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Posted by theeriginals22 on Sept 5, 2023 16:25:00 GMT
How hard is it to catch a mouse? Cougarpaw thought, smacking a pebble out of her way as she stomped through the Rugged Highlands. Her tail twitched in irritation as she thought about how many hunts she failed during the last hunting patrol. I did everything right! She growled to herself, completely oblivious to all the noise she was making. The sandy molly unknowingly scaring away any prey that heard her stomps and grumbles of annoyance.
She'd snuck away from camp while everyone was sleepy from the midday sun, hoping to get some hunting practice in. Hopefully the young apprentice could bring something back to camp. Maybe that would impress her mentor... Cougarpaw shook out her pelt to try and refocus her energy, stopping to scent the air.
"Come on... Maybe a bird... Please?" She had no idea who she was talking to, maybe Starclan? Or any wandering spirits? The wind rattled the branches above her, swathes of grass rasping together. There was an old fox scent and maybe a squirrel?
Cougarpaw waited with closed eyes for something to catch her attention, but.... After a few seconds she grew impatient and grumbled, deciding to continue her path. Dumb Highlands and stupid sneaky prey. Cougarpaw, RidgeClan
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Posted by littlewing on Sept 6, 2023 20:40:21 GMT
C L O U D P A W
Fogclan apprentice
The warrior code was taught to kittens as early as they could sit still and listen. Sixteen rules that defined what it meant to be a clan cat— sixteen rules that Cloudpaw could probably rattle off in his sleep. Curiously, not even one of those rules forbade apprentices from leaving camp on their own. The young Fogclan tom knew he’d be in trouble when his little outing was discovered, but whatever punishment his mentor had in store couldn’t outweigh the chance to experience their territory on his own terms. No boring lectures, no swimming drills, just raw exploration. As Cloudpaw trekked further and further, he noticed the scenery around him shift from the misty woods he called home to sparse rocks, the usual mossy greenery thinning out with every step. The wind was harsher against his fur. Scents began to change. Regardless, he continued forward. A mix of misplaced confidence and curiosity, traits all too common in those his age, fueled his adventure. Strange sounds from up ahead made him quickly drop into a hunter’s crouch. Without an ounce of hesitation, he creeped forward slowly, keeping his body close to the ground and paws silent. The thick bushes provided him with ample cover. Cloudpaw was expecting some crows, or maybe a group of those freaky-looking mountain goats— definitely not another cat. And one just as small as him. He held back a snicker at her frustrated meows. “No, you’re doing it all wrong. You can’t just ask birds to come to you. It’s all about technique,” he interrupted suddenly, poking his head out from behind a bush. “You gotta call to them. Like, make the noises they make,” he grinned. Cloudpaw wasn’t even try to hide that he was teasing her.
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Posted by theeriginals22 on Sept 7, 2023 16:18:48 GMT
The unfamiliar tom scared the life out of her, completely catching the Ridgeclan apprentice of guard. She bounced backward in surprise, fur bristling along her spine and back arched. Her first instinct was to fight until she realized the cat was talking to her in a friendly manner. As if the two were denmates.
Desperate to rid herself of her embarrassment, she snipped back with a suspicious tone, "Oh you think so? I'd like to see you try catching one."
As the sudden adrenaline rush ebbed away, the young molly became aware of the scent wafting off of him. He was a Fogclan cat. What drew him this far out of his territory? Didn't Fogclan cats like everything to be all wet and humid?
She eyed him curiously, "Who are you anyway?"
Cougarpaw, Ridgeclan
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Posted by littlewing on Sept 8, 2023 20:04:22 GMT
C L O U D P A W
Fogclan apprentice
Cloudpaw stepped out of the bush, stretching forward languidly. For a moment, his ears flattened at her sudden reaction, though it passed as quickly as it came. “I don’t hunt birds,” he shrugs. “I prefer fish, and they don’t make any sounds.” They could be making sounds, but there was no way he’d hear any of it. Rivers were noisy locations, ones full of constant babbling and the quacking of nearby fowl. Ducks were an especially familiar sight, though not during his mealtimes; Cloudpaw found feather removal too tedious. Last time he tried to clean a duck, he was late for patrol with a face covered in feathers— an experience memorable enough to avoid hunting them altogether. “But,” he continued, emphasizing his point, “I overheard that advice from a Poppyclan warrior during our last gathering. They hunt those little fast birds, so I bet they’re masters at it.” The tom’s eyes squinted in a grin, a dull azuline in the early afternoon glare, just as dull as the colors splashed across his pelt. The grays and whites were useful camouflage amongst wet cobble and hazy underwater hues, though not so much on the surface. “I’m Cloudpaw.”
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Posted by theeriginals22 on Sept 11, 2023 19:22:12 GMT
He heard a Poppyclan warrior say that at a gathering? Cougarpaw mulled it over with furrowed brows. She hadn't even been to a gathering yet, but from what she'd heard about them the clans did share news and what not. No one said that sharing hunting tips was forbidden as far as she knew. The younger warriors liked to whisper about the gossip they learned from the other clans. Rumors about cross-clan relationships were popular even if older warriors warned that it was nonsense, and there were far better things to worry about than who was seeing who at the border. She supposed that she had to trust the other apprentice since he had been to gatherings, plus he seemed older... Her pelt prickled uncomfortably and she reluctantly considered the advice, even though she felt it sounded mousebrained.
"I guess you have a point..." She mumbled with a pout, then scuffed a paw in the dirt, "I'm Cougarpaw. Possibly the best future warrior of Ridgeclan." Her chest puffed out a bit to emphasis her claim even though she had much to learn. "Removing fish scales sounds like a nightmare and they're slimy." Cougarpaw commented, sticking out her tongue. Kithood mannerisms still stuck to her furiously like burrs in new-leaf, complaining about the texture of prey she had never even tried.
