Ok...it felt kind of nice to NOT write 2020 LMAO. Welcome to 2021! To kick off the brand new year, we're introducing a round of updates, including new bio and forbidden romance rules, our Secret Santa reveal, OTM winners and nominations, our monthly patrols, and a fun new infectious disease! So make sure to check out the January Announcements for all of the new content! As we leave 2020 behind us, we hope everyone is able to put themselves first this year and practice self-care! Here's to another one! Let's write some cats!
The Apostles is a warrior cats roleplay based in northern Wisconsin. On Lake Superior, the wild cats have made the Apostle Islands their home. It is on these islands - Rocky Island and South Twin Island - that the clan and tribe cats have lived in a peace and harmony that ebbs and flows with the tide.
But as the tides turn, so does the truce that binds them to one another; and as the water raises, a darkness follows, an evil that will end in bloodshed and violence.
he medicine cat den was it's usual dim and cool. The murmurings of LichenClan cat's outside barely sounded in the off-set cave. As usual, the den was in pristine condition. To one side a few nests resided for the unexpected visitor, to the other the shelves and clefts in the wall held the plethora of herbs that Cinderface and Briarpaw had collected over the summer season. Now that fall was inching it's hold over their island home, the two medicine cat's of LichenClan were scurrying to harvest the last of the herbs before the chill of the season destroyed them.
Near the back of the den, Cinderface's precious mini moon pool continued it's ever present quite ripple. Her nest was near that little pool, and Briarpaw's nest was not far from her mentor's. But the two nests were empty. Cinderface and Briarpaw had returned from their trek to harvest more herbs, and now they were diligently sorting and preparing to dry the herbs to store for the winter months. Cinderface frowned as she examined the Lungwort they had harvested that day. It was a smaller harvest than she had expected. But as long as she kept her stores fresh and safe, then if in the leaf-bare months Yellow-Cough found it's way to LichenClan she would be prepared.
Cinderface cast her hazel gaze toward Briarpaw. Her apprentice was seventeen moons. She is well of age to receive her name...but is she ready? Cinderface was not plagued by age or sickness, so she hadn't felt a pressing need to bestow on Briarpaw her full medicine cat name. But, surely it was unfair for Briarpaw to continued with the -paw suffix when all the other cats her age had received their full name? But they did not train to become a medicine cat, a calling far superior to that of a mere warrior. Still, perhaps it was time to seriously consider a name for her apprentice. Despite her shortcomings in some areas, Briarpaw had proven dedicated to her studies, as the current quiz Cinderface was throwing at the tabby she-cat only proved. "Tell me, what are the uses of lavender?" Cinderface worked as she listened to Briarpaw's answer, nodding in approval when the apprentice answered. With the lungwort staring right at Cinderface, she asked the next question without hesitation. "Briarpaw, what is the name, use, and importance of this herb." Cinderface gestured with her tail to the stack of herbs, her ears pricked forward for Briarpaw's response, her hazel eyes turning to watch her apprentice who continued to work on preparing her own stack of herbs.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
Any tension that had been hanging in the air between the medicine cats seemed to have dissipated as the temperatures cooled and their workload increased. Briarpaw was thankful for the respite, superficial as it was. At the end of the day, she and Cinderface shared a common goal: care for their Clanmates. Quietly, the tabby worked alongside her mentor, laying fresh herbs out to dry and tucking the dried leaves safely away in the stores. Here now, absorbed in the scholar’s side of medicine, she could pretend for a moment that her worries were far away. It was just her and the herbs.
She realized at once just how comfortable she had become during her training. Fresh from the nursery, learning the names, uses and locations of all of Cinderface’s herbs had been daunting, but now she found herself mentally listing the name of each herb she handled.
Her head tilted when she heard Cinderface’s question. Lavender? Easy… ”Lavender is used for it’s scent,” she recited. ”When the scent is inhaled it can help with anxiety and fever.” There was another use, less talked about. ”Placed upon a body it can also disguise the scent of death.” The knowledge came so easily to the front of her mind, almost without her even having to call it. This realization brought a short lived smile to her face.
But that smile quickly faded as one realization led to another. She knew so much, she felt confident that she would be able to handle any sickness or injury whether her mentor was there or not. There was just one problem. And it was thrown into the air between them the second Cinderface addressed her.
Briarpaw, what is the name, use, and importance of this herb?
Briarpaw. Briarpaw… Briarpaw. Her littermate and every cat their age had been granted a suffix and, while she knew that the training of a warrior and a medicine cat were vastly different, both in content and timeline, she couldn’t help a pang of jealousy when she thought about it. She was an adult, by all measures, well over four seasons old, fully grown, trusted to be on her own… But being called Briarpaw every day made her feel stunted and young. You’re not a child, she had to remind herself daily. She even found herself infantilizing herself sometimes. You can’t make that choice, you’re just an apprentice.
