WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[lone]

Originally Posted by Brooklyn Trees

@Lonestar23

(My last post from before the setback =^^=)

Moonpaw's ears flicked forwards in surprise as he said Fernpaw's name. She didn't want to avoid her friend, but somehow she seemed a lot less friendly at this particular moment. Is that why Couragepaw had been acting a bit shy when she was around earlier. She flinched slightly as he asked that, wondering for a moment if that was the strange feeling that Couragepaw gave her, before her odd defensiveness kicked in.
"Absolutely not! No! You're seriously asking me?" She asked, not entirely sure why she had begun just blabbering like that, denying everything.
"Gross. I mean, I'm only seven moons you know!" She added, and then her eyes widened as she realized that he was also seven moons old.
"N-not that there's anything w-wrong with having a crush when y-you're seven moons old." She squeaked. She hadn't meant to say something to hurt his feelings and now she was afraid that she had. She looked him with wide and slightly frightened eyes as she awaited some kind of reaction or response, wishing she could take it back and bury the words in the hill they sat on at that moment. As she stood there, frightened of what was to come, her mind wandered slightly and she began to try to figure out if 'crush' is what she would call Couragepaw. She already loved him as a brother and best friend, but did she also love him as a crush?

Couragepaw was surprised at his friend's reaction and he recoiled slightly, his eyes flashing in both a surprised and angry manner before he realized it wasn't her fault- she was right, it wasn't right to ask her about it. Especially since it was a fake crush. "Sorry, uh...yeah, you're right, um..." He mewed, confused as to why Moonpaw had been quite so upset about it. "N-no, it's fine, there's nothing wrong with not having one or...um...oh, that came out wrong..." He stammered, feeling his pelt heating up again. This wasn't going very well at all. He was not happy with the way things were going at the moment, and he wished that he could just stop everything. Maybe pause time right here, or rewind it a bit and then stop so that they could stay best friends and not have their friendship torn apart by awkward conversations such as this one. "Sorry, I just thought cause Fernpaw is your friend...you know...you might know her a little better?" He mewed, sounding more questioning. Well, I'm getting lots of answers, He thought sarcastically. The one thing that Couragepaw hated and could not stand was not knowing something. Generally he would try to figure everything out on his own, but because of all the sudden rush of everything, he was left confused and stranded on an island of feelings, so to speak. "I think there's...something you should...know," He mewed slowly, wondering whether he should tell her of his fake crush or not. He wouldn't tell her his strange thoughts and feelings quite yet...not until he could be sure. Because a broken heart was one thing that Couragepaw didn't need. Especially not at the moment, not when he was trying to learn and grow to be a good apprentice. Maybe he just wasn't cut out for these feelings. Maybe he should leave them alone and forget that they existed. But somehow...he knew that that wasn't going to happen.




Pinekit slipped out from behind the nursery, the young tom's ears pricked and listening for any sign of either danger or any other cat that could catch the two of them. Once he was satisfied, he turned back to look for Adderkit. He truly did appreciate her doing this- at least she was beginning to trust him, enough to allow him to take her into the territory. A grin spread across the tom's muzzle as he examined his exiting place- yes, it really was the perfect place for him to sneak out. The best part was that no one suspected it. He began to purr contentedly as he looked at his surroundings. The overall beauty of the territory always captivated him. He was forever amazed by how big the sky looked, and the seemingly endless sea of grasses that waved over it all. He loved the scents of the territory too...but mainly, he loved getting to do something that he knew was against the rules. It made him feel like he was doing something different than the ordinary, mundane life that most kits led. And now he was leading his new...friend into it. Who knows, maybe she would actually enjoy it. "Well? It's pretty out here, isn't it?" He mewed, anxious to know what she thought. Although he may have just been trying to get on her good side, he did know what politeness could do to another cat. It definitely helped to get you there, rather than being rude and acting like you didn't care about their opinion. He swished his tail from side to side as he waited for her reply, turning his green orbs upwards at the sky as he usually did when waiting for something. It was an odd habit; but one that he just couldn't seem to break. And as it literally had no effect on his life or anyone else's, he didn't see what the harm was in one habit anyway. He had worse habits...such as the one that he practiced most, deceit. Although he was beginning to wonder if it was exactly right for him. Maybe there were other things to do besides tricking other cats to get what you wanted. Pinekit looked slightly uncomfortable as he thought of this, and he shifted from paw to paw. It was uncomfortable thinking about everything he had done over the past few moons- and he knew he wouldn't have wanted to be treated that way. He cast a glance over at Adderkit, just to see if she was enjoying herself or not. Although he could read her expression, he could not read her thoughts- one thing that bothered him. He would have loved to know what she was thinking...if she was enjoying the experience, or if she was still uneasy over it being against the rules. Oh well, he would go ahead and prepare his little pep talk that he used whenever someone was against doing something. He began to collect his thoughts, straying away from thoughts of trickery being wrong and whether he was doing the right thing. It wasn't much of a life for him- but it was something to do, something other than play-fighting (which he wasn't very good at) or playing some other strange game that he wouldn't understand.

