backwritten Under a deadline ✧ Silversmoke

[Florabreeze]

Assessments. This was a right of passage that Flora was aware of. She had known about them since joining, Silversmoke had been very adept at giving the joining spiel and making sure that joiners could have an understanding of what their expectations were. She had even caught glimpses of mentors and their apprentices or their shadows wandering off to go on their own assessments, she had never witnessed a proper one but she understood the concept. Truthfully, she felt pretty confident that she would be fine with it, while she wasn’t an exceptional hunter by any means, Sorrelsong had taught her very well. She could even do cool moves from the trees! She never thought when joining SkyClan that she would be able to do that! Flora was pretty decent with fighting too, when Sorrelsong wasn’t able to teach her some moves then she was able to outsource it. That had built her a decent catalogue of moves to at the very least have her be able to hold her own during an assessment.

Overall, she was extremely confident over her ability with everything except the aspect of history and Clan culture. Try as she might (and she hadn’t really tried to her credit) she had no clue over what she should even begin to know, if there were any questions outside of the extreme basics she would fail. Maybe it was her pride, or the fact that she didn’t want to look like a fool in front of Sorrelsong. Whatever the reason was at the end of the day she was reluctant to ask her anything regarding SkyClan history or Clan culture as a whole. She would be assessed soon though, doomsday was calling so to speak. Not that she really deemed it as doomsday per say yet she was stressed all the same. Flora had grown to like being here, she would hate to be kicked out because she got thrown a question she had never heard of before. She considered who she should ask about this, the answer came easy, she thought about a steely Lead Warrior who didn’t consider himself to be interesting but was the one who had taught her several things about SkyClan's culture and rules within one conversation.

Yeah! The mind is a weapon too, if she can be taught combat then she could be taught history too! Making up her mind she had decided to seek him out, spotting a solitary familiar coat had brought a pep in her step. “Silversmoke! Just the tom I wanted to see!” She practically sang out as she moved to stand beside him, a wide grin on her maw like she hadn’t been stressing about being kicked out a few moments prior. “If you’re free, I was hoping you could maybe help me out with my assessment preparations? You’d have to know a lot of culture and history to be a Lead Warrior, right?” Her tail swayed behind her like a leaf in the breeze as she questioned him. Doubt ebbed at her for a moment, worried that he would turn her away, he wasn't who she was shadowing after all so why would he explain this to her? She had let her cheery mask slip for a moment to show her unease as she waited for his answer only to build the walls back up, beaming a smile at him. That was a moment of vulnerability that Flora wore uncomfortably. Confidence was the key to success, she told herself to have faith that he wouldn’t dismiss her, to her knowledge he enjoyed her presence enough and he took great pride in SkyClan, surely he would help her out with this.

// @SILVERSMOKE this takes place sometime before her assessment!​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

With half of the moon spent within the medicine cat's den and the other half without an apprentice, the Lead Warrior's schedule had become frustratingly barren. When every phase of the sun wasn't fulfilled by something to do, there was a real sense of boredom within the spotted tabby, and sitting in the camp became less of a chance for relaxation and more of a plea for some fulfillment, hawklike gaze guarding those who found it easier to recline in their off-time. He quickly spotted Flora moving towards him, his limbs bunching closer together as he turned his body slightly away from the excited Daylight Warrior, watching her over his shoulder like a broody owl. Silversmoke's tufted ears twitched curiously, why in StarClan's name did she want to see him? Luckily, the maine coon didn't keep him waiting for long, and mention of the assessment caused him to tilt his head forwards. He didn't see the look in her eyes, but the tension in her limbs was enough to tell him that this was something more important than sing-songy words would suggest.

Good, she was taking clan life seriously, and with something to do now he could hopefully rid himself of the nagging voice in the back of his head. Subconsciously, his front faced her once more. "I do. I've been here since the start of SkyClan, I've seen how it's changed." All for the better. The environment had been more lawless at its conception and each consequence of that brought about conversions that only sought to make his home stronger. SkyClan wasn't the best it could be yet, but it was getting there, perhaps even faster than the other clans who still bickered about heritage like elders. "Everyone does their assessments slightly differently, some will ask you a bunch of questions, others only a few. Regardless, it's important to know as much as possible. The warrior code and the other clans are also possible topics. I..." 'Am not the best for this.' He knew the culture, he knew the history, he could explain it in simple ways, but he did not feel like a cat suited to long conversations either topic. The Lead Warrior shook his head, letting out a huffing noise. "Nevermind." Better fumble his way through a history lesson than sit about waiting for something worse to happen. "What did you want to know first?"
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[Florabreeze]

