Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Oct 17, 2021 11:56:46 GMT -5
Jasminefur could easily see that there was almost excitement in Brightfrost's eyes, and it gave him pause as, with a touch of bewilderment, he wondered what exactly about his current state could be found 'exciting.' He was so scared of what he had just experienced and it was bewildering to see her react that way.
But when she pulled closer and started to speak, he took a shaky breath, recognizing that she was wrapped up in this too, and she had clearly been immensely interested since StarClan gave them a sign. She wasn't trying to be hurtful, but it still left him a little put off.
"I..." Jasminefur wasn't sure where to start when she asked him what they had told him. She was probably right--it was probably something important--but he didn't have a clue how to interpret all of that. At least, maybe, Autumneyes could help him figure out what he was supposed to take away from the nightmare? He cycled back through each stage in his head while Brightfrost was gazing at him in silence, placing them in order in his head so he could relay the messages in the same order he had been given them.
Just as he was about to repeat what he had been told, Brightfrost spoke up again. "And...you're important."
To Jasminefur, it was such a strange thing to hear, so utterly out of line with how he felt about himself. Normally, he probably would have just shook it off and not paid the comment any mind, but when StarClan had just personally contacted him and essentially told him that he was wrapped up in the future of the clans, it was difficult to brush off what Brightfrost had just said to him.
He listened in a daze as she expressed both her undying faith in StarClan and her belief that he was going to rise up and above the call to whatever destiny was set before him. It was both unnerving to hear himself spoken about in such a holy way, and frustrating to hear her do so when his own feelings about himself didn't match at all what she was saying.
But he could feel these emotions starting to ebb away as her paw made its way over his, and he sucked in a shaky breath as her fur contacted his, and she promised that, now that their destinies were, without a doubt, tied together...
I won't be alone in this?
It was difficult for Jasminefur to understand what StarClan was doing being involved in their lives, but right now, he wasn't sure if he could puzzle it out alone. What was more important was her promise. She had already promised to help him out, to keep her clanmates from mauling him...but this...as she spoke about destiny, about them being tied together, it all felt...so much less temporary, like there's wasn't a doubt about its truth. And that was something that was truly, honestly, a comfort to him. He gazed at Brightfrost with a stressed, yet awestruck expression as he felt her confidence and believed that, for once, he had someone at his side.
He looked outside as some early season snow started to drop down onto their territory. It was so early, and he wasn't sure whether to feel dread for what it portended, or to appreciate its softness and tranquility. His head dropped to the floor for a few moments, and he let out a tired, shaky sigh, shutting his eyes. Repeating what she had said to him.
He picked his head back up. "I need some air. Will you..." His gaze fixed on Brightfrost, though Autumneyes ahd been lingering nearby in silence, listening to them with an especially soft expression as she listened to Brightfrost. He needed to step out and cool off from his nightmare, and a bit of snowfall seemed ideal for that. But it was possible they wouldn't want to--after all, they hadn't been having dark, dog infested nightmares, as far as he knew.
|
|
|
Post by berryjuice on Oct 21, 2021 4:00:13 GMT -5
“I can go with you,” said Brightfrost eagerly. She thought maybe a little walk would help Jasminefur to get his thoughts sorted. And sure, he wasn’t really supposed to leave camp- but she was hopeful that no one would notice since it was so late. They would just have to be careful not to make anyone think that the camp was being secretly invaded by WindClan or something. And she was confident she could come up with some excuse- she felt confident about most things as she focused on what Jasminefur’s dream might have been.
She nodded to Autumneyes, not sure what she would think about them getting some air or if she would come with them. But she hoped she at least wouldn't rat them out. Then she moved closer to the exit of the den, her flank still against Jasminefur’s. Robinpatch was on sentry duty, which wasn’t great- he would surely make a big fuss if he saw them leaving. He might complain loud enough to wake up the camp. But at the moment, he seemed quite calm. And so still. She narrowed her eyes and watched him closely. Was he...no, thank StarClan- he was only sleeping.
Her whiskers twitched with amusement as she walked over to the camp entrance on soft paws. She used her tail to beckon for Jasminefur to follow slowly. As they got closer, Robinpatch was remained asleep, muttering nonsense under his breath as he dreamed- she thought it was something about WindClan stealing squirrels.
She moved through the tunnel with her tail low, taking care not to let her long fur get caught on the thorns as it often did. She took a breath of the night air as they moved away from the suffocating camp and towards the freedom that was out in ThunderClan territory. The falling snow was moved by a gentle breeze as they went; Brightfrost felt like it was inviting them.
It did occur to her that maybe it was a bad thing that the camp was borderline-unguarded at that moment, but hopefully Robinpatch would wake up if there was an actual threat. Maybe she should volunteer for sentry duty so that he wouldn’t do it- but no, she had more important things to do. Like look after Jasminefur.
|
|
Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Oct 21, 2021 8:09:32 GMT -5
Jasminefur exhaled with relief as she agreed to step out with him. He thought that they might not be able to go any farther than the edge of the camp, but with a look towards the medicine cat he suddenly wasn't so sure. He realized that Brightfrost might have thought he meant a walk outside the camp--but if that was the case, he had no problem with it. In fact, a walk away from the camp with no patrols to worry about sounded great to him.
