Frost |Old Med-cat,Duskclan|white and gray she-cat|Location: Duskclan Camp|Mentions: Patch, Owlfeather, Spiderpaw
Frost bristled slightly as Owlfeather mentioned her name, and her blue gaze seemed to turn to chips of ice, as they narrowed ever so slightly. Jaws parting, she looked as if to respond, though the appearance of Spiderpaw made her pause. As the scene unfolded, she too took a step back, looking less than thrilled at the sudden influx of cats about.
"I don't see how that's my decision to make. Unless your speaking health wise, in which case, she is perfectly capable." Her gaze flickered towards the rogue, and she relaxed slightly, now that there were no more entries into their immediate area.
Perhaps you could ask her, as shes sitting right here." The words were a bit cheeky, as she straightened, and as she did so shifting ever so slightly closer to Patch. She did not touch the other she-cat, but let her presence show a sense of solidarity without imposing to much on her already seemingly strained emotions.
"But, as this no longer involved medicine-cat duties, you are all free to leave." She mewed clearly done if they no longer needed her services, her pelt smoothing from its faint bristles but her eyes still sharp. She backed up a few steps, giving the faintest twitch of her head to each cat before pausing on Owlfeather.
"And to answer your question, no. I don't see how taking my old name would change my performance. To become Frostpool again would negate my previous choice in leaving. I'm here temporarily, that's all." She spoke not unkindly, but sternly as she stared down the deputy unblinking, until after a moment, her whiskers twitched dismissively.

Dustpelt|Warrior of Duskclan|Leggy Calico Tom|Location: Duskclan camp/terrain|Mentions: Weaelflight, Spiderpaw, Patch, Owlfeather
Dustpelt tried not to show his worry for Weaselflight as the smaller warrior emerged, looking as listless as ever. Even though time had started to pass since the events of Redeye and the Serval, it had effected the clan more strongly than anything in recent memory. Padding forward he gave his friend a gentle headbutt to the shoulder, and rasped his tongue over the warriors shoulder a few times. He didn;t try to force the tom into speaking, or even try to convince him to feel anything other than what he did, but instead leaned back, ears pricking. If he couldn't help, he could at least be a distraction.
"I know there were some brambles in the dip, just south of the camp wall, we could probably go in pairs, theres still a few of us here to work." His gaze shifted to where Owlfeather and Spiderpaw stood, now talking to Frost and Patch. His tail tip twitched in amusement. Obviously no one was overtly excited to start the rather mundane task.
"Well, we might as well take the first gathering run." He mused, turning and brushing his tail against Weaselflights side, as if to give him some of his energy.
"Last one to the bramble pit is crow-food!" He challenged, hopping slightly on his paws before starting towards the den entrance, his coat already somehow, covered in morning dust.


Foxpaw|Apprentice of Dawnclan|Small Ginger Tabby She-cat|Location: Clan camp|Mentions: Flamepaw, Umbraclaw, kits, Turtlesplash
Foxpaw jerked away from her sisters nip with a hiss, turning her yellow glare onto the other flame colored apprentice, looking annoyed.
"Its fine. The sooner I can become a warrior, the better though." She grumbled, her ears flattening slightly against her skull, obviously not trying to impress anyone now that it was just her and her kin speaking. She glanced towards where the deputy and leader sat, her nose wrinkling ever so slightly.
"I'm tired of having to take orders from cats that don't know what Dawnclan could really become." her mew was dark, and quiet, as if she was speaking more to herself for a moment, before she shuddered, blinked twice, then straightened up from where she had started to crouch.
"Not that I think Umbraclaw and Gingerstar are poor leaders." she mewed, dismissing her previous comment with a twitch of her tail as it wrapped around her paws.
"I'm just getting a bit crazy with all the new restrictions." she muttered, following Flamepaws gaze to the kits, before looking away with disinterest.
"You'll still be a warrior, messenger is just a title that means you have to talk to those Duskclanners." she snorted, sounding a bit unimpressed.To her, the idea that a cat had permission to walk in their territory, and vice versa was ridiculous. They should deal with threats on their own, and not have to rely on anyone but their own strength. After all, what else was a Clan about? She was lost in thought for a moment, before she glanced at Flamepaw, her tension relaxing slightly.
