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Post by niftyshark on Mar 16, 2019 19:34:19 GMT -6
Haypaw matched his pace with Baypaw’s as they ventured towards RavenClan territory. He was surprised he was allowed to go on such an important mission, but then again with so many cats still recovering, maybe he was all they could spare. He shook his head to clear his mind of any further speculation and decided not to think about it further. What he did think about though, providing everything went well, was that he would have a chance to go on RavenClan’s territory. He was more excited than he realized he would be, and while he did feel conflicted about that, he allowed himself to enjoy the feelings without too much shame.
The ground was firming up and the scent of heather was filling the air. The stream that served as the border could be heard in the distance. The black tom leaned in close to the medicine cat apprentice and whispered, “We’re almost there. I imagine you’ll do the talking, so how do you want me to look? Tough and intimidating? Friendly and open? Maybe a little bit of sadness and wide kit-eyes?” It was his attempt to keep the situation lighter than it actually was. He was aware of the dangers they were placing themselves in—asking another clan for herbs put them in a weaker position. Not to mention that it would be Baypaw having to deal with the negotiations. And if they came across unsympathetic cats, Haypaw was more than willing to step up and play whatever role Baypaw needed from him—attacking, protecting, sneaking off to steal it... he didn’t particularly mind that last one.
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Post by gingerluna on Mar 18, 2019 10:09:49 GMT -6
Baypaw was terrified and excited to be traveling across Clan boundaries. He'd done it before, sure, but not to RavenClan, and not alone, or with such high stakes. If he couldn't find lungwort in the pine forests like Rosedawn's vision instructed, then cats would die. His brother, Dancingflame's kits, Chirppaw, Newtpaw, Floodstar, all of them would end up just like Cloudfern. And it would be his fault. Distracted by his anxieties, he nearly crossed the border he was intending to wait at, and it was only Haypaw's voice that brought him back to his senses.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll do the talking," he said, looking forward at the moors with a desperate, thin sort of hope. At Haypaw's whisper, Baypaw snorted, forgetting the seriousness of the situation for a moment. "They'll let us in. They have to, it's Clan law. They'd be defying StarClan if they denied us. Though, some kit-eyes might not be a bad idea." It wouldn't exactly be hard to look desperate. Their Clan was dying. As he watched the horizon, he spotted a few shapes darting across the snowy fields. Perfect. They'd beaten the dawn patrol. He stood up so he'd be an easier sight, hoping whoever greeted them was friendly.
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Post by theatricals on Mar 20, 2019 21:47:41 GMT -6
"Kit-eyes may get you pity points, but certainly not heighten your chances of assistance."
No more than half a tree-length away, Rowanmask couldn't be said to appear as the most friendly of individuals, with her sharp eyes trained on the two WillowClan cats with a fierceness that said she was not a fan of jokes--at least not at the moment. Her patrol with Acorndrop and Coyotestorm had started off well enough, with the slightest bit of awkward tension with the latter, but she had barely even gotten the chance to say a word before a scent had cut her off.
The silence had only dragged on, but hearing two other cats speak only drew her in closer, and now here she was, staring at the cats who could very well be waiting for them.
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Post by gingerluna on Mar 20, 2019 22:05:56 GMT -6
Baypaw stared over at the RavenClan she-cat with a terror-struck expression, his tail falling low and his entire figure seeming to deflate. He'd /already/ messed something up. "I...I just," he stuttered, everything he'd been planning to say slipping away as the warrior spoke. He was a medicine cat apprentice of WillowClan, a voice of StarClan, a healer, he didn't have to explain anything to her, but the words were caught in his throat.
Acorndrop let out an irritated sigh, stepping up to stand alongside Rowanmask at the sight. "Go easy," he said, looking much more softly upon the two WillowClan cats. He recognized one as the new medicine cat apprentice, but the other, not so much. Why were they here? He trotted over a few steps, closing some of the distance between them. "Do you come with news from WillowClan?" he asked, assuming a medicine cat with a guard, standing in the open, weren't about to attack.