Pinekit let out a yawn, revealing his ivory white fangs and pale pink tongue, stretching out his small limbs as he realized how rested he was now. And he had quite a bit of built up energy at the moment, realizing that he had had quite enough rest and was now ready for another game or adventure. Maybe we could race again later, he thought with a spark of interest. He hadn't noticed that he had been watching the sky this whole time, he had been so caught up in his thoughts. Once he realized this, he felt slightly embarrassed. It wasn't a normal thing to do...at least, not without an explanation.

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by toothlost!

Marigoldrise was a bit thrown by the severe stutter the tom had, but she showed no sign of it and patiently waited while he tried to get his words out. She felt it would make it worse if she stared at him, so she kept her attention obviously on him but eyed something else. When he finally got all his words out, she looked towards him again and smiled a brilliant smile, leaning forward to put her nose to his for the briefest moments. "Let's share this rabbit, huh?" Without waiting for a reply she bent her head down to grasp the dead creature and turned, returning to her previous spot. It was then she remembered she ahd been rolling around ridiculously, which surely made her pelt severely dirty. Taking a deep breath, she lectured herself a moment before shrugging it off. Reaching the place that was the reason behind her dirtied state, she set the hare down and sat before it, turning to look towards Rookpatch, tilting her head to the side and smiling warmly. "This really was an amazing catch. You have to be super fast to get a rabbit like this. Makes me jealous, I can't run that fast- kind of a shame since that's what WindClan cats are for... But what I lack in speed I make up for in strength, I guess. Kind of reassuring, I guess. Then again, it's not always attractive for a she-cat to be big and strong. Toms always look for the slender, fit ones. Well, I mean, I'm fit, but... It doesn't look it. I'm as big as a kittypet that never skips a meal and sneaks three extra meals. Oh, and I mean, not every tom likes the smaller she-cats. But, it's a stereotype and we can't deny those. They exist for a reason." She paused to take in a much needed breath and was going to continue rambling before she realized what she was doing, and looked over at him with wide eyes. "Oh, I was rambling. Sorry. This usually doesn't happen, sometimes I just get going and I- Ah, uhm... Yeah, sorry. I'll stop talking now. For now at least. Promise.... but don't hold me to that. I try to keep promises but yeah. Oh! I'll stop rambling. Sorry."

