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Post by pythontail on Nov 12, 2018 13:03:29 GMT -5
This was not the first journey Pythontail had been required to endure for the survival of her clan. When unnatural floods swept the clans into the city years ago, she had been there, struggling with the rest to find food and water in the ruins of and old twoleg building while they waited for the poisoned water to recede. She had climbed mountains, forded rivers, dashed across thunderpaths, and where many had died, she had not.
And now their home had been stolen from them again. Not by the hands of two legs this time, but by a force beyond the control of the pink, hairless creatures who could shape the landscape and fell forests at a whim: a never-ending winter. Fleeing like migrant geese before the onslaught, the two surviving clans--ShadowClan and WindClan--had pushed their way South through the chest deep snow and frigid temperatures, seeking a home they could call their own again. These had been the most miserable months of Pythontail’s life, months which had caused her to question all she had once believed about the warrior code, ShadowClan's values, and herself. Her once lustrous black fur had grown dull and uneven due to malnutrition. You could see her ribs even beneath her winter pelt. The troupe of survivors who descended the mountain looked more like skeletons or specters, as though a stiff wind could have blown them over.
But now they had finally made it to a place they could call home. As the sun dawned over the far hills to her left, Pythontail’s emerald eyes hungrily devoured the wide, myrtle-hued swath of darker territory below marking where pine forest began. It looked so much like home. Perhaps those shadowy, coniferous branches hid a marsh or two beneath them? It had been moons since she had eaten a good, salty frog, since she had savored her fangs piercing green, rubbery skin. For Pythontail, moving into this territory and claiming it for the clans was not a matter of if, but of when.
As the slim femme padded down the hillside, drawn by the inevitable magnetism of the promise of a fertile land, her sensitive gaze flickered to the tree-line. Had she spotted ….movement there? Yes, she thought, focusing on the darkness beneath the tree cover. There was distinctive shifting there. Were the twitches she had spotted leaf shadows, prey, or something more sinister? Pythontail’s instincts instantly came alive, and the fur pickled along the back of her neck with the undeniable sensation of being watched. She froze in place while others continued blithely downward, her eyes fixed on where she thought she had seen the subtle shift, claws unsheathing into the moist ground, ready to shout out a warning to her clanmates below. Pythontail had been called paranoid many times during her life, but she had long ago decided it was better to be cautious than dead. Moments later, confirming her suspicions, a lithe, feminine shape detached itself from the gloom and moved toward the group of cats. Her footsteps were unhurried as she approached, showing signs of curiosity, but no sign of aggression. She was also confident. Either she was stupidly overconfident in her ability to take on this large group of cats alone should things go south, or she had plenty of backup hiding in those trees.
Owlscreech, ShadowClan’s young leader, was the first to meet the stranger’s approach, and Vipernose, his deputy, quickly materialized on his right. Pythontail picked up her pace, wanting to draw close enough to hear the visually tense exchange. By the time had approached, stopping evenly at Owlscreech’s left, yet another cat had emerged from the forest, confirming her suspicions that the first femme was not alone. This tomcat looked stronger, and was flanked by two guards, indicating that he was of some importance. Greetings, wary travelers from afar. I am Radio, founder and leader of the Towers. You look famished… A subtle threat, perhaps? An underhanded way of indicating that he and his people were stronger than the exhausted clan cats and he knew it? Pythontail felt an instinctive dislike for this tomcat. Something in his unblinking green eyes unsettled her. His following offer of free food, however, couldn't be ignored and would be ridiculous to reject. Not only would ShadowClan be able to refuel their perpetually empty stomachs, but they could get a better handle on valuable intelligence about these strange cats who apparently had already laid claim to the land the clans had hoped to one day own. Pythontail turned to Owlscreech to see what decision he would make, and was pleasantly surprised when he spoke of needing to confer with his clanmates before making a decision. It was an exceptionally mature and wise choice, and Pythontail felt her respect for the little tom grow somewhat at his refusal to make a rash or tyrannical decision.
