rainclan [ 1 x 1 ]

Leopardshine | Camp | Ebonystar & Shadekit
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"Scaring a kit? Come now, Ebonystar." The playful mew came from Leopardshine, who had just slipped back into Camp. Two mice hung by their tails form her jaws. The RainClan deputy fixed her vivid green eyes on her leader, brimming with amusement, and...something more. There had always been an unspoken...something...between the two of them, long before they'd become the Clan's leadership. Most of the Clan could see it, even if they couldn't. The way they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. The way they lingered at an accidental touch. Every cat figured it was a matter of time....except for the two cats who it concerned. Of course, it didn't stop them from being great friends. 

Leopardshine set the mice down, and turned her gaze to Shadekit. "Willowcloud went out for a short walk." She mewed. "I saw her on my way back. She was only gone a spell, to stretch her legs, and these two were fast asleep. I guess one woke up." As the only queen in the nursery, there were no other queens to watch Willowcloud's youngsters so she could leave camp, and the dark tabby queen resolutely refused to pull any warriors away from their duties for her, not even her mate Risingmoon. As such, she could only steal these small opportunities to get out for a bit. "Don't fret little one, your mama will be back in two heartbeats." She purred. She nosed one of the mice over to the dappled tom. "Why don't you share this with your sister while you wait?" She suggested, knowing the treat of fresh-kill for kits who had just begun to eat solid food would be the perfect distraction from their mother's brief absence.

~

Snakestrike | Camp | Orchidpaw
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"Glad you could join us, young dormouse. I was afraid we wouldn't see you till nightfall!" The wry greeting came from Orchidpaw's mentor and the clan medicine cat, Snakestrike. The lean black tom was crouched beside the fresh-kill pile, digging into a marsh rat, and his piercing yellow gaze was currently fixed balefully on his apprentice. Of course, any cat knew that Snakestrike was grumpy at the best of times, and that snark was expected. He was stern and sarcastic, but the medicine cat was also shrewd and wise, and he truly cared about his clanmates.

The tom flicked his ears and continued. "You're as bad as Ebonystar. StarClan knows he slept through half his apprenticeship. You'd think he was a sloth more than a cat." Only Snakestrike could talk about their leader in such a manner, not only as the medicine cat, but also as the leader's brother. If Snakestrike was being short with you, it was usually a good sign. It was when he went quiet that every cat knew he was truly angry. No cat was spared the medicine cat's sharp tongue, with the sole exception of Piranhaface, the Clan's former medicine cat and the menor of Snakestrike's mentor, Oakflash. The old tom had stepped down as medicine cat to start a family with Mossbelly, his longtime love. He'd loved her since their early days, but had stayed loyal to his creed and had never taken her as a mate. It was only once he had fully trained Oakflash that he had finally stepped down and allowed himself the happiness of his love. Piranhaface was an elder now, but Snakestrike still treated him with an awe and reverence that went beyond respect. The skinny tom had always claimed that his former mentor had an extraordinary connection with StarClan, beyond anything he'd ever seen.

Of course, he was just as tough on Orchidpaw as his other clanmates, but it was clear he liked and respected the young cat and her work ethic. While he was strict, he was never unfair, and while he may poke fun at her occasionally, he treated her as he would any full medicine cat, knowing that in an emergency, she would have to act as one in his stead. As such, any cat who disregarded her as an apprentice would face his full wrath. While his words may be stony, his actions showed how much he cared about her. Even now, for all his bellyaching about her nap, he pushed his half-eaten rat towards her, inviting her to share.

~

Duskleap | Jungle | OPEN
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Duskleap let out a disgruntled growl as he crouched near the edge of the jungle, watching the new influx of twolegs spill out of the rumbling monster. It seemed as if more and more were arriving by the day, with their shiny, buzzing claws that glinted in the sunlight. Twolegs had always been a minor nuisance to RainClan, but recently, they'd been encroaching further and further towards the Clan, and though they had not yet reached their regularly patrolled territory, they seemed to be getting closer with every sunrise. Duskleap had come to monitor their progress each day, and he still wasn't sure what they were up to yet. They didn't seem to be doing anything, at least not yet. They just kept coming in their huge monsters, setting up dens. Only time would tell. 

