ϟ ThunderClan ϟ The Fierce and Caring ϟ |☾ ☼ ϟ ≈ ☁| ϟ

Yewpaw's tail flicked back and forth with excitement as she was lead from camp by the two warriors. She had been on patrols before, with other apprentices and other warriors, and everytime she felt special. She could prove her abilities to some cat that wasn't her own mentor!

And it wasn't like she hadn't been to the Riverclan border before. Yewpaw hadn't gone much, it wasn't a common excursion, but the sight of the river was always worth it. It scared her, that she could get stuck under the water and never come up again. She was perfectly content on staying on Thunderclan's side, with her paws dry. But it was always so beautiful, the way the sun make it look like it was sparkling.

Yewpaw beamed up at Hickoryshade as she spoke, her smile widening as a compliment was tossed her way. Or, what she interpreted as one anyways. "What part of the border are we hunting on? Or are we not hunting anymore?" Her tail shot up in excitement. "What if we run into a Riverclan patrol? That would be pretty cool!"

“Oh, we’re hunting. Sometimes the stuff that washes up from the river draws prey in. Like bugs and seeds, fruit. All that.” Hickoryshade glanced down at Yewpaw, humored by the apprentice’s enthusiasm. She pushed through some dried underbrush, noticing with a faint scowl that leafbare was coming and prey had been awful during the warmer moons. Thank Starclan that Hickoryshade could get prey from Fluffcloud and Eelshock for Thunderclan.

“If we see a Riverclan patrol, we be cordial. I hate to say it, but if they challenge us, they’ll likely have every advantage. But if we let be and keep to our sides of the border, we’ve got no need at all to be hostile.” She decided.

“If you think this is exhaustion, then you haven’t seen me at my worst.” Frostmoon scoffed bluntly, before she realized that he was teasing, and not making a statement. She allowed herself to smile lightly with humor, before she took a bite, knowing that he wanted her to go first. She swallowed, before admitting. “I’m grateful I was trusted with an apprentice so quickly after getting my name. It makes me feel… I don’t know. Important? Like all my training and dedication was rewarded. Good. It feels good.”

"On three we pounce!" She whispered to the others, as a few crows cautiously fluttered down from their perch.

“I’m ready!” Dovecloud whispered, crouching low to prepare for her pounce. She nodded. “Go ahead and start the count.”

“Well. No cat can doubt your dedication, hm?” Hickoryshade smirked, though inwardly she prayed that Yewpaw would never have to face a pointless battle between Clans. Surely, she could one day see that they wouldn’t need to fight over borders, but defend one joined border together instead. She did humor at Yewpaw’s question, forgetting that the she-cat would have been very young when plants bore fruit in newleaf.

“Fruit grows on plants after their flowers come in. Like berries. You remember Peachdapple talking about Deathberries, and to avoid them? Those are a type of fruit, albiet a bad one. But most fruit won’t harm you, like blackberries and raspberries, or small apples near the Skyclan border.”

Postin some starters :3 )

Midnightstream tensed up a bit in her nest. Recently, she had been feeling some slight pains in her belly. She knew that the kits were far too early to be coming, and it didn’t feel like it was any of their doing. She prayed it was just nervousness, but worry inked in her heart either way. She didn’t want to frighten Darktail though, so she kept reserved.

Flurrypaw seemed downtrodded, eyes glowering as he kicked a pebble in the corner of camp. Drizzlepaw was still sick, and now Tigerpaw had passed his assessment. He’d be a Warrior and Flurrypaw would be an apprentice. They wouldn’t be denmates anymore, and that thought was crushing.

Midnightstream seemed to snap out of her trance at Blizzardstorm’s question, her eyes creased with both assurance and a hint of tension as she mewed. “Oh! Yes, we’re… we’re super excited.” She couldn’t tell Blizzardstorm that Darktail technically wasn’t just Darktail. Someone else inhabited his body too. Beyond that, she winced as the small ache filled her belly again. Seeming a bit drained all of a sudden, she swallowed. “It’s the most excited I’ve been for anything.”

“No, and that’s the problem!” Flurrypaw exclaimed as Stumppaw approached, his eyes wide with disdain. “Tigerpaw is going to be gone and Drizzlepaw is sick, so now there’s nobody to mess around with! And what if Tigerpaw goes and likes one of the other Warriors? I liked him first!” He mewed bluntly, uncaring if anyone knew of his affections for Tigerpaw.

Midnightstream shook her head slowly. “I don’t think they’re contractions. I just… I really, really don’t want to get sick.” She mewed meekly, realizing she could be catching Whitecough. She felt a bit more open talking to Blizzardstorm, not as worried about worrying him as she was worrying Darktail. “Do I look bad?” She asked honestly.

Flurrypaw had the wisdom to be cowed, eyes wide as he stammered. “What? Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that! You and everyone else are great, but… oh, you know. Like. Tigerpaw’s just. Tigerpaw!” He breathed, trying to express his feelings. “I knew it would happen but I didn’t expect it to go by so fast. What if he thinks the other Warriors are way cooler than me, and forgets all about me?” He pouted, looking a bit jealous.

“I… think I might be starting to feel sick.” Midnightstream fretted, suddenly pulling up to her paws as she gave an anxious noise. “And here I am possibly being a danger to the nursery, I can’t bear getting anyone here sick! Oh, stupid!” She scolded herself. “Sorry, Blizzardstorm.” She apologized meekly.

Flurrypaw gave a long groan, though it was clear that he was being overly dramatic. “But some of the she-cats in camp are so pretty! Like, how do I compete with that? I saw Willowsong pass by and the sun hit her, and she looked magical! Magical, I tell you! When the sun hits my fur, I blind everyone!” He exclaimed, demonstrating by stepping into a few sun dapples, his white fur remaining the same white. “See?!”

"I hate feeling like I'm troubling you..." Midnightstream sighed, though she made no move to deny the tom coming to her side. Rather, she looked at her paws and shrugged. "You already are helping to care for more kits than anyone else in the Clan. I hope you don't feel like you need to be obligated to think about mine as well at all times." She shook her head, fretting as they walked. "Darktail's already lost enough these past few moons. Knowing I could make him worry makes me feel awful."

"Well... I mean, I do like she-cats. I like everyone. I could, that is, I think! But... Tigerpaw's Tigerpaw. And Tigerpaw's the best." Flurrypaw tried to explain, before he smiled to himself at the mention of the older apprentice. He shook his head, before he laughed. "Drizzlepaw would get all shy if she heard you or anyone calling her pretty! She's really squirrely about that stuff." He seemed to droop. "I don't like seeing her sick, not one bit."

“We have to find her.” Frostmoon mewed severely, her eyes sharp with determination as she worried for her clanmate’s safety. She looked at Ghostscreech and mewed. “I thought the Twolegplace patrols would work for both our Clans, but now…” She sighed deeply.

Heyooo, shall we start the meeting and ceremonies? I’ll find my last post for Sunthroat!)

"How... how close would you say are we to the border?" Yewpaw asked, her gaze flicking back to Bluewhisker then latching back onto Hickoryshade. "And where exactly are we going to hunt again? Closer to the river? What if someone falls in?" She stretched her claws out, staring at them for a second. Could she save a cat if they fell in? Could she swim? Wasn't that Riverclan's job? Yewpaw didn't know how they even thought about getting their paws wet, it sounded horrible, and Yewpaw had been through enough rainy days to confirm that it was.