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Post by Fawn on Aug 5, 2016 16:24:34 GMT -5
 61 Moons. Senior Warrior. Tom. NightClan.- First, No Sequel The heat of the day was nearly unbearable. When some of the apprentices had been sent out early to fetch dew-soaked moss, many had returned with empty paws, dismayed to find that there seemed to be no water anywhere. Blackwolf had personally gone to the ambush pond, and was displeased to find it more of a shallow bowl of muddy water, the water too low to be drinkable, or anything other than disgusting.
Something had to be done. While Sleekshade was calling together a patrol, the jet black warrior made for the leader's cavern just away from the warriors' dens. Dimstar's scent reached him before he saw his first hints of moss, and Blackwolf stopped, not about to enter unless invited. "The ambush pond has dried up, and so have the marshes. There's no water in the territory—anywhere." What are you going to do about it?
Ravenstar had never been afraid to disregard the Code for the sake of NightClan's prosperity; would Dimstar be willing to do the same, or was the cat so strictly bound to the Code, NightClan would have to suffer without water? My family won't go thirsty. Whether Dimstar approved of his plans or not, Blackwolf would venture into RainClan territory (likely with Poisonleaf and Hollowcry at his side) and bring back water for his mate and kits.
If Dimstar punished him for taking care of his family, then so be it. Before he could take a challenging stance, however, Blackwolf watched Dimstar carefully, meeting the creepy white eyes of the charcoal warrior. It was hard to remember that Dimstar was actually several moons younger than he was; their leader was very mature, and though not what anyone would call sociable, he seemed to have a clear head on his shoulders.
Blackwolf was hard to impress, however. Though he had recently gained some respect for Dimstar after learning that his mate was none other than Starlingcry, Blackwolf's last apprentice. There was also the case of Bonepaw; it pleased him when leaders showed preferential treatment to his offspring. Bonepaw needed more heavy-handed teaching methods than most, and whether or not he appreciated it now, the white tom was still going to be able to say he had been trained by Dimstar when all was said and done.
Blackwolf's whiskers twitched, gaze expectant. Do the Math, No Equal
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Word Count: 385 Words
Tags: Insidious , Amber
Notes: (He'll go get Hollow & Poison after Dimstar gives him the all-clear). |
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Post by Insidious on Aug 5, 2016 17:24:42 GMT -5
It was no mystery to the NightClan leader that their territory's water supply was running short - if not completely dry and unmanageable. He sat in the confinement of his den, pondering the best course of action. He wouldn't stand by idly and let his clan-mates suffer dehydration. RainClan's territory would have water despite the drought, he was certain of it, but was it wise to cross the border without permission? He could send a party to their borders to wait and ask, but there was no telling how long that would take, and if they refused...
NightClan was thirsty now. He would not ask any of them to wait longer than they already had.
Just as he was about to exit his den and organize a party, Blackwolf's voice drifted through the opening and into his ears, reminding him of what he already knew. Dimstar didn't invite him inside. Instead, he walked to him. "Grab two or three befitting warriors of your choice and lead them into RainClan territory. If luck is on our side you won't be met by a RainClan patrol, but if one shows up, explain why you're there without claws. RainClan has a lot of water to spare, I'm sure, so a fight is your last resort." Dimstar didn't ask if he understood. He was certain his point had been made.
Nearby, Hollowcry stood stiffly with an ear flipped in their direction. He would be chosen to go with.
Dimstar lifted his head in dismissal, eyes equally expectant that the senior warrior and his party would return shortly with something for their clan to drink.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 6, 2016 13:19:55 GMT -5
61 Moons. Senior Warrior. Tom. NightClan.- First, No Sequel That's more like it. Dimstar clearly wasn't a cat who wasted time; Blackwolf strode swiftly from the gray tom's den, not at all surprised to find Hollowcry's piercing gaze staring back at him. Hollowcry, for reasons Blackwolf didn't even pretend to understand, had chosen Echobreeze as his mate—and lo-and-behold, the she-cat was pregnant, with a waddle that would've given a duck an identity crisis—of course he was standing right there.
Greed was second nature to Hollowcry; RainClan had water. Was there any other cat for a task like this? A nod passed between the two toms, and Blackwolf knew he hardly had to verbalize an invitation. As for the other cat he wanted to bring...
