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Post by Justice on Sept 25, 2016 0:06:48 GMT -5
Moonfeather was restless. This place was so full of new smells and sounds, new experiences, but at the same time she knew they'd come into the territory of other cats. Cats with more strength than she had, especially with two kits to protect. The journey here had been a long one, and her poor paws were still hurting her from the number of things had pricked through the too tender pads just in coming to this clearing. One would think, given how long they'd been travelling, she'd be used to it by now. But no, she was still expecting the too-hard ground of her former alley home. Or, at best, a small bush. This, all the trees and the changing colors, was overwhelming.
Really though, this stop was more for her kits than for her. They were so excited, chirping in their little voices and diving from flower patch to flower patch with glee. It wouldn't be much longer and those flowers would be dying off to the cold and coming snow. So she let them enjoy it. She didn't scent any immediate threats, so it was alright.
"Stay close." She called out to them, delicately placing her paws as she went along to be closer to them. It smelled almost sweet here, and she wondered if it was safe enough to hunt and let the kits hide among the flowers they were still small enough to disappear into. They were too small, she knew, for their age. Prey had been in decent supply along their path, but she had never been much of a land hunter. It had been something that her siblings often teased her about. But she could fish, and if she found water she'd do just that. A cat that could swim could rescue kits that fell in the water, after all, and provide a steady meal so long as the water didn't freeze over with the coming of cold.
Her large ears moved constantly, and her gaze swept back and forth over the field. It was so open, and her kits didn't know how to climb trees yet. She hadn't had time to teach them, not moving every day as they did. Then again, she wasn't much of a climber herself. There weren't very many trees where she'd been before. It was more expedient to hide under the hard movable nests the two-legs hid in the spaces between their nests anyway. And usually safer. Or wedge tight under a prickle bush.
Here, though, she'd have to order them to her and back up until she could find more suitable placement for their safety should she need to protect them. And she was so tired of always being alert, her frame starting to show the signs of the constant travel and wear. She really wanted to just sleep, to be back home in the clearing of her birth with her family and her new mate and all her kits. But that wasn't something that would ever happen and so she pushed it from her mind.
The kits in the here and now needed her and in the least she could chase the small creatures here to give them dinner. Prey was prey, after all.
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Post by Fawn on Sept 25, 2016 0:35:46 GMT -5
LIONSTAR leader of treeclan Blinded by the light of a new sun It was a rare morning for Lionstar, in which he was able to spend it with family. Sandfur was still sleeping, and he had made plans to walk with his elderly mother as far as the sparkling brook just after sunhigh when it would be warmest, and her joints would not have stiffened up from the cool weather. The two she-cats that padded along after him, however, were just as good company; Rowanberry and Silverfern, Lionstar's half-sisters through Sandfur and his mother's second mate, Bluestorm.
He smiled warmly, watching Rowanberry bounce off into the meadow of wildflowers, while Silverfern chatted pleasantly about what was going on in her world at the moment--something, Lionstar realized with a jolt of regret, he hadn't been much a part of lately--while he listened with a pleasant air.
"So then Wildsky helped me get down from that tree, and I was covered in pine sap for the rest of the morning. It was more horrible than you think!" Silverfern paused, waiting for him to laugh at the visual, but Lionstar had paused, his jaws parted slightly to the let the unknown scents flow in.
Intruders.
"Stay here," he mewed instinctively, and went off in search of one particular scent trail, his ears rotating quickly to detect the sound of paw-steps or rustling grass that would indicate the intruders. Instead of finding a cat trying to hunt, however, Lionstar glanced through a thick clump of sweet-smelling wildflowers to see a kitten--a tiny she-kit--batting at the fluffy head of a dandelion, her little claws snagging the golden petals and make them flutter down as she shook them off her paws.
A purr of surprise and amusement rumbled in Lionstar's chest, and the golden tom kept a watchful eye out for the mother or father of the kit.
"Are you lost, mighty huntress? Where is your mother?" He mewed goodnaturedly, startling the kitten slightly. He kept his distance and his smile, suspecting she might have wandered off on her own. In which case it wasn't safe out here... She was so young, though. Had she been abandoned by her mother?
The Clan leader's senses were sharp, however, and he detected two more scents--a young queen, judging by the milkscent, and another kit--quite close by.
