Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: Camp|Mention(s) Directly: Blackstar, Sootpaw, Redeye, Weasleflight, Vulturepaw, Servals|Mention(s) Indirectly: Dawnclan cats

The deputy gulped, as Blackstar already was striding towards her. The black one eyed tom did not seem angry, but he definitely was also not in a good mood. Trying to calm herself, the she-cat sat down and placed her tail around her paws. Even though she was sitting, Owlfeather pawed the grown, her pelt pricked like thousands of ants where living in it.
As the leader stopped before her, the she-cat dipped her head. She quickly sprang to her paws, as Blackstar beckoned her to a quiet spot. Following the leader, the she-cat quickly thought over what she was going to say. She should be honest and direct to the point, Owlfeather's heart sank as she thought this. Stopping before her leader, the she-cats blue eyes looked into the toms singular golden eye. Letting out a sigh, Owlfeather started to speak. "First off, we've found out that the traps were not for us, but for large cats called: 'Servals'. We met two, the first was caught by Two-legs. Ater we found this one, I sent Weasleflight and Vulturepaw back to camp - Weasleflight for his injured paw and Vulturepaw, because he was too young to... to cross the border. The first serval, Shadow, told us about his sister. She was sheltering in the cavern, on Dawnclan territory", here the she-cat paused. Taking a long breath, Owlfeather continued, "Sootpaw, I, and... and Redeye then went to investigate. We encountered a Dawnclan patrol and soon after the second large cat, Storm. She fled into the cavern, Redeye and a Dawnclan warrior followed. Afterwards Storm freaked out attacked the Dawnclan warrior, threw her against the wall, and Redeye.....", the deputy faltered, "Redeye was sliced across his throat. Storm then vanished and that white pelted, red eyed tom followed. He did not come back out and.... and then, we left", stopping to speak, Owlfeather looked down at her paws. Well, she might as well. "Also, there is another thing", the deputy said, looking back up into her leaders face, she blurted out, "I am pregnant."



Flamepaw|Dawnclan|Messenger Apprentice|13 Moons Old|Ginger She-Cat|Location: Nursery|Mention(s) Directly: Hornetpaw|Mention(s) Indirectly: Cloudburst, Stagkit, Boarkit, Stillborn Kits

The ginger she-cat quickly made her way out of the nursery. As she reached the outside, the young she-cat looked around for anyone to help her. Besides herself, she could not see anyone who would be of much help. Quickly walking to a pile of moss and other bedding material, the ginger tabby she-cat started to pick out the softest pieces. With several soft wads of moss and some down feathers, Flamepaw turned back to the nursery.
With several long strides, the messenger apprentice made it back to the entrance of the warm den. Going inside, she swiftly placed the bedding under and around the two practically hairless kits. She looked down at them fondly, thay where so small. Flamepaw's eyes clouded over, as Hornetpaw asked her to help him with the stillborn kits. Grabbing one of the small, now cold, lifeless kits by its scruff, Flamepaw turned to head back outside. She only stopped, to wait for Hornetpaw, she had no idea where they were going to bury the kits.

Blackstar|Leader of Duskclan|One eyed Black Tom|Location: Camp|Mentions: Owlfeather, Vulturepaw, Clan