Before ShadowClan withdrew to talk among themselves, however, Owlscreech asked about a temporary, private place to sleep and recuperate. Radio began to speak in that hypnotizing rhythm he had of deals and bargains and trades. “It is important that we not commit to anything permanent until we have more information about them,” the experienced molly suggested softly under her breath to Vipernose and Owlscreech. “In my opinion, a meal and a long discussion with these cats would be a good place to start before we begin the complex haggle over land ownership.” Pythontail herself wouldn't mind joining in on one of their stupid pagan rituals if it meant earning ShadowClan their preferred territory of course, but she was an atheist by practice and by nature; she supposed some of her more religious clanmates might object to participating in what amounted to blasphemy toward StarClan, no matter the promised pay off. She waited to see what they thought, lengthy tail flicking behind her thin haunches. Her traitorous belly growled painfully. She was hungry.
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Post by kiralicious on Nov 16, 2018 14:38:12 GMT -5
☁️ c l o u d d a n c e r ☁️
hunt or be hunted
clouddancer had never been a fan of rogues. ever since he was a measly apprentice, he'd hated them. despised was a better word, really. they disgusted him. why choose to live in the wild, unprotected, when you could be in a clan? even if the real clans didn't accept you, make your own! to him, success came from groups. in solitude, there was no one to overcome. no king to take down. there was no power in being alone. he had almost reached a status of power - but of course, it was too good to be true. he'd felt the beginnings of frost just as his apprenticiship had begun to end. he had so many plans, so many ideas... but they were all wiped away. he hadn't even had a proper ceremony. he'd just taken the suffix 'dancer' from a friend's suggestion. he was 13 moons. he was a survivor. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2018 15:51:40 GMT -5
She who is brave is free.
As Blue rushed forward and quite literally swept Whitesparrow off her feet, Bravepaw offered him a soft smile. She nodded her head along with each cats introductions to confirm she was listening, and soon enough the pair was setting off down the hill at their own pace. Silently, Bravepaw trailed after the two of them, not wanting to interrupt their moment together, and eventually the she-cat slipped away entirely once she deemed she was no longer needed. She had played her part in helping Whitesparrow, and now she left that duty to Blue. After all, they seemed to know each other pretty well, what harm could possibly come to them?
As the she-cat weaved carefully through the crowds of cats, she listened to the murmuring that reached her ears. A couple of strange cats, rogues by the sound of it, had approached the leaders and brought everything to a standstill. Cats were whispering about what they thought Mushroomstar and Owlscreech would do, along with how they felt about the rogues' offer of food and perhaps shelter. Bravepaw was a trusting cat by nature, but even she couldn't ignore the heavy discomfort in the air as a handful of cats seemed to vehemently oppose the idea altogether. Bravepaw didn't think it was her place to voice her opinions, however, as a new recruit of Shadowclans. She would simply follow whatever orders Owlscreech gave.
As Bravepaw continued forward, she felt a wave of discomfort wash over her and she shifted her pink gaze to find Clouddancer standing by himself, clearly agitated by the rogues' presence. Unaware of how the Shadowclan warrior may react if he learned of her kittypet heritage, Bravepaw walked with a slow gait over to the siamese tom. "Are you feeling alright, darling?" asked Bravepaw in her southern tongue. "You seem awful upset." 304 words
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Post by speckleleafblue on Nov 16, 2018 17:38:56 GMT -5
Blue finally finished grooming just to noticed Whitesparrow was missing. He silently curses Spider for making him look like a she-cat chasing fool...something he recall from both his siblings their father did. He made his stomach turn in disgust as he looks up to his brother Owlscreech talking to Radio. Radio made him feel uneasy and was torned between helping Owlscreech and Bluepaw. He loves them both but silently wonders if they would ever forgive him. He thought about the kits Bluepaw is carrying and quietly heads out to find prey for his sister. He wasn't yet bound to a clan yet. A thought he wondered was a blessing or a curse as he considered rolling in the lavender flowers to hid his own scent to get closer from a different angle. 'Maybe I could spy for Owlscreech.' He thought.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2018 18:48:12 GMT -5
I said hey look Ma, I made it.
