Ooooky, spooky skeletons.... The creepiest, crawliest month of the year coincides with a handful of updates for the site. October heralds the winner of the art raffle, the launch of our DA group and first art contest, OTM winners and new nomination categories, new weather events, additional battle rules and new battle buddy stat, and our monthly plot upate and patrols! For more information, check out the October Announcemets. Have a fun and safe ooky-spooky month everyone!
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.
we shall all learn nothing or we shall learn too late
The calico she-cat trailed behind the patrol with her head lowered and ears anxiously flicked toward the shore. No bone in her body wanted to train for a mindless war -- because that was what it was -- mindless, endless bloodshed without sensible cause. Perhaps, she would understand if Redwoodclan had ruthlessly made the decision themselves or attacked their clan merely for border prowess - but they had not. The redwood warriors wanted reconciliation as much as she -- and the other pacifists -- did. Lavenderpaw wearily observed her clan-mates then. Sandbriar led the band with a fearless vigor, her sandy coat a beacon under the mid-morn sun. The she-cat knew little about the sandy warrior, other than she had previously trained as Minnowstar's apprentice. Lavenderpaw involuntarily shivered. Any cat trained by Minnowstar had to be as cruel as their cold-blooded leader.
Her olive green gaze slid over Snowfeather, the only other warrior in the party. The white she-cat quietly padded behind Sandbriar near the front. Like Lavenderpaw, she was a timid she-cat with a lithe unassuming frame. She said little - so unobtrusive that the calico hardly noticed her company. Other thanthe soft pad of her paws, Snowfeather moved in silencetoward their destination on the shore. Strangely, her own mentor -- Northsky -- had been tasked to another patrol, which unsettled her greatly. The she-cat had little time to worry about this, however, because someone else on the patrol unsettled her more. On either side of the calico she-cat, Swanpaw and Redpaw accompanied her near the rear of the patrol. Lavenderpaw was as familiar with her den-mates as she was with the depths of the lake. Her shy nature made it difficult to make acquaintances, let alone friends. A careful reticence buzzed between them and muffled the air. She flicked her ears nervously and swallowed.
Redpaw bothered her little. The tom was reserved -- a bit quiet -- like Lavenderpaw. No. It was the uneasy energy that radiated from Swanpaw -- that was what caused the electric uneasiness in her fur. Lavenderpaw was unable put her paw on it, or even name it in words, but the tortoiseshell point made her whiskers tremor uncontrollably. Their pelts nearly touched as they moved in a tense silence, and to create distance, Lavenderpaw eased a bit forward, her ears now flush over her head. She hastened her pace and did not slow until Sandbriar drew them to a halt.
The lake shimmered besides them, its wake still and slow in the tepid wind. Lavenderpaw eased into a sit as she waited for further instruction and wrapped her feathery tail over her paws. The sand sunk beneath her weight. While the sun shone brilliantly ahead, its heavy body still low in the sky, the atmosphere was rather chilly and cold, the earth still cool from the brisk night. The calico clenched her teeth in an effort stay warm and then focused her attention on the sandy warrior. Her body ached to leave -- descend into the lake and never return -- but her loyalty to her clan and late mother ached more So, instead she tried to pay attention and focus on learning a move or two - at least she could do that.
Redpaw followed after Sandbriar and Snowfeather alongside his fellow apprentices. His gaze was lowered as he went along, but his ears were pricked, alert for any cat speaking or any strange sounds in the forest. They were to be honing their battle skills today, something that Redpaw felt a bit conflicted about. It was important to be a good warrior, to be able to defend the Clan. But where they training to fight for the right reasons? Redpaw had been training for several moons now, but still had limited experience with RedwoodClan. Were they really the demons his Clanmates believed them to be? He flicked an ear dismissively at the thought. He would have to find out later. For now, there was no harm in becoming a better warrior.
Lifting his head slightly, he glanced sideways to the two younger she-cats who walked beside him. Lavenderpaw, walking directly next to him, caught his eye first. She was one of his newest denmates, yet she had already had an encounter with the apparent enemy. Redpaw had wanted to ask her about the experience, but always felt too awkward to bring it up. Maybe the young apprentice didn't want to talk about it.
