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Post by mintstar on Mar 21, 2011 12:19:43 GMT -5
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Rays of sunlight trickled into the leader’s den, creating a harsh glare of light. Birds chattered loudly outside, dominating the sound of cats meowing their good mornings to each other. A lithe silver tabby at the back of the den yawned, her eyes flickering in agitation. Why must it be so loud in this Clan?
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[/color] she recalled, I am Mintstar, leader of ThunderClan. I suppose I ought to be used to it by now.[/color] A small chuckle escaped her lips. Her sharp green eyes cleared up, filled with the optimism of the morning. She sat up and groomed her fur, licking out any burrs or pieces of moss. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she exited her den, her tail waving behind her. It was only the angle of the sunlight that had made it seem so strong in her den; today, it was actually rather breezy in the ThunderClan camp. What little sunlight peeked out from between the clouds warmed her fur momentarily, before she stepped out of the entrance of her den. Her eyes caught sight of a plump thrush in the fresh-kill pile - her favorite - and immediately grabbed it in her strong jaws. Mintstar quickly tore the feathers off of it, clumsily spitting them out on the ground. She gratefully prayed to StarClan before she dug in, and when she finished burying the remains, licked the rest from her whiskers. Currently it was leaf-fall, and she would need to eat as much as she could before the upcoming leaf-bare. Well, I suppose I should start hunting more often,[/color] she figured. That would probably help. But with who . . . ?[/color] Her gaze roamed around the camp, looking for anyone available to hunt. [/color][/blockquote] [/td][/tr][/size] [tr][td][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/103yfbc.jpg][atrb=cellPadding,10,true] word count: 000000.
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speaking. thinking.
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Post by autumnfall on Mar 23, 2011 17:35:25 GMT -5
The light wind eased through the trees around the ThunderClan camp, causing the colorful leaves to rustle slightly, and few to fall down to the forest floor. A faint whistle around the entrance to the warriors den awoke one of the few still sleeping felines inside. A lithe, colorful tabby she-cat's eyes fluttered open with the sound of the leaf-fall breeze snaking its way through the opening of the den. Her whiskers twitched slightly as she lifted her head, and she parted her jaws in a yawn. Her bright green eyes glanced around the den. I must have slept in, she thought, lifting herself up on her paws and leaning down in a stretch
Autumnfall sighed and left the den, giving various clan mates morning greetings on her way to the fresh-kill pile. Her belly rumbled a little with hunger and she smiled to herself at the silly noise. Her eyes looked over the choices of prey, and she picked out a rather plump mouse. The meal dangled in her jaws as she scanned the camp for Mintstar. She spotted her friend just finishing a thrush a little ways away. The leader seemed as if she were looking for someone. She padded over.
"Good morning, Mintstar," she greeted, her voice a bit muffled by the mouse. Autumnfall laid down beside the fellow she-cat to eat her morning meal.
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Post by mintstar on Mar 23, 2011 18:00:50 GMT -5
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Mintstar’s eyes glowed with warmth as soon as she saw her deputy, Autumnfall, approaching. “Good morning, Autumnfall,” she purred. She had already finished eating, so she patiently waited for Autumnfall to finish her first bite of the mouse she had chosen from the fresh-kill pile. “You came just in time. I figured that it’s been such a long time since I’ve hunted, so I might as well lead a hunting patrol.”
Her eyes veered away from the pretty deputy, searching the rest of the camp. “But, of course, we’ll need to find more cats to hunt with us first. I’ll wait for you to finish eating,” she added quickly. She lay down beside her friend, lending warmth to each other. Watching the hustle and bustle of the busy Clan always calmed her. The gleam of a concerned queen’s eyes as she watched her kits playing, or the triumphant voice of an apprentice boasting about their first catch. All of it was normal.
And, after what had happened not long ago, normal was the best thing possible. Only just two moons had passed since the attack of a dangerous group of assassins. They had killed WindClan's leader, ShadowClan's deputy, four warriors, and an elder. All the Clans had been affected by them, and it was natural that a haunting fear still lingered in her heart. “Autumnfall,” she said, her voice containing a hint of concern, “Do you think they’ll come back?"
