[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Rose Queen

With a shake of her head, Sheepcloud snorted, “Not a mouse-whisker of a chance. I couldn’t think of a Clan with lower standards and a more desperate need for warriors.” Honestly, she didn’t know if Blazingstar would let just anybody join WindClan, but it wasn’t as if he had a huge pool of warriors to spare. The attack had taken the lives of too many for both sides, and she wished the entire ordeal could be dropped to avoid future unnecessary bloodshed. She internally admitted she likely felt biased, seeing as how ThunderClan was the victorious party in a battle that stacked the odds against them, a miraculous win and a boost for the Clan’s morale. Leaving it like this was better for them, but a nagging part of her mind continued to believe WindClan’s pride wouldn’t let them accept the defeat. If she could definitively conclude anything from the skirmishes and battles, moving on wasn’t in their vocabulary. Worse yet, they had involved the other Clans in their dispute. Calling on ShadowClan made them invested in the outcome of the fighting, who knew what would happen now that the lines of alliances were divided? SkyClan still had yet to choose a side, but she hoped they would see ThunderClan wasn’t the aggressors.

Already tired of thinking of the future, she decided it was much better to be focused on the present, stealing a glance at Passionblaze only to suppress a kittish grin of excitement. He was undeniably fun to be around, sporting a kind demeanor and sense of humor that couldn’t be outdone. His adventurous nature paralleled her own, which was amazing to her; she hadn’t met another cat that was so easy to be around and talk to. It was a feat when their first interaction--her literally bumping into him--had probably been the most embarrassing thing she’d done as a warrior. Surprisingly, this was shaping up to be a one-of-a-kind first meeting and so far a positive interaction, if nothing else. She couldn’t say she’d expected to bump into Passionblaze (out of all the cats in ThunderClan) and be invited on a rather unofficial, haphazard scouting patrol in search of a fox in the territory. But regardless, this was thrilling, and her paws itched as they headed into the densely-wooded area. If this mission proved fruitless, at least they would possibly have a new friendship between them. She refused to think of the grave notion that one might be fatally injured on this journey, ignoring the reality of being a fox-hunting warrior. Because she hadn’t had anyone close enough to her die during her lifetime, Sheepcloud didn’t have a solid grasp on what the process of grief was like. It was meaningless to her, yet she dreaded the day a tragedy would force her to cope.

As he explained why he didn’t take a break for himself to recuperate physically or mentally, Sheepcloud wasn’t sure it was the healthiest way to do it but trusted his judgment on the matter. She wasn’t going to give advice or preach to him, assuming he got enough of that from his family or friends that also wanted him to take it easy. He was a grown warrior that could make his own decisions, not a kit to be babied or ordered around; Passionblaze knew his limits and would hopefully respect them, but that was questionable. Nonetheless, nagging him wasn’t going to solve anything and there was a time and place--this certainly wasn’t it. Besides, she wasn’t the right cat, either. Although she cared deeply about her clanmates, Sheepcloud wasn’t one to squeeze her way into other cats’ business when she knew they were completely capable of handling it themselves, as she thought they would perceive her attempt to steer them on the right track as an annoyance. Only when she thought they’d pose a risk to themselves or the Clan did she believe it was her duty to step in to help. “There’s always more to be done,” she echoed, “and not enough cats to do it all.” Especially after a devastating attack on the camp, most cats were still recovering from the traumatic experience of being invaded in their very home. “Just don’t work yourself to death. I don’t think we’ll be able to find another deputy as great as you, StarClan’s Gift.” She joked, amused by the nickname he’d inadvertently given himself. His attitude was a welcome one, a familiar set of ideals, though she didn’t think she was as prone to being a workaholic as Passionblaze. She may as well strive to be, it wasn’t as if she had anything else going on in her life. No mate or kits, no family members she desired to associate with. ThunderClan and the life of a warrior were what she had.

