sensitive topics THE WORST IS YET TO COME — skyclan dawn patrol

[SKYCLAN]

The sky is a misty violet, the scent of a snowstorm on the horizon. Clouds’ underbellies turn a golden pink as the sun struggles over the treeline—however, there’s little warmth provided to the hardy patrol braving the cold dawn. Wind buffets their fur, lacing it with the smell and sensation of frost. Prey-scent is scarce, and even the experienced warriors on the patrol have a difficult time hearing anything pertinent over the wind that begins to howl.

Still, spirits are light; this is Blazingpaw, Wolfpaw, and Hawkpaw’s first time to this border, and their mission is a special one. As the patrol ambles along the border, they’ll find clusters of scattered, stolen prey. One cat will find the well-preserved remains of a squirrel, nestled in morning frost and pine needles. Another cat will find feathers smeared with blood—a poached sparrow.

Otherwise, things are quiet below the whistle of sharp and frigid winds…

[ @bobbie @Howlfire @FIGFEATHER @BLAZINGPAW @Hawkpaw @wolfpaw! ]


​

 

[wolfpaw!]

Wolfpaw is not a toddler anymore, but her path at Figfeather's side is one of kittenish toddling. There is just so much to see, so much to explore; she cannot help the zigzags she draws through the scant snow, trying to catalogue each new sensation. Frost rips through her dark nose and her breath billows mightily in the icy air. The air is sugary pink, which makes getting up so so so early way more worth it. Her plush fur is a hearty buffer against the needling cold, and though she still feels it, her excitement pushes out the pain. She's going to the border — and more importantly, she's on a serious mission.

Wolfpaw is not the only apprentice-mentor duo on this patrol, though; Orangeblossom has been kind enough (or devilish enough, depending on who you might ask) to put her with both of her littermates. Her shoulders occasionally bump into Hawkpaw's or Blazingpaw's in her idle exploration, something Figfeather or one of the other warriors would certainly chide her for. Still, she can't help herself, and despite her best attempts to obey and stay in line, there is much discipline to be forgotten in the wake of adventure.

"Did you hear pop-pop? He said this is a serious mission," Wolfpaw reminds her littermates, though not with any snap of scolding; rather, her elation lifts her words to a dreamy sort of dandelion fluff on the breeze. And then, in a bright yip, "That's so cool!" Her feathered tail wags behind her. She seems to have forgotten she has a mentor to be listening to, though she does adore Figfeather very much. Her ears twitch, and her voice lowers to a conspiratorial whisper as she keeps her focus on her siblings: "What d'you think will happen? Anything cool? Did you hear what Orangeblossom said about rogues?"

𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐍 ☾ 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆

• 

• 
  
  — wolfpaw
  — she / they / he ; apprentice of skyclan
  — longhaired lilac torbie with piercing yellow eyes
  — "speech" ; thoughts
  — avatar by tropics; signature by dreamydoggo
  — penned by meghan

​

 

[BLAZINGPAW]

THERE WILL COME A SOLDIER — Blazingpaw feels pride that he had been assigned to this important and serious border patrol, he can't even remember what dumb patrol Springpaw had been put on but he knows that it's nothing compared to his very important mission. It would be his first to this border and he's even more delighted when his littermates are assigned to the very same patrol, he wouldn't have trusted any of the other apprentices to take such matters so seriously and professionally like him, Wolfpaw, and Hawkpaw. His feathery tail lifted proudly in the air as he walked alongside his littermates occassionally bumping into them as well and letting his body press into their own to oftentimes leech some of their warmth from them, it was much colder out here than in camp. The pink skies being a rewarding enough sight for his eyes, he regards it with a soft pleasant sigh leaving his jaws only to turn his attention to Wolfpaw when they start to speak "Yeah! We'll become the best warriors in no time." Maybe it was an early assessment of sorts away from the potential jealous eyes of the other apprentices that Howlfire's brood would be made warriors much earlier than them. It's a thought he entertains for a heartbeat before hopping in excitement when Wolfpaw states that this was so cool and he wholeheartedly agrees.