Mint green eyes quickly followed Radio's own. It took only a few seconds for Owlscreech to spot Mushroomstar, the idiot leader still appearing to be higher than the moon. The Shadowclan leader freely rolled his eyes, not feeling the need to appear professional where Mushroomstar was concerned. "That cat over there is Mushroomstar, he's the leader of Windclan." Owlscreech meowed in a flat tone. "That she-cat next to him is his medicine cat, and the pair of them make up Windclans ranks. I would have thought he would come and introduce himself to you, but it appears he's... oh, I don't know, his state of mind seems to be altered." A white tipped paw was waved in the air as if shooing his thoughts of Windclan away. It might be hard for Radio to understand the two Clans were separated, especially since the two of them were traveling together, but Owlscreech couldn't be bothered to explain it to the rogue leader. It wasn't his job. "Windclan isn't of my concern, I'm only here to secure Shadowclans future."
Owlscreech could tell that Radio wasn't pleased with him, but the rogue also seemed to be unaware of what he was asking of the Clans. Truthfully, Owlscreech didn't want to mingle with these cats because he didn't trust them, and he had no interest in making any lasting friendships with these strangers. He wanted a place where his Clan could rest and recover, and that was it! Of course, Owlscreech was also smart enough to know that nothing in life was free. It irritated him to no end that he simply couldn't threaten Radio to get what he wanted, so what choice did he have but to agree to the toms demands? The idea of attending any of their 'rituals', and holy shit they called them rituals, made the tan tabbys skin crawl. But he had no choice, he couldn't refuse if his Clan wanted to settle in these forests. Their only other choice would be to decline and leave, but Owlscreech didn't know if his Clan could walk any further. They needed food, rest, and medicine, or more cats were going to die.
But what if its a trick? Owlscreech felt his mind start to spin with 'what if" questions. What if the prey is poisoned? What if burying prey turns into burying cats? Even if they give us land, what if they come with rules attached? He couldn't stop the seemingly endless supply of questions that rushed through his mind like the black waters of a raging flood. They were sweeping him into their current and pulling him down into their choking water. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. And he needed to be Shadowclans leader- they were all counting on him and if he fucked this up no one would let him live it down. And he had done it all to himself. He could only blame himself.
Owlscreech licked his dry lips, his internal monologue screaming at him to do something, anything, but he didn't know what choice to make. The cats behind him were openly voicing their opinions, Bluepaw was at his side and it sounded like she was screeching in his sensitive ears. Panic threatened to consume him and Owlscreech didn't know what to do, he didn't know how much more patience Radio had before he snapped and ordered his Clan killed- he had to do something. He couldn't keep sitting here in complete silence, the fur on his tail daring to bristle and give away the mental state that he was so desperately trying to hold back-
and then an idea came to him. Owlscreech parted his jaws and drew in a breath of warm air, the scents of the forest whisking into his lungs and making him feel warm and ebbing away his anxieties. "I wish to speak to some of my warriors if you would give me just a few moments to get their opinions on your offer," Owlscreech spoke in a perfectly calm manner, and in a tone that showed more respect than his earlier statements. He rose to his paws and gave a small nod to the rogue leader before turning, hopping onto a basking stone that jutted out of the ground, and fixed his gaze on the awaiting crowd. "Before I make any decision, I would like to get the opinion of some of Shadowclans most well-known warriors," he announced, feeling much calmer as he addressed cats familiar to him. "I would like to speak to Hollowdusk, Vipernose, Pythontail, and Ravenfoot. Together we will come to a decision, and I hope the rest of you can respect our decision."
Hopping back onto the solid ground beneath him, Owlscreech walked a few tail-lengths away from the crowd and settled onto his haunches, his long tail curling neatly around his paws and lightly flicking as he waited for the cats he summoned to gather around him. 823 words
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Post by kiralicious on Nov 16, 2018 18:55:55 GMT -5
☁️ c l o u d d a n c e r ☁️
hunt or be hunted
clouddancer had been completely fine just sitting alone and mourning his losses, but alas, peace never lasted, did it? he could hear bravepaw's footsteps before he heard her voice, and prepared himself for what was most likely going to be a boring and unnecesarry conversation.
turning around to face the she-cat, clouddancer snarled. "i'm not your 'darling', apprentice." he did not know her name, and frankly, he didn't care enough to learn it. this cat had nothing to offer him, as far as he knew. she was but a measly apprentice. it was a shock that she survived the freeze at all. she was most likely a windclanner. they hadn't felt the cold so harshly, being in the city and all. it was probably the only reason she'd survived. "you're so attentive," he replied harshly. "yes, i am annoyed. those rogues-" he spoke, jutting his head in the direction of the rogues. "-have absolutely no reason to be here. we are clearly better than them. i don't understand why owlscreech and mushroomstar don't just kill the lot of them." |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2018 19:51:58 GMT -5
She who is brave is free.
