Open to Join Humdinger on the Border

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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It wasn't strange to see Basilflame around the edge of the territory, especially during the cold, as her pelt was thick enough to defend her from the cold. The only thing that was really affected by the cold was her paws and even then, she had fur growing near her pads to even that wasn't as bad as it could be. 

A rustling sound of prey mad her ears perk and when she glanced at the sound, she noticed a mouse nearly catapulting itself in her direction. While she was surprised she didn't waste time in leaping at it, her teeth quickly making a fatal wound in it's neck as she landed on it. She twitched her ears, knowing if the mouse had been running towards her, something must have scared it from behind, causing it to run towards her, something that made some noise that she had been too pre-occupied to catch.

The lynx point she-cat noticed paw-prints in the snow and began to follow them to a grassy thicket, mouse still in her jaws, she glanced upward and noticed a familiar face, she gave a flick of her fiery color tail in greeting as she padded forward, standing before the fawn colored tom and dropped the mouse, putting one of her paws on top of it "Well if it isn't Monty, was it you that scared this mouse until it practically leapt into my jaws?" she greeted with a friendly rumble in her chest.

She paused for a moment, thought glazing over her hazel eyes before looking at the mouse for a moment. She pushed it forward, toward Monty with a nod. "You take it, you saw it before I did" she stated with a gentle smile "And besides, I already ate"

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty looked up from where he was nursing his sore paw, startled by the sudden appearance of the lynx-point she-cat. His amber eyes softened as recognition crossed his face, and a crooked grin tugged at his lips despite the dull ache in his paw. "Basil...flame. I didn’t mean to play prey-scarer today, but it seems I’m full of surprises."

He glanced at the mouse she had pushed toward him, tilting his head as if to study her. He had to admit, the offer was tempting - his hunt had ended before it even began, and the cold wasn’t making things easier. <br.
With a soft chuckle, Monty dipped his head in gratitude, dragging the mouse closer with his paw. "Thank you, but I think I’m the one who owes you for that. If I hadn’t been so clumsy, maybe I’d have caught it myself."

His tail flicked as he shifted his weight, careful to keep his injured paw off the ground. "I suppose the stars must’ve sent you again, eh?" As the wind swept through the thicket, Monty shivered slightly, the bite of leaf-bare more prominent now that he was sitting still. "I don’t think I’ve ever met a cat who handles the cold quite as well as you do. You make it look easy." </br.

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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"Full of surprises but surprises that don't bother me" Basilflame responded, moving her body to sit beside her semi-feral friend and wrapping her plumed, flame-like tail around herself to keep her paws as warm as she could. She glanced at Monty with a soft, near maternal expression, something that came natural to her from her mother. She wondered what Sunbear would think of Basilflame meeting up with a outsider like this... surely she wouldn't mind, given her past and such.

Regardless of her thoughts, she perked her ears to listen to Monty's words with full attention. "Oh you don't have to give me a thing, I do this because there are cats in need more than me, and besides, leaf-bare is unkind to everyone." Basilflame explained, her hazel eyes fixed comfortably on the older cat "clan cat or not" she stated firmly but calmly.

"Oh that's simple" When Monty had asked how the lynx-point she-cat could handle the cold, she responded with a gentle snicker and a rumbling purr in her chest. "My fur is longer and more dense, more built up due to my sire and dame having the same fur" she said, giving said fur on her chest a few calculated licks.

Her calm was soon broken when she noticed his strange behavior with one of his back paws. Her ears fell back, he was injured! Basilflame's brows furrowed as she darted down to inspect the paw that was lifted from the ground. "Monty you're hurt" She whispered taking a closer inspection of the paw "It could be a sprain. I don't see any open wounds and it's not bent in any strange way, even a warrior would be able to notice that" she contemplated, wanting to help her friend, but she was no medicine cat, how could she possibly assist him.

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty blinked in surprise as Basilflame settled beside him, her presence offering an unexpected but welcome warmth against the biting chill. Her soft, motherly expression made him pause, a flicker of emotion crossing his face, but he quickly masked it with his usual grin. "You’re practically built for winter."

