WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Bee]

Bumbletail pokes his head into the nursery. "May I come in? You know I always enjoy seeing the clan's kits,"

((open post, anyone with a queen is free to answer!))

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by wolybro

Spire was ready to avoid the attack,his paws ready to leap away from the attack,but none was needed as the apprentice slipped on the icy snow below them. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle,and a few snorts. "You didn't use your claws,it's why you slipped." he muttered between laughs. He didn't really follow the whole 'no claws or teeth' part of the warrior code,but wouldn't hurt so much that the apprentice would be bleeding at the med cat den. "Use your claws to grip the ground,and when crouching balance your weight on your hind paws so when you pounce you go farther,go it?" his voice was strict as he walked around the apprentice in circles,nudging with his paws and muzzle so the apprentice was in a better position.

Phantompaw gave an embarrassed duck of her head, but quickly shook herself, knowing that if she never made any mistakes, she would never learn from them. Giving a determined nod, she set her jaw, tail tip flicking to and fro slowly. She slid out her long, curved claws, digging them into the icy ground. It was cold, but she ignored it, instead focusing on Spireflare. She nodded, dropping into a crouch, this time keeping her weight spread evenly as she could over all four paws, but keeping a bit more towards her haunches and hind paws. It was strange, but it didn't feel unnatural. Soon, with his nudging, she was in a far better position than earlier, but her tail still moved more than it ought to. “Like this?” she asked, keeping her body still other than her tail.

[Random Melody]

Originally Posted by Ludicrous Lunacy

Rainshade padded quietly out of the warriors' den, stumbling slightly over a very clearly visible rock. Flicking their ears in irritation, the Siamese walked over to the middle of the clearing, their head turning often so that they could see things that they could potentially trip on. This was curious to any cat watching out of context, since their head kept suddenly looking around jerkily as the rest of the shecat moved with elegance. It might have taken a moment to discover the reason why; Their eyes, which were a surprisingly vibrant sky blue, seemed to be slightly clouded over and crossed. Rain huffed with frusteration as they stumbled over another stone. Tail flicking with irritation, the she-cat walked over towards the shade of a tree. Of course, it was much colder in the shade, but there was less snow amonst its roots, and her paws already felt like they were freezing.
Rainshade, just close your eyes, it's eaier to walk if you aren't trying to see at all, they silently advised themself. Well, not taking any chances... better to have some eyesight than none at all. They were so enveloped by their thoughts, to their misfortune, that they did not notice the younger black warrior until she walked traight into her. Leaping back, Rainshade let out a short yelp of surprise. "Oops! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you... I wasn't paying much attention, sorry, sorry." Their periwinkle blue gaze glittered nervously. I haven't done that since... Since... Oh, StarClan, I don't think I've ever done that... Usually I'd hear a cat... Rain, this is why you should pay attention!

(Heh... Long post... wow... This character is so fun to write with 0-0)

(XDDD)
Pantherstrike's head shot up immediately as a paw stepped on her tail, and someone bumped into her. A growl rose in her throat as she whirled her head around to glare at the warrior in front of her. Her green eyes narrowed at them, as she jerked her tail away with a huff. "Well maybe you should pay attention," She snapped, a growl in her voice as she scowled at the other cat. "Obviously if you made it to a warrior, you're not blind. Watch where you're going!" She sniffed, eyeing them critically. She wasnt one to sugarcoat anything, speaking her mind even at the risk of hurting other cat's feelings, but hey, she was honest.

[Ludicrous Lunacy]

Originally Posted by Random Melody

(XDDD)
Pantherstrike's head shot up immediately as a paw stepped on her tail, and someone bumped into her. A growl rose in her throat as she whirled her head around to glare at the warrior in front of her. Her green eyes narrowed at them, as she jerked her tail away with a huff. "Well maybe you should pay attention," She snapped, a growl in her voice as she scowled at the other cat. "Obviously if you made it to a warrior, you're not blind. Watch where you're going!" She sniffed, eyeing them critically. She wasnt one to sugarcoat anything, speaking her mind even at the risk of hurting other cat's feelings, but hey, she was honest.

Rainshade hissed, their nervousness replaced by anger in a heartbeat. "You don't know that! Blackgaze was blind, and now she's the RiverClan deputy!" Tail lashing furiously, the she-cat forced herself not to rake her claws across the other cat's muzzle. They were not going to risk clawing a Clanmate just over a bit of stupidity. "I'll have you know," they meowed, a dangerous calm creeping into their voice, "That I literally could not see you, and would appreciate a little more respect from a cat who's hardly out of the apprentice's den." Rainshade's crossed eyes burned with a mix of embarrassment and rage, and through their slightly blurred mix-matched circle of vision they fixed their intense gaze on the face of the much younger warrior.

