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Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2023 9:31:03 GMT -5
Brightfrost was glad that Jasminefur appeared sympathetic, although she didn't know how he would have reacted if she had told him all this before there was so much evidence that the Clans were in turmoil and they had an important role in stopping it. She realized this was a silly thought. They never would have had this conversation before; she never would have been so open with a WindClan cat. And though she was ashamed to admit it, she previously never thought about Jasminefur as anything other than a WindClan cat. A future enemy. Why hadn't she known?
Of course, Jasminefur hadn't known anything at all. From his expression, she thought he was telling the truth: he had been only a regular warrior, and a regular apprentice before that. Or at least he believed so. Why had she been made so deeply aware about StarClan's expectations while he lived a normal life? Was there something more she needed to be ready for? Was there some reason that Jasminefur needed to have a normal upbringing? She didn't know- but she was sure StarClan did. "You are important. After all, you were at the center of that omen sent to Autumneyes." She hesitated as she looked him over. "Our destinies must be intertwined, but...I guess no two cats walk the same path."
She thought about what to tell him about her dreams. She had had a lifetime of these dreams; where could she even begin? While she tried to keep the dreams straight in her mind, but they still muddled together: the smell of blood, the feeling that she always needed to be ready for something. The cold that cut deeper than bone. It had always felt similar to this makeshift hunting patrol. Her muscles tensed, ready to strike as she tried to ignore the chilling air pricking at her ears.
She remembered the sensation of a freezing gust of wind moving through her fur. "They said...the night before we found you, they said that my destiny would come to me on the wind." As she watched his face and listened to Jasminefur, she realized he was looking for something more. "But...but we would have done anything to save you. Stoneheart and Quickbird would never let harm come to any kit."
Out of kindness, or out of responsibility to follow that part of the code? Brightfrost thought Stoneheart rarely considered anything other than the code when she made decisions. Quickbird, though, had always had a soft spot for kits even before he had fathered a litter of his own. Brightfrost could even faintly remember him bringing prey to the nursery when she was a kit and he an apprentice.
Yes, Fernkit would have been saved no matter what. But what of Jasminefur? They would have fought the dog to protect ThunderClan, but would they have left Jasminefur to die if not for Brightfrost's dream? It was hard for her to even imagine making a decision without StarClan's wishes in mind. Maybe that was what Jasminefur had that she lacked. "It would have been wrong to leave any cat to die like that. There may be Clan boundaries, but...there are some things more important. We all belong to StarClan, really."
Yes, they were StarClan's warriors. But she itched to tell Jasminefur that there was something special about him. That she had felt something for him that was different than what she felt for the other refugees. She might have thrown herself into battle to save them too, but...somehow it felt different when it was for Jasminefur. It was like a fire that ran from her heart to her claws.
She touched her nose to his, a much friendlier gesture than she had ever imagined herself giving to a WindClan cat. But he didn't smell like WindClan to her anymore. He smelled like...like jasmine. "I had to save you. I just...I had to."
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 26, 2023 10:45:49 GMT -5
Jasminefur felt fairly neutral as Brightfrost brought up the sign that they all saw in camp. He had accepted it by this point, but it didn't change how mediocre of a cat he had been in every respect until that moment. He nodded absent-mindedly as she stated that their fates must be related to each other; supposedly that's what StarClan was saying, but he had no way to know anything about that.
But his attention was entirely captured as she mentioned what she had been told, just a night before he had arrived with a kit in tow. His mouth dropped agape...again. StarClan had known something about what was coming, then. They knew something, and hadn't intervened directly. He couldn't believe that they would know about something like that, and would do nothing to stop it. Could WindClan really have been that lost? Did they deserve that sort of fate?
There was some amount of bitterness in Jasminefur's voice as he scoffed when Brightfrost told him that those warriors would've done anything to save the kit. She said that they would've done anything to save him and Fernkit, but really, Stoneheart and Quickbird probably would've only ever fought hard to save the kit. He could rot as crow-food, probably, as far as the two of them were concerned.
Anger had taken over his expression, with a flash of bewilderment as he tried to take in that there had been a sign given to Brightfrost, and yet nothing more had been done to intervene. He wasn't satisfied hearing that the ThunderClan cats would've saved him and Fernkit because they 'all belonged to StarClan.' Did he need to remind her that nearly every cat in camp would've clawed his pelt off if they wouldn't have had to suffer consequences for it?
There was quiet for a little bit. He didn't respond yet, trying to understand, as she told him, that StarClan might've been aware of what would occur without sending direct help.
But she stepped closer to him, about as close as she ever had been apart from resting, and he blinked at her with surprise as she pressed her nose against his, a warm gesture that he never expected from his own clanmates, let alone a warrior of ThunderClan.
He had to take a deep breath as Brightfrost spoke once more. His eyes opened wider, and though he didn't will it, his cheeks started redenning just a little bit. I had to save you. Her words bounced around his head, not really fitting into any category of response he had expected. "Wha..." His voice was nothing more than a whisper.
The mixture of her finally managing to hone in on what he apparently wanted to hear, and her being so close, left him scrambling to comprehend what she was saying and how to respond. I just...I had to. His jaw went a little slack, and his eyes fixed solely on her own shining green orbs. There was a silence held between the two of them for a time, eight seconds, ten seconds, twelve....he lost track, too captured by how close she remained to him and the fact she was saying that something made her do what she did, saving him that day. Time felt like it was paralyzed around them.
