Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 30, 2023 0:45:35 GMT -5
Rosepelt failed to hide a frown as Badgerkit uttered that Fernkit was also ThunderClan, a sentiment that set an ugly feeling in her stomach and made her reflexively want to get Fernkit far far away from the whole Clan. Yet she could only stand there, plotting in her head how they would remind Fernkit about WindClan, their own traditions and how they were different -- the worst thing would be for the ThunderClan queens to turn her into a ThunderClan apprentice; if they sent the other three cats away, surely they would try to hold onto Fernkit in that case. Even with a cat like Brightfrost, who, at least according to Jasminefur, had their interests at heart, Rosepelt was pretty sure their voices would be drowned out.
She picked up on the tension in Cricketpaw as he introduced her to the kits. She glanced briefly at them, giving a neutral yet unthreatening "Hello, little ones." She wasn't interested in making herself look like any more of a threat than the queens surely thought she was. Then she glanced back at Cricketpaw, thinking back to how the apprentice had been feeling during their time in ShadowClan. The sense of helplessness they had both possessed. She guessed he was just as determined not to lose Fernkit to ThunderClan as she was.
Rosepelt's ears perked up as the kits began excitedly chattering about participating in the nest-making. With a moment of observation of Fernkit, it was eas to see how excited she was by Cricketpaw merely accepting the offer, but as a couple of the kits began saying they wanted to pitch in, her eyes shone even brighter, and she seemed to started practically vibrating with excitement. Rosepelt let her light frown be replaced with a gentle smile; who wouldn't enjoy seeing a kit so purely happy?
But she picked up on the way Fogfoot's expression betrayed her intention to deny the idea. It would dissapoint Fernkit, but Rosepelt wouldn't go to battle to have ThunderClan kits helping them out. She would only argue if the queen tried to take possession of Fernkit.
But in the end, the queen resigned herself to doing what appeared to make Fernkit the happiest. Rosepelt relaxed the shoulders that she hadn't realized she had tensed up. She began turning about, heading for the exit with a light brush of her tail over Cricketpaw's flank to signal to him to follow -- though she then realized he was already preparing to pad alongside Fogfoot. She murmured a quiet 'sorry.' Fernkit seemed about to explode with joy, as she bounded after Rosepelt and told Cricketpaw to hurry up.
Redkit whimpered quietly, looking up at her mother. "I want to help too," She quietly begged, only to be met with a hard, stony-faced response. Rockleap was about to say something, but Tawnykit spoke up first. "Thornkit, Quietkit, Badgerkit, and Fernkit are all making nests. That's sooo many paws," His voice dripped with disinterest. "Just let me go back to sleep."
That was all Rockleap needed to hear. "You'll get to play with those three another time," She responded with a flat tone, her eyes scanning the four kits as they prepared to venture out into the camp. She had struggled to understand why Fogfoot and Quickbird would take in a WindClanner with their own kits, but it was even harder to imagine a responsible parent letting them near fully trained WindClan warriors. It was asking for disaster; WindClan warriors could only create heartbreak and misery.
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Jasminefur was abnormally tuned out of his surroundings as Brightfrost began catching on to his overlong gaze. He was enjoying just seeing her smiling at the kits, seeing her unstressed, a rare thing since they had met.
Brightfrost turned towards him again, bringing them almost as close as during the dawn, and his smile faded slightly as he felt a light flutter in his chest, though he didn't personally know to name it that. Whether it was how close they were, or her beginning to praise his actions over the last three-quarter moon -- or some mixture of both (which was more probable) -- his cheeks redenned just a little bit.
He struggled to accept this praise, as everything she was saying he had done, he really felt she deserved the credit for. If you hadn't shown up, I'd have been gored by a dog. And if you hadn't fought to bring us back, Fernkit wouldn't be in safe paws either. If, if, if...Jasminefur could list off a thousand reasons she was more responsible for their being safe and sound, yet, just like at dawn, his voice caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say. Talking his way through conversations was one of the few things he was adequate at; What in StarClan's name was she doing to him?
The light blush on his cheeks refused to soften as she called him special, and he struggled to speak, stumbling through a couple attempts to start a sentence before he managed to use words successfully. "Y-you're far more special than I am, Brightfrost," It was a soft and quiet mew, with an undertone of admiration. "I-If you weren't constantly standing up for us, we'd-"
"Hey!" There was a sharp, yet quiet hiss from the entrance of the den. "Are you coming, or not? Fernkit's waiting for you," Rosepelt's eyes were wide orbs, piercing into Jasminefur's soul as the tom-cat jumped a bit, startled by the sudden interruption. Her eyes narrowed a little bit, and she glanced for a brief moment at the she-cat beside him, searching for something; but she didn't seem to pick up any trace of the moment they were sharing, from that distance, and she simply maintained a standard annoyed look on her face. She already didn't like how much it seemed Jasminefur spoke one on one with Brightfrost; the WindClan cats needed to stick together. Since only joining them the previous night, he already seemed far friendlier to Brightfrost than she thought he should be. This cat wasn't a friend, ally or not.
So, her annoyed gaze hovered over the two of them, as Jasminefur was too startled to say anything after having so many emotions so abruptly broken.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 30, 2023 5:52:09 GMT -5
Brightfrost smiled and flicked her ear at Jasminefur’s compliments. She wasn’t exactly considered humble by her Clanmates, and the determination with which she fought to achieve every goal laid out for her meant that she wasn’t a stranger to praise- even if it was reluctant praise from those annoyed by her attitude. But this felt different- it made her nervous, for some reason, for Jasminefur to say such nice things about her. Maybe because it was so strange coming from a WindClan cat? She certainly couldn’t imagine his sister speaking to her this way.
She knew she was special- she was special to StarClan, and there was nothing more important than that. But…being special to Jasminefur…well, she supposed it was to be expected. She had stood up for him when the rest of the Clan was unwilling to do so. But then again, hadn’t Autumneyes done more for him in that regard? It was the omen and her interpretation of it that had saved him. So she supposed Autumneyes would be special to him as well. And that was good, wasn’t it?
She pushed away her silly feelings that had popped up as if Jasminefur had meant anything by it. Of course he was being nice to the cat who had helped him. He was always a sweet, polite cat- it wasn’t just for her. She looked over as Rosepelt called for them. Yes, Jasminefur needed to go rejoin his Clanmates; they were truly important to him. Still...she longed to hear him finish his thoughts. “Sorry- we were just talking.” She didn’t bother saying what they were talking about- she wouldn’t have known what to tell her anyway. Discombobulated as she was by the conversation and by its interruption, she forgot for a moment how she needed to act under Rosepelt’s watchful eyes. Her plumy tail brushed against Jasminefur as she guided him out of the den with her. It was not unlike the gesture that Rosepelt had made towards Cricketpaw, but it lingered longer- and this kind of physical touch was meant for Clanmates. Brightfrost padded past Rosepelt with a faraway look in her eyes; obviously, this kind of interaction towards Jasminefur had become natural to Brightfrost.
Quickbird was helping Cricketpaw and the kits in collecting nesting material while making sure to keep a careful eye on the WindClan cats. “Badgerkit’s right, you know. Someday you’ll be doing this for the elders as well- and I know Mintbreeze likes her nest to be extra soft. I bet if you impress her, she'll teach you her trick for hunting crows.” He smiled to Thornkit. The nervous little kit rarely wanted to leave the nursery, so it was hard to imagine he had explored camp well enough to know where to find nesting material. “Now, where is this great place for moss?”
Cricketpaw became tense again. He must have been only talking to his own kits when he discussed their future apprentice duties. Surely this stupid ThunderClan tom simply forgot that there was a WindClan kit among them. Fernkit would never build a nest for a ThunderClan elder. Though…considering the current state of WindClan, even Cricketpaw had to admit that he didn’t know who she would be building nests for when she was an apprentice. But she would be a WindClan apprentice.
He opened his mouth to argue, but he could already see Fogfoot and Quickbird noticing his anger. Cricketpaw reluctantly stayed quiet, knowing that he and Rosepelt were on thin ice. Still, he wouldn’t let this disrespect of Fernkit and WindClan continue for much longer. He could feel Specklestar watching them from where he was lounging on the Highledge; he would surely kick them out if they caused any trouble. But Cricketpaw was starting to think that wouldn’t be so bad. The four of them returning to the moor, or even living as rogues, seeming far preferable to staying in ThunderClan.
“Um…it’s…” Thornkit appeared suddenly very nervous, although he hadn’t exactly been at ease before with all these strange cats around. He looked to the medicine den and whispered to Fernkit, “There’s good moss in there, I think, right?” He tried to peek into the den, too afraid to actually approach. Despite Autumneyes’ kindness, he had always seemed intimidated by the medicine cat- though, it was easy to assume that any kit with that kind of fear just didn’t want to be given herbs.
Quietkit overheard and stuck up her nose at the idea. “We are not using anything from the medicine den. It’s all gross and smelly.” She was already not thrilled about being forced to do this work that was normally just completed by the apprentices, but didn’t want to be the only one of her litter left waiting around in the nursery.
Thornkit looked disappointed at his suggestion being shot down. Quickbird nuzzled him. “Autumneyes needs that moss to bring water to cats who can’t get it themselves. Like when you had just been born, and Fogfoot had to stay in the nursery.”
“Oh…” Thornkit thought about this with interest. “That’s pretty smart…”
“She’s the smartest,” said Brightfrost warmly as she caught up to them. She looked to Rosepelt and Cricketpaw, knowing that they were likely lost in their own thoughts. Of course, she didn’t know how many of their thoughts were taken up by bitterness about Fernkit’s place in ThunderClan. “How about while we help with the nest, I show you around? Jasminefur can help- he already knows this place pretty well.”