"I won't hurt you. Come out now. You're trespassing on TreeClan territory. I can escort you and your kits to the border, and will consider this just a mistake." Lionstar nearly added 'it's not safe here', after the vicious attack by the lynx 3 moons ago, but he doubted that would coax the she-cat out of hiding. Take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem
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Post by Justice on Sept 25, 2016 10:37:45 GMT -5
 Loner - Queen - 17 Moons She scented them before she heard the tomcat's voice. "Come! Now!" She called out to her kits, hearing them mewl in confusion before running over to her as fast as their tiny legs could carry them. They knew when their mother called in that tone that it was time to hide, that danger was near. Moonfeather felt fear crawl up her throat and tremble in her limbs. Would these cats kill them? Would they take her kits from her and chase her away? Were they friendly at all? She didn't know, and couldn't trust that things would turn out okay. No reason to trust where she could only see strangers. "Hush now, little ones." She told them once they were both safely tucked under her belly where the strangers couldn't see them.
She could scent the strangers on one of her kits, and that scared her even more. Had she been hurt? She didn't smell blood, but there was no way for her to tell without looking the kit over completely. Right now she was safe, hidden beneath her gray furred mother and squished against her sister. Safe was good enough for now. Unharmed would be checked out later. Her frame hunched low over her kits, paws splayed apart and claws out in case she had to fight.
Her fur stood on end as she heard the male call out to her and a hiss spilled from her lips. Even as she did so her body flattened more toward the ground, feeling the little bodies of her precious kits and glad they were now totally silent. Danger all their lives had taught them that when mother told them to be quiet, they were to absolutely be quiet. Eventually, even if they hid among the brightly colored flowers, they'd be found. Moonfeather knew this. She was too dark in this place to do anything but stand out. But she'd try.
"Why should I believe anything you have to tell me?" She rose her voice to be heard but did not come out of hiding. She moved slowly, kits under her as they moved through the flowers at a pace slow enough to keep from stirring the blossoms too much. Waiting for a breeze helped, but even thought wouldn't hide their movements for long. So she couldn't go far. "I have kits to protect, and you are three strangers to me." She never used the 'we' term, unwillingly giving out the fact that she was alone with her kits. No male around to protect them should the need arise, as it had now. A queen with kits this young was supposed to be safe in her nest with her kits, at least that was what her mate had always told her. Kits and queens were protected in the nursery, warriors brought them food. Alone, she was little better than a walking target. Notes : Now to wait for Amber to join us. I just wanted to give ya'll more to work with. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2016 11:04:02 GMT -5
Rowanberry if you trust your rebel heart, ride into battle Rowanberry was practically floating. She was spending time with two of her favorite cats: her sister, Silverfern, with whom she had been nearly unseparable in their younger moons; and her half-brother, Lionstar, whom she had always loved and admired. Being able to spend time and chat with the both of them on a beautiful, albeit slightly chilly, made the sorrel she-cat feel lighter than air.
As they came to the wildflower clearing, she couldn't help but expend some of her excited energy, bounding off into the flowers smiling like a fool. She dove down into a patch of daisies, burying herself beneath them and rolling around a bit.
Lionstar's voice, calling out to someone had her flipping back over onto her paws and she rose slowly. Glancing around, she parted her jaws and breathed deeply, finally catching the scents of a loner and two others.
"Why should I believe anything you have to tell me?"
Rowanberry spoke up then, keeping her tone kind. "We won't hurt you. Just come out and let us help you find your way back."
"I have kits to protect, and you are three strangers to me."
Her head swiveled to where the voice was coming from, trying to spot the queen. "Our Code prevents us from hurting or neglecting kits." She looked to Lionstar, hoping she wasn't stepping out of line with what she was about to say. "Sometimes, that includes not harming the queen they're with." She winced slightly. She hoped Lionstar wouldn't retract her statement, and also hoped the queen wouldn't take it to mean that sometimes they would harm a queen to get to her kits.
"We won't hurt you. I know the promises of strangers may mean very little, but we really don't want to hurt you. That's just not who we are." 'At least, TreeClan isn't.' This loner didn't know how lucky she was to have landed in their forest, instead of LightningClan's moors, RainClan's river, or StarClan forbid, NightClan's pines. don't be afraid, take the road less traveled on |
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Post by Fawn on Oct 3, 2016 14:21:55 GMT -5
LIONSTAR leader of treeclan Blinded by the light of a new sun Though Rowanberry meant well, there was a certain inelegance to his younger kin's statement; Lionstar's whiskers twitched, feeling a bit amused by how much room she'd left open for interpretation, but he stepped in to remedy this.
"I am Lionstar, leader of TreeClan. These are my sisters, Rowanberry—" he touched his tail to their shoulders kindly "—and Silverfern. We are warriors of TreeClan, and Rowanberry is right, it goes against our Code to harm kits and their mother."
He caught the subtle stirrings of flower petals and tall grasses, detecting that strange, foreign scent the loner-queen carried with her. Lionstar flicked an ear, puzzled. She must have traveled a long way; most loners smell of mountains and cold winds... This smell was different; he didn't like it much, it spoke of too many unknown things, but his desire to help overrode the wariness of what he did not understand.