A more pessimistic cat might've found ways to deny this, to explain it away...but Jasminefur, deep down, wanted to believe her. To believe that something had made her throw herself at the dog with reckless abandon, for some reason other than the responsibility she had to some prophecy. It made no sense; she barely would've known him. Yet, every step they had taken since, she had defended him fiercely. Maybe, just maybe, he could trust the warm feeling in his chest, and maybe, just maybe, he could trust the....the sweetness of her last words.
He didn't know it, but his legs were starting to shake a little, for no discernible reason. His voice trembled. "T....Thank you..." He stammered. It felt different, this sort of gratitude. Touching noses, the tom-cat practically shaking...there was something more than gratitude present in his voice, but it might've been a bit difficult to identify underneath his nervousness, as it was. Even he didn't understand what it was. His lips were parting, as if he was trying to say more, but no sound escaped them. It seemed she had managed to assuage the sea of emotions running through him, even if just for a short time.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2023 12:52:32 GMT -5
Brightfrost was only mildly less surprised than Jasminefur at the touch. She had done this on impulse, out of desperation to communicate the way she felt even though she didn’t really know herself. Her heart fluttered as she felt his breath against her. This was nothing like the hot breath of a WindClan cat she had felt on her neck many times before. Like everything about Jasminefur, it was so gentle and…sweet?
She moved back after a moment, nervous about his reaction, especially when she had always believed that Jasminefur didn’t care for her in the way that she cared for him. Yet, he hadn’t pulled away. And now he stood there, shocked and nervous but not disgusted as she may have thought he would be. Maybe she had gotten through to him. Maybe he did trust her.
She wished she could say more, but she didn’t know what she would say. What could she say? She didn’t know how or why, but she knew that this was more than an obligation to help the Clans. There was something special about Jasminefur; she was sure of it. She was normally never short of words, but this time she simply nodded in response to his thanks and glanced away nervously, showing an uncertainty that was rarely witnessed in Brightfrost.
The silent and the not-unpleasant tension between them may have hung in the air forever if not interrupted by a friendly voice, “I thought I smelled other ThunderClan cats out here.”
Quickbird’s black fur stood out against the snow; he would have been easy to see coming if they had been paying attention. The affable look on his face indicated that he had only recently shown up; if he had seen how close a ThunderClan cat and a WindClan cat were getting, he may have had a different expression.
Brightfrost’s tail curled around her paws. She tried not to seem nervous- and why would she? They weren’t doing anything wrong. It wasn’t against the code to be friendly towards a cat from another Clan, and it was clearly StarClan’s will. They had even asked Stoneheart for permission. So why did she feel this way? “We were just hunting.” She was glad to have something to show for it; she unearthed her mouse. “We haven’t found much, though. The prey must be avoiding the cold.”
“Not all of it.” There was pride in Quickbird’s voice as he brought over a freshly-killed rabbit. “I wanted to show Fernkit that the forest has juicy rabbits too. And the other three have never had rabbit, so I thought it would be nice for them to share.”
The rabbit was on the scrawny side, having obviously been having difficulty finding much food in the recent weather. But it was plenty for four kits. And, well, Brightfrost had always thought that rabbit tasted rather lean. “That’s a great idea.” She glanced to Jasminefur. She did mean what she said, but she wished they hadn’t been interrupted. She felt like there had been more to say, and…it was nice for them to be alone together. They probably wouldn’t be very often now that there were two new visitors that she needed to remain close to.
Quickbird shivered at a gust of wind, his short coat not doing much against the cold. “I’m on my way back to camp. Are you coming?”
Brightfrost wanted to say no. She didn’t really want her and Jasminefur to go back to the world of enemy Clans and unknown dangers. But of course they had to. They both had responsibilities that they would never abandon; the mention of Fernkit had reminded them of that. “Uh, yeah. We wanted to stay out to catch more prey, but…” She looked to Jasminefur. “I guess we should get back before Rosepelt and Cricketpaw get up.”
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 26, 2023 13:18:47 GMT -5
Jasminefur almost looked disappointed as Brightfrost finally stepped back, as if he had hoped they could remain frozen in that moment forever. She looked almost as lost for words as him, which he knew wasn't something that common; why would anything about him leave her lost for words? Why did she look just as disconcerted? Why did he want her to step closer again?
If Brightfrost was the cool and collected one as a voice sudden interrupted them, Jasminefur was the one to jump out of his skin. He couldn't help it as he was lost in a million thoughts and feelings, and he quickly leaned back to calm down the fur that now sat up rigidly from the scare. He tried to play it off as if nothing happened, but his cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrasment, and....whatever Brightfrost and him had just shared.
He listened as the two ThunderClan warriors spoke, though he sat grooming himself for a little too long to seem natural. He finally turned back around as Quickbird mentioned he had managed to catch a rabbit on the ThunderClan side of the territory. The training that had been ingrained in him for moons led Jasminefur to ask himself if the rabbit had really been on ThunderClan's side of the territory or not; but he quickly discarded the thought as utterly unimportant.
He finally spoke up. "That's a great idea," He murmured quietly, his voice still a little shaky. "She'll really like that, I think." He gave a slight nod, examining the rabbit for a few moments before he looked back to Brightfrost. His expression was a little awkward, and there seemed to be an unspoken understanding that they were both a little upset at their quiet moment being interrupted.
He stifled a sigh as Brightfrost pretty much had to agree to return to camp. They didn't have that good of a reason to remain out for much longer, and so he didn't begrudge Brightfrost agreeing to return; but still, he looked down at his paws, disappointment swirling in his gut.
