill with saliva.



Morningpaw | Female | Apprentice | 8 moons | Dunes | Mentions:

*Is still derping around*