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.
Crescentpaw shuffled her paws as she waited by the entrance of the massive hollowed out redwood that served as the entrance to camp. She was trying to sit still as best she could, just as her mother taught her, but she was just so excited! Today was the day she was going to get to tour all the territory! She hadnt been an apprentice for very long, and any chance to leave camp was exciting, the novelty of the outside world hadn't quite worn off for her yet. But it would, her mother had always told her when Crescentpaw had asked about the territory that it wasnt that cool outside camp, just more of the same woods. But Crescentpaw didnt mind that, it was still different, much bigger, more open, or at least she hoped.
As she waited she wondered about her mentor. He seemed like a really nice cat, almost too nice. So faar he hadnt yelled at her or corrected her or punished her, and it made her... uneasy. Could anyone actually be that nice? What would happen if she actually messed up? The thought was terrifying and only furthered her resolve to be on her absolute best behavior. She would show her mentor she would be the best apprentice he could ever have!
oudstorm stepped out of the warrior's den, his eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the bright light after the dimness of the den. Today was the official first day of training for Crescentpaw. Loudstorm felt jittery nerves pulse through his limbs at the thought of caring and training an apprentice. He did his best to act friendly and excited for Crescentpaw's sake, but deep down the tom was filled with uncertainty and worry. Out of Crescentpaw's sight he had racked his brain for ideas from his own apprenticeship and grilled other warriors from tips and suggestions. It became clear that the first thing he should do was help Crescentpaw become familiar with the territory. So, yesterday he had instructed the torbie she-cat to meet him by the camp entrance in the morning. As he neared the hollowed out redwood, her dark pelt greeted him. Well, she's excited. That's good...I think.
"Good morning, Crescentpaw," Loudstorm called cheerfully as he strode up beside her. "Ready to see the territory?" Her excited squirming was all the answer he needed, but one of the many tips he had gleaned was to allow the apprentices to speak and find their voice, so he listened for her response as he gestured for her to follow him.
He stepped out of the camp, turning south. The plan was to take the same route his own mentor had taken him for his first tour of the territory. "It will be a long day, Crescentpaw, we're going to go around the entire territory," he chuckled "It took me a couple of moons to remember most of the landmarks, so don't feel bad if you forget which way the Redwood Graveyard is, or which side LichenClan borders."
The forest was alive with life. Birds twittered and flew through the air. The mulch strewn earth was soft under the paws of the two cats and the scents of blooming flowers tickled Loudstorm's nose. He glanced over at Crescentpaw. Just be friendly, don't worry. Loudstorm repeated to himself, trying to remain calm as he wondered what information was important for the she-cat to know today, and what could wait. "We'll head for the Redwood Graveyard first, it's toward the south and is near LichenClan. Uh...if you have questions don't be afraid to ask...I'll do my best to answer them." Maybe he should just start with letting Crescentpaw lead the conversation, try to get to know her better. StarClan guide me! Don't let me screw this up.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙
Her ears pricked and twitched as she heard a cat approaching, and just as she opened her jaws to scent who it was, she saw her mentor. Her paws started twitching again, this time kneading the ground unintentionally before she managed to still them. She remembered her mother's lectures on how she had to be quiet and sit still at all times, it was basic respect. Hopefully Loudstorm hadn't noticed her fidgeting. But he seemed perfectly cheerful when he greeted her, and she returned his greeting promptly.
"Good morning Loudstorm!" She mewed with barely contained excitement. "Yes, sir! Never been more ready in my life!" And indeed she could confidently say this might be the greatest day of her life so far. Or she hoped it would be. He gestured for her to follow, and she bounced up onto her toes, stepping up near his left flank to be able to follow him more closely while still giving him the precedence and respect as a warrior to lead her. Just as her mother had taught her.
Crescentpaw listened as he spoke, although she kept stealing glances at the forest around her. Sure she could see the forest from inside the camp, but this was different, this was so much more, trees as far as she could see. He mentioned it was going to be a long day and she turned her attention back to him. "The entire territory! That's amazing, I promise I'll keep up!" She didnt want him thinking that she was so weak she couldnt even handle the first day of training. What if he decided she wasn't a good enough apprentice to train? Her ears turned sideways in concern, not quite flat, but still betraying her sudden anxiety. "I'll make sure to memorize them as soon as possible, sir." She said, though the words sounded uncertain. He did say it could take a few moons, but maybe he was testing her?