She blinked in surprise, how old was Silversmoke if he had been here since SkyClan's inception? Or rather, how young was SkyClan? Flora was vaguely aware of there being something about colony's, Honeysplash had mentioned it in passing once but she didn't chase it. Perhaps she should have, at the time she didn't really care as much as she did now. Hindsight was a funny joke, one that she didn't really get often.

The tabby had understood that Silversmoke was trying to be factual about this. He didn't mince words and while she appreciated that, this was making her head spin already. She had assumed that there was a strict way of conducting assessments, that everyone followed the same set of rules. How unfortunate that wasn't the case, the news that everyone was different wasn't comforting. How was she supposed to know as much as possible? It seemed like a monumental task.

Her spiraling concern was grabbed by the reins when Silversmoke trailed off, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. As if trying to follow that thread of unfinished conversation, she didn't vocalise it but her quizzical gaze was enough scrutiny. She shook her head, dropping that line of thought in favour of attempting to think about what she needed assistance with. “I think I get the code, unless there's background information I should know surrounding that?” She paused, trying to think of what else she should know. The issue was rather she wasn’t sure where to start. “I don't know much about the other clans, there are those colonies too... Do questions about that get asked? I guess that counts as history, right? Do I have to know about StarClan? I know a little about that” she was mostly muttering to herself then sighed, ultimately unsure of what launching topic to use.

Pawing at the ground in front of her while she brainstormed she paused her movements, finally reaching a conclusion. “Hm… Starting from within the clan and working out sounds easy? Honeysplash mentioned something about colonies once. Should I know much about that?” She decided to sit down, sitting up straight instead of slouching so she could show that she was paying attention. Since Silversmoke has been here since the start surely he would know about the colonies.​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

A brow raised at the question of the code's context, when Flora didn't smile jokingly, he blinked incredulously towards her. "There is background information." Every law had a reason for being, that was why laws were so important. But, it seemed that the maine coon thought they were there for the sake of it, some whim from leaders with nothing better to do. He knew he shouldn't blame her, he hadn't exactly been a cunning historian when he first joined SkyClan either, yet it didn't stop the accusatory, 'how could you not know that?' from entering his brain. When other gaps in Flora's knowledge were mentioned, the weight of the task he had signed up for began to pile atop Silversmoke's shoulders. It wasn't like Chrysaliswing who'd been an older apprentice when Silversmoke mentored him, or Crowsight who'd learned from the elders, this was a cat who'd joined SkyClan on an impulse, and whose knowledge was consequently restricted far beyond that of a forest-born cat. Silversmoke shook out the bristles in his fur - StarClan, this was going to be a long conversation.

"It might do. I asked Eggshellbloom about clans and the codes they created. It was... a little cruel to ask an outsider that, perhaps. But if you're going to be treated like a SkyClanner, you need to know as much as one." Silversmoke took a deep breath, trying to follow her curiosity and finding the questions jumbled into one in his head. "That means learning about StarClan as well. I'm... not really convinced that worshipping them is right for me, but their rules and ours are the same. If you feel the same, it's no excuse for being ignorant about what they are and what they do." StarClan were grey, claimants of a light that was too aloof to intervene where it was needed most and too invasive to let clans handle problems by themselves. He supposed it was a consequence of being born from living, breathing animals instead of a higher being, it carried flaws that most cats had.

Silversmoke reclined on his haunches, dipping his head at the Daylight Warrior's request. Starting from the clan was simple enough, but then the colonies were mentioned, and such a feat became trickier. He paused, staring off into space as he considered how best to approach the lecture. It had never been like this with his apprentices, oftentimes lore and exposition had been delivered while trading battle stances. "There were two colonies once, one in the pines and one in the marsh. The Pine Colony was led by a kittypet, the Marsh Colony was led by a rogue. Things were peaceful until there were disputes over prey, and after that battle after battle was waged. The final battle, the Great Battle, saw the creation of StarClan from the spirits of those who had perished in the war. StarClan saw it fit to separate the two colonies into five. Five cats declared themselves leaders of these new colonies, and these colonies became known as the Five Clans. Emberstar led her group to the oaklands, Briarstar to the marshlands. Sootstar went to the moors and Cicadastar settled across the river. Blazestar chose the pine forest. I'm sure you can guess which clan is which." He cocked his head towards Flora - did she know what the territories were like beyond SkyClan's borders? His pupils fluttered upwards in search of any confusion.