He realized with a brief start that he had never even brought up the dream; but he almost felt like he would be willing to let that wait if they could just...hold on to whatever feeling they were sharing moments ago. He glanced at Brightfrost again, but he didn't say anything. What could he say without making Quickbird question what they had been doing? Begrudgingly, he prepared to head back with the two of them.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2023 14:30:16 GMT -5
Brightfrost reluctantly followed Quickbird back to camp. The black-and-white tom trotted towards camp with his catch, clearly none the wiser that he had interrupted something. The fluffy she-cat remained close to Jasminefur, although certainly not as close as before now that they were around another cat. She still felt something between her and the brown tom; the feeling had faded, but was still definitely there. She supposed she had always known that her and Jasminefur must be connected in some way.
They entered camp. Stoneheart nodded approvingly when she saw that they had indeed found prey. Brightfrost knew that her mouse was much less impressive than Quickbird’s rabbit; she likely would have felt the flare of her competitive nature if not for her mind being occupied by other things. She put the mouse on the fresh-kill pile and hoped that the hunting patrols would have more luck finding food. It seemed like the dawn patrols had just left, so the camp was fairly quiet. Stoneheart was headed to the leaders’ den, likely the first of many senior warriors that he would have to answer to today. Brightfrost would have liked to listen in, but she thought Jasminefur would want to visit Fernkit.
Quickbird walked over to the nursery. Fogfoot was just waking up; she was curled around the kits, keeping them nice and warm. She smiled at her mate when she saw him and gently woke the kits. “Quickbird has a surprise for you,” she said, as the tantalizing smell of food wafted into the nursery.
Badgerkit’s head popped up, eyes wide with excitement. “Did he catch us something?”
“I did. Fresh rabbit,” said Quickbird. He smiled to Fernkit. “I don’t know if rabbit tastes the same in the forest as it does on the moor- but I know it tastes good.”
He put the rabbit down. Badgerkit eagerly took a bite. “It’s way better than a sparrow!” she said excitedly. She looked to Fernkit; Badgerkit was very friendly towards her, but was never the most sensitive kit. “Did you really eat this every day?”
Thornkit soon followed, taking a small bite. He chewed it slowly before swallowing, appearing reluctant but interested in trying what Fernkit had seemed to like. "It's, um...it's different. But I like it."
“Make sure there’s enough for all of you,” Fogfoot purred, making sure that Fernkit would have her fill and that the relatively-uninterested Quietkit at least tried some. She watched the kits with a warm expression that hardened slightly when she saw Jasminefur approach. She drew the kits closer to her; it was a typical maternal gesture that normally meant nothing, but it was clear that she was more protective of her kits with a WindClan warrior around- even though one of these kits shared more blood with Jasminefur than she did with her. She spoke curtly, but with a polite enough tone, “Good morning. Were you two helping Quickbird?”
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 26, 2023 18:39:07 GMT -5
For some reason, Jasminefur felt the distance between him and Brightfrost more intensely than ever. He paid absolutely no attention to whatever absent-minded conversation Quickbird might have brought up as his mind was focused solely on the she-cat who was padding alongside him, a couple tail-lengths away. If Quickbird had turned around, he might've seen the dejected expression on Jasminefur's face; luckily for the tom-cat, the ThunderClan warrior never did so.
He tried not to linger too long at the entrance of camp, worried Stoneheart might say something about him not bringing back any prey. He had thought about taking extra time to hunt, and yet, in the end, they had been found by another ThunderClan warrior, and he hadn't had the time. Hopefully Stoneheart was not that focused on him. He didn't want to think about Stoneheart or her reactions to him -- truthfully, his mind lingered on another she-cat, leaving him in an almost dazed state as he absent-mindedly entered the ThunderClan camp.
Fernkit mewled with joy when she saw Quickbird enter with a rabbit in his maw. She was shocked to see her favorite prey here in ThunderClan, but the joy on her face was nonetheless palpable. She skipped around her adoptive littermates to reach the paws of Quickbird, eager to snatch a taste of the rabbit. "I bet it'll be just as great!" she affirmed as Quickbird smiled down at her.
She felt a wave of glee as Badgerkit clearly enjoyed the taste of her favorite prey. It made her feel like WindClan did know what good prey was. She listened in as Badgerkit asked if she really would have rabbit every day -- she was about to answer, but Thornkit's mew soon followed, calling her attention.
Fernkit, to some extent, had become stuck to Thornkit. She was timid and fearful, and she seemed to see something similar in Thornkit, making her feel more comfortable around in. Her expression became visibly dismayed as Thornkit spoke -- while he said that he did like it in the end, Fernkit seemed to take it another way.
"You....you think its weird, don't you?" She mewled, unable to mask the sadness in her voice. Despite Badgerkit quite enjoying the prey, she seemed to focus more on Thornkit's rather neutral response, even though the kit hadn't exactly spoken ill about the rabbit. It seemed like she was quite affected by Thornkit's opinion.
Jasminefur followed Brightfrost towards the nursery -- truthfully, he didn't mind following after Quickbird t ofeed the kits. He did still lament the moment between him and Brightfrost ending, but if they had to be back in camp, he didn't mind seeing Fernkit at all.
As the two of them walked in, Jasminefur couldn't help but emit a smile as he saw Fernkit comfortably among a litter of kits, enjoying the rabbit which Quickbird had just deposited in front of them. His attention was yanked away from Fernkit for a moment as the voice of Fogfoot snapped at him.
