|
Post by Jade on Jul 4, 2019 13:07:13 GMT -5
Onkódis thought for a moment before nodding in agreement, his eyes glittering as he looked at the she-cat. "Very smart observation. Let's head out then." The tom turned his large paws to the entrance and began to lead the way out, squeezing through the entrance as it was a bit of a fit for him already. Once they were out in the territory Onkódis shifted direction and moved toward the forest, forgetting about the rogues that had been spotted there for now as he spent time with the she-cat. "So, how has your day been Jadepaw?" (Just warning you, Jadepaw is going to be a hard one to get xD She's a little...completely clueless when it comes to romance) Jadepaw shrugged, wholly oblivious to Onkódis' attention as she strode out of camp behind him. Once the path opened up, she quickened her pace to situate herself at his side, her short legs moving swiftly to keep up with the much larger tom. Still, she'd never been one to object to a trot through the meadows—especially with the territory coming alive in the sunlight. "I've been doing pretty well so far," she replied, focusing in on her companion again. "I've mostly just been wasting time around camp, waiting for Mistyfur. What've you been up to?"
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 4, 2019 13:07:30 GMT -5
(Jade: It was amazing. Arguably two of the best weeks of my entire life.) Mistyfur purred and playfully batted Sootstripe's ear with her paw. "I won't get soaked. And if I do, you'll be getting in with me, willing or not," she joked. Despite her joking, a day down by the river was sounding better and better, even without fishing. Especially if she could be alone with Sootstripe. The clan wouldn't burn down if the two of them went off together for a day. Probably. (Ahh, awesome! I'm so jealous >.< What was the best thing you did?) (Also lol Mistyfur xD) "We'll see about that," Sootstripe teased, the green in his eyes glittering. He leaned down to take one last bite of the meal in front of him before nudging the last morsel to Mistyfur. "Only for you would I ever deal with a soaking pelt," he added with a laugh. "I hope you know how special you are."
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 4, 2019 13:07:44 GMT -5
"Food!"Quailfeather exclaimed."All kinds of things to eat.Some sort of bird and other types of meat thrown out by twolegs."He turned his head to face the tom."Why haven't you?" "Because they smell like something rotten," Firestrike replied, wrinkling his nose for emphasis. Though he kept his expression stern, a spark of amusement flashed in his eyes. "And some of us can catch our own prey, thank you very much."
|
|
|
Post by Jekyll on Jul 4, 2019 13:43:33 GMT -5
Onkódis thought for a moment before nodding in agreement, his eyes glittering as he looked at the she-cat. "Very smart observation. Let's head out then." The tom turned his large paws to the entrance and began to lead the way out, squeezing through the entrance as it was a bit of a fit for him already. Once they were out in the territory Onkódis shifted direction and moved toward the forest, forgetting about the rogues that had been spotted there for now as he spent time with the she-cat. "So, how has your day been Jadepaw?" (Just warning you, Jadepaw is going to be a hard one to get xD She's a little...completely clueless when it comes to romance) Jadepaw shrugged, wholly oblivious to Onkódis' attention as she strode out of camp behind him. Once the path opened up, she quickened her pace to situate herself at his side, her short legs moving swiftly to keep up with the much larger tom. Still, she'd never been one to object to a trot through the meadows—especially with the territory coming alive in the sunlight. "I've been doing pretty well so far," she replied, focusing in on her companion again. "I've mostly just been wasting time around camp, waiting for Mistyfur. What've you been up to?" The tom thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders, the movement ruffling his long fur. "Not much really. I've just been relaxing around camp, hunting now and then. Everything's been pretty calm lately." He chuckled lightly. Though the calmness isn't the only thing I would say is pretty. He glanced down at Jadepaw before returning his eyes to where they were going, the forest growing larger ahead of them. (XD, that'll make this a lot of fun. Of course he probably won't outright tell her until she's a warrior)
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 4, 2019 13:57:49 GMT -5
(Perfect—I love a good slow-burning romance! ) "You're right," Jadepaw replied thoughtfully. "Things around camp have been calm, for once. I can barely remember the last time that that happened." She cracked a small smile; she had barely become an apprentice when Sparrowclan was rocked by the last great battle—and everything since had been a blur of border skirmishes and rogues detected at the border. At times, it felt that things had never quite settled back to the peacefulness of her time in the nursery. "Hopefully it'll last this time," she added, her expression shifting to more of a smirk. "It's not that I mind battle training at all; I'm just completely happy to train without ever having to put the skills into practice."