"But, it must mean Gingerstar knows your fast, so that's cool." she resisted adding a 'I guess' at the end of the statement, trying to sound if not happy, at least acknowledging of her sisters talent.

News/Event for Anyone
~~~~~

Sootwhisker | Duskclan Warrior | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Duskclan Territory| Mentions: (Direct) Springpaw (Indirect) Wolfstorm, Vulturepaw

As Sootwhisker watched Springpaw go for a vole, he realized that she was better at hunting than he was expecting. "Nice catch," he said, returning the apprentice's smile. "To be honest, I never woulda guessed that you'd be such a patient hunter. Uh, no offense. Your lessons with Wolfstorm must be going pretty well." Sootwhisker figured he was probably scaring all the prey away with all his talking, so he quickly silenced himself before stalking through the brush. There would be plenty of time to talk and give praise when they were ready to go back.

It wasn't long before the gray tom had caught a mouse that had been scurrying among the gnarled roots of a tree, and he buried it near his earlier catch. Counting Springpaw's vole, they already had three nice meals to take back to camp. Not bad. He wondered how the other two were doing. Hopefully, they were doing as well as he and Springpaw. Although, perhaps he didn't hope they were doing quite as well. Sootwhisker may have wished them the best with their hunt, but he still wanted to bring back more prey than the other pair, even if only by one measly minnow. ...Okay so maybe not by a minnow (fish are gross and a hassle to catch, anyway), but the point was, he was feeling a bit competitive. He sat down, amber eyes scanning the trees for any squirrels that might be skittering down one of their trunks.

Owlfeather|Duskclan|Deputy|36 Moons Old|Siamese She-Cat|Location: Camp|Mention(s) Directly: Patch, Frost, Spiderpaw|Mention(s) Indirectly: Weasleflight, Dustpelt, OPEN

The deputy nodded her head, "Well we can always use a extra set of paws", the siamese she-cat said to Patch. As Frost continued, Owlfeather keeped her mouth shut. Her blue eyes level on the older cat, as she spoke, tightened. She knew that this matter, concerning Frost's name, would be between Blackstar and the medicine cat. She reprimanded herself, for bringing the matter up. It was none of her concern after all.
Getting to her paws, the deputy dipped her head to the medicine cat, "I understand", Owlfeather said, "Apologies", the deputy added. She was apologizing for the amount of cats suddenly in the medicine cat den and for her question. Turning on her paws, she prodded Spiderpaw's side. "Let's go", Owlfeather told the apprentice. Looking over her shoulder, the deputy gave the loner a nod, "If you'd like to join us, just come outside and see Spiderpaw", at the mention of the apprentice, she tapped the young toms side. Heading out of the medicine cat den, the deputy looked around. Weaselflight and Dustpelt seemed to already be off to fetch material, good. Turning to Spiderpaw, she gave the apprentice a nod. "I want you to go and check, if any of the dens need fixing. There is a hole in the side of the nursery for one", looking back to the medicine cat den, the deputy added, "If Patch does decide to come and help, make sure to keep an eye on her. She is still a stranger, if she makes a step out of line, let me know, I will stay close", Owlfeather said, fineshing she walked passed the young tom. Giving him an encouraging smile, the deputy walked off, to get about her own duty. She still needed to stabilize that rock, maybe some mud and small rocks could help.



Flamepaw|Dawnclan|Apprentice|13 Moons Old|Ginger She-Cat|Location: Camp|Mention(s) Directly: Foxpaw|Mention(s) Indirectly: Turtlesplash, Harepaw

Flamepaw's ear twitched in amusement, as she seemingly got under her littermates pelt. "I'm also tired of having to stay in camp and following everyone's orders", Flamepaw said, nodding her head in agreement to her sisters words. Flamepaw grunted, "Still a warrior, hu?", Flamepaw said dryly. "Sometimes I think, most cats have forgotten what that means", the apprentice added, nodding her head in the direction of Turtlesplash. Laying down on the ground the young ginger tabby she-cat let out a sigh, "Well Harepaw seemed nice, if nothing else. She's training to be Duskclan's messenger", Flamepaw explained.