As soon as the words had left Bravepaws throat, the she-cat was greeted with a flash of pointed white teeth. Surprise flickered across her face like an open flame dancing on the breeze, but the she-cat quickly regained her composure and instead fixed Clouddancer will a thoughtful stare. He lashed out at her verbally, but his words were unable to cut her. Instead, she felt pity for this tom. Why was he so hostile? There had to be a reason for it.
"My apologies," Bravepaw responded once Clouddancer had finished his statement. "I had not meant to upset you further." Deciding it was best to just start from the beginning, Bravepaw dipped her head in a bow. "My name is Bravepaw, and I belong to Shadowclan now." He offered the tom her friendliest smile before flicking her pink gaze over to the rogues. "I sense a lot of cats are made uncomfortable by the rogues, though I'm not sure I understand why. I myself was born a house cat, but Fallenfox had accepted me into the Clan regardless, just before he stepped down. I don't think blood makes the cat, it's what you feel inside your heart that determines whether you are good or bad." The she-cat blinked once before turning her attention back to Clouddancer. "Use your nose, sweetheart," the she-cat meowed with a hint of laughter in her tone. "Can't you smell them? There are many cats behind the foliage surrounding us. If we were to outright attack these felines, we would quickly become overwhelmed." She shook her head, effectively banishing the thought of fighting from her mind. "Besides, what would we gain from mindlessly killing innocents? No cat who is pure of heart would cut down a cat just for sharing a different lineage than them."
299 words
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2018 21:11:05 GMT -5
The battered grey tom cat walked over to join OwlScreech, his ears folded back a bit. Why would he choose him for such a serious matter? They'd never spoken before, he likely only even knew RavenFoot's name from ViperNose. The tom felt a slight ache in his heart just thinking her name, but he kept a stern look on his face as he sat, curling his tail around him as he shifted his injured leg. "I think we should get to know their demands first. It sounds very sketchy, but if their wishes truly aren't all that bad we could benefit from this sort of thing. It's all up to you in the end, but I think we should hear a little more of this before deciding what we should do." he nodded to himself, feeling tense with slight fear as he spoke. He kept his eyes on just OwlScreech, his tail giving a firm flick |
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Post by Mushroomstar on Nov 16, 2018 23:44:21 GMT -5
 I am the Messiah
Mushroomstar hadn't really been engaging with these weird rogue folks but he knew he didn't want to mess with them in his state. Not only was his clan smaller than shadowclan they were all rather weak of hunger and likely improperly trained. Plus neither him nor Owlscreech had their lives, of course Mushroomstar knew he would never get them but Owlscreech likely would. Honestly these rituals in exchange for land didn't sound like a bad deal to him. He wasn't going to pass up the opportunity of inquiring valuable resources. If Shadowclan was going to tiptoe around the situation then so be it, but Mushroomstar wanted his clan to have land now not later.
Some might say he accepted this too quickly but sometimes you had to take chances, he knew he had a bad luck streak but he survived it all, he had not doubt he would survive another bad luck spell if it happened. So as Shadowclan was discussing with its clan mates Mushroomstar walked up, he knew his own decision, he didn't need others to tell him anything. He wasn't going to let his clan starve and have to wait. He meowed with a soft growl "I already have Windclan's decision, we will attend your feast and are grateful for the opportunity you have bestowed upon us." He had to be careful even if he didn't seem like he was being careful. He was mainly just trying to keep his temper in check. He had seen how the others were looking at this rogue group, but mushroomstar knew better. He didn't have a huge distaste for rogues that formed large groups. Though could they really even call them rogues? To Mushroomstar they were like another clan even if not similar by name. Considering their size, the fact they seem to have a system. They are far more complex than a simple rogue group and shouldn't be held up as one. So while shadowclan was busy being rude and getting off on the wrong foot, Mushroomstar would come in and steal this friendship offered. After all having an ally against shadowclan would suit him well.
| Hollowdusk flicked his rather large ears as he watched and listened. This Towers group was not normal, it was understandable everyone was on edge, including himself. His ribs were showing just like many others, they could not afford a fight. It is strange to see cats so openingly friendly like Spider was, but Hollowdusk could easily see what she was. She was a decoy. A clever trick to send a cat who did not even flinch or get angry at being spit at or yelled at but simply held themselves together like they were best of friends. This she cat named Spider was indeed impressive when it came to self control. Though he wasn't interested in whores.
