Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry's claws scraped against the rough bark of a towering oak, the sound sharp in the morning stillness. She was halfway up the tree, her muscles straining as she climbed higher, testing her strength against the age-old trunk. She'd woken before dawn, as she often did, driven by a restless energy that sleep could never seem to quell and had picked up a squirrel from the fresh kill pile to take with her.
Her tail lashed behind her, a lilac streak cutting through the pre-dawn shadows. The climb wasn’t necessary - there were no urgent threats, but she craved the burn in her limbs, the challenge of proving, if only to herself, that she still had it. That she was still as strong as ever.
Reaching a sturdy branch, Wildcry paused, her breath steady despite the exertion. Her amber eyes narrowed as she scanned the camp below. From this vantage point, she could see the tops of the dens and the foliage beyond. She flexed her claws into the bark, the wood splintering beneath her sharp talons. This was where she belonged - above the rest, overseeing, protecting. Wildcry had always preferred action over words, and even now, with her one eye, she refused to let herself slow down.
She hadn't left to remain unseen, and in fact - this was training, in part. The morning patrol would be leaving soon, and while she hadn't been assigned to it, Wildcry had every intention of inspecting those to go before they left. Wildcry considered herself good guidance and sharp wit. Any cat could benefit from her favor, and so the invitation was made. One must climb high for her company, and a part of her desired to see who she might tempt today.
24
Wildcry & Whoever (maybe Stormfall?)
Relationship building!
Thunderclan camp, both in a tree and on the ground!
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Stormfall had risen before sunrise, giving himself enough time to thoroughly clean his long, pale fur for the day. His nest tended to collect stray tufts of hair while his pelt tended to collect moss, all making for extra work whenever he had a spare moment. He was early enough to watch the sky pale in color and the stars slowly fade away. And early enough to watch one of his fellow warriors skitter restlessly across camp, ending up high in one of the trees that surrounded him. He almost wanted to laugh at the endless energy Wildcry seemed to have--she was always doing something, even if it meant putting more stress on her aging joints. But at least she was one of the other older warriors who understood the value of being useful.
Rising to his paws, he stretched out each of his legs, putting extra emphasis on his left hind one, and padded over to the tree. He managed to claw his way up as high as he dared, pausing to rest his bulk on a sturdy branch. He glanced up to where Wildcry lounged a few tail-lengths above him. "Getting a head-start on your exercise for the day?" he asked casually.
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry cast a glance downward, her amber eye narrowing as she spotted Stormfall making his way up the tree. She watched his careful movements, the way he chose his path with the precision of a seasoned warrior. There was a flicker of approval in her gaze, though she kept her expression stern - she shouldn't encourage a conversation if he couldn't even bother to get to her level.
"Just keeping the blood flowing." She gave a brisk mew, her tone gruff but with a hint of humor. Her tail waved upwards as her gaze drifted. "Come up here. There’s something about the view from up here that clears the mind."
She shifted her position slightly, the squirrel she’d brought with her sliding a bit on the branch before she secured it with a paw. Once the tom was on her branch and not so low on the tree, and, in fact, her conceptual equal, then she spoke once more. "It’s good to see you up here, Stormfall." Her voice was serious, but a touch playful. "Not many would bother, especially at this hour."
Wildcry allowed a brief nod before looking out over the camp again. "I like to see who’s willing to go that extra step. Too many these days are content with the bare minimum." She glanced back at him, a challenge in her eye. "But I don’t need to worry about you, do I?"
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Stormcall flicked his fluffy tail at her remark. "I didn't think the branches would hold me," he mewed good-humoredly. He didn't weigh absurdly more than Wildcry, but he could never be too careful, especially as he aged. "Never been much of a tree climber."
He managed to pull himself up another branch, carefully balancing his bulk. He dug his claws into the bark, ears pricked and listening for cracks in the wood. With a nod, he replied, "I've still got a good amount of moons left in me. Might as well use them as well as I can, right? You understand. And these mornings are nice and quiet."
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry gave a short, approving grunt as Stormfall pulled himself up to her branch. She observed his cautious movements, her expression neutral but with a hint of satisfaction. "You’re right to be careful..." Admitted the ticked she-cat, though her tone remained firm. "Not every branch is as sturdy as it looks." The last thing they needed was an injured warrior.
She shifted slightly, allowing him more space on the branch as she continued to survey the camp below. "It’s good to see you still pushing yourself." Her voice, if one heard hard enough, could make out a note of respect."Too many cats let age slow them down, but I’ve always believed that a warrior’s spirit doesn’t wane just because their fur starts to gray."
Her gaze flicked to his, sharp and assessing towards the squirrel firmly planted between her paws. She began to tear at its thin flesh. "These quiet mornings are when the real work gets done, when the mind is clear and the body ready. It's when we set the tone for the rest of the day."
