⌘{ Patch }⌘
:: Female :: Rogue :: 35 Moons ::
:: Location: Two Leg Nest Site (South West Near Cavern?) ::
The rogue listened to the stranger as she spoke, a slight twitch of the ear the only sign that the female had heard anything the other soul had said. Not for the faint of heart? Not to late to turn back? Patch held still as stone as she considered the thought for a split second before giving a hard shake of her head to rid herself of heartbreaking memories. Curling her tail around her paws, she replied with a hard voice edged in a steel line of pride. "I have traveled for nearly six moons now in search of a clan of cats that live together relatively peacefully...I'm in strange lands and there is nothing left for me to return to. The life of a stray is brutal, filled with violence with every blink of an eye. I'm not unused hardship if that is the type you speak of...though I had hoped to find more comradeship here. Have I heard only lies? Do your clan cats only pretend at being more 'civilized' when in truth they are no better than us rogues? I don't know what I'd do if that turned out to be the truth...".

The last sentence of Patch's speech weakened considerably at the end, her tail wrapping tighter around her paws and her ears pinning to her skull as her gaze fell down for a split second before returning to the stranger's with golden intensity.

"You spoke of two clans, one Dawn and one Dusk. The names themselves hint at vastly different values....you hail from one but urge me to join the other. Why so? Could you give me more information about how they work?"

Patch's facial expression softened, morphing into an expression of what could only be described as rueful as her whiskers twitched in amusement.

"I'm not usually one to wait and listen...more so one to act with little thought...hence my current damp state...but being able to join one of your clans...one of these clans....is very important to me. And perhaps worth gathering some foreknowledge on...that is...if you can spare some time. I can walk with you for a bit if you are in a hurry."

⇺ [ Hornetpaw ] ⇻
18 Moons • Male • DawnClan • Medicine Cat Apprentice
Location: Camp • Mentions: Mothpaw, Gingerstar, Cloudburst, Ashcreek, Ravenblaze

Hornetpaw listened quietly as Mothpaw shared what he had seen, his own expression giving away his thoughts. “I witnessed something similar, but...Ravenblaze and I didn’t manage to make much headway. The only thing we could agree on is the fact the Clan is in danger...and we don’t believe DuskClan to be involved in the recent deaths.” His gaze softened as he stared down at the smaller cat, sensing the other tom wasn’t comfortable being alone with him. Was it his size? The fact he came from a rival Clan? Both?

“Listen, Mothpaw. We may have our differences, but there is one thing we have in common. We are StarClan’s chosen, and they compel us to be above petty rivalries. It seems as if we may be working together closely for the next few moons, and we must set an example for our Clanmates. If even medicine cats cannot make peace with one another what hope is there for anyone else? There is something out there that puts both DawnClan and DuskClan at risk, and if we quarrel amongst ourselves it might just destroy us.” He gazed down into Mothpaw’s eyes meaningfully, hoping the next time they met perhaps things would go more smoothly.

He followed the younger tom outside as Blackstar called for him, watching as Lightsong and Flamepaw led the patrol out of camp to show them the best path for future messengers to take. He might have returned if he hadn't heard Cloudburst’s raised voice, thinly veiled outrage lacing her words. Gingerstar made quick work of scolding her and Ashcreek, but once she was gone Hornetpaw lingered, wondering if he should speak with them as well. Deciding now wasn’t the time and he would give the she-cat some time to cool off, a flash of white caught out of the corner of one eye drew his attention to Ravenblaze.

Relief lit his gaze and he rushed to greet his mentor, the fact the white tom seemed to be hiding seemingly irrelevant at the moment. “Ravenblaze, you’re alright!” He purred, leaning down to bump heads with him. “Where have you been? I started to wonder if we should send out a rescue party,” he added jokingly, faltering once he realized Ravenblaze appeared quite shaken, the fact something wasn’t right finally sinking in. “Ravenblaze...are you alright? What’s happened?”

