Hello, honored guest, and welcome to NowIsForever! Please take the time to look around; we hope you will enjoy yourself while you are here. NowIsForever is a traditional Warriors roleplaying site set in the old forest. Our story takes place a few generations after SkyClan has been driven from the forest, well before the time of Bluestar or Firestar. We are always accepting new members, and our friendly members and staff will make sure to accommodate you to make sure that you can be integrated into the roleplay. Please consider joining our growing community; we know you'll love it!
Rivermist, a half-Clan queen in WindClan, and a half-Clan warrior from ShadowClan by the name of Foxfur had eight kits. The kits were raised in their mother's Clan until they were three moons old, when things changed.
After a request from the kits' father caused Rivermist to contemplate moving some of her kits to ShadowClan, WindClan's leader made the shocking decision to split the queen's kits evenly between all four Clans. Under the reasoning that the kits had the blood of all four Clans within them, two kits were sent to each of the other Clans, while two remained in WindClan with their mother.
Though all eight kits currently struggle with the after-effects of this tumultuous change, more is still to come. After the kits all become apprentices, one by one a kit from each Clan will die, until there is only one left alive in each of the four Clans. In honour of their fallen siblings, the apprentices will eventually take their dead littermates' suffix as their warrior prefix.
But what further troubles await these ill-fated offspring of a cursed union?
The Cats:
Five she-cat warriors of WindClan and RiverClan have been great friends for moons, and decide to do something crazy. They plan to get pregnant and have kits all at the same time, but one thing they don't count on is how many kits this really means!
The five queens each have four or five kits... that's a lot of kits to be born at the same time! But no-matter how tumultuous the idea seems, the queens have no idea what shocking change will come of their innocent plot.
The Queens:
deputy: Patchclaw — small, tortoiseshell and white she-cat with golden eyes.
medicine cat: Shadetooth — tall dark gray tom with yellow eyes.
mca: None — N/A
toms: 7 she-cats: 12
encouraged: Tom Warriors, Apprentices, Elders
leader: Thornstar — small brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.
deputy: Spottedsky — black and white she-cat with green eyes.
medicine cat: Sandcloud — ginger and white she-cat with amber eyes.
mca: None — N/A
toms: 7 she-cats: 9
encouraged: Everything
Codes either belong to various members of Slightly Insane or ProBoards Support, and are copyrighted to them. Images have been modified, but are still copyrighted to their rightful owners. Posts made by Now Is Forever members and the material therein are copyrighted to them.
Wandering « Thread Started on Nov 19, 2011, 1:59pm »
Nala had never been so far from the Twoleg nest.
She'd gone through the forest without any of the wild cats spotting her, and across the black thing that the human monsters ran across. Now she was in some sort of marsh land. She was paw-deep in water and mud, and the reeds grew taller than her in some places. She could smell that cats lived here. But the bell on her collar and the croaking of frogs were the only sounds she heard. Why were there so many scents, but no cats around? She glimpsed pawprints in the mud from time to time. But the prints were almost always old and the scents faded. Nala knew she should count herself lucky. Wild cats didn't take kindly to others being on their land. The ones in the forest had looked at her and Frisbee with disdain and called them kittypets. They thought themselves better because they had been born in the wild. Nala knew that she was descended from wild cats. She remembered the stories her mother told her.
She couldn't remember her mother very well, but she did remember her stories. And the name she had for her. Before she'd been given to her Twolegs, Nala had been called Damisi. And she had a sister. She remembered her, too. But Nala could only remember so much about them. Their faces had faded over time. At times she still dreamt of them. She could still remember her mother's voice, and her sister's scent. And she remembered her mother telling them that they had wild blood in their veins, and that the wild would always call to them. Perhaps that was why Nala was here, far from home and paw-deep in mud.
Was the wild calling to her once more, she wondered?
