Russetpaw
WindClan Apprentice
This was getting frustrating. No matter how many times he tried getting the half-turn-belly-rake move correct, he always ended up having to scramble back on his paws in an awkward manner, his tail lashing to try and attempt balance as he looked up at his mentor in shame. “I don’t know why I can’t get it right, Cometchaser. I swear I’m doing everything you’re telling me,” he mumbled as he sat down with slumped shoulders and lowered ears, feeling ashamed. He was failing his mentor and his Clan. Would Desertstar kick him out? Maybe Duskpaw would no longer want him if he couldn’t ever get his warrior name. It was so nerve-wracking to think such things that it began making him feel nauseous and he swallowed down the lump in his throat, praying to StarClan that his mentor, and father-figure, wouldn't be too disappointed. Maybe his mother was right; he wouldn’t make it as a warrior because he was too soft.
The coppery-toned tom looked up at Cometchaser with nervous amber eyes but then his chin snapped up when a loud cracking sound split through the clouds that were quickly darkening. His heart raced at the suddenness of the storm, ears staying flat on his head as the gray clouds turned even darker, swelling up with water that finally began to drop as a heavy rain. Russetpaw gasped slightly and took a step back at the sudden torrent, his pelt getting soaked and his fur clinging to his body. It hadn’t looked like it was going to rain earlier. Brows furrowing, Russetpaw looked up at Cometchaser. “Are we going to have to continue training in this rain?” He asked a little louder than usual to talk over the loudness of the storm. Thunder snapped above again, making him flinch and he took a few more steps backwards. But when he did so, the strangest thing occurred. The clouds began to move, and he felt a chilling wind push against his chest to make him fumble backwards even more. Startled, the WindClan apprentice frowned and gazed up at the sky, feeling a…. pull towards something. Taking a few steps in a different direction, the cloud’s didn’t move. Until he once again walked the way they wanted him to walk, and they seemed almost welcoming.
Turning away from Cometchaser, Russetpaw didn’t look down once as he began padding over the brown and green grasses of the moors, his paws stepping over any dirt mounds or snapped heather twigs, being mindful of his surroundings without purposefully being mindful. He needed to go somewhere. He had to be somewhere. “I have to go!” He called out to his mentor without looking back, watching the clouds moving in the direction he was headed. Where was he headed? He currently didn’t know since he was too focused on the fact that it was pouring down rain, thunder was crashing above him, and the clouds and wind were taking him somewhere. What an odd thing.
Cometchaser
Windclan Warrior
Clenching his jaw, Cometchaser had refrained from throwing a couple of words towards Hawkstar. There was something about the Thunderclan leader that irked him, the smaller black tom was all bark but no bite in his opinion. Too much of an ego, one that could be so easily bruised and throw a tantrum for no apparent purpose besides having people pleasers around him. Observing the other tom with a narrowed look, the massive Maine Coon let out a scoff and rolled his eyes at the leader’s empty threats. Arching an eyebrow, he looked towards the Windclan leader and was silently asking her if Orion could kick the Thunderclan leader back into his own territory. However, his gaze turned the direction of Russetpaw as his son began speaking which caused the Maine Coon’s mouth to nearly drop open.
Was Russetpaw out of his mind?!
Shaking his head slightly, he couldn’t believe the ginger tom’s words. Cometchaser was practically baffled by the apprentice’s choice. “No.” Cometchaser said, shaking his head for a moment. Looking towards Desertstar, she also looked hesitant as well. Letting out a small sigh through his nostrils, he closed his eyes for a moment before speaking calmly “He cannot go to Thunderclan, Russetpaw won’t be safe there” Cometchaser said slowly, his gaze turned towards Russetpaw with a worried expression. The ginger tom may not be his son by blood, but Russetpaw was his son no matter what. “While some will be accepting of you, there will be others that will judge because of your kin.. Thunderclan doesn’t remember Wolfstar fondly, I will not let anyone mistreat you or attempt to harm you because of that” Cometchaser said, his eyes narrowed while looking at Hawkstar.
