Dawn Rising

[Yoko]

OOC: Please note that all speaking in this post are hushed voices and a little far from dens. Thank you

Lizardeye padded silently towards the Camp Entrance. Twistedclaw and Snaketail were not far behind. The light was soft then. A gentle swirl of pink and purple signified the time for Dawn Patrol to leave.

They should be waking their apprentices now, but first certain matters had to be discussed. They're apprentices would surely not oversleep by much.

With a tilt of his head, Lizardeye signaled for Snaketail to see if there was a guard outside camp. Snaketail padded out for a moment and quickly returned, shaking his head.

"Good," Lizardeye mewed indifferently. "Now about our apprentices-"

"Yes," Snaketail mewed excitedly. "What are we to do about them? Won't one of us need-?"

"I've decided that they shall be battle-training today," Lizardeye mewed. "I'll go today, so you and Twistedclaw will take care of their lesson."

Twistedclaw grinned widely. That meant he'd be teaching them all today. Snaketail would help of course, but all three knew it was Twistedclaw's department.

"But what shall we tell them?" Snaketail mewed irritably.

"The truth. Explain to them that we are honoring our Clan. From what I've seen they're almost ready to learn. Afterall, they are nearly warriors. And if we want them to be on our side always, we must form a stronger bond than what we have."

"I don't know that Honeypaw is ready. I think we should wait," Snaketail mewed.

"I said almost," Lizardeye mewed. "It will be your job to prepare her, Snaketail. We can not keep up a charade for long. They are intelligent she-cats and there are three of them."

Snaketail nodded. Twistedclaw yawned. Strategy was all well and good but he was growing bored of it already. The three waited silently for their apprentices to arrive.

[Ki]

((I'm just going to pop in here.))

Well, someone arrived. But not the apprentices. She slipped in through the camp entrance, looking a bit tired. Feathercloud had no intended to stay away from her Clan as long as she had. But something at Highstones just wouldn't let her leave. Every time she thought about coming back, something would nag at her not to. Even if she ignored it and tried to leave, the medicine cat would receive some sign that would always deter her away and make her go back. Finally, on the night of the Gathering, Feathercloud knew she was needed. She hurried back as quickly as she could, but couldn't make it back before dawn. The warriors, whatever they had been discussing, wouldn't need to worry about Feathercloud overhearing them. She seemed quite tired.

"Lizardeye, Twistedclaw, Snaketail." Feathercloud greeted them sweetly, but her eyes were tired. "Where is Specklestar? I need to speak with her."

[Yoko]

Snaketail raised his head at the sound of her voice. Of course, Lizardeye was already looking in her direction. Did she hear anything? Well, she would have had to be standing there for quite a while if she did. They had been silent for a long time by now.

"Feathercloud," Snaketail mewed amicably, his amber eyes shining cheerfully. "How was your journey? Oh right, that's all hush hush, correct? Well, you've missed the Gathering and Specklestar has long since gone to her den. She'll want to see you immediately, I suppose."

Snaketail saw from the corner of his eye that Twistedclaw had shrank a little away from Feathercloud. The fierce warrior was looking at the ground, dragging his claws in the dirt. Snaketail repressed a chuckle.

[Ki]

"I figured as much." Feathercloud replied, nodding to Snaketail. It didn't appear that she had heard a thing. "You three must have Dawn Patrol, I'm guessing?" She gave Snaketail a friendly nudge, then began to pad towards Specklestar's den. Her journey had been arduous and a bit agitating at times. Especially while StarClan kept her holed up in Highstones, when her Clan might be needing her! Feathercloud stood at the entrance of Specklestar's den, her brown and black tail swishing back and forth in the air.

"Specklestar? I've returned." she mewed.

[Yoko]

As Feathercloud padded away, Twistedclaw felt a paw nugde his shoulder. Snaketail was standing over him, snickering. Twistedclaw glared with deadly green eyes and made a deep claw mark in the earth beneath him. Snaketail kept snickering.

"Shut it!" Twistclaw 'barked'.

Snaketail's snicker turned to a laugh and he moved just in time to avoid what would have been a clawed blow to his left ear. "I'm sorry," he mewed, still laughing.

Twistedclaw continued to glare but laid down and crossed his paws as he did so. If Snaketail weren't his brother...!

Specklestar crept slowly from the depths of her den. The camp was dark except for the twinge of colors overhead. She peered into the darkness with tired eyes until she could make out a shape. She recognized Feathercloud quickly.

"Welcome back," she mewed cooly. "I hope you enjoyed your trip. It's been fairly hectic without you. Is there anything important to report? And if so, let's go inside and discuss it."

She glanced at the dawn patrol, or half of it at least. They were some of her most powerful clanmates and yet there was something that kept her from being completely trustful of them.