Blackstar listened to Owlfeather talk, as her words went on his hackles slowly rising, despite his passive expression. His eye closed as she neared the end of her explanation, and when it opened it was shining with anger and frustration. His jaws opened to speak, but then she added her final statement. His teeth snapped together with a sharp click, and his eye closed once more, a long exhale emitting from his nose. When he opened his gaze the second time, it still shone with frustration but seemed contained, though by the twitching of his tail, just barely.
"First off, I expected better of you, Owlfeather." He mewed, his voice tense but unwavering.
"I chose you as my deputy because I thought you would help prove Duskclan is not just a clan of rogues and rogue blooded cats. Trampling around the Dawnclan territory, and getting caught by one of their patrols of all things only makes thigns harder for us, especially when I had just worked to get on Gingerstars good side." His voice had started to turn into a growl, but before it gained strength he took a deep breath again, digging up a tuft of earth with one of his paws.
"I'm dissapointed that you make such rash decisions, of which it seems one of our warriors paid the price." His golden eye studied her face, before he shifted on his paws, giving the faintest shake of his head.
"But, there's no changing that now." He finally broke his gaze from his deputies, to scan the camp, looking more thoughtful than angry now.
"You did find out some useful information however, thought I'm not certain how much we can do right now, if what you say is correct. We may be better off waiting, I don't want to antagonize Dawnclan by going into their territory again." His gaze flickered to her before returning to the camp entrance, as if he would see Redeye enter.
After a moment of silence, he looked back at Owlfeather, pushing off from the earth and rising to his paws.
"I'm going to call a meeting, there is much the clan needs to know and discuss." He nodded ever so slightly as a dismissal, and then looked about to leave, before he paused. something flickered behind his golden gaze. It was nt anger, but perhaps something like sadness, so fast it could have been a trick of the light.
"And, congratulations. You'll make a good mother." The words were softer than was normal for the rough leader, and with a twitch of his whiskers, and an almost awkward shuffle of his paws, he turned. He was about to jump up onto the High Rock, when Vulturepaw neared, but his words look directed towards Sootpaw, and so he tensed and sprang, sending bits of moss to the earth as he padded to the edge of the stone.
"Let all cats of age come to the High Rock for a clan meeting!" His yowl was loud, and clearly no nosense. If there was ever a meeting to not miss, this was the one.

Dustpelt|Warrior of Duskclan|Leggy Calico Tom|Location: Duskclan Territory|Mentions: Open

Dustpelt watched everything unfold, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the news and information passing through the clan. He had watched Harepaw enter, but slink into the apprentice den. He watched as Owlfeather returned, and with that he trotted to the den, poking his head in.
"Hey, everyones back it seems." His whiskers twitched, despite his forced cheerful tone.
"I'm sure we'll get an update soon." He beckoned the trio, only taking a few steps so that he could walk with his friend, and apprentice. He could hear Blackstar's yowl as he waited, and he shifted on his paws, giving Harepaw a studying look, before offering a shoulder to Weaselflight if he needed it. He wanted to know what was all happening, and hoped it would put everyone at ease.

Frost |Old Med-cat,Duskclan|white and gray she-cat|Location: Duskclan Camp|Mentions: Wolfstorm, Weaselflight, Blackstar

Frost nodded as she listened to Wolfstorm continue to talk, her brow furrowing slightly as she spoke of the threats. Her tail tip twitched as she shifted more comfortably on her paws.
"Ther are benefits, and negatives to every life, clan rogue or otherwise." She mewed in a bit of a mysterious tone, her eyes narrowing with the glint of amusement as she regarded Wolfstorm for one last moment, before her head twitched to watch Blackstar as he scaled the High Rock.
"Perhaps now, all will be revealed?" she mused, rising to her paws at the summons. She waited for the clan cats to move first, before she padded forward to perch at the fringe of the group, as she did so, she noted the one called Weaselflight, given by the injured paw. With a snort she padded closer to the cat, her gaze steady as she leaned down without much of a word to observe the injury, not really caring that to a clan cat, having a stranger do such might be a bit awkward.


Foxpaw|Apprentice of Dawnclan|Small Ginger Tabby She-cat|Location: Clan Camp|Mentions: Larkclaw, Gingerstar

Foxpaw shifted on her paws, and nodded to Umbraclaw as the deputy gave her instructions. She glanced at Larkclaw, her tail raised and twitching.
"We should-" she jerked her head towards the direction of the camp, and with that she bunched her muscles and jumped forward excitedly, with only a last fleeting glance at the Cavern. She practically flew through the foliage, stumbling once or twice in her excitement to get back to camp. She barely noticed the Duskclan scent that mixed with their own as she barreled into the entrance, snagging some fur on the branches as she slipped in with her chest panting and fur plumed.
"Where's=" she was about to ask the first cat about their leader, when she noticed the familiar pelt of Gingerstar. Sure that Larkclaw was hot on her paws, she trotted forward, bowing her head with a jerk in respect, still panting from her wild race.
"Gingerstar! We found something! There are weird cats in the territory- Duskclan was trying to find them, they crossed the border and were sniffing around the Cavern. One of their warriors chased the stranger in practically, and they didn't come back out but." Her tail lashed. The words tumbled forward, as if the she-cats two days of no speaking had decided to make up for the silence all at once.
"Umbraclaw made sure they left. I woulda clawed them but-" Her shoulders shrugged as she began to slow, but still unable to sit.