Then there was Swanpaw, practically a warrior already but several setbacks in her training held her back. Redpaw admired her patience. If he was still an apprentice at her age, he wasn't sure that he would be able to keep waiting. Did she have anything left to even learn? He supposed he would find out when they were training together. Once they reached the shore, he settled into a crouch a small distance from Lavenderpaw. His eyes narrowed to slits against the breeze and the sun reflecting off the lake. His long fur fluffed in the breeze making him look huge as he waited for the training to begin.
loyalty is still the same, whether it win or lose the game; true as the dial to the sun, although it not be shined upon- samuel butler
Sandbriar was never one to willingly lead a training session when it came to working with a group of apprentices. Her own apprentice was an paw-full in her own right. However, here she was leading three apprentices and a very young warrior along the banks to one of her usual training grounds. She flicked her ears against the chilling wind and narrowed her eyes faintly. Minnowstar had asked her to go over battle tactics and fighting moves for the up coming....situation. Sandbriar didn't want to use the same word her old mentor to use but she wondered if it would be come inevitable.
As they neared the flattened area of sand she flicked her tail up to slow the group down. She glanced around at the various jutted stones that broken the tan surface and nodded some. The various side and levels of the stone would prove good practice for the terrain similar to where the Redwoodclan boarder was. And if these apprentices could learn to move on the slippery sand, the ground would be no challenge.
She moved to one of the stone just slightly above them and turned looking at the apprentices. "Alright you three....I'm not going to try to hide anything from you. As future warriors of this clan you need to be ready," she mewed her words calm but strong over the waves of the lake near by. "The dispute between ourselves and Redwoodclan is not going to end and you all need to be ready to fight anyone who comes across your path. That means those bigger than you, faster than you, stronger than you, and smarter than you. Lavenderpaw I want you paired with Swanpaw. Redpaw with me. Snowfeather, you will help Lavenderpaw with cleaning up moves Northsky has already shown her. After a bit we will switch up."
Her words were firm and her actions calculated. Lavenderpaw was much smaller than Swanpaw and didn't have near the experience. But with Snowfeather's guidance she could pick up a lot and maybe learn some new moves. Redpaw was a bit different. His longer fur was not typical of the lichenclan norm which could cause a hindrance if some claws caught up in it. Fighting against her, she was sure he could learn some more defensive moves and would maybe find ways to keep it from getting in his way.
She hopped down from her spot and moved over to Swanpaw looking at her dead in the eyes. "You listen to Snowfeather," she said firmly but only loud enough where her apprentice would hear, "If she says stop, you stop. If not we will be having a one on one after this." SHe moved and kept walking leading Redpaw a bit away from the others. IT wasn't that she had anything against Swanpaw, but her apprentice needed a firm paw and stern reminder every now and again. And Sandbriar wasn't afraid of dishing either out.
Word Count: 487 Tagged: wishSnowcanaryRaven~ Notes: I apologize if Sandbriar is making wrong assumptions. I bad at battle training. -hides-
Snowfeather was beyond tired. A yawn escaped the white she-cat as she padded after Sandbriar. The last few nights were filled with restless sleep. She kept going over her encounter with the odd Thistleclan warrior. She shook her head willing away the thoughts of the tom. There were bigger problems to worry about, such as the tension with Redwoodclan. They were the reason that Minnowstar insists on these extra training. To be ready for a war about the belief of Starclan, which was irritating for her.
The she-cat slowed to a stop as Sandbriar took in the various stones that bordered the sandy beach. Snowfeather's ear perked as Sandbriar's sudden words. The mention of the dispute with Redwoodclan brought on a wave of unease though the she-cat. She hasn't even noticed herself sheathing and unsheathing her claws into the sand.
Snowfeather listened in silence as the tan she-cat started pairing the apprentices. She didn't expect to have Lavenderpaw assigned to her instead of her own apprentice. Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she watched Redpaw follow Sandbriar.
She let out a soft sigh and glanced over at the quite calico. She flicked her tail and walked off to the side, away from the other two groups. She stopped short of the stones that bordered the beach. She had noticed that Lavenderpaw and herself were pretty much built the same way. She couldn't help but think this was the reason Sandbriar paired them together. But the she-cat had no clue at where Lavenderpaw was in her training. "So..." She turned around as Lavenderpaw made her way to her, "What are some moves that Northsky taught you? Is there any that you would like to work on?"
Redpaw's ears flicked, but otherwise he tried to hide his surprise when Sandbriar announced that he would be training with her and his own mentor would be with the other two apprentices. He cast a quick glance towards Snowfeather and pushed down his disappointment. Training with his own mentor would have been easy. Familiar. But that was probably why Sandbriar had divided them the way they had. He wouldn't always be fighting or even sparring with Snowfeather. Eventually, he would have to get used to battling an unfamiliar opponent.
