Welcome! The way this will work is that I will post a short story every so often, and offer the main characters from that story up for others to use in their own stories. I am doing this as a sort of writing exercise for myself, so updates will probably be sporadic, but I am planning on more chapters.
Also, to be straight up, many of these cats are recycled and fleshed out versions of cats I gave to people on OC request entries that they have not done anything with. So fair warning should I pop up in a request of your own: if you haven't posted a story with my characters in two months, I will likely put them up here. Others will be cool names that I thought of that didn't quite jive with my personal Warriors AU, which you can find on my profile if you're interested.
If you see a cat that I have gifted to you personally, you are still perfectly welcome to use the character, and even to benefit from any additional info about them I might have added! Just be a sweetheart and drop a review or pm saying you're still planning to use the cat so I have some idea of how many people around might be using the same cats. While it won't do any harm to have Poppyclaw running around in the background of a couple different stories, it might get awkward if she popped up in every third story you clicked on. ;)
Anyways, enough introductory nonsense! On to the real reason anyone is here.
RULES:
1. Drop me a review or pm if you decide to use one or more of my cats! This is just so I can keep track of where they're going, and so I can quickly stalk you and review the story when you publish it!
2. Give me some credit. I don't need you to commission a blimp, just put a line in your allegiances notes that say "Scorchwillow and Dusktail by Spiderweave!" or something like that. Or I guess if you take a lot you could just say "Some/Many cats by Spiderweave."
That's it. Simple.
Story: Intruders
Poppyclaw was enjoying her morning. Robinflight had been a sweetheart and put Poppyclaw on dawn patrol, which was always Poppyclaw's favorite way to start the day. They had run into a ShadowClan patrol, which provided a nice bit of excitement for such a lovely, crisp, leaf-fall day. Poppyclaw grabbed a couple of mice from the fresh-kill pile, two of the last pieces from yesterday. She bounded over to Strikefoot, who was sitting in a patch of early-morning sun, carefully grooming her rounded belly.
"Good morning, Strikefoot!" Poppyclaw greeted, dropping the fresh-kill in front of the queen. "Have you eaten yet?"
"Thanks, Poppyclaw," Strikefoot purred. "And I haven't yet. Join me?"
"Of course." Poppyclaw laid down next to Strikefoot and began to tear into her mouse. She was happily crunching through the skull, her favorite part, when Strikefoot spoke again.
"You're in a good mood this morning."
"I was on dawn patrol," Poppyclaw confided cheerfully. "Over on ShadowClan border we ran into their dawn patrol."
"Anything exciting happen?"
"Nothing too exciting. The usual exchange of insults and threats, you know. Although I'm pretty sure they must have new kits. Wolfmist, you know that nearly-good-looking tom? I see him at a lot of Gatherings. Anyways, he smelled pretty milky. Don't know why he'd be spending much time in the nursery unless the kits were his own."
"How wonderful!" Strikefoot trilled.
"What?" Poppyclaw mewed, mouth full of mouse. "Are you celebrating the fact that ShadowClan has new kits?"
"It sounds so silly, doesn't it?" Strikefoot said ruefully. "But I'm so happy that I'm going to have kits, it just makes me so pleased to know someone else is getting to feel the same thing!"
"Strikefoot, I'm very happy for you, but I have to say you've gotten weird since you got pregnant."
"I'm happy, Poppyclaw, I just want everyone else to be happy now!"
"Let me know how that works out for you, Strikefoot." Poppyclaw playfully swatted Strikefoot's ear with her tail as she got up, mouse devoured. "I'm gonna see if I can rustle up a hunting patrol to fill up that fresh-kill pile."
"Good hunting!" Strikefoot called after her. Poppyclaw flicked her ears back in acknowledgement as she looked around for Robinflight or Whitethorn. Nothing. A small knot of senior warriors were sharing tongues near the camp entrance, so Poppyclaw made her way towards them.
"Sunpelt, Stormwind, Barkfur, how's the prey running?" she greeted.
"Well enough," Sunpelt smiled while Barkfur huffed.
"I'm sure you're only coming over here so we'll all move our paws and find out how the prey is actually running," Barkfur said dryly.
"Am I really that obvious?" Poppyclaw smiled, in no way upset at being found out.