[Ki]

"Hectic? What's happened?" Feathercloud asked, padding slowly into the den. Her amber eyes widened suddenly. "Oh, great StarClan! Is Poppyfrost alright?" Oh, if something had happened...Poppyfrost would be furious at her! It seemed to make sense. StarClan finally released her from Highstones because her Clan needed her. Feathercloud curled her tail tightly around her paws, a nervous habit of hers. At least she did have something to tell her leader. If something did occur, the messages from StarClan might help to make up for her absence.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Emberpaw slipped out of the apprentices' den and into the dusky light of the clearing. Arching her back in another stretch, she clawed the ground briefly and then straightened to scan the clearing for her mentor. It took only moments to spot him, sitting with his brothers near the camp entrance. Like always, it struck her how coordinated the three toms looked together. They looked like more than a unit; they looked like one entity separated into three bodies. She wondered briefly if she and her sisters looked like that, and a dark cloud passed over her thoughts at the memory of Honeypaw and Heronpaw. No, they weren't that close. Or, if they had been once, they weren't anymore.

Giving her pelt a few quick licks to neaten it and remove the scraps of moss that still clung from her nest, Emberpaw strolled over to the three warriors after passing a fleeting glance over the fresh-kill pile. Her lips curled in a sneer when she saw Flintpaw devouring a small mouse. The scrawny excuse for a cat wasn't any bigger than a kit, and if that wasn't pitiful enough, he wasn't even Clanborn. And, she thought disgustedly as she watched his frail body quiver with a suppressed cough, he didn't even respect the Warrior Code enough to know not to eat until the elders and queens had been fed. Turning her head pointedly away, the slight apprentice sat gracefully next to her mentor and nodded respectfully to all three cats.

"Good morning Lizardeye," she mewed lightly, blinking when her cobalt eyes met his intense green ones. "Snaketail, Twistedclaw. I heard that Specklestar wanted me and my sisters to go on dawn patrol with you." Tilting her mottled head slightly, she studied the three warriors politely as she waited for her sister to finally rouse Honeypaw and emerge from the apprentices' den. She thought the brothers looked particularly focused this morning, and wondered what could be so exciting about a simple dawn patrol. To top it off, Twistedclaw looked rather annoyed, and she thought she caught a hint of amusement from Snaketail. Well, the three of them were certainly more lively than herself early in the morning, she'd give them that much.

[Yoko]

Lizardeye watched his apprentice emerge from her den, and observed her reaction to the sickly Flintpaw. He felt no concern for it though. Afterall, she was not the only cat to feel that way, and from his standpoint it would not affect her training, or loyalty to her Clan. Therefore, it was unimportant.

He turned away from her for a moment to see Twistedclaw clawing more of the ground, this time out of irritation. The earth around the fierce warrior was now soft and overturned. Hardly any grass was left in front of him.

By the time Lizardeye lost interet in that, Emberpaw was sitting beside him. He looked down and met her eyes.

"Good-morning, Emberpaw," Lizardeye mewed mono-tonely. "I suppose that means none of us informed you?"

Snaketail looked suprised. "I'm sorry, Emberpaw! I was so tired after the Gathering I completely forgot to tell you three."

Twistedclaw was smirking behind Snaketail's back. Lizardeye ignored all this and mewed, "I'll inform you myself next time, Emberpaw."

"I already apologized," Snaketail mewed, "there's no need for that, Lizardeye."

Lizardeye looked unmoved. Why were they so off balance this morning? It wasn't like them to argue. He brushed it off as nerves. Afterall, this could all go quite wrong if not handled correctly.

"Relax, you two. Where are your sisters, Emberpaw?"

[:c a i:]

((Just to make Lizardeye aware of Darkflower's existence... And to annoy Spore. ^_^))

It was early in ShadowClan, yet Darkflower was awake and out of her nest. She was not one for sleeping late, nor going to bed early. In fact, she preferred to sleep as little as possible, for there were far better things she could be spending her time on. On this particular morning, it seemed that she was not alone in camp, since there was a small group gathering a short way away from where she stood. Darkflower assumed it was the dawn patrol getting ready to leave - After all, for what other reason would most cats be up at this hour? With her usual, carefully guarded expression in place, the dusky she-cat glided closer, without looking over to the group, until she was able to identify the cats present.

From the corner of her eye, Darkflower was able to distinguish who was who. Ah. Of course. Snaketail, Lizardeye and Twistedclaw with one of their small apprentices. The trio which moved as one, thought Darkflower with a hidden roll of her eyes. She turned her head and examined the three brothers thoughtfully, wondering about them, having never really spoken a great deal to any one of the three, despite their being in the same Clan in the same den. Something seemed slightly charged in the atmosphere on this morning (though that could be put down to the heat) and, catching a few snippets of conversation as she swept elegantly past, Darkflower noted that there was a tiny amount of tension in their hushed tones. She put it down to the usual rivalry which sprung between tomcats. Toms." She muttered. Though for all her indifference, she admired the unity between the three. It made her try to think of a time when she, Blackfeather and Brightpool were as harmonious together as them, but she realised that in truth, there was never such a time. Discord had started between her and her sisters a long time ago.

Turning away, Darkflower did not care whether she was seen or not. Whatever those cats were up to was none of her business. Though this did not stop a tiny prickle of curiosity springing inside her over the mysterious brothers and she was irritated with herself for wanting to know more. What did she care, after all? With one, last flash of her bold green gaze which settled by chance upon Lizardeye, Darkflower turned away like a shadow.