Her ear twitched and white tail tip swayed a bit, as he sister complimented her. Flamepaw let out a chuckle, "I guess that's true, thanks", the she-cat said, thanking her sister for her words. She knew that it was quite uncharacteristic for her sister to say this, without meaning it in a sarcastic way. Looking up, Flamepaw keeped an eyes out for her mentor, where was Scorchwing? Flamepaw wanted to get out of camp already. "Should we ask one of the warriors, to take us out on a hunting patrol?", the fluffy ginger she-cat said, a bit of sarcasm in her voice. She did not like these rules at all.

Gingerstar | DawnClan Leader | 36 Moons | Mollie | Camp | Umbraclaw; Willowpaw ; Shadewing ; Turtlesplash

Gingerstar flicked her ear slightly irritably at Umbraclaw's pretentious 'don't interrupt' statement. She could hold her tongue when she wished and would speak when she wished. However, she did honor the request, though about halfway through the explanation of the idea, her eyes turned from Umbraclaw's face to the ground, brows sinched in thought. She flicked her tail once Umbraclaw's words finished, the mollie obviously eager to hear her thoughts on it. She was silent for several long moments, almost as if she was working through the idea in her mind. She rose onto her paws suddenly, without much of a courteous warning to Umbraclaw, and said somewhat absently, "there are kits to apprentice."

She sprang onto the high root, wrapping her tail around her paws and flattening her ears to stare down at the clan. Her chest expanded, and she gave a loud shout. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here below the high root for a clan meeting!"

She waited patiently for the cats to gather, and once she could see the cats she had pinpointed in her mind as 'important' for this event, and the others had collected for the most part, she continued. "Amidst the chaos of the past few days, we have neglected the more positive aspects of clan life. Three kits have come of age, and are finally ready to begin their apprenticeships. Willowkit, Dapplekit, Swallowkit, please step forwards." The leader waited silently for the three kits to approach, the latter two sprinting towards her, the first trailing behind them with a face twisted with irritation. He sat far apart from the two brothers. She paid no attention to it, turning her eyes to the clan. "Willowkit, you are now six moons old. It is time for you to earn your apprentice name. From this moment forwards, you will be known as Willowpaw."

"Shadewing," she called, turning away from the newly named pale tom, "despite your recent choices around a former clanmate, your loyalty is unwavering and your motivation and energy are traits that no one can argue with. It is my hope that you will pass down these traits to Willowpaw, in the moons to come."

She allowed the two a moment to touch noses before continuing with the ceremonies. As each apprentice dabbed noses with their new mentors, she could not help but feel a small kindle of pride. These were the first apprentices she had ever named- even Cinderpaw, the youngest apprentice, had been named such a moon before she took the position of leader. She gave a small sigh, and turned her eyes outwards from the crowd, towards the somewhat distant tortoiseshell form she so despised.

"Turtlesplash," she called, "it is time that your fate be announced as well."

She waited for the traitor to approach, and glowered down at her from above. "Courtesy of Umbraclaw, a compromise has been reached regarding your presence within this clan. You say you wish to rejoin, but no leader in their sane mind would just accept that. However, due to the impact of the serval in our territory and our recent losses, there is little choice but to welcome the work. Your rank shall benefit your worth- you will be an apprentice alongside the three I have just named. You may have completed your training, but who is to say how effective your pretty kittypet paws are at battle or hunting any longer... you will eat last, never before the elders and queens are fed. You will take part in apprentice chores. Though you do not have a set mentor, any cat with a rank that outranks your own can give you an order and you are expected to follow it. This is effective immediately."

Her gaze was cold and unrelenting. Her lips curled slightly. "Welcome to DawnClan, Turtlepaw."