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Re: Wandering « Reply #1 on Nov 19, 2011, 2:09pm »
Speaking to her Medicine Cat had done nothing to lighten her mood. In spite of her insistence that the next hunting patrol would go directly to the Medicine Cat Den, there wasn't much food caught to begin with. The ShadowClan leader had just met up with the most recent hunting patrol, comprised solely of Snaketail and Lizardeye, and informed them of where to take the prey.
Deciding that it was not fair to insist that the two of them feed half of the Clan, Specklestar joined the hunting patrol. She stalked through the mud and water expertly, jaws parted for any scent of prey. Instead of being met with the familiar taste of frog or lizard, she caught the scent of another cat. The ShadowClan leader froze in her tracks and glanced around but it was dark and the reeds blocked her view. She crouched lower and perked her ears.
Who would dare invade our Clan in a time like this? Don't they know disaster only makes ShadowClan fiercer? Well if they didn't they would find out now.
Something moved in the reeds, she caught a glimpse of a pelt in the pale glow. If she was not mistaken...the pelt was spotted...
Re: Wandering « Reply #2 on Nov 19, 2011, 3:12pm »
Nala lifted up her paw to take another step, only to freeze in place. Suddenly she felt like someone was watching her. But that was silly. She'd been trudging through these marshes for a while, and she hadn't seen anyone. Perhaps...but perhaps they had seen her. The other kittypets told stories about how wild cats had learned to become part of their surroundings so they could sneak up and kill more civilized cats. Nala thought that was a foolish story...but yet...there was definitely a change. She kept moving, parting the reeds and glancing around cautiously. Her tail flicked from side to side anxiously.
This was a bad idea. I shouldn't be here. Nala thought as she moved farther forward. Her bell seemed obnoxiously loud and she wished she could tear it off and leave it in the mud. I can't see anything through these reeds. How can cats live here!? Nala glanced around once more. Maybe she was just being paranoid. It was likely that these cats might have gone away. After all, she couldn't catch very many fresh scents. Though, at this point, the only thing she could smell was the stink of the marshes.
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Re: Wandering « Reply #3 on Nov 19, 2011, 3:24pm »
The spotted pelt froze between the reeds. Definitely spotted..It was strange, the golden brown marked distinctly by black dots looked hauntingly familiar. Specklestar shook her head. Just because her kind of pelt was rare, didn't mean it was exclusively hers. She thought back to Gatherings. Who else had a pelt like hers?
She soon discovered that recalling the Gatherings didn't really matter. The scent was not of a Clan Cat. The sudden ringing sound startled her into taking her own splashy step back.
Mouse-dung! I've given up my position.
She snarled and braced herself for attack, but quickly decided that she would not cower on her own territory. Still in a battle-ready-position, she called out, "You! In the reeds! Step out of them now!"
Re: Wandering « Reply #4 on Nov 19, 2011, 3:45pm »
Nala heard a splash and froze. There was definitely someone there. Or...maybe not. Maybe it was just a frog or something. Then she heard the voice yelling at her to step out of the reeds. Last she checked, frogs couldn't speak. Angry wild cats, however, could. Nala winced. It was probably the stupid bell that gave her away. She loved her Twolegs, but why did they have to put the stupid thing around her neck? Taking a deep breath, Nala pushed through the reeds and stepped out into the open. She expected an entire ambush of angry feral cats. But instead she was just looking at one cat.
One cat.
One cat that looked exactly like her.
Same golden colored pelt with black spots. Same eyes. Same tall slender build, though perhaps Nala was a teeny bit taller than the she-cat she was looking at. But while Nala was well-groomed (Except for her muddy paws), this she-cat was very obviously wild. Her coat wasn't the cleanest. She was much more muscular and hungry-looking. But still, it was there. This cat looked exactly like her. Did all wild cats look like this? No...that wasn't possible. She'd seen wild cats in the forest. They looked like other cats. Only meaner. This cat looked just like her. And...her face seemed vaguely familiar. But Nala could put her paw on where she'd seen her before.
"Who...who are you?" Nala mewed, taking a step forward instead of backing away.