Sootpaw | Duskclan Apprentice | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Duskclan Camp| Mentions: (Direct) Owlfeather, Vulturepaw, Blackstar (Indirect) Redeye

Upon hearing his mentor's praise, Sootpaw purred in return as they entered the camp. Immediately his eyes were drawn to a small group of cats surrounding what looked to be... some sort of tiny squirrel? The gray tom stared curiously for a few moments before nodding to Owlfeather and padding off to the fresh-kill pile. Once he had hooked a plump mouse with his claws, he noticed a pang of hunger beginning to gnaw at his insides. After practically swallowing the thing whole, Sootpaw gave a quick swipe of the tongue over his whiskers before sighing, his belly satisfied. Again, he turned his attention to the gathered cats. There was one he didn't recognize. He squinted at the unfamiliar she-cat, noticing that the clanmates around her didn't seem to see her as too much of a threat.

It was then that Sootpaw realized that Vulturepaw was looking over at him. The gray tom rose to his paws and was about to go speak to the small apprentice when Blackstar had called for a clan meeting. He cast a glance at Vulturepaw before heading for High Rock. Sootpaw would just have to tell his friend about all the insanity he had missed out on. Suddenly a cold realization came to his mind; oh crud. Redeye's delayed return -and Sootpaw refused to believe that the tom wouldn't return just yet- was going to affect Vulturepaw the most. He almost groaned in dismay. Hadn't the young tom been through enough? In fact, hadn't they all been through enough? Sootpaw sighed as he sat with the gathering cats before High Rock, wrapping his tail over his paws. The comfort he had gained from coming back home in one piece seemed to be slipping away bit by bit.

Scorchwing | Warrior of DawnClan | Long-Limbed White & Charcoal Female | Location: DawnClan Territory | Mentions: Patch, Turtlesplash, Shadewing [Direct]

Scorchwing’s initial job was to hunt, but the voice of the Clanmate she had the job with was just so intriguing to her. The she-cat slipped through the foliage, slightly peeved by the heat and the way it made her pelt feel heavy and uncomfortable, but otherwise set on figuring out who Shadewing was talking to. After all, they did come out alone. She peeked though the brush, a curious gleam about her despite her current malnourished and sleepless state. For a moment, all she saw was two strangers and an enthusiastic Shadewing, but the more she looked, the more she recognized the face of one.

Turtlesplash? The revelation of the Clanmate who she had believed to be long gone eased the tension in her chest and she urged to step through the wall of green to greet her warmly. Casting a look towards the stranger who appeared to be actually hiding behind the former Dawnclanner, she decided to do just that. They didn’t appear hostile, and Shadewing could always back Scorchwing up. At least, she hoped so. With a soft breath, she let their conversation dwindle enough before stepping through her cover with a welcoming smile. She’d ignore the rogue for now, it was time to welcome home a Clanmate. ”Turtlesplash, a sight for sore eyes,” she purred, extending her foreleg in a semi-formal greeting, kind but exhausted eyes scouring the cat’s face for any signs that she should step away. ”What has this lovable fool been telling you, hm?” She casts Shadewing a look. It held a warning behind it, but not enough to be considered a scold. The outsider didn’t need to know their business. With a smile, she turned back to Turtlesplash, another purr rumbling in her chest. ”How have you been? Are you coming back?” Her voice was soft and hopeful. Maybe the return of a Clanmate will strengthen the moral of DawnClan.

Turning her attention to the outsider, she tilted her head, taking in their scent. They were definitely not from a Clan, but better safe than sorry. ”Hello, I’m Scorchwing, a warrior of DawnClan.” She dipped her head, just a bit. She was determined to keep the same diplomatic attitude as she did with DuskClan by the rocks. Her whiskers twitched at the memory.

Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: |Mention(s) Directly: Wolfstorm, Blackstar, Cattlekit|Mention(s) Indirectly: All of Duskclan

The deputy lowered her head and looked to her paws, as the black tom started to speak. "I understand", she answered in a small voice, after Blackstar's fist comments. At the leaders next words, Owlfeather shrank together a bit. She had acted rashly, she was deputy, she should've thought her actions through. The deputy nodded her head and continued to study her paws, she was far too embarrassed, to look her leader straight in the eye. Owlfeather's head snapped up, as Blackster dismissed her, quite surprised that she had not been punished. Getting to her paws, the she-cat was about to head over and prepare for the meeting, but stopped as Blackster turned back to her again. "Th... thank you", Owlfeather responded, a half hearted smile on her face. She was not so sure of that, would she really be a good mother?
As Blackster walked to the high rock, to call the meeting, Owlfeather decided to first go and see what the thing was that everyone had been clustered around, before she'd take her usual stop. Walking over to Wolfstorm, the deputy gave the large she-cat a nod. Looking down, she was quite surprised to see a small kit. Looking over to Nightfall, the siamese she-cat shook her head. No, the she-cat was not ready to kit just yet. "Whose kit is it?", Owlfeather asked Wolfstorm, leaning over and giving the kit a sniff. The kit did not smell like a Duskclan or even a Dawnclan kit, where had it come from?
Before she could ask Wolfstorm more though, Blackster called to the meeting. Tapping her friend on the shoulder, she walked passed Wolfstorm. "I'll come by later again", Owlfeather said, over her shoulder. Pausing, the deputy looked over her shoulder again, eyeing the kit. Turning back, the siamese she-cat headed through the crowd of cats. Owfeather reached the bottom of the high rock. Turning, the deputy sat down at its base. Looking over the cats, the she-cat started to paw the ground. What was Blackster going to say? her shoulders sank a bit. She felt so tired and her stomach was starting to hurt again.

Gingerstar | DawnClan Leader | 36 Moons | Mollie | Camp | Foxpaw ; [ID] Cloudburst

Gingerstar's attention had lifted her from the den the moment she heard Cloudburst's first cries. She knew full well she could not do anything to help, but the normal thundercloud of criticisms rose up into her brain the first chance it got. Why exactly did mollies put themselves through this nonsense? It seemed about as far from logical as a cat could get. The cream and ginger mollie had always known that she herself could never be a mother- no matter how appealing the tiny creatures looked at first the moment they started talking she wanted to claw them. Unlike her own mother, however, she was aware of her lack of maternal instincts and planned to keep herself from unwanted pregnancies however possible [not that she was even mildly into the idea of even having a mate].

Foxpaw came streaking into camp, and her head jerked sideways when the apprentice shouted her name. She flattened her ears at the very obvious anxiously excited energy that flowed off of the ginger apprentice in waves, and the words that flew from her mouth came out in a barely understandable stream. She waited for Foxpaw to trail off before speaking.

"Elaborate. Strange cats? What did they look like? There was more than one? How many DuskClan cats? Where is the rest of your patrol? And mind the speed, your words are nearly incomprehensible. Steady yourself," her voice was firm but soothing all the same as she sought to calm the apprentice. She could not perfectly tell if it was anger or anxiety or excitement that was causing the energy, but it was too much to handle at once and still obtain the necessary information. There was a sinking feeling in her chest at the mention of 'weird cats'. Hornetpaw and Ravenblaze had told her that their deceased had been killed by a cat, but the wounds were different than typical. Would these strangers be the cause of it?
If you ask too many questions, or seek too much approval, nothing ever gets done


---

Weaselflight | DuskClan Warrior | 21 Moons | Tom | Camp | All; Dustpelt; Harepaw; Vulturepaw

Weaselflight's ears twitched when Harepaw entered the den, but only just. It was a bit later when the patrol he had been on returned, and he peeked his head out of the den when he heard their voices. Redeye could take his spot now, couldn't he? But when he sought out the white tom, there was nothing at all. He could feel his heart falling.

He waited for Vulturepaw to emerge beside him at the yowl of Blackstar, and he gratefully leaned himself onto Dustpelt's shoulder, allowing the other cat to guide him to a seat. He kept a careful eye on Vulturepaw. His legs were quivering noticeably, but not just from the pain of his hurt paw [that was worse now, but he kept it elevated and it only throbbed a bit then]. There was a cold, sinking nausea in his stomach, a pit in his chest, and the longer Redeye did not make an appearance, the worse he got. All he could recall was the last time he made a promise and the recipient... well. Vanished. He got Darkpaw's body back a few days later. If the worst had happened... well, he hoped the same would happen with Redeye.

