What's that? The sun's shining? There's birds in the trees? Everything has leaves and its hot af? You heard it here first! Green-leaf has smashed face-first into the island and things are heating up! Except for all of the flood water. Womp womp. Everyone's gonna be wearing little pool floaties forever ;) This month, we got a fun new Gathering format, Cultural Crafting Contest Voting, and brand new Announcements chalk full of some cool site updates! So go check it out and soak it up!
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.
The voices were back in her dreams, their hummed whispers spiked with an urgency Meadowpaw did not understand. She rolled in her nest, the moss shredding under her outstretched paws as once more she tore apart the bedding in her slumber. Deeper she dove into the fog, desperate to follow the call until she felt her toes touch something solid. Meadowpaw scrambled for purchase, her claws unsheathing and holding on as if letting go would suck her back up into the sky and away from the voices and their cries.
With wild eyes Meadowpaw searched for them, their urgency driving her to scour the area for any signs of life. All that greeted her was foggy darkness and that same, insistent whisper. ‘Find us.’ Meadowpaw turned to her left. ‘Find us.’ It called to her right. ‘Find us,’ it hissed in her ears until the molly could do nothing more but squeeze her eyes shut and cowered to the ground. Panic and confusion coursing through her as she began to gasp, her heartbeat drumming in her ears and driving out the voices. “Where are you?!” she cried out, though her eyes remained shut to the world. A shift in the light drew her gaze and with a hesitant peak Meadowpaw looked up with a single eye.
A forest had sprouted around her, tall birch and cedar trees crowding the space that was void only moments ago. She stood up, now more confident than before and hurried into the trees, her blue eyes wide as she searched desperately for a familiar face. But it was barren and silent all around her, the voices now lost as if the forest itself blocked their calls. Still Meadowpaw searched, her hope never wavering even as the emptiness of the woods filled her with a hollow ache. The edge of the forest neared and with hesitant steps Meadowpaw approached it, confused once more by the fog that awaited her on the other side. Again the hum returned, their cries a longing call she found impossible to ignore. 'Find us,’ they howled; a mournful whisper driving her forward. Meadowpaw took a final step out of the trees and then..
With a jolt Meadowpaw rose from her nest, the fur along her neck standing on end as she found herself back in the apprentice den. The dream was already beginning to fade from her as the ones before it had yet the longing cry remained in her mind even now. When she had told Maplebranch about them he had drowned her in looks of sympathy, his reaction leading her to believe she was simply missing her mother and sister. Still the dreams persisted.
The molly’s ears tipped back in concern, at a loss for what to do until finally the idea to seek out Shadepool arose. With no where else to turn Meadowpaw made her way out of the apprentice den and towards the medicine cat. At the very least Shadepool could give her something to ease her sleep, she reasoned as her feet carried her through the snow and into the tom’s den.
517 words | hope this is ok, let me know if I need to change anything! | fallenreaper
Post by fallenreaper on Feb 6, 2022 11:56:02 GMT -6
Shadepool's jaws stretched and breath billowed out, fading with his energy. Each pawstep crawled to his mossy nest where slumber called for him. When he stepped inside, he circled twice then crumpled into a ball. The motion caused a puff of dust to scatter into the moonlight while his tail tip curled to warm his nose. Shortly after, his vision yielded to the back of his eyelids.
Instead of the tranquil darkness, Shadepool found himself blinded by white.
Shocked by his sudden appearance in a snow storm, the young tom glanced around. Dead trees stood with their exposed branches against the wind with little success. It battered them then turned its fury upon him, lashing at his short fur. His ears pinned down to protect them against the hostility around him. Yellow eyes tried to peer through the strengthening veil covering everything in frost. It took him a moment to recognize the path to the Great Owl tree at the edge of Thistle clan territory. His mind froze, struggling for a reason of why here. He had little time to dwell on it because his eyes spotted fading evidence of tails less than a tail length away. Mustering all the energy he could, Shadepool leapt toward it. Snow scattered in his rush to free himself from its icy grip. Already the snow threatened to swallow them up.
Uncertain over the meaning of this dream, he could only hope answers lie ahead of him. Taking a deep breath, Shadepool bravely pressed onward. He had to learn its meaning and he couldn't do that standing in one place.
Time ticked by as he began to wonder if the storm would ever end. Its cold bit deeper than any wound or claw causing him to stumble through the rising snowdrifts. After what felt like nearly a moon, the wind finally died down and he spied patches of green grass form. The high sun shined down as it warmed his dark colored pelt causing Shadepool even more confusion. Something tugged at his attention causing him to look ahead. In the center of the meadow, a petite white colored cat sat. While he had no scent or a face to clarify his assumption, Shadepool knew it was a she-cat. Spurred on by curiosity, he wandered over to her. A voice rippled gently across his thoughts with a simple phrase: she is found.
The medicine cat's eyes snapped open upon hearing Meadowpaw approach his nest. His heart raced and breath was shallow, his mind realized slowly where he was. The cold reality caused him to rise from his comfortable nest now. With a quick lick across his lips, he stretched and let out a great yawn. Once it ended, he addressed Meadowpaw's presence.
