camp Cold Confinement [trapped in the clearing by snow]

[TIGERFROST]

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The war is over, at least for now. The pure snow has been tainted by blood. Battered and clawed, WindClan cats are left reeling in the aftermath. A medicine cat dethroned, cast into the paws of a prisoner. Treachery warned by the stars. Many might disagree with Sootstar's decisions, but Tigerfrost is no such cat. It had been his choice to call for that battle, his, and so many others. He had gone willingly into the fray. RiverClan's intervention would be punished, one day. At least he hopes, eyes like frost and tongue like venom.

Now, the snow has finally stopped it's solemn fall. Walls of white line the clearing, making escape impossible. There's a claustrophobic sensation of suffocating, surrounded by the ice which promptly hinders any attempt to leave. WindClan has to rely upon it's tunnelers for food, and the sick? He did not know how much longer they would survive. Tigerfrost's duties are clear enough, his hellish eyes do not stray from the disgraced figure of Dandelionwish. Still, he takes a moment for air, to draw clean breath into his lungs. It is sharp and frozen, an ache that blossoms within his chest from the cold.

With WindClan trapped, he wonders how long they can last before the ice seeps into the flesh to freeze the blood within. Perhaps they would starve before they froze to death. Tigerfrost is grim, but not lacking in optimism just yet. WindClan had faced many trials this leaf-bare. They would face many more, but nonetheless, WindClan would survive.

@HAZELDASH but feel free to post before them ^^​

 

[SOOTSTAR]

Many might see the snowfall as a curse, but Sootstar can’t help through the irritation to be mildly grateful for it. If they were getting this heavy snowfall, getting stuck in their own camp, then the other clans were too. This provided her clan much needed protection and cooldown time to prepare for any retaliations from other clans. It gave wounded the chance to hear.

The cons were there sick out in the Badger set den and the rumblings of bellies. Sootstar will take a dive into the tunnels later today in hopes of catching something.

”The snow forces my warriors to rest and heal, I find myself glad we are trapped. At least I know where everyone is and that we are all safe for now.” Sootstar comments to Tigerfrost in what was initially going to be as she passed, but she slows in her steps. It was a mothers mindset she carried and spoke of.​

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Spoiler: TAGS ★ 01/07

( primary character / "speech" / ic opinions )​

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· SOOTSTAR, female — she / her
╰ ‣ 34 moons . pisces. ages on the first
╰ ‣ windclan leader . marsh-born . believes in starclan
╰ ‣ former soldier of the marsh group

╰ ★ ჻ 002 VISUALS & AESTHETICS ,
· DOMESTIC FELINE, smells like heather and wet dirt , status — 100%
╰ ‣ blue smoke . scarred chest, difficult to see through fur . green eyes

╰ ★ ჻ 003 MENTALITY & MANNERISMS ,
· ESTJ-A ❝ EXECTUTIVE ❞ , Slytherin, Lawful Evil
╰ ‣ Cunning, brash, fierce, confident, self-reliant, envious & selfish
╰ ‣ finds great difficulty in relating to others . can be cruel, usually shows mercy to those she can find sympathy with
╰ ‣ sole key to her heart is loyalty, if you have her trust, she often shows a completely different side of herself. Aggression tends to manifest from her extreme paranoia
╰ ‣ Appreciates titles such as "miss, m'am" etc

╰ ★ ჻ 004 INTERACTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS ,
· SOOT CLAW x PEBBLE BREEZE, sister to Pebblenose
╰ ‣ heterosexual. mate to Weaselclaw
╰ ‣ mother to Windpaw & Sootpaw
╰ ‣ mentor to Smokepaw & Coyotepaw
╰ ‣ average fighter . skilled hunter .
╰ ‣ will start fights . unlikely to flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.​

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[ROOKSCAR]

LOSING MY RELIGION​

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The cold and snow manages to pierce a sense of irritation deep into Rookscar as he begins to pace, pretty much leaving a deepening furrow in the snow of where he had been. He much preferred to be out running on the open moors, but leafbare had a nasty habit of bringing the snow and ruining any of his plans. Though hunting was hardly the only thing on his mind, no, he was worried about the sick. Who of which now seemed so far away.