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Re: Wandering « Reply #5 on Nov 19, 2011, 4:49pm »
Specklestar repressed a growl. She was fully prepared to spring if the other cat came out swing but then...Through the reeds glided a tall slender cat, with a golden spotted pelt. Her reflection stood there before her. Well, nearly her reflection. The other her was slightly taller. And despite treading through the muddy water, her golden pelt was pristine, evenly trimmed, well groomed. Upon further examination, Specklestar noticed that the mirror-cat had less muscle, or less defined at least. The small noisy object around her neck sealed the leader's suspicions about the other her being a kittypet.
Specklestar was shaken from her awe when the cat spoke. She was suddenly aware that her jaws had parted and she must look like a rather surprised and unhinged cat. Determined not to let her tussled appearance and her initial surprise to get the best of her, she straightened up from her threatened position and returned the other's question coolly.
"I should be asking you that. But since you had the fortune of asking first, I'll inform you. I am Specklestar, leader of ShadowClan. Now that that's out of the way, who are you? And what are you doing on my territory?"
She tried, but couldn't stop looking the other cat over. The resemblance was uncanny. Unnatural. Vague memories flickered in the back of her mind, but she tossed them aside. Impossible.
Re: Wandering « Reply #6 on Nov 19, 2011, 6:01pm »
Nala was so busy drinking in the appearance of this cat, she almost didn't hear what she said. A smile was spread across the kittypet's face. This she-cat was beautiful and powerful-seeming. She was confident in who she was. And she looked just like her! Nala finally heard the she-cat's words. Specklestar, the leader of ShadowClan. Huh. Specklestar. Odd name, but pretty. And fitting for her appearance. Regal and pretty like the stars. And speckled. Like her pelt. Did wild cats name each other for their appearances, Nala wondered?
"Oh. I'm called Nala." the kittypet mewed. It seemed like such a boring name compared to something so pretty like Specklestar. She wasn't even sure why she was named Nala, in all honesty. Her Twolegs just started calling her that when they got her and she was expected to answer to it. To be honest, she wasn't sure why her mother had called her 'Damisi' either. Maybe because she thought it was pretty? "I...actually don't know why I'm here, in all honesty. Just sort of got tired of being cooped up so I left and started wandering and now I'm here." She walked closer to the she-cat and sniffed her. This she-cat had her fascinated. The scent was primarily like the marshes. A bit sour, but not all together unpleasant. But there was something underneath that scent. Something vaguely familiar...why did she seem to know this she-cat?
"You seem kinda familiar." Nala told Specklestar, her tail flicking through the air. "But I guess that's because, I mean, you could be my reflection!"
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Re: Wandering « Reply #7 on Nov 19, 2011, 6:32pm »
The smile through Specklestar off a bit. While she retained her nearly regal stance, which she was sure looked a little ridiculous with her messy pelt, she watched the other cat's every move. The only way this could disturb her more was if the other cat mirrored her own moves. She was grateful that this was not the case.
Nala? What a strange name... Still, it was a name unfamiliar to her. This strengthened her certainty that this was not the cat of her faded memories.
"You've come at a bad time, I'm afraid," Specklestar mewed, too tired to be overly aggressive."There's a plague running through the swamps."
She was tempted to tell the she-cat that it was in her best interest to turn back, but her curiosity prevented her from saying so. A wry smile.
Re: Wandering « Reply #8 on Nov 20, 2011, 11:25am »
"A plague? That would explain why it's so quiet, I guess." Nala mewed as she looked around. It seemed eerie. These marshes bore so many signs of the cats that lived there. Paw prints, broken reeds, the scents...it was obvious that many of them lived there. How many lived there now, she wondered? "Whenever I get sick, the Twolegs take me to the Cutter. I hate going there. They prick and poke you and force you to eat this nasty stuff." Nala hadn't had to go for some time, but she hated it all the same. She looked over Specklestar. This cat had obviously been wild her entire life. There was no reason for Nala to find her so familiar. Yet she did. Maybe...no, that was stupid. Incredibly stupid.
