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Post by Fawn on Oct 29, 2018 14:23:10 GMT -5
Lionstar The crown is getting heavy But they've written my name in the stars The party of five maneuvered the dense forest of TreeClan's territory, the shift in terrain evident by the marshy quality of the earth beneath their paws as they traded grass for beds of pine needles. They were entering NightClan territory - or what had once been part of NightClan's territory. TreeClan had held onto the deer path for a few seasons now, and Lionstar fully intended to make use of their temporary boon. There was no way of knowing for certain when NightClan would strike; they were coiled like a snake, and Lionstar was done losing sleep over it.
Lionstar raised his muzzle to the wind, inhaling deeply the woodsy scents sweeping over his nose and jaw and through his whiskers. Nearby, Zephyrfang strode eagerly a few foxlengths ahead, the keenness of his gaze indicative of his excitement over being this close to foreign territory. For Zephyrfang, who had very little respect for boundaries as it was, this was probably bringing to mind the old days of his lonerhood.
"Smell that, Adderpaw?" said the tawny warrior, flexing his claws over a lichen-covered log. The scent of decaying plant-matter was freshened when he drew his claws away, scouring new marks into the wood. "That's a possum."
Yewpaw spoke over her sister, tail raising in challenge. "I bet I can catch it before Adderpaw does."
"The Clan needs all the prey it can get." Said Lionstar. "But, that's no excuse to act recklessly. We're very close to NightClan territory; hunt the possum, but stay close to your mentors."
Zephyrfang chuckled, white teeth flashing. "Come on, Lionstar. They won't learn to think on their feet without a little looming danger."
Lionstar flashed the tawny warrior a look of exasperation. "We've had enough looming danger to last us six seasons," he mewed coldly. The disastrous gathering was still fresh in his mind - and the scars were even fresher. Lives had been lost.
But Zephyrfang seemed unphased, and was already signaling for Adderpaw to begin tracking. I've been building up all these kingdoms for so long It's good to be king 93 Moons || TreeClan || 329 Words || Taxx
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Post by Taxx on Oct 29, 2018 21:50:35 GMT -5
Adderpaw "I see things no one else sees." Adderpaw really hoped they weren't expecting much from her. They ought to be pleased enough that she'd followed them this far instead of 'losing' them around some tree and deciding she might as well just head back to the camp. Except, if she did that, she'd have to deal with the lecture against that course of action, a list of reasons as to why she should have stayed with them, the things that could have happened to her on her own, and possibly some extra chore.
It was exhausting, plain and simple. Trudging along at the rear of the patrol, Adderpaw watched Yewpaw trotting ahead with Finchcloud padding just behind, with Zephyrfang and Lionstar rounding out the patrol. The younger ginger warrior held a bird in his jaws, which was probably the only reason he wasn't making the woods ring with his voice. The only thing interesting about any of this was the way the tom acted toward her, but there was only so much she could do with the Clan's leader and her own part-mentor hanging about.
Her name caught her attention, and she blinked at Zephyrfang, the quietest sigh as though he'd asked her to sprint to the mountains and back before lifting her head and taking in a short breath. Her nose wrinkled at the unfamiliar odor. "Yes," was all she said, an ear twitching at her sister's challenge.
She shrugged. "Go for it." Her gaze swung toward the border and she took another breath, the smell of the other Clan now her focus when the possum had been the focus before. And then she tuned out the two toms, shifting between her front paws as Yewpaw padded closer, ears laid back in mock irritation. "Scared?" she baited, spinning back to Finchcloud as he set his bird down; Adderpaw just shrugged.
"We'll be close," Finchcloud assured his apprentice. "Just in case." His gaze slid to Adderpaw then and she held his eyes for a long moment, an unblinking stare, hiding the surge of triumph when he broke it first, turning his head away with his tail flicking.
"It stinks," Adderpaw stated, her voice bland as she turned her eyes to Zephyrfang now, wondering if he was as susceptible as his son. "Let Yewpaw have it. She's the one who wants it, not me."
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Post by Fawn on Nov 12, 2018 11:58:03 GMT -5
Lionstar The crown is getting heavy But they've written my name in the stars Lionstar flicked an ear, finding the answer unsatisfactory, but Zephyrfang beat him to the punch. The tawny warrior snorted. "Smelly prey is the easiest to track. But if you want a harder task, I'll give you one." Zephyrfang scanned the black pines, his tail tip swaying with his usual unshakeable confidence as his gaze latched onto a flutter of wings in the nearby trees. "Catch two birds, if you can manage that. If that's too hard for you and your sensitive nose, I'm sure you can find some frogs."
