Private Thread Trudge and Tramp

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust, her shorter fur just as thoroughly drenched, shook out her coat with a huff of frustration, though her usual spark of humor wasn’t entirely drowned out. “Well, I didn’t expect to go for a swim this morning either.” The cinnamon pointed she-cat quipped, glancing over at Specklenose with a crooked grin. Her stubby tail flicked, flicking droplets everywhere.

Despite the miserable weather, she didn’t seem too upset. “Can’t control the rain. Besides, maybe it’ll wash a couple bite sized fish into our mouths.” she added a bit nonsensically, glancing down at her paws which were caked in muck from their slog through the marsh. Each step was a squelch, the ground sucking at her paws with every move, but maybe the rain would revitalize the prey.

As they continued trudging, Emberdust shot her companion a more sympathetic look. “Hey, at least we tried, right? We’ll just tell everyone we were checking the territory for flash floods or something.” She joked lightly, though her voice held no hint of blame. “Rain or no rain, hunting with you beats a boring border patrol any day.”

Her green eyes gleamed with their usual playful mischief, despite the rain soaking them both to the bone.

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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  Emberdust's humour was well appreciated by Specklenose, her comments sending a slight smile to the feline's face. He back away for a moment as Emberdust shook her pelt, giving her a feign look of irritation before slapping their paw down into ground, sending a splash her way. He remembered her coming home with Dazzlekit one afternoon, both cats absolutely drenched. This would be nothing for her. 

'Yeah, cause fish are just gonna start falling from the sky. Silly me, I can't believe I forgot that' they countered, hiding a smile at their friend's absurdity, though it was something Specklenose easily could have said himself. Despite being a little upset over the rain, they still kept their senses alert, just in case. Not surprisingly though, it seemed that any form of life has buried themselves deep within their homes, out of sight from rain and predator. 

'We might have tried, but I can nearly guarantee Dawnflurry'll send me on something else later on. Maybe I was hoping I might get praised for my wonderful initiative' he joked, just as their foot sank into the ground and he winced. He didn't know how Emberdust did it, no matter how hard he tried, water and dirt just made them uncomfortable, though with the right cats, he found he just might enjoy it. 'True, true. I'm glad you came out with me. Might not have come back alive otherwise.' They added with a playful glimmer in their eyes. Despite all those they knew, Emberdust was one of, and if not, their favourite cat to spend time with. Growing up together had brought them close, and they seemed to share a similar sense of humour and aspiration. It was something the silver tom greatly appreciated, and he would never turn down, or regret time spent with the cinnamon warrior. 'You know, we can stay out here if you want to. While it's wet and cold, it aint raining anymore. I wouldn't mind if we just walked aimlessly'

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust let out a bark of laughter as Specklenose’s splash hit her. “Hey!” She protested with a half-hearted scowl, though the amusement never left her face. “If we’re going to start tossing mud around, I’ll win.” She added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, playfully swatting some muck back in his direction. Her tail twitched, clearly enjoying the banter despite the dreary surroundings.

She snorted at his response about fish falling from the sky, grinning. “But you know what? Even if we didn’t catch anything, we’re still more productive than half the warriors back at camp right now.”

Emberdust perked up at the mention of Dawnflurry. “You? Wanting praise for initiative? Why do you care about that?” She slowed her pace, carefully putting her paws where they wouldn't fall all the way through. But her excitement got to her as her thoughts began turning between her ears. Maybe the rainfall was good for something. "Oh - Oh! We could check the sidestream to see if the banks are flooded. Sometimes it washes up yummy things." She shot him a warm look, clearly enjoying their time together, rain or no rain.

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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 'Okay, okay, I retreat!' They said, backing away slightly unsure if Emberdust would retaliate playfully or not. It was better to be safe than sorry, especially around Emberdust. Despite his maneuver, the thick muck went flying right onto his pristine white chest, landing with an audible splat. They froze, slowly lowering their head to look at the mud on their chest before raising their gaze back to Emberdust, eye twitching with irritation. False irritation of course, as with playful snarl they leapt at Emberdust, hoping his paws would knock her of her feet so he could pummel her with more mud. 

'Because.. I actually aspire to lead one day. Just imagine, Specklestar the great with loyal deputy Emberdust. An unstoppable duo who might literally send their clan to extinction' Specklenose would make a terrible leader and they knew it. For all he cared, he could retire early and be as happy as ever, though thinking deeper into it, he saw how miserable his mother was and knew they would likely be the same.