"Yes," Stormwind smirked. "I could go for a bit of hunting just now, though," he got up and stretched his back legs, "so I don't mind at all. Sunpelt, Barkfur?"
"If I must," Barkfur sighed.
"My leg is still sore, but take Rustlepaw, if it isn't too much trouble. There's no reason she should be stuck in camp just because I'm getting old."
"No trouble at all," Poppyclaw put in. "Is she with the elders?"
"Of course, you know Rustlepaw," Sunpelt said fondly. "Good luck everycat!"
Poppyclaw darted away towards the elders' den. "Rustlepaw!" she yowled, still a few foxlengths away, "Sunpelt said to take you hunting with us!"
Rustlepaw emerged immediately, tail waving in excitement, to thunder out of the camp with Poppyclaw, Stormwind, and Barkfur. Poppyclaw bounded to the front of the group, relishing the stretch and bunch of her muscles as she ran. She stopped once they were within view of the WindClan border, Stormwind and Rustlepaw right on her tail. They waited a moment for Barkfur to catch up, Poppyclaw taking the opportunity to give the air a good tasting. Mouse, vole, squirrel, and blackbird. Good, they'd each have something to go after.
"I'm getting too old for these antics," Barkfur panted, sitting down for a moment.
"I'm thinking vole," Poppyclaw announced. "Anyone else?"
"Rustlepaw?" Stormwind asked.
"Um, I'll try for squirrel, then?"
"Good. I'm feeling like blackbird."
"Which leaves me with mouse, I suppose," Barkfur said, already beginning to cast about for the mouse's location.
"Good hunting!" Poppyclaw called softly before wheeling about and stalking closer to the WindClan border where the vole smell was coming from. She dropped into a crouch as soon as she spotted it, creeping closer one slow pawstep at a time, trying to keep herself as small as possible. Of course, though, of course she had to brush up against a clump of dried up leaves still clinging to their bush. The vole scurried off, just out of range of Poppyclaw's leap. She went dashing about behind it for a moment until it scuttled under a bramble bush, Poppyclaw barely able to keep from crashing into the bush face-first. "Mouse dung!" she hissed, glaring at the bush. She circled it a few times before giving it up as a bad job.
She parted her jaws to taste the air once more, pacing through the sparse trees until squirrel scent met her tongue. She dropped into a crouch once more, being even more careful than before, edging around so the wind was in her face as she crawled forward… just a little closer… just a little more, and then yes, she was going to get this one, she was in range, she jumped, the squirrel turned to flee, but her paws were right there… and then the squirrel whisked it's tail from between her claws and shimmied up a tree faster than Poppyclaw could blink. "Fox dung!" she spat as she circled the base of the tree, tearing up earth with her claws. That had been so close!
Poppyclaw sighed and set about searching for scents once more, wrinkling her nose in disgust when all she could taste was WindClan. She double-checked to make sure she hadn't strayed over the border. Nope, she was on the right side. Poppyclaw growled low in her chest. If any of those no good rabbit-chasers were on her side of the border, there would be hell to pay. Prey forgotten, Poppyclaw set off along the border, mouth open to sort out individual WindClan scents from the jumbled, reeking mess that comprised the border. She stumbled across Stormwind not too far away. He had just neatly killed a blackbird. Poppyclaw heard him mutter thanks to StarClan before turning towards her.
"Poppyclaw, had any luck yet?"
"I had a vole and a squirrel get away at the last second," Poppyclaw admitted ruefully. "But I think there might be WindClan warriors over the border."
"You mean on our side?" Stormwind straightened up quickly, tasting the air for himself. "It's so hard to tell," he complained, "WindClan stench is everywhere over here, the wind is always blowing it in."
Poppyclaw pricked her ears at a sudden noise. Had it been a crunching leaf? She signaled to Stormwind with her tail to where it had come from. He instantly dropped into a crouch and began to silently move in the direction she had indicated. Poppyclaw followed him, though with less grace. She spared a moment to envy Stormwind's more wiry build before focusing once more on the task at hand. Now that they were both silent, they could make out the sound of cats whispering to one another. Poppyclaw bristled with fury. She would teach these mangy WindClanners how ThunderClan dealt with thieves.
