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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 4, 2018 14:58:52 GMT -5
(That'll work!)
Smallstep gave no verbal response, but nodded once more. So, pretty much anything? She kept an eye out for any herbs as they continued. Her eyes scanned the surrounding forest. She slowed her pace when her gaze landed on a patch of thorns. A small shiver ran down her back as she thought back to when Mudwhisker had put them in her nest. She cast a glance at the tom for a moment, then quickly looked away. Just then, she spotted a patch of marigold. The she-cat veered off without a word to the plant. She began gently biting the stems off of the plant. She also managed to find some tansy and poppies near the marigold. Once she had collected the marigold, tansy, and seeds from the poppies, she heard Mudwhisker call out to her. Her ears flicked as she heard him approaching. She grabbed what herbs she had found and began heading towards the pawsteps. "Some marigold, poppy seeds, and tansy," she informed him as he came into view.
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Post by Shortee on Mar 4, 2018 15:11:03 GMT -5
Mudwhisker nodded and said through the marigold and catmint, "Let's go back." Even though he was hobbling around, he still lead the way. Eventually they made it to the camp, where they gave the herbs to a very grateful Yarrowtail. (You wanna start the timeskip? )
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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 4, 2018 20:45:06 GMT -5
(Can do. ^.^)
Smallstep padded rather confidently out of her den. She had just finished changing the nests of all the dens, including her own. She padded across the fairly empty clearing over to the camp entrance. There, she was quickly stopped by Bramblefoot. He parted his jaws to speak, but was interrupted by the she-cat. "Yeah, yeah. I know I can't leave the camp. Save me the story," she meowed dryly as she dropped the ball of old moss she had been carrying. "I'm just dropping this off here," she added when she noticed the tom twitch his tail in anger. Yet, her eyes did wander past Bramblefoot and into the forest beyond. It had been roughly half a moon since she was last allowed out. She recalled hunting with Mudwhisker that day. Her gaze dropped to her paws for a moment. After feeling the cold stare of Bramblefoot, she raised her gaze to meet his. She stared in silence for a moment, then turned and padded towards the center of the clearing.
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Post by Shortee on Mar 4, 2018 20:57:09 GMT -5
(I hope you don't mind but Ima do a Frostcloud pov ) Frostcloud looked around camp. Mudwhisker was no where to be seen. Good. She walked over to Smallstep, a smirk on her face and her blue eyes glimmering. "Ah, Smallstep. Come with me please. I need to speak with you." Without waiting for an answer she lead the warrior to a secluded area in the camp. In a low voice Frostcloud said, "Listen. You've started to get Mudwhisker under your paws. I don't want you to be hurt when he tells you he was just being nice. Because, one day we'll be mates. You know there's no spark between you two, right? Also, I wonder if he's told you yet that there has been no sign of you clan coming for you? At all? Still?" Her lips curled into a mischievous, crooked smile. "They'll probably never want you back, or ever come for you." Her tail reached over and bopped the warrior on her nose. She was sure she had gotten under her skin at least a little bit. "Sorry sweetie. Why don't you go back to changing nests like an apprentice." A short, evil laugh was heared from her as she walked away, her paw steps confident and sure.
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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 4, 2018 22:58:58 GMT -5
(All cool with me. I also had an idea. Perhaps Smallstep can open up to Mudwhisker about Frostcloud saying that her clan was never coming for her. You can choose how he reacts towards Frostcloud, but maybe he begins to feel bad for Smallstep? Well, he doesn't have to necessarily feel bad for her. I just thought maybe she could open up a little about how she feels and at that point she actually starts having feelings for Mudwhisker.)
Smallstep turned her head when she heard approaching pawsteps. She was met with Frostcloud's gaze. A small sigh escaped her as she was commanded to follow Frostcloud. She couldn't help but get a bad feeling as she was led into a more private area of the camp. Did Frostcloud intend to attack her? Her tail flicked as she listened to what the she-cat had to say. At first Frostcloud's words didn't bother her. However, at the mention of her clan, her words stung like a thorn. Sort of like the thorns that Mudwhisker had planted. Mudwhisker. It was his fault that she had been made the laughingstock of Duskclan. As Frostcloud padded off, she remained silent, allowing her anger to engulf her. Her claws unsheathed and dug into the dirt that she stood upon. Yet, her anger quickly faded, instead being replaced with sadness. Fearing that her clan didn't want her back was something that she had felt from the first moment of being captured. It was just something that she attempted to stuff down and ignore. No matter how hard she had tried, however, she always felt it gnawing at her. What if Frostcloud was right? Why would Oakclan even want her back? The she-cat held her head high, trying her hardest to appear unaffected by these words. She just hoped that the illusion actually worked. She turned and began padding off back towards the main clearing. Her paws seemed to suddenly turn to stone as she dragged them across the ground with each step.
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Post by Shortee on Mar 5, 2018 7:33:42 GMT -5
(Sounds good. I had another idea but I'm not going to say it because I don't want to control the rp with it xD I want to see where this goes first.)
