Warrior Cat Clans 2 (WCC2 aka Classic) is a roleplay site inspired by the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Whether you are a fan of the books or new to the Warrior cats world, WCC2 offers a diverse environment with over a decade’s worth of lore for you - and your characters - to explore. Join us today and become a part of our ongoing story!
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Aspenstar had had a rough two months. A spider infestation, the lose of her own life, the tragic death of her brother. The fact that her relationship with Phantomfox had changed slightly since Rosethorn joined NightClan probably didn't help. Things were less complicated when she was in SummerClan, when the responsibility of parenting wasn't on his shoulders. It all felt like too much, like the weight of the world was slowly pushing down on her from all angles. She didn't like it. Her life had been completely drama free before her leadership, apart from the occasional spat with her brothers. The sudden addition of trauma and stress was wearing her down.
She had decided that today would be the stop to her wallowing, though. It was easy to stay holed up in her den. Things weren't complicated within the walls of her home. Yet, she was a leader. She didn't have time to be absorbed in self-pity any longer. The Clan needed her. She needed her, the her from before. As such, she had made the decision that today, she'd do something productive. She couldn't let another night go to waste.
With a sigh, she braced herself for the evening, before exiting the den. The first cat she saw would be the unwilling victim of whatever adventure would come out of the evening. Unluckily for Larkspur, she was the first cat she laid her mismatched gaze on. "Hey!" she meowed, padding up to her. "Got a minute?"
Larkspur hadn't nearly had the same chaos that Aspenstar had in the last months. She watched from afar, knowing that there was an unspoken tension that the leader carried, but she didn't intrude. She'd heard murmurs from her clanmates, "bless her soul" sort of murmurs, but nothing that Larkspur could ever speak upon. She wasn't close to the leader, nor any of the leader's closest affiliates.
Larkspur had been coming from the medicine cat's den for a gnarly tick that she couldn't reach herself. She hated when that happened. It always felt horrendously embarrassing. The leader's voice spooked her, Larkspur had not been expecting it. "Hey," she replies, giving the leader a smile. "Yes, of course. At your service."
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she meowed with her characteristic half-smile. It took a lot to get the leader to fully smile, but her half-smile was by now well-recognized by her clanmates as less abrasive than it would potentially read if she was any other cat.
"You okay? Cats don't see Cana very often unless something is wrong?" she then asked, her tail flicking absently. "If there is, we can raincheck. If you're sure you're fine though, I was wondering if you'd be interested in accompanying me on a little adventure? I've got some errands to run, and I've made it a personal goal to stop being holed up in my den, so company could be nice." She shifted awkwardly. Even after being leader for a few moons, she still felt awkward giving commands or suggestions.
She recognized that the leader wasn't upset of any sort, although a smile like that could show an insincerity. Larkspur didn't find that to be the case. The black she-cat carried high levels of empathy, easily getting a feel for if one was angry. For whatever reason, anger was the easiest emotion to register for her.
Larkspur giggles in embarrassment, her ears flattening down momentarily with the same emotion. "Oh, I'm okay. The other day I managed to pick up a tick and I didn't want to break it in two myself." Larkspur had gotten a tick infection once before. With her long fur, it was quite difficult to get a grip on burrs, ticks, and anything that managed to tangle itself within the beautiful black of her coat.
She tilted her head, surprised that the leader was asking her to help. She figured she wouldn't have been a first choice before. It wasn't a problem though. "Of course, I'd be happy to come with you." She offers a genuine smile to her leader, tail swishing slowly. "What are we up to today?"
"Is it tick season already?" she mewed in disbelief, looking up at the twilight sky. It had been getting warmer lately, but she didn't think it was warm enough for the bugs to come out. They were her least favorite part of being a warrior cat; Aspenstar did not like bugs. "Time's been going so fast these days. Is that what happens when you get old? Am I getting old?" She let out a laugh, although the look in her eyes suggested she wasn't saying it completely in jest.
She relaxed slightly when the warrior accepted her offer. "Perfect," she meowed with a flick of her tail. "I think it'll be good to spend the afternoon with you. We haven't had a chance to interact much." That had been sort of her fault, her own reserved nature following the catastrophe that was her last month had put her at a distance from her clanmates. She didn't like it, though. That had been her thing. She was the leader that knew all of her clanmates and did everything she could to ensure they were happy and healthy. She knew each one by name, and considered many to be friends and all to be her family. This evening would be a chance for her to get that back.