His ears perked up at the requests of their leader Radio. This did seem very suspicious, why ask for so little or even why give them the land? It was very strange these cats had so much land and were willing to give it away. Hollowdusk would've thought other cats would've taken advantage already, how could they be the first to even be here? Or were they? He couldn't tell how many cats were in this group, but he sensed power behind Radio's words and confidence. Clearly that small tom knew what he was doing and seemed experienced in it. That did not settle well with Hollowdusk at all.
Owlscreech was smart to ask other cats before making a decision unlike Mushroomstar who instantly accepted without details. Hollowdusk meowed at Owlscreech "I do find it odd how we are the only cats that have come to this land and are given opportunities. It doesn't feel normal. To have such vast land with no competition, it unheard of. However." He paused for a second then meowed "We are in desperate need of land, attending an event of theirs seems like a small price, but we don't know what the events hold in them and we should clarify them as Ravenfoot suggested--" though before the tom could speak Radio spoke up. |
We are all stones, all different shapes and sizes. Separated we are nothing but rocks, but together we can soar to new heights creating our own
tower 
Radio turned to see a rather large tom, large as in weight. He reminded Radio of his kittypet life, of course Radio never got fat, he had to stay in tip top shape as a show cat, but he had seen his fair share of obese cats. The tom seem to agree rather quickly to join which pleased Radio very much, the faintest curl of his lips appeared though easily missed by all. Though he did analyze this tom, he seemed to act similar to Radio. Unlike this shadowclan leader he did not ask his clan their thoughts, he knew what he wanted. It was quite interesting to see the different dynamics of these two clans. Neither the less Radio knew what he was doing, they had no real choice in the matter. He just made them think they did. They would all come to a ritual in the end because he knew they needed to. He knew how to fiddle with the lives of desperate cats, while he may not get them all one way or another he would get some new followers, and thats just a fact.His ears tuned into the conversation of the others that were discussing their caution. They would likely be the hardest to deal with at this rate of democracy. Radio meowed to fill them in more "Since the other leader, Mushroomstar I believe as taken the feast option, I shall tell you about the Seed burial ritual since its the only option left. It's nothing too fancy really. It's actually quite touching. During the new moon we collect as many seeds as we can of various herbs or plants and plant them in our garden. But this isn't the only thing done. You see, we discovered that burying meat with the plant seeds proved them with more nutrition ensuring their survival more likely than without. We won't expect you to have prey with you so we will provide the prey for you. I shall also mention so it does not frighten you upon sight that we do also bury our dead there. We tend to bury them with their favorite flowers or herbs so they might find peace." He nudged one of his guards "Do we have a count on the total passings of our group?" The guard replied "Maggie, old age. Ghost, hunting accident. Lilic unknown internal injury." Radio nodded "All good souls, so those would be the three that are to be buried." He began to meow to himself "Yes yes, Maggie liked sunflowers while Lilic was into raspberries, Ghost..Ghost...Ah right he did enjoy watermint..."Your choices don't matter. |
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Post by speckleleafblue on Nov 16, 2018 23:58:13 GMT -5
Blue shudders as he quietly deeps near a pond looking for a fat juicy fish for his sister. He pauses as he got as close to Bluepaw without getting spotted and hisses a whisper to her trying to get her attention, "Bluepaw!...Bluepaw!!" He said softly, "I need to talk to you about an idea." He said looking around. He shook the water from his pelt the fish resting by his paws.
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Post by Ferntrail on Nov 17, 2018 1:03:27 GMT -5
` ♚ B L U E P A W ♚  words . tags ♚Bluepaw just wasn’t having any of this. The urge to yell and screech had slowly dwindled away,and now all she wanted to do was cry. She had walked for so long, had put up with the sky shitting on her 24/7 and now the territory was being dangled in front of her nose. Bullshit, all of this was bullshit. She wasn’t doing shit do to with this cult. Hell, she’d rather become a fucking rogue in the city then put up with their bullshit. If the clans knelt to them now, that’s all they’d be doing in the future. Begging for the scraps the Towers tossed their way.
