Post by Fireflake on Apr 22, 2020 22:11:47 GMT
Your eyes open to trees all around you. The morning air is crisp, and the grass beneath your paws is wet with dew. You are unsure where you are, but serenity of your surroundings leaves you feeling relaxed. You rise to your paws and decide to scan the area. To the left, the trees are thinner, leading up to a meadow. To the right, large trees are clustered together. All around you, life is thriving, and you can almost hear a babbling river in the distance.
"Oh, hello! I don't think we've met before!" a calico she-cat purrs, catching your attention. "My name is Olivenose." She watches as you stare wildly at your surroundings. Many birds are chirping their own little morning songs. "Beautiful, right? You're not from around here, are you? Why don't I give you a tour!"
Map by noctemq
"Right now, we're on IvyClan territory. There are four clans: IvyClan, MistClan, MothClan, and RootClan. I am an IvyClan warrior. Our camp is further into the trees." Her voice ripples with enthusiasm. She points her tail in the direction of the camp, and in the distance you can somewhat see a clearing where the IvyClan cats have their camp. "I may be a little bit biased, but I think IvyClan has the best territory of all the clans. We have trees to climb and hunt in, and our camp is an abandoned two-leg hole. The two-legs are long gone, so don't be afraid! Our camp is also closest to the Moonstone, located inside an old two-leg cave. That is where the leaders go to get their nine lives, and where the medicine cats go to communicate with StarClan."
"Right now we are in the thinner portion of the forest that shrouds over the IvyClan territory. Behind me, you can see the old thunder-trails. These trails are harmless, however, if you go towards the new ones, huge, stinky monsters go down those trails and don't stop for anything." She beckons you to follow her with her tail. "Further down this way is the creek, and then RootClan's territory. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I passed through to give you a quick tour if we're courteous about it!" Crossing over the trails, you notice they are covered in sharp rocks and debris. "Watch your step, and please be careful! I don't want you getting hurt, not on my watch!"
You soon come to a thin stream. There aren't any fish in the water today, but plenty of moss and plants coat the land around it. Olivenose easily hops over. Just a few paces away stands a she-cat with an angular build. "Good morning to you both! If you do plan to sniff around RootClan's territory, allow me to show you myself. We like to limit the amount of strangers. If you'll just follow me up this way.... Oh, how rude of me. My name is Birdsong."
As the she-cat begins to walk along the border toward a low mountain, she flicks her tail goodbye to your IvyClan tour guide. "We'll see you soon, Olivenose!"
Birdsong leads you along through the forest. It's more lively than near the IvyClan border, filled with birds and rodents. "As you can see, this forest is mostly birch trees. I like it here because it's easy to walk on. It's always a nice spot for a stroll without straining your eyes and paws."
She nods to a field now visible around the trees. Flowers of all colors are in full bloom, blanketing the land. The scent of rabbits hits your tongue as you enter the meadow. Birdsong carefully steps around the flowers and pushes onward.
The flowers grow sparser the closer you get to the large, rocky hill in front of you. Birdsong pauses to let you catch your breath as you both climb the steady slope. "Down that way is the Moonstone entrance. I'm sure Olivenose has told you about that already, though. The Tribe know it well because it lights our camp, in another cave carved by two-legs on the other end of the mountain. Hm? Oh, I didn't call us the Tribe again, did I? Old habits. We were the Tribe of Ancient Roots before we traveled here and joined the clans, but we've seen all the seasons twice over since then. Though our history will always be important to us, we're just as much a clan as all the others."
Just then, a frog springs out of the ground, startling Birdsong slightly. "Oh dear. Apparently the frogs disapprove of my secret-keeping. There are tunnels running beneath RootClan's land. A large network, leading to places all over the territory. We think the two-legs made those too, though I can't imagine why. I can't show you, I'm afraid. You've seen quite enough already."
Birdsong ushers you away back through the meadow and the forest, leaving the vast mountainous area of RootClan's territory unexplored. She dips her head to you. "May StarClan light your path on your future adventures."
Not far over the border, past the thinning forest, lies a meadow that seems to go on forever. The grass is soft and filled with life. Olivenose sits on the other side, watching some field mice scuttle by. Her ears prick when she sees you. "Oh, there you are! This meadow is perfect for hunting. However, this isn't my territory, so I don't advise hunting here! We are MistClan's guests, and if we don't follow their rules, they have every right to run us off!" Olivenose spots a hare eating grass and fights every urge to pounce on it. "C'mon, the tour's only just begun!" The she-cat purrs before sprinting off.
You follow Olivenose to a massive river, fed by a waterfall. She stops by the bank and begins to drink from the flowing water. "Rest a moment, and I'll tell you a little bit about MistClan." You sit beside the she-cat and lap at the water. "MistClan cats... are a little bit more rigid. Their camp is set behind that waterfall, and they sleep in caves. That probably explains why they're so cold-hearted all the time..." Olivenose's voice drifts away. "Anyway, if you're ready, I say we head on to our next destination." She leads you to a path of rocks leading across the river. "Don't be afraid, here, I'll go first." She hops across the rocks to the other side, and you cautiously trail behind. "See! That wasn't so bad! Let's go!"
Moments later, you and Olivenose arrive at a two-leg farm. There is a tall, red barn, and a small two-leg nest beside it. "This is the farm. There are a few loners and kittypets here, but they're not scary. The two-legs sometimes ride around on big monsters through the tall grass, so avoid the tall grass here, alright?" Her gaze turns to a pond beyond the barn. "I've heard this is the best fishing spot around, but fishing isn't my best skill. This farm is still on MistClan territory, so no hunting for us yet! I still have a few more things to show you!"
You cross back over the river and walk for a few fox-lengths until you reach the thunder-trail. "This is the new thunder-trail I was telling you about." Off in the distance, you can hear a loud noise coming closer. "Here comes one of those monsters I was telling you about!" Olivenose shouts over the sound of chugging and whistling. A long, black monster flies by, faster than any cat could ever run. "Never cross over these trails without looking both ways." Olivenose waits for a moment for the monster to pass. "Over there is two-leg territory. Their territory is way too big to explore right now, and there are sometimes dangerous rogues down there, so that'll have to be for another day."
Olivenose leads you further down the trails to a rocky area with dry grass. There is less prey here, and it kind of smells bad. "This is MothClan territory." She purrs in a low tone. "We have to be very quiet here. MistClan might be okay with our tour, but MothClan certainly won't. Their camp is filled with rocks to match their hearts. Some of them are kind, but all of them are stern warriors." She meows. "Before our old home burned down, it was just IvyClan and MistClan. When we journeyed here, to our new home, MothClan began to form as their leader thought he could make a better functioning clan. We should really go now, the sun is beginning to set."
Further along the trails, you see a bunch of long, abandoned monsters on the trail. "These monsters are old and dead. Every full moon, all four clans gather together for a Gathering. We meet here and discuss pressing clan matters, like territory disputes, and also to present warrior names of apprentices who have since become warriors." Olivenose begins to reminisce about her own warrior's ceremony...
You and Olivenose soon arrive back on IvyClan territory. "All that's really left to show you is the forest on the way back to camp. You can rest there for the night and decide where you would like to go! It'd be nice if you'd join IvyClan, so we can be hunting partners. It's all up to you, though! Either way, I hope you enjoyed your tour! I know I did."
