WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[spade]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

Winterwisp watched Moonpaw as she started to run, her usual scowl settled on her face. She made mental notes of her apprentice's actions. In just a minute or two, Moonpaw was back. Winterwisp looked down at her apprentice with a cold stare, not saying anything for a few moments. "Not bad. Certainly not the best, but that'll do for now", Winterwisp remarked in a monotone voice. As of now, this was the closest Moonpaw was going to get for approval. She paused for a moment, as if letting Moonpaw celebrate on the very slight praise she had given, only to wreck any happy feelings by saying, "But you really need to work on it still. I mean, just look at you", motioning to her heaving sides.

Looking around, Winterwisp quickly got another idea. "See those rocks over there?", She asked, the question being more of a retorical one as she use her tail to point at some large rocks scattered around the training moor, each rock being quite close to each other. "Run through them from one side to the other without smashing into a single rock. Go as fast as you can, but focus on your turning technique", she said, before looking down expectantly with an expression that said, 'Well hurry up now'.

Moonpaw felt as though her lungs were on the edge of exploding as she looked up at Winterwisp. The feeling of needing to please her mentor - and prove to herself that she wasn't just good for staying in the herb den sorting - overwhelmed her body and pushed the feeling of being tired back down. She rose to her paws and stared determinedly at the rocks that were before her. She observed the space in between each, no doubt having a few concerns, but she voiced none of them as she nodded and padded over to them at a brisk pace, slowing as she came up to the start. The white and black she-cat let a few deep breaths flow through her, as if to slow her heartbeat back down, and she readied herself, muscles flexing beneath her pelt.

In a flash, she shot forward, quickly diving to one side to avoid the face of the first rock. Skidding just a hare, Moonpaw jerked her body the other way and narrowly avoided the second. Okay! she thought, a small grin appearing as she dashed towards the next rock. This time, she felt her fur brush up against it, just slightly, and the grin began to slowly disappear from her maw. She jolted quickly the other way and skidded on her paws just a bit, and as she came to round the next rock didn't give herself enough room in between. "Ow!" she yelped as she felt a jab in her side, momentarily knocking her off balance. With her attention distracted, Moonpaw barely noticed the next rock until she turned her head around. A sharp cry came from her as she raced head-first into the large boulder, being ungracefully knocked back onto her haunches. She landed with a loud 'oomf!' escaping her lips and blinked, staring up at the sky above her feeling a bit, well, dazed.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by starfall

[And a beautiful hatred was born lmao]
The orange molly dropped her smile the moment the words came spilling out of Winterwhisp's maw, anger boiled within her soul and she had to resist the urge to slash the other warrior in the face, but she simply smiled once more, her honey hues danced with menace and hatred, she hadn't even known the cat for more that two seconds and she already hated her "If I were you I'd watch your tongue, don't blame me if it gets you in trouble." she warned, nothing but kindness was evident in her voice, it masked the hatred and anger she felt towards the other, but she would never let that show, if anything, her father taught her how to keep a level head in situations that angered her. Emebrdust flicked her ear and turned her gaze away from her clanmate for a few moments, her fur ruffled as an icy wind blew past, but she didn't notice it, a new plan began to form in her mind 'She is not at all who I thought she was...my guess on her personality was way off...but she seems strong and she may possibly be saying those things about Blazingstar because she likes him....worth a shot, experiment one begin.' she pushed her thoughts aside and looked back at the molly, no emotions were evident, nothing to give away her plans. She smiled sweetly "hmm well you seem to greatly detest the fact that you have a slight crush on the tom, the fact that you get...oh...how do I put this simply....'flustered' whenever someone brings him up is quite amusing." she purred, her tail tip flicking back and fourth with anticipation as she waited for Winterwhisp to take her bate.
The orange molly cocked her head to the side upon her question, slightly annoyed with the fact that the other warrior didn't have faith in her brother's strength and ability to lead "Well he did a better job that you, he's the one up there instead of you so if you're whining about how bad Blazingstar's attributes are, maybe you should check yours." she put simply, she wasn't being snarky or rude, it was just a fact, truth, she didn't know that it may be taken as either rude, or as a teasing statement, but all in all, she didn't really care. She let out a yawn and rested her head on her paws, her amber hues danced with curiosity and exhaustion, all she wanted to do was go to sleep, of course after she went to go see Surgestorm, upon her brothers orders.

