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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 3:23:20 GMT -6
Tawnystar padded out of their den with their tail held high. They took a lap around the camp without speaking to anyone. Perhaps a little rude, yes, but nothing their clanmates didn't expect.
Kits played out in front of the nursery, and a cat--a warrior, or an apprentice, they couldn't tell from so far away--was perched atop Lookout's Nest. Tawnystar nodded approvingly to themself. It was nice to see the youngsters keeping on top of things.
The fresh-kill pile was nicely stocked as well, Tawnystar was pleased to find. Cinderstorm was obviously keeping on top of the patrols. Commendable, that cat's dedication, Tawnystar thought fondly.
The thought was knocked out from between their furry ears as they heard a sound in the distance. Uneasy prickled the fur between their shoulders. It was a long, low noise that rose and fell almost like birdsong. It was very far away, like it always was, but it was still distinct. There were other cats in the clearing who heard it. Tawnystar saw their own concern reflected on other faces.
Immediately Tawnystar steeled their own face into a mask of calm. Appear confident, they instructed themself. You're the leader. Set them at ease.
Still, they couldn't help but think their own ease was shakier each day.
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Post by willow on Jul 25, 2015 3:40:45 GMT -6
Cinderstorm stalked into the clearing, her patrol following, each cat with a piece of prey to add to the fresh kill. She dipped her head, commending the other warriors on their days work. But no praise was uttered. That wasn't the way Cinderstorm worked, and the other warriors respected that. Voiced praises were for kits and apprentices, in her opinion anyway. As the other cats padded away, a low almost musical howl split the air.
Almost instantly, Cinderstorm picked up her clanmates fear-scent. Flicking her tail, she raised her chin as she began to pad over to a tabby cat close by. She sat next to them, curling her long dark grey tail over her paws. Cinderstorm had known the Clan leader for a long time, so she knew that Tawnystar would be very concerned about the Badlands new development.
She inched closer to them, letting her fur brush theirs in a silent gesture of comfort as she murmured,
"BrushClan will remain strong."
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 3:47:12 GMT -6
Well, of course it would, Tawnystar thought, almost offended, but they leaned back into Cinderstorm's fur anyway. It helped.
"How was the patrol?" they asked briskly. Needlessly, really. They had seen the prey hauled in. It was mostly a rhetorical question. "Have you eaten today? Let's get something together and you can tell me if you saw anything unusual." They flicked their tail and started of without waiting for the reply; Cinderstorm would probably follow anyway.
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Post by willow on Jul 25, 2015 4:07:12 GMT -6
Cinderstorm hauled herself to her paws, curling her tail as she followed Tawnystar. It hadn't bothered her that they hadn't waited for a reply before setting off. Cinderstorm understood the preference of silence, too many words provided too many opportunities for emotions to escape. But she also knew that Tawnystar wouldn't open up to her until they deemed it an appropriate time. When she approached the freshkill pile, her ears flicked in satisfaction. Their territory seemed to be thriving this season, leaving the cats full-fed and glossy. She lowered her head and picked up a plump mouse, her mouth watering as she held the warm body between her jaws. She stepped away from the fresh-kill pile, as the cats from her earlier hunting patrol padded over to take their share.
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 4:15:31 GMT -6
Tawnystar chose a bird. They weren't sure what kind- the feathers were brown, though. They puffed up as Tawnystar ripped into the meat, scattering and sticking to whatever they touched from the barest amount of blood.
It was too calm right now. Everything was going good, which probably meant something bad was going to happen. Their pelt prickled. They weren't usually this tense about anything, but that noise.. It had never happened, and now it was. They'd never heard of anything like it. Maybe they'd bring it up at the next Gathering- or not. Maybe they'd wait to see if another leader did. Maybe it was just happening on BrushClan territory. If so, it wasn't anyone's concern but BrushClan's.
Their tail flicked irritably as they led Cinderstorm to a more secluded part of the camp, under a ledge of rock that jutted out and made a nice, shady spot during the hot seasons. But now it was almost too cool under it, which meant no one was around.
Tawnystar set down their bird with a sigh and licked a feather from their jaws.
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Post by willow on Jul 25, 2015 4:27:50 GMT -6
Cinderstorm sat down, once again sitting up straight and curling her tail around her paws. She had good posture, that cat. It was something her mother had always praised her on. But now her claws were unsheathed, digging into the ground. She was glad to be free of her clanmates nosiness, news travelled fast in a camp. She had something to tell Tawnystar, something that had been making her paws itch with unease for days.
"I picked up an unfamiliar scent on the wind a few sunrises ago. I hadn't thought it important, but now I think that perhaps I should have."