He turned now and began to pad away from the cacophony. He needed to report this to Ebonystar and Leopardshine. Of course it had to be him. He thought darkly to himself. Duskleap was...a bit of an enigma in the Clan. He didn' really get along with any Cat. He was stoic and moody at best, and outright confrontational at worst. No cat really knew what went through his head, and most cats didn't want to. He was well aware of how other cats perceived him, and he was more than happy to keep things that way. The only cat who seemed to really understand him was his mate, Morninghowl. It was a wonder that any cat had fallen for him, but Morninghowl had a way of soothing his soul that no other cat did. He'd surprisingly been a doting father when his kits were in the nursery, but Sweetkit's death seemed to have even pushed him away from really bonding with his surviving kits. Though he remained polite and regularly checked on their progress, his demeanor around them was icy and impassive, as if he feared that allowing himself to truly care for them would hurt them again, and so he kept them at paws length. His apprentice Sandypaw was given to him in the hopes of softening this cold exterior, but it was for naught. While he was a good mentor, training her fairly and effectively, his attitude towards her was brusque and distant. He was a good warrior, but no cat was willing to cross his path.

~

Dawnripple | Banana Grove | Scorchheart
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Dawnripple padded contentedly beside her mate, the mid-afternoon sun casting dancing shadows upon her ginger and gold pelt, lighting it aflame in radiance. With the sickness that had recently ravaged through the camp, both of them had worked hard in the past moon, picking up extra patrols, taking extra hunting trips, doing whatever they could to keep he Clan afloat as their fellow warriors fought for their lives. This left little time for themselves or their family, and now that peace had finally returned to them, Dawnripple was determined to finally relax a bit, and there was no better way to do that than by Scorchhear's side. 

Dawnripple was the water to Scorchheart's fire. The cool, calming presence that always knew just how to get him to settle down whenever his unpredictable temper flared up. Of course, that flame was never directed towards her, but she was always ready o stand in its path and quench it, no matter where it was directed at. "Far too long." She agreed with a gentle purr, the sound rumbling through her throat as their pelts brushed together. "I heard Frogpaw and Sandypaw are doing great in their training. They've both become such wonderful apprentices, and I know they'll be amazing warriors." The young tabby never had a bad word for her children. She was their bastion and rock, their eternal ally. She doted endlessly, but she also knew when to step back and simply observe with pride. Now was one of those moments, out here alone, with no other cat in sight. She stopped walking and closed her eyes, allowing a cool breeze to run through her fur, before looking up at the vast mountains looming above them like a dark shadow. She hadn't realized how far they'd come. No RainClan cat ever entered the mountains.

~

Batflight | Outside Apprentice's Den | Sandypaw
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"Sandypaw!" The eager mew came from Batflight as the mottled tom slipped through the large ferns near the camp entrance, and made his way towards the apprentice. "Duskleap said I could take you hunting today since he's watching the twolegs. He said it would be fine to handle a day of training since you're going to be a warrior soon." Though his mew was casual, his eyes belied his excitement, as did his twitching tail. It was no secret that the young warrior had been padding after her since they were both in the apprentice den together. Though he was now a warrior, not much had changed in that regard.

Though Batflight would have no doubt taken the initiative, it was just like Duskleap to happily hand over the reigns of mentorship for the day. He was an effective mentor, but he found the role tiresome. Batflight, on the other hand, was young and driven, with hopes of having his own apprentice one day, so this was a good opportunity for him. Of course, some time with Sandypaw was a welcome bonus as well. Besides, it was a chance for Sandypaw to spend some time with a cat who wasn't always just stonily appraising her. 

~

Fernpool | Camp | Archfeather
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Fernpool let out a soft yawn as she padded back into camp, just returning from another patrol. She'd gone on a dawn patrol and then a hunting patrol right after, but one of the perks of being young was boundless energy, and Fernpool was the Clan's newest warrior, ready to prove herself. Not only was she the only surviving kit of her litter, she was also the younger sibling of Ebonystar and Snakestrike, the leader and medicine cat. Barkpaw had died in an accident as an apprentice, and her sister Nightstep had been a young, strong warrior, passing away only shortly after their ceremony to the terrible sickness. Though both her parents were gone too, she resolved to still strive to do her best, for her family watching from StarClan, and her remaining kin.

As she looked around camp, she spotted Archfeather, and her eyes brightened as she padded over. The young warrior had held feelings for the tabby tom since she'd been an apprentice. Now that she was a warrior, she hoped he would notice her affections. "Archfeather! Leopardshine wanted me to check on the twoleg camp on the east side of the territory. Do you want to come with me?" She mewed a bit shyly, scuffing her paws. "I'm sure it'll be more interesting than fixing dens in this heat." She began to head back towards the camp entrance, then looked back over her shoulder slyly. "Of course, if you would rather stay and melt your fur off, I'll tell you all the stories later!" She added cheerfully. 

