private FIRECRACKER ☽ MEADOWFLAME

[WOLFWIND]

Wolfpaw had being doing her due diligence, glaring down the Wind and Shadowclanners like the catty little bastards deserved. What's there to be proud about between a union of those too? Having an alliance of the smallest and stinkiest cats? please. Thunderclan could take the both of them down EASILY, and if they went after sky, they'd probably show up to save the day too. No biggie, not like she was itching for a Thunderclan alliance with the most insane leaders in the forest (though, admittedly, if Blazestar wasn't a you know what, Emberstar would be a close third.)

That's all fine and good, but she'd been thrown TOTALLY off-guard, when the weird looking tom steps up and announces a ... somethin-whisker and Lakemoon. LAKEMOON!!! The scream she'd let out at the announcement had been anything but tasteful, and now, now... No. Nononono, Azalea- Lakepaw could NOT be a warrior BEFORE HER. They were supposed to be warriors TOGETHER. But her TRAITOROUS ASS RUINED EVERYTHING!!! So naturally, she's hot on Meadowflames heals the morning after. Okay not actually because she doesn't know where she is but that's EASILY fixable. "MEADOWFLLLAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMEEE!!!!!!" she screams out into camp. It shouldn't turn heads cause she does this all the time so like, it's their problem if they're not used to it yet. "DID YOU HEAR THAT at the gathering? A new warrior, Lakemoon. LAKEMOON!!! THAT'S MY SISTER!!!" she shrieks, lashing her tail as if no worse crime could ever be committed. "I need to be a warrior RIGHT NOW. GIVE IT TO ME, SHOW ME THE MONEY! Just- just point me in the direction of the- of the nearest badger and I will TAKE THAT FUCKER DOWN."

[ @meadowflame ]​

 

[meadowflame]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Meadowflame sits in the half-shade of a tree, licking her chops to free her whiskers of any last morsel of squirrel. She's sad to see the bountiful forest prey dwindle, but the creature she'd just made her mid-day meal was already scrawnier than she's been used to. A pout forms naturally on her pale muzzle. Her father used to ensure she got the best pick of the prey, even in leaf-bare, but without him here, and with the Clan she's obligated to feed... she's dreading leaf-bare. Oh, she's dreading it.

Speaking of dreading. An earsplitting shriek slices through camp like enemy warrior claws. Her apprentice clumsily tumbles around camp, screaming her name, screaming about her RiverClan sister. Ah, yes. Lakemoon. Meadowflame's smile is smug, tight, and small -- but detectable. She understands Wolfpaw's motivation. Her own damnable sister wasn't half the warrior she herself was, but Wolfpaw ... well, could be a different story.

She says, voice a shade irritable, "Can you stop yelling? I'm over here." Her glare is like a leaf pulled over charcoal. "If you want to be a warrior, you have to be assessed first."

The badger comment has her snorting, but a thoughtful look glazes her face. It could be amusing to have Wolfpaw do something like that, couldn't it? She can't dare too much -- the girl's kin is deputy, after all, and medicine cat -- but she begins to purr. "Fine. Today is as good a day as any for a warrior assessment."

She rises slowly, gracefully, to light-colored paws and begins a brisk walk towards the camp's exit. "I need you to take the route to Snakerocks, and I need as much prey as you can catch. The majority should be at or around Snakerocks." Her whiskers quiver with self-satisfaction. "Be careful of the adders, of course, but I'm sure you don't need the warning. You're so clever, after all." She gives the gray she-cat an expectant look. "Go on, then. I'll be watching. Make me proud... make ThunderClan proud."

- ,,​

​

 

[WOLFWIND]

Snakerocks... Sounds... dangerous... but the COOL kind of dangerous that'll cement her in clan history when returns home with the corpse of a fox and like 30 snakes and enough food to feed everyone throughout the entirety of leaf-bare. Easy. "BET!" Wolfpaw barks, picking up a trot alongside her mentor. She was trying to stay with her– but like, she's wasting precious time right now!! A trot breaks into a sprint, before she slows again to fall alongside her mentor. Wolfpaw bites her lip, glancing between her mentor and the forest. Like– okay, OKAY. "I'M GOINGG!!" She yells, even though Meadowflame is right there but she needs to make sure her message is clear.