She turned to the camp entrance, waving her tail to inform Larkspur to follow. "We've gotta double check the SunClan border first. Do I do this every day? Yes. But, what can I say. I'd like to keep their particular brand of psychopathy on their side of the border." She chuckled with a blink. "Depending on how long that takes - I don't want to keep you all night - we might make another quick stop on the way back, but we'll see."
"It's always tick season when your coat gets caught on everything you brush past." Larkspur replied with disdain. She hated bugs too. She prayed to starclan that this season there wouldn't be fleas. Even the thought of the pesky little parasites made her skin itch. "You might have a few greys coming in." Larkspur teases the leader, but in a gentler tone, "I think you've just been stressed. Time flies when you're stressed too. Blink and suddenly it's been three moons."
"Oh, I suppose we haven't." Larkspur took a second to ponder on that thought. Of course, there was interaction whenever she was sent on a patrol, but outside of daily duties the two never had spoken too much.
Larkspur laughs at the leader's comment, her head dipping in agreement. "You can keep me for as long as you want, Aspenstar. Buddy system!" she purrs. The black she-cat pads alongside her leader, keeping her ears alert for any sounds of trouble. After a moment of silence, Larkspur glances to Aspenstar. "How are you?"
"I guess that's fair," she meowed with a chuckle and a nod, before continuing to listen to Larkspur as she spoke. Her eyes widened in mock horror. "Greys? Already?" She let out a loud gasp. "My dad always told me if I wasn't careful I was going to go grey before my warrior ceremony," she admitted with a half smile. "I didn't really believe him, but maybe he's not completely wrong," she laughed, before her tone became serious. "I appreciate that, Larkspur. Things have been... hectic recently." This wasn't a lie; since leading, NightClan had faced one travesty after another. Two apprentices had died recently, Oakleaf, the spider infestation, the emergence of an elemental in their ranks.... it was enough to drive her wild. "I suppose you're right though. Maybe I should give myself a little more grace for every gray fur that comes in."
Her eyes lighted when Larkspur said that she would stay with her as long as she needed. There was something profoundly comforting about having someone other than Phantomfox willing to spend as much time with her as she needed. "Buddy system," she agreed with a purr, before tilting her head. "That's a loaded question," she meowed after a moment with an awkward cough. "Better now than I was, but still not where I'd like to be." She closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Lots of changes as of recently, and I am just not adjusting very quickly." She thought of Rosethorn and the new kitten, the tensions that had arisen with Duskveil over Darkmeadow's fight with Phantomfox... It was enough to give a girl a headache. "But, I'll survive. I always do. How about you? Enjoying the start to new leaf?"
Larkspur smiles as Aspenstar speaks of her father. “He seems like quite the wise cat.” The feminine was grateful that Aspenstar was opening up to her. The tip of her tail flicks, as her thoughts wander to the new cat among their camp. Larkspur didn’t trust her. She believed wholeheartedly in seeking help for problems, but these suggestions... they just seemed unnatural.
“Always take time to give yourself grace. Being a leader is difficult enough as is.” Larkspur didn’t feel as though she needed to finish her thought. She touched her tail against Aspenstar’s flank in a comforting manor, leaving the tragedies of the last few months as unspoken. Having no siblings of her own, Larkspur couldn’t imagine what the other cat must be going through. All she knew was that she needed someone, and larkspur was happy to fill that place for a moment.
“Better now is always better than bad.” She gives a smile, before continuing on. “You’ll always have room to grow. Life is like the mountain ranges. We have our peaks but sometimes we must come down. But we can always make our way back up, even if it takes awhile to get there.” Larkspur felt fortunate. The sadness of losing apprentices, and the spider infestation was awful too, but she couldn’t complain. “New leaf is good. Hopefully it brings new beginnings.”
"He likes to think he is," she meowed, her smile finally crossing both sides of her lips. She was a daddys girl, but that didn't mean she didn't have some quick jests for Lostriver.
"I appreciate your kind words," she meowed with a nod. When she placed her tail on her side, Aspenstar found herself relax slightly. She hadn't realized how much tension rippling through her body until she felt the comforting embrace.