"We can offer shelter, if you need it." He wouldn't force her to return to camp with them; not only would that be an unnecessary hassle for his Clan, but he had no interest in making an enemy out of a desperate queen. Or alarming her kits. That didn't change what the weather was going to do, however; Lionstar scented the air, aware of the gray, cloudy skies and the promise of rain. It was getting colder; did she have a safe place to stay? And then the lynx...
"I understand your wariness. You are right not to trust every cat you come across; we are not like other cats, however. We have a Code of honor, and more than that, we have extra nests to offer you shelter if you and your kits need it. The days are shorter and cooler, I don't know if you have a safe place to stay for the night, but if not, then the rain isn't going to be good for your kits." That was, possibly, the only way to get through to the gray-furred queen hiding somewhere in the meadow.
He was right. If the queen did not have adequate shelter for herself and her little ones, they were going to catch colds; it was the season for it. Without proper insulation, without warm prey and feather-lined nests, they may get sick and never recover. Lionstar's gaze softened, saddened by the possibility of losing such young lives. It didn't matter what allegiance they had, whether they were from a Clan or from a place far away; if he could prevent the deaths of kits, he would do everything in his power to make sure that didn't happen.
Take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem
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Post by Justice on Oct 4, 2016 10:36:40 GMT -5
Loner - Queen - 17 Moons "We won't hurt you. Just come out and let us help you find your way back."
Yeah right. "And if I don't want to go back?" She did say that they wouldn't hurt her kits due to their code. Her on the other hand?
"Sometimes, that includes not harming the queen they're with." Sometimes. Sometimes?!
"What exactly do you think would happen to my kits without me, they are still nursing. Sometimes, you horrible cat!" She hissed violently now, knowing it made the flowers around her tremble. "Sometimes." She was beginning to panic. In desperation she backed several paces, wishing for a tree. She still had the strange two-leg thing, one could fit in there and she'd carry the other in her mouth and up a tree. But she didn't think she'd make the tree line. And she was a slow climber.
Her kits mewled at her, now scared and not able to understand what was going on. Their cries were soft, knowing not to draw too much attention to themselves. "Hush now, little ones, I won't let anything happen to you." She soothed them, her body pressed tightly on top of them as if that would protect them should the worse happen.
Ears laid back, body practically dragging the ground, fur puffed all out and claws out. As aggressive a stance as she could take. And the she-cat still had the gall to try and act like she hadn't practically just told her that they were going to take her kits. "You are a liar! You just said that queens are only sometimes left unharmed!"
Her sides were heaving as panic threatened to take her. If she ran she could possibly outrun them, but not with her kits. And she wouldn't leave them. As the big tom she'd first encountered spoke again she had to tip her head, ears flicking just slightly where they were pressed back to her skull. His little friend, or sister as he told her, really made it hard for her to put event he slightest bit of trust in his words.
"Clan cats? So you do exist." She offered it absently, inching along in the grass for a moment before realizing she really had nowhere to go. "And what do I know of your Code? For all I know you three are lying to me so that I'll come out and you can make quick kills out of myself and my kits." She hissed at him, not the least bit bothered at calling these cats out.
Moonfeather's fur puffed out more as he mentioned the changing weather and her kits. "We have a den." But it was cold and they wouldn't make the winter in it. She hadn't had time to make it warm enough for her kits. And in her current state she wouldn't be fit to hunt for them for much longer. Her head popped up slightly to look at the sky and scent the air. He was right, rain was coming.
A nest, probably warmer than hers, and a place to at least wait out the coming rain. Finally, the young queen was forced to make a choice, for the sake of her kits. She straightened slowly, body still hunched protectively but now visible to the three clan cats. "I want your word that we will not come to harm by you or your cats." And she'd take him at his word, only once.
"My name is Moonfeather, and we do not come from another Clan. We are not even from this valley. So there is no 'taking us back' as you put it?" |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2016 13:49:53 GMT -5
Rowanberry if you trust your rebel heart, ride into battle 'Oh no oh no oh no.' She'd messed up. She'd messed up bad. "StarClan, no! That's not what I meant, I swear!" Her voice was high, slightly panicked. Her ears flicked back and her head ducked, shamed and afraid that she'd done irreparable damage. She wanted to call out that usually, that rule of the Code applied to kits left abandoned or injured, but that there were instances, like now, where the kits in danger were also accompanied by a queen in danger. She didn't think she'd be able to word it well enough that she wouldn't be digging herself into a deeper hole, so she kept her mouth shut.
"We are warriors of TreeClan, and Rowanberry is right, it goes against our Code to harm kits and their mother."
"You are a liar! You just said that queens are only sometimes left unharmed!"