[Yoko]

Eclipsepaw padded quickly into the clearly. A new day was a brilliant thing. She could not say she was happy. Afterall she had just suffered yet another nightmare of Acornsquash, but she was determined to not let him control her day.

She observed the abnormally crowded dawn clearing. She saw Feathercloud entering Specklestar's den. It's about time she came back! she thought with a huff, thinking of Brindlepelt.Then she saw Flintpaw taking food from the fresh-kill pile. It's only dawn, hunting patrol will go out before all those queens and kits even wake up. she thought, her eyes lingering on him a moment. Was he getting thinner? She had always wondered how long he would last. It wasn't that she wanted him to die. She was just curious of it. Eclipsepaw hardly caught sight of Darkflower, did that cat ever sleep?

Quickly, she spotted Emberpaw and their mentors. She padded over and sat immediately beside her apparently grouchy mentor, Twistedclaw.

"Good Morning, everyone. Honeypaw is on her way."

Lizardeye watched the clearing with mild interest. At this rate it would be high sun by the time they left for Dawn Patrol! He watched Feathercloud's expression from afar, trying to determine how serious the news were or what they may be, but as he expected, Specklestar invited her into her den.

The cold-eyed warrior was momentarily distracted from waiting for Emberpaw's answer by Darkflower's sudden emergence into the clearing. Her expression was unreadable, one of the few he could not read plainly. He had never had occassion to speak to her, but from what he knew that she was very similar to Blackfeather. Yet there was something not quite right, something that kept her from being Blackfeather's exact twin. He wanted to know what it was, but of course, he had biggger problems to deal with and other enigmas to solve. Someday, perhaps, he would know everything there was to know of his many clanmates. For now, all that mattered were the cats in Dawn Patrol.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Well, well, it wasn't often Emberpaw got to see Lizardeye and his brothers bicker, even about little things. She considered herself privelidged to witness such an event, and was slightly relieved to know that they quarrelled sometimes, just like any brothers might. "They'll be out soon," she mewed to her mentor, flicking her tail at the apprentices' den. "Eclipsepaw was just-" she let the sentence trail off as her ebony-furred sister arrived and announced that Honeypaw was on her way. Well. Then she'd just wait until it was time to go, then, wouldn't she? She was sure that her sister would be along shortly; the little golden she-cat had always been an early riser. Wrapping her tail around neat white paws, the small apprentice simply studied the wakening clearing as she waited for their patrol to leave.

[Amber]

It was hard to shake those piercing eyes from her memory. Oh how she wished that that day had never happened, or that she never had a big brother that killed the only tom she had ever formed a bond with. The she-cat shuddered as she padded toward the three brothers, and her own siblings. Honeypaw didn't feel like being too observant of her surroundings at the moment. Nothing in the camp was really intriguing her too much, other than when glancing toward the nursery a horrible feeling came over her as she remembered that day. It was that day that she had promised to never let anything happen to her sisters. And nothing would as long as she had anything to do with it.

Honeypaw finally reached the group of cats and sat beside Eclipsepaw. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was just having a hard time getting up this morning." she murmered looking toward the ground. Her gaze soon swept to Eclipsepaw and Emberpaw, hoping that she was forgiven about the previous night. She didn't want there to be any hard feelings between them.

[Yoko]

Snaketail nodded as Honeypaw approached. She did not appear too happy, but then, Snaketail hadn't been fond of Dawn Patrol as an apprentice either. In fact, he was unsure as to why he and his brothers insisted on doing this so often. He supposed that it was simply what was expected of them after all these moons. And it had become a sort of...bonding time for them. They did nearly everything together of course, except hunting, which Twistedclaw despised. But Dawn Patrol was especially important. They woke up all at once. They led their Clan into the new day. And they were hoping, that their apprentices would understand that someday...

"It's no trouble at all, Honeypaw," the tall tabby mewed. "I forgot to inform you and your sisters last night. This morning is on me."

"Oh, quit it, Snaketail!" Twistedclaw snorted in amusement. "We all forgot. So let's get over it and move on."

"I agree," Lizardeye mewed coldly. "Now let's go, we're losing the morning."

Lizardeye led the way out of the entrance. Snaketail smirked. Works every time! He followed, Twistedclaw already on his paws and walking beside him. Both flicked their tails for the apprentices to follow.

((OOC: Moving to border))

[Mousy]

[OoC: Carp. Toadpelt's on this patrol! GET UP!]

Fireshadow padded out of the warriors' den, followed shortly by Toadpelt, who looked as though he would rather be asleep.

"Well, you've missed them now, Mouse-brain! You'll have to run if you want to catch them up!" Fireshadow mewed, giving Toadpelt's shoulder a playful cuff as he sprung off after his cousins.

Toadpelt set off at a sprint after his cousins, and rapidly caught them and the apprentices up, nearly bashing in to Twistedclaw in his haste to reach them.

"Sorry." He gasped in between breaths, his shoulders rising and falling noticeably.

[Yoko]

((OOC: Almost didn't make it there Toadpelt Spike, will you please have Runningfrost call for a hunting patrol? I'd have Specklestar do it, but I don't want to take the job from your Deputy. ))