At Emberdust's suggestion, the silver cat's ears perked, 'That might just be the only intelligent thing you've ever said' they joked, a fond purr rumbling from their throat. They actually might be able to bring something home! He flashed Emberdust a crooked grin, 'Lead the way, my lovely, I'll follow close behind'

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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Emberdust barely held back a laugh when Specklenose froze, eyeing the mud splattered on his chest. “Oops!” H eyes gleamed with mischief. But before she could react, Specklenose launched at her, and with a startled yelp, Emberdust found herself knocked off her paws, tumbling into the muck with a squelch. "Oh, you asked for it now!" She laughed, flinging more mud at him, both of them now completely covered.

As she squirmed out from under him, she shot him an incredulous look at the mention of Specklestar. “You? Leading? We'd definitely be famous - though maybe not for the right reasons.” Her tone was light, though there was a playful gleam in her eyes.

Shaking her head, Emberdust gave her coat another shake. When Specklenose perked up at her idea, she grinned triumphantly. “See, I have my moments.” She flicked her tail toward the sidestream’s direction, already moving. “Come on then, before the smart ideas dry up. Just don't fall behind, Specklestar!"

She led the way through the marsh, glancing back with a big grin.  

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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  Emberdust was slippery, too slippery for Specklenose, and as she wriggled out of his grasp he had no time to to react before more muck went flying his way. Seeing as they were close enough to even now, Specklenose would let it slide, but Emberdust better know that they would get her back later on, one way or another...

They scrambled after Emberdust, paws slipping on the still damp ground. Despite very much being a cat of ShadowClan, Specklenose sometimes felt they were suited elsewhere. Definitely not RiverClan though, thank StarClan for that. 

It wasn't long before he could hear the bubbling of the stream, and, like Emberdust had predicted, it was flooded. Only a little, but enough that there could be a chance of finding something washed up. Specklenose always saw fish as a delicacy within ShadowClan, for it was rarer to bring them home as they had significantly less water access than their water-loving neighbors. Plus, it wasn't a large focus in training, from what he could remember. 'It seems that the wise words of the deputy were correct.' He grinned before carefully sliding down the small back until they were right at the water's edge. If there were no fish, there should at least be some drowned mice somewhere.

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust glanced back as Specklenose scrambled to catch up, her eyes twinkling with amusement. It wasn’t often she had this much fun outside of the camp, and sharing it with Specklenose made it all the better.

As the bubbling of the stream reached her ears, Emberdust's whiskers twitched with excitement. She padded up to the water’s edge, peering into the murky current. “Ooooh!” She murmured, voice low as if she might scare away any potential prey. The stream had indeed flooded, the water higher than usual, and she could see small branches and bits of debris swirling in the flow.

She watched Specklenose slide down the bank, then followed him, her paws slipping a bit on the slick mud. She caught herself before she could fall, giving a small, triumphant flick of her stubby tail. “We might get lucky today, Specklenose. Dawnflurry will be so impressed.” Her voice was light, teasing, but there was a genuine eagerness in her gaze.

“I'll go this-a-way.” As she moved a few tail-lengths downstream. She tilted her head thoughtfully, her orange eyes narrowing as she scanned the water’s surface. She started to meander, staring suspiciously at the surface in case anything other than debris was floating. When she spied a caved in hole, she hoped carefully over. Her maw ducking just beneath the water's edge before she came up with a fluffy grey mass. " 'Ook - a muol!"

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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   Specklenose was starting to feel quite excited too, for this unconventional way of hunting made things ten times more interesting. They peered down into the water just as Emberdust had done. It bubbled and swirled, letting murk and mud travel downstream. On a calmer day he might have been able to see the bottom, but not today. They impulsively reached out a paw dabble at the water, but his brain kicked in not long after, and they quickly pulled their paw in, not wanting to accidentally fall into the water. 

'Dawnflurry better be impressed.' He grumbled, feeling their paws sink further into the ground. They were ready to try catch Emberdust if she slipped, and, not surprisingly she did, but before he could react she was upright and steady. Specklenose flashed her an impressed look before taking a look across the bank, hoping to find something. 

'Well, it's the other way for me then!' Specklenose hopped from his spot bounding up the stream with more careful steps than usual, though they were soon interrupted by Emberdust's call. He turned around, seeing a water dripping faced Emberdust with a sodden mole hanging from her mouth. He purred in amusement, heart already thrumming with excitement at the fact they had found something. He better get something too! 'Great! A little soggy but prey is prey!' 

