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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2017 17:16:54 GMT -5
We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.
Pinestar felt incredibly guilty. Being overcome with patrolling and other duties, she hadn't even bothered to slip into the medicine den for even a few moments to check on Nightclan's newest addition, Snake. She had at least learned his name over the past few days, but that was about it. The albino kitten seemed to be doing alright, and she would occasionally catch glimpses of him here and there, but Pinestar's efforts were more focused on finding where he belonged; with his family. Away from Nightclan. She thought curtly.
Pinestar wanted this kitten gone. The last thing that Nightclan needed was to start befriending loners. Camp wasn't a daycare for lost and helpless kittens. Though the ginger she-cat couldn't help being curious: it was interesting how he just appeared, and no one seemed to be looking for him. It almost made her feel sorry for the kitten...Pinestar hesitated. And that's why he needs to go. She thought. I want him to be a Nightclan cat, and I don't even know if he wants to be one. Could I ever trust him? Loyalty holds us together. If we train Snake into a warrior, whose to say he won't betray or abandon us? Then it occurred to her.
She was stereotyping a kitten.
The patrol Oakblaze led had run into bad luck, for just as they were tracking Snake's scent, it had begun to rain. It wasn't long, but it was very unexpected and sudden, washing away most of the scent trail. They had definitely found a new scent, but it had faded into the usual breath of pine, dew, and foliage. What luck! Pinestar thought, sitting up abruptly. She was incredibly upset that they hadn't been able to confront the cat who abandoned their own kitten, but perhaps it was for the better. What life would Snake have had with kin who didn't want him?
Pinestar was stuck. She was trying to figure out this kittens life before she even talked to him, but when she did talk to him...If he asks questions, I want to be able to answer them and offer him opportunity. She tried to defend her selfish and accusing thoughts, but deep down in her heart, she knew that whatever happened to this kit would hardly be her choice.
We'll just have to wait and see what happens. Pinestar thought, returning to her normal, lighthearted self. How bad could it be, taking in one white kitten? Pinestar had been finishing her breakfast by the fresh-kill pile, absorbed in thought. She had a choice: to go see this new kit and talk to him, or to set up patrols and disappear from camp. Again.
As she watched her clanmates slip out of their dens for the nighttime patrols, Pinestar pulled herself to her paws and turned towards the Medicine Den. This has been pushed off for far too long. She decided, angry with herself for avoiding the confrontation for days on end. The crimson she-cat made her way over, hoping to catch a word with Smokefur and Shadowpaw to get some kind of backstory before talking to Snake. She stopped at the entrance, poking her head in quietly and looking around.
"Hello?" She meowed in a soft voice scarcely louder than a whisper.
I hope it's not too late. Pinestar thought uncomfortably, adjusting to the overpowering scent of herbs. Shadowpaw and Smokefur had their medicine cat meeting tonight!
"May I come in?"
It almost gave her a headache, all the different scents, each one as potent as the next.
51 Moons - Leader - NightClan PIneStaR |
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Post by Fawn on Jun 30, 2017 13:24:29 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw Why don't we use mushrooms for healing? They're plants, aren't they? and Smokefur never said if they were poisonous... Perhaps they had no medicinal properties? (or as Darkpaw would put it, 'useless') But then that begged the question, why do they exist? Everything seemed to have a purpose. Food for other things, or healing benefits, or even harmful effects. But mushrooms...?
It was this line of questioning that Shadowpaw was chasing that evening, letting his thoughts wander down every path they wanted to as he batted some dried oak leaves back into their proper pile. Smokefur kept a tidy store, and though everything looked sorely depleated after the epidemic, Shadowpaw wanted to develop the same strong habits of cleanliness and order, and would nudge the herbs back into place if they happened to get a little messy.
The tom's ears pricked, and he glanced to the entrance, golden eyes picking out the shape of Pinestar even as her voice registered. It was a whisper, as if she didn't want to disturb any sleeping patients. Shadowpaw felt a thrill of nerves. Is she alright? And he hastily cut a path to their leader, smiling and dipping his head in courtesy even as he kept his jaws slightly parted to pick up any traces of sickness. No... I think she's fine. No greencough, or similar, at least.
"Of course. Please, come in. Is anything the matter?" Shadowpaw glanced over his shoulder for Smokefur. She would come over as soon as she was able to, certainly. "Can I be of some help?" Asked Shadowpaw, blinking kindly to Pinestar and sitting neatly before her. They were both pretty new to their roles, still. Despite the remarkable gap in ages, Shadowpaw felt they were on... common ground, in that regard? Maybe that was arrogant of him to say so. Concentrate on serving your Clan, Shadowpaw. At the end of the day, that is your purpose.