[Random Melody]

Originally Posted by Ludicrous Lunacy

Rainshade hissed, their nervousness replaced by anger in a heartbeat. "You don't know that! Blackgaze was blind, and now she's the RiverClan deputy!" Tail lashing furiously, the she-cat forced herself not to rake her claws across the other cat's muzzle. They were not going to risk clawing a Clanmate just over a bit of stupidity. "I'll have you know," they meowed, a dangerous calm creeping into their voice, "That I literally could not see you, and would appreciate a little more respect from a cat who's hardly out of the apprentice's den." Rainshade's crossed eyes burned with a mix of embarrassment and rage, and through their slightly blurred mix-matched circle of vision they fixed their intense gaze on the face of the much younger warrior.

Pantherstrike growled, her eyes hardening as she glared at the older warrior, then she smirked. "I give respect to cats who dont shove me," She replied calmly. "And obviously if you know im young for a warrior you can see me," She turned her head away arrogantly, letting out a "Hmph" sound. "But whatever." She was already over the fact that the other cat had bumped into her. Lowering her head, she gave her chest fur a quick lick before straightening up, her green eyes studying the other warrior.

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Pinepaw heard an excited yowl behind him and twisted his head around to find the source-- though a good percent of him already knew who it was-- and then was instantly tackled by a blur of orange fur. Struggling beneath the she cat, he felt annoyance before his emotions faded into a blur of excitement and interest. The tip of his tail twitched and he narrowed his hues before beginning to laugh. "How long were you there for?" He asked, struggling a little more and once again trying to get up. It was tougher then it looked-- especially since he seemed to be having some minor difficulty. Adderpaw had been training for longer then he had, not to mention that she was stronger. Although that was a painful thing for the tom to focus his mind on, so he ignored that fact and grinned at his friend. Since they had met, their relationship together had grown so much...especially because he had agreed to stop his rule-breaking-- not to mention heartbreaking-- ways. The tom struggled once more beneath the she cat before he gave up and allowed himself to go limp, panting. Perhaps this would show her that he didn't mean any harm. He was just trying to...well...be friendly, in a manner of speaking. Sort of. "How long you wanna keep me pinned for?" He asked with a slightly coy smile, hues flashing once more. The innocence wasn't going to fool her, he knew that...so there was no point in even trying. And another thing that wouldn't fool her was his smooth tone of voice, she had gotten used to it during the moons when he had been using her. That had gone well for a short while-- until I let my brain get the better of me. I mean emotions. Stupid emotions. He thought angrily, though he was secretly pleased about what had happened. It had changed him for the better, after all.


The brown and white apprentice looked down at her paws, shuffling them uncertainly as she sighed. She wished everything wasn't so confusing now. Maybe she should have talked to Rainpaw more privately. No- he was wrong! I was right to stand up for that apprentice. Everything's going to be fine. She thought confidently, raising her head high although she felt as though she were half-dying inside. Embarrassment was definitely playing a strong part in her feelings at the moment, no matter how hard she would have liked to deny them. She glanced up in surprise, hues gleaming in a confused manner as she saw her new mentor, the calico tom Rookpatch, looking at her.

And when he began to speak, a sharp surprise seemed to sting her as she jumped, flinching visibly at his words. They were strange sounding. Like it was either hurting him to speak...or he just couldn't. Was she right? Was she finally getting something right? She tried to piece his speech together, following it with her ears, cocking her head to first one side then the other, all the time listening to try and figure out what he was saying.

Bit by bit, she pieced it together and breathed a sigh of relief. It was alright. It was good. Nothing was wrong here, at least not that she could tell. Right? I'll have to get used to that. And I probably shouldn't mention it. He might be sensitive. She thought, swallowing as she got to her paws, giving the tom as friendly of a smile as she could muster. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable around her...she would have preferred for the two of them to have a strong friendship, though she sincerely doubted that was going to happen. Look what was going on now! Discomfort seemed to be playing an active part here for the young she cat, however hard she was trying to hide it.

