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.
Days seemed to go by at such a brisk pace. Little time could be spared to admire the forest in such a warm and plentiful season. All-out war loomed on a not-so-distant horizon and every time he thought about it, the hairs on Rowanpath's back started to bristle. He had been assigned as leader of the afternoon hunting patrol, which most warriors would've resented. However, he was relieved to escape the confines of camp, where other warriors gossiped and complained about the tensions between Clans, what they thought of the battle, of what LichenClan were doing. Apprentices argued about the best battle moves - and attempted showing them off. Wounded warriors sat at the edges of the camp tending to their new scars, his brother Ruefeather among them.
Rowanpath vigorously shook his head free of such worries as he led his mentor, Shrewfur, along with the young warrior Mousesong out into the peaceful shelter of the redwoods. He looked at them over his shoulder, at Shrewfur's mature expression and Mousesong's whimsical pelt. He smiled to himself, finding peace of mind beside these two Clan-mates. Shrewfur's presence was not always relaxing, per se', but now that they were equals... there was a different air between them. One he hadn't had much of a chance to explore yet. Truthfully, he wasn't very focused on the actual reason they were out. He needed... something to ease the tension in the air that was all too palpable.
"My, how the stones have turned. It seems I'll be giving out the orders today - and I might surprise you," he meowed humorously to his former mentor. More straight-faced, he went on, turning on the dilute tortoiseshell beside him, "hey, Mouse-Who-Sings, do you have anything prepared for today's patrol? A tune that will draw the prey in, preferably. I can... set a beat, if you want?" He added, thoughtfully looking around for... Aha! He grabbed a piece of rounded bark with his mouth and set it down intentionally. Without a moment's hesitation, he started smacking it rhythmically, and a hollow sound resounded from it. "Come on, don't be a furry shrew in the mud!" he beckoned the dark tabby over with a shrug of his head.
350ish words | lmao hey, I'm actually a troll as it turns out | kazDreamer
"Redfox must have thought this would be funny. Unless he...no, he wouldn't."
The humorous element was not lost on her when she received her responsibilities for the day. There wasn't anything odd about the patrol itself, a bit of hunting. In the back-left of her mind, she grimaced, and could already visualize herself bumbling through the redwoods, explaining herself, and getting upstaged by whatever apprentices she would be assigned to watch. When she was told who was actually leading the patrol, the feeling of apprehension paradoxically increased, and subdued. On the one hand, she really didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of her former apprentice and the newly-minted Mousesong. On the other, she had already done so multiple times in front of the jovial giant. She'd be able to let her hair down a little in the company of a cat she trusted wouldn't judge her. Too much.
All of it helped bolster Shrewfur's resolve. No lateness. No hunger crashes. Focus. They would hunt today as equals.
She would try, at least.
Thirst parched, sleepiness dismissed, and hunger sated, she sat by the entrance to the camp waiting for Rowanpath and Mousesong, keeping herself entertained by idly drawing lines in the dirt with her tail. As she greeted them, she could have swore she noticed a few raised hairs on the back of his neck.
"My how the....surprises for you."
"Rowanpath, I don't think you'll ever run out of surprises for me. Lead on."
Shrewfur took up the rear, letting the other two lead while she looked for signs of prey. While her body searched, her mind drifted toward her two partners.
Her former apprentice and the newest addition to the ranks were mirrored each other and herself in some ways. Both of them were sharp in the eyes and attuned to their senses. Both of them were good-natured and kind, and had a fire to do well for their clan.
Both of these cats were her clanmates, but not only that. There was something more added to cats that shared the battlefield with her. Shrewfur had been there to help Rowanpath as he faced down a cat twice his size, and Mousesong was instrumental to her survival against Owlfang. The juxtaposed memories of past combat, with their smiles today was proof enough to her. They perceived the harsh reality of the warrior code, and how living by it carried the inherent risk of dying by it. If they could smile, it was a sign they could make peace with this, and live fine lives as warriors.
For a moment, her mind cast itself back to Leafpaw, and she wondered if the same thing would happen to her before her apprenticeship was up.
"Doesn't matter. If there are cats to pounce, I'll pull."
"Don't be a furry shrew in the mud."
She flattened her ears at his dig. "Very astute. Hey, Rowanpath." she started as she answered his summons.
As she pawed over, she found the timbre of wood was resonant and percussive, with a nice, tenor snap whenever it was struck by the marbled warrior. Already, birds were rustling the treetops, but Rowanpath's rhythm was in the pocket. He had a knack for this. Finding prey could wait
"What do you think the possibility is of one our new neighbors having a name like Shrew-in-the-Mud?"
She turned over toward Mousesong with an inquisitive look, as if to say, "Coming?"
Perhaps today, she would have an much needed opportunity to simply have a moment with her clanmates without the dread of the age upon them.
573| Three of the clans most observant cats in one thread|catalystaDreamer
i want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think. -Rumi
Mousesong had been excited to hear that she would be joining Rowanpath and Shrewfur for the hunting patrol that day. This would be her first of many outings without Rockjaw being close behind. She was nervous and excited but she would do her best to make her old mentor proud. Before she left she gave Ravenfeather a few gentle nuzzles as he dozed in and out of sleep and promised she would be careful while she was out before exiting the warriors den and joining her two clanmates.
