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Post by thistle on Nov 3, 2024 17:17:52 GMT -5
Warblerwind shrugged again. "Don't think so," he said. "Just chew it up and lick it in. Spiderbite won;t admit it, but we're definitely buds. I learned a thing or two," he said. Though, the joking fell flat as he was once again reminded that Spiderbite probably also loathed him now. He shook off his shadowy thoughts. "Whatever. If I'm not imposing, I'd love somewhere to rest, groom my pelt, and try to clear this infection." "I've got that covered. There's plenty of room in the tree hollow I'm camping in. Super safe from the wind, cold, all that stuff." Nettle offered quickly, agreeing that they needed to get that infection sorted out, and a place to at least clean his fur, now that he had submerged in enough water to clear the worst of the grime. He quickly took the lead, guiding Warblerwind past all the fences and right along the the treelines to the side of the dens. This was a section of forest that was Twolegplace territory, but had only a few abandoned nests. Some loners lived here from time to time, but Nettle preferred not to invade their claimed spaces if he didn't have to. He looked at the huge, half-dead oak. "Think you can climb just a tiny bit? The opening is just one branch up, is all. High enough to not get snouted by a wandering dog." He humored a bit. Eyeing up the distance, Warblerwind braced himself. "Don't have much choice, do I?" he said. He jumped, digging his front paws into the thick, ridged bark of the oak. His hind legs scrabbled uselessly for a moment before he managed to propel himelf upward, dragging himself into the hollow with a groan. StarClan, his wounds were starting to burn. |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 3, 2024 17:42:17 GMT -5
"I've got that covered. There's plenty of room in the tree hollow I'm camping in. Super safe from the wind, cold, all that stuff." Nettle offered quickly, agreeing that they needed to get that infection sorted out, and a place to at least clean his fur, now that he had submerged in enough water to clear the worst of the grime. He quickly took the lead, guiding Warblerwind past all the fences and right along the the treelines to the side of the dens. This was a section of forest that was Twolegplace territory, but had only a few abandoned nests. Some loners lived here from time to time, but Nettle preferred not to invade their claimed spaces if he didn't have to. He looked at the huge, half-dead oak. "Think you can climb just a tiny bit? The opening is just one branch up, is all. High enough to not get snouted by a wandering dog." He humored a bit. Eyeing up the distance, Warblerwind braced himself. "Don't have much choice, do I?" he said. He jumped, digging his front paws into the thick, ridged bark of the oak. His hind legs scrabbled uselessly for a moment before he managed to propel himelf upward, dragging himself into the hollow with a groan. StarClan, his wounds were starting to burn. The inside of the hollow was already well worn by now, with fresh moss and feathers from all the birds Nettle had hunted. He turned at the back of the hollow and grinned proudly. “All mine, friend! Nice, right? Lay on down, I’ll help you get that stuff on your wounds.” |
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Post by thistle on Nov 3, 2024 17:56:21 GMT -5
Eyeing up the distance, Warblerwind braced himself. "Don't have much choice, do I?" he said. He jumped, digging his front paws into the thick, ridged bark of the oak. His hind legs scrabbled uselessly for a moment before he managed to propel himelf upward, dragging himself into the hollow with a groan. StarClan, his wounds were starting to burn. The inside of the hollow was already well worn by now, with fresh moss and feathers from all the birds Nettle had hunted. He turned at the back of the hollow and grinned proudly. “All mine, friend! Nice, right? Lay on down, I’ll help you get that stuff on your wounds.” Sinking gratefully into the soft lining of the hollow, Warblerwind let out a relieved groan. " Very nice," Warblerwind agreed, dropping the marigold. He leaned back, beginning to clean his front paw but leaving his shoulder free for Nettle to access. "I'd really, really appreciate it." Normally, he'd swat his tail at himself for being so pliant and visibly weak in front of another cat, but after everything...well, Warblerwind was tired. And it was nice for a cat to look at him that he knew didn't care about anything but who he was on his own. |
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Post by Willow on Nov 3, 2024 18:30:56 GMT -5
"I see. Good thing my plans involved you then, huh?" Patrick snickered, picking up his herbs and walking back toward the twolegplace. "I was going to run a little bit of marigold over to Suki and Indigo. Those kits of theirs are always getting scraps and bruises. I think I'll need a certain escort to the other side of town." "Ohh, anything to see those two!" Dragonfly perked up, always loving their visits to their friends. No cats cared for the city and suburb's kits like those two did. If anything, Dragonfly admired their endless empathy for the suffering and unfortunate. He swished his tail. "Of course I'll escort you. I want to see if they've got any new kits in their care this season." "Last time it was just their own three, but who knows they could have found six orphans since then." Patrick chuckled. "We'll just drop these back at my nest and then head over there with the marigold." |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 3, 2024 21:27:19 GMT -5
thistle Willow )) Nettle simply slipped over to Warblerwind's side, exerting a surprising amount of gentleness as he began to clean away at the areas around the wounds. He sloppily yet effectively began to chew up the plant, grimacing at the taste but quickly starting to spread it around the wound. "I think it's just like this. Spiderbite made it look so easy..." He paused, before sighing softly. "I respect him alot, you know. He was the last cat I had a decent conversation with before I left. I've never met a cat with as much faith as he has. Even if I'll never believe in Starclan the way he does, Skyclan was... is, very lucky to have him, even if the Clan may as well fall apart at this time with no leadership left at all." He shook his head tightly. --- "Sounds good to me." Dragonfly mused, quickly falling into step as a protective guard at Patrick's side. Most of the twolegplace and the city knew the tom was pretty much off limits. Patrick was the only reason most of the city groups who were lucky enough to have healers could even get any kind of herb or supply. Patrick had access to one of the best gardens in the entire city, and he knew his stuff for sure. Feeling proud of the cat he was fond of, Dragonfly glanced once at him, muzzle curling with a fond smile.