"Yeah, I'm ready. This is going to be so much fun-- are you excited, cause I'm excited!" She mewed. That wasn't a lie; though her tone might have been overly cheerful and falsely peppy, she really was excited for her first day of training. This was a big, important milestone in a young cat's life. She wished Rainpaw was here with her to share it, but once again, he had done something wrong...and now he was paying for it. He couldn't just go through life thinking he could do that to another cat. And besides, as long as she had done the right thing...everything was going to turn out just fine.

If anyone in this clan should know that yowl aside from her mother, it should be Pinepaw, it was distinct in the way it nearly cracked with the excitement that was always in it, the lightness of it, how it was sharp and nearly squeal-like in the beginning but soft at the end as it left her practically breathless. Whenever it was possible Adderpaw liked to try and great her best friend like this, with that yowl and with tackling him, regardless if she actually surprised him or not, she just felt like it was... The right thing to do. The right way to great your closest friend. Especially now that he was an apprentice, her greeting might have even been filled with more excitement than usual.
"Not long, I just snuck right up! You're too easy to sneak up on Pinepaw, if you were an enemy warrior, you'd be sent home squeaking like a kit!" Teased the yellow tabby with a giggle, keeping her friend pinned seeing as how he wanted to try and escape, an air of triumph crossing her face, proud that she was able to keep him pinned. The word that had always haunted her slowly rolling across her mind, Runt, she grinned even more.
So much for being a runt now right?
If anyone dared to call her that name again then she would have to show them who she truly was, what she could do, because she was not some weak cat. Not at all.
It seems she had zoned out whilst pinning him, but was brought back around by his question, her ears perking up and her gaze clearing to look down at him in slight confusion before realizing what was going on and laughing, stepping off of him and giving her pelt a shake.
"I was hoping that you'd actually put up some kind of fight, I guess I just thought I would have to stay there forever!"
Snicking quietly, she sat down and curled her tail over her paws and looked Pinepaw over. "Got any plans today mister big scary apprentice?" Asked the young she-cat with that same smile that caused the edge of her eyes to turn slightly upwards.


Rookpatch didn't miss the flinch and it caused sharp emotional pain to sting into his very heart, nearly causing him to stop mid-sentence and give up what he was saying. Breath hitching in his throat, he did take a pause, clenching his jaws shut and gulping, but there was nothing but a dry click in his throat.
Speak slowly, you can do it. He heard his mate's voice in his head coo to him. Closing his eyes he would take a small breath before continuing on and finishing what he was saying to his new apprentice. When he was finished, he nearly couldn't find the courage to open his eyes and look at Heartpaw, the edges of his lips quivering as if tears were about to sting his cheek. But slowly he did open his eyes to look at her, breathing out slowly. He wasn't going to cry in front of his apprentice.

His heart sank just a little lower as he saw the discomfort written so clearly on the young cat's face and at this point, he had to look away, feeling his nose sting and then his eyes as tears threatened to spill.
Why can't you speak normally you stupid, jittery ball of crowfood? Mouse got your tongue or something? Or are you too scu-scu-scared? The taunting voice from the past jeered in his mind, causing his body to rack slightly, Rookpatch trying his absolute hardest not to burst into a crying mess. It had been so long since this has happened, he had been doing so good, he thought he was actually getting better and yet here he was, on the verge of bawling in front of his apprentice. He wasn't cut out for this, he wasn't cut out for being a warrior.

Heartpaw's voice brought him back and he slowly looked over, eyes glossy with threatened tears, he couldn't tell if she was just trying to be nice to him or was genuinely excited. Sniffling quietly, the male calico simply nodded his head and turned around to lead the way out of the clearing.
I'm not going to be able to do this. I can't speak to her. I can't. His mind thought bleakly.
Why can't I just speak normally? Why can't I be normal? Why can't I do something as simple as talking? Why do I have to be like this?
His mind was a whirlwind again and he found himself wishing to be with his best friend Blazingstar, or to be with his mate, Marigoldrise. But no, he had a job to do. And he was going to do it.

