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Post by Solaris on Dec 17, 2022 3:53:41 GMT
Day 18 of Prey Moon 2021
@kaeldra
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
The sun was barely a claw over Finch’s back when she reached the river bend. Her throat parched, her youth’s hungry, weary eyes, Finch decided to rest here for the night, until the sores from their paws would be alleviated. Though no amount of resting would ward off the aching.
”Wait here,” she murmured to Robin. “I’ll find food.”
She left Robin by the bend, and then traveled down the river’s shore, sniffing out for prey-scent.
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Post by Kaeldra on Dec 17, 2022 4:41:32 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 43 moons
Even though the sun had nearly set, the forest was still pleasantly warm with the scents of greenleaf. Her paws weary from another day running around tending to her Clan and the camp, Shellspots had decided to walk down to the river for a swim. She hoped the smooth, rocking motions of the water would drown her worries as they usually did.
So far, it was working. The silver tabby paddled lazily through the current, no clear destination in mind. Perhaps she’d swim down the length of the river and climb onto the island of warm stones gathered there.
All her thoughts were brought up short when she noticed a cat wandering along the riverbank. They seemed to be scenting for prey, from the looks of things.
She had never seen this cat before, and a small part of her said she should approach, introduce herself and ask if they knew of the Clans. But for now she was content to float along the surface of the river and observe.
ulla
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Post by Solaris on Dec 17, 2022 13:40:01 GMT
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
Squinting across the river’s edge, Finch saw a silver tabby floating on the water, relishing the soothing motions of the current. From afar, the cat looked mostly harmless, but Finch knew, from her time spent at twolegplace, that no stranger could be fully trusted. As she turned her head away, she paused when she caught a flash of motion from underneath. Moving her gaze down, her eyes widened.
There was a large gray fish, swimming just below the surface.
She had never caught a fish before, but now there was the opportunity to learn how. As the fish neared the edge, Finch swept her paws in the river, clawing aimlessly for the fish. Her claws grazed the fish’s scales, but its slippery form edged out of her grasp before she could maintain a grip.
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Post by Kaeldra on Dec 17, 2022 21:12:31 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 43 moons
For a brief moment, the stranger glanced over and made eye contact, but was quickly distracted by movement in the water closer to where they stood. Shellspots watched as they fumbled at something beneath the surface, coming up empty pawed.
Ahh, they must have seen a fish. It was clear that they didn’t have experience with river prey, and Shellspots thought perhaps now would be a good time to introduce herself. If they were amenable to it, she could offer a few pointers, and in the process maybe slide in some strategic questions.
The silver tabby redirected her course, slicing through the water with practiced ease. She pulled herself out and onto the pebbly shore a few tail lengths away, shaking out her fur a bit before deciding to strike up a conversation.
“Bad luck,” she said sympathetically.
ulla
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Post by Solaris on Dec 17, 2022 21:22:23 GMT
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
Jolting back, Finch spun around and locked eyes with the tabby, surprised to see her out of the water so quickly.
The stranger responded, noting Finch’s failed attempt at catching the fish. Her whiskers twitched, slightly embarrassed at the notion of others watching her mistakes, and she felt the urge to make an excuse for herself. “I haven’t had much experience with catching fish before. I’m new around here.”
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Post by Kaeldra on Dec 17, 2022 21:40:44 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 43 moons
Shellspots hadn’t meant to startle the she-cat, but at least she hadn’t responded with hostility. Off to a good start.
“Everyone starts somewhere,” she reassured her. “Fish can be tricky, slippery things.”
As she spoke, Shellspot sat and began grooming the water out of her fur. She didn’t mind the feeling of a wet pelt, especially with the warm air tonight, but she knew it wasn’t the most flattering look.
“I didn’t think I had seen your face before. My Clan lives just across the river, so we’ve gotten to know most cats in the area. My name is Shellspots, it’s nice to meet you.” The silver queen drew a paw over her face, brushing water off her whiskers, then glanced at the stranger. “What brings you out this way?”
ulla
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Post by Solaris on Dec 17, 2022 21:51:51 GMT
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
“You sound like you know a lot about fish,” said Finch. She glanced at the tabby’s wet, sagging fur. “I’m guessing you must live around here.”
