ShadowClan Camp

The ShadowClan camp is situated in a grove of mangroves where the water has long since dried up, since before the Clans arrived. To make dens, the members have woven leaves and twigs through the top of the exposed roots. The camp gets fairly muddy in leafbare but is pleasantly cool and sheltered from the hot greenleaf sun. The leader's den is directly underneath one of the biggest mangroves, and when addressing the Clan the leader leaps up onto the 'roof' of their den.

Nightstars tongue ran over the pups small body as Ivyshade approached and he did his best to clean as close to the shredded ears as he could without Jesterpup flinching away. His ear flickered at her in greeting as most of his attention was on the injured one between his paws and he could smell the herbs indicating she was there for the small male rather than himself for now. "Ivyshade." he mummered flicking his ears to get her to come closer. He knew they would need to work fast to get the herbs she had brought onto the red and black pups ears because of the pain he was in, something he could see despite his attempt to hide it from the rest of the clan. He could feel the slight trembles from the ordeal in his body. A large paw was placed on Jesterpups small body once Ivyshade indicated she was ready and he held the pup down firmly. His attention was mostly drawn away to the entrance of his den where Tricksterpup stood asking about his mother. "No if she is seen on shadowclan territory after sunrise then she will be chased off or if she attacks, we fight to defend our land." he told the pup calmly though his expression was softer than before. While he had an especially large soft spot just for Jesterpup he did care for all the pups and had a soft spot for them all while they lived in the nursery and for some of their apprenticeships. Once they started learning however he lost that softness and was a harder task master than most. If you got even the tiniest bit of approval from the leader you know you had done amazingly.

As soon as he was pinned down he changed, he'd only just been pinned down into the dirt by his mother and now the only wolf he trusted was doing the same. He began thrashing and refusing to stay still, his ears had only been torn up they wouldn't get infected, what would get them infected was morons pushing them into the dirt. They didn't stop her, they're just like her, nobody can be trusted the thoughts made the pup struggle all the worse. They were just like his mother, except worse because he'd trusted Nightstar, the brutes heavy paw pressing him against the earth was the exact same thing that his mother had done only moments ago. He picked the seeds up into his mouth and spat them at the medicine wolfs face "Let me go! You're as bad as her you cowards! You're crushing me just like her, go burn in the dark forest where mutts like you belong" his voice was surprisingly filled with a burning seething hatred. Feeling the pressure change a little in his back during his writhing he took advantage of that and freed himself pausing long enough to glare with a disturbingly cold loathing at Nightstar "Thank you for teaching me that lesson, don't. ever. trust." with that he spun and fled into the back of the elders den where he'd hollowed out a safe place in the mangrove, it was big enough for him to get into and the mangroves roots made it near impossible for anyone except a pup or a small apprentice to follow him. Cleaning the gunk off of his ears and tail he curled up in his one safe place seething with anger, it seemed that Nightstar pinning the pup had flicked a switch, any last remains of being a normal pup were gone. A dark burning desire now settled in his heart, they'd all burn he'd make sure of that, and he'd learnt something so very important, not to trust anyone. No one in the clan had offered a paw to stop Cheshiregrin hurting him, no one ever had or would, he could only rely on himself. To those that didn't understand Jesterpup which to him seemed to be the entire clan, behaving like his mother and pressing him into the dirt like she would frequently had tipped his scales. From now on Nightstar and Ivyshade would be treated as the enemies they had proven themselves to be, unlike his mother Jesterpup was completely sane it was the evil within him that had been born and now was festering to the surface that was the problem. He didn't cry, he never had no matter what had been done to him, instead he rested his head on his paws and went over everything, picking up things that he'd learnt and committing them to memory. Hate was so easy, he hated them all, ever part of their stupid pathetic personalities, every single feature on their ugly faces, he'd thought he could trust the leader of his clan that he was like him, but it'd been just been pressed into him that that was not a truth,
it was a lie and the bitterness of betrayal encouraged a soft savage snarl from him.

A part of her was a little confused, was she so bad that the medicine wolf wanted to drug her? Was her natural anxiety annoying to her then? She couldn't help it it was part of whom she was yesterday, and yet everyone wanted her to change, she wasn't good enough, she was wrong and bad. At these very convincing thoughts her ears lowered slightly, focusing on the berries even more intently at this she managed to still listen to Ivyshade. The mention of there being something more to being a warrior surprised her, all of the others wanted to be warriors to defend their clan leading her to believe that there was something fundamentally wrong with her. However it seemed that perhaps there was another path laid out for her, the idea of caring for other wolves health appealed to her, it meant she could be useful and helpful without having to fight which she was very very bad at. If she'd been aware that the medicine wolfs thoughts about her that she was odd, it would have one damage to her already frail and practically non existent confidence. Glancing up at Ivyshade for a brief moment when the medicine wolf offered to train her she nodded, there were no other options for her really. She wasn't meant to be a warrior, not of shadowclan, perhaps in another clan where the leader wasn't as cruel and vindictive and terrifying.

