[Katara]

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if i was born as a blackthorn tree
i'd wanna be held by you, felled by you
fuel the

PYRE OF YOUR
enemies

clover

clovermask.

NIGHTCLAN DEPUTY // 51 MOONS

S

he didn't know why she was here. Old habits died hard, she supposed.

The NightClan deputy was marking the TreeClan border, and taking her time with it too, making sure to mark every last tree that lined the Deer Path, and practically every blade of grass would have her scent on it. It was a little past dawn, and she knew she should be back at camp sleeping by now, but she'd told the dawn patrol she wanted to add something to the fresh-kill pile before she turned in for the rest of the day.

And then she'd ended up here, at her old haunt, where she'd stared across the border into TreeClan territory just looking for the slender head of one warrior. She told herself she wasn't searching for that familiar pelt right now, but then - what else in StarClan's name was she there for? Well... It wasn't as if she hadn't recently made a new TreeClan friend. She sank her claws into the peaty ground, a thrill running through her again as she recalled the last Gathering when she'd first met Graypaw, Shrikesong's wonderfully naive daughter. She rather hoped she wasn't the only one in the litter, but she hadn't hide time to ask her about any brothers or sisters before Shrikesong herself had appeared to whisk her away.

Nothing had been more satisfying than seeing her that night. She lashed her tail, lost in her own imagination, and didn't notice a mouse dart past her paws until the last moment. She reacted instinctively, hooking the mouse with her claws and frantically knocking it into the air, where it hit the ground dazed, allowing her to dispatch it quickly. There... now at least she could say she was true to her word.

[attr="class","cltag"]tagged open!

[attr="class","clnotes"]notes --

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[Deleted]

TREECLAN LEADER

PUMASTAR

48 MOONS

THE PROBLEM IS YOU THINK YOU HAVE TIME

Graypaw had come along well. She was an adept apprentice, far more so than Cougarclaw and Cliffchaser had been. Pumafang and Graypaw had set out along with the dawn patrol before branching off. He wanted to check up on the she-cat's hunting skills, as Leafbare was well on its way. The nights had been getting colder, crisper, and since Lionstar's death, the clan had been sunken and hollow, like the very tree they infested. Pumafang felt his grip on the clan tightening with each day, and Mossheart as deputy often came to him for advice on dictation. The two were working very well. Mossheart was just shy of twenty moons his senior, but his loyalty, intuitiveness, and conscientiousness lent Pumafang a priceless asset: a translator.

"Graypaw," Pumafang meowed dully. "Let's see what you can do."

TreeClan's leader dipped his head and handed her the reign, the scent of a squirrel in the breeze. Tracking was a part of hunting, that pre-emptive edge, and most exemplary hunters got this done quickly and quietly. The more time wasted on it, the less time spent stalking. It made for sloppier kills with many amateurs. Though Pumafang knew Graypaw was no amateur. He took pride in his apprentices, those who stuck with them and took the assessment. He did have a few transfers in the past. They didn't have the perseverance. Pumafang thought. Or their purpose.

Initially he had underestimated Graypaw as well, but even though her physique was average at best, determination ran through her veins and encouragement seemed to be a powerful tool with her more than the others.

Glacierspring found his purpose early, forced to make a decision as a kit that would rule his existence. Cliffchaser and Cougarclaw existed for the luxuries of security, their innocent desire for an easy life fueling their intent. Graypaw? Pumafang was still trying to figure her out. He watched the gray apprentice at a fair distance. He saw her stalk, and execute a clean kill with relative ease. A squirrel at that. She had the makings of a good hunter. Pumafang approached and tapped her on the shoulder with his heavy tail.

The scent of NightClan was evident. Though he was her apprentice after all. She had already sensed it.

Pumafang kept his features flat and still, but a soft spark of interest lit in the back of his mind. He followed Graypaw for what felt like mere moments before noticing a shape shifting among the Deer Path behind the thinning undergrowth. A tiny tiger, much smaller than his own, potently marking the border with a tense, dominant posture and a mouse at her claws far past bed-time. She's going to be the next NightClan leader. Pumafang thought grimly, his musing laced with intrigue. Deranged women always end up in power.