If the cat had been just a little more hostile, he might've cowered behind Brightfrost hoping she would manage the situation. But Fogfoot was...perhaps unfriendly, but not...aggressive. He gulped and tried to meet the queen's gaze with bravery. "Y-yes, basically..." He began. "We started out on our own. I mean...me and Brightfrost," He paused, clearing his throat a bit awkwardly. "And we ran into Quickbird, and-"
Jasminefur was interrupted by the excited mewl of Fernkit. "Jasminefur!" Fernkit bounded towards her clanmate, away from Fogfoot, as she was excited to see him and eager to hear about all of his adventures. "Please please please tell me what you've seen on ThunderClan territory! Is it really full of roots that wrap around you to trap you so that ThunderClan cats can easily capture you?!? Have you seen them call down thunder with their yowls?!"
Jasminefur was left smiling down at the kit, trying to think of responses to her fantastical questions in order to come up with a sensible response. He glanced briefly at Brightfrost, maintaining that smile, wondering if she found the situation amusing.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 26, 2023 19:40:38 GMT -5
Thornkit seemed to realize he may have hurt Fernkit’s feelings and quickly tried to correct the course. Though all of Fogfoot and Quickbird’s kits were rather accepting of this newcomer, Thornkit seemed to especially care about making Fernkit comfortable. And they were often on the same wavelength, both being rather timid and reserved; he was happy to have a playmate that wasn’t so rough. He smiled bashfully. “Um, no, I really do like it. It is different- but in a good way. It’s special.”
“Yeah- it’s like an adventure!” Badgerkit bounced. “I wonder if there’s lots of prey we haven’t had? Can we have fish next time?”
Quietkit wrinkled her nose. “I’ve heard fish is really gross and slimy and slippery.”
Fogfoot chuckled. “We should be grateful for what we have; the forest provides us with plenty of different kinds of prey. Only RiverClan cats know how to fish, anyway.”
“But if you learn- once you’re an apprentice- we’ll all try some,” said Quickbird warmly.
Brightfrost smiled when she saw Fernkit’s excitement. She wasn’t sure how having a WindClan kit here would go, and she knew this would never be a replacement for what Fernkit had lost- but she was happy that she had at least found some semblance of a family. And with the rabbit, a little taste of the moors. She too noticed the hostility in Fogfoot’s voice, but it wasn’t overt enough for her to fight back without looking overly aggressive- which some in her Clan already thought she was. “He helped me catch a mouse,” she said. Normally she was always proud to take solo credit for her prey- and she often did go off on her own to hunt- but she was desperate as ever to make Jasminefur more accepted in the camp.
Fogfoot nodded, but didn’t reply to them. When Fernkit broke away from her, the queen reached out on impulse- as if her maternal instincts had triggered from one of her kits running into danger. But she let her go, instead electing to just watch Fernkit and Jasminefur closely.
Badgerkit’s eyes widened. “Wow! Am I going to learn to call down thunder when I’m an apprentice?”
“Those roots sound scary…” Thornkit squeaked. “Autumneyes doesn’t use those for her medicine, does she?”
Brightfrost smiled fondly. She had never been interested in visiting the nursery, except when she needed to bring them prey or herbs. But Fernkit and her friends made her see the appeal. “She uses some roots, but not these ones. And we make sure to protect her when she’s in the dangerous parts of the territory,” she explained. “And you’ll learn how to do lots of things when you’re an apprentice. You’ll understand the forest so well that you won’t have to be afraid of it- and you’ll always have the upperpaw in a fight.”
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 27, 2023 7:38:55 GMT -5
Fernkit seemed to recover easily from her disappointment as Thornkit put his thoughts another way. She "Oh! That makes sense. Cause it's not like anything you've had," She spoke to the littermate who she was the most stuck to so far, her face lighting up again. She didn't pay much attention to the ongoing conversation about fish, but her ears perked up as the other kits started wondering about the abilities that Fernkit had asked about.
Fernkit's eyes widened as Thornkit asked whether the medicine cat made use of those scary roots. She waited intently for a response to the question. If the medicine cat used them, Fernkit would have to try to avoid the medicine cat's den. She didn't want to get caught by a single one of them!
She sighed with relief when Brightfrost made it clear that there was no risk of encountering those roots in the den, and she emitted a cheery "that's a relief!" She ccontinued listening as Brightfrost explained that the forest had lots of secrets that the other kits were going to learn when they were apprentices, and Fernkit felt a fang of jealousy. According to Quickbird and Fogfoot, she wasn't going to be able to see the moors when she became an apprentice, at least not until it was safe. The warriors had been vague with her, but she understood that the dogs were very dangerous creatures, and she was safe in ThunderClan.
Jasminefur held back a chuckle as Brightfrost claimed he had helped her obtain the mouse. He guessed it was a tactic to help ingratiate him a little better into the good graces of the kits' parents, and so he let Brightfrost fib without saying anything himself. He briefly thought back to her desperate dive, just snatching up the catch before it could get away. He smiled at her as he recalled the impressive move.
His attention drifted back to Fernkit after a few seconds, as he remembered that Fernkit had been asleep when they returned from the Gathering the previous night. She probably would be excited to see two cats who she knew from her Clan, and he leaned in close to Brightfrost, whispering to her while Fernkit was distracted. "Hey...maybe we should wake Cricketpaw and my sister up. I'm sure they'll want to see Fernkit, and Fernkit will probably be thrilled too. Is that okay?" His gaze drifted momentarily towards Fogfoot, as he imagined she wouldn't be thrilled about the idea of the four WindClanners gathering together. But Fernkit was a WindClan kit.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 27, 2023 14:48:50 GMT -5
As Brightfrost watched the kits, she thought about how it would only be a relatively short time before they were apprentices and would be learning all about the territory. Though, she had a similar thought as Fernkit. What would her future look like? Didn't she belong on the moor? She got the impression that Quickbird and Fogfoot intended for her to become a ThunderClan apprentice. She hoped that Fernkit would adjust to the forest. Brightfrost had always loved it- maybe someday it would feel like home to Fernkit as well.
