#Claydust

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

fun fact!

Claudrat blames himself for Siltflower betraying him. He thinks he shouldn't have involved her in the killings so much, and when it comes to everyone else he just thinks he shouldve been more skilled. He would congratulate Claydust on beating him if they ever met again, while Snipvoice would do the opposite.

"you kicked my ass, I can respect that"

[goldrogerstits]

watching people on social media do pottery in their kitchen.........................

[aquadestinyswriting]

A Theological Conundrum

Summary: Ragnarsson's mind is still reeling over the implications of what little Meredith has managed to do. He seeks out the wisdom of his church's high priest to discuss the matter

Words: 1,008

Tags: @druidx @homesteadchronicles @asher-orion-writes,@warriorbookworm, @odysseywritings, @writeblrsupport, @blind-the-winds

Warnings: None.

Notes: this is set directly after 'Come Back Again' and has been done as part of @writeblrcafe's Sweets prompt, covering both 'Cinnamon Roll' and 'Raspberry Cake'. no confections in this one, I'm afraid, but there is a cute mouse.

Ragnarsson reached into his pocket to make sure the little claydust mouse was still safely nestled within. His fingers brushed against the "fur" of the creature and he felt it lift its head at the touch. It poked its head out of the pocket as he withdrew his hand, twitching its impossible little nose at him. The middle aged cleric gazed at it for a moment, finally coming to a stop in front of the door of the office he sought.

"I wonder how much longer ye're gonna last." He pondered, rapping sharply on the smooth stone in front of him. The mouse merely blinked at him and squeaked quitely.

"Come." The dulcet tones of the high priest called from the other side of the door. Ragnarsson glanced at the still very much living mouse and pushed the door open. 

The office was small, but comfortable and practical. Glowstones lit up the desk and bookshelf, both of which were littered with various books, scrolls and small, metallic sculptures. The fireplace, set into the wall on the right hand side of the room, was currently banked, the embers not enough to light up the area around it. Not that light was entirely necessary. 

The elderly dwarf sitting behind the desk looked up from the parchment he was slowly writing on, squinting up at his guest. Psle grey eyes lit up as the old man recognised who had walked into the room,

"Ah, Ragnarsson, it's good to see you." He said, voice still as strong and deep.as the younger man remembered. Ragnarsson bowed and sat down on the creaky, wooden chair opposite his High Priest. The younger dwarf gingerly picked up the claydust mouse and placed it on the table. The creature shook itself out and peered up at the elderly dwarf. 

High Priest Fergus Orebinder frowned at the creature Ragnarsson had placed on the table, adjusting his glasses as he leaned down to get a better look at it.

"I had to help a member of the congregation find his wayward wee daughter not even ten minutes ago." Ragnarsson said as Orebinder inspected the mouse, "Her father and I eventually found her down in the storerooms playing with what looked like dust from an old clay bowl." He gestured to the mouse, "This was sitting on her knee."

Orebinder's frown deepened, the crags on his face shifting and making him look even more like stone than before. He glanced up at Ragnarsson briefly, before continuing his inspection of the rodent, 

"The storerooms?" He asked, "Did she say why she was all the way down there?" Ragnarsson nodded, staring pensively at the rodent,

"Aye. She said, and I quote, 'The really nice lady said to.'" He shrugged at Orebinder's surprised glance back up at him. Orebinder picked the mouse up and let it run between his fingers as he sat back up, still staring at the creature,

"There's no mistake; this wee rodent is made of the dust of fired God Clay. My only question now is, how?" The old priest's brow furrowed into a confused frown as he spoke. Ragnarsson shook his head,

"I don't know, Father." he sighed, running a hand through his hair, "I'd hoped to seek your counsel on this." He admitted. Orebinder nodded, finally letting the little mouse run down to the desk,

"From what you've told me, the lassie's clearly been Marked by Kherillim." He said, leaning back into his seat and stroking his long, grey beard thoughtfully. Several long moments passed in silence as both dwarves considered what this meant. The mouse, oblivious to the significance of its existence, set about making a nest out of the half abandoned report Orebinder had been writing. Eventually the high priest grimaced,

