Lightningwind
Thunderclan Warrior
Pacing around, his long ginger tail was waving back and forth as Lightningwind was alone with his thoughts once more. It wasn’t until the large tom’s gaze landed on the dog collar which caused him to stop in place, trying to process the information that was given to him by Figpaw and Peachblossom earlier. If Lightningwind was honest, he didn’t mind dogs.. The only problem was not knowing if the canine was hostile or friendly. The scent was extremely faint from the collar, as if the canine hadn’t worn it for a week. Was it an adult or a pup? Who knows, that’s why Lightningwind needed to find out.
Turning away from the collar, his dark blue gaze turned to land on Amberhawk having a conversation with Sunflower. The Norwegian Forest Tom made his way towards them. Clearing his throat slightly, Lightningwind gave a small smile “I’m sorry Sunflower, but may I borrow Amberhawk for a bit?” He questioned. The golden molly smiled softly and nodded, leaning up and pressing a gentle kiss on the Bengal’s cheek. Amberhawk was watching the small molly padding off before looking towards Lightningwind, the ginger tom’s eyebrow ws arched slightly.. Although all of them grew up together within the apprentices' den, it was still weird to see how everyone was transitioning into adulthood.
“I wanted to speak to you about the collar,” Lightningwind said, thinking to himself for a moment. He knew that Peachblossom and Figpaw were already asking a couple of cats to investigate the object.. Mainly where it's owner. If the dog was alive, was it friendly or not? If it was deceased and on Thunderclan territory, how would they be able to get rid of it? “The Oak Forest hasn’t been checked yet, I wanted to see if we can smell anything and try to track it.” The ginger tabby muttered quietly, looking towards Amberhawk. It wasn’t until the other tom nodded that caused Lightningwind to make his way towards the warriors den, poking his head for a moment. A couple of warriors were resting, more of them were relaxing within their nests. Letting out a small breath, Lightningwind called out low enough to not disturb the sleeping warriors “There’s a patrol happening in searching for the owner of the collar, feel free to join.” Lightningwind said, eyes narrowing as he turned away from the den and padded off.
Once seeing felines gathering towards him, Lightningwind looked at each of them. Taking a deep breath, the large tom’s eyes closed for a moment before speaking calmly “This is a dangerous mission, we don’t know what to expect from this.” Lightningwind letting out a small sigh “Remember, we stick together at all times.. Help each other, and teamwork is important here in ensuring that Thunderclan is safe.” He said, opening his eyes and looking at his clanmates with determination. It wasn’t until the young warrior began padding towards the entrance of the camp, hearing footsteps behind him had made him aware that others were following him. Lightingwind was responsible for these lives, an image of a deceased Alderpaw came into his head.. He couldn’t help the slain apprentice in protecting himself, but he would make sure that his patrol came back safely.
Lightningwind
Thunderclan Warrior
The pale ginger let out a huff when tumbling into the ground, a grunt escaped Lightningwind when feeling someone on top of him. Dear Starclan, why did this happeend to him today. Opening his dark blue eyes, he could see Oceanstorm’s smug look on his face. Letting out a small groan at her words, the ginger tom began pawing at her side “Haha, you’re so funny. Get off me before you crush my ribs.” Lightningwind grumbled, although he had a small smile on his face. Letting the dark Bengal climb off him, Lightningwind rolled over and stood up, shaking the dust off his pale ginger pelt. A soft smile escaped him when noticing Raya and her pup were finally reunited, the mother Dalmatian nuzzling her child.
Looking over at Rye, he went towards her and looked at her for a moment before dipping his head “Good job Rye.. You certainly have the heart of a warrior” Lightningwind praised before lowering his voice for only the molly to hear “If you need a place to stay, come by the Thunderclan border and I can vouch for you.” Lightningwind promised her, knowing that it was a hard transition from a kittypet to Thunderclan warrior.. But he knew that Rye was capable of handling it. He believed in his childhood best friend. Turning to look at the other felines, he beckoned his head towards the Thunderclan camp “Come on, we have to give an answer to Peachblossom and the others.” Lightningwind said, moving to pick up the collar and starting to move, the others following him.
They had stopped by the neighborhood to say their farewells to Raya and her pup. Lightningwind knew it was risky to bring them to camp, especially if it was a common saying that felines and canines were foes. However that wasn’t exactly the case. Rye had went back to her hiding spot, but Lightningwind promised that he would visit in a couple of days to check up on her. Upon seeing Peachblossom exiting the camp and looking at the patrol, Lightningwind dropped the collar in front of her “We found the canine and they’ve returned to their neighborhood.” Lightningwind said, his dark eyes narrowed slightly as he began to walk past Peachblossom “They wont be needing the collar anymore as its broken..Do whatever you want with it” He said, making his way into the camp and flicked his tail to dismiss the patrol.
Now he had more important things to figure out, mainly where his missing mate and unborn kits went.
