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 Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 8:54 pm
This is a one on one thread for myself and Mafdet of Egypt to flesh out how her character Flarepaw came to DawnClan. Please do not post without consulting us first.
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:33 pm
A storm had ripped through the territory the night before, the sky opening and pouring down a torrential rain that had made even the bravest of cats huddling in their den in a vain attempt to stay dry. Dusk patrol had been left un-done, if only to ensure no cat would get hurt or lost wandering around in such a storm.
The following morning, Doestar decided to lead out the Dawn patrol herself to check the water level in the stream and make sure no trees had fallen to create any danger. Redbriar, Iceleap, and Petalfall joined her. Together they journeyed all along the border, starting in the north near the Moonstream cave opening, and heading south.
The stream had overflown its backs, widening itself a significant amount. They sent Iceleap back to camp to warn the others of what had happened, and to stay away from the stream unless in a group. The rest carried on, following the stream until their territory curved back west. Now they padded along the edge of the abandoned two leg nests.
"At least so far it seems as though the damage from the storm was minimal. Not too many downed trees or branches, and the stream will probably drop back to normal within the week." Redbriar commented as they walked, glancing over at the quiet nests.
"I'm just glad we noticed the overflow before it was too late. The apprentices might have wandered too close otherwise, and we wouldn't have known it was a problem until it was too late." Petalfall added. Doestar nodded, trying to ignore her own unease. The thought of her cats loosing their lives over a simple oversight was precisely why she'd lead this patrol.
"That's exactly why we only brought warriors for this. Just to be safe. I'd hate to see anyone get hurt out here on accident." Doestar spoke softly, ears pricked for any sign of life nearby. So far, all she'd detected were the sounds of her clan-mates around her.
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 6:18 pm
Paws were trembling as a young she-cat jolted awake from her nightmare; of the terrible storm that caused her to get so hopelessly lost that she had wondered all through the day and night before her little body finally collapsed into a small little shelter of brush and branches. And even then it was still cold and damp. In the dream, she thought that she was being dragged down a river of water that came out of nowhere, and no matter how loud she mewed for her mother, the yard was growing smaller and smaller. 'Where am I..?' the small cat wondered as she poked her nose out from under the leaves. All this trouble because someone told her that there were flowers that bloomed only when it's about to storm. She honestly thought she'd make it back to the yard before the rain started, and it came down so violently that she had no idea what direction she came from. The gold and silver she-cat slowly emerged from the bush, which dripped water onto her still-damp fur that made her shake herself. At least she hadn't gotten sick so far, but she had mud clinging to her belly and paws, making the whiteness of her fur brown. Were those pawsteps she heard? Had her mother come out looking for her? Oh to see Melody again, even if she were to scorch her with a lecture again! "Hello?" the young cat called out, her voice sounding tiny even to her. "Is anyone there?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:15 pm
All three warriors paused their chatter as they heard a voice call out, each straining to hear the direction from where it came.
"Was that... a kit?" Redbriar mewed softly in confusion. Petalfall's tail was twitching, her eyes focused ahead.
Doestar flicked her tail, motioning for Petafall to hide - if this were some sort of trap, at least one of them would be free to either surprise the enemy if a fight broke out, or else run and fetch back up. The she cat slipped into the underbrush near silently, brown fur blending perfectly with the surroundings.
"Hello? Come out, little one, we wont hurt you." Doestar called in reply, stepping forward a few paces, ears pointing in the direction she had thought she heard the voice some from. She figured Redbriar was right - that hadn't been the voice of a grown cat by any means. She scanned carefully, finally spotting what looked to be the source of the voice near the bush. A young cat, caked in mud, presumably from the storm that just passed.
"Ah, there you are. The mud must be masking your scent. Are you lost?" She couldn't pick up any other scents, barely able to detect that of the cat right in front of her. She didn't look familiar, and based on her size, she really seemed barely more then a kit. For now, Doestar did her best to relax and seem non-threatening. After all, there was no reason to go around bullying a little one that looked so helpless. Redbriar, behind her, followed her lead, letting his fur lie flat.
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:47 pm
Her breath caught in her throat when she did hear someone else respond to her call, and it was a voice she had never heard of before. A part of her did want to press back into the bush... but the voice was friendly, and it did seem to mean that it wouldn't hurt her. 'Is that a rogue?' she wondered. At least she seemed like a nice one. Taking a deep breath, she did move further away from the bush, just in time for another she-cat to appear and see her in all the mud that clung to her. Her golden eyes widened at the sight of the big cat along with another coming just behind her, their muscles easily spotted beneath their glossy fur even with the drops of water on them. "Y-yes, I don't know where I'm at," she managed to answer, but at least she was relaxing a bit when she noticed that their stances were relaxed, not bristling in aggression. These cats were nothing like what her mother told her they'd be like. Rogues are hardly ever friendly, so it was told. Feeling calmer, she did move further away from the bush, her tail raising a little. "I got lost in the storm looking for flowers that blooms before a storm, and because of all the rain, I can't find my yard anywhere..." Even now that sounded stupid of a kit to do, but she couldn't help her curiosity.