When her tone shifted, and she leaned down to inspect his injured paw, Monty’s smile faltered. "Ah, it’s nothing... Just a slip on some ice. I’ll be back to my old self in no time." Yet as she continued her assessment, Monty’s ears twitched, and he sighed, finally relenting. "Alright, alright. Maybe it’s a little more than nothing."

He shifted awkwardly, not used to others fussing over him. "Don’t worry yourself..." He mewed, attempting a reassuring tone. "It’s not like I’m out here trying to fight an elephant or anything." 

Despite his casual words, there was a flicker of gratitude in his gaze as he watched her. The thought of a clan cat, someone bound by the warrior code and clan loyalty showing such concern for a loner like him, was something Monty didn’t take lightly. "I suppose you’ve got ideas, though... What would a warrior like you do for a sprain?"

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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Basilflame continued to inspect the mild sprain, there was swelling but not a lot. Last time she experienced a sprain she tried to make sure she tried remember the herb that Rowanglade had used, some sort of poultice she was sure, there had been a few instances where she smelt the herb around the territory but she wasn't sure if it would be around during leaf-bare, in fact she was almost certain they wouldn't. Last she recalled Rowanglade had used daisy leaves to heal her, and she never saw them in leaf-bare, not even once.

In fact she had no idea what could heal her newfound friend. Which seemed to break her heart more then it should "Well, it's normal for sprains to swell, last time I had one my medicine cat used leaves of a daisy poultice, but they aren't about in leaf-bare" she murmured as if her voice was beginning to break from heartbreak, she wanted to help her friend, truly she did, but what could she do? Herbs weren't exactly something she needed to remember.

"I'd say for you to come back to my clan with me so they could get you patched up, but how would that make me look if I strode into camp with an outsider in tow" She stated, a little less worried now, but still holding what seemed to be a massive amount of concern for the loner she had met no more than a moon ago. "Unless you know anyone that knows herbs" the flame lynx point she-cat added, maybe a trip to the WindClan camp wasn't needed, especially if any cat out there knew herbs the way a medicine cat would.

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty listened intently, his amber gaze softening as he noticed the crack in Basilflame's voice. Her genuine concern struck a chord within him - he wasn’t used to cats caring this much, let alone a clan cat. He let out a low purr, trying to ease the tension he saw weighing on her shoulders.

"Daisy leaves, huh? I suppose they’re not exactly sprouting out of the snow, are they?” His tone was light, though there was a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. He didn’t want her to feel guilty over something neither of them could change."Your clanmates might not be as… welcoming as you are..."There was no bitterness in his tone. Just the reality of a loner who knew his place in the world. "And I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble."

Her next suggestion gave him pause. He tilted his head, considering her words. "There’s a cat I’ve run into before... with mismatched eyes and half a tail. Might have an herb or two for me if I'm nice - which I usually am."Though he tried to play it off as casual, there was a sincerity in his gaze. He valued her kindness more than he knew how to express, and the idea of not facing the icy winds alone was a comfort he couldn’t ignore.

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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Basilflame let out a light chuckle at Monty's joking tone, she sighed at the sight of the mildly swollen leg and lay beside him a little longer, getting more comfortable in his presence. The flame point she-cat draped her tail over his fawn colored pelt. She looked down at her paws for a moment, the idea of bringing Monty back to WindClan camp to get him any sort of help crossed her mind again, but his words were true, a lot of cats in her clan would not take too kindly to her bringing an outsider into the camp, especially with so many kits that need protecting.

"Us clan cats have our own territories were swear to protect when we're young." Basilflame explained warmly, a spark of nostalgia seeping sweetly into her tone. "The clan is our purpose, all us clan cat live to serve. It's not for everyone but for the cats that live and thrive there... it's everything" she explained, her voice dripping with sentiment as a purr joined her words. "It probably sounds like a bunch of nonsense to the average cat, but the safety of our clan is worth dying for" she added, glancing up at the sky for a moment.

Monty mentioned a cat with a near missing tail... perhaps she had seen him on a patrol or something before, but the odd eyes sounded so similar. "Was he kind? Do you believe that he would give you what you need to be treated?" She asked, Monty probably hardly knew the cat he had met on a whim, so she sighed, kneading her paws against the grass. She really wanted to help Monty, but what good was she if she didn't know what could help him, or even how she could find this missing-tailed cat again.