"What do wild cats like you do when you get sick?" Nala sat down, looking at Specklestar curiously. Her bell jingled lightly as she did. It occurred to her that her Twolegs were going to be upset when she finally returned home. Not only was she out later than she usually was, but she'd most likely return covered in mud. Which would mean they would want to groom her. And that was always a nightmare.
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Re: Wandering « Reply #9 on Nov 20, 2011, 12:48pm »
Twolegs. A cutter? A bell. There was no lack of certainty that Specklestar's double was a kittypet. The ShadowClan leader felt a slight sting of disappointment though she wasn't sure why. Perhaps part of her had hoped that this cat could hunt or come in search of a home. Clearly she already had one though.
Am I that desperate? Would I just let any cat join the Clan right now, just because of a shortage of warriors? She wasn't sure of the answer, but it didn't matter anyway.
"We have Medicine Cats," Specklestar explained. "Cats who are trained in using herbs and communicating with StarClan to help their clanmates through illness."
Why am I answering her questions? I should be escorting her out.
"I should probably lead you off the territory. If you don't get sick you won't have to go to the...cutter? Besides, your two-legs must be worried about you."
Did two-legs worry? She didn't know. They appeared to be taking care of her.
Re: Wandering « Reply #10 on Nov 20, 2011, 1:50pm »
"Communicating with who?" Nala tilted her head to one side. ShadowClan. StarClan. The cats in the forest called themselves ThunderClan. These names were odd. Where did the cats of StarClan live? Over by the river, maybe? She figured that the medicine cat of ShadowClan had their work cut out for them if they had a plague going on. Specklestar suggested she escort her off the territory. Nala didn't like that idea. Not like she wanted to stay here. It was creepily quiet and muddy. But she had so many questions! Never before had she seen a cat that looked just like her. Well, ok, she had. Her mother. And her sister. But certainly there were more cats like her out there? Frisbee had seen cats like him that weren't related to him. And he was furless! Besides, Frisbee would want to know all the details too.
"Wait, no! I mean...I've got more to ask you!" Nala rose to her paws again. "I've never seen a cat that looks just like me before. Well, ok, my sister. And my mother. But I haven't seen them in ages. Do all cats in ShadowClan look like you?" Could it be that maybe she'd been born a wild cat after all? And that she'd been plucked from her life to go live with Twolegs? That thought only brought on more questions, though. "Who is StarClan? Where do they live? Why are you called ShadowClan? How did you get to be leader of it?" The questions that were buzzing in her brain came tumbling out, one after the other. She realized it was a bit...uncouth to ask so many questions at once. Nala pinned her ears back and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry...that's a lot at once. I'm just really curious, ya know? My mother always told me when I was a kit that I had wild blood in me or something. And I've always had this weird fascination with wild cats...not that you're weird or anything, I mean. In fact, I think it's kind of cool that you're so wild and stuff."
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Re: Wandering « Reply #11 on Nov 20, 2011, 2:17pm »
Right....If Specklestar didn't know what a cutter was, how could she expect Nala to know what StarClan was? Before she could begin to answer that question, Nala mentioned something that struck Specklestar odd.
A mother and sister? She means there are two more cats that look like me?
She had always known she was odd. She grew up knowing that she had been taken in and had not a drop of ShadowClan blood in her. Still, her heart was in the Clan, and that was what made her the leader. She had wondered from time to time about others like her, but had brushed it off as unimportant. So her pelt was rare? So she was a bit taller than her Clanmates, what difference did it make? But if she had a rare pelt....what were the chances that this cat and her family were unrelated to her? Slim.
But her chance to question the she-cat more had passed. Nala was now babbling about names and clanlife and such. Specklestar repressed a sigh. How was she to explain her lifestyle to a kittypet in a few moments? She had a Clan to feed, patrols to organize, and she was already exhausted...
The ShadowClan leader smiled at Nala's last comment. Perhaps there was hope of this cat joining the Clan after all. She shook her head of it. No no, now wasn't the time to try and train a kittypet into a warrior. But since the she-cat was so reluctant to go, Specklestar wondered if she could be useful.
