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Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2021 13:26:21 GMT -5
Brightfrost slowed down with him and listened attentively to what Jasminefur was telling her. It made sense that he would have been dreaming about the dogs. Even a regular cat in his situation likely would be. But she knew it was more complicated than a simple nightmare for Jasminefur. StarClan must have had something very important to show him. And sometimes, their important messages just couldn't be simple. She had to admit that sometimes she had no idea what even her own dreams were telling her. But there was nothing more important than figuring it out.
She leaned into Jasminefur, unconsciously at first. But then, she wanted to comfort him. She was sure this was difficult and that he was doing his best to receive StarClan’s wisdom. She felt his heartbeat against her side. Maybe everything about a WindClan cat was swift. "We can find a way to figure everything out." Her tail brushed against his. She looked up at the stars and wondered if they were listening. She supposed that even when the two of them were outside ThunderClan’s camp, they were still being watched. "StarClan wouldn't have sent you that message if you couldn't handle it. They made that dream for you." At the point in their walk where they were closest to WindClan territory, they moved over the fallen trunk of a huge tree, charred by lightning. Brightfrost jumped on top and gently helped Jasminefur over, her paws guiding his. She seemed to be growing more considerate and careful with him- Autumneyes' lecture had obviously worked in that regard. And besides, he was too important for her to let anything happen to him.
She was quiet for several moments, thinking carefully. She spoke again after a moment, "One thing's for sure. They must want us to deal with the dogs- to make the territories safe again." She paused again, thinking of how strong the dogs she had seen were. And of the strange additional factor- the cat that seemed able to command them. "I still don't know exactly how. But I know we can do it. It's like the dreams- StarClan wouldn't have given us this destiny if we weren't the right cats for it."
She paused as they reached the top of a slope, next to a strong tree. Below them was the edge of the lake. The waves made a pleasant sound as they lapped gently at the shores. Brightfrost sat under the tree, where not as much snow could reach. She liked to climb up and enjoy the view- but as she had realized earlier, she was not willing to risk Jasminefur's safety to teach him that.
She watched the snow fall into the lake and melt away in the dark water, not yet cold enough to be frozen over. They could see the island in the distance- she almost felt like it was waiting for them. She looked to Jasminefur, then back out. "When we go to the Gathering, we'll learn more about what's going on. And then we can figure out the right path." To reassure both herself and Jasminefur, she added, "Things won't be so unclear forever."
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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~
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 26, 2021 14:07:42 GMT -5
It was difficult for Jasminefur to consider that that nightmare had been 'made' for him. It was an extremely unpleasant event, and he almost found himself pulling away from Brightfrost as she suggested it; but the power of her suggestion kept him close, and she quickly made it clear that she felt he wouldn't have received that message if they weren't meant to deal with the current issue together.
Jasminefur couldn't not notice how closely Brightfrost was guiding him as they moved through the more delicate parts of the ThunderClan territory; a more arrogant or indignant cat might have made a big deal of it, but as he felt Brightfrost's strong paws guiding his, Jasminefur didn't complain at all, and he followed her lead as she led him to StarClan knew where.
Jasminefur sucked in a tense, cold breath of snowy air as Brightfrost swore she believed that they could handle the dogs. it was difficult for Jasminefur, a cat who had seen an entire clan of strong, able warriors, slaughtered beneath the jaws and claws of dogs, to believe they could take down the threat so easily. Despite that, Jasminefur's eyes remained focused (yet tense, and worried) upon Brightfrost's, fixed together like a spider to its cobwebs. He didn't say anything--what could he say? He felt a certain degree of uncertainty, but at this point, what good would it do to voice it?
Jasminefur settled down beside her as soon as Brightfrost had--he drew closer to the warm, fluffy she-cat, grateful for the lack of snow but still a little bit cold nonetheless. The trek through the territory had left him colder than during their catch of the vole, and he clung notably to the warmth that his long-furred counterpart offered.
It was really difficult to imagine what was awaiting them on the island where the Gathering was held every moon. Nothing in his life had ever been so life-changing as the attack on WindClan, and he was struggling to figure how he was going to take a normal Gathering after such a traumatic event.
Of course, they were going to bring up the attack--but the other clans....how would they take it? Would Specklestar really give it the gravity that it deserved? Jasminefur hadn't exactly been given a reason to distrust him, but he also feared that being a ThunderClan leader, the cat might decide that there might be some advantage to not giving the situation its proper gravity. If ThunderClan could quietly hunt on WindClan's territory...
Jasminefur shook his head with an almost disgusted look on his face. What was he thinking? Certainly the leader was well aware that they couldn't hunt with dogs on the territory--hadn't Specklestar warned of that himself?
"I just..." Jasminefur's voice rang with a horrible sort of concern. "I hope someone survived. Anyone. I...If I'm all that's left, then...." Jasminefur gulped, trailing off into silence as the snow fell a little distance away from their protected shelter.
He slowly drew closer to Brightfrost, fearful of the possibility of not finding a single clanmate left. Soon, his muzzle was pressing against her shoulder, seeking shelter in her warmth without considering that she was a ThunderClan cat. He buried his face in her fur, a quiet sob sounding from him, though he managed to keep it from breaking into a river. "We have to find them, and we have to save WindClan," He murmured, muffled, into her fluffy fur.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2021 15:03:42 GMT -5
Brightfrost also wondered about how Specklestar would deal with the issues at hand. She knew that he was concerned. What leader wouldn't be concerned about there being dogs near their Clan's territory? She thought he would work with the other leaders to help deal with the dogs.
However, she was less sure that he would give much attention to the issue of one of the Clans being missing. There were many generations of bad blood between ThunderClan and WindClan. And she knew ThunderClan would prefer to focus on growing stronger and more dominant rather than spend energy helping another Clan- let alone their biggest enemy. She wanted to believe that Specklestar understood how important it was for there to be four Clans by the lake. But even if he did, she knew that he was often persuaded by whatever the rest of the Clan wanted, especially its more respected warriors. And they would be happy to be rid of WindClan.
