SmokeClan/Roleplay

It is currently *greenleaf* of Y1. SmokeClan has made their camp in the middle of a swathe of redwood trees, shielded from enemy attack. They are moving closer and closer to the large waterfall running down the center of their territory as the prey runs better there and it is best for growing herbs.
The heavy forest is thriving due to the summer heat, and prey is running well. Herbs are growing steadily and prey, well-fed, is plump and delicious to eat. The rain is infrequent but consistent enough that nothing is drying out. The clan's primary source of food is birds, specifically pigeons and thrushes. Frogs are sparse due to the lack of rain, so the clan survives off of various types of birds that are plentiful in the warm weather.
The Clan is active starting just before dawn, which is when patrols are sent out and the hunters catch the clan's daily prey. Because their territory is lined with deep forest, the heat is not a big issue and allows cats to stay out during the hottest part of the day. They use this time to train, pick herbs, and catch more prey to stockpile. When dusk hits, most cats retire to their dens to avoid the night chill. Two cats stand guard at the camp's entrance, alert and ready to wake the clan if an attack comes.

*None*

Hailstar yawned and stretched. She padded out of her den and onto the Highrock, looking over the camp below. It was just about dawn, and activity was slowly starting to pick up. Sedgeclaw was standing just below the Highrock, assigning patrols with Leopardfang and Firtuft. Sleepy warriors were emerging from their dens and choosing from the previous day's leftover prey. The pile looked pretty bare. She hoped the hunters would bring back a lot of fresh-kill.
She leaped down from her perch and padded over to Sedgeclaw. "Have the hunters left yet?"
Sedgeclaw pointed to the entrance of the camp. "Just sent them out. I told them to climb some trees, try and get a few more pigeons and crows. The frogs aren't really around because it's so hot."
She nodded. "And how are the new warriors adjusting? Have they been assigned to anything?"
"I'm going out with both of them to evaluate their skills," Sedgeclaw replied. "Once I see what they can do, I'll talk to these two," he motioned to Leopardfang and Firtuft, "and decide whether they'll become hunters, fighters, or guards.
Hailstar dipped her head. "Very well. Carry on. Let me know what you've decided once the decision has been made."
She made her way over to the fresh-kill pile, stepping delicately around scattered bones from last night's meal. The two newcomers were just coming out of the warriors' den. She smiled and walked right up to them. "Pebbletail, Riverfur," she greeted warmly. "Did you sleep well? I hope it didn't get too chilly overnight." —.neha. 13:41, August 2, 2017 (UTC)
Pebbletail and Riverfur had woken up inside their new nests, a bit anxious. They were the first SaltClan spies to ever be in SmokeClan, and much about the clan was unknown to their trainers. They were essentially pioneers for SaltClan's future spy programs, and although it was exciting the job was nerve-wracking. Pebbletail had been a spy for some of the loner groups in the area beforehand, so he was more familiar with the job at hand. Riverfur, on the other hand, was young and nervous. If a mistake didn't end up with them being killed in SmokeClan, they would surely be killed by their own clan.
The pair exited the den, walking side-by-side. Riverfur glanced up at the sky, unused to the thick canopy of trees above them. She was startled and jumped when Hailstar called for them. Instantly, a sense of fear swept over her. *She's caught on. We need to go.* However, when the leader continued with a subject that wasn't about her knowing the two were spies, Riverfur calmed down immensely. "Oh, hello Hailstar! It was wonderful, we're used to much cooler temperatures," the tortoiseshell mewed in response.
Pebbletail nodded, agreeing with his companion. "Yes, we cannot thank you enough for taking us in," he chimed in, flashing a smile at the leader. He was hoping to get clsoer to her, to find out more about the clan. Whalestar had assumed he could use his good looks and charming personality to worm his way into a romantic relationship with the leader, however, it was proving to be a little more difficult than he had anticipated. —Leggy 18:18, August 2, 2017 (UTC)
"Of course, of course," Hailstar replied. When the two cats had come and asked to join the clan, she hadn't thought twice about it before agreeing. They always needed new warriors, and these two seemed like they had some prior hunting and fighting experience. They were always looking to strengthen their offensive line; she always worried about them being too weak in combat, so the addition of new warriors was greatly welcomed.
There was something about Riverfur that was just...captivating. Hailstar didn't know what it was. She was shyer than her companion, more subdued and not nearly as forward as Pebbletail, but those qualities stuck out as endearing in Hailstar's mind. She shook her head fiercely, trying to force those thoughts out of her head. *You're the clan leader. You can't do this.*
"In SmokeClan, we have three groups of warriors; fighters, hunters, and guards," Hailstar mewed. "We train our apprentices in all three and then when they're warriors, they're evaluated and our deputies decide which group they become part of. You both are new but seem to have a handle on things, so today you'll be going out with Sedgeclaw, Leopardfang, and Firtuft. They're going to watch you, see how you hunt and fight, and tonight you'll guard the camp for us. By tomorrow you'll know what group you're in and your focus will be honing those skills. Sedgeclaw, Leopardfang, and Firtuft are waiting, so is there anything you'd like to ask me before you head out?" —.neha. 18:38, August 2, 2017 (UTC)
Riverfur flattened her ears as she glanced over at the group of deputies waiting to assess her and Pebbletail. The cats were big-much larger than her, at least-and looked rather grumpy. Was it at her or each other? She didn't have long to ponder that thought, as Hailstar prompted another question. Snapping back to attention, Riverfur was surprised to hear that Hailstar wasn't coming with them. "Oh, are you not going with us?" she asked gently, kind of hoping that the leader (who seemed to trust them) would come with in case the deputies assumed they were from SaltClan.