She ignored the irritated response from the adult cats around to hear this comment. None of them were happy at the idea that Jasminefur was getting familiar with ThunderClan- even though, after spending quite a few sunrises here and helping them all with various chores, he of course would be.
As the kits were assisting in picking out the best nesting material they could find- at least, the best nesting material that didn’t require them to leave the safety of camp- Brightfrost explained all the different locations to Rosepelt and Cricketpaw. She noticed that they did not seem as receptive as Jasminefur had been. These two were more like how she expected WindClan cats to act in a ThunderClan camp- closed off and bitter.
And of course, it didn’t help that the cats in camp kept shooting hostile looks in their direction. Thankfully there weren’t many warriors around, as many of them had left on different early patrols; everyone was working quite hard in order to catch enough prey to stave off the hunger of leafbare while still performing the increased border patrols that the threat of another dog attack demanded. But the elders were in camp as usual, glaring at them from their den. Brightfrost shot them a look back and avoided staying near there long. She knew that eventually Rosepelt and Cricketpaw would likely be asked to help with the same duties as Jasminefur had been doing; Brightfrost was not looking forward to that. She was glad she would have Jasminefur. Not only would he command more respect from the WindClan cats than a ThunderClan cat would, but he was also good at keeping peace. Brightfrost, on the other hand, often found herself getting into fights that she could never bring herself to regret.
After a while of their walk around camp, which was as peaceful as it could be with four excitable kits and obvious inter-Clan tension all around them, a patrol returned to camp as they were bringing their gathered bedding back to the nursery.
She was relieved when the first voices she heard were that of Creekpaw and Honeypaw. She knew they would be welcoming to the new refugees, as they had been with Jasminefur- though she hoped that they wouldn’t be so curious as to annoy them. She could already see Cricketpaw’s fur standing on end at the apprentices’ chattering.
Honeypaw smiled at them. “Hi, are you working on a nest? We can help!”
“We have enough help,” Cricketpaw growled. “We’re making it the WindClan way, so you wouldn’t even know how.”
"Oh, can you teach us how? Please? Everyone says we're fast learners." Honeypaw looked to her sister with a smile, knowing that she would be excited to learn more about WindClan through these new cats. They were too early in their training to have seen a real battle, so they hadn't been to WindClan's territory. She couldn't imagine it, and certainly couldn't imagine what their camp and their dens looked like. "I'm Honeypaw, by the way. And this is my sister, Creekpaw. We're apprentices- and we're friends with Jasminefur."
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 2, 2024 7:47:21 GMT -5
Jasminefur gave a defeated sigh as Brightfrost agreed with Rosepelt, bringing an abrupt end to his attempt to get out his admiration for her. He could tell she was liking what she was hearing, and Jasminefur, for some reason, had struggled to get the words out in a coherent way. He knew this wasn't his normal, so it was extra frustrating that he had been interrupted after having only just managed to accomplish it. His fur spiked ever so slightly with irritation.
Nonetheless, he didn't say anything to his sister, as it was only natural for her to want him to come be with his clanmates. Still, he fell into step with Brightfrost as she naturally began guiding him with a bushy tail and padding close by. He had not received it for a brief time after marching to WindClan without her, but today she seemed to be taking her place as his guide once again. And Jasminefur hadn't quite noticed how naturally he followed when she did this.
Rosepelt, though, noticed immediately. She had been about to approach her brother, but Brightfrost more than obviously took that spot beside him to guide him out of the den. Her eyebrows narrowed and her head drew back a little, as she gazed upon Brightfrost's actions with a light expression of disgust. It looks like you've gotten a little too used to guarding my brother, She silently growled to herself. Rosepelt still wasn't picking up on the recently kindled note in the air between the two of them; to her it seemed like the ThunderClan warrior wasn becoming too bold in taking charge over a WindClan cat.
The three of them drew closer just as Thornkit began asking Fernkit for advice on where to find moss. "Umm...I don't know...I think that's where she keeps all those scary roots and stuff," the kit whispered just as Quietkit butt in. She was too nervous to enter the medicine cat's den; the medicine cat hadn't been mean when they arrived, but Fernkit found all the herbs and poultices spooky. The longer they could stay out of there, the better. She noticed as Brightfrost arrived and mentioned what she thought of Autumneyes, but Fernkit simply stared at the warrior with wide eyes, unsure.
But she finally said something as the warrior suggested a tour. "But you'll come play afterwards, right?"
"Of course, Fernkit." Jasminefur spoke up. "We won't be gone too long." He finished speaking, then glanced over at Rosepelt and Cricketpaw. The latter looked irritated and unhappy, and Rosepelt was staring at Brightfrost with a sort of glower that made him pause for a few seconds.
He chuckled nervously. "It's a good idea though. We should get you a bit more familiar with the camp, since we didn't have time yesterday." Rosepelt's gaze turned to him, and he had to gulp down his nervousness not to flinch. He felt like her piercing stare could burn holes through his head; but finally, she gave a brisk nod, opening her mouth to respond. "Sure. Perhaps...you should formally introduce us to your leader, as well."
Jasminefur blinked, a little surprised at the cooperative response after the hard gaze she had had plastered over her face. He had expected something far more resistant, or at the least, snide. "Uhh...yeah, actually, that's a good idea too. After we've seen everything there is to see." He glanced at Brightfrost as he said this. It would be good for Specklestar to become a tad more familiar with the apprentice and his sister; in a way, it might help their chances of being able to stay a little if they could show they were respectful and grateful. He hoped his thoughts were transmitted to the ThunderClan warrior beside him.
Jasminefur did his best to assist Brightfrost in showing his two clanmates what was what, but he obviously picked up on the same tension present. They seemed to be taking in the information, but in an almost analytical way, less receptive to Brightfrost and more inclined to take information from Jasminefur. He didn't know if there was anything he could do in the moment to change that, so he just tried to help Brightfrost and keep the peace between her and his clanmates. Really, that was one of the most important things to do.
He was about to ask Brightfrost if now was a good time to bother Specklestar, sunning himself as he was; but the return of a patrol interrupted most of the activity in the camp, as heads raised to listen to whether or not there was news of dogs for the day. When the response was negatory, things went back to normal, but Creekpaw and Honeypaw were quick to bound over.
Jasminefur frowned as Cricketpaw responded rather hostilely to Honeypaw's question. He felt an instinctive urge to say something; he knew the she-cat only asked out of curiosity. He was about to remind him to be nice, when Creekpaw spoke up first.
Creekpaw, not possessing much of a filter, and not noticing or not caring about the cat's hostility, spoke up as she gazed at the nest they were currently making, tilting her head. "It looks like a pretty normal nest to me." It was a normal, inoffensive mew, but was easy for an angry cat to take the wrong way. "B-but yeah! I wanna learn, if there's a super special WindClan trick!" She realized with a gasp that she hadn't introduced herself, and was relieved that her sister didn't forget her manners. "Oh yeah, that's right! I'm Creekpaw, and we're the best ThunderClan apprentices!" She confidently declared. "A-are you the fastest WindClan apprentice? Can you teach me how to be super fast like you?" The question was borne out of curiosity, but the apprentice seemed to forget her sensitivity to the fact that his clanmates were nearly all dead.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 4, 2024 5:40:45 GMT -5
Cricketpaw immediately picked up on Creekpaw’s mistake. He snarled, “I guess I am- it’s easy to be the fastest apprentice when you’re the only apprentice.”
Honeypaw frowned. “Oh, yeah…sorry.”
"You'll never be as fast as us anyway- our speed is in our blood." The WindClan apprentice looked the two over. “If this is the best that ThunderClan has to offer, no wonder it took a pack of dogs for you to surpass WindClan. You look like you’ve just left the nursery.” Though, they weren’t really smaller than Cricketpaw even though he was a bit older. ThunderClan cats had larger, more muscular builds on average, and Cricketpaw was a typical lean WindClan cat. He hadn’t seen these two before, since they had apprenticed too recently to have gone to a Gathering- or at least a regular Gathering. Goldenspots had taken the apprentices away from the grisly scene before the arrival of Rosepelt and Cricketpaw.
Goldenspots intervened here too, his ears pricking when he heard a WindClan cat getting hostile towards his young apprentice. He paused his conversation with Applewing and Bristlebark about how the patrol had caught the scent of a rogue that another patrol had recently chased off for trespassing. Brightfrost had been on that patrol, so she knew that this wasn’t the white cat they were looking for.
He walked over and stood beside Creekpaw and Honeypaw. “Perhaps we should leave the visitors alone. They must still be adjusting.”
Honeypaw nodded reluctantly. “But we wanted to show him the training hollow- I bet he knows lots of cool moves!”
Brightfrost winced, knowing that ThunderClan apprentices training with a WindClan cat would not go over well at all. She could already hear the complaints about WindClan learning all about ThunderClan’s battle moves and figuring out how to counter them. Like Goldenspots, she thought it best to focus on maintaining some semblance of peace for now. “Sorry, there's no time for that now. I was just about to take him and Rosepelt to meet with Specklestar.” She saw the disappointment in the apprentices’ eyes. They really seemed interested in the WindClan cats in a much more positive way than most of ThunderClan. It would certainly be good for Cricketpaw to have more friends- and while she would have previously thought a friendship between ThunderClan and WindClan cats was impossible, she and Jasminefur…well, she wanted to believe that they were at least friends at this point. “You can all talk later.” Hopefully not until Cricketpaw is ready.