His head lowers slightly when his sibling starts to whisper and he perks both of his feathered ears to listen closely "Of course, something cool is gonna happen! As for the rogues, we're gonna chase em out like real Lionclanners." He says in a hushed voice in return unable to stop the toothy grin that formed on his maw with a curt nod of his helm "It won't be like our game of pretend, it'll be real! We will be protecting the clan and we'll be just as strong I bet." His whispers are excited and genuine, he truly believes that if they were to run into any rogues that they would deal with them accordingly. Blazingpaw casts his own mentor a quick glance then turns his attention to his littermates once more, he would lead them into victory just like their games.

WHO CARRIES A MIGHTY SWORD 𓆩✧𓆪 HE WILL TEAR YOUR CITY DOWN

• 

• 
  ✧ longhaired red tabby tom with green eyes
  ✧ 4 moons old; ages the 28th every month
  ✧ sexuality unknown; too young
  ✧ son of coyotecrest and howlfire
  ✧ brother to wolfpaw and hawkpaw
  ✧ currently being mentored by bobbie
  ✧ easy to befriend; kinda quick to anger (especially if you're springpaw)
  ✧ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[Howlfire]

The wind howls around them buffering the trees and buffeting the patrol. Howlfire finds it a small mercy her fur is quite quick and mercifully she wasn't feeling the cold so much. Despite the weather, spirits seem light, and her kits pad on ahead, excitingly chattering among themselves. It's a shame Howlfire wasn't standing any closer to hear what they were saying, else she'd have warned them against any show of bravery.

"They seem excited don't they?" Howlfire remarked in a light tone, looking between Bobbie and Figfeather. "Do you remember being that excited on your first patrol, Figfeather?" She'd have asked the question to Bobbie too but recognised that the older warrior didn't have quite the same experiences as herself and Figfeather in regards to first experiences with patrols.

It is Howlfire that finds the bloodied feathers, a sign of poached prey, bringing the attention of the other warriors to it. "How recent do you think this was?" She asked. Howlfire lifted her head to try and get a scent but the wind was making it hard to pick up on much.​

 

[Hawkpaw]

"Achoo!"

Hawkpaw nearly falls over with the force of her sneeze. While she doesn't feel gross in its wake it does make her nose all stuffy, and multicoloured ears pin back with annoyance as she realises that she's lost the trail Howlfire had been guiding her along. Slightly stale (whatever that means), but a sparrow that might be good for Butterflytuft and her kits. They're going to be weaned soon so they've gotta make the freshkill pile big enough to fill all their bellies, with enough to feed the rest of SkyClan; Hawkpaw had been horrified upon finding out she'd be going from first fed to last fed as an apprentice. Couldn't she just be a kit forever? Or jump alllll the way forward to being an elder? Besides, this is a border-marking patrol.

Her attention is quickly captured by Wolfpaw, however, and Hawkpaw's whiskers drop down just a little. "Sorry ..."

This is a serious mission! Hawkpaw shouldn't be sneezing! But her littermate seems far more preoccupied with the quest they've been sent upon, and with Blazingpaw's enthusiasm in tandem she feels her mood begin to brighten once more. So much so, in fact, that she doesn't think to correct her brother in his assertion that they'd be chasing out the rogues like the LionClanners they'd always played as while they were kits. This mission is super important, and they were here, and while Hawkpaw feels a little bad for Springpaw about not getting to come the little torbie is once again immediately distracted by the sight of dusty fur in the snow.

Perfectly preserved. A squirrel, killed by a clean bite. She's not a good hunter yet, but she knows a good kill when she sees one: one of the apprentices had taken great pride in pointing out the signs of their perfect hunt to her when she asked.

"Woah ..." She whispers, turning wide eyes to her siblings once more. She's so awestruck by her own discovery that she doesn't quite catch Howlfire's own quiet meow about the sparrow feathers, nor the inevitable discovery of their former owner. "Look at this squirrel. D'you think they're making a freshkill pile? Should we take it and tell pop-pop we caught it?"​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Immediately the apprentice’s begin to chatter, their fur bristling eagerly even as the cold winds nipped at their noses. Figfeather remembers having their boundless energy, it was something many cats only had in their apprentice moons. She is pleased to hear them in high-spirits, especially Wolfpaw, Figfeather’s heart still flutters at the reality of being a mentor.