She looked to Jasminefur, surprised as he sobbed into her. Even her Clanmates rarely looked to her for comfort- she didn't expect a cat from a rival Clan to do so, even if they had been spending a lot of time close together. But this feeling didn't last long. She was empathetic towards him, thinking of how hard it must be to cope with what he had seen. The past was painful, and the future was uncertain- especially since they had no idea whether they would meet more WindClan cats at the Gathering.
Jasminefur needed her, so she would be there for him. To give protection, or comfort- anything. "You're not alone." She really wanted him to believe that- to believe that she would be by his side through his journey. That he didn't have to face anything on his own. She nuzzled him firmly and pressed her body against his, as if trying to keep him warm. She groomed him rhythmically behind his ears, as she remembered her mother doing whenever she was scared as a kit.
Thinking about her mother sent chills down her spine despite their shared warmth. The memory of Icestorm cast a shadow on Brightfrost's thoughts of the future. Was she planning on dedicating herself to saving WindClan- the Clan that had taken her mother away? If one of the WindClan survivors was the cat that killed Icestorm, could she help him the way she was helping Jasminefur? Were there more cats in WindClan with so little decency that they would take the life of a nursing queen? Surely, Jasminefur would never…
Brightfrost pressed tighter against Jasminefur, trying to repel the cold that had come from her mind. She did her best to bury thoughts of Icestorm's lifeless eyes and the fiercely anti-WindClan sentiment she had been raised with. She couldn't let any of that get in the way. Especially when their destiny was more important than any battles that had been fought between their Clans, and even- Brightfrost struggled through a rising feeling of guilt- even more important than Icestorm. Surely, her mother would understand- she was with StarClan now, and had their wisdom. Brightfrost was above the rivalry between the Clans. She had to be.
Jasminefur needed her.
"We will save WindClan. I promise- I will." Brightfrost spoke to herself as much as Jasminefur. Even if they didn't have ThunderClan's support, she would find a way. She remained close against him- any uncertainty that might have been in her eyes was gone. It was replaced with determination and sympathy. She wrapped her tail around him, letting him cry against her for as long as he needed.
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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
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 29, 2021 7:42:28 GMT -5
"I know," It was a quiet mew from Jasminefur, who pulled his muzzle out of her fur after she physically comforted him. "Youv'e already promised me that. I just feel...a little hopeless about all this," He looked out into the distance, focusing on the island. His mind drifted a little, thinking back to moons and moons ago, his first moon as an apprentice, when he sat down amidst ThunderClan, RiverClan and ShadowClan apprentices gazing up at their leaders. Wrenstar stood powerfully with a no-nonsense expression, ready to report they were strong and ready for any situation, as it was every moon.
He snapped from his light trance as his eyes caught movement on the island, something dashing behind one bush to another. He blinked, trying to narrow his eyes to see if he could spot the thing again, but it was too far. Had some prey made it to the island? A small part of him wanted to point it out and suggest they check it out, but Autumneyes' warnings sounded in his head, and he reluctantly dismissed the idea.
It seemed he had cried enough the last few days, and what was left was a mixture of near-hopelessness, yet desperation. Brightfrost was far more confident about saving WindClan than he was, which struck him as ironic given that their allegiances were the other was around. He let out another heavy sigh. "We just have to focus on getting to the Gathering tomorrow. We'll find anyone who survived, and...we'll hope they put the Warrior Code before self-interest." Jasminefur hoped they could call upon the other clans to follow StarClan's law; that there were to be four clans. He was certain that, if given the chance, ThunderClan was likely to let ThunderClan perish, if most of the cats got their way. It was going to be a tricky battle of convincing the other clans, appealing to their honor.
Brightfrost was clearly a better speaker, better at standing up against an opposing force than he was. He wondered if she could speak for him at the Gathering. He doubted it; the clans were going to want to hear it from his mouth, right? They wanted to hear from a witness, and Fernkit obviously wasn't going. "Tomorrow...I..." He gulped. "I think I'm going to have to describe...exactly what...." He bit his lip, his eyes quickly beginning to wet once more, though he once again held any tears back.
He turned to the side to look at Brightfrost. "I should..." He looked pensative, a little uncertain of himself. It occurred to him that there was a fairly unbelievable element. A cat who seemed to....bark? And dogs seemed to listen to him? How in StarClan's name would he explain that? "I think I should tell you, first. I mean...They're going to want details tomorrow, I think. More than I could tell Specklestar." He remembered how hard it was to choke out any sort of answer when he first arrived at ThunderClan, wounded from the dog and torn apart from the attack. "I mean...Only if you want to hear what I saw. It was..." What word was their that could describe what he had seen? What word could adequetely encapsule his experience in a way she could understand it, truly understand it?
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Post by berryjuice on Jan 2, 2022 9:21:51 GMT -5
Brightfrost mumbled an agreement about the Warrior Code. She had always been taught that the other Clans cared much less for the code than ThunderClan did. Some of it may be exaggerated, but Icestorm’s death proved that many of them cared less about the rule against killing than they should. And it hadn’t been long since they had a death in a squabble against ShadowClan. RiverClan…truth be told, she hadn’t had much direct interaction with them, since they would have to cross WindClan to cause ThunderClan much trouble. But there were always rumors of RiverClan and WindClan teaming up to exterminate ThunderClan. She didn’t really know enough about the affairs of other Clans to say whether there was any truth to that, but well…maybe for this, it would be good if RiverClan did see WindClan as an ally?
She sighed. “I wish I knew more about the other Clans. I uh…don’t see cats from other Clans much, except in battle. There was that time I had to escort Autumneyes to a medicine cat thing, and obviously there’s Gatherings…we’re not supposed to get too friendly at those, though.” She thought back to what Jasminefur’s mother had said in her dream. She needed to understand why the four Clans were important. That made it frustrating to realize that she hadn’t tried very hard to truly get to know WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan. Even ThunderClan was a mystery to her at times…
She looked to Jasminefur as he talked about what he would need to share at the Gathering; she was still desperate to know every last detail she could. After all, anything could lead them closer to a solution. And there were so many questions that she had. Most of these questions surrounded the barking cat. What was his plan? What was he going to do with the dogs next? Was he really talking to them, or was that just part of some strange lesson that StarClan was trying to teach her? After all, she could never know exactly what in her dreams was real or what it meant.