But he didnt seem to be watching her like her mother did when she was looking for a specific answer and she hadnt given quite a fully satisfactory one, so she tried to ignore her nervousness. This was her first day truly venturing out into the territory! She would make the best of it. As they drew further from camp, Crescentpaw began to notice more details in the forest around her, trees different than the ones in camp, birds whose songs she had heard but rarely (if ever) actually seen were flying overhead, fragments of damp decaying leaves squished under her paws. Her head turned and her ears swiveled constantly, her half-tail twitching every few moments as she took it all in. In her distraction she bumped into Loudstorm. "O-oh sorry sir." She said, immediately slipping back to her spot and staring straight ahead so she wouldnt get distracted again.
Loudstorm told her which way they were going, which was nice. Until Crescentpaw realized she hadnt been paying attention which way they had come. "Oh, uhh okay." She said as he explained and then welcomed questions. "Well, sir, um. How... how do you like. Say you get... lost. How do find your way back to like camp or something?" Her ears were tilted sideways again, as she looked everywhere but at her mentor, embarrassed she hadnt been paying attention to where they were going as they walked.
he novelty of the territory had long lost its charm to Loudstorm. After moons of hunting, exploring, and guarding it the redwoods no longer exuded mysterious allurement as they had during his apprenticeship. But the lynx point tom was to focused on not messing up Crescentpaw's training that the joy of the experience was lost to him. What was lost to the warrior, however, was the honorific she used to refer to him. Sir.
"I'll make sure to memorize them as soon as possible, sir."
There it is again, the blue-eyed warrior mused as they traveled further from the camp. He grinned, hoping his relaxed nature would help the young she-cat to relax as well. Maybe as her nerves relax she'll stop calling me sir, Loudstorm decided. The moniker made him feel moons older than he was. It was a term he used to refer to his own superiors. Which, he was Crescentpaw's superior, but this was different! He wasn't a leader or deputy or senior warrior, he was just Loudstorm.
Both of the cats seemed distracted in their own ways. Crescentpaw was entranced by the environment, Loudstorm was entranced by his doubts. The warrior slowed for a moment, deciding which trail to take to the grave yard, when Crescentpaw bumped into him. Again, she addressed him as sir, and then resumed her position slightly behind him. Quite the polite apprentice. Quite different from me. Loudstorm smirked inwardly, remembering his hot-headed apprentice days. Unfortunately his mentor's efforts to quell the fire inside had failed. Loudstorm hadn't learned to reign in his impulsive nature until almost losing his mother. I might not have to worry about that from Crescentpaw... he realized as the she-cat piped up with a question.
How do you find your way back to camp?
Loudstorm could have slammed his head into the nearest Redwood trunk. Of course! She'll need to know how to find camp again. Stupid."Oh, yes, of course. Finding the way back to camp." He paused to gather his racing thoughts, his plans for the day derailed while he adjusted from showing her the territory, to teaching her the territory. There was a difference, he was coming to realize.
"Well, let me think. How to explain it..." It had become second nature to Loudstorm that he had to dig deep into his memory to remember how his own mentor had taught him the way to navigate through the territory. He glanced up at the sky, the sun somewhat visible through the foliage above. "The sun is one way to find your way around. Since it's morning, if you put the sun on your right side," Loudstorm adjusted his position to demonstrate "Now you're facing north. Since we're heading to the Redwood Graveyard, we know we've gone south from camp. So now we just have to head north to find our way back." He mused for a moment, watching Crescentpaw to see if she understood. His mentor's voice from moons ago floated through his mind. Remember your scents, Loudstorm. Those will keep you safe.
"It's also important to scent your surroundings. Remember what camp smells like? That scent gets stronger the closer you are to camp, so you can use that to guide yourself as well." He grinned Soundin' smart, Loudstorm, great job. Now just figure out how to keep her from calling you 'Sir' all the time! Loudstorm gestured for Crescentpaw to follow again, and the warrior returned to his chosen path.