The tom overhears Sootstar's words and it draws him over. "Meanwhile those of us who are able-bodied are feeling ourselves going to waste. We are safe, yes, but I cannot go out and bring food to our valiant fighters who deserve to have full bellies in reward of their efforts." It was a damned shame, but with luck the snow would ease and they could escape the strife of starvation.

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[SNAILSTRIDE]

Snail wished they could be anywhere else, except for perhaps in the tunnels, underneath the fresh-kill pile, or in the river. Ok, so there were plenty of places they didn't want to be either but stuck in camp, all they could feel was a desire to escape that the foul weather ensured would remain an idea. The marbled tabby was out and about, offering sporadic yawns as they tried their hardest to keep their eyes open. The past few nights had been tough, near-sleepless, and whenever the culprit of such stress was out and about, their blue eyes would stare and then pretend to look away. He was one of the oldest apprentices, close to his tenth moon and yet he had the life experience of a newly named -paw. It was a naivety of their own making, they'd found out. There was no understanding in his eyes for what had happened, no attempts at empathising with tough decisions to 'keep the clan strong', as Smokepaw had said. All he felt was dread, and with a reputation of obliviousness, they did their best to ignore the sinking feeling as they slinked closer to the adults. It felt dangerous to be in their presence but for once, they wanted to know what was going on.

Complaints, that was what was going on. Snow sticking to their monochrome fur, Snailpaw gently rocked left and right, trying their best to calm the instinctive rise of his fur. They took a deep gulp of air, so deep their swore their lungs had burst when they finally allowed themselves to exhale again. That pain didn't cease as their chest tightened and tightened, to the point where those deep breaths were getting harder. They looked back to the apprentice's den, safety, and back to the trio, a laugh escaping their white-tipped muzzle before they even realised that they'd spoken. Shit, no going back there now. Snailpaw strutted forwards, hiding their narrowed pupils from the group with a grin and rapid head movements. His fear was his own, he didn't need anyone to comment on it. An exaggerated optimism hit their loud mew. "Well you all sound utterly miserable! All this talk about food and healing, why don't we all do something to distract from that stuff? I heard Tigerfrost hosts a mean game of Truth or Dare!" Mean was a word meant to be used in a positive context, but knowing their clanmate's surly attitude, it could easily mean the opposite here.

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[Spiderbloom]

She had no feeling for what had happened. She should have, but didn't. She sat in the clearing looking onwards at the blanket of snow covering the land. Awful. She hated leafbare. It made everything cold and all she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep.

But no.

She had RESPONSIBILITIES.

But she couldn't do them. Because of the snow.

She didn't know what to do. So she just sat there, shivering in the cold with the same stoic look to her face.

This season SUCKS.

She wished Jasperglare were here so she at least had someone to bother. But the fool was sick and probably annoying everyone in the badger set at this very moment.

Woe.


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[LYNXTOOTH.]

lynxtooth settles at sootstar's side, purring reassurance — here and safe, indeed.

he shares rookscar's restlessness — he was not injured in battle, having stayed to guard the camp — but he finds he can't take issue with something that relaxes her majesty's shoulders. they are safe from attack for as long as this lasts, and that is something to be grateful for.

"our tunnelers are strong and fast. we'll have to count on them for now, as they count on us in greenleaf. fretting won't do us any good," he murmurs, casting sympathetic glances toward both rookscar and tigerfrost —

and then here is snailpaw. what a strange and irritating child. lynxtooth feels his eye twitching as the boy speaks. someone should really put that child in line, though it's nothing serious. a mere annoyance.

"i heard tigerfrost hosts a mean game of truth or dare!"

despite himself lynxtooth chuckles, unable to contain the amusement. what? truth or dare is a kitten's game. either snailpaw is talking straight out of his ass, or — "is that right, tigerfrost?" he asks, one eyebrow cocked. tags.​

 

[WEASELCLAW]

Weaselclaw feels antsy, suffocated, just looking at the thick expanse of frost surrounding their camp. The air itself, despite its crisp chill, feels thicker than it should, and his lungs struggle to breathe it in. Trapped in camp with no prey, no way out if you were too big for tunnels. He flicks an ear at Sootstar's assertion that she is glad they are trapped. "Rookscar is right. We're useless in here," he murmurs.