|
|
|
Post by Protractor on Jul 4, 2019 14:22:08 GMT -5
"Food!"Quailfeather exclaimed."All kinds of things to eat.Some sort of bird and other types of meat thrown out by twolegs."He turned his head to face the tom."Why haven't you?" "Because they smell like something rotten," Firestrike replied, wrinkling his nose for emphasis. Though he kept his expression stern, a spark of amusement flashed in his eyes. "And some of us can catch our own prey, thank you very much." "Tell me that in leaf bare."Quailfeather snorted."I'm not going to help you then."He purred as they reached the border."You sure about this?"
|
|
|
Post by Jekyll on Jul 4, 2019 14:29:33 GMT -5
(Perfect—I love a good slow-burning romance! ) "You're right," Jadepaw replied thoughtfully. "Things around camp have been calm, for once. I can barely remember the last time that that happened." She cracked a small smile; she had barely become an apprentice when Sparrowclan was rocked by the last great battle—and everything since had been a blur of border skirmishes and rogues detected at the border. At times, it felt that things had never quite settled back to the peacefulness of her time in the nursery. "Hopefully it'll last this time," she added, her expression shifting to more of a smirk. "It's not that I mind battle training at all; I'm just completely happy to train without ever having to put the skills into practice." "I have to agree with that one. The skills are good to have but actually having to use them can be a bit... scary." He chuckled nervously. "Probably sounds odd for such a big cat like me to be saying something is scary huh? I mean look at me! I'm a monster in size." The tom hopped around before stopping by her, this time blocking the sun and so casting a huge shadow over the smaller she-cat.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jul 4, 2019 19:25:51 GMT -5
(Jade: The week with the host family was the best part by far. It was a bit akward for a high-school boy to be surrounded by 8th grade girls when I spent a day going to school with the host sister, but there's only so much I could do about that considering the circumstances.)
"And I hope you know how special you are," Mistyfur purred, graciously accepting the last bit of the meal. She slowly stood up and stretched, flicking Sootstripe as she did so, and then started heading for the entrance to camp at a leisurely pace. She paused at the entrance to turn around to look at Sootstripe. "After all, you're the only one that can convince me to take a day off to just relax."
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 5, 2019 7:41:37 GMT -5
(Bramble--Haha I get that. But that sounds so cool!)
"That's true," Sootstripe replied with a loud purr, his heart fluttering at the thought. In truth, he was still half-surprised that he'd managed to pull it off—and he was determined not to waste a moment of it. He heaved himself to his paws with a yawn and set off after Mistyfur, trotting a few steps to reach her side. "I have to point out, though, that you did want to spend our day off catching prey," he teased. "That sounds a whole lot like warrior duties to me."
Jadepaw laughed as her entire form was consumed by Onkódis' massive shadow. She twitched her ears and tipped her head far back to meet his gaze. “Well I wouldn’t call you a monster,” she replied, warmth and humor seeping into her tone, “But I do have to wonder how anything could faze you. You could practically just squish any rogues that tried to challenge you!”
Firestrike stifled a laugh and gave an almost imperceptible dip of his head at Quailfeather’s words; it would certainly be nice not to spend his days stomping through the leafbare snow...if he could find a way to get over the scent. He squared his shoulders as the border drew near and lifted his chin confidently. “Of course,” he declared, stepping swiftly over the scent line. “Are you?”
|
|
|
Post by Protractor on Jul 5, 2019 8:14:12 GMT -5
"It was my idea."Quailfeather replied,following the tom over the marker.This was just the thing that would get him killed.Not the battles or starvation,but the senseless trips over the border."If we find trouble,lead it away from camp."
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jul 5, 2019 9:08:06 GMT -5
"It's only warrior duties if you make it," Mistyfur said, slowly padding out of camp by Sootstripe's side. "As i said before, we can go to that rock. if we go there, I doubt we'll be doing much of anything except lazing around and catching the occasional fish when we feel like it..." Mistyfur let her voice trail off and decided just to enjoy her time alone with Sootstripe.
|
|
|
Post by Jekyll on Jul 5, 2019 16:48:10 GMT -5
(Bramble--Haha I get that. But that sounds so cool!) "That's true," Sootstripe replied with a loud purr, his heart fluttering at the thought. In truth, he was still half-surprised that he'd managed to pull it off—and he was determined not to waste a moment of it. He heaved himself to his paws with a yawn and set off after Mistyfur, trotting a few steps to reach her side. "I have to point out, though, that you did want to spend our day off catching prey," he teased. "That sounds a whole lot like warrior duties to me." Jadepaw laughed as her entire form was consumed by Onkódis' massive shadow. She twitched her ears and tipped her head far back to meet his gaze. “Well I wouldn’t call you a monster,” she replied, warmth and humor seeping into her tone, “But I do have to wonder how anything could faze you. You could practically just squish any rogues that tried to challenge you!” Firestrike stifled a laugh and gave an almost imperceptible dip of his head at Quailfeather’s words; it would certainly be nice not to spend his days stomping through the leafbare snow...if he could find a way to get over the scent. He squared his shoulders as the border drew near and lifted his chin confidently. “Of course,” he declared, stepping swiftly over the scent line. “Are you?” Onkódis shrugged his shoulders and pawed at the ground. "I'm not really one who enjoys fighting actually. Weird right?" He shook his head and sighed. "I should be someone who enjoys it and excels at it because I'm big which gives me an advantage, or at least that's what I've been told before. I enjoy hunting and playing around more though."