Autumneyes frowned as Jasminefur asked if they could step out, and Brightfrost agreed. She had just had to tell them he needed to stay within the den due to almost worsening Jasminefur's wounds at the training session, and Brightfrost was already giving him permission to leave the camp.
Autumneyes could see how much Jasminefur needed to be allowed to step out. He was sweating and clearly overwhelmed by the awfully cryptic message he had received. She almost wanted to offer to accompany them, to try to help interpret the dream, but she wasn't certain that what he needed was exactly that.
With a quiet sigh that might have betrayed a little bit of annoyance, she fixed her gaze on Brightfrost. "Don't go far, and don't go at all towards WindClan!" She followed after them after Brightfrost and Jasminefur had left the den, and she opened her mouth to call out after them softly to repeat her command, but as she saw Brightfrost focused on the sentry at the exit of camp, she shut her mouth, and watched.
Jasminefur was going to follow behind Brightfrost when she left, but instead the she-cat formed up against his flank and gently urged him towards the exit of the den. Blinking, he wondered if this was going to be a normal occurence--it shouldn't have weirded him out so much, given that he had woken up the last few mornings with Brightfrost practically curled around him, but how would ThunderClan's warriors react seeing him at her side like that, like they were close friends?
Once Brightfrost was sure Robinpatch was asleep, Autumneyes sighed silently and turned around, entering her den. She was beginning to feel like she needed to go speak with StarClan herself--if Jasminefur was receiving a dream, Brightfrost was probably receiving plenty as well, and she felt a little lost and unknowledgeable about all that was going on. She noted to herself that she needed to speak with Specklestar in the morning, then settled down to try to sleep, though she know she wouldn't have much luck until they were back and she wouldn't have to worry.
Jasminefur couldn't help but hold his breath as they moved towards the exit of camp. What they were doing was clearly a violation of, if not the rules, then of what almost every ThunderClan cat here would find acceptable. He didn't breath until they had moved past Robinpatch, stepped through the entrance (though thorns started pressing against the side of his flank unoccupied by another cat), and when he finally pushed outside, he sucked in a fresh breath...
...of chillingly cold snowy air, which paired together with a the current light wind that squeezed through and blasted against the entrance of camp, and sent a chill down his spine until they had stepped a few steps away from the compressed current. He instinctively pressed against the only source of warmth near him, his skinny WindClan pelt not lending well to tolerating how cold it had been; he gave a light shiver against Brightfrost's fluffy pelt, then sighed quietly in relief as they stepped further away from the ThunderClan camp and the compressed wind turned into a nice, light breeze which gave him a touch of chilliness, but that was far more tolerable with the warm she-cat by his side. He looked up towards the sky, still a little surprised at how early the snow had come. "It...It seems like leaf-bare already. Its still so early."
|
|
|
Post by berryjuice on Oct 25, 2021 5:44:06 GMT -5
Brightfrost was glad that they were outside the camp and it was late. She could spend time with Jasminefur without her Clanmates getting angry at the idea of her potentially being friends with a WindClan cat. It annoyed her to know that they would judge her for his interactions with him. They should know that she was loyal to ThunderClan. And they should know that her helping Jasminefur was the best thing for all of them- StarClan had showed that.
She noticed that he was cold and made sure that she remained close to him. Autumneyes’ stern words of warning had reminded her that Jasminefur was still quite vulnerable. She couldn’t make foolish decisions like she had in the training hollow. It was her job to keep him safe...or at least, that’s what she thought StarClan wanted from her. It always made her feel guilty to think that she might be misinterpreting their desires; she wished she could be more sure.
As they left the tunnel, it was very quiet aside from the distant hooting of an owl. She watched the snow fall as Jasminefur brought it up. It did feel like leafbare already- even though the leaves were still finishing their fall from the trees. She thought about the chatter she had heard from her Clanmates about having enough prey and herbs for ThunderClan and not wanting to share any of that with a WindClan cat.
“Leafbare is difficult and...it is worrying that it might come sooner rather than later.” She looked up, the flecks of snow seeming to mingle with the stars. A snowflake landed softly on her nose. “When I was a kit, I was told that when it snows...it’s my mother watching over me.” She seemed distant for a moment. She always felt like it was supposed to be comforting, but it left a great ache in her heart. At this point, she had spent more time in the snow than she had spent with Icestorm. But even though her memories of her mother were always fading, she knew that those memories were warm- unlike the bitter cold that usually accompanied snow. But she should be grateful enough for StarClan’s watchful eye, rather than wishing that Icestorm hadn’t gone to join them so soon. She looked to Jasminefur. “Maybe there are cats in StarClan thinking about you right now.”
|
|
Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Oct 26, 2021 14:43:46 GMT -5
Despite the cold chill that ran down his spine as they padded pawstep by pawstep away from the camp, there was something incredibly refreshing about stepping outside the ThunderClan camp without ThunderClan eyes and minds on them. They were free in a way they hadn't been for the last several days, and even if he shouldn't have been here, he didn't care enough to stop the melodic rhythm of his paws as he walked alongside Brightfrost.
