Join us in an exciting story full of twists, new discoveries, a rich mythology and the search of what lays at the core of the Clans of the mountain. After sealing a pact with two fickle gods, Helios of the Sun and Aletheia of the Moon, twin clans live under the shadow of their pact, and the price paid to live another day.
YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE LIGHT... BUT BEFORE THAT, YOU MUST KNOW DARKNESS.
The Sun and Moon rain down chaos and tragedy over the Clans, as punishment for crimes finally revealed. Tension rises between both groups as they're forced out of their homes, and a call from the past haunts those with enough sense to listen.
Little white paws had stretched as far as they could reach as soon as the young feline woke up that morning, just to jerk back, started, when her toes brushed against the fur of another. There were still many things for the newcomer to get used to and sleeping among company was one of them. At the lakeside she was alone from the time she woke up, to the time she went to bed, and all over again the next morning. At least, she was after her caretakers stopped coming around. She couldn't remember them very well anymore and wondered if they might be here when her new mentor had brought her back. Except nobody was there to step forward and claim her.
As she had crept out into the camp clearing she gazed at the exit, quietly wondering still if they were merely out there somewhere else. The memories were but small and blurry pieces of a puzzle to which she did not own all the parts to. All Ghostpaw knew for sure was she had Witheredrose now and had been faithfully in her shadow since her placement among the moon cats. Except... he wasn't here right now. Gray eyes looked back and forth, slowly creeping to the entrance of the other dens among the camp and trying to peer in and see if she could find him somewhere, getting shooed back to where she had started each time.
Carefully she placed herself near the edge of camp, sitting down in the midst of her mild confusion and uncertainty on what she was supposed to do now. Her little wisps of fur, lightly curled and a tad bit wild, fluffed up against the fall breeze as she shifted uncomfortably in response to the pang of hunger in her stomach.
Just days ago she had been a local legend, unbeknownst to herself, the ghost that inhabited the haunted lake. Many had come to try and see her, whether it had been on dare or mere curiosity, but she had escaped into the mist every time until the fateful day the albino deputy cornered her and offered her refuge here. As it turns out, the vengeful thing that haunted the lake did not have rows of gruesome teeth or eight eyes like a spider. She was a lot smaller, too.
Post by .·:·.☽✧Spiritstar✧☾.·:·. on Nov 26, 2021 15:06:11 GMT -5
The bare necessities of life will come to you.
Morning brought sunlight, and with sunlight came the faces of many friends, and the energy to get to work. Massive paws tumbled against cold earth as an equally as massive form stumbled it’s way out of the den assigned to none other than the apprentices. Bright, icy blue eyes attached to a very muddy looking pelt - though this was merely his patterning, though the tom frequently found himself tripping into mud puddles - and a warm, blinding smile upon a friendly looking maw. Moosepaw, a very fitting name, looked upon the clearing then, eyes briefly moving over to the warrior’s den, wondering if his mentor had woken up yet. The tom adored training with his mentor, Soothawk. Whether it be exploring or sparring or hunting, he always seemed to enjoy getting out of camp and being able to run around, even if he tripped sometimes. Or a lot of times. It wasn’t important!
What was important was the forlorn form he found sitting along the edges of Sunclan’s camp. She looked lonely, the poor little thing! That would not do, not at all. No one should ever be alone, not even the meanest of cats. Moosepaw often found himself getting into trouble with the less desirable of cats, just wanting to make friends. But no matter! He could fix this.
Large, heavy paws carried him over to the prey pile, where last night's patrol had brought in a variety of things to choose from. His jaws closed around one of the bigger things within the pile; a small mouth bass. Moosepaw stumbled as they dragged the prey out of the pile, paws nearly tripping over themselves in the attempt, and almost toppling the entire pile over onto himself. Thankfully, it wobbled but stayed intact, and the apprentice was able to take his prize away. However, fate would not have it. The muddy-pelted tom moved toward Ghostpaw, a friendly look in icy blues.