[XD. Let hatred blossom between them]
Winterwisp glared at Emberdust as she spoke. What a fake, the warrior thought as she saw the kindness in Emberdust's eyes. The she-cat didn't know whether the kindness was genuine or actually fake, that didn't matter much to her though. Just the look on her face made her blood boil with anger. Pure hatred dominated her eyes. Like the fellow clanmate in front of her, Winterwisp hadn't know her for very long and she was already determined to hate her as much as she hated Blazingstar and Galespring. It appeared that Emberdust and her had mutual feelings towards each other. Not nice one's though, hate filled ones. "Why would I bother? Blazingstar has already punished me for yelling at him. He gave me a stupid apprentice to train", Winterwisp snarled. What Emberdust said next thought made Winterwisp do something she hadn't done in a long time. She laughed.

It wasn't a normal laugh. It sounded dark. Almost maniacal. "You really are....as stupid as....you look", Winterwisp remarked through laughs. The black and white she-cat felt her stomach start to hurt from all her laughing. She wasn't used to it. She hadn't laughed for many moons. She had no reason to. This she-cat cat is just....hilarious, Winterwisp thought, a crazy looking smile on her face. It wasn't a smile of happiness. It was a smile of insanity.

Winterwisp rolled her eyes. Emberdust was getting more amusing by the minute. "Why would I want to lead a bunch of stupid cats in the first case? Everyone hates me. They certainly made sure that I got the message as a kit", Winterwisp sneered, although muttering the last bit to herself. What Winterwisp said was true. She had absolutely no interest in being leader. She wasn't born with ambition for power. No, she would leave that to the idiots that really did want to lead. What's the fun in leading? It's all so stupid. You can't do anything without being watched and judged. It's all just too much attention, Winterwisp thought. She hated attention. There were a few rare occasions where she would enjoy being in the spotlight, although for the majority of her life, she would prefer to stay unnoticed.

[meraki]

@Lilly
(feel free to reply to this at a later time; i totally get it if you've got writer's block! ^^)

Paws and toes aching, Featherkit padded into the large clearing, exhausted from the adventure she'd been on earlier when searching for herbs with Surgestorm. The trip had been successful, but it had been a rather long one; longer than any adventure the kit had been on before. But it was worth it; they'd brought back enough herbs to last a few moons, and she was grateful for that. She wondered if Surge was pleased with her. Featherkit didn't like to think that she was a mere annoyance, because she genuinely thought that they were friends. She hoped he thought that too.
She wasn't a fan of playing with younger cats; the majority was too dim-witted and dull. No, she preferred older cats, ones that she could have serious conversations with and not have to explain every word. While she may have only been a kit, her vocabulary was at a much higher level. She constantly picked up words from around the camp and listened to the conversations to find their definition. Unfortunately for her, this didn't always work and while she got the new word, the definition was incorrect and she'd use it in places where it shouldn't have been.
Featherkit called this activity "Word Hunting." She used it so she'd be more interesting to talk to, so that the older cats she spoke with wouldn't bore and send her away. This tactic almost always worked, and she was able to have long, mature conversations without having to think of things before speaking. Maybe this was a little odd for a kit; no, not a little odd. Very odd. She knew she stuck out from the rest of the kits, and while it wasn't always the best, she found it to be to her advantage.
While she was word-hunting, her siblings would be play-fighting. Featherkit had a word to describe everything. And right now, the main thing she felt was fatigue. While word games were fun and good, and her small vocabulary exercises helped, there was nothing to cure her small case of insomnia.
Ever since she was born, she had the toughest time getting to sleep, but was woken up by anything. Not to mention the accompanied nightmares, sleep was more of a burden than anything for her. She had an overworking mind, really, and would recite the new words she learned that day in her head to help herself get to sleep.
But unfortunately, this would only lead to her thinking of words she learned the day before, and so on. So this small tactic was one that did not work. So, while most kits were chasing leaves and such, Featherkit was searching for ways to expand her vocabulary, or trying to find ways to aid her in her sleep issue.
It was sunny out, and Featherkit liked the sun. It made her warm and helped plants grow and prey come back. This was her first leaf-bare, and while she thought the snow was quite pretty, she was not a fan of the bitter cold. While there was a bit of snow left in the clearing, the sun still shone on the fluffy white kit's back, warming her up a bit until a small winter breeze chilled her.
She sighed and sat down in a patch of dry grass and simply hung out there a bit. From her spot in the grasses, she was able to watch the other members of her clan go about their daily business.
Some kits she knew of but wasn't friends with romped around, chasing after a leaf that was brown and dead but light enough for the wind to carry. They didn't ask her to join in. No one ever did. Not that Featherkit much wanted to join in, anyway. Chasing after a leaf was kit-like and childish, and she wouldn't ruin her reputation as being mature just to chase after some dumb dead leaf.
But it wasn't normal for Featherkit to be in such a mood as she was now. Normally she was quite bright and cheery, but she didn't look too happy now. Mainly it was because her lack of sleep, which would dull anyone down, no matter how joyous.