"Can you walk? We could take a look around this side of the border to see if he is around to help. Maybe then you'd be able to catch a mouse without falling on over yourself" she meowed, ending her words in a joke, if she was going to help she at least wanted to lighten the mood.

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty let out a chuckle at Basilflame’s joke, his amber eyes glinting with a mix of amusement and warmth. He shifted his weight carefully, testing his injured paw as he stood. A faint wince crossed his face, but he quickly masked it with a grin. “It’s not exactly a youthful stride, but like Odysseus, I can manage!”

As they began to move, Monty glanced at Basilflame, her earlier words still lingering in his mind. "Swearing your whole life to your clan, ready to die for them... It sounds, I dunno, noble. Maybe a little mad too." Though there was no malice in his voice. "But I can see why it matters to you."

He paused for a beat, looking up at the pale gray sky as they padded along. "I used to belong to a human - or perhaps I still do, in a way. There was an... accident and I got separated. But I've been all over the world - you'd think being in the wilderness wouldn't be much of an issue..."

Shaking off the uncharacteristic seriousness, Monty perked up. "He's kind enough, but mostly fair, so I’d wager he’d help me out for the right price. I just hope he hasn’t wandered too far off."

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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"Mad wouldn't even begin to describe it, but its something I still stand by, I'd lay down my life for WindClan, as my mother and all my other clanmates would" She explained as she walked alongside him, moving far enough to allow him some comfortable room, yet close enough to support him if he would so need it. She had not a clue who Odysseus was, but whoever it was, she assumed was a strong figure to look up to.

Basilflame's heart ached for Monty in the moment, his voice seemed so sincere to her and she followed to tone it carried with intent eyes, as if every word held a strong meaning, even words connecting the others together. "Well, heartbreak comes around, and it never really goes away. Just kind of... get easier to talk about I suppose" Basilflame responded gently, slowing her pace to be at pace with Montgomery.

"We all have struggles of our own, each one unique in their own right and each one affecting us in different ways." She explained, carrying a sense of nobility and almost comfort in her tone "Sometimes it's easy to forget outsiders have their own struggles"

As they continued their steps, Basilflame cast her hazel gaze over to to Monty for a moment "Regardless we should probably take routine rests if it gets too difficult to walk in this search for this mysterious healer you've met" she chuckled lightly, not sure where she was headed, but happy to be heading there with a friend.

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty gave a soft chuckle at Basilflame’s words, though his amber eyes betrayed a flicker of gratitude. "You have such a way with words. Makes a cat feel like maybe his struggles aren’t so ridiculous after all."

He let her suggestion of resting sink in as he continued to move, though the limp in his stride grew more noticeable the farther they went. "Routine rests, huh? Yeah - yeah, you're probably right."

Her mention of struggles and heartbreak lingered in his mind, and he found himself speaking without thinking. "I suppose it does get easier to talk about. Doesn’t mean it stops hurting, though. I guess that’s the trade off for caring about something, isn’t it? I horribly miss my human. The exploration and adventure too, but also the comfort. The safety."

Slowing his pace as the ache in his paw grew, Monty cast her a playful glance. "Alright, I’ll take your advice and rest for a bit. But only because you’d probably nag me to death otherwise..." He teased, settling himself onto a patch of soft grass with a relieved sigh.

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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"Great StarClan I strike you as the type of cat that would nag?" Basilflame struggled to stifle a laugh in her chest and it slipped out as a poorly concealed snort as the creamy white and ginger she-cat's shoulders trembled with suppressed giggles. "Monty I'm hurt, I thought you knew me better then that" she gasped, though she didn't hold any malice or offence in her tone, simply the light-hearted joking tone one would share between friends.

Basilflame caught sight of the soft patch of grass that Monty had so graciously sat in so she didn't have to struggle with finding a place for the two of them to have a short break. She sat promptly beside him and glanced at him for a moment before adjusting herself to be more comfortable. The thing with long fur was that there was a lot of it in leaf-bare, and Basilflame felt it was a little hard to work with at the best of times. 

