camp Duty dictates | Warrior code lesson

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

The Ripple Colony’s dissolution into Riverclan’s ranks went mostly unnoticed in the whirlwind of chaos caused by the rogues. A full moon went past before they were even re-named, the same ritual Snakeblink himself went through an eternity ago (or so it feels). But now that they are back in their home, it’s high time their newest members are welcomed properly. Smokethroat is doing everything he can to keep the clan together in the wake of tragedy; it falls to the lead warriors to deal with the minutiae of it.

First in Snakeblink’s order of business: the Warrior Code.

He recalls Thornmask -- then Deacon -- eating prey off the freshkill pile, and though he was irritated at the time by the cat’s selfish hunger he realizes now that the fault was on him: how could he expect a cat from outside the clans to know their rules? So he took it upon himself to track down every former ripple colonist, directing them to a corner of camp where he now stands, preparing to explain the code to them.

”Us clancats follow a particular set of rules we call the warrior code, each agreed upon by all five leaders of the clans, in accordance with Starclan’s will,” he explains in his low, hissing tone once they are gathered around him. ”They are as follows.”

He is very careful with his words, repeating the code as he has been rehearsing it within his mind for the past few days in anticipation of this lesson. ”Firstly, you must defend Riverclan at all costs, even that of your life. Though you may befriend cats from other clans if you so wish, you must never let it become a choice between that friendship and the clan. Loyalty to Riverclan must always come first.” His tail lashes out from side-to-side as he runs his eyes over the newcomers. ”And with that loyalty to the clan comes respect of its territory lines. Border patrols will show you where our land begins and ends; you must always be aware of where our borders lie and never cross them, not even to follow a prey’s trail. That is the second rule.”

His gaze stops on Thornmask and he finds the other’s eyes for a pointed second before moving on, gesturing with his paw to the freshkill pile. ”We hunt to feed the clan -- not only for ourselves, and not for pleasure or play. Prey must be killed only to be eaten, with thanks given to Starclan, and it must go to elders, queens, kits, and any sick or injured cat before anyone else. Apprentices in particular may only eat after they have hunted to feed the elders unless specifically told otherwise. Those are the third and fourth rules.” He pauses, thinking, then winces and mutters: ”Well- fourth and third respectively, I suppose. ”

”As Riverclan cats yourselves, you will now be held to the same standard as the rest of us -- you may neither break, nor bend, nor ignore any of these rules. They will protect you, as they protect the balance between the clans and the clan itself protects you.” His voice trails off and he lets silence last for a moment, his whiskers twitching slightly. ”Any questions?” ​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• This is for Ripple Colony cats, but everyone is welcome to reply :]
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 46 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

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[SASHA]

An unamused expression she bears when she pipes up "Yeah I gotta question Snakey. Where the heck was Starclan when all of us were jammed in Shadowclan? That was the clan name right? Shadow? Is Starclan the top dog of the clans that they make the rules and stuff?" Maybe she could've asked her question in a better way, but up till now she's only known the main clans and hearing that there's another clan out there intrigues her. It would occur to Snakeblink that most of them, perhaps all of them don't know what Starclan is at all. That yes it is a clan but not one any of them can visit. Unless they were on death's door or dead. In the case of being dead it was a one way ticket essentially and none of them could come back to Riverclan. From Cedarblaze's understanding it's just another clan in the forest that thought they were just too good for the rest of the clans that they came up with all the fancy rules and it was the only clan that wasn't attacked by rogues for some reason.

Backtracking before her outburst, the first rule makes sense to her and it's one she lived by for the Ripple Colony. Her adoptive father had instilled into her those very rules when she was young. She must defend and protect the Ripple Colony and its members with her life. She must be prepared for any day to become her last. It's not terrifying nor is the rule for having loyalty towards Riverclan first always. Come on now, if I live here why wouldn't this place come first? I would rather die protecting this place and my friends than go somewhere else. For that I would've left already. Sheesh, at least it's a basic rule.

The rest Snakeblink says is taken in and she can't help but snicker when Snakeblink looks at Thornmask when talking about the third and fourth rule. She had heard about that. The short story that he was being reprimanded for eating, which was odd for her. If you caught someone in the colony you weren't obligated to share it or give food first to the queens or elders. Whether or not you wanted to do that was up to you. In her case she frequently shared with Frondfeather and Dawnstorm because she liked them. Kinda annoying, but it's a rule so we gotta do it.

Being told that they were going to be held at the same standard as the rest of the Riverclanners was no news to her. After all, they had gotten their names changed to become more Riverclan like. They were not true Riverclanners yet, not knowing the customs or skills to be treated as such but they were in the works. Basically they were told if you want to be with us, these are rules you have to follow. She doesn't quite understand how exactly these rules protected them and the balance between the clans, but she just notes that this is just something you do. No questions asked this is what it takes to stay here.

