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Post by Fawn on Sept 15, 2016 15:40:04 GMT -5
LIONSTAR leader of treeclan Blinded by the light of a new sun “Meadowleaf, keep an eye on things. I’m going for a walk.”
The dappled she-cat nodded her head and immediately straightened her shoulders, gazing around camp with an authority that came with effort, not naturally. She was a decent deputy, but ever since that dream… He had begun to notice little flaws, little things that Lionstar suspected might be her undoing.
She did not handle pressure nearly so well as he’d thought; her confidence during warriorhood had diminished--maybe he had promoted her to deputy far too soon? Skyfall could have served them well for another moon or so--Lionstar thought it would only take a little while for her to bounce back.
Yet…
Lionstar glanced around the camp as well, considering requesting a second opinion. He had already discussed much with Gorsetail, and he enjoyed the young warrior’s insights. Locating the warrior near the fresh kill pile, Lionstar tapped his flank with his tail. ”I’m going for a walk. I’d like to speak with you about a few things. Don’t worry, nothing bad.” A smile lit up his golden face, and Lionstar set a path for the entrance to camp, his strides long and confident; he always felt better about things after a walk.
Even if he didn’t come to a satisfactory conclusion, just being outside of camp put him in a different mindset. The thing about leadership, about being surrounded on all sides by the Clanmates he had sworn to give his life for and watch over, was that he tended to be… too close. Too close to be entirely unbiased when it came to decisions.
Being outside of camp allowed him to physically step away from the situation at hand, and approach it with a new angle.
Meadowleaf may not be my deputy for much longer. That wasn’t at the forefront of the golden warrior’s mind, however; he raised his nose to the wind, picking up the cool scents of autumn, listening to the loud rustle of red and gold and green leaves in the trees high above. The birds were busy, and their chatter masked any sounds his footfalls made, though moons of practice had resulted in even his walks being quiet.
”Do you remember seeing Frozenrain?” Lionstar mewed to Gorsetail once they were a good ways from camp. ”What do you make of her warning?” It was compassionate of Hawkstar to offer a warning; it improved the tabby leader’s standing in the eyes of TreeClan. Lionstar was already planning to double up on border patrols for LightningClan’s side, but he valued a second opinion. They would not provoke a fight unless necessary, though it would surprise him none of Firestar, cocky from any border clashes with StoneClan, made a grab for the open woods again.
Especially now that leaf-fall was here, and land prey was plentiful there.
Take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Sept 15, 2016 20:11:32 GMT -5
i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight Gorsetail had just dropped a piece of prey on the pile when a light touch on his side had him turning to see Lionstar standing next to him. At the sight of the familiar tom, concern jolted through him – he counted his former mentor among one of his friends, but the two hardly had time to talk. Had something happened? Maybe the leader had found out about him sneaking Nightpaw out of camp that one night and had decided to rescind his mentorship? There was precedent for that, and he found himself thinking back to how fast word had travelled around camp when Badgerpaw had been reassigned to Sprucefur. Sootmask might have been unbothered by the leader’s decision, but Gorsetail’s heart stuttered at the thought of that happened to him; he and the younger tom had just started getting to know each other, and he didn’t want that to end now. He opened his mouth, the question on the tip of his tongue, but Lionstar must have seen the growing worry in the tabby warrior’s eyes and offered an explanation.
Nothing bad. Gorsetail held the words close to his heart even as he nodded in agreement and followed the leader out of camp. Nothing to worry about. But if that was the case, then what would be their topic of conversation? The last time they had truly had a chance to talk, their discussion had featured a sobering matter – that of Littletimber’s death – and, thank StarClan, nothing of the sort had happened again. Gorsetail cast a curious glance toward his former mentor as if the mere sight of Lionstar would answer his questions and found himself wondering idly that perhaps the other cat simply wanted to talk. Admittedly, taking time out of the day to relax would have been uncharacteristic of their leader, but the warrior realized that he wasn’t particularly averse to the idea. He wondered how often Lionstar stopped for a moment and simply breathed. He bet it wasn’t often enough.
The subject of his thoughts turned to him now, and the question jolted Gorsetail from his thoughts. Frozenrain… It did not take long to recall the StoneClan she-cat and her warning about LightningClan, and with the memory came a prickling down his spine. That LightningClan had acted on the night of the Gathering, not technically breaking the Code but dancing right on the line of doing so, was disconcerting. Firestar, the leader of LightningClan, arguably the one cat who was expected to uphold the Warrior Code even more than her clan mates, had not only supported such action but had planned it herself. ”I’m a little surprised,” He found himself saying, and identifying the emotion only once he had voiced it. ”I know LightningClan and StoneClan don’t get along well, but I didn’t expect Firestar to pull something like that. You don’t think StoneClan would lie to us, do you?” Short of storming StoneClan’s territory, they had no way of verifying Frozenrain’s story. Gorsetail was inclined to believe her, but he had always been on the gullible side, willing to trust others who perhaps ought not to be trusted. If the story was true, then Firestar’s was a cunning move, and the strategist in him admired it, even as every other part of him argued that – somehow – it was wrong.