If you ask too many questions, or seek too much approval, nothing ever gets done


---

Willowkit | DawnClan Apprentice | 6 Moons | Tom | Camp | Foxpaw ; Flamepaw ; Gingerstar ; Shadewing

Willowkit's lips curled into a half snarl at Foxpaw's comment, but he did not respond. Her twisted attitude was something he could hold a [very] grudging respect for, but he did not care to involve himself in it just yet. It did rile him a little, but not enough that it would lead to unwarranted comments. He was about to slink back into the darkness when Gingerstar howled for a clan meeting. He did not dare get his hopes up, whatever 'hope' he had, he simply drifted slightly closer... just in case. Sure enough a few moments later, her voice was calling his name. He felt a surge of excitement, but it was smashed when his brothers were mentioned. His teeth gritted, and he approached very slowly, keeping as far from Swallowkit and Dapplekit as possible while still being near the front.

There was a shot of pride when his name changed from Willowkit to Willowpaw. Not much else could be said for the change, it was just another pointless suffix designed to deny him access to his true name. When the leader stated that his mentor would be Shadewing, he turned, waiting impatiently for the dark colored tom to approach. His ears perked when he emerged, and he hurriedly bumped his nose against Shadewing's own. "I'm going to be the best warrior," he hissed under his breath, his fur raising in a mix of anger, excitement, and distaste for the cats around him. He wanted to get to training right away. Now, if possible. He virtually ignored the rest of the ceremonies, keeping his eyes on Shadewing, studying the other tom intensely, looking for weakness, for the 'good' or whatever that was, for strength. He was determined to believe he had gotten a good mentor but knew almost nothing about the other cat. Not that it would stop him from becoming a great warrior, nothing could do that.
Words are a more powerful weapon than any material force could hope to combat


---

Weaselflight | DuskClan Warrior | 21 Moons | Tom | Camp | Dustpelt

Weaselflight nodded his head absently when Dustpelt voiced where they could go for the brambles, and that they should go in pairs. He assumed that meant that he would be waiting for Dustpelt and Harepaw to return, but then the dilute tortie tom thwacked his tail against Weaselflight's side, and challenged him to a race. In his confusion, it took a few moments for him to right himself, but maybe a run would be good for him now. It could get his mind off of things, stretch out the muscles that had grown tight in their disuse. He could see Dustpelt's tail disappearing out the entrance, and bunched his legs under his haunches, beginning the chase after his lithe friend.

He maintained his distance for quite a bit but had to slow before they reached their destination, and he came trotting in several paces behind Dustpelt, panting rather hard. "N-n-n-not used t-to running anymore," he stuttered, it may have only been a few days that he had been hurt but that amount of rest had still lost him a rather shocking amount of stamina. It would need some work to get back up to speed with the rest of the warriors. He looked down into the dip, and huffed. "How do we go about collectin' this then, Dustpelt?"
Better safe than sorry


---

Event For: Wolfstorm ; Vulturepaw ; Sootwhisker ; Springpaw

As the hunting patrol tries to move forwards, things begin to get dead silent, and it appears that all the prey has disappeared. There is nothing in their vicinity. The warriors are the first to notice the sound of something large approaching, but it is still far away. There is crunching and rustling, the sounds of bushes moving around and branches breaking, and it's getting closer. It gets to within two foxlengths of them, and stops dead. There is a growling sound, something large. The area floods with the scent of serval, recognizable to only Sootwhisker and Vulturepaw, and below the thick, musky smell is something vaguely familiar, laced with the smell of blood and stale air. The closer they get, the more defensive the growling gets.

⇺ [ Turtlesplash ] ⇻
24 Moons • Female • DawnClan • Warrior Apprentice
Location: DawnClan Camp • Mentions: Ashcreek, Gingerstar, Umbraclaw, Shadewing, Willowpaw

Ashcreek’s contradictory actions stirred anger and confusion within Turtlesplash, her pelt beginning to bristle. One moment her father was spitting hatred, his eyes filled with malice, the next he was claiming he never meant to harm anyone? The tom even had the audacity to look concerned. “I don’t believe you,” she replied coldly, her face harsh and critical. “Now leave me be.”