He flexes his claws, staring at the walls of snow. He hadn't been in the skirmish, and had no wounds to speak of -- Dandelionwish's treatment had saved what's left of his ear, despite his initial refusal to have it looked at, and his lungs are cleared of the phlegm that had plagued him before. Thank StarClan he hadn't been bad enough to be forced into the Abandoned Badger Set -- he thinks those poor cats must be near-death by now, especially snowed in as they are.

"What is 'truth or dare'?" He's jostled out of his thoughts. A game? Snailpaw has suggested it, coyly pointing the paw at Tigerfrost to begin. Weaselclaw looks about his Clanmates, lost.​

 

[Sedgerunner]

"BUT I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR"​

The everlasting snow continued to pummel the moorland each day and night, it's thick blanket piling higher and higher as it hailed down. Now a thick wall towered over the clearing, barricading WindClan like a prison. Luckily today, the snow seemed to stop falling for the time being. Thank StarClan. The camp was more silent than usual as cats huddled in what little shelter they had, feebly avoiding the wintry rage of Leaf-Bare. Sedgerunner huddled by the mouth of an old rabbit's den, hollowed out so the warriors could shield themselves from inclement weather. She seemed even smaller than the norm, her extremities tucked tightly under her abdomen to hide from freezing temperatures and her tail wrapped around her lean frame. Virdian eyes were wide and alert, constantly darting to and fro in paranoia. She had made a tremendous mistake that night the patrols had returned, speaking out of turn like she did. That wasn't like her. Sedgerunner usually was one to keep quiet, but all the animosity threatened to crush her and snuff her out. Her grief was too much to bear on top of it, and with being so overwhelmed she lashed out. It was now all a blur to her, images occasionally flashing in her mind of Sunsetbreeze's limp body on the clearing. Her mind was trying it's best to block out the trauma, but her anxiety laughed at its feeble attempt.
Her eyes shift over to Tigerfrost and Sootstar; followed by Rookscar, Snailpaw, Spiderbloom, Lynxtooth and then Weaselclaw. They all congregated into one another, forming a group while chatting away. She shrinks herself even smaller in attempt to avoid their gaze, dropping her own in case they felt eyes gliding along their spines. She would make herself as small as possible, to avoid the chastising and judgement that was sure to be thrown upon her. She didn't necessarily mean her words to Sootstar, because she didn't blame her leader for what happened. She had been right. Her warrior's wanted to fight and she did nothing more than wish them luck on their journey because she believed in them and in her clan.
No. She was more grief-stricken than anything else, wishing her clan would stop their bickering long enough to mourn a dead clan mate. They all went at each other so easily after fighting alongside one another in battle, protecting one another's back. Sootstar punished those who defiled her—it was a simple reaction, wasn't it? Just like when Sedgerunner had her own outburst? Or was it more like Dandelionwish's outburst? That she wasn't sure of; and that, most of all, made her the most nervous. Sootstar said nothing to the ticked tabby, though. So maybe nothing more would come of it.
She would not have outbursts like that again, as she saw what would become of her. Warriors like Tigerfrost, Juniperfrost, Lynxtooth, and Weaselclaw would do away with her easily. They'd line their nests with her pelt. She meant nothing to them. The warrior shivered at the thought, violent tremors moving throughout her body. Sedgerunner was truly petrified of their power and their tenacity. So, she'd keep her head low and stay out of everyone's way. It was in everyone's best interest, especially hers.
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✦ ★ ✦​

 

[TIGERFROST]

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Sootstar seemed oddly optimistic about the situation, finding the silver lining, as it were. Tigerfrost could see her point, but he was more inclined to agree with Rookscar. He always prided himself in his work habit, hunting as best he can each day, between patrols. With the snow so high, that was no longer an option. At least not until it began to melt. Lynxtooth was right, though. The tunnelers were well trained. They would do all that they could to keep WindClan from starvation. Tigerfrost nods his approval.

"With any luck, most of the hares will be hiding from the snow in the tunnels anyways." He comments with a curl of his tail, and his stomach seems to ache with a hollow neediness for fresh food. He was cold and hungry, but still better off than others in the clan. He had only been lightly wounded in the raid, and he wasn't trapped in that badger den with the sick either. There was some gratitude toward the stars to be found there, he thinks.