|
|
|
Post by spαcє on Jul 5, 2019 23:26:36 GMT -5
"You seem to have more of a plan," Firestrike replied with a noncommittal flick of his ginger tail. As much as he enjoyed taking the lead, he wasn't quite ready to call himself responsible for any troubles that they encountered—especially with the warm fog of sleep and sun not yet fully banished from his brain. He dipped his head to Quailfeather. "I'll let you lead the way—but preferably somewhere that doesn't involve getting my paws soaked." Featherspark let out a quiet purr, feeling her chest warm at Moonloud's commending words. "Thank you," she replied, allowing a laugh to grace her tone to conceal just how much she needed to hear them. She had never been the type to lack in confidence as a warrior—even when she probably should have—but the other queens seemed to know everything— She shook her head. "My 'spirit' has certainly gotten me into a lot of trouble over the years, so I'm glad that it has its good side, too. And I think there's a place for all of it in the clan—tranquility and attitude," she added, meeting Mooncloud's greenish gaze with her blue one. She let a smile creep across her muzzle. "Starclan knows that the clan probably would have liked me to be a little bit more like you when I was young. Still, someone had to keep things interesting for them." Mooncloud dipped his head, to let the Queen know he processed and appreciated her words. He entwined his tail between his paws and closed his eyes. 'I see why her up-beat spirit can get slightly annoying... yet, I still somehow appreciate it...' "That's another thing my mother used to tell me about. We weren't exactly in a clan, but she used to tell me how easy-going I was and how others used to commend her for it." He paused, for a bit, before continuing, "But, as you said. Our clan would be boring if we all were cats who acted in the same-way." He untwined his tail and let it slightly graze her back, before he continued, "It's unfortunate that not all may appreciate that, but I'm sure all blends add to the clan in some-way or another." He opened his eyes to look at the queen, and finished slightly teasingly, "After-all, what fun would it be, if the kits were all tame and docile, such as myself?" (Sorry for not being here the past few days, internet dropped on me x.x) Mooncloud gently nudged the she-cat and let his tail reassuringly run-down her tail, "But, nonetheless, you should be happy with the cat you are. I am sure your kits will grow up to be strong and delightful warriors. Speaking of which, perhaps we should head back soon to checkup on them?" He gently let his pelt soak up the sun and lifted his head to the sky with his eyes closed, before he gently smiled at the she-cat.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 6, 2019 9:41:37 GMT -5
Firestrike rolled his eyes as his usual, amused smirk crept across his face again. "Sounds like a plan. It's always best not to lead whatever monsters end up on our tail straight toward the elders and kits." The sarcasm in his voice was replaced by curiosity as he took in their surroundings carefully. "Now, let's find these silver bins of yours before something finds us," he teased, though his focused expression betrayed the bit of genuine wariness concealed beneath his jokes. "Well, you know that I'll never say no to some good, old 'lazing around'," Sootstripe laughed, touching his nose briefly to Mistyfur's cheek as he fell into step beside her. His black-tipped ears twitched in all directions as he walked, taking in the lovely chiming of birds somewhere beyond the meadow stretching out in front of them. He could see the azure thread of a stream up ahead, the gild of sunlight turning it to a blur of blue and white. He let his eyes fall half-shut with contentment. "Especially with you. I can't imagine a more wonderful way to do absolutely nothing." Jadepaw grinned. "That is a little bit weird, all things considered," she teased lightly, taking her next few steps at a bound to fall back into pace with Onkódis' large strides. "But I guess I'm just as strange. I've always loved battle training best, even though I spent half of my time in the nursery being squished by the bigger kits." Heer green eyes glittered. "I just love learning the new moves; there's always something different to master." ( spαcє No worries! Glad you're back ^-^) Featherspark glanced up at the sky and blinked, registering the new position of the sun for the first time since leaving camp. The seconds had seemed to glide by slowly on their tranquil walk—but, indeed, she saw now that they had flown. "You're right," she replied, turning her azure gaze back to Moncloud gratefully. "We should start heading back—if you don't mind," she added hastily. A spark of humor seeped into her gaze once again as she continued. "I'm sure the kits will have gotten themselves into all kinds of messes by now. I wonder what it will be—shredding moss in the elder's den, bothering the napping warriors—it's always a surprise."
|
|
|
Post by Protractor on Jul 6, 2019 10:17:18 GMT -5
Quailfeather nodded and headed towards the large nests in the distance.It had been a while since he'd been here and wasn't sure if he could keep them from getting lost."What's the real reason you want to go to the bins?"
|
|
|
Post by Jekyll on Jul 6, 2019 17:21:01 GMT -5
JadeOnkódis nodded his head softly, understanding how fighting could be something that made one excited, but with him there was a reason behind it. "Learning it is fine, but having to use it can be horrible. Trust me... I know." He zoned out for a moment as his mother and father flashed through his find, followed by his little siblings. He took in a deep breath. "Anyways, what moves have you learned lately?"