Zephyrfang wore a fanged grin, amused by what he considered fussy behavior. Without waiting for her to respond, the former loner moved on; Lionstar watched him go, secretly pleased with how he'd handled it. He should have given him more credit. Zephyrfang's start in life had been rough, and his reasons for joining TreeClan were no secret - but he was a responsible warrior, and by the looks of Finchcloud's and Thornheart's adoration for him, an even better father.
"I'll keep an eye on NightClan." Lionstar announced, selecting himself for the role of lookout while Zephyrfang and Finchcloud busied themselves with hunting and mentoring. His own apprentice, Lilypaw, was back at camp - safe, and he preferred to keep it that way. The Gathering had taken his overprotective tendencies to new heights. It was a wonder he let her walk to the fresh kill pile without an escort. Shaking his mane, Lionstar dismissed himself from the group. Releasing a breath, he drew in the pungent odor of NightClan, golden eyes sweeping back and forth along the treeline, expecting a few visitors soon enough.
This was NightClan; whether it would be a simple border patrol or a retaliation force (or both) remained to be seen. I've been building up all these kingdoms for so long It's good to be king 93 Moons || TreeClan || 290 Words || @thephonypony Taxx
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2018 19:42:46 GMT -5
YewPaw I feel the poison now, slipping through my skin To my darker side, to my every sin TreeClan, 9 Moons, She-Cat
Yewpaw followed her mentor, Finchcloud, Adderpaw and her mentor, Zephyrfang, and Lionstar out of the camp. NightClan's border, she told herself as they padded in the general direction. Though three moons into her training, she worked to commit the territory TreeClan called home to memory. It would come up useful in the future, she was sure.
She wasn't surprised Adderpaw turned down her challenge. Oh well. More time for her to shine. Yewpaw sneered at her sister and crouched, her powerful hind legs tucked underneath her as she took off. Though she could sense Finchcloud somewhere behind her, doing his "mentor" thing, her focus was on the pungent scent of the possum and the promise of showing off to the patrol.
She readjusted her path, thankful to be downwind of the creature, and moved closer and closer to the source of the stench. Yewpaw froze, legs poised for a powerful leap, as she watched the possum nose around the ground. It didn't have a chance to find its own prey as she leaped, landing on its back with a solid thump. A few kicks and bite to the neck later, the possum was trapped in her jaw like a stinky trophy.
She trotted back to where Lionstar had assumed the post of lookout, tail straight up as she returned with prize in paw.
"The possum," she unnecessarily stated, burying it at the base of a nearby bush. "What next?" she asked Finchcloud, turning to her mentor without a bit of humility. If Adderpaw didn't want to go after the prey she scented, that was her problem. Yewpaw would gladly take up her slack.
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Post by Taxx on Dec 3, 2018 21:56:48 GMT -5
Adderpaw "I see things no one else sees." A blank look settled over Adderpaw's face as Zephyrfang went on to point her at different types of prey, his words carrying a certain jab. Was he trying to guilt her into hunting? She didn't want the possum. Climbing. Birds. Ugh. Watching as the tabby strode off, her green eyes sliding toward Lionstar padding toward the border, Adderpaw gave a loud, purposefully exaggerated yawn before sighing, hoisting herself up onto all four paws, and slouching toward one of the ponds. "I'll hunt the stupid frogs," she muttered to nobody.
Except, as she neared the water's edge, the little green bodies perched there hopped away and ducked beneath the surface before she got within striking range; she frowned, reaching out a paw to prod a bit of leaf litter at the pond's edge, half-hoping she might disturb one that had tried to hide, but there was nothing. Shame.
Yewpaw's return with the possum- a dingy gray, smelly creature that Adderpaw was not going to touch- was met with the same neutral stare. "Great catch," she commented. "You're such a good hunter, Yewpaw." Another quick glance at the pond, noting that as she did so a couple heads dipped back under the surface, before she sighed. Sure, what now? she didn't say aloud, wondering again how much trouble she'd get in to if she just disappeared. Finchcloud So many times it happens too fast You trade your passion for glory Finchcloud hadn't followed Yewpaw, letting her do her own hunt while he tracked down a mouse, dispatching it with a quick lunge and a sharp bite. He was pleased to see her return with the creature, tail lifting in pride at her ability- so young, but shaping up well. His training or her own natural skill, or maybe both; whatever it was, he was thrilled to see her doing as well as she was.
"Why don't we try for some birds?" he suggested, glancing up toward the trees and the sparrows he could see flitting branch to branch. "Come on, let's see how you do. Follow me, and be careful." Finchcloud headed for the nearest tree he felt could take his weight; he'd just tensed to spring upward when Adderpaw's voice rang through the air, a trace of alarm in it. "NightClan!" the tortoiseshell apprentice yowled, hurtling toward the group; Finchcloud's tail bushed as he spun to look at Lionstar. "Back there! Three of them!"
