Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
|
Post by Zesha on Aug 9, 2022 20:52:33 GMT
canarypaw • she/her • 11 moons • riverclan • bioDay 19 of the River Moon, 2021 (April 29, 2021) Canarypaw shuffled uncomfortably in her nest. For the last few days, she hadn’t gotten much sleep. The prophecy kept buzzing around her brain. “Find the stone that gleams and shines, the one that sits beneath the mines. Stars that die and stars that fall, they gather here and sing their call. Find the cats who number four and from the ashes Clans arise once more.”She turned over again, staring out of the apprentice den. The sun hadn’t even risen above the horizon yet. Still, she couldn’t sleep, so she carefully stood and picked her way around the other sleeping apprentices, doing her best not to wake them. Once she was outside of the den, she dared to stretch her legs and spine. The tabby she-cat glanced around camp, not surprised when it seemed empty. Few cats ever woke before dawn. She knew she wouldn’t have if the prophecy hadn’t been nagging at her all night. Even in her dreams she was still hearing the echo of the prophecy. She wished she knew what it meant. Or at least what in StarClan’s name a mine was. As she wandered around camp, not thinking about where she was going, she came to stand in front of Shellspot’s den. When she realized it, she wondered if perhaps Shellspots could help her understand the words their ancestors had sent to her. They said she would have to interpret it for herself, but they didn’t say she had to do it completely alone. Tentatively, she stepped closer to the den before calling softly, “Shellspots? Are you awake?” If she wasn’t, she didn’t want to wake her. Kaeldra
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Aug 10, 2022 5:03:55 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 41 moons
Ever since she’d had her kits, Shellspots wasn’t nearly as much of a heavy sleeper as she used to be. Though they were nearing adulthood themselves, she still woke at every small noise, ready to comfort or protect them as needed. And now that she was (unofficially) RiverClan’s leader, that tendency had extended to all of her Clanmates, especially the apprentices.
So when she heard soft footfalls and a tentative call of her name, she was immediately alert. It was unusual for Canarypaw to seek her out like this, the apprentice usually happy to raise any concerns she had during daylight hours. This must be something urgent.
“Yes, I’m awake,” she replied, shifting in her mossy nest so she was more presentable. She licked a couple of times at her shoulder fur to clear some scraps of moss. “What’s the matter, Canarypaw?”
It was at times like these that Shellspots was glad she had taken to sleeping by herself in the small hollow at the base of the willow tree that overlooked the camp, rather than with the other adults. It did get lonely, yes, but she rested better knowing she wasn’t disturbing her Clanmates with her erratic schedule. And as tonight proved, it allowed them to come speak with her one on one if they needed to. She only hoped the poor apprentice wasn’t worrying too much, to seek her out at a time like this.
ulla
|
|
Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
|
Post by Zesha on Aug 13, 2022 19:21:36 GMT
canarypaw • she/her • 11 moons • riverclan • bioEven though Shellspots was obviously awake, she hesitated. This could probably wait until morning. She shouldn’t be disturbing Shellspots this early in the morning, with the sun not even above the horizon line. But the prophecy kept spinning around in her mind, to the point she knew that until she confided in someone, she wouldn’t be able to sleep well. And the best cat to confide in was her leader. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the small hollow in the willow tree. The dim light kept her from seeing Shellspots clearly, but just knowing that she was there was enough. Being within the den itself was already bringing more confidence to the young cat. “Three sunrises ago, I had a very odd dream,” she began. “It was from StarClan. They seemed very insistent on what they said.”Canarypaw looked at the ground for a moment before piping back up, “They seem to believe I should become a medicine cat. I accept this as my role in the Clan wholeheartedly, but that’s not what they said that bothered me. They gave me a prophecy. Find the stone that gleams and shines, the one that sits beneath the mines. Stars that die and stars that fall, they gather here and sing their call. Find the cats who number four and from the ashes Clans arise once more. I’m not really sure what to make of it, or what a mine is, or who the other cats are that they’re talking about. It’s starting to drive me crazy, and I can’t seem to sleep without hearing it repeat itself. It must be very important.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Aug 15, 2022 1:56:28 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 41 moons
Upon hearing that Canarypaw had received a dream from StarClan, Shellspots suddenly had adrenaline zinging through her veins. A sign! Perhaps this was finally the omen that would declare her as the true leader of RiverClan?