Soon the towering trees tapered out and the pair entered a field covered with fallen trunks of redwood trees. "This is the Redwood Graveyard. It's a pretty good hunting ground. Small prey likes to hide in the fallen trunks." He turned and smiled at Crescentpaw "What did you have for breakfast, Crescentpaw?"
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙
Crescentpaw felt her pelt prickling as Loudstorm seemed to think over her question. She didnt like silence, silence normally meant her mother was annoyed with her, that she was tired of her being around, and asking questions... well her mother had a fondness for her kits learning by experience and learning the first time. A small part of Crescentpaw panicked as she wondered if Loudstorm might simply tell her that this was the perfect time for her to learn how to find her way back to camp by doing it herself. So she edged closer to him, hoping if he did take off maybe she could keep up. But it seemed her fears were unjustified, as Loudstorm began to gently explain how he might find his way back to camp. When he mentioned the sun, she instinctively looked up, and saw the bright orb through the leaves of the canopy. She copied her mentors movements, fixing her eyes first on the sky, then in the direction they were going, and the direction they had come. "Okay... Sun on right means north, sun on left means south. That makes sense." She looked up at him, eyes bright and ears pricked, purring at her success.
And he mentioned scents to which Crescentpaw blinked slow agreement. Of course! She should have thought of that! Everything had just smelled so new and enticing, from trees, to plants, to prey... but if she opened her mouth and turned back they way they had come, she could tell that both she and Loustorm had left their scent behind, as well as the faint scents of other clanmates, and just the general scent of Redwoodclan. Although even as she scented it all, she could tell it was growing weaker the longer it was there and the further they got from camp. Her half-tail twitched nervously, but she kept up her smile. "I think I understand sir, thank you!" If Barkpaw had been here, she might have made a sneaky comment about how smelly he was, and how he would help her find her way home, but he wasnt here. He was busy with his own mentor, and seemed to be doing quite well as far as she had heard. She wished it could be that easy for her.
But her thoughts about her brother were interrupted as they finally arrived at their destination. She looked around, pale hazel eyes wide and pupils big, taking it all in. It was a mostly open space, likely since the trees taking up the canopy had fallen and lay there, like scattered bones of ancient giants. She turned her attention back to her mentor as he spoke about the place, Redwood Graveyard did seem an appropriate name, and what could be hunted there. When he mentioned food, she couldnt keep her stomach from growling, and a little embarassed meep from escaping her jaws. Was this a test? Apprentices weren't supposed to eat before they had hunted for the rest of the clan, or at least her mother had said as much. "N-nothing, Loudstorm. I didnt hunt anything for anyone else yet." She said, unsure what answer he was looking for.
oudstorm felt himself making a mental check-list for things he would have to go over with Crescentpaw. First, telling direction with the sun, she would need to know that only in the morning would one face north when keeping the sun on the right. Second, have her try and retrace the territory using her sense of smell so she could better learn the territory. Third, get her to stop calling me sir.
Crescentpaw's stomach rumbling gave Loudstorm all the answer he needed, but he waited for her to speak. The lynx-point tom wondered if she would try to hide her hunger. Her response surprised him, in a good way. "Ah-ha, already thinking about the warrior code. Good!" he smiled at her. Then it broke into a grin when he heard her use his name. Thank you StarClan, she didn't call me sir. "Well, remember how I said this was a good hunting ground? I want you to watch me carefully. I'm going to catch you something to eat, and then you'll try to catch me something to eat. Prey here is fat and lazy, so it's pretty easy to catch, especially for a lousy hunter like myself."
The warrior turned to scan the area, locating a place where he would likely find some prey, and then gestured to Crescentpaw to sit on a stump. "Sit there, you should have a good view of what I do from there." Was the she-cat was situated on the stump, Loudstorm fell into the hunter's stance. Scenting the air, he soon located a mouse rustling through mulch in search of its own breakfast. He approached slowly, cautiously, placing his paws carefully so as to not alert the mouse to his approach. It was a couple of tail lengths from the little critter when he froze. The mouse had paused in it's rustling, and was observing the area around it. He waited until it relaxed again, and then leapt with claws outstretched. Thank you StarClan, the warrior thought when he landed squarely on the prey, and swiftly dealt it a killing blow.
