PathClan :: Camp

A broad section of the underground thunderpath. Clan meetings are held on the Highsteps, a staircase leading to an abandoned twoleg den that cannot be reached from the outside due to its boarded door. The path runs through the center of the camp, splitting it in half. The first half, marked by the Highsteps, is overgrown by bushes that form the nursery and elder's den. The medicine den is a petrified log, leftover from The Sunfall. The leader sleeps in a hollow on the edge of the Highsteps. On the other side of the tracks are piles of rubble, dens from warriors and apprentices to populate.

Hauntstar lifted her head out of her nest, detecting the faintest rays of dawn. She stood up and stretched, then crawled out from under the Highsteps. Very little light drifted through from the thick foliage covering the hole in the ceiling, but it was enough to make her squint.

Saffronpaw grumbled as she woke, squinting once she emerged from the medicine den. She shook out her fur, licking her paw and dragging it over her left ear. Upon spotting Hauntstar, she retreated back into the medicine den with a thought of needing to sort herbs. Far too early for socializing. 

Badgerpaw got up from the apprentice den, his eyes happy as he spots his mother. "Hey, Mother... I mean Hauntstar!" He says happily, his eyes happy as he sits next to her, his tail flicking. "How are you?" he asks her, his paw tapping on the ground.


Doespirit sees Hauntstar and starts to approach her, before she stops when she sees Badgerpaw. She smiles, before walking away, looking around. "We need to organise a hunting patrol. Anyone up for it?"

"Hello Badgerpaw," Hauntstar purred before looking up to her deputy. "You should hunt by the abyss, this time in the morning some lazy bats will be getting back from their flights."

Thornkit trotted out of the nursery, sniffing around for mischief.

Fogberry walked into the camp with a bunch of herbs in her jaws, surprised to find everyone awake but realising it was probably morning. She made her way to the medicine nook, tail waving.

Pigeonpaw awoke as a cold wind blew. She fluffed out her fur and made her way to the center of camp where the others were.

"That is a very wise idea, Hauntstar." Doespirit says, before she spots the other cats coming out. "I shall see if any cat is up for it."


Badgerpaw smiles and wriggles, before speaking again. "I should see if my mentor wants me to do anything."

Saffronpaw glanced up when Fogberry wandered in, letting out a little huff. "You're such an early bird, Fogberry," she mewed and curled into a tighter ball.

Pinekit woke to an empty nest. "Thornkit?" She asked as she twisted around to search the den. Her brother was nowhere to be found. She sat up and knew that he must be getting into trouble early today. She climbed out of her nest and left the nursery to search for her littermate.

Fogberry shrugged. "I like to keep active. Too much sleep makes me groggy. Come on, I need to go into the Cave of Trees again, see if the catmint is growing like it should."

Saffronpaw groaned in protest, but still pushed herself to her paws, shaking out her fur with a huff. "Are you wanting me to accompany you?" She mewed and padded forward, skirting easily past a small pile of herbs. "We should check elsewhere to see how many herbs we can gather before it gets too cold, as well."

Fogberry purred in amusement. "Done and done. You're too slow," she teased, flicking her nose with her tail. "But you can double check, if you like doing the boring work."

Doespirit flicks her tail. She had only been made deputy a bit ago so she wasn't used to this. "We need to organise patrols." She says, loudly. "Anyone up for going on a patrol?" If no one volunteers I'll just pick someone.

"I'm not slow, I just like my sleep!" Saffronpaw grizzled and flattened her ears, sticking her tongue out at the she-cat.

"I can lead a hunting patrol," Littlewinter meowed as she emerged from the warrior's den, shaking out her fur.

"Thank you Littlewinter. Take Pidgeonpaw and her mentor with you." She says, before her eyes turn to the other cats. "I will lead the border patrol. Anyone up for it?"

Hootpaw padded up to Doespirit. "Hi," she waved her tail at the deputy in greeting. "Can I be of help anywhere?" 

Fogberry rolled her eyes. "Well, we should wait until the first hunting patrols get back anyway. No use herb-hunting on an empty stomach."

Doespirit nods to Hootpaw. "You can join me on the border patrol, or you could go hunting with the hunting patrol. But after sun-high we are working on your fighting techniques, ok?"

OOC: I just realised that I haven't actually had a cat mentor an apprentice in like forever lol

Saffronpaw let out a noise of relief, plopping back into her nest and beginning to groom her fur. "Anything I can help with before that?"

Pinewhisker dropped a robin in between his paws with a sigh of relief. As he plucked the feathers off, he watched a ladybug crawl along the dirt layering the ground. No wonder all the elders have fleas. The ground is filthy. he thought, wondering now of all the bacteria that just stuck to his prey. He reluctantly began to eat it, picking his paws up and down every few seconds. He couldn't believe he still wasn't used to this camp, but it sure was a nightmare. Just as he thought, another ladybug flew off of the bird he was in the middle of chowing down. Quite frankly, I'm losing my appetite over this. Seems worse than normal. he thought, clearly overreacting.

