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Post by Goldenstar on Mar 19, 2007 2:05:06 GMT -5
Hello. *She answers with a purr. A black tail flicks back and forth as she breathes in. The scents prick the glands on the roof of her mouth and reveal to her that more cats are coming in.*
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Post by Mosspaw& Aquapaw on Mar 19, 2007 20:12:13 GMT -5
How are you Strikepaw? **Mosspawasks. She purrs as more apprentices come in. Looking around, she takes in all that is happening around her, thrilled at all of the clan cats in the clearing.**
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Post by §weetpaw™ on Mar 20, 2007 0:19:05 GMT -5
**A pitch black bundle of fur was one of the cats attending the Gathering; she sat, detached from the throng of cats who had also chosen to attend the Gathering, although she now sorely wished she had decided differently. The overwhelming and sheer newness of everything - the customs, the scents, and all the new faces - frightened the young apprentice out of her wits, causing her to cast her huge, luminous gold eyes upon the ground. The soft light of the moon illuminated her orbs until they gently glowed, streaking her fur duller shades of midnight. Parting her thin lips, a mewl - barely audible - passed between them, words almost drowned up by the slight breeze that ruffled her pelt.**
I wonder... how this will turn out...
**With a coy flutter of her ears, she kneaded her claws into the soil beneath her, particles of dirt wedging itself in her nails. Unable to meet any other cat's gaze, she determinedly focused on a particularly interesting blade of grass underneath her - yes, it was unlikely she would be coming back to the next Gathering. The timid cat was awkward enough without having this pressure added to her weightload.**
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Post by Goldenstar on Mar 20, 2007 17:47:41 GMT -5
*Strikepaw nods.* I'm alright. How's the prey running. . . . ? *She never caught the apprentice's name, so she politely asked for it.*
*On her way over to the deputies, Goldenheart pauses beside Sweetpaw. She nudges the apprentice of her Clan gently.* Sweetpaw, go ahead and mingle, you'd be surprised how open these apprentices are. *She gestures to the group of cats over off to the side, with a pelt that caught her eyes. It appears like a lightning storm, only a cat like that could belong to ThunderClan. Must be a new apprentice. She decides as the scent clarifies her observation of the apprentice's Clan. She murmurs softly to the nervous black feline.* Go on over to that group, they look just as nervous as you. I promise they'll be friendly, at least one.
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Post by ~Marie on Mar 20, 2007 19:01:21 GMT -5
OOC: I'll post with the bros later. ^^ Ack, spoiling my plans, are you, Goldenheart? Well, I'll just have to edit my post... *edits*
BIC: *Rainpaw's whiskers quivered in excitement as the group of three apprentices swelled into a veritable throng -- four from ThunderClan, two ShadowClan, and... He stretched his jaws, taking the scent of the cat who hesitated apart from the main group. RiverClan. One RiverClan apprentice. With a quiet purr of satisfaction at his scenting skills, the WindClan tom shifted his haunches, turning slightly to try to take in all of the cats. He couldn't remember most of their names.
Mentally, he listed them, trying to recall what he knew of them. Mosspaw, his Clanmate, and Sablepaw, the ShadowClanner he had first tried to talk to sat near him. The names of the two ThunderClan apprentices had fled his mind, but he thought the black-and-white tom might have had a bird involved in his name. Two ShadowClan apprentices had approached next, but the tortoiseshell-and-white tom hadn't heard them introduce themselves, if they had. A black she-cat who looked almost big enough to be a warrior joined the ThunderClan toms, but Rainpaw hadn't heard her name either.
Swiveling his ears back, he picked up the threads of a conversation.*
Hello.
How are you, Strikepaw?