A glimpse of Foxfire flashed through his mind.

The colossal leader let Graypaw take the lead, an important skill he always struggled with implementing and developing in his apprentices. The large, chocolate-black leader loosened his tight hold on control and followed like a shadow guard, a panther looming behind Graypaw as they began to approach.

"Do you know who that is?" Pumafang rumbled as he lumbered at the wayside.

He only just recalled, and the corners of his lips shuttered upwards for a moment, a ghost of a smile. Looks like I was right after all. Pumafang mused. Clovermask, NightClan's deputy, next in line for the throne.

He should make a good impression. Perhaps he could speed up her ascension.

[attr="class","pftag"]TAGGED @jen Katara

[attr="class","pfwc"]WORDS 553

[Deleted]

GRAYPAW

Treeclan Apprentice

The morning had started pretty routine for Graypaw, well as normal as an apprentice's could go anyway. She had been woken up by her mentor, about an hour or so before dawn had broken across the horizon. With the passing days after Lionstar's death, Graypaw hadn't seen much of her mentor, Pumafang. Of course the reasons were understandable and so she kept herself busy around camp. Doing chores here and there and performing her mostly essential apprentice duties. When her mentor had returned from becoming their official leader, Graypaw had been amongst the crowd that had gathered to greet him when he had returned. Her eyes had fallen on him, and almost instantly she had noticed a change in him. Though she couldn't put a paw on it, there was change in the air and Pumafang, now Pumastar, had made it abundantly clear of his new vision for TreeClan.

To become a warrior, you were expected to work you tail off. The era of Lionstar was gone and in its place was that of Pumastar's and that alone only made the young molly want to prove herself more. And so upon exiting the camp, with her mentor's words, "Graypaw. Let's see what you can do" Echoing in her already erected ears, the apprentice felt her entire breath heighten and her heart beat in her chest wildly. Those words, were a tall order but she was determined and adadmanet about proving herself to her leader and her mentor. To prove that she was a worthy apprentice too him! "Yes, Pumastar," The apprentice had mewed confidently, though the small urge of stirring in her stomach wasn't as confident as she was. The scent of squirrel was heavy in the air, and Graypaw clung too that smell, using it to navigate her way through the territory. With the changing of seasons weaving in and out of forest, it would only be a matter of time before Leafbare reared its ugly head around the concern. With that, it would bring less prey and the possibility of sickness and death in its wake.

With it so close, this limited hunting would provide strength to the clan alone. So Graypaw could not fail in this! She would succeed, She had too! Confidence and determination blooming through her, the apprentice moved to follow the scent of squirrel, even further into her clan's territory. Tracking the scent was almost easy too her. It was just about parting one's maw and taking in the scents, before heading off in the direction, in which the scent took you. Deer Path. It was a name unfamiliar to the young apprentice, but the name itself said it all. Even now, as she moved along the grassy path, ears perked and nostrils flaring, the scent of the large animals bathed her senses and tongue. Almost overpowering the hint of squirrel. She stopped in the mists, of the path, after losing it briefly, turning her head to the side to angle her ears towards the left. One....two...GOT YOU!

Her paws carried her forward before her brain could follow. The squirrel was just ahead. One step, two...five and there! With a small twist and a lunge, the apprentice flung herself at her prey, claws extended and teeth bared. The long tailed rodent's fear perfumed the air like sweetened honey but it had no time to flee, before Graypaw's teeth were burying themselves into its throat. Cutting off any means if escape and dispatching it quickly. The taste of blood hovered on her tongue as she moved backwards, on steady laws. Detaching herself from her recent kill. She looked back at her mentor, a wide smile forming against her maw. She had done it! Her first kill! She parted her maw to say something but paused in the mists of saying something when a stirring of movement a head of the two cats, caught her eye.