"You are a very wise cat, do you know that?" she then meowed after a moment. "Your compassion for your clanmates is honorable." She'd noticed it before in passing, the ways in which Larkspur interacted with those around her. She'd been keeping a close eye on the feline; she and Phantomfox had been discussing options for their expansion of the Guard. "I'm hoping you're right," she then meowed, before continuing their walk for a moment in silence.
Before long, they found themselves at the waterfall. Aspenstar was not... totally happy with the idea that she needed to be here, but it was the part of NightClan's territory that she'd used for every major announcement. "I may have brought you here under false pretenses," she meowed with a slight cough. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
Larkspur smiles. She never really got to know her parents before they ran off to become loners. Part of her wondered if that was what set off the fire in her soul to be so loyal to the clan she grew up in. She might've been left behind by two irresponsible warriors, but her clan never gave up on her. It was bittersweet to listen to Aspenstar speak so fondly of her parental figure.
Larkspur flicks her ears back sheepishly, beaming at the compliment from her leader. "Thank you Aspenstar, it's my duty to my clan to be there for them." Larkspur didn't expect to hear such kind words from the other cat. The compassion came naturally, and the love came fiercely.
The black she-cat tilts her head in confusion. False pretenses? Blue eyes scan the waterfall before she sits down, wrapping her fluffy tail around her paws. Studying the cat before her, Lark felt as though there was an unspoken discomfort. Again, she hoped Aspenstar was okay, but she felt it wasn't her place to pry. "What is it?"
Her tail flicked and she glanced to the water. Despite all of the destruction it had caused her, she was still drawn closer to the edge... She resisted the urge, though, and instead looked back to Larkspur with a nod.
"Phantomfox and I have been watching you recently," she meowed with a blink. Her mismatched gaze was intent on the other. "We have noticed your loyalty and your dedication to the group. We have recently run into a shortage of Loyal Guard members to train the apprentices. We thought that you would fit the bill."
Her head tilted to the side, watching the other cat carefully for a reaction. "I brought you out here because I wanted to ask: would you join my guard?"
Larkspur feels herself freeze momentarily, a wave of emotions running through her small frame all at once. She was overwhelmed with shock, and then fear. What if she wasn't good enough? After a moment, her thoughts ease away. Aspenstar wouldn't have picked her if she didn't believe Larkspur was a good fit.
She realistically knew that more came to the job than apprentice training, although that's currently what was most important. Eventually a smile breaks over her face, and she sits a bit straighter. "Yes Aspenstar. I'd be honored to. Thank you for choosing me." The she-cat dips her head in gratitude, her blue eyes shining fiercely.
"Based on the immediate look on your face, I have a suspicion that your first reaction was very similar to the reaction I had when Phantomfox selected me as his replacement. Surprise, nervousness, the lingering doubt that the other had made a mistake." Her tail tip twitched slightly as she recalled the day that Phantomfox, star at the time, approached her. The way she felt as she made the trip to get her lives. "I promise you, Phantomfox and I do not make mistakes." She thought of the guard, each one hand selected. Phantomfox, for his service and his comraderie with the leader. Violetglass, for training Aspenstar into the warrior and leader she had become. Z, for her unending support. And now, Larkspur.
When the she-cat accepted, she found the same relief spread in her body that had when each of the others had confirmed their willingness. A full smile passed her lips, one that reflected deeply in her mismatched gaze. The green and blue eyes glittered slightly. "Welcome to my Loyal Guard, Larkspur. We will confirm you tonight in front of the clan. I'm sure you have questions, though, between now and then?"
Deeply sighing and relaxing after the moment of anxiety, Larkspur takes a moment to gain control over her very excited, but very nervous, body. "He chose well." A smile graces her muzzle, and she thinks of the Loyal Guard captain. She hadn't even spoken to him before. She knew a bit about him, and she knew his mate had just joined the clan.
"Thank you, Aspenstar." She dips her head once more, smiling in return. She hadn't seen a smile like that on her leader's face, and it warmed her to her core. "Yes, I suppose I do." a million thoughts raced through her mind, and she was having trouble deciphering through them. "I know currently, the main duty is apprentice training. We've been graced with many this season. But what else can I expect from this position?" Maybe she should've asked this before agreeing, but deep in her heart, she knew her answer would've been yes no matter what.
"I sure hope he did," she meowed with a hint of amusement in her gaze. "He's a little lacking on use otherwise, but his judgement is sound." It was hard to talk about her best friend without being a little bit amused. It wasn't her fault, though. The bond was strong.