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⇺ [ Redeye ] ⇻
36 Moons • Male • DuskClan • Warrior
Location: Outside Camp • Mentions: Owlfeather, Larkclaw, Serval

Redeye didn’t need to be asked twice, tearing after Larkclaw and the retreating serval before Owlfeather could even finish speaking. He easily outpaced Larkclaw, his long legs helping him gain on the DawnClan warrior quickly, but even with this advantage the serval proved much quicker. Larkclaw called out to her, claiming she only wanted to help. Redeye couldn’t share her concerns for the lanky creature. Injured or not, regretful or not, her lack of an answer was an answer in itself to him. She had killed Cherrysong and he was going to make her pay for it.

His desire to avenge his deceased Clanmate saw him lose any sense of precaution, and so it was a surprise when one of his paws slipped on a wet rock and he was sent plummeting sideways into the river as they neared the cavern. Flailing wildly, he burst through the surface and paddled toward the shore, Larkclaw pulling ahead of him as she pursued their target. Once he reached the shore he shook out his damp pelt and continued after them, his pace slower than before, as if his impromptu swim had cooled some of the rage fuelling him.

Owlfeather wanted answers, and so did he. He wanted to hear the serval admit it, and he supposed attacking her would do little more than leave him in similar condition to how they’d found Cherrysong.

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⇺ [ Turtlesplash ] ⇻
24 Moons • Female • Former Kittypet
Location: Twoleg Nest Site • Mentions: Patch

“I’m not in any hurry,” Turtlesplash murmured thoughtfully, considering her next words carefully. She couldn't help admiring Patch's tenacity, but she had a feeling some of that bravado would dim if she ever met Gingerstar. "I'm sure you're aware all tales have both truths and falsities. Life in a Clan is very different from what you're used to. Some of it may be a change you embrace, others will prove more difficult. In a Clan, you care for more than just yourself. You have responsibilities to those around you and there will be many rules that you must learn and follow. Clans are a community, and any cat who can't contribute isn't welcome."

Her gaze grew serious and she paused for a moment before continuing, letting her words sink in. "Life in a Clan can be challenging...but also rewarding. You are part of something bigger, part of a family. Everyone is like kin even when you share no blood. You protect each other and provide for each other." Her tone took a passionate note, expression growing prideful as if she were remembering all the things she once loved about the Clans. "I presume this is what you've come here looking for? That much is true. The Clans do not behave like the cats outside of their code."

"However...this doesn't mean they aren't without flaw. There are two Clans, DuskClan and DawnClan. DawnClan, my Clan, have called their territory home for centuries. They take pride in their ancestry...and the purity of their blood. I've seen cats like you before, full of aspirations and grand dreams seeking to join us, and they were all turned away. Often violently. DuskClan is newer, created by cats like you. If any Clan will have you I'm sure it's them. If you wish, I will take you to their border before I return home."

Sootpaw | Duskclan Apprentice | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Dawnclan Border/Territory | Mentions: (Direct) Serval, Foxpaw (Indirect) Redeye, Owlfeather, Larkclaw, Umbraclaw

Sootpaw stared after the serval as she fleed from the patrols, suspicion rising within him from her reaction to Redeye's questions. Had she been the cause of the dark clouds that have hung over the heart of Duskclan? Sootpaw had wanted to help these servals, but after seeing the look on the large cat's face, he was beginning to feel a twinge of doubt. He could accept that the servals were the cause of the traps appearing within the territories. It had made things a bit tense on patrols, but that wasn't so terrible. If they had been the ones to take a clanmate's life, however. That changed things.