Now, returning to her outburst. She does have questions and one of them about Starclan was asked but there is another one she wants more information on. "So it's best we don't have friends from other clans, but we could have mates from other clans? How's that work? Also! Are you gonna take us to the border and stuff so we don't go into the other lands? Or is it gonna be someone else?​

 

[DEACON]

Eons had passed since Deac- Thornmask, damn it - had been given lessons. They briefly recalled their mother telling them how to talk to others, their father teaching them how to take from others, and how utterly boring they had been. A RiverClan seminar promised a similar dullness, all the same, he attended, splayed out on his back as he listened to Snakeblink prattle on. It sounded like normal jargon, loyalty first, respect the boundaries, it was nothing too unreasonable (though, they wouldn't see him sacrificing his life for a bunch of strangers). Then came the third rule, and realisation sunk like a stone within the cat's belly. "Wow, didn't think to explain that before all them SkyClan gits yelled at me did ya?" One SkyClan git, a child, and they didn't even seem that mad about the prey, just about being told to leave them be. Thornmask huffed incredulously and tutted his disapproval towards Snakeblink's omissions on that day. It didn't take long for the lecture to be over, leaving more questions than answers for the ticked tabby. Cedarblaze went first, and Thornmask nodded when it became apparent they had very similar queries.

"Yeah, I gotta question." A paw raised towards the sky and then batted at invisible fireflies, demanding the attention of the one given the impossible task of explaining clan life. Skepticism shone in their amber gaze and, with it, the promise of a question destined to ruffle feathers. There was no trademark smirk, no indication he was doing it for the sake of doing it, Thornmask was sincere. "Did StarClan actually say this stuff or did you make it up to feel better about yourselves?" Rules had always been suggestions to the tabby, not to be taken literally, not to be treated like the gospel truth. They found it difficult to believe that spirits would freely interact with the clan and demand such expectations from them; surely the dead had more to worry about than what the living were doing. "Don't get me wrong, rules are great and all-" They really weren't. "Don't trespass, don't be dodgy, be altruistic and all that, but like... StarClan. Really? Just say you made it up, it's so much easier." He thought back to their late leader, smothered by beavers and beaten by rogues, and the name so conveniently kept for him and him alone: Cicadastar. They didn't mean to say that the dead guy was StarClan, did they?




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[goldenpaw !!]

Goldenkit had been spared from Snakeblink's lessons -- her own depthy training in the warrior code would come in a few moons, where it'd be her mentor explaining. Giddy at the idea of having her own teacher, she had nearly missed her chance to slip into the small crowd that had formed, weaving between familiar legs. Though still overwhelmed at the major adjustments, from the move to Shadowclan then her world being finally narrowed down to Riverclanners, she was determined to take a seat and listen to what rules Snakeblink wanted to lay down for them. She wasn't one to break rules on purpose; terrified of the idea of misstepping in this new set of guidelines and being punished, or better yet, exiled!

Needle-claws dug into the ground, one set flexing in front of her blue eyes as the tabby explained, defend Riverclan with your life. She'd seen the others stretch their own claws, wound-ripping and deadly if need be. Goldenkit purred, excited at the idea of growing into someone who could defend her friends. Though exempt from the border quest Snakeblink hinted would proceed at some time for the Ripple Colony, she absorbed it, bits and pieces absentminded. These all seemed so easy, why would anyone want to break them? Her entire world had revolved around those she knew, and the idea of those loyalties being betrayed because of friendships or love seemed criminal to her, untouchable laws that sat high above her head.

No questions were left for her -- or, the many tiny curious ones she had were dissolved by Cedarblaze and Thornmask. Her jaw popped shut in a quiet, snapping sound, not even realizing she had opened her mouth to speak. Starclan... she hadn't even thought of them. "I didn't see Starclan before..." she frowned. Had they not been invited to Shadowclan?​

 

[coyotecreek]

( ★ ) he sits to the side of the discussion, curiosity clear in his odd eyes as he watches the ripple colony slowly integrate into the clan. snakeblink is trying his best to explain their code, pausing to think and mumbling through the more tricky ideas, but coyotecreek can't help the amusement on his lips as the newcomers attempt to decipher. "starclan are our warrior ancestors," he decides to butt in, hoping he's not stepping over a line. "cats who've died live in the stars. their spirits guide our medicine cats n leaders. they're spirits, not corporeal, so we don't see 'em often." he gnaws on his lip thoughtfully, wondering if he would even believe in the spirits if he hadn't seen them firsthand. "there are certain things starclan can do, like tell us how to help ourselves, but they can't really git directly involved. that's why clan cats had to take the journey."