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jul 6, 2019 23:51:41 GMT -5
"Aww, how sweet," Mistyfur purred at Sootstripe's words. "I guess we're even then, because I can't imagine a more wonderful way to do absolutely nothing than doing it with you," she said. She then fell silent and immersed herself in the sound of the stream just up ahead and Soostripe's presence next to her. She tried to just let go of all the worries and thoughts of what she needed to do next and just enjoy her time alone with Sootstripe today. No matter what she wanted, it wasn't always easy to aquire days like this.
|
|
|
Post by spαcє on Jul 7, 2019 0:31:18 GMT -5
Firestrike rolled his eyes as his usual, amused smirk crept across his face again. "Sounds like a plan. It's always best not to lead whatever monsters end up on our tail straight toward the elders and kits." The sarcasm in his voice was replaced by curiosity as he took in their surroundings carefully. "Now, let's find these silver bins of yours before something finds us," he teased, though his focused expression betrayed the bit of genuine wariness concealed beneath his jokes. "Well, you know that I'll never say no to some good, old 'lazing around'," Sootstripe laughed, touching his nose briefly to Mistyfur's cheek as he fell into step beside her. His black-tipped ears twitched in all directions as he walked, taking in the lovely chiming of birds somewhere beyond the meadow stretching out in front of them. He could see the azure thread of a stream up ahead, the gild of sunlight turning it to a blur of blue and white. He let his eyes fall half-shut with contentment. "Especially with you. I can't imagine a more wonderful way to do absolutely nothing." Jadepaw grinned. "That is a little bit weird, all things considered," she teased lightly, taking her next few steps at a bound to fall back into pace with Onkódis' large strides. "But I guess I'm just as strange. I've always loved battle training best, even though I spent half of my time in the nursery being squished by the bigger kits." Heer green eyes glittered. "I just love learning the new moves; there's always something different to master." ( spαcє No worries! Glad you're back ^-^) Featherspark glanced up at the sky and blinked, registering the new position of the sun for the first time since leaving camp. The seconds had seemed to glide by slowly on their tranquil walk—but, indeed, she saw now that they had flown. "You're right," she replied, turning her azure gaze back to Moncloud gratefully. "We should start heading back—if you don't mind," she added hastily. A spark of humor seeped into her gaze once again as she continued. "I'm sure the kits will have gotten themselves into all kinds of messes by now. I wonder what it will be—shredding moss in the elder's den, bothering the napping warriors—it's always a surprise." (Thanks! I'm glad to be back.) Mooncloud chucked and meowed teasingly, "Well, I suppose that makes it all the more fun and interesting." He nodded before gently adding, "While this walk has been very enjoyable, I suppose our duties give us things we must attend to." He briefly stopped and gazed up at the sky once-more, soaking up as much sun, light, warmth, and joy, as he could. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, letting his mind get lost in the past. His gentle smile lost shape for a second, as he remembered the afternoon his mate was taken from him. The look on his face turned from sudden anger, to sadness, and finally, to determination, as the moment rushed through his mind. He was about to turn-around and invite the she-cat to join him, when he mind and instincts screaming at him to wait. He hesitated before continuing, "But, before we go, is there anything you'd... perhaps like to discuss?"
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 7, 2019 15:55:54 GMT -5
"The 'real reason'?" Firestrike tilted his head to squint at Quailfeather, confused. He followed beside the tom as they began to walk, adjusting his stride to match pace. "You're the one who suggested it. What do you mean?"
Jadepaw's brow furrowed as she watched a shadow mar Onkódis' once-open and friendly face. She opened her mouth as if to push further but swiftly decided against it; the troubles of a warror—kind as he might be—were none of her concern. Directing her concerned gaze instead to the passing shrubs, she gathered lightness back into her voice. "Lately, Mistyfur has been teaching me how to hold my own against bigger enemies. I learned one just a few days ago where I leap right onto the opponent's back. Or, at least that's the idea," she added with a sheepish cough. "I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet."
