[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

At his response, the ebony deputy let out a purr of amusement and rolled her eyes. “Well, at least that’s one thing you’ve gotten right today,” she teased. The she-cat didn’t notice how the tom wasn’t in quite the joking mood that she was in. He was seemingly more serious about his words than the deputy thought and she didn’t realise it. His words had sounded joking to her and that was enough for her to think that he was wholeheartedly joking on the matter. “No problem. I guess it’s part of my job as the deputy to be reminding my clanmates of the rules,” Auroraflame said, giving the tom a small smile. Of course, the she-cat didn’t have the ability to make her clanmates follow the warrior code, but she could certainly remind them to try their best to listen. The warrior code was an important part of warrior life and should be followed by everyone. Auroraflame payed close attention to the warrior code but even she knew she wouldn’t follow obey every rule for every single second of her life. As an apprentice she’d eaten prey when she wasn’t supposed to, and even then she had been well aware of that rule in the code. Still, she wasn’t perfect.

Soon enough, everything was chill again as the two took on a less serious topic. The two seemed to change the seriousness of a conversation so easily, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. One moment they could be arguing over a serious topic and the next they could be throwing friendly insults at each other. “Get your eyes checked,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes playfully once again. “Handsome face? I’m not sure what you’re talking about. All I can see if a pile of dirt,” Auroraflame said, frowning and acting as if though she was completely confused. She had to admit, his face wasn’t entirely bad looking. The deputy suddenly seemed to realise what she was thinking and push the thoughts to the back of her mind, frowning at her thoughts. She shook her head and swept the thoughts away. For a few seconds, the she-cat looked at the scars across his eye. To be honest, the deputy never really took notice of the scars on his eye. Even when she did, she didn’t judge him badly in any way. She thought scars were pretty cool, although the story behind them weren’t necessarily quite a cool as seeing the scar. She had a scar on her right arm. It wasn’t very visible, since it was on her inner arm. It was the result of a dare.

The she-cat wasn’t expecting any ‘thank you’s to come out of his mouth. It would be nice if she did get one, but she certainly wouldn’t be surprised if she received nothing. “Thanks,” she said, a smile growing on her face. The deputy was never really good at dealing with surprising compliments. She would kind of just stand or sit there awkwardly and smile. She didn’t have much to say except for thanks. It wasn’t like she could just say, ‘thanks, you too’. That wouldn’t make any sense. Then there would be the moment where there was silence whilst she waited for someone to say something. "Alright. I could live with that," Auroraflame agreed, nodding her head. The she-cat didn't mind if she wasn't the hero. She didn't mind if she wasn't the one to save everyone's lives. She'd never been the one to want that kind of attention. She would prefer to be the leader than the hero. She liked leading. Of course, there was that pressure that she would stuff up somewhere and somehow, but that was all part of the journey. She didn't like the sound of being the cat held responsible when something put the clan in danger. That didn't sound pleasant but there was nothing she could really do about it. It might happen and she would just have to be prepared to face it if or when the time came. She would be strong about it. Perhaps that's why she liked being a leader. It made her feel stronger.

"Yeah. It's pretty hard not to stare at that ugly face of yours," Auroraflame said coolly, shooting him a smirk before she looked away and focused on everything in front of her. "Oh? Is no one beautiful enough for you? Are you insulting the she-cats in our clan?" Auroraflame gasped in a shocked tone. She was quite obviously mocking him, since she rolled her eyes afterwards. The deputy didn't care who the tom found ugly and beautiful. That wasn't any of her business. Unless he somehow managed to attract her attention and curiosity. The she-cat might go about poking her nose in places she shouldn't if she got a little curious. She liked knowing the opinions that her clanmates had of each other, whether it be a good opinion or not. It made her feel knowledgeable and social. Of course, she would never tell someone who disliked them, after all, that would be wrong. Unless they had the right to know. "Well, it's not necessarily a good thing," she teased. Him? One of kind? Well yes, he was indeed one of a kind. Everyone was, but Umbraice was especially. He was different from most of the cats that she knew, and very honestly, she didn't think that was a bad thing.

The deputy was indeed admiring their surroundings. It was beautiful. Even though this was the second time she'd been in this territory, she was still awed by its beauty. It was certainly different from SkyClan's territory. SkyClan's territory, and the one she was so used to, was covered with trees that stretched high up towards the sky, covering a large amount of it. Here in the mountains though, trees would be here and there and they were much shorter. They didn't cover the sky and you could see all of it clearly. You could see everything easily. It was like WindClan's territory, where you could spot a rabbit off in the distance. It was very open.

The tom managed to capture her attention again as he spoke. "Yeah right," Auroraflame responded teasingly, snorting and rolling her eyes. "You're right that I do have to listen to them, but it doesn't mean it's necessarily important," she corrected. Umbraice was right, she often did have to listen to what her clanmates had to say. For most of the time she was very willing to listen. She liked knowing things so that she could one, feel more knowledgeable and two, so that she could save this information for the future; in case she needed to solve her clanmates problems. Of course, there were times where she didn't want to listen. She was the deputy and she had a lot of responsibilities on her paws. Sometimes she just didn't have the time, and at other times, she just wanted to have some time to herself. Still, she would listen to her clanmates, no matter what her mood was like. Except for the times where she was in a very foul mood. "I've done a pretty good job with living so far, so I should be alright," she responded with a shrug.