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Post by autumnfall on Mar 23, 2011 18:20:28 GMT -5
Autumnfall also watched the activity of the camp. It made her happy to see that everyone was now up and moving. She thought about who had gone out early on the dawn patrol as she considered others to go hunting with them. She took another bite of the mouse, savoring the flavor. Many other cats favored birds, or rabbits, or even fish, though Autumnfall was a little old-fashioned. She'd always loved mice as a meal. Not only were they tasty, but there were plenty of them, and even in leaf-bare they did not disappear. If just one didn't satisfy your hunger, you could just have another. As she finished her last bite, Mintstar's concern turned into her own.
She was known for her honestly, and Autumnfall wasn't one to soften things up, so she replied logically. "I do, actually," she said solemnly, worry snaking through her voice. "Decent cats don't just kill for fun. Those nasty rouges had to have had some sort of reasons for killing some of us. I'm not sure what that reason is, but I do think they'll be back. We just have to be cautious and prepared."
Her ear flicked with irritation as she thought about the WindClan leader and ShadowClan deputy, and also the warriors and elder, who had all lost their lives to those assassins. She had been a friend of the former deputy, and it was odd thinking about them not being around anymore. With a sigh, she switched gears and put on a smile, though it was more to cheer Mintstar up rather than herself. She stood. "Well, the prey aren't going to catch themselves."
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Post by mintstar on Mar 23, 2011 18:31:59 GMT -5
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Mintstar nodded solemnly. “But they won’t return too soon. We gave them some wounds they won’t forget,” her last words came out in a hiss. It was true - all four Clans had teamed up, and together, chased out the assassins with nasty wounds. There had even been deaths among the rogue group as revenge - not as if they didn’t deserve it. I would kill every last one of those assassins myself, if I could.
She pushed away the thought of the assassins. She was certain the camp would be safe with both the leader and deputy gone; plus, they wouldn’t be gone for too long. ”Should we get others?” The leader asked, getting to her paws as well.
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speaking. thinking.
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Post by * poppyfeather , on Mar 23, 2011 19:49:15 GMT -5
In the confines of her den, Poppyfeather stretched luxuriously. The day was beginning. Thankfully, it looked like it wasn't going to be a very bad leaf-bare. She hoped that there would be less cases of greencough. Rubbing open her eyes, she glanced around the den and stood up, hobbling to her store of herbs on her short little deformed legs. It was surprisingly low, especially the catmint, and for the coming season she'd have to keep that on store. Looking over her herbs and muttering to herself what she needed to get, the little tortoiseshell cat greeted the sunshine outside, smiling. It glared in her face, but she didn't mind. The usual good-mornings echoed around her, a couple to her, and all who greeted her received an enthusiastic reply. Mornings were happy times.
Blinking to get used to the glare of the sun, Poppyfeather sighted Mintstar and Autumnfall only a little bit away. A few words of their conversation floated over to her. They were planning a patrol, were they? What a perfect opportunity! Limping heavily forward, Poppyfeather sat down before her leader and deputy. "Good morning, Mintstar and Autumnfall!" She dipped her head in respect for both, the smile on her face always there. "I heard you guys talking about a patrol. My supplies are a little low - you know, I'll need them for the leaf-bare when it comes. Could I maybe join you?"
Then she remembered her legs - what would it have been like to have normal, trusty legs beneath her? "Well, um," and she looked down, embarrassed, at her tiny, deformed paws here, "You guys will have to go a bit slower if I come. If you don't mind. I could go later if you need to go fast."
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Post by autumnfall on Mar 24, 2011 18:11:01 GMT -5
Autumnfall looked over the other cats in the clan. A few of the apprentices needed practice, and hunting with the leader and deputy would sure be a learning experience for them. She opened her mouth to speak just before Poppyfeather meowed a friendly greeting. The short little she-cat always seemed to bring a warm twinge to her heart. She just had a happy air about her in the morning. The deputy glanced at Mintstar.
"Well, I'm in no hurry, Poppyfeather. I wouldn't mind if you came along," she said, giving the medicine cat a smile. She did enjoy Poppyfeather's company and, if it was alright with Mintstar, she would've liked to have her tag along.
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Post by mintstar on Mar 24, 2011 22:03:33 GMT -5
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Mintstar’s eyes glittered with curiosity as Poppyfeather approached, but it lightened when she stated her purpose. She shared a glance with Autumnfall and nodded. ”Of course. You shouldn’t even need to ask,” she purred. Despite the medicine cat’s disability and lack of fighting skills, Poppyfeather was as good a warrior as any cat.