Perhaps Pinestar was here to talk about the medicine cat meeting, tonight? Shadowpaw curled his tail around his paws, to keep it from waving behind him, afraid he wouldn't be able to suppress the excitement over going. What if she asks me to stay behind, to look after Snake? Shadowpaw's heart sank. If I keep missing meetings, I'll never become Smokefur's apprentice officially. He'd never get to meet StarClan. Shadowpaw couldn't think of anything worse to happen to a medicine cat. Being cut off from their ancestors must have felt awful. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2017 22:08:49 GMT -5
We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.
"I'm just checking in on Snake." She started, slipping into the den carefully, sitting close enough to Shadowpaw for him to hear her soft voice. "Have you found out anything more about him since we've last talked?"
Pinestar was sure he had, though she didn't want to jump to conclusions, not again. It was time to listen. Her crimson tail curled over her paws, green eyes glowing calmly in the dim light of the den. Her gaze scoured the cats among the nests, and it didn't take long for her to find the small, white pelt of Nightclan's newest addition. I wonder if he'll stay with us. She thought, ear twitching slightly as she heard the dawn patrol setting out. He'll have to make a decision come apprentice age. Pinestar decided, gazing back at Shadowpaw after only moments in thought.
"The patrols haven't found anyone besides him to this day." Pinestar mentioned, shifting her weight.
What if they do? The ginger she-cat thought uncomfortably. The last thing they needed was another loner wandering through clan territory. That wasn't how Nightclan worked; they don't just accept random cats into their ranks. Perhaps she should reinforce the reality that no loner or rogue is welcome on clan territory? To restate that any non-Nightclan cat that was on Nightclan territory is to be removed from the territory by escort or attack if necessary...
Her mind roamed as she waited for Shadowpaw's response. It made her uncomfortable being so hostile, but she couldn't help but feeling like Nightclan was being disrespected one way or another. Like it was being taken advantage of by those who didn't respect clan life.
Cunning and confrontation is what makes us strong. Pinestar thought curtly. I need to notify the patrols that I want them to drive away any loner they see.
Only moments later did dread prick her spine when an unnerving thought poisoned her mood even more.
What if... Pinestar froze. What if there are more kittens? Her breath caught in the back of her throat.
Great Starclan I hope not.
51 Moons - Leader - NightClan PIneStaR |
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Post by Fawn on Jul 8, 2017 23:06:37 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw Shadowpaw's heart felt heavy, as Snake's words came back to him when he'd questioned the young tom earlier. "He's very worried about his family. I've been told that his mother, Scratch, always moves them one at a time." Pausing to make sure he had the names correct, Shadowpaw soon continued. "It was a litter of three; Snake, Scrap, and Tadpole. If they were in NightClan territory last..."
His gut twisted. He hadn't previously thought about it, but it was entirely possible that a sinkhole - or the marshlands - had claimed Snake's family. The valley could be cruel to the unsuspecting and inexperienced. Otherwise where else could they be? A mother would never leave her kits behi--
... Unless one of them had red eyes. A deep twinge of sympathy made him suck in a breath, Shadowpaw letting it out slowly - trying to delay having to lend voice to his latest theory. "Snake may have been left on purpose." Speaking barely above a whisper, the blackish-brown tom's ears were hypersensitive to even the slightest sound; the last thing he wanted was to put feelings of abandonment and misery into a kitten's head.
Snake was already dealing with enough; a new place with a new way of life, and no familiar faces - and no closure, if his family never came for him.
"What's going to happen to him?" Shadowpaw couldn't prevent that question, even if he'd wanted to. It was an answer the compassionate part of his heart needed to hear. He needed to know what was going to become of Snake, if he would join NightClan, or be pushed out to survive on his own when he was old enough to fend for himself. Shadowpaw was at war with himself over the right course of action, and not for the first time was the tom grateful he didn't have to make the same decisions Pinestar did.
It felt wrong to give Snake shelter and food and warmth, only to kick him out when he was 6 moons or older. Would he feel lost and abandoned again? Yet, Shadowpaw had to consider the other option as well; they couldn't force Snake to adapt to Clan ways. If he didn't want to, then his chances of ingratiating himself with the Clan were slim; maybe he'd never be a good fit for NightClan? Maybe giving him the tools he needed to survive on his own was actually doing Snake a favor.
