Roleplay

@TeaLeafves @hurri @wildheart

Cloudedheart ignored Wildfire for the most part, nodding every now and then to make it seem like she was giving her whole attention. In truth she was used to Wildfire's rambling and was able to block most of it from her thoughts if it wasn't a matter of importance, which usually it was not.

Then Maplestar came over and told her that she and Holleyeyes were going out to find herbs,"Good morning to you too, and don't worry, I will make sure everyone eats," she replied with a purr. She was just about to go back into her thoughts when Cedarpaw protested about going hunting. It almost made her laugh at the ridiculousness of it, but she was able to suppress her mirth,"Cedarpaw, you know as well as I do that without food we would not have the strength to fight, and in leaf fall food is even more important," she said sternly, with not a trace of the kindness she had shown before. Her gaze was hard and unyielding as she continued,"You will go on the hunting patrol, no arguing."

Next she turned her gaze upon the two black toms and with her usual kindness said,"Good day, and be careful." And with that she set off to think over things that needed done. She should send out a border patrol, but with Maplestar out and about that would leave few warriors to protect the camp. That would have to wait till later. Instead she decided to have a look at the camps protective barriers, one could never be too careful.

As she padded the perimeter of the camp Cloudedheart let her mind wander, all the while keeping enough thought to make sure the barrier was fine. She thought about the coming leaf-bare and of the last leaf-bare. It seemed as if every leaf-bare was a bad one, no matter how much they prepared for it. Some might think you can prepare for anything, then something happens, something bad, and you realize that all you can do is your best, and that wasn't always enough. Shaking her head, Cloudedheart dispelled such dreary thoughts, such depressing thoughts did nothing but make things worse.

The medicine cat den was quiet and deserted in the warm light of the morning. Despite the glow, however, the heat did not seem to want to penetrate the thick boughs of the trees overhead: So it was to a fluffed-up calico pelt and a slight shiver that Whisperpaw awoke. Blinking open her warm amber eyes, she squinted blearily at the material making up her nest, and growled low in her throat.

Too early to be alive, she complained inwardly. However, she knew she had a lot to do, so with an obligatory sigh she stood and arched her back, spine trembling. After taking some time to stretch each leg and carefully lick every piece of moss out of her pelt, she shook her head rigorously and set out to face the day.

"Hollyeyes?" she called tentatively, sticking her head between the boulders that shielded her tiny enclosed nest. After waiting for a response and getting none, she simply sighed again and squeezed out between the mossy rocks.

Padding about between the empty patient's nests, she flicked her ears back and forth, hoping that her mentor would come walking through the screen any moment.

No such luck.

Why is this so quiet
>:"I ))

Wildfire beamed as Cloudedheart turned to leave. He rounded on the other two toms, tail erect and kinked just the slightest in suppressed excitement, "I'll meet you two at the entrance, then?" he meowed loudly, brightly, before bounding away. He'd heard what Cedarpaw had said, and had blatanly ignored their conversation in favor of smoothing an imaginary unkempt shoulder fur.

He got why the others got so irritated of him - he was loud and admittedly obnoxious, always an endless bundle of energy that could never "tone it down a little". He couldn't blame them, or him for it - it was just how things were, and they all just needed to adjust.

He passed the medicine cat den, then, and was pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of Whisperpaw speaking. It wouldn't hurt to make Ravenwing and Cedarpaw wait for a while - it was only proper to greet a Clanmate!

Padding over to the entrance and poking his head in, he beamed just as bright as the sun making its slow ascent to the sky, "Goodmorning, Whisperpaw!"

@hurri @wildheart @frozenpumpkin
pinging the others as well~
@Poppet @dragonfly @bluesky @upshur

Whisperpaw almost jumped a foot in the air at the unexpected voice, but quickly recognized its speaker. "Oh, hi, Wildfire," she gasped. 'You just about scared last night's meal right out of my stomach." She shook her head briskly and attempted to smooth down her puffed-up ginger splotched tail.

Padding towards her visitor, the apprentice tilted her head to the side and adopted a puzzled expression as she gazed up at him. "Are you hurt? Can I help you with anything?"

