All was quiet, all was calm. The clouds part slowly in the sky, dancing out of the way of the rising sun's glaring light.
A fiery red tom came stalking through camp entrance, a mouse clutched in his powerful jaws. His shadow creased over the grassy camp floor. Dropping his catch he let out a yawn, stretching in the warmth of the sunlight. He was an intimidating figure but overall had a kind face.
Another figure appeared, pushing her way out of the apprentices den after Moonpaw. She was a dainty young cat, with a dark tortoiseshell pelt that stuck up like duck fluff. Her glassy eyes gleaming with excitement, she remembered how she was to go on a patrol today.
The she-cat smiled over at her clanmate. "Afternoon Tallflame," She called a greeting to the serious look tom, a grin on her face.
Tallflame looked over at the apprentice. His thick white whiskers twitched slightly, the clan was growing; this was good. "Afternoon, Rainpaw," He replied, kindness sweeping through his placid, green eyes.
Suddenly the bushes rustled as a small cat stepped through the camp entrance. He looked tired, hungry, and overall malnourished; but he refused to show it that way; as he lifted his head high and proudly. The kitten sized cat searched the strange camp, blue gaze wondered from the apprentice to the warrior, and his muscles tensed at the possible danger, lips pulling back into a small, silent snarl.
Rainpaw looked up, her ears twitching as she spotted the kit. The glassy green of her eyes glowed with curiosity as she spotted his ribs through his dark pelt.
Tallflame felt his neck fur prickle as an unfamiliar scent washed through him. He could see the aggressiveness in the kit but didn't let that bother him, "Who are you?" He asked quietly, his voice calm.
Noticing the stare coming from one of the apprentice, the black tom flattened his ears slightly; narrowing his eyes as a soft, raspy growl rumbled in his throat. Then his gaze snapped toward the warrior as he spoke. "Cobaltkit," He replied, hostility as well as uncertainty dripped in his voice.
Rainpaw padded to Tallflame's side. She took a few hesitant steps towards the kit but kept her distance so as not to make him any more uncomfortable. "My name's Rainpaw," She said her eyes calming and gentle.
Tallflame let his tail flick over the apprentice's side in warning, "Welcome to Riverclan Cobaltkit."
Cobaltkit watch Tallflame's movements carefully, ready to make a dash toward the entrance if any sudden attacks was thrown at him; but overall he relaxed lightly, seeing that the two showed no hostility and aggression. Cobaltkit doesn't quite understand the words Tallflame spoke. What's RiverClan? He had heard a few things about the four clans that roam in the forest, but never actually seen one. "... Thanks." He meowed hesitantly. The tom cringed slightly when he heard his stomach protested with a loud growl, and tries to hide the fact that he's hungry by shifting his paws.
"Here," Said the tortoiseshell as she trotted over to the fresh kill pile. The young cat picked up a fish and bounded back over to the others, she slowly padded closer to Cobaltkit, dropping it near him before backing off to give him some space.
Tallflame's eyes narrowed slightly, although there was welcoming glowing in his green gaze. "My name is Tallflame, where do you come from young kit?"
Cobaltkit stared at the fish that was given to him by Rainpaw. Carefully and slowly, he sniffed it, making sure it was alright before taking a small nip, and gradually the small nips was replaced by large bites. "Nowhere," Cobaltkit replied between bites. "I used to travel with mama, but she disappeared." Little did he know his beloved mother was the one that actually abandon him.
Cobaltkit glanced toward Rainpaw, and for a moment it seems as if his eyes were flashing with gratitude, but it all disappeared with a blink of an eye. "I'll... I'll leave if I have too..." He mumbled, not wanting to become a burden. He knew he was still too young to hunt and fight for his life, and he have nothing too return for their generosity.
Her ears flattened in sympathy, "Well you're welcome here." She said, hoping she wasn't being too upfront about the invitation to stay.
Tallflame looked the kit over. Although the warrior seemed stiff lipped and serious he was generally a kind cat, "You are welcome to stay here for as long as you wish, Cobaltkit. Riverclan is happy to have you here."
Rainpaw looked at Tallflame, eyes gleaming happily before she turned back to Cobaltkit, nodding her agreement.
"Thanks..." Cobaltkit uttered. It was clear that the two are nice cats who don't mind him staying, plus, if he leaves now, he won't be able to survive since the weather had gone colder. Maybe he could stay until the weather was warm again, then he can go and find his mother. Cobaltkit glanced at the two; maybe... they might know where his mother is.... "Ever... ever heard of Nightcall?"
Rainpaw tilted her head to the side curiously. She looked over at Tallflame, wondering if the warrior could answer the question.
Tallflame nodded slowly as his memory kicked in. "She was a Shadowclan cat....the former medicine cat if my memory serves me right,"
He wasn't quite sure what he meant by ShadowClan and medicine cat; but it doesn't really matter to him. "Really? Do you know where she might be?" He asked eager to learn any information where his mother might be.
"From what I hear she left a while back, no one's seen her since." He answered, "I was about Rainpaw's age when I learnt of the Shadowclan Medicine cat's disappearance."
Rainpaw's ears twitched curiously. "I wonder what happened," Her eyes narrow in questioning.
"Is that so..." Cobaltkit's ears drooped, visibly disappointed; another dead end. "Thanks for tell me, any who." The young tomkit answered. He jumped a little as another cat entered the camp, looking up with curiosity as well as a defensive growl for this new stranger may be a danger.