“Please tell me,” said Brightfrost softly, her attention fixed on him. She didn’t want to be too pushy, but this was important- if Jasminefur had any other information, they couldn’t delay. “It’ll help if we all know what we’re dealing with- especially before we get to the Gathering. And if you want to tell Autumneyes or Specklestar or whoever, I can help with that.”
She did think it was probably best to let Specklestar know what was happening, so that he could communicate the proper information to the others at the Gathering. After all, he would likely be listened to more than a young warrior like her. But then again, she knew that Specklestar often needed…help in making decisions. So whatever they told him would likely be shared with his trusted warriors. Maybe that wasn’t so bad, but for now Brightfrost just needed to make sure she knew everything that Jasminefur and StarClan had to offer.
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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
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Jan 28, 2022 20:39:22 GMT -5
It was hard for Jasminefur not to identify with how Brightfrost described her experience with the other clans. ThunderClan was their mortal enemy, but their neighhbor, RiverClan, had never been particularly friendly with them; there was always a concern about the neighboring clan taking advantage of the constant skirmishes with ThunderClan to seize some territory, and as a result there wasn't ever really true calm and peace in the WindClan camp.
So it wasn't difficult for him to sympathize as she expressed not knowing the clans very well. He had had a refusal to befriend any cat from other clans strongly pressed into him as well; his mind flashed with an image of the young ThunderClan apprentice from moons ago and he sighed in some sort of exasperated agreement--it was a shame the way they had been raised, not even allowed to have a friend from another clan.
Jasminefur slowly breathed in a deep breath as Brightfrost softly requested he tell her what he had seen. It was a bit reassuring that she was ready to help him tell any other cat what he had experienced, but Jasminefur's mind was going straight to panic mode--what was he supposed to tell her about the snow-white cat who had seemed to command the dogs with authority? Surely, even Brightfrost would cast his story aside upon hearing that...
So it was that the tom-cat began nervously sweating. He looked down at the ground at his paws for a long while, almost a minute--it was clear he was going through the events in his head, reliving the horror as his face reflected the pain of the events he had been through.
And then, he picked his head up and gazed at her, a grave and dark look on his face, unusual for the depressed and skittish warrior. He exhaled a long breath, unblinking as he met her gaze, feeling within himself a phenomenal sense of trust for this she-cat he had only met days ago.
"I was out collecting for the elders," His tone of voice began flat and sour. Either he was bitter about being assigned the task, or he felt guilty about being out when the attack happened; given his previous self-blame, one seemed more likely than the other. "I caught the scent. I don't understand how I left without smelling them. I just wasn't paying enough attention," He looked down at his paws for a moment, guilt clawing down his flank as he thought about being so preocuppied with his thoughts that he didn't notice such a grave threat. What if he had smelled them sooner? What if he had warned the camp?
He looked back up at Brightfrost. "They were tearing the camp apart by the time I got there," Jasminefur's voice was beginning to waver. "I tried to help," He sucked in a breath, his gaze drifting to the side as he struggled to keep his composure. Flashbacks of cats being torn open beneath the teeth of dogs played through his mind, memories that he had no idea Brightfrost could imagine as well. "But it...it was hopeless. There were over a dozen of them. And they were...they were huge," Brightfrost could have recalled the large, burly and muscular types of dogs that had turned the WindClan camp into dust and blood. Jasminefur shed a tear, but it didn't break his composure as it slide down his cheek.
"I found my mom," He gulped, starting to struggle to speak as emotion swelled up within him. "I..." He flinched as he rememered his utter cowardice, his pathetic display of what a kit would do when faced with danger, or at least, that was how he reflected upon himself. "A dog came out of nowhere, and I didn't....I...I did nothing. I let it kill her," His voice cracked, aas he looked down at his paws, another tear sliding down the other cheek as he verbally blamed himself for what happened. He had certainly made it out like what had happened was completely his fault, but Brightfrost had seen the attack. Jasminefur didn't know that she would know better than to place the blame for his mother's death at his paws.
Suddenly, it didn't seem like it was just about telling her what had happened. Laden within his story was layers of guilt. And more.
"She died right in front of me," He choked on his words, unable to hold back a sob as it spilled forth. Unusual for him, his gaze turned back to face Brightfrost, almost like he needed to face her to tell her what a failure he was. "I let her die and ran away without even looking for my father and my sister," He held his breath as another sob threatened him, scared of breaking into another emotional downpour. He had to hold it for what felt like a moon--but it couldn't have been longer than a quarter minute. "My mom was trying to escape with Fernkit," He whimpered, looking down at his paws. "That was all I could do. Run away, and let cats die, and watch as some cat kil-" he stammered, swallowing his words as he realized, being caught up in his raw emotions, that he was letting too much slip. He couldn't tell Brightfrost about the strange cat, right? His eyes betrayed his panic as he stared down at his paws, aware he had said something weird, yet not willing to finish it. He hadn't even known he could express such feelings like this, but somehow, she had managed to bring it out of him. He tried to quickly shift the subject.
"So you see?" Tears were gently, slowly sliding down his cheeks, barely lit by the cold snow and the moonlight shining down on them. "I'm...nothing more than a coward." He settled down into the forest floor, feeling alone, feeling unworthy of even her company. "It wouldn't matter what clan it was...Any cat would be ashamed to have me as a clanmate."
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Post by berryjuice on Feb 17, 2022 4:54:47 GMT -5
Brightfrost listened closely, feeling guilty as she saw how difficult it was for Jasminefur to talk about this. But he would need to be ready to talk about it more- everyone was going to have a lot of questions, and they would need to know how to answer them. Even if it upset him…they needed to move forward. And she wasn’t really someone who knew how to do these kinds of things delicately. Autumneyes would probably be better at it, but things were complicated with her. And besides, Brightfrost was supposed to be the one helping him.
