09.30.2019 → There has been some exciting changes on CD lately! We've added a new monarchy to the groups of cats on the islands, as well as restructured the boards a bit to allow for some space - thus, redrawing the map! We've also promoted Nifty to Global Mod! There are some auditions open right now for JungleClan Deputy as well as for all of the new Kingdom of Mokuhau high ranks - Artemis
09.12.2019 → Unfortunately Elaedria is stepping down as administrator due to life being too busy to keep up! The site will be going through some restructuring in high ranks as well due to this. Effective immediately, the word count is now 100 minimum. Some more changes will be coming in the future - members have been emailed a survey to help us figure out what to change and how to get better. Thanks for your patience! - Artemis
WEATHER
Year 55, Scorching Sands 09.05.2019 → The temperatures of the islands are a steady 98° F on land/ high 80s in water. There is almost no breeze, the sun is uncomfortably warm.
Prey during the day is pretty scarce due to the heat, however is quite active after the sun goes down.
Lost in the dense jungles of scattered islands, facing perils unimagined by their ancestors, are three warrior groups - The traditional JungleClan, descendants of the original clans carried aboard a twoleg contraption from their home long ago and breaking new ground on old beliefs. Second, the curious TidalClan, made up of kittypets who chose to abandon their long since passed twoleg civilization ways for those of true felines. Lastly, the mysterious Tribe of Twisted Roots, hidden in the mist from others with their strange ways and a deeper knowledge of the land around them. Together they must learn how to take their fate into their own paws if they wish to survive this land of erupting mountains and roaring waters.
Join our crew and dive into an island-based Warriors roleplay - a twist on the original series by Erin Hunter. We are a semi-literate site with a minimum of 100 words per post.
Toadpaw. That was her name now. It almost didn't feel right to think it. Toadpaw. She was so used to holding the 'kit' suffix at the end of her name, having 'paw' in its place was going to take some time to feel comfortable with. She batted at some leaves near her; one mottled paw reaching out at pulling it towards her, and the other pushed it away. The young apprentice tried repeating the name over and over in her head, trying to get the hang of using it. Her siblings seemed to have adjusted to being apprentices just fine, but she was still figuring all of it out. Their new names just flowed off their tongue like the water at Silverthread Falls, and their duties seemed to just come to them naturally. I'll get the hang of it soon enough, surely!
She batted the leaf away, this time casting it up into the air, causing the bright green object to float gently down the the ground. As soon as it brushed against the grass ground of the camp, she pounced on it, using much more than just her paw. Easy enough, though it was just a leaf. If she was able to just do it with a living creature, she'd surely be able to skip out on some apprentice duties. No point in hunting practice if you know how to hunt, right?
The young apprentice pushed the leaf away for the final time, getting up and stretching out her limbs. Once finished, she looked around, wondering what to do next. So far, the day had been rather slow. Sitting around and not doing much was all of the activities for her day. That was, until, she spotted a certain black and white tom. She knew him as her mentor, and while she didn't appreciate the role because it was made to make her do things, she certainly didn't mind talking to the tom himself! Toadpaw sauntered up to him, her paws brushing against the warm ground.
He still wasn't sure how he felt about having an apprentice, finally. Toadpaw was... She was. She was his first apprentice, so he was supposed to feel proud. She was a she-cat, so he kind of felt a tiny bit awkward dealing with her. She was happy, and energetic, which was technically good. But she was also very, very outgoing, and hadn't seemed to realize yet that Swiftwave was the type of cat who would more often than not grunt in reply to your questions.
As he sat off in a corner, giving himself a quick groom, she got a small grunt in reply to her greeting. Great Starclan, he had to train this... Kit. He'd been thinking up things to keep her occupied with, but even if the short time she'd been assigned to him, it seemed he was running out of ideas.
A paw flicked over his ear, thoughtful. He could work on her hunting.. Show her the territory.. Battle practice? Was she too young for that still?