Pebbletail cocked his head a little at the assessment, but decided not to question it. He shot a glance when Riverfur asked the question though, a little taken aback. *What is she thinking?* he wondered, visibly confused as to why his clanmate would risk something like that. He could only hope that she was smart enough to dumb down her fishing skills when it came to the assessment.
Leopardfang sat by the entrance with the other deputies, grooming one paw. Her spotted coat was sleek and shiny, and fluffed out around her neck and tail to make her look quite stunning. She mused over this thought, glancing around camp. *A shame I'm a better fighter and hunter than most anybody else, or else I would've been Leopardface*, she thought to herself, suppressing a snicker. The vain she-cat eyed the new warriors talking to Hailstar, wondering what on earth could be taking them so long. —Leggy 19:50, August 2, 2017 (UTC)
Hailstar shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I have to stay and watch over the camp." She desperately wanted to go, but what kind of leader would she be if she did? The healers were all out gathering herbs; there was no cat to watch the camp in case of an attack. She couldn't leave her clan that vulnerable. She was trying so hard to gain the trust and respect of her cats, and that would only happen if she gave them a reason to trust her. "Be sure to let me know how it goes, though!" She dipped her head to the two new warriors and made her way back over to her den.
Sedgeclaw licked a paw and smoothed down one ear. He wasn't too pleased that all three of them were going on this evaluation. He'd hoped he could do it alone, prove to Hailstar that he could handle leadership better than Leopardfang. He still didn't understand why Hailstar had picked that flea-brain over him. Brute strength was one thing, but being head deputy involved more than that. He wasn't so sure Leopardfang had it. —.neha. 21:33, August 2, 2017 (UTC)
Riverfur dipped her head, acknowledging the leader's response. "I'll be sure to let you know, if your deputies don't beat me to it," she chirped, flashing a wink at the leader, before following Pebbletail over to the assembled deputies.
Leopardfang watched the two approach, and stood, pushing herself ahead of Sedgeclaw and Firtuft. "Ah, the newcomers. Welcome to SmokeClan! I'm Leopardfang, one of the deputies," she meowed, waving a tail as she gestured to the other two. "These are my peers, Sedgeclaw and Firtuft. We will be assessing you today to establish what areas of clan life you're most suited to." —Leggy 00:12, August 3, 2017 (UTC)
Firtuft cast a slight glance at Leopardfang, a tiny hint of loathing glinting ever so subtly, but as quickly as it was flashed it was gone, only to be replaced with indifference. At best, his thoughts on the other two deputies was only to be described as 'disconcerned'. He was well past irked at their inability to work together properly, and he could probably go on about both of their personality defaults if only he cared. However, at the same time, he found that he didn't dislike talking to them, and quite frankly he was sure they kinda liked having him as their third equal... Or did they...?
As he pondered his ever mutating feelings, he realized he'd been staring blankly at the two new cats, and he was sure it was beginning to look weird. Fumblig with curse words under his breath, he felt the pressure to do something building, until he took the leap of faith and thrust himself forward to stand next to Leopardfang, but lost his balance as he realized he'd tried too hard and quickly fought to regain it. Feeling hot with embarrassment, he began, "Er, welcome to the clan! I'm Feaurtuf- I mean Firtuft. I know, stupid name right? Who even thinks of these endings, Firtuft, like a tuft of a fir tree? How like... mouse-brained..." he laughed obnoxiously at his own joke, choked, and then turned his head to stare at a crow in the trees above him, pretending as if nobody around him existed for a moment. ~ **Ky** 04:34 Thu Aug 3
Sedgeclaw scoffed at Firtuft's attempt at breaking the tension. Surely a deputy was meant to be a little more poised and a lot less immature. He still couldn't figure out what was going through Hailstar's head when she picked him. "Shall we begin?." He straightened his shoulders and lashed his tail, waiting for Leopardfang to take the lead. One of the perks of being head deputy was deciding where the assessments occurred and what they would entail. —.neha. 14:10, August 3, 2017 (UTC)
Cedarleaf poked her head out of the opening to the healer's den, scanning the clearing, taking in each of her Clanmate's pelts. Her mouth hung open a bit, inhaling sharply to assess the scents wafting through the camp. Satisfied with what she found, she stepped completely out of the den, shaking off the scraps of moss clinging to her fur. As she lifted her paw to clean her paw pad, Shadowpaw bolted out from a bush beside her, scampering across the clearing toward Hailstar. Cedarleaf shook her head, startled by the little tom's burst of energy. She followed the tom, curious as to what had him all riled up.