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past You must FIGHT just to keep them ALIVE
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Post by Fawn on Dec 6, 2018 6:10:08 GMT -5
Lionstar The crown is getting heavy But they've written my name in the stars Lionstar acknowledged Yewpaw's skill with a pleased dip of his jaw. She was a daughter of Magpiewing and Mockingbird; a grandkit of Grayowl. However, she did not seem so heavily influenced by her parents, and his previous experiences with Ravenstorm and Berrythorn had taught Lionstar to be a little less... suspicious about the motivations and behaviors of his enemy's kin. She was shaping up to be a decent huntress. Golden eyes caught Finchcloud's proud posture nearby, and it put a spark of amusement in his eyes.
Great StarClan, it had been so many seasons since his first apprentice, Redbird. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"Keep to the low branches," he advised the mentor and apprentice pair, not wanting a repeat of what had happened between Feathercloud and her apprentice, the late Sparrowtail. While they left to try their hand at bird-catching, Lionstar prowled along the border. He let flashes of golden pelt be seen through the dense woods, letting them know he was here as much through sight as through scent. Anyone that crossed into the branch trail, knowing full well he was guarding it, would be looking for a fight.
Lionstar's posture reflected calm alertness, a preparedness for combat that he had honed since before the days of deputyship.
"NightClan! Back there! Three of them!"
A growl tore from the golden tom's throat, large paws carrying him in a charge to where Adderpaw's voice had come from. He nearly crashed into an overeager Zephyrfang, with flexing claws and hungry, bright eyes. Lionstar growled, half at Zephyrfang, and half at the NightClan cats he didn't see. "Where did you see them, Adderpaw?" Lionstar's attention swivelrd to where Adderpaw was - or where he thought she'd been. The tortoiseshell kitten was nowhere to be found.
"Maybe that possum killed my sense of smell," drawled Zephyrfang. "but I don't smell NightClan cats."
Lionstar's expression tightened. Neither did he. Nothing fresh. Why would Adderpaw have simply taken off--
"Foxdung. Zephyrfang, catch up to your apprentice, and tell her unless she has a very good reason for her little trick, she's not allowed to eat until sunrise."
Zephyrfang, who hid his disappointment over the false alarm well, was chuckling to himself as he caught Adderpaw's scent to follow. "She's not going to care, Lionstar. If eating wasn't what kept us alive, she wouldn't bother."
"Then find something she does care about, and let her know that there are consequences to this kind of nonsense." Lionstar retorted, fixing Zephyrfang with the kind of look he'd reserve for an insolent kit. Zephyrfang dismissed the exasperation with a stretch and flex of his claws, before he set off to track Adderpaw down.
Lionstar shook his head. Some of Mockingbird's kits were like Yewpaw and Berrythorn; normal, and then there was Adderpaw, who was about as motivated and attached to Clan life as a toadstool. Maybe Silentsong was the wrong mentor for Adderpaw... Lionstar didn't want the mute she-cat to lose heart when Adderpaw proved difficult. Zephyrfang might fit the role of disciplinarian if his mate's emotional well-being was involved.
"Let's go back towards the Great Maple. We'll continue the hunt there." Lionstar announced, intending to steer the party back over TreeClan's old scentline at the Deer Path. I've been building up all these kingdoms for so long It's good to be king 93 Moons || TreeClan || 539 Words || @thephonypony Taxx Notes: We've hit 5 posts! This will count as a hunting thread for both Adderpaw & Yewpaw. I am happy to continue with just Yew, Finch & Lion if anyone would like to. Feel free to get any final reaction posts in!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 6, 2018 11:45:25 GMT -5
YewPaw I feel the poison now, slipping through my skin To my darker side, to my every sin TreeClan, 9 Moons, She-Cat "Thanks!" Yewpaw told Adderpaw, sickly sweet in the face of the compliment. She knew Adderpaw didn't care. But, if it would make her look better in front of her mentor and their Clan leader? She'd take that no problem. She turned her attention to Finchcloud, splitting into a feral grin at the mention of birds. Oh, yes, she would gladly hunt birds. It had only gotten easier as she grew larger - her hind legs became more powerful, she had realized in her last hunting session. Yewpaw had tried to leap on a branch and instead overshot it, tumbling to the ground in a tangle of embarrassed fur. Once she realized it was because she was stronger, that flush of mortification went away.
She stalked after Finchcloud, taking care to copy his movements exactly. She lined up behind him, watching as her mentor crouched low so he could leap into the branches, when Adderpaw's yowl preceded her frantic run. Yewpaw froze, a moment on indecision, waiting to see what Finchcloud would do. NightClan? Here? A bubble of panic rose up in her throat but she tamped it down, hard, spinning to follow Lionstar's growl.