But he had promised the albino tom. Promised him. Promised to take care of Vulturepaw until Redeye returned. He would make good on that promise, but not until Redeye returned in body, but also in spirit. If Redeye was dead... Weaselflight would protect his friend [he was now not hesitant to call him such]'s apprentice. He turned his eyes towards Blackstar, his quivering still rather obvious, and shivered.
Better safe than sorry

Larkclaw || 15 Moons || Female || DawnClan Warrior
Location: Training Beach || Mentions: (Indirect) Redeye, Foxpaw, Umbraclaw, Hornetpaw, Ravenblaze, Gingerstar

Larkclaw could faintly hear the echoing voice of Redeye as she made her way from the Cavern entrance. She didn’t want to think about what would happen to him. His fate was up to whatever dark forces lived inside that cave now. Her ears also caught the snarky words of Foxpaw, and they sent a shiver down her spine. If they did see the DuskClan warrior again, he likely wouldn’t be himself, if he showed up alive.

As Foxpaw caught up with her, she gave a light twitch of her tail to acknowledge the apprentice’s presence. She was trying hard not to wheeze, not wanting to alarm her or Umbraclaw. Though it hurt like a badger’s claws, she was determined to make it back to camp, or at least far enough away from the cavern to ignore any screeching. It wasn’t long after that when she heard Umbraclaw give her orders, and while her lungs would have loved for her to listen and wait until her uncle or Ravenblaze showed up, there was a mixture of stubborn disobedience and dread of what was happening in the cave that made her limp on, attempting to pick up the pace.

Larkclaw paused to take a breath at the bridge that she’d need to cross to reach the camp. It seemed like so long ago that they had found Mousefur near this very bridge. The image of his torn body forced her to shake her head and push through the pain to hurry on. Foxpaw had already sprinted ahead to inform Gingerstar of what was going on, and no doubt she had made it there by now. The little orange tabby was quick on her feet, probably as quick as that wit of hers.

At long last she was close enough to see the camp entrance through the trees. The training beach was to her right, and she decided the warm sand and the sound of the river would be good for her. She’d make the last little trip once she had properly rested. Larkclaw made herself comfortable among the sand, leaning heavily on her uninjured side. The puncture wound still stung, and she never did ask anyone how it looked. “Hornetpaw will tell me once I make it to camp,” she rasped to herself. The flowing river was a nice distraction from the events that just happened, and she could feel her eyes starting to close.

⌘{ Patch }⌘
:: Female :: Rogue :: 35 Moons :: M-Turtlesplash, Scorchwing, Shadewing ::
:: Location: Dawnclan Border (South West Near Cavern?) ::
Watching the stranger from behind Turtlesplash's back, Patch blinked her eyes at the warm reception the tom offered her new acquaintance. Seeing was believing, especially for a cat such as Patch, and the stories that the other calico had told her no longer seemed so far-fetched as they had only moments before. Bred out indeed.....what an interesting concept. As the tom....Shadewing... turned his attention to the she-cat herself, offering a few words of greeting before he turned his head back to Splash, Patch returned a nod until she was able to fully trust herself to speak. It was quite the odd experience the muted calico was going through...at least internally. It wasn't like she hadn't spoken to others of her own kind...heck she had gotten off quite well with Turtlesplash. No. Usually, she could offer up quite the sentence thanks to her mother's privileged background. Perhaps it was the strong border scent that was spooking her...or simply the fact that there was a tom of all creatures who seemed to want nothing more than give a pleasant welcome to an old friend. Or perhaps it was simply her mind reeling from all the information Turtlesplash had provided her with...either way she needed to collect her thoughts and calm her emotions. Sometimes, things didn't happen for a reason.

Breathing through her nose, the calico inhaled deeply, allowing her awareness of her surroundings to fade into the background as she thought.

Deep breathe, why are you here?
For a place to stay, for answers, for a better life.
What are you doing?
Standing behind a new acquaintance as she talks to an old friend...old friends?
Where are you going?
I'm not sure yet...I was recommended to join Duskclan, but the Dawnclan cats seem quite nice. So far.
When are you going to introduce yourself? Speak for yourself?
I wasn't really planning too...but it would perhaps make a better impression if I didn't let Turtlesplash do everything for me. Joining a clan or not, I am independent. I shouldn't lose that.
How are you going to get what you want?
I'm going to introduce myself, be pleasant...I could walk to the Duskclan border....but I think I want to first talk to this...Gingerstar? Feel out Dawnclan. Recommendations or not, I think I got lucky with Turtlesplash. The way she speaks...I think without her I would have been chased off. Having a representative these cats know is very beneficial. I shouldn't let this opportunity slip away so easily.
Who are you?
I don't know...but I'm going to find out.