*Strikepaw? Rainpaw blinked, recognizing her scent as ThunderClan, and cocked his head. He hadn't noticed her entrance. I should be more attentive, with all the Clans here... There's just so many cats, and the scents are all so confusing! It's hard to focus. Shaking his head clear of these thoughts, the lanky tom stood and stretched, arching his back and extending his paws -- though he was careful to keep his claws sheathed. The young apprentice looked around the group, uncertain who to talk to first. As he scanned the many cats, one cat in particular caught his eye: a shy-looking black she-cat. She had separated herself from the main group, hesitating on the edges of the clearing beyond the reach of conversation, where she stared at the ground and kneaded it with her paws -- every aspect of her bearing reflected self-consciousness and shyness.
Curious and concerned that any cat should feel this way, Rainpaw stood and carefully wove his way out of the ring of cats. The young WindClan tom brushed past Duskpaw‘s long-furred pelt, automatically sidestepping the apprentice’s twitching grey tailtip and bounding out into the open space between the group of apprentices and the strange black she-cat. As he trotted towards Sweetpaw, he parted his jaws and drank in her scent. At first the scent confused him -- he thought by now he could recognize the scents, but this one seemed a bit different. Almost like RiverClan, but just a little bit off. As he drew closer, however, recognition sparked in his brain. That strange, tangy scent; he‘d caught it before; the ShadowClan leader‘s scent had been tinted with it. …Fear-scent? His whiskers twitched uncomfortably. If it was fear-scent, it certainly wasn‘t very pleasant to smell.
With a final stretch of his spidery limbs, Rainpaw reached the shy apprentice and padded up hopefully, just as Goldenheart was murmuring encouragement to her apprentice. He parted his jaws in a friendly mew, cocking his head and blinking his eyes in a curious manner.* Hi there! What‘s your name? Why are you sitting all by yourself? You don‘t have to be scared or anything, of the other Clans, I mean. StarClan‘s watching over the Gathering, so there won‘t be any fighting or nothing. Are you an apprentice?
*The words tumbled from the WindClan tom‘s mouth, spilling off his tongue in a kindly-meant but quickly-spoken ramble. After his final question, he bit his tongue, sitting suddenly. A self-conscious flicker of doubt flashed through his amber-orange eyes. Ducking his head nervously, he scuffed the sandy ground with a forepaw.* Sorry, I guess I should stick to one question at a time, huh? I‘m Rainpaw, by the way, of WindClan.
*He gazed awkwardly at the other cat, his tail fluffed up with mild anxiety and his ears twitching uncomfortably. He‘d come over intending to help her relax, but in the end he‘d only caused himself to get nervous. Wrapping his white tail around his body, he began to lick it, running his small pink tongue over the fur to settle it down, all the while, casting glances at the black she-cat, unconsciously ignoring the warrior. Would she answer? Had he scared her off? Had he mistaken her aloof behavior for shyness, when she really just wanted to be left alone? At this latest thought, his tail-washing efforts redoubled. That would be embarrassing!*
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Post by Lionclaw, Dawnheart, Sablepaw on Mar 20, 2007 19:04:35 GMT -5
((Gaack!! Hold yer horses thar, mates! I'm havin' truble catchern' up!! **Grins**))
**Lionclaw looks surprised at Kempfur's news.** Oh... I'm truly sorry for the mistake, Kempfur. I understand, though. Our Clan was hit hard, too. **For the sake of her Clan's safety, the tawny deputy didn't mention that Squirrelstar was ill. It could mean trouble, even with the condition all the Clans were in. She glances behind her as the other apprentices from her Clan and her friend Torclaw enter the Gathering. Smiling, she turns back to the others.**
**Dawnheart looks at Aquapaw, smiling.** I don't see any others, Aquapaw. But don't worry. I'm sure they'll be here soon. RiverClan's arrived. **She looks up suddenly as Torclaw speaks to her.** Oh! Torclaw, it's good to see you. **She brushes her tail against the other she-cat's shoulder.** We...faired as well as can be expected. **She decided not to say much more, incase it should arrouse suspicion.**
**Sablepaw smiles. This apprentice from WindClan somehow reminded her of the former WindClan leader, Rowanstar, but she couldn't think how. Besides, she barely remembered Rowanstar. She had just been apprenticed when the WindClan leader went to hunt with StarClan. Pushing these thoughts aside, she replies,** You're the youngest? Wow. I'm the youngest apprentice in ShadowClan, too.