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:08 pm
"Your... yard? You live with two-legs?" Doestar asked, the hairs on her neck bristling reflexively. This kit couldn't be all that far from home, and she hated to think of two-legs existing within a day's travel of her territory. She would have to warn DuskClan at the next gathering to be safe. However, she also couldn't say where the little one's home could possibly be.
"A flower that blooms before a storm, huh? We could ask Foresfern." Redbriar commented dryly, wincing a little as Doestar shot him a glare, "Come on Doestar, we have no idea where occupied two-legs nests might be; we can't just leave her here." He whispered this time. Doestar glanced between her warrior and the kit, knowing he wasn't wrong. Still, she wasn't very excited about the idea of bringing another mouth to feed to the clan with leaf-bare on its way. Still, she turned back to the kit, warming again as she looked over her sodden form once more.
"Well, I can't say where your yard might be. But, if you like, you can come stay with our clan for a little while to clean up and rest a while. Your scent will have been washed away by the rain, so unfortunately, we cannot just simply re-trace your steps. And we don't know where any two-legs are - we do our very best to avoid them. If you wish to head back on your own after a time, we'll allow it. Or, you can stay with us permanently. We'll find a place for you. You'll learn to live as a cat is meant to; wild and free, catching your own prey and helping your clan mates in whatever ways they need you." Doestar trailed off, wanting to give the kit a chance to process all she had said.
"What is your name anyway, kit?" Redbriar asked after a moment, "I'm Redbriar. This she-cat is my leader, Doestar."
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:33 pm
Uh-oh. Did she say the wrong thing? She took notice of how the she-cat's fur bristled a bit when she uttered the word two-legs, making her wonder what they found bad about them. Her two-legs were really nice, even when her sister Solar would climb a curtain and had to wail to get down because her claws got stuck in the fabric.
'Forestfern..? Is that a name?' the young cat wondered as she caught the word mentioned from the tom behind the she-cat. The two cats lowered their voices with a brief conversation, and the glance from the she-cat caused Eclipse to straighten up a bit, wondering if they knew where she came from.
However the she-cat, looking more friendly again when she turned back to her, spoke gently that she had no idea where her home might be. It probably showed on the kit's face and the way her ears lowered a bit. But the offer to take her back with them to get clean and be able to rest. To learn to live just like a wild cat; wild and free, as they put it. 'Can I never see Melody or Solar again..?' The offer was really the only option she had, at least until she was older.
"M-my name is Eclipse," she said, startled out of her thoughts with the inquire from the tom, Redbriar as he introduced himself. Looking back to the she-cat that she now knew as Doestar, she tried to look more happy that they were willing to get her out of the rain and mud. Plus her mother would probably want her safe rather than wondering around until a fox or a badger eats her. "I promise to be helpful somehow." They were nice, she had no idea where she was, and maybe someday she'll find her way back home when she had skills to do it. "Thank you..."
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 8:56 pm
"You're welcome. We'll assign you a mentor, who will teach you our ways, as well as how to hunt and fight. For now, let's head back to camp." Doestar replied, signalling for Petalfall. The younger she-cat crawled out from the underbrush, her own pelt now streaked with mud.
Doestar took the lead, staring on the long trek back to their camp. Petalfall followed behind her, twitching every once in a while to try and loosen the mud from her fur. Redbriar fell in last, trying to keep pace with Eclipse.
"It's a bit of a long walk. Try to keep up. If you can't make it, let me know, and I'll carry you, okay?" Redbriar offered, feeling bad for the kit, "When we get back, a cat named Forestfern is going to want to look you over and make sure you aren't hurt or wont get sick. She's our medicine cat, which means it's her job to take care of any ill or injured cats in the clan. Is that okay with you?"
((Sorry for this one being short. I am super tired and need to head to bed xP))
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:45 am
"Y-yeah, okay." The kit was full of questions, but even after her sleep she was weary and tired, which she thought had to do with the nightmare. Plus she was sad, as any kit would be in her situation. 'Yeah, but I bet no other kit was as stupid to go out of their nest to look at flowers before a storm,' she thought glumly. Maybe she could get some real sleep when she was cleaned up.