"Hello, Meadowpaw. Did you hurt yourself or something else?"
As Meadowpaw entered the den silence greeted her. It was unlike Shadepool to be out this time of day however not completely unheard of. At a loss for what to do, the young molly stalled in the den’s entrance until a soft snore from deeper within the den coaxed her tipped ears forward. She hadn’t thought the chamber held any patients at this time and with curiosity getting the better of her, she stepped further into the den until she rounded on a plush moss bed. Recognizing the medicine cat immediately, Meadowpaw let out a squeak of surprise at having found Shadepool asleep.
Guilt heated her cheeks as the medicine cat awoke with a start and began stretching his legs. “Oh um, I’m so sorry to bother you Shadepool sir,” she began, the words lodged in her throat as she fought through her embarrassment. “I can come back at another time, it’s really nothing important.” Hastily, Meadow turned to leave just as Shadepool’s tail reached out to stop her. At his insistence she paused, her foot suspended in air as she contemplated what to do. In the end her need for answers won and with a sheepish smile she settled beside him.
“Well it’s nothing really..” but even as she said it, the words did not feel genuine. Something about her dreams kept nagging her; as though they were trying to tell her something important that she could not understand. “It's just; I just keep having this dream.” As Meadowpaw confessed this to him, the need to tell the whole story consumed her all at once. “You see.. I hear these.. voices,” she looked to him for a reaction, unsure if he’d think her crazy from the start. “They cry and they're so lonely and I just want to help them but there is this; forest, in my way. No matter which direction I turn the trees block them out.”
Her voice was rising in octave, the distress from her sleep following her as she retold the tom the images that had been haunting her. “I can’t help them!” She cried, her eyes welling with tears at the stress of it all. “No matter where I go, I can’t find my way through to them. I can’t.. find them.” Meadowpaw held her head low now, her melancholy taking hold as she felt her defeat like a heavy blow to the chest.
She waited, unable to meet Shadepool’s eyes as the medicine cat considered her thoughtfully.
Post by fallenreaper on Mar 10, 2022 12:55:46 GMT -6
Even though Shadepool knew he was awake, his flesh still crawled and twitched under his pelt. He twisted about to give himself a comforting lick. When the strand fell flat, he addressed Meadowpaw. His yellow eyes carefully studied her while she spoke about her purpose here.
Seeing she had interrupted something, the young she-cat started to turn and walk out. Shadepool frowned at her behavior. His long tail snaked out and blocked her path, stopping her in her pawsteps. Something was wrong, he could tell in his whiskers.
"No, I just woke up from a bad dream. What's the matter Meadowpaw? You can talk to me." The black tom inquired with genuine worry.
She is found... She is found.
The words buzzed like a beetle attracted to crowfood in the back of his mind. He ignored it to address Meadowpaw first.
Upon hearing her speak of her dreams, Shadepool frowned in concern and laid down. She mentioned voices, the strange images, and suddenly broke down crying. Shadepool's heart sank as his tail gently wiped the tears from her face. Her empathy was admirable in his opinion and a rarity in Thistle Clan.
"Shh, it's all right." He whispered gently.
He paused long enough to think. Again, the words refused to leave him alone. He blinked, realizing his ignorance over the cryptic message. Meadow... Did Starlcan mean Meadowpaw?
"I had a dream too. I was lost in a snowstorm heading to the Great Owl Tree. Eventually, I found myself in a meadow, and a she-cat was standing among the flowers. I came closer as voices said: She is found."
He took a breath then added, "I don't understand, but I think our dreams are connected. I think Starclan has just told me who they have chosen to be my apprentice, and that cat is you..."
At the start of her tears Shadepool remained silent, his tail flicking across her to provide a small sense of comfort despite her obvious distress. She smiled her thanks to him, a tentative look that barely reached her eyes as he considered what to say. In the silence Meadowpaw tried to steady her breathing. With a deep inhale the molly’s nose filled with the scent of dried leaves and compact dirt.
The den was a reminder of her time spent as a kit nestled in a nearby moss bed, her early moon sicknesses costing her precious time from her family. What would her life be had she not been here with Shadepool the day Cedarkit was taken? Was it Starclan that had saved her from that fate, or just pure dumb luck?
Meadowpaw blinked as Shadepool roused once more, her mind bouncing back to the present. She listened politely to the story about his own dream, perplexed by the meaning behind his shared experience until he turned his thoughtful gaze directly towards her. The molly’s eyes widened as he spoke of their connection, her confusion only intensifying with his confession. “But.. I’m Thunderfoot’s apprentice,” she replied simply, her mind still working through her dream and now; Shadepools’.
As she peered up into the tom’s amber eyes she felt the doubt of his claim with intense certainty. “No,” she began; a mixture of resignation and disappointment lining the word; “I don’t think that could be right sir.. I’m, well I’m-” Meadowpaw could not bring herself to say the phrase aloud. Even still it burned in her thoughts, as plain as the sun in the sky. Half-clan.
“And anyway, I’m sure it was just a bad dream is all,” she added with a rush as the tom leveled his kind gaze upon her. Meadowpaw stalled for a moment and looked to the den’s floor, her courage lost to the uncertainty of what her life had become. “Starclan..” she breathed at last.