”Either way, with the weather getting colder and prey beginning to run less,” He continued his train of thought. ”I wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to pull the same trick with us.” The open woods had always been a spot of contention between the two clans, and Gorsetail glanced again at Lionstar, figuring that the thought had probably also crossed the leader’s mind. ”It looked like Meadowleaf has assigned extra patrols along that border, but maybe it would also be good to send some extra warriors on those patrols? I don’t know if LightningClan would wait until the Gathering to try to take that land.”
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Post by Fawn on Sept 16, 2016 19:28:54 GMT -5
LIONSTAR leader of treeclan Blinded by the light of a new sun "Yes, I would sleep better with an extra warrior or two added to each patrol. However, we still need to make sure we can hunt enough to sustain the Clan." TreeClan was not just prey-rich, they were apprentice-rich, and though it warmed him greatly to see the next generation just starting to get their bearings, just learing how to become a warrior, he was conscious of the strain this may put on the Clan during leafbare.
There was nothing to be done about that, however; other than hunt as often as they could and pray to StarClan that this leafbare was nothing like the last. He almost felt a cool wind blow across the forest just imagining it. Back to the subject of LightningClan, however, Lionstar nodded as Gorsetail expressed his surprise over the issue.
"It seems Hawkstar hasn't forgotten we helped bring them home. I'm grateful he sent his own mate to warn us. Things were simpler under Redstar's leadership, I'll admit that I let the patrols grow a little relaxed when it came to LightningClan." Golden eyes settled on Gorsetail briefly, stern contemplation written in amber. "That won't be happening again."
They would not be able to afford to surrender the open woods to LightningClan, should Firestar make another power-grab. He did not know the state of StoneClan or if LightningClan had successfully taken the Sun Stones or not (Frozenrain was wisely vague about this, and he did not ask), but he trusted Hawkstar's warning, and knew it would be foolish not to act.
It was unwise to provoke LightningClan into going for that piece of territory, but Lionstar felt that a show of force was going to be necessary. He would have Meadowleaf not just double the patrols, but add an extra two warriors to it as well. They might not appreciate having to do so much patrolling, what with the season changing for the cooler and many warriors still wearing their summer coats, but that was life.
"I would like for you to lead one of the patrols." Lionstar slowed his steps, halting to let Gorsetail process this information. With a benign smile, he explained his reasoning. "The Clan's a little riled up after the warning, and I don't want anyone getting on Firestar's badside at the border. We need level heads leading patrols." Not cats like your brother Wildsky or Adderstrike.
Those two were just itching for a fight... Wavesurge was a little more reasonable, but not by much. Take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Sept 21, 2016 22:01:14 GMT -5
i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight It was not that Lionstar wanted him to lead a patrol that had Gorsetail slowing his steps alongside his former mentor but the manner in which he had delivered the news, as if it were an assignment that he might protest. The tabby warrior had no qualms about leading a border patrol, for he had certainly headed his own share of patrols during his time as a warrior. He would not deny that such a position of leadership was not one that he took to naturally, but he thought that he had managed to mostly figure it out. After all, he could no longer be counted among the youngest in their den now, and as he began to near the fringes of that age where the younger cats considered warriors old, he had earned some respect from new and old warriors alike. For the most part, they listened to what he said, but it was not as though a border patrol required a significant amount of coordination; by the time they earned their warrior name, everyone knew what to do when they neared their neighbors’ territories.
Inclining his head, the warrior replied agreeably, ”I can certainly do that, Lionstar.” It was hardly a secret that Gorsetail was one of the more laid-back warriors in the clan and far more prone to thinking before acting than either of his siblings, though Wildsky and Wavesurge were both respectable warriors in their own right. ”I’ll bring Nightpaw,” He decided out loud, tail tip flicking. ”I’m sure Whiteclaw already showed him the borders, but this will be good experience for him.” Already his mind began to wander as he considered the ranks of TreeClan cats he could call upon to join his patrol, and though there were many warriors with whom he could patrol, the number of those with whom he wanted to walk was far smaller. It had been quite a while since he had had the chance to give Sprucefur anything more than a passing greeting, he realized with a jolt as he looked at the kindly tom’s brother. He was mentoring Badgerpaw, too – perfect. I’ll ask him the next time I see him. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a few other warriors to join them.