Mudwhisker walked into camp, two squirrels hanging from his jaws. He dipped his head to Bramblefoot on the way in, who did the same back. The deputy could feel the stare of Breezestar on his fur. Something he felt often but had not yet gotten use to it. He had decided to do some lone hunting after he sent out the patrols. He saw Smallstrep trudging across camp. He was about to go and ask her if everything was alright when Frostcloud suddenly popped in front of him. "Nice catch, Mudwhisker! Those look good. Want to sit with me for a bit?" Mudwhisker gave her an apologetic look, "Let's sit together at the end of the day, like always. There's more to be done." Frostcloud had this look on her face, one that said, 'Are you serious right now because I know you did not just say that.' He gave her a kind look in return and quickly placed the squirrels on the dwindling fresh-kill pile. He then scanned the area once more for Smallstep. When he saw her he quickly jogged up to her. "Hey! Are you alright?" There was a bit of worry in his yellow gaze. He hated to see any cat look upset, even if it wasn't one of his own.
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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 5, 2018 17:59:17 GMT -5
(It never hurts to suggest an idea. o: Let me know if you change your mind on telling me.)
Smallstep paused, unsure of where she was even planning to go. She didn't dare scan the clearing for fear that she would see Frostcloud again. She suddenly felt the stares of many of the other cats. Were they really staring, or was she simply overthinking and being paranoid? Convinced it was just her, she shook her head in an attempt to shake the thoughts away. If only it were truly as easy as that. After releasing a small sigh, she began moving again. Her pawsteps were small and forced. Her mind was running wild with thoughts. Frostcloud's words felt like an illness, suddenly grabbing hold of her and refusing to let go. She was pulled back into reality when she heard pawsteps suddenly approaching. She tensed, expecting it to be Frostcloud. Soon, however, the familiar voice of Mudwhisker reached her ears. For a small moment she was sort of happy to hear him. That happiness quickly faded when she recalled what Frostcloud had said about him as well. Was he truly just being nice and pretending to be concerned? If you had asked her this question when she first arrived at the camp, she would say yes with zero hesitation. Perhaps that was a sign that it was true. Her gaze shifted from the dirt below her to the tom as he caught up with her. "Huh? Oh, uh, yeah," she replied with a small, forced smile.
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Post by Shortee on Mar 5, 2018 18:10:17 GMT -5
(I've honestly forgotten it now. Dangit xD)
Mudwhisker leaned down so he was no longer towering over the she-cat. In a quiet voice he said, "If you won't tell me maybe it would be good to at least tell someone. Yarrowtail could be good to talk to." He didn't want to force Smallstep to say something she didn't want too. He was about to ask her if she wanted to walk in the forest instead when, again, the feeling of Breezestar's stare seemed to burn into his back. He quickly scrapped the idea and asked, "Is there something you want me to do?" He had begun to think of Smallstep as a friend, trying to be kind, though at random times he would remember she was a prisoner and go back to acting like her guard. He glanced around him and realized not only was it Breezestar watching him, but Frostcloud was too. They were like hawks.
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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 5, 2018 21:02:41 GMT -5
(Aw. I do that all the time lol.)
Smallstep instinctively took a step back when the tom began leaning lower. Her eyes examined him, quietly listening to his words. She was beginning to put her doubts about him behind her. Perhaps Frostcloud was wrong. Well, about Mudwhisker anyway. It was take much more reassurance to convince her otherwise about her clan. She parted her jaws as if to say something, but was interrupted by him asking her a question. Her gaze became one of great hesitance. Was that an edge of coldness in his tone? No, I must just be imagining it. She was suddenly aware of the feeling of others watching. Frostcloud soon came into view as she scanned the clearing. Not far off from her sat Breezestar. Her paws shuffled a tiny bit as she thought. She didn't want to get Mudwhisker in trouble. Yet, at the same time, she felt draw to open up to him. Would he even be willing to listen? She broke the gaze she had previously had with Frostcloud, now staring at the ground. Closing her eyes, she wished she could just make up her mind. Then she had an idea. As she opened her eyes again, she stared at Mudwhisker. She took a few steps closer, leaning towards his ear. "If you really want to know, meet me in my den later tonight when the sun has set," she whispered. Quickly, she jerked back and stomped a few steps away, forcing herself to appear in a rage. "As I told you before, I already did the nests! I'm done for the day." The she-cat cast a glance around quickly before giving Mudwhisker a wink. "You can boss me around tomorrow when it's your day to watch me," she added with a small hiss. Turning, she tried her best to seem angry as she headed towards her den.