Maybe he could just tell her to go clean the elder's bedding. Then he could go off alone in peace. That wasn't appropriate, however. He knew better than to push his attitude off onto the younger cat. Toucanstar had granted him with a very heavy warrior duty, and he wasn't about to mess it up.
Hunting was the best option. "We're going to work on your hunting technique today. Eat now if you're hungry, because we won't be able to once we leave." He recognized his tone came off a little blunt, but it was early enough in the day he didn't care to correct it.
Not saying anything sure seemed like an interesting reply to a greeting, but Toadpaw didn't pay much attention when all her mentor gave as a reply was a grunt. Being a mentor doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun anyway, it's not surprising he might not be having the best day. She wouldn't want to teach anybody anything either, not that she had much to teach in the first place. The 'paw' at the end of her name was proof of that, showing how she was old enough to start doing things on her own but she still had a lot to learn. She didn't necessarily want to learn all that much, but as an apprentice that was what she had to do. Train, hunt, clean... those duties are what she was expected to carry out, yet she didn't have much of an interest in doing those things. The young apprentice was perfectly fine carrying on how she did when she was a kit, but as she ventured further into her apprenticeship that wasn't going to be as much of an option.
She waited for a response, but wasn't very happy when she got one. Hunting? As much as she'd like to get out of the camp and out into the jungle, to do something as tedious as hunting was not something she wanted. It was long and complicated. The young apprentice knew she would have to crouch in a certain way, find prey a certain way, and do a lot of waiting. She's seen the older apprentices show off their hunting techniques and talk about how they would catch prey. It looked... bland, to say the least, and hearing what her mentor had to say was not exactly filling her with joy.
Despite all of that, she decided to trust her mentor. Surely, if mentors are meant to teach, and the point of teaching is to help the other learn, it couldn't possibly be too boring. "Hunting? It looks a little boring, but I don't mind too much!" It would also get them out into the jungle, and the jungle was teeming with things to explore. A little bit of training on the side didn't seem that bad. After all, if she wandered off far enough, how easily would he be able to find her?
She tilted her head to the side, contemplating whether or not she should get something to eat before they go when she thought back to the second part of his statement. "I don't think I'll be very hungry. Hunting can't take up that much energy, can it? I don't think it would."
Looking up at the sun, and not quite knowing how hunting works, she said, "Shouldn't we head out? The prey might leave once the sun makes the day too hot."
Her response wasn't very satisfactory, but what could one expect from a kit? He heaved a quiet snort in response to it being boring, because a warrior really didn't have a pick of exciting duties all the time. Swiftwave was already realizing the kind of difficulty he would have in knocking the facts of life into this she-cat's head. In her defense, she at least stated she wouldn't mind the task, but if he was being picky she shouldn't have to state that in the first place.
"Even if it's boring, it helps your clan. How would you feel if the queens and elders starved because you went off doing something else fun?" His tail lashed, betraying a mild form of irritation. He didn't have the kind of patience to explain the basics to an apprentice. Couldn't her mother have straightened Toadpaw out before handing her off to him?
He didn't have the energy to argue with her eating beforehand. Hunting did surprisingly take up a lot of energy, and she was soon going to figure out that carrying around juicy, fresh tidbits made your stomach ravenous. The young tortoiseshell got another grunt in reply to her question about the sun, although one with a bit more agreement hidden in the tone. At least she wasn't entirely stupid.
He flicked his tail for her to follow, and dashed off at rapid speed, away from the camp. She was expected to keep up, and perhaps he was being mildly vindictive in wanting her to get a little tired and more mild for the training. His mind went elsewhere though, as they clawed their way over the jungle terrain - what sort of hunting would he show her? He had his own skillset, and that involved mostly land prey and scavenging from tidal pool sea life. The latter was a very small lesson best saved for later, the former they'd already been working on a bit the past few days.
Fishing and bird hunting were next - both of which he wasn't the best at. Birds involved climbing most often, and his tall frame left him feeling lanky and unstable in treetops. Fishing just.. Irritated him. It was a slow, precise skill that involved a lot of waiting. And water, which he could live without. Swiftwave didn't feel like ending up in the bottom of the ocean like his father...