Then Canarypaw continued, saying that she had been appointed by StarClan as RiverClan’s new medicine cat and her acceptance of the role, and Shellspots nodded in understanding. In her mother’s stories, the medicine cat was always the one to deliver a sign or message from StarClan to the rest of the Clan, their connection with their ancestors stronger than the rest. It only stood to reason that they would want another medicine cat in the Clan with Miku gone for several moons now. Shellspots’ heart ached, still missing the gentle grey she-cat, but she didn’t doubt Canarypaw for a moment. After all, she had been visited by StarClan themselves since she was little more than a kit!
Shellspots’ ears twitched with interest as she listened to the prophecy that had been delivered to her young apprentice. She puzzled over the words, getting stuck similarly as Canarypaw had.
“That’s wonderful, Canarypaw, I’m sure you’ll make a fine medicine cat. Miku would be proud,” she reassured the young cat. “Thank you for telling me about the prophecy, I’m sure it’s been very stressful having such an important message on your shoulders alone. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out together.” The silver tabby leaned forward to groom Canarypaw between the ears, a soothing gesture she had used on her own kits more times than she could count. She paused for a moment to add, “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to share this with Flare and the rest of the Clan, when you’re ready. They’ll need to know why you’re suddenly not with the others anymore, and they might be able to help us find the answers to the prophecy.”
While Shellspots felt for the young she-cat, part of her was also thrilled at the prospect. This meant they were truly on the right path to becoming a Clan. She only hoped things would go as she planned.
ulla
|
|
Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
|
Post by Zesha on Aug 18, 2022 18:08:09 GMT
canarypaw • she/her • 11 moons • riverclan • bioAfter reciting the prophecy out loud for Shellspots to hear, a feeling of relief washed over Canarypaw, as if just telling someone else the words were enough to make it not so daunting. She felt she understood most of it—it seemed she was supposed to meet with four other cats and to find some sort of shiny stone. It was just the where part that was confusing her, since she didn’t know what a mine was and, truthfully, didn’t know the area around the forest very well except for what had been carved out as RiverClan territory. She had some knowledge of the forest near twolegplace, but not much. Anything beyond—the moors, marsh, and mountains—were a complete mystery to her. When Shellspots said that Miku would be proud, Canarypaw brightened. She had not known Miku well, but the former medicine cat had been an important part of the Clan until she had disappeared. Canarypaw vowed to keep an eye out for her when she finally went to find the shiny stone. Her relief deepened when Shellspots said they’d figure out the prophecy. It was an odd one, for sure. After being licked on the head, she looked up with her big green eyes and said, “Maybe Flare knows what a mine is, or Jay or Violet.” The idea that one of them might know brought hope flooding into her. “When do you think we should tell them?”
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Aug 22, 2022 19:20:52 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 41 moons
“That’s a good idea,” Shellspots agreed. “Since everyone comes from different places, they might know more about the things StarClan spoke to you about. I’m sure they want us to work together to find the answers, since that’s what a true Clan does.”
When Canarypaw looked up at her with those big, innocent eyes, she realized just how much faith the young cat had in her to guide her on the right path. She was still so young, and for a moment Shellspots was angry at StarClan for forcing such a destiny on Canarypaw when she wasn’t even twelve moons old. Then it passed. They must have a reason for choosing Canarypaw in particular, and not some other cat. Shellspots supposed she should feel glad it was a cat she knew and trusted.