Jasminefur didn't shy away as Brightfrost lent her fluffiness to keep him from freezing. On the one paw it was quite cold given the fact it was snowing, but on the other he didn't feel like complaining when it was, simply, a pretty night, and he had someone to accompany him, someone who even seemed to care whether he was handling the cold chill well or not.
Jasminefur couldn't help but agree with Brightfrost's somewhat...grim assessment of the coming Leaf-bare. He sighed quietly as he gazed up at the falling snow that came down in layers above them, trying not to let the pretty sight be an ill portend for what was to come. He just wanted to enjoy it for a moment.
Jasminefur continued alongside Brightfrost, not straying from her side until she brought up her mother. His expression saddened and he frowned as he listened to her recount what she had been told. He felt claws slowly tearing down his chest as he thought about Brightfrost, a tiny kit, being told her mother was simply watching her from above. It was something that came across as particularly harsh to him, especially given his particular situation at the moment. Trying not to think about it too much, he pressed his cheek against her shoulder, trying to provide some comfort despite not really knowing how to.
Yet, Jasminefur's sad expression turned sour as brightfrost mentioned that the same must apply for him. Without thinking about it that much, he pulled away from her and refocused his attention to some distant spot on the horizon of his vision. "Yeah. Maybe." He mumbled quietly, looking to the side away from Brightfrost for any signs of....anything.
Why would his mother be thinking about him, after he had watched her get her neck chomped open? Of course you don't know that, Brightfrost. But I'm a coward. A filthy, useless coward. And no one is thinking about me. Bitterness plagued his mind as he attacked himself in his own thoughts, which resulted in a noticable silence that almost came across colder than the air around them.
|
|
|
Post by berryjuice on Oct 29, 2021 6:39:13 GMT -5
Brightfrost felt warmed by Jasminefur’s comfort. She felt guilty that she had seemed sad without meaning to. She didn’t want to allow herself to feel the grief that had been within her for a long time. She had to tell herself that Icestorm was still with her, in a way- she just needed to be in StarClan. And it wasn’t like she had just recently lost her family, like Jasminefur had- it had been moons. Besides, she needed to understand his feelings most of all.
She noticed his mood change and the air grow colder as she brought up his loved ones in StarClan. She thought about Jasminefur’s mom and wondered if there was some kind of tension between her and her son. Did she visit him, or only Brightfrost? Maybe she was angry at him because he hadn’t saved her from the dog. Or maybe he hadn’t saved her because of something that had happened previously. Or maybe...he was just afraid. Jasminefur didn’t seem like the type to hold that deep of a grudge. Still, there was so much that she didn't know.
“They brought you a message, didn’t they? StarClan doesn't speak to just any cat.” Brightfrost wondered if she should tell Jasminefur about her own dreams. But then she thought about how difficult it seemed for him to talk about this sort of thing. If she mentioned that his mom had talked to her- or that she had seen him run away from the battle- it might send him spiralling. No, this conversation should be treated delicately.
“I don’t know exactly what StarClan is thinking,” she admitted. “But...they must think that there’s something you can do to help. And like I said- I’ll be here to help you.”
She was quiet for a few moments, watching the snow. “...I don’t have to help just with the StarClan stuff. If you wanted to talk about what happened, or about...anything, you can.” She considered what she was saying. Even if her task was to help Jasminefur realize his destiny, she felt like there was more to it than that. She felt like she was drawn to him- their paths intertwined. She absentmindedly traced a line in the snow with her paw. “I want to understand you.”
|
|
Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Nov 8, 2021 16:32:09 GMT -5
It was hard to break Jasminefur from a self-assault, and yet Brightfrost wouldn't have known this; and therefore, she wouldn't have understood the gravity her guessing StarClan had spoken directly to him. She clawed his attention away from himself and back to her and the dream that had left him sweating and crying, and he looked back to her, his expression changing from one of bitterness back to the confusion and uncertainty of before.
"I...." Jasminefur stopped walking for a moment, looking down at his paws as snow dropped to the floor all around them. It didn't seem like it was sticking at the moment, but the night was young and could grow colder still. "Yes, I think so...I..." He looked back up at her, trying to convey how confused the message had left him; he gulped and felt a bit of relief as she, eventually, continued speaking.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still so confused about why they StarClan would have chosen him for anything--but it was getting harder and harder to deny that he had been picked for some special role in this. He didn't understand any of it, but when she repeated her same vow from before, it filled him with the same sense of ease, almost like it wasn't so important that he didn't understand--she was going to be there to help him, and hopefully they could figure it out, together. It seemed like StarClan had decided that, from now on, their paths padded along the same moor.
There was a quiet between them for a small bit as he ruminated over her vow to him, as he started contemplating where to go from here, restarting the same puzzle he had already been trying to solve since he had arrived here--but she pulled him out of his head once more as she opened her mouth to speak again. So far, at least out on the territory with no threats around, she seemed to manage to keep his attention a lot. It had happened enough that there was a little part of him that was beginning to wonder why she kept it so well within her claws when his own clanmates sometimes couldn't snap him out of his own brain.