However, there was one type of fish he actually enjoyed hunting for. Perhaps because they didn't really seem like fish, and the technique to snatch them involved more than just standing in the waves waiting.
With a small, toothy grin, his path veered off towards the beach. "This way! We're going to try fishing." He would gallop full speed till they hit the sand, then slow to a confident romp to reach the water's edge. Swiftwave swept into a sitting position, looking down with perhaps a tiny bit of eagerness at the young apprentice.
"Now.. Have you ever seen a flying fish?" he asked with a grin, knowing she most likely hadn't.
That doesn't sound good, was the first thing Toadpaw thought when Swiftwave mentioned others starving. Of course there are other warriors to hunt, but those words certainly weren't pleasant to hear. Did hunting really matter that much? She certainly didn't want any of the elders starving! And, despite not having the best relationship with some of the queens, she did not wish starvation upon any of them. Even if it meant doing something tedious and, frankly, boring, she wouldn't want the elders and queens to starve. If the queens starved, then the kits starved, then... Nothing good would happen, nothing good at all!
The young apprentice received another grunt after her inquiry about the sun. The tom seemed to like grunting as a response to questions, but who was she to judge? Some people just like grunting, and it seems a lot easier than saying something. It makes you sound tougher. I guess a lot of mentors want to look tough for their apprentices! She wouldn't have thought not answering would be the way to do it, but who knows? She sees new things everyday, maybe this is just how a lot of mentors act.
Soon, Toadpaw realized Swiftwave wasn't in front of her anymore. She found the mentor bounding away, heading for the camp entrance. Assuming she should be following, Toadpaw bolted towards him, trying her best to keep up. "Gee, you're fast!" she couldn't help exclaiming as her legs rushed to keep up. Her chest heaved with the effort, her limbs burning as the ran for longer and longer. She was not used to running at all, which could be seen by the growing gap between the apprentice and mentor. Toadpaw pushed harder, bounding over leaves and dirt. Just as she thought she could keep up with the sprinting tom, he turned, still running but making Toadpaw slow down a bit in confusion. Where were they even going?
She mustered up a bit more energy, hoping they couldn't be too far from their destination. They were passing by all of the trees, burrows, and bushes she would expect prey to be hiding in. She even heard a few bird calls from up above, and a squeak or two from small holes in the ground. Running away from the prey didn't seem like an efficient form of hunting to her. When they reached the beach, however, a mix of relief, closure, and sickly anticipation swarmed onto the apprentice. Toadpaw realized they must be going fishing as soon as the sand hit her paws and the white-crested waves came into view. She felt relief as soon as they were out of the jungle, grateful for the ocean breeze and the lack of intense humidity. But... she was not ready for fishing. It looked like a fickle practice. Trying to catch slimy little water demons was not something she felt she was ready to do. That is, if she'd ever be ready to do it at all.
The what her mentor said next almost made her laugh. Flying fish? Fish don't fly! He must be mixing up prey, surely. "Fish don't... fly? That's what birds do! I haven't ever seen a fish with wings, that'd look a little silly," she said, putting on a smile like her mentor was. At least he was feeling a bit better now! He was smiling, after all. "If fish flew, it seems like it would make them a whole lot harder to catch! I think I'm glad I haven't seen a flying fish."
Her response was exactly what he expected - disbelief, mixed in with some more good humor, perhaps. She smiled back at him, causing Swiftwave to feel like perhaps he was getting the respect he deserved. Good choice then, going to the beach. His tail curled around his paws neatly, and the tom cat shook his head to her words.
"Well, you haven't been out of camp enough to see one, have you?" he shot back, one eyebrow raising. "I'm sure you have at any rate, the warriors bring them in as fresh kill sometimes. It just takes a certain type of skill to catch them." Truly, there were probably easier fish to prey upon - but something about the thrill of hunting flying fish was just more... Fulfilling.
She was going to learn, and perhaps find that spark that was needed to drive her into becoming a warrior... Not just a lazy kit.