"Poisonleaf! We're getting water from RainClan, gather as much moss as you can." She might complain it was apprentice-work. Well tough. This was something they needed to do; as much as Blackwolf wanted to complain that unsheathing his claws was definitely necessary to procuring enough water for NightClan, he would do things Dimstar's way.
RainClan's borders had been quiet lately. Good. They were minding their own business. With any luck, we'll sneak in, get what we need, and sneak out. If not, well... No one could say he hadn't at least tried to follow Dimstar's initial orders.
Itching for something to sink his claws into, his bicolored eyes grazed the pelts of Hazeheart and Sunpulse sharing tongues nearby. Hazeheart, Darkblaze, Brightfeather... Blackwolf lashed his tail in irritation, climbing the slope up to the cavern entrance, blinking into the sunlight as he led the raiding party towards the RainClan border. With many moons of practice, Blackwolf fell into an easy, silent stride, though his paws kicked up dust and the dehydrated vegetation crunched under his weight when forced to traipse through dense undergrowth. Blackwolf cast a critical eye at the ground. If RainClan doesn't smell us coming, they'll hear us. Do the Math, No Equal
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Word Count: 325 Words
Tags: Amber , Insidious
Notes: |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 22:35:40 GMT -5
Poisonleaf Entering the relative coolness of NightClan's camp, the hunting patrol made their way to the fresh-kill pile, each cat dropping their catch before moving on to other areas of the camp. For her part, Poisonleaf had done fairly well, dropping a pair of toads onto the pile. Her eyes swept the camp quickly before she made her way over to a secluded space at the edge of the camp. She lowered herself to the cave floor, leaning against the cool stone.
The heat had drained much of her strength, and she rested her head against the cave wall, tail flicking idly with her eyes closed. She sighed, her slim frame sinking a little closer to the stone floor of the cavern. She was content to stay and rest for a while, hoping to maybe catch a little nap as well.
"Poisonleaf! We're getting water from RainClan, gather as much moss as you can."
Well, so much for a nap.
Poisonleaf opened her eyes and scanned the camp, catching sight of Blackwolf's dark pelt. She rolled slighting, pulling herself onto her paws, wincing slightly as her right hindleg protested. Her eyes flicked down to her hindquarter, where her pretty multicolored fur was marred by a ragged patch of scars. Despite the bloody mess she had presented to Smokefur at the end of last leafbare, her injuries had healed rather well. Thankfully, none of her muscles had been torn out and the bones weren't damaged, and that made her recovery a little easier. She had regained full use of her leg, and aside from a lingering soreness and some massive scars, had made a full recovery. The long gouges that marked her thigh would never grow fur again, but if she was lucky the surrounding fur would grow long enough to at least partially cover the marks.
Bringing her mind back to the present, Poisonleaf's eyes scanned over the camp again. Blackwolf was already making his way out of camp and she moved, crossing the space between them with light, confident strides. He didn't seem to be waiting up, and she briefly wondered where she would get moss from. She glanced around, seeing a few apprentices dragging fresh moss to their den. She altered course, stopping only a moment to snag a large bundle from a white apprentice, flicking her tail lightly over Bonepaw's ears. She'd apologize to him later, perhaps. Probably not, but still, it's the thought that counts, right?
With her jaws full, she picked up speed, bounding out of camp at Blackwolf's heels. they say pride comes before the fall but i am pride and i am the fall |
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Post by Insidious on Sept 12, 2016 12:10:02 GMT -5
Hollowcry silently berated Blackwolf for the sound his paws made as they crushed the dry foliage beneath him. His paws were making the same sound, of course, but he was smaller, and therefore lighter, so it was simple enough to be convinced that his own steps were being masked by the overwhelming sound of Blackwolf's. He was silent the duration of their journey towards RainClan territory, keeping a careful eye on Poisonleaf. He hadn't spoken to her a lot since her unanticipated return to NightClan, but that was probably for his own good—after hello, he wouldn't be able to manage much more than thinly veiled snark. Dimstar looked at her like she was his next meal, and Hollowcry didn't want to be punished for anything slight by association.
