Open Camp RiverClan ShadowClan Of storms and soft warnings // open

[Wavesong]

And that's why we share all we have with you
Though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing
There's a lot to go around

.

Sharp eyes watched the clearing with a certain contemplation upon her face. It was quiet and most of the day's duties were done with... She herself had found a nice place to rest, with a belly round with kits bumbling inside. Her eyes glanced up, watching the sun dipping down low and caring beautiful golden days across the water's edge. The water, which always had been her friend...

There was a shiver that coursed through her, am unease that hadn't quite lifted since the heist and the aftermath of it... Too much anger, too much grief, too many wounds and... Not yet enough time for all the healing that was needed. Both physically and mentally. Her blue hues settled on the water for a while longer, feeling a certain calm in her heart. Because for now, the river hummed softly and the world seemed to ask for a moment of peace. A certain determination that went through her as she lifted herself from her spot and waddled closer to the other cats.

" Oi! " the bi-coloured molly called out, a twinkle in her eyes and her voice light, despite the weight that was carried both physically and mentally. With a flick of her tail, she eyed the others. " If any o' ye want a tale, I got one brewin' in me bones. " she meowed, puffing her chest a bit. Her belly by now had grown round, it was unmistakable that she was heavy with kits, many kits. And even though moving around was slower nowadays, it didn't quite snuff out her spark.

Waddling herself to a nice soft patch of reeds, she settled down carefully and gave a grunt and dramatic sigh as she patted her belly once. " Stars above, I swear these kits are hostin' a battlin' match in there. " she joked with a small huff of a laugh as she looked up to see the ones slowly gathering.

Once a small group had settled in, she gave them a grin, crooked, warm, a bit tired but no less heartfelt. " A'ri ght fellas ... All ye guppies an' nippers... this one.... this story...." she started, her voice slipping into that familiar voice of a storyteller. " Is th' story o' th' Tidebreaker... A ship made not out o' metal, but o' spirit. An' she was th' pride o' th' sea, steered by a fierce molly called Tide. Me mum. " she meowed, looking around the group for a second. She wanted to tell a story, yes... But also a warning, a lesson... I'm the hopes it would be heeded. " She was strong, clever, louder than a gull an' twice as stubborn. She led her crew through storms am an' sun both. Me an' my siblings, Foam, Ripple an' Splash, we were born in her wake. Raised on stories o' salt an' wind. "

She paused for a moment, shifting her form with a small puff before resuming, a thoughtful look to her face. " However... there came a time when another crew tried t'sink us... Nasty, they were. Rivals. Greedy and twisted... They took from me mother things they could never give back... " she meowed, her gaze lingering on the horizon, as if she could see the past playing out before her.

" Y'see... m'brother Ripple wanted blood. Said vengeance was owed, that no mercy should be given... But Tide, bless her heart.... " she spoke her voice dipping softly. " She said somethin' I'll never forget... An eye for an eye will leave th' whole world blind. " she spoke, her voice falling into silence until only the trickle of the river water filled the air for a moment. Then, she continued.

" She let th' sea carry that vengeance. No, it didn' mean she forgave 'em... But she knew what hate could do. She knew it would rot us from the inside out. "

Wavesong looked to the gathered cats, her eyes softer now. " Right now, I know many o' us are hurtin'. Angry. Wantin' justice. I feel it too. But we've got t' choose what kind of cats we'll be. Vengeance or healing. Storm or river. " she spoke wisely, catching some eyes before a tired smile curled upon her maw. " An' maybe, jus' maybe we tell stories t'remember which path we should walk... "

Heaving out a sigh, she shifted her body once more, letting her eyes tail over those present. " If any o' ye need to talk, need t' vent. Don't crop it all up lest ye blow yerself up. Talk t' us. Talk t'those closest to ye! We came here together. We're a crew, still. A family. "


Speech, thoughts/emphasis

37 MOONS

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RIVERCLANNER

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SONG

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bio

 

[Thunderpaw Thunderpaw]

