private GROUND TO BREAK // bluepaw

[SOOTSTAR]

The sun bleeds pinks and purple into the sky as it sinks into the hills. Birdsong begins to die down and a crisp new-leaf breeze sneaks into the sandy hollow through the gorse. Sootstar is sitting at the camps exit, waiting expectantly for Bluepaw to arrive for training. Today they’d be silently joining the new moor runner pairings in exploring the hills. Moor Runner or not, it was important for every WindClanner to learn the ins and outs of the hills and to know what it’s like to feel the wind in their fur.

Bluepaw arrives on time, perhaps even early, Sootstar expects nothing less out of her daughter. ”Ready?” She meows, rising up onto her paws and transversing the thorn tunnel.

The land around them opens up, hills roll beyond the eye can see. Sootstar watches two crows fly overhead into the direction of the horseplace, allowing Bluepaw some time in taking in the scenery. After spending a life almost solely confined to camp she imagines it feels as if her whole world just got a lot bigger.

After some time, Sootstar wordlessly begins to pad south-west in the direction of the sun-warmed pool. It was a lovely locale and from a distance she’d be able to show the blue apprentice the horse place. As they stride over and down a couple of hills Sootstar glances to check and see if her daughter would be displaying any signs of fatigue, Sootstar’s own lungs were hardened to the physically demanding terrain and didn’t even pant.

”Do you see where the grass turns into slate up ahead?” Sootstar asks from where they now stand at the edge of the mound, allowing them to peer across the land a decent ways. ”That is where the sun-warmed pool is. Even now that the sun sinks the pool will still be warm to the touch.” Explains the leader, paws continue once more to descend. She does not stop until her claws are grazing stone and the pool sits only mouse-lengths away.

With the faintest of smiles, she looks at Bluepaw to give her a nod of encouragement to investigate to area.

// @BLUEPAW :)​

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Spoiler: TAGS ★ 03/13

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

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· SOOTSTAR, female — she / her
╰ ‣ 39 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 Windstrider, Sootchaser, Moorkit, Adderkit, Harrierkit, Bluekit & Cottonkit
╰ ‣ mentor to N/A
╰ ‣ average fighter . skilled hunter .
╰ ‣ will start fights . unlikely to flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.​

​

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[BLUEFROST]

As the sun descends, when her other denmates might be out finding a place for their nests, Bluepaw is heading toward their camp's exit to join her mother. She is early, if only by a little. She expects Sootstar would be quite displeased with her if she were not punctual. Sootstar does not tolerate that with her warriors or apprentices -- Bluepaw is certain she would not tolerate it from her.

When Sootstar sees Bluepaw approach, she simply mews, "Ready?" The young blue-gray feline gives her head a nod. She follows her mother through the tunnel of thorns that guards their camp, wide-eyed at the sight that greets her. The fiery core of the sunset paints smears of red at the horizon, lighting an endless sea of golden grasses and violet heather aflame. Her eyes are wide. She had never known their territory was this big -- even when they mother had taken Cottonpaw and herself out of camp once, it had not seemed so immense.

Because now it is up to me to protect it. Bluepaw thinks this, but she knows this is only the case in theory. A tunneler's duty is to protect their Clan, yes -- by keeping them perpetually fed, even in times of famine and drought, when the moor runners cannot hunt. She would not be fighting cats at WindClan's borders, not typically, and she is not disappointed by this. Fighting does not interest her the way it does her siblings.

She follows at Sootstar's heels wordlessly. She does not pause to take in the sights, but she is almost immediately overwhelmed at all the different scents. That, and the walk itself is physically demanding. After some time, her paws begin to ache and her lungs begin to struggle as they crest yet another hill. She can tell her mother is glancing back to see if she can keep up -- and Bluepaw does not disappoint. Despite her flanks beginning to hurt with effort, she will not disappoint Sootstar.

"Do you see where the grass turns into slate up ahead?" Bluepaw gasps for air, trying to keep her breathing quiet. She can see what her mentor is pointing to, and she nods. The earth seems to change texture and color. "That is where the sun-warmed pool is. Even now that the sun sinks the pool will still be warm to the touch." Is such a thing possible? Bluepaw wonders. After the brief rest, Bluepaw is ready, and she tags along after Sootstar again.

Sure enough, the ground hardens beneath her. Her claws make a curious scraping sound against the stone. "Like the Tallrock," she says. The surface of the water is dark but for a sliver of citrine, a reflection of what's left of the sun. The pool is bigger than she'd thought it would be -- and her curiosity drives her closer to the water's edge.