[goddess of ducks]

Originally Posted by ChameweonRainbow

@Nighty
Horizonkit hadn't remembered falling asleep. Or anything that had happened before she fell asleep. She stretched her little form out and yawned instinctively before curling back into a cuddling fluffy ball. She drowsily lifted her head. Or at least tried to. She felt so unbelievably weak. But warm and calm at the same time so she forgot all about the idea of moving. She heard and felt the steady thumping of her mother's heart and her strong breaths at she was curled up against her mother's warm belly. She softly inhaled her mother's comforting scent and relished in the aura of warmth and love that enveloped her.
As she was basking in the warmth and safety of her mother's embrace she thought about what she was doing asleep in the first place and why didn't she have nightmares that time? Then it seemed like a fog had lifted from her mind and the memories came flooding back to her. Tears welled in her eyes and her heart clenched painfully at the memory of her yelling at her mother and also lying to Quicksteam. She shuddered as guilt crashed down upon her. "Oh mommy how could I ever be loved by you again after what I said and did?" she whispered hoarsely; her voice getting caught in her throat as a remorseful whine threatened to come out of her quivering lip. And Quicksteam, how would she ever forgive or trust her again after she lied and broke down right in front of her kits. Horizonkit let out a small, dejected, choking sob and instinctively mewled for comfort and somberly her fur lay flat and her ears and tail lay limp and dismal. She was so very tired and so very sorry. She wished that she could take back what she said and did. She prayed to Starclan that her mother and Quicksteam would forgive her and that maybe just maybe she could be happy again with her family.

Gorseflower too had fallen into sleep. Her breaths had steadied and her purrs had slowly faded to a stop. The movement and voice of her daughter jolted her awake again. It took the feline a moment to process what Horizonkit was saying, as her mind and eyes were still groggy from sleep. As soon as she could fully process what her daughter was saying, her purrs erupted again. "Horizonkit, I will always-- Always always always-- love you. I told you that. I know why you said what you said, and most of why you did what you did. I understand. You are scared. And you know what? It's okay to be scared sometimes. Fear can make cats do crazy things. But it doesn't matter, because fear isn't a bad thing. Fear wakes you up, not shut you down. It only shows that you have something left to loose. I forgive you, if that's what you want to hear. But you should know, I forgave you the moment you first did something wrong." She purred lovingly as she curled her fluffy tail around her daughter.

[monfang]

Originally Posted by Lilly

Moonpaw grinned as her uncle reminded her that he understood more than met the eye of the position she was. On one paw, she wanted to help her uncle as much as she could, and learn everything she could from him. But on the other, running free across the moor, and one day maybe running into battle... the thought of claws and teeth somewhat still frightened the young apprentice, but with her training she was sure to be prepared well. "Well, I'll still sneak in every once in awhile," she promised, nodding her head as she spoke. Keeping her uncles gaze, she shrugged with a innocent looking smile on her face. "Besides, Winterwisp will be glad to be rid of me, I'm sure." She laughed at the last part, knowing that neither Surgestorm nor Leopardpaw would truly understand how true it was.

At the change of topics, Moonpaw's ears perked up, a flash of excitement sweeping across her soft face. Yes! she thought, the adrenaline already pumping through her veins at the thought of running wild and free by her uncle's side. "Maybe we could even drag Swiftflight out too! He needs to stay in shape," she purred, a smile coming over her delicate features as she thought of her father, who was probably lounging around or eating somewhere. Rarely had all three of them hung out, not since the first few times her dad had taken her to see Surgestorm when she was just a small kitten. She missed it, and made a note in her head to make it happen before her warrior apprentice duties ate up too much of her time.