Sootpaw was considering this when he heard a yowl from the Dawnclan patrol and turned just in time to see the small, ginger cat barreling down the slope toward him. Though he made a move to jump out of the way, he could feel her slam into his side. The hit nearly spun him around, but Sootpaw managed to stay upright. With a growl in his throat and eyes widened in surprise, he reached to bat and scratch at the apprentice that was now clinging to him. While doing so, he also tried to back away from his opponent with quick jerks, hoping her grip would loosen with enough movement. If he had been paying more attention he might've been able to avoid the attack altogether, and Sootpaw hissed in annoyance and anger as he tried to get this vile Dawnclanner off of him.

Ravenblaze | Dawnclan Former Medicine Cat | 25 Moons | White Green-Eyed Tom | Dawnclan Camp | Hornetpaw, Open!

Ravenblaze pressed himself against the wall of the camp as Flamepaw, amongst other cats, rushed past him, seemingly not taking notice of him. His fur spiked when the Duskclan scent wafted past him. He took a breath to attempt to calm himself, but was unable. He looked towards the camp again, seeing Ashcreek and Cloudburst staring right at the camp entrance, but seemingly not noticing him either. Was he... Was he dead? The worries grew, but soon he was calmed by Hornetpaw noticing and approaching him. He jumped a little at the headbump, but returned it. He opened his mouth to speak, his jaws trembling lightly. "I-I was trapped... Twolegs took me a-and then there were dogs.. I- Ah!" He closed his eyes tightly, his head almost exploding in pain as he tried to recall more. Blood trickled from the back of his head, but it went unnoticed by him.

Frost|Ex medicine-cat of Duskclan|Half deaf white and grey she-cat with bright blue eyes|Location: Duskclan territory/Camp|Mentions: Dustpelt/ Open
The forest was quiet, and this unsettled the cat who padded through the undergrowth. Her white coat shone against the backdrop of the forest, silky soft, the tell tale signs of a cat who had not been in the woods for some time. Her route however, told another story, one of a cat who had traveled these paths often at one point, pawsteps falling easily over the ground, no confusion or aimless wandering. No, she had a destination, and it was clear.
Frostraised her head, jaws parting. She could tell a patrol had been by recently, but where they had gone was not where she intended to go. So, she continued along her way with furrowed brow and her odd swiveling head motions until finally, she could see it, the Duskclan camp. It had been so long she almost missed the subtle entrance that marked the safety of the camp, though the strong scent of cats easily gave it away. she inhaled, recognizing only a few but the rest unfamiliar, or forgotten in her mind. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her way in.
The camp was surprisingly quiet, thought her entrance was not unnoticed. the cat she had known at Dustpaw had pricked his ears at her entrance, the look in his eye one of surprise, and confusion. She bowed her head the slightest amount, glad that it was at least a familiar face she first noticed. Her eyes however, did not linger on him long as they darted around the camp, looking for the familiar black coat that she sought, against her better judgement.
"Greetings, Dust.." she paused. It had been some time, and looking at the tom now it would be insulting to use his apprentice name. She coughed, trying again.
"I need to speak with Blackstar." Her voice was odd, as if she had slight trouble understanding what she was saying and it tilted back and forth as only one of her ears swiveled to catch all the noises around them. Despite this, there was a strength that blazed in her eyes that would not be denied.
Dustpelt just stood for a moment, looking at her with his jaws agape.
"Frostpool you, came back?" His whiskers twitched as if he knew that that couldn't be the truth, taking a step back, then forward to give the new cat a sniff.
"Blackstar went to Dawnclan, and Owlfeather is out but, they'll be back soon." He finally mewed, still looking as if he couldn't quite believe that the cat was infront of him.
"And its Dustpelt now." Normally he would had puffed up with pride, but instead he sort of mumbled the words, looking uncomfortable. Frost regarded him with her icy gaze.
"And mine is just Frost." she mewed, but nodded padding a few paced to sit between where the camp entrance, and the High Rock stood.
"I'll wait then." she said again in her odd tones, before turning her gaze to the camp entrance, ignoring the rest of the cats who had come to see what was happening.