But just like that, it was over. Done. Because her mouse-hearted sister had ruined her hunting patrol. Yewpaw stewed, as she followed Lionstar back towards the Great Maple. "Finchcloud?" she finally asked, looking at her mentor as they padded deeper into TreeClan territory. "Can we try for birds again when we get to the Great Maple?"
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Post by Taxx on Dec 6, 2018 20:08:32 GMT -5
Adderpaw "I see things no one else sees." Lionstar had reacted exactly as expected to her warning, and Adderpaw's lip curled in a second of disgust. How utterly gullible- how easily tricked. Just because of his deep-seated distrust of the cats who bordered them: a rivalry that had begun seasons ago, well before even her older siblings had been a thought in Magpiewing and Mockingbird's minds.
She watched the four run toward where she had claimed to see NightClan- probably startling off the squirrel that had given her the idea- and then turned to head home, her ears flicking as she heard her name just before she trotted out of earshot. They'd probably catch up before she made it, if they followed at all, and she swiveled her ears back to listen for anyone following even as she kept on toward the camp.
Finchcloud So many times it happens too fast You trade your passion for glory "Of course!" Finchcloud replied to Lionstar, his gaze fixed on the branches overhead. It wasn't a very sturdy tree so the advice was sound; the ginger tom crouched in preparation to spring just as Adderpaw's voice rang out, startling the birds into flying away in alarm.
Finchcloud spun to follow Lionstar and Zephyrfang, close beside Yewpaw to protect her if needed, but the spike of adrenaline faded quickly when the older toms realized there were no NightClan cats about- and found Adderpaw missing. Tail lashing in annoyance, Finchcloud watched his father leave to track down the errant apprentice and turned to his own as Lionstar set a new place for them to hunt, further in TreeClan's territory.
"Yes," he replied, his voice a bit irritated still though he tried to squash it. "And maybe a squirrel, too. They like to look for food around there. Come on!" Retrieving his own catches, he nudged the mouse toward Yewpaw to carry before setting off. Quickening his pace, he trotted ahead of Lionstar, still alert but quickly shedding the irritation as his thoughts turned toward more hunting.
He buried the bird again a short distance from the Maple, picking a spot devoid of leaves to keep from rustling them, and then stalked the rest of the way in the hunter's crouch. A flick of his tail beckoned Yewpaw to follow as he sprang upward, scaling the trunk to the lowest branch and waiting for his apprentice to join him. Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past You must FIGHT just to keep them ALIVE
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Post by Fawn on Dec 11, 2018 20:54:31 GMT -5
70 Moons, Warrior of TreeClan It wasn't hard to find Adderpaw. Her pace was barely above a walk, and Zephyrfang was able to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Identifying the tortoiseshell kitten making her way back to camp, Zephyrfang switched from 'bearer of bad news' to 'hunter'. Tawny tabby markings were the perfect camouflage for a forest in the grips of leaf-fall. He was mindful of the crinkle of leaves and the snap of dry twigs; this was kit's play.
Without warning, Zephyrfang pushed on powerful hind legs and landed with a decisive whoosh of air behind Adderpaw - front paws pinning her by the tail to the leafbed underneath. "Great trick." Zephyrfang grinned, claws unsheathed to further dissuade her from trying to pull her tail free.
"Lying to your Clanmates and refusing to catch prey?" The tawny warrior tsked. "You know, if you wanted to stay a little 'paw for longer than average, you could have just asked. At least that way," Zephyrfang released her tail, walking in a lazy circle to herd her back to camp. "At least that way you wouldn't be missing a meal. No food until sunrise."
If she wanted someone to blame, then Zephyrfang knew where she could find a reflective surface. He didn't much enjoy Clan rules any more than the average loner-born cat could, but he understood the purpose of the fundamentals. Her joke was amusing, she'd pulled the wool over Lionstar's eyes and gotten them to scamper to the border like a bunch of panicked mice.
But she'd also gone home without a single piece of prey to show for it. It wasn't bad luck, it was laziness.
Laziness was how cats died before they reached middle age. Zephyrfang wasn't in the business of motivating anyone to 'be their best self', he didn't care if Adderpaw waltzed off into the mountains or joined another Clan. But Silentsong would care, and that alone was the only motivation Zephyrfang needed to prod Adderpaw onto the right path.
She could drag her paws and dodge hunting patrols all she wanted - after her ceremony. Zephyrfang's golden eyes flashed, full of warmth for his mate and warning for those who tried to upset her. He'd drag Adderpaw through her apprenticeship by the scruff if he had to, even if only to see Silentsong glow with pride when her first apprentice was finally made a warrior.
398 Words @thephonypony Taxx BlooRey DVD (Silentsong mention!) notes: feel free to continue with just Yew & Finch
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