The young apprentice looked over, watching her uncle as he finished examining Leopardpaw's healing break. "I'm glad it wasn't anything worse than a break," she mewed, looking up to smile at her friend. Her heart had raced with fear when she'd first spotted Leopardpaw come in, and was glad she hadn't been alone sorting herbs and that Surgestorm had been able to help her. As her uncle stated that no more dares were to be completed, Moonpaw nodded eagerly, holding her friends gaze. "Yeah, and if I so much as catch you glancing at it, well... bad things will happen," she ended, before grinning. It was hard for Moonpaw to be mean or daunting, even when everyone there knew it was teasing. The she-cat just chuckled at herself before glancing around.

A shock was sent down her spine as Moonpaw picked up her friends next words. Me? Surgestorm's apprentice? That's ridiculous! "Oh! Heh, I think there are much better cats suited for the job. I can get flustered sometimes with too much on my paws," she began, her ears heating up as she looked back and forth between Leopardpaw and Surgestorm. "Besides," she continued, dropping her gaze to her paws as she drew circles in the dirt beneath her, "I already started my warrior training." A small shrug came from her shoulders as she glanced up, offering a sheepish grin to both of her companions. A realization lit up her gaze and she cast a glanced towards her uncle, a smile on her face. "Plus, you're way too young to take on an apprentice anyhow. You still have lots of moons left as WindClan's medicine cat," she told him, and there was some unknown tone underlying her voice. Of course she wasn't a mouse-brain; she knew that eventually, one day, her uncle and father would no longer be here with her. But that thought made her heart ache more than the worse injury she could imagine, and since Moonpaw had never really been good at concealing her emotions, every thought that crossed through her brain shone clearly in her eyes as she stared at her uncle.

Giving her fur a shake, Moonpaw stood up and looked at the herbs, waving her tail as if to dismiss the subject all together. "But let's focus! We've got a stack of herbs and empty shelves. Leopardpaw, you wanna start on those over there and I'll tackle these ones? And Surgestorm, maybe you could use that handy tail of yours and do some sweeping?" she began, looking around and smiling. She normally wasn't the one to take charge like that, but she desperately had wanted the conversation off the topic of Surgestorm's apprentice. Was she going to deny that her heart's one true desire was to immerse herself in the world of herbs? Of course not. But there was no way she was going to share that, at least not yet. She wanted to give warrior training a try before she completely dismissed it from her future.

(...you guys gave me a lot to work with I'm sorry ;w; )

"Don't be silly! You'd be the best ever!" she meowed, pawing Moon's nose. "Wait, Surge, do you have anyone in mind? Like, maybe you could pick my sibling Spiderkit, or take on Yewpaw or Juniperkit! There are so many people you could pick!" she meowed. Except me, of course... she thought. She truly believed he'd give her right back up if he took her on, and to top it off her mentor now barely can even handle her let alone Surgestorm, and the tom had already done so much for her she couldnt bother him on a daily. Although she would love to live in the den, the smell of herbs and spices and seeds. It was hert wonderland. Everything was just curiouser and curiouser. But this curious molly was also a mischievous and cunning troublemakwer, and she could get Surge in trouble with her stupid stunts.

Although she found herself unable, she knew in her heart Moonpaw could do it. She's been in the den since she was a kit! She knew the herbs by heart and could recite them to the whole clan, plus she was obviously a quick learner! But so was Leopard, and she was also tough and stubborn, and she could use her cunning ways to her advantage, however she doesn't know how yet. She couldn't, wouldn't dare ask, since that is against the rules of the clan.

On that thought she turned to Surgestorm and gave a smile. "You'll know who to pick I'm sure, but make sure you make the right choice. Wouldn't want a troublemaker like me as your apprentice. Pick Moon or someone like her!" She purred and licked Moonpaw's head kindly.

{On mobile, not bolding quotes sorry}

[lone]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

A small exchange of words transpired shortly after the new apprentices had been announced and yet they seemed to capture the attention of many of the cats gathered, Rookpatch's pale green eyes widening and his ears flattening as he heard the cruel words that slipped from Rainpaw's mouth, the calico tom's jaw trembling a bit as those few words sparked a memory in his mind.