Rising heavily to his paws, the orange tom stood and faced Sandbriar. His uncertainty showed only in the flicking of his plumed tail tip. He waited for her to have her word with Swanpaw before padding after the tan warrior. "Where are we going to start?" he asked. He scarcely noticed how tensely he was holding his shoulders. He felt a lot of pressure to impress Sandbriar. It was no secret that she was the former apprentice of the leader and how he performed today would be a direct reflection of Snowfeather's skills as a mentor.
He felt a brief flash of envy towards Lavenderpaw. She had less expected of her and she had a warrior's assistance to fall back on. With a soft snort of annoyance, Redpaw pushed the thoughts from his mind. If he always wanted his mentor's guidance, he would never be made a warrior. Today, he would show his patrol that he could stand on his own paws and fight for his Clan.
loyalty is still the same, whether it win or lose the game; true as the dial to the sun, although it not be shined upon- samuel butler
Sandbriar waited a moment before facing the ginger furred apprentice looking him over quietly. Yes he bigger than the other two she-cats but that was typically expected of a tom. She closed her eyes trying to process her words as the wind picked up mildly, shivering a chill down her spine. Cold times were coming, both physically and with the impending war on the horizon. The meeting with the Redwoodclan "peace" patrol still lingered clearly in her mind. Things were defiantly about to change.
She opened her yellow eyes again her words chosen. "For this training I want you to focus on defensive moves for now," she mewed flicking her tail at him slightly, "You have longer fur which is not normal for our clan. Not that it is a big issue, but on a battlefield there are cats who will try to use it to their advantage. So I am going to come at you as you are my enemy, and I want you to dodge, avoid, and keep from getting tangled up or snagged."
She stood and looked at him then flicked her ears slightly. Flashbacks of her rigorous training with Minnowstar came back to her and her tail tip flicked lightly. Although it was tough and she was glad for the ways Minnowstar pushed her, there was always something that seemed to lack in those training sessions. "You may not get it the first time....and that is okay," she assured the tom, "We'll keep working until you do."
She stepped a few paw length away then faced him again crouching down and flicking her tail. Sandbriar was known more for her sharp tongue and quick painful bite, but there was also skill in her paws. It would be good to stretch her older muscles again. She waited a moment then darted toward the tom. They would start with a direct attack. Better start of simple then grow. It would be good to see what he could already do.
Word Count: 328 Tagged: Raven~ Notes: She is coming for ya Redpaw
Her stomach descended into her toes when she heard who she had to train with -- and it was not Snowfeather she feared. The lithe calico carefully cast Swanpaw a wary look and then quickly glanced away. Every part of her body ached -- screamed with protest at the demand -- but she knew she had to remain silent and obedient around her elders. Whatever it was about the tortoiseshell she-cat made her absolutely unsettled. The calico swallowed. At the very least she could use this session as an opportunity to learn more about her den-mate. While she unnerved Lavenderpaw to her very core, the calico also knew very little about the tortoiseshell point.
With a terse nod, she followed Snowfeather to some stones near the shoreline and waited for her directions. The older white warrior was meek -- a bit timid like Lavenderpaw -- and hardly ever took control. There was also no reason -- other than usual clan duties -- for the two she-cats to cross paths. The white warrior liked to isolate herself from the rest of the clan and do as she was told. She was not loud or opinionated like Nightclaw nor was she as battle inclined as Sanbriar -- and for those reasons -- Lavenderpaw knew very little about her new mentor for the day. Even her voice, soft and bit lost in the chaos of war, was new to her ears.
The lithe calico heeded her question about her experience and then rolled the answer around a bit in her head. Northsky had only shown her the territory a few times, gave her one or two lessons on how to fish, and then imparted a few battle moves in a practice spar. Other than that -- the bulk of her battle experience had been honed in actual battle. Her mind flickered back to the recent skirmish on the cliffs, and her stomach started to churn once more. Hemlockheart had lauded the she-cat for her tenacity in battle, and while it had been delivered as a compliment, Lavenderpaw could not help but feel tormented by his words.
She feared Hemlockheart, and she knew in her very bones that her late mother would detest the current state of their clan. Any compliment from him actually hit like an insult. Lavenderpaw did not want to be like him. Never. Swallowing, the she-cat returned her attention to the snow white warrior and meowed. "He's mostly shown me a few defensive moves," she paused. Her heart raced back to the recent battle, and she realized then how messy and uncoordinated her offensive moves had beenin retrospect.
Perhaps if she had known what she was doing then the battle would have never happened in the first place. The calico meowed once more. "I guess we could work on my offensive moves." Her eyes flickered then to the uneasy Swanpaw, who stood beside them in silence. The calico wondered then who would play her defense: Snowfeather or Swanpaw? She swallowed once more and hoped for her sake it would be Snowfeather.