Adventuring was fun. Dangerous. But fun. As a little kit she'd dreamed off escaping to places beyond the borders of SkyClan's territory, and learning every little secret that there was to be found about the territory. It would make her feel smarter and safer, knowing that there was another place she could always evacuate her clan to in times of danger. But of course, she'd been quite an obedient child, and that meant she didn't want to break the rules by going over the border. But after being cooped up in camp with nothing particularly exciting to do, she was very willing to escape the territory and explore. And Umbraice had been the one to show her the way. For that, she was grateful. "No, I want to go," she declared. Excitement glittered in her eyes. A couple of moons had passed since their last adventure and while she'd planned to stay back in camp for a while and enjoy the comfort of home, she now found herself longing to run and explore some more.

A grin spread across her face as he started a slow run. Her brisk walking pace was enough to make sure she kept up with the tom, but she was guessing that he would start sprinting soon, so she prepared herself for the moment that he decided to shoot off. "Only juniper berries. And that was when I was sick. Otherwise....no, I haven't." The deputy had never been one to try out berries. She had been taught from a young age, not to eat things she'd never seen before without the reassurance that it was safe to eat. "Alright. I'll try a berry or two. But if you make me eat deathberries, you'll need to be prepared to face my wrath," she warned. The thought of eating deathberries send shivers running through her. She had heard of what deathberries could do. They were called deathberries for a reason after all. She didn't want to try them anytime soon.