“Heyr woumld you likeh to shpare some pr-”His voice, muffled by the fish, cut off abruptly when a paw came down on the bass’ tail and a yelp sounded as he tripped, toppled over, and landed in front of the she-cat, the fish having landed on his back, paws splayed in front of him, fish’s tail slapping him in the nose. Moosepaw tried to blow the tail out of his face but the tom did not have that big of lungs, and it just ended up slapping him again. He seemed rather sheepish as he looked around the tail at Ghostpaw.
“Hi.”Poor Moosepaw had no semblance of balance whatsoever. But it was the thought that counts.
It wasn’t long before others had started to stir and raise from their own nests, the leftovers who had not already disappeared on dawn patrols out and stretching their legs before starting the rest of the day. Pale eyes watched them all, mentally taking little notes on behaviors and how they interacted with one another, eventually settling in onto one in particular. He was another apprentice, she knew from seeing him sleeping in the shared den before, but had yet to interact with the other. Ivory ears cupped forward as he nosed through the fresh kill pile, interest raising.
She could feel her stomach grumble again as the other apprentice plucked out a bass from the rest of the choices, recalling the time she had spent at the lake. Given she was still young, the little feline had only managed to get by with what she could forage or what she had the luck to catch. There were times a fish would wash to the shore, or when a bird would lose its grip on one and something a little more fresh would tumble down right into her waiting claws. Ghostpaw had developed a taste for fish and- oh? The other apprentice was now headed her way. Cautiously she looked from side to side and over her shoulder just to be sure it was, in fact, herself that was in his line of sight.
The other apprentice was larger than she and so a quick guard was thrown up, snowy fur puffing up ever so slightly with each step closer he managed to shuffle around the bass dragging between his forepaws. She recalled the gathering and the sparring event, how Badgerpaw’s claws were the first thing to swipe across her face. How her teeth sank into her fur and how the scarlet hue of her own blood stood out so harshly against her pale coat. Except that was then, and in camp it didn’t seem like sudden sparring was something she had to worry about… right?
Eyes widened in sudden surprise as the brown apprentice suddenly tripped, falling forward as Ghostpaw hopped to all fours in alarm. Ears, temporarily flattened to her skull, slowly lifted back up and forward as she crouched down to come eye to eye with her fellow apprentice. A tentative paw reached out, moving the heavy tail of the fish away from his eyes. “Fell down.” She mewed, a simple observation before a moment of thought crossed her features, a memory of how she had been pushed down and fallen in the fights. “It hurt?” Her voice chimed again as a question this time, head tipping inquisitively to one side.
Post by .·:·.☽✧Spiritstar✧☾.·:·. on Nov 26, 2021 22:06:25 GMT -5
The bare necessities of life will come to you.
The tom had been about to get up and try to move the fish off of his body completely, when he felt the tentative paw of the other apprentice reaching out, removing the tail from his face. He could see again! Lovely. Now he could talk! Moosepaw looked up at her, a bright, beaming smile being thrown in Ghostpaw’s direction, though he still had a fish on top of him. “Nah! Soothawk says I have thick skin.” The apprentice finally shook the fish off of him and sat up, watching the fish fall to his side with a loud ‘thump’ before turning back toward the she-cat and flashing that award-winning, doofy looking smile upon her once more. “I don’t really know what it means, but that’s what he always tells me when I fall down.” And Moosepaw fell down a lot, the poor clumsy lad.
The tom shook himself again, his fur fluffing up, before he reached for the bass and dragged it back toward him, tail flicking happily behind his body. “I brought the fish over for you! Well, for me too. For the both of us!” Moosepaw didn’t seem too good with words, though there didn’t ever seem to be embarrassment present on his face. “I wanted to see if you’d share it with me! I haven’t met you yet, and you looked kind of lonely over here by yourself!” Moosepaw seemed proud of himself to be able to come to such a conjunction, with the way his chest fur puffed out.