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Post by Shortee on Mar 5, 2018 21:15:17 GMT -5
(oh ho ho Smallstep)
Mudwhisker's eyes widened for a moment, but quickly made them narrow when he realized what she was doing. He tried to look angry, and knew he succeeded, because Breezestar also looked angry from what he could see of him. The black tom, however, made no move to step in, obviously expecting his deputy to scratch her. He was too busy thinking to even realize he should have done so. Did Smallstep just invite me to her den during the night? He wondered, baffled. Truth was, he was curious to figure out what was wrong with the daring she-cat, even if his leader and Frostcloud disapproved. Suddenly, Frostcloud was next to him. "Why didn't you hurt her?!" She asked, fury radiating off of her. Mudwhisker stood up straight, his eyes still narrowed as he said in a chilling voice, "Frostcloud, don't speak to me like that," no one else could hear him as he continued, "I have my ways and you have no right to question them." Mudwhisker stomped away to Squirreltail and Timberfur, leaving before he could see the expression on her face. At least those two were close friends...
Wait, did I just yell at Frostcloud? The prettiest she-cat in my clan and the only she-cat I may like? MUDWHISKER YOU MOUSE-BRAIN.
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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 6, 2018 0:15:51 GMT -5
Smallstep slumped down against the back wall of her den. She stifled a small sigh as she scooted her way into the side engulfed in shadows. Her display of rage had only been an illusion. Hoping that Mudwhisker gathered that, she stared at nothing in particular. She battled with herself on whether or not Frostcloud was right. For some reason, her mind focused more on what she said about the deputy now. She went back and forth with herself. On one paw he did this for her, but on the other paw he had done this or that. Tonight I suppose I'll really see, she told herself. If he didn't show up at her den, she would know the truth. Some small part of her couldn't help but hope that he did show up. Yet, what would she say if he did? Blab to him about how he should pity her? No. How about revealing what Frostcloud said about him just being nice to her? Even if it were true, she didn't want to stir up trouble between the two cats. It was clear that Mudwhisker felt something for Frostcloud. Although she could have her moments with her temper, she refused to stoop to the low level that most of the Duskclan cats were currently on.
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Post by Shortee on Mar 6, 2018 7:30:27 GMT -5
Mudwhisker spent the rest of the day alternating from hunting, double checking the borders, talking with his two best friends, seeing the kits, avoiding Frostcloud and thinking about Smallstep. He normally never tired from these tasks (because he liked them) but thought that, perhaps, the whole ordeal with Frostcoud and Smallstep had tired him out a bit more than usual. Soon enough, it was night, and Mudwhisker watched one by one as warriors trickled into the den they shared. Frostcloud eventually asked him to come with her, be he told her he wasn't tired. She gave him a cold glare and stalked into the warriors den, probably falling asleep easily. By now, even Breezestar had retired to his den. He watched the sky as the sun dipped into the horizon, and soon everything was completely dark. He stood from where he was, a yawn escaping him, and trudged over to the den Smallstep stayed in. "Smallstep." He whispered, another yawn threatening to escape him.
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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 6, 2018 7:41:03 GMT -5
Smallstep had only left her den once the rest of the day. It was only briefly to grab a small mouse from the fresh-kill pile. The leftovers had been scattered to the opposite side of the den from where she now laid. Her tail was curled tightly along her hind leg and small body. Should she be worrying as much as she was? Every now and then she had cast a glance out of her den. Each time the sun slowly got lower and lower. Eventually night fell, and she held herself back from peering out of the den into the clearing. By now she had a rough idea of what she would say. For now she would not mention what Frostcloud had said about him. Sometimes Mudwhisker was still a tad bit iffy with her. She figured if she brought up the topic, she was kicking up the dirt right in his face. Her silent rehearsal of what she said was interrupted by her name being called. A small spark of hope ignited as she recognized the voice of the deputy. "I'm here," she replied in a low voice.
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Post by Shortee on Mar 6, 2018 7:55:17 GMT -5
Mudwhisker went into her den, trying not to be obnoxious. He knew he had to go in all of the way in case a cat decided they wanted to go on an evening walk. His yellow eyes were shining brightly in the dimness. "Don't stall, just tell me what's wrong." His eyes flicked back and forth a few times in nervousness. If he got caught....
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Post by Kittensmew on Mar 6, 2018 17:23:01 GMT -5
Smallstep lifted her head off of her paws when Mudwhisker entered the den. She flicked her tail a few times, staring at him. Don't stall. She hesitated for a moment, considering just making up a lie. Don't be silly. He didn't say that to seem pushy. He's just worried about getting caught. It didn't take her long to take notice of his nervousness now. "Right," she murmured rather quietly. The warrior cast a wary glance just beyond the tom. Was she really about to confess to her worries? Well, it wasn't like this would be the first time that he saw her down. Perhaps she would reach her lowest in his eyes if she went through with telling him. She fixed his gaze back on Mudwhisker and gave a small nod. The nod was more reassurance for herself. "Earlier, Frostcloud asked, or rather ordered, to speak with me. She uh," her words trailed off for a moment as she carefully thought of her words. "She said some things." An uncertain feeling washed over Smallstep. "Long story short, she said that there had been no signs of Oakclan. None whatsoever." Her gaze drifted away towards the den wall to her right. "She said that they weren't coming for me. That they didn't want me back." A heavy sigh escaped her as she lowered her ears a bit. "What if she's right?" she asked, returning her gaze to Mudwhisker.
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