Watching as Doestar took the lead with another she-cat following even as she flicked her fur to dislodge the mud she got, she would only realize that Redbriar was beside her when he spoke to her. He was really silent for being a big tom, briefly thinking of her father before paying full attention to him.
"I'll try," she mewed bravely. If she could walk all night through a storm, Eclipse wanted to be able to walk to their home on a clear day. Yet she wasn't trying to be too proud; she was sore, and matching these fit cats was going to take everything she had. "Oh, that's fine, if you think it's best. So Forestfern is a cat, not a plant." It was more like an answer to her own question she had earlier. "But what's a medicine cat? Are they like the Vet?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 2:38 pm
"Well, she practically lives in the varying herbs she needs for her job, so she is close to being a plant, but I don't think she's quite there yet." Redbriar joked in reply to the kit's question. Petalfall shot him a glare back.
"I'll tell her you said that." She commented dryly, before falling back to also keep pace with the other two, "A medicine cat is a cat who tends to the clan both physically and spiritually. If a cat is sick or injured, Forestfern helps them recover, through the use of various herbs. She also has a very close connection to our ancestors, who send her dreams and omens of things to come, so she can better help the clan through troubled times."
"And Forestfern is Petalfall's littermate, so you can guarantee that's about the answer Forestfern would give you. Is what Petalfall described something like a... vet?" Redbriar finished in an amused purr. "But, if you like plants, Forestfern is the cat to ask. She might even know about the plant that lead you out here."
"Forestfern is a very busy she-cat though, so don't take it hard if she only has the time to tend to you and then move along. Her role in the clan keeps her moving near-constantly." Doestar added, calling back.
The rest of the trek went quickly, at least for the three cats who were used to making the journey a few times a day. Soon enough, they were pushing through the opening of the camp, heading into the clearing. As soon as she was scented, a few curious cats began to mew in regards to the young cat among them. Not giving the cats too much of a chance to cause a commotion, she leaped up on to the great stump.
"Let all cat's old enough to climb the trees gather beneath the grand stump for a clan meeting!" Doestar called.
"Here, sit by me." Redbriar whispered to Eclipse, sitting out of the way as the clan gathered around to hear what Doestar had to stay.
"It seems you all have noticed that a kit came back with us from patrol today. She was lost at the edge of our territory. I welcomed her back to camp to take a few days to rest and recover, at which point I will allow her to either leave and try to find her way home, or else stay in DawnClan and train to become a warrior. Her name is Eclipse, please trat her kindly - she is far from home and among strangers. In the mean time, Redbriar will be responsible for keeping her fed so that the rest of the clan is undisturbed." With that, Doestar jumped back down off of the stump.
A few cats shot Redbriar and his new ward curious looks, but for now, they all stayed away but one; a calico she-cat padded up next to them, looking Eclipse over.
"Hello Redbriar. Hello, little one. My name is Foresfern. Do you want to come with me and get cleaned up?" Forestfern mewed gently.
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 3:22 pm
Eclipse couldn't help but give a little smile as the cats bickered back and forth in a friendly, familiar manner. For wild cats, they were nothing like the stories told to her by neighbor cats. Listening as Petalfall gave her a brief explanation of what a medicine cat was and how they help the clan, the kit blinked her eyes thoughtfully.
"Well... kind of. But the Vet doesn't use green herbs, and has sharp scent things that they'll put in your food or put in a kind of thin claw that they then push into your skin. Those really hurt. So a medicine cat sounds much better," Eclipse replied. And she nodded when they said that if there was ever such a flower, she should ask Forestfern, even as Doestar said that she was likely to be too busy for a lot of questions. She could still try.
When they finally reached the destination, Eclipse couldn't stop her fur from bristling in alarm at how many other cats there were. There were so many! And almost all of them were looking at her! At least most of them seemed curious, mewing about what a kit was doing with the patrol. Doestar jumped quickly to a large stump of a long-fallen tree, Redbriar moved to the kit and suggested for her to sit with him. Nodding gratefully, she moved with him to sit out of the way while more cats came to gather and hear Doestar's words.
Ducking her head a bit as the leader explained what she was doing there and what the current plan of action was in regards to what she'd do. At least she was good as to ask the others to treat her kindly. Hearing that Redbriar would be responsible for her, she looked up sharply at the tom, afraid that he wouldn't want to even though he had so far been nice, before immediately ducking her head again when cats turned back to look at her and the tom cat.
Then came a pretty calico cat as she weaved her way around cats to stand before them, looking over the kit as she spoke. At the mention of her name, Eclipse's ears perked forward with more curiosity now. "Yes, please," she answered after a glance to Redbriar, as though making sure it was alright.