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Post by thistle on Nov 3, 2024 21:57:40 GMT -5
thistle Willow )) Nettle simply slipped over to Warblerwind's side, exerting a surprising amount of gentleness as he began to clean away at the areas around the wounds. He sloppily yet effectively began to chew up the plant, grimacing at the taste but quickly starting to spread it around the wound. "I think it's just like this. Spiderbite made it look so easy..." He paused, before sighing softly. "I respect him alot, you know. He was the last cat I had a decent conversation with before I left. I've never met a cat with as much faith as he has. Even if I'll never believe in Starclan the way he does, Skyclan was... is, very lucky to have him, even if the Clan may as well fall apart at this time with no leadership left at all." He shook his head tightly. --- "Sounds good to me." Dragonfly mused, quickly falling into step as a protective guard at Patrick's side. Most of the twolegplace and the city knew the tom was pretty much off limits. Patrick was the only reason most of the city groups who were lucky enough to have healers could even get any kind of herb or supply. Patrick had access to one of the best gardens in the entire city, and he knew his stuff for sure. Feeling proud of the cat he was fond of, Dragonfly glanced once at him, muzzle curling with a fond smile. "I have to hope they'll pull through," Warblerwind said, wincing as the juices from the herb sank into his wounds. He shifted to get more comfortable, letting Nettle work on his one shoulder while he clumsily started on the other. "Or else, there's nowhere for me to go back to. Even if they chase me off, I just want to get back to them and tell them how sorry I am." Slateheart. Plumwillow. Spiderbite. Eaglenose. Emberpaw. He had an ever-growing list of the cats he was closest to that he wanted to apologize to first. |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 3, 2024 22:17:04 GMT -5
thistle Willow )) Nettle simply slipped over to Warblerwind's side, exerting a surprising amount of gentleness as he began to clean away at the areas around the wounds. He sloppily yet effectively began to chew up the plant, grimacing at the taste but quickly starting to spread it around the wound. "I think it's just like this. Spiderbite made it look so easy..." He paused, before sighing softly. "I respect him alot, you know. He was the last cat I had a decent conversation with before I left. I've never met a cat with as much faith as he has. Even if I'll never believe in Starclan the way he does, Skyclan was... is, very lucky to have him, even if the Clan may as well fall apart at this time with no leadership left at all." He shook his head tightly. --- "Sounds good to me." Dragonfly mused, quickly falling into step as a protective guard at Patrick's side. Most of the twolegplace and the city knew the tom was pretty much off limits. Patrick was the only reason most of the city groups who were lucky enough to have healers could even get any kind of herb or supply. Patrick had access to one of the best gardens in the entire city, and he knew his stuff for sure. Feeling proud of the cat he was fond of, Dragonfly glanced once at him, muzzle curling with a fond smile. "I have to hope they'll pull through," Warblerwind said, wincing as the juices from the herb sank into his wounds. He shifted to get more comfortable, letting Nettle work on his one shoulder while he clumsily started on the other. "Or else, there's nowhere for me to go back to. Even if they chase me off, I just want to get back to them and tell them how sorry I am." Slateheart. Plumwillow. Spiderbite. Eaglenose. Emberpaw. He had an ever-growing list of the cats he was closest to that he wanted to apologize to first. “I might not have faith in Starclan, or the Dark Forest, things like that. But. I have faith in the undying will of cats who put everything into their goals. You have to make your voice heard, no matter what comes after that. Just make it loud, and make it strong.” Nettle advised with another few licks to continue the cleaning process. “And if Skyclan’s gone when you get back, then maybe you’ll just have to bring it back, yeah?” |
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Post by thistle on Nov 4, 2024 8:57:00 GMT -5
"I have to hope they'll pull through," Warblerwind said, wincing as the juices from the herb sank into his wounds. He shifted to get more comfortable, letting Nettle work on his one shoulder while he clumsily started on the other. "Or else, there's nowhere for me to go back to. Even if they chase me off, I just want to get back to them and tell them how sorry I am." Slateheart. Plumwillow. Spiderbite. Eaglenose. Emberpaw. He had an ever-growing list of the cats he was closest to that he wanted to apologize to first. “I might not have faith in Starclan, or the Dark Forest, things like that. But. I have faith in the undying will of cats who put everything into their goals. You have to make your voice heard, no matter what comes after that. Just make it loud, and make it strong.” Nettle advised with another few licks to continue the cleaning process. “And if Skyclan’s gone when you get back, then maybe you’ll just have to bring it back, yeah?” Warblerwind choked out a bitter laugh at that. "Me? I'm pretty much the cat who tore it apart with his own two paws." He looked down at them, feeling like he could still see Spiritstar's blood staining his claws. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry. You're just trying to be kind," he said. "I really mean it when I say thank you. I've always respected you Nettle, even if your attitude towards Clanlife confused me sometimes. From outside looking in, I get it, though. I understand it now." |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 4, 2024 9:14:39 GMT -5
“I might not have faith in Starclan, or the Dark Forest, things like that. But. I have faith in the undying will of cats who put everything into their goals. You have to make your voice heard, no matter what comes after that. Just make it loud, and make it strong.” Nettle advised with another few licks to continue the cleaning process. “And if Skyclan’s gone when you get back, then maybe you’ll just have to bring it back, yeah?” Warblerwind choked out a bitter laugh at that. "Me? I'm pretty much the cat who tore it apart with his own two paws." He looked down at them, feeling like he could still see Spiritstar's blood staining his claws. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry. You're just trying to be kind," he said. "I really mean it when I say thank you. I've always respected you Nettle, even if your attitude towards Clanlife confused me sometimes. From outside looking in, I get it, though. I understand it now." “You know. Has anyone ever sat down and asked you how it felt being Spiritstar’s son? Her only kit? For all my hard moments as a kit, I had Plumwillow and Starlingdust to listen to me. You? It couldn’t have been a walk in the woods to not have that.” Nettle mused after he was silent for a few long moments. The older tom stood up to go get a ball of moss. Pressing it, he nodded as he felt there was still water soaked in it. He brought it back over so Warblerwind could drink from it, placing it in front of him. Flopping lazily in his own nest, he watched Warblerwind with a tilt of his head to the side. “You haven’t done anything that hasn’t already been done before. If you feel like you have to take on the weight cats drop on you just for how you were born, or who you’re related to, well. You don’t. That’s all a load of bird droppings. While I appreciate your respect, I think you should give some of that respect to yourself for once in a while. Let me ask you, do you feel like you’ve made a mistake? So, how are you going to fix it?” He shrugged. |
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Post by Foxstar26 on Nov 4, 2024 12:55:27 GMT -5
Hey)
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Post by Icefire15 on Nov 4, 2024 13:05:05 GMT -5
Nightmare gathered up her prey and slipped past her father and older sister, her gaze lingering briefly on Arcticbreeze before she made her way up into the factory with her catches. She dropped off the prey and glanced around the factory, briefly wondering where Revy was. Not seeing her half-brother anywhere, Nightmare made her way up into the rafters and walked along the beams.