He crossed the RainClan border without thought. It didn't send a shiver of unease down his spine to break rules like it would for a more lawful Clanmate. There was water everywhere, and he barely resisted the temptation to greedily fill his own belly. Echobreeze first, and then himself. He soaked his moss, and then cast a look in either direction to check up on his companions. Everything was distinctly quiet. They would need to work fast before a RainClan patrol was sent to the NightClan border.
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Post by Fawn on Sept 13, 2016 23:38:24 GMT -5
61 Moons. Senior Warrior. Tom. NightClan.- First, No Sequel Unlike Hollowcry, Blackwolf was unable to cross into another Clan's territory without feeling a shiver. The difference, however, was that it was a shiver of excitement, and he felt his blood thrum in his ears at the possibility of a battle. He founds his claws wanting to unsheathe, but only quickened his pace, scenting the air every time they paused to catch their breath to help locate the river. Before long, they found it—along with the disgusting, fishy smell of RainClan. It seemed like it was everywhere, on every rock and tree. What did these cats do, patrol the whole territory as a Clan? Either the patrols here were incredibly frequent (and they probably were, elders and queens got thirsty, obviously the apprentices would be sent to fetch water), or the patrols were large each time.
He saw an overlap of paw prints in the dry, almost dusty riverbank, and as he bent to get a drink to parch his own thirst, he caught a reflection of golden and reddish-cream colored fur from the other side of the river. Warriors! Blackwolf raised his head in challenge, and though he was going to honor Dimstar's order that they be diplomatic about this, the night-black tom was making it clear that he was prepared to fight them both at once if need be. Poisonleaf and Hollowcry could handle the moss.
"We're getting water for our Clan. I'd ask Timberstar but something tells me you don't want us walking all the way to your camp." What Clan would freely welcome a group of three NightClan cats deeper into their territory? They had one hell of a reputation, and Blackwolf greatly enjoyed proving it. Even in a time where they needed help, and could ask for it if they chose, NightClan would appear strong and united.
Hollowcry was hardly what Blackwolf considered great company, definitely no brother-in-all-but-blood, but he and Poisonleaf and Ratfur (surprisingly) and Ghostlight were a tight-knit group. A pack all their own, and they knew one another well enough to make fighting a serious disadvantage for every one they came up against.
The cream-furred she-cat, Roselight, hissed and swiftly disappeared—likely to fetch the deputy or whoever RainClan answered to these days. The golden tom, a young warrior Blackwolf didn't know the name of, stood and watched them through narrowed eyes, as if contemplating swimming across to do... what, exactly?
Just try it, fish-eater. I'm sure our queens would love lining their nests with your fur. Blackwolf smirked, waiting to see what happened next.
Do the Math, No Equal
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Word Count: 436 Words
Tags: Amber , Insidious
Notes: |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2016 23:17:00 GMT -5
Poisonleaf Normally silent paws crunched along behind Blackwolf as she followed him to the border, the ball of moss she'd snagged from his son held tightly in her jaws. She noticed Hollowcry's glances toward her but remained silent, offering him only a glare on one occasion where their eyes had met. Otherwise, she tried to ignore him, keeping her eyes trained ahead.
She crossed the border with little thought; it wasn't a common occurrence, but she'd crossed borders before. After the first few times, all the others were easy. Their pace slowed a little once the border was crossed, seeking out the large source of water they were after. It didn't take long before they were at the water's edge. She dropped her moss on the bank, leaning down to lap at the water. Once sated, she straightened, catching sight of the warriors on the other side of the river.
The fur along her spine wanted to rise, but she forced it to lay flat; they were intruders on RainClan land, but they weren't here originally intending to fight. As Blackwolf became the voice of their operation, Poisonleaf looked away, grabbing her moss and dunking it into the river, holding onto it so it wouldn't be swept away. She glanced up again, at the warrior who remained, and narrowed her eyes at the look he was giving them. She felt like telling him off, to not be so greedy since they had enough water to share with the entire valley despite the heavy drought, but she bit her tongue. Though she wouldn't complain if they needed to utilize force to obtain water, she wasn't going to be the one blamed for it.
She looked down to pull the ball of moss from the river, placing it safely beside her before looking back up to Blackwolf, waiting for their next move. they say pride comes before the fall but i am pride and i am the fall |
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