PrideClan - A Clan of Brave and Strong cats

Pidgeonwing tumbled along, his feet getting caught up here and there. The forest was a new playground for him, so he couldn't navigate as well as he thought he could. But he was trying his best and letting himself feel the forest rather than being afraid of it.

He loved this so much. He loved feeling free and just letting loose. He could never just run through his home like this. At least not with another cat hot on his trail and a freshly caught mouse in his jaws. Everything was alive around him and he never wanted this to end.

He leaped over a log and landed clumsily on the other side. He paused there for a moment, glancing around. Nothing really looked familiar and at this point he was really starting to get tired out. He was giving up now and waiting for Dapplestorm to catch him.

--

Duskstar watched her eat. He remembered the first time that he had eaten fresh kill. It was a pleasant experience and he felt that he too would've eaten like her if he were to relive the day. He sat down beside her and waited for her to finish up in no hurry to rush her. They had all day to get her settled into the nursery.

So this is the fresh kill pile," he commented. "You may come here and get food as often as you need to. Please don't overeat as there are many cats in this Clan and you are not aiding in hunting currently. If you feel hungry, eat. If you do not, then don't. Very simple."

"Hmm. Okay," Speckledstone said. "Though, you really shouldn't be fighting foxes or badgers. Especially on your own. But I suppose I could show you a few things, just to keep you safe." She walked to the middle of the training clearing and thought for a moment.

"Well, I know they're dangerous. But it'd be useful if the Clan has to scare off them anyway!" Jaypaw followed Speckledstone to the center of the clearing and watched her expectantly and excitedly.

Speckledstone faced Jaypaw. "Okay. So the best way to get a fox is to be very fast. Foxes are fast and very smart, so you have to be faster and even smarter."

(I'm back but doing Important Homework, so... we'll see how that goes. Replies are gonna be short-ish.)

Dapplestorm skidded to a halt beside Pidgeonwing, breathing hard but feeling refreshed. Much as his lungs appreciated the quick break, his legs screamed for more, more, always more. The energy of all of StarClan pulsed in his veins.

"You're fast," he panted, shooting Pidgeonwing a sideways glance. "I'm impressed."

He paused, drinking in the forest around him. He'd only lived through a little over one full cycle of seasons, and it was hard to form an opinion when he'd been so small for his first two, but so far, newleaf had to be one of his favorites. There was a new energy to the woods, and with it, a new energy to his clanmates. He felt like he could have the world if only he wanted it.

"Oh," he added, touching his tail to Pidgeonwing's shoulder. "I got you."

...

Sadie looked up from her now-decimated squirrel. "That sounds fair," she agreed. "Anything else I need to know?"

She had the feeling that the answer might be more than she was mentally prepared for, but she shook it aside. She'd eaten their prey. She was theirs now.

"I'll pretend to be the fox. Go ahead and try to knock me down." Speckledstone took up a fighting stance and waited for Jaypaw to make the first move.

Pidgeonwing was panting heavily and his legs were starting to feel like jelly. He couldn't recall the last time he'd run so fast and recklessly. He was ready to go back to camp and collapse in his nest. Forget this beautiful day and this beautiful cat standing beside him. He could only think about his nest right now. But maybe Dapplestorm wouldn't be opposed to spending the rest of the afternoon sharing a patch of sunlight in the clearing together. Perhaps that was a little too forward though.

"Well, graceful warrior. Please take me back to camp so I can take a well deserved nap. I'm very tired."

--

Duskstar climbed to his feet. "Once you've had your kits, apprentices can come and bring you prey if you're unable to leave the nest. Other than that, the pile is yours as long as you're in the Clan. Now, let's get you a nest set up inside the nursery. It's pretty quiet in there right now, so you'll have a lot of peace. After you're all settled in, I'll see if I can get our medicine cat to come and check you over."

Jaypaw glanced over Speckledstone for a moment before diving in to try to knock her mentor's paws out from under her.

(welp im no good at rping battle training)

(Me: Dapplestorm is going to need a lot of courting to get a mate since he's so awkward! It's going to take him a while to fall in love, but that's okay, because there'll be a great slow burn going.
Me literally ten minutes later: Look, he's in Love™. They're married now.)

"Of course," Dapplestorm replied, bowing in one exaggerated, teasing motion. "My pleasure."

He turned and nudged his way through the brush, searching for the easiest way back to camp. Despite Pidgeonwing's impressive run, it had been a long day, and Dapplestorm doubted he yet had the stamina of a clan-born warrior. "I bet you didn't run much," he commented offhandedly. "As a kittypet, I mean."

Almost immediately after speaking, he winced. If only he could undo every uncomfortable statement he made. Maybe then he would have more close friends. "I don't mean to assume anything," he stammered quickly. "And you're very good! I just - my mother was a kittypet when she was younger. It sounded very... stifling. But maybe it wasn't for you. I don't know anything about it."

He felt his fur grow hot. Maybe you should just stop speaking, you piece of foxdung. You're not going to make yourself sound any better.

...

"Are there any other cats in the nursery?" Sadie meowed, unease creeping into her voice. She'd never had to live with other cats before, only twolegs, and they'd all had so much space that it was easy for everyone in the house to avoid each other. The idea of sharing a home with so many moving bodies, especially hostile ones, made her fur stand on edge.

Still, the longer Duskstar talked, the drowsier she realized she was. She hardly had the energy for all of this "running around the forest" and "coping with extreme environmental changes." Mostly, she wanted a long, luxurious nap. And if she couldn't have it at home, well - here would have to do, at least for today.

This is permanent, a voice inside her head nagged. You can't go on pretending forever.

One more day couldn't hurt, though, she figured, and so she shrugged it off.