[spade]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The tom glanced over at Heathertail again, his hues fixed intently on her. Sometimes it could be a little scary-- considering that he was not only the Deputy but his eyes were often so sharp and alert that they were frightening. And considering everything that had happened recently, sometimes cats got scared just by looking at him-- though why, Shrikecall wasn't sure. He was getting to be a part of this new era of cats, this era where cats were no longer living in fear of an evil ruler. Shrikecall knew there weren't a lot of warriors his age around. And also...the few warriors that were left around his age weren't too keen on being warriors for the Clan...they were more of elders then anything else, and Shrikecall was half expecting them to retire to elder status any day now. But Heathertail seemed different. She seemed involved in the Clan. Or was she just involved with him because she wanted something, like everyone else?
　
The thought sent a pang of pain radiating down Shrikecall's spine, though it wasn't so intense that he was unable to move-- it was more of a gentle reminder of the treachery of cats. And yet, Heathertail didn't seem the type to do that. Maybe he was getting this all wrong...and he was sure he was...at least, he could hope so. He wanted to be wrong more then anything else. He didn't want Heathertail to be using him. "I know. It's pretty annoying, actually-- I don't know quite what they think I can do. But I do have some influence, just not quite as much. I'm here to help, that's all." His mind turned to the three cats that had been found at the entrance to the teritory earlier.
　
Had Blazingstar accepted them? Or had he turned them away, as Shrikecall had advised? "Not really. I mean, it's a lot of work, but I'm always ready for a challenge." He shrugged, before stopping and glancing across the border, his hues narrowing for a moment. His ears perked up and he heard the faintest sound, but shrugged it off-- ThunderClan cats, surely. Nothing too major, right? Right. "Do you have a lot of family in the Clan? Brothers, sisters...a mate...kits?" He asked, and his expression clouded for a moment as he did so. He didn't love the idea of her having a mate and kits-- she seemed like she was far too nice to tie herself down like that, at least, Shrikecall thought of it as tying yourself down. He, personally, had never been in love and didn't know what it was like.

Tail swishing back and forth behind her, Heathertail nodded softly along with Shrikecall as he spoke. Despite the nature of him being deputy, and holding a high ranking within the Clan, she wasn't thinking about that just now. What her mind did stick on was how he seemed to carry himself. There was an aura of confidence that surrounded him, but that also had a humble lining, so nothing too boastful or distasteful. From the way he talked, he cared deeply about all of his Clanmates, and she knew without even really knowing him that she could depend on him if WindClan was ever in trouble again. He seemed like a strong and sturdy cat, and for some reason the thought of him having that type of personality put a soft smile on her face. She began to imagine what his life must've been like growing up, what got him personality-wise to where he was now... The older molly chuckled silently to herself at her overthinking tendency.
"Me?" she perked up when he'd asked her about her life. The light brown warrior paused for a moment, letting the flood of memories wash over her. "My parents both died quite a few moons ago," she murmured with a sigh, but a smile overtook her face. She had nothing but happy memories surrounding those two warriors. They had raised her up from a little rambunctious scrap of fur the loyal, prideful, yet humble and kind she-cat she was today. "As far as siblings," she continued, chuckling at the thought, "I was the only one in my litter. I don't think my parents could've handled two or three of me." A little louder laugh broke out from her lips and ended with a sigh. At the last part, a sort of sad look overcame Heathertail, and she slowed her pace some. "No, I've always been too focused on the Clan and it's well being I suppose," she murmured, casting a glance down at her paws.
The truth was, Heathertail had fallen in love while she was an apprentice, but it hadn't ended well for her, and though she had moved on, she longed to find that type of connection once more. It ate away at her that she was now getting to the age where it wouldn't be too much longer until she could no longer have a litter. She was getting close to her elder days, which is why she spent most of her free time in the nursery. If she wasn't going to have kits of her own, she would give all of this motherly love she felt on a daily basis to the kits of others. The one thing she still had not accomplished in her long service to WindClan was find that one true love, that tom that made her heart skip a bit, or get her paws all tangled up.

[spade]

Originally Posted by fenic!

"Alright, alright- but if you get into trouble, I'll be right behind you." Tawnypaw exclaimed- she was used to being protective of her only few friends, she way she used to be for her siblings before their deaths left her alone. She didn't want to bring Moonpaw down or make her feel sad like this, and so she decided to just go with everything she said, though the slightly younger apprentice couldn't help but feel like she was doing something wrong. Of course I feel wrong- everything I do, everybody I get close to, they all seem to drift away, to die- and that's why I've got to stand by Moonpaw's side, so she doesn't end up like everybody else. Her friends, the entire clan- they were her family now, and so she had to protect both those things in any way she could. Flicking her tail back-and forth across the snow-covered grass, she smiled quietly at her friend's exclamation that it would be an adventure- they could do something fun together, just the two of them. "We can start walking now, if you want- it might get really tiring if we wait until nightfall to actually explore the place." She mused, looking around herself carefully before giving the other molly a quick nod- trying to mean that there didn't seem to be any warriors or dangerous-looking cats around the area. In fact, the moors seemed to be quite bare- the only place she couldn't check were he trees up ahead, due to both how far away it was and the heavy foresting which covered the patch.
However, Tawnypaw didn't make the first move- instead, she waited for Moonpaw to start walking, trying to hang back. She liked this excitable side of her friend, somebody who was quite shy and generally less outspoken. Maybe it's time for me to notice things, and to quiet down just a little bit. One of the only good things that came out of being so alone most of the time was the ability to tune things out- to shut your eyes for a second and let everything phase away, almost like you couldn't hear it anymore. She didn't have the best hearing, which might have contributed to this- but she could still hear her friend, and that was what mattered. She'd tune out everybody else.