Arcticbreeze glanced at Nightmare as she walked past before she turned her head to look back at Axel, a light frown forming on her face. So he was testing her now? "Why? So that you can see if the Clans trained me to your own standards?" She asked. Arcticbreeze shook her head and padded forward before Axel could respond to her. "Whatever. Let's just get this done. I never let my mentor down when I was an apprentice, and I certainly don't plan on starting now." Arcticbreeze muttered, mostly to herself as she disappeared into the darkness of the cellar.
Whitesun's ears flattened against his head at Magnolia's words, turning his head away to look at the far wall, "Which means that I won't be able to walk normally again. Or climb." He said, his tail lashing in frustration. How could he preform the role of deputy if he could barely walk, much less climb? Or even the duties of a regular warrior at that.
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"Maybe someone let slip what were planning to the wrong person." Skyla said, her tail lashing at the thought of someone in their group having loose lips. "Or we could have a spy in our ranks. What do you think?" She asked, looking at Jax.
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(Hey, Fox! Wanna jump in with Quickwing for the search patrol?)
Hawkpaw slowly padded through the alley, her eyes searching the ground for any kind of clue as to where her parents could have been taken. She paused when she saw a trail of blood leading off down a different alley and looked back at her sister and the others, "Th-there's a trail! Leading this way!" She mewed, looking at them hopefully. Would Quickwing and the others decide to let them follow it, or will they have to head back after all? "A-and I think I can smell Whitesun's scent too!"
Blackfire padded over to where Hawkpaw was and scented the air, her ear twitching when she caught the faint scent of their deputy, "Hawkpaw's right. It's faint, but it's there." She mewed, looking back at her own sister. "Quickwing, what should we do?"
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Post by thistle on Nov 4, 2024 13:32:52 GMT -5
((I'll respond with warb when I'm back on my computer tonight!))
Magnolia gently touched Whitesun's flank with her paw as she delivered the news. "I'm sorry, sugar," she said. "Only time an' patience can tell now." She collected her things and took them back to her den, thinking it best to let the two Clan cats digest the new information.
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 4, 2024 13:36:32 GMT -5
Axel gave a small rumble, a laugh full of both humor and warning as he calmly seated himself. “I’m more interested in seeing if my daughter is skilled enough to survive anything, be it city or forest. So far, I know you can fight. But is that all?” He demanded, before he allowed for silence in the cellars so she could hunt uninterrupted. Admittedly, he wanted to see if her hunting skills were similar to Zarina’s.
“There has to be a solution.” Jadefeather fretted, refusing to believe her mate could be permanently injured. Even if logically, she could tell the wound absolutely was deep enough to be so. She trembled once. “It- it doesn’t matter. You’ll be just as you are, injury or not. Deputy of Skyclan, no doubt about it.” She tried to console.
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“Manx is adamant that Jaguar double crossed us. I’m more concerned about it indeed being a spy. Either way, someone’s throat is getting torn, and I know it ain’t gonna be me.” Jax glowered darkly, before he nodded. “And I know it ain’t you either, Skyla.”
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Post by Willow on Nov 4, 2024 18:23:03 GMT -5
thistle Willow )) Nettle simply slipped over to Warblerwind's side, exerting a surprising amount of gentleness as he began to clean away at the areas around the wounds. He sloppily yet effectively began to chew up the plant, grimacing at the taste but quickly starting to spread it around the wound. "I think it's just like this. Spiderbite made it look so easy..." He paused, before sighing softly. "I respect him alot, you know. He was the last cat I had a decent conversation with before I left. I've never met a cat with as much faith as he has. Even if I'll never believe in Starclan the way he does, Skyclan was... is, very lucky to have him, even if the Clan may as well fall apart at this time with no leadership left at all." He shook his head tightly. --- "Sounds good to me." Dragonfly mused, quickly falling into step as a protective guard at Patrick's side. Most of the twolegplace and the city knew the tom was pretty much off limits. Patrick was the only reason most of the city groups who were lucky enough to have healers could even get any kind of herb or supply. Patrick had access to one of the best gardens in the entire city, and he knew his stuff for sure. Feeling proud of the cat he was fond of, Dragonfly glanced once at him, muzzle curling with a fond smile. Patrick climbed back over his garden fence with little difficulty, sorting his herbs quickly before placing them in their proper places in the bush behind his twolegs small shed. He glanced back at Dragonfly who was still looking at him rather fondly. "You must be feeling soft today." he murmured, moving to touch their noses together. |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 4, 2024 18:41:05 GMT -5
thistle Willow )) Nettle simply slipped over to Warblerwind's side, exerting a surprising amount of gentleness as he began to clean away at the areas around the wounds. He sloppily yet effectively began to chew up the plant, grimacing at the taste but quickly starting to spread it around the wound. "I think it's just like this. Spiderbite made it look so easy..." He paused, before sighing softly. "I respect him alot, you know. He was the last cat I had a decent conversation with before I left. I've never met a cat with as much faith as he has. Even if I'll never believe in Starclan the way he does, Skyclan was... is, very lucky to have him, even if the Clan may as well fall apart at this time with no leadership left at all." He shook his head tightly. --- "Sounds good to me." Dragonfly mused, quickly falling into step as a protective guard at Patrick's side. Most of the twolegplace and the city knew the tom was pretty much off limits. Patrick was the only reason most of the city groups who were lucky enough to have healers could even get any kind of herb or supply. Patrick had access to one of the best gardens in the entire city, and he knew his stuff for sure. Feeling proud of the cat he was fond of, Dragonfly glanced once at him, muzzle curling with a fond smile. Patrick climbed back over his garden fence with little difficulty, sorting his herbs quickly before placing them in their proper places in the bush behind his twolegs small shed. He glanced back at Dragonfly who was still looking at him rather fondly. "You must be feeling soft today." he murmured, moving to touch their noses together. Chest rumbling with a deep purr as he touched his nose to Patrick's, he admitted simply. "Yeah. I just really like seeing you doing what you love. Without you, skies above, this whole place would be gray and dull." He grinned, teasing. "Too mushy? I'm usually alot more suave than that. But, I guess I am feeling soft today. Do you prefer that?" He hummed, lifting a brow with a suggestive chuckle. |
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Post by Willow on Nov 4, 2024 19:00:45 GMT -5
Patrick stepped away searching Dragonfly's eyes for a moment before a matching soft smile appeared, "I think I just prefer you, whatever you're feeling."