”Oh yes- I remember. It had been a RiverClan border patrol, I had been so excited I nearly slipped onto the rocks right into the river.” She recalls with a purr, ”Tallulahwing had been amused, but not impressed.”

Howlfire had been apprenticed only a couple moons after Figfeather, she can only vaguely recall the early days of her friends apprenticeship. All the way back then she would’ve been apprenticed to Redstorm rather than Slate, she wonders if Howlfire had been as much of a pawful for him as Figfeather had been for Tallulahwing.

The patrol begins to taste the air, it isn’t too far from the unclaimed border Howlfire finds feathers, sticky with blood. It’s her daughter, Hawkpaw, who finds the in tact carcass of a squirrel. The red she-cats fur bristles with annoyance, loners- rogues stealing SkyClan prey in the midst of leaf-bare! They’ve been hunting prey that rightfully belonged in SkyClan bellies, she is only further infuriated at the idea of a hungry Butterflytuft, with kits just barely weaned and starting to open their maws for meat. ”Recent… has to be, or the wind would’ve blown them away by now.” Figfeather shares her insight to the tortoiseshell warrior.

”Look closely Wolfpaw, these are no doubt signs of the rogues. No SkyClan cat would do this.” Though obvious, she explains anyways and directs her apprentice to look upon the evidence. ”Come on, let’s look for further tracks. There might be more evidence closer to the border.” If not, they at the very least should renew their scent markers. Send a strong message that SkyClan knew of the rogues and would be a threat if they were found in the territory.

♡ INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » Mentoring Wolfpaw
  » Mate to Fantastream
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and aid to her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[SKYCLAN]

As the apprentices chatter excitedly among themselves and their mentors investigate the prey remains, eyes begin to burn from around the corners of the pine trees. Amber snaps toward the SkyClan patrol like narrow fire, and pawsteps concealed by wind and rotting fresh-kill scent crunch into the pine needles. A torbie with a thick white-meshed pelt and piercing blue eyes leads the procession, her mouth crooked with menace. "Well... what do we have here, friends?"

From the trees, cats slip like shadows. A white-pawed dark tabby gives a disdainful sniff, his glare shifting to the prey remains Hawkpaw stands close to. "Stealing our prey, is that it? The Clans are so greedy, they're taking our scraps away from us!" His eyes flash meaningfully toward the cats who begin to cluster closer—one, two, three, all the way to eight scarred and well-muscled felines who still bear wounds inflicted by the Clans' claws.

"We haven't forgotten the way you slaughtered us," a russet-pelted feline hisses, their claws unsheathed and tearing rivulets into the dust. The wind howls behind their words. "You won't be chasing us out again—not with this bunch of kittens!"

A black she-cat skunk-streaked with white cackles and leans closer to Blazingpaw, showing her teeth to the root. "The Clans are so fierce, sending kittens to protect their territory!"

There's a flick of a streaming tail, a murmur of agreement, and without warning, the ambush attacks. The russet-pelted feline draws their claws over Hawkpaw's eye, while the black-and-white rogue aims their teeth for Blazingpaw's ear. The white-pawed tabby launches himself at Wolfpaw, aiming to bowl her over using his weight.

The remaining five rogues set their sights on the warriors, claws unsheathed and teeth exposed.

​

 

[Hawkpaw]

"Oh- no, no, I didn't mean-"

So busy apologising and ridden with guilt over being caught out by a stranger, Hawkpaw isn't prepared enough to avoid the claws of the rogue as they whip towards her. She flinches back on instinct, but even that's not enough as lines of fire rake through kitten-fluff around her left eye. Hawkpaw wilts under the pain of it, a shrill wail loosing into the air as she tries to move back and out of the way. A branch meets her back paw- there's nowhere else to go, and she hears little over the blood rushing through her ears.

Blindly she extends her claws in that direction, earning a hiss and a spit as her swipe connects. It's not enough to wound, but just enough to be an annoyance. Her lesson is swiftly learnt as another set of claws come down hard on her left shoulder. Hawkpaw buckles, collapsing into the snow with a grunt. The rogue seems to leave her alone after that, though she can still feel the icky presence of her assailant somewhere close by. Go away, go away ...