(Frost was a medicine-cat who was half kicked, half-left Duskclan about 18 moons ago. She disagreed with Blackstar and after quite a spat, left. No cat knows the real reason why. She was always a bit unsettling, and is deaf on the left side, and has minor neurological issues that cause her head to twitch and swivel as she focuses.)


 Foxpaw|Apprentice of Dawnclan|Small Ginger Tabby She-cat|Location: Clan Borders|Mentions: Sootpaw

It was as if the pent up rage and fire inside Foxpaw had finally burst, and as the apprentices tumbled around she couldn't stop the screech that emitted from her throat, half a yowl and half something unsettling as her claws tangled in her opponents fur. For a moment, she managed to stay clung to his fur but the jerking motion the tom was making dislodged her, sending her into a roll as she caught her paws, jumping upright to face the tom.
"Scared?" She taunted, a slightly manic glint in her eye as she lunged once more, the blood rushing in her ears, silencing the rest of the world. There was only her, and her enemy. Darting like a snake she lashed out with her paws, first on one side, then the other. She knew that there wasn't much power behind the blows, but she hoped the speed and repetition would at least stun the other tom long enough for her to get a better opening. It was clear she was not just fighting to defend, but to hurt.

Sootpaw | Duskclan Apprentice | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Dawnclan Border/Territory | Mentions: (Direct) Foxpaw (Indirect) ---

This apprentice was insane! Sootpaw's ears lay pressed flat against his skull, the shrill cry from his opponent threatening to bring a ringing to his hearing. He snarled, "Shut up !", though he doubted the Dawnclan cat would care about a thing he said, and certainly not at this point. Having shaken the she-cat off of him, Sootpaw stood at the ready for her next attack.

At her taunt, the gray tom gritted his teeth. In truth, the intensity from this situation was freaking him out a bit, but he'd rather scarf down crowfood than let some apprentice with anger issues say anything about it! "Of what? Catching your fleas?" Sootpaw spat out his words with as much venom as he could manage without losing too much focus on the task at hand, which regrettably wasn't as much as he would've liked. He crouched as the orange cat came for him again, taking a few stinging swipes from the cat's annoyingly quick paws before lunging forward himself with outstretched claws in an attempt to grip onto his opponent's shoulders and grapple her to the ground. If Sootpaw could just manage to restrict her movement, he believed he'd be able to get in a few good strikes that he hoped might deter the Dawnclanner from continuing with this brawl, although she didn't seem like the sort to give up easily. Just his luck.

Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: Dawnclan territory|Mention(s) Directly: Sootpaw, Umbraclaw|Mention(s) Indirectly: Redeye, Foxpaw

Seeing the Dawnclan deputy race forward, Owlfeather sprang into action as well. Was Umbraclaw, really going to gang up on Sootpaw with the ginger apprentice? At the thought, anger filling her. What cowardness. She stopped beside Sootpaw, just in time, as she realised that the black mollie was stopping the apprentices from fighting. Still angry though, the siamese she-cat mirrored the Dawnclan deputy's snarl. Moving her tail in front of her apprentice, to stop the young tom from continuing the fight, Owlfeather glaring at the Dawnclan cats. Owlfeather snorted at her comment, "We do care of our own", Owlfeather said, a slight growl in her voice.
Owlfeather straitened a bit, as the Dawnclan deputy turned to leave, in the direction the warriors and the serval had run off in. "We should go as well", the she-cat told Sootpaw, a slight snarl still in her voice. She was angry at the whole situation, if she ever got her paws on that serval, she would give that stupid excuse for a cat a right earful. Quickly turning, the deputy stocked off in the direction the serval had bolted off in. Her senses on high alert, the she-cat followed Redeye's tracks. Even though the serval's tracks where larged, she still found it easier to follow a normal sized cats tracks. "Stick close", Owlfeather ordered, Sootpaw. She was not going to lose another clan mate either, so the deputy was not keen on having the young tom wander off.