ℝ𝕪𝕖 ✦ 𝕂𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖𝕥 ✦ 𝟚𝟝 𝕄𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕤
Rye returned Lightningwind's smile, and flicked her ears as her old friend looked lost in thought for a moment. She swished her brown tail thoughtfully as he inquired again about her reason for being so far from home, half expecting another interruption. "Well... My housefolk. They've been... gone. For a while. But I'm sure they'll be back!" She added cheerily, but her forced positivity wasn't enough to convince even herself. Deep down, Rye knew they weren't coming back, but she wasn't ready to accept it yet. "But I've had to go search for food, and... sometimes I wander pretty far away. The nest is so quiet..." She trailed off, the sadness that had been pushed to the back burner for most of the day suddenly creeping back in.
As Bunnypaw called out, Rye followed the clan cats over to the fallen log where a little spotted tail could be seen jutting out from one end. Muffled whimpers echoed inside the trunk, and the pup's small hind paws scrabbled feebly in the dirt. Rye's heart broke for the little dog, and for Raya, who was clearly distraught. While the others worked to get him out, rubbing the aloe into his fur and tugging on his body, Rye leapt atop the log. Vines and moss grew over the wood like the pelt of a cat, feeling cool beneath her paws. She had never really come out this far into the woods before this, and for just a moment, she relished the feeling of just being out in nature, before snapping back to the rescue at hand. She located a small hole that had rotted away in the bark, and stuck her muzzle in as much as she could fit. The puppy's plaintive whimpers turned to loud yelps, and Rye winced for a moment at the shrill sound. The poor thing must be terrified, Rye thought. After all, they had no idea how long he had been stuck in there, and suddenly a bunch of paws started pulling on his abdomen and slathering slimy plant pulp all over his fur, and now there was some cat sticking her face into his. Just enough sunlight filtered in from the other end of the log for her to make out the dog's face. Fear and exhaustion shone in his big brown eyes, and he was shaking like a leaf in a storm.
"Don't worry, sweet pup, we're gonna get you out," Rye attempted to tell the puppy in her best dogspeak, hoping that even if she jumbled up the words, her gentle tone would still convey her meaning. She reached a paw in to stroke the pup's head, attempting to soothe the poor thing enough to at least get it to stop kicking its legs at the cats trying to pull it out. It seemed to work decently enough; Rye could no longer hear little paws scraping the ground, at least. "Shhh, shhh...." She continued trying to pacify him, until she heard the wood beginning to splinter, and with a loud crack the little whelp was yanked from the hollowed trunk. A commotion was heard, and Rye pulled her head from the hole to see Oceanstorm sitting atop a rather disgruntled-looking Lightningwind. That was twice today somebody flattened the poor tom. Despite her best efforts to stifle a laugh, Rye giggled loudly. "Are you okay?" She asked, amusement evident in her voice.
The puppy seemed happy too; despite his exhaustion and sap-sticky pelt, he skipped in excited little circles around his mother. Both of their tails were wagging fiercely. Rye felt an odd sense of joy envelop her at the heartwarming sight. It felt good to be part of a group working together for a good cause, even if she felt she didn't contribute all that much. Maybe the stories of vicious mean cats in the woods didn't hold that much truth, after all.
Oceanstorm shifted from one paw to the other uneasily as the conversation continued. She had little to contribute.
Finally, thank the gods.
She thought as they began following Bunnypaw’s voice. She was relieved to see that no one was harmed, and vexed by the odd sight of this dog’s miniature poking half-way out of a hollowed branch. This day could not get weirder. Oceanstorm thought. Moving swiftly according to Lightningwind’s instructions, she bit off a thick stalk of some plant. At first she hadn’t the foggiest idea what he could be getting at, but then a stingy flavor flooded her mouth and she recognized the aloe for what it was. The gel-like consistency and foul flavor brought back memories of an event known only as ‘the fire incident’ in her youth, in which aloe had played a remedial role.
I definitely did NOT miss my calling as a medicine cat. She thought bitterly as she sucked the viscous stuff from the stalk and spat it onto the opening of the log from which the spotted rump protruded. She did her best to avoid getting it on any of the small cuts- it would do nothing but sting them.
Once she was satisfied that she’d gotten it good and buttered up, she joined Lightningwind in his efforts. With the aid of the aoe as a lubricant, they were just a few short tugs from success, and success it was as the little furball flew out with an audible crackling of wood. They’d both been tugging quite hard, and the sudden change in velocity sent all of them tumbling back- Oceanstorm landing atop Lightningwind. She grunted, or he was a bony figure and made a poor nest indeed.
“Man, I think I’d have been better off falling on the ground.” She grunted, sitting up, still on top of him as though he were a throne.
“Hey, anyone seen Lightningwind?”
Lightningwind
Thunderclan Warrior
A small smile appeared on his lips when feeling Rye nudging him, an almost bashful grin appeared but nodded “Yeah.. Of course, I owe you a lot after everything that happened.. Any questions that you’ve had, I will answer honestly.” Lightningwind promised her, his dark blue eyes focused on the molly. The pale ginger tom knew that he had a lot of explaining to do, from joining Thunderclan to actually having a mate from the moment of becoming a warrior. Stars, not even Amberhawk and Oceanstorm knew that Lightningwind had already had a mate, they didn’t even know that Indigoskies had existed. He bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, the tom had a terrible habit of keeping secrets. Lightningwind knew that he would have to eventually break the news that his mate had actually gone missing and pregnant with kits at that. Feeling himself getting a headache, Lightningwind had to break out of his thoughts and turned to look back at Rye “How long have you been out here anyways? Never seen you wander this far before.” Lightningwind observed quietly.