A little voice at the back of her mind was telling her to just do it, go through with the torture. The little voice was drowned out by the screeching in her mind. Couldn’t everything just shut the fuck up. Backing away from the cats opposing them, she shoved past the other cats with a snarl. As she made it to the back of the clan, she fell onto her side with a silent wail.
She wanted to eat her fucking heart out, not be negotiating. With her clan-mates shielding her from the view from everyone else she let the tears stream down her face, her shoulders shaking. Everything was so fucking unfair. Curling into a tight ball she slammed her paws into her ears, trying to block everything out. Bluepaw just wanted to fall asleep and wake up with this shit sorted out.
Alas, the world did not work like that. Soon enough someone hissing her name started pissing her off enough to crack her eyes open into slits. Scanning the area she spotted Blue, a mixture of feelings passing through her. She had no idea what had made him want to kill himself, but she didn’t appreciate him even looking at the death-berries. With a shuddering exhale she stretched herself out of the fetal position, scrambling to her paws.
She made herself slink over to him, trying to draw little attention to herself. An idea? What idea. and just like that it hit her. She was gods-damn Bluepaw, and she had become a tyrant in her own right by scheming and lying. Fuck, she was smart enough to not be the screeching bitch she had been before. Her gaze travelled from Blue to where Radio was, a deep hatred burning in the back of her throat.
”Whatever your idea is, don’t do it yet, or ever, if it’s like your other ideas” she then stalked away, shoving back through the cats. Ignoring Owlscreech and his ‘senior warriors’ she strode forward, tail flicking back and forth. She didn’t hide the anger that lurked in her blue hued orb, but she dimmed it. Let these assholes think that part of her hatred was the fact she was intrigued, and that over time she would come to mutually understand,if not respect them.
She didn’t think about the words, she just let them flow from her mouth, dripping like honey ”I cannot speak for Owlscreech or Shadowclan, but I will attend your ceremony. I don’t give a rats ass about your dead, but I will respect your traditions. “ she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Her tear-stained fur was obvious but she still stood proud as she addressed Radio.
With a graceful dip of her head she turned her gaze to Spider ”I apologise for how I insulted you, I only hope that you can forgive me. I guess I was just intimidated by your beauty” the silken purr that accompanied the last phrase made it obvious that Bluepaw did find herself a teensy bit attracted to the drop dead gorgeous molly. As a cat who had spent her whole life misleading people, everything she said seemed to be real.
”Please accept my apology and let me come to the event, and do not judge my clan by my poor actions” And with that she turned back around, her face retaining the slightly embarrassed yet still angered look. Ignoring Owlscreech and his band of old assholes she slunk into the middle of the crowd, doing her best to look dignified despite her overhanging belly.
Bluepaw was in no way fooled by these preaching idiots. She knew that they now controlled the clans, that Owlscreech would accept the terms, no matter what they were. She could do nothing for her clan, they were all too hungry and without a real backbone.They were simpering idiots who would never stand up to these cats, if it meant losing this new home. The only thing she could do now was focus on becoming a hidden blade, do everything she could to weasle into this group. She needed to make sure she could protect her kits, could take the shot for them and give them a chance to escape if need be.
If that meant grovelling to the cats that had the worth of fox shit, so be it.
Then she remembered that Blue had been trying to tell her something. She raced back to him, hoping he wasn't trying to do something as gods-awful as what he pulled on her and Owlscreech. "What?" she snapped at him, some of her nerves rubbing off on her tone. It wasn't completely nerves though, she was hella pissed at him.
` all my ladies wine to the left, sway to the right, drop it down low then take it back high
bitch i don't need introduction, follow my simple instruction |
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Post by speckleleafblue on Nov 17, 2018 1:47:36 GMT -5
Blue flinched as he felt the harsh voice of his sister. Obiously she wasn't over with the stupid mistakes he has made in the past. The biggest one was trying to kill himself. He was about to give her the fish and explain when suddenly she wandered up and left him staring at the fish he caught for just her. He felt his stomach growl but refused to eat. He flinched again his ears flattened to her voice wondering if this was even a good idea. "Forget it....it's probably just another bad idea....but I caught this for you."