{Omg these two are going to be so cute x.x }
To say in the least, the calico tom was incredibly surprised when he opened his eyes to see Marigoldrise just smiling such a beautiful, brilliant smile at him, his heart feeling as if it stopped, his breath catching in his throat, his body freezing solid as she leaned forward and briefly touched her nose to his, his incessant trembling stopping for the briefest of moments when their noses touched. It seemed as if the world stopped as his gaze focused on her. And for a second.. He wasn't paranoid, or scared, or anxious. He was completely at peace looking at the beautiful tabby that was touching noses with him. It was a beautiful moment for Rookpatch, one that he would store away in his brain for the remainder of his life, a memory that would stay with him even when he made his way to Starclan. But a moment like that couldn't last forever, not even Starclan could do that for him, and so time resumed and he blinked, the female drawing her head away and asking a question, leaning her head down to grasp the piece of prey. Wordlessly he drifted after her, not keeping too close, scared that he may come off as creepy or that he'd upset her in some sort of way, but most certainly not keeping too far, no.. This warrior gave off an air of comfort that really he got from no other cat besides his closest of friends, Blazingstorm. But he's known Blazingstorm for a while, he's just met this she-cat. After Marigoldrise settled down, he settled down as well, keeping a small distance between them, unsure if she'd be comfortable with a weird tom such as him anywhere near her, his paws tucking themselves beneath him and his skinny tail curling to his side, his eyes cautiously looking at her before looking at the rabbit and then looking right back at her as she began to speak, a small sheepish smile appearing on his muzzle as she complimented his catch, dipping his head in a bashful manner and glancing away before looking right back at her as she began to ramble on and on and on.. But.. He didn't mind. Normally it would have made him feel bad, made him nervous or some other negative feeling, but no, all he could feel was admiration and a small, vague feeling of.. Happiness. The words tumbled out of her mouth like a lovely flowing river of honey, it was like the most beautiful of bird song for his ears and he didn't want her to stop. He could have listened to her for an eternity and never would have gotten tired of her speaking, of her voice, or her. Cautiously he leaned his head forward to begin plucking fur off of the rabbit, nodding his head slightly, eyes focused on her completely, not glancing away as he did with many other cats, if not all other cats. When she stopped and apologized for her rambling, he immediately shook his head. "N-Nuh-Nuh-Nnoo. No. K-Keeep.. No okay. You're o-okay. Ke-Ke-Keep tuh-tuh-taalking.." There was a pause before he quickly tried to add, "Pl-Pluh-Please?" With that he added a sheepish smile, his paws shifting beneath him.

[The Cannibal]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Couragepaw was surprised at his friend's reaction and he recoiled slightly, his eyes flashing in both a surprised and angry manner before he realized it wasn't her fault- she was right, it wasn't right to ask her about it. Especially since it was a fake crush. "Sorry, uh...yeah, you're right, um..." He mewed, confused as to why Moonpaw had been quite so upset about it. "N-no, it's fine, there's nothing wrong with not having one or...um...oh, that came out wrong..." He stammered, feeling his pelt heating up again. This wasn't going very well at all. He was not happy with the way things were going at the moment, and he wished that he could just stop everything. Maybe pause time right here, or rewind it a bit and then stop so that they could stay best friends and not have their friendship torn apart by awkward conversations such as this one. "Sorry, I just thought cause Fernpaw is your friend...you know...you might know her a little better?" He mewed, sounding more questioning. Well, I'm getting lots of answers, He thought sarcastically. The one thing that Couragepaw hated and could not stand was not knowing something. Generally he would try to figure everything out on his own, but because of all the sudden rush of everything, he was left confused and stranded on an island of feelings, so to speak. "I think there's...something you should...know," He mewed slowly, wondering whether he should tell her of his fake crush or not. He wouldn't tell her his strange thoughts and feelings quite yet...not until he could be sure. Because a broken heart was one thing that Couragepaw didn't need. Especially not at the moment, not when he was trying to learn and grow to be a good apprentice. Maybe he just wasn't cut out for these feelings. Maybe he should leave them alone and forget that they existed. But somehow...he knew that that wasn't going to happen.




Pinekit slipped out from behind the nursery, the young tom's ears pricked and listening for any sign of either danger or any other cat that could catch the two of them. Once he was satisfied, he turned back to look for Adderkit. He truly did appreciate her doing this- at least she was beginning to trust him, enough to allow him to take her into the territory. A grin spread across the tom's muzzle as he examined his exiting place- yes, it really was the perfect place for him to sneak out. The best part was that no one suspected it. He began to purr contentedly as he looked at his surroundings. The overall beauty of the territory always captivated him. He was forever amazed by how big the sky looked, and the seemingly endless sea of grasses that waved over it all. He loved the scents of the territory too...but mainly, he loved getting to do something that he knew was against the rules. It made him feel like he was doing something different than the ordinary, mundane life that most kits led. And now he was leading his new...friend into it. Who knows, maybe she would actually enjoy it. "Well? It's pretty out here, isn't it?" He mewed, anxious to know what she thought. Although he may have just been trying to get on her good side, he did know what politeness could do to another cat. It definitely helped to get you there, rather than being rude and acting like you didn't care about their opinion. He swished his tail from side to side as he waited for her reply, turning his green orbs upwards at the sky as he usually did when waiting for something. It was an odd habit; but one that he just couldn't seem to break. And as it literally had no effect on his life or anyone else's, he didn't see what the harm was in one habit anyway. He had worse habits...such as the one that he practiced most, deceit. Although he was beginning to wonder if it was exactly right for him. Maybe there were other things to do besides tricking other cats to get what you wanted. Pinekit looked slightly uncomfortable as he thought of this, and he shifted from paw to paw. It was uncomfortable thinking about everything he had done over the past few moons- and he knew he wouldn't have wanted to be treated that way. He cast a glance over at Adderkit, just to see if she was enjoying herself or not. Although he could read her expression, he could not read her thoughts- one thing that bothered him. He would have loved to know what she was thinking...if she was enjoying the experience, or if she was still uneasy over it being against the rules. Oh well, he would go ahead and prepare his little pep talk that he used whenever someone was against doing something. He began to collect his thoughts, straying away from thoughts of trickery being wrong and whether he was doing the right thing. It wasn't much of a life for him- but it was something to do, something other than play-fighting (which he wasn't very good at) or playing some other strange game that he wouldn't understand.

