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!
Here on Classic we understand that sometimes life can get difficult and we struggle. We may need to receive advice, vent, know that we are not alone in our difficult times, or even just have someone listen to what's going on in our lives. In light of these times, we have created the support threads below that are open to all of our members at any time.
Cricketpaw steeled herself. The fallen leaf she had chosen to practice on, an early precursor of the approaching cold season, trembled in the twilit breeze. Real prey was out of the question - she was barely outside of camp anyway, and any small furry things with a lick of sense were as far away as possible from a place that stunk of predator scent as much as a clan camp did. Besides, the thought of having to sink her claws into a living thing still filled her with a shiver of terror that her short time as an apprentice had not yet done anything to relieve her of.
Placing one delicate paw in front of the other, she crept forward carefully, inanimate prey fixed in her sights - until her concentration was broken by the sharp snap of a twig beneath her paw. With an involuntary yelp that startled her almost as much as the twig did, Cricketpaw jumped in surprise, and the wind picked up and blew her would-be prey away to leaf another day.
A flurry of tussled fur wheeled out of the camp entrance, Breezepaw's nightmare of an all out clan warfare suddenly becoming less realistic when he found that the shriek was not due to an invasion but instead was simply one of his denmates. "Oh. Cricketpaw, hey." His paws shuffled a little sheepishly that she'd seen him in that state. "What are you doing out here? Are you okay?" He knew of her flighty demeanor and figured she might have seen her shadow again, reinforced by the fact she was by herself and there was nothing else around to spook her. Besides a stick- which he observed was snapped in half, and had to wonder what it had done to either offend or scare the she-cat to the point she'd snapped it in half.
The sudden appearance of Breezepaw, in a flurry of hurried fur and screeching about an invasion, caused Cricketpaw to jump higher still, the fur standing up all along her arched back as she came back to earth. "D-dayClan? Intruders?" she squeaked, casting a wild gaze around. Upon finding nothing, and Breezepaw calming down so immediately, she cautiously relaxed. "There's no actual DayClanners here, is there?" she said, her eyes still moving around the clearing as she scooched a little closer to Breezepaw, just in case the invasion was real. He seemed big and strong enough to protect her, at least a little bit.
"I'm okay, I just stepped on something and it startled me," she said, her eyes finally meeting Breezepaw's, with an apologetic expression in them. "I'm sorry if I startled you."
"Oh, no. No DayClanners, hahaha...." His laughter, very much so forced, trailed off. Embarrassment tinged his cheeks at his outburst, but furthermore due to the unnecessary stress he caused poor Cricketpaw. "I'm sorry about that. I was having a bad dream, and I heard you yell, so I ran out here to fight them off since, y'know, it sounded like you would have been outnumbered. I don't know how much I would have been able to help, but we would have went down swinging together at least." There was a usual grace in the way he spoke, but it was distinctly lacking right now, which Breezepaw chalked up to having been woken up so suddenly and frantically.
"Oh, good," Cricketpaw sighed, the tension finally releasing from her body fully, golden fur falling back into place along her spine. "I mean, it's not good that you were having a bad dream," she said, her brow creasing in concern for the quality of his sleep. "I have those sometimes, and I'm always a little bit relieved when I wake up, so I hope you don't mind too much that I bothered you in your sleep - oh no, were you sleeping in camp?" an expression of slow-dawning horror came across Cricketpaw's face. "Did everyone hear me scream? Again?"
There went his attempt at making her feel better. "I think everyone else is still sleeping," he offered to relieve some of her worries, unsure of how well that would go over with the anxiety-riddled apprentice. "I'm just a light sleeper," Breezepaw went on to say, thinking quickly. "I can't even sleep through a rain shower without waking up to the sound! It's pretty annoying."
"Oh, okay," Cricketpaw breathed a sigh of relief, trusting in Breezepaw's assertion that the rest of their clanmates were still in slumber. "Wow, that must be awful," she said, offering a sympathetic flick of her tail against Breezepaw's shoulder. "Although, if I was being attacked by DayClan invaders out here, I'd be pretty happy that you're a light sleeper. So, uh, thanks for bothering to check on me, even if it was a false alarm. I was really just trying to practice my hunting crouch, but, well, guess that didn't work out. I would go farther away from camp so I wasn't disturbing anyone, but I don't know how I feel about going out in the woods by myself. Just in case there is DayClanners, or MoonClanners, or," she shuddered in horror, "SunClanners."