As they traveled along she kept her senses alert but relaxed as she listened to the light banter between Rowanpath and his old mentor. It wasn't too surprising really. Eventually she would be assigned to lead a patrol that Rockjaw would be a part of and she was sure the same thing would happen. It was nice to see that they could still maintain a polite playfulness to their banter as they traveled deeper into the forest. What she was surprised about was Rowanpath asking if she had a song for them before darting ahead and finding a stick to create a beat for her. She blinked then laughed shaking out her fur and watching as the bird near them scattered.
She glanced at Shrewfur as the older warrior gave her an encouraging look before trotting after them happily her paw steps matching the rhythmic beats Rowanpath provided for her.
"Travel my friends Through paths that ne're end A song drifting through the trees Past leaves and moss Over rivers and rocks a song that sets us free.
Birds chirp loud their song a tune to bring us joy all day the wind dances on her rhythm slow as the sun lights our way"
Mousesong found her words mixing easily with the beats of Rowanpath and her tail flicking happily behind her as she sang her new song to her clanmates. As she finished happily she beamed at her clanmates then embarrassed ran her paw over her face.
"I hope that was good enough, I've....I've never really sang in front of anyone before. Well...minus Rockjaw and Ravenfeather of course," she admitted quietly, her embarrassment rising even more as she felt her clanmates eyes glued on her.
Word Count: 364 Tags: kazcatalysta Notes: I made up that song. lol but i think it fits for them.
Rowanpath would not repress the happy grin that spread across his face as Mousesong and Shrewfur took the opportunity to have a breather. Relief washed over him as he relaxed his shoulders. He knelt over the piece of wood as he tried to maintain his flow. The drumming was surprisingly difficult to keep a steady beat with, as it required movements his paws were not accustomed to. Still, it was a fun challenge to take on and he kept at it with delighted energy.
"Hope not," he glanced at Shrewfur as she spoke on the nickname he'd given her, adding, "I don't know what I'd do if there were two of you." He then playfully flicked her flank with his tail-tip.
He lifted his head up when little Mouse broke into her song, as he had requested. He'd never heard her sing, really. It had been more of a joke; wordplay on her given name. The beautiful melody that reverberated through his ears was completely unexpected. The words, the tune, the feeling behind it; it all drew him in. By the end of her song, he had stopped his drumming. His jaw was agape, eyebrows pressed.
Suddenly feeling self-conscious as silence filled the gaps between them and Mousesong beamed towards him, he closed his lips and cleared his throat. He gently pushed the piece of bark away and gave Shrewfur a perplexed look, "Have you ever heard her do that before?"
"I hope that's good enough..."
Her mousy demeanor made Rowanpath shake his head back and forth in dismay, "Mousesong, that was amazing. I mean- I know your name, but I had no idea it was so literal," he said in earnest, standing up with his tail held high, "You should let everyone hear your songs! Hey, I could do that... thing-" he motioned towards the wood he'd been drumming, "-for you again, if you need a beat. Hey, Shrewfur," he turned towards her, "since you're all... old and respected, I bet you could get other warriors to listen to us!"
Rowanpath's joke was met with a long drawn out stretch and a big, overplayed yaw. It was a move she would do to be dismissive of her old student when met each other wit verbal antics. Similar to blowing a raspberry, she felt it was a bit more, and gave her the chance to yawn and stretch at the same time. It was perfect.
The clear tone of Mousesong's voice immediately grabbed her, pricked her ears, and swiveled her head toward it's source. Her whole attention was undivided from the experience of her singing and Rowanpath's drumming, and she wanted to catch what was happening in it's entirety. Her body had caught the groove before, but now mixed with the vocals, she couldn't help but to move a little bit, shuffling a bit and twirling once. Every part of her was stimulated, and her racing mind was quieted and focused on the event unfolding before her.
The moment the song ended, she wished she was right there, back at the beginning again. Already, her head began to list to the side as she thought of all the possible permutations of the music she just heard could go. She imagined it fast, and slow. With different words and varying melodies, and possible harmonies to fit under them. Rowanpath could find another log to bang on, one with a different sound, or perhaps, a rock. All the possibilities began to unfold simultaneously, and yet there were too many for even her to comprehend,.Too many, perhaps, for any sane cat to comprehend either.
"I wonder where it would sound the best....a cave? A hollow? Set by a stream?"
Yet, out of the many variations and arrangements that could be made, there was something still complete about what Rowanpath and Mousesong had manifested. There was nothing bad about the simplicity of two warriors locked in with one another like this, as they would be on a hunting patrol, or a spar with an old friend. Shrewfur felt like she had witnessed something hidden, but something still natural and visceral, unforbidden to the three of them. Later on that evening, she would toy with some of these concepts herself, but for now, it remained a now unlocked door in her mind.
"No...no, I have not. Although, I do wonder if she was the source of all the mysteriously good-sounding bird calls I used to hear around the forest. That would explain it."
Rowanpath then went on to explain what each warrior could bring to the table if they wanted to share this with the rest of the clan. It was an idea that she herself might have come up with, and him a quick grin with lowered eyebrows to tell him,
"Not a bad idea, you smart cookie!"
She turned around, then, to the star of the show.
"It's my opinion, that you have an excellent gift for this, and that your name couldn't fit you any better. That was amazing, Mousesong. I'm sure the clan would love to hear a performance from one of the heroes of the Tribe. If they don't, not only would they have to live with being wrong, but even is it was only Ravenfeather and Rockjaw you could still do something great. I could ask around, since I guess, I'm old....who knows, maybe I could even find a way to jump in."