After a moment he deflated a bit though, seeming to come to his senses, if he had any of those. “Oh but! If you don’t want to, that's okay too. I just wanted to make sure you were okay!” The tom’s large head flopped to the side as he gave her a lopsided smile, paws kneading in the dirt below him as he spoke.
While Ghostpaw no longer seemed to be entirely on edge or prone to starting hissing and swatting as she had a few times since arriving in the moon cats camp, it seemed she didn't quite yet understand that most others might've returned a smile back to the feline across from her. There was something about it that she seemed to like, though, it was a quality that reassured her and kept her at ease, even if she wasn't all caught up on her social cues yet.
Thick skin...? Well, she wasn't sure what that meant either but if it meant that the other apprentice was just fine after his tumble then that was enough for her. Pale gray eyes looked between Moosepaw and the bass and seemed to catch a little glimmer as she began to understand that it was for them to share. While it wasn't entirely fair to say that she was scared of every aspect about this new world around here, there were certain situations in which a hesitancy sparked by uncertainty kept her from acting on certain whims every now and then. Being offered the food was a big help for her this morning, even if he didn't realize the extent of his gesture.
Her gaze fell, then, at a specific word. "Lonely..." She mimicked it as she watched their paws through thick lashes, wondering if that was the word to describe the way she felt so often. Perhaps it was and so she would hold onto it, locking it away into a little mental box just for herself.
Her stomach growled again and then she remembered why Moosepaw had come over to begin with, quickly shaking off the weird feeling of 'lonely'.
"We share." The little apprentice nodded her head in affirmation, thinking for just a moment before adding, "Like to share." With that small, but meaningful, addition she settled herself down and helped herself to a bite of the bass he had brought to her, a quiet rumble of a purr forming in her chest. "Fish is... favorite food!" Ghostpaw chirped, tail tip twitching in a way that seemed to portray a bit of happiness for the current situation. She may not have many words just yet but many seemed to come from Moosepaw and she listened carefully to each one, storing a few away for herself here and there.
Post by .·:·.☽✧Spiritstar✧☾.·:·. on Nov 30, 2021 22:15:02 GMT -5
The bare necessities of life will come to you.
A bright smile, almost blinding, overcame the tom’s gaze when she accepted his offer. She wanted to share! Moosepaw’s fluffy tail slapped the ground with glee, and his paws kneaded the cold earth in time with the drum of his tail. Ghostpaw seemed rather shy on the surface, she didn’t seem to speak much, but that was okay! He liked her. She seemed nice. And he could talk for the both of them! So she would not have to speak as much, if she did not want to. “I also like to share! It sometimes bothers my mentor, cuz he likes to eat his own stuff. But I always ask, cuz I love sharing!” A thrumming purr left his throat, much louder than the she-cat’s, at the thought. Moosepaw was a very sharing kind of tom. Whether it be food, or training, or smiles, or just company, he liked being around others. Solitude did not suit the bumbling apprentice.
The tom waited then until Ghostpaw had taken her bite and started to chew it in her own space before he himself leaned down to take a hearty bite. His tail, which had been thumping from before, only seemed to do it faster now, showing off the pleasure and joy that seemed to radiate off of this apprentice like a warm fire. And those bright sapphire hues were just as warm as they looked down at Ghostpaw, offering her the next bite of the bass. “Fish is really good! Even when the scales get stuck in my teeth sometimes, the taste makes it worth it!” Ironically as he said this and flashed a smile, there was a small one stuck in between two of his front teeth that he himself had not noticed yet, but it would get noticed eventually. Maybe.
The smile suddenly stopped as Moosepaw almost fell backward with shock, his head tipping back before it swung back forward. “OH! I never introduced myself!” The chocolate-furred tom seemed to look embarrassed as he looked down at his shuffling paws, before looking back upon the molly, offering one of his normal, cheerful smiles. "My name is Moosepaw! My mentor’s name is Soothawk. What’s your name?” The entirety of the tom’s head tilted to the side as he looked upon Ghostpaw, eyes sparkling with interest and curiosity. He really did seem to have endless energy in that big, clumsy body of his.