She looked up at the high ledge; Specklestar smiled back at her warmly, though he wasn’t close enough to hear their conversation . As annoyed as Brightfrost was with her leader, she did think taking the WindClan cats to meet Specklestar would go over better than taking them to meet any other cats in ThunderClan. And it would be much easier for the refugees to get to know the leader in a more casual setting, and without so much hostility around them. “Yeah- that’s a good idea.” Speaking of hostility, she could already see that some of the cats returning to the patrol were preparing to go speak with Specklestar themselves. Brightfrost was sure that there would soon be a meeting of the senior warriors, likely to decide the fate of the WindClan cats after this moon was up. She didn’t want to think about what the results of that would be. “Let’s go before he gets busy.”
She climbed onto the Highledge, pausing to make sure that the WindClan cats didn’t need any help. She knew they weren’t generally accustomed to climbing; she still remembered how Jasminefur had nearly tumbled off of the camp wall.
Specklestar smiled as they reached him. “Good morning. I was hoping I would get to talk with you all today. Did you all sleep well? I know that den must be much different than what you’re used to.” Cricketpaw only grunted in response. Specklestar seemed bothered; he led them to his own den. A moon ago, the WindClan cats likely would have never thought that they would ever see the inside of the ThunderClan leaders’ den. And yet, here they were.
The leader kept up a friendly, casual demeanor. It was clear that he was trying to put them at ease, which was quite an uphill battle after how the refugees had been treated upon their arrival the previous night. “Rosepelt and Cricketpaw, right? I remember seeing you both at Gatherings.” And likely during several battles, but obviously he wasn’t going to say that out loud. He looked to Rosepelt. “It’s quite a miracle to have littermates reunited after…everything. While I pray none of us will have to fight for some time, it would be great to have your help if we encounter those dogs again; I’ve heard you’re a solid fighter.”
Again, it was obvious why Specklestar would know this, but the compliment seemed sincere. Cricketpaw nodded, “Yeah, you’ll need us to have any chance against the dogs. Only WindClan cats are quick enough to deal with them.”
Specklestar nodded, again ignoring the apprentice’s disrespectful attitude. “Some of my warriors witnessed your Clanmate outrunning a dog, even while carrying a kit. Whether they would admit it or not, I know that they were impressed,” he said with a genial twitch of his whiskers. He regarded them carefully, as if deciding how to broach a subject. “Have you thought about your plans for the future?”
Brightfrost immediately tensed. She had hoped that Specklestar would ultimately side with her and Autumneyes regarding the importance of the WindClan cats. “You said that they could stay here for at least a month- you gave your word.”
“I don’t intend to go back on that.” Specklestar didn’t really want to dwell on that promise because that would mean he would need to think about what he was going to do when that moon was up. “I meant, er…” He looked between Jasminefur and Rosepelt. “Are either of you planning on taking a trip to the Moonpool? WindClan has no leader, and no deputy or medicine cat either…this is unprecedented. But since it seems StarClan intends for the Clans to be preserved…surely they must grant someone nine lives.”
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 5, 2024 6:15:42 GMT -5
Rosepelt immediately picked up on the mistake, just like Cricketpaw, but she seemed more able to maintain her composure and not react severely. However, she wasn't particularly surprised as Cricketpaw took the ThunderClanner's careless question rather poorly. Her tail gently laid itself over his flank, trying to give him a little bit of comfort as he went off on the apprentices.
Jasminefur frowned as his younger clanmate blew up at Creekpaw, and he nearly flinched as he insulted the two young she-cats in turn. He knew the question had been careless, but he knew that Creekpaw hadn't meant it maliciously -- she was genuinely curious about him, and he was just too hurt to see it that way. Still, he didn't think it was going to go well if he casually insulted apprentices in the middle of their own camp. He felt compelled to speak up and say something gently to Cricketpaw, but he took too long to think. He couldn't find the correct, soft words to both ease the tension and tell Cricketpaw not to be so harsh. Before he could find them, Goldenspots was there, speaking up in his place.
Jasminefur bit his lip hard, afraid the warrior was about to leap on the opportunity to chide the WindClan cats as a whole; the wrong cat could easily try to use it against them, and he wasn't quite sure where Goldenspots fell at this point. But instead, the older warrior's suggestion was rather diplomatic, and he quietly released a tensed breath, glancing to Brightfrost with a look of something less than alarm, but more than tranquility.
Creekpaw was left completely stunned by Cricketpaw's reaction, as she quickly realized the mistake she had made -- but she wasn't prepared for the hostile, snarling retort from Cricketpaw, and she stared at him with wide, shocked eyes and her mouth agape. She tried to say something after her sister meekly apologized, but she couldn't find the words after hearing how much she had offended him. She didn't even seem bothered by the insult he levied at her and her sister; she cared more about having angered him.
As Goldenspots padded closer and spoke up, she glanced over at him, dismay overtaking her face. "B-but...I....I didn't mean it..." She mewed weakly to her senior clanmate, knowing it was all her fault that they were being shepharded away from the WindClan cats -- despite what Brightfrost said.
Jasminefur heard Creekpaw's little comment; it almost sounded like a plea, and his face sadenned. He needed to remember to try to broach the subject with Cricketpaw, perhaps that evening after he had some time to cool off. The normally passive warrior didn't want to see either of the apprentices upset, and he glanced again at Brightfrost, though he still didn't say anything with so many cats around them.
Rosepelt watched Creekpaw and Honeypaw closely as they reacted to Cricketpaw's outburst. Her gaze pierced through Creekpaw especially, and the WindClan warrior wondered if the remorse that Creekpaw was expressing was genuine. Rosepelt was trained to never trust the words that came out of a ThunderClan cat's mouth -- and she wanted to stick to the lessons she had been imparted -- but even she had to admit that there didn't seem to be a drop of deceit in Creekpaw's face or voice, and Honeypaw appeared equally upset about having to leave the WindClan cats' company.
She huffed quietly. Even though the sound might have made it seem like she was angry with the apprentices, in reality, she was irritated that she was even considering the notion that a ThunderClan cat might not hate them -- and by extension, having to consider the possibility that Jasminefur might even be right about their bodyguard.
As Brightfrost guided them towards the Highledge, Jasminefur ascended with a bit of obvious caution, clearly remembering the same event that Brightfrost had. His caution served him well, and he was able to climb up without incident this time. He looked back after he was up to guide Cricketpaw up safely first, then Rosepelt came up with a bit of a flash of fear in her face. Jasminefur made sure she was steady, before they turned to follow Brightfrost to her leader.
Rosepelt's eyes hovered over the ThunderClan leader, and a memory came back to her, taking her back many moons; one of her first battles, where she was mostly relegated to taking on other apprentices and keeping them off her fellow warriors' backs. She couldn't have been more than a couple moons into her apprenticeship when she came face to face with Specklestar; in fact, she couldn't remember if he had been named leader at that point. She wondered if he remembered seeing her, with her eyes widening as she had stepped back from him, not daring engage the ThunderClan leader in combat.
And she remembered his gaze, seeming so piercing and threatening back then, hovering over her for just a few seconds -- before he turned away as well, finding a much bigger cat to contend with, a type of mercy she hadn't been taught to except from any cat in ThunderClan. She likely wouldn't have padded out of that battle alive if he had attacked her.
So it was that Rosepelt dipped her head with an amount of respect that surprised even Jasminefur, establishing the first obvious contrast between herself and Cricketpaw. "Greetings, Specklestar. I....thank you for keeping my brother safe," She murmured, though there was a bit of a gruffness to her voice; it still felt unnatural to say such a thing to a ThunderClan cat. "And Fernkit as well."
Rosepelt was surprised to hear Specklestar bring up that Jasminefur had outrun one of the horrid beasts that had assaulted the camp. Jasminefur wasn't particularly expert at anything; running, hunting, fighting, gathering...and she didn't dare to look at him as she realized the surprise was showing on her face. Thus, she didn't see the slight look of hurt that flashed across her brother's face. Jasminefur had certainly picked up on her reaction.
Rosepelt's face quickly hardened as Specklestar brought up the future. Specklestar had gotten her a bit off her guard, then brought up one of the most important questions. She grimaced slightly, not knowing what exactly they could do. Would they return to ShadowClan, with Jasminefur and Fernkit in tow? She glanced towards her brother just as Brightfrost spoke up in their defense. Would Jasminefur continue to vie for remaining in ThunderClan? He seemed to be quite good buddies with Brightfrost already.
Jasminefur tensed as Specklestar asked this, and the hurt on his face disappeared as his mind turned to more important things. He looked over at Specklestar, trying to analyze the leader for a sense of where he was landing in terms of what to do with them. But Specklestar's expression betrayed nothing of the intense question that was on his mind.
Jasminefur's jaw went slack as Specklestar asked whether one of them intented to accept the nine lives of StarClan. The question of succession had never even occurred to Jasminefur. Rosepelt glanced at her brother, trying to get some sense of what he thought. Yet Jasminefur seemed to have no clear answer to this question.
"I...we..." He glanced at Brightfrost, but it wasn't his normal look of pleading for help. He looked bewildered, overwhelmed by the idea of either him or Rosepelt taking nine lives and assuming the role of the leader of WindClan. His head turned back to Specklestar. "We...We're just four or so moons out of our apprenticeship," He mewed, incredulous. "How...how can one of us accept the nine lives? We...neither of us were deputy, we aren't even old enough to have an apprentice! We...."
These questions he was asking had obvious answers; these circumstances were absolutely unbelievable, much as Specklestar had pointed out. Rosepelt bit her lip as Jasminefur expressed his bewilderment and uncertainty, glancing at him with a cautious look. He was revealing a lot of his lack of confidence to the very leader of their rival clan, something they never would have done just a moon ago. Of course, they likely never would have spoken to the leader in the first place, being only warriors.