He was a new apprentice, it was his first night in the new den, away from his mother for the first time ever in his life and there he was, cornered by a bunch of the older apprentices who prodded and poked and spit at him, hurtling insults about his size, how scrawny he was, how the wind could topple him over, that he couldn't even speak properly and how he could never be a good warrior if he couldn't even say a simple sentence without stuttering or tripping over his words. Berating him until he eventually cried and cried and cried and passed out from utter exhaustion. The next night it happened again. And the next night. And the next night. And there was a time the same group of apprentices had forced him into a rabbit hole that he could barely fit into, could barely breath, and wouldn't let him out. He had passed out after hyperventilating, to find that it was night and he had to find his way back to camp.
His eyes blinked and he realized he was trembling so heavily his teeth were chattering and his breath was coming in labored gasps, his claws sunk into the dirt, trembling along with his rigid, shaking body. He came around just to hear Heartpaw's response and looked at her for a moment. There had been no cat like that for him when he was an apprentice. He was alone. There was no one to stand up for him. So he.. He couldn't help but feel a bleak sense of happiness and pride that Heartpaw had the nerve to do that.
Rookpatch didn't have much time to conceal his trembling and was still doing so when Heartpaw finally turned her attention back to him to touch noses and mention that it was nice to meet him.
"T-T-T-T-Thuh-Th-Thuh-huh-hat-at-at-T-T-That wuh-wh-wh-was a-hay-a nuh-hice thuh-thuh-huh-hing-thing t-t-to d-d-do... {That was a nice thing to do...}" He managed out as slowly as he could, knowing that if he went slower, it was easier to get the words out, smiling sheepishly and hesitantly at his apprentice before clenching his jaws shut and looking away in guilt.
She has more courage than me. How will I ever be able to mentor her?

"Pinepaw, you actually get to sleep in the apprentice's den tonight! You know what that means? We're going to stay up late, right up until we have to get up to train the next day! I have so many things to tell you, and I can show you around the den, and show you my nest and everything!" The excited tabby practically panted out, her eyes almost seeming to grow more wild by the second as her body attempted to contain the insane amount of excitement that was rushing through her currently. The day they thought would never come was finally here.. They were finally both apprentices.
Wow.. That.. That means we're really starting to grow up aren't we? I remember when we first met.. I ran into him and he was so rude and I set him in his place. She giggled in her mind and her smile seemed to grow wider for a second. But really, look at us now.. When he first spoke about how he was just using me.. I thought it would end there. Maybe it was a good idea to give him a second chance... He's.. He's my best friend now.. Purring out, she excitedly nuzzle his shoulder and cuffed at his ears.

"Are you ready for your first day of training tomorrow? Maybe I can join!"

Heartpaw looked worriedly at the older tom as his stance became rigid. He must be remembering something...but what was it triggered by? Rainpaw's words or my response? The young she cat thought as the tip of her tail twitched back and forth anxiously. She wasn't quite sure what the tom was thinking of, but she was hoping it hadn't been anything she had said. Surely he had a family by now and she would have hated for her words to give the warrior a nervous breakdown. She smiled at him again, more uncertainly this time, her blue hues searching him to see if she could figure out what had happened. Though his next words brought her a sense of comfort- from what she could gather of them. She jerked back a little in surprise, her eyes widening at the severe stammering of the tom, but she soon was able to pull herself together and take a breath. It wasn't his fault. Right? Some cats were just...born like that, she supposed. They couldn't help it if they weren't able to speak as well as others. And he seemed like a decent cat. A nice one, even. It'll be alright. We'll be good friends! She thought positively. That was Heartpaw's way- finding the best in everything and changing it so that it was even voiced better. She was still uncertain if her thoughts would be true, though.
As soon as she was finished figuring out what he had said- or as close to it as she could manage- she smiled again. "Thanks. Sorry you had to hear all that, though... kind of an awkward situation for everyone." She mewed, lowering her head in slight embarrassment. The fact that she had stood up for the other new apprentice wasn't embarrassing- but the fact that she wasn't sure how many cats knew how close she and Rainpaw had been- no, were. We're still friends. He just needs to learn he can't do things like that. She thought defensively, her fur bristling slightly at the thought of Rainpaw shunning her from now on. That wouldn't surprise her at all. She just hoped that the young tom would continue to surprise her, and not do the usual thing that most others would. She wasn't sure what to think of him at this moment. Was he a good cat? A bad cat? She glanced at Rookpatch once more, cocking her head to the side and giving him one last uncertain smile. "I'm glad you're my mentor. You seem really nice." She mewed, flicking the tip of her tail. Anything to make this better, she thought, glancing around uncertainly. He did seem like a nice cat. And Heartpaw was glad that she had gotten a nice cat for her mentor. Hopefully things were going to turn out okay.

