Rain, rain [dont] go away... [anybody]

[m o o n]x[s t o r m]

--/ Stormcloud was proud. He was proud for the clan he was in and the kits he had provided, he was proud of the warrior code he abide by and the forest that they lived in. Needless to say, Stormcloud was old-fashioned in the ways of the mighty warrior. Some called him dull, or an old hag, but alas he was not - he was the senior warrior and knew the ways before they were. He knew of the medicine cat's job, and the loveliness of a queen in kit-bare, he knew it all, but he knew this all for his lovely clan - to provide and not take. However, such thoughts lead him to make his way to the marshes, which were rarely used by the apprentices and younger warriors for it's terrible mysteries of croc's and `gators. Oh how Stormcloud had some fun with that in his younger years, going to investigate only to find the truth and either be disappointed by his investigation or freaked out and run back to clan camp with a bushy tail.\--

--/ "Oh, were did those antics go?" He chuckled to himself, his low-tones floated on the air as his nose twitched in amusement over himself. His big fluffy 'mustache' twitched along with his nose, he had used to get made fun of for this, but he felt more distinct with it in his later years - now all knew of his senior rank. He let his haunches collapse onto the dirt as he watched the marshes bubble up in front of him, they were grimly and disgusting but they were Riverclan, and somehow pride bubbled inside the cat, too... A purr was rumbling in his chest as his long, busy, tail wrapped against his coat as he aimlessly wondered how he got such large fur being Riverclan bloodlines, but he remembered his father with pure disgust and shook his head. No, he was a half-cat, born from Thunderclan father and a riverclan mother - he had killed his father in battle, happily knowing it was him. Did that make him a murder? He did not care, he sighed lightly and his purring had long stopped, as he listened to the sounds of the bog and the croaking of the toads. All around the woodlands it was hazy, but here it seemed exceptionally so... \--

*OPEN to anyone*

[duskfur]

ASHPAW

The predator’s keen jade eyes narrowed to sinister slits as he dragged himself forward, pawstep by pawstep, belly low to the ground and just brushing the wet grass. Claws sank into the soil, carving small rifts as if through the belly of a behemoth, drawing water and not blood to the surface. Ears flattened against the skull as a tongue swiped out along the muzzle. Silently, the carnivore eased his way through the grass and flicked a long, dark grey tail. His chosen target, hulking and rumbling, sat unaware in front of him, a mere fox-length away.

Just another couple of steps, and it would be his.

A wicked, sharp-toothed grin flashed as the feline settled onto his haunches, shoulder blades rising like peaks behind his neck, and then sprung.

The grey-spotted white kitten issued a quiet growl as he pounced on his father’s tail, sinking his teeth into it, getting only a mouthful of fur—he wouldn’t want to hurt his sire, anyway. His paws batted at the warrior’s side as the apprentice rolled onto the boggy ground next to him, releasing a near-silent purr. The tail for which he was named flicked contentedly in the grass as he collected himself and settled on his stomach, head erect as he stared at the marsh surrounding them.

“What are you doing out here, Father?” Ashpaw mewed as his light green eyes searched the grass for any movement. A smell of prey drifted toward him, but he couldn’t yet place the scent with the species. Curiously, his ears stood up as he looked for the source, but the water vole remained hidden from sight, perhaps intelligently.

[Willow]

What was Ashpaw doing out here? He never left camp without explicit permission, did he?

Snowpaw followed her brother from a distance, her fluffy white pelt fluffed up against the rain as she tracked his small grey and white body. Maybe he was training. After all, he had a mentor while hers had inconveniently died, leaving her mentorless at the time being. The she-cat's fur prickled in annoyance as she watched him stalk through the damp grass. He knew proper techniques for hunting, unlike her. It simply wasn't fair. He was allowed out of camp, she was still treated like a misbehaving kit.

The young kitten growled softly in the back of her throat. She wasn't angry, but bitter and jealous. Why oh why did Fernpelt have to get herself killed off in WindClan territory? If Snowpaw had a mentor, she could have had almost a month's worth of training. Why was it taking Rookstar so long to assign her a new mentor. Maybe he doesn't trust me as a warrior, she thought gloomily as her pace slowed to make Ashpaw's careful stalking.

The white apprentice sat in the wet grass, watching her brother, wondering what he was stalking. She wasn't going to be happy if he managed to bring back fresh kill.

He pounced with a small growl. Snowpaw blinked. Even she knew to make no noise when attacking, what was her idiot brother doing? Then she saw what he had pounced: a fluffy grey tail.

Stormcloud! Snowpaw bounded forward towards brother and father. She purred in greeting to her father while mostly ignoring Ashpaw. Silently the white apprentice hoped she would not be reprimanded for leaving camp. She did not voice this concern as she sat next to her grey and white brother.

^ Lame post.

[m o o n]x[s t o r m]

--/ It was unexpected, the appearance of his two children, but well appreciated. One, the little male, was an apprentice, and his beautiful daughter was stuck between kit and apprentice because of her dead apprentice. The 'senior-at-heart' cat was sure of her resentful feelings toward her sibling, and felt bad for her at that - she didn't ask for this to happen. As Ashpaw appeared, a soft, hoarse, purr was moved through larynx out to the atmosphere beyond him. Then, there was a pounce on his fluffy tail and Snowpaw appeared, her alabaster completion was dulled a forest green shades where branches of the marsh caught her. Stormcloud felt good to have his children want to see him, happy to appear before him - he felt proud of what well rounded cats they would be; despite the sibling rivalry. Ashpaw spoke as Snowpaw just sat next to him purring loudly to ignore her brother, and Stormcloud licked the top of her little head fondly. Curling his paw and cuffing it over his son's ear in play, Stormcloud chuckled in delight - seeing his children were the thing that always seemed to make his day. \--

--/ "Now, what are you two doing out here?" There was a short chuckle to follow his baritone words before he added, "Being adventurous, eh? I'm so proud." He cooed to his children, although he seemed very unfond of everybody, his children and mate were his world, and nobody would understand the bond he tried to keep with them. Refusing to be the distant father, or the 'bad' mate, Stormcloud tried to spend much time with his family, and give them compliments when he felt they worked hard for one. Although he did not say it often, he really did love and appreciate his children. Although, Stormcloud did not want to mentor his 'two little warriors' because he believed that doing so would really do anything but drive them apart from the father - kit relationship he had established since birth. The mentor-apprentice relationship was very sacred, too, when it came to the ways of the wild warrior. \--