Jasminefur turned to look at his sister again, and their eyes met. They were silent for a few moments, neither of them certain about which of them could accept the nine lives, and if it would even be permitted by StarClan.
Rosepelt finally took over, turning to face Specklestar again. "We...have not had time to discuss this since being reunited," Her mew was a cautious one, trying to buy them time to figure out how to proceed with such a strange fact.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 6, 2024 6:17:53 GMT -5
Brightfrost was shocked. Clearly, Jasminefur was an important cat in StarClan’s eyes- she wouldn’t be surprised if Rosepelt was as well. So, of course the idea of one of them being leader wasn’t completely crazy, but…the idea of a cat becoming leader without having been deputy or without the approval of the Clan’s medicine cat was bizarre. And, well…she wasn’t sure that Jasminefur would ever want to be leader. Brightfrost thought that he was smart and worked well with others- he could be a good leader, but he rarely seemed to have any kind of confidence. Would he really trust himself to lead his Clan?
“Yes, I’m sure neither of you expected to lead your Clan…at least not so soon. You haven’t been deputy- nor would you be allowed to be deputy without having trained an apprentice. But you do have an apprentice in your Clan without a mentor,” said Specklestar, nodding to Cricketpaw. “I’m sure that you’ve already been guiding him- StarClan may see that as sufficient.” Brightfrost noticed that he made no mention of the fact that there could be two WindClan apprentices once Fernkit was old enough. She wondered if he was planning on having her train here, under a ThunderClan mentor. Brightfrost didn’t know how Jasminefur felt about that, but she was sure that that would anger Rosepelt and Cricketpaw. “Maybe it was StarClan’s will that you survived- because they saw something in you. No cat truly knows their destiny.”
Cricketpaw looked to Rosepelt. He did respect her, even more so than he did before the dog attack. He knew how brave and resilient she was. And unlike Jasminefur apparently, she had seemed to have little interest in buddying up with cats from outside WindClan. Cricketpaw knew for sure that she could keep WindClan strong and respectable. But…at this point, what was WindClan? “Who exactly would they be leading? There’s hardly anybody left. We don’t even have other warriors or a medicine cat or anything.” Cricketpaw’s tone was less irritable than it had been the last time he had addressed the leader; he had caught on to the fact that Rosepelt seemed to have some respect for Specklestar and was following her lead. And he did know that speaking with a leader required more deference than talking to a simple warrior, even if it was an enemy leader.
“And what if WindClan’s territory is still unsafe? Even though we haven’t seen any more dogs, they could easily come back.” Brightfrost thought about the strange white cat who had appeared to be using the dogs as a weapon against the Clan. She was sure that he would attack again. If his mission was to destroy WindClan, cats returning to live on the moor might allow him to finish what he had started. She couldn’t send Jasminefur back into a mouth of sharp teeth.
“My hope is that StarClan will have answers,” said Specklestar, his tone even despite his own uncertainty. It was clear that all of them were stumbling through the dark, with only Brightfrost having complete and total confidence that StarClan would light the way. Whether or not that confidence was justified remained to be seen. “You should take some time to think about it…and about your futures in general. I can offer some support, but…well, I’m sure you don’t want ThunderClan to decide the fate of WindClan. If you’d like an escort to the Moonpool, or the counsel of our medicine cat, I can provide that.”
Brightfrost thought that it seemed like that was already happening. In general, WindClan was at the mercy of the other Clans; if there was a chance that WindClan could be restored, that chance would be even more minimal without any kind of support. Autumneyes had said that she was expected to guide the way, so that’s what she would do. There must be a way to ensure that there would always be four Clans in the forest, and Brightfrost would find it.
“I know that you must not feel like you can be open while you’re in ThunderClan. I have not forgotten the history between our Clans- and I certainly haven’t forgotten the way my warriors reacted to your arrival,” said Specklestar. “But you are always safe to come to my den if you want my advice- or just an ear. You must have been brought to my Clan for a reason.”
In that moment, Specklestar seemed more like a leader than he usually did; it was clear that he had thought through this conversation carefully, even though he would be the first to admit that he didn’t really know what should be done about this situation. But he had always been open-minded and was good at making cats feel heard. Unlike much of his Clan, he did not seem afraid that showing empathy would make him appear weak.
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 6, 2024 12:48:05 GMT -5
Despite how he never seemed to be too grateful to them, Jasminefur appeared to be very well studied as far as the laws of the Warrior Code went, at least in regards to rank. He was dumbfounded at the idea that him or his sister might be, quite literally, leading what remained of WindClan within the next moon. What Specklestar suggested was obviously not compliant with the Warrior Code, but the leader was suggesting that perhaps StarClan would allow them to bend the rules a bit, considering Rosepelt's time with Cricketpaw as mentorship. He didn't say anything yet, but he was trying to put all the pieces together of how it could work. How in our starry ancestors could we possibly lead a clan, even if we technically train Cricketpaw and Fernkit? We're younger than nearly every cat in WindClan was!
A grim frown flashed over Jasminefur's face, and he turned towards the apprentice as Cricketpaw brought up the obvious fact of their circumstances. Would it really be 'leading' at all if there were three other cats to lead in total? "He's right," Jasminefur quietly admitted. "Without a medicine cat..." Would they even be able to communicate with StarClan? Of course, Jasminefur immediately remembered the dreams he had received in the last few quarter-moons; but his clanmates didn't know about those, and he couldn't just bring it up casually.
Rosepelt's attention was caught as Brightfrost spoke up right after Cricketpaw. The ThunderClan warrior sounded unusually concerned about the possibility of the dogs remaining in WindClan territory. Rosepelt tried chalking it up to her being worried the dogs would make their way towards the ThunderClan territories....but she could also see how Brightfrost still hovered close to Jasminefur her tail still lingering near him, and she wondered if the ThunderClanner really did consider him a friend. Was she more than just a clever manipulator? Truly?
Rosepelt and Jasminefur both were left feeling a little helpless and unable to respond as Specklestar continued speaking. The leader had placed a question before them that they likely wouldn't have broached for awhile, until their futures were a little clearer. Yet, he was right about the sheer importance of knowing how they would proceed. Jasminefur recognized how valuable eight extra lives were going to be in helping WindClan survive, but Rosepelt was a little wary that Specklestar wanted this information beforehand so he could perhaps act upon it.
Jasminefur listened intently as Specklestar offered them various forms of help, as well as just a listening ear. He wondered what visiting the Moonpool might provide them; could they speak directly with StarClan? His dreams had been frustratingly cryptic and he hadn't been able to get much of a word in. Perhaps Autumneyes would be able to provide guidance on the matter?
He realized with a start, after his mind turned to Autumneyes, that he hadn't even told his sister or Cricketpaw about the sign they had been given by StarClan. He gulped, turning to his sister first. He briefly recalled how surprised she was to hear he was capable of outrunning a dog with a kit in tow; how hard would it be to get her to believe he was at the center of StarClan's plan?
Rosepelt grimaced a bit as Specklestar concluded. It was hard to imagine them being brought to ThunderClan for any reason other than to be slaughtered, and yet, ThunderClan's medicine cat had said it was to be so at the Gathering, and now the leader seemed to be agreeing. Once again, Rosepelt wanted to look to the most pessimistic explanation for why they were there, but they were in very strange times. She struggled to land in one particular spot as far as what their purpose in the rival clan was.
She pushed the conflicted thoughts to the back of her mind. "We'll be thinking about the matter," She meowed neutrally. "Until then, I suppose I can continue with Cricketpaw's WindClan training." Her words were selected cautiously, but with intent. She didn't want him trained by ThunderClan, and Cricketpaw likely felt the same way. "And whatever happens," She didn't mention any sort of outcome to their stay in Thunderclan - "When Fernkit reaches six moons, Jasminefur can train her as well. Then, at least, we can both say we have trained apprentices."
Rosepelt seemed to possess a skill that Jasminefur didn't -- laying claim to what belonged to WindClan without being openly confrontational. She was displeased with how possessive that ThunderClan queen had been of Fernkit, and in thinking of a solution to giving both herself and Jasminefur an apprentice, she also laid claim to the training of Fernkit. She watched Specklestar with a steady, unflinching gaze -- her respect of him hadn't vanished, but it was now submerged beneath a determination not to allow one of their last remaining clanmates to slip into the paws of a ThunderClan warrior.
She didn't leave much time for a response before she continued speaking, not interested in any challenge to what she said. "We thank you for your offer of advice. WindClan never would have expected such a thing to be extended to us, so we are grateful." She stopped short of explicitly accepting his invitation.
But Rosepelt emitted a very low hiss as her brother spoke up after her. "Thank you, Specklestar." Jasminefur still looked bewildered, but there was gratitude in his mew. "I'm certain we could use the wisdom of a leader in times like these." After he finished speaking, Rosepelt glared at him for just a moment, but then hid the frustration from her face by grooming a bit of the fur on her flank.