”Well, we best get going,” she suggested, flicking her tail almost impatiently. ”If anyone else wants to join our hunting patrol, feel free to tag along.” Mintstar stated, raising her voice slightly. She waved her tail, a sign that they were leaving, and exited out the gorse tunnel. The plants tugged at her fur, but as she had lived through moons of passing in and out of them, she barely noticed them. As soon as she got out, though, she shook her fur out to assure that no stray brambles had gotten caught in it.
The ThunderClan leader instinctively headed toward Sunningrocks; the river near Sunningrocks was often abundant with prey, and she knew the thick plants there would provide Poppyfeather with a good supply of herbs. Suddenly she stopped. ”Do you need to get any catmint? Autumnfall and I could escort you there on our way back,” she asked.
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speaking. thinking.
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Post by * poppyfeather , on Mar 25, 2011 21:38:46 GMT -5
Poppyfeather smiled genuinely at her Clan-mates. Everyone was always very kind to her here, and it was nice to feel accepted within the Clan. Waiting patiently, the tortoiseshell she-cat sat back on her haunches as Mintstar informed the rest of the Clan that they could join the hunting patrol as they wished. She supposed apprentices would come. More than anything except for normal legs, Poppyfeather wanted an apprentice. A medicine cat apprentice would be the chance of a lifetime. Poppyfeather was a very motherly she-cat, and over and over in her head she had imagined what the apprentice would be like and how she would treat them. She was at every birth, and she sometimes imagined a kit that she thought was cute or liked in some way becoming her apprentice. Of course, it never happened.
Either way, Poppyfeather was smiling as she bustled through the tunnel. She was too short for her back to hit the top, like the other cats' did. Instead, thorns sometimes got stuck in the fuzzy fur on her underbelly. She had gotten used to it, and now it was a reflex to pause and quickly pick out the thorns that always got stuck there. Once her belly was dry, she was out in the open. It was always easier in the open forest, because it wasn't a narrow tunnel. If there was a certain place that would hurt her, she could always go around it. Poppyfeather also always liked the smell of the sweet air. Her mother had been very protective over and hadn't let her out of the nursery until she was an apprentice, so she had learned to appreciate nature.
She turned as Mintstar spoke, and nodded her head urgently. "Yes - I need catmint. A little less than usual - it's looks like it won't be a very bad winter. I also need to get thyme, borage, and chamomile." Most of this list was for queens, for they often became distressed if they were pregnant during leaf-bare. They worried that their kits would be born into a cruel, starving world. That was the thyme, though any cat could do that. Borage was for Queens too - if they had kits during winter, they would need the extra milk. However, the leaves and roots were especially good at curing fevers. Chamomile increased physical strength. Many of the elders would need that - the change of weather made their bones ache, and at a time when everybody in the Clan was weak and hungry, the elders would need the physical strength that chamomile provided even more so.
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Post by autumnfall on Mar 26, 2011 13:11:11 GMT -5
Autumnfall looked over the clan camp once more as the other two she-cats left through the tunnel ahead of her. Her tail flicked from side to side. She raised her head a little to speak. "I want this camp to be just as it is when we get back. No funny business," she meowed a bit loudly, a hint of playfulness in her tone. She was mostly talking to the rambunctious apprentices who were rolling around and chasing each other near their den. With the leader, deputy, and medicine cat all out of camp, she couldn't take any risks. Without another moment's pause, she bounded through the tunnel and after Mintstar and Poppyfeather.
The deputy caught up just as Poppyfeather was telling Mintstar what herbs she would need for leaf-bare. Autumnfall's ear flicked with slight concern. Winter was always the worst, and cats often got sick during the cold season. Some could be lost to greencough, or even starvation. Surprisingly though, this leaf-fall wasn't so bad. The afternoons were still quite warm and the mornings were only a little chilly. Wind was the weather as of lately, and the autumn leaves were falling more quickly than usual because of it. She sighed a little, hoping this leaf-bare wouldn't be so bad.
As the three she-cats reached Sunningrocks, Autumnfall paused in a patch of sunlight. The warm rays felt good under her pelt, and her fur shone, brilliant and colorful, as she stood. Her jaws parted slightly as she drank in the scents of the forest around her. The fresh smells of the river nearby wafted over her, along with the scents of various prey. It had been a little while since she had been hunting. Usually she was leading border patrols, so this was a nice break. After her moment of taking in the scents, she followed Mintstar and Poppyfeather to the river. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" she said to the two, a calm smile on her face. A lovely day, plenty of prey, no current problems, and a good mood. All was well with Autumnfall.