The flavor of the fish spreading across her tongue earned a steady purr from her chest just as much as it did unearth a bout of sorrow. During her time at the lake fish was a primary staple of her diet - in the beginning from her caretakers and after they stopped coming for her little guppies and beached lake fish were about all the inexperienced feline could get her paws on. Pale eyes swept to the entrance of camp and she longed to slip away and bound off to where she had been left, waiting for the return that never came.
When the next bite was offered she sank glimmering teeth into the fish, watching his tail as it thumped excitedly against the earth in excess energy. At the other's sudden and exaggerated realization, the little white apprentice herself nearly hopped out of her skin, muscles tensing as she waited to see what had come over him. Ah, his name. "Moose..." She murmured, testing it out on her own tongue and trying to get used to its sound. One of her little paws flashed out, tapping one of his own as he shuffled them. "Moosepaw!" Once more again to confirm it before drawing herself back.
Although his energy felt a bit overwhelming there was something good in it for her surely, once she learned how to navigate it. "My name... Ghostpaw." The snowy apprentice spoke after a brief pause, "Found at the lake, brought to moon cats." It was the best explanation she had to offer for the time being for her sudden appearance amongst the clan. Witheredrose had been the one to finally catch up to Ghostpaw and bring her here. She had been struggling to settle in, uncomfortable in the crowded surroundings and especially trying to sleep in the shared space of the apprentice's den, but some like Moosepaw seemed to be okay.
Post by .·:·.☽✧Spiritstar✧☾.·:·. on Dec 28, 2021 2:00:00 GMT -5
The bare necessities of life will come to you.
Delight overcame his features once more as Ghostpaw continued to eat the fish, happy he could get something for the she-cat, and hoping it cheered up whatever lonely feeling she had been feeling before, though he also hoped his presence did that too! That would make him extra happy, Moosepaw thought. He didn’t want anything to feel sad, or scared, or lonely. None of those bad emotions, only the good ones! If he could do anything about it, the bumbling apprentice would have everyone smiling and happy, even if he had to cheer them all up himself! It showed in the way his eyes sparkled bright as they looked down at the feeding molly. She would be his friend, he just knew it.
When he felt her paw tap against, not once, but twice! Moosepaw seemed to almost shake with his joy and excitement. She touched his paw! That had to mean they were friends. The she-cat was even repeating his name back! Surely, they were the best of friends now, right? Right! Yes. Totally. The tom’s fluffy chest fur bristled even more with his happiness, smile big and bright. And her name too! It was so pretty! It reminded him of their leader’s own, though in a different way. Ghosts and Spirits were similar things, right? He thought so anyway. Maybe he would ask Soothawk later, once he was done talking to Ghostpaw.
“That’s such a cool name! Ghostpaw!” He wiggled his hindquarters a little bit, tail waving behind him, as if he was trying to shake some of his excitement out so he could actually talk. It tumbled back down onto the ground again after a moment, and he beamed at the molly once more. “I really like it! It’ll make such an amazing warrior’s name when you become one! Maybe like, Ghoststrike, or Ghoststep!” Moosepaw tapped a paw to his chin, seeming to be thinking really hard on it! His tongue even stuck out, to show just how hard he was concentrating. And then his paw shot up, and he looked back at the fellow apprentice below him. “Oh! What about Ghostshiver? You’ll be such a cool and fierce warrior that the other clan will shiver at the sight of you!” His tail thumped against the ground happily, like he had solved the world’s hardest problem.
“I’m sure you will be, with such a cool mentor like Witheredrose. Not to say mine isn’t cool either! Soothawk is awesome! We’ll both be super cool warriors, I think. I can teach you some moves too, if you want!” As if to demonstrate Moosepaw shot up to his paws and attempted to do some kind of back-flip kick, but ended up falling face first, his back paws dangling in the air. He looked sheepish as he looked over at Ghostpaw, heat rising to his cheeks. “I uh, meant to do that.”