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Post by pythontail on Nov 17, 2018 9:36:02 GMT -5
Whispered as Pythontail's suggestion was to avoid unwanted surveillance from their strange new acquaintances, The Towers, and given how many other cats were eagerly shouting their own opinions at Owlscreech's back, her words were quickly lost. As she opened her maw to speak again, more sharply, she caught a scent on her glands: panic. She turned to look more fully at Owlscreech. His muscles were tensed so tightly they might as well have been carved of stone. The marbled brown and white fur along his shoulders and tail was bristled, making him look larger in an instinctual reaction to fear. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated and staring at nothing in particular, and his ears were laid back against his skull. By StarClan, he's heartbeats away from an anxiety attack. she thought, narrowing her emerald eyes. The stress is too much for him, and he has no experience making these kinds of decisions. That was one of the issues with somecat becoming leader who had not been deputy first. The rank of deputy was a training ground for being at the head of a clan, where mistakes were not as detrimental. If he panics now, in front of Radio, it will destroy this group's perception of ShadowClan's credibility as an organized force irreversibly. And yet, her stepping up to Owlscreech and giving him a cuff around the ears to bring him back to reality would have the exact same effect on the stranger's opinion. All the black femme could do was wait helplessly by, sheathing and unsheathing her claws into the soft, pliable soil. What happened in these next few seconds would affect ShadowClan for moons, maybe years.
The soft sound of a purposeful inhale broke the tension. In reality, the silence from their leader had lasted maybe half a minute, but it had felt like an eternity to Pythontail. When Owlscreech spoke, his words were firm and measured, loud without appearing strained. They sounded like the words of a leader, and Pythontail couldn't help but release a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. I wish to speak to some of my warriors if you would give me just a few moments to get their opinions on your offer. Her eyes tracked him as he padded through the crowd of ShadowClan cats, who parted and made way for him the same way a river parts when it meets a stone. He found a raised boulder and hopped atop it, looking down at his cats below. Pythontail was instantly grateful for the familiarity. This--a leader speaking from an elevated place--was a welcome reminder of home, a comfortingly tradition, and she could only assume the other cats around her felt the same way. I would like to get the opinion of some of Shadowclan's most well-known warriors. he announced, calling out four names. Unlike some of the others who were called, Pythontail was not surprised she was numbered among this group. It wasn't a matter of arrogance. Pythontail was twenty-eight moons old, had survived two great journeys, and had previously served as deputy beneath two different leaders of ShadowClan. She was experienced, and she was glad that Owlscreech valued her opinion. She stepped confidently forward to the base of the rock, as did the three others.
Ravenfoot spoke first, voicing caution and a desire for more information. Before anyone else in their circle could speak, the oaf that was the leader of WindClan stumbled back up from playing in the flowers, smelling cloyingly of lavender. He loudly declared his complete submission to Radio's wishes, without even considering how his clan stood. That one is not long for leadership if he continues that way. Pythontail thought, disgusted by his opulent orange bulk. The Towers might bow before a single authority, but the clans are not accustomed to tyranny. She turned back as Hollowdusk voiced the concern which she had felt subconciously, but been unable to put into words. This sprawling land, full of plenty, occupied by a single group of cats? The fur along her neck bristled instinctively, her ears suddenly attuned to the imagined steps of ghosts. How many other groups of cats had stood exactly where they stood right now, making this very decision? However, she shoved her irrational fear down fiercely. Logic, guided by known facts rather than assumptions, should be the only consideration. She did not know Hollowdusk's religious persuasion, but he also asked the question she had expected from her clanmates' tongues: what exactly would this ritual entail?