Pidgeonpaw padded over to Badgerpaw, her jaws gaped in a yawn. "It's too cold for training today." She grumbled in attempts of starting a friendly conversation.

Badgerpaw jumps, not having noticed Pigeonpaw behind him. "Oh, hi Pigeonpaw!" He says, enthusiastically, before he calms down. "And how are you today?" He asks, his enthusiasm gone.

She tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"I'm good, how about you?" She asked cheerfully.

"I'm not sure." Pidgeonpaw said, her voice slightly uneasy. "But it is morning, and they might be asleep."

Littlewinter groomed down the wilder parts of her fur before padding toward Pigeonpaw. "Pigeonpaw, let's go find your mentor. You two are coming on a hunting patrol with me." The black and white warrior purred the statement before turning to go look for the apprentice's mentor. 

Bellflower peeked outside of the warrior's den, her tail twitching nervously while she looked around. When she spotted her mother, she darted over, huffing a little.

Doespirit wrote:Doespirit nods to Hootpaw. "You can join me on the border patrol, or you could go hunting with the hunting patrol. But after sun-high we are working on your fighting techniques, ok?"

OOC: I just realised that I haven't actually had a cat mentor an apprentice in like forever lol

Hootpaw nodded and purred. "Great!" She then paused. "Is it...going to be just us?"

Doespirit looked at Hootpaw. “Yes, Just us. I’d like to see how you do without your brother overshadowing you.” She said, kindly.

Hootpaw flattened her ears. "He doesn't overshadow me, he's just an overachiever. I'm better than him, he just thinks he's better than me," she huffed, walking off.

Doespirit nods, knowlingly. She had never had any siblings, so she didn’t understand sibling rivalry, however she knew that it could cause anger towards the other sibling. “Anyone else wish to come on the border patrol?”

"I want to come!" Thornkit mewed, trotting up to the deputy with his tiny head held high.

Doespirit looks down at the kit, before sighing. “I’m sorry, Thornkit, but I don’t think your mother, nor Hauntstar would let me take you on the patrol.”

Thornkit pouted, "They don't have to know," the kit muttered angrily.

Hootpaw looked at Thornkit. "I'll teach you some battle moves when we get back? We're learning how to fight badgers!" She purred. "You can defend the camp while we're gone."

Thornkit grinned, bouncing back and forth between his paws. "I'd like that!" he chirped.

Doespirit sighed, glad that she didn’t have to deal with kits. Even though she is good with kids, she didn’t want to deal with them right now. “Anyone else?” She said, looking around. “Otherwise I will just choose someone.”

"Oh, thank you Littlewinter." Pidgeonpaw said with a respectful nod, padding off after the older cat.

Littlewinter smiled gently at the apprentice from over her shoulder, shaking out her black and white fur once more. 

Bellflower glanced up at the sound of patrols. She shuffled her paws, sighing. I better go offer to do something. She trotted over to Doespirit, stopping halfway and instead turning to go see if she could help the medicine cats. She darted over, peeking inside. "Fogberry? Pearldapple? Can I help with anything?"

Turtleberry groomed her grey fur in a small patch of sun, watching as Tawnykit came sprinting out of the nursery.

Fogberry glanced up at the warrior. "Yes, go patrol or something. Otherwise we'll all starve." 

Hootpaw gently cuffed Thornkit's ear. "Go back to Pinekit. We'll be back later, I'll bring you a mouse, hm?"

Bellflower winced and smiled sheepishly. "Okay," she mewed and darted back over to Doespirit. I dislike patrols, and the cold. She sighed and stopped in front of the deputy. "Where can I help most?"

Doespirit turned and looked at Bellflower, before she speaks. "You can join me on the border patrol. Hootpaw, are you joining us on the border patrol or staying at camp?" She asked, kindly to her apprentice.

Hootpaw's ears pricked. "I'd love to come!"

Bellflower nodded and flicked her fluffy tail. "Right, okay," she mewed, already padding toward the camp entrance. "What border, Doespirit?"

“RippleClan.” She said, before nodding. “Do you need to eat or can we leave?” She asked politely.

"Me? I'm fine if we head out now." Bellflower chirped her response, shuffling her black paws against the ground. "Plus the hunting patrols need to get back first."

Thornkit purred and tumbled back towards the nursery. "Pinekit! Do you want to play badger hunt?" he called.

Hauntstar looked over the camp, tail twitching. "Hello Hootpaw," she mewed.

Hootpaw purred softly. "Hi, Mom. Are you coming on the patrol too?"

"How do you play that?" Pinekit asked skeptically as Thornkit came running back towards her. She had never heard of that game before.

"Probably not," Hauntstar sighed, "Just checking in to see how patrols are getting set up."

"You start as the badger, and once you catch me I become the badger!" Thornkit squeaked, darting into a small tunnel created by the collapsed wall on the edge of camp.