Wildcry paused, letting the silence settle between them for a moment before she spoke again. "ThunderClan needs warriors who don’t shy away from a challenge - especially ones like you, who’ve got the experience to back it up." There was a rare warmth in her tone, a fleeting glimpse of the deep loyalty she held for her clanmates, even if she rarely voiced it. The softest purr was muted as her muzzle dived into the squirrel for her first bite.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Stormcall nodded as she bit into her squirrel. "As long as you can keep yourself able, it only makes sense to keep serving the clan." He looked up at a few birds flitting about in the branches above, much farther up than either cat could reach.
"I agree. An early rise is an excellent start to the day. And a challenge is always good as well." He gave a deep nod at her comment on Thunderclan. "There are a few," he replied. "But I understand your concern. We need strong warriors who aren't afraid to get a little hurt sometimes. Hopefully these apprentices we have will turn out a bit more...focused, than others have." Carefully wording his critique of their younger warriors was difficult. As much as he had to say about cats like Savagefox and Kestrelswipe, they were her kin. A lot of cats were her kin. He gave his shoulder fur a few licks, careful to not lose his grip on the branch.
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry’s ear flicked as she listened to Stormfall, her amber eye narrowing slightly at his carefully worded critique. She took another deliberate bite of her squirrel, chewing slowly as she considered his words. Her tongue lapped at her maw, relishing in the moment.
"You may be onto something." Came her leveled mew, her tone measured but with an edge of seriousness. "There’s promise in some of them, but promise only gets you so far. It’s the follow through that matters, the drive to prove yourself every day, not just when it's convenient or when someone's looking. Someone is always looking!"
Her thoughts drifted as wind might, to that of her offspring. Both carried a spark of fire, but fire needed to be guided and controlled - or else it'll burn them out too quickly or threaten to overwhelm them. Kestralswipe becoming ordained in the eyes of Starclan and rising to deputy was impressive, but not entirely unexpected. Her own sire had been deputy at one point of time, and ancestors before that. Hopestorm. And Bloodstar himself. "Too many of these young ones think they know everything just because they’ve had a few successful hunts or managed to walk away from a skirmish."
Her gaze hardened as she looked out over the camp, watching the first signs of activity as the dawn light filtered through the trees. "ThunderClan can’t afford complacency."
Wildcry glanced back at Stormfall, her expression softening slightly."You and I, we know what it takes. We’ve been through enough to understand that strength isn’t just in the claws or the teeth - it’s in the mind, in the discipline to keep pushing even when you’re tired, even when it hurts."
She let out a slow breath, her tail curling around her paws. "Those apprentices are going to be warriors next moon. We'll have to be the ones who remind them that there is still much to learn in this world." There was a quiet determination in her voice, the kind that came from years of experience and a deep-rooted commitment to her clan.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Stormfall nodded as she spoke. He had no doubt that a few of the younger warriors were somewhat arrogant. And perhaps he had been too, at that age, but at least he had been humbled before even earning his name. The pain of that snake bite he'd gotten as an apprentice was always fresh in his mind, always a reminder of how easily he could slip.
He looked back at her as she spoke about the apprentices. He hadn't had much of a chance to watch the three of them very closely--he knew Larchpaw liked to talk, and Brindlepaw had a sharp tongue of her own. Part of him wondered how Dustpaw might have turned out, but...it wasn't much good to ponder on what could have been. He raised his brow as she finished. "I hope you don't mean hazing them," he suggested with a bit of an amused lilt to his voice. "We're much too old to play games like that."
Bloodlines of strength ignite fierce souls
──●◎●──
Wildcry gave a low, raspy chuckle at Stormfall's suggestion, her whiskers twitching with amusement. "Hazing them?" Her voice was rich with the same wry humor as she echoed her clanmate. "We’re warriors, not kittypets. They’ll get their lessons the hard way, just like we did - through experience and a bit of tough love. The forest will do its part too."
She finished off the last of her squirrel, flicking the bones off the branch and into the underbrush below. The gesture was casual, almost dismissive, as if the remnants of the meal were of no more consequence than the conversation they’d just had.
She pushed herself up to her paws, the muscles in her limbs rippling under her sleek fur. Wildcry’s gaze turned to the horizon, where the sun was beginning to break through the trees, casting long shadows across the camp below. "And if they’ve got any sense, they’ll rise to the challenge."
With a final nod to Stormfall, she began her descent down the tree, each movement deliberate. "I’m off to see who’s awake," She called over her shoulder. Her tail lashed once as she touched the ground, already thinking ahead to the tasks that lay ahead. She didn’t wait for a response - there was work to be done, and she expected nothing less from Stormfall than to get right to it as well.
The conversation had served its purpose. Now it was time for action.
[WILDCRY EXIT]
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Stormcall chuckled with amusement as the she-cat scattered her bones below. "Yes, I suppose that's true."
He dug his claws into the tree as Wildcry started to move. He was still very uncertain about how well the branch would hold his weight, and the shifting did not ease his worries. And then she was on the ground. He flicked his tail as she said her farewell. "Let me know if you need a hunting partner later on," he called back.