"If that is all..." Rosepelt dipped her head respectfully to Specklestar after finishing her brief grooming, but didn't yet step towards the exit until Specklestar had dismissed them. She laid her tail against Cricketpaw's side, trying to indicate to him not to move yet either. Jasminefur waited as well for anything else Specklestar might have to say, not as eager to escape as his littermate was. But he was eager to see if Autumneyes would be willing to speak with them; conveying the sign to Cricketpaw and Rosepelt might help them understand that ThunderClan did have a valid role to play in their future, and make creating a plan together easier to do.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 6, 2024 17:53:55 GMT -5
Specklestar spoke in a halting, delicate kind of way as he turned to discussing Fernkit. He did not intend for the matter to be forced so soon, but he did know that it was inevitable. Like with the rest of this conversation, it seemed like he had thought about it a lot, but this was the most difficult part. “I will make sure that Cricketpaw is allowed to continue his training. You may bring him to the training hollow whenever you like, and take him hunting in our territory as long as you are with a ThunderClan warrior and the prey is brought back to camp.” He paused to choose his words. He resembled Featherclaw here, very slightly, in that his face was calm but belied a tangle of thoughts beneath. “However…I am not sure that ThunderClan can accept assigning a kit in our nursery to a WindClan mentor. And, of course, if the dogs haven’t been taken care of…I cannot send Fernkit away to a territory where she would be in danger.” He looked over to the WindClan cats for their reaction, knowing it would not be a positive one. Cricketpaw was already seething. Specklestar’s tone was gentle but firm- it was clear that this was not something he would easily yield on. “However- Jasminefur can be involved in Fernkit’s training. That, I can assure you.”
Brightfrost wished she knew what Specklestar was thinking. She had guessed that Specklestar would be unwilling to allow Fernkit to be taken from ThunderClan; Fogfoot and Quickbird had likely made their stance on that known. But it was odd to think about the future- about the idea of Fernkit becoming a ThunderClan apprentice. Brightfrost wondered who would mentor her; she hoped that it would be someone who wouldn’t treat her poorly just because she had WindClan blood. The way that Specklestar talked, it seemed like he already had some kind of idea of how things would work out, which was a bit surprising considering his typical reluctance to tackle long-term problems.
“You’re going to force Fernkit to serve ThunderClan?” Cricketpaw growled. To him, a WindClan kit was being stolen. His assumption was that ThunderClan simply wanted the extra body to send into battle; with WindClan gone, they surely thought they could take over all the territories, and would need plenty of warriors to do so. It didn’t even enter his mind that anyone in ThunderClan may genuinely care for her- that a ThunderClan family feared losing her the way they would fear losing one of their kin.
“We all want Fernkit to be happy and safe, and to live the life that she wants. But she’s only a kit- she’s too young to be making these kinds of decisions on her own. So we have to make them,” said Specklestar. “And for now…I believe that training with ThunderClan is best for her.”
“ThunderClan has never cared about WindClan. Why would they now?” Cricketpaw growled. He seemed ready to fight this leader and run off back to the moor with Fernkit right this moment.
“Every Clan must care for kits.” Specklestar seemed open to discussing the matter further, but did not expect to be able to win the WindClan cats over on this issue. Brightfrost hoped that later she, and perhaps Jasminefur, could talk things over with him when tension had cooled down and he would perhaps be more open about what he was thinking. “You may go, if there’s nothing else I can do for you. But you can always speak with me or my medicine cat. And Brightfrost will be with you as well- I know that there may have been blood shed between you in moons past, but she’s a trustworthy cat and an excellent warrior.” He looked to Brightfrost for a moment with a strange expression, like he was trying to figure out something that had been bothering him for a long time. “She will do what she can for you.”
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 6, 2024 18:43:36 GMT -5
Rosepelt maintained an unexpressive face of stone as the leader promised they could train Cricketpaw -- as long as they were under escort by a guard. She thought about how many cats had spoken up in frustration the night before, decrying them as invaders, and wondered just how safe they were truly going to be with a ThunderClan guard protecting them, and observing all of their battle tactics.
But Rosepelt's lip twitched as the leader of ThunderClan calmly suggested it wouldn't be very feasible to assign Fernkit to be trained to one of them -- further, it sounded like Specklestar wasn't even planning to send Fernkit with them if they were to leave ThunderClan. Rage contorted her face as she glared at him -- Cricketpaw barely scratched the surface of how disgusting the leader's words were, but it kept her silent long enough to compose her response with just a little bit more delicacy. Otherwise, what she would have said likely would have ended poorly for her WindClan clanmates.
Jasminefur was stunned as Specklestar stated they couldn't allow Fernkit to be assigned a WindClan mentor. He initially found himself in a state of disbelief. Specklestar had never seemed to be aggressively on the WindClanners side, but now Jasminefur could see that the leader would still do what he had to, even if it spat in their faces, to bolster the ranks of ThunderClan against potential future threats. The promise that he would be 'involved' in her training felt....hollow.
Then, his disbelief turned to desperation. Jasminefur pictured Fernkit being hidden away in the ThunderClan nursery as they were marched out of the camp. He didn't know if that was what awaited them, but it was the image that came to his mind as Specklestar mentioned not being willing to send them off with their youngest clanmate....'if the dogs haven't been taken care of,' as he said.
Jasminefur could see this for what it was: from where the deal stood at this point, with only a moon to remain in the camp, it was almost certain they would be leaving before the dog threat was fully handled. If they couldn't stay longer, Specklestar planned to send them off without their fourth clanmate. Jasminefur felt a shiver of horror as he pictured Fernkit being left alone without a single one of her remaining clanmates.
Rosepelt waited until Specklestar finished offering them empty promises and vague offers of aid to coat the disgusting crime he was saying ThunderClan planned to commit. "Where in the Code does it say you will steal other Clans' kits because you think it's right?" There was an intensity and a venom to her growl that warned that violent thoughts might have been beginning to surface in her mind.
Jasminefur's desperation turned to....
....to anger. His eyes narrowed, his hackles raised slightly, and his heartbeat quickened as he thought of Fernkit, the kit he had nearly died rushing to the safety of this Clan, being the subject of Specklestar's machinations. This didn't feel like the leader who danced around conflict, avoiding binding agreements, whom Jasminefur had seen until now; it felt like a plotter, a cat who was taking advantage of a situation, and it made Jasminefur feel wronged. Like Fernkit, a kit Jasminefur never thought he would have been in charge of -- yet now felt so responsible to protect -- was being ripped away from him. And it hurt him -- badly.
"Autumneyes herself said the four of us were meant to remain together," Jasminefur, in a rare show of passion which no ThunderClan cat had seen since his arrival, emitted a growl that spelled out his hurt and anger. His voice caught in his throat as he spoke, staring at Specklestar with an intensity he wouldn't have thought himself capable of without shriveling back and fleeing. Even Jasminefur hadn't realized how important Fernkit had come to be to him.
Jasminefur's quoting of the medicine cat was an interpretation of Autumneyes' words, unfortunately. Autumneyes had said the remaining WindClan warriors were to remain together -- and even if a sensible cat would agree that the medicine cat's true meaning was that WindClan shouldn't be separated, that she had spoken quickly out of frustration and exhaustion....a more tactical cat could use her words against them.
"Fernkit is not Quickbird and Fogfoot's kit," Jasminefur nearly spat the word 'not,' an intensity that, again, was not natural for the tom-cat. He wasn't aware of it, but his hackles were raising higher, his short fur was spiking up more every moment, and his eyes had widened into an intense stare, which reinforced the anger the tom-cat was feeling. Everything about his affect was unlike what any cat, from ThunderClan or WindClan, had seen from him before.
Even so, Jasminefur didn't know what to say next. Specklestar had them at a great disadvantage, as he was hosting them and keeping them safe. They had no real power to take Fernkit away from the ThunderClan cats' clutches, as any attempt to do so would quickly lead to upset queens, and soon to follow, a swarm of warriors, likely to end their lives. Jasminefur was left, finally, with a mixture of anger and stunned helplessness. Jasminefur was starting to shake; whether it was from anger, from fear, from sadness....was not clear.
Once again, just like the event that had started this whole thing....Jasminefur was being put into a position where he was either too powerless, or too weak to do something to save a cat who was important to him.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 7, 2024 4:52:25 GMT -5
Specklestar’s expression was pained; he had known that this would cost him any positive feelings that the WindClan cats had had toward him. But he knew that it needed to be done- and perhaps confronting this issue now was best. He didn’t want to lie to them. “I’m not taking Fernkit away from WindClan, because…as you’ve pointed out, there is no Clan right now. There’s no camp, no medicine cat, only two warriors…and we don’t know if the dogs have truly moved on. It’s not a place for a kit to live unprotected. Really, I don’t think the moor is safe for any cat at the moment- but I can’t stop you from going there if you choose.”
“You’re going to make them after the moon is up,” said Brightfrost firmly. “And you won’t let them take Fernkit?”
“I would prefer all of you to stay here- but you aren’t prisoners. And I don’t suppose you would all want to remain as ThunderClan warriors,” said Specklestar.
“Never,” Cricketpaw snarled.
Specklestar nodded. “If you insist on Fernkit being openly trained as a WindClan warrior…it will only make the Clan more distrustful. If I apprentice her to Brightfrost, then Jasminefur can still train her- the Clan has accepted that they must remain close. I think this is the best way for Fernkit to have a home in ThunderClan without losing her old Clanmates.”
Brightfrost wasn’t able to react to the fact that she may become a mentor, as all her focus was soon on Jasminefur. She hadn’t seen this kind of hostility from him- this was a rare time where she could perceive him as one of the WindClan warriors she was trained to fight. Her fur stood on end; what was she meant to do, if this did turn to violence? She couldn’t allow her leader to be attacked, but the idea of her claws meeting Jasminefur’s flesh made her feel sick. And StarClan wanted her to protect the WindClan cats- but they also wanted the leaders they chose to be obeyed. And while she know she needed to be ready to sacrifice anything for StarClan, could she really turn against her own Clan? Her claws ached to leap into battle, but against who? It took all her concentration to keep them sheathed; she wanted to find a way to keep peace, but she had never known how. And Stoneheart’s voice rang in her mind, reminding her that WindClan cats were quick enough to take advantage of any hesitation. As one of them had when Icestorm had dared to show mercy.