Grasping the plump creature in his maw, Loudstorm totted back over to Crescentpaw and deposited the still warm mouse between them. "There, see, not to difficult." He mused for a moment, trying to think of useful advice to give her before she attempted. "You want to think not only about the prey, but where you are in relation to the prey," he explained "If it smells, hears, or feels you coming it will bolt, so the important thing is to try and keep it from knowing your coming until it's to late." he gave the tortie an encouraging smile "Ready to give it a try?"
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙
Crescentpaw was relieved to see that he wasn't angry, in fact he seemed pleased, glad she had been thinking about the warrior code. She couldn't help but purr at his praise, even if it was only a minor thing. Getting that much had been a huge thing from her mother. But she beginning to hope that maybe Loudstorm would be much kinder. Then she would have to do her best to deserve his kindness! But she realized then she had accidentally forgotten to call him sir, and her ears twitched nervously. Hopefully he hadnt realized, that would be sure to dim his generosity, being respectful was the bare minimum requirement... right?
But Loudstorm didn't seem to worry about it, and in fact said he was going to catch her something to eat. Crescentpaw's eyes went wide at that, confused that he would be hunting for her. Wasnt that her job as an apprentice? But he had said she would catch him something after. Okay, yeah, she could do that, and nodded firmly. "Okay, don't worry, I'll make sure you dont go hungry sir!" She said enthusiastically. Even if she had to stay here all day she would make sure to catch him something.
He directed her to a stump to watch, and she slunk over, trying to be quiet, even if she didnt know how. She wasn't very good at it, but neither was she exactly caterwauling in the forest, so it wasn't like she was making that much noise. With a huff of exertion, she leaped up onto the stump, crouching so she could watch her mentor work. Crescentpaw watched intently, as he located a mouse, quivering with anticipation. He managed to catch it, which Crescentpaw was grateful for, since she could already hear her stomach rumbling and her mouth watering at the scent.
She jumped back down to the ground as he returned with the carcass in his jaws, putting on the ground between them. He seemed to be sizing her up, and gave her some advice. Her ears flattened to the side of her head as she thought and processed. "Okay, I just have to be quiet like... a mouse." She said, giving her mentor a short grin, before her whiskers twitched and she nodded decisively. "Alright, let's do this."
Besides playing with her brother, Crescentpaw had never actually had any experience or practice hunting. All she had was instinct, which served her well enough today, as she dropped into a sloppy crouch and began to inch forward towards the other redwood logs. Her progress was much slower than her mentor's as she took his advice to heart, perhaps even too far. But it worked, because she froze when a mouse skittered out from under a fallen branch close by. She hadnt even realized it was there before that moment, and her ears burned with shame as she expected it to bolt. But it didnt. In fact her stillness meant it didnt seem to see her, as it ran straight in front of her paws. Crescentpaw hissed and swiped desperately, knocking the mouse off its feet. Then she just jumped on it, squishing it under her belly. She could feel it squirming and yelped, jumping up and finally crushing it with her paws, claws tearing into its guts. It was dead, but oh at what cost.
Embarassed beyond belief, she gingerly picked up the ragged corpse and slumped back towards Loudstorm dappled half tail drooping. She dropped it beside the regular not shredded mouse her mentor had caught. "I'm sorry sir, I kind of... panicked." Crescentpaw murmured, looking away.
lthough it was marked with nervousness, Loudstorm was impressed by Crescentpaw's determination to complete the task. He was also glad to see her almost relax and toss a small joke at him. Alright, Loudstorm, doing good. The day hasn't turned into a disaster yet. As Crescentpaw began her slow crawl across the ground Loudstorm smiled. His blue eyes watched her movement carefully, noting the caution she was taking. She's doing better than I did my first time. I was a blundering badger.