"I'll confer with the Archlector on this." He said, picking the mouse back up, much to its frustration, "Whatever Moradin or Kherillim have planned for the girl, His Grace will know how best to go about supporting her and her family." Ragnarsson nodded and rose from his seat,

"I thought that ye might need to." He said, "Do ye want me to contact the family?" He asked. Orebinder thought for a moment and shook his head,

"Leave them be for now." He suggested, "Let the lass enjoy her childhood. She'll likely have to grow up all too quickly once whatever Destiny has been placed on her shoulders catches up with her." Ragnarsson felt his stomach drop; while it was rare for dwarves to be Marked, it was not unheard of. Those that were, tended to lead difficult, painful and, more often than not, criminally short lives. He bowed his head and muttered a prayer, hoping that the little girl he'd spent an hour finding would not have such a cruel and unjust fate thrust upon her for many decades yet. His fear lifted at the warm, reassuring touch of Moradin in his chest, but did not abate entirely. 

Orebinder hauled himself out of his seat with a weary sigh, wincing at the ache in his back and legs. He paused, then held the hand enclosing the mouse out to the younger dwarf,

"Actually, Ragnarsson, would you tak' this down to His Holiness for me? I seem to be getting a bit stiff in my old age." Ragnarsson nodded and took the little rodent, placing it back in his pocket,

"Of course, Father. Did ye need anything else?" He asked, eyeing Orebinder critically as the elderly man half collapsed back into his seat. Orebinder waved a hand dismissively,

"No, no, I'll be quite alright." He wheezed, "I just need a bit to catch my breath. On ye go, lad, I'll send a message onto the Moradhir Guard for you so ye're not kept back answering a load o' silly questions." Ragnarsson frowned, but bowed deeply and swept back out of the office. 

As soon as he was in the corridor, striding down towards the Contemplation Chamber's entrance, Ragnarsson reached into his pocket to make sure the little claydust mouse was still safely nestled within.

[snowkits-flight]

Halfkit is very rude (and very much grounded) 

[cawamity]

A few sketches of horses~ Featuring @ashtoneer horse, @doct0rnop3 horse, Comrade Silver horse, and qt heart eyes <3

[residents-of-the-darkforest]

Dark Forest Resident: Snipvoice 

Aliases / Nicknames: The Follower, Squeakkit 

Gender: male

Sexuality: homosexual

Family: Nightfang (mother), Gingerstamp (father), Siltflower (sister)

Other Relations: Marshstar (mentor), Claydust (apprentice)

Clan: ShadowClan

Rank: deputy

Characteristics: kills those Claudrat disliked, covers for his friend’s crimes, is definitely not in love with Claudrat

Number of Victims: 2

Number of Murders: 2

Method of Murder: slitting throats

Known Victims: Marshstar's fourth life, Grasswing

Victim Profile: whoever Claudrat disliked

Cause of Death: poisoned, killed by Claydust

Cautionary Tale: choose who you follow carefully

Story: 

A dark cloud fell over Snipkit and Siltkit in their early days with the disappearance of their father, Gingerstamp. 

Nevermind how cats kept getting angry when he was mentioned, or mutter 'good riddance'. Or even how Siltkit suddenly wanted to drop it altogether. When they became apprentices, a cat arrived in the night. An exhausted, half-blind, and very hungry cat around the same age as the two.  

Listening to Claudpaw's story, he hissed in anger at the cats who had hurt the one he lo--cared about. And when they became warriors, he helped Claudrat kill Grasswing, poor Grasswing, lost in the forest. Siltflower and Claudrat became mates, and Snipvoice became bitter. 

But, Claudrat was happy, and that was really what he wanted. He backed his sister when Claudrat decided to kill Applewhisp and she didn’t, but wasn't really upset when Applewhisp turned up dead. They hadn't been that close. 

Now, he hated Elmfur, who was always saying to him and his sister that he would turn out just like Gingerstamp. He covered for his two friends once they went to kill him. 

And then, Claudrat was deputy. 