Sootstripe sighed contentedly and let a deep purr rumble from his throat. The peace surrounding them on all sides was precious; he almost wished that the waiting rock and river would never come. Nonetheless, he could already see the large, gray smudge that marked their destination looming up ahead; they'd be there any minute now. He halted suddenly, his paws kicking up tiny clouds of dust as he turned to face Mistyfur with an almost kitlike sparkle in his eyes. "I bet I can get there faster than you"
Featherspark leveled a curious look at Mooncloud, her head cocking to one side in confusion. Despite the beautiful surroundings continually vying for her attention, it was difficult not to have noticed the quiet tom's obvious distress a moment ago. Nonetheless, her gaze remained open, inviting, without an ounce of hostility to be found. "Is there something that you wanted to talk about?" She ventured, easing herself down on her hindquarters and wrapping her tail neatly around her paws in case she was to be settling in for a chat. "I'm sure that the kits can wait another few minutes."
|
|
|
Post by Jekyll on Jul 7, 2019 16:00:05 GMT -5
"Ah, I remember learning that one. It's very useful against foxes and badgers." He chuckled lightly as he got an idea. "If you ever want to practice it on a larger opponent, I'm open to help." The tom then pricked his ears and fell silent as the two entered the forest, immediately alert for signs of prey or danger. "Can you smell anything around here Jadepaw?" He decided to ask the apprentice what she thought so that he could tell Mistyfur about her skills when they returned to camp.
|
|
|
Post by Protractor on Jul 7, 2019 16:06:51 GMT -5
"No one wants to go towards twoleg things to avoid trouble."Quailfeather explained.
|
|
|
Post by spαcє on Jul 7, 2019 19:40:16 GMT -5
"The 'real reason'?" Firestrike tilted his head to squint at Quailfeather, confused. He followed beside the tom as they began to walk, adjusting his stride to match pace. "You're the one who suggested it. What do you mean?" Jadepaw's brow furrowed as she watched a shadow mar Onkódis' once-open and friendly face. She opened her mouth as if to push further but swiftly decided against it; the troubles of a warror—kind as he might be—were none of her concern. Directing her concerned gaze instead to the passing shrubs, she gathered lightness back into her voice. "Lately, Mistyfur has been teaching me how to hold my own against bigger enemies. I learned one just a few days ago where I leap right onto the opponent's back. Or, at least that's the idea," she added with a sheepish cough. "I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet." Sootstripe sighed contentedly and let a deep purr rumble from his throat. The peace surrounding them on all sides was precious; he almost wished that the waiting rock and river would never come. Nonetheless, he could already see the large, gray smudge that marked their destination looming up ahead; they'd be there any minute now. He halted suddenly, his paws kicking up tiny clouds of dust as he turned to face Mistyfur with an almost kitlike sparkle in his eyes. "I bet I can get there faster than you" Featherspark leveled a curious look at Mooncloud, her head cocking to one side in confusion. Despite the beautiful surroundings continually vying for her attention, it was difficult not to have noticed the quiet tom's obvious distress a moment ago. Nonetheless, her gaze remained open, inviting, without an ounce of hostility to be found. "Is there something that you wanted to talk about?" She ventured, easing herself down on her hindquarters and wrapping her tail neatly around her paws in case she was to be settling in for a chat. "I'm sure that the kits can wait another few minutes." "Answer a question with a question, fair enough," he meowed while slightly chuckling to himself, with a small smile on his face. He turned his gaze up towards the sky and closed his eyes, for a bit, before continuing. "Sometimes, nature causes my mind to wander back towards the past. Unfortunately, in this instance, I wandered to a memory which I can not say I'm too fond of." He paused and took in the sun's warmth, his mew slightly trailing off, for a bit. "I don't recall if I told you this already, so I apologize if I did, but... my mate was killed before I joined the clan. This isn't a memory that my mind often times runs to, as I found letting the past go may often-times be better than constantly dwelling and reminiscing in it. But, I suppose letting go doesn't mean that the memory goes away - even after I have accepted her absence." He shook himself lightly before opening his eyes again, "And, when I do recall the memory, it still pulls pain from the deepest places..." Mooncloud's gaze turned back towards the she-cat and he finished, "Nonetheless, thank you for your company."
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 8, 2019 7:22:12 GMT -5
Jadepaw forced her cheerfully wandering attention back to the task ahead as the shrubs turned to trees around her. She slowed her steps nearly to a crawl, her ears pricked for any signs of potential prey. She closed her eyes, focusing instead on the maze of scents wafting to her half-open jaws. Slowly, carefully, she began to sift through them one-by-one. Leaves...more leaves...maybe some herbs...There it is! She slammed her jaws shut against a triumphant yelp as she picked out the woodsy scent of prey. "There's something this way," she commented quietly, sweeping her tail to the left. "Squirrel, maybe—I think."