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Post by Mosspaw& Aquapaw on Mar 20, 2007 19:06:28 GMT -5
**Mosspaw suddenly realizes her silly mistake and tells Strikepaw her name.** I'm Mosspaw. **She pionts to a smallish calico cat, with large blue-gray patches, sitting next to a meddicine cat with her tail.** And thats my brother Aquapaw, he's training to be a meddicine cat.
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Post by Goldenstar on Mar 20, 2007 21:03:56 GMT -5
Mosspaw. *She repeats with a smile, committing the name to memory. As Rainpaw gets up and presses past Duskpaw, she turns her head to see where he's going. She sees a black apprentice appearing nervous right beside a warrior. She turns back as she hears another name.* Wow, a medicine cat? Hey, do you want to go talk to that apprentice?
*Goldenheart smiles, nudging Sweetpaw. She leans down to whisper in the cat's ear.* See, they're friendly. *She licks her ear and raises her head. When she looks up again, she sees the group of apprentices, noticing a face. Sablepaw. Her friend. She pads over, brushing pelts with Strikepaw.* Hello, Sablepaw, how's the prey running?
*Strikepaw swallows, looking up at the deputy. She casts about for her name, remembering it only after a moment of recall.* Hi, Goldenheart. *As the deputy turns her golden head to her, she bows her head respectfully. But then it pops back up enthusiastically.* I'm Strikepaw, of ThunderClan.
*She nods, her feathery tail flicking.* Well met, Strikepaw.
OOC: Sorry about that, Marie. *Grins*
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Post by §weetpaw™ on Mar 21, 2007 2:50:03 GMT -5
**Sweetpaw had been unaware of Goldenheart's approuch; however, when the she-cat nudged her softly in the side, the apprentice flinched visibly, startled and terrified of the feline's appearance. However, the trembling Sweetpaw merely quivered in response to the warrior's prompts, unable to bring her glowing golden eyes to meet her superior's encouraging ones. As Goldenheart continued, doubt manifested in her own thoughts - there was no way any cat could be as nervous as her; though they were undeniably anxious, she couldn't comprehend a feline more so than her. Flicking a the tip of her tense tail, trying to maintain her panic, Sweetpaw made no sort of attempt to move and greet other apprentices - what if they rejected? That would be just too humiliating; she'd rather they not notice her, than notice her and then ignore her.
Renewed terror sent adrenaline spiralling through her body as her gaze lifted for a moment... to meet that of a strange cat! Why was he looking at her!? Her gaze instantly shot to the ground once more, refusing further contact with the stranger; there was nothing that stood out about her - she was an ordinary apprentice, although her skills were somewhat lacking. She was too shy, too sweet to fight like a true warrior... this lifestyle was not cut out for her. Her eyes were half-closed, hidden from view as she cast them down to study the earth, so not even their glowing depths could draw attention. Yet - he still looked at her. What was so outstanding about herself? Or perhaps... the apprentice had gotten the wrong impression? Maybe he wasn't looking at her, perhaps he was sneering - she was so ordinary, so mundane... he couldn't help but mock her.
Clenching her lids over her golden orbs, the feline prayed that he would not approach her; being mocked from afar was better than having such feelings thrust into her face. She became oblivious to the presense of Goldenheart beside her, the warrior's body heat lending her some warmth. She stole that warmth. Should she give it back? Just as she was about to whisper such an apology to her superior, cracking open an eyelid, the apprentice shrank back in terror as the tom reached her - what should she do? Should she run? Should she try to be brave, and ignore his taunts as best she could? She couldn't retaliate to anything like - what in her mind - he had to say, which was all the more frustrating. With these expectations in mind, she was paralysed with surprise as Rainpaw barraged her with questions, all good-natured and his tone the essense of friendliness. What... was going on here? Where had all that desire to deride her gone? So...
It had just been her imagination?