A mere moon ago, Hawkpaw and her littermates had been kits in earnest, playing mossball and hide and seek and watching the Clan go by with barely restrained excitement. A season ago, they'd been content at Howlfire's side. Even though they're apprentices now, and should have been prepared for this ... maybe things just didn't change that quickly.

With the left side of her face swollen and bloodied against the snow, Hawkpaw struggles to keep her eyes - eye - open. Her flank rises and falls in quick, shallow breaths. She's so, so scared. Where's her mama? With any luck, Howlfire would be there when Hawkpaw went to sleep now. Just like old times. Just like last moon. Just like a few days prior.

"Mama ..." She croaks, a quiet whimper, hoping desperately that one of the blurry shapes moving just beyond where her eye can focus would resolve itself into being Howlfire.
​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

That’s when a black and white Tom-cat emerges from the shrub, his nose nearly touching her’s as his green eyes blaze. Figfeather lets out a startled yelp and bounces back a step, she turns her head just momentarily to lay eyes on the speaking she-cat, bitter that they’ve poked at their prey scraps. The marmalade she-cat hisses in warning, a stripe forming down her spine as she unsheathes her claws. With every word that passes from the rogue’s lips she braces for a fight, and with no time to cover Wolfpaw they all must fend for themselves.

In all her warriorhood- apprenticehood even, Figfeather has never quarreled with other cats. Foxes, badgers, and dogs, yes, but the injury to her leg had voided her of joining most battles SkyClan has fought in. For the first time ever she is forced to rake her claws against feline flesh, she does so without remorse as the jowl prominent Tom-cat lifts a heavy paw to strike her.

Figfeather lunges at him and they explode into a ball of claws and fur. Her flame pelt meshing against midnight fur as they roll. Tufts of their fur floating in the air around them as they tear and bite into each other.

She can hardly feel the sting of his claws against the thumping of her heart and the roar of blood in her ears. Figfeather sees nothing but red, the instinct and unyielding will to protect her territory and clan-mates at full force. Unfortunately that is not enough, the tom she quarrels with is meaty and strong, he manages to pin the red tabby into the snow. Squirming and kicking, Figfeather struggles to lift his weight off her as his teeth rip into her shoulder.

A yowl of pain pierces the air, joining the cries and whimpers of Hawkpaw. She regretfully glances to Wolfpaw, her heart filled with dread to witness her apprentice bloodied and overpowered. ”Run… Run!” Figfeather yells, pleads even. That’s when a black paw slams down against her head, it feels as if brambles are wrapped tightly around her, digging into her skull.

♡ INFO BATTLE

• 
  » Figfeather
  » SkyClan Warrior
  » She/her . AMAB
  » Mentoring Wolfpaw
  » Mate to Fantastream
  » A red tabby she-cat with a mangled leg.
  » ”Speech”․ thoughts ․ attack
  
• 
  » A foe in battle whose ability to strategize can shift tides.
  » Excels in strategizing and pre-planning her battles.
  » Fights defensively and aid to her clan to victory.
  » May powerplay minor harm. Can powerplay healing

​

 

[wolfpaw!]

Blazingpaw volleys back his excitement to fiercely defend SkyClan's territory. Wolfpaw can't help but mirror the instinct; at the mere thought of rogues encroaching on their territory, their hackles raise and their adrenaline drips steadily into their veins. What's theirs is theirs alone — they'd fight like all of LionClan to keep it that way, too, especially alongside their littermates. Blazingpaw and Hawkpaw were certainly going to make great warriors. They were already the leader and deputy of LionClan, so... of course they'd be fierce opponents in battle! The most laudable apprentices in all of SkyClan! And Wolfpaw would be, too, she is sure!