Refocusing her golden eyes on the cats around her, the rogue felt more grounded than she had before pausing to take a catalog of her thoughts. The she-cat was lucky enough to finish her small exercise in calming herself, just as the new arrival (whom she had only subconsciously recognized to have joined the small group) introduced herself as Scorchwing. Seeing the opportunity to establish herself a bit more solidly than sitting cautiously behind her new friend (as pleasant as it was to let another do all the talking), Patch stood and moved around the other calico, her large paws landing softly on the forest floor. Dipping her head quite low, lower than one might expect as extra respect shown could rarely be misplaced when greeting a stranger, the rogue lifted her head to address the elegantly striped female.

"It's nice to meet you Scorchwing, I'm Patch a traveler or a rogue not of any clan...though I hope to join one. Your old friend here has been telling me about clans as we walked...I found myself quite impressed even knowing the myths and legends that others have told me as I searched for a new home."

The rogue introduced herself to the warrior, though as she continued to speak her gaze would glance over to address both of the strangers, not wishing to ignore Scorchwing while speaking to his companion. The rogue had learned long ago that ignoring someone was one of the most efficient ways to make enemies...and she didn't wish to make enemies this day.

Blackstar|Leader of Duskclan|One eyed Black Tom|Location: Camp|Mentions: The Clan
Blackstar peered down at the gathered cats, his piercing gaze quite clearly waiting for silence as the few mutterings died down. He inhaled, slowly as he was prone to doing. For a moment, he wondered what the previous leader would have done in his place. Would the clan have made such rash decisions under his paws? Blackstars eye closed for a moment, and he forced himself to exhale the breath he had taken, at the same time letting his pelt smooth and his eye open, more calm.
"Cats of Duskclan. There is much news to be shared today." He scanned the many faces, taking the time to organize his thoughts. There had to be an order to things, he knew it was the only way to keep the peace.
"First, some of you may recognize Frostpool. She has received a vision from Starclan, and has returned temporarily to aid Duskclan with our medicine-cat needs. Treat her with the respect you would any clan mate." He spoke these words tensely, as if he didn't exactly want to, before pulling his eyes away from the white she-cat.
"We also have a kit who was found in the forest by Nightfall. He paused, and his tail tip twitched. There wasn't much else to say on that.
"Now then. Earlier, a stranger was found in one of the traps in our territory. Some of our cats spoke to him, and were given info that there was more than one of them, before he was taken by the two-legs." He glanced at the cats who had been on the two patrols.
"It was because of this information that Owlfeather made a," He paused, as if cutting what he was about to say slightly short.
"Made a decision to cross the Dawnclan border with a small patrol, to try and find the cats partner. They were however, caught by Dawnclan and while they managed to find another one of these strange cats, the situation seemed to have gone poorly, and we have paid a price for it." Silence for a moment again as he let his words sink in. Though he did not say it outright, it was clear he was unhappy about the way things were handled, depsite his matter-of-fact way of stating the news.
"Redeye decided to pursue the stranger, and entered unfamiliar territory within the Cavern, and did not emerge. We will make sure to watch for him in the territory, but he knows his way home." Blackstar spoke as if Redeye was just late, though the hard glint in his eye spoke otherwise.
"However, this leads to a problem. While I was speaking with Gingerstar about peace, Duskclan warriors were sneaking about their territory. While the intentions were, in the right place, this was a rash decision that may cause Gingerstar to reconsider and peace she might have offered. Patrols will not set foot across the border until we can resolve this." His eye closed again, his voice having become more agitated as he spoke. He couldn't fault his warriors for wanting to do the best for their clan, but he hoped they realized the repercussions of their actions.
"Right now, I know we want to act but until we know for certain what we can do, we must wait and take care of one another. We have survived worse, and no two-leg, or strange creature will drive us from this forest. " He rad risen to his paws, and now peered with newfound energy down the stone.
"And to do that, we will have another Warrior joining our ranks today. Owlfeather, you have taught Sootpaw all you know of being a warrior, and have passed on that you believe he is ready for his warrior name. Blackstar crouched, peering at the tom.
"Sootpaw, you have learned restraint, and have learned the many skills that make a Duskclan warrior. But remember, we are never truly done growing. But now, I ask our warrior ancestors to look down upon this tom, he has worked hard to learn your ways, and from this day on shall be known as Sootwhisker. Blackstar lept down from the high Rock to pad up to the newly named warrior.
"Never lose sight of your true self." He purred, giving the tom a lick on the top of his head, as all the Duskclan leaders did when naming a new warrior. He let the cats cheer for their new warrior, before he spoke again.
"Remember you sit vigil tonight, so be sure to eat, and rest before sundown." He said more quietly, before giving a twitch of his tail to show he was done.
Now that he had finished his major duties, there was a tiredness in Blackstars eye, and as he padded towards his den to sit by its entrance, his gait was heavy.