the ginger and white man wraps his tail around his paws, gaze flicking to cedarblaze. "na, we can't have mates over clan borders either. it's the clan leaders who usually suggest these rules, and then if all four clans agree, we await starclan's favor. they send a sign if they approve. i'm sure someone will show you the borders soon," he then will turn to thornmask. "leaders are given nine lives by starclan when they are appointed. that's why their names end in star. soon smokethroat will become smokestar," he swallows, ears flicking back for a brief moment. the wound of cicadastar's death is still fresh, but he can't think of any other example for these newcomers. "in time, you may develop your own relationship with starclan and your beliefs." ​

 

[ROOKFANG]

THE HERMIT ─── The warrior code and the formerly Ripple Colony. That was going to be something for sure. He remembered hearing within the meeting that Smokethroat wished for the lead warrior, Snakeblink to train the newly integrated over the rules that had been established amongst the clans. Rookfang could recall the time that he had been taught the lessons of the code, despite them being slightly briefer and vague in his youth. His mentor had kept it curt and simple with the lessons as he had focused on teaching him fighting tactics so Rookfang's knowledge was appreciative of the brush-over. The dark shadow of the tom seemed to break away from the shadows of the nearby tree as he noticed the new clanmates were now bubbling out with questions, some sincere...others that caused his brow to furrow with plain irritation. He knew it would take a while until there was more respect to rise out of them for the warrior code but Rookfang still could not help but but grimace at Thornmask's statement of Starclan.

It appeared Coyotecreek was deciding to help bring in further information about their beliefs and Starclan's powers that were beyond the ones of their mortal ones. He had to admit, he did remember laughing at such a confusing root of belief, that somehow there were spiritual felines from past lives walking in the sky alongside the stars and watching over them. But with his further experience of their leaders gaining lives and the prophecies that spilled from the tongues of their medicine cats, the superstition settled into a solidifying fact inside his mind. Yet, he kept his mouth shut for now as he listened intently to Coyotecreek, deciding to settle next to the orange-hued tom. His half-lidded sharp gaze shifted to each questioning figure of the Ripple Colony, hoping to catch any glint of understanding about Starclan or if they needed any deeper information to satisfy their curiosity. ​

 

[Velvetpaw]

Velvetpaw knows all about StarClan and the warrior code. It'd been drilled into him when he'd gotten here (his mentor was quite strict on him that way), and Velvetpaw thinks he upholds the code quite well– though StarClan is still a bit hard to believe. It's not that he doesn't believe in them. He'd heard tales of leaders dying, coming back to life; surely that kind of thing could only be supernatural. But if StarClan were real, how could they have allowed all of that sick to happen? All of that fear and crime? And when he was a kit, a real kit stuck in that rogue group, could StarClan see him then?

The silvery apprentice finds a seat at Rookfang's side. While his brother seems to have settled into the Clan's beliefs, Velvetpaw has a much harder time accepting them for himself– it's almost a relief, really, to see all of the Ripple Colony cats speaking up and out, though he thinks that ticked tabby (Thornmask, was it?) is pretty annoying. His white-splashed muzzle wrinkles with distaste. At least Coyotecreek is doing a better job explaining than Snakeblink had been.

"Careful what'cha say or yer gonna end up in StarClan yerself, git," the boy mocks, his imitation as pointed as the fangs that flash beneath his grin. "They're always watchin', n' they don't take kindly t' blasphemy." How much of it is simple jest and how much is a malicious hope to shut Thornmask up is not so easily discernable. Velvetpaw wiggles a clawed paw to add to the spook factor– for he does not entirely believe in the star-pelted wraiths himself, but at least he has the good sense to shut up about it. Or maybe he just doesn't like the guy's accent.​

 

[Snakeblink]

MAYBE I'D BE A SAINT IF I WEREN'T ————————————​

Ah, the questions— he was expecting them, but Cedarblaze’s enthusiastic question about mates from other clans still gives Snakeblink the urge to rub his forehead in anticipation of a headache. So much for his careful repetition: some things he simply cannot anticipate. Such as something so obvious to him needing explaining. He must be even more careful as this conversation goes on, when he cannot rely on words he prepared beforehand: he dearly wants the colony cats’ integration to go well, and not just because Smokethroat trusted him with the task. A smooth transition will benefit all of them.

Well, you live and learn.