A huge grin broke out across Moonpaw's face as she beamed, excited that her friend had agreed to come with her. Otherwise, she knew that she would not have the guts to do it alone. With the breeze rushing through her fur in a sudden gust of wind, the young she-cat started to pad confidently in the direction of the trees, the overwhelming curiosity feeling almost as if it was dragging her by her forepaws. She felt as though some unknown force drew her in closer and closer still, and before she knew it, she stood at the base of the trees. Now that she was much closer, Moonpaw peered into the rare tree growth, her view somewhat obscured by intertwined branches and thorny bushes. Just over the top of everything though, was some unfamiliar structure that jutted out.
Instantly, Moonpaw's eyes focused in on it, and without even thinking, she maneuvered her way into the dense trees. Her blue eyes glowed in the dimly lit "mini forest" and were filled with wonder and curiosity. "Woah..." she murmured, her neck craned up as she rounded a bush, ducking to avoid the brambles that arched overhead. In front of her stood an abandoned shack, although to Moonpaw it just looked like a very organized pile of wood, since she had never seen anything like it. One side of it was collapsed in, almost as if a tree had landed there, while the other half was still sturdy and upright. A rectangular hole was cut in the side, with nothing but shadows and a cobweb in the corner visible through it. The air tasted of wet wood and slight mold, but none of those bothered the black and white she-cat as she moved closer. "Tawnypaw come look at this," she gasped, waving her tail for her friend to join her, not knowing if she had followed her or not.

[spade]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Everything going on outside of the white tom's head seemed foggy and distant, a great contrast from the chaotic storm that swirled within his head. Thoughts of his brother flashed before his eyes, all the way from kithood up until his final moments. The teasing comments and the heartfelt moments, all of them seemed to be crashing down on Runningheart. The tom felt his muscles tense up as he placed his paw firmly on the ground. His breathing came in long and slow, a tactic he'd learned from his mentor on how to center his thoughts and return his psyche to normal - well, as normal as it could be. If anyone knew Runningheart at all, they knew the tom was quite scatterbrained most of the time, and more often than not was seen taking a moment of silence to recollect his thoughts that tended to trip over one another.

Runningheart opened his eyes as his ears registered quite words escaping from Sandgust. Their sweet and soft tone seemed to light a tiny spark amongst the dull night that seemed to settle deep within his aching bones. Despite the tom being considered a younger warrior, he felt a million moons old with the grief that weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He recalled the slight touch of her tail on his shoulder before he had moved away. Surprisingly, it had offered more comfort than the tom thought necessary during a time like this. Since his brother's death, no one had been able to reach through to him, to get past the barbed wires and thorns that encircled his heart. But Sangust... unlike any cat - and quite possibly the only one aside from his brother - seemed to be untangling the sharp mess with each word she spoke.

The WindClan warrior raised his head at her last sentence, blue eyes wide. Their depths, which reflected stars just as Sandgust's did, also twinkled with another emotion - Surprise? Gratefulness? Whatever it was, it seemed to break through the somber expression that had made it's home on the warriors face. He felt something inside him crumble, and for once was glad that Sandgust was one of the most persistant and stubborn she-cat's he'd ever met. It reminded him a little of his brother, and that thought alone produced a tiny smile on his face as he looked at her. He knew that WindClan didn't necessarily welcome her with open arms when he'd come back with her. Some had even criticized him for bringing in a RiverClan warrior as a refugee. But despite all of that, Runningheart still knew deep within his soul that he had done the right thing, whether it followed the warrior code or not.