The massive tom didn’t like this idea, sending his child into a clan that wouldn’t accept him so easily. The worst part? Cometchaser wouldn’t be able to protect Russetpaw from such dangers. Letting out a mere sigh and looking up, he closed his eyes for a moment and was quietly cursing at the sky. Cursed the universe and their ways. “How can we easily trust Thunderclan and their intentions for Russetpaw? How will I know that he will be looked after properly and they won’t turn on him because someone decides to think that Kass was right and Wolfstar was wrong?” Orion challenged Hawkstar, his eyes were narrowed.
Russetstorm WindClan Apprentice
Thankfully, the thunder was no longer rattling his bones or filling his soul with its bass, but everything except for the tom before him was still a little hazy and foggy. Amber eyes looked over the black leader that was smaller than him, tilting his head and ears twitching curiously. Why had he been led here? When Hawkstar introduced himself as the ThunderClan leader, Russetpaw blinked in surprise. “Leader?” He frowned, ears falling back on his head. The only other leader in the Clans he had met was Desertstar. “I’m Russet. Or Russetpaw now.” The vision was letting up enough for Russetpaw to recognize his leader’s voice and he turned his head to look over her blurry figure, but it was becoming clearer with every passing moment as she greeted Hawkstar.
His leader’s question made his lips press together to think before shaking out his coat to get rid of the water that only he and Hawkstar could apparently see. He swallowed nervously and looked between all of the cats warily, staring longer at Cometchaser for some strength before he answered. “Uh… I don’t think so. Although, I have had the same dream every night for a few days now. I used to have an herb patch where I lived that I would go to, but in my dream the herbs all smell the same. A scent I couldn’t recognize.” His eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned forward, sniffing in Hawkstar’s direction, eyes widening. “They smelled like you.”
Russetpaw took a step back with a racing heart as he looked towards his leader. “What does this mean? Why would StarClan send me a sign? I just joined WindClan.”
Desertstar
Leader of Windclan
To her vast relief, both Russetpaw and Hawkstar were experiencing the same phantom storm, and in realizing that they were sharing a vision, she relaxed some. Desertstar heaved a long, suffering sigh. “It’s definitely the work of Starclan,” she answered Cometchaser, her voice carrying with it a note of irritation. The leader was admittedly a little annoyed that Starclan felt it necessary to stress everyone out in such a way— and for what? Even with such a dramatic scene, they still didn’t have a clear answer as to what they wanted. “Though this is the first time I’ve ever seen them do something so unusual. It must be important,” she quietly pointed out, pondering on just how important this might be before she stepped forward to stand next to Russetpaw. She glanced over at the apprentice, as if silently reassuring him that everything was fine, and then turned her attention to the Thunderclan leader. “Greetings, Hawkstar,” she dipped into a slight bow, her tone formal and calm as she addressed him. It was important to her that she make everyone feel more at ease in the situation, especially since Starclan was trying to send them a message. “Russetpaw,” she began, her golden eyes softening when they met with his, “Have you had any other visions from Starclan that might tell us why they wanted you and Hawkstar to meet?” she asked, hoping he’d have at least something to help lead them in the right direction.
Hawkstar staggered slightly and fell to the ground. He was dimly aware of other voices, but only the young apprentice’s visage and words cut cleanly through the stormy deluge. He did catch the phrases ‘StarClan’ and ‘thunderstorm’. The pieces clicked together in the back of his mind, and he spat the immaterial water out of his mouth in anger.
“I swear! StarClan never just talks to you, scared half my pelt off. I still can’t see a damn one of you clearly, so no one try anything. My claws still work.” It was probably follow up trespassing with threats, but Hawkstar felt extremely uneasy in his delusional state. Thankfully, the vision-storm was beginning to let up. It was like lifting a veil, their surroundings were still out of focus but thunder no longer thrummed in his bones, making it easier to think.
“I’m Hawkstar, ThunderClan’s Leader.” He replied, lifting a brow. Most cats could name the Leaders, so this one must be fresh from the nursery. That, or extremely sheltered. Hawkstar didn’t normally let Coldpaw attend gatherings, for example. The crowds were hell on his son’s latent abilities.