Pinekit let out a yawn, revealing his ivory white fangs and pale pink tongue, stretching out his small limbs as he realized how rested he was now. And he had quite a bit of built up energy at the moment, realizing that he had had quite enough rest and was now ready for another game or adventure. Maybe we could race again later, he thought with a spark of interest. He hadn't noticed that he had been watching the sky this whole time, he had been so caught up in his thoughts. Once he realized this, he felt slightly embarrassed. It wasn't a normal thing to do...at least, not without an explanation.

Adderkit was right behind Pinekit, her breathing coming in and out in a rather rapid pace, her heart thundering in her chest as she stared fearfully behind her, her tail tucked uncharacteristically between in her legs, her yellow tabby body trembling with fear, the fear of being caught, of being seen breaking the rules. After seeing that no one was racing after them or shouting at them she seemed to relax slightly though was still visibly tense when she looked back at Pinekit, her lips pursed slightly but her eyes held a determined look in them. Though after a while she let her gaze drift from him and instead to look at her surroundings, her yellow-green eyes widening slightly as she was met with entirely new surroundings. She had stayed in camp her whole life, she got to know the camp like she knew the back of her paw, but this.. This was completely new, completely fresh, completely.. Exciting. It was absolutely beautiful and Adderkit had forced herself to plop her rump onto the ground, her jaw hanging open as she just took in the sheer majesty of the moorland before her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. When Pinekit asked something, she couldn't even tear her gaze away from it, just slowly nodding her head and mumbling out an awestruck, "Yeah..". The beauty of the landscape wiped away her uneasiness and anxiety of breaking the rules, if even for a second, and she truly did seem to be admiring the landscape, her eyes slowly dragging back and forth, admiring every single little detail that she could, the way the grass moved, the heather, the sight of some furry creature dashing through the grass and disappearing into a hole, the way the wind buffeted her unlike how it did in the protected camp, the smells, everything.. It was almost too much to take in at once and yet here she was, soaking it up like a sponge. Adderkit would have to admit, breaking the rules this one time.. It was truly rewarding. It was like getting to see a preview of a movie you've been wanting to watch forever, the first little bit of it, it was amazing. This was arguably better than any of the games she played by herself or with the other kits of the nursery, this was so.. Exhilarating.

Eventually she was able to bring her gaze away from the territory to look back at him, the slightest of smiles on her muzzle as she looked at him, silently thanking him for showing her such a beautiful thing, for encouraging her to face her fear. "So um.. What do we do now Pinekit?" She asked as quietly as possible, still aware that they had the probability of being caught, but her anxiety over that was dwindling and being replaced with utter excitement for being able to explore something new.

[Shorttail]

Shortpaw quickly looked nightingalepaw's way. "Hey there!" she said.