She thought about what she had seen of Petalfur’s death. Obviously Jasminefur felt guilty about it- why wouldn’t he? He hadn’t saved her. But that was the way of things sometimes, right? She thought back to Icestorm’s death. She always wanted to believe that if she had been older, if she had been there to fight by her mother’s side, then maybe things would have turned out differently. But there was a part of her that knew that was unrealistic. She wanted to believe that a good enough warrior could prevent any death- but that must not be true. Especially if StarClan had decided the fates of these WindClan cats.
“If you hadn’t run away…first of all, Fernkit wouldn’t have survived. Running away to save a kit- that doesn't make you a coward. It means you followed the warrior code. And…” She looked to him, thinking about how things might have been different if he had been killed by the dogs- which likely would have been the outcome if he had stayed to fight. Obviously StarClan needed him alive for something. Brightfrost took pride in being able to do things on her own, but clearly she was meant to fight alongside Jasminefur. Besides- if any WindClan cat were to survive, maybe he was worthy enough of it. He seemed kind, at least. Surely, he must deserve to have lived. “And you wouldn’t be here.” She nuzzled him gently, feeling his warm tears on the side of her face. “We need you to be here.”
She shifted her paws, as if not sure how to broach the subject. His mention of ‘some cat’ made her wonder what he might know- she couldn’t not ask. “Do you think it’s possible…that maybe the dogs weren’t there randomly?” Her voice had gotten quieter without her noticing, a if suddenly afraid that someone was listening. But who would be? By all appearances, it seemed they were very alone in ThunderClan territory. “Dogs are supposed to be pretty stupid, and they’re not supposed to stray far from Twolegplaces…isn’t it weird that they’d figure out where a camp in the middle of Clan territory is?” She paused, still not sure if he knew about the cat. And really, even she didn’t know much about it. “I think we should focus on the dogs and how to get rid of them, especially. But…you and I should be ready for anything.”
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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
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Feb 21, 2022 14:04:56 GMT -5
Jasminefur had already judged himself as guilty; he was laying out his crime before Brightfrost, and he expected a similar response. Even if she didn't hate him as much for the clan he was born in, wouldn't she see his lack of true value as a warrior when he ran at such a vital moment for WindClan?
But it seemed she wouldn't. She was determined to rationalize the choice that he had made when he hadn't been expecting that--and, probably, with the guilt that was clearly still racking him, it was likely that he didn't even really want it. As a result, it was difficult for him as she started laying out the plain facts of the situation he had been in.
Jasminefur could not help but flinch as she pointed out what fate would have been waiting for Fernkit if he hadn't ran away. He didn't want to think about it, but he couldn't stop his mind from travelling to the worst place possible. Fernkit being torn apart...yowling for her parents...his distress at the thought was visible on his face as she continued on.
He didn't get a chance to breath after those horrible thoughts as Brightfrost continued on, mentioning he had simply followed the Warrior Code. Maybe she was right, but it felt like he was meant to stay and try to save his leader, or fight with his clanmates--but no, when he thought to what he knew would have happened, he felt hopelessly trapped between the need to help his clanmates and the need to help the helpless kit. It felt like he couldn't win no matter what choice he had made.
And he couldn't tell whether he was supposed to feel guilty or grateful when she nuzzled him and stated that ThunderClan needed him there. How could that be true when almost every cat would likely tear him up and throw him out to foxes for dinner? But Jasminefur didn't need to argue with her. He knew that ThunderClan, and all of the clans needed to know what had happened. If they weren't warned, who knew if they might be ambushed as well?
And now there was this whole mess with some sort of message from StarClan. In the end, it was hard for Jasminefur to argue specifically against anything she was saying. And yet, he still found it hard to meet her gaze, to look her in the eyes and acknowledge that she was correct. When he was the only warrior to turn up from WindClan so far, and every other cat seemed to be gone...it was almost impossible to not feel like he had done something terribly wrong. How could he absolve himself when he was the only warrior known to have survived so far?
So, it was something of a relief when she started changing the subject--but the relief lasted only for passing moments, and he stared at her with an unreadable expression as she asked him if there was a chance the dogs had been...coordinated in some way, contrary to everything they knew about the beasts' intelligence. It was a strange question for her to ask, but then again, this was an awful, strange situation, and Jasminefur was still trying to put the pieces together, particularly how it could be that a snow-white cat he didn't recognize had made its way to the top of the camp during all the chaos. It seemed insane. And you're right. How could they figure out where the camp is? Why were this many dogs on their own without their twolegs, and all together like a pack?
He gave a frustrated sigh, looking up and gazing back into her eyes. He was still close to her, and though his tears had ceased his cheeks were still wet. "I don't have a clue, but it doesn't seem normal whatsoever. They never should have been that far from twolegs, and found our camp, and...." He let out a reflexive hiss, though he didn't mean it towards Brightfrost. How could they be ready for anything? His thoughts echoed her own--they needed to focus on the dogs. But she seemed to think something else was happening.
"Why? Do you think something's going on? Did...Did StarClan...say something to you?"
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Post by berryjuice on Feb 23, 2022 5:00:47 GMT -5
Brightfrost was quiet for a few moments and looked up at the stars. On the rare occasions she had tried to tell her Clanmates about her dreams, she was used to being looked at with skepticism at best and derision at worst. Stoneheart would just tell her that she should focus on her apprentice duties and stop making up stories. Autumneyes was usually the only one she could trust to listen- even then, she felt like she couldn’t share everything. But she needed to start trusting Jasminefur. He was just like her wasn't he? “Yes- they sent me a dream a couple of sunrises ago. A vision of blood and dogs and...a strange white cat.” She looked back to him contemplatively. She didn't want to admit that she didn't know exactly what her dreams meant- they should just focus on what they were going to do next. “I know there’s something more happening here than just a random dog attack. I think…someone may have planned this. I don’t know who or why, but we’re going to find out.”