“You know,” she started, her voice lowered to avoid anyone (or anything) overhearing them. “you’re kind of brave for deputy standards, since you’re heading out with a two-cat patrol to scout out where the fox could be and how many there are.” She paused for a second, then added, “ThunderClan is really lucky to have a deputy that isn’t afraid to do things like some of the others are. It’s as if being a leader or deputy puts them in this toxic mindset, making them cowards that don’t do anything but send their warriors to work every sunrise.” ThunderClan wasn’t like that, to her knowledge, but she’d witnessed fearful leaders and deputies in her time. A rank was nothing more than a title and demand for obedience, it wasn’t an excuse to stop doing the duties of a warrior. As she’d now seen firsthand, Passionblaze seemed to understand that and didn’t think of himself as above any cat. Perhaps he even considered his clanmates more important, given he put their well-being before his own. Dangerous, albeit noble. Passionblaze didn’t appear to be the type that would sit in camp all day, directing cats what to do while doing none of it himself. Sheepcloud didn’t think for sheer second that he wasn’t afraid of failing ThunderClan as deputy, or maybe leader someday. However, he either knew how to put that fear to use in being productive around the Clan, or he was good at faking it.

Ears perking forward, a wave of relief washed through her. “Exactly!” she exclaimed but kept her meow down, despite how her eyes lit up. “Plans are so worthless sometimes, nothing ever goes as one would expect it.” A shining example was the attack on their camp, as they had no way of knowing ShadowClan would backstab them and therefore couldn’t have planned for it. “It’s much smarter to keep your options open.” Sheepcloud described it positively, but she usually believed the trait to be negative, as there were countless times she was ashamed of herself for veering off track when it would have gone perfectly otherwise. So far, her lack of planning and ability to stick to it hadn’t hurt any cat, and she prayed to StarClan that it wouldn’t change today. She didn’t know how she would handle the knowledge that a clanmate (the deputy, no less) was injured or killed due to her negligence, incompetence. Although she hadn’t expected the touch, she let out a light purr as she felt his tail tip brush along the soft fuzz on the top of her head. It was a reassuring gesture, and it helped clear away the thoughts of self-doubt and worrying. They would be okay, she told herself, they were both skilled warriors and were just checking to see where the fox might be as well as how many there were.

It was wonderful to hear he understood her way of describing the problematic behavior, and Sheepcloud pondered if it would help him work on it, provided he even desired a change. It was an inherently bad thing, to her, but inconvenient. “It’s just hard to rearrange the order.” It was in her mind too, acting before thinking, and somewhere down the line came reacting. “I think some cats are built differently. If we were all planners, then who would do anything?” Having rigid plans wasn’t the best in every situation anyway, so she preferred to think it created a nice balance… despite what some of the plan-heavy cats may say about the impulsive types. “What does your mother tell you?” Sheepcloud asked, immediately curious. “I don’t know why she would be harsh on you.” He seemed like a marvelous tom, and she was really liking this outing together. His lack of planning wasn’t a flaw, it was merely a part of him, and she was confused as to why his mother--the very cat that borne him--wouldn’t accept it. Passionblaze didn’t have to talk about it if he didn’t want to, and she voiced that by reminding him, “You don’t have to reply, if it’s a sore spot.” Some families were in a perpetual state of... unhappy, she supposed. Forcing him to talk wasn’t on her agenda, especially if that was the case.

With his smile being too contagious to pass up, she returned one to him, a contented albeit eager and alert expression on her face as they trekked deeper into the territory. Looking around, she was astonished by how lively the forest seemed since it was nearing the end of leaf-bare. Prey was starting to come out and scuffle around again, making small tracks in the snow, their presence confirmed in the increase of fresh-kill in the pile back at the camp. In her opinion, it looked better in the other seasons, but leaf-bare wasn’t bad aside from everything being snow-covered. Her pawsteps crunched on the snow, unable to stop a bit of noise from being emitted, but overall she remembered to keep quiet when there was a fox lurking about. Sheepcloud slowed as he did, tasting the air for any signs of a foreign presence that didn’t belong. Traces of prey and past patrols hit her, but no fox scent. “Hm, nothing yet,” she murmured, lowering her muzzle again. She followed a line of overgrown brush but didn’t stray far from Passionblaze, wishing to avoid getting separated from him. “It could be the borders,” she agreed, “and we might find out soon. The Gathering is just around the corner.” Though other leaders may be too proud to discuss a danger in their territory. She nodded, returning to the process of attempting to hunt down a scent. As she neared a toppled log, she reported softly but loud enough to get his attention, “There might be something over here.” It was a faint stench of fox and made her fur stand on end, a shudder passing through Sheepcloud’s body. “But it’s not too strong.” The fox had likely been here and left, but it wasn’t an old scent trail.