But she had a question to answer right now, didn’t she? ”That herb?” she repeated, canting her head towards the stack Cinderface had indicated. The stack smelled sweetly as it dried in the sun. ”That’s lungwort,” she murmured, looking towards Cinderface with curiosity. That lesson had been such a ceremonious one, the tabby wondered what the purpose of the question was. ”We use that to treat yellowcough.”
tags: moony word count: 464 notes: apparently when i posted this initially, i didn't do the tag right so late tag
riarpaw's answer came quick and precise. Cinderface nodded in appreciation, and her gaze turned back to Briarpaw, her mind musing. Was it time to give Briarpaw her name? And if so, what should it be? She is ready in knowledge, Cinderface felt confident in that. But what about spiritually? The encounter at the Moon Cave made Cinderface hesitate. And that gathering...Briarpaw had spoken out to help the stranger, the black omen that brought death with him.
"You're knowledge of herbs and medicine is unrivaled, Briarpaw. You have done well with your studies..." The medicine cat paused, breathing deeply as her thoughts collected once more. StarClan guide me."But there is more to being a medicine cat than knowing what each herb does and how to use them."
Inspired, Cinderface left her stack of herbs, her paws leading her to the little pool of water she treated with such reverence. "Some times, I wonder if I have shown you the importance of our higher path. Our duty to StarClan." Cinderface stopped at the pools edge, staring into it's depths. Have I failed her in this?
"LichenClan has always been the closest to StarClan and the Moon Cave." Cinderface elaborated. "We are called to protect their honor, to be examples to those who have lost the way. The ways of the other clans are not our ways." The mottled she-cat toed the rim of the pool with her paw, watching the ripples cascade out from it. "Tell me, Briarpaw, what you think StarClan calls from us. And what of your relationship with them? The last half-moon you were disgraceful, and so you could not join me at the Moon Cave." she turned away from the water then, and faced her apprentice, gaze stern as she awaited Briarpaw's response.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
Briarpaw took a moment to glow in the praise of her mentor. It had been so long since she had felt uncertain at all in her herbal knowledge that it was difficult for her to remember there was ever a time that she didn’t know what she was doing. Then Cinderface continued. Of course she knew that being a medicine cat was just as much about being spiritual as it was about healing. Of perhaps any cat in their Clan, the tabby felt like the older medicine cat should understand that Briarpaw shared a connection with their ancestors. She wouldn’t be here, learning as she was if that wasn’t the case.
She held her tongue, though, politely listening to her mentor’s words. Her ears pricked attentively and she nodded where appropriate. ”My relationship?” she mewed, tilting her head. The answer felt so obvious, she was sure she was not understanding what Cinderface really meant. ”You know they’ve spoken to me,” she meowed. ”I revere StarClan. Respect them. They lead me to you.” She ducked her chin, ears folding back at the memory of the last half-moon. Though she still strongly felt like they were wrong to ban the other medicine cats, she was smart enough to realize that this wasn’t the time to argue. She crept forward until she was crouched at her mentor’s side, watching the ripples in the pool.
”LichenClan is meant to have a special connection with our ancestors, that’s why we are allowed to exist so close to them.” Her words were slow, quiet and careful. She felt the need to toe the line between saying what Cinderface expected without blatantly going against her own beliefs. Cinderface would never know, but doing so always left a sour feeling in the apprentice’s throat. She believed that her Clan had a special duty to StarClan, but that didn’t have to mean that they kept the others from visiting their ancestors. StarClan watched over them all. ”I’m sorry, Cinderface,” she mewed at last. Her eyes narrowed slightly. ”I swear that I am devoted to StarClan above all else. StarClan calls for devotion. They call for loyalty and service. I have promised my life to LichenClan, but more importantly, I have promised my life to them.”
he surface of the water was like glass. Smooth and still, it appeared solid, as if Cinderface could walk on it if she wished. But then the water rippled, disturbed by its hidden source. The mottled she-cat watched her reflection as it waved and rippled with the water, her hazel eyes stern as she listened to Briarpaw. She says these things, but she does not show it. When was the last time her apprentice had gone to the sacred pool they were bound to protect? When was the last time she had come to Cinderface for a private confession? She claimed to be devoted to them, but where was the evidence? Faith without works is dead. Cinderface mused, and she focused her attention back on her apprentice.
"You say you've promised your life to them," Cinderface stared into the young she-cat's amber eyes. The orbs were warm, wide, and innocent looking. But behind the veil of innocence was a measure of mystery that Cinderface had observed in her apprentice. At eighteen moons, Briarpaw exhibited a maturity that some of her other clan-mates didn't possess. But despite that grace that comes with the rank of medicine cat, she still lacked greatly. "And StarClan may have brought us together twelve moons ago, but cats change. You were once a kit full of innocent devotion and curiosity. But over the moons you have changed," Cinderface's voice harden, it carried an edge the elder she-cat rarely used. "You've shown clear devotion to your studies, I have no doubt in your ability to care for the Clan's physical needs."