“And I also think that we need to be really careful about who we talk to about this. I mean, Specklestar and the other leaders need to know what’s going on as much as possible to keep their Clans safe, but…we don’t really know who we can trust. We can’t tell the wrong thing to the wrong cat,” said Brightfrost. She wondered about what she had been told- that there were threats that she didn't know. What if there was a closer threat than the dogs or the white tom? “StarClan must want us to figure out what’s best for everyone.”
She paused, not wanting to freak Jasminefur out. If it was true that he had only recently had StarClan communicate with him, then this might be a lot to deal with all of a sudden. Not long ago, he must have thought of himself as being a regular cat whose biggest responsibilities were hunting and patrols. She held her head high and spoke confidently, “I- we’re meant for this.”
With determination ever in her eyes, she really seemed to believe what she was saying. And she did- now that she felt she understood Jasminefur a little bit more, she was sure that he had more strength than he thought. And maybe she could prove that to him someday- that it wasn't his fault that such awful things had happened, that his running away had been worth it, that he was capable of great things. It was destiny- he was part of something bigger, just like she was. “You’re right- this never should have happened. We’re going to make sure that whoever did this doesn’t get away with it.”
As a cold wind blew over the lake, she again felt like they were being watched. “We should go back soon. We don’t want anyone to wonder.” Obviously, she didn't want to get in trouble with Robinpatch. But she also didn't want other cats to know too much about what they were doing. They didn't know yet who their enemies were.
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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
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Feb 23, 2022 6:40:05 GMT -5
Jasminefur listened with a mixture of worry and curiosity as she affirmed that she had received a dream, but it all turned to shock as she mentioned a strange white cat. What did she mean by that? There was no way she could mean the stranger that had been standing above his leader as Jasminefur had fled the camp--could she? It was such a strange detail for StarClan to have shown her, and he felt a bit of an urge to mention that he might have seen the same cat the day of the attack.
But he bit his tongue as she continued speaking, pushing it back for now. Maybe he would get another chance to tell her--if she had seen him in her dream, she was more likely not to think he was crazy, right? He took in a deep breath as she postulated her own idea about what had happened--that it wasn't some freak, absurd accident. It was planned? But how in the name of StarClan...? Was it that cat? How did he get there with a pack of dogs on his tail? Or did he follow them? What is going on? His brain stirred with questions, and it showed on his face as he found himself increasingly without answers to every single one that occurred to him.
He listened intently, worry increasingly sending chills down his spine as Brightfrost mentioned she was worried about giving information away to the wrong cat. It was worrying to him because he was desperate for the help of this clan, but if they had to watch who they even told about their visions, and dreams, how could they trust anyone completely? What threat was there in trusting Brightfrost's own clanmates?
He stared at her, leaving behind the questions buzzing in his head as she mentioned it was their responsibility to figure out what was the best course for the clans-ThunderClan, and WindClan. His mind went blank. A couple days ago he didn't even know StarClan had something planned for him. A quarter-moon ago, he was nobody. How was he going to decide what was best for any other cat? He wished he could share a little bit of her confidence that they were meant for and able to handle this challenge--she sounded so certain, so unwavering when she spoke about it, and he just felt lost. He stood up as she mentioned they likely needed to get moving back towards the camp. His body complained as he lost the warmth she had offered to combat the snowy air, and he looked around with a shiver. "I guess we should," He murmured quietly. "You...You're meant for this, Brightfrost. I don't even know what I'm doing. Like I said, I don't even understand why StarClan would choose a cat like me for something...special. How am I supposed to know what is best for everyone?" His voice sounded with frustration, though he was pretty sure he already knew what she would say in response. "It seems you...have more experience with this, and I know that we're...supposed to work on this together," He turned away and turned to look up at Silverpelt, though it was impossible with the snow that was covering the sky. He blinked periodically as it battered his eyes. "But I really don't know what it means--us having to figure all of this out. I hope Starclan makes things clearer for us."
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Post by berryjuice on Feb 24, 2022 6:53:09 GMT -5
Brightfrost’s distrust of her own Clanmates was unusual, especially in ThunderClan where they were repeatedly told that they had to rely on each other, as anyone outside of the Clan was almost certainly out to get them. She had often heard about how any non-ThunderClan cat was willing to do anything to get what they wanted, and how they would take advantage of any moment that she had her guard down. That Clanmates had to have each other’s backs when no on else would.
And of course Brightfrost of all cats should understand that. Icestorm had been the victim of WindClan’s lack of honor, she had been told. Her death was more evidence that the biggest threats in the forest lay outside the safety of ThunderClan.
But she had always felt a separation from her Clan that she couldn’t quite explain. It was more than simply getting into quarrels with her fellow apprentices and not having any known living family in her Clan. She did feel a strong loyalty to ThunderClan and she believed that most of her Clanmates were good cats. Yet it didn’t take much to make her wonder if there might be a darkness in their midst. Was that wrong?
She glanced up at the sky again; flakes of snow settled on her whiskers. If nothing else, she could put her faith in the stars.
“I am meant for this. And I know that you are too.” She had been preparing for this her whole life. She couldn’t fail; she was sure of it. StarClan wouldn’t ask the wrong cats. “StarClan never does anything for no reason- so there must be something special about you.”
The two walked back through the territory that seemed to be growing colder around them. Brightfrost stayed close to Jasminefur, sharing her warmth. “I’m sure that StarClan will continue to guide us. They won’t leave us in the dark unless they know we can find our way.” She was still aware that he was in a fragile state. But she thought going out into the territory with him had been worth it. It was crucial that they learn to work well together- everything seemed to depend on it. She wished that she could find a way to get him to understand how important he was when he was so full of self-doubt. Well, if she couldn’t get him to believe in himself, she would have to make sure he at least believed in her. Tonight seemed like a step in the right direction- she would have to continue proving herself to him.