He sucked in a breath of cold, snowy air, his eyes darting about a bit as he struggled a little to make eye contact whilst not understanding much of anything going on. But his darting eyes slowly fixed onto her's with a serious, almost intense (as intense as the skinny beat-up Windclan cat could be intense) stare as Brightfrost extended him something more than she had in the den. Suddenly, he could feel his heart beating. Every..single..quick..beat.. as she offered to listen to him if he needed to talk about anything--Brightfrost had to be referring to what happened at the WindClan camp. His eyes slowly filled back up with grief as he thought back to that morning. It had seemed so normal, not despite but because his clanmates were so irritated at him, and yet it had become the worst day of his life, and he wished that they were still alive to use him as a scratching post.
His gaze fell as her absentminded tracing gave him an excuse to stare at her paw instead of her, as he stood conflicted on whether he should really take advantage of this offer. While it felt strange to hear an offer for someone to just listen from someone who wasn't his mother, he also found it felt good just hearing that. Was it because she was from ThunderClan and not his own Clan? That didn't seem right when he was supposed to be a mortal enemy of any cat from the clan. Was it because no one in his clan would have listened to him? That was likely. After the past few days with only one cat having his back, was it a coincidence that he felt relieved it was her offering this to him?
I want to understand you. It was a weird thing to hear. Maybe 'I want to help you,' or 'I've got your back' was strange to Jasminefur, but most cats had probably heard it from someone. But he had a feeling what Brightfrost had just said wasn't normal to hear from any cat. His eyes drifted back up to meet her gaze, and his eyes showed his uncertainty, though there was something like gratitude intermixed within them. It was a confusing mess, just as he was.
"I..." He felt a few different words dancing on his tongue as there was a silent, intense yet not uncomfortable gaze held between them. Respect wasn't right; it sounded so distant. Admire? No, that sounded far too...close. "I....appreciate...?" His eyes darted away for a moment as he tasted the spoken word. he seemed to doubt whether he had chosen the right one; but it was too late now. He nervously glanced back at her. "I...appreciate you, Brightfrost..." Should he say why? List the times she had kept her clanmates from skinning him alive? Was it necessary, or did she already know what he was thankful for?
He turned away for a moment, gulping again, as each word felt heavy, difficult to pronounce, and to feel. Each one reminded him of how helpless he felt in the camp that day, and how guilty he felt at his mother's death and afterwards. He gave a shiver of cold, though whether it was from that thought or the snow falling on them, he wasn't sure.
He wondered what one of his clanmates, especially one of the older ones, would have said if he asked them to listen to his thoughts for a time. Some generic brush-off from one of them came through his mind, but he dismissed it as a spark of genuine hope was being gently care into existence by the she-cat in front of him, whether she knew it or not. "Do you...want...me to talk to you? About...StarClan? Or...what happened? Or..." Each word was slow, careful, measured. He didn't know exactly what she wanted to know about him, as out of his comfort zone as he was. But he certainly didn't seem closed off to her, and his question came from, what was for him, a place of boldness. "...Anything?"
|
|
|
Post by berryjuice on Nov 11, 2021 3:30:14 GMT -5
Brightfrost felt a warmth grow within her as Jasminefur voiced his appreciation. It was strange- she often felt distant from her Clanmates, even the ones she got along with well enough. She had a hard time relating to others; granted, some might feel it was her fault for often seeming to have her head in the clouds. Regardless, even though she knew that she was important to her Clan...sometimes she wasn’t sure all her Clanmates agreed.
Her eyes were fixed on Jasminefur as he spoke. It was clear she meant what she said- she wanted to understand him. To that end, he had her complete an undivided attention. She paused to give his question proper consideration.
Obviously she wanted to talk about StarClan- she usually did. Sometimes it seemed like nothing else was important. But she didn’t feel that way right now. Right now, Jasminefur was important. She knew she shouldn’t just ask about his dream or anything else StarClan had told him- even though the curiosity felt like it would burn a hole in her stomach.
Did she want to know about what happened at WindClan camp? Well, she already knew. And she didn’t get the feeling that he wanted to talk about it- though he would probably have to eventually. There were still things she wanted to know, however. Like- what was the deal with that cat who was communicating with the dogs? Had Jasminefur noticed him? If he did, would he know who that was? Brightfrost didn’t recognize that cat from any Gatherings, but it was possible he was one of Jasminefur’s Clanmates. Although...the thought that anyone would turn on their own Clanmates so violently was hard to believe. She had heard WindClan cats were traitorous- but she couldn’t think about that now.
She was curious about Jasminefur himself. Why had he been chosen by StarClan? She was sure they had made the right choice- she just wanted to know the reason. He claimed there was nothing important about him. And there wasn’t anything obviously impressive about him. He had done a good job of saving Fernkit, but Brightfrost guessed there were plenty of cats in WindClan that could have outrun the dogs for long enough. And he wasn’t a particularly strong or courageous fighter- she had seen that in her dream. But he must have some kind of hidden strength. Being near him just felt right.
