[xvinn]

kotik (he/him) | loner

He was always a big fan of this place - the lovely smell of the flowers reminded him of kinder days, or the smells of the bustling areas of his old home where the lyudi ran about, making exchanges with one another for food, fabric, or other strange objects. Sometimes there would even be places where flowers were shown, and the smell of these fields in particular were just the right smells to remind him of old days. He had visions of darting in and out of lyudi's feet, playing games and chasing his sister, he could almost hear even the lyudi shouting down at the cats to shoo. But there were often many other, much kinder lyudi. The tom had kind memories of one man in particular who had grown fond of the kittens, and would often give them little bits of fish. The fish never smelled as good as the ones he traded to the lyudi, but the cats would be grateful nonetheless for such kindness.

Now, when Kotik opened his eyes, he remembered that he couldn't beg for food anymore. Nowadays, he had to learn to hunt for his own food. It wasn't always easy, and he bumbled a fair amount when he first started, but it had been many moons now, and the tom had a much better grasp at how to approach his soon-to-be dinner. It wasn't as though Kotik had never hunted before - there had been the odd rat or mouse he would chase down in his old home, but this was different. Sometimes it was even easier - the rats and mice in his old home were constantly darting in and out of spaces and always on alert for the lyudi, making sure they wouldn't get caught in traps or chased by cats or dogs. Out here in the fields, they seemed dumber - unaware of their surroundings and the dangers that lurked in the grass.

Kotik crawled among the flowers, knowing full well that the scent also helped disguise his own from the prey around here. It was all the more reason that he so loved this spot - it was easy hunting so long as you stayed down wind. The prey would often be found nibbling away at flowers, minding their own business, surrounded by the strong scent of the flowers around them not to notice their imminent death. It didn't take too long for Kotik to track down a baby rabbit - and since he was only feeding himself, he knew he wouldn't need much more than that.

The large tom felt the grass tickle his underbelly as he moved forward, waiting for the right moment to pounce. Before long, he had launched himself and barreled down the bunny, chomping down on its neck and killing it. He sat up proudly, the rabbit dangling from his mouth. Staying where he was, he dropped the rabbit and lowered his head, taking a sizable bite from the creature, still warm from its only recent death.

@ravenpaw ● lyudi is his word for twolegs jsyk ● 504 words

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Xanh Mono][googlefont=Dosis]

RAVENPAW

medicine cat apprentice 8 he/him pronouns





Open your eyes, choking on his breath.

<sub>[attr="class","raven-content"]Ravenpaw almost wished he could just lay and nap in the beautiful, sweet-smelling field of flowers. Instead of bounding through the pollen-dusted grass and rolling around with the butterflies and bees, he was instead stuck hunting for a particular flower. The crimson red petals of the poppy were eye-catching, dazzling against even all the other colours that splashed the field. But he wasn’t looking for the pretty red poppies. He was looking for their ugly, rounded seed heads, or rather their bulging contents within. He trotted through the long grasses, disturbing a dragonfly from its roost and sending it whirring grumpily away. Unable to help himself, Ravenpaw swiped a white paw at it, but missed entirely. He watched it drone off into the distance in search of prey.

GaleClan’s territory seemed to have come alive with nature. The earthquake had destroyed much of the familiar places that Ravenpaw had loved, and had taken many lives. But still, the world kept thriving around him and rebuilding what was lost. And this particular spot, with its gorgeous flowering growth, was a reminder that StarClan had not abandoned them. At least not yet. The bracing breeze that ruffled his fur drew out a contented sigh as he went about searching, his pale green eyes scanning over row upon row of various plants.

Finding what he was looking for, he bit the pods off the stems, laying them gently at his feet. He could only take so many, a cat had only their mouth to transport items after all. As he was about to reach for another one, it exploded, sending its seed scattering in all directions. Ravenpaw sneezed as several small seeds sprayed his face, sticking to his dark fur. He grumbled in frustration, batting the medicine from his face. At least he hadn’t accidentally swallowed some, otherwise he might have felt drowsy enough to give in to that tempting nap.

Sighing, he picked up the unopened pods and held their edges softly in his teeth, turning to make his way back towards the warrens that made up his new home. But before he had even gone a few pawsteps, the wind brought to him the distinctive tang of blood. He froze, his eyes scanning around him nervously. He was alone, mainly because he preferred to me, but that came with a certain level of risk and danger. Despite how deep in GaleClan territory they were, foxes and other dangerous animals did not care about the borders of cats. It was rabbit blood, fresh. His ear twitched. If it was a fox, surely he would smell that easily? Foxes had a distinctive, awful stench that emanated from his body. No, this was a cat. GaleClan? He wasn’t sure, their scent had yet to mingle properly and become its own distinctive smell. If it were a cat tresspassing from another Clan, he would be in no danger. After all, he was a medicine cat now. Attacking him would be… it’d be a crime against StarClan. Given confidence by this thought, Ravenpaw decided to investigate himself. His curiousity getting the better of him, he slunk low and approached the scent of blood.