Firestrike shook his head. "If something is going on in this clan, I want to know about it," he replied decisively. "As mildly insane as I still think this is, free food is never a bad thing. Any good warrior would do the same." In truth, there was little more pulling the ginger tom after Quailfeather than a steadfast fear of missing out. He had always liked to place himself at the center of every new discovery—but that didn't sound quite noble enough.
Featherspark's mouth fell open, her eyes darkening with sympathy. Mooncloud's heartfelt words stirred once again a collection of memories still sheltered lovingly in a corner of her mind. She hadn't yet learned how to fully let go of Dustleap—especially when every moment of delight with their kits sent his image dancing around her head once again. "I—I can never know what you feel or what to say," she began tentatively. "You'd never told me that—not that you ever had need to. I lost my mate as well...probably six moons ago now." She shook her head in disbelief; it still felt like only days ago, that first, impossible day when she had found herself alone. "He disappeared—went out to hunt along the border and never returned." Her chest ached. "The way you spoke, I had a sense that you'd understand somehow; now I know. And I'm so sorry."
|
|
|
Post by spαcє on Jul 8, 2019 9:14:22 GMT -5
Jadepaw forced her cheerfully wandering attention back to the task ahead as the shrubs turned to trees around her. She slowed her steps nearly to a crawl, her ears pricked for any signs of potential prey. She closed her eyes, focusing instead on the maze of scents wafting to her half-open jaws. Slowly, carefully, she began to sift through them one-by-one. Leaves...more leaves...maybe some herbs...There it is! She slammed her jaws shut against a triumphant yelp as she picked out the woodsy scent of prey. "There's something this way," she commented quietly, sweeping her tail to the left. "Squirrel, maybe—I think." Firestrike shook his head. "If something is going on in this clan, I want to know about it," he replied decisively. "As mildly insane as I still think this is, free food is never a bad thing. Any good warrior would do the same." In truth, there was little more pulling the ginger tom after Quailfeather than a steadfast fear of missing out. He had always liked to place himself at the center of every new discovery—but that didn't sound quite noble enough. Featherspark's mouth fell open, her eyes darkening with sympathy. Mooncloud's heartfelt words stirred once again a collection of memories still sheltered lovingly in a corner of her mind. She hadn't yet learned how to fully let go of Dustleap—especially when every moment of delight with their kits sent his image dancing around her head once again. "I—I can never know what you feel or what to say," she began tentatively. "You'd never told me that—not that you ever had need to. I lost my mate as well...probably six moons ago now." She shook her head in disbelief; it still felt like only days ago, that first, impossible day when she had found herself alone. "He disappeared—went out to hunt along the border and never returned." Her chest ached. "The way you spoke, I had a sense that you'd understand somehow; now I know. And I'm so sorry." Mooncloud gently nuzzled her and let his tail run softly down her flank, in a rather vain attempt to reassure the she-cat, before saying “Thank you for your kind words and support - I am very sorry for your loss, as well. It can certainly be hard to actually let them go. Sometimes, when the memory does pop in my mind, it seems like a nightmare that won’t end, and it makes me wonder if I actually let her go…” His mew trailed off as he closed the distance between himself and the she-cat, leaving a bit of space so their flanks don't make contact. “But, the rather eerie calm I feel after the memory has passed, leaves no doubt in my mind that I have, sometimes to my dismay, let her go.” He looked at Featherspark with eyes of sympathy, and a hint of dolefulness before he pressed on. “I lost my mate about 60 moons ago, and I think I only fully accepted that she was gone about 12 moons ago. During that time, I didn’t know what to say or feel, and I felt like I was unraveling without her....” He hesitated before he continued, his mew much softer and gentler than it was before. “But, I have no doubt you will come out of this with strength. I am sure your kits will provide you ample amounts of solace and joy. And if you ever need someone to talk to, my ears are always eager to listen.” He paused as his gaze moved towards the sun-lit sky, once-more, and he briefly closed his eyes taking in the warmth and joy. Once he fully realized and processed that he couldn't tell on of the cats he trusted most about such a harrowing experience, he let out a quiet sigh and berated himself for it. 'I'm not as open as I once was, even with those I trust.... I know that my clan-mates support and care for me, but despite that, I never can fully communicate and open up to them... Why am I like this? Well... I need to do better. I just hope I can.' He opened his eyes and looked the she-cat once more with sincerity in his eyes, before finishing, “And, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before this… I think it might have been better for the both of us, had we discussed this a bit earlier.”
|
|
|
Post by Protractor on Jul 8, 2019 10:19:59 GMT -5
"This is frowned upon though."Quailfeather replied."Why would you want to break the warrior code?"