The tap of her mentor's tail, brought her attention briefly towards him, before her eyes fell back upon the familiar pelt ahead of hers. She was waking forward, once more, realizing now, that they were near the border between their territory and NightClan. Oh, yes, it had been easy to recognize the scent of the other cat. It, was hard to forget t after all. ""Do you know who that is?" The question had caught her off-guard briefly but Graypaw's quick and response of "Yes, I do, her name is Clovermask. She's the NightClan's deputy," would tell her mentor enough. A smile was quick to spread to the apprentice's after she had spoken, and she moved forward even more, hoping to capture the other molly's attention. Though she paused in step, once more to look back at her mentor. "I haven't seen her since the Gathering. She's a really nice, molly," She held her breath, after letting out her last words, hoping she hadn't said too much.

Hopefully, Pumastar wasn't against her having a friend from another clan. At least she was on her side of the border, not like another cat. The memory of said certain tom, widen the smile on her lips but it faded around the edges just a bit. Now wasn't the time to think of such things, rousing her mentor and leader's curiosity of her sudden good mood. Purposely stopping, putting distance between herself from the border, but allowing herself to be seen by Clovermask, if she acknowledged their presence. Graypaw watched her mentor thoughtfully, wondering what he would say to her words about meeting Clovermask at the Gathering.

"Graypaw Speaking."

• Catch my breath, no one can hold me back, I ain't got time for that. Now that you know, this is my life. I don't wanna be left behind •

818

@jet and Katara

[Katara]

[googlefont=Playfair Display] [googlefont=Roboto] [googlefont=Kumar One]

if i was born as a blackthorn tree
i'd wanna be held by you, felled by you
fuel the

PYRE OF YOUR
enemies

clover

clovermask.

NIGHTCLAN DEPUTY // 51 MOONS

A

bout ready to turn back and get some sleep, Clovermask picked up the mouse in her jaws when a flash of movement distracted her. She turned, expecting to see a tempting hare across the border, and felt a flicker of surprise at the sight of a patrol. No, not a patrol - a pair. She dropped the mouse when she realized who it was - Pumafang, the TreeClan deputy, probably big enough to count for two warriors by himself. He prowled like an overgrown shadow behind the shape of young apprentice she was only too pleased to see. Oh, what was the luck in their paths crossing not just once, but twice? She wanted to throw back her head in laughter. Shrikesong tried so hard to keep her daughter away, but fate seemed to keep bringing them back together. The bengal she-cat raised her tail in greeting, careful to keep on her side of the border.

They were speaking to each other, Clovermask in clear sight of them both, and she had the feeling they were discussing her. She strained her ears, savage curiosity threatening to eat her alive. What do others think about me when I'm not there? She used to only care what Shrikesong thought, but now her interest had widened, swelled to include her kits, the other leaders and deputies of the Clans, and a pawful of others. She wanted their attention, and she wanted to know them. How else was she going to know which mask to wear for each of them?

Her gaze flicked past Graypaw, settling on Pumafang for a moment. This might be a challenge. She'd been warm and welcoming with Graypaw, but that wasn't the kind of disposition she wanted to show around the TreeClan deputy. Graypaw would understand if she treated her in a more distant, polite manner - she wasn't stupid, or she wouldn't have survived this long as the massive warrior's apprentice.

As the pair of them approached, Clovermask dipped her head in greeting. "Pumafang, Graypaw," she meowed. "I was just refreshing the border markers. I hope I'm not interrupting a training session." It was a lie - this was practically what she'd prayed for, the opportunity to interrupt this specific she-cat's training session. Her eyes flickered briefly back to Graypaw, trying to express her genuine delight at seeing her through those green eyes. Of course, she didn't know why she was delighted to see her, but there was a saying that went something like, What they don't know, won't hurt them...

A turn of phrase Bluecloud had told her was false. Multiple times.

"I trust all is well in TreeClan?" she asked conversationally, looking back to Pumafang. She hoped to make a good impression on him; considering Lionstar was about a million moons old, it wouldn't be long before he saw his last season in the valley, and she wouldn't mind having the dark warrior's alliance eventually.

[attr="class","cltag"]tagged @jet & @jen

[attr="class","clnotes"]notes me seeing y'all post in this thread: YAAAAASSSSS

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