"I know," the tom said at last, his muscles that had been tense for most of the conversation suddenly relaxing, and just for a bit he felt the weight of all the recent tragedies lift off his shoulders. He moved just a bit closer his pale furred friend, and seemed to search her eyes for something. A few moments passed before he extended his neck to touch his nose to her head, closing his eyes as he let her familiar scent wash away his sadness, if only for a brief moment. "I'm glad you decided to come to WindClan. I know it's not been easy, but it makes me feel at ease knowing that you weren't around for the worst of the battle within RiverClan," he murmured, taking a step back to look at her. Having been consumed in his grief, he'd forgotten about how his friend was adjusting to life in WindClan. A stab of guilt pierced his heart at letting himself get too wrapped up in his own emotions, and he visibly winced a bit as the guilt shown on his face.

( @Raywood here ya go raywood! c: )

[lone]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Tail swishing back and forth behind her, Heathertail nodded softly along with Shrikecall as he spoke. Despite the nature of him being deputy, and holding a high ranking within the Clan, she wasn't thinking about that just now. What her mind did stick on was how he seemed to carry himself. There was an aura of confidence that surrounded him, but that also had a humble lining, so nothing too boastful or distasteful. From the way he talked, he cared deeply about all of his Clanmates, and she knew without even really knowing him that she could depend on him if WindClan was ever in trouble again. He seemed like a strong and sturdy cat, and for some reason the thought of him having that type of personality put a soft smile on her face. She began to imagine what his life must've been like growing up, what got him personality-wise to where he was now... The older molly chuckled silently to herself at her overthinking tendency.

"Me?" she perked up when he'd asked her about her life. The light brown warrior paused for a moment, letting the flood of memories wash over her. "My parents both died quite a few moons ago," she murmured with a sigh, but a smile overtook her face. She had nothing but happy memories surrounding those two warriors. They had raised her up from a little rambunctious scrap of fur the loyal, prideful, yet humble and kind she-cat she was today. "As far as siblings," she continued, chuckling at the thought, "I was the only one in my litter. I don't think my parents could've handled two or three of me." A little louder laugh broke out from her lips and ended with a sigh. At the last part, a sort of sad look overcame Heathertail, and she slowed her pace some. "No, I've always been too focused on the Clan and it's well being I suppose," she murmured, casting a glance down at her paws.

The truth was, Heathertail had fallen in love while she was an apprentice, but it hadn't ended well for her, and though she had moved on, she longed to find that type of connection once more. It ate away at her that she was now getting to the age where it wouldn't be too much longer until she could no longer have a litter. She was getting close to her elder days, which is why she spent most of her free time in the nursery. If she wasn't going to have kits of her own, she would give all of this motherly love she felt on a daily basis to the kits of others. The one thing she still had not accomplished in her long service to WindClan was find that one true love, that tom that made her heart skip a bit, or get her paws all tangled up.

The tom glanced over at Heathertail, wondering what she was like...well, not what she was like, exactly, but how her mind worked. How was she so calm all the time? To be honest, she was making him nervous-- he wasn't sure why, but from the way she carried herself to her soft voice, and her very soft pelt...kind eyes...friendly nature...she was all around the type of cat that Shrikecall would have chosen to be his own deputy. And she was here, with him, now-- not asking for a lot of things as he thought she would, not pretending to be something she wasn't... she was just here. Being herself. And she was being herself around him. Shrikecall was pathetically grateful, though he was careful not to show it. His own stone-cold exterior was rarely cracked, only around his closest friends. And, knowing this she cat not too well and not knowing what her true intentions were yet, he wasn't sure whether he could really trust her or not. Oh, he would trust her in battle-- she seemed like that kind of trustworthy-- but Shrikecall had had his heart broken before, and he didn't want it to happen again. He definitely didn't want it to happen to Heathertail-- she was so sweet and friendly, and he would hate for her heart to be broken. Part of him wondered if someday, he would get to watch her have a family of her own. That would be amazing-- considering he secretly thought she would make a great Mother.
　
But of course, there were always problems. "Well, I hope you get to have a family of your own someday. You really deserve it." He mewed, glancing over at her somewhat worriedly. He wished that he could just give her a family somehow, but he knew that wouldn't happen. And he was worried about the future... for the Clan, not just for Heathertail. And him. Right? They didn't have a future-- as friends, perhaps, but that would be the extent of what would happen between them. Which was a little depressing, since she was the first dedicated warrior he had found. He had always had bad luck with love. Always too dedicated to WindClan, or too busy to 'pay enough attention' to another cat. And now it would just be worse. No, it looked like Shrikecall was destined to be forever alone... something that made him sad and frustrated. He glanced over at the light brown she cat beside him and shot her a smile. "Tell me something else about yourself." He mewed. That was all he wanted-- to know about this female. To get to know her, as a cat.