It wasn’t until he heard Bunnypaw’s voice that caused Lightningwind to quickly look over at the calico apprentice with an arched brow. A couple of moments later, faint cries from a puppy could be heard. “Raya.” Lightningwind said carefully, seeing the mother canine was in distress. Looking over at the Dalmation, he could tell she was easily anxious. Both Rye and Lightningiwnd knew that she was a very gentle and loving creature, but Raya always worried too easily as well. “Keep on going Bunnypaw.” Lightningwind said, the group following after her. It wasn’t until they spotted the little form of Raya’s pup was stuck halfway in a log, his lower half of the body was still inside. “Good work Bunnypaw!” Lightningwind quickly said before rushing towards the puppy with Raya close behind him. He saw the little Dalmatian only had little scratches on him, otherwise the small pup wasn’t completely harmed.
He could hear Raya’s whining, along with the pup’s cries. The pale ginger tom had a million thoughts running through his head until looking back at the others “I’m going to need a couple of you to help me.” Lightningwind said before looking around. It wasn’t until he saw an Aloe plant nearby, he knew from common knowledge from his previous owner’s house that aloe vera would be slippery enough to help the pup escape “Someone carefully get the gel from within the plant, and start rubbing it between his body and the log.” The pale ginger tom commanded, his eyes looking at the group with determination in his eyes. His forelegs wrapped around the pup’s side and waited for a feline to begin spreading the aloe vera gel around the pup’s body, moments later he felt a couple of forelegs around his own body and the group began trying to pull the pup out.
“Come on guys!” Lightningwind said through gritted teeth, starting to feel the little pup starting to slide out slowly but he knew that everyone had to put their strength into it.
ℝ𝕪𝕖 ✦ 𝕂𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖𝕥 ✦ 𝟚𝟝 𝕄𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕤
It was strange, Rye thought, how quickly things seemed to change in life. How best friends from kithood can vanish in an instant. How they can reappear as total strangers seasons later. How families can raise you, then leave you behind. And how on a normal day- well, relatively normal at least, one could go from drearily wandering the familiar fence-tops to being suddenly whisked away on some strange adventure with even stranger cats. Of course, Rye had heard of the forest cats who dwelled beyond the city, be it either from neighborhood gossip or tales told to city kits. Every cat had a different story of them, some recounting vicious, scarred cats who battled each other and ate house cats for breakfast, and others describing strange cults of cats who worshipped the sky. Some words were familiar to Rye, like 'clans' and 'leaders', though she had little understanding of what those things meant.
The dappled molly still felt shaken as she was forced to her feet by the hurried departure of the strange group, owing to both her tumble from the fence and seeing Felix- no, 'Lightningwind'. The name felt so strange and foreign to her ears, though one constant in the rumors was that the cats from the woods bore odd names. She barely had any time to acknowledge the mixed reactions she was greeted with from the other cats- the bengal tom's annoyance, the dark-colored she-cat's amusement, the young calico's excited hello, or the absence of much response at all from her friend in his haste. She wondered if she could even call him that now. There were so many questions whirling around in Rye's mind but it was clear that whatever these forest cats were here for was too urgent for Lightningwind to answer them now.
Looking for a dog? Rye shook her head in response to Lightningwind's inquiry. Of course, she had seen dogs pretty much every day as they were just as common as cats in the neighborhood, but knew nothing of one going missing. She certainly couldn't guess why a bunch of cats would want to go looking for one. While it was true not all dogs were slobbering aggressive beasts, Rye still wasn't eager about the rest. Her tufted ears perked up as the ginger tom began telling his story, the parts she did know. Her question about their friendship was answered when Lightningwind talked about her. She had no idea that she had such a big impact on him. She knew something wasn't right about her friend's home, but never really understood the extent of things. They were just kits back then, after all. It broke her heart to realize how bad things really were for her friend.
She was still swept up in her emotions when Lightningwind asked how she was. She lifted her yellow-green gaze to meet his, then looked back down at her cream-colored paws when she was suddenly reminded of her current situation. "Oh, Fel- um, Lightningwind, I-" Rye was once again cut off, this time by a growl from the bushes ahead. Just how many surprises was she going to have today? She froze in fear momentarily when the large dog charged out from the bushes and the fight ensued. She hung back, appreciative of Oceanstorm stepping between the dog and her, but rushed in to help Lightningwind up when he was pinned down. A moment later, she recognized the dog and relaxed her muscles a bit. It was clear Lightningwind did too. Raya was the one exception to Rye's distaste for canines. She had always been gentle. Rye of course understood the conversation between her and the warrior, having probably the most time spent around dogs out of the whole group.