Everything was happening so fast, and yet it felt like this agony would last forever. It lingered almost as long as she had wished her moment with Jasminefur had. But as fast as her mind raced, every corner of it was pulled in a different direction. She wasn’t sure she could sort it out even if she had a hundred moons.
“Keep your voice down. I don’t blame you for being angry, but if my warriors overhear and think you’re a threat…it will only make all of this more difficult,” Specklestar hissed softly as he looked around to make sure that there was no one rushing in. He paused, looking genuinely confused for a moment as Jasminefur brought up Autumneyes’ omen. “My understanding is that it is StarClan’s will for you and Fernkit to live in ThunderClan- for ThunderClan to keep you all safe.”
“StarClan wants WindClan to stay together,” said Brightfrost firmly. “So that the balance between the four Clans can be restored.”
Specklestar nodded. “I see. Maybe StarClan has said more to Autumneyes- but when they have spoken to me, they have been clear about two things. That some cats’ destinies lay outside the cat that they were born in…and that the path that we walk- that you walk- is dark and full of danger. Even though I know that I won’t be able to keep everyone safe…I’m still going to protect who I can. And I believe that ThunderClan can protect her.” He took a breath. Brightfrost longed to know exactly what StarClan had told Specklestar, or rather what he believed they wanted from him. She had assumed that they were all directed by the same prophecies- but her recent conversation with Jasminefur had proven that not all of StarClan’s chosen were given the same messages. Specklestar continued, “I know that when you look at Fernkit, you see the last hope for WindClan. One of your last Clanmates, and one that you had been prepared to sacrifice everything for. I see a vulnerable kit- who should be safe with her mother and littermates. Fogfoot and Quickbird may not be her parents, but…Fernkit’s true parents are gone. That life has been ripped away, but she still has a chance to grow up in a camp where there’s many cats to look after her.”
This behavior from Specklestar seemed both unusual for him in some ways, yet also very typical. He was not normally able to muster up this level of determination- he was always open, perhaps too open, about not knowing what the best course of action was. It often seemed like nearly anyone could have him do what he wanted. Here, though, he had a slight confidence that he normally lacked- he was a different cat from the one that Jasminefur had seen in his dream, who hadn’t had the courage to stand up to Featherclaw despite knowing that what they were doing was wrong.
But at the same time, this reeked of his usual decisions. His desire for compromise, to make everyone happy- an impossibility that he never seemed able to give up on. It came from his desire to avoid conflict, but also from his fear of hurting anyone. He should have learned by now that there would always be positive and negative consequences, that being a leader meant accepting them both. But he never could. He could not take Fernkit from the remnants of her birth Clan and he could not take her from the family that she was growing close to. Most of all, however, he could not endanger Fernkit’s life.
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 7, 2024 12:19:38 GMT -5
Rosepelt felt anger continue coursing through her; when Specklestar laid it out as it was, with four cats to occupy a camp, it was awfully hard to argue that they would be able to keep Fernkit protected at all times. They had two warriors and an apprentice for hunting, two border patrols, gathering herbs, training, fixing any damage to the camp…and Rosepelt was left all the angrier by the fact the leader wasn’t wrong about that fact.
She was clearly seething, and her claws were flexing and sliding in and out of their sheathes as she tried to hold herself together. Jasminefur was angry, but his claws remained tucked away, and he didn’t seem to give any signal of an impending attack. He was still shaking looking back between Rosepelt and Brightfrost and Specklestar as the conversation danced between the five of them. Even noticing Brightfrost’s somewhat off, almost nauseous expression, he didn’t realize she was analyzing him and his intentions.
Rosepelt was feeling a fog of rage starting to cover her thoughts, which was muddying her ability to process what Specklestar was saying clearly. She tried to respond as he asked if they would become warriors of ThunderClan, but Cricketpaw beat him to it. Jasminefur, notably, never opened his mouth to say anything to this.
But just a bit of Jasminefur’s anger faded as Specklestar suggested the way to make certain Fernkit was mentored to some extent by WindClan. Brightfrost’s leader was right – the sign had made most of the clan, begrudgingly or otherwise, accept that the two of them were wrapped up in this situation together. Jasminefur would, in that case, be able to stay quite close to Fernkit and keep her training rooted with WindClan.
This didn’t change that the leader didn’t plan to let the kit leave with them, though. He ceded the point about her training: “I guess that much is true,” Jasminefur responded, a bit of gruffness, mirroring his sister, present in his voice. “Rosepelt and Cricketpaw don’t know about StarClan’s sign yet,” He finally mentioned it, as he was picking up on how hostile both of them looked; he hoped this would draw their attention and keep either of them from committing a violent act.
“If StarClan means for me Fernkit and I to stay in ThunderClan forever, it is news to me.” Jasminefur mewed flatly. The truth was...he wasn't so sure if that wasn't temporarily the plan. In a moon, he didn’t want to march from the ThunderClan camp. Even with the danger of some warriors hating their guts, he was certain the dogs would still be a threat. But he didn’t want to give up on the kit's home right now – maintaining that Fernkit was meant to stay with them was more important to him.
Brightfrost continued the point where Jasminefur was struggling to find the right argument. The balance between the Clans was something he had learned about from a young age, but he had been living in limbo between two clans for almost a moon, somewhat complicating his view on the matter. And so he was glad his protector brought the point up.
Yet Specklestar wouldn’t relent on this point; while it was ripping Fernkit away from them, to the queen and Quickbird, it was probably a compromise even to let Jasminefur train her partially. Jasminefur knew Specklestar wasn’t going to move on this point – not right now at least. Speaking with Autumneyes could be useful here, he realized. And he was starting to feel that if he didn’t step out of the stuffy, tense den, his negative emotions were going to start getting the better of him.
“So you’ll just rip her away from us, now, too,” Rosepelt spat. “Once we reestablish Windclan. How very thoughtful of you.” her voice dripped with her obviously growing disdain.
Jasminefur hissed quietly. “That’s enough,” He mewed softly. He tried to calm his shaking legs as he spoke over his sister. “We need to speak about Fernkit and the future ourselves,” His eyes flashed with frustration as his gaze focused on Specklestar, addressing the leader again. Part of him knew that the three of them needed time away from the leader to cool off and discuss, but another part of him wanted to speak with Brightfrost about it as well; while she had to remain loyal to her leader, Jasminefur felt like the warrior was somewhat discombobulated by Specklestar’s plans as well. Maybe Rosepelt could be made to see that she was on their side?
Rosepelt wanted to say more – she was astonished when her brother told her to stop. A part of her knew, in the back of her mind, that she was just spitting anger at the leader and not presenting any argument or solution. Yet, her anger was winning the battle against her self-control, something which Jasminefur seemed able to see, but that she couldn’t. the idea it might be didn't enter her mind until Jasmineufur, of all cats, spoke up. Something he hardly ever did. A drop of surprise entered her expression amidst the seething anger.
“This isn’t over.” Rosepelt hissed, before she turned about and stormed out of the den, not waiting to be dismissed or checking to make sure Cricketpaw followed.
Jasminefur gave a quiet sigh, relieved that Rosepelt didn't keep pushing the matter, even if he felt a little bit of a desire to do the same. He knew it wasn't for the better right now with all three of them heated to various degrees. He turned away from Specklestar and took a couple steps closer to Cricketpaw, feeling a pang of empathy at how angry the apprentice was. While Jasminefur didn’t share as much pride for WindClan, he knew Cricketpaw had lost everyone he loved, and Fernkit was one small remnant of his Clan. “Come on,” He gently murmured. “Let’s catch up with her.” He flashed a glance to Brightfrost, a moment of silence lingering awkwardly in the air, with Specklestar still there to gaze upon them. "Shall we...go?"
—
Fernkit was still trying to repeat Cricketpaw’s special super secret WindClan nest-making trick, but her paws were just not yet used to the sort of dexterity it required, and what she presented to Thornkit resembled more of a cobbled together bird’s nest, with clumps and uneven strands, than a nice properly mossy cat nest. She tried delivering it with a smile, but she knew it was subpar and didn’t know what Cricketpaw would say about it.
—
Applewing cast the occasional glance towards the center of camp, obtaining slight enjoyment from watching the kits attempt to make nests. Guard duty wasn’t that fun, and it was even less so when he was assigned it with a stick in the mud like Bristlebark, who said little and enjoyed less. So even though it seemed to be annoying her, he continued splitting his attention between the outside of camp and the activity at the center of camp.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 8, 2024 1:02:34 GMT -5
Specklestar simply nodded in response to Rosepelt. Mixed with the emotions present in his expression was a sort of acceptance. After the moons he had spent as deputy and then leader, he was used to being spoken to this way. “We will continue to discuss this at length. Especially as the situation…develops.” Though he believed he was making the right decision for Fernkit in this moment, he was well aware that the chaotic times they were living in may require adjustments.
Cricketpaw was furious as he walked out with Rosepelt. “What are we going to do?” He hissed softly, “We take Fernkit and go back to the old camp. Or we could go back to ShadowClan, or ask RiverClan- I’m sure only ThunderClan would be monstrous enough to steal a kit from its family. At least the other Clans probably follow the code most of the time.” To him, stealing Fernkit away was the obvious path. He had already not liked the idea of her growing up in the ThunderClan nursery- the idea of her also being trained as a ThunderClan warrior filled him with disgust. Fernkit was WindClan, and that was that. She was the only remnant of what should have been WindClan’s newest crop of apprentices and then warriors; he wouldn’t let her be part of ThunderClan instead.