Her gaze softened in sympathy towards the pointed tom and she pressed her nose to his shoulder in a means to give him some comfort "There's never really a safe place to be if you think about it, but with the right cats or in the right place, a lot of things can feel safe" she explained, settling down a little more beside him "It's like even in the toughest of snow storms, you know you'll feel the warmest of all with the right cat" she explained, a sense of genuine warmth laced her voice and there was a bit of calm in it, despite it being so cold "You understand don't you?"

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty blinked at Basilflame, then let out a low chuckle. "Oh, absolutely. You’ve got all the makings of a world-class nag - but there is goodness for it. If an excess of 'caring' could be considered a crime." His smirk softened into something more genuine as he watched her settle beside him, her long fur shifting with every movement.

The warmth of her nose against his shoulder caught him off guard and for a moment he sat very still. He wasn’t used to gestures like that - soft, unspoken reassurances."You make the world seem a little less… harsh." He admitted, his voice quieter now. His gaze drifted to the pale sky, his breath misting in the crisp air. His tail flicked lightly against the ground, thoughtfully. "I think I do understand... I hope to find a place where it matters who's there with you."

His eyes had returned to her. " Have you ever consider becoming a philosopher instead of a warrior? The likes of Socrates and Aristotle?" The cold wind stirred around them, but Monty barely felt it.

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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Basilflame's posture seemed to relax a lot more being around the fawn pelted tom-cat, it felt like she felt the same warmth that he stated, she had given him. "I suppose we all need someone like that, and if that someone is me, I'm honored" She responded, her flame colored tail flicking like a fierce, newborn flame. And her hazel eyes looking at him with admiration.

Something instead of a warrior? Basilflame wasn't sure what the word philosopher was but she was sure it was something that Monty held highly, at least she hoped he did if he was recommending her to become one to replace something that she worked towards her whole life. She wouldn't of course, but now it had been a matter of wording that correctly without making the outsider feel bad about his suggestion.

"Well, whatever a philosopher may be, it is not enticing enough to relinquish my position as warrior, WindClan is everything to me and I couldn't abandon them like that. I hope you'd understand that sort of loyalty, being in a clan demands that loyalty" she explained, gazing into Monty's eyes, the copperish-amber color reflecting starkly against her greenish-hazel. Basilflame was just happy to be in the company of such a friendly and sentimental cat. "Say... How's that leg feeling now?" she asked

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty studied Basilflame for a moment, taking in the flicker of admiration in her  eyes, the way her tail moved like a restless flame. He found himself smiling.

"Well, Socrates was more than just a philosopher but I’d say WindClan is lucky! Loyalty like that isn’t something to take for granted." He supposed he did understand - though his own loyalties had once been different, tied to the adventurous and comforting efforts of a human. Partnership rather than a clan. But was it really so different? The feeling of belonging, of wanting to protect something greater than yourself?

At her question, Monty stretched his foreleg out in front of him, flexing his paw against the cold earth. "Better..." He admitted, though a faint soreness still lingered beneath the surface. "Not perfect, but better." Monty exhaled, watching his breath curl in the cold air before casting Basilflame a sideways glance. "Shall we galivant into the unknown, Madam? Your escort - and company - has been most welcome."

I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

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Basilflame's ears twitched at Monty's explanations, the words seemed so fascinating, at least Monty made them seem rather fascinating, and Basilflame found herself lost in the way he worded his speech. "I suppose, but all WindClan cats are as loyal as I, well, from what I'm aware anyway" She responded with a gentle nod.

A light purr left the pit of her chest as Monty gave a report on his sprain, it was better than not easing at all she supposed. "Better is good, even if it's not fully healed there's a comfort in the thought of it slowly healing itself" she added as she stretched out her front paws, the ginger color catching the sunlight as they were stretched outwards with a small 'mrrow' from Basilflame.

After her immersive stretch, Basilflame stood up to her paws, using her muzzle to help Monty get back to his paws. "I say we should" She replied, twitching her flame-like tail before taking a few steps forward and turning her gaze towards the fawn colored cat, there was a limp in his gait, but it wasn't as bad as it could be. She gifted him a gentle smile as she waited for him to meet up with her pace. "You will be welcome to my company for as long as I am able offer it, dearest Monty"