They turned back in the direction they were originally travelling before, keeping their eyes trained to the ground. Things weren't looking too good until he saw a frog desperately gripping onto a rock, clearly doing its best to avoid drowning in its own home. If done right, frogs weren't all that hard to catch. He crept forward before he was close enough to give the frog a good slap off the rock, which they then chased after incase the frog decided to get up and 'run'. With a splat on the ground, Specklenose felt mud splatter across his face, but they also felt the frog underneath their paws. Picking it up in their maw, they swung around to face Emberdust, one eye closed to keep the mud out. ' 'Rog! I fink I 'ook 'ike my dam now 'oo' He dropped the frog with a little 'pleh' so they could speak properly. 'Incase you couldn't understand. I got a frog! I also can't see. out of my eye, I'm turning into my mother. Quite unfortunate.'

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust couldn’t help but purr with amusement, seeing Specklenose’s face half-covered in mud. “Well, I’d say you look just like her!” she teased, setting down the soggy mole with a satisfied flick of her tail. Her tone was light, the mischievous glint in her orange eyes bright as ever.

Glancing at the frog by Specklenose’s paws, she gave an approving nod. “Ooh, a frog! You know how much I love frogs!” Her words carried a genuine pride and satisfaction.

Shaking her head with a fond grin, Emberdust nudged the mole to a safe place on the shore and padded closer to inspect Specklenose’s mud-splattered face. "Let me help you out there..." She leaned forward and gave a quick lick to clear some of the mud off his closed eye, before stepping back with a chuckle and spitting out the rest. "There. Now you can see and show off that frog of yours properly."

She moved back to her side of the stream, scanning the water once more. "We might as well keep going for a bit, see if we can catch anything else. What do you think?"

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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  They felt glad as Emberdust leant forward to give his face a quick lick. His eye was a place they could not reach themselves, and while he could try clean it with their paw, having someone else to it made things ten times easier. 'Thanks!' He purred, flicking Emberdust with his fluffy tail. Like she had said, they looked down at the frog they had caught, Specklenose might have squished it a little, but it was enough to feed a smaller sized cat. A pleasing meal nonetheless. 

'Yeah, we may as well try for more.' Spoecklenose picked up their frog, placing it in the safe space beside Emberdust's mole. With their nose to the ground and jaw parted, Specklenose did his best to try find something else to scavenge. He trailed across the bank, the weather muddling his senses. Seemed as though they might have to rely on sight today. Looking back, they were now many cat-lengths away from Emberdust. They narrowed their eyes, trying to see if she had found anything before a silver gleam caught his eye from the other side of the stream. A small dace was nestled on the bank, clearly having not made it out alive from the flooded stream. The problem was it was on the other side, and while the stream was safe enough to swim in, Specklenose was not the greatest swimmer. He reeeeally wanted that fish though. With his blue gaze eyeing the fish desperately, Specklenose tentatively placed a paw in the icy cold water, wincing as it pierced his skin. Specklenose hated water, but the fish was calling their name, a sacrifice had to be made. 

Squeezing their eyes shut, Specklenose jumped into the water with a gasp, their ears pinned to their head. The water struck his skin instantly, and for a moment Specklenose sunk under the water, frozen in shock. But quickly enough he began to paddle with their paws, resurfacing with a gasp. He was splashing and making a lot of noise, but they were able to keep their head above water. 'Emberdust! Look! I'm swimming!' He gasped, teeth chattering from the cold. Slowly making their way to the other side, almost going under again at one point, Specklenose was relieved when the felt mushy ground underneath their paws. Practically running out of the stream, Specklenose shook his fur viciously before picking up the dace triumphantly, eyes shining with pride in himself. Specklenose swam for the first time! Really, Specklenose was lucky, as impulse had taken over and made them jump into the water. He didn't know how to swim, and if their body froze up with fear he could have drowned. Luckily things had ended up the other way, and Specklenose held up their fish with a puffed (but soggy) chest. 

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust watched in wide-eyed surprise as Specklenose flung himself into the stream, her mouth parting slightly in shock. For a heartbeat, she thought she might have to dive in after him, but when his head popped back up and he paddled awkwardly, her surprise turned into amusement. She let out a loud purr of laughter, her tail flicking in delight. "Well, would you look at that! Specklenose, the mighty swimmer!"

She padded closer to the water’s edge, her green eyes gleaming as she watched her friend struggle his way across to the other side. “You’re going to catch a cold if you keep this up.” She chuckled, her tone affectionate, though her gaze followed him cautiously, ready to leap in if he needed help.