“What’s your name son? StarClan must’ve wanted me to find you. Hell if I know why.”
Cometchaser
Windclan Warrior
His dark green eyes narrowed slightly when Desertstar came up next to him, his gaze remained focused on Russetpaw as he was aimlessly making his way towards the Thunderclan border
“He’s talking about a thunderstorm, I’m not sure if he took some catnip or what.” The massive black Maine Coon mumbled the last part almost to himself, his feathery talk flicking back and forth in annoyance. What had gotten into Russetpaw?! Cometchaser was grateful that his best friend was there, because he knew there was going to be some trouble in just a couple of moments.
It wasn’t until he heard Russetpaw’s alarmed meow and the sight of Hawkstar that caused the massive Maine Coon to suddenly take off and his dark green eyes were blazing in anger as he witnessed the Thunderclan leader bumping into Russetpaw, and he shouldered past his young apprentice to shove the smaller black tom away from the ginger apprentice “Do not lay a paw on him, do you understand?” Orion growled, extremely tense. It was some miscommunication, but he did not want anyone laying their paws on his adopted son. It wasn’t until his head tilted slightly as Hawkstar and Russetpaw were speaking, both of them were speaking about the rain. Letting out a soft hum, his eyes narrowed before looking back at Desertstar who was approaching the group.
Stepping back until he was next to the bengal leader once more, he watched the two interacting. They were speaking loudly as if they were in a crazy Thunderstorm. Arching an eyebrow, he lowered his head to speak quietly to Desertstar “Odds on Starclan speaking to them? Or there’s something in the water.” Cometchaser said, letting out a sigh through his nostrils. After his communication with Starclan during the oil accident, and his interactions with Wolfstar.. Orion was pretty sure that those spirits were currently up to something.. But what did it have to do with Russetpaw?
Russetpaw
WindClan Apprentice
Water washed over Russetpaw’s body so strongly that it felt as if he were in the flow of a river rather than a rain shower, one that was desperately taking him towards the line of trees getting closer and closer the faster he ran towards them. He could hear voices behind him but they were getting muffled and he couldn’t focus on them, their words getting further away from his mind. The wind kept pushing against him, making him stumble if he slowed down just a little bit to try and catch his breath. And so the only thing to do was to keep walking, to accept it as easily as the air he was breathing, to run over the rain-soaked ground beneath his paws.
The ceaseless and powerful thunder seemed to get louder as the treeline got closer, but then the sky suddenly flashed a bright white light, cracking in the air and ringing in Russetpaw’s ears. He gasped and stepped back, his coppery-toned fur standing on end and his amber eyes wide with fear. Beginning to breathe more heavily, he took another step back until he heard a voice clear as day, even through the torrent of rain. He focused on a solid black tom that was larger than he was, amber eyes meeting amber eyes. His question confused him. “Uh…yes. There’s a thunderstorm happening!” He shouted through the rain. This tom must have been mad. Who couldn’t see the rain?
When the older male lurched towards them, Russetpaw gasped and stepped back again only to bump into another cat. He could scent it was Cometchaser but when he turned to look at him, his face was…blurry. Unrefined. There was another cat with them but he couldn’t focus on them as well. “Cometchaser?” He asked warily, his ears flattening to the back of his head as he slowly stepped away, head lowering. The only one he could look at was the black tom. Turning his head towards him, Russetpaw felt the wind push against his back legs again and he walked forward. “I… Something’s wrong. I must be dreaming.” Padding closer to the other male, the wind and the rain began to let up, no longer being a thunderstorm but turning into a steady and quieter shower. “Who… Who are you?”
Hawkstar made his way through the woods haphazardly, his steps dogged by imprecision. All four ankles throbbed painful from countless falls and stumbles. But it was hardly surprising, his surroundings were a blurry rain-soaked mess. Each time he went to shake his head, to clear his vision, it filled again with water that seemed to be falling in sheets and not droplets. The crack and bass of thunder rattled his very bones, further disorienting him. He was vaguely aware that he was fast approaching the end of his territory, but he could hardly find it in his addled state to care.