Rowanberry winced, pressing herself lower to the ground in shame. "I swear that's not what I meant!" Her voice sounded small to her ears. More than anything, she just wanted to bury herself into the dirt and forget any of this had happened.
She listened as Lionstar spoke, reasoning with the she-cat and trying to smooth over her errors. 'That's why he's leader.' He was far more eloquent than her; he sounded like he'd thought over the words ages ago before speaking, whereas she just blurted out whatever came to the forefront of her mind.
By the time Lionstar had finished speaking, it seemed like the loner queen was finally coming around. "I want your word that we will not come to harm by you or your cats." She bit her tongue, wanting to cry out her promises, but figured it would probably be better to just let Lionstar speak for her. She'd messed up enough already.
"My name is Moonfeather, and we do not come from another Clan. We are not even from this valley. So there is no 'taking us back' as you put it?"
'Then why do you have a Clan name?' Rowanberry tasted blood in her mouth. She actually had bitten her tongue that time; the urge to speak her thought had been that strong. She looked to Lionstar, waiting to hear what his likely diplomatic response would be. don't be afraid, take the road less traveled on |
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Post by Fawn on Oct 7, 2016 16:52:15 GMT -5
LIONSTAR leader of treeclan Blinded by the light of a new sun Mentally, Lionstar winced at Rowanberry's slip of the tongue and the loner queen's--Moonfeather's--reaction. Well that could have gone better. Stepping up to smooth things over, he waited until the worried cries of the kits and the violent, anxious response of the mother subsided a little to say his piece.
"And what do I know of your Code? For all I know you three are lying to me so that I'll come out and you can make quick kills out of myself and my kits."
Lionstar's ears flattened, a brief flash of horror in his eyes as he considered the full weight of her words. "We are Clan cats. Not monsters. As long as I am leader of this Clan, no warrior of mine would lay a single claw upon a kit or upon you." He spoke with certainty and conviction, as if he would personally deal with any cat that even attempted to prove him wrong. "You have my word, Moonfeather. You and your kits are safe here."
Thank StarClan she's coming around. Though Moonfeather had muttered something about having a den, Lionstar was hard pressed to believe it was anything substantial; if she had more resources at her disposal, he suspected she'd be long gone by now. Staying outside of Clan territory and keeping her little ones tucked away somewhere safe. He could see the appeal of the wildflower meadow; it was both beautiful and secluded, when a cat had something they wanted to hide.
Lionstar would have felt more apologetic over not letting her hunt in peace, if his role in the Clan hadn't been so clear to him. This was Clan territory, she was trespassing, and he would handle the situation the way he saw fit.
Moonfeather spoke of being strangers not just to TreeClan, but to the entire valley; interest piqued, he scented the air again, trying to make sense of the strange smells that clung to her pelt like burrs. How long have you been traveling for? Lionstar left that question unasked, however, and instead smiled at Rowanberry, commending her for having the sense to stay quiet, to let him smooth things over. He touched her shoulder with his tail again in acknowledgment. He was going to give her the chance later to speak with Moonfeather, to be friendly and prove that it really had been a slip of the tongue; they weren't kit-killing savages. It was important that their new guest understood that.
And besides, Moonfeather, if she agreed, would be moving into a strange place with many many strange new faces. Perhaps Rowanberry could be a friend?
Take it to the world, gonna sing it like an anthem
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Post by Justice on Oct 8, 2016 15:21:08 GMT -5
Loner - Queen - 17 Moons “Then why do you have a Clan name?”
“Clan name?” Her ears swiveled at the she-cat even as she tried to keep the other cats within her sight at all times. She'd let them see her now, so there was no turning back, but that didn't mean she trusted them. Their leader seemed to be honest enough, and she did notice his reaction to her words about making easy kills of she and her kits. Since most couldn't fake that sort of reaction she felt that Lionstar, at least, she could put some faith in.
The she-cat would have to work very hard to gain any sort of trust with the young queen. Being told that a queen was only 'sometimes' safe had really worried and panicked her. That she panicked as well, this Rowanberry, made her wonder if she had been running at the mouth rather than speaking the truth. These Clan cats were tricky.
"I will take you at your word, Lionstar. Hopefully I won't regret this." Her tail lashed behind her before curling down to circle against her back legs to provide a small additional protection to her kits tucked under her belly. She took a breath and let it out very slow so that she could calm down.
"Peace, little ones, its alright now." Little heads popped out between her front paws, staring at the massive fluffy tom with curiosity.
"My kits." She dipped her head to each one. "Fawnkit and Amberkit." Her ears swiveled again and the gray queen settled herself. She knew her kits were also given 'Clan' names, only because her mate had told her so. "What does it matter what I have been named?"
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