​

 

[Florabreeze]

“To every single code?” Flora retorted, genuine surprise evident across her face. No one really talked about what made what code implemented, just the codes themselves, unless they had and she had turned it out in the first moon, that was very likely. That weird feeling of insecurity rested on her shoulders again like a hungry predator, just out of her eyesight but she knew that it was stalking her. He hadn’t turned her away yet, so that must be a good sign right? She made a mental note to ask around more after this, make more of an effort to actually understand the Clan she had joined. The aftershocks of her impulsive decision had settled, she was starting to settle in and finding a place here. If it meant she had to listen to some history lessons to better understand her place here then she would.

A knowing grin found its place as Silversmoke explained how he questioned Eggshellbloom “you don’t seem like you’d take it easy on someone under your charge” her tone is light, her usual playful lilt carrying it. Even if she was trying to take on a more serious persona she couldn’t help but let a teasing remark slip in every now and again. Her grin slipped as she tried to listen dutifully to his explanation, ears growing warm at the implication that she was being ignorant of what StarClan was and what they do. He wasn’t wrong per say, she had originally written off Silver Pelt as just another fancy name for stars when she first heard of it. Just because the Lead Warrior wasn’t wrong doesn’t mean that she couldn’t feel a little bit embarrassed though.

Flora blinked in confusion as she tried to father what Silversmoke was talking about. Great Battle? She hadn’t heard of that before but… was that really a surprise to anyone? The daylight warrior paused, unsure if this was a prompt for her to try and recite to him which clan was which, she was pretty sure she knew it. Her eyes didn’t show confusion rather than the rare sight that she was dedicating thought into choosing her words. “Well SkyClan is the Pine forest, I know that much at least” she began and laughed, part of her did consider flubbing the obvious one on purpose but she had a feeling that the joke may not have landed. “RiverClan would be the river… and ThunderClan is the oaklands sooo is Windclan the moors and ShadowClan the marshlands?” she sounded confident when making her guess about RiverClan and ThunderClan but there was hesitance about the final two clans. Her pitch went a little higher, usually she slipped into that when she was unsure of something, Flora was certain that she got it wrong but that was the point of this right? Nothing bad would happen if she got it wrong now, she would just be explained the difference.

Her paw kicked up the ground in front of her, finding a stray twig on the ground being her victim of keeping herself occupied while she thought. Pushing it against the dirt to slightly bury it, just to dig it back up again. “So what parts of SkyClan history should I be aware of? And don’t say ‘everything’ because then you’re going to be stuck here with me for a while” she narrowed her eyes, staring at him in an accusatory way before going back to burying the twig. She was getting a little antsy just sitting still, but she was willing to power through it. ​

 

[SILVERSMOKE]

"To every single code," he replied gravely, seemingly perturbed that Flora hadn't learned it already. Rules were the lifeblood of any clan, but hardly were any made without some sort of history - oftentimes it was difficult to know you needed a rule for something before the consequence of not having it was revealed. Hindsight made it obvious, it was asinine nowadays to suggest a three-moon-old apprentice or open borders, yet mere moons ago they'd been staples of the colonies. Odd eyes widened then settled as she teased him about Eggshellbloom, his tail instinctively lashing at her grin. She wasn't wrong, none of his charges had had an easy road to warriorhood, but their competence was vital for the safety of the clan. Going easy on any of them would put themselves and SkyClan in danger, though the line between fair and too strict was a difficult one to tow. Not realising the other was joking, the Lead Warrior stammered, "It's not like that, it's just-" 'I want them to be the best they can be.' "Okay so it might be like that, but it's not like my standards are impossible."