[lost]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

{Omg these two are going to be so cute x.x }
To say in the least, the calico tom was incredibly surprised when he opened his eyes to see Marigoldrise just smiling such a beautiful, brilliant smile at him, his heart feeling as if it stopped, his breath catching in his throat, his body freezing solid as she leaned forward and briefly touched her nose to his, his incessant trembling stopping for the briefest of moments when their noses touched. It seemed as if the world stopped as his gaze focused on her. And for a second.. He wasn't paranoid, or scared, or anxious. He was completely at peace looking at the beautiful tabby that was touching noses with him. It was a beautiful moment for Rookpatch, one that he would store away in his brain for the remainder of his life, a memory that would stay with him even when he made his way to Starclan. But a moment like that couldn't last forever, not even Starclan could do that for him, and so time resumed and he blinked, the female drawing her head away and asking a question, leaning her head down to grasp the piece of prey. Wordlessly he drifted after her, not keeping too close, scared that he may come off as creepy or that he'd upset her in some sort of way, but most certainly not keeping too far, no.. This warrior gave off an air of comfort that really he got from no other cat besides his closest of friends, Blazingstorm. But he's known Blazingstorm for a while, he's just met this she-cat. After Marigoldrise settled down, he settled down as well, keeping a small distance between them, unsure if she'd be comfortable with a weird tom such as him anywhere near her, his paws tucking themselves beneath him and his skinny tail curling to his side, his eyes cautiously looking at her before looking at the rabbit and then looking right back at her as she began to speak, a small sheepish smile appearing on his muzzle as she complimented his catch, dipping his head in a bashful manner and glancing away before looking right back at her as she began to ramble on and on and on.. But.. He didn't mind. Normally it would have made him feel bad, made him nervous or some other negative feeling, but no, all he could feel was admiration and a small, vague feeling of.. Happiness. The words tumbled out of her mouth like a lovely flowing river of honey, it was like the most beautiful of bird song for his ears and he didn't want her to stop. He could have listened to her for an eternity and never would have gotten tired of her speaking, of her voice, or her. Cautiously he leaned his head forward to begin plucking fur off of the rabbit, nodding his head slightly, eyes focused on her completely, not glancing away as he did with many other cats, if not all other cats. When she stopped and apologized for her rambling, he immediately shook his head. "N-Nuh-Nuh-Nnoo. No. K-Keeep.. No okay. You're o-okay. Ke-Ke-Keep tuh-tuh-taalking.." There was a pause before he quickly tried to add, "Pl-Pluh-Please?" With that he added a sheepish smile, his paws shifting beneath him.

Surprise washed over her as this tom seemed to enjoy her rambling. Most cats hated it, and that was why she had turned into the usual 'silently watching' type of cat, who only really went on and on with those she was comfortable with... Wait, I don't know this tom at all and he makes me so comfortable... That's never happened. This realization hit her hard and she was silent a moment before she smiled again at the tom, watching him start on the rabbit. "Oh, well... What is there to talk about? Oh! How about our favorites? My favorite color is green, and not like a bright or forest green, but pale... like your eyes..." She drew off, staring into his eyes for a moment. "Their beautiful." she had muttered under her breath, unaware the words were spoken, before continuing. "My favorite prey is mouse, but we don't get them often here. My favorite animal is badger, even though they could easily kill me... Let's see... Oh! My favorite landmark is probably that one boulder not far from camp. It's amazing to just stand on top of it. You can see the whole world!" Theboulder seemed to really brighten her up, bringing a wide smile and happy eyes as she looked over at Rookpatch. "I'd be interesting in learning your favorites, Rookpatch. But you don't have to tell me. I can figure them out, I'm very observant. Wait! Unless you want to tell me, then you can. I don't mind. You have a lovely voice, and I always want to know what you are going to say." She paused a moment, as if giving him a chance to speak but then she decided that there was more to say. "My favorite lounging place is here, this is sacred Marigoldrise ground that we are resting on, now. And, also, my favorite clan is ThunderClan, as I've always felt more like a ThunderClan cat, but I would never trade my WindClan life to be in another clan. I was born and raised her, so no matter how I'm built I belong in WindClan. Besides, if I weren't here, I'd never get to meet you... or Driftstream, or anyone else!" SHe was going to cut off at 'meet you' but realized that might be weird and quickly added on. Now she decided to fall silent and gaze upon the tom, tilting her head to the side and waiting patiently.

[Starfall]

(Open for anyone)
Dovecloud padded out of the Warriors den and stretched, her silver fur slightly glimmered in the sun as she clawed at the ground. Feeling satisfied the she cat began to pad to the fresh kill pile and picked up a medium sized mouse, clamping it tightly between her jaws. Looking around her forest green eyes scanned the camp clearing, looking for a nice spot to lay down and enjoy her meal. After a few seconds she spotted one, a nice grassy spot shaded by the apprentices den. The silver warrior flicked her tail and made her way to her designated area, after finally reaching the perfect spot she layed down and bit into the belly of the mouse, purring at the tastiness.