All throughout their conversation, Umbraice didn’t know whether to feel offended or complimented. Obviously, the deputy carried humor with her, a trait installed within himself, but his moodiness was flicking faint flashes from earlier. When he lost a kill, and was reprimanded by Auroraflame because the clan came first. The warrior code was always with him throughout his kithood and apprenticehood. He knew all the concepts to be selfless, protective, and courageous. He was one of those warriors who needed to pass down his knowledge to his apprentice. It wasn’t hard to follow the rules, but most times it dampened his mood, so the great outdoors. Where he wasn’t confined within his territory...the rules didn’t matter here. The warrior code didn’t exist in these parts, which was a part of why he loved it so much. The freedom, the victory, the knowledge of knowing you can follow your pursuit to happiness without any limitations. Umbraice could not be angry at Auroraflame for enforcing the warrior code on him, but he was a tad annoyed, and still a bit hungry.
Perhaps, he was doing them both a favor for leaving the territory of Skyclan for a little while. A bit stress work can be! And, he knew he wasn’t just thinking for himself. Out here, in this open glorious field, he was able to be a little silly. Like a class clown. He was a humorous tom to get to know, and a little goofy. Umbraice passed alongside the she cat, his head high and chest stuck out to appear majestic in a manner. Auroraflame had admitted he was right, and like any other male, Umbraice soaked in that moment because his ego was fed rather than his stomach, but it was shattered upon their next topic of conversation. It was bruised greatly when she called him ugly. Literally, the tom stopped in his spot, staring at the Molly with an incredible fierce look in his pale blue eyes. Until his expression morphed into one of ‘are you being serious?’ Umbraice took his time to gather his feigned pain that she caused emotionally, and he flicked his tail upward as he trotted past her for a moment. “That must be sarcasm, huh?” He threw back at her, letting out a short laugh. She was such a jokester! He needed his eyes checked? Nu uh! She must had been as blind as the color of her pelt because this silver tabby knew no tom had anything on him! He wasn’t full of himself, or conceited in any way. He was simply being a tom, which was a reasonable excuse as to why his boyish personality would take over most times. “I think you’re the one who needs their eyes checked! Blind as a bat, arentcha? Tsk tsk Auroraflame, you gotta do better than that.” Umbraice laughed it off. It was a playful banter, ones that he enjoyed. He didn’t know Auroraflame’s inner thoughts of what she truly thought of him, and she didn’t know how he thought of her. So, instead of indulging on this, the tom continued to pride around like his ego never been scarred. “And, I thought you were the nice one!” He shook his head, disapprovingly, a hidden smile of amusement tugging on his muzzle but he didn’t dare allow her to see it.
Instead, he allowed her to take in the view. The beauty that he saw when they walked through this lavish vista. It certainly was the best thing ever. He knew without a doubt that Auroraflame was enjoying the view as well. It made him soak in this proud moment once more because he brought a feline to one of his sacred places - and she liked it. Scratch that. Umbraice hardly ever brought anyone with him. Anyone. This was his place. The place he went to relax, to run, to play, to sleep. This was his turf when he needed a break from clan life. He didn’t see the joy in bringing someone into this scenic territory. Let alone a she cat.
He had gave her a sincere compliment, a hint of a playful tone to jab at her. From the looks of it, she wouldn’t be that bad of a leader. Maybe she would lead Skyclan to greatness. After all, Grousestar was getting old. He just hoped Auroraflame would be ready for the responsibilities and not run away from it when the time came to step up. Personally, Umbraice had no interest or remote desire to lead a clan. Especially if his heart isn’t always in being with his clan. On the other hand, he wouldn’t think second thoughts to protect those he loves. Umbraice considered himself a hero not a leader. Complete difference. He’d save a life, but he wouldn’t want to lead one. “Do you...do you...think you’re gonna be ready when the time comes?” Umbraice asked. From her outside appearance, the ebony cat looked so calm. Almost excited as they set out for another spontaneous adventure. She didn’t look like if she would ever show some type of stress or negative emotion. Like she would let it all bottle up until that one moment where she would allow her anger to take over. The one sad reality about life was the fact no one could tell when patience ran its course. Whether this or that would happen now or later. Anything unexpected, and your life would change forever. Umbraice had to learn that it was okay when life didn’t go as one planned it to be. Life was spontaneous but you could make it work with new arrangements. When she agreed to allow their roles to be enacted, Umbraice gave a glimmering smile. “Just making sure you understood our roles in this society. Can’t have you going around taking credit for my work. You be leader. I be hero. Got that? Good. Glad we both agree, your highness.” The silver tabby let out a snort, the humor in his tone present and evident as he addressed this to Auroraflame.
The two continued to walk about, Umbraice’s head was turned to stare at the statues rocks that he loved jumping on. Each rock was different and unique. Made with a rough style that no one would understand like Umbraice did. His ears had flicked to Auroraflame as she - one again - insulted him. This time the tom scrunched up his nose but he doubt she saw it since her own head was focused on the aesthetics. “Again with the ugly word,” the tom narrowed his eyes. He knew she was joking (he hoped she was joking!). “I have feelings, you know.” He allowed his eyes to roll up at the sky and he muttered something about she cats and their insensitivity. Then, he smirked, looking around the area to make sure they were alone. As sly as he could be, the sneaky one slipped himself into a fighting crouch. “Do you want to fight? Are you asking for a fight? You may be the deputy in Skyclan, but we’re not in skyclan’s territory anymore. So, you know what that means? I can kick your ebony rear-end,” with this being said, being the goofy cat he was, Umbraice had lifted his own rump into the air and swung it about with his tail swishing into a dance like a snake. He had leapt her way, using a gentle paw to jab at her before taking the initiation to begin running away. He left her next remarking question unanswered, simply providing a wink when she asked such about whether he thought Skyclan she cats were ugly. He let out a boisterous laugh, swatting at a butterfly as it flew past him.
While Auroraflame hung back to enjoy the views of this regal place, Umbraice continued to run with the metabolism of a small kit exposed to its outside surroundings. It was something about this place that brought out his playful vibe. He continued to bat at the air, occasionally reeling himself upwards onto his hind legs before jumping once more to start another lap. He whirled around, bending his front half down while his rump shook in the air. He gave Auroraflame a knowing look, licking his jaws. “Let’s go slowpoke, you’re holding me back!” He called towards her before leaping back around and running once more.
Places like this, you needed to run. All worries and issues pushed to the side like they never mattered in the first place. The vastness the land held, the beauty, the admiring nature surrounding them both? Why didn’t Skyclan just live here? Why couldn’t these mountains be their lovely home? Umbraice imagines convincing Auroraflame to move the clans to this area once she became leader, but it was a foolish thought. He didn’t want to give up his sacred place for many of his clan mates to ruin it. This was his stressed detoxin. Selfish as it may sound, it was just how he wanted to keep things.
Finally, he began to slow down. Coming into a more mix of running and walking. He took a quick glance toward his companion, keeping his ears turned her way so that she saw he was listening to her. “Interesting. Never tasted berries before? Sucks to be you, then.” Umbraice remembered those days of only relying on freshkill as his source of protein to thrive off of, but berries weren’t horrible. The right ones. The ripe ones. “But,” he started, pausing for a dramatic effect, “We’re gonna get you straightened out. Trust me, once you eat berries you’re gonna be addicted.” He purred, licking his lips as if the substance was already in his possession. Umbraice laughed obnoxiously when Auroraflame ‘threatened’ him about feeding her deathberries. Umbraice knew deathberries resides in this area, but he also knew never to cross them. Their crimson color was as light as blood, something easy to stay away from. Umbraice snickered, “No promises.” Were his only words. Said in a sneaky manner as if he was planning to secretly take her life. “I can’t face your wrath if you’d be dead! What, you’re gonna haunt me from the ground? Oooh! I’m so scared!” Umbraice pretended to shiver and let out a few whimpers to add to his act. Afterwards, the tom brushed his tail against the deputy’s side, beckoning her to turn with him. “We'll be there in no time.” He assured her. “You’re gonna love the berries by the way. They’re super sweet, so you might get a little hyper. Plus, I get to show you this dark cave. It’ll scare your pelt off!” Long forgetting the tension of when he first saw her, the grumbling of his stomach was silenced by the excitement in his voice. Auroraflame was still new to all this, but perhaps she would enjoy it every once in a while when she wasn’t busy with the clan. Secretly, he knew the clan would always come first. Secretly, he wanted a friend to explore this land with.