Or maybe Snake had the potential to be a NightClan cat after all? All these possibilities chased their tails behind Shadowpaw's luminous golden eyes, and he held his breath, attention fixed on Pinestar. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2017 10:50:39 GMT -5
We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.
Pinestar digested the information carefully. Abandoned? Why would a mother ever abandon her kit? The she-cat thought, chest burning with irritation. Why did this kit get dumped on Nightclan land? I can't understand it! Pinestar's jaw tightened. Even though she wanted to deny a cat would do such a thing, the leader saw some truth in Shadowpaw's suggestion. If the queen was a young mother who had no means of feeding a growing kit... Well, perhaps there was some love. She was kind enough to give the kit a greater chance of survival in one of the strongest warrior clans in the valley.
Pinestar's weight shifted, heeding the question she herself had been grappling over since the discover of this crimson eyed kit. It was easy to say "I don't know." and leave it at that, maybe even offer for him to take vows as a warrior of Nightclan when he came of age and skill, but part of her wanted to make a point. Loner born cats are unpredictable. They aren't born with the same ties to heritage and loyalty as clan cats. The last thing Pinestar wanted was to offer refuge to a kit who would grow into a traitor...
But...what kept the rest of the clan doing the same? An intangible, invisible air of loyalty? Only for a few. Each cat had their own reasons for adhering to clan life, and Snake should be able to form his own, or leave, just like everyone else. Every cat had the potential to be unpredictable, but in what way? Snake was abandoned, would he abandon the clan in its times of intense stress and hardship, when Nightclan needed him most?
Pinestar couldn't count the "what-ifs" rushing through her head. She was lost for words, but she knew one thing: she couldn't kick out a cat from Nightclan until at least the minimum of hunting and fighting skills were rehearsed and mastered, until the cat knew where the clan territories were so he could respect their boundaries when the time came to leave. If the time came to leave.
"We treat him like a clan-born kit." She started, heart twisting with distrust. It was if every part of her body was screaming at her to kick him out. Why give him care and the safe confines of camp, warrior training, and then see if he could contribute when he's already eaten a lifetime of prey? "He will receive a mentor at 6 moons, and when the time comes to take his warrior vows, he will have to make a choice." Pinestar paused. "This is the most Nightclan can offer him, and if he chooses to take advantage of our hospitality and leave, he will never be welcomed back." She almost hissed the last part, not out of anger towards the young kit, but out of a festering frustration towards his insecure parent that left him behind. Every kit is a problem to be solved, but only the kits themselves are the ones who can solve it; their life is in their paws.
What's more frustrating than being dumped with a problem no one has the answer too?
Well, who knows. Pinestar mused, curiosity flickering like a weak light in an ocean of suspicion. Maybe he will become a strong warrior and serve his clan well.
51 Moons - Leader - NightClan PIneStaR |
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Post by Fawn on Jul 17, 2017 22:23:36 GMT -5
curiosity is not a sin... ...but we should exercise caution with our curiosity Shadowpaw His heart had been braced for the cruel reality of Pinestar's decision to make Snake leave, but that verdict never came. Instead, fairness won the night, and Shadowpaw felt the breath he'd unconsciously been holding start to ease out through his nose. The exhale was soft, but the faint to-and-fro motion of the end of his tail was a good indication of his relief.
"That's the most anyone can give him," mused Shadowpaw, golden eyes slipping to the sleeping white furred form in one of the far nests. "Hopefully he will appreciate the opportunity to be a NightClan cat." Shadowpaw did not have the deep-seeded patriotism for his Clan that some of the other, more outspoken members did - but that did not mean his love and pride for NightClan was somehow less than theirs.
As with all things Shadowpaw-related, it was understated but not lacking in strength. Simply out of the way, unnoticed.
"You'll want to talk to him, Pinestar?" The dark-hued apprentice half-turned towards the nests, and after Pinestar's confirmation was received, he was at the kitten's side in seemingly no time at all. Already faint steps grew silent as he came to a standstill beside Snake, and gently nudged the kit awake. "Snake, wake up. Pinestar's here to see you. It's important." Even if Snake had no real idea of how high a rank Pinestar was compared to the other cats in the Clan, Shadowpaw made the logical assumption that Snake could at least tell that her opinion mattered. That it was asked for in times of unrest or uncertainty.
Times when mysterious kits showed up out of the blue, and their futures were still undetermined. Will she mind if I hang around to listen? Shadowpaw was confident that Pinestar didn't need a moderator during her talk with Snake, but Shadowpaw was admittedly the nosy type. He wanted to see how this unfolded, and get to know Snake even better through the younger tom's answers. medicine cat apprentice of nightclan |
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