[Fawn]

Originally Posted by Constellation

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.

“We should,” she agreed when he proposed a halt on the whole ‘making-fun-of-their-enemies’ extravaganza. It was entertaining, but it was mostly a method of coping with the inevitable brawls to come for Sheepcloud, knowing there wasn’t peace over the Clans now that a battle had concluded. If anything, the opposite had happened, leaving everybody bitter for some reason or another. Joking about it helped ease the tension that came with the idea of immortality and fighting for their lives against an opponent that never slept.. She wasn’t really one to speak badly (in seriousness) about anybody, thinking it was tempting fate against her. Besides, it was petty if it was taking place behind another cat’s back, and plain dangerous if she were to do it to their face.. Not a mess she wished to involve herself in, so holding her tongue was the best option in most situations. She wondered if Passionblaze truly thought StarClan would be mad at them for it, or would they be understanding? Her concept of StarClan was less involved, but more of a moral guidance system… she realized they might not like it if they were speaking poorly of WindClan, even though they were probably taking pity on ThunderClan after what had happened to them. The tragedy that befell their camp less than a moon ago. “Crossing paths with a WindClan cat isn’t exactly my idea of a fine day,” Sheepcloud meowed, “but you’re right. If we do, the last course of action would be throwing the victory in their faces. That’ll only start another fight.” It was one plan she could likely stick to, assuming WindClan cats didn’t mock or taunt her -- she wasn’t good at keeping calm when external forces were putting the pressure on her to do anything but. Sheepcloud didn’t think it would send a decent impression if they were making fun of WindClan, and she determined, “We need to show we’re noble, not.. Overgrown kits that escaped the nursery.” Their behavior would be viewed as childish, but she figured it was okay since they were with each other; she liked his humor, no less, and he appeared to enjoy hers. Because she knew she was often quite poor at diplomatic things, she tended to stick to herself when around other Clans. She didn’t talk to them at gatherings, afraid she would say the wrong thing and start the domino effect. Offending warriors led to violence.

Rolling her eyes, a little puff of laughter escaped her. “Yeah, sure am. I bet I could still see your ego if I climbed the highest tree in ThunderClan territory, and you were back in camp.” Her tone heavily suggested she was joking, and she lightly brushed against him to ensure he realized that. “Remember this moment if you’re ever choosing a deputy to serve under you.” A day that would be both dreadful and filled with hope for the future, a strange contrast and one she didn’t want to dwell on. “I’m kidding, though. Please don’t make me the deputy. I would have to reject your offer.” Sheepcloud had no intent on scoring that position and wouldn’t accept it, not even from Passionblaze who’d make a great leader. “I don’t think I would be good at it, and it’s.. a lot of pressure, waking up everyday and being worried that you’ll fail the Clan.” No, it took a special cat to have any position of leadership, and she wasn’t that feline. Grinning crookedly, she added, “If you have any sense about you, you wouldn’t consider me to begin with.” At that, she raised an eyebrow in slight amusement. “Is that so?” she asked, a challenge in her voice. “I don’t mean to trouble you, Passionblaze, but I don’t think you can order me not to worry about you.” If nothing else, she would be worried about him as a fellow clanmate. “And if you do, I guess I’ll just have to settle for being one of those unruly warriors.” The bottom line was, he could protest all he wanted but there was no escaping her concern. “This has nothing to do with your capability,” Sheepcloud assured, not wanting to give him the wrong idea, “because I know you can hold your own.” This was about being a companion, and his partner on this mission.

His response to it confirmed that he needed the occasional compliment in his life. The way his eyes filled with surprise, even if it was minor and fleeting, gone the next second and if she hadn’t remembered it so vividly, she’d swear it’d been her imagination. However, his smile was unforgettable, and a trickle of happiness washed over her. Maybe she’d brightened his day. She couldn’t help but muse about who he had in his life, who his support system was and who built him up again after a rough day. Thinking about herself, she realized she hardly had anyone who was stable in her life. Most times, that position defaulted to a warrior’s family.. Well, she didn’t have that to speak of, so she had to rely on ThunderClan. It was hard sometimes, feeling like a small fish in a big sea and merely trying to make someone else’s day better. Having a cat that was there for her sometimes would be nice, but she shook the thoughts away. “Try telling that to the fox if we find it. I’m sure it’ll love being told its an illusion.” Although she let out a soft purr, the point remained. The things they feared weren’t quite illusions, but the feeling itself may be.

She didn’t doubt his words, having known him for only a little while but seeing what kind of cat he was. He was brave, not cowardly in the least. Sheepcloud doubted he would allow the warriors to suffer before himself without lifting a claw to help; he was better than that, and she considered ThunderClan lucky to have a fine deputy like Passionblaze helping as a warrior and leading as a deputy. Warriors like me, she repeated in her head once Passionblaze had finished speaking, uncertain of what to think of that. She’d been labelled a traitor a few times in her life, causing crippling self-doubt to flood her every time it’d happened. Was she nothing more than a product of nature, a pawn set to be evil since her parents were? Sheepcloud did everything she could to prove she was the opposite, and she cared about clan life and clanmates. “Thanks,” was all she could think of to say, her reply genuinely appreciative. It was a change of pace to be complimented for her contributions, rather than ignored or put down due to her past. She’d learned not to talk about it, fearing rejection or ostracization. “I wish I could do more, chores or not. I can’t say I mind doing them.” During her apprentice days, she hadn’t been a fan, but growing up had made her see chores were simple tasks that improved the quality of life overall. There wasn’t enough energy to be spared, not enough time in the day, resources to be gathered.. It was an ongoing cycle of never having enough. One cat couldn't juggle it all. It was an impossible feat.