~

Frogpaw | Apprentice's Den | OPEN
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"Ow!" Frogpaw complained as his blue eyes shot open in a mixture of confusion and pain. The cream and brown tabby looked groggily around the den, and then down to his flank, where a stray branch had buried itself into his fur. The oldest apprentice grumbled under his breath and dislodged the offending stick, getting to his paws with a sigh. He'd returned from the midnight patrol and was so tired upon returning that he had gone straight to his nest. With how RainClan's territory was alive at all hours of the day, nighttime patrols were often more important than those in the day, and every now and again, he ended up with the short end in the stick. And now, I got the long end. He noted wryly, wincing from the sore spot on his flank. 

The den was nearly empty now, as the apprentices who had been fortunate enough to have not been assigned night duties were all out training or hunting. The only other apprentice with him was Antpaw, curled up tight in the far corner of the den with his tail over his nose. Frogpaw felt a pang of sympathy as he looked at the tiny tom, who looked even smaller now. Antpaw remained as one of the last vestiges of the plague that had swept through the Clan. While the other survivors were now fully recovered, Antpaw remained weak even a moon later. Though the fever was gone and he couldn't pass it on to others, he was still wracked with coughing fits and heavy exhaustion. The illness had reduced the once sleek, fit tom into skin and bone. At this point, there wasn't much that could be done. Though Snakestrike checked up on him every day, the medicine cat said that it was up to the apprentice to fight this on his own. It must be even harder for Antpaw's sister to see him in such a state, especially as a medicine cat apprentice. He shook his head firmly. No. He'd always had a soft spot for Orchidpaw, but he couldn't allow his thoughts to stray further than that. She was committed to becoming a medicine cat, and he wanted to be deputy one day. Besides, Stormpaw was his best friend. Pushing the unwelcome emotions out of his head, he padded out of the den, casting one last look at the sleeping Antpaw.

~

Pantherpaw | Fresh-kill Pile | Jaguarpaw
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Pantherpaw took a large bite out of the flying squirrel, taking a moment to savor the taste of it, before pushing the remnants of the shared meal towards her littermate. "You can have the rest. I'm stuffed." She puffed, leaning back with a contented sigh. The two were the youngest apprentices in the den, just recently apprenticed, and Pantherpaw couldn't be happier. She was a natural tracker, her black pelt breaking up perfectly among the long ferns of the jungle. At night, it was nearly impossible to see her if she held still enough. She was learning a lot from Quietbreeze, even though it had only been a few sunrises since they'd begun to go out into the forest.

The pitch black she-cat turned her heterochromatic gaze on her brother. The curious contrast of blue and golden, especially against her night-colored pelt, could be off putting at first sight, but they were a sight that Jaguarpaw had seen from the moment he opened his own eyes. The two littermates were closer than most, especially after the death of Sweetkit. Since then, Pantherpaw had resolved to always make time for her brother, no matter how busy her day was. "What do you think Dawnripple has planned for you today?" She asked idly. "Quietbreeze mentioned she was going to teach me abou monkey hunting soon. Though I'd suppose I would need to learn climbing for that first." She added with a purr of amusement. 

~

Piranhaface | Medicine Den | OPEN
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Piranhaface let out a wheezing cough, amber eyes screwed in consternation. The oldest tom in the Clan was also one of the last remaining cats still suffering from the sickness. Though like Antpaw, he had gotten through the worst of things, he was still struggling through the debilitating after effects of the illness. Unlike Antpaw however, the reason for Piranhaface's issues was plain to see. The tom was old now, very old, and his body simply couldn't fight off sickness the way it used to. The former medicine cat was well aware of this fact, and while in general he seemed to slowly be getting better, some days felt just as bad as the beginning. Today was one of those days, when he'd woken up struggling to breath, his breathe easing only when he'd managed out some of the nasty yellow slime from his lungs.  Snakestrike had given him a mixture of coltsfoot and crushed juniper berries, but Piranhaface only felt minutely better.

The worst part of the sickness was that it isolated him from his clanmates, and this was driving him crazy. While Antpaw had been permitted to return to the apprentice's den, as his denmates were young and strong, the same did not hold true for Piranhaface's peers. As such, he was still confined to the medicine den, away from his sister and beloved mate. The frustration of isolation, more than anything, was getting to him, and Piranhaface regularly felt a profound sadness. He could feel a stirring in his bones that he hadn't felt in many moons, a strange exhilaration for life that had largely left him since he'd retired. Something inside told him that he was finally beginning to feel the pull of his warrior ancestors. The old tom was stubborn however, something he had seemingly passed onto both his sons. Whatever his destiny was, Piranhaface wouldn't take it willingly without a fight.