Baypaw looked over at the red tom, and relaxed. He took several steps forward, drawing close to the red tom, and lifting his head up to face the three warriors. "My name is Baypaw. I am a medicine cat apprentice of WillowClan, and I've come to speak with Paledawn and Dartwing. There is a sickness in WillowClan, and StarClan has told us the cure can be found on your territory. We're here to collect it." He had arguments ready, although Floodstar and Shrikewind had assured him he wouldn't need them as long as Ashenstar understood the situation. He didn't mention needing herbs, either, knowing that it'd be better to ask other medicine cats directly than get warriors and Clan politics involved.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 21, 2019 11:42:14 GMT -6
Coyotestorm spent the time during the patrol lagging at the back, lazily following Acorndrop and Rowanmask, yawning every couple moments. It was a standard dawn border patrol along their shared border with WillowClan. Nothing ever seemed to happen during those kind of patrols, so his guard was down. He was sure that the other two were keeping their guards up, so he decided that he could afford to take it easy. As they drew closer to the border, the breeze blowing towards them, he realized the WillowClan scent was fresh. He perked up just a little bit more, but he wasn’t hopeful. Until, at least, he saw that two young cats were standing at the border. He let Rowanmask and Acorndrop speak first, though he was distinctly interested because the patrol was -different- from normal. He didn’t spare the cream tom or the black tom much consideration before he interrupted loudly, “Why should we care? WillowClan’s problems are not our own.”
—
Haypaw drew in just behind Baypaw, light expression replaced by one that was neutral and curious. He watched the two foremost warriors, but his eyes snagged and stuck on the third one that lagged behind. He almost thought it was Beanpaw, but common sense told him it wasn’t, because his brother was back at camp. The tom’s mannerisms reminded him of Beanpaw as well, but he knew it could easily be coincidental. He blinked a few times, then forced his gaze away to avoid further open staring. It was something he could consider later.
Two out of the three warriors weren’t immediately friendly, but he expected that much. He stayed quiet in favor of letting Baypaw make his case, but he moved forward so he stood shoulder to shoulder, silently supporting his clanmate. It was easy to bristle at the RavenClan cats’ apparent disregard, but Haypaw would do all he could to make sure they were successful.
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Post by theatricals on Mar 21, 2019 19:12:44 GMT -6
Rowanmask couldn't help but glance at Coyotestorm out of the corner of her eye, wondering if her clanmate was being just a bit too harsh with his words. But when she thought on her, she realized that he had a right to be skeptical--she was as well, and the more she thought about it, the more she wondered whether even listening to the two WillowClan cats was worth it.
"You're here to collect it," Rowanmask echoed, taking another step forward as she sized up the tom. She would never dream of attacking a medicine cat, especially without provocation, but the recent peace her Clan had been granted had her unwilling to turn away from her set in stone ideas.
"That is a forward way of thinking, is it not?" It was partially a question directed at Baypaw, and Rowanmask made sure to turn her attention towards the other tom as well. Clearly this cat was not a medicine cat, and he had yet to make any move. She looked at Acorndrop, figuring he might put another word in, but her gaze moved back to Coyotestorm once more. Perhaps she was the one who stood between them, with one believing they should help immediately and the other believing they should not.
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Post by gingerluna on Mar 21, 2019 19:24:21 GMT -6
Baypaw's heart dropped at their words. They weren't going to let him on their territory? Cats were dying, how could they be so heartless, did they really not trust him, did they really think Clan rivalries were more important than-. No. Focus. He had a right to be here, he hadn't done anything wrong, and a few grumpy warriors weren't going to stop him from saving his Clan.
"I'm a medicine cat!" he blurted out, tail swishing irritably behind him as he took an anxious step away from the she-cat before him. "We operate outside of Clan boundaries, don't you know that? StarClan told us to come here. Please, cats are sick! I just need to see Paledawn and Dartwing." He knew they would understand.