(Pidgeonwing: Maybe I shouldn't say that.
Pidgeonwing two seconds later: Says that.)

Pidgeonwing was feeling a little bit too tired to comment on his kittypet lifestyle. But he didn't want Dapplestorm to feel like he had offended him so he commented quietly, "I really didn't run a lot. I was a lot lazier most of the day."

He walked a bit closer to Dapplestorm, starting to feel his feet drag and afraid he might just topple over. Perhaps running wasn't the best idea he'd ever had but it had been fun while it lasted. He couldn't wait to just lie down and be lazy for a little bit. But he was also feeling a bit salty that Dapplestorm didn't seem tired at all. Did he just have endless reserves of energy in which he could run all day and night on? Pidgeonwing wished he had some of that as well. Instead he was just dragging along.

"Hey, if you're not busy once we get back to camp, how about he lounge around together for a bit?" he asked. The tiredness was starting to make him a bit bolder and the thought of just having a warm cat to curl up next to was almost too good to pass up at this point. "You can tell me all about being a good warrior as I pretend to listen and actually fall asleep. Sound good?"

--

"There is one other queen yes," Duskstar commented. "A cat expecting kittens, like yourself. She's pleasant though. I have faith that you're going to get alone just fine."

He led her to the nursery and inside of it. The nursery was a smaller den that was thoroughly built so that really the only way in and out was through the front entrance. Flowers from outside were littered about the floor and made a soft bedding against the paws. A perfect home for kittens to spend their first few moons. Duskstar headed towards the back and started to scoop together some stray moss that was lying about. He left out the dirtier pieces until he made a small nest with the little scraps he had.

"Sorry about this," he apologized. "I'll bring you fresh moss soon. This moss should all do well for the time being until an apprentice can get you fresh bedding."

(Pidgeonwing is going to turn me into a bad writer when Dapplestorm falls in love in like four hours. Also, tag yourself, I'm Pidgeonwing being salty that Dapplestorm doesn't die when he runs.)

Dapplestorm's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Tired already?" he teased. "I guess we could go rest for a while."

Dapplestorm admittedly wasn't used to so much physical closeness, and the idea was making him a bit anxious, but he didn't want to upset Pidgeonwing after he'd put so much effort into tolerating Dapplestorm all day. Besides, not many cats cared to hear what he had to say. Not that Pidgeonwing did, of course, but the pretending was sweet.

"Me talking might put you to sleep faster," he added. "But maybe that's a good thing. You've earned a nap."

...

"I'll survive," Sadie replied, mostly out of politeness. The idea of sleeping on mods scraps when she was so used to her warm bed at home made her heart ache, but Duskstar didn't need to know about her doubts. "Thank you, though. You've been... a great help."

Carefully, she settled down on the makeshift bed - the nest, as the forest cats would put it. It certainly wasn't as uncomfortable as she expected, and she was so exhausted that she imagined she could easily drift off in minutes, but it came with the ache of knowing that this bed was part of a deal that sought to server her connection to her twolegs completely - to brand her with a new name, to teach her to love new food, to raise her kits with no knowledge of the world that was their birthright. She rested her chin on her paws and forced herself to breathe deeply.

If she survived her own grief, maybe that would mean she was strong enough to survive the life of a warrior, too.

(Romeo and Juliet ft. Pidgeonwing and Dapplestorm. also im Pidgeonwing being so tired he's like "let's just nap together and chill bruh.")

Pidgeonwing chuckled a bit. "Are you trying to say that you're boring? Because you're only boring sometimes. I haven't really been bored with you all day! And we've spent a lot of time together. Imagine that."

He stumbled over his paws a bit as he walked. He truly was one tired cat. He decided to focus a bit more on where his feet were going so he didn't actually trip and fall.

--

"I'll let you rest for now," Duskstar said. "If you need anything, any warrior in camp will come to your aid if you poke your head out and call. But rest. You deserve it."

Slowly he exited the den and entered into the sunshine. He would have her naming ceremony later after she had rested and felt a bit more comfortable in camp. That could most definitely wait. Instead he decided to send one of the nearest apprentices to go get new moss for her bedding and headed off to the medicine cat den to see if either of them was around to check in on Sadie.

Lightheart hesitated to make sure the kittypet wouldn't be following behind Duskstar before pushing himself to his feet and making his way over, quickly so he could catch their leader before he got into a conversation with another clan member. "Duskstar," He started once he was a fox-length away from the large cat. He came to a stop once the two toms' faces were around four whiskers length from each other. "Please inform me you aren't planning on letting that kittypet stay in the clan." He said, keeping his voice low.

(YOU'RE ONLY BORING SOMETIMES. Also, sɪʟᴠᴇʀᴏᴡʟ ☾ Sadie's finally open now! Oh, and the medicine cats are collecting herbs rn I think.)

Dapplestorm shot Pidgeonwing an amused glance. "You really are tired, aren't you?" he meowed, voice uncharacteristically kind. "Don't worry. It's just a little longer now."

After a few moments, he emerged at the entrance to the camp. "Here we are," he announced. With a sly look, he added, "And, for the record, I'm always boring. Ask anyone. No wonder you're so tired."

...

"Thank you," Sadie replied, bowing her head.

His retreating form left her alone in her brand-new home, with only the thick scent of moss and a heavy sense of wrongness to keep her company. It was like a physical sensation crawling along her skin, threatening to trap her. When she had been a young cat, she had thought of the wild as freedom, as miles and miles to run uninhibited, but now she knew they were as imposing as the collar her two-legs had tried to put on her moons ago.

As much as she longed for sleep, her racing heart wouldn't let the darkness sweep her away just yet. Instead, it left her on-edge and panicky, scanning the den in case a stranger emerged at the entrance and gobbled her down whole.