Weaselflight | DuskClan Warrior | 21 Moons | Tom | Camp | Wolfstorm; Vulturepaw

Weaselflight's gaze locked onto Wolfstorm gratefully when the mollie brought the pair something to eat. He did not speak, but nodded weakly in her direction, sighing when he heard Vulturepaw's question. He did his best to accommodate his little body as it wriggled closer to him, shaking with tears. He shifted a little when the apprentice turned into him, pressing his little face into his neck fur. He didn't know really what to say.

"I didn't join the clan because it was easier," he finally mumbled, resting his chin on the apprentice's shoulder so that they were curled in very similar positions, "I never.... I never wanted this life, but my brother did, and..." his voice trailed off sadly. He huffed slightly, irritated that his voice was not calling the words that he needed to help this apprentice. "Darkpaw. Darkpaw was his name."

He trailed off again and closed his eyes a moment. "Darkpaw was killed just a few moons after we joined... and... and I felt a lot like you do now."

His tail tucked tightly around them both, and he closed his eyes fighting off his emotions as much as a little warrior like him could. "But... DuskClan... DuskClan is our home. I could not just... give up on it. Not after this long. This is a family. M-m-maybe we can't offer DuskClan much, and maybe we can't protect anyone, but... but we can't just gi-give up. We can't quit."

His voice was tense, like he was talking to himself almost as much as the apprentice. "Redeye, he would be devastated if you left. Could you imagine? He wants to see you succeed more than anyone else here. And he will tell you the same way I am that... that it's okay to be scared. You are nothing less for being scared. Being scared is all it can take to prove that you are not a fool. Only a fool would be unshaken after what you saw. But we cannot give up on what we've started."
Better safe than sorry


---

Event For: Redeye; Larkclaw

When Larkclaw called out her soothing words, the serval slowed for half a moment before realizing that the albino tom was coming in hot behind Larkclaw. With another warning howl, she lengthened her pace again, outstripping both cats despite her severely crippled leg. She was quicker, but only just, and if Redeye had not fallen into the river, he may have been able to catch her. She could feel relief flood her body as she caught sight of their makeshift home. The ruins were too open. The cavernous opening that stretched wide like a pair of jaws, casting shadows that could only remind her of her brother. In a panic, she turned sharply, skidding out for a moment and slamming into the ground heavily, scrambling back onto her paws and resuming her hurried movements towards the cavern.

She could sense the darkness before she was fully encapsulated by it, and it made her heart pound even more than before. She let the shadows cloak her completely before turning back out towards the cats. Her voice was deep and threatening as she faced them down. "Away. Small cats away. No closer, small cats leave storm alone!"

The word 'storm' was expressly out of place in the sentence, but she gave no clarification as to why she had used it. Perhaps discerning its meaning could give DuskClan or DawnClan a step up against the others. Either way, the creature had her fur completely puffed up, and was slowly hopping back into the Cavern, ignoring the instincts of preservation that told her to halt her path and flee from the haunting cave at all costs.

 Foxpaw|Apprentice of Dawnclan|Small Ginger Tabby She-cat|Location: Clan Borders|Mentions: Sootpaw, Umbraclaw, Owlfeather,

Foxpaw practically laughed at the other apprentice, her tail lashing as she crouched, realy to pounce again. It was only Umbraclaws body that stopped her, though for a flicker it looked as if the small she-cats claws would go towards her deputy anyway. Growling, Foxpaw backed up a few paces, not acknowledging Umbraclaws orders but not restarting her attack. So they were going to let Duskclan trapse around their territory. Her eyes narrowed and as Umraclaw and Owlfeather both took off towards the trail their warriors had made, she sprang forward as well, her tail hitting Sootpaw not un-gently as she tore ahead, her knowledge of the terrain making her lithe form slip easily behind the two deputies. Part of her had to suppress the urge to lunge onto Owlfeathers back, knowing that she could easily get a good bite or two in. She made sure to make sure she stayed within claws reach of the opposing apprentice as well, always a few pawsteps ahead but her yellow glare flickering onto the dark pelted tom ever few paces.
As they neared the cavern, her heart began to pound, even though her paw-steps slowed. Though they often hunted near the strange place in their terrain, this was closer than she had ever gotten, and it filled her with a sense of exhilaration, and dread. She could practically feel the icy chill from the Cavern, and as the strangers voice echoed from its depths, she couldn't help but shudder, her fur fluffing up with all the feelings she couldn't quite explain. It made her want to fight, and run all at the same time, and her claws dug into the earth, uncertain if she could contain it.