At least some of the tension seemed to be lifted from the group. Rye still felt pretty awkward among these ThunderClan cats, but continued to tag along on their quest, even when they continued into the woods. Bunnypaw seemed eager and sweet, though the others still seemed skeptical or indifferent towards her. Mostly, she just wanted to talk to Lightningwind, and hoped she would get the opportunity soon. As Bunnypaw took off excitedly searching, Rye caught up to her old friend and walked at his shoulder.
"I know you're... kind of in the middle of something, you and these cats. And I'm sure you'll have to return to your... ThunderClan, when this is all over," Rye spoke softly, giving the tom a smile. "But when you can... I would really love to catch up. And you should have visited me sooner if you were this close all along!" She flicked him with her brown tail in a teasing manner. What an odd day it had been so far.
𝓑𝓾𝓷𝓷𝔂𝓹𝓪𝔀
thunderclan . apprentice . 8 moons
───────────────────────
The young she-cat's entire face brightened in an instant when Lightningwind expressed his trust in her. All at once, she was filled with a mixed sense of pride... and dread. It was a lot of pressure to suddenly have put on her shoulders, but she puffed out her chest and accepted the collar as it flopped over onto her back. She sniffed it thoroughly, trying to avoid scrunching her nose too much at the dog scent that filled her nostrils- at least it was curbed by the smell of that weird twoleg stuff they used to wash dogs...
Padding on ahead of the patrol, Bunnypaw's ears and tail were stuck straight up, her senses alert for any more potential danger. Her nose occasionally dropped to the ground as she sniffed at clumps of leaves and dirt, searching for any scent of the missing pup. "Into logs and roots..." Bunnypaw mumbled, before nodding. That helped a lot. She knew kits liked to climb into things too, so she supposed dogs may be the same. "Oh, well...I hope she doesn't want to adopt me, no offense..." She laughed, a little awkwardly. "I don't know what you'd tell my parents if you let me get adopted by a dog of all things!" She flicked Lightningwind with her tail teasingly, before bouncing along a couple of paces.
As she did, she noticed some hairs clumped onto one of the trees, and paused. Heading toward it, she sniffed at it, and her eyes lit up. Hurriedly glancing back to the rest of the patrol, she waved her tail excitedly.
"I found some hair!" She mewed. Sniffing around, the trail led past the tree and through some small gaps in the bracken behind it. It would be difficult for a fully grown cat to slip through, but for an apprentice... or a small puppy, it would be a lot easier. This puppy, however, had snagged some more of its hair on the clumped branches.
"Come on, it's still pretty fresh!" Bunnypaw didn't even consider herself as she raced off in the direction of the scent. It was fresh enough that she was certain the puppy must not be too far away. The sickly apprentice was panting by the time she came to a halt, ears pricking as she heard a fearful whimpering coming from further into the forest, barely audible unless she really strained her ears.
Waiting for the patrol to catch up, she took a moment to catch her breath, "I think it's caught in something..." She started- "The scent trail heads that way... I'm hoping that's where the whimpering is coming from!" Bunnypaw pointed with her tail to a small animal-trodden path that led across a twoleg hiking trail. Her heart was pounding- karma for rushing off in her excitement, but she was determined to see the task through to the end regardless of the impending interrogation she would get if she had to consult Peachblossom if her symptoms got worse. "Twolegs must be really stupid if they can't even hear the poor thing..."
Lightningwind
Thunderclan Warrior
Looking at the Dalmatian for a moment, Lightningwind was hesitant when a couple of the felines approached the nursing mother. Raya was looking at the group before wrinkling her nose slightly and let out a small grumble which caused the pale ginger feline to narrow his eyes playfully and turning to the others “She says that we smell funny.” Lightningwind teased, a small chuckle escaping him. He could understand Raya’s comment as the large canine smells like floral shampoo from her owner while all of the felines smell of the woods. It wasn’t common that they would encounter a canine or feline that actually smelled of shampoo from humans, as the other clans carried different scents. The pale ginger tom’s ears perked up at the sound of Bunnypaw’s voice, and he turned to her for a moment as she was currently pleading her case to being the tracker of the group.
Did he have faith in her? Of course he did.
Lightningwind knew what it felt like to have to prove himself, he felt as if he had to his whole life. When it came to joining Thunderclan, to being a loyal warrior.. Stars, he even had to prove himself to Indigo. Looking at the calico molly for a moment, Lightningwind knew it would mean a lot to Bunnypaw, to prove her worth to her own clan. Having the color on his back, it wasn’t until the tom looked over at Raya who was looking at the collar. The only thing remaining of her baby. The pale ginger tom went towards Bunnypaw and lowered himself until the collar slipped on to her back “I trust you completely Bunnypaw, make sure to stop us the first chance you get a scent.” He said before looking towards the Dalmatian who looked anxious and his group who looked determined.