Dumbstruck, the apprentice could only blink, startled, and continue to watch the blades of grass beneath her; Rainpaw's jumble of words dug her deeper into confusion, as she struggled to make sense of the rush of words that poured from him. When he apologised, she managed to regain some composure, blushing as Goldenheart licks her ear comfortingly, before passing off. Vexed, this was but another gesture that left Sweetpaw feeling bewildered. Only her mother had ever tried to soothe her as the she-cat had just done, and new admiration swelled within the black feline. Turning her shy features on Rainpaw, she spoke, having trouble keeping her soft, sweet voice loud enough fo rhim to hear.**
Hi, I... I'm Sweetpaw. **She ducked her head, unable to focus her bright eyes on him.** I'm an apprentice... of RiverClan - yes! RiverClan! **She nodded hastily, before glancing up, a gentle smile aimed at him; in a brave attempt to strike up conversation, the cat continued onwards.** I hope to... to get a new name one day! Yes, a new name! I think... Sweetheart. **A giggle escaped the apprentice's lips; to her, it didn't seem the best of fits, but to those who had spoken with her - with her kind, shy and soft disposition, that seemed the only appropriate name for her in the future. Tilting her head down once more, consumed with coyness, she somehow managed to spit out the last of what she had to say.** You're Rainpaw... you said, right? Rainpaw? I... uh... I like Rainstorm... **With another shy giggle, she shrunk back once more, taking three steps back to put a small distance between him and her; she wasn't the most comfortable having those close to her.**
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Post by ~Marie on Mar 21, 2007 17:24:08 GMT -5
OOC: Hehe, no biggie, Goldenheart. ^^ ;P
I’ll respond with Rainpaw after you finish your post, Sweetpaw, ‘kay?
You know, one of you leader-types might wanna get the Gathering going soon. ^^ Otherwise we’ll go on all greenleaf!
BIC: *Duskpaw smiled as he returned the WindClan apprentice‘s friendly greeting, while his brother nodded his agreement.* Greetings, Mosspaw, and you too, Rainpaw. ThunderClan is doing well. We are strong, and there’s plenty of FreshKill. My brother and I are the two newest apprentices, and, though we haven‘t official mentors yet, we‘ve been training with Lionclaw and Torclaw. *Memories of the short training session he‘d shared with the warriors, his brother, and Strikepaw flashed through Duskpaw‘s mind, accompanied by a strange mixture of excitement and anxiety. He hadn’t mentioned aloud the reason the two apprentices had no mentors yet, but he had added it mentally. Squirrelstar. There was much uncertainty in the ThunderClan camp concerning their beloved leader; no cat knew for sure what state she was in. This lack of knowledge only fueled the fear and worry of his Clan mates, as well as his own. Pushing aside such thoughts, he swiveled his ears towards his brother, who had been speaking, and forced himself to focus.*
Yeah, training‘s been going really great. We‘ve been learning a whole lot, and I‘m really glad Lionclaw let us come to the Gathering. So, you‘re from WindClan, then? Who is your leader? No cat I‘ve talked to seems to know.
*Jaypaw shifted his weight as he casually inquired into the state of Mosspaw’s Clan‘s leadership. The young tom could not have known that this topic might be a painful one for the WindClan cats, because of Rowanstar recent passing; rather, it was born out of pure curiosity. To the other Clans, there had seemed to have been a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Kempfur and his duty as Deputy to take up the position of Leader. This was why the black-and-white apprentice had received no real, straight-forward answer from any cat he had asked; they didn‘t know for sure themselves.
Duskpaw shared his brother‘s curiosity and waited hopefully for the answer. Surely the WindClan apprentice would know the answer. However, he was distracted momentarily by the approach of Strikepaw and Crystalpaw. He purred a friendly greeting to Strikepaw, who he knew from training. Crystalpaw he recognized, too, having seen her around camp and in the Apprentices’ Den. Since she was possibly the eldest of the ThunderClan apprentices, however, he had not talked to her much.*
You’re of ThunderClan? Odd, haven't seen you around much. Might be because I'm not much in camp. I hope your well.