Pinepaw's ears flicked forwards as he tried to keep up with Adderpaw's quick speech. He was so excited it was hard to focus, but he managed to do so. "Oh my gosh, I forgot all about that! We'll get to do that every night now, at least for a while!" The tom mewed with an excited grin. He had forgotten that tonight would be his first night in the apprentices' den. How could he have forgotten about that? Looks like the excitement is getting to my head now, he thought with a rueful smile, although his tail was still twitching happily even though his thoughts had turned to a less excited subject. He half expected to be able to fly, he was so happy. I wonder what would happen if I could fly. I'd be able to catch birds a lot easier. I could swoop down on my enemies. That'd be pretty cool, Pinepaw thought, chuckling as he imagined himself flying through the air, descending on his enemies and clawing them to pieces. It was more of a gruesome thought then anything else, but the idea just seemed so humorous to the younger cat. He ducked, trying to avoid her paw cuffing him, but she did so anyways. The apprentice's hues narrowed playfully and he nudged her back, laughing as he did so. This. This was what Pinepaw had wanted when he was younger, this was the fantasy that he had imagined over and over, playing it in his head until he had thought it would never happen. A friend. A real friend, not someone to take advantage of, someone to count on, and someone that could count on him. "I was ready moons ago!" He joked, and then his expression became more serious. "I hope you can come. That'd be the only thing that could make tomorrow even better." He mewed with a grin. It was the truth. Pinepaw's voice had changed slightly- it wasn't quite as rough as it had been before, but it wasn't the smooth purr. It was a sort of in between state that had a rougher and softer edge to it, making it sound...unusual, but not as hard and tough as before. Unsure, perhaps. It seemed to reflect his personality now, which Pinepaw- well, he wasn't really sure about.

[lone]

@fenic!

Aspenkit sat in the clearing, the grey and black tom's hues scanning the clearing as they always did- observing. Whether he knew it or not, Aspenkit's mind was constantly racing, thinking of others all the time. The tom curled his tail more tightly around himself as though it were a protective barrier. And perhaps to him, it was. Aspenkit seemed to use everything around him as protection...whether it was for himself or someone else. The young tom's mind turned to thoughts of his upcoming apprenticeship- at least, he hoped it would be soon. I wonder who my mentor will be. Will they like me? Will we be friends? Hey, I wonder if they'll care about me...no, I wonder more if they're going to be able to train me so that I'll be a good warrior. I wonder which side they would have been on- Singenight's or StarClan's? Aspenkit thought. Unknown to himself, his hues were still searching the Clearing, still observing, although those thoughts were tucked away further back in his mind, thinking more along the lines of what their positions were, whether they looked hostile or friendly, lonely, and things like that. He seemed to be almost unaware of their movements and after a while, he stopped looking around, his hues focused dead ahead though they appeared to not be looking at anything in particular. Just ahead, staring at the edge of the Camp, as though he were thinking of getting up and just going.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Cloudy

Canineheart let the incredible feeling of the grin stay across her maw. The Tom's presense was uplifting and made the she-cat almost forget about her worries. Almost. Obsidiansky's sudden question made the grin melt from her features; it made her think for a moment on what StarClan had given her, which, a moment before, seemed like nothing. "Perhaps my friends," Canineheart mewed in a hoarse voice, as though it hurt her to admit it, "they just wanted me to be happy, I guess..."

Canineheart let her emerald gaze fall on to Obsidiansky, her teeth gritting as her mind raced, "And perhaps you... As a friend I mean, you have helped me see my friends in a new light, when I-I perhaps didn't see them in one at all. Canineheart let out a long sigh, "How about you? Do you care about anyone?"

Obsidiansky's expression flickered for a moment as the grin seemed to melt from Canineheart's features. Great. What did I say now? What did I do now? He thought, the tip of his tail twitching worriedly back and forth as he glanced at the she cat, hues glinting with anxiety. For a moment everything was silent, and the dark furred tom shifted his weight uncertainly, waiting for the she cat to respond. "Mm. That makes sense," Obsidiansky responded slowly, lowering his eyes in order to avert them from the she cat. He wasn't sure whether or not her friends had good intentions by doing what they had done. He didn't want to discourage that idea, however, and remained silent with a slightly worried expression as he looked at her, hues seeming to hide their apologies.