Gingerstar calling for a meeting disrupted whatever Ashcreek might have said next and she was glad to see him retreat, only moving when her guards nudged her forward, not content to leave her unattended. She sat awkwardly between Falconstrike and Amberpool, not unaware of her former Clanmates unfriendly stares as she moved among them. Apprentices were named, Shadewing himself being announced as a mentor which caused her to acknowledge her old friend for the first time since her arrival in camp, sending him a glance filled with silent congratulations, and then, at last, it appeared her own fate was to be addressed.

She listened quietly as Gingerstar spoke, padding closer as the leader called her name, and giving away nothing as the expectations regarding her readmittance were listed. “Thank you Gingerstar. I accept your conditions. It is an honor to serve you,” she replied, dipping her head respectfully. Though she doubted Umbraclaw had spoken on her behalf for her benefit the black she-cat was extended an identically appreciative nod, the gesture expressing her gratitude. Once the meeting was over she tentatively approached Shadewing and Willowpaw, certain she’d be put to work almost immediately, but want to provide a verbal praise.

“You’ll make a wonderful mentor,” she commented upon reaching the pair, nudging Shadewing’s shoulder with her head before gazing down at Willowpaw warmly. “And you’ll make a fine warrior no doubt.” She could detect dissatisfaction in the tom, and she found herself wondering what had the young cat so ruffled. “I’ll leave you to your training. I’m sure my first task is soon to be assigned,” she added before moving away from the toms. If she wasn’t issued a direct order shortly she would start her day by tending to the queens and elders.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

⇺ [ Redeye ] ⇻
36 Moons • Male • DuskClan • Warrior
Location: DuskClan Territory • Mentions: Storm, Hunting Patrol

Redeye’s head was in a fog, his surroundings blurred and unfocused as he moved through the forest. Patches of sunlight seeping through the canopy above further compromised his vision, crimson eyes narrowed to slits in order to avoid the bright light. He had little sense of reality, everything seemed almost unreal. His throat felt dry and his stomach empty, His whole body ached and a dull searing pain shot across his neck and shoulder with every pawstep he took. His legs trembled with each movement, only managing to stay upright with the help of the tall spotted feline upon whose side he heavily leaned against.

She felt familiar and safe though time was lost on the albino warrior, his last clear memories being from two days prior when he had dived into the cavern after Storm. Every time he thought too hard about anything an intense pain filled his cranium and Redeye withdrew into himself, instinctively knowing he didn’t want to remember whatever his mind was withholding. There was something he could recall, however vaguely, though. A soothing tongue tending to his wounds, a warm body cradling his own, precious, life-giving liquid and meat pressed against his mouth selflessly offered, and the feeling of being a kit again, wrapped in his mother’s loving embrace, for there had been a time long forgotten when Redeye’s birth mother had loved him, before she realized what he was.

Through the haze of pain and confusion, the scents of his territory and Clanmates seemed to awaken in the weakened tom a sense of familiarity and his pace increased, stumbling every time he attempted to pull away from his company’s supportive form despite her attempts to restrain him. “We’re close. I can smell home,” he managed to cough out, his voice raspy and barely audible. Storm’s growling sounded far away at the start and caused him to pause, realizing moments later the threatening noises were coming from her. “It’s alright,” he attempted to appease the protective serval. “Family. Those cats not hurt you. Not if I tell them no hurt,” he mumbled, the effort of concentrating on the current situation and speaking coherently causing him to feel quite dizzy.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•☾☼☽•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•

⇺ [ Spiderpaw ] ⇻
10 Moons • Male • DuskClan • Warrior Apprentice
Location: DuskClan Camp • Mentions: Patch, Owlfeather, Frost

The young tom’s eyes widened in alarm as his entrance caused a rather extreme reaction in Patch, the large calico reeling back, her pelt spiked until she looked twice her original size. His ears folded back against his skull, and for a moment Spiderpaw appeared similarly startled, his tense body language loosening only once the strange she-cat seemed to calm down. Owlfeather’s paw atop his head and lighthearted tone further soothed him, and it wasn’t long before his tail was raising skyward once more, his previous excitement making a swift return. “Sorry, Patch.”