Crescentpaw's slow pace meant a lot of time passed before a target finally presented itself, almost literally, at her paws. Loudstorm watched the she-cat strike, a battle cry slipping between her teeth as she struggled to incapacitate the small creature. It was certainly a sight to behold. Tears of laughter pressed against Loudstorm's eyes as he watched the she-cat squish the tiny prey. His throat clenched to hold back the booming laughter that tried desperately to escape. That looks more like how I did. The apprentice returned, abashedly presenting her catch to her mentor with a mumbled apology. Loudstorm's eyes twinkled in good humor.
"Hey now, the important thing is that you caught it! Not all apprentices do that their first time around, I know I sure didn't." he examined the shredded mouse. It wouldn't be the best meal the warrior had eaten in his life, but it certainly wasn't the worse either. Loudstorm pushed the mouse he had caught earlier towards Crescentpaw and pulled her's over to him. "Come on, let's eat and then get busy seeing the rest of the territory."
Loudstorm was never one to eat daintily. Despite the gamy texture the mouse received from Crescentpaw's battering, it was a filling meal and Loudstorm quickly chomped it down. He soon finished, and waited patiently for Crescentpaw to conclude her own meal. "Alright, we'll head north-east this time so you can see the LichenClan border. I'll lead the way, but I want you to try and tell me when you think we've reached the border." He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling in an encouraging fashion. "Trust your nose." Was the only advice he gave before leading the way to the border.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙
Crescentpaw had been expecting to be scolded or even laughed at for her pitiful performance, but instead Loudstorm just looked at her. She thought she saw amusement in those eyes, but she couldnt imagine him letting her get away with that without some kind of correction. But he did, and in fact he was jovial and very chill about it. When he mentioned he hadnt even managed to catch his the first time around, her head quirked sideways. Really? That couldnt possibly be true, he was such a good and talented warrior! But she didnt say that, deciding to simply take his kindness. "Thank you." She said sincerely, whiskers twitching in a sign of bashful happiness.
She was going to take her own pitiful catch and eat it herself, since her mentor deserved a decent meal, but he took her shredded mouse before she had a chance to. "Oh sir are you sure--" But he had already taken a bite so she stifled her words and simply looked down at her own mouse. Until now her nervousness had sort of stifled her hunger, but seeing the much more appetizing whole mouse left her mouth watering, and she devoured her food as quickly and messily as Loudstorm. Once done however, she had the sense to look a bit embarrassed and give her paws a few licks and clean her face.
Now clean she looked to Loudstorm, and found he was ready and waiting. She nodded as he described their next stop, wanting to make sure she did something well today. When he mentioned trusting her nose, her brindled ears flattened a bit, but she tried to look optimistic and bound after him when he set off. "Alright sir!"
This time she didnt let herself be too easily distracted by her surroundings, walking with her mouth half open as she tried her hardest to keep up with the scents. Perhaps it wasnt the best choice, because the many scents nearly overwhelmed her, especially so many she didnt seem to know. But she followed her mentor dutifully, and the further she got from the Graveyard, the more she began to scent her clanmates. At first it was just scent tracks that they criss crossed, cats who had been here before, but then it was another stronger concentration. At first she was confused and though maybe Loudstorm had led them back to camp, when another scent started to slither in under the Redwoodclan scent she was used to. "Ew... what is that?" She said, face crinkling and mouth hanging open at the scent, before she snapped her jaw shut. "Its just... slimy and smelly and... wet." Certain they had gone the wrong way she stopped and looked around wondering if it was some dead things scent (though it didnt smell at all like crowfood) or maybe some predator.
rowing more at ease as the day wore on, Loudstorm did second guess himself quite as much during this trek as he had before. The sun had risen far into the sky, and he was glad they had stopped to eat a meal. He was sure Crescentpaw would be feeling sore by the time they got back to camp later in the evening. He wanted to canvass the entire territory, and so after they arrived at the LichenClan border he wanted to get quickly up to the sandy creek. He knew he would have to show her bear stone, and although his stomach roiled at the thought of returning to that place of nightmares he knew the young she-cat would need to know every inch of the territory.
The lynx point tom glanced at Crescentpaw at various intervals of the trek to the border. Although he wanted to chat up a storm with her, the look of determination on her face stilled his tongue. She wanted to do well, and he was sure trying to pick out the plethora of scents was difficult enough without distracting her with conversation. Over the seasons, Loudstorm had grown use to the scents and so he knew which ones to ignore and which ones to pay attention to. Over time Crescentpaw would learn those as well, but he was sure it was overwhelming in this moment.