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Post by thistle on Nov 4, 2024 19:07:57 GMT -5
Warblerwind choked out a bitter laugh at that. "Me? I'm pretty much the cat who tore it apart with his own two paws." He looked down at them, feeling like he could still see Spiritstar's blood staining his claws. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry. You're just trying to be kind," he said. "I really mean it when I say thank you. I've always respected you Nettle, even if your attitude towards Clanlife confused me sometimes. From outside looking in, I get it, though. I understand it now." “You know. Has anyone ever sat down and asked you how it felt being Spiritstar’s son? Her only kit? For all my hard moments as a kit, I had Plumwillow and Starlingdust to listen to me. You? It couldn’t have been a walk in the woods to not have that.” Nettle mused after he was silent for a few long moments. The older tom stood up to go get a ball of moss. Pressing it, he nodded as he felt there was still water soaked in it. He brought it back over so Warblerwind could drink from it, placing it in front of him. Flopping lazily in his own nest, he watched Warblerwind with a tilt of his head to the side. “You haven’t done anything that hasn’t already been done before. If you feel like you have to take on the weight cats drop on you just for how you were born, or who you’re related to, well. You don’t. That’s all a load of bird droppings. While I appreciate your respect, I think you should give some of that respect to yourself for once in a while. Let me ask you, do you feel like you’ve made a mistake? So, how are you going to fix it?” He shrugged. Lapping gratefully at the damp moss, Warblerwind was quiet, his brow furrowing in thought. "...It was lonely," he said eventually. He didn't dwell on how easy it was to open up to Nettle. Maybe it was because he knew he wouldn't be here forever, and Nettle no longer viewed him through the lens of a SkyClan warrior. "I love my parents, but they were both always so busy with their responsibilities. In the nursery, I would hear things. Spiritstar was StarClan-destined to be a medicine cat, and then leader. My being born was...strange. I didn't quite fit the Code as neatly as I should. Not that I'm ashamed, or care," he added. "No. I'll always be proud to be Spiritstar's son. I wish I'd seen that sooner." "I had the other apprentices while I was training, but there was always this...sense of space between us. Like I was different, somehow. I was never just Warblerpaw. I was always Warblerpaw, son of Spiritstar. I always felt I had to be the best, because my reputation and achievements, they were never just mine. And I couldn't stand the thought of damaging my mother's name." He stared hard at his paws. "And look where that got me. I was eager, and prideful, and fed-up. And now I'm a mur-" he stopped, swallowing dryly. "I know I made a mistake, Nettle. I mean, it's not all so black-and-white, but..." he took a steadying breath. "I'll fix it. I have to." |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 4, 2024 19:21:10 GMT -5
Patrick stepped away searching Dragonfly's eyes for a moment before a matching soft smile appeared, "I think I just prefer you, whatever you're feeling." "Now who's the soft one, hm?" Dragonfly teased, though there was a warmth to his gaze that spoke hundreds of the words he could have shared with the other tom. For now, he brushed past Patrick's side and glanced around as they strayed farther into the more spread out suburbs. He sighed with relief. "I can see the appeal of the loners who like to live out here. No loud monsters, or herds of dogs, or toxic puddles. Big yards and bird feeders, I bet the eating's great out here." He mused, before he flicked his ear. "Unless the Clan cats steal it all, of course." |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 4, 2024 19:26:18 GMT -5
“You know. Has anyone ever sat down and asked you how it felt being Spiritstar’s son? Her only kit? For all my hard moments as a kit, I had Plumwillow and Starlingdust to listen to me. You? It couldn’t have been a walk in the woods to not have that.” Nettle mused after he was silent for a few long moments. The older tom stood up to go get a ball of moss. Pressing it, he nodded as he felt there was still water soaked in it. He brought it back over so Warblerwind could drink from it, placing it in front of him. Flopping lazily in his own nest, he watched Warblerwind with a tilt of his head to the side. “You haven’t done anything that hasn’t already been done before. If you feel like you have to take on the weight cats drop on you just for how you were born, or who you’re related to, well. You don’t. That’s all a load of bird droppings. While I appreciate your respect, I think you should give some of that respect to yourself for once in a while. Let me ask you, do you feel like you’ve made a mistake? So, how are you going to fix it?” He shrugged. Lapping gratefully at the damp moss, Warblerwind was quiet, his brow furrowing in thought. "...It was lonely," he said eventually. He didn't dwell on how easy it was to open up to Nettle. Maybe it was because he knew he wouldn't be here forever, and Nettle no longer viewed him through the lens of a SkyClan warrior. "I love my parents, but they were both always so busy with their responsibilities. In the nursery, I would hear things. Spiritstar was StarClan-destined to be a medicine cat, and then leader. My being born was...strange. I didn't quite fit the Code as neatly as I should. Not that I'm ashamed, or care," he added. "No. I'll always be proud to be Spiritstar's son. I wish I'd seen that sooner." "I had the other apprentices while I was training, but there was always this...sense of space between us. Like I was different, somehow. I was never just Warblerpaw. I was always Warblerpaw, son of Spiritstar. I always felt I had to be the best, because my reputation and achievements, they were never just mine. And I couldn't stand the thought of damaging my mother's name." He stared hard at his paws. "And look where that got me. I was eager, and prideful, and fed-up. And now I'm a mur-" he stopped, swallowing dryly. "I know I made a mistake, Nettle. I mean, it's not all so black-and-white, but..." he took a steadying breath. "I'll fix it. I have to." "Well. Let's toss the Son of Spiritstar all the way to the back of the line, and bring Warblerwind out to the front, then." Nettle decided, surprisingly calm at Warblerwind's implied admission at the end. The guilt alone told Nettle more than enough. No cat desiring to murder their own mother would wear themselves down this horribly. Whatever had happened, it was eating Warblerwind alive. "Out here, you don't need to be anything but you. One thing I can tell you though, is that a cat like Spiritstar will understand you more than you think. If she's there in Starclan right now, and she can see you, then surely she knows that you never meant for this." Nettle began to groom his paws, adjusting the moss and feathers in his nest before he continued. "You listed a bunch of bad stuff about yourself, the stuff that you felt got you into this mess. What about the things you learned, that you liked best about yourself, outside of all that self-assigned nepotism?" He asked, wanting to at least try and improve the suffering tom's self-esteem. |