The warriors crowd around some feathers, but Wolfpaw is unconcerned. Instead she looks to Hawkpaw as her sister sneezes and chuckles good-naturedly, and when the other torbie approaches some cold shape in the snow Wolfpaw looks, too. It makes her... uneasy, she thinks, that this dead thing is sitting so perfectly in the snow. Squirrels usually didn't die with such a clean wound and go uneaten — Wolfpaw is certain that whoever caught it would have wanted to finish it, right? But... who caught it, then? Why was it out here all alone? With a sniff, she tries to dissuade her uneasy feeling and reply to Hawkpaw's question: "... No, I think that's cheating." But that's all she has to say before her attention is snagged elsewhere.

First it is Figfeather's guidance. Though the instruction is tense, Wolfpaw's tail wags timidly. Her mentor is so smart! She has to know, like, everything in the world, and she said she'd even pass that knowledge onto Wolfpaw, which is super exciting. All she has to do first is look for more signs of rogues, and then she and Figfeather can go back to learning everything ever. She is ready to follow, wordless, until the new distraction makes itself known: rogues.

She'd been born in ShadowClan, hardly more than an unconscious bundle of fur, much too small to know the way the rogues had threatened SkyClan (much to small to know the way SkyClan had retaliated). Only now is she facing the consequences of that all-too-recent history. At first there are only a few. Surely LionClan could push these rogues away so fearlessly — but then the rogues are two, four, eight. Wolfpaw's heart is beating so fast. Has it ever beat this fast before? Hot coals for eyes seek her mentor, and then her mother; surely they would get the patrol out of this mess? Wolfpaw hasn't even learned about combat yet. She... she can't protect herself. All her rabbit kicks had only ever made Blazingpaw giggle; all her fierce mossball competitiveness went up in smoke in the face of these glinting teeth and claws. All she knew how to be was a kitten. Maybe she still is one.

"Um, you can keep the squirrel!" she yips, attempting to smooth over whatever harm had been done, attempting to get them all to sheathe their claws please. "You can keep it!"

But their pitiful appeasements do nothing to calm the onslaught of rogues. A massive white-pawed tabby bowls into her and poor, small, kittenish Wolfpaw is sent reeling across the snow. Their head aches so suddenly with the force of the impact; their lungs struggle to intake air; they are winded in a way they did not know was possible before. They hardly have a chance to stand up before claws slash through their face and their shoulder and the rest of their forelimb, cruel in the reckless cuts. The tabby rogue cackles in his success. Wolfpaw's blood slings off his war-weathered claws and into the dusted snow. There is an explosion of warmth on her face, some sort of sea parting right down it; she can't see well, but she manages to make out the image of Figfeather being slammed to the earth and some dove of hope plummets to Wolfpaw's stomach and dies there. Run! her mentor urges, but the girl cannot run, and she's so scared, and won't somebody save me?

Bleeding out in the snow, Wolfpaw can only hope that her assailant will find his new toy too boring to continue playing with.

𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐍 ☾ 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆

• 

• 
  
  — wolfpaw
  — she / they / he ; apprentice of skyclan
  — longhaired lilac torbie with piercing yellow eyes
  — "speech" ; thoughts
  — avatar by tropics; signature by dreamydoggo
  — penned by meghan

​

 

[BLAZINGPAW]

THERE WILL COME A SOLDIER — The sneeze of Hawkpaw is enough to make his fur fluff up and she had startled him but only for a mere heartbeat, Blazingpaw turning his attention to the remains of prey and tries to think about who had killed the prey only to leave them scattered within the snow where they'd surely be covered by the white powder. The sight itself makes his stomach knot with unease, his green gaze shifted over to Hawkpaw who suggested thay they bring the squirrel to Blazestar and claim that they had caught it themselves. A frown finds itself present on his maw only to verbally agree with Wolfpaw that it was, in fact, cheating to do such a thing and he couldn't imagine real Lionclanners doing such a dishonest thing "Not only is it cheating but its lying too! A Lionclanner would never do such a thing." Nor would a future Skyclanner do such a thing he thinks, his attention turning to Figfeather as the molly tries to teach Wolfpaw about how Skyclan cats wouldn't kill and leave the remains of their prey so disrespectfully. Blazingpaw casts his own mentor a quick glance wondering what she might be thinking of this, he decides to focus on the tracks wondering where these no good rogues had run off to. He'd be merciful and simply chase them out from their border without the use of his tiny needle-like claws, his feathered ears pricked forward.