Parting the grass with a paw, he could see a vaguely feline shape, hunched over as if… eating something! Shocked, Ravenpaw dug his claws into the ground. Who was this cat? He didn’t recognise the markings on their pelt, didn’t recognise the strange scent that wafted towards him. He started to back away with the intent of fetching a warrior patrol, concerned that this cat might be a threat. But his paw snapped a dried piece of wood, one that had likely been dropped by a bird. His heart leapt into his throat as he dropped his poppy seed pods to the earth, holding his breath. Had the stranger heard?</sub>

You grimace, then smile.

637 words xvinn

[newclass=".raven-content b"]color:#9679ff;[/newclass]

[xvinn]

kotik (he/him) | loner

Kotik jumped, startled as he whipped his body around to the snapping sound. The tom seemed to get at least a full tail-length into the air, his own tail now fluffy from fear on the instinct that he might be in danger. He landed over top of his rabbit, even awkwardly stepping in the fresh-kill for a brief moment while he tried to gather his surroundings and keep his head on straight.

Eventually, yellow eyes settled on the cat in front of him. Kotik spotted the tom, his fur a strange mottled colour of various dark hues contrasted against bright white. It was clear the cat was trying to stalk away the loner, rather than towards him to try and strike. Immediately feeling as though there were no threat in front of him, Kotik began to lick his fur furiously out of embaressment, focusing particularly on his brown tabby tail to try and calm it down from its fluffed-out state of fear.

"I am sorry, I did not see you there!" the loner chirped happily. His manner of speaking was odd, nothing like the Clan or even the Tribe cats. The accent he seemed to carry was strong and bold, thick and heavy. Despite the fact that his accent carried these slavic qualities, there was still a light airy quality to the tone of voice Kotik had, like a warm invite from an old friend. His yellow eyes gleamed with the same kind curiosity as the loner backed up, now sitting behind his prey so that it sat in between he and the unknown cat in front of him. "You are hungry?" the tom then asked, wrapping his tail neatly around his paws and motioning to the rabbit, "Rabbit is still fresh - please, join me!"

The brown and white tabby tom leaned down, nosing his fresh-kill a little closer to the other cat, sitting up once more as his whiskers twitched with amusement, as though happy to have some company out here in the flowers.

♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 / ravenpaw ● 336 words

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Xanh Mono][googlefont=Dosis]

RAVENPAW

medicine cat apprentice 8 he/him pronouns





Open your eyes, choking on his breath.

<sub>[attr="class","raven-content"]His green eyes widened as he watched that white and brown head turn, and the stranger’s body launched into the air. Rather than leap with fright, Ravenpaw’s instinct was to flatten even further onto the ground, much like a rabbit frozen in fear would. It seemed that at first, the cat could not identify the source of the sound, and looked around wildly for a threat that never appeared. The skittishness of this unknown cat made him seem less of a threat, for this was not a cat who would be seeking a fight. When the tom finally spotted him, hiding among the grass, both cats would stare at each other as though at a loss. Ravenpaw, at least, had no idea how to deal with this stranger or what to say. He was almost more afraid of talking to him than he was afraid of being attacked by him. The other cat was mostly white, with brown tabby patches along his back, tail and head. As the stranger began to groom his bristling fur, Ravenpaw slowly sat up, still cautious of the other cat but curious now, too.

“I am sorry, I did not see you there!” The voice was cheerful and friendly, surprising the medicine cat apprentice. He didn’t know what he had expected him to sound like, but certainly not like that! Ravenpaw almost struggled to understand him. His manner of speech was so complicated, thick and unusual. But it wasn’t frightening, it was memorable. He didn’t quite know how to respond. Funnily, though this was his home, he felt like he were the intruder. The other cat backed away and revealed the rabbit, sprawled on the ground and only somewhat eaten. The idea that this rabbit had been ”stolen” seemed silly all of a sudden. Could GaleClan lay claim to these rabbits, especially in such plentiful times as Greenleaf? “You are hungry?” The voice jolted him out of his thoughts as he looked up from the rabbit and focused on the pink nose of the tabby and white loner. “Rabbit is still fresh – please, join me!”