He just needed to get out of this storm. He had no idea why he was the only one seeing it, but the cold that seeped into his pelt felt as real as anything.
Before he knew it, he was blundering into a group of cats. WindClan scent surrounded him. Each of the cats was shrouded, opaque in a way that distorted and obscured their features. Save for one. An orange tabby apprentice, who stood out to him as clear as day.
“You– do you see the rain?” He gasped, looking half-mad as he lurched toward them.
Desertstar
Leader of Windclan
Surrounded by soft, green blades the Windclan leader rested atop a grassy hillside. It was her favorite spot to relax and keep an eye on her clan. From up there, she had a bird’s eye view of the camp and surrounding territory, and she could also see Cometchaser training with his apprentice, Russetpaw, and distantly hear them talking amongst themselves. She let out a slow exhale, her golden gaze roaming over the moorland. The wind gently caressed her fur and whiskers, stirring the warm earth beneath her. With all of the hardships she’d endured during her leadership recently, it was nice to indulge in quiet moments like these.
However, those moments never seemed to last very long. A slight change in Cometchaser’s tone made her stiffen and turn her attention towards the pair. Desertstar shifted uneasily, glancing from Cometchaser to Russetpaw as she strained to hear them. Their tense body language only added to her concern, and even more so when she overheard Russetpaw mention something about it raining. She glanced up at the clear sky with a questionable look, deciding then that she needed to investigate. Getting up she trotted over to the mentor and his apprentice. “Cometchaser,” she began in a worried tone, “What’s going on?” she asked her dear friend, though before Cometchaser could answer her, he slid passed her to run after Russetpaw who was getting dangerously close to Thunderclan territory. Panic rose in her chest. “Russetpaw!” she called after him, soon joining Cometchaser in his pursuit for the youngster. What was going on right now!?
Cometchaser
Windclan Warrior
While his feathery tail was flicking back and forth impatiently, his dark green gaze remained focused on Russetpaw as he attempted to perform the half-turn belly rake once again. Cometchaser could already tell what was wrong, Russetpaw’s posture wasn’t correct. A small sigh escaped his nostrils, shaking his head slightly and looking down at the ground as he was trying to think of his words. It wasn’t frustrating, but he knew that his apprentice had a lot more potential than he led on. “You just need to focus on posture, and movements.. No one gets it on their first try, it will take time.” Cometchaser said to Russetpaw gently, getting up in order to demonstrate the move once again. The massive Black Maine Coon was a very good warrior, mostly because he would continue going on until it wasn’t possible anymore.
However, he was patient with Russetpaw.. His apprentice would get it after practice.
Suddenly hearing a gasp from Russetpaw, he turned around to see the ginger tom quickly backing away and looking up at the sky in alarm. His eyebrow arched for a moment, confused. What was happening to him? Cometchaser stood there for a moment, observing the younger tom. Opening his mouth for a moment “It’s not raining..” Cometchaser muttered, looking at the tom in confusion. Did Russetpaw take any catnip this morning? He was about to have a talk with Littlewoods, and have a talk with his daughters to not take catnip anytime soon. Shaking his head for a moment, what had gotten into his apprentice today?! Speaking louder than usual and thinking he was wet.
Suddenly Russetpaw had taken off which caused Cometchaser to let out a small groan and quickly followed him “Russetpaw, you cannot run off like that!” The black tom called towards Russetpaw. The apprentice was making his way towards the direction of the Thunderclan border, his eyes widened slightly. Stars know what would happen if his apprentice crossed the border and a patrol found him, he wouldn’t be able to protect Russetpaw and himself if the patrol attacked. Besides, Thunderclan wasn’t his most favorite clan since it was his father’s birth clan.. Hell, he would still follow his apprentice towards it anyways. “Russetpaw! Stop! You’re going to cross the border and put yourself in danger!” Cometchaser said, knowing he was going to have to defend his apprentice and son if something happens, nothing would happen to Russet on his watch