And besides violating WindClan’s pride, he doubted Fernkit would be safer here. He was sure that that queen was only keeping her around so that her real kits could use Fernkit to sharpen their claws or something. Based on his image of ThunderClan as being a group of barbarians who only valued those who would be useful in battle, he wasn’t even sure they bothered to make sure kits were fed before warriors. How could anyone, let alone a kit, be safe among cats who cared about nothing other than shedding the blood of outsiders? They were better off taking their chances with the dogs. At least then, they would die with dignity- and as WindClan. “We’ll never let ThunderClan take advantage of us. We’ll teach them a lesson if they try.” ---
Brightfrost hesitated as Jasminefur beckoned her to follow. She was a bit surprised- why did he even want her around? Rosepelt and Cricketpaw certainly didn’t. And it felt so strange to leave the ThunderClan leader in order to join the WindClan cats. She felt like she should say something to Specklestar…but this was another rare moment where she had no words.
Specklestar simply bowed his head in reassurance. He spoke with a gentle tone tinged in grief, “Go on. I would never ask you to turn your back on your duty.”
Brightfrost nodded quickly and left with Jasminefur. Once they were a few foxlengths away, she could hear Specklestar laying down and curling up tightly in his nest. She could assume that he had been talking about the responsibility that he had given her, to watch and to guard the WindClan cats. But she had a nagging feeling that there was something more to his words. This was just another thing to keep her head spinning as she followed the angry cats.
Her mind felt infected now by the idea that Jasminefur could someday become her enemy. Or that Specklestar could. Perhaps this is what StarClan had meant when they had warned her of danger from all directions. Any cat could easily become an enemy. She wanted to believe that she could trust Jasminefur because StarClan had chosen him- but hadn’t they also chosen Specklestar? If conflict continued, who was she expected to follow? “I agree with him on one thing…there are some answers that only StarClan could give.”
While she believed that it was just a matter of being confused about her destiny…she hated the thought that she may someday be forced to oppose Jasminefur. She kept thinking about the intimacy they had shared not long ago. If she did end up siding with her Clan over them- would he ever look at her that way again? Or would he look at her with the same contempt he had shown Specklestar?
She watched Fernkit; she didn’t really know what was best for her either. But it did feel safer here than it had felt out on the moor- even without the dogs present. They were surrounded with thorny walls, and there were so many cats around to keep the kits safe. There was Applewing and Bristlebark on guard duty- despite her dislike of Applewing, she knew that he or any of her Clanmates would warn the Clan against a threat. And there was Fogfoot, watching the kits lovingly. Without the older WindClan cats around, she seemed more willing to give them some space to just enjoy themselves. Thornkit didn’t appear to mind at all that the nest was far from perfect- he curled up into it and purred with contentment.
She noticed that Cricketpaw was watching the kits as well, but he turned his attention to her when she looked at him. He looked back at her with hatred in his eyes. “So what’s all this with StarClan that you keep talking about?”
“Oh- yeah.” Brightfrost thought that they, too, must be part of this shared destiny. She took a moment to piece together her thoughts. She didn’t want the WindClan cats to think she was wavering in her commitment to them. “When I brought Jasminefur and Fernkit back to camp, StarClan sent our medicine cat an omen. That Jasminefur and Fernkit are meant to be here- that Jasminefur would not lead us into darkness. And that I’m supposed to guide the way.”
Cricketpaw scoffed. “So that’s why you won’t leave Jasminefur alone.”
“I’m meant to keep him safe. To keep all of you safe.” Despite feeling lost, Brightfrost’s declaration of protection sounded as confident as ever. “I know you’ll never like me, or trust me. But StarClan believes I have something to offer you.”
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 8, 2024 15:25:42 GMT -5
Rosepelt grimly considered Cricketpaw’s proposal for getting Fernkit back. She would have been lying if she had said that it wasn’t appealing to her – just find a good moment, take their kit back, and run. But her eyes drifted to where Fernkit was playing with the ThunderClan kits, particularly to Fogfoot. “That queen isn’t going to let us near her without a watchful eye,” She grimaced, whispering back to the apprentice. “For now, there…there isn’t much we can do.” An angry hiss followed this. “We have to bide our time.”
Jasminefur was already exiting the den as Brightfrost silently checked that she could leave with Specklestar; but his gaze lingered on her, looking back at her over his shoulder. His eyes betrayed that he was upset by the conversation in the den, but he wasn’t upset with her.
Brightfrost had seemed just as surprised as they had been – though certainly less uproarious than Cricketpaw or Rosepelt, without a doubt. He was her leader, after all. But Brightfrost’s repeated promises played again in his head – That she would protect them. That she’d help him find his remaining clanmates. That she wouldn’t let him be thrown back to the dogs. Jasminefur trusted Brightfrost’s word – and while he didn’t dare ask her to do something directly against her leader, Jasminefur thought that maybe, if him and his clanmates played the situation right, Brightfrost could help them stay closer to Fernkit. How? He wasn’t exactly sure. But there weren’t many more cats he could rely on, so he had to hope.
Jasminefur was still struggling to lay his fur flat, as his gaze flittered over to the four kits playing near the center of camp. He, of course, was watching Fernkit. It felt so wrong to have her held from them, almost kept as a hostage. But he didn’t know what they could do in the face of Specklestar’s decision. He was supposed to stay close to Brightfrost, as StarClan had prophesized, so running with Fernkit wasn’t a solution. But he hated the idea of Fernkit being trapped and prohibited from leaving with her clanmates if something forced them to make that call.
He sighed as Brightfrost remarked on how impossible to answer the whole situation was. “If only StarClan informed us all of the same plan,” There was a rough edge of bitterness to his voice, but once he had said it, he seemed to realize it might be...a bit hostile towards their warrior ancestors, and he knew Brightfrost wouldn’t like that. He turned to her with a second, quieter sigh. “Sorry. I’m just…” He shut his eyes for a moment as he matched her pace, a few tail-lengths behind his sister. “That whole thing took me by surprise.” he reopened his eyes as he spoke. Fernkit gasped with surprise as Thornkit curled up in her shoddy nest. “It…But…Isn’t it uncomfy?” She bent down to examine the nest, beginning to circle around it to identify more defects. “It must be! You don’t have to force yourself, Thornkit!” Rosepelt wanted to enjoy the moment as she watched Fernkit silently, but she was still coming down off of her rage fog. Her heart was still beating a little faster than normal, and a couple cats seemed to be keeping their distance; she must have had an…unhappy expression on her face. After he finished his brief conversation with Brightfrost, Jasminefur joined beside his sibling, looking around cautiously to see if they had managed to find a relatively private corner where their speech wouldn’t be too invaded upon. While they weren’t discussing anything most cats didn’t know, he didn’t want Fernkit’s being held here to be too public, as long as possible. The more time they had to think it through, the better.
Jasminefur’s gaze settled worriedly on Cricketpaw as the apprentice turned to listen to them. He recognized that sheer hate; it felt a little bit similar to the way Paleheart would glare at him and Brightfrost. It offset Jasminefur’s frustration with concern as he wondered how he could possibly make the apprentice, hurt and confused as he was, see that this cat wasn’t their enemy.
He gave Brightfrost the time she needed to compose her thoughts, shooting a brief glance to his sister. Rosepelt gave him a disapproving glance, clearly wondering why Brightfrost was still here. She would’ve much preferred plotting to get Fernkit back over listening to the enemy warrior speak.
Jasminefur nodded in agreement as Brightfrost finished. Even if he still couldn’t understand the why, it was pretty hard for him to deny how incredible the scene had been. He had thought Cricketpaw might show more disbelief, and he wasn’t sure the apprentice did believe it; but he was a little surprised as the young apprentice simply commented on how they had been side by side since returning to camp the previous night.
“Like I told you yesterday – she did save me from the dog. And she’s protected me more than once as well, from her own clanmates,” He took a pause, glancing at both of his present clanmates to gauge their reactions. Rosepelt was stone-faced and not saying anything, leaving him rather uncertain if a single word he said was having any effect.
He didn’t know whether to reassure them that the sign happened by describing what he saw, or to back up that they could trust Brightfrost even more than he already had. He normally knew how to calm a cat, to get through a situation unscathed, at least physically, but here there were no easy answers. A Clan dead, a kit held hostage, and the three of them in limbo…how could he reassure them? I’m just one cat… He lamented in his mind. He opened his mouth, about to continue speaking, when he was interrupted by his sister.
“The only place you’ve led us is into a viper’s nest that wants us gone. And now they’re going to hold on to Fernkit forever. How could your first thought have been to come to ThunderClan? Have you lost your mind? As you’ve just heard, if we leave now, we’re going to be short one of four clanmates!” Rosepelt finally spoke, an angry, whispered hiss -- and it was nothing diplomatic as she began unloading on Jasminefur. Jasminefur flinched and took a step back, his ears lying flat as she threw the blame for the whole situation at his paws.
It didn’t help that he had been blaming himself enough on his own before; now his sister was doing the same.
Rosepelt didn’t seem to be focusing on the omen, or StarClan’s word, or any of the mission that Brightfrost was trying to explain. Rosepelt was simply casting blame – unloading her anger from the conversation with Specklestar on him. She was starting to struggle to keep her voice to a low hiss to avoid attention. “I sure hope you have a plan! What’s the solution, Jasminefur?” She began taking a step toward her brother -- not physically threatening, but certainly intimidating. Fernkit is their hostage, and there's almost nothing I can do about it now! She thought with a sense of helpless frustration. She saw him flinching away and retreating -- and for just a moment, she felt like that was right, that he should be chewed out, and should cower before the consequences of his choices.