When the cat introduced herself as “Shellspots”, Finch’s eyes lit up with recognition. And the mention of the clan…? Her heart thrummed with excitement, like the flutter of a thousand butterflies. She had waited many moons to fulfill her mother’s dying wish. And she had found it—a cat, standing a tail-length away from her. Living. Breathing. Alive, not myth.
“You’re a warrior, aren’t you?”
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Post by Kaeldra on Dec 17, 2022 22:18:46 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 43 moons
“I suppose you could say that,” she agreed with a laugh. She didn’t mind the occasional bird or mouse, but the richness of fish was something she would always prefer.
The she-cat paused, eyes brightening, and then did something she hadn’t expected. She asked if Shellspots was a warrior. The tabby’s laugh fell away, replaced by a nervous type of excitement that had the blood roaring in her ears.
“Yes, that’s right. I am a warrior of RiverClan, and if StarClan allows, their leader.” Her chest puffed out a bit with pride. “You know of the Clans?”
Shellspots’ ears pricked with curiosity. If this she-cat already knew the legends, perhaps she would be more easily persuaded to join them. Their numbers were growing, but more Clanmates were never a bad thing.
ulla
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Post by Solaris on Dec 17, 2022 22:35:21 GMT
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
“Yes! I know of the clans!” Finch exclaimed—perhaps a little too eagerly. She composed herself, letting out a steadying breath. But now the kit-like enthusiasm that rested inside of her had woken up and wouldn’t relent anytime soon. A whole torrent of words and thoughts rushed throughout her body, but the first words she could manage was, “My mother…”
She cleared her throat.
“My mother was a warrior… of sorts. Her ancestors were real warriors, back when the clans were around. But she gave me a name.” Finch paused for a moment, remembering the name she once went by, a long time ago. “It was Finchbreeze, an honorary warrior name since we didn’t exactly have a clan to lead ceremonies. My mother was adamant about keeping our heritage alive. I am here, on a journey to find our homeland.”
She glanced at Shellspots. “You mentioned your clan… RiverClan? I don’t believe we share the same clan. Mine was…”
Her brows furrowed, straining to remember what her clan was called, but the name wouldn’t conjure itself no matter how hard she willed it to appear. She tried to keep herself from sinking to the ground in embarrassment. Of all the times to forget her own clan’s name!
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Post by Kaeldra on Dec 17, 2022 23:21:59 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 43 moons
The she-cat’s outburst took Shellspots off guard, and she was silent for a moment as the calico gathered her thoughts. Her next words, however, had Shellspots’ full attention. She couldn’t help but see the similarities between their histories, and immediately felt a sense of kinship with this she-cat.
“Finchbreeze is a fine name,” she said quietly, almost reverently. “My mother did the same for me. It was just us two, but she wanted to continue the tradition. I've given my own kits Clan names as well, in her honour.” Thinking of her own mother still brought a pang of grief to her heart, no matter how many moons it had been. She wondered if she shared that loss with Finchbreeze, too. She couldn’t bring herself to ask.
“ThunderClan, perhaps, or WindClan?” Shellspots offered, slightly disappointed that she hadn’t found long lost kin, but still excited to have found another Clan descendant all the same. She was tempted to extend the invitation to join them anyway, as another cat versed in Clan legends would be a valuable asset -- especially with the growing tension between herself and her deputy -- but she refrained for the time being.
ulla
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Post by Solaris on Dec 18, 2022 0:25:18 GMT
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
“Thank you,” she said. Hearing her warrior name out loud sent a spark of euphoria in her chest, but she felt a hesitation that prevented her from fully embracing the name. It was a feeling she couldn’t articulate. Maybe it was the moons spent where she went by Finch, that made being referred by her true name unfamiliar.
The note of a quiet sadness beneath Shellspots’s voice as she spoke about her mother resonated with Finch. She nodded, sharing a look of understanding.