"Good question," she then meowed with an affirmative nod. "Apprentice training is a large part of it, yes, but it is not the only part of the job. Regularly, I will have you all lead patrols. The Loyal Guard is an elite group, and I trust your decision making more than the others." She flicked her tail. Patrolling was a task that many warriors resented, but she found that it was an opportunity for her guard to practice their leadership skills. "In addition to this, you will attend regular meetings with Phantomfox, who will provide you various other assignments. For example, if intel needs to be gathered about a fellow clan, there is a chance that you will be sent. But, do not worry. We will fully train you before we expect you to be a diplomat, although I have a feeling you will exceed at it." That had been one of the things that had drawn the duo to selecting Larkspur, her ability to easily mediate situations. "Finally, you will be expected to participate in all full staff discussions and decision making processes. As a guard, you are part of my inner circle, which means you have my full trust. I will look to your guidance as necessary."
She then cleared her throat, her mismatched gaze settling firmly on Larkspur's. "With all of that in mind, I ask again; would you do NightClan the honor of becoming a Loyal Guard?"
Larkspur purrs in amusement. She enjoyed watching the friendship between Phantomfox and Aspenstar. Someday, she hoped she'd find a bond just as strong.
Larkspur soaks in all the information that her leader gave her, her heart pounding a little quicker as she considered all of the possibilities that lay before her. The black she-cat had devoted everything to her clan, to have any leadership at all was an honor. She also knew the responsibilities were something daunting, but she had no doubt she'd be able to handle it. "I haven't been out of Nightclan before. It would be interesting to see how other clans are run. I would love to be a communicator between borders." She smiles, her blue eyes sparkling.
"I would love to take the position you're offering me. I'd be honored."
"Congratulations, the position is yours," she meowed with a smile. - time skip
"Larkspur, may I have a moment?" When Aspenstar asked for a moment, cats were slowly beginning to realize that whatever task the leader was about to give would take most of an evening, if not all night long. Honestly, this particular task was at least an all night venure. If they came back tonight at all, it would be late into the morning. "I trust that Phantomfox has cleared your afternoon schedule like I asked?"
Larkspur turns and says good-bye to Puddlepaw, who she’d been speaking to about training. She was curious to see how it was going, so she was attempting to talk to each of them for at least a moment. “Hello Aspenstar. My schedule is clears. All yours for tonight.” She coughs, realizing how suggestive that sounded, blushing under her fur. “Sorry. Yes. Hi. How can I help you?” Starclan Lark, get yourself together mouse brain.
Aspenstar gave Larkspur an uncharacteristic full smile, waving her tail. "Perfect, just what I was hoping to hear," she meowed with a slight purr. Aspen was painfully oblivious to Larkspur's internal dilemna, and genuinely was excited to spend time with the Loyal Guard. She relished the moments she had with each of her guard; they were her closest confidants and the cats she trusted most in the world.
"I think it's finally time we do some of the diplomacy training that I promised you," she meowed, her mismatched gaze twinkling slightly, with, what was it? Pride, maybe? "Eventually, you'll be taking on these missions by yourself, but this one is pretty relaxed." The fawn colored cat flicked her tail, before nodding to the pile of herbs that sat near her. There were two bundles of traveling herbs, one for each of them. "You'll want to eat those. SwiftClan's territory is... well, not the closest, that's for sure. Cradlegrave and I have some... history," she paused to shudder as she remembered the Goldfish Incident, "but he's the least intimidating leader there is, at least in my opinion." She paused her spiel to eat her own bundle, scrunching her nose at the taste. "One day, Cana will find a way to make these taste not like the underside of a raccoon," she chuckled. "That day is not today."
Larkspur's ears pricked forward, interested to realize that they were finally going on one of the trips to another clan. She'd never left Nightclan territory before (except a gathering forever ago), and she'd especially never been as far as Swiftclan's residence. "Is everything okay between the two clans?" she asks, padding to the bundle of herbs. Aspenstar was right, they tasted awful.
She stretches her back and reaches out her paws, loosening up before the long walk ahead of them. Larkspur was nervous, but she was also excited. This was her first real duty as one of the Loyal Guard, and she was prepared to protect her leader if necessary. "Lead the way." she purrs, grinning.