It was intriguing to her that he worded it as if it was a positive trait to possess, when she didn’t think of it as good or bad generally. Sheepcloud wasn’t quick to pin black and white labels on concepts, even if the behavior was more often problematic than beneficial, because she always wanted to see every side of the world. Labeling things tended to close off possibilities, and she was one to keep an open mind. Passionblaze seemed to take his impulsiveness in stride, however; he was a great example of how a cat could take an aspect of them that was perceived negatively and change it into something beneficial. “That’s not a bad analogy,” Sheepcloud commented, smiling slightly. “I like it.” Life was unpredictable as Passionblaze said, the only thing that wouldn’t change was change itself happening. When he went on to say it was unplanned yet plans were made, she found herself nodding, taking it in and analyzing the idea. “It might give some cats comfort.” To think they had a plan, it built them up so they were confident enough to take on the issue. “But yes, the balance is necessary because it’d be terrible to have a Clan filled with planless warriors.” She could also see why plans were nice to have during the off-chance that things DID go as the plan foresaw. It made for a smooth, streamlined process, and she was envious of those who could plot that out. It wasn’t as if she lacked an appreciation for them, perhaps the opposite, wishing she could be a part of that crowd. She waited until the heat of the moment to choose an action, meanwhile they had the advantage of already knowing.

A pinch of relief flooded her when she noticed the smile after she’d asked about his mother, a personal subject to some and off-limits for others, and she didn’t know where Passionblaze would fall along that spectrum. “Oh,” Sheepcloud let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, “I’m glad I didn’t cross a line there.” Making him uncomfortable wouldn’t be good, she liked his company and hoped they would meet up again sometime in the future. When he put it that way, all she could do was shrug since she wasn’t sure. “I guess I never thought about it.” Having a family in the future wasn’t something she’d given mind to, not feeling strongly on the matter. She’d love her kits dearly, if they ever happened, but she didn’t think she’d be heartbroken without them in her life. It would be stressful, especially if she had a kit with an attitude like her own (or Passionblaze’s), knowing they sought adventure everyday and had a reckless nature about them. “I can see why she’d be worried,” Sheepcloud said with a nod, “and why she wouldn’t want you to act before thinking.” It was a dangerous set of traits combined to create a storm of disaster. Chuckling at the thought, she agreed, “I wouldn’t want this to stir up trouble with her, so I’ll be holding my tongue.” Mentioning they’d done something so high-stakes without anybody to back them up wasn’t a good idea, but she didn’t think she harbored even a hint of regret. Shuddering at the thought of his mother having his limbs over this excursion, she told him, “Well, we can’t have that. It sounds like there wouldn’t be much left of you afterwards.” It would be kept a secret, the Clan didn’t need to know anything more than the fox being run out or killed.

Call it obliviousness, but she didn’t know Passionblaze was keeping an eye on her, clearly conscious of her safety. She cared for his as well, but didn’t think to actively be watching him, too wrapped up in the moment. Knowing there was a predator nearby. Once the fox had emerged and was viciously snapping at them, trying to shred them into little bitty warrior pieces, she launched herself at it only to latch on after seeing him sprint toward it. There was no time to be afraid, the blood in her ears roaring with two things on her mind: drive it out, and ensure Passionblaze made it out okay. For now, she was more focused on the former when she could feel the heat of the fox’s foul breath on her legs, scrambling to get a grip on it as it thrashed. Her front claws were sunk in deep with her teeth embedded in its shoulder, while she worked to plant smaller gashes along the shoulder blade as she struggled to hang on. Sheepcloud could hear the damage Passionblaze was inflicting upon the fox by its reactions, and she hoped it would soon give up the fight.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the form of Passionblaze be thrown from the wild fox, landing roughly a couple tail-lengths away. “Passionblaze!” she screeched in terror and concern, the distraction enough to cause her to tumble painfully from the fox, the animal successfully getting both felines to unlatch from its pelt. Luckily, she could see Passionblaze wasn’t too injured considering he was up in another moment, throwing himself back into the mix. Furious and seemingly wounded howls erupted from the fox in response to Passionblaze’s bite, and it twisted to attempt to lash out at him. Sheepcloud saw an opportunity and swiped at its muzzle, leaping back to dodge as it charged at her in fury. While she avoided the brunt of the hit, one of its monstrous paws landed harshly on her flank, toppling her off balance until she landed with a thick thud on the ground. Although her head hurt from the collision, she was relieved when she noticed the fox seemed to be losing its strength, likely due to Passionblaze’s unrelenting attack. From what she could infer, it was bleeding from its multiple wounds and ready to flee from the battle scene.