Glancing between Patch and Frost, he could see the pale-furred medicine cat hadn’t been too pleased with his unannounced arrival either, but apologizing to her as well seemed to have slipped his mind. Instead, he intently listened to the conversation between deputy and healer, Owlfeather’s question regarding whether or not Frost would reclaim her medicine cat name resulting in a rather terse response from the older female. Spiderpaw’s tail flicked in obvious disapproval. Whether she intended to stay or not, any cat who served DuskClan should accept a proper name. Regarding Frost with a shrewd expression, he quickly turned to follow Owlfeather outside.

Owlfeather’s orders were met with a determined nod, and he settled back on his haunches outside the medicine den, giving Patch a few seconds to decide whether or not she wanted to join them. “You don’t need to worry. If Patch ends up proving unruly I’ll see to it myself she’s reminded we don’t take kindly to uncivilized cats in this Clan,” Spiderpaw assured the deputy, a hard glint flickering within his gaze before being replaced with his typical bright enthusiasm. “I’m sure that won’t be the case though! She seems nice enough.” Purring a quick farewell as Owlfeather departed, he glanced back toward the medicine cat’s den, curious to see if Patch was eager to make herself useful.

| Wolfstorm | 38 Moons | Female | Duskclan Warrior |
Location: Duskclan camp- Apprentice den
Mentions: Hunting patrol, EVENT

Wolfstorm and Vulturepaw worked well together, though it didn't surprise the mollie too much. She was proud of the apprentice for focusing on the task at hand. Soon, they had a decent stash of prey between them to take back to the clan, and she touched her nose to his shoulder in pride. "You did wonderfully, Vulturepaw! I'm glad that you were able to get the hang of stalking so close to your prey you could almost taste it before you even pounced! It's like you're built for the ambush." She mrrowed with amusement, seeing the other two waiting at the tree. "Two mice and a squirrel from Vulturepaw, and I managed a robin and a vole. Five good meals to help out and strengthen the clan! How did your hunting go?" Her attention was drawn away as a growling, rumbling sound drew closer. The fur on her hackles raised instinctively as she stepped in front of the apprentices.

"Who's there? Show yourself. This is Duskclan territory, and we prefer to know if we have strangers about." Her voice was even and confident, not aggressive but certainly not scared or nervous either. That familiar scent was intriguing, but she couldn't quite place it over the heavy musk that surrounded them.



| Shadewing | 20 Moons | Male | Dawnclan Warrior |
Location: Camp
Mentions: (Pretty much everyone in Dawnclan IG I don't wanna count ;^;) Willowpaw, Turtlesplashpaw

A barely stifled squeak of surprise caught in the tom's voice as he was called forwards to take on an apprentice. "Me? the thought was prevalent in his mind as he walked forwards eagerly. Even the chastising wasn't much of a sting over the excitement of having an apprentice! He forced himself to hold a more mature position, but the gleeful grin on his muzzle told everyone there just how excited he really was. If he was being honest with himself, Willowpaw was the kit out of the litter of three that he would have wanted to mentor anyways. The other two were little bullies, and he hated that. Hopefully their mentors would set them straight. Meanwhile Willowpaw always seemed like the one who needed a good influence in his life, hopefully Shadewing would be able to be that figure for him. The two touched noses, and Shadewing grinned. "And that you will be, I'll make sure of it." He winked at his new apprentice, retreating back as the ceremony finished up and Turtlesplash's fate was announced. He supposed that it made sense, and it WAS better than her being run off out of the clan.

As his old friend approached, he swished his tail in greeting. "Hopefully I can teach him everything he needs to know to be the very best for his clan. He's definitely already got the spirit for it!" He looked back at Turtlesplash-no, Turtlepaw, sympathetically. "Good luck with your chores. Maybe once they run out of things for you to do in camp, you'll be able to come train with us for a while." He nudged her shoulder reassuringly. "I bet once you've proven your loyalty again, things will get better. Just gotta keep your head up." He looked back over at Willowpaw. "And speaking of training, you look absolutely ready to burst, how about I give you the grand tour of the territory, then do some hunting lessons on the way back to camp?"