@hurri @frozenpumpkin @TeaLeafves @Poppet @dragonfly @bluesky @upshur @Burnmoon (( SORRY! I've been busy. XP ))

Maplestar nodded her head in agreement with Hollyeyes. The tom was, of course, right about Marshclan. Just the thought of their neighboring clan brought a frown to Maplestar's face. She didn't like Marshclan, not at all. It wasn't clan itself, it was the leadership. Being leader Maplestar was naturally very successful when it came to judging other's character; and Foxstar was no different. She didn't trust the tom and she worried about the state of his clan under his rule. The tom was ruthless and at times unpredictable and Maplestar did not like being left in the dark.

With Marshclan moving into the moor area it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of the clans whereabouts. Along the stream and in the marsh Maplestar could clime a tree and easily spy on the clan, but now in leaf-fall it was the silence that killed her the most. She knew it wasn't exactly right to spy on Marshclan but she thought it her duty as leader to protect her clan against any sort of threat.

Blinking quickly Maplestar tried to erase her concerns and noticed that Hollyeyes had begun to make his way back towards the camp. Getting up from her seat the calico quickened her pace to catch up to the tom. "While we are out here, how have your apprentices been treating you Hollyeyes? I know the situation is uncomfortable but I am trying to give us all some time to adjust." Maplestar frowned at the thought of the situation. It seemed all of her thoughts were black today.

As the two cats quickly approached the camp she slowed her pace to allow Hollyeyes to answer before walking back into camp where she was sure an audience would be there to overhear them.

Cedarpaw let out a small hiss at Cloudedheart's back. He really didn't want to go hunting but if he had to do it to keep the stupid she-cat off his back than he would oblige. With a huff and a snort Cedarpaw made his way towards the camps entrance. He saw Wildfire deviate from the path in the direction of the medicine cat den and tilted his head in interest. Seeing the calico pattern of fur Cedarpaw knew instantly it was Whisperpaw.

Puffing out his chest a bit more and walking straighter Cedarpaw walked in front of the den without looking in the cat's direction. He liked Whisperpaw, she was easy to mess with however she was also the only she-cat his age in camp. He knew he shouldn't tease or flirt with her but he couldn't help himself.

Once he had passed the den's entrance Cedarpaw deflated a bit and walked normally towards the entrance to camp once more. He didn't care if Wildfire lagged behind and he just hoped Ravenwing wouldn't get distracted as easily as Wildfire.

Walking out into the forest Cedarpaw let the sounds of prey and life fill his ears and he sighed. How Marshclan lived without being surrounded by trees was beyond him.

@wildheart @poppet @frozenpumpkin @tealeafves

((Don't worry about it xD)

Hollyeyes slowed slightly as Maplestar came to his side again, inwardly wincing at the mere mention of his apprentices. Uncomfortable didn't even begin to cover the matter, and Hollyeyes replied dryly, "Whisperpaw is eager to please, as always. She's coming along quite nicely, if I do say so myself, in spite of these... unfamiliar... surroundings." His voice touched upon pride ever so slightly, but dropped as he continued,

"Fennelclaw is..."

A bitter brute of a she-cat, who messes with my stores every chance she gets and undermines both my authority and the authority I have specifically given to Whisperpaw. I'll be damned if Whisperpaw's- StarClan's and my own choice's- rightful position of medicine cat is stolen from her by that insufferable, faithless, disgra-

"still adjusting, and still has some, ah, warrior tendencies. But it should even out later, I hope."

Hollyeyes' own pride couldn't bring himself to admit that the spite he had for Fennelclaw. His mother had braved atrocities far worse than some rebellious she-cat, and Hollyeyes wasn't about taint her memory.

Sure, he complained aloud about cats misplacing everything he had so meticulously arranged in his den, but even he couldn't help that. He could help, however, whether or not his fellow clan mates annoyed him to the point of crying to Maplestar.

Besides, he had made his own personal decision- Fennelclaw would never be more than a side-apprentice to Whisperpaw and himself, and he wanted to see the look on her face when she realized that very fact- that she was an unwanted burden, after all.