“I feel like I don’t know you at all. We were basically strangers until a few sunrises ago.” Even if she had briefly seen him at a Gathering or two, she had usually been dissuaded from talking to anyone from WindClan. So she normally only met WindClan cats on the battlefield- and she hadn’t even seen Jasminefur there. “I guess...I want to know everything. I want to know what you’re thinking and feeling.” She paused. “I even want to know what you were like before...all of this.”
She moved close enough to him that their whiskers were touching. She looked into his eyes; hers were filled with a brilliant sparkle- almost like that of the moonlight hitting the snow. “In order to help you- I need to really know you. We’re partners now.”
|
|
Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Nov 23, 2021 13:12:41 GMT -5
It wasn't possible for Jasminefur to argue that she didn't know him very well, and he felt the same about him and not knowing almost any cat in ThunderClan. He remembered very clearly the one time he dared associate with a ThunderClan cat--he couldn't even remember her name. Ashpaw? Applepaw? He couldn't say he had even recognized her in the camp, now that so many moons has passed. There wasn't a cat in WindClan who came to his defense when his fellow apprentice ratted him out to the senior warriors, and Jasminefur was heavily punished.
So he nodded slowly with agreement as she said they had basically been strangers--he hadn't exactly been the top pick for skirmishes, and that was probably for the better given that he wasn't particularly memorable to Brightfrost's clanmates, because he probably wasn't responsible for any of their noteable wounds. He blinked with a bit of uncertainty as she explained exactly what she wanted to know--nothing short of anything he had to tell her. His expression seemed to grow a little uncomfortable as she said she wanted to know what was going through his mind and his heart.
He wanted to ask if that was actually important information--what did it have to do with StarClan and whatever this 'mission' for them was, if Brightfrost was correct about them having some sort of destiny? But no, that wasn't it--she wasn't asking about him in relationship with StarClan anymore.
He took in a silent breath as she drew closer, so close that he felt the slight tickle of her whiskers against his, her face consuming his vision and her eyes locking his attention in as he could see nothing but the pretty sincere sparkle within her eyes. They shined as bright as the moon he had seen only moments ago, but her eyes seemed to demand his attention more than the moon did. Was it how sincere her eyes were, or...or was it how her eyes were so sincerely pretty? Wh-what? What in the name of StarClan are you thinking?! Stay on topic! He blinked at her, growing a bit flustered at just how close she was, as his mind veered off in its own direction as he struggled to keep focus on what she was asking him for.
"We're partners now." Her words echoed in his head, and her assertion that she needed to know him to help him...the sheer fact she wanted to help him--in combination with how close she was and how pretty she seemed with the moonlight glowing behind her--left him stammering for a good response to her various questions. He felt paralyzed, his paws not responding to his brain's command to back up a little, to get a little bit of space to breathe--or was it that he didn't truly want to? He couldn't remember the last time he had been this close to a cat. Maybe just being close to someone else was a nice feeling he didn't want to fight against.
He tried to pull himself together, pulling his head out of the clouds and trying to center himself and come up with some response to the she-cat who seemed so eager for a response, to know anything that had to do with him.
"W-well, I..." He gulped, his voice dripping with apprentice-like nervousness. "I...I don't think there's a lot to say about how I was before," He struggled with each word as her intense, pretty, glimmering eyes peered into his. "W-what do you want to hear? I mean, I wasn't....I never fought very well, but I hunted...a-and I'm really good at the apprentices' duties, b...because I....well..." He felt a wave of shame flow over him. "I'm assigned to them constantly." He gulped, finally managing to tear his eyes from her intense gaze, to stare at the ground between their paws. "I don't know what else there is to say about myself before then."
|
|
|
Post by berryjuice on Dec 8, 2021 6:11:28 GMT -5
Brightfrost considered what Jasminefur was really telling her. He obviously still didn’t think he was very special- but they would surely figure out that he was. It seemed like the only thing he thought he was good at were apprentice duties, which…was that why StarClan had chosen him? She had never cared about that after she had become a warrior…or before, really. She had always been annoyed about taking time away from her training in order to remove ticks from the elders or clean the nursery. Maybe there was something valuable to take away from these tasks.
But more importantly, she felt she had just had information about how WindClan felt about Jasminefur made more clear. It didn’t seem that his Clan thought very much of him if they had him doing apprentice duties rather than something important. Especially since she now knew that it wasn’t like WindClan didn’t have any apprentices; with a sick feeling, she remembered Lightpaw from her dream. It made her annoyed- that WindClan would neglect him, when he was obviously someone quite special. Those WindClan cats must have been rather foolish. “I’m sure you did a lot for them. Apprentice stuff has to get done for a reason, right?”