-
Acorndrop cut in front of Rowanmask and Coyotestorm, appalled at what he was seeing. "Who sheltered us in the fire?" he snapped at Coyotestorm, anxiety thrumming in his chest. Were his kits alright? This cat had the answers, and he refused to see him turned away. Especially not when his kin's life might be at stake. "Guided us across the river in the flood? Shut your mouth." He turned back to Baypaw, hoping to appear friendlier than his patrolmates. "Of course we'll take you."
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 22, 2019 14:32:02 GMT -6
Coyotestorm bared his teeth at Acorndrop. "And who turned around and sheltered cats that were dangerous to the clans? We split for a reason. RavenClan's territory isn't free for WillowClan to take what they want off of it." He dug his claws into the ground. "And last I checked, you weren't the leader of this patrol, or a member of WillowClan." His gaze swung to Rowanmask, the one member who seemed decidedly neutral. "Well?" he asked her, voice like grinding gravel, heavy with sarcasm. "Do we let the important medicine cat and his guard cross our borders?" He was quite unimpressed by Baypaw's pleading, or Acorndrop's unusually-strong defense of a different clan.
---
Haypaw remained quiet throughout the heated exchange, but he could tell Baypaw was growing flustered. He scanned all three of the RavenClan warriors' faces and noted that the she-cat was watching him the most closely. They only had one shot at appealing to the warriors, and he didn't want to miss it. They always had the second option of sneaking onto the territory, but that would be their last resort. For the first time, he spoke up after the pale tom's tirade, as calmly and quickly as he could manage. "We understand RavenClan's position. We aren't here to take anything without RavenClan's express permission and will leave immediately if we are not welcome. We would just like a chance to talk to your medicine cats."
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Post by theatricals on Mar 25, 2019 15:44:26 GMT -6
Despite Coyotestorm's insistence and Acorndrop's obvious lack of willingness to side with his Clan mates, Rowanmask was left to ponder what made up the middle ground. It was tugging her back and forth, with her mind settling on two very different choices, but the other tom spoke up before she could make one. He seemed to be less emotional than his companion, and that was enough for her to take note. "This cat knows a bit more on how to approach an enemy warrior--without making immediate demands. For that, I will respect it. As long as you keep your word, I will not stop you." She couldn't be sure that would satisfy Coyotestorm, but she only hoped that neither tom would make a scene.
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Post by gingerluna on Mar 25, 2019 21:14:17 GMT -6
Baypaw felt hot shame rise in his chest, and he rapidly nodded, flashing Haypaw a grateful expression. "Thank you so much," he replied, unsure what else he should say. He'd already messed things up so badly. Excuses caught in his throat like twigs in a stream, and he swished his tail anxiously, lowering his head. "I'm sorry. I...I'm still in training," he muttered, although it wasn't an excuse. He'd never been around enemy warriors much before, just medicine cats, and they were all so welcoming. Paledawn had even helped train him, for StarClan's sake, he hadn't realized entering her territory to collect herbs was an imposition. "Thank you, for helping me learn how to conduct myself, and for your understanding." He looked to Haypaw again, unwilling to stray far from the apprentice's side after such a scene had been made, despite the tom being much younger than him. He could apologize to him later.
-
Acorndrop stepped forward, relieved at the outcome. "I'll take them to camp," he offered, hoping to use the opportunity to ask about the health of his kits. "That way, you two can finish the patrol, and we can make sure they don't wander." And Coyotestorm wouldn't claw his pelt off. Hopefully he'd be able to calm the shaking medicine cat down a bit before he presented him to Dartwing. He doubted the tom or Ashenstar would be pleased about the situation, and he wanted to smooth things over as much as he could.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 26, 2019 16:18:43 GMT -6
Haypaw let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He always got tense after trying to explain himself, but he already had a lot of experience, even at his relatively young age. After all, someone had to explain after he and Beanpaw got caught doing something they shouldn’t have. He learned quickly that acknowledging their wrongdoings and appealing to logic was often the best course of action—and he was pleased to see it still worked. Haypaw watched as the pale tom’s face screwed up in irritation before he turned away. There wasn’t any further protest though, which meant they were as good as in. He nodded in thanks to the she-cat, before he grinned at Baypaw, pressing against him in reassurance as they were led over the border by the red tom. He hoped that Baypaw didn’t take him speaking up as a slight, but he knew it would be even worse if they didn’t get the herb at all.
