Posts of the Week

✦Pineheart lays still in his temporary medicine den nest and listens quietly as the younger ones squabble, all of them like kits in his eyes. Apologies… regret… too little too late. He drags his large form out of his nest, stooping slightly under the roof, and looks down at them all. What a sorry sight they all are, himself included, no doubt.

He addresses Pikestar first, tone even.

"I agree with Frostmoth– you made a mistake sending Jinglemoon and Rainpaw back to camp. You couldn't have known they'd attack our camp, but you should've known better than to let such vital members of our clan out of our sight while we were under attack."

He looks around again, for a moment. "It's like I told that big bastard from Shadowclan. Leniency is not inaction. It is not a weakness either. If we all went around attacking anyone that crossed the border, we'd eradicate each other within a moon. We'd be no better than wild dogs. However, taking advantage of leniency– that is a move of the weak indeed. A coward's play."

He looks towards Frostmoth, giving him a nod, "I agree. Allies are needed, or at the least, warnings. Tell them to be wary of Shadowclan, to not show them leniency nor mercy, to doubt their words. Rats will be rats. If we can turn the other clans against Shadowclan, they will hesitate to try anything like this again. I… have been ordered to rest. And I wish to honor Jinglemoon's advice," he shoots Adderfang a glance, not angry, but more of a get it together sort of look. "So I won't be making any long journeys right now. But I can come with the herb patrols, keep them safe in case Shadowclan tries anything again."

✦ When Pineheart had originally thought of this idea, it had seemed… good. He's much too big to spar with Torrentpaw, it wouldn't be fair or teach him anything he didn't know already. But actually finding someone to spar with him had been a hurdle in itself. After pondering it for about three minutes he'd decided to just ask the first person he happened to see, which happened to be– Pike. Unfortunately. Then he spotted Peachtrot. They both agreed to bring their apprentices with them to the ash glad tomorrow around sun high.

So Pineheart makes sure to get there early with Torrentpaw to give him a few quick pointers. He speaks to him in a hushed tone, like the others are already there listening.

"– And don't rush into it. Take a few moments to observe your opponent first, like you do with prey. Observe, and wait for your moment." He gracefully elects to not share that he had, in fact, rushed head first into battle just a few days earlier. That was different, though. He had to help Adder. "This isn't a real battle, it's only for training, so take your time. Got it?"

He looks up as he hears rustling at the edge of the clearing, and nods in acknowledgment as they're joined by the other members of this sparring session.

"Let's see…" he says, looking at the three apprentices. "Torrent and Twinkle, you two go first. No claws. Let's not give Jinglemoon any more trouble than he's already got, alright?" He shoots Torrent a look, then, "whenever you're ready."

Others appear, and Frostmoth levels with them with an unimpressed expression. Even when he had been one of the poorly cats of the shipyard that had been forced to forage for small mollusks and washed up minnows he had never resorted to stealing from the other inhabitants. This lot is pitiful at best. A nasty feeling brews inside of him with Stoatpaw turns to skitter off. He's compelled to chase her and steal back the herbs; to scare her into never even dreaming of coming anywhere close to RiverClan territory again.

"We shouldn't let them leave with their spoils," Frostmoth remarks sourly. He's now certain that others surround them, but he hones in on what is directly in front of him. He grits his teeth when Pikestar tells him to take Jinglemoon and Rainpaw back to camp. As if he were a child. If he were not already worked up from the taunts of ShadowClanners so boldly encroaching on their territory, this has certainly made him feel far more edgy about it all. He turns to the medicine cat and his apprentice, perhaps the most innocent cats in this entire situation. "We should go. Quickly," the deputy's words are sharp, and he is nearly corralling the pair. Irritation has made his patience wear thin.

Frostmoth focuses on his duty rather than how angry he feels. Heat simmers beneath his long pelt. He feels like he's just allowed his clanmates to be walked all over. As if he's just shown ShadowClan that they don't intend to make good on his threats, and that they might be able to get away with whatever they want. He thrums out his frustrations on the rainforest floor with every quick step back towards camp. And now something else is bothering him: the idea that some of these nasty swamp-dwellers have come closer to their camp.