"You claim to have devoted your life to StarClan even above your clan, but where is the evidence?" Cinderface gave the young she-cat a pointed stare "When was the last time you were able to accompany me to the Moon Cave? When was the last time you confessed your sins? When was the last time you stood alongside me and Minnowstar?" The righteous anger boiled inside Cinderface. She stood, and began pacing. Briarpaw had grown in many ways. Although she was slight of frame like Cinderface, she stood tall and proud. Cinderface had to look up towards her apprentice now. "So tell me, Briarpaw, why is that? Why do you hesitate around me when it comes to the matters of StarClan?"
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
Briarpaw kept her face carefully neutral as Cinderface spoke, though there was doubt worming in her belly. The way her mentor was talking was making her nervous. Did she think she wasn’t worthy of being called a medicine cat anymore? Was she going to demote Briarpaw? Fighting panic, the tabby tried to console herself. StarClan had sent her to this path, even Cinderface couldn’t deny that. But as a grown adult, she had no idea how to be a warrior. She would never make it if she wasn’t a medicine cat.
Submissively, she ducked her head, tucking her chin against her chest and keeping her ears pinned low. ”Please, Cinderface, I am still learning.” She chanced looking up before averting her gaze again. ”Maybe I don’t have the best methods every time, but I am learning with each mistake what is expected of me. I promise you won’t be disappointed. You will not have to turn me away from the Moonpool again. I will be by your side when Minnowstar calls us.”
The words had a sliver of truth, she longed to serve her Clan, but they left a sour taste in her mouth. How could Cinderface serve their ancestors and still believe that Minnowstar was doing the righteous thing? She needed to smooth things over now so she could continue her life as she intended. ”I will go to confession,” she meowed with a nod. ”You’re right, it is beyond due. Please, Cinderface, understand me. A warrior’s path can be learned in only a few moons, I have much more to absorb, but I am working to be better.”
inderface was able to keep herself restrained as the words slipped through her maw. Her heart raced with the righteous fury she felt. The confusion that raced through her drove the she-cat mad. Why did you bring her to me, StarClan? Why? Cinderface snapped her jaw close as she concluded her piercing questions to Briarpaw. Meekly the tabby she-cat responded. The younger she-cat averted her gaze, her amber eyes bore holes into the ground as her meager words floated between the two healers. Cinderface breathed deep, willing herself to remain calm. Her hazel eyes closed, shielding her mind from the woes of the world around her for just a moment. A moment to breath, a moment to pray. Guide me StarClan.
The hazel eyes opened. Cinderface rest her gaze on Briarpaw. The she-cat was huddled down, her posture emanating the worry that surely rushed through her mind as the apprentice strained to remain calm. We shall see if you are there when called. Cinderface mused. She could not dismiss Briarpaw as her apprentice. There were no others who were worthy of training for this path, and Cinderface had spoken truth when she had praised the younger she-cat for her skill with herbs and healing. She's devoted, she just needs guidance. Cinderface would have to be firm, but there was still hope for Briarpaw.
"Faith without works is dead." Cinderface wrapped her tail around her paws, sitting still as the trees that stood tall and proud on their island. "Perhaps not all the blame is on you, Briarpaw. Perhaps I have focused to much on ensuring your ability in healing that I have neglected the higher calling of medicine cats." Cinderface felt her voice fade. Have I truly failed so many in this Clan? So many, like Shadowface, who have such strong disregard for our duty to protect StarClan from the heathens on this island... No. No, it could not be because Cinderface had failed. She had been so devoted to StarClan. If others fall from StarClan's grace, it is their own doing.
"When next Minnowstar or I call for you to help fulfill our duty to StarClan, I expect your complete obedience," There would not be another split gathering. Cinderface would not let Briarpaw leave her side like that again. It was time for Briarpaw to stand with Cinderface. "As for your confession, I will give you some time to reflect and examine your conscience. When you feel ready you will come to me, but do not dally. I will not remain as patient as I have been with you."
Cinderface's head pounded. With brows creased in fury and frustration, she jerked her head toward the entrance. "Go, leave me to reflect. I expect you to do the same." Cinderface needed silence and space so she could seek solace in her saviors. Guide me StarClan.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙ frostkit ∙
The silence between them seemed to stretch on forever as Briarpaw waited for what she was sure was about to be her immediate dismissal. Panic began to rise in her chest. The conversation with her sister flashed back through her mind where they had talked about how useless she was with a warrior’s skills like hunting and fighting. Would she still have a place in LichenClan if she was no longer allowed to heal?
She chanced looking up to Cinderface when she finally spoke. Gradally, an uneasy relief replaced the anxiety. It seemed, at least, that she wasn’t about to be dismissed, but she would definitely have to be more careful from now on. Her paws would be placed with caution until she was back in her mentor’s good graces.
Again she lowered her eyes to her paws, nodding mutely to show the mottled she-cat she was listening. Once dismissed, she rose to her paws and dipped her head. ”Yes ma’am,” she meowed. ”I will meditate. May StarClan light our paths.” Her voice was gentle as she spoke. For a moment, she searched her mentor’s face before the pair turned away from each other. Briarpaw slipped from the den, willing her heart to calm itself. She was in trouble, perhaps, but not as dire as she had feared. For now, her position was safe and all she would have to worry about was what being at Cinderface’s side without question would mean for her in the future.