Her thoughts buzzed with ideas of evil cats and unknown threats as they returned to camp, stopping to pick up their prey on the way. She paused and listened for a few moments to make sure no one was awake before proceeding forward. Even Robinpatch was still asleep on guard duty.
A few paces after they made it through the thorn barrier, the elderly deputy stirred and looked to them irritably- surely about to ask them what they were doing up. Brightfrost smiled to him confidently, as if there were nothing sneaky about what she had been doing. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” she said, knowing that anyone finding out that Robinpatch was falling asleep on duty would surely justify the frequent muttering about him needing to retire.
Robinpatch huffed. “I can hear any enemies coming from a hundred foxlengths away, you know. No one’s ever gotten into the camp on my watch.”
“Yeah, I know.” Brightfrost was about to go back to the medicine den, but she thought again about the dog attack and how important it was for the camp to be well-guarded. “Just- let me finish your shift. I’m supposed to watch Jasminefur anyway, and you should be well-rested for climb-training tomorrow,” she said. Robinpatch narrowed his eyes at her. He was obviously suspicious and would normally be stubborn enough to refuse, but tonight he was just too tired. And maybe he understood that he needed to swallow his pride and accept that he wasn’t in the right shape for this duty.
He walked off to the warriors’ den, grumbling a bit under his breath. Brightfrost sat near the entrance of the camp. “You should probably go get some more sleep. But I’ll be here whenever you need me.” She had a responsibility to him and to ThunderClan. It wasn’t disloyal to question her Clanmates. She was doing all of this not just for StarClan, but for them. Whatever threat was out there- or in here- it was putting them all in danger. She was reminded again of what she had seen of the attack on WindClan. She couldn’t let that happen to her Clanmates- even if it meant she needed to isolate herself from them.
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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
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Mar 1, 2022 10:02:43 GMT -5
Jasminefur sighed quietly as Brightfrost repeated what she had said before. Yes, he knew that StarClan must have seen something that he hadn't, but he wanted to stress how out in the water he felt; that he didn't know where StarClan got the idea from. He just had to accept that she had greater faith in the web of plans StarClan was making than he did.
He hoped that she was right; he needed some sort of guidance about now, now that he was currently the sole survivor to his knowledge and he was hardly capable of saving his clan, if any other cats were still around to save. He felt in the dark. But Brightfrost was certain they'd be shown a glimmer of light. Well...What else is left to do? If StarClan has spoken to her before...Perhaps they will again. Jasminefur had a hard time seeing any other way forward, and he gazed at her thoughtfully as they retraced their path back to the ThunderClan camp. Eventually, despite being uncertain of how long he was to remain in ThunderClan, not knowing what awaited them when they went to the Gathering...he had to settle, at least for the time being, on following her certainty, the trust she placed in StarClan. He didn't have much else left.
Jasminefur jumped a little bit as Robinpatch suddenly stirred, but he found himself surprised as Robinpatch didn't immediately demand to know why he was outside the camp so late. Of course, he had been napping--and he had to fight to keep a smile from appearing on his face as Brightfrost teased the aging warrior. He caught on quickly to what she was doing--If Robinpatch kept his mouth shut, she would too. He resolved not to say anything, knowing that might make the senior warrior reconsider grumbling it off and taking the opportunity to be relieved of his watch over the camp.
But once he was gone, he flashed a smile at Brightfrost. Maybe she didn't get along with some of them, but she knew how to work them strategically--not just directly challenge them like she had had to in his first days in the camp. It reminded him, again, he was lucky to have her watching his back.
He was a little nervous to hear her sending him to Autumneyes' den on his own, but he figured at this time, no one would be likely to stroll in, and Brightfrost would still be watching anyways. Releasing an exhale, he nodded slightly. "Okay." He meowed quietly. "Good night, then." He murmured quietly, turning about and padding slowly away, entering and disappearing into the medicine cat's den.
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The next day was a long one for Jasminefur. Even accepting they just needed to push forward as a team, his anxiety couldn't be washed away. After a tough time helping the other warriors and apprentices in training against the dogs, he wasn't particualrly eager to attempt another activity like that. Most of the day, he had little more to do than endure the cold after the night's snow. He jumped at the opportunity to leave to hunt with Brightfrost, and he wasn't displeased when he managed to bring back a squirrel for some cat to (begrudgingly) enjoy.
But it was a long day, leaving him a bit more free to obsess over his anxieties, when he wasn't spending time with Fernkit. He was left in a prison of worry and reliving the worst day of his life. His quietness and reservation were almost total as the sun fell from the sky, and by the time cats were settling down to sleep, Jasminefur had made the decision that he needed, at the least, to see what was left. He wasn't sure what he would find. And he didn't know what he would do afterwards.
But, even with the Gathering so close, he needed to see his camp. Forget the dogs. Forget the danger. If they're still there...so be it. He could run fast if he had to--but he needed to know if anyone was left.
So he waited until he was beyond certain that Autumneyes and Brightfrost had drifted off to sleep before he slowly, methodically unwrapped himself from Brightfrost, stepping out of his nest, watching her the whole time to make sure she didn't stir.
It seemed like she almost did, and he froze, his eyes going wide as he froze in place for a time. He stared at her for what must have been half a minute, waiting for her eyes to fly open and for her to catch him. But they didn't, and he told himself to breathe a sigh of relief once he was outside the camp. He exited the den, swallowing to wet his dry throat as he believed he had done so without raising any alarm.
He looked to the guard who was laying down on his stomach, but was clearly not asleep as he absent-mindedly gazed out the entrance of the camp and poked at brambles that jutted out of a variety of its points. Jasminefur braced for his plan to fail--he had hoped it would be some cat like Robinpatch, that he would have drifted off like the day before. He slowly padded towards the entrance, eventually catching the attention of the cat.
Larchleap hadn't been introduced to Jasminefur, and the WindClanner didn't find him particularly memorable either. That was because Larchleap hadn't made a point of antogonizing the cat like some of his clanmates, and though he did feel a spark of alarm as the cat teetered at his peripheral vision, he merely stood up, not showing any sign of direct aggression. "Where do you think you're going?" It was a question that could be considered hostile, but his tone was fairly neutral, if a little brisk.
