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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11.06.2022 The site has been transformed into an archive. Thank you for all the memories here!
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Shatteredshine hovered uncertainly at the edge of the pond. She had been around water before, like the small lake in SummerClan territory, but this was different. It was clogged with lilypads and long strands of plants around the edges, and it looked dubiously dark up close. Her family was strong swimmers, but she wasn't, and this water didn't look so inviting.
She took a deep breath and inched further into the water. It was gross and squishy and algae tendrils wrapped themselves around her legs. "How does anyone swim or fish in this?" she wondered, shaking her head. It even tasted funny.
"It's not so hard to find motivation when you have an empty stomach," Steepfall said as he approached Shatteredshine. His coal black fur would be familiar to her as kin, although the two of them had barley spoken. Steepfall had left WaterClan when Shatteredshine was just a kit (I think). It was strange, really, how he suddenly had this pit in his stomach talking to her. Regret, a bit of shame. As her older cousin he did have a duty to watch out for her but instead when times were tough he just... left. When he saw her alone, he felt like he owed it to her to make an attempt to befriend her and make up for that lost time. It wasn't quite in his character but if Tinybreath's heart could soften here then perhaps so could his, "Though I don't think you'll find as many fish here as you will frogs or snakes."
"Maybe," she admitted, "but I'm not that hungry right now." She took a step back from the water and turned to face him. Wait... snakes? Slowly, so not to look too scared in front of him, she backpedaled even further from those uncertain waters.
Shatteredshine didn't know her older relatives well. It was hard enough keeping track of the ones she knew, but more and more of them were returning to SwiftClan, and her head was spinning trying to remember how they were all related. She was glad to have a strong happy family, she loved having everyone around, but it was a lot to keep straight. When Steepfall first came to the clan, she expected him to be grumpy like Uncle Chim, but while he was equally serious he seemed much more strict and less prone to complaining. As much as she loved their leader, this was an immense improvement.
"I wasn't looking for fish," she admitted, scuffing the mud with one paw. "I just wanted to go swimming."
"I wouldn't swim here. You'll come out covered in algae, which, for the record, tastes awful and is really hard to get out of your fur." Steepfall said, dipping his toes into the dark water, causing little ripples to spider out across the surface. Water striders, disturbed by the interruption, skid across the waves in dismay. One particularly unlucky insect sputtered across the surface for only a few seconds before a minnow ate it right up, "Huh, I guess there are fish here."
He drew his paw back, turning those emerald green eyes on Shatteredshine, "There's a lake not too far from here that is much better for swimming. Deep, cool, a weak current. It's got a really nice beach and even some sunning rocks. To be honest, I was thinking about going there today anyway, any proper WaterClan cat will go stir crazy if they can't swim on a hot summer day."
The algae did look rather nasty, but she didn't know of a better place to swim. Actually, knowing there might not be fish here was a little reassuring, because she wouldn't have to worry about them brushing up against her legs or throwing her off balance. That hopeful wish was cleared up as soon as the minnow caught its prey, and she was once again disillusioned with the pool before her.
Shatteredshine considered her options. She was reluctant to swim in front of Steepfall, because then he'd see the truth: she was a relatively poor swimmer given her heritage and the last thing she wanted to do was fail in front of a serious warrior like this. It was one thing to flounder about when she was with a stranger or a friend, and she did well enough for herself, but compared to her family she wouldn't be able to keep up. Despite her lighthearted nature, she did want some cats to take her seriously, and this wasn't a good first impression to leave. Who better to learn from, though, or prove herself to? Her uncle, as dear to her as he could be, was never going to be there. He was too busy now.
She straightened up and looked him in the eye, offering a single affirmative nod. "I'll come with you. Just lead the way."
"Alright, then, follow me," Steepfall said, flicking Shatteredshine's shoulder with his tail-tip before leading her away from the murky pool. It didn't take them terribly long to reach the destination that he had in mind. A lake. Nothing special, really, save for a few concrete slabs in the sand that twolegs had forgotten there many moons ago and a half-sunk wooden dock.
"Be careful; the further out you go, the more slippery it is. If you slip you could hit your head," Steepfall warned as he leapt onto one of the slabs himself, tiptoeing in place as the heat burned at his paw pads. He stood there for a second, expecting Shatteredshine to follow right away but, when she didn't, he just ran off the edge and jumped in, his paws slipping slightly as he dismounted but he was balanced enough to almost convince an onlooker that it was conventional. A black cat could only stand in the direct sun for so long!
After a few moments, Steepfall's head broke the rippling surface of the water and he let out a satisfied meow, "Oh, that just hits the spot! I love jumping off this thing, takes you right into deeper, cooler water."