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Post by thistle on Nov 4, 2024 19:55:01 GMT -5
Lapping gratefully at the damp moss, Warblerwind was quiet, his brow furrowing in thought. "...It was lonely," he said eventually. He didn't dwell on how easy it was to open up to Nettle. Maybe it was because he knew he wouldn't be here forever, and Nettle no longer viewed him through the lens of a SkyClan warrior. "I love my parents, but they were both always so busy with their responsibilities. In the nursery, I would hear things. Spiritstar was StarClan-destined to be a medicine cat, and then leader. My being born was...strange. I didn't quite fit the Code as neatly as I should. Not that I'm ashamed, or care," he added. "No. I'll always be proud to be Spiritstar's son. I wish I'd seen that sooner." "I had the other apprentices while I was training, but there was always this...sense of space between us. Like I was different, somehow. I was never just Warblerpaw. I was always Warblerpaw, son of Spiritstar. I always felt I had to be the best, because my reputation and achievements, they were never just mine. And I couldn't stand the thought of damaging my mother's name." He stared hard at his paws. "And look where that got me. I was eager, and prideful, and fed-up. And now I'm a mur-" he stopped, swallowing dryly. "I know I made a mistake, Nettle. I mean, it's not all so black-and-white, but..." he took a steadying breath. "I'll fix it. I have to." "Well. Let's toss the Son of Spiritstar all the way to the back of the line, and bring Warblerwind out to the front, then." Nettle decided, surprisingly calm at Warblerwind's implied admission at the end. The guilt alone told Nettle more than enough. No cat desiring to murder their own mother would wear themselves down this horribly. Whatever had happened, it was eating Warblerwind alive. "Out here, you don't need to be anything but you. One thing I can tell you though, is that a cat like Spiritstar will understand you more than you think. If she's there in Starclan right now, and she can see you, then surely she knows that you never meant for this." Nettle began to groom his paws, adjusting the moss and feathers in his nest before he continued. "You listed a bunch of bad stuff about yourself, the stuff that you felt got you into this mess. What about the things you learned, that you liked best about yourself, outside of all that self-assigned nepotism?" He asked, wanting to at least try and improve the suffering tom's self-esteem. Warblerwind felt warmed by Nettle's ever-flowing fountain of empathy. He was incredibly grateful for everything the other tom had given him in such a short time. His small smile faltered as he tried to think. There was nothing that came to his mind, and that realization was sobering. He always carried an air of confidence on his shoulders, but now they were bony and shaking under the weight of the world, and the reality that as hard as he tried... There wasn't a single thing he could name, right now, that he liked about himself. He looked inward, and only saw a disconnected mess. Who was he? Who is he, now? Inside was a storm of emotion, and around his heart he felt like two sets of claws were digging in, matching the wounds on his shoulders. Only the paws on his shoulders were jet-black like Robinstar's, and around his heart were Spiritstar's own. "I think...I'm going to rest," he said quietly. "Thank you for letting me stay here." Warblerwind rested his head on his paws, and let exhaustion claim him. |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 4, 2024 20:06:55 GMT -5
“Mm. Just think about it, for the future.” Nettle relented, able to understand that there could never be any rushing for things like this. He watched Warblerwind for a few moments longer, before he lowered his head to get some rest of his own.
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Post by Willow on Nov 4, 2024 21:07:07 GMT -5
Patrick stepped away searching Dragonfly's eyes for a moment before a matching soft smile appeared, "I think I just prefer you, whatever you're feeling." "Now who's the soft one, hm?" Dragonfly teased, though there was a warmth to his gaze that spoke hundreds of the words he could have shared with the other tom. For now, he brushed past Patrick's side and glanced around as they strayed farther into the more spread out suburbs. He sighed with relief. "I can see the appeal of the loners who like to live out here. No loud monsters, or herds of dogs, or toxic puddles. Big yards and bird feeders, I bet the eating's great out here." He mused, before he flicked his ear. "Unless the Clan cats steal it all, of course." Patrick huffed, "I'd like to see them try and climb my fence. But, I'd sure make a racket until my twolegs come to check on me. That'd sure scare them away. But yes, I much prefer it out of here compared to the loud center of the city. I don't know how any cat survives out there." |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 4, 2024 21:19:03 GMT -5
"Now who's the soft one, hm?" Dragonfly teased, though there was a warmth to his gaze that spoke hundreds of the words he could have shared with the other tom. For now, he brushed past Patrick's side and glanced around as they strayed farther into the more spread out suburbs. He sighed with relief. "I can see the appeal of the loners who like to live out here. No loud monsters, or herds of dogs, or toxic puddles. Big yards and bird feeders, I bet the eating's great out here." He mused, before he flicked his ear. "Unless the Clan cats steal it all, of course." Patrick huffed, "I'd like to see them try and climb my fence. But, I'd sure make a racket until my twolegs come to check on me. That'd sure scare them away. But yes, I much prefer it out of here compared to the loud center of the city. I don't know how any cat survives out there." "By getting their claws wet with blood, apparently." Dragonfly scoffed lightly, before he lifted his chin. "I've done what I needed to survive plenty, but I never once took joy in having to use my claws to defend myself. City cats like the gangs we help, they're a whole different kind of brutal sometimes. I feel like they'd collapse without you, Pat." He smirked. |
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Post by Willow on Nov 4, 2024 21:37:24 GMT -5
"They'd surely have more infections without me," Patrick grumbled. "They don't know how to keep their wounds clean at all. It's like they want to get sick!"