Thornmask snaps at him about the little incident in Skyclan, and Snakeblink inclines his head — point taken. ”It did not occur to me that you could not know: I assumed the Ripple Colony functioned in a similar manner,” he explains, ears flicking as he restrains himself from noting that he only thought at the time that Thornmask was of the selfish type. He does allow himself one sly remark: ”I hope being yelled at by a Skyclan apprentice was not too traumatic.”

He nods gratefully at Coyotecreek as the tom takes it upon himself to fill in the gaps left by Snakeblink’s first explanation. It’s comforting to see him and Rookfang lingering in the background; familiar faces in the yet-to-be-familiar crowd. He does throw a wry look at the latter as Velvetpaw speaks up, though he only quirks his whiskers at the apprentice’s sharp tone.

”Keep that edge for the fish and spare your clanmates,” he tells Velvetpaw, slightly chiding. ”It was an honest mistake, and no one is getting sent to Starclan for it — though I cannot speak for repeat offenders.” He quirks a slight smirk before sobering again. ”As Coyotecreek helpfully put it, Starclan aren’t corporeal — though they once were. They used to walk the forest as we did, and we respect them and follow their guidance as we would that of living Elders — something that you will find familiar, I expect.”

Though Starclans is made up of more dead apprentices than the colony’s elder council, the idea remains broadly the same.

”Clans make up many of their own rules without Starclan’s help; you’ve been taught ours before. But when it comes to a code that impacts all the clans… A sign from all our ancestors is about the only thing that can get everyone to agree without hours of arguing. Hence why we don’t just, as you said, make it up.” Goldenkit’s frown at not having met Starclan along with the rest of the forest makes him chuckle, and he leans down a little to address her specifically: ”You will see them eventually, though hopefully not too soon: only medicine cats and the leaders they grant nine lives to have the close connection required to see Starclan before the time comes to join them.”

Rising back to his full height, he gestures to Coyotecreek again with a jerk of his chin. ”Good question, and yes, I will be taking you to see our borders after this. You will see more of them as you are sent on border patrols, but it will be helpful for you to have an idea of where our territory meets that of our neighbors. And no,” he reiterates tiredly, once more fighting the urge to rub his forehead, ”You may not take a mate from another clan either. No need to go and complicate your loyalties when we have enough eligible singles at home.”​

——————————————————————————————————— so god damn lonely ​

ooc. information.

• 
  
• — Snakeblink • he / him. 46 ☾, riverclan warrior
  — a sleek, skinny tabby with long ears and a scar over his right eye.
  — gay, not actually evil, penned by @Kangoo
  
  
  

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[goldenpaw !!]

It was all a lot to take in, the idea that Starclan was the stars above. Coyotecreek putting it so casually made her ever more curious as to why nobody else had been astonished to hear it. Rather than the inky sky being their namesake, the idea they were actually hovering above Goldenkit made her neck crane up despite the daytime, trying to see them behind the thin blue sheet. Riverclan wasn't water, and being convinced she'd become a different form altogether was difficult to wrap her head around. She wondered what it felt like. "Does it hurt to become a star?" she leaned forwards to whisper to Snakeblink. The idea of being compacted into something so small and bright must be painful, maybe even as painful as a cough or a scratch. There were so many stars... that was a lot of dead cats.

Not yet did she have to worry about their neighbours or mates of other clans or confused loyalties. Those were tangible enough, and fully latched onto Velvetpaw's words of always watching, she'd never break a rule in her life.​

 

[DAWNSTORM]

die with memories , not dreams .
︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

There it was again. Starclan. He shuffled on dual-toned paws, tail thumping against the ground with a thoughtful pinch of his brow. He carried on listening, bobbing his head now and then to show them he was listening. During the rogue invasion, so new to everything, Dawnstorm fought with no real purpose other than to prove himself, or maybe he was wrong. He had been fighting to protect his family both times, dragging rogues to the water, drowning them beneath the rippling waves that reminded him so much of the times his father would toss him into the water without warning, sneering and shouting words that he couldn’t understand above the growing fear.

He shook his head, perking up at the notion of border patrols, loyalty above all else. To be loyal unfaithfully? His gaze narrowed. He still couldn’t trust them. Nightmare after nightmare. He worried the ground with the tip of his claws, tucking a tail around his paws.

Did he have questions? I do. But nothing made sense, thoughts running rampant through his bland mind. Why did they have to be unbashfully loyal? To strangers. Cats he fought side-by-side with. Cats who had one misfortune after the next. Like him, but his weren’t as misfortune enough to call them anything but a slight hiccup.

Questions of StarClan rose, confusing him even more. Shaking his helm, the tom remained silent, listening to Snakeblink continue without pause. Right. They were going to see the border soon enough. ​

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thought speech​