Then one, two, three... Eight. Eight rogues stepped out from the trees like snakes, the red tabby couldn't help but step back when one of them dared to get closer and flashed her teeth at him. He swallows nervously deciding that he would mimic her to try and intimidate her as he bared his own less threatening kitten teeth at her "Y-y-you'll leave if you know what's best for you." He warns puffing out his chest confident that if he tries not to show that he's not afraid of her - of them, that they would have no choice but to leave that he was just as brave as his grandfather. Just as selfless as Little Wolf. He stands his ground with pelt prickling in every direction to make himself seem bigger but despite all of his efforts, it proves to be futile since the rogues lunge for him and his littermates. He feels jaws snapping down on his ear only to tear at flesh as he manages to pull away with a pained yelp and his eyes widen with fear realizing that this likely wouldn't end well for either of them. Blood begins to drip from his new wound, he stumbles back catching the sight of other rogues attacking his littermates and Figfeather but doesn't worry entirely for the marmalade molly seeing as she had more experience than them.

His insides twist when he realizes that Figfeather loses against the large tom and his heart drops when she starts to yell for them to run. He wouldn't run! His littermates were in trouble! His own "opponent" having been distracted briefly by the fight between her companion and the Skyclanner, Blazingpaw takes the opportunity to bolt forward in the direction of his sisters but suddenly feels claws digging into one of his legs causing him to shriek in agony and his eyes prickle with the sting of tears. "LET ME GO!" Blazingpaw hisses as he twists to get out of her grip and swung an arm forward with claws outstretched to try clawing at his tormentor only to fall face first into the snow, he grunts hearing the sound of cackling from above that slipped from the lips of the skunk striped molly. "Stupid little kitten." She sneers at him and Blazingpaw curls into himself feeling her claws begin to swipe and claw into his skin. A part of him wants to cry out for his mother to chase the monsters away and curl around him and his sisters once more like they had a few days before they had been apprenticed.

He felt helpless and pathetic that he was unable to save his sisters from the rogues, tears brimming in his eyes from the pain of his new wounds and the hard realization that he wasn't any different from a moon ago. The stories that he had listened to intently, the games of being a Lionclan warrior, and now laying here unable to even defend itself... It breaks his spirited little heart. He'd never be selfless, brave, and strong as his grandparents or parents. Little Wolf had fought an eagle and saved a life... And here he lay, a coward. Blazingpaw sniffles deciding that he would try one more time to save his sisters and he unfurled like a snake ready to strike, much like Hawkpaw, his claws didn't do much damage only in resulting in irritating the bicolored molly who snarled at him. Instead of facing her claws it was her teeth and it hurt just as much, he felt his little body being lifted up from ground and teeth biting down harshly on the flesh behind his neck which caused him to let out another cry. Stop. Stop. Please stop. He thinks only to feel the rogue thrash him around and he feels his head begin to spin, he wishes for it to stop and perhaps his silent plead was heard.

Teeth release his neck sending him soaring through the air for a few heartbeats before plummeting like a flightless bird and streaking the snow with crimson, Blazingpaw feels his body and head slam into the cold surface of a jagged rock. The apprentice feels warmth blossom behind his head and his half gaze looking to his sisters with sadness and fear in his eyes, he lifts one of his paws upward feeling it uncomfortably shake in the air "H-Honky... W-Wolf..." A unsteady croak leaving his throat feeling more tears well up in his eyes, his arm giving way as it slowly falls onto the snow "M-mama..." Another weak whisper lost to the cold wind that briefly ruffled his fur, Blazingpaw letting out a ragged breath leave his lips. I'm s-s-s... sorry... Is his final thought before feeling his eyes close shut and he lays in the snow rather limply aside from his breathing.