“I tried doing the same, passing on the traditions of my clan onto my kits. It didn’t exactly turn out the way I wanted to, but…” Her gaze drifted off to where Robin was, still waiting at the bend. “It’s why I’m here. I’m trying to find the land my clan lived, so that I can rekindle their legacy.”
Her ears perked up at the mention of the clan. “WindClan! Yes! I remember now. It was WindClan’s land that I was looking for. The moorlands, where my mother said WindClan cats lived.”
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Post by Kaeldra on Jan 2, 2023 6:48:32 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 43 moons
So Finchbreeze had kits as well. It seemed the two of them were very similar, indeed. She would make the perfect ally, Shellspots thought, with so many shared goals and experiences.
“I’m sure you did your best. Raising kits is not easy.” From the way the queen spoke, Shellspots wondered if something awful had happened to the kits, and if they had already made their journey to StarClan. Her heart grew heavy with the thought. She was lucky to have been able to watch her two grow up, to still have them close to her.
“It must not be far, then,” she encouraged the calico. “I believe where we are living now is RiverClan’s ancient home, so it is only natural that WindClan’s camp would be close by!”
Even though it was for the sake of a rival Clan, excitement rushed through Shellspots. Perhaps another Clan would be reborn before long!
ulla
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Post by Solaris on Jan 2, 2023 21:58:19 GMT
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
“Indeed,” she said, lowering her head with a small laugh. “I still remember when my kits were little bundles of fur, and now they’re nearly fully grown! Unfortunately, they’ve also developed a mind of their own, and they like arguing with me sometimes. You never want to be around them, if they get into one of their ‘moods.’”
Eyes widening, Finch glanced around the landscape, taking a renewed look of the river, RiverClan’s ancient home. Her mother did not know much of the other clans, but she knew where each one lived. “RiverClan finds its home by the river. They swim as gracefully as a fish and strike as precisely as an osprey.”
Even if Shellspots did not share her lineage, Finch was still glad to know that another clan existed. “If you have managed to bring RiverClan back to the forest, then I’m sure I can do the same with WindClan! And then, perhaps, we will return the forest to what it once was.”
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Post by Kaeldra on Jan 8, 2023 5:02:56 GMT
Shellspots || she/her || 43 moons
A rush of relief flooded through Shellspots to hear that Finch’s kits were alive and well, if going through their rebellious phase. Oh, she had experience with that for sure. She grinned knowingly at the other she-cat.
“Ah yes, I do believe I’ve gone through the same with my kits,” she agreed, thinking particularly of Heronpaw. He used to be such an obedient, peaceful little kit, and now it seemed like he would disagree with her just because he could. “Alas, we can’t force them into anything. They have to choose their own path, even if it is not one we would choose for them ourselves.”
Still, she hoped Heronpaw would grow out of his defiant stage eventually. Perhaps Finch’s kits would do the same.
The silver tabby’s chest puffed out a bit with pride as Finch looked around the river with new eyes, knowing that it was the ancient home of RiverClan brought back to its rightful state.
“It is not easy work, but it can be done. I would be happy to share what I know to help you along the way.” She paused, gazing out across the river toward where she knew her Clanmates were. “How wonderful it would be to live in a time when all four Clans walk this forest again.”
ulla
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Post by Solaris on Jan 8, 2023 7:18:08 GMT
FINCH | She/Her | 35 moons
“You know, I wasn’t like that when I was younger. Oh, I had my spats with my mother, but I never went against her words. It was only the two of us, and I saw little reason to go against what she asked of me. I suppose I wish my kits had the foresight to realize that we only want what is best for them,” said Finch, shaking her head, still thinking of Robin and Jackdaw. She couldn’t be unfair to them. After all, they were the ones who decided to accompany one parent or the other so that both sides would have company. But still, they took so much from their father that Finch wondered if they even— she stopped the thought.
“You would help me with WindClan?” Her ears perked up as she turned to Shellspots. “I wonder what the clans look liked in their heyday…”
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