If she and Jasminefur had been Clanmates, would she have the same outlook of him? Whenever she had thought about her Clanmates, she often thought about them in terms of what skills they had and whether they annoyed her. Would she have just thought of Jasminepaw as someone that she didn’t have to worry about losing to in a training bout? Would she have thought of Jasminefur as just another cat to do chores around camp? Even if they had grown up in the same Clan…Brightfrost didn’t know if she would have thought of him much. She did want to believe that she would have, though. Surely StarClan would have given her a sign- or she simply would have recognized whatever was special about him sooner.
She was quiet for a few moments, and his mention of hunting makes her remember her promise to teach him. Surely there was a lot to learn about him through talking, but she felt that sometimes the best way to understand someone was to work with them. If they were Clanmates, they would have already been on patrols together and even fought side by side. Covering that ground was more difficult with a cat that had suddenly appeared in her life from another Clan. “Let’s go hunting,” she says, her voice lighter. “This snow will probably have everyone complaining about prey shortages soon, and mouths to feed; we can prove that they don’t have anything to worry about.” She smiles to him. “Maybe we can even find a rabbit for Fernkit.”
She stood, feeling colder once her side was no longer pressed against Jasminefur’s. “You shouldn’t feel bad if you’re not as good at hunting here as you were in WindClan. It’s pretty different. Instead of chasing prey, it’s usually like…we’re trying not to chase them. The best is if the prey doesn’t know you’re there until your teeth are around its neck.” She felt excited at the thought. It had been too long since she had been hunting and she missed it. She had been on border patrols rather than hunting patrols for a couple sunrises, and then she had been given the responsibility to guard Jasminefur- which had prevented her from doing much of anything. “Sometimes, if the prey does run away, you can be smarter than them and make sure they have nowhere left to go. Like- you can scare them into a corner or up a tree.” She paused to remember how angry Autumneyes had been about her risking Jasminefur’s health during the battle training. “...you probably shouldn’t try climbing trees just yet.”
She tasted the air- thankfully, there hadn’t been enough to snow to cover scent trails very thoroughly. She crouched down, using underbrush and piles of frozen leaves as cover as she slowly moved forward with her tail held carefully still. Her ears pricked and she looked towards a vole that was peeking out of a nearby bush, several foxlengths away. It appeared relatively unaware, not used to many cats being out hunting at this time. She looked to Jasminefur, then back to the vole, signaling for him to make a move.
|
|
Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 26, 2021 5:37:50 GMT -5
It was difficult to argue that the tasks he always wound up with weren't important--no cat would be happy without a nest to sleep on or with a whole elder's den yowling in their ears. But Jasminefur remembered clearly the mean-spiritedness he always seemed to encounter when assigned these tasks by most cats. He could remember some exceptions, but most of them just seemed annoyed by his existence and ready to get him out of their fur.
Jasminefur nodded towards her as she suggested they hunt, keen on the idea of giving the Thunderclan cats one less reason to hate him. He perked up even further as she mentioned trying to find a rabbit for his last clanmate, at least that he knew of. For just a moment, he flashed back to his camp--not seeing Rosepelt--and he sighed quietly. "Yeah. I think a rabbit would make her really happy." He murmured quietly, setting it as a goal to be on the lookout for.
His ears perked up and he tilted his head at her, confused by her description of hunting in the Thunderclan territories. "No wonder Thunderclan cats are so slow. You all never have to chase to get your catch," He mocked playfully, traces of a smile on his face. Of course, he had learned that sort of comment from his clanmates, but there wasn't the sort of malice behind it that another cat might have. He followed along as she described the normal Thunderclan cat's mindset, outsmarting the prey rather than outrunning it, but his eyes widened as she suggested scaring them up a tree, supposedly to follow it up?
Thankfully, Brightfrost turned a 180 on the idea, and he sighed in relief. Being high up didn't sound like a lot of fun, most likely to lead to nauseation and an inability to get back down. His relief showed itself in his facial expression.
"It will-" He had glanced away for a moment to look at the trees around him, but Jasminefur cut himself off when he looked back to Brightfrost and saw she had taken a hunter's crouch, and he watched with a learner's interest as she crept forward, utilizing the sorts of cover that would never be found in the Windclan territory to mask her approach.
He realized he should probably get down as well, just in case whatever prey she had found happened to look their way. She would be ticked off, and rightfully so, if he ended up giving her catch the warning it needed to get away.
Then Brightfrost looked back at him, and gave him a signal. What? Me? A bout of panic suddenly struck him and he started staring wide-eyed at the traces of prey he could just barely see from the bush closer to Brightfrost--but after a few moments, it seemed like Jasminefur got his head back out of the sky. He gulped, thinking back through the simple steps he had seen Brightfrost go through.
A slow, careful stalk forward--navigating towards bushes and greenery that would mask partially, if not completely, her approach--she ducked down by a pile of leaves, certainly not completely concealing her, but maybe improving her chances of not being spotted if the prey looked her way. He was starting to see what she meant by using the clever tools around her rather than outright speed.
He started replicating her path, making his way from far behind her, to a nearly frozen stiff bush, then towards the same pile of leaves she had used to conceal himself. His crouch was a bit awkward--the ground under his paws was cold and wet from the snow, unlike the moors which didn't have this type of earthy texture. But, he obviously knew how a cat crouched, and he made it closer without breaking any twigs or leaves.