Her eyes lowered back to her paws as the medicine wolf went on to say that being a medicine wolf had its own challenges, she'd have to heal for the sick and injured well she could try that. She could be helpful, and she was willing to try to learn all of the medicinal herbs and their purposes. She had a good memory, all she had to do was associate one thing with another and learning became easy peasy. When she mentionned never having a mate, Tremblepup wasn't that daunted, for she believed that none would ever be interestsed in a wolf that was so pathetic, so nervous and all the rest of the list of bad things she had about herself. At the noises outside she shrank down a little remaining in the den until Ivyshade came back to grab a bundle of leaves that she surmised had to have herbs in it, following her closely already feeling safer with the medicine wolf about thanks to her defending her from Nightstar earlier. Skittering back into the den when Jesterpup spooked her, she surprisingly came back to stand at Ivyshades back left leg on the opposite side to Nightstar, watching the way the medicine wolf tended to the pups hurts interested. However Jesterpup soon freed himself making her shrink back against the leg hoping he wouldn't go for her, her nervousness was shown by frequent licking of her nose and shifting of her weight as well as her usual shocking eye contact. When he'd skittered off she glanced up at Ivyshade wondering what would happen next, she half hoped they could go back into the safe medicine den and continue talking. Well, Ivyshade talking and herself just listening.

Watching Nightstar pin Jesterpup Dragonsteel could only shake his head, thats a bad Idea Nightstar, he wont like that the pup likely had some post traumatic stress after enduring what his crazed mother had done to him. However he'd kept his jaws closed, he'd already said his bit and he was not in the mood to get into it with Nightstar. However when he noticed Ghostheart completely ignore the request to come on a hunting mission the powerful ex fighting wolf lost his temper a little, getting up he stalked over to Ghostheart and glared at him "What are you doing? I asked you and Thrusheart to come on a hunting and scouting expedition" was the warrior thick in the head like most of the wolves in this clan seemed to be? He wasn't sure but all the stupidity in Shadowclan was really starting to irk him, it appeared that only he had been around other with extreme anxiety or traumatic backgrounds before because all of the wolves in this clan showed absolutely no sense of tact or sense. Very seething and in the mood to give anyone who backtalked to him right now a good bite he glared at Ghostheart quite taken back that another wofl could be so rude when it'd seemed the male had been a good warrior "Come on. The fresh- kill pile needs refilling and we need to see where the psychopath Cheshiregrin has gone" with that he left expecting Ghostheart to follow suit and if he didn't he'd put the warrior to the duty of using mouse bile to kill off ticks.

Nightstar narrowed his eyes but gave Jesterpup a little while to settle back down after he took off. He had his reasons for ensuring the pup got looked at by Ivyshade and it seemed that he had finally found a reason along with someone to tell it too. "I shall speak with him and try to get him to at least get cobwebs on them. He has no doubt taken the mix off by now." He told Ivyshade as he rose to his paws. He padded out of his den shaking his dark pelt out swiftly before making his way to where the small pup was hiding. He snarled silently at Ghostheart as he hurried over to Dragonsteel after getting snapped at by the senior warrior. He didn't put his head in, look in or even block the entrance to the hole but rather lay beside it resting his head on his front paws.

"I wont say I am sorry nor that I regret holding you down Jesterpup." he told the pup softly just loud enough for only him to hear. "Maybe you will understand after I tell you this story that I know. I wont ask for your trust back because I know it is something to be earned. All I wish for you to do is listen and attempt to see why I did it."

"Many moons ago in the far reaches of this territory lived a female rouge, small in stature but big in personality. Always bubbly and loving to her two pups, a male and a female. Both were eager to see the world and at only two moons of age they left the tiny clearing that was outside their den to explore the woods. However trouble was afoot that they did not know of and they ended up finding a lynx." he told him shaking his head at the stupidity of the pups though his voice was soft and almost loving as he spoke the story, however now it started to harden slightly with pain and sadness tinging his tone, "The pups stood strong growling at the much larger predator that made them look like a mushroom in comparison. It snarled showing off wickedly sharp fangs and leapt at them sending them flying apart. It went for the young male first sinking its fangs into his flank taking some of him with it as it pulled back. The female had gotten to her feet and was biting its hind leg the best she could but that mistake was costly. Her ears were shredded by the lynx. It was then that their mother found them as they were preparing to die from its mouth. She chased it away and helped them back to the den."

