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Post by Hellion on Jul 29, 2015 6:59:03 GMT -5
Gracklefire
The black senior warrior headed the hunting patrol and found her paw-steps among the dry and brittle pine needles. Her amber eyes drifted upwards. In one of these trees her young kit Palepaw fell to his near death, he still didn't walk correctly but she'd never stop loving him. The hunting patrol she lead had already caught a decent collection, the younger warrior Hiddenheart had taken up the task to carry it. Their pace back to camp was slow, Gracklefire was distracted by the trees around her and the memories that flooded her.
"You can go on without me," She told the rest of the hunting patrol, it wasn't unusual for the black senior warrior to wander on her own. The death of her mate hung heavily on her pelt. The near death of her Palepaw wore her down even more. The possible insanity of Starlingcry was enough to send most cats to an early grave, but not Gracklefire she was enduring.
With her head held high she inspected the nearest tree but she knew she'd never find any signs of that day that changed Palepaw. She was a fool to believe that by finding where it happened she'd somehow change the past. Despite all that she had lost Gracklefire only gave into despair once. It was her Cederbranch that saved her it was a special bond between them now, her daughter saved her life.
Her black pelt didn't carry the same shine as before, her only duties were to her Clan. The superficial care of her pelt wouldn't save her life or bring back the one she lost. Even in his death she had a hard time speaking his name. She'd refer to him as 'your father when speaking to her kits, the former deputy when talking to other clanmates. Soon his memory would be lost into the wind, only those who shared his life would remember him.
Gracklefire circled the trunk of one of the slimmer trees, tasting every scent. She was looking for something, but she wasn't sure really what she was looking for.
Where nothing breaks and nothing hurts. There's a waltz playin' frozen in time Blades of grass on tiny bare feet I look at you and you're lookin' at me.
occ. assume blackwolf was in the hunting patrol and stayed behind. Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Aug 21, 2015 20:00:00 GMT -5
BLACKWOLF 51 Moons || Senior Warrior || NightClan Blackwolf wasn't the sort of cat who let things like 'sympathy' and 'compassion' get in the way of living a full, narcissistic life. That said, he was every bit the warrior who would walk right past a Clanmate in distress, unless that Clanmate was too young to be an annoyance to him, or too old to get back to camp by themselves.
In the case with Gracklefire, however, Blackwolf's heart didn't pang with sympathy when he saw the warrior-queen circling the base of a tree, as if in search of some hidden piece of prey. The warrior paused, not one to interrupt anyone's hunts (not anymore, anyway; in his younger moons, he would've concentrated on taking the prey for himself and leaving the loser to scowl and rage, both of them knowing they couldn't do anything about it), but could taste nothing but wind and pine needles when he scented the air. What is she doing?
Though she'd been a warrior when even the infamous Blackwolf had been a kit tumbling around the nursery, he couldn't claim to know very much about her; she was the mate to the deceased Roughthroat, as well as the mother to a large brood of kits—one of which had been his apprentice for a short time. With Starlingcry coming to mind (was it just him or did the she-cats in this Clan seem to be slowly going crazy?, he couldn't tell if that was a 'she-cat thing' or just a weird coincidence), Blackwolf let his curiosity bring him closer, asking in a casual tone that edged into boredom. "Lost something?" Besides a litter of kits, her mate and probably her sanity, that is.
Blackwolf's bi-colored eyes settled on the dull, unkempt pelt of the old queen; he wasn't the greatest when it came to psychology, but this looked like a prime example of a cat who'd lost their spark. Their will for anything.
--- Word Count: 305 Words Tags: Hellion
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Post by Hellion on Aug 24, 2015 13:47:08 GMT -5
Gracklefire
The feeling that someone was near her prickled the fur around her neck. Flicking her ears to listen to the sound of paw steps to judge if it was a threat, Gracklefire found none. Instead she noticed the dark pelt of Blackwolf. The senior warrior that trained Starlingcry and was there when Palepaw had his accident. Questions formed in her mouth but they were pushed aside as quickly as they formed. She didn't know what to say to the tom that didn't sound like a threat or an angry outburst.