She rounded a thick set of bushes with Stormwind next to her, and there they were, two WindClan warriors with a squirrel and a robin laying on the ground between them. Poppyclaw bunched her muscles and sprang at the intruders, letting out a furious caterwaul. The cats leaped up in surprise, one immediately turning to run, while the other, who Poppyclaw recognized as Gorsebloom, tried to snatch up the squirrel first.
"Don't you dare," Poppyclaw yowled, swiping her claws across Gorsebloom's nose. Gorsebloom dropped the squirrel as Stormwind circled around behind her, darting off towards the WindClan border. "Run, you mangy crow-food-eater!" Poppyclaw screeched as she pelted after Gorsebloom. She would have chased them all the way back to their own camp if Stormwind hadn't been there to grab her by the scruff and bring her to a halt at the border.
"That's enough," he panted, watching the two WindClan cats high-tailing it across the moor with narrowed eyes.
Barkfur and Rustlepaw stepped through the bracken a few moments later. "What happened?" Rustlepaw asked, eyes wide.
"Some fox-hearted WindClan warriors were hunting in our territory," Poppyclaw growled, finally looking away from the now-tiny shapes of the fleeing cats.
Rustlepaw gasped while Barkfur growled, "I wish I would have been here to teach them a thing or two about trespassing."
"We should report back to Thornstar," Stormwind said after another moment.
"I could stay here and make sure they don't come back," Poppyclaw offered hopefully.
"I don't think that's necessary. And we'll probably need you to carry back the stolen prey, if Rustlepaw and Barkfur caught anything."
"Right," Barkfur nodded. "Come on, Rustlepaw, let's go collect our fresh-kill."
Poppyclaw retraced her path to where the WindClanners had dropped their prey, scooping them up and meeting up with Stormwind on the way back to camp. They dropped their burden in the fresh-kill pile, then Stormwind leaped up the path to the leader's den.
"Poppyclaw, what happened?" Sunpelt called, his tone worried. "Where's Rustlepaw?"
"We caught some WindClan warriors hunting over the border." Poppyclaw couldn't quite manage grim, so she just went with excited.
"Already?" Sunpelt's ears drooped, "this is going to be a long leaf-bare for them."
"Bleeding heart," Poppyclaw scoffed. "Stormwind and I drove them off, and we recovered the prey they were trying to steal."
"That's a relief," Sunpelt sighed. "And Rustlepaw?"
"She should be coming along shortly with Barkfur." Poppyclaw cast a glance towards the tunnel. "They were just getting their fresh-kill. Maybe they stopped to hunt some more."
Thornstar came out of her den with Stormwind just then, calling for a clan meeting.
"Stormwind has just informed me that he and Poppyclaw discovered some WindClan warriors stealing prey from our territory. Stormwind and Poppyclaw chased them away and recovered the stolen fresh-kill. I want patrols doubled along the WindClan border, and for all patrols to be extra vigilant for scent trails crossing the WindClan border. When Robinflight returns, tell her to come see me." Thornstar nodded and turned back into her den. Stormwind made his way down the path towards Poppyclaw.
"Good work out there, Poppyclaw," he congratulated.
"Thanks," Poppyclaw smiled.
"Poppyclaw!" Whitethorn yowled, bounding across the camp. "Tell me exactly what happened!"
"Me too!" Strikefoot called, approaching at a more sedate pace.
"Well," Poppyclaw began as a couple of other cats sat down to hear the story.
Stormwind snorted and muttered, "I'm going to finish my hunt, I leave you to handle this," to Poppyclaw before slinking out of camp.
Poppyclaw turned back to her audience, relishing the attention. "We were hunting near the WindClan border. I had just missed a squirrel when I noticed a strong WindClan scent on our side of the border..."
Poppyclaw got to tell her story several times over as cats returned from hunting patrols and heard the news. The sun was beginning to slant across the western sky when Robinflight called, "Poppyclaw, WindClan patrol?"
"Yes!" Poppyclaw yowled, springing to her feet and running to meet the rest of the group.
Poppyclaw certainly was enjoying her afternoon.
WARRIORS
Name: Poppyclaw
Gender: Female
Rank: Warrior
Appearance: Ginger-with-white she-cat with gold-green eyes.
Body Type: Sturdy, broad-shouldered, and well-muscled. Average height, with a shorter tail and big paws.