Taking initiative for once, Snipvoice ended up pushing Marshstar into a river, where he drowned. Thankfully, Marshstar never saw or smelt him. Claudrat was annoyed at the risk he had taken, but it gave him an idea. And then there was Claudstar, and Snipvoice became the deputy. 

He was overjoyed! Finally, Claudrat--star saw something in him. He even gained an apprentice, Claypaw! 

The same night Claudstar had his lives taken from him, and the very apprentice he was so proud of fed him deathberries. 

Additional Information: 

--Submission by @frightnightindustries​

--Gingerstamp was a cannibal during a bad Leaf-bare. 

--Claudrat didn't really notice Snipvoice's love, because he acted like that for everyone he cared about. 

--After they died, Siltflower went into voluntary exile, and went to StarClan after atoning. 

--He was caring in his apprenticeship, which is why he was so angry after Claudpaw told him the story of his eye.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Heads up 7 up/Last Line

I'm combining both of these since I've gotten tags for both recently and I've only been writing for the one project this last week. Thanks to @blind-the-winds, and @wildswrites for the tags. Have some stuff I've written that's not likely to be officially posted, but I still needed to get out of my system. Think of it as part of a chapter 7.5 of A Circle None Can Break. Placing under a readmore since it's actually quite a hefty excerpt

Gruk tried not to let his panic show, but he was having a hard time doing so. He should have just kept his big mouth shut. He truly didn’t know much more than what Ragnarsson had told him, but if he told them everything then they’d want his wee baby girl to leave and help solve their problem immediately. He couldn’t let that happen, she was too young and inexperienced in the ways of the wider world. Another part of him railed against the instinct, reminding him that his youngest daughter was now a grown woman, and she was clearly aching to get out there and help. Who was he to stop her if she wanted to go? While he was no cleric, Gruk knew enough to know that to deny a Call was to defy the very God that his daughter now worked for. He heaved a sigh and looked between Edwin and Selene for a moment before hanging his head,

“It was relevant.” he said, voice low, “Merri found a bowl made of God Clay when she was just a wee bairn. She had gotten some of the claydust on her hands and found she could make things with it. By the time Ragnarsson and I found her, she’d already made a wee mouse companion for herself that was running around her feet.” He explained, “I knew it meant something, but I wasn’t told any details until I went to get the paperwork to enrol her as an acolyte a decade later.” Gruk looked back up, his expression haggard as he looked over to Selene,

“I’ve no idea if we’ve even got any God Clay in the mount, hen, but from what Ragarsson told me, it’s no use to ye if ye don’t have someone that can use it.” 

“And your daughter is the only one that anyone knows of that can.” Selene surmised, grimacing at the defeated expression on the smith’s face. She reached over and laid a hand on top of his, “If there was any other way for me to deal with this, I’d jump all over it.” she said apologetically, “The last thing I want is to drag innocent people who had nothing to do with the portal’s existence into this mess.”

[snowkits-flight]

Finally, all of Frostclan is done!!!! Or at least how it will be in the first chapter. This is a basic over view, more detailed profiles will be posted in the next few days 

Chief: Boulderstar (he/him)

Sheriff: Lionmane (he/him)

Warriors:

Heatherstone (he/him) 

Frosthunter (he/him) Apprentice, Fishpaw

Sleekflower (she/her)

Ravenfire (she/her) Apprentice, Lynxpaw

Eagleleap (he/him)

Dragonwhisker (they/them) 

Honeymoon (she/her) Apprentice, Foxpaw 

Creepingshade (she/her)

Tigerbreeze (she/her) 

Apprentices:

Fishpaw (he/him) 

Foxpaw (she/her)

Lynxpaw (he/him)

Medicine cats: 

Sliverfang (she/her)

Poppysong (she/her)

Queens/Kings and their kits:

Claydust (she/her, they/them) her kits: Shadowkit, Halfkit

Flameblossom (she/her) her kits: Lemonkit, Applekit, Berrykit

Blitzblaze (he/him) his kit: Snowkit 

Camp tenders:

Goldenfish (he/him)

Foldedear (she/her)

Sweetheart (ze/zir) 

Whitenose (he/him)