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Post by mintstar on Mar 28, 2011 15:41:05 GMT -5
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Mintstar nodded. She thought of the previous leaf-bares - so many cats had been lost to greencough. Leaders, deputies, kits, warriors. If they didn’t get a fresh supply of catmint - which was the main remedy for greencough - now, then even more cats would die to the horrible disease. Let’s hope there’ll be enough right now, she thought, quickening her pace a little. We’ll have to finish our hunt before night falls, then.
“It’s a beautiful day, isn't it?" Autumnfall asked. Mintstar’s ear twitched as a bug flew by. ”Yes, it is. Let’s just hope leaf-bare stays the same, or close to the same - the last thing we need is snow right now.” Soon the sound of water reached her ears, and she could smell the thick grass that grew beside the river. She lightened her pawsteps so the leaves under them wouldn’t crunch and alarm the prey.
The river was fairly wide; warm rays of sun beamed down on it, making it shimmer. Dust motes danced in the air. Warm red and gold trees bordered the water, casting dim shadows. The silver tabby she-cat stopped, her green eyes alert. ”Well, we’re here. Need any help with anything before we get started on hunting?” She asked the medicine cat.
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speaking. thinking.
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Post by * poppyfeather , on Mar 29, 2011 20:33:42 GMT -5
Poppyfeather took a moment to breathe in the summer air. It tasted tangy and sweet to her nose, and she grinned, for the juicy smell of prey and the sharp, exotic scent of herbs hung in the air, layering it thickly. Instead of answering through words to Autumnleaf, she nodded slowly. The Sunningrocks was also a beautiful place, although Poppyfeather could never get to the most popular spot. Most cats liked to take an enormous leap to the highest of the boulders and bask there. However, Poppyfeather could never reach that far, and so, if she ever had any rare extra time, she would bask in the shadows of the boulders. That way, she told the Clan, she would never get thirsty or hot as those who rested on top did.
The little tortoiseshell turned to Mintstar as she spoke, and smiled generously. "Oh, you don't need to help me," she meowed in her carefree voice, "I'll gather my herbs. You have to hunt - the Clan will need prey!" With a brilliant and genuine smile at her leader, Poppyfeather hobbled away unevenly, her little pink nose pressed to the grass. Here and there were scents of rare catmint, and Poppyfeather located them quickly, pulling off the leaves and laying them in a shady spot where they would not dry in the ever present sun. She then located a couple of bright green leaves; thyme. They would need those. She looked up at the world above one more time, then plunged her face back into the thick growth around Sunningrocks.
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Post by autumnfall on Mar 30, 2011 0:04:19 GMT -5
( it's autumn, Leaf, not summer haha ^^' )
Autumnfall gave Poppyfeather a small smile and a nod. The medicine cat did have a few... set-backs, but she sure was proud. That was probably why she liked her so much. Even though she had a sort of handicap, she could still do just fine and keep up with the others. With a flick of her tail, she turned from Poppyfeather to her leader. "Shall we?" she meowed.
It had been a little while since she'd last hunted, and the good weather and the plentiful scent of prey put her in a good mood. Maybe this leaf-bare won't be so bad after all, she thought optimistically. Autumnfall glanced at Mintstar before padding lightly towards the river. She made her way to its bank and lapped at the cool, crisp water. The icy tingle of the water tickled her tongue, and she licked the cold liquid from her whiskers. The lithe tabby she-cat then parted her jaws a bit to take in the scents of the prey. It took her only a moment to pick out a certain scent. Mouse. Her paws carried her lightly into the forest as she followed the scent of her prey. The colorful autumn leaves rustled in the breeze, fluttering and falling softly around her as she went, but she took no notice. Autumnfall's senses were in hunting mode.
She caught many scents of mice around her, but there was one in particular that she just had to catch. It was a plump, healthy, mouth-watering scent. The one who would be lucky enough to snag this one from the fresh kill-pile would be pleased. Autumnfall then suddenly stopped and stood still, her leafy green eyes narrowed on a certain spot in a pile of leaves. Her ears flicked and her tail twitched slightly as she prepared for the kill. There were two of them, fat and oblivious to the danger that faced them. The stealthy she-cat crouched and waited. The breeze picked up for only a moment, causing the leaves to rustle louder around her. Perfect. She sped forward and threw her claws into the pile of leaves where the mice were resting. She caught one with her left paw and her claws killed the creature instantly, but the other jumped and, in its blind panic, ran right at her and met its fate in her teeth.