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 4:35:14 GMT -6
Tawnystar had just taken a half-hearted bite of their food when Cinderstorm spoke. They almost choked.
When they'd swallowed, they mewed firmly, "You should know by now to report anything, no matter how minuscule." Their tone was only mildly disappointed; their mind was on other things.
A scent, a sound... Well. Maybe they were connected. "Double the patrols where you scented it. Tell everyone to be extra careful. Even if its nothing, it's better to be prepared than sorry." Hopefully it was nothing. StarClan, let it be nothing.
But the feel of the wind against her ears was all wrong, the chill of an ominous wind.
StarClan had said nothing to their medicine cat, though. The thought lifted their heart a little. They'd learn if anything big were coming from them.
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Post by willow on Jul 25, 2015 4:44:10 GMT -6
Cinderstorm lashed her tail once then held it still while her leader spoke. She was irritated that she had made a mistake. A tiny mistake, but a mistake none the less. She knew that she should have known better, and embarrassed that Tawnystar felt they had to remind her.
"I will double the patrols."
She agreed. But that would be difficult, she realised. The Clan was short on young cats, so the warriors had taken on extra duties.
"We need more apprentices."
She murmured, half to herself. She bent down and took a bite of her mouse, savouring the taste in her mouth before she swallowed.
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 4:51:42 GMT -6
"Good idea," Tawnystar commented absently, then paused at the same time Cinderstorm spoke again. "We need more kits," they agreed. "Perhaps soon. Have you seen if any of the young ones are interested in each other? You would know more than me, I think."
Tawnystar sure couldn't think of any. Maybe.. no. Her tail flicked again. It was one thing to be doing so well with prey. It was another to have mouths to eat that prey, and it seemed as if there'd be no more litters born before leaf-bare.
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Post by willow on Jul 25, 2015 5:09:23 GMT -6
Cinderstorm snorted in disgust. How would she know about that? Between patrols, hunting and being on lookout duty, she didn't have much spare time. Her tail tip twitched, the last thing she would want to do is pay attention her Clanmates little "love affairs".
"I wouldn't know."
She replied curtly. A tiny memory pushed its way into her mind, glimmering with love and affection. Cinderstorm had dismissed it even before she had fully acknowledged it. Love and affection was out of bounds for this she-cat. In her opinion, it was a distraction from your duties, repeated dramas and quite frankly a waste of time.
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 6:57:14 GMT -6
Must have hit a sore spot, Tawnystar thought to themself, wondering, not for the first time, what had made their deputy so closed off. "Very well," they continued aloud. "Anything else? Even something minor?"
They took a bite of the bird in the meantime. Now that they weren't so distracted, it was easy to see it was a plover.
Tawnystar swept the feathers into as neat a pile as they could. They'd see if the queens had any need of softer bedding. They could get very cranky, after all.
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Post by willow on Jul 25, 2015 7:08:13 GMT -6
"Actually Tawnystar, I'd like you to do a border patrol with me."
She mused. Cinderstorms fur still crawled when she thought about the smell she'd encountered a few days before. It had reminded her of coyote but not quite... Different, bigger. She finished off her mouse, swiping her jaws with her delicate pink tongue. Standing up, the extended each long limb in turn, stretching out her muscles. Her yellow eyes glinted as she thought about what would happen to the Clan in the following moons. The last few seasons had been so easy- well as easy as life in the Badlands could get. The Clans had grown more relaxed than Cinderstorm had ever seen. And now, trouble was just creeping over the horizon, ready to drown the rocky landscape in chaos. |
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 7:15:22 GMT -6
A border patrol? Tawnystar couldn't even remember the last time they'd done one of those. "When?" they asked, and finished the last of the plover. All that was left was a bunch of stray feathers in a neat little pile.
"Let's go now," they suggested, standing up and stretching. The sun was well up and shone down nicely. It'd be good for a patrol.
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Post by willow on Jul 25, 2015 7:29:13 GMT -6
As the Clan leader rose, Cinderstorm flicked her tail towards three warriors sharing tongues. Catching the eye of the eldest warrior in the group, she flicked her tail again towards the entrance of the camp. An unspoken agreement sailed between them: Guard the camp while we are gone. She prided herself on having trained Tawnystars warriors to respond to physical commands. She stood respectfully at her leaders side, softly touching their shoulder with her tail tip in friendship.
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2015 7:54:22 GMT -6
For their first order of business, Tawnystar deposited the feathers outside the nursery with a quick call to let the queens inside know. Then it was back to the entrance with perhaps a little more haste than necessary; they didn't want to catch the queens in a bad mood.
The sentry atop Lookout's nest called out an all clear as they passed, and then they were past the guards and outside in the dusty BrushClan territory.
Exactly how Tawnystar liked it.
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