| Wolfstorm | 38 Moons | Female | Duskclan Warrior |
Location: Duskclan camp- Apprentice den
Mentions: Weaselflight, Vulturepaw

"My life? Goodness no. Life on your own is always harder than a life where there's other cats for you to depend on in times of need. Living as a loner or even among rogues is harsh and uncivil. I was glad to have been directed to Duskclan." She caterpillar-crawled forwards, pressing her nose comfortingly against Vulturepaw's shoulder. "But see, that's the best part about being in a clan. You can rely on your clanmates when you're going through a rough patch like this. I think, and this is just the humble opinion of a cat that was raised by a dog, that it's okay to be afraid. But Vulturepaw, you don't have to control anything right now. You're still young, it isn't your responsibility yet. Focus on learning before you focus on trying to control things. You can trust us, trust your clan, not to guide you astray." She sat back on her paws in a more sphinx like position to look at Vulturepaw properly. "What you offer to the clan is potential, and so so much of it. I think once you learn to stop trying to control everything and start sitting back to let the clan teach and guide you, you'll be a lot less afraid." She batted him lightly with her tail. "You had to learn how to walk before you knew how to run, and you had to learn to hide before you could learn how to hunt, right? So why try to control things before you've learned how to manage them?" The she-cat purred.

"You're going to do special things, Vulturepaw, it's just a matter of waiting and learning everything you can before you get there." She leaned over to give a gentle, reassuring swipe of her tongue over the apprentice's ear. "Now, both of you eat your fresh kill before it turns to crow-food. That squirrel was a good catch, so I'm glad to see it go to the cats who need reminding that they can fall back on their clan when they need to."

Sootpaw | Duskclan Apprentice | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Dawnclan Territory | Mentions: (Direct) Umbraclaw, Owlfeather, Foxpaw (Indirect) Redeye

Sootpaw froze mid-attack as Dawnclan's deputy raced to stand between the two apprentices. The tom arched his back and hissed in defense before realizing that she had no intention of fighting him... not yet, at least. Sootpaw backed up a few paw steps to find Owlfeather by his side and he immediately felt a bit more secure standing before Umbraclaw. He glared up at the black she-cat as she implied that Duskclan didn't support each other, and although he wished Owlfeather had thrown an insult right back at her, he was still glad for his mentor's retort. At least she hadn't sunk to the rival deputy's level, he supposed.

Sootpaw grumbled quietly under his breath as he began to follow Owlfeather, but as he did so he felt the smack of the Dawnclan apprentice's tail as she raced past him. He shot her a look, his own tail lashing, as he walked a bit faster to catch up with the deputies. Doing as he was told, the gray tom tailed his mentor closely, occasionally glancing at the two Dawnclan cats with barely masked suspicion. For all he knew, the two could be luring them deeper into the territory as some sort of ridiculous trap. After all, there would be all the more reason to be vicious in an attack against Duskclan cats that were well into the territory rather than simply crossing the border. Who knew what was going on in their heads? However, as they walked on, Sootpaw's thoughts began focusing on the cavern. He wondered how much farther it was and if Redeye and that other warrior were there with the serval by now. Hopefully, the large feline hadn't decided to change tactics. He had a crazy hunch that it would be easier to deal with a serval that was trying to evade them than it would be with a serval that wanted to fight them.