When Specklenose emerged on the far bank with the dace in his jaws, Emberdust let out a triumphant cheer. "A fish! You actually got a fish!"She bounded toward him on her toes, half spinning while staying on her side of the stream, her paws sinking into the mud as she grinned over at him. “You did it, Specklenose! First a frog, and now a fish? Dawnflurry's not just going to be impressed, he's going to think you're half RiverClan!”

She took a few steps back from the stream, shaking her head in disbelief. "We should head back soon before you turn into an icicle..." she said, her tone warm but practical. Emberdust usually would have wanted to try and one-up her speckled-nose friend, but in this case, getting him warm and dry was a top priority.

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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'I think... Flutterdream... Is going to berate me when we get home..' They said through shivers, still refusing to let go of the dace. Despite not catching it themselves, it was the swimming that had made the 'catch' feel mighty. What went through the silvery felines mind that made them think swimming for the first time in leafbare was a good idea, no one knows. 

His tufted ears still pinned to his head as his body shook, already regretting his choice. They wanted to press up to Emberdust, but she was on the other side. He needed to warmth and his friend was right there. 'You can take the frog too, I wanna see what our clanmates think when I bring a fish home. Just don't tell anyone it was already dead' they snickered, hoping at least someone would be impressed. Worst case, they can just go brag to their mother and she will give him affection whether she is actually impressed or not. 

Now on the other side of the stream, and not particularly wanting to swim back, Specklenose considered how they would get back to the other side. He knew the stream ended not too far ahead, and that seemed like the best option. 'I'll meet you around the other side. I'll be back, I promise!' they exclaimed before running of, sneezing along the way and almost tripping over their own paws. 

After a few minutes, Specklenose returned running up to Emberdust and pressing into her, hoping she wouldn't mind their sogginess. 'You are right... we should get back.. Maybe I'll get a cold and won't have to do my duties for toda-' almost finishing their sentence, Specklenose was interrupted by another sneeze, their speckled nose wrinkling in irritation.

The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
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  Emberdust’s whiskers twitched with amusement as she watched Specklenose shivering, still stubbornly clinging to the dace. "Oh, Flutterdream is definitely going to give you a good talking to." She teased, her eyes warm with affection for her friend. She could see the regret already setting in, but at the same time, she admired his determination. Swimming for the first time in the middle of leaf-bare was not something she’d have chosen, but it made for a great story.

Her eyes softened when he offered her the frog. "Sure, that seems fine to me!" Her tail giving an encouraging flick.

She gathered their small pile of prey, her thoughts racing with how proud Dawnflurry would be to see them return with not just a frog and a mole, but a fish too. Emberdust couldn’t help but purr in amusement as he pressed up against her, thoroughly soggy and sneezing. "You look like a drowned mouse..." she said affectionately, nudging him with her shoulder. "A handsome one, though."

She turned her gaze toward the path leading back to camp, her expression softening. She was prepared to press up against him the whole way back, even if it made for a cumbersome trip. Playfully, she nudged him forward, casting one last glance at the stream with a contented sigh. Even with the cold and mud, this adventure had been worth it.

     'I look at things from the heart, despite my brain screaming please don’t!'
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 Specklenose would forever be grateful for having a friend like Emberdust. She was always there, no matter what, and somehow their combined stupidness made for a perfect match. As they walked home, they leant lightly on Emberdust's shoulder, soaking in whatever warmth she could offer. It might have slowed the pace, but Specklenose wasn't sure he would get home otherwise. Not once did they let go of their fish, it sitting tightly within their maw.

They shot Emberdust a feigned look of upset as she called them akin to a drowned mouse, but their expression soon turned to one of satisfaction as Emberdust called them handsome. Finally, some appreciation! Specklenose honestly didn't care how Emberdust saw him, but it was nice to his occasional flirting paid of every now and again. It lead to nothing, but banter was fun, especially with Emberdust. They didn't just do it to anyone either. Emberdust held a special place in the silvery feline's heart. Her little stubby tail, her splotchy rich cinnamon and cream face, and her smile that lit up the whole camp. 'Ah! The she finally compliments me! A wonderous day, for I have completed not one, but two achievements!' he exclaimed before falling into a fit of laughter.

With Emberdust nudging Specklenose forward, the pair made they way back to camp. Despite the cold, the air around them was filled with warmth and their ears rung with laughter. Specklenose would spend their days like this everyday if they could.