Using the toppled log as a starting point, she began sniffing near it, wondering if the fox had headed in a different direction. Due to the lack of strength in the scent, she was inclined to believe there was only one predator lurking in ThunderClan’s forest but didn’t take that to heart in the chance she was wrong. It was better to be prepared for anything, and she refused to allow multiple foxes to take her by surprise. Sheepcloud could feel her body trembling lightly, the scent striking an ounce of fear into her, but none she wanted to acknowledge. This was a warrior’s life, their duty to the Clan, and she wasn’t going to back down anytime soon. The kits and elders needed them. Heading forward, she was picking up on a better scent, a fresher one that indicated it may be nearby. “Let’s check over here?” she suggested, urging her legs to keep going in spite of the increasing sense of tension in the air. Sheepcloud progressively moved slower and softer, aware any wrong movement could send them hurtling into a battle or land them in the jaws of a hungry fox. Crash. The undergrowth shuffled and twigs snapped nearby, immediately alerting her. She stiffened suddenly, body unmoving, ears perked and swiveling as they tried to pinpoint where the noise was coming from. Stealing a wide-eyed glance at Passionblaze, she was certain her heart was going to beat right out of her chest at any moment. Crash. Closer this time, she realized and drew in a shaky gulp of air. Maybe if they were quiet enough--

Too late. A snarling fox leapt from the brush toward the patrol, barely giving Sheepcloud a fraction of a second to scatter from its path, yowling something between a frightful cry and a declaration of war. Sheepcloud noted that its muzzle was pulled back in fury, teeth bared menacingly, and it seemed to have murder on its mind. Plan and senses forgotten, her claws were unsheathed as she dove for the animal, latching onto its pelt directly above the shoulder and biting down with all her might. This mangy fleabag isn’t going to take us alive!

Well, wasn’t Sheepcloud such a humor! It should had occurred to Passionblaze that they were both being rather immature, joking about Windclan and their loss when both sides lost more than they won. The deputy was still a little otter for the simple fact that their attack was a surprise — on their camp! Where kits and apprentices roam about. It wasn’t cool for those demented felines to attack in this area. Then, bringing along help because they couldn’t finish a battle that they provoked. It was quite childish and a little...well, mischeavious to laugh at the unfortunate, but Passionblaze had been humored and he wasn’t going to stifle in it. He wasn’t blunt, by all means, but trustworthy with actions and words. He acknowledged the fact that it shouldn’t had been funny, but as an individual, he found her joke comical. A little too comical. Ceasing his chuckling fit, Passionblaze thumped his tail against the ground, a little weird quirk he had ever since he was a kit and that was hard to explain why he done it. “Alright, alright. Let’s stop making fun of our enemies before Starclan give us some misfortune,” he chuckled, slightly. Passionblaze believed that Starclan was on their side the day of the bloodshed, and he believed them to be powerful, fairminded cats, despite being dead and only appearing in ghostly forms that others describe as heartbreaking or ghastly. “In the end we won that battle, and I don’t think Starclan would appreciate us throwing the victory in our enemies’ faces every time we saw them. So, we just gotta he the bigger cat, got that, friend?” Immature as it may sound, or to be imagined, Passionblaze visioned himself throwing a smug grin, walking with his head high and broad chest sticking out proudly when he was in the presence of a low-standard Windclan Cat. As always, Passionblaze was as polite as he could be. Obviously, Windclan were their enemies, and Shadowclan surely had some explaining to do as to why they were on Windclan’s side during the launch of the battle. Yet, even if he were beside one, Passionblaze would remain filled with courtesy. If it was one thing Passionblaze took to heart of what his mother taught him, it was treat another how you would want to be treated. Even if they feel you are an inferior, continue to respect them because it doesn’t pay to be bitter.