His show of concern was likely forced as he questioned if she had lost something. Her flamed colored eyes caught his gaze for a moment before turning her gaze upward into the tree. "Just trying to see if I could find the tree that nearly cost Palepaw his life." Gracklefire told him, a hidden and underlying tone of anger toward the tom. A cutting edge to her words.
His behavior in his younger moons did not foster a healthy relationship between the two. His seeming lack of compassion for her daughter's depression and madness only furthered the black she-cats mistrust of her fellow warrior.
Where nothing breaks and nothing hurts. There's a waltz playin' frozen in time Blades of grass on tiny bare feet I look at you and you're lookin' at me.
Fawn
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Post by Fawn on Aug 24, 2015 14:09:43 GMT -5
BLACKWOLF 51 Moons || Senior Warrior || NightClan The jet-black warrior snorted. To find the tree? "Why? You can't cut it down." He understood a parent's concern for their kits, now that he had three perfect little future-warriors of his own, but he didn't understand the relevance of seeking out Palepaw's tree. Blackwolf had been there on that fateful day, and he remembered it accurately because it had been such a memorable event, not that he had any personal stakes in the matter besides Starlingcry, then Starlingpaw. Of course, that wasn't to say he was indifferent to Roughthroat and Gracklefire's brood. If he could have prevented Palepaw from breaking his leg, he would've.
The accident just didn't haunt his thoughts like it did hers. With a flick of his tail, Blackwolf summoned the hostile queen to follow him. "I know where it is," he drawled over his shoulder, and set off at a leisured trot in the direction of the black woods. Memories chased their tails in front of Blackwolf's eyes, and he recalled walking this same path with Ravenstar, the excited voices of Starlingpaw and Palepaw rising through the fog out of days long passed.
It had been a nasty fall. Blackwolf had thought Palepaw dead upon impact—skeptical that a cat so small and so young could have survived such a cataclysmic drop, but Gracklefire's son had beaten the odds, and he supposed that was something to celebrate. Something he had forgotten drifted back to him; Did Starlingpaw pushed him? He could remember feeling suspicious about that, able to read her angry body language even from when he'd been on the forest floor, fox lengths below them. He knew Palepaw had tried to get past her, and that she refused to budge. Had she nudged him off balance?
It would explain the miasma of bad vibes she was giving off lately; Blackwolf hadn't questioned her on it, assuming she had a large enough social network that someone with a better grasp of compassion and sympathy could give her a much-needed heart-to-heart. Maybe he'd just have to bite the proverbial flea and talk to her himself.
--- Word Count: 341 Words Tags: Hellion
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Post by Hellion on Aug 25, 2015 3:09:10 GMT -5
Gracklefire
Her eyes narrowed at his remark and it took a lot of will power for not to growl at the tom with her frustrations. She wasn't going to cut it down or anything it was more personal then that. Gracklefire wanted to know what happened, was it possible that Starlingcry pushed her brother? The black warrior-queen never had the heart confront her daughter. Plus anytime she asked Palepaw about it he'd always reply that it was an accident. She prayed that it was just an accident but she still wanted to know where it happened.
Another part of her wanted to question the tom and their leader Ravenstar on what prompted the two to take two young apprentices tree climbing. It was risky and judging by the aftermath it was disastrous. Still the warrior remained silent in her disagreement toward her leader and clanmate.
He went to add that he knew where it was. Gracklefire's ears perked up but no new emotion showed on her dark face. "Lead the way" She said just as he headed toward the tree. Her pace matched his well and soon they neared the tree. Gracklefire gave him no thanks as her attention focused solely on the tree. There was no reason to sniff around the tree and inspect it, but she did look at it from her place at the base of the tree.
It was strange to see the height of the branches. It was likely that she'd find claw marks from Starlincry if she was to climb the tree but she wasn't as agile anymore and didn't want to risk it without good reason.
