Peakclan's Promise :: A Warrior Cats Roleplay (OPEN!!)

Ivycry // Location: Oakclan Camp // Mentions: Eveningpaw, Flowingoak

Ivycry was impressed by his idea, but not surprised. She didn't expect less from the deputy. She followed Flowingoak's footsteps, keeping little more than a tail length behind, the neck of her fur standing up somewhat. She would never dare say so, but she was often scared to leave camp, even if she did know what moves to use in order to protect herself, and if needed, Eveningpaw. Her news had also unnerved the molly.

She slowed down a bit to keep in line with Eveningpaw, and dropped her voice down to a hushed tone. "Try to bring back lots of prey," she encouraged the apprentice, all the while keeping her senses alert. "If you stand out as an apprentice, you're likely to get your own apprentice quicker as a warrior. If you keep up the good reputation, when the time comes, you'll probably be one of the warriors the leader keeps in mind when picking their next deputy."

FLOWINGOAK // LOCATION: OAKCLAN TERRITORY// MENTIONS: EVENINGPAW, IVYCRY

Flowingoak purred happily, seeing Eveningpaw's success at catching the water vole. "Great job!" He praised the young she-cat with a lick on her head, his tail swishing around.

He didn't give Ivycry any suspicious looks when she began to whisper to the apprentice. He was just glad that they were achieving things for their clan without running into any immediate trouble.

"C'mon, Eveningpaw. Let's keep looking for other prey." He rumbled, shaking out his thick fur.

Bearheart & Stormpaw || PeakClan || Med Cat & Warrior App|| Location: Camp Outskirts|| Mentions: Frostmaw

The lean-built apprentice cast a seemingly apologetic glance in the direction of the clan deputy, modest as per usual. "I don't deserve a good meal today, sir," Stormpaw answered his earlier comment, "...I woke up late. I should have been prepared at sunrise to go out on patrol. As an apprentice, it is my duty to do the less desirable work." She half-listened to the stirring behind her as Bearheart finished treating and dishing out verbal instructions to the other ill apprentice. It made her feel a bit worried, to be frank. What if she was carrying the respiratory illness and was yet to feel any of the symptoms? Could she have risked and infected her brother at the border without really knowing it? She tried to swallow her worry, and was grateful that Frostmaw stole away her attention with yet another inquiry. 

She furrowed her brows in thought, researching into her mental dictionary? Medi...tation? She'd never heard of such a thing, only it being used in context. So she made a guess. "Sorry mister Frostmaw, but I don't know what 'meditation' is." How did she cope when she had problems, anyways? Well, the answer wasn't exactly simple- Boulderpaw. He was (quite literally) her "rock" when it came to her own emotional quarrels, but this wasn't something she could share. It would be too risky. "...I suppose whenever I'm having troubles, I just talk with my dad. He always makes me feel better." That was true before, but as of recent, it didn't quite apply. Most of her troubles were in regards to her step-father, who as it turned out, wasn't truly her blood-father. And he didn't even know that.

With Bearheart finished with giving instructions to the ailed apprentice, he perked his ears in the direction of the elected clan deputy. If that blasted medicine cat hadn't rambled on about StarClan and forced me into this position, I might have held the honor of deputy... Nonetheless, he'd take anything other than medicine cat at this rate. He'd love to be a warrior again- but that option simply wasn't in the cards these days. Even if he was unskilled as a medic, his clan needed him. 

His pride felt offended when the deputy recommended a patrol. Stars, had he forgotten the gleaming and impressive warrior that Bearheart once was? Everyone had known his name! And the awe-striking scars that littered his sides, well...those were a glaring testament to his prowess as a capable warrior. But the fact that Frostmaw looked at him with such awe and admiration, like a giddy kitten...it flattered him into agreement. 

Besides...he'd take any excuse to patrol as a warrior once more, to prowl and protect rather than hunt for helpless weeds and daisies. That wasn't particularly manly. It was embarrassing. 

The piebald tom rolled his shoulders. "Well, I suppose the greens will always be there tomorrow. Couldn't hurt to have extra help in checking those borders."