Some part of him wondered if he was being too harsh with the surely humiliated she-cat, but he disregarded it very quickly. No one could claim ignorance about his own tendencies and preferences by now, yet Fennelclaw probably crossed every single one of them on purpose.

"But it can never hurt to have another cat helping the Clan." He added, trying to brighten up both himself and maybe Maplestar.

It failed. It was difficult enough coping with Whisperpaw, and she genuinely tried. He couldn't imagine being able to handle all the minor things Fennelclaw did that all added up and up and up. His best hope, by now, was to have Whisperpaw's mellow personality rub off and loosen Fennelclaw up... though even that was sketchy, at best, and Hollyeyes hated having to rely on chance, with things out of his paws to control.

An uncomfortable situation, indeed.

@frozenpumpkin @wildheart

Wildfire purred and shook his head, "No, I'm as fit as fit can be. Just came by to say hi, is all," he kinked his tail over his back, reaching out to paw at Whisperpaw's ear gently, fondly, as he did with all the younger cats (sans Cedarpaw, who would bite off his paw if he did).

Speaking of which, he spied the apprentice saunter by, preening like a bird in the season. He let out a breathy laugh then turned to Whisperpaw again, "If you're looking for Hollyeyes, I think I saw him go out with Maplestar. Well, I'd stay to chat, but I have to go make sure Cedarpaw doesn't get his head stuck in the clouds,"

With a dip of his head, Wildfire bounded away, waving his tail, "See you later, Whisperpaw!" he meowed. When the grumpy apprentice came within reach, Wildfire bumped into him gently, "What was that little show? Oho, little troublemaker are we?"

Whisperpaw blinked, trying to process that slew of information without getting a word in, but eventually decided on a slightly puzzled, albeit warm goodbye. "Oh- okay, goodbye!" she called after him. She shook her head to try and rid herself of the startle he had given her. Well, that's Wildfire for you, I suppose.

Deciding that it would probably be most beneficial if she started chipping away at her chores, she began by meticulously dragging out each of the many leaf bundles Hollyeyes had squared away and checking the herbs inside, throwing out any that were beginning to grow the slightest mould and placing the rest neatly back inside.

"We're running low on tansy. I wonder when Hollyeyes is getting back?" she wondered aloud to herself.

@Burnmoon @TeaLeafves @frozenpumpkin @Poppet @hurri

Maplestar frowned as she thought of the situation once more. It was true it was becoming a growing concern inside the medicine cat den but really she had no idea how to solve the problem permanently as of yet. "I will try and help as best I can Hollyeyes." She told her medicine cat firmly.

Turning away from the tom she quickened her pace and stepped through the entrance and into the camp once more. It seemed like a lot of time had passed but really it must have only been less than an hour or so. The she-cat still felt restless and noticing the hunting party leaving just as she and Hollyeyes walked in she made a hasty decision in going with them.

Maplestar flicked her tail over Hollyeyes's shoulder breifly and gave the tom a quick smile. "I will leave you to your duties. If you need anything let me know when I get back. Also be sure to get ready for your journey to Moonfall as it is steadily approaching." Glancing around the camp quickly Maplestar took in the state of the camp before trotting after the hunting party. It wasn't that she was avoiding her clan, it was just that the calico was feeling quite restless and needed to occupy her time. This just happened to be the closest thing.

Cedarpaw stiffened at the contact Wildfire had with him. The tom's fur stood on end and he scold cruelly at the warrior. "Don't touch me again." Cedarpaw refrained from hissing at Wildfire because he knew it wouldn't do any good. The warrior was resilient and always seemed to bounce back from any remarks Cedarpaw ever gave, no matter how cruel they were.

Looking past the tom Cedarpaw noticed the familiar frame of Maplestar and bowed his head respectfully. His leader was the only real cat he had true respect for and he wasn't afraid to show it. "Hello Maplestar." The tom said nothing more and made sure to look alert and alive. Walking quickly away from the group of cats Cedarpaw focused on his surroundings in search of prey.