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 8:12 pm
"Well, I will leave you in Forestfern's very capable paws for now." Redbriar commented, dipping his head in farewell and trotting off for the camp entrance once again.
"He'll probably be out hunting a while, don't worry about him. Come on, there's a puddle behind my den that the sun has been hitting all morning, the water should be less cold in it." Forestfern padded in the direction of the puddle, sitting near it, "Go ahead and get as much of the mud off your coat as you can in here, that way there's less to try and get off with your tongue." Forestfern instructed for now, watching the cat when she moved, scanning for any stiffness or un-natural looking movement.
When they finished, Forestfern flicked her tail, beckoning the kit to follow her as she padded back to her den. She pointed to an empty nest with her nose. "Lie down here, please. I am going to look you over for any injuries you might have missed, and listen for any signs you might have gotten sick and maybe aren't showing signs yet. You were out in the storm through the night?" Forestfern asked, studying the kit as she did.
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 9:47 pm
'Hunting..? Oh, because they're wild, they don't eat catfood that two-legs gives to cats,' Eclipse thought, answering her own question when Forestfern mentioned that Redbriar might be out for hunting once he left her in the medicine cat's care. Does prey actually taste good? Her mother certainly thought so, but Eclipse never thought much on tasting a mouse when Melody brought home one. Pushing the thoughts away so that she didn't get homesick right then and there, she nodded to the she-cat when she suggested how to get the mud off. It might be water, but she definitely didn't want to taste mud all day!
"I'd jump in a ice pond by this point if it got the mud off!" The only thing that hindered her movement was soreness in her paws, but the kit was quick to wash as much mud as possible off of her until she finally stumbled out of the small puddle, flicking her paws. But it felt amazing to not be so caked anymore, and couldn't complain.
Ignoring her paws as she followed the medicine cat to her den, she blinked as she adjusted to the dimmer light of the inside. "Alright," she mewed when instructed to lay down so that she could be looked over for injuries or sickness, letting out a sigh of relief to be off her paws. "Yes I was. I didn't mean to be out in it, though," Eclipse answered with a sigh. "A neighbor cat named Joker said there was a flower that bloomed before a storm, though the storm came fast. Had you ever heard of it?" She figured she'd better ask before Forestfern was too busy to answer.
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:56 pm
Forestfern purred in amusement at the ice pond comment, un-surprised by the answer. If she had spent the night and a good portion of the day caked in mud, she'd probably be very eager to get it off herself. She watched the kit move, and how happily she flopped down into the offered nest.
Forestfern began her exam, carefully parting the kit's fur as needed to check for injury, and lightly feeling with her paws to make sure nothing was out of place. She nodded as the kit spoke, trying to show Eclipse that she was listening as she focused on her work.
"Well, I have never heard of something like that. And there's certainly no flower like that near here. And coming from a cat named Joker, I'm a little more likely to believe you were the victim of a mean prank." Forestfern decided, finally backing off a step from the kit.
"However, I will say you look perfectly healthy. I am going to have you sleep here in my den for a few days, just to make sure you didn't get sick spending the night out in the rain. Is that alright with you?" Forestfern asked, before ducking back into her herb store. She took some daisy leaf and chewed it into a paste, before padding back out to the kit.
"Now, I saw you were pretty stiff before. It's probably just because of the night you've had, but I'd like to make you more comfortable if I can. Where is it the worst, you feel? I'm going to rub this paste there, and it will help you loosen back up." Forestfern explained.
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:59 pm
The kit was surprised by how gentle the she-cat was as she felt her paws parting through her soft kitten fur, even though soon it'd become more glossy soft since she had reached her 6th moon. She took notice of the small nod as the medicine cat was busy examining her, glad that she did hear her.
At the mention that she's never heard of such a flower, Eclipse frowned to herself, feeling more foolish now. "Maybe..." Didn't her sister complain that Joker had played a prank on her by telling her about an injured bird then jump on a branch that was loaded with drops of water when she went to investigate? She should have known better.
Relieved that she seemed to be healthy, she could only nod when Forestfern asked her if she was alright with her sleeping in her den for the next few days. It must be part of her duties to have other cats sleeping where you sleep. However even as she said yes, Eclipse lifted her head to watch the she-cat move away to where she just now noticed a store of leaves and plants.
Why was she chewing some flower leaf before placing the paste onto a leaf? It certainly wasn't eating it. However she came back and it quickly became clear that this was something that medicine cats do on a normal basis. "Um... my paws and legs mostly, maybe my shoulders as well," she said, trying to assess where she felt sore the most. "But how would rubbing that leaf paste into them help?" It was indeed simple curiosity, as she didn't mind the idea of wet plant stuff being rubbed into her fur and against her skin. "Does it... help make it better faster?"
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