“We can tell them whenever you’re ready,” she assured Canarypaw, not wanting to rush her if she felt nervous. The silver queen knew not everyone in the Clan put as much stock in StarClan as she did. “We could tell Flare right now, if you want. Or we can wait another day or two, if that makes you feel better.” She thought the ginger tom would be a good cat to tell first, so they were on the same page in regards to what to tell the rest of the Clan. And he certainly would believe the prophecy, so Canarypaw wouldn’t feel ridiculed.
ulla
|
|
Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
|
Post by Zesha on Aug 26, 2022 17:00:19 GMT
canarypaw • she/her • 11 moons • riverclan • bioCanarypaw nodded, glad she had Shellspots to tell about the prophecy. If it had been up to her alone, she wasn’t sure she’d have ever managed to figure it out. That or she would have gone wandering aimlessly, hoping to run into one of the other cats from the prophecy. She stood there thinking a moment. It would be scary to tell the whole Clan all at once, so talking to just one other cat right now seemed a sensible choice. Then she wouldn’t have to hear every single opinion all at once. A shudder ran through her at the thought of every cat talking at once. It would be so overwhelming! She looked at Shellspots again and said, “I think I can tell Flare now. I don’t want to wait too long and all the other prophecy cats be waiting on me.”For now, this seemed like the best option to her. She’d get one other cat’s opinion and then in a day or two if Flare couldn’t help figure it out they could let some others know and get their feedback. She just hoped that everyone else believed her dreams. So far only Shellspots knew that she had ever spoken to their warrior ancestors, because she feared being pointed out as a weirdo for being able to speak to them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Sept 5, 2022 5:59:08 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 41 moons
Proud of Canarypaw for being brave and not putting things aside for later, Shellspots nodded.
“Yes, why don’t we go wake him? It will be good to catch him before too many cats are awake, so we don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers.” Shellspots could think of two apprentices in particular who would have a field day if they heard news of a prophecy, and it would be all over the camp before sunrise. She frowned at the thought; even after a few moons in the Clan, Noctus’ two youngest daughters were still not shaping up to be quite the warrior material she had hoped.
Shaking it off, she stood from her nest and padded to the entrance of her den. Those worries could wait for later. Right now, Canarypaw needed her guidance.
Shellspots led the way to the warriors den, careful to tread quietly so she didn’t wake any of the others before they got there. She hoped Flare wouldn’t be too hard to rouse.
Then something else Canarypaw had said registered.
“You think there are other cats who received the same prophecy? Did you see them in your dream? Maybe they’re other cats in RiverClan!”
Suddenly some of the things Canarypaw had said made more sense. She must be worried about her inexperience compared to whoever else had received the prophecy. Surely StarClan wouldn’t choose a whole group of apprentices to entrust with the fate of the Clans? But Shellspots was confident that whoever else it was didn’t have as much experience speaking to StarClan as Canarypaw.
As they got to the warrior’s den, Shellspots leaned in and peeked around. Her voice was barely more than a breath.
“Flare? Are you awake?”
ulla
|
|
Riley
Head of Advertising
349 Posts
|
Post by Riley on Oct 1, 2022 3:17:17 GMT
One moment Flare was running through the forest, chasing after a mouse. The next he was stirring as a voice called his name. He opened his eyes and blinked blearily, grumbling wordlessly under his breath as he searched for whoever had called him. "I am now." he rumbled. It took him a moment to find the cat who didn't usually hang out in the warriors den: Shellspots.
Flare glanced around to his Clanmates before carefully rising to his paws and gently making his way toward his leader. Shellspots stepped back to allow him to exit, and Flare slipped out of the den entrance. The sky was still dark, but it was slowly lightening from pitch black to smudgy purple, so dawn wasn't that far off. Shellspots didn't seem very harrowed, but Canarypaw was with her.