Paw after paw, Passionblaze didn’t allow much of his attention to be stirred while set out on this mission. Whereas, fromvtime to time he stole a glance towards his partner-in-crime. The danger of knowing they were doing reckless actions instead of seeking help from others. Passionblaze didn’t even bother to set up a patrol to come with them. Even if Sheepcloud haven’t set off with him, Passionblaze would had been more than ready to fend off this fox himself. The thoughts of how rash of a decision he made — without thinking — it should had been a red flag, but even those thoughts floated into one ear and came out the other. Surely, as he allowed himself to believe, Sheepcloud would be fine. She looked surprised, fully ecstatic to set out on this expedition. Perhaps it was the warrior inside her that wanted to protect the land she lived on and loved? Whatever fueled her fire, Passionblaze appreciated fierce felines with a desire to protect. Passionblaze almost allowed himself to believe that she could be a quirky female version of himself given her recklessness, horrible concentration to thoroughly follow out plans, and the nature of her clumsy, kind personality that Passionblaze quickly grew fond of. Yeah...she’s gonna do just fine. Still gonna keep an eye on her, though. Stealing a glance at her once more, he gave a lopsided grin, then averted his gaze to look ahead with a determined fire in his eyes, and a bounce in his steps. “I always try to find a way for things to be enough,” How truthful Sheepcloud was being. It made Passionblaze’s ears flick back as he carried the weight on his shoulders like everything was for him to handle. Passionblaze wanted Thunderclan to thrive, which was why he set goals and expectations for others to follow. The tom saw a golden view of a desired utopia, one that Thunderclan should be perfecting, and Passionblaze wanted that desirous vision of a healthy future. Out of reach, but it wasn’t unattainable — in his eyes as long as he dreamed it, he will reach it. Passionblaze was rather harsh on himself more than he was on others. If only he didn’t need a lot of cats. Life would be much simpler if he was the only one who could hold everything down. Even though it had been a joke, Passionblaze felt the seriousness of her words. For a moment, he thought about what was said, albeit possibly a little sad upon the reality of it. “Feeding my ego a little too much, eh?” He jabbed at her curiously, only to lighten up the situation as he was in deep solitude of wondering what she said. After all, like he told everyone, Passionblaze was not afraid of death. If he were to die, it would always be for a reason. “Don’t worry a thing about me. My job is to worry about you.” He reversed, his whiskers twitching with remote amusement.