They neared the border, and Loudstorm became alert. Although he believed they would be safe as long as they stayed on their side of the border, in times of war one could never be entirely certain. He also did not want Crescentpaw to inadvertently cross the border, so he carefully adjusted course so by the time they made it to the border they would be traveling parallel to it. He needn't have worried, for when a gust of wind brought the scent of LichenClan full force across the border Crescentpaw had a visceral reaction. Its just... slimy and smelly and... wet.
This time, the warrior let his laughter ring free. It echoed off the redwood trunks, and a bird flew off startled by the noise. "Take a deep breath and...haha, remember that smelly wet scent, Crescentpaw. That is the scent of LichenClan." He toed the border, pausing to give Crescentpaw a chance to recover from the smell. "See how our scent mingles strongly with LichenClan? This is the border. Remember this scent, and never cross over it, okay? LichenClan isn't forgiving and they probably wouldn't hesitate to attack an innocent kit who crossed the border on accident."
Loudstorm carefully scented the area, and his ice blue eyes scanned the horizon. Just to make sure. With no signs of a patrol having been by recently, he relaxed. "We shouldn't linger here too long. Come on, we still have a couple more places to see. We're going to head to the ThistleClan border now, and I want to see if you can tell me when we reach it again." There was a twinkle in his eyes, and Loudstorm did not inform the young she-cat that the creek formed the border with ThistleClan. I wonder if she'll walk across it like I did my first time there. With a friendly flick of his tail, Loudstorm hiked north, keeping parallel with the LichenClan border again, and keeping Crescentpaw beside him. As they walked, it hit him that she might have questions about LichenClan, and the war. He glanced over at her, curious to see how she was behaving as they traveled beside the territory of their enemy.
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙
Crescentpaw's heart raced and her ears twitched as her mentor laughed. Was he mocking her? Had she made a mistake? He had been so kind to her so far, but a small dark part of her wondered, like she did with every cat, if they would be just like her mother. Sweet and loving for a while, and then punishing the next moment with no warning. Loudstorm didnt seem like that, but still, she couldnt be sure as she sat there with her quiet provate fears. His next words, however soothed her. It did seem like a joke, he was just messing with her. A tentative smile grew on her face. "Okay sir, Lichenclan, check. I'll be extra careful with the border too, don't want anyone getting hurt or in trouble on my account." She stepped up to the edge of the border, toes tingling as she imagined them pushing up against the invisible line, and took another deep breath. The scent was still nasty and she grimaced at it. "I might be aggressive too if i was wet and gross all the time too." She said quietly, but still loud enough her mentor could have heard. It was the only reason she could see for their attitude.
When Loudstorm said they shouldnt remain, Crescentpaw nodded emphatically. She wouldn't have known what to do if they came across a Lichenclan patrol. Run? Fight? Best they avoid the possibility altogether. But the alternative wasn't appetizing either, and she made a stinky face again when she thought of their other border. "O-Kay Loudstorm" She said with a dramatic sigh. But a grin quickly replaced it and she walked with a spring in her step, despite the fact they walked alongside the border with their enemy. It gave her a rare chance to look over into Lichenclan territory, their home. After a few moments of quiet thought, she turned to Loudstorm. "Why does Lichenclan hate us? We follow the same code, the same stars... what happened for them to view us with such animosity?"
rescentpaw skipped alongside Loudstorm, and the warrior was surprised by her blooming personality. There's more to her than she let's on, she just needs some confidence. Loudstorm hoped he would be able to draw her out of her shell even more as the moons of her apprenticeship moved on.