Foxpaw|Apprentice of Dawnclan|Small Ginger Tabby She-cat|Location: Clan Camp|Mentions: Gingerstar /b>

Foxpaw coughed slightly, looking a bit sheepish, an odd expression on her face. It passed quickly however, and she gave her chest a few rapid licks, as if that would slow her rapid heartbeat.
"Well Larkclaw-" She glanced towards the entrance, brow furrowing. she had thought the warrior would have caught up by then. She didn't even think about the fact that Larkclaw had taken quite a blow from the large cat.
"Um." She shook her head, and took a breath. As she refocused, her sharpness returned.
"Duskclan crossed the border, looking for a strange cat they had learned about from one a supposed friend or something of the stranger. When we caught them, we heard something yowling in the forest, and it turned out to be a large, very large cat like..something. She spoke but not very clearly. The Duskclan cats basically ignored the fact that they were trampling all over out territory, and so they chased after. We followed, and both our patrol, and the Duskclan one ended up at the Cavern. The stranger seems to have been living there. One of the Duskclan cats kept pushing it, and the stranger attacked before retreating. The Duskclan cat went into the Cavern after it, but neither came out." She stopped to take a breath, hoping that had helped.
"The two remaining Duskclan cats left, Umbraclaw made sure of it. She wanted you to know quick as possible." "Duskclan thinks they were behind all this, but I'm not convinced they arn't working together." She snorted at the end, looking to the side with a twitch of her tail.

⇺ [ Hornetpaw ] ⇻
18 Moons • Male • DawnClan • Medicine Cat Apprentice
Location: Camp • Mentions: Flamepaw, Cloudburst

Hornetpaw guided Flamepaw to the patch of land outside of camp reserved for putting their dead to rest, seeing no reason not to bury the kits here. They were still Clan cats whether or not they had lived to serve it and deserved a place there. Gently settling the tiny body he carried on a nearby clump of grass, he shared a grim glance with Flamepaw before beginning to dig. The soil was still soft and easy to paw out thanks to days of rain prior and it wasn’t long before they’d dug a hole deep enough for both kits.

Gingerly placing the first kit in the grave, he waited for Flamepaw to do the same before offering a prayer to StarClan and piling the dirt back into the hole, smoothing it out with a paw once it was filled. “Thank you for all of your help, you can go now,” he murmured to Flamepaw softly, she needn’t bear the burden of waiting for the third kit to die with him. He nodded in farewell to the ginger apprentice with a worn expression before padding back to the nursery to check on Cloudburst and the remaining kits.

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⇺ [ Turtlesplash ] ⇻
24 Moons • Female • Former Kittypet
Location: DawnClan Border • Mentions: Patch, Shadewing, Scorchwing

The friendly gesture left Turtlesplash surprised, but not ungrateful. She hadn’t expected to be greeted so amicably and it was encouraging to find there was at least one cat who wouldn’t oppose her returning. “It suits you,” she commented once Shadewing revealed his new name, though she couldn’t share his optimism. Whether or not DawnClan was truly in need of cats, she doubted Gingerstar would be as eager to welcome her back. Moving aside so Patch could speak with Shadewing properly, movement in the surrounding foliage had her tensing as a vaguely familiar charcoal and white she-cat joined them.

It would appear she needn’t have worried, this warrior was just as friendly as Shadewing if not a bit more guarded in the presence of Patch. Recognition lit her gaze after she began speaking and a purr rumbled in her throat. “Scorchkit! You’ve grown.” If two former Clanmates were ready to welcome her home perhaps there was hope… “I’ve been well, and yes, I’m returning to DawnClan, granted Gingerstar allows it.”