Fogfoot indeed did not seem pleased at the idea of two more WindClan cats near the kits. Quickbird looked to her, seeming to have anticipated this reaction and was reluctant himself. "Well...she'll meet them sooner or later. Why not sooner?" said the small tom carefully. Fogfoot paused before nodding quietly.
Badgerkit cheered. "I want to meet Rosepelt and Cricketpaw!" It wasn't clear if she had any idea who they were.
Brightfrost smiled. Getting kits to accept the refugees seemed even easier than the apprentices. If only the older cats could be so open-minded. "Then we'll go fetch them." --- Cricketpaw was normally an early riser. He loved being on the first patrol, feeling the dew from the long moor grass as it brushed his pelt. So, he was surprised to see that the sun was fully up when he woke. The events of the previous night had exhausted him. He remembered where he was. Not WindClan, his home. Not even ShadowClan, which he had just started to get used to. No: ThunderClan. He may as well have woken up in a fox den.
And here was one of the foxes. He thought Brightfrost smelled as bad as one, and was just as trustworthy. Maybe even less. Why had she been hanging around Jasminefur as if they were friends? Obviously she had been assigned to make sure the WindClan cats didn't cause any trouble- as if they would start a fight when they were so badly outnumbered. And why had she seemed to want them here? Autumneyes' advocacy wasn't surprising; medicine cats were always doing strange things. But this random ThunderClan warrior?
Brightfrost was nudging Rosepelt awake. She looked to both of them and smiled in a way that Cricketpaw thought was obviously fake. "You can sleep a little longer if you want- but Jasminefur thought you might want to visit Fernkit. She's awake right now."
Cricketpaw became more cooperative at the mention of the name of a Clanmate, who he had once assumed was in StarClan with the other kits. He grunted in agreement and got up, stretching the muscles that were very sore from the labor he had done to bury the bodies of his loved ones the previous night. "She had better be safe," he growled, looking to Rosepelt for agreement. He doubted that a WindClan kit could truly be safe in a place like this. He doubted ThunderClan would care for a kit that would grow up to be their enemy.
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Shadowstartheleader
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Post by Shadowstartheleader on Dec 27, 2023 16:01:30 GMT -5
Fernkit's eyes widened as she heard everyone starting to mention the names of the two other WindClan survivors. She only vaguely recalled Rosepelt amidst the sea of WindClan warriors, but Cricketpaw was more than known to her, as he performed duties in the past helping in the nursery. She looked up at Jasminefur for reassurance that there were really more WindClan cats here, and then glanced over at Quickbird with the same purpose. Jasminefur softly thanked Brightfrost as she headed out of the nursery to retrieve his sibling and the apprentice. He thought for just a moment about following after her, an almost instinctive reaction that he had to consciously stifle. He wanted to stay by Fernkit's side after having to be out and about so much -- and the truth was, they were probably going to have to spend much of today elsewhere. He didn't know exactly what the day would hold, but he imagined some sort of rough plan would have to be drafted about there being four WindClan cats in camp now. He reached down and gently nuzzled the kit. "We found Cricketpaw and Rosepelt yesterday." He murmured as the kit glanced between him and Quickbird."Awwww! But I didn't see them!" Fernkit whined, her voice betraying the excitement she felt at getting to see any other cat that was familiar to her. She knew Tornkit and Bramblekit were gone now, and she was very sad about that. But familiar cats were comforting to her. "Why couldn't I see them yesterday?"
Jasminefur's stomach churned a little as he again thought about the events of the previous night. The circumstances through which they found their fellow clanmates were something he didn't want Fernkit to ever find out. Images of the pile of bodies flashed through his mind constantly, and it was a battle of will to maintain focus on the present moment. Fernkit should never have to think about that. He thought to himself, trying to think of an answer that would satisfy the kit. He looked over at Quickbird, pleading for help with his eyes to the slightly more sympathetic of the couple.
--- Rosepelt initially stirred in a daze, possibly lost in some dream space, until she caught the scent and the sight of the foreign warrior hovering over her. She jumped up with a start, her hackles raising and her claws unsheathing themselves. But after a couple moments past, her memories came rushing back to her, and she gave a huff of irritation (or, possibly, embarrasment), quickly trying to settle her spiked fur.
Rosepelt paused her grooming and glanced back at Brightfrost as she brought up the WindClan kit. Her ears perked up and her attention focused fully on the warrior. She also noticed Cricketpaw's bristley-ness subside to some degree, and pondered how best to respond.
Of course, this was the she-cat who Jasminefur seemed to trust -- something that left Rosepelt rather appalled the previous night, and those feelings hadn't changed a bit after a night of rest. She frowned as she thought of her brother settling in to rest alongside a ThunderClan warrior -- and Rosepelt also realized they must have got up together as well. Every fibre of her being told her that it was dangerous and foolish. It sent irritation through her in waves. She responded in turn.