Rosepelt had never acted like this in ShadowClan; she was quicker to defend herself and challenge a hostile cat, but she had never gotten this angry. She seemed to forget Cricketpaw was there watching her. She didn't even seem that conscious of Brightfrost, who was probably standing only a step away from him; her mind was too focused on finding someone to blame.
Yet, she finally paused mid-step, seeing that her brother was on the brink of tears. She hesitated.
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 8, 2024 19:59:47 GMT -5
Cricketpaw was emboldened by Rosepelt’s angry words. He felt his own anger building up at Jasminefur. “Yeah- and I bet that omen wasn’t even real.” It was difficult to believe. For those who had seen it, it was difficult to argue with. It was easier to be skeptical just hearing about it. Would StarClan really have chosen Jasminefur for an important fate? Cricketpaw had been growing to appreciate the young warrior now that he was one of his few remaining Clanmates. And he had been impressed when he heard about him outrunning a dog.
But this was still the same cat who was always given apprentice duties even though he was a warrior- to the point that Cricketpaw remembered wondering why they had even bothered giving him a warrior name. This was the cat who could always be relied on to take care of tick duty when Cricketpaw and his denmates had more important training to be doing. He could see now that this made Jasminefur helpful and reliable…but he was no hero. He could imagine Rosepelt or even himself at the center of an omen. Jasminefur, though? He didn’t know why a ThunderClan medicine cat would have made that up, but maybe she had.
“It was real. If you had seen it, you would understand,” said Brightfrost firmly, her tail lashing unconsciously as her own anger rose. They were doubting Jasminefur, herself, and StarClan all at once. She couldn’t abide by that, even though she knew she shouldn’t be fighting with the refugees.
“But we didn’t see it, and we pretty much just have the word of ThunderClan to go off of,” said Cricketpaw. “I’m not going to listen to a bunch of kit-stealers.” He, too, hadn’t been this harsh while in ShadowClan. He had had some sense that they were being done a favor by being allowed to stay. And while there were certainly times when he felt the need to defend himself…ThunderClan felt worse than another Clan’s camp. It felt like the vipers’ den that Rosepelt described it as.
Brightfrost was already struggling not to show any anger towards the WindClan cats. She wanted to understand them, and she wanted them to trust her. But when Rosepelt turned her anger on Jasminefur, Brightfrost couldn’t just go along with it. “He came to ThunderClan because his first priority was saving Fernkit! Would you rather she have been left at the mercy of the dogs? If he hadn’t come to ThunderClan and run into a patrol, he would’ve had to fight a dog on his own! Do you think Fernkit being in ThunderClan is worse than her being dead? None of this is his fault, or ThunderClan’s fault! None of us controlled the dogs!”
She lashed her tail and moved in front of Jasminefur as soon as Rosepelt became enough of a threat to Brightfrost. Even though she knew that Rosepelt would not turn her claws on one of her last Clanmates, her instinctive desire to protect Jasminefur won out. “And from what I heard, you weren’t exactly nice to Jasminefur before all this happened. I thought maybe you realized how lucky you were to have him, after having thought you had lost him. But as soon as you find out he hasn’t been doing everything according to what you want, you turn on him?”
“Because of him, two of your Clanmates are still alive. He risked everything to get Fernkit to safety when no one else would. Other cats could have just left her and focused on saving themselves- but he didn’t. Because he puts other cats first. Because he's a great warrior,” said Brightfrost. She narrowed her eyes. “And by the way, me and Quickbird and Stoneheart risked our pelts to save Fernkit too. You may not be happy with what we’ve done, but we’re all doing the best we can. There are cats who want to help, but they can't if you treat them all like enemies."
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Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 9, 2024 18:58:53 GMT -5
It would have been easy to feel emboldened as Cricketpaw backed her up – but Rosepelt was already starting to feel a prickling sensation in her chest, a pang of guilt that she didn’t want to acknowledge. She had the sense that if she levied one more accusation at her brother, that he’d break down sobbing. Memories of many times mocking him flashed through her mind, but he always had tried to keep a stone face, to let it deflect off of him, which had always made it more fun to try and break through his defenses.
But Rosepelt felt no joy as he saw the tears threatening to break from her brother’s eyes. Things were so different now, and the ghost of the way she had treated him for moons hovered over her as she began mentally acknowledging she was doing the same thing in an even worse situation.
Rosepelt’s eyes widened and her hackles raised slightly as she was suddenly beset by Brightfrost. She would have expected such aggression to come in the form of a physical attack, or an onslaught of insults and pejoratives – but no. Instead, Brightfrost fervently defended Jasminefur’s actions as a heat of the moment decision, something bourne out of necessity and survival instinct. Rosepelt didn’t want to admit that it could be true, but it struck at her core, activating that pang of guilt that was building up within her.
But her guilt really became uncontrollable when Brightfrost brought up her own past with her brother. Her head drew back in astonishment, and her expression scrunched up in a half-snarl as the ThunderClan chaperone began berating her.
Within just a couple moments, she realized a few things: first, Jasminefur had always felt the weight of being berated by her and her friends, the object of their mockery. Second, he had trusted this stranger enough to tell her about his apprenticeship and beyond. And third….Brightfrost cared. Rosepelt could feel the genuine anger emanating form the warrior who had just weaved her way in between herself and Jasminefur. She was too angry to consider any further implications, but it made it hard for Rosepelt to dismiss Brightfrost’s statements as little more than a rival warrior’s worthless insults.
Rosepelt’s jaw dropped slack as Brightfrost accused her of forgetting, within a day, that Jasminefur should have been gone, that she never should have seen him again; and that even that being so, she was still attacking him as soon as something went wrong. "How dare-" Rosepelt initially felt a surge of rage at the audacity of a piece of ThunderClan fox-dung making such an accusation….but Jasminefur’s grief-stricken expression again flashed through her mind, and her rage ebbed away, her voice fading as Brightfrost continued hurling defenses at her. Her face reflected a transition from rage into frustration, her snarl decreasing somewhat in intensity. Even so, her claws angrily attempted to tear at the hardening, cold ground underpaw, needing to let her aggression out somehow.
She froze, a hard glare setting upon Brightfrost as the ThunderClan she-cat highlighted that Jasminefur had shown the best of himself amidst the disaster of the dogs. Rosepelt wished she could burn holes through the ThunderClanner. She had never, ever - considered Jasminefur a great warrior, or someone who would put other cats first – he was a cat that was so easy to walk all over and use as a scratching post. Yet Brightfrost, this stranger who she had probably only ever met in battle before the previous day, highlighted the horrid nature of her attitude, leaving Rosepelt shrouded with guilt and frustration and uncertainty with how to proceed or make any of it right.
“I just…wanted to keep her alive, Rosepelt…” Jasminefur croaked as his voice shook with grief. He had prayed this wouldn’t happen, but his sister was blaming him for everything, just like in the past -- and for something that really, really mattered. “I…I couldn’t think! I just had to act! P-please…I'm begging you to understand...” His voice cracked, as he was left feeling like the only family he had left now wanted to spurn him for his failure to do any more than he had.
Rosepelt’s expression grew visibly pained; as shocking as it might seem, Rosepelt didn’t seem to dismiss Brightfrost’s waves and waves of criticism out of paw, and her brother’s begging and pleading disarmed her even further. She emitted an angered growl, rising in sharpness and volume, until it died out into a hiss. She turned about almost halfway, about to instinctively head for the camp exit – but she remembered that she was not free to leave without an escort. With a second, quieter hiss of anger, she stormed around Brightfrost and Jasminefur, saying nothing as she sought the slightest amount of privacy in the apprentice’s den.
Rosepelt didn’t know how to apologize or acknowledge what she had done was wrong. Jasminefur would never have the guts to say it, but his expression, together with Brightfrost’s sharp tongue had caught her unprepared, leaving her with negative personal emotions, feeling both guilt about what she had said, and anger that she had let a ThunderClan cat speak to her that way (though, she didn’t want to admit how right Brightfrost had been, even to herself).
So she huddled into a nest on the far corner of the den, ignoring the asleep Wrenpaw as she prepared for a cold, angry time with her thoughts.
Jasminefur froze as Rosepelt starting padding around Brightfrost, and he didn’t move in the slightest until his sister was past him and heading for the apprentice’s den. He released a tensely-held breath, just managing to push back the water that was threating to flood from his eyes. He looked breathlessly at Brightfrost, not yet able to process the whole situation, and thus feel gratitude towards her. Instead, his gaze hovered on her for a few moments, then turned to Cricketpaw.
He tried to compose himself, but he just wasn’t in the state of mind to convince the apprentice right now. “We…” He gulped, then breathed in a cold breath of almost-snowy air. “We can speak with Autumneyes, Cricketpaw. I wasn’t even sure when I heard it, but…” He sighed quietly. How could he explain that he had been visited twice in his dreams, and her whispers in the forest since? He didn’t want Cricketpaw to walk away thinking how stupid their ‘story’ was, but Jasminefur was also very emotionally shook, and it reflected in his voice and his facial expression. It led to him sounding unconfident in what he was saying -- even though he knew the omen was true, he was suffering the impact of his sister's harsh judgement. He looked vulnerable. It might not have been heard throughout the whole camp, especially with the kits in the center creating quite the racket. But Applewing noticed as one of the new refugees emitted an angry, high-pitched growl. His attention immediately turned to the refugees, his fur just beginning to stand slightly on end. Bristlebark seemed to notice his reaction -- but as both stared at the group standing with Brightfrost, as Rosepelt padded off into the apprentice's den, Bristlebark seemed to dismiss it as nothing. Applewing, however, continued staring at them.
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