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Post by Icefire15 on Nov 5, 2024 5:02:59 GMT -5
Axel gave a small rumble, a laugh full of both humor and warning as he calmly seated himself. “I’m more interested in seeing if my daughter is skilled enough to survive anything, be it city or forest. So far, I know you can fight. But is that all?” He demanded, before he allowed for silence in the cellars so she could hunt uninterrupted. Admittedly, he wanted to see if her hunting skills were similar to Zarina’s. “There has to be a solution.” Jadefeather fretted, refusing to believe her mate could be permanently injured. Even if logically, she could tell the wound absolutely was deep enough to be so. She trembled once. “It- it doesn’t matter. You’ll be just as you are, injury or not. Deputy of Skyclan, no doubt about it.” She tried to console. —- “Manx is adamant that Jaguar double crossed us. I’m more concerned about it indeed being a spy. Either way, someone’s throat is getting torn, and I know it ain’t gonna be me.” Jax glowered darkly, before he nodded. “And I know it ain’t you either, Skyla.” Arcticbreeze rolled her eyes as she slowly felt her way through the darkness, setting her paws down carefully as she walked further into the cellar. She slowed to a stop once she was far enough in, taking a deep breath and letting the different scents wash over her. Arcticbreeze's ears twitched lightly, listening for any kind of rustling or movement that signaled nearby prey. Well, this certainly isn't going to be an easy hunt, but that doesn't mean that I'm just going to give up and fail this stupid test of his. Her tail twitched in slight annoyance at that last thought. Why did it matter to her if failed or passed Axel's test anyways? Her whiskers twitched when she finally caught the scent of a rat and turned towards it, dropping into the familiar hunting crouch and started stalking forward slowly. Arcticbreeze was careful when she set her paws down, not wanting to step on anything that could alert the rat to her presence. As she grew closer, she hesitated too long while trying to pinpoint the rat's exact location and pounced to late, the prey just barely slipping out of her paws. Sitting up with a frown, Arcticbreeze lashed her tail in annoyance and stalked off in search of something else to catch. Whitesun shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the wall, "Jadefeather. How could I possibly protect our Clan as deputy and future leader with a lame shoulder? Or you and our kits?" He rasped, the thought of being able to do nothing but watch as his mate and kits were in danger making his chest tighten painfully. "You and I both know that there's no chance my shoulder will be completely healed." ----------------- Skyla smirked at Jax, giving him a light nudge as they walked out of the alley, "Well, that's good to hear. I know I'm still fairly new to this group, but I feel like I've done more than enough to earn everyone's trust by now." She said, glancing around at the street they were on. "Which way should we go? I think the trailer park is close by. There's always a new stray coming through there almost every day, there's bound to be a few scared ones looking for shelter and safety there." Skyla suggested, looking at Jax to see what he thought. |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 5, 2024 13:22:50 GMT -5
Axel gave a small rumble, a laugh full of both humor and warning as he calmly seated himself. “I’m more interested in seeing if my daughter is skilled enough to survive anything, be it city or forest. So far, I know you can fight. But is that all?” He demanded, before he allowed for silence in the cellars so she could hunt uninterrupted. Admittedly, he wanted to see if her hunting skills were similar to Zarina’s. “There has to be a solution.” Jadefeather fretted, refusing to believe her mate could be permanently injured. Even if logically, she could tell the wound absolutely was deep enough to be so. She trembled once. “It- it doesn’t matter. You’ll be just as you are, injury or not. Deputy of Skyclan, no doubt about it.” She tried to console. —- “Manx is adamant that Jaguar double crossed us. I’m more concerned about it indeed being a spy. Either way, someone’s throat is getting torn, and I know it ain’t gonna be me.” Jax glowered darkly, before he nodded. “And I know it ain’t you either, Skyla.” Arcticbreeze rolled her eyes as she slowly felt her way through the darkness, setting her paws down carefully as she walked further into the cellar. She slowed to a stop once she was far enough in, taking a deep breath and letting the different scents wash over her. Arcticbreeze's ears twitched lightly, listening for any kind of rustling or movement that signaled nearby prey. Well, this certainly isn't going to be an easy hunt, but that doesn't mean that I'm just going to give up and fail this stupid test of his. Her tail twitched in slight annoyance at that last thought. Why did it matter to her if failed or passed Axel's test anyways? Her whiskers twitched when she finally caught the scent of a rat and turned towards it, dropping into the familiar hunting crouch and started stalking forward slowly. Arcticbreeze was careful when she set her paws down, not wanting to step on anything that could alert the rat to her presence. As she grew closer, she hesitated too long while trying to pinpoint the rat's exact location and pounced to late, the prey just barely slipping out of her paws. Sitting up with a frown, Arcticbreeze lashed her tail in annoyance and stalked off in search of something else to catch. Whitesun shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the wall, "Jadefeather. How could I possibly protect our Clan as deputy and future leader with a lame shoulder? Or you and our kits?" He rasped, the thought of being able to do nothing but watch as his mate and kits were in danger making his chest tighten painfully. "You and I both