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Post by willow on Jul 28, 2015 6:09:12 GMT -6
A shaft of sunlight streamed into the den, waking a creamy coloured cat from her uneasy slumber. The ground beneath her was firmer than she remembered, and the den felt more spacious. Dovepaw opened her eyes and sat up and remembered. She remembered the excitement in her paws as she had stood beside her sister while they had been named apprentices. Apprentice warriors of CliffClan! She sat up, puffing her ches out as she padded up to the edge of the den and surveying the landscape below her. She guessed every cat had had an uneasy night, ever since those noises started a few moonrises ago. She remembered her Clans fear scent wafting along the ridges of the cliff when the unfamiliar cries split the night air. She remembered seeing a haunted look in the elders eyes the next day as she cleaned the moss from their dens. They had been huddled in a tight circle, whispering quietly and completely stop talking when Dovepaw got too close. Her claws scraped against the rock in frustration. Nobody was telling her anything, it wasn't fair. She wanted to start preparing for the possible attack, she wanted to train battle moves as soon as she could. The scraping against the rock was now from anticipation.
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Post by Jay on Jul 28, 2015 6:23:23 GMT -6
Wrenpaw woke just as her sister reached the entrance of the apprentice den. A tiny shock of fear bolted through her at the thought of being left behind on her first real day as apprentice, but it abated when Dovepaw only stood at the entrance, and didn't walk out.
Her furshivered and she stood up, shaking bits of moss from her pelt to quickly scamper the pawful of tail-lengths to her sister's side. "Good morning," she whispered, nerves making her voice tiny. Dovepaw was tense, too, she could tell, but it was an excited tense, not the nervous fear of her sister.
Momentarily a crushing sense of being left behind already engulfed her, but she shook it off as quickly as it came. Of course she'd be left behind. Dovepaw was amazing. Wrenpaw.. Wrenpaw, well, she was Wrenpaw. She dipped her cheek to press against her sister's soft, fluffy fur.
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Post by willow on Jul 29, 2015 3:24:22 GMT -6
As Dovepaw detected a familiar scent, she felt another cat press against her side and she let out a soft purr. She must've been too lost in her own thoughts to notice Wrenpaw rousing from her nest. But as she turned and faced her sister, her long fur prickled. She could tell that Wrenpaw was anxious, she could feel the negative thoughts coming from her in waves. She softly lay her tail on her shoulder, her amber eyes shadowed with concern.
"It will be okay," Dovepaw murmered, "You'll be amazing." She knew that her sister had talent, but she wished Wrenpaw was motivated enough to show everyone. She touched her nose against her cheek, then turned and gazed across the cliffs and canyons of her home. |
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Post by Jay on Jul 29, 2015 3:37:25 GMT -6
Wrenpaw's fur shivered again. Dovepaw sounded so sure. Wrenpaw had never been sure of anything, except maybe of how unsure she was.
Anxiety bubbled in her throat again, but she made a great effort to quash it and other feelings. She didn't want to worry her sister too much.
"Let's go," she mewed, trying for brave. Her voice shook only a little. It was a start, at least.
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Post by willow on Jul 29, 2015 3:57:11 GMT -6
As she heard her sisters words, Dovepaw jumped to her paws and started to pad out the den, her tail high and her chin lifted. She started to walk along the pathway in front of her, sure footed and confident. She bounded up to the next ridge, the walkway got narrower but she stalked forward, keeping her gaze forward. No Clan except hers would be comfortable in this sort of place, one look down and they would be petrified of the drop beside them. Her ears flicked in satisfaction. Whatever was behind those howls wouldn't be able to get up here, they sounded big, and she guessed they wouldn't be able to fit on the ridges to get up here. She padded past the nursery, calling out a greeting to the cats within. She wondered if she and Wrenpaw would get to go hunting today. Her tailed curled up in excitement, she wanted to so badly. |
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Post by Jay on Jul 29, 2015 4:18:49 GMT -6
This, at least, was something Wrenpaw knew she was good at. She was a CliffClan cat; this was in her blood. Her ancestors had walked these same ridges. Her steps were confident and steady, and her jumps strong. This wasn't talent; this was her legacy.
The camp was oddly subdued, and belatedly Wrenpaw remembered why. The gossip, the worries, the noises. It'd been better when her only worry was being an apprentice. Now there's was the threat in the air, the vague sense of danger, making her clanmates tense.
She hoped they wouldn't go hunting, and just train on top of the plateau. She didn't want to be on the ground where things could get her.
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Post by willow on Aug 3, 2015 4:37:11 GMT -6
The sun was climbing steadily toward its peak, sending golden rays of sunshine over the home of the Clans. Her Clan would overcome the problem, Dovepaw had faith, in StarClan and every single member of CliffClan. Dovepaw stood beside her sister, kneading the ground eagerly with her paws. There were barely any cats in the clearing, so she guessed that they were probably out preparing. Dovepaw couldn't contain a shiver of excitement, what an exciting time to become apprentices!
Dovepaw knew that as the threat was now here, Wrenpaw, herself and the other apprentices would have to train harder. The battle training would be harder, they would have to copy every move. The hunting would have the be so good that they could stock up before the real danger came. She had noticed that the look-out patrol not included two cats- one located on Sentry Ridge and the other closer to the ground. Dovepaws eyes shadowed with unease for a moment, before flicking her ear and dismissing the thought from her mind. CliffClan would be okay.