“Where did you last see your pup?” Lightningwind questioned before Raya was silent for a moment before her head beckoned towards the direction of Oceanstorm and Rye. So everyone still lived in the same neighborhood huh? Looking towards Amberhawk and Oceanstorm, he nodded towards his two best friends “Well, here’s to another adventure huh?” Lightningwind said before letting Bunnypaw take the lead. Now it was the time for them to work together in order to help out someone in need. Why? Because that’s what Thunderclan is all about, looking out for each other in the worst of times and encouraging others in the best of times. It was Raya who led the group towards a clearing in the forest, turning towards Lightningwind and grumbling before releasing a snort which caused Lightningwind to nod in understanding and turned to his patrol
“Raya said that her pup has been extremely excited about the woods lately, although has been climbing into logs and roots that sometimes it gets hard to escape.” Lightningwind explained while looking around until moving towards certain trees of the clearing. Raya began sniffing for scents too and looked towards Bunnypaw and grumbled slightly and Lightningwind narrowed his eyes “She says that you are also a pup, which I’m assuming either she wants to adopt you.. Or you may be the same size as her pup.” Lightningwind said before looking towards the two siblings and Rye. It was almost poetic that different Species and backgrounds were coming together, as usually kitty pets and canines were deeply frowned upon by the clans. It wasn’t until looking over at the young apprentice that he noticed that Bunnypaw caught a scent
“What did you catch?”
Oceanstorm hardly had any time to process this news before Lightningwind launched into a lengthy diatribe. Oh wow, he’s really telling us his entire life story? She thought, but didn’t interrupt. Though she was rather taken aback by the sudden dumping of information. Was all of it actually true? Though Oceanstorm couldn’t imagine what he’d gain by lying, in her experience individuals with truly horrific tragedies in their pasts did not share them so freely. It wasn’t as if she went around telling everyone she met that she’d killed a tom. Or that a truly bloodthirsty specter made its home in her soul. Talk about a buzzkill to any conversation.
Well, maybe it’s just how he copes. It does sound like a terrible experience. She concluded, though with some lingering uncertainty. She couldn’t help but be reminded of being a young stupid apprentice and boasting of the ‘hardships’ she’d gone through in her life. As if she knew what suffering really was back then anyways. As if there was anything cool or sophisticated about trauma.
Her train of thought derailed as what had to be the strangest dog Oceanstorm had ever seen blundered into their midst. It was a pretty big one, though more tall and lanky than built. Its pelt was what caught the eye- white dappled with black spots. As the others moved to intercept, Oceanstorm herself strafed sideways to place herself between their kittypet ally and this new potential threat.
She watched in amazement as Lightningwind exchanged garbled meows that she guessed must be dogspeak. Her father had tried to teach her as a kitten, insisting that all city cats knew the basic phrases and so should she. Such words could diffuse a danger situation, he had said, and she now saw that he’d been right all along. Lightingwind was clearly making some kind of peace with the beast, though she scarce understood more than one or two words of their conversation.
“A pup?” Her ears perked up with interest when he had finished. “Well that’s a relief- shouldn’t be too dangerous right? Just have to find the little scamp.” She gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile to Raya.
𝓑𝓾𝓷𝓷𝔂𝓹𝓪𝔀
thunderclan . apprentice . 8 moons ───────────────────────
Hearing the older warriors giving her a chance to be a part of such an important patrol...! Bunnypaw's tail curled over her back, excitement written all over her face. Paws kneading excitedly at the ground, she glanced from warrior to warrior as they gave their back-and-forth, "I know she would..." She mumbled, in response to the comment about Peachblossom's reaction if she even got hurt. "But I'll be good...!" She would do her best to stick to that at least, Bunnypaw had no intention of getting any of the warriors in trouble.
Following obediently behind the patrol as they padded along, Bunnypaw only bumped her way up the rankings at the sudden appearance of Rye, staring owlishly at the kittypet, with round and curious eyes. Wow...! She hadn't yet seen a kittypet up close before! They had such well groomed pelts, but they always ate such gross pellets... it was so difficult to imagine why a cat would want to spend their life cooped up in a twoleg den eating pellets!
"Hello...!" She squeaked out before she could stop herself, her curiosity getting the better of her as Lightningwind introduced the kittypet. Just as the apprentice opened her mouth to ask more questions, the sight of a dog caused her pelt to stand on end instantly, and she shrank backwards with a panicked yelp. Her eyes fixed on the tall creature, and she shivered, pushing herself backwards under the nearest bush.
If they wanted her to be small and not be seen, she was good at that, she hoped...
Even though Lightningwind had spoken to the dog, the shivering apprentice didn't want to crawl out just yet. The dog's barks made her ears twitch and her heart hammer in her chest. It was only as Lightningwind finally addressed the patrol again, that Bunnypaw crept her way out from under the bush, trying to compose herself, giving her chest a few embarrassed licks.
"...Oh, I think I could help, maybe..." She glanced at the ground, feeling awkward for speaking so openly. "I could try and track the scent from the collar! Or, we could start where the collar was found, to see if there's still the scent there..." Scuffing her paw, she couldn't help but hope and pray that someone in the patrol would give her a chance to do something to help not just her clan, but this dog...because she had lost her pup, by the looks of it!
Desperate to be useful to her clan, she gave Lightningwind her most pleading, innocent stare. "Oh, please, Lightningwind... at least let me try...!"