"Surely not even ThunderClan would dare harm a defenseless kit," She glanced at Cricketpaw as she spoke, though the comment was more meant as a jab towards the ThunderClan warrior. Nonetheless, she did want to get to see Fernkit. "Let's go, then. Is Jasminefur with her?" She asked in a slightly less confrontational tone, meeting the warrior's gaze. In part, she wasn't sure she liked the idea of the kit being left with ThunderClan cats on her own -- of course, she was completely unaware that Jasminefur had rarely had time to supervise the kit as he helped around the camp and snuck out to WindClan.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 27, 2023 16:51:48 GMT -5
Quickbird paused at Fernkit’s question. He exchanged a glance with his mate; it could be assumed that Fogfoot had been told about what had happened, far from the ears of the kits. Any cat would agree that what had been witnessed on the island was not something that a kit should experience or even know about. Really, it would have been better if no cat had been faced with that kind of sight. “Rosepelt and Cricketpaw were very tired last night; they came here all the way from ShadowClan. I’m sure they wanted to see you, but they wanted to be well-rested in case you wanted to play with them.”
“Wow! They’ve been in WindClan, ShadowClan, and ThunderClan? That’s almost all the Clans!” Badgerkit squeaked. “Do you think they’ll go to RiverClan next?”
“Oh no, ShadowClan? I don’t think I would like to live somewhere so cold and dark. They must’ve been really scared,” said Thornkit softly. “I hope they’re okay now that they’re here.”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” said Fogfoot, a bit too curtly. She corrected her tone as she added, “And if not, I’m sure that Autumneyes will take great care of them- like she always does with all of you. Now, let’s make sure you look nice for our visitors.” She pulled the kits closer and began grooming them, making sure that all of the rabbit blood was out of their fur. This seemed to be a soothing method for both Fogfoot and her kits; she acted calm, but there was a tinge of anxious energy as she rhythmically licked each kit. ThunderClan cats often had an anger underscoring their interactions with the WindClan warriors, and that was definitely present here- but there was also a nervous tension one often saw in queens. A hyper-awareness that danger was near, a readiness to leap into battle to protect her kits. Jasminefur, Rosepelt, and Cricketpaw weren’t only seen as enemies: they were threats.
—
Brightfrost unsheathed her claws as Rosepelt did. Her fur stood on end; even though she knew that she was meant to protect these cats, not fight them, it was difficult to ignore the instincts that had been ingrained in her. Even on her first day as an apprentice, Stoneheart had stressed to her the importance of always striking first, especially against a WindClan cat: WindClan cats are quick and ruthless. Any chance to land a blow on one of them may be the last chance you’ll ever get.
But before they could come to blows, Brightfrost remembered herself and realized that Rosepelt was just startled. “...sorry.” She sheathed her claws and groomed her fur to relax it. Though, it was hard for her not to show aggression once again at Cricketpaw and Rosepelt’s jabs against ThunderClan. How could they worry about whether our nursery is safe when they’re the ones killing nursing queens for no reason? She pushed that thought down. These two didn’t have anything to do with that. Though, she did wonder if all WindClan cats were trained that way. “Fernkit is doing fine. In ThunderClan, we follow the code.”
She had tried not to let her true feelings show, but it was very obvious in her tone and body language. "Yeah, Jasminefur is waiting." She turned to the den’s entrance with a swish of her tail and led them over to the nursery, where Fogfoot immediately began sizing up these two newcomers.
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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 27, 2023 18:49:55 GMT -5
"Oooohhh...." Fernkit murmured pensively. "Well, I still wish I could have seen them....But at least we can play lots today!" She eagerly beamed, taking the opportunity to make a daring and powerful leap for Quickbird's tail.
"Oh! Maybe they can bring back the fish when they go to RiverClan!" A squeak emitted from behind the tail of Rockleap in the far corner of the den. Redkit was trying to push his way over her mom's tail to join the spirited conversation, an unusual act for the generally reserved kit. It seemed the conversation was just too foreign and exciting for her to not get involved.
But as she tried to depart from her mother and brother's side, Rockleap quickly reached down and hauled Redkit back to safety by the scruff. Her eyes were focused warily on the entrance to the nursery, as she knew the refugees would soon enter. Her kits, about a moon younger than Fogfoot's, were precious and fragile, and she wouldn't dare risk any harm coming to them from the outside elements.
Fernkit looked over at Rockleap and her kits excitedly as Redkit spoke up. He rarely heard directly from the two littler kits, as Rockleap generally refused to let them go anywhere without being a tail-length away; Fernkit couldn't pick up on it exactly, but something about the way Rockleap stared at her scared the kit. She wondered if Rockleap didn't like her. "H-hi, Redkit!" She mewed hopefully, eager for the chance to speak with the other kits. Six kits instead of four would be so much more fun!
Rockleap didn't seem pleased as Redkit immediately piped back with a quiet "Hi," before she leaned on her mom's tail to keep a good view of what was going on. Her brother, Tawnykit, seemed more interested in napping, which was very hard with four other kits excitedly chatting.
---
Rosepelt forced herself to hold in a scoff as Brightfrost countered saying that their Clan always followed the Code. It was laughable to her after all the skirmishes and murders she had been told about over the moons. But Rosepelt was pragmatic, and she knew that she could only aggravate their....guardian....so much before things came to blows. "Lead the way," She murmured, her voice a bit gruff -- but it at least sounded less hostile than her previous jab.
And Rosepelt was surprised the she-cat would even consider apologizing for startling her awake. The moment had passed, and Brightfrost was already turning about to lead them to Jasminefur and Fernkit, and thus she wasn't given much time to consider whether the apology was genuine, or simply a way to prevent conflict.
She brushed up against Cricketpaw in an attempt to soothe him a little, indicating with a flick of her snout to follow along with Brightfrost. She was feeling a rush of relief now that they were really going to see Fernkit, and it showed with a light smile that appeared on her face as she gazed down at the apprentice. "You probably know her better than I do; go ahead."