"Stay here, and watch." The black and white tom flitted up onto all four paws, before pacing along the damp shoreline where the waves met sand. He was searching for the tell-tale sign of a silver flash, and after a short while he spotted what he was looking for a little ways down the beach.
Swiftwave flicked his tail to Toadpaw, saying "Come here." When she was closer, he would tilt his head to the water to show her where to look. "See that shimmer underwater? Those are the flying fish. They always come in little clans of their own. What I want you to do," he continued, turning an intense yellow gaze on her, "Is throw any idea you have about fishing out of your head." She probably thought it was boring. Which it was, generally, but this would be far from it. "You're going to go in, and start chasing them along the shore. Herd them away from going deeper into the ocean as best you can. Stomp, splash, stick your mouth in and snap. When they start flying, I'll show you how to catch them, so pay attention to what I do."
It was a lot of instruction at once, Swiftwave thought with a bit of wariness. Hopefully the young she-cat could retain it all. It'd be a good test for her at the very least.
Toadpaw tried to think back to when she could've ever seen a flying fish. She never paid much attention to the warriors that came in and out of camp, carrying prey in their jaws and venturing out on patrols. She was often more occupied with what she liked to do rather than what the warriors around her were doing, so seeing a fish with feathery wings in a warrior's jaw would be something that would've flown right passed her. Some of the fish she's seen have had very large fins... maybe those were their wings? The apprentice wouldn't expect to see feathers on a fish, so those might've been their wings. Those thin little wings did not look like they could hold up anything, but if flying fish are real like her mentor was saying, maybe they did.
"Skill..." she muttered under her breath when her mentor mentioned the word. It seemed rather silly to her. If she ever got an apprentice, she would never make them do anything that required a lot of skill that early on.
Toadpaw followed the tom's directions, plopping herself down onto the sand, amber eyes following the tom. Her legs thanked her for the break, grateful to no longer be running. She watched him pad along the shoreline, before delivering another order. Giving a small huff when she stumbled back up onto all fours, she stepped towards his direction. Following his gestures, she looked towards the patch of water. Unlike most of the stretch of blue, this patch had several moving shimmers under the surface. Those fish don't look like they're flying.
Her ears perked up when he started talking, and she tried to listen, but she couldn't help but get a tad distracted by the little glimmers in the water. Shaking her head, she managed to catch the last bit. "I'm not quite sure how you can throw ideas out, but I'll try! I don't think I had many relating to fishing in the first place," She said cheerily.
Trying to follow his newest set of orders, she ran into the water, ready to finally do something fun. However, when the water was surprisingly cold compared to the hot air and seeped into her fur, she quickly scurried out. "Oooh, it's cold." Shaking her head, she tried to come in a bit slower. Letting her paws feel the waves first, she let them feel the cool water. Slowly coming in, the water rose halfway up her legs before she tried to find the group of glimmers again. They had traveled further down the shoreline from the small disruption, so she waded towards them. Toadpaw remembered having to create some sort of ruckus, so she sped up, stumbling into the school of fish, almost tripping over her own paws.
She didn't expect for them to start flying so quickly. One glimmer shot up, showing a silvery body with large, wing-like fins. Then two shot up, then three, then even more. Startled, she fell into the water, causing more waves and causing more fish to fly up. Rushing out of the water, she shook herself off and took sometime to look at the fish that weren't flying in the way she would expect, but were still most definitely flying.
He honestly stifled a small bit of laughter as she fell over in shock when the fish began to fly out of the water. Was this the joy of teaching a young cat how to... Be? Seeing them learning?
He was getting a bit too sentimental, especially over Toadpaw - probably one of the daftest apprentices in the camp. He choked it down, and let his black and white face fall back into blank seriousness. "Told you," he grunted, though a faint smirk rose up despite itself. Perhaps next time, she'd believe him and not question his sanity on flying fish.
Back to the task at hand. Swiftwave was not about to mess up catching one, in front of Toadpaw. It lent him a feverish short of perseverance as the first few fish blew right over his head in their panic. His haunches bunched up, his yellow eyes turned into slits watching the sky...