While it wasn't exactly ODD to see Shellspots and Canarypaw together, it was still enough to give him pause. Especially when Flare sensed a bit of anxiety and nerves hanging around the apprentice. "There's not another emergency, is there? Because I'm going to start associate my name being called with emergencies and I'll never want to wake up." he joked. He hoped it would put Canarypaw at ease, at least a little.
|
|
Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
|
Post by Zesha on Oct 4, 2022 1:47:07 GMT
canarypaw • she/her • 11 moons • riverclan • bioCanarypaw nodded, glad that they had the time to wake Flare separately from everyone else before the whole camp was wide awake. Once daylight hit, they were more likely to have someone overhear what they were talking about, and she wanted to try to get straight answers instead of the opinion of every cat in RiverClan. She just felt it would muddle things if there were too many suggestions being thrown around all at once. “StarClan didn’t show me any of the other cats, and I only saw cats with stars in their fur in my dreams, so I didn’t see any of the other cats who received the prophecy. But I have a feeling they’re outside RiverClan. I guess we’ll find out if anyone else in RiverClan got the prophecy if they mention it to you, though.”Once they got to the warrior’s den, Canary took a deep breath. This was it. She waited patiently while Shellspots slipped inside to fetch Flare. Her heart was drumming in her chest as he appeared, red fur darkened by the shadows of pre-dawn. She had to smile a bit at his joke, and purred, “Not exactly an emergency, but something important.” Again she took in a breath. She couldn’t let her nerves get to her now. “I had a dream from StarClan,” she began, and quietly told Flare about the prophecy she had received from the warrior ancestors. She even mentioned the medicine cat that came forward and said she would teach her. When she finished, her shoulders loosened as the tension of holding in the prophecy left them. “I have no idea what a mine is though, or who the other cats are,” she meowed.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Oct 6, 2022 5:47:20 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 41 moons
Of course she could count on Flare to lighten the mood, even when he was half asleep. It was something Shellspots admired about the tom, his ability to make any cat feel at ease by adjusting the conversational tone as needed. It was something she knew she couldn’t do; she was good at being serious, at being polite, at being stern when she needed to be. But whenever she did take a chance on using humour to diffuse a situation, it came across as too forced and often had the opposite effect.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Shellspots breathed, once Canarypaw had finished reciting the prophecy for Flare. “I still miss Miku every day, and wish she were still with us, but StarClan has finally spoken and granted us another medicine cat.” She wanted to ask Canarypaw if she had received any other dreams, perhaps about who the rightful leader of RiverClan should be, but she didn’t want to overwhelm the poor apprentice.
“Here, why don’t we step out of camp for a bit? Then we won’t have to watch our volume quite so closely,” the silvery queen suggested. She padded across camp to the river, stepping through the reeds and letting the water lap at her paws.
ulla
|
|
Riley
Head of Advertising
349 Posts
|
Post by Riley on Nov 26, 2022 10:54:25 GMT
Flare considered the smile from Canarypaw a victory, and felt a sleepy answering smile form on his face. The sleepiness evaporated like morning mist as she spoke, and Flare stared at her in surprised shock. He glanced at Shellspots when she spoke, and the wonder and relief in her face and tone had warring emotions stir in his chest. She was right, RiverClan DID need a medicine cat, but...
... But Canarypaw was so young! She was supposed to be learning how to hunt, climbing trees and putting ants in her denmates' nests and causing trouble, not taking the weight of the entire Clan on her shoulders. Not yet, at least, not until she was older. For a moment, Flare's heart twisted, missing Miku like never before. Before, he'd just missed her laughter and kindness. Missed her as a friend.
Now? Now he missed her as a medicine cat, too. But Shellspots was right about RiverClan needing a healer. They couldn't get by on whatever medicinal knowledge was cobbled between all the cats for much longer. One day somebody's going to break a bone or dislocate a joint and nobody would know how to help.
Shellspots suggested moving out of camp, and Flare nodded even as she started leading the way. He gestured for Canarypaw to follow ahead of him and waited for her to do so before bringing up the rear. He'd have to come back to set up patrols later in the morning, but right now THIS took priority.
|
|
Zesha
New Warrior
176 Posts
About Me
Hi, I'm Zesha!