[Brooklyn Trees]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Couragepaw was surprised at his friend's reaction and he recoiled slightly, his eyes flashing in both a surprised and angry manner before he realized it wasn't her fault- she was right, it wasn't right to ask her about it. Especially since it was a fake crush. "Sorry, uh...yeah, you're right, um..." He mewed, confused as to why Moonpaw had been quite so upset about it. "N-no, it's fine, there's nothing wrong with not having one or...um...oh, that came out wrong..." He stammered, feeling his pelt heating up again. This wasn't going very well at all. He was not happy with the way things were going at the moment, and he wished that he could just stop everything. Maybe pause time right here, or rewind it a bit and then stop so that they could stay best friends and not have their friendship torn apart by awkward conversations such as this one. "Sorry, I just thought cause Fernpaw is your friend...you know...you might know her a little better?" He mewed, sounding more questioning. Well, I'm getting lots of answers, He thought sarcastically. The one thing that Couragepaw hated and could not stand was not knowing something. Generally he would try to figure everything out on his own, but because of all the sudden rush of everything, he was left confused and stranded on an island of feelings, so to speak. "I think there's...something you should...know," He mewed slowly, wondering whether he should tell her of his fake crush or not. He wouldn't tell her his strange thoughts and feelings quite yet...not until he could be sure. Because a broken heart was one thing that Couragepaw didn't need. Especially not at the moment, not when he was trying to learn and grow to be a good apprentice. Maybe he just wasn't cut out for these feelings. Maybe he should leave them alone and forget that they existed. But somehow...he knew that that wasn't going to happen.

Moonpaw flinched at the slight anger she saw temporarily in his eyes and took a tentative step backwards, just wanting to run away from all of this and this life and to forget about everything. For the first time in her life she found herself wishing that she was not part of the clans and that she had not been born to Windclan. It would be very simple to be a loner, she wouldn't have to be afraid of the unusual things that she was feeling or even, unfortunately right now, somewhat apprehensive of her best friend and somewhat angry at her other friend. Once she caught the reality of what she was wishing she immediately regretted it. She would never want to leave the clans! She took another small step away from him before realizing that Couragepaw was speaking again and she wondered if she had missed much of what he was saying. The cream colored she-cat felt herself becoming angry again at the thought of her friend as he spoke her name again and felt her ears turn backwards, tempted to fall against her head but not yet actually doing so. Moonpaw opened her mouth to begin to talk about Fernpaw, not entirely sure what to actually say or if she should speak wrongly of the other she-cat, but before she could actually begin speaking Couragepaw had begun to speak again.
The way that he spoke surprised her and the thought of Fernpaw was driven from her mind immediately. Something that she should know? She found herself at a full mental stop, blank-minded and just staring at the tom before she slowly blinked, trying to regain her previous thoughts and took a half-step towards him. She stopped herself from speaking, afraid that he would change his mind if she spoke aloud or gave some kind of response to it, as he didn't sound entirely certain of what he was saying. She was afraid that he would take it back.

[doghouse]

Wildpath bounded into the clearing, moving carefully to keep from numbing into anyone. If I thought being an apprentice was hard, being a warrior is just as hard, if not more so. She thought, flicking her tail in amusement. The molly turned her face up, feeling the warmth of the sun in her fur. She scented the air, smelling fresh-kill. With a happy shake of her head, Wildpath followed the scent and nosed through the fresh-kill pile, searching for the warm scent of moorhen. Moorhen was her favorite, even if she'd never been able to catch one. The brown tabby found one and bit in, feeling the warm taste fill her mouth as she dragged it away to a shaded spot. A soft purr erupted from her chest as she sat down and took a bite. The molly was rather tired from hunting all morning, and without luck. She'd almost caught a rabbit, but it'd slipped from her grasp. That'd not been her best hunt, but it wasn't unusual. She sighed contentedly, listening to her surroundings, enjoying the constant chatter if her Clan mates.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