Then there was Snailpaw, odd as ever, it seemed. The apprentice was a chatter-box, this Tigerfrost has come to accept. It does not make the youth any less irritating, though. Perhaps in time, they would grow and mature into a fine Warrior. Now was clearly not that time. As for truth and dare, it's not a game that the chimera has any real interest in. He rarely had time for such activities as he preferred to do things a bit more productive. That said, he did know the rules, as simple as they were. Often, he would hear apprentices demanding personal truths, probing at one another incessantly. They probably considered it fun. Tigerfrost was more likely to use the game for more nefarious purposes. His eyes dance from Lynxtooth to Weaselclaw with a flick of his ear.

"It is a game where kits dare each other to do foolish things, or tell truths that they do not wish to tell." His fiery eyes linger upon Weaselclaw for a moment, before flickering back to Snailpaw. "You look a bit old to be playing such games, though. Since we're trapped in the clearing, you'd might as well practice your hunter's crouch. Who is your mentor?" A curious glimmer flashes through his gaze as he peers down upon the apprentice with a stone-faced expression. Though his vocals are as gruff as ever, he's not necessarily being unkind. Tigerfrost simply didn't see the point of playing games when there were more productive things that could be done. In the case of an apprentice, that meant practice. Ultimately though, it was Snailpaw's mentor's responsibility to enforce such things.

Briefly, his eyes flicker across Spiderbloom, who seems uninterested in the blossoming conversation. Then of course, his vision finds Sedgerunner, head low and figure shaking. Was she afraid of her fellow WindClanners? Perhaps she was hiding a bit of disloyalty herself. Tigerfrost had not been present for her part of the argument during the raid's return. His intense eyes linger upon her, blazing in their sockets before they finally flicker back toward the others who sat near to him.​

 

[SNAILSTRIDE]

They tilted their head towards Weaselclaw like a confused pup, the innocence of his confusion briefly snapping Snailpaw out of their gnawing anxiety. It was... oddly cathartic to know that there were some things that even the adults needed to learn. Whatever the other apprentices had said about their opinions in the private discussion mattered less as the marbled tabby grew more comfortable. 'She was wrong...' Snailpaw opened their mouth to explain what truth or dare was when Tigerfrost interjected and they looked warily towards the chimera. Oh, he did know what the game was, that was good! Snailpaw smiled and began to speak once more, again though, they were interrupted by Sootstar's loyalist. Hurt flashed in their gaze when they were told they were 'too old' for such things, then panic as they were asked to practice their hunting crouch... and asked who their mentor was. "Oh.. uh..." Mentally, they scrambled for an answer, grasping at any excuse they could find to not say their mentor's name. The last thing they needed was to be on the radar of the other warriors, others that would stop them from finding places in the territory to nap and hide or shirk duty - the fewer animals they disappointed with their lack of progress, the better.

"He's sick at the moment. Uh... got that colour cough uh... what's it called... blue? Red? Greencough! That one. Yeah... we're waiting for him to get better." They didn't know if they'd be relieved if they got a temporary mentor, or disappointed that their cat-and-mouse chase with their current one would finally be over. Hopefully, Tigerfrost would believe the marbled tabby and they never had to think about it again. "Besides, my crouch is good! Technically I caught a Bunny the other day, not bad for a lowly apprentice, eh?" With how many holes he was digging for himself, it was a surprise that Snailpaw wasn't training to be a tunneler. They let out a nervous chuckle and moved backward from the chimera, almost bumping into Sedgerunner. A quick and quiet apology was offered, a lump forming in their throat when they noticed her submissiveness. Guilt flooded his thoughts, and gulping, Snailpaw raised their head and strutted forwards. Whatever she was going through, the last thing she likely needed was the gawking and prodding of cats that were a danger to the clan and themselves.

If Snailpaw could do anything well, it was distracting. Their voice grew bombastic again, cheerful and saccharine enough to be mistaken for candy, but this time, it had purpose. "How about you all practice your hunting crouches? You can learn new things at any age and we wouldn't want all your old bones getting all stiff while stuck in camp! It might be a good experience for an apprentice to witness what they're supposed to do. Aaaay? Aaaaay?"


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