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 28, 2023 0:01:16 GMT -5
Quickbird smiled warmly at Fernkit’s playfulness. He moved his tail around for her, simulating prey for her to pounce on. He looked proud as she ‘caught’ it; even if the kits were old enough that this was a little painful, he never minded. “Good pounce,” he purred. “You’re going to be a great hunter.”
Badgerkit grinned at Redkit’s suggestion; she too seemed excited at the prospect of having more kits to play with. “Yeah! Then we can all have some together!” She followed Fernkit’s lead, “Hi!”
Fogfoot glanced to Rockleap, being painfully aware of what she was thinking. She could obviously relate to the anxiety around the presence of the WindClan cats. But to her, protecting her kits meant protecting Fernkit as well- making it clear that if Rockleap acted out against the WindClan kit, there would be trouble.
—
Cricketpaw dared to let a smile grace his face as he looked to Rosepelt. He did remember Fernkit fondly. He had always loved bringing prey to the nursery. He was always happy to stop to play with the kits and chat with the queens. And his mentor didn’t mind; Meadowfoot had always said that an important part of being a warrior was appreciating every aspect of the Clan. They all needed to care for each other and acknowledge each other’s contributions. And of course, the kits represented their future; a kit that Cricketpaw mentored in a proper hunters’ crouch would someday be helping him to keep the Clan fed.
The apprentice hadn’t always understood at the time. For example, he hadn’t thought of Jasminefur as being impressive when he was so often relegated to basic tasks. But now he could appreciate him more than ever, happy as Cricketpaw had been to see him. And now…Cricketpaw would give anything to have a queen treat him like he was still a kit, or to hear another meandering story from an elder, or for Meadowfoot to give him moss-collecting duty. These desires made his heart ache.
But before, he had thought that playing a game with a WindClan kit was another thing that he would never experience again. He quietly thanked StarClan for leaving Fernkit with them as he peeked into the nursery, his face lighting up when he saw her. “Hi, Fernkit.”
He was surprised to see that she did look relatively healthy. They were clearly feeding her and providing other basic care…but that didn’t mean that they were treating her right. He didn’t like the idea of WindClan’s precious last kit being vulnerable, sharing a den with ThunderClan cats and their kits. Still, right now he was just thrilled that she was okay. He happily nuzzled her affectionately once she approached.
—-
Brightfrost smiled to Jasminefur at the sweet scene, momentarily forgetting her irritation with the two new WindClan cats. This felt right; the four survivors of that terrible attack could be happy in each other’s company. Even if this peace and togetherness may not last, it was something to hold onto in these dark times.
Fogfoot and Quickbird were also watching the scene; even though they were glad to see Fernkit happy, Brightfrost knew that they weren’t entirely pleased with the situation. She told herself that not everyone in the Clan was like this. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Specklestar was watching them warmly as he sunned himself outside of his den. And the kits appeared welcoming enough; she hoped their attitude would blossom into ongoing friendships for Fernkit. Like the apprentices, maybe the kits would herald the positive change that ThunderClan seemed to need.
Thornkit and Badgerkit watched the two refugees with wide eyes. For Thornkit, he looked nervous and moved closer to Fogfoot for protection. This wasn’t indicative of an anti-WindClan bias; he had always been the type to shrink away from cats that he didn’t recognize, whether they were his Clanmates or not.
For Badgerkit, of course, her reaction was more about excitement and curiosity. She likely would have pounced upon the new kits if Fogfoot hadn’t gently stopped her. “Hi, I’m Badgerkit! Are you Fernkit’s friends? I am too! Are you really from WindClan and from ShadowClan?”
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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 28, 2023 1:39:14 GMT -5
Fernkit grinned as Quickbird praised her expert hunting skills, and her tail swished through the air happily as she exclaimed "And when I'm a warrior I'll catch voles and rabbits and badgers and-" She cut herself off, turning about as she heard a familiar voice call her name. She saw that more cats were piling into the nursery, beginning to make the space quite cramped. Fernkit's eyes lit up as she saw Rosepelt and Cricketpaw alongside Brightfrost.
Admittedly, Fernkit only vaguely knew Rosepelt; only the warriors who went out of their way to visit the nursery tended to know the kits well. Rosepelt had never a fan of the noise and the chaos and the lack of control. Fernkit bounded towards the two of them, heading more directly for Cricketpaw as she recognized the apprentice quite well. "Cricketpaw!" She beamed as she brushed up against his leg, her tail politely depositing itself in the apprentice's face. Though the kit didn't have a concrete sense of large periods of time, it had been nearly a moon since she had seen the apprentice, and her joy was overflowing.
"Are you going to make my nests again? Can I help this time? Or-no! Wait! Why don't we play catch the mouse?! You love that game, right? A-and, we can play with my friends too! There's Badgerkit - he's a bit loud sometimes but I like him," She remarked, the loudest voice in the room. "And Thornkit who's really nice and Quietkit too -- she's really, um, quiet but I try to get her to play with us! I bet she'll play if you do!"
Rosepelt was more than happy to take a step back and let Fernkit assault Cricketpaw with a tirade of questions and information. She was just happy to see the kit alive. She noted that Fernkit seemed to be well-fed, uninjured, and she at least appeared to be comfortable and happy. She didn't feel so happy about the fact that the kit was held in the nursery of ThunderClan of all places, but for the moment, her happiness to see a WindClan kit alive and well overshadowed that feeling.