The tom looked surprised at her next words, and then his more friendly expression slowly came back. "Thanks, for...for that. And thanks for being willing to trust me and all." He mewed, flicking his tail over his paws. He hadn't even realized it had left it's position, but it appeared to have done so as his expression had changed. Slowly he allowed himself to relax once more, although the tip of his tail maintained the slight twitching. "I care about my clanmates in general, really. But as individuals...there's Sagewhisker, she's one of my best friends...Fawnflower, she's a good friend too...and then there's Rainpaw. My new apprentice, I...really don't know what to make of him." The tom paused and examined the she cat before him again before lowering his hues in a slightly embarrassed manner. "And I care about you, I suppose you could say. I mean, I don't know you as well, but I care about you." He mewed. What he had said was true. He really did care about all his clanmates, but if he were to pick out individuals that he had met- that he knew by name...those four would be the first to come to mind.

[ChameweonRainbow]

Originally Posted by Nighty

Gorseflower too had fallen into sleep. Her breaths had steadied and her purrs had slowly faded to a stop. The movement and voice of her daughter jolted her awake again. It took the feline a moment to process what Horizonkit was saying, as her mind and eyes were still groggy from sleep. As soon as she could fully process what her daughter was saying, her purrs erupted again. "Horizonkit, I will always-- Always always always-- love you. I told you that. I know why you said what you said, and most of why you did what you did. I understand. You are scared. And you know what? It's okay to be scared sometimes. Fear can make cats do crazy things. But it doesn't matter, because fear isn't a bad thing. Fear wakes you up, not shut you down. It only shows that you have something left to loose. I forgive you, if that's what you want to hear. But you should know, I forgave you the moment you first did something wrong." She purred lovingly as she curled her fluffy tail around her daughter.

Horizonkit eyes went wide. She hadn't known she had woken her mother and it startled her; her fur stood on end and she almost sprang out of her mother's embrace in a fight or flight response. Adrenaline boiled in her veins for a few seconds before she calmed down enough to not look like a fluffy porcupine. Her breathing had hitched in her throat and she had to remind herself to breathe again and her heart began to slow down from its panicked thumping. She looked up at her mother and purred with her sunset-colored eyes glossy with tears. "Thank you mommy" she mewled and embraced as much of her mother's body as she could in a big hug. "mommy... I'm happy." She purred as she looked up into her mother's deep blue eyes with her glowing ember flame eyes that seemed to sparkle as tears filled them. Horizonkit nuzzled her face into her mother's soft belly and wrapped her paws

[goddess of ducks]

Originally Posted by ChameweonRainbow

Horizonkit eyes went wide. She hadn't known she had woken her mother and it startled her; her fur stood on end and she almost sprang out of her mother's embrace in a fight or flight response. Adrenaline boiled in her veins for a few seconds before she calmed down enough to not look like a fluffy porcupine. Her breathing had hitched in her throat and she had to remind herself to breathe again and her heart began to slow down from its panicked thumping. She looked up at her mother and purred with her sunset-colored eyes glossy with tears. "Thank you mommy" she mewled and embraced as much of her mother's body as she could in a big hug. "mommy... I'm happy." She purred as she looked up into her mother's deep blue eyes with her glowing ember flame eyes that seemed to sparkle as tears filled them. Horizonkit nuzzled her face into her mother's soft belly and wrapped her paws

Gorseflower smiled as she felt the embrace. She loved her kits and no words could express how deep that feeling went within her. A smile curled on her lips, a sweet and soft one. The cream she cat held the embrace for a moment and then pulled away softly, still gazing kindly down to her kit. "I'll say what. What if we go and play? I can find your sister, Peachkit. Maybe even Leafkit too. What do you say?" She asked smiling. Horizonkit was happy. That was good news, it meant she was succeeding at being a mother. She had forgotten how hard to could be to nurse kits. But this time was definitely harder than the last. Last time she had only had one kit, while the other had been still born. That time had been easier, as Rabbitpaw hadn't been too rambunctious until about five moons when she began getting excited for apprenticeship. Now she was and it had been a few moons since she had discovered she was expecting again.This time there had been three, two daughters and a son. Nothing had gone wrong, but she had never thought about the difficulties about raising three kits instead of one. She would have to balance her time more carefully now.