Boulderpaw || LakeClan || Apprentice || Location: Oak-Lake Border || Mentions: Roughthroat

His blue eyes glinted with determination when he detected the scent trail of a squirrel, a rare treat for a LakeClan cat. While he did like fish, he found that land prey was much more filling (and more fulfilling to catch). Not that Boulderpaw intended to keep it strictly for himself- while he was a struggling adolescent, he wasn't immoral. He knew that the queens and kits deserved to eat first, as did the elders. Maybe not the cats who were hellbent on rambling on about lessons, but...

Before long, the ambitious apprentice found that he was no longer alone.

Just how he wanted to start his day- yet another adult who thought they knew everything, attempting to lecture him on responsibility on the topics of right and wrong. When would they ever learn that he'd always turn the other cheek? Did they regard him as some sort of wild animal, one that they could tame and eventually break with enough pressure? Boulderpaw curled his lip as he turned away from the promising scent trail, squaring his shoulders up with those of the new deputy and sending him a scathing glare. He would not be broken. He would not back down.

He wasn't a coward like his "secret" uncle. 

"Some cat has to do something useful around here." The rebellious tabby spoke up with a hint of venom in his voice, standing stiffly before the deputy. "And yes- yes, this is a wonderful idea. Unless you've suddenly decided that the queens, kits, elders, and wounded are no longer worthy of hunting for. If that's the case-" Disrespectful in his disposition towards the adults as per usual, the emotionally scarred apprentice turned his back on Roughthroat and continued after the squirrel's scent trail. 

"-...then I don't wanted to be correlated with the likes of you." He did not wait or ask for permission. Already the code had damned him, so he saw no point in waiting around for the opinion and orders of others. The recent death of his mother had left the tom broken, and the fact that his sister was so far resisting joining him in the safety of LakeClan...he felt a constant need to act, to work. Cats who were laying around and waiting for orders rather than acting were responsible for the death of his mother. Cats like Leafstar who refused to act and stand up were the reason why Stormpaw and Boulderpaw couldn't be together, as siblings should be. While the rest of the clans were oblivious to the truth of their relation, Leafstar knew.

And yet, he did nothing. 

Boulderpaw wouldn't be like that. He would lead with his heart, because only that could be true. Not some "code" written by old and long-dead cats that did nothing but spew out pointless riddles. 

Roughthroat | Lakeclan | Deputy | Location: Lake-Oak Border | Mention: Boulderpaw 

Words streamed from the apprentice like tendrils of thorns, clear with their intent to poke and draw blood. A younger or more unstable cat would have balked at his attitude, but Roughthroat remained stiff as a board, simply listening as Boulderpaw spat his venom. 

Finally a space in the seemingly one-sided conversation opened, and the deputy attempted to choose his words carefully. "You must not remember the definition of the word 'useful'," Roughthroat rumbled, eyes glinting as sharply as the young tom's before him. "It's being of use to the clan. To me, and to Steppingstar, and to all of your clanmates, no matter what age. You think you're being useful by breaking the code of your apprenticeship, straying alone outside of camp, and so close to an enemy border?" 

The white, battle-marked tom stepped forward, his large paws only barely making sound on the leaf litter beneath them, doing a half circle around Boulderpaw before flicking his tail back toward camp. "You're of no use to anyone a hundred pike-lengths away from your clan, possibly breaking a paw, possibly being killed by patrolling warriors. Come with me and I'll show you how you can be useful." He felt the pain in the young cat's bristling fur, but not even heart-wounds could excuse an apprentice from their duties.

 Steppingstar | Lakeclan | Leader | Location: Lake-Oak Border | Mentions: Roughthroat , Boulderpaw 

Mewling came from The Oak-Lake border, Steppingstar pricked her ears curiously. Her Moonhigh patrol followed her paw steps as she neared the sounds. The large She-cat bared her teeth in frustration when she saw her newly appointed deputy lecturing Boulderpaw. But, she wanted to know what was going on. "Boulderpaw, what are you doing." She said firmly, flicking her tail for the cats behind her to stop.