|
|
|
Post by Jekyll on Jul 8, 2019 12:00:43 GMT -5
Jadepaw forced her cheerfully wandering attention back to the task ahead as the shrubs turned to trees around her. She slowed her steps nearly to a crawl, her ears pricked for any signs of potential prey. She closed her eyes, focusing instead on the maze of scents wafting to her half-open jaws. Slowly, carefully, she began to sift through them one-by-one. Leaves...more leaves...maybe some herbs...There it is! She slammed her jaws shut against a triumphant yelp as she picked out the woodsy scent of prey. "There's something this way," she commented quietly, sweeping her tail to the left. "Squirrel, maybe—I think." Firestrike shook his head. "If something is going on in this clan, I want to know about it," he replied decisively. "As mildly insane as I still think this is, free food is never a bad thing. Any good warrior would do the same." In truth, there was little more pulling the ginger tom after Quailfeather than a steadfast fear of missing out. He had always liked to place himself at the center of every new discovery—but that didn't sound quite noble enough. Featherspark's mouth fell open, her eyes darkening with sympathy. Mooncloud's heartfelt words stirred once again a collection of memories still sheltered lovingly in a corner of her mind. She hadn't yet learned how to fully let go of Dustleap—especially when every moment of delight with their kits sent his image dancing around her head once again. "I—I can never know what you feel or what to say," she began tentatively. "You'd never told me that—not that you ever had need to. I lost my mate as well...probably six moons ago now." She shook her head in disbelief; it still felt like only days ago, that first, impossible day when she had found herself alone. "He disappeared—went out to hunt along the border and never returned." Her chest ached. "The way you spoke, I had a sense that you'd understand somehow; now I know. And I'm so sorry." The tom smiled softly and nodded toward where she scented the squirrel. "Lets go get it then. Move quietly and once you're sure of where it is, get down and go ahead and catch it. I'll be watching and will give you any pointers you need afterwards." He waited patiently, wanting the she-cat to take the lead so he could follow behind and watch.
|
|
|
Post by 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓱 𝓑𝓻𝓪𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮 on Jul 8, 2019 19:48:25 GMT -5
Mistyfur stopped a pace ahead of Sootstripe and glanced back at him. "You sure about that?" She asked, looking back and forth between him and the stream. She grinned a little and flicked him on the nose with her tail. "Well then, if you really want to test that theory..." as she spoke, she broke out in a head on sprint for the rock.
|
|
|
Post by Jade on Jul 9, 2019 9:40:25 GMT -5
Featherspark squeezed her eyes shut, feeling something in her chest crack—then, ever so slowly, begin to knit itself back together. Though their pelts did not touch, she almost imagined that she could feel Mooncloud's warmth like a steadying presence at her side. “Never apologize for what you do to keep yourself strong,” she insisted, her tone laced with more force than she’d expected. “In truth, I'm not sure that I would have told a single soul about Dustleap if the whole clan hadn’t been there to see it, anyway,” she sighed. A silence fell in the wake of her words, and she parted her jaws as if to continue, thought better of it, then firmly urged herself onward again. “How did you do it?” She whispered finally, her cracked voice hardly more than a breath. “How did you let go? He made me so happy; I don’t ever want to forget him entirely, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in mourning." She shook her head solemnly. "I can’t.”
"Why do you?" Firestrike replied, leveling a derisive gaze at Quailfeather. He let his head tilt lazily to one side, a soft gleam in his eyes. "You're the leader of this 'expedition.'"
Jadepaw smiled and offered a curt nod, a sudden nervousness fluttering to life in her belly. "Okay..." She replied, her voice trailing off as she focused all of her attention on picking out the thin trail of scent wafting toward her on the breeze. She set off at a trot, moving only a few steps before a shuffle on the ground nearby stopped her in her tracks. Sure enough, as she crept closer, her gaze fell on a small squirrel half-hidden by the roots of a nearby tree. She dropped into a crouch, steadying her breathing to silence, and inched herself forward step by step...leap! Pushing off hard with her hind legs, she shot forward toward her catch. She stifled a squeal of surprise as her hind paw caught on a root, but she scrambled quickly to her paws and lunged forward, slamming her paws down on the catch. One swift bite later, the prey lay still in her jaws, and Jadepaw raised her head—panting slightly with the unexpected effort of the catch—to search for Onkódis.