Sootwhisker | Duskclan Warrior | 13 moons | Small, gray tabby tom | Location: Duskclan Territory| Mentions: (Direct) Springpaw, Wolfstorm, Vulturepaw, Serval (Indirect) Redeye

Sootwhisker's eyes widened in surprise as the apprentice landed quite ungracefully, the wing of the bird still latched in her mouth. Once her kill was made, he hurried over to her. "Jeez! Be a little more careful!" he said, his concern giving his voice an edge. After looking her over, she didn't seem to be badly hurt and he began to relax. The tom sighed. "Can you imagine what would happen if I broke Wolfstorm's apprentice? 'Cause I can't, and I'd rather not find out," he meowed, attempting to find a bit of humor in it. After that little incident, he waited for the other two and asked Springpaw to do the same, still sideglancing her for any signs that she might implode. When Wolfstorm and Vulturepaw arrived, he got to his paws. It was great to hear that the younger tom had done so well, even if it had lost Sootwhisker the unofficial competition.

"It went well! I picked up a-" his words cut off as he noticed a deep growling coming from ahead. It wasn't until that moment that he realized just how quiet their surroundings were, and a chill crept beneath his pelt as the heavy steps drew closer. However, the foreign scent was unmistakable. "Careful!" he warned the others. "It's one of those servals. The ones we saw when..." Sootwhisker's words drained off as he noticed another scent, just as unmistakable as the last, mixed with the sharp smell of blood. This must be the one from the Cavern! It had to be, right? Muscles tensed and prepped for action, the tom's mind fumbled for the name that had been used for the creature. "Uh, Storm?" he called out uncertainly. Had it come for some sort of revenge for having pursued it back in Dawnclan territory? And, more importantly, did it really have Redeye with it? Sootwhisker grit his teeth at the thought of the tall creature appearing before them, dragging along the bloodied body of their clanmate. He readied for the serval to show itself and, with a heavy heart, prepared for the worst.

Willowpaw | DawnClan Apprentice | 6 Moons | Tom | Camp | Shadewing ; Turtlesplash/paw

Willowpaw's ears twitched at Shadewing's words about making him a good warrior, but he said nothing. Words were words, a weapon unto themselves, and he knew never to trust something spoken. Only time would tell if Shadewing was serving his purpose or not. His piercing blue gaze moved onto Turtlesplash- Turtlepaw. Whatever she was now. He did not move when she spoke to him, nor did he speak. The traitor intrigued him, but he had a healthy wariness about her presence. He was not yet sure if he could trust her enough to speak in her direction- he did not dare lose the favor of his leader, not when his mentor had already done that. He didn't know their relationship, the traitor and Shadewing, but he would not question it.

When Shadewing suggested they go training, he jumped onto his paws, lashing his tail with sudden energy. His lips curled into a half smile and he inclined his head. "Yes!" he said with a strange tone of excitement and also deadpan, his fur rising along his spine and neck. He quickly lashed himself into control, flattening his fur and coughing. "Sorry. Lead the way, Shadewing," he corrected himself firmly, as though chastising a different cat, his ears flat in well... not embarrassment but irritation at his own outburst.
Words are a more powerful weapon than any material force could hope to combat


---

Storm that Hides the Stars | Serval NPC | ??? | Mollie | DuskClan Territory | Redeye ; Wolfstorm ; Vulturepaw ; Sootwhisker ; Springpaw

The moment that Redeye spoke, Storm's growl dropped off sharply, turning into a strange, wordless croon. She quickly stopped making sound at all, and when Wolfstorm shouted in their direction, she flattened her ears, readjusting the way that Redeye was leaning on her to be more supportive. Sootwhisker's yell was next, and she could vaguely remember his voice from the Cavern. Cautiously, she eased Redeye and herself from the brush, stepping out into their view, her stubby tail lashing. She could tell, not by knowledge just from sensing it, that Redeye had been going downhill since they began walking, and it was making her incredibly anxious. She kept turning her head towards him and nosing his body in different places, as though making sure everything was still there. When they emerged from the bushes, her ears flattened, and the growl rose again.