She leaned in closer. Before the young apprentice could answer her she mewed again, "You aren't meant to be out here, you look like you're crossing the border. Which you should not be doing." The leader clenched her jaw. She raised her head and stared at the Boulderpaw coldly, her gaze filled with blue fire. 

"Go on without me, go look at the stream flowing towards Peakclan. Renew the scent markers there." She meowed to her patrol. "Yes Steppingstar." Her apprentice said, before bounding off with the two warrior with her. She waved her tail in farewell; she then looked to Boulderpaw again. 

Eveningpaw // Location: OakClan Camp // Mentions: Ivycry, Flowingoak

Eveningpaw briefly tilted her head towards Ivycry's whispered words before catching up to her mentor, trotting slightly. She stood up straighter at the praise, then sniffed the chilly air. "Leaf-bare leaves the forest empty, doesn't it?" She murmured, swiveling her ears around. She caught the scent of a rabbit and silently followed it, paw-steps barely making a sound on the ground. She crouched down as she spotted the rabbit, just beyond a fallen tree. She froze, then jumped. Her timing was a bit awry, but she managed to grasp it in her paws and kill it before it ran away. She dropped it, smiling at the kill. It was nice and fat, which would feed the elders well. She picked it up and returned to Flowingoak and Ivycry, burying the rabbit in some frosty dirt. 

Boulderpaw || LakeClan || Apprentice || Location: Oak-Lake Border || Mentions: Roughthroat, Steppingstar

Did these cats have cotton in their ears, for StarClan's sake? "I was hunting." He repeated once more with an irritable twitch of his tail tip, the resourceful tom's mind beginning to go to work. "Last I checked, I'm still on LakeClan territory. Have you forgotten that our camp is stupidly placed right next to the border rather than the heart of the territory? Some hypocritical example you're trying to set, ordering me not to cross the border when you just...oh, what was it...crossed into PeakClan to pick a fight? Hm." He'd flip this around in no time. Steppingstar would regret trying to use such a vicious approach. And he would have to remind the deputy of the importance of feeding the clan rather than stuffing them all into PeakClan to cause a fuss, it would seem.

"And what does 'being of use' mean to you, anyways?" He shot another verbal jab at Roughpatch, his deep blue eyes narrowed into a pair of slits as he began to scrutinize the newest deputy elect. "Going off and infiltrating another clan, at the cost of the lives of the young and injured? At least I'm mindful enough to go hunting to feed the hungry. Unless you're trying to say that a full belly isn't useful." Boulderpaw curled a lip, pleased with his very logical argument. Much more than half of their age, and already he thought that he appeared to be much wiser than the pair of them combined. They wouldn't leave him behind in the next fight. Not after this. 

The distant chittering of a squirrel informed the apprentice that these adults had foiled his hunting plans. Blasted...and these cats were meant to be his role models? Boulderpaw kept his posture composed, save for the bristling of his back fur caused by the strong surge of annoyance he felt. He would win this argument in no time- the crunching of paws in snow sounding from OakClan's direction confirmed as much. Another patrol was swinging by. "And if it wasn't for this inconvenience, I would've caught that squirrel by now and be long gone from the border." The apprentice huffed before once more directing his attention to OakClan's territory. "An apprentice by the border isn't much, but now a leader and deputy causing a fuss to close to OakClan territory? Gee...that won't make that patrol feel suspicious at all. Genius plan. Bravo."

His insubordinance was no surprise- he'd been behaving this way for some time now (ever since his mother passed, after all). At this point, he had stubbornly planted himself on the ground in a sitting position, glancing between Steppingstar and Roughthroat while his ears angled towards OakClan expectantly, waiting for the patrol to arrive. That'll show 'em.
 

 Steppingstar | Lakeclan | Leader | Location: Lake-Oak Border | Mentions: Roughthroat , Boulderpaw

"How dare you disrespect your clanmates like that! Nether less, your leader and deputy!" Steppingstar growled she took a step closer to the apprentice, lashing her tail she hissed once more, "A good apprentice would've waited for their mentor. I am ashamed of you Boulderpaw. You are mindless and disrespectful; you will come back to camp." 