WHO CARRIES A MIGHTY SWORD 𓆩✧𓆪 HE WILL TEAR YOUR CITY DOWN

• 

• 
  ✧ longhaired red tabby tom with green eyes
  ✧ 4 moons old; ages the 28th every month
  ✧ sexuality unknown; too young
  ✧ son of coyotecrest and howlfire
  ✧ brother to wolfpaw and hawkpaw
  ✧ currently being mentored by bobbie
  ✧ easy to befriend; kinda quick to anger (especially if you're springpaw)
  ✧ "speech", thoughts, attacking
  ✧ peaceful powerplay allowed

​

 

[Howlfire]

Howlfire's fur prickles when Hawkpaw finds a dead squirrel, showing it to her littermates and talking about whether or not to show it Blazestar. It's simple chatter but Howlfire still feels uneasy about the situation. These kills look recent, the blood seems fresh, which means that whoever did this probably wasn't far. Howlfire looked wearily at her children, willing them to focus and listen.

When the rogues start to spill out from between the trees, it all falls apart so fast. One, two, three...eight of them emerge. Their eyes are a blaze with fury, lips pulled back in snarls. Instinctively, Howlfire's fur rises on end, glaring at the rogues a small warning growl in her throat. She does not like how close they are to the apprentices, how they get up in her children's face as if making them the primary target of their ire. The rogues themselves make light of the young cats on patrol, reminding the warriors they had not forgotten what had been done to them and declaring that they would not be driven out again by kittens.

There is no warning when the ambush begins. No time to shout a warning to their apprentices, no time to step in and intervene.

Howlfire is horrified as three warriors lunge at her children. Figfeather is the first of the warriors to engage these rogues, rolling and thrashing with a dark warrior. Ultimately, the rogue gets the better of her, overpowering her and knocking her to the floor. Despite Figfeather's attempts to break free, she cannot shove the rogue off of her, and her own cries mingle with those of the kits as teeth bite into her shoulder.

Hawkpaw and Wolfpaw are on the floor now, cut and bleeding in the snow. Blazingpaw is still standing mercifully but he foolishly makes a charge forward to help his fallen sisters. "RUN!" Howlfire urges him, narrowly dodging a a paw to the head. She has to duck to avoid a large tabby tom but when her gaze finds her son again, her amber eyes find him being picked up the bicoloured molly, being shaken around like he was nothing. When the rogue is finished and the damage done, she merely drops him to the floor, discarding him like a worthless piece of prey.

"No..." Howlfire's eyes travel over her children one by one, her heart hammering so hard in her chest it's a miracle it doesn't burst out. She can hear their weak pleas, mumbling in pain, calling for her and each other. Their blood stains the snow and Howlfire is reminded of Morningpaw. Were their injuries as severe as hers? Was she watching her children bleed out and die as she had watched her sister? No. She could not do that again. She would not do that again.

Fire burns behind her eyes and Howlfire's attention goes to the tabby rogue nearest to her. He's smirking at her, perhaps sensing her pain and anguish, but the amusement does not last long before Howlfire rakes a claw over his eye. She doesn't know if it does any damage she just wants him out of the way. Howlfire's primary target is the russet-pelted she-cat who had gone after Hawkpaw.

Howlfire charges at her, truly embodying the fire with which she shared a name. Howlfire puts all her weight behind shoving her opponent to the ground. Howlfire was not as large as her father and brothers but she had the same ragdoll blood running in her veins, the same larger body that at this moment had an advantage over the smaller rogue. The rogue falls down to the floor and Howlfire takes the chance to stand on her shoulder, flexing claws into her flesh.

"G-Get off!" The rogue hissed, thrashing to break free. She doesn't seem to notice that her movements were making the wounds on her shoulder worse.

Howlfire hissed in her face. "You'll regret picking a fight with kits. With my kits!" She growled. And then her teeth were at the rogue's throat, blood spilling into her mouth. The rogue squeaks, muttering something about wanting to be freed, but Howlfire does not relent. She holds firm, shaking the rogue for good measure, trying her best to ignore the blood in her mouth, the blood that stained the ground and was staining Howlfire. The torbie did not let go until she finally felt the russet-pelted she-cat go still, easing her grip and letting the other cat flop listlessly to the floor. Howlfire's head bowed over her for a moment before lifting to look at the nearby rogues. Her maw is stained red with the blood of the rogue, dripping down her chin and staining her neck. Howlfire's eyes are still ablaze with fury and as she looks at the rogues she pulls back her lips in a snarl, exposing bloodied fangs. "Leave," She hisses in a low warning. If they stayed then so be it...she took no joy in killing would enjoy punishing all those who had attacked this patrol and hurt her children.​