know that there's no chance my shoulder will be completely healed." ----------------- Skyla smirked at Jax, giving him a light nudge as they walked out of the alley, "Well, that's good to hear. I know I'm still fairly new to this group, but I feel like I've done more than enough to earn everyone's trust by now." She said, glancing around at the street they were on. "Which way should we go? I think the trailer park is close by. There's always a new stray coming through there almost every day, there's bound to be a few scared ones looking for shelter and safety there." Skyla suggested, looking at Jax to see what he thought. Axel silently narrowed his eyes, able to tell she had missed her first attempt. While he wanted to scoff at the incompetence, a part of him also wanted her to feel motivated by the challenge of hunting in complete darkness. She certainly had the instincts. Now, all she needed was the practice. For a moment, he thought of when he had shown Jade and Spade how to hunt down here. His cold heart thumped, before the anguish of betrayal stamped it down, and he grew cold once more. Getting too attached was always a bad idea “Then I’ll protect you and our kits, all on my own! I’m totally fine with that!” Jadefeather argued, a rare stubbornness in her eyes as she implored. “We’re a Clan. We take care of eachother, respect eachother. Injured or not, you-… you can still be an amazing deputy!” She shook her head. “Let’s… let’s not think of that now, okay? You need to focus on healing.” She decided, grooming between his ears tenderly. —- “Been a while since I was last back there.” Jax chuckled once, slinking forwards before he stopped at the entrance of the trailer park. He could smell plenty of twolegs about, though most of them tended to work on their tiny nests or make prey to eat. “Catching any cat scents yet, Sky?” |
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Post by Icefire15 on Nov 6, 2024 3:46:13 GMT -5
Arcticbreeze found another scent trail soon enough and started stalking after yet another rat, her eyes narrowed as she focused on the sounds that the prey made as it moved around in the debris that was scattered across the floor of the cellar. She was careful to step around anything that she found in her path, although it wasn't an easy task to pull off. Arcticbreeze flicked her ear, deciding that she would say something to anyone that tried to say that Hollowpaw wasn't capable of being a warrior. The blind apprentice made walking in total darkness look easy and natural, and here Arcticbreeze was struggling to put one paw in front of the other. She shook the thought away and focused back on her hunt, not wanting to give Axel another reason to complain about the Clans and their apparent inadequacy.
Arcticbreeze drew closer to the rat and dropped into a crouch again, quietly stalking towards the sounds of the rat moving around. She paused for a moment, but didn't hesitate as long as she had with the last rat before she pounced, this time managing to land almost on top of the rat. Her paw slammed down on it's back and she quickly bit down on its neck, giving it a firm shake to kill it. Arcticbreeze sat up with a small huff, it wasn't a perfect catch, but at least she had managed to catch something.
Whitesun fell silent, although it was clear that he still didn't believe that his shoulder would ever completely heal. He sighed and rested his head on his paws again, deciding to not continue with the topic anymore. Instead, he decided to focus on something else, "...Were you ever going to tell me? About all of this?" He murmured quietly, raising his eyes to meet hers.
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Skyla's nose twitched as she scented the air, her eyes scanning the small yards of each nest that they passed. As they walked past another yard, a large dog attached to a long chain suddenly charged at them and started barking loudly. Skyla jumped back a few pawsteps, hissing angrily at the dog as it stopped just short of the two cats, it's chain pulled taut as it tried going after them. "Mangy mutt!" She spat, tail lashing as she hurried past it. "Pah. All I smell is that nasty dog now. What about you?"
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 6, 2024 9:57:14 GMT -5
“There. Not so difficult.” Axel mused, his voice neither praising nor taunting as he heard the sound of Arcticbreeze landing her catch. He padded slowly through the shadows, blending in seamlessly with his dark fur. “Contrary to alot of beliefs, this group does feed our Queens and Kits alongside ourselves, rather than making them fend for themselves. If you hunt and fight for us, then you are protected by us.” His eyes narrowed darkly. “And if you betray us, then you become our enemy. That’s all there is to it.”
He seemed to suddenly relax, now glancing down at the darkness and rumbling. “Do you want to give your catch away to the sharepile, or eat it yourself? Either one is up to the hunter.”
Jadefeather seemed to falter at that, her eyes drooping with sorrow and guilt as she admitted. “I had put that life so far behind me, that I never had any intention of ever thinking about it again. I loved Skyclan, and Obsidianflower, and you and our kits so much, I felt as if this part of me never even existed. I told you I was from Twolegplace, and I didn’t lie about that when we survived Adderclan together… I just… didn’t get into detail about it. I never wanted to.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you without you both wanting nothing to do with me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of that. I couldn’t!”
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“Rotten dog.” Jax snarled boldly at the large and bumbling creature, spitting towards it before he lifted his muzzle. “I think I got something back over that way.” He pointed between some particularly messy looking twolegnests. “Before the dog mussed up the scents, that is.”