Just high, high enough for anyone he mentored or was shadowed by to be able to take care of themselves and their legacy. Within the quiet, there was a nervous energy rippling from the Flora, something he hadn't seen since bringing up her daughter. It made his own paws fidget slightly, even as she hypothesised which clan was in each territory. SkyClan in the pine forest, ShadowClan in the marshlands, WindClan on the moors, RiverClan by the river, and ThunderClan in the oak forest. The clans hadn't been particularly creative with their names, but at least it made it easier for newcomers like Flora to guess where each one lived. An eye twitched at her pitch change, before he dryly mewed, "Yes, you're right. Congratulations, that is almost everything you need to know about the other clan's territories. We share our border with ThunderClan and RiverClan, and pass through ThunderClan's territory each moon to get to the Gathering. Don't wander, but take in the sights and smells as best you can the next time you go to one, for being so close to us, their lands are remarkably different." Uninviting, though that may just have been because he was a SkyClanner.

At her next comment, his eyes trailed downwards to the twig she fidgeted with. Silversmoke sighed sharply, scuffing the ground beneath himself like a stubborn horse. "It kind of is everything, we have no way of preserving the memories of those that came before us unless we talk about them. To miss any detail might make them forgotten in the future... and these cats are too important to me for that to happen." A warmth reached the tom's face as he thought about his cherished clanmates and, awkwardly, he cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes, looking as if he had just chewed on a wasp as he realised how soft he must've looked. "Sorry, sentimentality is foolish, I know. I will think of something more specific," he relented and, though he did not say it verbally, his tone held the promise that Flora would likely have to hear 'everything' from him at one point, should she still entertain his company. With a tilt of his head, Silversmoke grew silent, his usual monotonous brooding occasionally broken up by a bout of shyness that entered his thoughts. Eventually, he decided on two things substantial enough to discuss. "Our place in the creation of the Warrior Code and why we're so accepting of outsiders. Those two are most significant, I think." It was up to Flora which one she wanted to learn about first.

​

 

[Florabreeze]

Her tail curled around her like a shy kit and she couldn’t help but chuckle “I'm sure they’re not impossible. I was just pulling your tail so to say.” Flora hadn’t expected him to take this literally at all, seeing him stammer and appear flustered confused her. Sure, he was within his rights to have high standards. She didn’t have an issue with him having those expectations, if you’re bringing newcomers in then it was fair enough. Flora was gathering that incompetency could be a lethal consequence, that being said she was thankful that she was shadowing someone else.

She was interested to hear about the other clans, especially the ones that SkyClan shared its borders with. If she didn’t understand that each of the Warrior Code came with a backstory that established each of them then she wasn’t going to know any of the internal politics that the other clans had. Nor would she understand the clans' politics surrounding each other, especially views towards SkyClan. “Don’t wander but look and smell, gotcha” she meowed back with a nod. Fighting back the wanderlust to wander through territory that was not her own wouldn’t be a particularly difficult challenge but she would consider giving in. Though, even Flora knew that would not be a good idea.”I wonder why they’re so different though since it’s so close” she mused out loud to herself, there were logical reasons such as biodiversity but there were also fantastical reasons, though that could be an influence from the wild gossip she shared with Sangriakit.

Silversmoke's sigh was almost like a punchline of a joke to her, she had to suppress a laugh. Once she had recovered, she had to admit that she was surprised. The sentimentality in his words weren’t expected, that had brought pause to her actions. Eyes widening as she stared at him, only to look away when he had cleared his throat. “Not at all, I think it’s fine to be sentimental. That works with me more than any grand historical retelling will” it may sound dismissive but she wasn’t going to lie about it. She hadn’t considered that, the idea of it being to preserve the memories of those you cherished. That resonated with her, there were cats in SkyClan that she had grown attached to, Sorrelsong, and Honeysplash were the first to come to mind. Silversmoke himself was on that list, she didn’t really know him but she wanted to ensure that his memories would be carried onwards. There was her kin too, she hadn't considered that before. If anything it was strange to think that the tom thought himself as foolish for being sentimental. “Thank you for thinking of something specific though” she added after regaining her senses from her thoughts. For the sake of learning about the clan, specifics would be better than the abstract view that sentimentality brought.

“I think I’d like to hear about our place in the creation of the Warrior Code first. It’s important to know that, right? Not that the other one isn’t important, this feels more pressing though” she trailed off on vocalising her train of thought. Her paw found it’s place back on the twig, pushing it to make small patterns on the dirt. Despite that she tried to keep her attention on Silversmoke, listening intently.​