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Post by theatricals on Apr 1, 2019 20:22:49 GMT -6
Rowanmask's eyes narrowed, not really wanting to let Acorndrop take his two new friends frolicking across the border to talk to their medicine cats by himself, but everything that needed to be said on her end had already been said. There was very little reason for her to follow after them like an apprentice. Flicking her tail, she barely acknowledged the warrior's plan, choosing instead to start padding off in the direction they would have been going had they not been interrupted. "Are you coming along?" she asked Coyotestorm, her eyes flicking to him after giving Acorndrop a hard stare.
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Post by gingerluna on Apr 3, 2019 10:21:34 GMT -6
Baypaw grinned anxiously back at Haypaw, following after the tom with a spring in his step. "Th-thank you," he finally mumbled, not sure what else to say. He wondered if Rosedawn would be disappointed when she found out.
"Sure," Acorndrop said, anxiety pounding in his chest. It was now or never, he had to ask. "So...uh..." he murmured, slowing his gait to walk beside the medicine cat. "You said...kits were sick? My friend, uh...we met after the fire. I know she was pregnant. Who...who's sick?"
Baypaw gaped at the warrior for a moment, surprised he actually seemed to care. "Uh, it's just Dancingflame's kits. Cherrykit and Mothkit." He meant to go on, but stopped as he saw the entire warrior face fall, his demeanor slumping. "S-sorry?"
Acorndrop just shook his head, slowing further as they approached the camp. "Dartwing's over there," he said, nodding towards the medicine cat den. "He'll help, don't worry."
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 9, 2019 7:31:40 GMT -6
Coyotestorm didn't look at Rowanmask when she spoke to him. He waited until he heard Acorndrop's voice fade into the distance until he turned to her. "Yeah," he said curtly, then strode off along the border. Someone needed to keep strangers off of the border, and it was clear who that would fall to.
---
Haypaw fell back as Acorndrop and Baypaw took the lead, and he contented himself with listening to the conversation. The RavenClan tom's investment in the conversation had him curious, but he didn't question it--at least, not out loud. They were led into the RavenClan camp, and Haypaw could feel eyes drawn to him and Baypaw. He picked up his pace until he was at Baypaw's side, and he hoped Baypaw wasn't unnerved by all of the attention. "Do you want to do the honors?" he asked, knowing one of them would have to get Dartwing's attention. "I think this is your realm, now."
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Post by gingerluna on Apr 12, 2019 10:33:36 GMT -6
Baypaw stared after Acorndrop, confused and still shaking. He was only brought back to reality when Haypaw spoke to him, quickly looking back at Haypaw and nodding. "Y-yeah!" he said, quickly perking up. "Thanks for this, Haypaw. I'm sorry I made things harder than they were supposed to be, I just...got nervous, I guess. You were great back there!" He looked over at the medicine cat's den, then back at Haypaw. "You can just wait at the front, o-okay?" he stuttered, before bounding forward and rushing towards the den. He practically crashed inside, not wanting to have any other encounters with RavenClan warriors. "D-Dartwing?" he called, staring forward at the medicine cat. "Dartwing," he sighed when he saw the medicine cat, scrambling forward and pressing his muzzle into the tom's fur. "We need help," he choked.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 18, 2019 18:56:48 GMT -6
Haypaw opened his mouth to respond, but Baypaw rushed his speaking, and he couldn’t get a word in. He closed his mouth and nodded, turning away when Baypaw did. He faced away from the entrance of the medicine cat den and sat down, amber gaze dropping to his paws so he didn’t have to meet the stares lingering on him. Just because he had a way with words didn’t mean he liked unbridled attention, and he admittedly felt vulnerable. He was practically alone in an enemy camp, so who could blame him? He just hoped Baypaw finished what he had to soon.