He thought about what she had said again. Maybe it was too hard to scare it up a tree, but if he scared it right into Brightfrost's paws...?
He started circling around, taking a path that she hadn't. He started looking back and forth between the path to his side and the vole, making sure he wasn't about to break anything underpaw as well as assuring he was circling around the creature without making it aware of his presence. Something told him that the snow, with its soft, blankety features, was making this just a hair easier as it almost softened every step--there wasnt much yet, but it was starting to visibly pile on the forest floor. It was a strange coincidence that they had made it out of camp to hunt at a time with snow.
Before he knew it, he was almost hugging a patch of bushes opposite of Brightfrost. He looked at her uncertainly, wondering if his idea was a sensible one. Whether it was or not, she looked stoic and ready, just like any point during these last few days--and he launched off his paws towards the vole.
|
|
|
Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2021 6:13:13 GMT -5
Brightfrost watched Jasminefur closely. She felt proud as she saw how well he was doing. Really, it was his talents- but her having been able to teach him something made her feel good. She could almost hear her Clanmates yelling about giving away ThunderClan strategies. But she didn’t think there was any harm in him knowing the basics of how they hunt. And maybe they would ultimately be happy if he were able to contribute to the Clan’s prey pile. He wouldn’t just be another mouth to feed.
When she noticed him looking back at her, she smiled and gave a slight nod. She didn’t want to say anything- she didn’t want to risk scaring off the vole when they were so close to catching it. But her eyes were sparkling with encouragement. She felt her excitement grow as she prepared for Jasminefur to make his move. She couldn’t let him down. If he was putting this effort into the hunt, then she would finish the job.
The vole shot out from where it had stopped to take a brief rest. It was clear that Jasminefur had done a good job of sneaking- the prey seemed entirely taken off guard. It was so focused on bolting away from this predator that had suddenly appeared before it, that it simply took off running in a direction. Unfortunately for the vole, that direction led to another predator that it hadn’t noticed.
Brightfrost sprung into action near-instantly once she saw the path that the vole was taking. Though she may have had difficulty hunting as a young apprentice, those days were behind her. It was clear that she was very trained; every movement she made was purposeful. Moments before it would have entered her claws, the vole swerved towards the roots of a tree. But it was too late- with the sort of powerful pounce that ThunderClan cats were known for, she was soon descending onto the poor rodent. With the air knocked out of its lungs, it didn’t put up much of a fight as she killed it with a quick bite to the neck.
She brought it over to Jasminefur with her tail held high. He had done so well- his first hunt on ThunderClan territory had yielded results. “You learn quick. It was smart, how you used the plants and stuff around you to keep hidden.” He did have more skill than he let on. He seemed clever enough to figure things out- and they had a lot to figure out. Things that would be harder than hunting- but still, she thought this was a good sign. She thought about how the way he had hunted told her more about him. If she were in his position, she would have focused on getting the catch herself. But instead, he chose to put himself into a position where the vole would run towards his hunting partner- allowing them to catch the vole together. If he hadn’t gone for a cooperative solution, they might have lost the vole entirely- just like she had at times, though she didn't like to think about that. Maybe the ways he was different from her could be a good thing. She smiled, her eyes warm and sincere. “We make a good team.”
She nudged the vole closer to him. “When we go back into camp, you should be carrying the vole. So if anyone sees us, they’ll know that it’s you who’s providing for the Clan.” She thought for a moment. “I wouldn’t mind staying out later. But we do need to make sure you get some more sleep eventually- or Autumneyes won’t be too happy.” She looked sympathetic- she knew how difficult it could be to get a full night's sleep after dreams from StarClan. And his had seemed to really frighten him; she wouldn’t blame him for wanting to stay awake.
|
|
Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 26, 2021 7:42:28 GMT -5
Jasminefur sucked in a deep breath as the vole darted in the general direction of Brightfrost, treading along its path with quick steps. He thought that maybe, if Brightfrost missed it, he might be able to charge after it with his WindClan speed, but he knew that having to dart around trees and bushes would slow him down considerably, and the vole was much smaller than he was, capable of fitting down small spaces that they couldn't.
Thankfully, it wasn't necessary to take that path, as Brightfrost expertly landed down and stunned it, delivering a fast blow which saw it dead in mere seconds. He let out a loud sigh of relief, glad he didn't mess this up for the both of them.
It was hard for him not to match her disposition, his own tail lifting in apprentice-like glee as he watched the vole dangle from her jaws. He couldn't deny this, that he was one half of the two parts that made this catch possible. His eyes shone and he looked down and away as she praised his smarts, bashfully trying to deflect it away but only managing to stumble over his own words.
He finally looked back up at her as she commented on their teamwork. He had to acknowledge they had managed to communicate almost effortlessly with each other without saying a word--nonverbal communication wasn't much of a neccessity along the vast, sprawling moors with nowhere to hide, but here, he could already tell how important it was. "I think you make a good teacher." He murmured quietly.