——————————————————— You who bares all your teeth in every smile. ✦

To say the apprentice was enraged was an understatement; she had barely rested, while much of her anger had been aimed towards Jinglemoon, for now, there was a truce in her mind. At least the medicine cat had had the sense to defend her sister; it was the least he could do after dragging her away from the rest of their family that remained. Thunderpaw needn't dare to think about what could have happened that night if things had gone just slightly differently; she had lost too much, and these Shadowclan hooligans had come crashing into the medicine cat den and wrecked it. Just the idea made her paws shake in rage, as much as she frankly despised Jinglemoon, for now all of Shadowclan was far worse in her mind.

As she paced the camp, not sure what to do with her paws as Russetfall seemed busy pestering Pikestar some more or something, her attention was caught by Wavesong. It was hard not to notice her pregnancy now, it felt like only a week or two ago she had announced to the clan and already she looked ready to pop, she settled and called out with... A story.

Thunderpaw blinked, shifting on her paws, it felt like so long since she curled and listened to the kindly warriors' stories and well... She missed it. Everything felt easier then, when she was smaller, when the worst thing that could happen was missing part of her stories. She always looked up to Wave and, well, that hadn't changed. She had just been too wrapped up in her own on goings to pay all too much attention to her.

Tentatively, she settled down, like her paws were walking over lit fires and if she settled for just a moment, her whole body would be caught alight. But she allowed her form to meld with the ground, curling comfortably and looking up to Wavesong like she was small again, ear flickering as the molly spoke.

The story felt... Weighted. It was a thinly veiled tale of what had occurred, the raid by Shadowclan. She shifted in the grass uncomfortably, all too aware how every last shard pierced her fur. A bitterness on her tongue was hard to avoid as vengeance rolled from her tongue. The apprentice's fur bristled, looking away from the molly as her stomach churned. She didn't know how Wavesong could be so blasé about this all. Adderfang had been seriously injured, and the herb stores destroyed. That alone could have left her family crumbled to nothing, it still could. If she got sick, she could lose her kittens, Adderfang's wounds could be infected.

Her claws dug into the earth below. She had tried to reassure the cats, but it only served to infuriate the apprentice more; her only sister, one of her last remaining kin, was at risk during that heist. She could have been killed if that plague on the territories had been any crueller than they already were. It was a grace to themselves that they didn't lay a claw on Rainpaw; she had to commend Jinglemoon for that one thing, keeping her safe. But it never would have been an issue if she were safe in the apprentice's den with her and Galepaw...

She didn't even want to listen to the rest of the story; maybe it was wishful thinking that she could still have some kitten-like comforts. That part of her died in the river alongside her mother. Thunderpaw rose to her paws, wanting to find anything else to do, maybe keep Lavenderkit company or pick through the freshkill to try to keep her mind busy, but it was Wavesong's final addition that made her maw curl into a sneer. "Some family." She muttered to herself, she loathed the idea of seeing the clan as a family. Some false closeness. Her loyalty was to her kin, even if there was some fondness for select cats in the clan. Everything she did was for them; they were all she had left.

Thunderpaw's tail lashed; she couldn't shake what Wavesong had said. Storm or river, vengeance or healing. Part of her didn't want to pipe up but... "But what if they come back?" The words dripped from her tongue before she could really think about it. She hesitated for just a moment before gritting her teeth and continuing. "It's one thing healing, forgiving-" She added, almost mockingly, but tried not to get an attitude with Wavesong unless Adderfang showed up read to clip her ear for giving Wavesong a sarcastic tone. "But... There's only so much that can do, right? I- Rainpaw could have been hurt. I don't want to forgive cats who coulda hurt her, not if they think they can come back and try again."

——— Take a swim in the water

Dear Arkansas daughter. ————

• 
  Thunderpaw
  ✦—Riverclan apprentice | 7 moons
  ✦—She/Her
  ✦—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
  ✦—A stocky, fluffy cinnamon sealpoint kitten with long curled ears and soft blue eyes.
  #DE966C