Yup, we‘re ThunderClan cats alright. I‘m Duskpaw; that‘s Jaypaw. Thanks, we‘re fine. Yourself?
*As he spoke, the grey-furred apprentice half-shifted his attention to his brother‘s conversation. He still wanted to know who WindClan‘s leader was, although he did not wish to appear rude to the elder ThunderClan apprentice.*
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Post by Crystalpaw/Mortpaw/Tabbypaw on Mar 21, 2007 21:10:16 GMT -5
**Crystalpaw purred slightly, remebering, for some reason, the days when she was possibly one of the first of ThunderClan's new appreatices. Skystar, was that the old leader's name? She belived it was. Skystar had been leader before the dissapperance of Crystalpaw and Mortpaw, that remained a mystry to all other than she and her brother. She had returned in greenleaf, but, when the weather started to chill, Crystalpaw somehow managed to slip again, falling behind in her training. She noted that Lionclaw looked over at them and foguth back the urge to run at the larger cat for old times sake. But she sat, determined to prove that she knew well how to act. She would prove that there was no silly kit playfulness in such a serious time. At the thought of herself being social but not crazy at the same ime made her want to ywl with laughter, but she smilply managed to twitch her tail a few tinmes instead. In her mind's wandering, she barely caught what Duskpaw had said.**
Yup, we‘re ThunderClan cats alright. I‘m Duskpaw; that‘s Jaypaw. Thanks, we‘re fine. Yourself?
Hm, I'm fine, but I think all my night wanderings have taken their toll on my brother. H's meant for one shift, night or day, not both. **Crystalpaw's mewing voice trailed off slightly, and she tried to see which way he was looking. Since he was a tad younger and smaller, she could see over the smaller Duskpaw's head. Jaypaw seemed to be the target of his eyesight. Crystalpaw's ears perked up slightly. She licked a paw and rubbed it over one ear, as she normally did when trying to think.**
I think **The she-cat began, her voice low, as if muttering mostly to herself,** that the leader is Kempfu- Kempstar, but you can never be sure... **Crystalpaw's voice once again faultered. It had began as a hoarse whisper, but ended hardly audible. As she normally did when muttering to herself, she went on, turning away from the rest. She felt excluded, since she was much to old to be sitting with them instead of the warriors. But, her title had remained the same. Paw. How she longed for it to be Crystalheart, Crystalfang, Crystalclaw, Crystalflower, anything but Crystalpaw. She furiously rubbed her ear.** Why must all cats die here? We face unending rivialry over laws unmarked, no claws have ever rwmained inward ones whole life here. We fight to surivie. We fight land, water, tree and bush. And we fight each other. We are, in fact, all of the same Clan, really. Their are two Clans. StarClan and the ones who follow them. But, Warriors' laws have enforced their to be five. Four of the ones living mortal lives, the last of spirts and stars. **Dreamily she mumbled to herself, in her way. It was just like her to but to much thought into somthing that need not be questioned, just followed, pawpad in the groves made by cats before her.**
OOC: Yeah, all that crap was just to mean that she doesn't exactly like how all of them have to fight each other. She knows why, but she wants the deepest meaning. XD I'm SOO lame.