Jasminefur came to a stop a few paces away from him, taking in a deep breath, leaving behind that sigh of relief he had been saving. "Specklestar said that if I wanted, I was free to leave. I'm going to WindClan to see what is left." He murmured quietly, not seeing any use in lying to the cat. Maybe this cat would alert the rest of the clan, but what good would it be if he was already gone? Specklestar himself had said he had a right to leave....with...an escort.
Larchleap stared at Jasminefur for a few long seconds, a bit of tension hanging in between the two warriors as Jasminefur wonder how the WindClan cat would react. "Are you really that mouse-brained? If what you are saying is true, you could be padding into a pack of wild dogs. Do you have a death wish?"
It was Jasminefur's turn to stare at Larchleap in silence for awhile. The warrior's response almost sounded like some sort of concern for the WindClanner. It took him aback, and he had to recompose himself a bit before answering. "I...I know. But I need to see if my family is..." He struggled to say it. He couldn't imagine anything that would be...'left...' would be a pretty sight at this point. His gaze feel towards his paws, and he let out a shaky breath.
Larchleap was quiet again, wanting to repeat the idiocy that was strolling back into his territory if the threat he had spoken of was true. But if his mother, and his father might have perished, and he needed answers...would he react that differently? "Okay...just..." He sighed with a bit of irritation. "Let me wake Specklestar and get you an escort until the border. Then you're on your own."
He turned towards Specklestar's den and proceeded towards it at a brisk pace. He stepped inside and gently cleared his throat, gazing at the sleeping leader. He spoke up, a little more loudly than a conversational tone. "I'm sorry, Specklestar. I hate to wake you, but the WindClan cat...he says he's leaving."
Jasminefur didn't wait long--and thankfully, Larchleap didn't look back to check he was still there. He stepped out of the camp quietly, and set off at a fast pace in the direction of the WindClan border.
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Post by berryjuice on Mar 3, 2022 7:52:40 GMT -5
Brightfrost had spent much of the day helping with tree-climbing training. She didn’t make Jasminefur do much her, since she wanted him to rest- and she was worried about him getting involved in a conflict again. Speaking of rest, she certainly needed some. She had been pushing herself to watch Jasminefur and make sure the apprentices were learning and hunt with Jasminefur and watch for any suspicious activity and keep up with any duties she was assigned. Even if she was limited in how much she could leave camp, there were always things to do. And her sleep had been so restless lately, as she hoped for a message from StarClan.
But tonight, her sleep was quiet- if only briefly. As she laid next to Jasminefur, she was able to get her racing mind to settle for long enough to sleep into a relatively calm unconsciousness.
Unfortunately, this respite was not destined to last. She felt a chill that reached her even in her unconscious state as Jasminefur’s warmth faded. Upon waking, she noticed his absence quickly. She hoped that he would be back soon, but it only took her a few moments to realize that that probably wasn’t the case. The cat that ThunderClan trusted her to watch and the cat that StarClan trusted her to protect was gone. She rose to her paws and left quickly, her eyes darting around the camp.
Specklestar slowly made his way to the medicine den after talking with Ravenleap. He ambled over to Brightfrost, nearly bumping into her as he blinked away sleep. “Oh, I was just going to wake you- Jasminefur asked to leave camp. He’ll need you to escort him.”
For good reason; she knew he wasn’t safe in the territory by himself. What if something had happened? A lone cat was already vulnerable at a time like this, and she was sure he wouldn’t be able to fight at his best with his injuries. “Did he say where he was- where he wanted to go?” asked Brightfrost quickly.
“Hunting, maybe?” said Specklestar with a yawn. If Ravenleap had given him more details, they hadn’t sunk in. However, he woke up more as he looked to Brightfrost and caught on to her nervous demeanor. He narrowed his eyes. “Is something going on? You haven’t lost track of him, have you?”
This didn’t make her feel much better. Why would he not have told her where he was going? They were supposed to be working together. Paranoia gripped her heart as all of the worst ideas moved to the surface of her mind. You can’t let your guard down around a WindClan cat. It was her responsibility to watch him- to make ThunderClan feel safe enough to sleep, even with an enemy cat in their camp. She thought about the queens sleeping in the nursery. How would her Clanmates feel if they knew what was happening?
Even she didn’t know what was happening. But she knew she needed to keep this quiet until she had answers- and she wouldn’t have answers until she found Jasminefur. Even if she gave him the benefit of the doubt, she knew her Clanmates wouldn’t be happy with either of them if they found out he had snuck away from her in the dead of night.
She forced herself into a confident demeanor. She tidied her fur as casually as she could. “He’s waiting by the dirtplace. I was just wondering where he wants us to hunt. I heard there’s been good prey by the fallen tree, but that’s a little far…with his health and all…”
“Hm…as long as Autumneyes said it’s okay, I’m sure it’ll be alright. You and her know him best, after all.” Specklestar paused. “Do you want to take another warrior? If you two are going far, it might be good to-”
“No, thanks. I’d hate to wake anyone, you know?” She was subtly moving closer to the thorn tunnel as she talked to Specklestar. “They all need to be ready for…things.”
Specklestar nodded, his suspicion seemingly faded. Even if it wasn’t, Brightfrost could usually rely on him not to argue for long. “I couldn’t agree more. Still- be safe.”
Once the leader started heading back to his den, Brightfrost made her way out of the camp. She broke out into a run as soon as she had picked up Jasminefur’s scent and was out of earshot of any ThunderClan cats. On a normal day, it would likely be difficult for her to catch up to a WindClan cat. But fear spurred her into a more relentless pursuer.