He looked down at the vole as she nudged it towards him, unsure what she wanted him to do until she explained her thought process. He looked back up at her, giving a slight nod of understanding. It made sense--even if she had killed it, they wanted ThunderClan to see, if anyone was awake, that he was feeding the Clan--even if they would find a way to be irritated about that too.
His tail drooped a bit as she reminded him that they had a worried medicine cat looming over them as they were out and about. This had been a great distraction so far, but he knew that as soon as they headed back into camp, he was going to have a hard time keeping his nightmare from crashing back into him. He nodded, looking up towards the sky, and the snow. Was it starting to come down faster? Thanks to the rush to catch the vole, he wasn't so cold anymore. "Do you want to hunt for something else? Or...talk....a bit?" He had no idea whether there were any particularly sheltered spots around the trees where they could comfortably chat, but if she was willing to stay out longer, he preferred that to going back to the camp. And maybe if they went looking for a place to rest, they would see a rabbit on the way.
He bent down and picked up the vole, and looked attentively to her.
|
|
|
Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2021 8:54:42 GMT -5
Brightfrost felt another bit of pride at the statement that she was a good teacher. Maybe it was just flattery, but she didn't care. She thought it was certainly not a compliment her Clanmates would give. And she liked the idea that she had had a positive impact on Jasminefur- that maybe she had allowed him to achieve something he otherwise wouldn't have. “You’re a good student.”
Though it was true that Brightfrost didn't want to worry Autumneyes, she was a bit relieved when Jasminefur recommended they stay out a bit later. There was something pleasant about just the two of them being out together. She didn't have to worry as much about her Clanmates and their judgements. She only had Jasminefur to worry about- and he was rather easy to get along with, even if he could be strange at times. They worked together so well, she thought. And spending more time together would help even more. Like she had said earlier, it was important that they get to know each other.
So, she didn’t need to be convinced to stay out longer. “Yeah- we can talk and keep an eye out for any more prey. Maybe we’ll be able to catch more off-guard.” She walked over to the tree roots where the vole had tried to hide and helped Jasminefur bury it there- thankfully, the ground hadn’t frozen enough to make this too difficult. She also covered it with leaves and snow, obviously taking care to make sure that they would definitely have something to bring back. That, and she didn’t like the idea of the product of their first hunt going to waste.
Then, she walked with him deeper into ThunderClan territory and closer to the lake, leaving two trails of pawprints that would likely become covered by the snow. She thought back to their reason for being out here in the first place: Jasminefur’s dream. It still made Brightfrost curious. And of course, she still had questions about the strangeness of the dog attack- but there were some things she wasn’t sure she should bring up. She didn’t want to freak him out when he had just started to enjoy himself a little. She probed, as gently as she was capable of, “Um- do you want to talk about what’s bothering you? Like what you saw in your sleep?” She paused for a moment, studying his expression. It was his vision to do with what he wanted- she couldn’t disrespect StarClan’s wish for him to know whatever it was. “If you think talking about it would help.”
|
|
Shadowstartheleader
Friendship Rank 4
~The world may be dark, we may be lost forever, but we stand a chance as long as we're together~
Posts: 617
|
Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 26, 2021 12:16:36 GMT -5
Jasminefur just couldn't help but blush red as Brightfrost turned his compliment back on him, telling him he was a good learner. Being a ThunderClan cat's student wasn't something he had ever expected...but if he pleased her enough based on his performance under her teachings....Jasminefur didn't really mind, given the horrible circumstances that led him to be here.
Jasminefur was more than pleased when Brightfrost agreed to stay out longer, and he eagerly nodded in agreement when she stated they could half pay attention for prey and half pay attention to each other. He followed along with Brightfrost as she led him to bury the prey, and given that the snow had not been around long, it was no problem to bury it as a ThunderClan cat would. When they had finished burying it, he turned to face Brightfrost again.
For some reason, he found an incredibly pleasant feeling filling him as they started padding through the territory, Brightfrost leading him to who knows where. He could see behind them, when casting a glance behind them, two sets of pawprints, one certainly larger than the other. He blinked with uncertainty, then quickly glanced at his paws. He silently compared his paws to her's, glancing in between both sets to compare, and realized that her's were significantly more musculed and larger than his.
He didn't know what to say as she suddenly brought up the dream that He examined her face closely, trying to detect any emotions she had as far as his dreams went. He already knew she was a devout to StarClan, and he could guess she was probably looking for reasons to justify what was happening to them according to StarClan. Another cat might have felt negatively about Brightfrost's perspective--and Jasminefur couldn't say he was a devout StarClan worshipper--but the thing was that he really had liked Brightfrost so far.
He didn't mind her bringing the subject up, and he started recalling the horrors of the nightmare that he had seen. He didn't know how to communicate what he had seen, and that probably was clear in his confused and tortured facial expression as he walked alongside her, slowly, step by step, drawing closer to Brightfrost's warm, fluffy pelt.
"There were...there were dogs. A cat from StarClan was talking to me. I...I have to think about...." He gulped, biting his lip. "I have to put it in order. It was like a sequence of events, and...it...it was terrifying. I have to...reorganize it..."
|
|