WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Arie]

{ @~Northern_Lights~ Sorry late start but your mention failed xD}

Kestreldust, a slender silver male, sat on a rocky edge, looking over the ever flowing moor. He was up for a run and a hunt, the smells of other cats prey making it's way up towards him. He wrapped his tail around his paws, ever the noble cat. The light was low, making it easier for the tom to see, his genetic injury not bothering him as much as it used to, or would in the sunlight that would easily stream down on the moor which held no cover of trees to block off the sun. He got lost in his own thoughts. How would it be without having to worry about the sun? What would it feel like to be able to run through the moor at the highest point of the day? He would never know, the herbs he was taking every day only lessening the pain of seeing during dusk and dawn. Night though, that was the time when he could run carefree, his time being a true windclan cat with no pain, nothing bothering him but just him, the stars, the moor and the prey.

[North]

@Arié

(It's my fault, so don't worry about it xD)
Agate eyes pierced through the ever dimming light of the moor, as the golden sun sunk lower and lower beneath the horizon. Fawnsplash often didn't venture out to the territory so late in the day, but having been busy all day she hadn't had a chance as of yet to get some hunting done. Better late then never, I suppose Not sure where to start off her evening 'hunt', which seemed to shift more and more towards an evening walk, the chestnut-stripped feline wandered aimlessly across the moor. A small breeze pushed past her, a defining feature of the open moors she and all of Windclan called home. Though, as the she-cat veered around a small patch of very tall grass, her agate eyes spotted the partially familiar appearance of Kestreldust. His slender form situated comfortably atop a rocky edge. Though the two cats may have only spoken once or twice, Fawnsplash let out a small purr, accompanied by a smile to greet him. "Kestreldust, it's nice to see you here," Her soft voice spoke, ears perked up with interest.

[Arie]

{ @~Northern_Lights~ I finally got around to respond, was on the site but not in the mood to RP but rather set my damn characters up xD Now I got a plot waiting for members and a good inc blind gay ship crossclans}

Kestreldust looked up at Fawnsplash as she crossed the way over to him, but the tom frowned, the sun was too strong was obscuring his sight. "It is Fawnsplash right?" he asked softly, embarrassed with himself, his sense of smell certainly wasn't good today. "A lovely dusk for an evening hunt am I right?" he said, his voice remaining soft. He slowly got up and trotted lively over to her. She was one of his preferred she-cats to hunt with, her sense of smell making up for his, and during the evenings his sight would clearly be sharper than at day. The silver tom caressed her with his tail in a friendly gesture. He was in the mood to hunt and his hunting partner had shown up in the exact moment the thought had come across his mind.

[North]

@Arié

(It's more than alright~ I'm glad you've found yourself a story/plot to roleplay~)
Fawnsplash let out an amiable purred to the tom, entertained by the fact she had wandered into her hunting partner unintentionally the moment she needed him. "It certainly is, Kestreldust," She agreed, agate eyes bright and filled with energy having not had the chance to spend it as of yet. The two cats complimented one another when it came to hunting; where one lacked ability, the other made up for it. Fawnsplash was very grateful for their dynamic, it made hunting a lot more enjoyable for her as well as easier. "Anything specific we're hunting, or just the first thing we come across?" The she-cat inquired, holding a neutral stand between the two options; she held no preference between either, instead she was just eager to catch anything. Her agate gaze drifted across the moor, not taking an interest in anything in specific as she awaited a response from Kestreldust, trusting his decision to be appropriate.

[Arie]

{ @~Northern_Lights~ / sadly no sign ups yet xD So we're getting there slowly I think}

Kestreldust pondered, what would he like for tonight's hunt. "A hare if we come across one I think, we would enjoy the chase and a hare always adds a challenge, but a rabbit would do if there's no such luck," he said, his eyes still squinted. He relaxed his stance for a moment, taking in the beauty for the moor yet again. He was happy he was a Windclan cat, wished he could show everyone the beauty in the dusk. Yet where everyone saw the end of the day in dusk, for Kestreldust it was only the beginning of a long racing day. "Dusk is so beautiful from the moor and this spot in particular. I'll always cherish our hunts during these times. Thank you for hunting with me."

[North]

@Arié

Fawnsplash cast her agate gaze back to her companion, looking at him as he spoke. His hunting plan was good, and Fawnsplash was certainly up for the challenge of catching a hare - but as Kestreldust had said, a rabbit would do as well. As he spoke again, she found her gaze following his and looking out across the moor. She couldn't agree with him more; it truly was beautiful here at dusk, especially at this spot. She was as appreciative of their hunts as he was, having really benefited from them. "It is very beautiful here, more so at this time of day than any other," She paused, her gaze turning back to him and a warm smile spread across her face, "You needn't thank me, Kestreldust! I enjoy the time we spend together, not to mention I would never have learned to appreciate the moor at this time if it weren't for you. So thank you Kestreldust," She finished, her chestnut form practically radiating with joy. Her gaze drifted once again to the open moor, scanning aimlessly as she stood at Kestreldust's side. "Shall we begin?" She inquired, turning back to her dear companion with a friendly and kind look settled within her agate eyes.