The pair walked at an amiable pace. The birch trees that lined the LichenClan border swayed in the gentle breeze. With no trace of a LichenClan patrol on the horizon, Loudstorm felt himself relaxing as the bright sun warmed his shoulders. It was turning into a day that would go into his memory as a good day. A day where, as nervous as he was to have to train an apprentice, it was still good. Crescentpaw took advantage of the silence during their final trek to ask another question, one that made Loudstorm's fur itch with unease. "Why do they hate us?" Loudstorm mused, buying himself some time to gather his thoughts. Stories and legends passed down from from the generations filled his head. "Hm, well," Loudstorm's voice carried the slightest hint of uncertainty, his tongue probing for the words that would best answer Crescentpaw's question. "I'm not as good of a story-teller as Blackbriar, he's the best to ask about it. But I'll give it a go as long as you don't mind my inferior story-telling skills." The tortie nodded her assent, and the lynx-point tom began the tale he had been told as a kit.
"No one knows for sure why, but seasons ago Heronstar, who was once the leader of LichenClan, he started thinking LichenClan was superior to everyone. Chosen by StarClan, or some excuse like that. I think his medicine cat, I don't remember what he was called, had a lot of pull. He called us heretics, and even barred the other medicine cat's from the Mooncave. It's some kind of obsession that's been carried down by almost all of his successors. Minnowstar is descended from him as well, and she seems to think along the very same lines as him."
Soon Loudstorm's words were accompanied by the soft trickle of a stream. Soon the hard ground of the island would bleed into the sandy shore of the creek that split the island in half. "Some seasons the fighting ceases, or some kind of treaty has been made. But then leaders change, or something else happens, and the fighting picks back up again. Until LichenClan stops stepping over the boundaries though the fighting will probably never really stop."
The stream came into view, the gently running water a refreshing sight to Loudstorm's parched mouth. He walked straight to the edge of the water and drank deeply from the stream. Once his thirst had been slackened, the warrior pulled away from the water, his wet muzzle dripping. He smiled "Welcome to the ThistleClan border. This one is much easier to notice."
∙ cinderface ∙ mistflower ∙ fog that hangs in air ∙ loudstorm ∙ sun that shines above ∙ aspenpaw ∙ aster ∙ eaglefang ∙ leafdapple ∙ orchid that blooms by night ∙ sparrowheart ∙
As they followed the border, Crescentpaw glanced over into Lichenclan territory occasionally. It was so surreal to be here, close to where so much pain and bloodshed had happened for both clans. Despite the pleasant day, and her growing ease with Loudstorm, there was still a shadow, something hanging over everything. When Loudstorm began to answer her question, why Lichenclan hated them, she felt the fur along her spine prickle and raise and now her glances were not curious, but wary, as she made sure they didnt come across any Lichenclan cats. Loudstorm apologized about his storytelling skills, which made Crescentpaw purr-chuckle. "Don't worry, at least you're nicer than Raggedthroat." She said, a bit under her breath, not wanting to get in trouble for disrespecting the elder.
Her mentor's explanation kind of made sense, but the original reason just seemed so silly. "So... Lichenclan thought they were more special they were are, and decided to prove it by not letting us talk to Starclan? But dont we follow the same code and beliefs they do? Mostly anyway?" So much bloodshed over some cats thinking they were better because they were more pure or something? Sounded stupid, why put other cats lives in danger over something that could be talked through. Crescentpaw huffed, annoyed that it was something she would have to deal with as a warrior, and then the shadow crept up in her again as she thought about fighting. All she knew about fighting was the little roughhousing she and Barkpaw had had as a kit, and seeing other kits playfighting. That and she had seen warriors come back bloody from battle. Her mother had made it a point to show her kits the brave warriors returning. bloody and exhausted. She shuddered just to think about it.
She was so busy thinking about it, she nearly stumbled face first into the stream at the border, but managed to stop when she felt the cool water rushing over her paws. With a hiss of annoyance and surprise, she pulled back and flicked the water from her paws. Loudstorm was taking a drink, and seeing him made her realize she was quite thirsty as well, so she dipped her muzzle down to drink. It was an odd feeling, she had drunk from pools and small streams before, but this was much larger, with much more water. She came up spluttering after a moment when misjudged the distance and got her nose underwater. Ugh she looked like a kit first learning to drink! But the second time she got it right, tongue curving in and out of the chilly water.
She sat up, her half-tail twitching with excitement at all the new sounds and scents and experiences of the day, eyes gleaming at Loudstorm. "This is so cool! It's cold though, we dont half to walk across it, right? Just alongside it?"