“So you’re both wings, hm?” She commented, clearly amused. “Your name suits you as well Scorchwing. It would seem if Gingerstar is good for anything it's appropriately naming her cats.” Perhaps it wasn’t the wisest decision to insult her old friends’ leader in front of them, but she couldn’t quite help herself. Even back then Turtlesplash and Gingerfrost hadn’t been fond of one another.

As Patch finally stepped forward and introduced herself Turtlesplash’s thoughts strayed to the potential possibilities once they reached the camp. Even with two cats on her side she would have to make a strong case for herself and choose her words carefully. “I hate to rush you off Patch, but speaking of homes, it’s time we parted ways. Shadewing, which way is best to reach DuskClan's border? I'm sure you can direct Patch far more accurately than myself."

Sootpaw/whisker | Duskclan Apprentice/Warrior | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Duskclan Camp| Mentions: (Direct) Blackstar, Owlfeather, clan cats (Indirect) Redeye

Sootpaw made sure not to make eye contact with any of the cats around him as Blackstar told them all about the incident over the border. What had been meant as an act of aid to one set of cats could potentially be seen as an act of disrespect to another. Not only that, but the fact that they ended up needing to leave Redeye there to his own devices was a less than favorable outcome for all involved. What a mess. Hopefully, no one would get too riled up about it before the warrior returned.

Sootpaw's eyes returned to the black tom above him as a warrior ceremony was begun. His ceremony. The gray apprentice stood and drew closer to High Rock, willing himself to stay calm in front of the entire clan. The words he had been thinking about for moons had finally been spoken, and a twinge of embarrassment at his leader's assessment of him warmed his fur. As Blackstar descended High Rock and closed the ceremony with one last piece of advice for the apprentice, Sootpaw's eyes shone happily and he failed to repress a purr that rumbled in his throat. And, just like that, he was Sootwhisker.

Sootwhisker looked to his mentor- er, his past mentor- and beamed brightly. It was apparent that the day had been a rough one, so maybe having one less thing to worry about would cheer her up a bit. He then looked out over his clanmates as they called his new name. Finally, he felt capable of protecting his home.

Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: Duskclan Camp|Mention(s) Directly: Nightfall, Sootpaw, Cattlekit|Mention(s) Indirectly: Blackstar, OPEN

Owlfeather keeped her head level, but the she-cats eyes where downcast. At her leader said every word, the deputy's pelt felt hotter and hotter. She had messed up, bigtime. Owlfeather felt grateful though, that Blackster did not blame her outright, at least that was a small consolation. As Blackster's words changed, Owlfeather looked up. Warrior's ceremony? she thought. The she-cats brain was still tired and slow, so the deputy did not catch on immediately.
As her muddled brain started to remember, the deputy looked up and into the crowd of cats. Sootpaw, her apprentice, that's right, it is his turn to receive his full name. Sitting a bit straighter, the siamese she-cat looked to her apprentice. Owlfeather stayed rooted to the spot, as Blackstar jumped down from the high rock and walked up to the young gray tabby tom. She pawed the ground again, this time not out of embarrassment or fear, but out of excitement. Sootpaw was going to become a warrior, an actual warrior.
She watched on in pride, as Blackster gave the young tom his warrior name. Sootwhicker, it fit the young tom. Owlfeather still sat rooted to her spot, as Blackstar gave the young tom a lick on the head and spoke. She only stood up, as Blackstar turned away and headed for his den. Owlfeather dipped her head, to Blackstar's back. She was grateful that the leader had not punished her, having to face her clanmates would probably be punishment enough. Owlfeather thought, beating up on herself.
Putting on a smile, the siamese deputy stepped towards her apprentice former apprentice. "Well done, you deserve it", Owlfeather purred, leaning forward the she-cat licked Sootwhicker's shoulder. "You'll be a great warrior", she added. "Now go grab something to eat", Owlfeather said. Turning, she looked back to where the small kit was. Letting out a sigh, the she-cat started to walk over. "The kit's still young", Owlfeather stated, coming up next to Nightfall. Looking to the queen, Owlfeather looked down at her paws. "The nursery will get a bit tight, I think", the she-cat said, with a slight chuckle. "I... I am expecting", Owlfeather said, clarifying. She said it quite loudly and with determination, so she was sure that others had heard as well. The deputy did not care, she might as well get used to the idea now.