While the young tom standing across from her shimmered like a babbling brook, Cougarpaw's sandy coat matched the hue of the terrain around her. Even she could acknowledge how they both fit their respective clans and territories, "What's a Fogclan apprentice doing so far from the wetlands?"
Cougarpaw, Ridgeclan
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Posted by littlewing on Sept 20, 2023 18:03:15 GMT
C L O U D P A W
Fogclan apprentice
“Best warrior!” He echoed. “Hopefully I never have to meet you in battle, huh?” Cloudpaw didn’t share the same ambitious sentiments for his own growth. He wasn’t interested in becoming the best fighter, best hunter, or anything of the sort— he was happy to drift along and see where the current takes him. He was still young and plans could change, but he could never imagine himself holding any rank higher than warrior. If anything, he was more concerned that he’d end up with a suffix he didn’t like. Maybe Cougarpaw was onto something… it seemed more important to prove oneself now, as an apprentice, versus later. “Maybe I like slimy.” Cloudpaw stuck out his tongue, mirroring her own. Prey that wasn’t a bit slippery was weirder to him. At least scales came off with his claws. But fur? And Starclan forbid, feathers? He suppressed a shudder. He didn’t really have a good answer to her question. Truth be told, he felt just as out of place as he looked. The land was more open than he was used to, and also a lot drier. Curiosity lead him past the Serpent’s Run, being lucky enough to not get swept up in the turbulent rapids (and now only realizing he has to pass through, successfully, once more), and he just kept wandering. Despite Cloudpaw’s irresponsible nature, he was adept enough to know how to re-trace his steps later. The lack of scents around the Highlands made it easier to do so. All in all, he wasn’t too worried about being so far from home. “Just, y’know, a little change in scenery.” He quickly feigned a reason. Cloudpaw was better at speaking in inexactitudes than he was at hunting, or actually, any of his apprentice skills. “I’ve never seen a goat before. Or—“ he looked back up at Cougarpaw. “Another apprentice alone. I could ask you the same question.”
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Posted by theeriginals22 on Oct 9, 2023 17:49:41 GMT
Her chest puffed out a little more in pride and she tilted her chin up. "I'd be able to beat you in battle for sure. My mentor is Rainwolf, and he's a great fighter." She boasted. Cougarpaw couldn't wrap her head around why a cat would like slimy food, but if thats what made the tom happy... Well it's not like she has to hunt for him anyway. No one could convince her to splash around in the water for a slippery fish. Feathers made much better bedding than scales, and at least a cat didn't have to remove the fur from a mouse. She wasn't entirely convinced he just wanted a change of scenery. Lots of other warriors talked about trespassers or cats trying to start trouble during border patrols, but she also didn't think he wanted to do that either. Cougarpaw suddenly felt very curious about the aloof Fogclan apprentice. Cloudpaw appeared almost bored when he'd answered her probing about his wandering. When questioned about her own intentions, Cougarpaw paused. She had momentarily forgotten her original reason for being out here. "I was... Practicing hunting." The small molly admitted after a few moments of trying to think of a different reason, "But exploring too. I've never been this far from camp. And I haven't meant any other clan cats."
Cougarpaw, Ridgeclan
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Posted by littlewing on Oct 17, 2023 1:36:11 GMT
C L O U D P A W
Fogclan apprentice
Cloudpaw huffs, the edges of his muzzle turned upwards. “Yeah, you’d probably beat me. One time, I snagged myself on a rock by accident. Took a while to heal. I don’t wanna know what it would feel like to get ripped by claws, on purpose.” Glory and honor from bloodshed belonged to heroes, the cats that live exciting lives, their actions weaved into mythos and becoming of tales whispered between kits. To those that embodied the word of Starclan’s esteemed members. And Cloudpaw was Cloudpaw. He’d rather avoid fights altogether, slink back into the humid, misty air and blend in amongst the moss and low-growing trees. He couldn’t think of anything he’d want to get hurt for. Maybe just what the Warrior Code demanded him to, and simply because it demanded him to, but nothing else. And not if he could help it. He settled in front of Cougarpaw, taking a seat and tucking his paws underneath his sleek tail. His expression grew ambiguous, the remnants of his earlier mirth still present, though subdued to a small flicker in his eyes. “Let’s make a pact. If we meet on a battlefield, we’ll avoid each other.” Cloudpaw tilted his head to the side, keen on the molly’s reaction. “I don’t wanna get torn up by Ridgeclan’s strongest warrior, especially when I don’t stand a chance,” he quickly added after a pause, a light-hearted grin returning to its usual place.
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Posted by theeriginals22 on Dec 7, 2023 22:17:46 GMT
Cougarpaw smiled and sat back on her haunches to box the air between them, and with a teasing tone she said, "If you get injured by rocks then you really don't want to meet me in battle." Briefly the small molly wondered if they had been clanmates, would they have been friends? Despite being a Fogclan cat Cloudpaw seemed to be a nice and funny tom. Well even though we aren't clanmates we can still be friends right? She thought as he talked, I don't think there's anything against that in the warrior code.
Her front paws dropped back to the ground as she considered the pact. She knew that they weren't really supposed to do these sorts of things, but... Cloudpaw did already admit she was a better fighter than him. "A pact?" She murmured, with a tilt of her head, "I suppose I can agree to that."
She stuck a paw out for a shake to seal the deal, a toothy grin on her muzzle as she agreed, "Yeah. Let's do that."
Cougarpaw, Ridgeclan
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