Ravenpaw now felt terrible that he was about to run back to camp and call the cavalry to chase this cat off. This stranger meant no harm and even seemed happy to have run into him. He imagined the fright he would get if a patrol came and attacked him, perhaps even injured him, and felt a pang of guilt. “Thank you.” He meowed, his voice quiet, moorland accent standing in contrast to the other’s manner of speaking. Avoiding eye contact, Ravenpaw started to gather his poppy seed pods together into a pile, so he wouldn’t lose track of them or let them blow away in the wind.

He wasn’t sure how to say his next words, so he toyed with a single seed pod under his paw. He looked out across the flowers, enjoying the bracing breeze and the strong aroma from the various plants. Turning back to the stranger, he took a deep breath and continued. “You should be careful about hunting here.” He warned quietly. “My Clanmates won’t like it very much. You see... They think everything here belongs to us. They don’t like… outsiders, eating the rabbits.” He approached the other cat and lay down beside the rabbit, sweeping his seed pods closer with his dark tail. Sitting down, he tucked his paws under his chest and took a tentative bite of the rabbit. It was very juicy and fresh, and he hadn’t eaten much that day either. “You have a name?” He asked shyly.</sub>

You grimace, then smile.

600 words xvinn

[newclass=".raven-content b"]color:#9679ff;[/newclass]

[xvinn]

kotik (he/him) | loner

There was a dual feeling of relaxation as Kotik felt himself calm watching the black and white cat's body ease. There was a clear caution in his body language nonetheless, but thankfully there seemed to be an understanding between the two of them that the loner meant no harm - he had never hurt another cat in his life, and had no intention of starting any time soon. The only creatures that he ever brought pain to would be any creature that could help fill an empty belly - or any creatures that seemed as though they might bring harm to Kotik himself. While that meant that he could potentially bring harm to another cat, it felt different for Kotik, as though that wasn't true. He had known of discrepencies between cats from his homeland, and the odd spat that may come up between them, but he had never once before seen another cat's life taken by the claws or fangs of another cat.

His yellow gaze seemed to drift as the young cat moved closer, suddenly coming upon the pile of seeds he seemed to be protecting carefully. Kotik tried to study them, not understanding why a cat might be collecting seeds of all things. Surely they couldn't be to fill bellies, could they? Perhaps in colder seasons, he could understand the necessity to eat anything when prey was harder to find, but the seasons were warm now and small creatures were abundant, running about and easy to catch and feed on. But before the vagabond could ask about them, the young cat spoke.

Kotik tilted his head, his tail flickering behind him in confusion a moment as the young cat spoke, for just about everything that he seemed to say. He tried to figure out what to ask first, watching as he took a reluctant bite out of his catch before another thing was brought up.

A name. The loner's whiskers twitched a moment as he thought about what his name would be. He could remember coming across other cats who spoke of names, but where he was from, names weren't often a common thing - sometimes cats had titles that others knew them by, but it was more common that they would simply be described rather than be called by a name. They didn't often mingle as much as cats around the valley seemed to mingle, so the need for names wasn't as strong when it was unlikely that you would truly form bonds with more than a pawful of other street cats. "When I was little kit, my mother would call me her kotik - but it was more term of fondness than name. All cat are kotik - it means same thing, but I suppose you could call me that?" he ended, his tone indicating more of a query than an answer. Perhaps it was just more of a wondering if that was a good enough answer for the cat in front of him, hoping that perhaps the name wasn't used as widely here. "You must have name, then?" he then asked.

But something seemed to hang on Kotik's pelt as he had answered the question, "You speak of ... Clanmates?" he asked curiously, "Is that like group of cats who live up in mountains?" he flicked his tail towards the mountains, clearly referencing the Tribe that lived up there. He had spent a couple of nights with the group, the cat who seemed to be their leader being more than generous enough to give him some shelter. He vaguely recalled one of the cats in the group speaking about groups that lived in the valley below, but Kotik had to admit that he had forgotten about most of it by this point.

♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 / ravenpaw ● 644 words

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Xanh Mono][googlefont=Dosis]

RAVENPAW

medicine cat apprentice 8 he/him pronouns





Open your eyes, choking on his breath.