Likely Clan: ThunderClan
Personality: Loud and friendly, with a bold aggressive streak towards perceived threats. Loves to be the center of attention. She's the kind of cat who has never met a stranger, and she's constantly looking out for every cat in her Clan. You wouldn't really call her sweet, but she's certainly caring.
Skills: Poppyclaw is a vicious fighter. She's the kind of cat who has to be held back during border confrontations, and she does not suffer threats. A less skilled hunter, as her large frame makes it harder for her to move without brushing up against her surroundings and thereby scaring prey off. A good tracker, but her stalking leaves something to be desired. Very strong.
Name: Stormwind
Gender: Male
Rank: Senior Warrior
Appearance: Gray tabby tom with blue eyes and a crooked white splash on his face
Body Type: Average build, thickly muscled, somewhat taller than average.
Likely Clan: ThunderClan
Personality: Reserved, serious, and responsible. Most comfortable alone or in a small group, large groups can make him anxious. Patient and easy-going, keeps a level head. Isn't openly emotional or affectionate. Hates to be the center of attention, yet loves doing the things that will get him into the spotlight; his eternal conflict. Makes a very good mentor.
Skills: Stormwind is of that rare breed who are equally talented hunters and fighters. Even more extraordinarily, he is exceptionally good at both things. His tracking skills, however, are not always up to snuff. Very fast and quick, can jump a long ways.
Name: Barkfur
Gender: Female
Rank: Senior Warrior
Appearance: Brown tabby she-cat with deep amber eyes
Body Type: Wiry and small, with coarse, slightly shaggy fur
Likely Clan: ThunderClan, ShadowClan, or WindClan
Personality: Sarcastic, intelligent, playful, outgoing, bold, brave. Isn't afraid to speak her mind on any topic. Challenges authority at every turn. Can be a little hard to get along with due to her sarcastic nature. Feels most comfortable with her closest friends, who have known her and each other inside and out since being apprentices or young warriors together. Is never afraid to throw herself into battle, and will stick up for anyone she feels to be in the right.
Skills: A fierce fighter, but she does better in groups than one-on-one battles. An above average hunter, with very good tracking and stalking skills.
QUEENS
Name: Strikefoot
Gender: Female
Rank: Queen
Appearance: Dark red-and-white tabby she-cat with green eyes
Body Type: A bit shorter than average, broader build, has six toes on each paw
Likely Clan: ThunderClan or ShadowClan
Personality: Sharp-tongued, speaks her mind, rarely displays emotions, almost never openly affectionate. Shrewd, keeps a level head, gives good advice. She is ecstatic to be a mother, and her happiness has mellowed her somewhat. The rest of her clan is holding bets on whether or not she will return to her sharper self once her kits are apprentices.
Skills: Brutal fighter and a good hunter
APPRENTICES
Name: Rustlepaw (Rustletail)
Gender: Female
Rank: Older Apprentice
Appearance: Tortoiseshell she-cat with gold eyes and white on her front legs
Body Type: Slender, graceful, average height
Likely Clan: ThunderClan
Personality: Shy, yet friendly, curious, clever, excitable, gets carried away easily. Likes to meet new cats, but never quite knows what to say. Has a tendency towards hero-worship, and gets very tongue-tied around older warriors she looks up to. Helpful, and always up for the next adventure. A good friend, and very caring and motherly towards anycat younger than her. Will make a good mentor someday.
Skills: Exceptional hunter, with very good stalking skills and above average tracking skills. A bit of a timid fighter. Has a very long leap.
ELDERS
Name: Sunpelt
Gender: Male
Rank: Elder or Senior Warrior, as you like
Appearance: Golden tom with yellow eyes
Body Type: Average build, thickly muscled. Has a bad back leg from repeated injury.
Likely Clan: ThunderClan or RiverClan
Personality: Friendly, affable, easy to get along with, playful. He can be a bit of a worrier. Hard to rile up, but he won't back down once his hackles are raised.
Skills: A good fighter, and an average hunter.
If you noticed any other cats in the story you would like me to make a full profile on, let me know!
Also, if you have a few clans that need filling up, send me a pm or drop a review here, and I'd be happy to help you out! Creating characters is one of my favorite parts of writing.
Let me know what you think of this idea! Spiderweave out.