"Hey!" Sootstripe called, his shout petering off into a laugh as he shot off after Mistyfur, his legs pumping furiously. Delight sparked in his chest as the hot wind caught his whiskers and his paws thundered against the ground. "Cheater!"
|
|
|
Post by spαcє on Jul 9, 2019 11:04:06 GMT -5
Featherspark squeezed her eyes shut, feeling something in her chest crack—then, ever so slowly, begin to knit itself back together. Though their pelts did not touch, she almost imagined that she could feel Mooncloud's warmth like a steadying presence at her side. “Never apologize for what you do to keep yourself strong,” she insisted, her tone laced with more force than she’d expected. “In truth, I'm not sure that I would have told a single soul about Dustleap if the whole clan hadn’t been there to see it, anyway,” she sighed. A silence fell in the wake of her words, and she parted her jaws as if to continue, thought better of it, then firmly urged herself onward again. “How did you do it?” She whispered finally, her cracked voice hardly more than a breath. “How did you let go? He made me so happy; I don’t ever want to forget him entirely, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in mourning." She shook her head solemnly. "I can’t.” "Why do you?" Firestrike replied, leveling a derisive gaze at Quailfeather. He let his head tilt lazily to one side, a soft gleam in his eyes. "You're the leader of this 'expedition.'" Jadepaw smiled and offered a curt nod, a sudden nervousness fluttering to life in her belly. "Okay..." She replied, her voice trailing off as she focused all of her attention on picking out the thin trail of scent wafting toward her on the breeze. She set off at a trot, moving only a few steps before a shuffle on the ground nearby stopped her in her tracks. Sure enough, as she crept closer, her gaze fell on a small squirrel half-hidden by the roots of a nearby tree. She dropped into a crouch, steadying her breathing to silence, and inched herself forward step by step... leap! Pushing off hard with her hind legs, she shot forward toward her catch. She stifled a squeal of surprise as her hind paw caught on a root, but she scrambled quickly to her paws and lunged forward, slamming her paws down on the catch. One swift bite later, the prey lay still in her jaws, and Jadepaw raised her head—panting slightly with the unexpected effort of the catch—to search for Onkódis. "Hey!" Sootstripe called, his shout petering off into a laugh as he shot off after Mistyfur, his legs pumping furiously. Delight sparked in his chest as the hot wind caught his whiskers and his paws thundered against the ground. "Cheater!" Mooncloud gently nodded in understanding and he re-directed his placid gaze towards Featherspark. His eyes shone with sympathy and understanding, all-while a hint of sadness still lurked in their greeny-depths, as he gently spoke, "I unfortunately can't say I, by myself, let her go. One day, I was still processing that she was gone, but the next the despair that grieving over her brought on just suddenly disappeared. It was like she was always here, and yet, like she never truly was." He gently shook himself and pressed his flank against hers, before finishing, "I'm sorry if none of that makes any sense, it certainly wouldn't have made sense to me but... I think only time can let this loss pass. As hard as that is, the best thing you can do, in my humble opinion, is just take each-day after the other and try to move on." He hesitated before continuing and paused for a moment, as his mew trailed off. "After-all, it wouldn't do anyone, especially yourself, any good if this loss continued to haunt you. Try to focus on other things, and when the memory and loss suddenly come-up, try to find your center and control the memory and emotions. I found talking with close-ones especially helpful. And... I'm sure your kits will be able to provide you with some additional stability. But, in due-time, I assure you that this will no longer cause you the amount of anguish you're currently experiencing." He moved backwards slightly to allow the she-cat to process his words and the thoughts and emotions rushing through her mind, but remained close-enough to where he could provide support, if it were needed. "I'd be happy to continuing talking for as long as you'd like, but, perhaps it would be best to take your mind off this for a bit, and give yourself sometime to process this internally..."
|
|
|
Post by Jekyll on Jul 9, 2019 13:24:18 GMT -5
Jadepaw smiled and offered a curt nod, a sudden nervousness fluttering to life in her belly. "Okay..." She replied, her voice trailing off as she focused all of her attention on picking out the thin trail of scent wafting toward her on the breeze. She set off at a trot, moving only a few steps before a shuffle on the ground nearby stopped her in her tracks. Sure enough, as she crept closer, her gaze fell on a small squirrel half-hidden by the roots of a nearby tree. She dropped into a crouch, steadying her breathing to silence, and inched herself forward step by step... leap! Pushing off hard with her hind legs, she shot forward toward her catch. She stifled a squeal of surprise as her hind paw caught on a root, but she scrambled quickly to her paws and lunged forward, slamming her paws down on the catch. One swift bite later, the prey lay still in her jaws, and Jadepaw raised her head—panting slightly with the unexpected effort of the catch—to search for Onkódis. Onkódis had watched with calculating eyes as Jadepaw moved to her catch. He flinched as she caught her back paw on a root, a sigh escaping him when she finally caught the prey. "I have a few notes for you. First off, make sure of where you are. If you had moved to your left, then you would have had a clear shot to the squirrel and wouldn't have caught that root. Another thing, use your tail for balance when trying to quickly recover from a failed pounce. You scrambling like that could have made the squirrel flee before you had a chance. USing your tail, you would have landed more upright and the recovery would have been easier and less tiring."
|
|