> Ciswoman
> She/Her
> 30
> EST
> 11 Cats IRL
> Biromantic/demisexual
|
Post by Zesha on Jan 1, 2023 19:47:14 GMT
canarypaw • she/her • 11 moons • riverclan • bioCanarypaw followed the silver queen out of camp, passing through the reeds that lead down to the water. Flare was close behind her, and between these two cats she felt like she could do anything. Sure, she was still young and this was an overwhelming start to her journey into adulthood, but just knowing that she had both Shellspots and Flare to rely on brought her some comfort. She said nothing about Miku; she hadn’t really gotten a good chance to know the former medicine cat, and had no idea what had happened to her. Part of her wished this responsibility had fallen on Miku instead of her, but StarClan had spoken, and something about it told her this was her destiny. Before she knew it, they had crossed the stream and were on the riverbank on the other side of camp. No one would hear them here unless they came looking for them. Glancing between the two, she took a deep breath and said, “So, what do you two think I should do first? Should I look for the other cats that the prophecy talks about or should I look for whatever a mine is? I feel like it would make more sense to look for the mine and maybe bump into the other cats along the way.”
|
|
|
|
Post by Kaeldra on Jan 2, 2023 3:56:07 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 41 moons
The three of them crossed the river bordering the camp quickly and quietly, settling on the grass that lined the opposite bank. Canarypaw spoke first, and Shellspots’ heart gave a twinge as she noted how grown up the young apprentice sounded. She had obviously pushed her fears aside and was ready to face her destiny, and the silver tabby could only thank StarClan for sending such a sensible cat her way.
“That is probably the most sensible thing to do,” she agreed, though she had no idea how Canarypaw would find something without knowing what it was. The other option would be to tell her to seek out one of these other cats she kept talking about, but Shellspots wasn’t entirely convinced they existed. After all, why would StarClan send a prophecy to multiple cats? As far as Shellspots knew, there weren’t any other Clan cats for StarClan to contact.
She wouldn’t mention that to Canarypaw, though. No need to put more on her little shoulders than was absolutely necessary. It was better if she thought there was more help on the way.
“I suppose we’ll have to send you out with a patrol so you can try to find this “mine”. But first we should try to figure out what it is, so you at least know what you’re looking for.” Shellspots’ tail flipped thoughtfully against the grass. “Perhaps they’re saying it is something that belongs to StarClan? For example, something that StarClan could say “this is mine”?”
It didn’t make any sense to her. What could be beneath something that belonged to StarClan, when the whole forest was StarClan’s creation?
ulla
|
|
Riley
Head of Advertising
349 Posts
|
Post by Riley on Jan 8, 2023 2:38:15 GMT
Shellspots led the way, as always, to a place on the bank not far from camp. Close enough to camp to hear any trouble, far enough that nobody could casually overhear. Flare approved. Canarypaw opened up dialogue first, asking for advice or suggestions or maybe both, and Flare thought it over while Shellspots spoke her thoughts on it.
Flare hummed once in thought before opening up, "I'd also prefer to find out what it is before sending anybody out on a journey or quest or mission to find it. From the sound of it, it might be a bit away, who knows how far. I'd rather we just have a straight shot across rather than have to reduce our forces for an unknown time."
He wouldn't feel right with sending Canarypaw out with any less than two warriors. She was too important, not just as the future medicine cat but as a young Clanmate that Flare felt responsible for. And whoever went with her would have to be a cohesive unit, and teamwork between the different Clanmates was still in the works. The older ones had a lifetime of solitary habits that needed to be overwritten, and the less said about the younger ones the better.
He glanced back at the camp barrier, then looked up to where the sun would rise. They still had a fair good while before he had to assign patrols for the day. "I can put the word out though. Ask around a bit if anybody knows what a mine is. Some of our Clanmates have connections we haven't made use of yet. Noctus could ask Dahlia if she knows, or see if she knows any rogues or loners in twolegplace that might know. That's assuming if either of my parents don't know. Jay traveled a lot when he was young, and Violet knows a lot too. I can ask them separately to make it less suspicious."
Flare looked between Canarypaw and Shellspots, ear twitching. "Thoughts?"
|
|