The young tom padded into the camp, glancing around with bright curiosity. His ears twitched and his tail flicked.
Tallflame looked up at Leopardshadow, eyes narrowing defensively at the other tom though not unwelcoming.
Rainpaw glanced at the new tom but turned back to Cobaltkit, "I'm guessing you haven't heard of the clans before." She said, settling down comfortably.
He shook his head, and blinked his large deep blue eyes at Rainpaw, expecting a story. It was time like this when his curiosity would ventured, walking out from the shadows once in a while to feel the light sunning on himself; reminding himself that the world isn't as dark as he deem.
"Cats once roamed through this forest, they lived in small groups, not yet clans and definitely not warrior cats." She began, "It was a lawless, bloody time for the forest, and many cats died. One night, when the moon was full, the cats agreed to meet at a clearing in the forest surrounded by four great oak trees. They argued over stolen prey. Claws flashed; challenging yowls rang across the forest. A terrible battle followed, and soon the ground was wet with spilled blood." Her voice dropped to an ominous hush as she told the story.
"Many cats died that night. Exhausted by their wounds, the survivors slept where they had fought. When they woke they were bathed in moonlight," She lifted her head to the darkening sky, the stars light twinkling across the velvet night. "All around them they saw the spirits of their slain kin, no longer torn and bloodied but shining like fallen stars. They huddled on the ground, and, as the spirits spoke, they saw terrible visions of the future. They saw the forest drowned in blood, their kits stalked by death at every pawstep. And they knew that the fighting had to end." She looked over the camp, eyes narrowed slightly and her mouth tugged up into a grin as she told the story.
"Unite or die!" Said the spirits, "From among these living cats, a black female, a silvery grey tom, a wiry brown female and a fiery orange tom with large white paws stood up. They were named Shadow, River, Wind and Thunder and thus the four clans were born: Shadowclan, Riverclan, Windclan and Thunderclan." The young tortoiseshell looked proud at her lineage, "They found cats with similar skills as themselves. Shadow gathered nighttime hunters with clever minds and sharp claws. Thunder found hunters who could track prey through the thickest undergrowth. To Wind came the fastest runners and cats who loved the open moors. And finally River, our first leader, found cats willing to fish for their prey. We now live by the warrior code, and our fallen ancestors watch over us and guide us through our lives. And so, the age of the warrior Clans began."
Tallflame looked at Rainpaw, his eyes glowing with pride at how the she cat told the legendary story.
Cobaltkit listened with awe. He doesn't believe in spirits or afterlife, but this story was almost enough to convince him to think twice. "Wouldn't it be better to have one whole clan instead, though?" Cobaltkit questioned, curiosity bloomed in his deep, rich blue eyes. "Why separate?"
Rainpaw tilted her head, "I'm not sure. It's how our ancestors did it, we live, not entirely in peace but better than before."
Tallflame looked at the young cats, "In separate clans we can better our skills in our own territory. With one clan it would be difficult to find enough food, it takes awhile to patrol a single territory but four territories would take days we wouldn't be able to gather enough prey in time to feed our clanmates well enough."
"I suppose I'll just have to live with that." Cobaltkit uttered. He didn't like the idea of being bonded with boundaries and territories, but overall it didn't matter much. "So this is RiverClan, we're supposed to swim in water?" Cobaltkit frowned slightly as he imagine himself paddling messily through the cold water. Not a pretty sight.
Tallflame chuckled slightly, "We're not supposed to, but we do. Riverclan cats are strong swimmers and we're the only clan that knows how to fish properly. Our cats grow up by the river; we love the water and its power both smooth but still unstoppable like us when we're defending our clanmates."
Cobaltkit's blue eyes traveled from Rainpaw to Tallflame as the warrior began to speak. "Eh, what the heck," Cobaltkit shrugged, "Sounds special, good enough for me."
Rainpaw smiled kindly to the kit, "So you've decided to stay?" She asked.
"Well, it's a lot better than dying in the cold," Cobaltkit replied with a hint of amused sarcasm dripping in his voice as he looked back at the kind apprentice.
One edge of the she cat's mouth tugged up into a grin of amusement. "We're happy to have you then,"
Cobaltkit nodded, his deep blue eyes shifted as he studied his new home. The camp was flooded with a unique, fresh watery scent that seems too familiar, yet Cobaltkit couldn't quite point out what it is.
Tallflame nodded to the two, standing up and trotting off to the edge of camp. The fiery ginger cat sat himself by the entrance, guarding his clanmates.
Rainpaw's soft black tail flicked, "How old are you, Cobaltkit?" She didn't want to pester him but she was curious as to how long it would be until he was an apprentice as well.
He was brought back into the reality world from his chaotic thoughts as Rainpaw questioned him. Cobaltkit glanced toward Rainpaw, silent for a moment as he tries to remember his age. "I'm not sure, somewhere between six and seven moons, maybe?"
Her eyes widened slightly, "You should be an apprentice by now then." She smiled brightly, "When we give you your ceremony you can sleep with me and Moonpaw in the apprentice's den."
He didn't really understand what it meant to be an apprentice and whether if he should be happy about it or not; nonetheless he just shrugged. "I guess that's... nice." He meowed, his head tipped to one side.
She frowned, "You do know what a warrior apprentice is, don't you?" Her glassy green eyes reflected the crescent moon in their depths.
"Of course," He deadpanned, his eyes rolled. "I mean, who doesn't know what a warrior and apprentice is?"
"Sure," She said with a small, amused roll of her lambent eyes.