 

[BOBBIE]

The leaf-bare chill burrows deep into her bones, reminiscent of bitter lungwort and claw-black peaks. Wind cuts at her exposed muzzle, whistling through long locks of fur, and its mournful wails drown out any hope of a scuffling mouse or cawing bird. No matter—with her new apprentice at her side, Bobbie pays little mind to the screaming wind and bitter cold. Blazingpaw is padding excitedly along, chattering in a hushed voice with his littermates. She leaves the young cats to their chatter for the moment, nodding agreeably as the other mentors talk about first patrols—a flash of blood and mutt-reek, and nothing more before she banishes it from her mind.

"I'd heard new apprentices dreamed big, but my goodness," she mews lightly, shaking her head bemusedly. Her own apprentice's poorly-muffled expectations of early warriorhood would have to be gently reduced at some point, but for now, Bobbie is content to let him bask in glory yet to come. Her rounded lilac ears swivel attentively when Howlfire discovers the scattering of blood-drenched feathers and Hawkpaw locates the limp and cooling squirrel. "Must've been. This wind's fierce," the warrior agrees, nudging her own apprentice. "Figfeather's right. Rogues are no joke, especially in leaf-bare."

It's a halfhearted attempt at installing a sense of the seriousness this poached prey carries to Blazingpaw, who thus far has seemed motivated and excitable—but rather naive and a little stubborn, she's noted. Not too unlike herself a few moons ago, and even now, though the mountains had stomped out some of that naivete.

Cats begin to slither from the shadows of the trees, setting her fur to a mane of spikes. Eight cats, muscled and scarred with the experience of battle—a bragging right neither she, nor her fresh-out-of-the-nursery apprentice bear. Bobbie's posture grows cagey, painfully aware of her lack of experience fighting cats—Blazestar had admitted, if a bit bashfully, that he might not have been the best teacher, and she hadn't though it'd matter. Three of them arrow towards the young apprentices in an act of frightening coordination, and of course the trio, only a few days from the nursery, are instantly overpowered.

"Blazingpaw!" she shrieks, and before she can so much as move the rogue is tossing her apprentice around like the kitten-toys so recently relinquished. His small shape, looking so tiny, so fragile, slams into a rock and he goes limp. Thank whatever stars look down upon her now, Howlfire is a blaze of claws and fury—gratitude and shame mix in a bile-inducing whirl. What kind of lead warrior could she claim to be, unable to protect her own apprentice from a few rogues? Bobbie's eyes jitter frantically around the scene to Figfeather, pinned and yowling.

Wordless, she lunges at the burly tom-cat pushing Figfeather into the snowy earth. She has fought enemies larger than her for her entire life and this is no different—Bobbie throws her full weight into the soft join of his neck and shoulder, knocking the both of them onto the slick ground. She's silent as they tussle, no taunts or calls for death, quiet except for heaving breaths and the occasional snarl. The rogue is bigger and stronger than her, but Bobbie has the virtue of formal training and speed. They're both sufficiently bloody when she makes a final lunge, sinking her jutting fangs into his face and feeling a stomach-turning give as one digs into the soft meat of an eye.

The rogue releases an ear-piercing screech and she scrambles away in the interim as he paws at his bloodied face. Howlfire has seemingly dispensed with another one of them and Bobbie works to hold back a gag at her own actions, attempting to look menacing despite the pain climbing up her back. Every cell in her body screams to check on her apprentice, and no doubt more in Howlfire's, but she grits her teeth and prays the rogues will take the other warrior's warning.

i'm a moon ☾ ( constantly chasing you )

• 

• 

  bobbie ; lead warrior of skyclan
  x. she/her ; 44 moons ; tags
  x. small, scarred lilac tabby and white she-cat with green eyes
  x. played by dejavu
  x. mother to lupinepaw, crowpaw, and drowsypaw. mate to blazestar.

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