More focused on the trail, Passionblaze didn’t gather time to admire the pretty forest that they resides. The part of Thunderclan was filled with greenery and lushful tropics that the eye must take a gander in. It was all simply too beautiful to pass up, but in a time like this, the only thing coursing through his mind was finding this fox. Taking it down. To not where they drove it off, but killed it so it wouldn’t be seen again. He wasn’t bloodthirsty, by all means. (okay, maybe he wanted to a little bit). Passionblaze tilted his head toward Sheepcloud at hearing her soft voice. He leaned closer to her to make her words appear clearer. As she spoke, Passionblaze was a tad surprise. Almost as if he wasn’t used to receiving compliments as such, or perhaps, the fact that she noticed these things that went over Passionblaze’s mind. He couldn’t help but...smile. She called it brave, or was it stupidity? Now it dawned on him that he was — indeed — heading out on a two-cat patrol. Heading out to defeat a fox...was this really smart? Passionblaze could had froze in that moment but he blinked appreciately at Sheepcloud. “No deputy should fear anything. Fear is just an illusion,” to him, at least. Passionblaze couldn’t think of anything that scared him, in physical manners. The only fear he held dealt with an emotional stressing feeling that everyone dubbed as Love. Something so beautiful, always tender and fragile, yet bold, envious, and traumatic. Passionblaze wouldn’t think he had philophobia, but he was afraid of giving his heart to the wrong one. It always reminded him of his brother Burn and Birchflower. Broken by the pretty Siamese, Burn didn’t care about who heart he broke. Speaking of Burn, where was that foxhearted brother of his? Whispering lowly, he told her, “I’d be a fox if I allowed the warriors that fight for our leader and myself to be condemned to their death or close to it. These warriors are brave enough to fight without being questioned. I was...one of them. And, I still am. I’d send myself into the flames before I even dare to send out any of my warriors.” Being a deputy was a simple rank and title. Even if he weren’t deputy, he’d still be the same. Being a warrior, it was more than just a title. It was something to be taken seriously. It was a fighter, a protector, a soldier and these warriors couldn’t be afraid of anything when they were meant to protect. “But, I also have faith in them,” Passionblaze allowed a small smile to appear on his features. “Warriors like you? They’re always a keeper.” With just the way how Sheepcloud held certain concern for her clan mates, that’s the traits Passionblaze liked to see in his fellow warriors. The deputy found working to be a pleasurably, satisfying experience that not many give time to appreciate. Passionblaze hardly had time for himself, but he was an physically active tom that didn’t like to be sedentary for long periods of time (or, short ones, for that matter). The camp would always see him moving about, even if all work’s been done for the day. “There’s always something to be done, so there’s always work to tend to. You warriors may not like the chores, but it gotta get done! So, suck it up, buttercup!” Sending warriors out to do patrols, as it was always a mandatory thing, was far different from sending warriors to scare off a badger or fox. He didn’t expect his warriors to fight without him being presence.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Passionblaze let out ansoundless cough to keep himself from chatting with delight. It wouldn’t be good to have the fox coming their way, instead of them going towards it. Passionblaze sharply remembered plenty occasions where he and Burn — Flamekit, at the time — would wander out the nursery at Passionblaze’s suggestion. The many trees they climbed, then fell down, as their climbing skills were far from perfect. Where the two would go looking from danger, after being told time and time again to stay away from it. Most times Burn would come up with he brilliant plans until the moment of truth came and Passionblaze hurled himself at the enemy, and his brother would soon jump in, a little irritated but fierce to protect his brother. “That’s why I like being spontaneous.” He winked. Passionblaze felt his tail curl inwardly, swiveling his ears forward as he thought he heard the rustling of the fox. He was ready to spring forward and attack, but his muscles relaxed when he noticed it was a gentle wind making the leaves dance. “You could compare it to life,” he started. “Life is unplanned, yet we make plans because we believe that they will happen. Nothing goes as we plan or hoped it to be.” A pristine example would be the fact of losing Burn. Two brothers who were like two peas in a pod, separated easily like their bondship wasn’t there in the first place. Passionblaze’s tail twitched behind him, following her other words. Options were never apart of the game plan once the course was set. The only option that settled was; you better winged this. Before his mind could continue a deeper thought on this process, Sheepcloud steered his mind into different thoughts. “It’s good that there’s balance, you know. We have our go-getters and our strategists. Without balance, where would we be, do you think? I know we go-getters do what we want, but we should at least appreciate our strategists who makes the plans. Though, even in the end, we won’t follow it.” One thing about being reckless was the fact that Passionblaze didn’t know whether it was a flaw or an ideal trait. After all, most reckless felines were fearless, as the tom was himself. Yet, it wasn’t fun if they were to be fatally injured because of the mousebrained actions they indulged in. These thoughts, Passionblaze didn’t allow himself to get lost into. The question pertaining to his mother, made the tom smile a tiny bit because he dearly loved the one who conceived him. “Haha, no no, I don’t speaking of her,” He quickly corrected. Speaking of his mother was never a sore spot as she always been a vital part of his life. “Well, wouldn’t you be mad every time your son does something reckless? Trust me, she’s have my head for even going after this fox without a full patrol. She’d probably have all my limbs for dragging you with me.” It was a comical statement, but Passionblaze knew his mother could be a little daunting...okay, maybe more than a little daunting. “How about we keep this a little secret between the two of us, eh?” Passionblaze whispered in her ear. Passionblaze didn’t need Springingsky to lecture him about caring for himself and such. The tom felt he was doing exceptionally well because, well, after all, he wasn’t six paws underground yet, now was he? On the other hand, he could understand her worries. He was still her kit no matter what rank he was. She had two sons and lost one, so all she had was him.

Moments was filled with the anticipation of the awaiting opponent. Passionblaze was stumped. Where could this creature be hiding? Why was it so hard to find it? He trailed after Sheepcloud, keeping heavy paws as light as possible to not create any disturbances. With his jaws parted, he continued to sniff at the air, putting his muzzle to the ground and following a horrid stench that needed to be rid of. No plan to initiate, everything would be tactical. Passionblaze kept an even eye on Sheepcloud to make sure she was okay. Whenever she glanced warily at him, he provided a smile to hope that it would cease her worries. She couldn’t be scared now. He knew for certain she wouldn’t back down unless he ordered her to.

So, when the fox was discovered, Passionblaze sprinted towards it, his eyes on the steady figure as he jumped up and used his claws to dig through its flesh. Sheepcloud was on the shoulder, a prominent battle move to aim and unbalance your opponent. Passionblaze scores for its back, raking his claws into its flesh and hearing it splutter out incoherent gurgles. No matter how violent the fox whipped about, Passionblaze kept hold onto its back, keeping his jaws locked onto its neck. Somehow, his claws had unlatched, rather roughly. The pain, so sharp, made the deputy ungripped his hold and fling off to the side. Passionblaze breathes heavily; deeply. He got up, shaking the dust from his pelt and growling ferociously towards it. His paw stung, but the pain forgotten as he sprinted back towards the fox to bite at the nape of its neck. No way was he going down easily, obviously. Definitely no way was he going to allow this pest to eliminate his clanmate — especially without eliminating him first.