Post by fallenreaper on Apr 7, 2022 8:56:32 GMT -6
Shadepool watched Meadowpaw's reaction.
The apprentice's behavior followed his own like a reflection in the lagoon. Her eyes blinked in confusion, and uncertainty washed over her expression. It was the same when their clan leader approached him about becoming the new medicine cat. At first, it shocked him and then followed by his denial. Squirreltail was his mentor, not Ratwhisker. Why would Starclan choose him?
Shadepool realized that Starclan didn't care about trivial things like that.
His thought returned to Meadowpaw's words. As he suspected, her doubt set in. The black tom felt instinctively braced for the denial. A striking difference compared to his younger moons.
With a deep breath, he allowed her to finish before he replied.
"Meadowpaw, I don't think it is just a bad dream." Shadepool began to circle about and sit beside the young she-cat. His tail curled about in a friendly and comfortable matter.
"From my experience, Starclan isn't the clearest when they deliver messages. I suspect that even Orchidshade struggles with what they mean to say. The Redwood Medicine cat is older than me."
He swallowed down the worry as he continued.
"I was Squirreltail's apprentice before Thievingstar came to me. She mentioned Ratwhisker's final words were: Find Light in the Shade. I thought Starclan had to mean another cat because I struggled to be a warrior."
Shadepool let the story sink in.
"My meaning is that... I think Starclan picks their medicine cats based on their faith in that cat. Even if you and I don't have a lot of faith in ourselves."
Meadowpaw leaned into Shadepool as he settled beside her, his warm presence a reassuring structure to her unsteady life. As she braced herself against the older tom, her eyes widened at the mention of Orchidshade. The Redwoodclan medicine cat was a well known and experienced healer even to those who knew very little about the other clans. If Orchidshade still struggled with prophecies from Starclan, would it ever be possible for her to interpret them? Meadowpaw wanted to voice such a doubt to Shadepool but he pressed on, intent on reassuring her despite her resistance.
...because I struggled to be a warrior.
She mulled over his words in the silence that stretched between them. As she contemplated, Meadowpaw saw her life diverging on two paths and how opposite they would be from one another. Being a warrior had always been what she expected from her life, anything else was simply never considered. Not so long ago, Cedarkit and her sat in the nursery together; heads bent towards one another as talk of their apprenticeship approached. Now; a part of that dream was gone and the least she could do was follow through with becoming a warrior for Cedarkit’s sake. ”I always thought I’d be a warrior one day,” she confessed to him quietly.
But her dream kept nagging her like a perplexing invitation. Despite the terror Meadowpaw felt, it was awe-inspiring to think Starclan had spoken to her in her dreams, that they had thought her differences were worth something to them. If what Shadepool said was true, it had to mean they saw something in her that she did not see in herself.. right?, she breathed.
“Do you regret not ever becoming one?” Meadowpaw asked him suddenly, eyes shining with a twinkle of hope hidden within the doubt clouding her gaze. She desperately wanted the medicine cat to tell her everything would be alright; that he knew with certainty it was no mistake. There was a part of her that knew it was unfair to put such expectations on Shadepool, yet she was young and naive - still in need of assurance from those wiser to the world.
...based on their faith…
Regardless of her reservations, Shadepool’s confession settled upon Meadowpaw’s heart and relaxed the tension held between her shoulder blades. He was asking her to trust in Starclan. Looking up at the tom, it was difficult for her to imagine anyone else as Thistleclan’s medicine cat. If he trusted in them, then certainly she could too? A stubborn look hardened the molly’s jaw and she gave Shadepool a stiff nod of acceptance. “What comes next then?,” she asked, a quiver in her voice despite the brave face she presented.
445 words | I'll make a believer out of her yet | fallenreaper
Post by fallenreaper on Apr 21, 2022 8:39:15 GMT -6
After witnessing the apprehension disappear from the young she-cat, Shadepool knew his words held a positive effect. The worry that had poisoned his confidence faded. A deep breath purged the rest, and his form settled into a comfortable posture. His attention remained on young Meadowpaw, her determination shining through her new perspective.
Did he regret never becoming a warrior?
The question she asked Shadepool lingered on his mind. It had for moons since his new position, but he had never spent long reflecting upon it. He decided to be honest about his thoughts.
"There are times I look back on my past. I try to imagine what type of warrior I would've been and my duties. Sometimes it is good and other times bad. As I've gotten older, I've realized my place is better as a medicine cat."
A soft exhale exited his lips as he continued.
"Do I regret it? No. I'm still able to help my clan and others on a deeper level. Far better than I could if I had become a warrior. That belief is important to me."
He squeezed her briefly with his tail. Gently, Shadepool rose to his feet and then started toward the entrance. The black tom paused to glance back over his flank.
"First, let's get anything important from your nest. Next, we'll be making you a place to sleep next to mine. You will need a good night's rest before we inform Theivingstar of your new role and start your training tomorrow."
After saying that, the pair went about their work before settling down for the rest of the night. Neither cat was plagued by haunting dreams nor Starclan prophecies as they drifted off into slumber.