—
Luckily for Baypaw, Dartwing was in his den. With no sick cats and no apprentice, the den was more empty than he was used to it being, and with Paledawn in the elder’s den, it was a lot calmer too. He kept it tidy, with one or two additional nests save his own prepped for any emergency. When he heard a frantic voice behind him, he steeled himself, prepared for said emergency, but he didn’t expect who it came from. His eyes widened when he took in Baypaw, and his mind was reeling for an explanation. The WillowClan medicine cat apprentice, in his den? Something had to be wrong. He took a few steps back when Baypaw rushed over to him, steadying them both so they didn’t fall down. “Baypaw?” he said at last, touching his nose quickly to the tom’s ear. He didn’t spare much energy for pleasantries, given the suddenness of the situation, so he went right to the core of it. “What’s wrong? Is there something going on in WillowClan?”
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Post by gingerluna on Apr 19, 2019 10:30:28 GMT -6
Baypaw looked up at Dartwing, everything he needed to say cramming in his chest and threatening to send him sinking into the earth. Everything was so wrong, and he didn't know how to fix it. He took a deep, rattling breath. "I th-think I made your warriors mad," he muttered, looking away from the medicine cat and staring at his paws as he breathed heavily. "B-but. WillowClan's sick!" He looked up at Dartwing rapidly, eyes wide. "The sickness is strange, we can calm it, but we can't cure it. Rosedawn went to the Frozenpool, and StarClan told us we could find the cure in your pine forests. It grows on the bark of trees, like a second skin." He glanced over at Dartwing's herb store, his stomach turning uncomfortably. They /needed/ more herbs, but asking felt impossible, especially after what'd happened at the border.
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Post by niftyshark on Apr 25, 2019 7:11:28 GMT -6
Unfortunately, Dartwing couldn’t do anything about his clanmates, but he could do something when it came to herbs. His brows furrowed at the mention of the sickness being strange—enough where StarClan had to send word? One that was incurable? He felt a knot in his stomach at the thought. Was it something that could transfer? Did Baypaw know? Was Baypaw being here risking transmission? He swallowed the questions before he could ask them. Of course Dartwing would help, but he didn’t like that his sense of urgency wasn’t fully altruistic. If the disease was that bad, he didn’t want it anywhere, especially near RavenClan.
He saw Baypaw look over his shoulder, and since he knew the den with his eyes closed, he also knew what the apprentice was looking at. “Take what you need,” he said, moving to the side so Baypaw could get by. “We’ll go out into the territory next to see if we can find what you need.”
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Post by gingerluna on Apr 25, 2019 13:40:28 GMT -6
Baypaw slumped with relief as Dartwing offered the herbs, and he scrambled over to take tansy, borage, and coltsfoot. He took as little as he could, while still having enough to treat the Clan. "Thank you," he murmured before scooping the herbs up in his mouth. He turned towards the den entrance, looking back anxiously to ensure Dartwing was following, before hopping over to Haypaw and setting the herbs down. "Will you carry these?" he asked. "I'll take the lungwort." He wanted to talk to Dartwing without a full mouth, but he hoped he wasn't asking too much of the apprentice.
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Post by niftyshark on May 16, 2019 17:40:05 GMT -6
Haypaw looked up from his paws when Baypaw emerged, and his shoulders sagged from their tense position. He nodded quickly, eager to do anything that would get them moving and back on their way towards their clan. He bent down to carefully pick the herbs up, teeth pressed lightly against them so he didn’t puncture any of the leaves. He waited until Baypaw and Dartwing passed by him, and he took up the rear as the two medicine cats walked ahead. He stayed a few pawsteps back as Dartwing kept pace with Baypaw, wanting to give them some semblance of privacy. He didn’t know if they needed to talk about something he couldn’t listen to, and with his mouth full of herbs he couldn’t ask. His eyes scanned the perimeter of the moors as they crested several hills, and he relaxed when no danger was in sight.
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