"Of course I came check on you. Like I said, we'd go down together." The cobwebs beginning to clear from his mind, and his composure returning, he cracked a sunbright smile at her. He brightened considerably when she mentioned hunting, the most polished of his skills. "If you want someone to help you practice, or just a bodyguard so you feel comfortable, I definitely can. I'm gonna be the clan's best hunter by the time I'm promoted," he asserted confidently.
Cricketpaw smiled radiantly. "Well, it's always nice to know someone has my back," she purred. "If I do run into danger, I'll make sure to call your name first. I think I could definitely use a bodyguard." There was something like excitement sparking up in her honey-coloured gaze, the thrill of excitement that came with the idea of exploring the whole wide territory without the supervision of adults. It was an excitement that had been previously spoiled for her by the fear of what she would encounter out there, but if she had someone who didn't mind taking care of her... "You know, sometimes I feel like you're already the best hunter in the clan. I always see you coming in with prey."
He glowed. It felt nice to have his contributions acknowledged, particularly when it was something he felt the most proud of. After a life of providing only for himself, every last bit of prey he contributed to the clan was a sign of appreciation for NightClan not hesitating to welcome him into their ranks. "Thank you," he said earnestly. "I bet with a little training until you get more confident, you could be great at whatever you feel most comfortable with." Breezepaw didn't want to assume she would gravitate to the same skillset he did, but he didn't see Cricketpaw striding into battle at the forefront of the clan anytime soon. Perhaps a life of healing would better suit her.
"You're welcome. It's nice to know the next generation of warriors is so capable," Cricketpaw said earnestly. "But right now I feel the most comfortable with staying in camp," she admitted, and although she said it with a laugh, it was clear that it wasn't really a joke. Not only by her tone, but by the anxious lash of her tail that accompanied it without thinking. She knew that she wasn't up to scratch in the courage department - she would have known even if she wasn't frequently reminded by less tactful clanmates. Being within hearing distance of a battle terrified her almost as much as the thought of striding into the fray, and the thought of even just seeing the wounds... there was a good chance she'd never have the stomach for healing either. What her place was going to be in the clan when she was older and those around her were less obliged to provide for her was a question that she would probably spend more time dwelling on if it wasn't also quite terrifying. "Maybe you can help me, though," said Cricketpaw, imbuing her voice with a little bit of hope.
His swell of pride was swiftly dashed at the sound of Cricketpaw's mirthless laugh. It couldn't have been easy for her- being the laughing stock of the clan, criticized for her lack of bravado by others- and the sympathetic ache of his heart caused Breezepaw to let his shoulder touch hers as they fell into step beside one another, but he didn't dwell on it. "I'm sure we can find something you really enjoy doing, Cricketpaw," he reassured her. Though he wasn't sure what other roles could fill a clan, he was nothing if not determined to see his denmate grow into her confidence and stop receiving the clan's ridicule.
Cricketpaw took comfort in his warm, large presence beside her as they took off into the territory. It made her feel much safer to have somebody next to her to fall into in case of danger - although, in her perfect world, there would have been two of Breezepaw so that her other side wasn't so woefully exposed. She found herself keeping a careful eye on the trees on that side, jumping slightly once or twice when she thought she saw a shadow moving. "Oh, I hope so," she said, clinging for dear life to the little bit of optimism she had found. "Maybe you'll be able to teach me to hunt just enough so that the clan doesn't kick me out before I can retire," Cricketpaw said with a wistful sigh at the thought of a comfy nest in the elders den.
"I don't think Flamingstar would kick you out," sympathized Breezepaw softly, imbuing his words with a confidence he himself did not feel. He didn't want her to pick up on his reservations, though his bright irises were now clouded, unsure of what Flamingstar would actually do if she felt Cricketpaw wasn't up to snuff with the rest of the apprentices. Then and there, he promised himself he wouldn't let his denmate fail. "Don't worry, if we work together, you'll probably be a better warrior than I will. It'll just take teamwork," he assured her.