Radio's voice interrupted their private discussion, revealing that he had been keenly listening to each and every word spoken so far. It seemed unnecessarily invasive to her. Hadn't Owlscreech politely expressed his desire for confidentiality? Her lip peeled up a little, revealing a sharp ivory fang beneath, but the strange tomcat's words carried valuable intelligence. Burying their dead? Collecting seeds? That was nothing which the clan cats were not accustomed to. She'd even known a couple of cats who plucked flowers to lay on their loved ones graves, though planting a live garden seemed much more fitting--at least to her--than adorning death with more death. Armed with further knowledge and feeling much more confident that her initial suggestion had been correct, she turned to Owlscreech, purposefully dropping her voice so that it would be out of Radio's hearing. Whatever his intentions, she didn't appreciate the strange tomcat listening in. "My vote is that we agree to accompany them, especially if it earns our clan a place of respite and a warm meal. I do not fear ambush..after all, had they desired to do so they would not have revealed themselves so brazenly. They could probably see us coming for miles down that unhampered mountainside, could have counted our number and assessed our strength all from a distance without risking sending a welcoming party. Attending their 'ritual' seems a small price. It hardly sounds as foreign as it did at first blush; after all, we bury our dead as well, and our medicine cats collect seeds for healing. Do I trust them? No, I do not. But as for our chosen course of action, I believe it is clear. We have come this far."
"We can't turn back."
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Post by kiralicious on Nov 18, 2018 13:24:10 GMT -5
c l o u d d a n c e r
a potential ally
clouddancer had to dig his claws into the ground beneath him to stop from reaching his paw out and smacking this insolent apprentice. did she really think that her words could possibly influence him? he had his mind set up about those vile creatures, and only owlscreech's word could make him change it. however, after listening to her speak, it seemed that this cat was older than he'd assumed.. 10 moons, maybe. she could make a good ally, eventually. so he was forced to pretend. to look like an accepting, kind tom who had been so affected by her words that he'd had a change of heart. pfft. even thinking about it made him want to throw up.
"apology accepted, i suppose. don't worry, i'm not really that upset. i didn't mean to come off that harsh, but you see, i'm a bit afraid." ha! as if the great clouddancer would ever cower at something like those measly rogues. he turned his face to the ground as if in shame, his eyes downcast. he listened to her story, tilting his head up slightly. "you mean you're not originally from shadowclan? me neither." well, at least they had one thing in common. maybe then he wouldn't have to make small talk every time they met. they could discuss the strange shadowclanners, perhaps. clouddancer's nose wrinkled as he heard the word kittypet. eugh. he thought he was dealing with a windclanner- but a kittypet? disgusting.
"you're right. there are tons of rogues out there. it was foolish of me to assume we could beat them." |
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Post by Ferntrail on Nov 24, 2018 14:53:17 GMT -5
death doesn't discriminate
Even though Ferntrail had been uneasy about the thought of participating a ‘ritual’ as Radio explained it, she felt her opinion changing. It was like what the clans did, and there could be no harm going. As Owlscreech called upon the few older warriors of the clan. Was it worth the risks to go? Ferntrail thought it was. If it did end up to be a trap she highly doubted they would kill them straight away, anyway. These cats seemed to like mystique that shimmered around them and if they had wanted to outright kill them then they would have.
The Towers did seem like the type of group to attack the leaders, to kill them to weaken the clans. One factor was still missing though… what was it? Ferntrail’s emerald hued eyes taking in what was happening around them. Radio was talking the Mushro- Oh yes, Windclan. Windclan, well Mushroomstar really, had accepted the invitation. If it did come down to a brawl Shadowclan’s chances would be next to nothing without Windclan, they needed the combined strength of the Windclan and Shadowclan to beat the towers if it really came down to that.
A part of her had been listening to what she could of the discussion with Owlscreech she decided to test her reach as Medicine Cat, what she could do without being reprimanded by Owlscreech. Padding over to the group she dipped her head at Owlscreech ”Excuse me, I am sorry for interrupting but I feel like we might be missing a crucial point” Despite her soft pitch - to avoid unwanted listeners - her tone was strong. ”As Shadowclan cats we can praise our mental strength and stand strong, but we cannot say the same about Mushroomstar. Although what he and his clan does should not affect us, we cannot be sure that he wont be swept away into the Tower’s trance. If it really does come to a confrontation, maybe not now but later, we will need Windclan. The Windclan warriors and whatnot have also caused very little trouble to us while we journeyed and it couldn’t go to get a meal and somewhere safe to stay for the night, while doing our best to keep Mushroomstar in check” Ferntrail was lucky for her thick fur, hiding the deep blush that surely was there. It felt wrong saying such degrading things about a leader, even though she was trying to help.
between the sinners and the saints
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