private SHIP IN A BOTTLE | SOOTSTAR

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- | Brightpaw had already been an apprentice for a couple of months, and she felt as though she hadn't been allowed to really do anything, and it was frustrating her. In reality part of it was her own fault, not taking training as seriously as she should, goofing off and deciding to learn more about the daylight warriors in the clan and their lives over actually remembering things her mentor told her to remember. But she didn't really see it that way. Call it blind frustration or the immaturity of a child, it could be either or both, but when Brightpaw hadn't been chosen to go the the gathering this moon, she had decided enough was enough, and she'd go to Fourtrees herself. She knew the way, surely. She heard stories of the journey before and she knew she had to go through ThunderClan, and there had to be scent of SkyClan cats left over, right?

With all that in mind, the apprentice snuck out when she was able to and began her careful journey towards what she hoped was the right way. She knew the way to the ThunderClan border, and made it past that as fine as she could before she quickly lost the scent of her clanmates - something she hadn't thought of, or realized, until it was too late - and that's when she paused and looked around. Ears flattened to the light brown feline's head as she carefully looked around at the border of WindClan and ThunderClan, contemplating whether or not she should cross into their territory to try and get there or not.

She hadn't heard anything about crossing into their territory to get to the trees, but was it possible that was where she was supposed to go?​

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[SOOTSTAR]

SOOTSTAR ♀​

Dirt smears her fur as she pads through the heather. The moorland she-cat had only risen from the tunnels momentarily to check out their border. They’ve increased patrolling on nearly all of them as of late, she wonders how strong their scent was holding up at this one in particular. She wasn’t expecting any intruders, it seems they rear their ugly heads whenever she’s unsuspecting. The scent of SkyClan mixed with kittypet stench was enough in itself to get her fur bristling. The cat in front of her is a young she-cat, adorning brown and cream fur. She’s young, couldn’t be anything other than an apprentice but Sootstar shows no mercy. Lips curl back into a snarl to display stained teeth. ”It’s dangerous to be so far from home, kittypet.”

 

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- | Head turned as Brightpaw caught site of an older feline coming her way, maw opening to speak before the other snarled at her and spoke. It was then she knew she shouldn't have come, but she wasn't going to show a WindClanner that she was scared... to the best of her ability. "I'm not a kittypet, I'm a SkyClanner!" She spoke out at first, feigning bravery as she lifted her head up towards the other. There was nothing wrong with kittypets, they just lived differently than the clan cats, and the daylight warriors that used to be full-time kittypets were interesting and had cool stories to share.

Clearing her throat, paws would shuffle nervously before Brightpaw spoke once more, "I'm going to fourtrees but I got lost, can you tell me where to go?" And then she'd be on her way and they could pretend they never saw each other, right?​

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[SOOTSTAR]

SOOTSTAR ♀​

A laugh sounds from Sootstar's throat and a crooked smile fixes her face, "SkyClanner... Kittypet... different words but same in meaning!" Her nose wrinkles as if she was looking at a grotesque insect. She does not like Brightpaw's lack of fear towards her, the way she holds her head high displeases her. Did this cat know who she was speaking to...? Surely she had to! Her name sent fear rippling across the clans, she hopes queens speak of her brutality to their kits, she hopes elders warn apprentices of fooling with her, she hopes warriors and councils bristle their pelts and stink in fear at the mere thought of her. "Fourtrees? Why in StarClan's name would you want to go there?" Her claws slip from their sheathes, "I suggest you forget about your plans and run on home. The only thing waiting out here for a little kittypet like you is danger." In a threat, she steps forward, tail lashing.

 

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- | Despite her name, Brightpaw wasn't the brightest cat in the forest. Had the cat before her said her name, it was possible the apprentice would have handled this situation differently. She knew of Sootstar of course, but in the stories the SkyClanner had heard of her, she couldn't recall anyone mentioning what she looked like, just that she was WindClan's leader and that she was a very bad cat. If WindClan shared a border with SkyClan, then maybe things would have been different, they could have crossed paths at the border when Brightpaw went to help mark it, but here she had no idea who she was dealing with. The only thought that kept crossing her mind was that she was going to go to the Fourtrees, no matter what. She was going to get in trouble being out here already, so might as well make it worth it by actually finishing her task.