As she neared Hailstar, she could see the leader was just as surprised as she was. The tabby she-cat put a paw on Shadowpaw's tail, holding it still as he swished it about. "Don't just sit there, Shadowpaw, what is it?" she asked. Shadowpaw looked between the healer and the leader, then settled on his original target, Hailstar. "I wanna join a hunting patrol! No one even asked the apprentices to come along. I'm getting real good at catching birds! Please let me go on patrol!"
Cedarleaf purred, happy the little apprentice was so enthusiastic about serving his Clan. Catching Hailstar's gaze on her pelt, she turned to the leader, hoping she would get a non-verbal answer to why she was being stared at. The healer got what she was asking for when she saw the other healers walk through the camp's entrance with bundles of herbs in their jaws. Flattening her ears, she let out an apologetic grunt as she made eye contact with the leader. Before Hailstar could say anything aloud, Cedarleaf nudged Shadowpaw forward. "Shadowpaw, we both know how much Hailstar loves patrolling. I think she was expecting me to be out with the rest of the healers, so she didn't go herself," she said, hoping the leader would take the apprentice along. Cedarleaf could sense the leader was mildly disappointed, so she hoped that with the leader out on patrol, she could get some work done around camp to make up for it. — nervousbreakdance 15:56, 08/3/2017
Hailstar was slightly taken aback at Cedarleaf's boldness, practically pushing her out of camp to go on a patrol. She wasn't sure why the healer had assumed she was itching to go out on one, had she really given off that air? Watching her clan wasn't a nuisance. She didn't mind being around in case warriors had questions or to help out the elders if the apprentices hadn't already. "Come along Shadowpaw! Let's see how your training's been going!"
They headed out of camp, and Hailstar instinctively began leading Shadowpaw in the direction of the waterfall. She wanted to check on it, see how much water the river had and make sure it was still running as steadily as ever. Her worst nightmares involved the waterfall stopping and herbs slowly becoming scarce because they had nowhere to grow. "You've been taught the basics of hunting, fighting, and guarding, Shadowpaw. Do you have a favorite? What are you hoping to be, as a warrior?"
She liked to get an idea of what the apprentices wanted, so she could pass along the information to her deputies in hope that they would take it into consideration when making the final decision. Sometimes apprentices ended up disappointed with their placement, but she tried to make them as happy as she could. The good of the clan mattered more than an apprentice's feelings, but it was no use having a warrior that hated what they were doing, because they'd be doing it until retirement or death, whichever came first. —.neha. 20:05, August 7, 2017 (UTC)
Leopardfang snickered as Firtuft introduced himself, and shot a glare at Sedgeclaw's indifference, before she stood up. "If you two will follow me, I will lead our party to the appropriate grounds for this exam," she offered, waving her thick-furred tail towards the exterior of camp.
Riverfur and Pebbletail nodded, glancing at the other deputies as the group moved out. Pebbletail felt a little intimidated by the three deputies, noting that they were large and strong. However, it was very easy to pick up on the dissent among the group. Leopardfang and Sedgeclaw seemed to hate each other especially, and the two kept speeding up to pass the other cat if one decided to take the lead. Admittedly, the scene was humorous to the SaltClan spies.
Upon reaching a suitable spot for the assessment, Leopardfang stopped the group. "Now, I don't want to be *too*, bossy," she cooed, glancing at the other deputies. "-so I will let you two take ti from here." She sat down, folding her tail neatly over her paws. *Now they can't complain to Hailstar about me.* —Leggy 22:52, August 15, 2017 (UTC)
Sedgeclaw smirked. If she was going to give her power up that easily, that was on her. Now he couldn't be faulted for taking control. He stood and squared his shoulders, padding over to Riverfur. "We'll start by assessing your fighting ability. Spar with me. Let's see what you can do." He swiped his tongue across his teeth and lashed his tail once more, waiting for the she-cat to make the first move. —.neha. 23:27, August 15, 2017 (UTC)
Riverfur cast a rather nervous glance at Pebbletail when Sedgeclaw singled her out first, but nonetheless complied with the deputy's command. Riverfur flattened her ears, slinking down low to the ground and circling Sedgeclaw. When he was too slow to stay squared with her, she launched herself along the ground, twisting beneath him to scratch at his belly. Before he could drop on her, she scooted back out from under him and turned to face him, ready for his next move.
Pebbletail watched Riverfur fight, not surprised by the fact she was using a very SaltClan-esque pattern of circling and striking. He could recall that Riverfur's strongest talent was swimming, as was his, and had they remained in SaltClan, they would have been divers. On land, Riverfur still seemed agile and flighty, like she was wimming in the air. Pebbletail flattened his ears, sitting down. He wasn't as sleek and graceful, so perhaps he would be a fighter? —Leggy 23:49, August 15, 2017 (UTC)
Shadowpaw lashed his tail excitedly. "I want to be a fighter! I've gotten really good at it. Hunting wouldn't be bad either, I'm pretty good at that," he said, eyes narrowd slightly as he thought about it. "What were you as a warrior, Hailstar?" the grey and white tom asked, looking up at his leader as he matched her pace. — nervousbreakdance 22:04, 08/17/2017