Lightningwind
Thunderclan Warrior
His ears were pinned at the back of his head when Rye was in front of him, almost as if he was being scolded by an elder instead of his best friend that he had grown up with. The pale ginger tom felt cornered, especially over the fact that Amberhawk and Oceanstorm were now questioning him. In all honesty, Lightningwind felt as if he didn’t owe anyone a reason for leaving his former home and joining Thunderclan.. Those were his reasons alone along with his brother, Shootingtail. Of course, he did what was best for his brother in the end. The pale ginger tom released a small snort as he beckoned his head towards the direction of the neighborhood “Come, I’ll explain everything.. We’re looking for the canine who belongs to a missing collar, you haven’t seen anything right?” Lightningwind questioned Rye, but easily knew the answer. When would they find the missing owner of this collar?
Turning away, he flicked his tail for everyone to follow. A long sigh escaped the tom as he began to speak clearly “As you know, I wasn’t born in Thunderclan but in a house.” He said towards the pair of siblings who nodded, and bit the inside of his cheek before speaking “I came from a house that really wasn’t like the usual kittypet one, unfortunately ours was a hoarder’s house.. She liked to collect different kinds of pets and items.” Lightningwind said, not caring to look back at their facial expressions. He didn’t want pity from any of them. “Rye was my best friend who lived next door, used to sneak out of my house and cause of her.. I had somewhat of a normal kithood.” The tom muttered and turned to look back at Rye with a small smile. But suddenly remembered the events that happened.
“A couple of others were getting sick, and I noticed that Shootingtail wasn’t feeling well.. Our owner never took animals to the vet, Stars.. She stored their bodies in a room cause she couldn’t part with them.. So I escaped the house with my brother and found Thunderclan.” Lightningwind muttered before turning to look back at the patrol “You have your reasoning on things while I have mine.” The large tom concluded, not wanting any more questions on his personal life at the moment. Looking back at Rye, he smiled a bit “How have you been? It’s been a while.. What brings you out here anyways?”
A couple of moments passed when hearing a low growl from the bushes, which caused Lightningwind’s ears to perk up slightly at the sound. “Stay close and work together as a team.” He muttered, his dark blue gaze looking around. The fur was standing on his back, he wasn’t sure which creature his patrol would encounter. Suddenly a large black and white flash came out of the bushes and came charging at them. The dog was first coming at Oceanstorm and Amberhawk “Look out!” He said, before running towards the dog and quickly jumping on her back. A screech escaped the dog real quick as the large warrior hung on and the canine was trying to kick him off.
Biting the dog’s shoulder along with the others' attack on her, the dog was screeching for mercy. It wasn’t until the dog rolled over which caused Lightningwind to become squished in the process. He felt Rye pressing against him to help him up, along with the three other warriors surrounding the dog. Lightningwind carefully moved towards the group until his facial expression fell. A couple of curse words escaped the pale ginger tom as he wanted to bang his head on a tree at this point. Pushing himself off Rye, the large warrior was silent for a moment and the dog’s gaze went towards him and also her expression fell slightly.
“Raya?” Lighting questioned, knowing the Dalmatian from the same hoarding house from so long ago. She was the one who helped him understand the language of dog.
“Felix?”
Another unlikely reunion.
“Stand down for a moment.” Lightningwind said, looking towards his companions. He beckoned his head towards the canine “This is Raya, she lived with me in that house I had mentioned earlier.” He explained to the others, ignoring their looks that they were giving him. Lightningwind’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment and tilted his head “What are you doing out here?” He questioned Raya to which she showed the snap for the collar, the fabric on the side was identical to the remainder of the collar that was back at camp “I lost my baby.” Raya replied with tears in her eyes.
Looking back at the patrol, Lightningwind nodded “I know who belonged to that missing collar.. Raya’s pup.”
Oceanstorm’s body tensed when a blurred form collided with Lightningwind, knocking him bodily to the ground. Her black claws slid out, a growl gathering in her throat. Yet after a few moments, it became clear that there was no threat, just a kittypet who didn’t seem hostile in any sense of the word. Oceanstorm put away her claws, but her pelt would take longer to lie flat. Her fight or flight response rested on a hairline trigger these days. She knew that it would be longer than most when her heart finally quit pounding.
“Felix?” Her muzzle quirked a grin. Oh, this was going to be fun. Their very own Lightningwind’s less-known past. She thought of the tom like a brother, and looked forward to giving him a hard time about all this later.
Amberhawk didnt get to spend much time with his littermates anymore, finding himself off with Sunflower while his sisters had their own club that he was not a part of. He found it rather awkward to be on the same patrol as her, but at the end of the day she was still his sister. “Oceanstorm, I-..” What do siblings talk about again? He had not interacted with her much since becoming warriors, it was hard to find the right words to strike up a conversation. Coming up to the two legs neighborhood, Amberhawk gave his pelt a quick shake, now wasn't the time to try and have family bonding. “Stay cautious, dogs are feral beasts.” Were all the words he left for his dark pelted sibling before adding a pep to his step, checking up with Lightningwind.
Ears flattened against his skull as their patrol leader was suddenly crashed into by an unfamiliar feline, the fur along his spine standing on end as a hiss fell from his lips. Only relaxing once he noticed Lightningwind loosen up, his head cocking to the side as the two interacted. How does he know this kittypet?