"Nala, I would love to explain everything to you," she mewed. Love was a bit of an exaggeration. "But I am supposed to be hunting. A Clan has many mouths to feed and right now there aren't many hunters to feed it...If you really want to stay a while longer...will you please help me out?"
She wasn't sure if the kittypet had any actual hunting skills, but what better time to find out?
Re: Wandering « Reply #12 on Nov 20, 2011, 11:13pm »
Oh. My. Goodness.
Nala practically jumped at the chance to go hunting with a real wild cat. She grinned. "Help you hunt?! Sure! I've hunted a little bit before, around the Twoleg nests. Mostly squirrels and birds and stuff." Sometimes she ate what she caught, sometimes she didn't. It felt good to know that she had the skill to hunt like a real cat. Most of the other kittypets didn't want to get their claws dirty with the business. But Nala loved it. Even if she failed half the time, hunting was always fun for her. Her eyes lit up and she grinned at Specklestar. "Lead the way." But as she stepped aside to do so, her collar reminded her why almost all of her hunting expeditions failed.
That stupid. Freaking. Bell.
Nala frowned. "I forgot. This stupid thing rings every time I try to move. Sometimes I still catch stuff, if I'm quick enough...but usually it messes everything up." Life would have been so much simpler if she was given a nice, noiseless collar like Frisbee had. But no. They had to put this little noise-maker on her collar. Ugh.
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Re: Wandering « Reply #13 on Nov 21, 2011, 5:44pm »
[justify]Specklestar was relieved to hear that Nala had some idea of what to do. She had heard of kittypets who couldn't even defend themselves, let alone hunt. She even seemed enthusiastic about it, and Specklestar marveled at how such a lively, adventurous cat was content to be taken care of by two-legs.
That strange tinkling sound crossed her ears again. She was glad the other cat had caught it before she had, otherwise hunting might have proven difficult. She tilted her head. "Really?" she mewed, eying the noise-maker suspiciously. She had no idea what it was used for, or what the two-legs would do to Nala if they saw she her without it. Still, if her double insisted, who was she to say no? "Alright then."
She struck out with a claw. The bell rang as Specklestar's claw got hooked in the string between the bell and the collar. It rang a little as the ShadowClan Leader wriggled her claw about until finally the round bell popped off.
"There, now we can hunt properly. You won't find many squirrels here, but you might find a bird or two. Mostly, there are frogs, toads, and lizards. Have you ever caught any of those?"[/justify]
Re: Wandering « Reply #14 on Dec 17, 2011, 3:28pm »
The little bell rang helplessly as Specklestar pulled it from her collar. Nala watched it fall into the mud and smiled a bit. She shook her head and rejoiced in the lack of ringing. Her Twolegs wouldn't like the new adjustments to her collar. But if they put a new bell on her, she'd rip it off too. It was about time she started making it clear that she didn't like the bell. Though it felt suddenly odd not having it there. It added a bit of extra weight to her collar, and she was accustomed to it bouncing and jingling on her neck. Nala supposed she would have to get used to it. And she would. Gladly. She smiled and listened to Specklestar speak. Most of the prey she was used to wasn't here. Which made sense. There were flowers and trees in her garden. But here, there were no trees. Just mud, water, rocks, and reeds. "Once I caught a lizard. It was sunning itself on the rocks in the garden. I chased after it, and it was really fast. Like, super fast. How do they move that fast anyway? But I caught it when it tried to go under the fence. I really liked the taste of it...but I haven't been able to catch any since. I think because it's getting kinda cold, ya know?"
Nala glanced around. Out here, it seemed like she and Specklestar were the only cats for a long, long way. Where did the rest of the Clan live? Wild cats didn't have Twoleg nests to run into. So where did they live? "I've never hunted frogs or toads before...hey, what's the difference between a frog and a toad? And where do you guys...you know...live? We have to take the prey we catch back to your Clan, right?"
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