[Fuzzy]

@Arié @Spikes
{So sorry this is late!
Oh when Roan said "Chin up", I couldn't help but hear him with an Australian accent saying "Chin up mate"}

Buttercupbreeze flicked her ear as the silver tom said it was nothing but his mind. Was that really the only thing getting to him? Was he sleep deprived? To hungry? Or was it his past bothering him? The thing that made him the way he is today. Hearing Roansplash's encouraging voice towards Breezefeather she nodded in agreement. " Yeah, as my grandma always said. Sticks and stones will break your bones but words can't do anything. " The molly told him trying to sound encouraging though living by those words was a lot harder then you'd think. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. But hay! It could be m just what he needed to hear to lift him up. She did just bluntly put him in his place, in her mind, just a few moments ago.

As the two toms continued on Buttercup followed her bushy tail flicking behind her. They were almost there and just in time it appeared the silver tom was bleeding, unless she was seeing things. That has to be painful. She thought twitching her whiskers. For a moment she was quite then she started to open her mouth as if to talk but Breezefeather spoke first. That was an interesting question indeed. To be honest she did expect him to ask a question like that. It reminded her of her apprentice, Shadepaw asking so many questions. Noticing Roan's reluctant answer she kinda smile thinking he was just taken aback by the question. Though she tipped her head as the roan and white tom asked her to explain. " Well, I might not look it but most of this is fluff. " The creamy molly told this lifting a paw slightly off the ground. "I do some what rely on my speed, we are the fastest Clan around, but I also try to put wit them. You see if you only rely on speed a rabbit or hare will almost certainly get away from you, but if you put think it and cut it off it'll be a lot easier to catch." She explained waving her tail behind her. It was fun explaining things, partly because she had a hard time doing so at times. But maybe Breeze understood what she was saying.

[Arie]

{ @Fuzzyfeline @Spikes - Breeze will start to open up a bit more, and we can eat the root of the problem. Which could be liquorice root, meaning we could actually eat it. Huh}

At Roansplash secretive response he nodded slowly and after Buttercupbreeze he spoke slowly, sitting down holding a break, the camp in sight. "That may not be true, with words not hurting. But actions and the words associated with them, that's what hurt the most. I used to hunt with my head, I used to be able to go on for moons without tearing down my claws and pads. Now, I can rarely go on for a moon." He lowered his head, and stood up again to continue his walk down to the clearing. "That's what happened to me, she promised me, promised me! that she would stay with me, that she would never leave. And guess what she did. She left, as soon as our kit was old enough to not need her, she left me. I'll never trust another cat again, if they promise you something, it may not be forever. Because no one who joins the clans, can be fully trusted to remain...." His words died out as he looked around in the camp that they've made it into. He hadn't been here in moons.

[Spikes]

( @Fuzzyfeline | @Arié Moving to camp because they finally made it! Also oof, is my aussieness coming out again? XD)

When the cream molly spoke up in his place, he gave a sigh of relief, his ears flattening slightly as he tried to forget about the hunting fiasco he'd had that morning. A whole rabbit and a mouse, lost! He'd have to make up for it later. Almost about to drift off into his own little world of thought, he'd caught onto some of what the molly was saying. Sure, the size factor was something he couldn't learn from or be sympathetic towards, as she would obviously be more fleet-footed than he, but some of her tips were interesting... Wit... So the trick is to trick them? Roansplash wasn't the wittiest cat around, that was for sure. But her information had some merit. He'd have to consider cutting off a rabbit's escape points next time he tried to hunt. Maybe that was the secret, after all! He must've missed that one in his apprenticeship... Suddenly aware of a flood of familiar scents around him, the roan tom was glad to realise that they were already back at camp.

Taking a few more steps with aching and impatient paws, his tail twitched in his current silence as he listened to Breezefeather speak again. It was like the camp had a spell over him, one that made him go silent and want to be the reclusive cat he'd been ever since he regretted being such a jerk in his many moons of apprenticeship. Maybe the exhaustion was getting to him... he did feel a little delirious as the silvery tom continued to speak. It didn't take long for the russet and white tom to suddenly be shaken back into reality once more. Though he was no longer facing their group, his fur prickled and his eyes went wide, pupils already thin slits against the daylight. The tom slowly turned his head back around, already hiding a look of concern.

Not sure what to say, he stood still for a few moments, mouth open as he hesitated to speak. "...She?" Was all he could say. The truth was that he had never known Breezefeather very well. The spotted tom's rendezvous with mollies were completely alien to him. Roansplash swallowed as he continued to speak, dumbfounded by this sudden emotional dump of information. There was a hint of truth in his last statement. No one who joins the clans, can be fully trusted to remain. Couldn't the same be said for Breezefeather, then? To Roansplash, to live in a Clan was making an important choice. A choice so important that you died with it. It was not only a birthright to the clanborn, but a privilege to any Clan cat. Every privilege has a consequence. Was this Breezefeather's? "...Why'd she leave?" the tom meowed gruffly, angered by the notion of a cat willingly leaving their clan.

[Arie]

{ @~Northern_Lights~ }

At her words, '"Let's begin,"', the tom was up and standing, his eyes scanning the sea of grass, and then he took off. He loved running, and the wind flowing through his fur, as well his companion's made it feel even more free. They were carefree tonight, their hunts were always started by a long and fast run to stretch their longer legs. They were both tall and lithe cats and it looked like the wind was blowing them across the moor. As the smell of hare reached the two, Kestreldust braced himself but didn't slow down fast enough and ended up rolling over himself multiple time. Luckily it didn't scare of their prey but the tom couldn't keep in his carefree laughter.