“Lightningwind, care to introduce us to your…friend?” Clearing his throat before addressing their patrol leader. His face unamused at the idea of having to put their mission on hold so they could have their little reunion.
ℝ𝕪𝕖 ✦ 𝕂𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕪𝕡𝕖𝕥
Nine sunrises ago, Rye's housefolk vanished. She didn't know why or where they went, but she spent each dawn eagerly waiting in the window of the now-empty dwelling, and each evening after that sleeping in the garden, hoping the sound of their return might stir her. There had been times before that her people would leave for a few days, but they always came back, and they always made sure someone kept her fed in the meantime. But now, the house was empty of all their human belongings, and the rooms were dark and silent. No loving hands greeted Rye in the morning. No footsteps on the porch were to be heard in the afternoon. No kibble filled her bowl, which was one of the only things left behind. Besides Rye herself, that is.
Another silent sunrise today. Another morning spent listlessly watching the sparrows peck and rummage through the seeds below the bird feeder that grew emptier each day and never filled back up. And another afternoon of Rye ambling through the other yards, desolate, with a forlorn peridot-green gaze only half focused on where each paw was going. She didn't exactly have a destination. She mostly only took these walks to get away from the crushing silence, and either win the kindness of other housefolk for a meal or get lucky with her rudimentary hunting ability. Other cats lazed about in their yards as Rye passed along the fences. Some housefolk were outside talking, laughing, or working. Rye's heart panged. She shook out her dappled cream and brown coat, as if in attempt to stave off the fear that she'd never hear her own family's voices again.
With such faraway thoughts troubling her, Rye didn't hear the voices of strange cats only a fence away from her. She absently sprang up to cross over, but misjudged her leap and found herself tumbling from the top of the wooden wall, right into someone else's pelt.
Before she could even realize what had happened, striking paws sent Rye rolling on the ground. She was dazed for a moment, and tried to stammer out a sheepish apology to whoever it was that she had just clumsily plummeted down on top of, until the strange tom's words confused her even further. He knows my name? Rye thought with a bewildered flick of her tufted brown ears. "How-" She started, trailing off as suddenly the tom's ginger stripes and dark blue eyes clicked in her memory.
"Felix?"
Flashes from a distant past briefly enveloped Rye's mind, of a warmer, cozy time when she was just a kit. Back then, she never ventured further than her own little garden, or the next- where Felix lived. The two would visit one another almost every day. She could still remember some of the games they used to play, like scaring the birds around Rye's housefolk's feeder or chasing each other beneath the rose bushes. She spent many days back then worrying about Felix after he disappeared with his young sibling. But the cat standing in front of her now was nearly unrecognizable from the little ginger kit in Rye's memory. She continued to stare at him in disbelief, only half noticing the company of other cats behind him.
Lightningwind
Thunderclan Warrior
The ginger tabby was making his way towards the forest, Lightningwind listening closely for any unusual noises. Some would call him paranoid, but the tom kept a close eye out for any suspicious activities after Alderpaw’s death. One thing for certain, he was glad that Amberhawk and Oceanstorm were around. All of them grew up together, they knew each other perfectly well and their methods. Keeping the broken collar on his back, the large tom looked back towards his two friends and Sweetapple “We check the neighborhood first, then we’ll head more into Thunderclan territory if we can’t find answers”
Once everyone agreed, Lightningwind felt a bit unease at being near the wooden fences once again. It had been a while since he last stepped foot into a neighborhood, mainly at the thought of his old home with his brother Shootingtail.. Was a hoarder’s house. Frowning for a moment, he shook his head sliglhy to clear his thoughts. It wasn’t the time to go through memeory lane but to find answers on who this collar belonged to.
“Alright, if we start splitting up.. Meet at that massive oak tree within the territory” Lightningwind muttered to the others until leaping on the fence, carefully balancing himself as the former kittypet walked through the yards. As of now, there wasn’t sign of any dogs missing a collar.. Just a bunch of cats laying lazily around or dogs by their owner’s sides with their collars on. ‘Fuck’ Lightningwind cursed in his head, his dark blue eyes narrowed for a moment before leaping down and meeting up with the group again who were also doing their own investigations.
“Alright, I’m gonna check once more befo-“ Lightningwind said before hearing someone leaping over a fence and suddenly crashing into him. Lightningwind let out a warning growl and his front paws quickly moved to shove the other feline away from him. He wasn’t in the mood for this. Opening his mouth to give his attacker a piece of his mind, his dark blue eyes widened slightly at the sight in front of him. Opening his mouth slightly , Lightningwind was just speechless at first before clearing his throat awkwardly. Great, how was he going to explain this to his clan mates?
“Rye, it’s been a while.” Lightningwind said with a relaxed tone, but the tom was hiding his emotions well. As of the moment, he felt anxiety that he had left his childhood best friend to fend for herself the night that him and his brother left to the clans.
Amberhawk ears flickered at the voice of an old friend interrupting his lovely conversation with Sunflower, a quiet groan of disapproval aimed towards the tom cat as he inadvertently sent Sunflower away. His whiskers twitched with excitement as the molly plopped a small peck on his cheek in front of the other warrior, his eyes glazed over with pure passion as he watched Sunflower walk away, leaving the two toms. Returning to reality, Amberhawks features dropped turning to Lightning, "Light buddy this better be good."