”NightClan’s been quiet for a while, too,” Gorsetail commented idly as his thoughts meandered from one of their neighbors to the other. Under Ravenstar, the other clan had seemed to have far more of a presence; now, with Dimstar as their leader, NightClan had almost seemed to withdraw into themselves. They still marked the border, but they kept strictly to their own land instead of constantly testing TreeClan’s tenacity and strength. It was a little odd. Clans were never quiet, not when they weren’t trying to keep something a secret. ”Do you think they’re planning something?”
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Post by Fawn on Sept 22, 2016 17:57:08 GMT -5
LIONSTAR leader of treeclan Blinded by the light of a new sun The golden warrior's whiskers twitched, and it was clear he was smiling. "You know," there was a gentle tease in his voice "a younger you would have balked at the idea, Gorsetail. You've come a long way since then." It was true. Gorsetail had gone from timid, quiet, uncertain Wormpaw into the calm, thoughtful young cat standing before him.
It was heartwarming to see his apprentices change before his very eyes-- even if he didn't realize how much they had changed until moons later, when he had a moment to pause and observe his Clanmates properly. Rowanberry was no longer the exciteable young kit he always pictured her as, and Silverfern was effortlessly polite, well-liked by the elders whom she always seemed to be fetching things for.
TreeClan's future lied in the acorns that fell from the tree and dug in, not the old roots stretching out below. TreeClan would always have its long, glorious history, but Lionstar wasn't interested in legends or old stories or memories of past glories. He was interested in untapped potential, in seeing cats like Gorssetail grow into the warriors he had believed they could be.
At mention of TreeClan's longest rivals, Lionstar's smile slipped away into a thoughtful frown. He prayed to StarClan that history wouldn't repeat itself under Dimstar's rule. "I don't think so. Dimstar is impossible to read. You could always tell what Ravenstar was thinking, because she didn't try to hide it." Lionstar slowed his steps to an amble, the placement of his paws seeming more automatic than deliberate. "Trying to read Dimstar is like trying to see the bottom of a frozen lake." And he's probably just as dangerous.
Lionstar refused to let paranoia get to him, however; sometimes it felt like he was trying to hold up the whole Clan, trying to keep them from falling apart--so many threats, over so many moons--it felt good to confide in Gorsetail. "We'll send an extra patrol, every once in a while just to make sure the scentmarkers are clear."
Something told Lionstar that if Dimstar had even half a mind to trespass, he would do so with or without distinguished scent-markers. Dimstar was not a fool. Perhaps he's waiting until leaf-fall to make an attempt... A cynical part of Lionstar hoped that their marshlands would freeze over this leafbare, but knowing that would only spell trouble for his Clan, he let that thought go with an irritated flick of the tail.
Lionstar snorted. "It's like being neighbors with a pack of foxes. But let's hope Dimstar is a more reasonable cat than his predecessor ever was." Take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem
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| We are born with a DNA blueprint into a world of scenario and circumstance we don't control |
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Co-Captain
INVENTORY
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Post by Phoenix on Sept 25, 2016 21:27:08 GMT -5
i wish everyone was loved tonight and somehow stop this endless fight The compliment had him flushing hot beneath his fur, and the young tom ducked his head and glanced away. Perhaps he had outgrown many of his childhood quirks, but never had he been able to take a compliment and that did not seem about to change. He made a noncommittal noise and offered a small, ”Thanks, Lionstar,” before flicking his tail somewhat uncomfortably, as though brushing that topic of conversation aside. Indeed, the conversation shifted to safer territory, and that the leader also seemed to have given his idea some thought already validated his own concerns about NightClan (though he was, as the golden tom had so aptly pointed out, no longer the uncertain apprentice who always sought out his mentor’s approval).
NightClan had changed considerably from the way he remembered them as a younger cat. Apprentices were never very involved with inter-clan politics, but as the leader’s apprentice, he had been exposed to such conversations more than his den mates. He had seen the tension between Lionstar and Ravenstar that had translated into the historic hostility between their clans, but with the rise of Dimstar, all of that seemed to have faded away. In a way, he realized, it was probably preferable to have an easier-to-read leader like the she-cat, rather than an enigmatic one such as her successor. There was never any question as to what she was up to. ”He’s been content to stay on his side of the border so far.” Gorsetail shrugged. ”If you don’t think he’s planning something, then he seems pretty reasonable so far.”
With some surprise, the warrior realized that they had reached the LightningClan border. Enjoying the conversation with his old mentor – whom he also considered friend – he had not been paying particular attention to the familiar paths on which their paws carried him, but with Lionstar’s words in mind, he padded forward to renew the closest scent markings on the border. Words fell away into a companionable silence, and he thought that perhaps a hunt was in order; after all, they were in a prey-rich area of their land, and the leaves had already begun to change. They would be wise to use every opportunity they had to stock up on prey. A glance at the leader told him that similar thoughts were running through his head, and in a brief exchange, they agreed to split up and hunt.
The conversation between friends was nice, but they were clan cats. They could talk another day. For them, the clan would always come first.
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