But as she spoke, she knew that the only thing that would truly break her was if she lost Wrenpaw. She was her best friend, they had been inseparable since they were kits. Her head turned to Wrenpaw, pressing her side against hers. They would be okay. They had to be okay. |
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Post by Jay on Aug 3, 2015 20:36:02 GMT -6
Wrenpaw kept close to Dovepaw, even though she knew the area like her own whiskers. But habits were hard to break, and this one was no different. Worries crawled over her pelt like insects, creeping down and burrowing. The feeling was familiar and less distressing than it probably should have been.
New insects dropped onto her fur: Why are there two lookouts? What was going to happen? Would Dovepaw be safe? The last thought struct like a stinging bite. Please, not Dovepaw. Anyone but Dovepaw. Shame drooped her whiskers, but she didn't take the hope back. She couldn't. It'd be like lying.
They climbed steadily toward the plateau, and Wrenpaw gathered herself into a giant leap to make the last bound. The sun bathed the high, flat land and brought out the colors. It was only midday, but it looked like sunset.
She shivered in the open. Other cats dotted the area, but like always it felt only like she and Dovepaw. I hope we're together forever, she thought quietly, knowing the thought was silly even as it came to her.
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Post by willow on Aug 4, 2015 21:32:22 GMT -6
You could see everything from up here. Dovepaws gaze wandered over the hills and cliffs below her. She felt like she was on top of the world. A chilly breeze ruffled her fur, but that wasn't the cause of her shivering. She was shivering in anticipation.
Dovepaw had a nagging feeling that they weren't allowed out of the camp, but with all warriors out patrolling or huntining- there was nobody left to scold the apprentices for the willingness to explore. She could sense that Wrenpaw was anxious, the danger loomed over every cat in the Badlands. But Dovepaw pushed the worry to the back of her mind.
"If there was anything dangerous on our territory," She reassured her sister. "We would have been told."
With her statement, Dovepaw gently laid her tail on Wrenpaws shoulder before bounding across the flat rock. She easily jumped onto a large boulder, sitting down and flicking her tail at Wrenpaw.
"Come on," She teased, "Can't you jump anymore?" |
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Post by Jay on Aug 5, 2015 9:16:58 GMT -6
"Of course I can!" Wrenpaw meowed, highly affronted. She leapt up next to her sister. Dovepaw was the only one Wrenpaw wanted to be brave for. The only one who understood her feelings and respected them. Everyone else thought she was difficult, contrary, doing it on purpose but she wasn't. Dovepaw understood that.
Wrenpaw would do anything for her.
"Look at that," Wrenpaw mewed, sweeping her tail across the view. Wrenpaw thought she could see cats, far away, hunting or patrolling. They were tiny, like beetles. She wanted to come up here more often. The view was incredible. It made Wrenpaw feel small and larger than life at the same time, an exhilarating feeling. For a moment she felt she could do anything, be anything, but then she remembered who she was.
Wrenpaw, not Wrenclaw. Not Wrenheart. Probably, if she made it past apprenticeship, just Wrenpelt. (The thought was mean. There was nothing wrong with that name, with any of them. She knew that. But she thought it anyway.)
So Wrenpaw, the future Wrenpelt-if-anything, snuggled up to her sister and realized that with Dovepaw, that'd be good enough. Everything would be just fine.
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Post by willow on Aug 6, 2015 3:40:12 GMT -6
Dovepaw was wondering about the next gathering as she looked over the Badlands. What would the leaders say about the noises? Surely the Clans would have to come together to fight off this threat?
She distracted her anxious thoughts, then banished them completely when she leaped onto the next boulder. She flipped around, facing Wrenpaw, her amber eyes narrowed in a playful challenge. She dropped into a low crouch, and lashed her tail in anticipation. In the direction behind Dovepaw, lay the Whispering Hills.
"Last one to the Whispering Hills has to change all the elders bedding!" |
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Post by Jay on Aug 7, 2015 21:57:38 GMT -6
Wrenpaw shivered, glancing toward the Hills. The top of the camp was one thing, but to go to the Hills? She hesitated a long heartbeat, long enough it looked like she'd say no.
Then she leapt past her sister, pelting towards the Hills. "Catch me if you can!" she mewed, a little unsteadily. Go big or go home, she thought with the slightest tinge of despair. If today was going to be a brave day, then she'd have to be brave.
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Post by willow on Aug 14, 2015 5:43:15 GMT -6
A mew of excitement escaped Dovepaw as he sister bolted towards the hills. She turned and followed her, jumping and running towards the landmark on the edge of their territory. CliffClan had the best territory, in Dovepaws opinion but she knew that all the other Clans were intimidated by the heights. She guessed they were kind of glad they didn't have the harshest territory in the Badlands. But kits here learnt to jump before they're taught anything else, it was second nature to all CliffClan cats.
As Dovepaw let her thoughts wander, she had fallen behind in the race with her sister. She watched as her sisters red fur blended perfectly with the earth around her and purred happily, running faster after Wrenpaw. |
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