Once he had been filled in on the situation the reasoning on why Amberhawk had been singled out became crystal clear. The bengal tom had the experience they needed from his time on the journey, he had been sent on more dangerous patrols ever since the clan found out he can handle whatever they throw at him.
Worming around their paws emerged a zealous Bunnypaw, who wanted to join their mission. It was no secret the small apprentice had a knack for tracking, a skill that could prove extremely useful to them. However a heavy sign fell from his muzzle, taking an apprentice knowing how dangerous things could get was dumb enough but taking Peachblossom ill daughter was a death sentence. "Bunnypaw you know your mother will kill us if you get hurt." Chewing on his inner cheek, Amberhawk stared down at the calico apprentice he wanted to protect her but she was still a Thunderclan apprentice, it's not fair to her if she's held back not by her lack of skill but rather that fact that everyone is too scared of her mother to give Bunnypaw a chance. "Which just means we better make sure you come back unscathed." A toothy grin falling upon his muzzle, his large paw ruffling the fur on the apprentice's head. "Dogs are no joke Bunny. You're small so stay low, stay fast."
Oceanstorm had spotted Amberhawk from across the camp, and being of a mind to bother him had made her way stealthily over until she caught a few snippets of what was being said. Quickly abandoning her tomfoolery, she straightened up and joined the throng of ThunderClan cats clamoring to take part in the search efforts.
Oceanstorm herself was hardly scared- dangerous he said? A pet dog? Maybe, though Oceanstorm had encountered dogs before and found the tales of slathering beasts thirsting for cat blood to be tales from forest-dwellers who had seldom come into contact with a real dog. Or, as was often the case, had been playfully chased by one not intending any harm at all.
“Careful Lightningwind- you might be selling this patrol too much.” She teased, catching up to him as they headed out into the hinterlands.
Sweetapple raised her head, lips pressing flat in response to Lightningwind’s call. The cinnamon-red bicolor drew near, drawn to his summons by a dutiful spirit and innately curious nature. Sweetapple is a feline few claim to know, a permanent specter in the scenes of one’s memories as her persisting timidity held her tongue and made her transparent to the eye of her fellows. She isn’t without her virtues- a resilient and ambitious warrior, an obedient follower, a thoughtful leader- though they remain largely masked by her unnatural tremors and skittering gaze. All this cannot be discerned through one glance, a fact she was conscious of, but she prayed Lightningwind might observe avidity in the proud tilt of her chin.
The warrior’s cool-toned gaze sliding over the gathered felines. Despite her antisocial leanings, she was as loyal a Thunderclanner as any, warmed by a fire of devotion to clan and clanmates. The very idea of needing to be told to help her compatriots needled her-- though she allowed the annoyance to soften under Lightningwind’s solemn eyes. “Help each other,” Sweetapple intoned, nodding agreeably.
She startles at Bunnypaw’s sudden appearance, eyeing the slight apprentice with apprehension. She saw, with startling clarity, Peachblossom’s looming snarl-- all unrestrained, uniquely maternal rage-- and involuntarily shuffled away from the smaller molly. “Small,” Sweetapple mumbled, studying Bunnypaw with a perturbed gaze. “Dogs are not,” she hesitated, struggling for words which danced just outside her reach. “Small,” she finally managed, expression pained. “I’m not small,” “I don’t mind looking after her- we could use a good tracker.” Sweetapple added after a moment’s thought, hovering a hair closer to Bunnypaw.
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Notes: Sweetapple struggles with verbal communication-- i do not identify if she has/does not have a condition-- and (inspired by the myth of Echo) tends to echo words/phrases others have said. She can form her own sentences, but they tend to be stilted and simple. Anything italicized and in “” is meant to be what she is intending to convey :)
-- ALSO: I did not proof read this so… don’t mind any mistakes XP
She'd been listening to the warriors' hushed voices from just outside the den, ears perked forward as she strained to catch any glimpse of information. The soft, dilute calico was known to be an early riser, making her a star candidate for the dawn patrol. The only problem with that was her need of a cat nap during sun-high. As Lightningwind's pawsteps retreated and a few others followed him out, the small apprentice scrambled to her paws and skipped after them, weaving between the likes of two larger warriors to stand in front of Lightningwind and Amberhawk. "Tracking? You need a tracker?"
Her tail wagged excitedly as her sunny gaze shifted between the two tomcats, claws sheathing and unsheathing in excitement. It was no secret the molly had a keen nose, though sending her into the territory of a dog could prove dangerous... Not for her, but any cat who had to encounter Peachblossom afterward, especially if anything happened to Bunnypaw. Alas, despite her mother's worrying and doting, the soft molly wanted to experience clan-life to the fullest, even the dangers. "You know I've got a good nose, right Lightningwind?" she chirped, praying her hopeful suggestions wouldn't be overseen by the other cats interested in tagging along. "And I'm small!" she added in, hoping to bolster her credentials enough to join the patrol.