She dips an ivory forepaw into the water. It seems almost as though it's made of something else entirely. It's warm as sunlight, pleasant despite the way it's wet her fur. She shivers with delight. "How does it stay warm like that, Sootstar?" After all, now that night has approached, the wind has bared its customary fangs, nipping at the delicate skin beneath her thick fur.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[SOOTSTAR]

Sootstar dips one of her own paws into the pool, the warmth soaking into her paw pads. It feels nice and pleasant, unlIke the freezing waters of the river or the dirty swamplands. When her daughter inquires ”how does it stay warm?” Sootstar thinks for a moment before replying. ”We think the sun warms the slate, by the time the sun goes down the rock keeps so much heat it stays warm through the night.” She removes her paw from the water and presses it back on the stone. ”On really hot days during Green-leaf I’ve felt this slate burning hot. Be careful when it gets warm on the rock so you don’t burn your paws.”

Once she thinks Bluepaw has gotten enough time to poke her nose around she trails off onto the next location. The badger set den. It’s not too far of a walk but Sootstar cannot help but imagine the tunnels that must be below her paws as she makes her way there.
On the top of a slope looking down at the abandoned dens she looks to Bluepaw, ”Take a moment and taste the air, can you smell anything?” Even if she could it was likely she wouldn’t be able to identify it, but Sootstar was curious how broadly her nose could pick up scents. ​

---

Spoiler: TAGS ★ 03/13

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

╰ ★ ჻ 001 GENERAL INFORMATION ,
· SOOTSTAR, female — she / her
╰ ‣ 39 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 Windstrider, Sootchaser, Moorkit, Adderkit, Harrierkit, Bluekit & Cottonkit
╰ ‣ mentor to N/A
╰ ‣ average fighter . skilled hunter .
╰ ‣ will start fights . unlikely to flee .
╰ ‣ attack in underline . penned by user @ava.​

​

​

 

[BLUEFROST]

Bluepaw looks at her mother with wide rapturous green eyes. "I will be careful," she promises, withdrawing her paws from the strangely warm waters. Sootstar seems anxious to move on, and the small blue she-cat begins to follow at her heels. She's soon out of breath again, wondering how long it will take her to be as seasoned as her mother on the moorland. Her wet feet pick up dust, sand, and bits of grass that cling annoyingly with every step. She itches to remove the debris but doesn't want to hinder their exploration.

The place they come to next is a den, though it's not quite like the nursery she'd grown up in. Bluepaw glances at Sootstar and gives a little nod of obedience at her instruction. She parts her jaws and is again overwhelmed by the cacophony of new scents that brush against her glands. "Can you smell anything? Bluepaw, ashamed of her failure, gives her mother a shameful and uncertain glance as she says, "I... can scent a lot of things. There's so much out here..."

She tries again, but she still isn't able to identify anything. She knows what rabbit tastes like once the warriors have brought them home, but the fresh scent trail of one of the creatures will go largely unrecognized still. "What am I supposed to be smelling?"​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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[SOOTSTAR]

ㅤ

SOOTSTAR

WindClan Leader
☆☆★★★★★★★

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HP:​

██████████

Loves:

Hates:

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”You are smelling for badger. Down this hill is the badgerset den. It’s been abandoned for quite some time, but we take no risks. Especially us tunnelers.” The wild was a dangerous place, but the tunnels even more so. If you messed up often the earth was not kind enough to give you a second chance, it’d swallow you whole. ”All of the scents you smell now you’ll be able to distinguish easily in the next half-moon. For now I will leave you to ponder what they are.” However, she would of course inform her apprentice if any important scents came up on their outing.

Darting down the hill the blue she-cat weaves through a clump of heather before arriving at the foot of the abandoned den. ”It’s nothing much, but the moor runners thank it when it starts to train and they’ve only half-way to camp.” Light-heartedly she snorts. She gives Bluepaw a couple moments to sniff around before moving on.

”We are nearing the RiverClan border.” She informs Bluepaw, ”And the gorge, you must be cautious not to get too close.” The last thing she needed was Bluepaw falling on their first outing. But she knows her daughter is more aware than to allow herself to succumb to such a foolish death. ”Stick close and keep your eyes peeled for a RiverClan patrol.”

// to be continued in a public thread ;) you’ll get the @

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[BLUEFROST]

"You are smelling badger," Sootstar tells her, and Bluepaw's eyes become round as moons. She knows about badgers. They are big, scary black and white beasts who can kill a cat with a single strike! "So badgers live underground, in the tunnels?" She does her best to suppress a shiver, not wanting to show fear. She supposes she won't know how bad they are until she meets one for herself.

Sootstar swiftly streaks down the hill to cleave through the heather guarding the den's mouth. Bluepaw follows, less graceful and less quick, her joints aching with the effort. Her lungs begin to ache again, but she steadies herself, lifting her tail for balance and support. "We're not afraid of rain, though, are we?" She's not, not at all! Sootstar surely can see that.

Her mentor warns her that they are near the RiverClan border now, and Bluepaw gives her a grave nod. The gorge! She'll finally get to see the gorge. With anticipation, she takes a few deep, calming breaths and follows at Sootstar's heels.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

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