<sub>[attr="class","raven-content"]It was a bit alarming to find himself face to face with a cat he hardly knew. It wasn’t that Ravenpaw thought the cat would hurt him, he was sure that if there was any danger the loner would have leapt at him already. It was more that he didn’t really know what to say. And was overly focused on trying not to be embarassing or odd. He found himself overcome with an insatiable curiousity about where this tom had come from and how he had found himself here. He clearly knew nothing about the Clans, and spoke in such a distinct manner that Ravenpaw was sure he must have come from very far away. He had so many questions for the cat, but had no idea how to put those curiousities into words. He found himself avoiding the eyes of the other while he ate, his tail-tip twitchig nervously at the awkward silence that stretched between them. He didn’t really want to see this cat get hurt if a patrol came along, and personally, never understood the need to treat outsiders with hostility even when they were friendly. His green eyes lifted to the paws of the other, noticing that the cat had white toes much like himself. And what really was so different about them? Culture, names, accents, the fact that the other bore tabby stripes? These differences seemed so silly and pointless, yet the warrior code denounced anyone who lived beyond it.

Lucky I’m not a warrior. He thought. And I don’t think I’ll ever understand the cats who enjoy being one.

The concept of lacking a name was very striking to Ravenpaw. In the Clans, names were everything. They were symbollic of who you were, a gift given to you by your parent, usually reflective of your appearance, and a suffix to represent where you were in life. A kit, a cat learning how to use their paws, and then an adult with a fully formed unique identity and place within the Clan. Leaders who earned the right to bear “star” in their name. To lack a name entirely seemed almost akin to lacking an identity and a place in life. He couldn’t imagine not being Ravenpaw. His brother bore the name “Cloud” in honour of Dovecloud, who had given her life to bring them into the world. Ravenpaw had never understood his own name, though as he grew he began to wonder if his namesake meant more than just the dark shades of his coat. After all, ravens circled the dying and were the final visitors after the mourners departed.

Shaking the dark thoughts away, Ravenpaw grounded himself by rolling another seed pod beneath his paw and sitting up. “So… I am… kotik too?” He asked, his voice quiet but containing a certain level of interest. The word sounded less graceful in his own mouth than it had sounded in… Kotik’s. It had been a long time since he had learned a new word, and a new word for “cat” was fascinating. “Kotik.” He tried it again, whiskers twitching. “I like it.” He hadn’t realised he didn’t give his own name, and felt his skin heat up at the mistake. “Oh! Ah- I’m Ravenpaw.” He meowed, wondering if his own name sounded strange to the newcomer. “Like the bird. You can call me Raven, if you want.” He offered, unsure if the name would be tricky to pronounce or remember to a cat unfamiliar with Clan convention. The Tribe cats in the mountains had nicknamed him ”Raven” during his stay there.

He was surprised to hear Kotik mention who he assumed was the Tribe. “We are… different.” He offered cautiously. The Tribe did not believe in ownership of land and always found the concept of marking boundaries strange and distinctly primitive. “This is GaleClan’s home, and…” He hestitated. “GaleClan don’t let cats outside the Clan hunt or stay here. Be cautious, some of my clanmates…” He thought of Ivypetal. “They might attack a stranger.” He realised Kotik did not know about the other Clans either, so he stood up and gestured with his tail. “That way is MistClan’s home, and that way is GorgeClan’s home. Uh, some patrols might be dangerous for a cat like you, so be careful.” He twitched an ear. “They’re not as welcoming as the mountain cats.”</sub>

You grimace, then smile.

726 words xvinn

[newclass=".raven-content b"]color:#9679ff;[/newclass]

[xvinn]

kotik (he/him) | loner

"Yes!" Kotik rumbled with a purr as the young cat in front of him spoke of the meaning of his name, "We are all kotik."

When Ravenpaw offered his own name, as well as a shortened version, the tom thought on it for a moment. He could remember that the mountain cats often had shorter versions of their names, but that seemed more due to the fact that their names were quite the mouthful - after all, if a predator were attacking, it seemed that by the time you got through 'Leopard Who Walks In Snow', your friend would likely already be dead. But the name Ravenpaw was much easier and rolled off the tongue much easier, and it wasn't that much more of a hassle to tack the 'paw' part onto his name. At the same time, Kotik didn't want to seem rude by not using the name that had been offered to him - the two options juggled through his mind momentarily.

But as the Clan cat continued, Kotik couldn't help but find himself more confused. Not of the idea that this was a certain group of cats' home, but that others couldn't even stay here. Back home, there were certainly areas of the city that belonged to one cat or another, but it was more that it was just known to be where you'd be most likely to find someone if you were searching for them. You knew that they typically slept nearby, or liked to hang around that area more than others. But no one would ever stop you from sleeping there yourself, or from picking up a rat or pigeon if you so desired. So long as everyone was fed, that was all that mattered. Besides, if a cat was truly struggling, any other cat would potentially stick up for them. Kotik could remember a time in particular when he was quite small and his mother had hunted an extra pigeon, saying that she was going to bring it to an elderly she-cat who was having a hard time catching her own food.