She raised her head head and looked down onto the apprentice. Her shape cast a shadow onto the Tom. Steppingstar's neck fur bristled, "You will not go to the gathering that's tomorrow, and you will care for the elders for three days as punishment. I don't want to hear anything from you for the rest of the night." 

She whipped around and started towards the camp, her head and tail high. She bared her fangs in frustration, but her neck fur began to fall. But it rose every few seconds as she could hear Boulderpaw huffing and muttering. "And you would've been hunting and patrolling tomorrow, but your actions made me decide otherwise." She spat once more. 

It was true, his mentor was going to send him on a solo hunting mission. But she will have to tell them they can't. 

Roughthroat | Lakeclan | Deputy | Location: Lake-Oak Border | Mentions: Steppingstar, Boulderpaw 

With the arrival of their leader, Roughthroat stepped back and lowered his head in a respectful nod, resolving to let her do the talking. Of course it didn't go well whatsoever... The apprentice was perhaps even more aggressive with her, and the air between them seemed ready to catch flame at any second. 

Of course, Boulderpaw was an apprentice of Lakeclan, so his argument held some water. However disagreeable his temperament, Roughthroat was pleased that Boulderpaw could form such arguments at his age... if only he could learn the correct time to use them. Such was the way with all young cats. He had to admit, it was not a good look to have both the clan's deputy as well as leader chastising just a single rebellious kitten. 

Regardless, Roughthroat acknowledged Steppingstar's command for Boulderpaw to return to camp, and sought to enforce, sweeping his tail to brush against the young tom's back. "You heard her," the deputy nudged calmly. While Steppingstar took the offensive approach, and rightly so, Roughthroat decided to take the defense, adding a level-headed stoicism to the retorts whipping back and forth. "We can have a piece of fresh kill and talk this over."

Boulderpaw || LakeClan || Apprentice || Location: Oak-Lake Border || Mentions: Roughthroat, Steppingstar

Was she just dying to watch her clan burn to the ground? Not only was she preventing him from patrolling, but now she always wanted to ban him from hunting the day? Great, now she wants to let her warriors starve. Steppingstar will be the death of LakeClan. He sniffed boldly at Steppingstar, refusing to back down because it was not in his nature. If she was going to push, than he was going to shove. She was a brash fool to think that feeding the argument would make him want to listen to her. "Oh? Now you're berating your clanmates, how fantastic! Yeah, I'm totally going to want to listen to you now. And you're preventing me from hunting? So you're wishing to starve your clan as well. Wonderful leader you are." Boulderpaw raised his chin, like some parent scolding a kitten. My, the tables turned. 

As she left, the apprentice kept his stance firm, glued to the ground with his scathing blues resting on the back of the LakeClan leader. "You are no leader to me." The defensive apprentice finished as his leader began to walk away, a triumphant glow in his ocean blues. Only a few moons into his apprenticeship, and already he decided that he despised the leadership over his clan. Maybe PeakClan didn't sound so bad after all- nobody knew who their leader was, but Stormpaw never seemed to have any problems. At least their leader didn't launch senseless attacks, and punish the entire clan as a method for punishing a single apprentice. 

The mischievous tom twitched an ear when the deputy regarded him in a much more reasonable approach, with a sense of sober calmness. Boulderpaw respected that approach much more, after all, it was much more rational to cool a flame rather than feed it. But he wasn't looking for some father figure- his left his life before he was even born. "I don't want to eat with you." His voice remained tense, and his blue eyes were locked with that of the clan deputy. Yet, as his directed Roughthroat, his words seemed to lack the venom they had when they were fired at Steppingstar. "I don't want a 'buddy' or a 'father figure', ok? I just want some sensible cat in this clan, for StarClan's sake." Boulderpaw bit his lip before sending a final glare in the direction of the OakClan border. "...But I'll listen to you. Only because you're the most 'rational' cat out of all the choices I have right now."