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Post by mintstar on Mar 30, 2011 22:11:15 GMT -5
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Mintstar nodded. Although the medicine cat had a limp, she knew Poppyfeather to be tough. She could take care of herself. ”Okay. Just call us if you run into any trouble - who knows, those rogues could still be about,” she said, the smallest hint of fear in her voice. She knew the Clan wouldn’t survive if the rogues attacked again. They were still weak after the loss of their warriors, and as leaf-bare approached, so did starvation. StarClan, please don’t let them return, she thought, briefly looking at the sky.
Mintstar smiled tentatively at her deputy, watching quietly as Autumnfall took off. She shook herself, a movement so tiny that only the most alert cats would notice, and went in the opposite direction. I’ll stick close to them, just in case, the thought raced through her head, and she stopped only a little way away from them. What seemed like millions of scents rushed through her nose as she scented the air, opening her mouth to ventilate the smells. There had been a fox here, but her fur lay flat as she realized it was three days stale. Who knows what a fox would do in leaf-bare. I’ll tell the patrols to look for it.
Almost immediately after she caught a whiff of water vole. It was closer to the river, she suspected. Her body lowered into a hunter’s crouch. It was perfected with experience and flexibility - Mintstar had always been an excellent huntress, even as an apprentice. Her paws glided over the leaves that littered the floor like a silent buff of wind, her tail lowered to just the right height, her eyes full of concentration. She could hear a tiny scratching. The vole was digging through the leaves for food, its back turned from her. Her muscles tensed. Its ears cocked up just a little. But before it could even breath, she landed upon it gracefully, killing it cleanly with her teeth. Thank you, StarClan, for providing me this catch. Our Clan needs it now more than ever. |
[/color] She buried the vole, and waded forward through the undergrowth to find more. [/color][/blockquote] [/td][/tr][/size] [tr][td][atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/103yfbc.jpg][atrb=cellPadding,10,true] word count: 353.
template: by icee.
edited by: max
speaking. thinking.
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Post by * poppyfeather , on Mar 31, 2011 15:14:33 GMT -5
ooc: sorry about my rather large amount of typos! xD
Head stuck in the grass and smelling the smells of the earth, Poppyfeather shuffled around like a badger. Ever so often, she would poke her head up just to make sure she didn't stray too far from Autumnfall and Mintstar. She had tried to go herb-hunting alone before, but both her mother and the previous medicine cats had been rather anxious cats, and so both had never let her out of the camp at home. At the time, Poppyfeather had been an apprentice, and thought she could do anything. However, she was now an adult and wise beyond her years, and was grateful for the cats who cared about her. Poppyfeather was a very motherly worrywart herself, and would probably have done the same thing!
Ah...there! Poppyfeather clamped her jaws around a few leaves from a patch of catmint. It was a little bit away from the usual spot, but just as strong and effective. Hobbling off, she dropped it in the pile, then returned to get more. She left some still there, as she had learned from her mentor that if you didn't leave any, there wouldn't be any the next leaf-bare. Catmint was definitely something that ThunderClan had to preserve, and just because the weather looked as if it would be an easy winter didn't mean that they needed any less. Easy winter or not, cats got sick every winter.
Poppyfeather was so caught up in the thick patch of much-needed herbs that she did not notice that it was right by the river. The patch was stationed very near the edge, and after that there was a steep bank, almost in a straight line, then the icy, whirling river. She stuck her head once more into the green world underneath the grass and padded along, yanking up leaves as she went. However, a tight knot of dry grass lay near her paw, and with a gasp of surprise she tripped over it and somersaulted down the bank and almost into the river. Luckily for Poppyfeather, one of her unsheathed claws (it was a reflex) snagged in a pebble embedded into the muddy bank. Her hind legs were tugged by the river below, but with a deal of concentration she struggled to get a grip in the slick mud. "Help, please?" she mewed politely over the top of the bank. Her claw was wrenched, and an irritating ache radiated around her paw. Luckily, she hadn't gotten wet. It was no use being dunked in a cold river in leaf-fall.
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