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Post by Icefire15 on Nov 8, 2024 14:03:15 GMT -5
“There. Not so difficult.” Axel mused, his voice neither praising nor taunting as he heard the sound of Arcticbreeze landing her catch. He padded slowly through the shadows, blending in seamlessly with his dark fur. “Contrary to alot of beliefs, this group does feed our Queens and Kits alongside ourselves, rather than making them fend for themselves. If you hunt and fight for us, then you are protected by us.” His eyes narrowed darkly. “And if you betray us, then you become our enemy. That’s all there is to it.” He seemed to suddenly relax, now glancing down at the darkness and rumbling. “Do you want to give your catch away to the sharepile, or eat it yourself? Either one is up to the hunter.” Jadefeather seemed to falter at that, her eyes drooping with sorrow and guilt as she admitted. “I had put that life so far behind me, that I never had any intention of ever thinking about it again. I loved Skyclan, and Obsidianflower, and you and our kits so much, I felt as if this part of me never even existed. I told you I was from Twolegplace, and I didn’t lie about that when we survived Adderclan together… I just… didn’t get into detail about it. I never wanted to.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you without you both wanting nothing to do with me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of that. I couldn’t!” —- “Rotten dog.” Jax snarled boldly at the large and bumbling creature, spitting towards it before he lifted his muzzle. “I think I got something back over that way.” He pointed between some particularly messy looking twolegnests. “Before the dog mussed up the scents, that is.” Arcticbreeze's tail flicked as Axel's voice grew closer, turning her head in his direction and frowned lightly as he explained how this group took care of their Queens and kits. Sounds pretty similar to the Clans to me. Arcticbreeze thought, but chose to keep that to herself. She had only spent a few moments with this tom- no, her 'father', but it was clear that his disdain and hatred for the Clans went deep. Giving a small sigh, Arcticbreeze pulled the rat closer to her, "I'll eat it." The ThunderClan warrior said simply. She might as well eat something now, having already skipped out on the rat that Rocco had brought earlier that morning. Whitesun and Jadefeather had certainly needed it more than she did, but now she was starting to feel a pang of hunger in her stomach that she was all too familiar with. Whitesun's ears flattened against his head again, feeling a mix of emotions surge through him as Jadefeather spoke. He couldn't help but feel a bit hurt that she felt that she couldn't tell him about this part in her past. Whitesun looked away, not wanting her to see just how upset he really was, "Did you really think that I would turn my back on you if I knew? That I would abandon you and our kits? Or that Obsidianflower would?" He asked quietly before taking a deep breath and getting his emotions under control. "Did you not trust the love that we both feel for you? Jadefeather, I thought you knew that I had never truly cared about where you had come from. And I wouldn't have cared what you had done in your past either. What mattered to me was that you were with us in SkyClan." ----------------- "Let's check over there then." Skyla mewed, padding towards the twoleg nests that Jax had pointed out after sending the dog one last glare. "At least the mutt is actually on its chain this time 'round. Honestly, I can't believe how many cats you can find in this place when those upwalkers let their dogs roam free." She grouched, having avoided the trailer park for the most part for that very reason. |
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Post by Moonblazer on Nov 8, 2024 19:06:37 GMT -5
“There. Not so difficult.” Axel mused, his voice neither praising nor taunting as he heard the sound of Arcticbreeze landing her catch. He padded slowly through the shadows, blending in seamlessly with his dark fur. “Contrary to alot of beliefs, this group does feed our Queens and Kits alongside ourselves, rather than making them fend for themselves. If you hunt and fight for us, then you are protected by us.” His eyes narrowed darkly. “And if you betray us, then you become our enemy. That’s all there is to it.” He seemed to suddenly relax, now glancing down at the darkness and rumbling. “Do you want to give your catch away to the sharepile, or eat it yourself? Either one is up to the hunter.” Jadefeather seemed to falter at that, her eyes drooping with sorrow and guilt as she admitted. “I had put that life so far behind me, that I never had any intention of ever thinking about it again. I loved Skyclan, and Obsidianflower, and you and our kits so much, I felt as if this part of me never even existed. I told you I was from Twolegplace, and I didn’t lie about that when we survived Adderclan together… I just… didn’t get into detail about it. I never wanted to.” She swallowed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you without you both wanting nothing to do with me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of that. I couldn’t!” —- “Rotten dog.” Jax snarled boldly at the large and bumbling creature, spitting towards it before he lifted his muzzle. “I think I got something back over that way.” He pointed between some particularly messy looking twolegnests. “Before the dog mussed up the scents, that is.” Arcticbreeze's tail flicked as Axel's voice grew closer, turning her head in his direction and frowned lightly as he explained how this group took care of their Queens and kits. Sounds pretty similar to the Clans to me. Arcticbreeze thought, but chose to keep that to herself. She had only spent a few moments with this tom- no, her 'father', but it was clear that his disdain and hatred for the Clans went deep. Giving a small sigh, Arcticbreeze pulled the rat closer to her, "I'll eat it." The ThunderClan warrior said simply. She might as well eat something now, having already skipped out on the rat that Rocco had brought earlier that morning. Whitesun and Jadefeather had certainly needed it more than she did, but now she was starting to feel a pang of hunger in her stomach that she was all too familiar with. Whitesun's ears flattened against his head again, feeling a mix of emotions surge through him as Jadefeather spoke. He couldn't help but feel a bit hurt that she felt that she couldn't tell him about this part in her past. Whitesun looked away, not wanting her to see just how upset he really was, "Did you really think that I would turn my back on you if I knew? That I would abandon you and our kits? Or that Obsidianflower would?" He asked quietly before taking a deep breath and getting his emotions under control. "Did you not trust the love that we both feel for you? Jadefeather, I thought you knew that I had never truly cared about where you had come from. And I wouldn't have cared what you had done in your past either. What mattered to me was that you were with us in SkyClan." ----------------- "Let's check over there then." Skyla mewed, padding towards the twoleg nests that Jax had pointed out after sending the dog one last glare. "At least the mutt is actually on its chain this time 'round. Honestly, I can't believe how many cats you can find in this place when those upwalkers let their dogs roam free." She grouched, having avoided the trailer park for the most part for that very reason. “All yours, then.” Axel nodded simply, stepping into the singular beam of light from the cellar stairs. His eyes gleamed a striking blue, though their full attention was on the Warrior in the dark. “You learn fast. I’d expect nothing less from one of my kits. You said something about a mentor. Tell me about that.” He inquired, having not heard of such a custom. Jadefeather flinched at Whitesun’s words, her eyes flashing as she mewed. “No! No, It wasn’t that, I never once doubted that either of you loved me, I just…” She sighed deeply, looking miserably at her paws. “I wanted nothing to do with this life once I left it. I wanted to wipe the slate entirely. I found no need to ever talk about it because to me, it… it wasn’t my past anymore. It wasn’t me, and it was easier to forget it ever once was than to bring it all back out again.” She padded closer to her mate, ears falling. “I never thought we’d get ambushed that far from the city. I never wanted any of this…” —- “I’ve heard of cats who can communicate with the dogs they live alongside. How a cat and a dog can be allies, I’ll never know, but no cat messes with the dog-allied housecats.” Jax bristled with disgust at the mere idea of it. |
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