And with that, she runs into the undergrowth, making a bee-line to what she was pretty sure issss(?) the path to snakerocks. There, it just barely peeks between the stumps of the oaks, that massive pile of rocks. Supposedly the prey is plentiful here and... ok who's she kidding she wants to climb the rockpile so bad. A glance behind her provides a look of no Meadowflame. She's probbbbably find her soon but... maybe she'd be fine for a little bit. "Juuust.... a quick, little, thing," she tells herself, and she leaps–

–and snags her claws onto the stone beneath. "OW," this shit kind of hurts. She saw those kitty-kitty's bounding in the trees like it's nothing. If they could do this, she could do it about a bajillion times better! With a determined huff, she pushes herself upward. And eventually, she's here, she's up top, and she's awesome. Fewer snakes than she'd expected, though. Maybe cause it's cold? Wait, scratch that, there's a little guy looking at her in the corner of her eye. It's kinda cute, actually, but it leaves after she does her mandatory ear-shattering battle cry to celebrate making it. The adder couldn't handle it? Wimp. What was she doing again?

A flash of brown enters her vision– a mouse. Cocky, since the adder went away, huh? With the swipe of a claw, it's already done for, secured between her jaws. She's pretty much winning. What was it you were meant to do to save prey? Burry it? Okay, flawed strategy, you can't do that when you're on a rock. How have they not accounted for this?

Thankfully, the little thing scuttling around near the bottom of the pile is good motivation for her to get down there. Mouse clamped in her jaws, she works her way down with the grace of a one-winged bird. It's better than her original plan (jumping down headfirst), but she realizes she would probably crack her head open and a bunch of mud and blood and guts would fall out and she doesn't wanna subject her uncle to that out of sheer politeness.

And the fuzzy little thing darts for a tree– a squirrel, your mine. And in a fantastic replication of her first-ever training session, she darts for it, snagging at russet fur with sharpened teeth, and this time only hurting herself a little bit. No blood, no guts, no Berryheart would need to be bothered. She's doing good, her coolness is unmatched, but she'd be even cooler if she could snag one of those adders. Just then, as if Starclan was reading her mind to send what she needed her way, she hears a rustle behind her. Whipping around, she yowls a triumphant "AHA!" only to slash at a clump of leaves. She purses her lips. She's been duped– swindled. She literally starts kicking rocks, and under it is the tiniest snake she's ever seen. Also, probably the fastest– but with reflexes bestowed by Starclan themselves, she snags it easily. She puffs out her chest, the body of a teensy weensy adder (or maybe a lizard? It's scaly, that's what matters) on her claws. Was Meadowflame watching? She glances around the clearing, and nearly yells again, until she remembers hunting has to be quiet, or whatever. "Am I winning???" she whisper-hisses.​

 

[meadowflame]

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮​

Meadowflame is a safe distance behind Wolfpaw, staying carefully concealed within bramble patches and thickets of undergrowth. Pale eyes gleam coldly at her apprentice as she picks her way around Snakerocks. The little idiot manages to injure herself somehow and Meadowflame imagines the scream she emits has scared off any chance she has of securing a warrior's ceremony.

But, surprisingly, Wolfpaw does manage to catch a mouse, and Meadowflame has to admit her technique is good. Wolfpaw is loud and obnoxious, but when she's focused, she's quick on her paws, and her eyes are sharp. Meadowflame wishes she had one-tenth of the amount of discipline needed to be a good warrior, but... you can't change a cat's personality just because you're their mentor.

Wolfpaw moves on, sights set on a squirrel. Like the mouse, it's secured swiftly, and Meadowflame begrudgingly admits she's impressed. The final catch is something small -- from her perch, Meadowflame isn't sure what it is, but as she emerges, pale green eyes widen in surprise. It's an adder! A tiny one, sure, but Wolfpaw really had managed to catch one.

"First of all," she murmurs coolly, ear twitching, "you are not supposed to talk to me until after your assessment." She glowers at Wolfpaw for a moment before sighing. "But you are doing well. Yes. Let's see what you can catch on your way back to camp. If you succeed... I'll talk to Emberstar." With a flick of her tail, she disappears into the undergrowth again.

- ,,​

​