there's no other way we can stay alive - storytelling

[emberstar]

"AND THOUGH THE EMBERS ARE NEW, WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T LET THE FIRE DIE"​

It comforted Emberstar, to hear the bustle of camp around her, even while she rested. Each and every little sound reminder her that she wasn't alone, that she was surrounded by all the cats she cared about. That thought warmed her heart. The heat from that alone wasn't enough to combat the deepest chills of leafbare, so when the sun set she still had to retreat into her lonely den, but while the sun was up she could remain among her clanmates.

As she watched the sun approaching the horizon this afternoon though, she felt a pang of sadness. It had been a long day, and she had been resting just outside her den before she slept. For some reason, the thought of sleeping alone didn't sit well with her tonight. It was too lonely to stomach. The sun set so soon, in these chilly days.

Emberstar considered going out for a hunt, to keep her mind off it, but at this hour all the prey would already be hidden away in their dens. The border patrols would already have been taken care of by Howling Wind too. After a moment's consideration, she instead padded toward the center of camp. "Heya, anyone wanna hear a story?" she offered as she set herself down.​

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[sloestride]

THIS WEIGHT ON MY NECK MAKES IT HARD TO CONNECT​

Blinking back the last of the sun's rays, Sloepaw was surprised to see Emberstar approaching the centre of camp. Maybe he shouldn't be, she was leader after all. Prepared for an order or scrap of news, the apprentice lifted his dark chin to watch the saffron molly intently. At her mention of a story, he relaxed back into a slouch, sun-warmed pelt soft against the earth.

"I'd love to," he mumbled, content to make the most of the daylight and his time out of tasks. Hearing the stories of those in the clan always proved to be worthwhile- whether they were educational, brought out a chuckle or just interesting. It all added up into a lattice of information that, hopefully, would make him a good warrior one day.
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[SHALLOW]

There was not much for him to do, not until he had been assign a mentor. Only after that he would be allowed to go outside. Until then he was stuck in camp which honestly was weird. To be in a such small crowded place was alot different to the life he had have before there he could go wherever he wanted. Shallow had been seating by himself when his ears perked up at Emberstars call. A story?. Since there was not much else he could found himself in doing the kit got up on his paws to walk himself over but not too close. Distance was to be respected. Seating back down again, his tail got wrapped over his paws as he would listen to whatever thier leader was gonna tell them about.


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[Flycatcher]

The day was drawing to a close and Flycatcher was finally ready to wind day after a busy day. It's an unusual sight to see Emberstar taking a seat in the centre of camp before asking if anyone would like to hear a story. He weighed up his options for a moment, torn between settling down for an early sleep or listening to Emberstar's story. Eventually, the latter won out.

"I'll listen in, if you'll have me," Flycatcher said with a light tone, joining Sloepaw and Shallow to listen to Emberstar's tale. As he got settled comfortably, he found his gaze searching for Flamewhisker, wondering if she would also join them.​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ ————————————
Emberstar had always been an oddball, as far as Lightpaw was concerned. Was it a bad thing? Don't ask. How was he supposed to know?

So when their pale-furred leader planted herself in the middle of camp asking if anyone wanted to listen to a story, the apprentice didn't even question it. Just another day in ThunderClan. If it weren't her asking, it probably would have been someone else. Even still he paused, considering the offer while others gathered to take her up on it.

Lightpaw trailed behind Flycatcher after a moment. "Depends on what it's about," he said after a moment, pointedly hanging back in the crowd.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Flamestar]

( ★ ) Tired paws carried the ginger tabby through the camp's entrance. A few mice swayed back and forth as she carried them in her jaws. She dipped her head to her fellow patrol mates, before padding to the fresh-kill pile to deposit them. She had arrived just in time to hear Emberstar's offer for a story. Her ears perked interestedly, and she made her way over to join her clanmates.

She would settle beside Flycatcher, touching his shoulder briefly with her nose in greeting. Her tail would flick neatly over her paws, and she turned her attention to the pale tabby. ​

( I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD ; YOU CAN BURY ME )

 

[FINCHCATCHER]

Emberstar's call for a story is an odd one. A call that Finchcatcher doesn't quite expect a leader to make, but one that guides his paws towards his friend anyway. A story never hurts - it's a way to fill the camp with sound, a way to distract his mind.

"I'm up for a story," Finchcatcher meows as he greets Emberstar. The flame-furred tom settles within the audience, wrapping his tail around himself as he waits for the leader's story to begin.
​

 

[emberstar]

"AND THOUGH THE EMBERS ARE NEW, WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T LET THE FIRE DIE"​

Emberstar's grin grew wide as her clanmates assembled around her. Hearing their voices ring out around her, she could hardly feel the chill upon her fur. The warmth in her heart kept it at bay. This was what she lived for.

Her ears perked up as she caught Lightpaw's voice chiming in from somewhere in the back. She chuckled at his comment. "Oh, nothing interesting." She teased with a shrug and a shake of her head. "It's just about the most skilled warrior to ever live, you probably wouldn't be interested." The leader couldn't resist a laugh at her own humor.

She settled in, wrapping her tail around herself as she considered how to begin with a hum. "I was about your age-" Emberstar nodded toward Shallow, before pausing, thinking for a moment, and then nodding toward Lightpaw instead. "No, about your age, and I had only just gotten the hang of hunting. You two picked it up a lot faster than me. " She proclaimed with a shrug. "My mother started teaching me at three moons but I was dumb as a kit, and I learned slow. Every catch felt like its own miracle."

With each word, her gaze faded away, as she drifted into memory. "I had this bad habit, of getting overeager in the middle of the hunt. I'd take a step too quickly, or make some little noise of excitement without realizing it, and my prey would dart away before I even knew what was happening. By six moons I'd learned to put all of my energy into keeping myself still and silent. That worked, for a while, but I learned how bad an idea it was when I leapt from the underbrush one day, sunk my teeth into a squirrel, and while I was basking in my success a shadow fell over me."

Emberstar remembered herself long enough to lean toward the crowd with a sly grin and whisper the words, "A badger."

"I was so busy focusing on myself and my prey that I didn't even notice it's scent. Which is really impressive, in a way! Because wow did that thing stink!" she laughed, long and loud. "Oh. Not that I noticed in the moment. I was too busy thinking about how big it was. It was three times my size and looked four times as mean! I was sure I was dead."

She paused, if only for a moment, to look around and survey her clanmates reactions.

And for the dramatic effect, of course.​

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