He trailed off as his head lifted and licked at the large scar on his flank remembering the pain he had been in. The large male sighed blinking his green eyes slowly as he looked back towards the clearing. "The days and nights bled into each other as the pups struggled to heal with no help other than their mothers tongue to keep the wounds clean. That was a useless attempt. The females ears became infected despite the fact that neither pup playing with each other to avoid the pain that came from it. Soon she could hear no more and one day while laying in the sun and eagle took her so she was never seen again." his voice was emotionless by the end of it though his eyes were a whirl of pain and sadness as he looked at the ground. "That is why I held you down for Ivyshade to look at your ears. So what happened to that female pup doesn't happen to you Jesterpup, you are the strongest pup here but it only take one injury to put you months behind. Some can even send you to the elders den before your time." He did not again mention the male pup nor what happened to him as he laid his head back down on his forelegs just resting there as he slowly pushed the pain of the loss back into its box, deep within his mind.

Nightstar got two sentances into his story before the pup in his hideaway turned around and snarled at him "Do you think i honestly care about your pathetic sob story Nightstar? You did less than nothing when Cheshiregrin Attacked me, what kind of leader sits around on their rear when a clan member was in danger? Pathetic!" in a fury now that Nightstar had tried to explain away his actions he couldn't help but sneer at him "you do know Dragonsteel lied to you right? Everyone in this clan thinks you're erratic, unhinged and not fit to lead a mouse hunt let alone a clan. I mean you're not that stupid to believe that everyone wouldn't rather an experienced wolf with honour and intelligence lead the clan right?" He was angry and it gave life back to him, Nightstar thought he could explain away pinning him down in the dirt like he was prey? No. The clan leader and his pathetic story could go rot in the verges of the dark forest, "Take heed of this warning Nightstar The next time you or anyone in this wretched clan touch me without permission I will tear out their tendons and shove them down their throats" he snarled practically spitting venom with each word. How could he have liked such a pathetic whimp? No, Nightstar and Ivyshade were now at the top of his to burn list and if that meant pointedly hanging around Blackwidow from now on then so be it. Coward. Picking on a pup, what a waste of fur, neither he nor the stupid medicine wolf would be touching him from now on. He literally did not give two mouse tails about Nightstars little sob life story, he never had, he'd only liked Nightstar as he'd seen him as someone like himself and held him in high regard because of that. Now that he knew better he saw Nightstar for what he was, paranoid, pathetic, erratic, unstable, and above all really really really stupid. He couldn't wait for the clan to dethrone him and put someone sensible in charge, even if that meant keeping the evil festering in his heart to himself if anything it'd be better because it'd be more of a challenge. "So go away and harp your sob story to a wolf that gives a mouse-tail" If he could have, he would have spat, but since he couldn't from where he was, Jesterpup sounded a growl that truly showed how furious, angry, insulted and above all disgusted he was with Nightstar, Cheshiregrin, and Ivyshade. However his words weren't spoken hotly in anger, his tone and gaze revealed that he meant every single word that had left his mouth.

Thrushheart walked over just after Ghostheart had gotten his priorities straight, he thought briefly on where they were to go when he heard Jesterpups words and flicked his gaze over to glare at the pup. What was his problem? Was he trying to get the unstable leader to crash? Probably, evil little twerp, the pup would get several firm lessons if he wound up being Dragonsteels apprentice. The steel grey warrior flicked his gaze over camp hoping that everything would be okay with him gone, once he returned from the hunting and scouting mission he'd go find Blackwidow. But for now, he needed to get this show on the road, quickly deciding upon the marsh as a good place to hunt quite unaware of the connection Cheshiregrin had with the place. Glancing at Thrusheart and Ghostheart the irony that they both had the same suffix, he turned his head towards the exit of camp an out of the corner of his eye spotted Silverpup and Marauderpup slipping through a small hole in the camps wall. Quite amused at what they were carrying he didn't tell them off guessing it was for Jesterpup and quite obviously the red and black pup deserved it. Moving forward he headed for the swamp that lay in the heart of the shadowclan territory.
~The Fire Swamp~

~The Fire Swamp~