"Did you see him fall?" Gracklefire asked after some times. Her attention didn't returned to her clanmate but remained focused in the tree. She didn't have the courage to speak what she was truly thinking, but she wasn't going to condemn her daughter either. If Blackwolf suspected her daughter in the event then it would be her duty to clear her daughter's name. However, considering no accusations were made it was more likely that no one suspected Starlingcry. Yet it remained important that the queen understand the cause of her daughter's change in demeanor. Starlingcry was no longer a feisty young she-cat ready to take on the glory of young warrior-hood, instead her daughter had become spiteful and cruel to most of her clanmates including her siblings. Could she be hiding a dark secret?
Where nothing breaks and nothing hurts. There's a waltz playin' frozen in time Blades of grass on tiny bare feet I look at you and you're lookin' at me.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 28, 2015 14:13:29 GMT -5
BLACKWOLF 51 Moons || Senior Warrior || NightClan "Yes." There was no point in hiding it. Why would he? Blackwolf didn't understand the queen's need to torture herself with the details, but he indulged her questions, looking up at the tree that had been the cause for all this headache. No, not the tree, the cats in the tree that had teased fate one too many times, that day. Bi-colored eyes roved to where Gracklefire was standing beside him, and he spoke up before she could ask for more information.
"We warned them not to go too high, that the branches were weaker the higher up they went. Everything was fine. At first." And then, as siblings often do, they squabbled. Blackwolf had not been close enough to hear the conversation Starlingpaw and Palepaw had had back then, but body language was body language. It was clear as daylight that Starlingpaw had been pissed at her brother back then; pissed enough to push him out of a tree, though?
Blackwolf wouldn't say yes or no on that front. He knew what it looked like, but he also knew that his recollection of the build-up to that moment had been inaccurate, so long as he'd been on the ground beneath them. The only one who knew what had really happened that day was Starlingcry, and Blackwolf would bet the end of his tail that his former apprentice didn't want to talk about it. Training after that day had been... Tough. For her. He'd seen her retreat inside of herself, to take on a more aggressive, snappish stance with the world; he had chalked it up to 'worry over a sibling' back then, and left it at that. Of course, a small part of him had suspected it to be guilt, but there wasn't much he could have done to help her in any case.
If she had pushed him, then she would have to live with that guilt. He wasn't going to pat her on the head and tell her everything was going to be okay. Because it wasn't. Palepaw still had a messed up leg, which meant NightClan was still one warrior short. Blackwolf looked to Gracklefire. "They looked like they'd disagreed on something, then the next minute the branch breaks." He didn't need to outline the ending for her. She already knew.
--- Word Count: 387 Words Tags: Hellion
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Post by Hellion on Sept 8, 2015 19:59:02 GMT -5
Gracklefire
Her ears remained alert and trained on his voice, every word he spoke she hung to. It wasn't out of mutual respect to listen so strongly but a maternal need to know what happened. Blackwolf cared only about himself, Ravenstar likely felt the same. The only ones that cared for her kits was herself. But He was gone, and His affections for His kits was lost in the dirt that held His body. Gracklefire was the only one left to protect them when the couldn't protect themselves. Her ebony daughter was not in the right state of mind to defend herself or her actions. It troubled her deeply and prompted her into such situation as this. Palepaw struggled and her heart ached, threatening to shatter all over again. He'd never be the warrior he was meant to be. Sadness and anger troubled the older warrior, but her duty to her family was more important than the respect of her Clanmate, especially one such as Blackwolf.
Exhaling the breathe she hadn't realized she was holding, Gracklefire let her eyes drift a final time into the tree limbs, her decision made.
In a calculated maneuver Grackle turned to face the tom head on, the fire ablaze in her eyes. "You have done well so far not to talk about what happened between my two kits. I expect that it remains that way." Her words came out stern, no room for hidden meanings.