To think that someone might attack a stranger for simply existing on a spot of land seemed rather barbarian and foreign to Kotik. Which, in retrospect, was probably kind of ironic considering who the foreign cat in this encounter was. But the idea of patrolling these borders - who even decided what was the border to a certain territory? And would the consequences really be so great for a cat simply stepping past the boundaries? It all seemed so odd to Kotik, who had always seen the world as something to be explored, through every tiny blade of grass and every peak where a cloud could be watched from. What was the point of living if you couldn't experience every little thing that it had to offer? Why restrict yourself to living in a certain boundary line rather than adventuring across every mountain and valley and river? Why force yourself to only speak to a small group of cats you grow up alongside when you could instead meet cats from all walks of life with stories that you could have never dreamt of?

"You say that strangers cannot stay or hunt on these owned lands..." Kotik started, feeling almost uneasy thinking of any land as being owned by any one particular being, "But you do not stop me?" he pointed out, which he thought was fair enough. If these cats were as dangerous as Ravenpaw made them out to be, including his own Clanmates, then why didn't he chase Kotik away when he had clearly hunted on his lands? His head tilted a moment, trying to read Ravenpaw's expression and body language as he proposed his question.

♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 / ravenpaw ● 625 words

[♛ 𝔽𝕒𝕓𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟]

[googlefont=Xanh Mono][googlefont=Dosis]

RAVENPAW

medicine cat apprentice 8 he/him pronouns





Open your eyes, choking on his breath.

<sub>[attr="class","raven-content"]“W-well…” Ravenpaw rolled the seed pods beneath his paws awkwardly, struggling to formulate his answer. His green-gold eyes flitted away and back, feeling almost embarrassed by the way the Clans thought. It seemed so backwards and cold, especially in the face of the way in which the Tribe supported cats from beyond their borders and valued lives of all kinds… not just Clan lives. “I’m outside those rules; I’m a medicine cat apprentice.” He explained quietly. “I heal; I don’t hurt. But even then, I think it doesn’t make much sense. But it’s not… not up to me.” He recalled being called naïve and strange by the elders, how little patience Galestorm had when he was her apprentice and struggled to understand why outsiders were treated with such disdain. He nodded to his collection. “That’s what this is for. Poppy seeds are good for pain or helping you sleep. So long as you don’t eat too many.”

Talking about herbs, illnesses or various birds were his fallback topics when he became uncomfortable with small talk. His pelt itched to tell Kotik all about everything he’d been learning the past few moons. It was like a flood pushing against a dam, desperate to burst through into the free space beyond. He longed to tell Kotik about his raven’s feather, which he prized because it was his namesake, and had even refused to abandon it in the midst of the earthquake.

The memory of the earthquake made Ravenpaw’s heart ache. “Uhm, Kotik, were you nearby when… when the valley broke? And everything was shaking?” He asked, not wanting to embarrass himself by going off-topic and telling a stranger about his addiction to feathers, bones and their various textures and colours. “Was your family okay?”

It was easy to forget that the Clans were not the only ones impacted by the terrible disaster that altered the shape of the valley. At the very least, the Clan cats were able to help each other. But what help did many loners have? They had only their own wits to survive on, and no medicine cats to help nurse them back to health after the shaking died down. No one to help feed them if they were too injured to catch food. It must have been a lot tougher to be a loner or a rogue the past few seasons, and Ravenpaw could only imagine the struggles that Kotik might have faced if he was nearby when it happened.

But then again, what if that terrible shaking had actually impacted the entire world? What if no corner of the earth hadn’t been altered by that singularly terrible event? The idea was too frightening to consider, and Ravenpaw didn’t even want to imagine what that might mean. If there was anything the earthquake had taught them all, it was that nothing was ever guaranteed or permanent. Even StarClan could do little to protect them from such a terrible thing. Though, some cats seemed to believe that StarClan were actually the ones behind it and that the disaster had been a punishment of sorts. Ravenpaw found that hard to believe. Punishment for what? What terrible deed warranted such a terrible punishment? No, StarClan did not have that much influence over the world. It seemed that all they could do was warn the Clans of what was to come in the future. Divine punishment was not something they were in the business of enacting. That would exert far too much control of the dead over the living, preventing them from being able to live their own lives and make their own choices. And the opinions of the dead could often be outdated, inaccurate and as fallible as the opinions of the living.</sub>

You grimace, then smile.

624 words xvinn

[newclass=".raven-content b"]color:#9679ff;[/newclass]