Face screwed up with annoyance at the words from the other, about to speak she decided to not - it was WindClan, the cats who had attacked SkyClan in their own territory, there was no trying to change her mind. "I'm not going home until I see them... I haven't gotten to yet so I'm gonna go." Clearing her throat, Brightpaw took a step back before looking over Sootstar once more, and she started to turn away. "If you're not gonna help me, then I'll just keep going this way and hope I run into someone who will." She wanted to get out of here.​

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[SOOTSTAR]

SOOTSTAR ♀​

Too defiant. Too slow to turn and run away. Sootstar doesn’t like it. ”I’m not allowing a kittypet to sniff around at the outskirts of my territory.” She snarls, baring her fangs once more. ”I should’ve known better… your kind never learns.”This was not the first time a SkyClan cat refused to get lost and go home, not the first time one had the audacity to not show fear in her presence. She’d teach this one too. With startling speed, blue flashes forward as claws slip from their sheathes. As she races past the SkyClan apprentice’s side she aims to rake her claws across her shoulder before spinning around, prepared to face her once more. //sorry my replies have been so slow! Pls feel free to remind me of requested injuries via this thread or discord. Sootstar can be given minor to moderate wounds :)

 

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- | Inexperience caused Brightpaw to believe that this cat that reside in WindClan would let her go without a fuss, so when she had turned to leave she had expected to be able to do so. When Sootstar had moved forward to claw at the apprentice, she didn't have the time to react only to let out a startled cry from the pain that was now moving through her shoulder. She had never been in a proper fight before, so it took her a moment to actually gather her bearings and turn towards the larger female, ears pinning to her head and eyes widening as she looked across the border.

She could try to run but that wasn't very brave of her - the whole point of her journey was to be brave and make it to her goal - not to mention she was sure the WindClanner would be much faster than her, given their whole thing being speed. Trying to swallow her fear, Brightpaw moved forward towards Sootstar, trying to get close enough to claw at her side before jumping back to try and avoid getting hit as much as possible. She wasn't the best fighter, she had done well enough against the other apprentices her age, but had never come out on top against those older than her.​

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[SOOTSTAR]

SOOTSTAR ♀​

Sootstar begins to semi-circle around Brightpaw as if she was a trapped piece of prey. She finds herself yet again astonished by her stupid acts of bravery as she lunges forward and aims to rake her claws along Sootstar’s pelt. Sootstar hisses and darts away, a minor sting ringing where the apprentice graced her flesh. With little patience, Sootstar would turn and hurl herself at the apprentice with outstretched claws. If she finds her mark, she barrels into the apprentice and strikes blows wherever she could reach. With little mercy, she aims for sensitive locations, chest, eyes, ears, nose or belly. A brown paw thrashes in her mouth’s reach, to make matters worse the lithe she-cat aims to sink her fangs into the SkyClanner’s wrist and pull as if she was a dog with a rope. Pulling muscle, or worse, was not something she was above. After writhing and squirming she’d attempt to disengage to observe the damage she left on her opponent. No doubt she didn’t get out of it without earning several scratches of her own, but if she had strikes well the kittypet would be hurting far worse than she was. Her green eyes, still ablaze, land on her opponent as she heaves and pants.

 

[BRIGHTFLAME]

☆ -- | She felt some sense of pride in herself when the small attack she had tried to make hit until she was toppled over, attacked without mercy by the cat at the border. Back paws reached up in an attempt to pummel at Sootstar's stomach to try to get her off, and eventually front paws joined the attempt, trying to claw whatever she could just to get away. Her paw had been grabbed and pulled - hard- and pain mixed with adrenaline surged through the apprentices body, finally able to get up as the other pulled back to assess the damage that was done.

As soon as Brightpaw was able to, she stood and tried to sprint away back towards the direction she had originally come from, adrenaline fueled fear not causing her yet to fully understand how much trouble she was in. Unless chased after the last Sootstar would see of the SkyClan apprentice would be her stumbling over herself as she tried to see past the blood that now fell down her face.​

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