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Post by Mosspaw& Aquapaw on Mar 21, 2007 22:26:58 GMT -5
**Mosspaw flicks her ears uncertanly a few times, surprised by all the apprentices gatherign around thier small groop.** Greetings, Mosspaw, and you too, Rainpaw. ThunderClan is doing well. We are strong, and there’s plenty of FreshKill. My brother and I are the two newest apprentices, and, though we haven‘t official mentors yet, we‘ve been training with Lionclaw and Torclaw. **Mosspaw turns to Duskpaw, glad to hear about how Thunderclan is doing.** Oh. I'm glad that you like training! I started training quite a few moons ago, I'm almost ready to become a warrior! **She meows proudly, thinking about all the training she's done with various warriors, including the late Rowanstar.** Yeah, training‘s been going really great. We‘ve been learning a whole lot, and I‘m really glad Lionclaw let us come to the Gathering. So, you‘re from WindClan, then? Who is your leader? No cat I‘ve talked to seems to know. **Mosspaw flinches at the appretices question. She knows as well as any cat what happened, expecially with Rowanstar as her mentor. She nearly snaps out a sharp reply, unhappy at the mention of the topic, when she remembers that the young tom knows nothing of Windclan's happenings.** Well, our leader Rowanstar, left for Starclan, and with the famine, Kempstar hasn't had time to go to the moonstone yet. **She meows, a slight edge on her voice. Looking around she notices a black she-cat. Surprised at seeing another apprentice as old as herself, the dappled apprentice looks over at her for a second, trying to find out what clan she is from, without disturbing her present conversation.**OOC: For all Windclan members, I hope I have this 'history' right, if I don't, just tell me and I'll change it.
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Post by Snowstar on Mar 22, 2007 8:59:31 GMT -5
That's quite alright, Lionclaw,*mewed Kempfur with a weak smile. He ran his tongue over his chest; it wasn't as thin as his stomach was. Surprisingly, he had kept going through the famine. His Clan had needed him; he had stepped up as deputy.* And Snowstar? How has ShadowClan done?
*Snowstar didn't answer at first. Couldn't they see it was hard?*We are doing fine,*she said. Same old secretive Snowstar. She wouldn't let them know they were suffering, because they weren't. Not really.*
*Kempfur shook his head.*If you say so. Who would like to go first tonight?
*Torclaw nodded stiffly. The famine had hit everyone hard; it was only expected that everyone would be guarded about it.*ThunderCLan...did alright. We lost many of the younger cats in the Clan. I hope WindClan didn't lose too many cats; it seems ShadowClan did.
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Post by Squirrelstar and Stickfur on Mar 23, 2007 9:39:25 GMT -5
*There was the sound of ragged breathing. Then the sound of paws pummeling the ground in a rapid, ungainly way. The thin figure, silhouetted against the moonlight, bungled her paws and tripped over a log. She winced as the side of her head banged against the hard ground, and a thorn speared her right in the paw.* Foxdung. *she cursed under her breath. She had been sick the past few months, and she wanted to go to the Gathering, but her deputy had forced her to stay at the Clan and get some rest. However, Squirrelstar was tough and brimming with spirit. She couldn't be held away from the duties of her Clan for too long. The ginger cat pulled herself up again, grimacing as pain exploded in her hindpaw and the right side of her head throbbed as if it had its own heartbeat. I can't let them have fun without me! Squirrelstar thought to herself. The ThunderClan leader began to run again, her right hindpaw trailing along limply, leaving crimson blood in her wake.
She didn't look well enough to be going to the Gathering. Her ribs were starting to become visible beneath her dark ginger coat of fur, which was starting to lose its luster. However, her green eyes were still as bright with that wild spirit inside of her. Her body may be weak, but her soul was still crammed with ThunderClan spirit. Squirrelstar tore through the woods furiously. She wanted to represent her Clan, and she definitely DIDN'T want to be left out. Moonlight shined down on the skinny figure of the cat as she burst out of the tall trees and out into the clearing.* Don't you DARE forget me! *she yowled loud enough for everyone to hear. The slightly insane cat bounded down the hill in a most ungainly way, favoring her left side and leaving her right hindpaw hanging limply.*
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Post by Goldenstar on Mar 23, 2007 17:35:07 GMT -5
*Strikepaw lifts her head sharply at the yowl. A small smile spreads across her face. She had just been apprenticed before the sickness took Squirrelstar, so she didn't have time to get to know her leader. However, the rest of her Clan filled her with pride when they spoke of her. Though she knows Lionclaw tried talking her into staying at the camp until she is well, she also knows Squirrelstar could never be kept from a Gathering. The stories she was told made her aware of that well enough.*
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