Adderkit was right behind Pinekit, her breathing coming in and out in a rather rapid pace, her heart thundering in her chest as she stared fearfully behind her, her tail tucked uncharacteristically between in her legs, her yellow tabby body trembling with fear, the fear of being caught, of being seen breaking the rules. After seeing that no one was racing after them or shouting at them she seemed to relax slightly though was still visibly tense when she looked back at Pinekit, her lips pursed slightly but her eyes held a determined look in them. Though after a while she let her gaze drift from him and instead to look at her surroundings, her yellow-green eyes widening slightly as she was met with entirely new surroundings. She had stayed in camp her whole life, she got to know the camp like she knew the back of her paw, but this.. This was completely new, completely fresh, completely.. Exciting. It was absolutely beautiful and Adderkit had forced herself to plop her rump onto the ground, her jaw hanging open as she just took in the sheer majesty of the moorland before her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. When Pinekit asked something, she couldn't even tear her gaze away from it, just slowly nodding her head and mumbling out an awestruck, "Yeah..". The beauty of the landscape wiped away her uneasiness and anxiety of breaking the rules, if even for a second, and she truly did seem to be admiring the landscape, her eyes slowly dragging back and forth, admiring every single little detail that she could, the way the grass moved, the heather, the sight of some furry creature dashing through the grass and disappearing into a hole, the way the wind buffeted her unlike how it did in the protected camp, the smells, everything.. It was almost too much to take in at once and yet here she was, soaking it up like a sponge. Adderkit would have to admit, breaking the rules this one time.. It was truly rewarding. It was like getting to see a preview of a movie you've been wanting to watch forever, the first little bit of it, it was amazing. This was arguably better than any of the games she played by herself or with the other kits of the nursery, this was so.. Exhilarating.

Eventually she was able to bring her gaze away from the territory to look back at him, the slightest of smiles on her muzzle as she looked at him, silently thanking him for showing her such a beautiful thing, for encouraging her to face her fear. "So um.. What do we do now Pinekit?" She asked as quietly as possible, still aware that they had the probability of being caught, but her anxiety over that was dwindling and being replaced with utter excitement for being able to explore something new.

Pinekit grinned at seeing how amazed Adderkit was by the territory. In a way, it reminded him of the first time he had snuck out...only he hadn't been quite as tense. She definitely needed to loosen up a lot more, otherwise she was going to go through life always being afraid of getting caught. Pinekit looked at her for a moment, as though examining her as if to prepare her for something. He looked slightly surprised at her question, though he had been expecting it to come at some point...and hearing his name coming from her felt even more surprising. He knew that friends called each other by their names of course, but it was as though he hadn't been expecting her to say anything. "Well, um...we could race, or explore, whatever sounds good to you," Pinekit shrugged in a casual manner. He had done it all before; he loved doing anything so long as he wasn't stuck in camp looking at the same surroundings day after day. And pretty soon I won't have to sneak out...I'll be able to go out on my own, Pinekit thought with a smirk. He waited for Adderkit's reply, wanting to know what she wished to do...after all, one of the best ways to gain trust and respect was to respect your companion's wishes. That is the right thing to do, right? I am doing the right thing here...aren't I? He thought. He was going back to doubting his way of life, and wondering if perhaps there wasn't a better way to get what you wanted. There must be one, but he just didn't know any better- any other way, at all. The young tom sighed, looking at the flowers dotting the landscape. He hadn't really thought about them before...honestly, they had always just kind of been there ever since he had been sneaking out. I wonder what the territory would look like without them, he thought suddenly. This sudden interest came as a surprise to him, especially since he wasn't used to appreciating things- well, really appreciating them, as in taking interest and really thinking about what life would be like without them. Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of things that his life would be much different without. Maybe I just don't appreciate things often enough, Pinekit thought with a slight twinge of guilt. He wasn't completely heartless- the guilt and strange questions that he sometimes got showed him that. He had learned to ignore them over the few moons he had been alive, but he hadn't yet taught himself to completely block them out. Once I do that, I can be free of all of these thoughts to do whatever I wish...so long as I don't get caught, that is, he thought, smirking again. He began to head in one direction before remembering that he had a companion, and he stopped and turned back in the direction of Adderkit.

"It's more fun than you thought, isn't it? Sneaking out, I mean," He purred. He was getting more into playing his part now, and he was even beginning to enjoy it. Sometimes it was annoying to have to be friendly or nice to other cats, but Adderkit had made it considerably easier. She's not the worst, I'll give her that much, He thought grudgingly. It was harder for him to think nicely about cats than it was to say nice things about them.

[Nightingale]

"Hello" Nightingale paw said softly giving Short paw her full attention changing her posture to face Short paw fully.