"What trouble happened up thre is between Starlingcry, Palepaw and StarClan. Any doubts you had or may have will die with you understood?" Gracklefire in her youth would have put her Clan ahead of herself, exile the cat who did such a heinous act. The Gracklefire that stood now would put her kits first even if that meant threatening a clanmate. Part of her expected Blackwolf to understand, he was a new father but regardless if he didn't she'd be willing to do her own heinous act to ensure her family's safety.
Where nothing breaks and nothing hurts. There's a waltz playin' frozen in time Blades of grass on tiny bare feet I look at you and you're lookin' at me.
Fawn note:I didn't intend for it go so dark.
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Post by Fawn on Sept 8, 2015 23:03:18 GMT -5
BLACKWOLF 51 Moons || Senior Warrior || NightClan A cold, purely aggressive light entered the jet black tom's mismatched eyes. Oh he recognized a threat when he saw one, and he wasn't afraid of a nearly-elderly she-cat queen, even if she was the former deputy's mate. "Well I was going to keep my mouth shut about it, because it's not like I care. But if you're going to threaten me, I might just get a little chatty with Slatenose one of these days." Now, Slatenose didn't exactly like him, and he didn't expect anything to be done if he did tell the Clan deputy what had happened back then, but he could play this intimidation game just as well as she.
She was afraid of something, though he couldn't say what. It wasn't as if Starlingcry would get exiled for something so petty; Starlingcry wasn't cold-blooded (not that he knew, anyway), she wasn't trying to murder her brother that day. It was just an accident.
With a scoff, Blackwolf's raised hackles began to settle, his eyes were still narrowed with aggression but that lazy, haughty tone in his voice had returned. "There's no point in telling anyone. Can't turn back time. You could've just asked nicely. This is between your family, not mine." He knew she-cats could be protective, but threatening him was always the wrong thing to do. He didn't take kindly to that behavior, nor should he. He wasn't raising his kits to be a bunch of pansies, either. If someone threatened you, you stood your ground, or made them regret ever trying in the first place.
Maybe Gracklefire was now just as crazy as her daughter. He didn't care. He wanted to be done with this conversation; starting some kind of stupid feud with her wasn't on his to-do list for the day.
--- Word Count: 291 Words Tags: Hellion
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Post by Hellion on Sept 8, 2015 23:29:49 GMT -5
Gracklefire
The prickle of aggression warmed the blood of the she-cat, the graying bit of her mouth open just slightly to let a light hiss escape. Amber eyes narrowed, claws itched to extend as each word toyed with her self-control, a mother's wrath was never to be messed with. Trust was important and in the past she had fearless trust in her clanmates. However, seeing the hellish glow of ambitious in some of her trusted clanmates forced that trust to break faster than dawn. Blackwolf was the most ambitious of them all and by her logic the least trusting. He might have been true to his word and might never had brought up but Gracklefire had no faith in him.
The mention of Slatenose didn't worry the senior one bit. Blackwolf was young compared to her and the former mate of the deputy, her word carried value. At least she hoped it would, regardless Grackefire would not show weakness to her junior and kept her facial features stern. No verbal response came from the amber-eyed she-cat, a quick lash of her tail a sign she understood him.
As he carried on with what he had to say, Gracklefire remained strong in her posture, unyeilding to the likes of him. "I trust that for the safety of both our families and the strength of the Clan we let this conversation end here." Her voice teetered on the edged on another growl but her self-control ruled this moment and kept the growl in check. Giving her words a moment to settle the she-cat flicked her tail as a gesture of dismissal, a respectful dip of her head that appeared more mocking came from her before she took a few steps back, maintaining eye contact, showing him with her body language she didn't trust him enough to show her back. A safe distance between them, Gracklefire turned and began to walk away, never running. A simple and calm pace, show her lack of fear of him. It wasn't only a matter of steps before she disappeared into the thicket and headed for home.
All you have is your fire, And the place you need to reach Don't you ever tame your demons, But always keep 'em on a leash...
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