And as another flew over his head, he propelled himself into the air as cats do, front paws lashing out to smack the creature out of the sky. It flopped down into the water, stunned for only a moment - he wasted no time in lurching down and killing it with a quick bite to its neck.
Thank you Starclan, for its life. It was mental thought drilled into him by his own mentor, but it always felt empty when he thought it. Swiftwave pushed the thought aside, and waded out of the water to let the prey drop on the sand.
"And that is how you catch a flying fish. Think you could try?" The only right answer here would be yes, because even if she said no, he was going to have her do it anyway.
Toadpaw smiled at her mentor as she ran a paw over her face, cleaning off some of the non-water muck that can show up when swimming by the shore. "I guess you did warn me, but it was still a bit startling!" The apprentice still looked at the hopping fish, eyes wide in awe. Those fish really were flying, weren't they? It wasn't real flying, she thought, but it was close enough. She never saw any fish that could get as close to flying as those fish were, so it was still rather significant.
Plopping down onto the sand, she watched her mentor as he went into the storm of flying fish. When she saw Swiftwave shoot out of the water and up into the air, smacking down one of the fish, she was visibly startled, gathering herself onto her haunches in surprise. Toadpaw continued to watch as he finished off the prey, letting the body flop onto the sand. When it came for her to try, she was a bit hesitant from her previous encounter with the fish, but after seeing how fun it actually looked, she decided to give it a try.
"I guess I'll try! I don't know if they'll be very friendly, though. You just hunted one of them." She mused, sauntering over to the water. The tortoiseshell sunk in slowly, well aware of how her last experience with the water was. She let it take her in instead of forcing herself, letting the water sink into her fur and allowing her body to get used to it. Once she was in, she ran right into the school of flying fish, causing more of a commotion. If they jump higher, they'll surely be easier to catch! Tucking her head close to her chest to avoid the relentless sprays of water, she snuck small glances at the fish. She saw one that she thought she could catch, and quickly soared towards it.
It wasn't too fruitful. It limply smacked against her chest, missing her paws, and fell back into the water. She fell back into the water as well, causing a small splash. Toadpaw lifted her head above the tide, taking in a gasp of air. I've gotta be better at not falling in... but that was kind of fun! If fishing is always like this, who wouldn't like it?
Jumping out of the water again, she didn't aim for any fish. She just let herself fall back down, creating a slightly larger splash. Toadpaw did this once again, not aiming for any fish and simply letting herself fall, water cascading around.
"Woah, this is really fun!" She exclaimed as the fish still soared around her, some migrating further down the shore from the non-fish flyer among them.
Her comments were supposed to be funny, he assumed, but really he just felt like she was mocking him? Swiftwave stifled a sigh, and padded out of the way to observe her technique. His butt plopped into the sand, and yellow eyes watched intently as she gave it an attempt.
It wasn't a horrible attempt, in all honesty, but he of course felt mildly disappointed when she missed the catch. He noted she did a decent job startling them out of the water, though, and the leap was strong - just mistimed. He was about to give her some gruff encouragement, when she began to splash around like an utter kit. His expression dropped from interested, to an are you serious look.
"When you're quite done," Swiftwave would comment dryly, rolling his eyes, "come back to shore. I think you're quite close, you just need to work on your aim."
And your childishness, he thought, but kept that to himself. Perhaps he could be a bit more tolerant of her playfulness, but he was pretty sure most mentors wouldn't be. He definitely wasn't about to train a completely useless apprentice.
His tail flicked her forward impatiently, while his paws dug down into the sand. He pulled forth a chunk of driftwood, a little bigger than his paw, and batted it between his paws idly. "You need to do what I was doing. Once they start flying, bunch up, ready to pounce when one soars over your head. Don't fully body slam it, use a paw."
He smacked the piece of driftwood into the air, directly towards her head, with a comment of "You need to think fast."
Perhaps not the wisest thing to do with a scatterbrained apprentice, but he wanted her to learn okay?