She listened quietly as Badgerkit started speaking to her clanmate as well. She eyes Cricketpaw, wondering how the apprentice would react to the foreign kit speaking to him. Rosepelt was well aware that they were in a nursery with protective parents with other cats stirring and emerging from their rest. They did need to be cautious, especially with regards to how they treated the kits. Any sign of hostility towards a kit was a surefire way to ruin any chance of them having a peaceful stay. Rosepelt still didn't believe this was the best place for them, but as long as they were there, they needed to not get injured, or worse.
Jasminefur returned a warm smile to Brightfrost as he took in the scene around him. There were so many excited kits, even Cricketpaw was smiling, his sister looked content enough -- and Brightfrost. Brightfrost was...
A wave of emotions overcame him as he stood amongst his remaining clanmates. It was incredible that he was alive. It was incredible that Fernkit was alive. And it was unbelievable that he had managed to reunite with two more of his clanmates. For some reason, just in this moment, having only a few of them nearby was more powerful than the scene of horror of the previous night. He got to sleep next to his sister again; and he would get to see another apprentice get trained, even if the circumstances were uncertain. WindClan had been reunited.
And who was at the center of all this? Who had made any of these things possible? It was the fluffy yellow warrior beside him, standing as proud and regal as always. He was seeing his clanmates together because of her protection, and her believing in him from the start. That same warm feeling that he couldn't really describe, the one he had felt and been thinking about since she pressed her nose to his -- it began creeping into his chest again, as he stood, admiring her with a look that almost amounted to disbelief. How could one cat make all of this possible? Brightfrost...You're...incredible. He wanted to say his thoughts aloud, but the words seemed to be stuck in his throat, whether due to his own nervousness or the presence of so many cats around them. Instead, he just stared at her - taken by her.
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Post by berryjuice on Dec 28, 2023 5:16:57 GMT -5
Cricketpaw looked at Badgerkit with irritation. ThunderClan cats were always so obnoxious, even as kits. “No, we’re WindClan cats,” he said firmly. “So is Fernkit.”
“Oh. But she’s a ThunderClan cat also,” said Badgerkit brightly, obviously having basically no understanding of the complexities of Fernkit’s situation. She was unbothered when Fernkit described her as loud, mostly just excited that she was talking positively about her and her littermates. “We like her back!”
Quietkit continued to watch the WindClan cats with mild curiosity. Thornkit spoke up, peeking out from behind Fogfoot’s tail, “Um…hi…” he said softly. He looked to Rosepelt, who was bigger, and thus more intimidating, than the apprentice. “Wh-Who is she?”
“Rosepelt. She’s one of WindClan’s warriors.” Cricketpaw was angry at the implication that Fernkit could ever be described as even partially a ThunderClan cat. However, he knew that he could not express this feeling without earning the ire of the queens. He would just have to make sure that Fernkit was raised into a proper WindClan warrior- somehow.
He smiled to her. “Yeah- let’s make you a proper nest. Like the kind we had in WindClan.” Of course, it wouldn’t really be a proper WindClan nest when it was in a cramped place like this. He was still young enough to remember living under the gorse bush that served as a nursery back in WindClan camp. He stepped out to look for nesting materials. He expected Fernkit to follow, but Fogfoot was obviously displeased by that idea.
“We can help! Can’t we?” asked Badgerkit excitedly. “It’ll be practice for when we’re apprentices!”
Thornkit nodded. “I know a place that has good moss…”
Fogfoot looked between all the kits. She appeared about to refuse, but as she looked to Fernkit she seemed to see how happy she was and realized that that would be cut short if she refused. “We’ll all help.” She stood; it was obvious that the only way she was willing to allow a WindClan cat to take Fernkit- or any kit- from the nursery was if she could watch them like a hawk. “It’ll be nice to have some fresh air anyway.”
—
Brightfrost, distracted as she was by what was playing out, didn’t notice Jasminefur’s stare at first. She was smiling at the kits, feeling very pleased that this was going as well as it could have. She had been worried that the older cats might feud, but they all seemed committed to not spoiling this moment. Her, Jasminefur, Rosepelt, Cricketpaw, Quickbird, and Fogfoot…they may not have much in common, but they all cared about Fernkit. Even after having lost so much of her family, the kit was still very loved.
As some of the cats stepped out of the den to help with the den-building mission- Cricketpaw reluctantly padding alongside Fogfoot- she and Jasminefur had some space in the nursery. She noticed his gaze and turned to look at him; her smile was almost as warm as her fur against his. “What’s up?” In the past she would have reacted differently to someone staring at her- but with Jasminefur, everything felt so…it was just easy to be comfortable around him. Something about him- his gentle, earnest nature. The way that he was still going, even after all the trauma he had been through. He even still managed to have some patience for the ThunderClan cats that often gave them so much trouble.
And of course, there was all that he had done for Fernkit. None of this would have been possible without Jasminefur- the kit likely wouldn’t have even survived if not for his heroics. He had run so fast for so long just to get her to safety. And even when he had likely thought he was only moments from death, his primary concern was the safety of his Clan’s last kit. “It’s amazing what you’ve done for her, you know. You saved her, got her someplace safe, and even reunited her with her Clanmates.”
I can see why StarClan chose you. She didn’t voice this last part; though she didn’t think she would ever fully understand, she knew that Jasminefur didn’t feel the same way as she did about StarClan or about their shared destiny. But she wasn’t just impressed that they had chosen him- she was impressed at how he had risen to meet their challenges. She had had her whole life to prepare for her special responsibility; Jasminefur had only had less than a moon. Most cats would have crumbled under the pressure. But Jasminefur… “You’re really special.”
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