She knew Jasminefur could be in some sort of danger- she tried to push away the thought that he could be the danger. He couldn’t be evil; StarClan had said otherwise, hadn’t they? But that thought did little to comfort her, as it only reminded her that she was failing in her duty to aid the WindClan cat. If something happened to him…
As her lungs were starting to burn, his familiar brown pelt came into view. She felt a wave of relief that didn’t last long as her anger grew stronger than her fear. What was he doing out here without her? She thought he had faith in her- was it stupid to believe they could trust each other? Did he think so little of her? Or did he have his own intentions?
“Jasminefur,” she hissed. She was sort of trying to be quiet, but her mood was very clear. She tried to cut him off, so as to block his way to wherever he was going. “What’s going on?”
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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
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Mar 7, 2022 12:42:07 GMT -5
Jasminefur felt a little guiltier with each step away from the ThunderClan camp. Frankly, he wasn't especially concerned with the opinions the ThunderClanners would have of him sprinting through their territory--they didn't care at all for him, and he wasn't particularly predisposed to pay them much mind if he didn't have to. As long as he could avoid them, he would be fine--and he certainly wasn't feeling guilty about what Robinpatch would think of his departure.
No, he knew he had left and made a terrible first example of his willingness to trust in and cooperate with his partner in whatever this StarClan business was. What was he supposed to tell her? "I'm leaving to see what's left of WindClan and I don't know what will happen."? She would never let him go with the risk of leftover dogs, if he was supposed to cooperate with her in some grand plan laid at their paws by their ancestors. Even with the Gathering at the turn of the day, what remained of camp? Were the dogs gone? There were burning questions he couldn't sleep any longer thinking about.
He must have underestimated the headstart that he had, or the chill of the snow and the cold wind must have been slowing his already-freezing limbs more than he had realized. The two camps weren't as far as, say, RiverClan's was from his own, so he thought he would have no issue--but just as he was emerging into what seemed to be the WindClan side of things, and he was ready to take off over the relatively short distance that was left to him, a sharp hiss scared him out of his skin, and he tripped over his own paws as the blurry form of Brightfrost tried to cut him off, and he found himself crashing into her and tumbling a few more fox-lengths tangled up with her.
He was stunned for several seconds, seeing spots after getting tripped up by the realization that a cat was right behind him. As soon as he came back to his senses, he let out a frustrated "fox-dung!" before realizing it was the same cat he had been feeling guilty about.
He let out a second, quieter curse as he quickly got off of her, standing up a bit dizzily and then offering his shoulder to help her get up. He looked away from her, however, well-aware he wasn't going to be able to keep the sour expression of being caught off of his face. After a few moments, he took one careful step back from her, a little bit further into WindClan's side of the territory. Could he outrun her through his own territory? Was he going to need to run? He didn't know what to expect from her now.
"Well...I..." He cleared his throat awkwardly, looking around at a few different points around them but not very specifically at any one as he chose his words. "I wanted to get out for a walk, and-" He stopped, exhaling with frustration at himself as he came up with a mouse-brained reason. They had left on a walk together just a night before--why wouldn't he wake her up for that? It was going to come off as a straight lie. "t-to WindClan. I'm going back. I don't care if the Gathering's tomorrow--I can't sleep. I can't think about anything else. I need to see if there's anything left." He took another step back, finally looking at Brightfrost, though it was clear that as he looked to her, his expression was nervous. "S-Specklestar said I'm free to leave. Y-You can't stop me," It wasn't clear if he was trying to sound intimidating, or if he was even capable of that, but he only came off as meek saying it to her.
He didn't want to bring up the fact that he hadn't trusted her enough to wake her, to ask her to step outside and accompany him back. He was acutely aware that Brightfrost had promised him support that few cats ever had, even though she was a cat from ThunderClan. And at worst this looked like some sort of betrayal, while at best, it was a denial to reciprocate the promise she had made, a denial of trust. Why did the thought she might believe the latter almost make him feel more sick, when a betrayal should be far worse? Having already been anxiously aware of the trust she wanted to build between them, staring at her now made him queasy thinking about what might be going through her mind about him.
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Post by berryjuice on Mar 9, 2022 8:00:06 GMT -5
“I know what my leader said. He also said that I need to watch you- and that you need an escort in ThunderClan territory,” Brightfrost hissed. She got up and shook a dusting of snow from her coat. She moved closer to Jasminefur, ready to chase him again if he attempted to run away from her. She unsheathed her claws, but made no move to attack him. “And I can stop you.” She glared at him, though her anger didn't fully hide how hurt she was. “If you wanted to go to WindClan…why didn’t you tell me so that I could go with you? We’re supposed to work together; it’s destiny.”
She thought about their conversation by the lake. There had been a moment where she felt like he had faith in her, when so many cats thought she was just full of herself. That maybe he believed her when she said that she could get them through this. It seemed he had been lying- she supposed it wasn’t entirely out of character. He would say whatever it took to avoid trouble with other cats; she had seen this when he talked to other ThunderClan cats.
Deep down, there was more than wondering whether they could work together properly and whether he had faith in her abilities. There had been a part of her that had started to see him as a friend, or at least something like that- an unusual feeling for a cat from a different Clan. But maybe that was stupid of her. He could have just been telling her whatever she wanted to hear so that she would help get her Clan to help him.
Maybe she really could only rely on herself. She had thought that she could at least trust Jasminefur when it came to their mission. StarClan had shown her that he was trustworthy, hadn’t they? But trust was a complicated thing. Autumneyes had said that Jasminefur wasn’t going to harm ThunderClan and that he was important to the destiny that StarClan had set out for all of them. That didn’t mean that Jasminefur cared or that he was going to treat her like they were a team. Maybe he thought she was of no use to him here.
Well, she would show him. Even if her rational side thought that Jasminefur was in the wrong and that she shouldn’t care what a cat like him thought of her- she couldn’t fight her desperation to prove herself. She was still going to follow him anyway. Whatever he was doing, she was sure it was her duty to be involved. “You definitely can’t stop me from following you. Let’s go.”
With a flick of her tail, she turned away from Jasminefur and began walking confidently into WindClan territory. She kept an eye on him, not sure what he was going to do.
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