"Storm," she rumbled, "Storm bring cat home. Cat need help. Bring cat home. Speak with little cats. Storm bring kit home."

She had shuffled forwards slightly now, so that she was blocking Redeye from view for the most part, as though preparing for a fight. He may have promised they would not attack, but she did not trust the other cats to adhere to his commands. She could see four cats, but did not believe that they were alone. They traveled in big groups. She knew, she knew, she knew. Her growl intensified, and she gnashed her teeth impatiently. "Where small cat home? Where small cat 'medicine-cat'?"

Redeye had taught her that word. He had asked for their 'medicine-cat' several times in his drunken haze, and left her trying desperately to seek out whatever this medicine cat was. She could smell his sickness now and her anxiety was rising as well, and she suddenly turned back to him, bumping him with her head several times, the crooning noise rising again from her growl, nudging the tom and lapping at his cut a few times where some debris from their travels had stuck, before she turned back towards the patrol, her hair raised and body tense.

| Wolfstorm | 38 Moons | Female | Duskclan Warrior |
Location: Duskclan camp- Apprentice den
Mentions: Hunting patrol, Storm, Redeye

"Redeye?" Her voice was soft, shocked to see the state he was in. Her gaze flicked to her clanmates. "Stand down, she's clearly here to help, not harm. Springpaw, run as fast as you can back to camp to get Frost and Blackstar. Bring them here, and tell Frost that Redeye is in very bad shape." Her eyes flicked back to the Serval. Judging from how she spoke, she wouldn't understand their language fully, much like her brothers whenever she'd spoken to them.

"Sent friend, she get medicine cat. Us stay here." She purred reassuringly, dipping her head to the serval. "I come see friend?" She gestured with her paw, essentially asking if she could approach to check on Redeye. "No hurt, Promise. Just check friend."

⌘{ Patch }⌘
:: Female :: Rogue :: 35 Moons :: M- Frost, Owlfeather, Spiderpaw ::
:: Location: Duskclan Camp ::
As the two visitors quickly made their leave, Patch had to wonder if it wasn't the strained conversation of Frost's name of all things rather than the need to get back to work. Was naming really so important to this clan? Surely, she must be missing something that even the seemingly now returned medicine cat acknowledged as important enough to argue over. Interesting to say the least as Frost seemed like a perfectly respectable name....certainly less of a mouthful. She wished she knew more about clan laws, or even just more about clan ranks! Only half a minute before she hadn't realized that the rank of deputy existed...and the only reason she knew more about what a medicine-cat did was because she had spent the last couple days under the close care of one.

Well if she was going to learn anything she might as well go and find out for herself...besides it seemed as if Frost needed some much earned time to herself under the circumstances. Getting to her feet, the muted calico thanked the older she-cat before taking her leave.

"Thank you for ridding me of those damnable fleas Frost! I can honestly say that I haven't felt this good in a very long time. I think I'm going to try and take advantage of this opportunity and perhaps learn a bit more about clan structure so I'm not completely clueless about what's going on. I hope to talk to you later! I enjoy our conversations."

A respectful tip of the head was aimed in Frost's direction before the calico trotted out of the den, her golden gaze quickly locking on to the young tom who had burst in earlier with so much excitement. Owlfeather was taking her leave of the oddly pelted cat, and he in turn, seemed to be waiting on her! Picking up her pace into a slight half-jog, the rouge skidded to a slow halt before Spider....paw. Looking down at the male, the rogue tilted her head her ear slowly lowering to the back of her skull as she spoke, her feathered tail rapping securely around her feet as she sat down.

"I'm...sorry I reacted in such a way earlier Spider...paw? I got too caught up in the conversation and your entrance startled me...I didn't mean anything by it. Just a habit of my life-style I suppose...I hope it will get better with time, if I'm allowed to stay. Either way I'm here to lend a helping paw."

The last was said with a slight smirk, the female's head tilted with curiosity as she watched the male and tried to guess at what, precisely, he was thinking.