Open to Join Like Basil to a Flame

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

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The wind brushed against Basilflame's long fur, the flame color of the points flaring like leaves set ablaze like they always had, but it still had the silky and soft look to it. She questioned if wondering this close to unclaimed rogue territory was the right idea, especially by herself after all the deaths that had happened recently. She had been at the gathering, all the other clans have been hit before WindClan had, but she supposed it had been inevidable.

A rustling sound caught Basilflame's ears first, making them twitch uncomfortably as she crouched in the moorland grass like her life depended on it. She crept closer until she caught their scent, it was not the scent that was reported back to the clan, not the scent that covered Doveflight and Pinesteps bodies. Something much cleaner, more familiar. 

Basilflame knew who this cat was, and had no bad blood with him, but that didn't mean she couldn't toy with him a bit, all in good fun of course. She let out a low growl, though there was no real bite behind it, simply one of mock threat. 

Then, her leap came quick, she made a landing right next to Monty like a swift ember flying across the sky in a wildfire. As she landed she nudged his shoulder softly. "Seems that leg of yours is doing much better, that's good news" she purred, lifting her striped tail in greeting "It's nice to finally see a friendly face that isn't from WindClan"

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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His ears twitched, and the fur between his shoulders prickled with alert tension, thawing only when the source of the sound landed beside him in a blur of motion and warmth. Her presence earned her a heartfelt smile. "Well, now..." He murmured, turning his head to take her in. The wind had ruffled her fur, casting her in the wild elegance of someone carved from the windy moors. "I might’ve thought I’d been hunted!"

His amber gaze dipped briefly to the moor beyond them, then back to her. "Leg’s better, yes. Thanks to a bit of rest and some very convincing advice from my healer friend." Monty gave her a long look...measured, appreciative, not quite searching but nearly."I’m glad you’re alright... with everything happening, I wasn’t sure if I’d get to say that to you again."

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

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"I must have to work on my form then!" She let out a tender and warm laugh as she gave her fur a few compulsory licks to keep it neat and clean, well, as much as possible at least. When her laughing came to an end, it was replaced with relief that her friend was healthy and well, and most importantly alive, she was glad Monty was alive.

Basilflame was quick to sit herself beside the fawn colored tom and curl her tail neatly around her paws. "I'm glad you have your own medicine cat to help you when you need them, not many rogues are that lucky" she explained, admiration in her voice as she kept eye contact with his amber eyes, there was something in them that she couldn't quite find, but she didn't want to search for too long out of fear of being considered ignorant or impolite.

As Monty spoke, it was as if he knew, like he knew about the rogue killing off the cats within the clans... and if anything, Basilflame was glad he did, as much as she wanted him to be careful, she wanted the killer's face to be known as well. "You speak as if..." Basilflame paused, letting her words float in the air and hold the weight that they deserved

"As if you know that a rogue has been taking from the clans?" she ended her words with a questioning tone, as if asking if what she was suggesting was the correct information, even if it was something that Monty didn't know, surely he wouldn't worry for no reason.

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty’s expression shifted, softening at her laugh. That sound felt like something rare, something the moors didn’t get to keep for long. "You’ll have to forgive me..." He said with a wry tilt of his head. "But if that was you slipping up on your form, I think I’d be doomed if you ever tried in earnest."

He watched her settle beside him, the closeness grounding him in a way that was difficult to name. Her presence was warmth, a comfort that didn’t ask anything of him. It made it easier to speak plainly. "Kosmo's no clan cat..." He admitted, tone quiet but sure."-And I don't know much about medicine..."

He hesitated for a breath, then added."He was the one who gave us barn cats warning."His gaze dropped to the crest of the hill for a beat before meeting Basilflame’s own. His tail brushed the grass faintly behind him."Do you know who it is?"The fawn sepia tom inquired softly, voice quieter still."Or why?"

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

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Basilflame's ears twitched gently at his words, her whiskers lifted in a quiet amusement, though a warmth settled behind her eyes that lingered even after the chuckle passed. She didn't speak right away, letting the moment breath between them, soft and grounding like the grass beneath their paws. But as her friend's tone shifter, so did hers, though never unkind. She blinked slowly, the breeze catching her fur, and she glanced down the slope as if the wind might carry the answer they both wanted.

"I don't" She admitted gently, meeting his gaze again. "Not really. There's talk, of course. Bits of tortoiseshell fur found near where the bodies were, just tufts, caught on the bark or bramble. No clear scent trail. No name. Just... a she-cat, dark-furred. That's all we have" she hesitated, brow furrowing slightly "It's not much to hold onto when lives are at stake." Her tail curled neatly around her paws, the tip twitching "But I'd like to know why, too. Why anyone, clanborn or not, would do something so cruel. It doesn't make sense" Her voice was still quiet, still kind but there was something studier beneath it now, shaken but still sturdy.

Her gaze softened again as she looked at Monty. "I wasn't aware that you'd heard it from anyone. That must've been hard to carry, but I'm glad you know, everyone needs to be cautious." Her expressions flickered with sympathy, real, open and unwavering. Then quieter still, she looked out across the moor "If she's out there... we'll stop her. But we'll do it the right way. I won't let fear turn us against each other" She didn't add 'even if it means I get hurt' but it was there, in her voice, in the way she sat, calm and steady against the wind.

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty listened in silence, amber eyes steady on Basilflame’s face as she spoke. Her words didn’t need to be dramatic...they rang true in the stillness between them, carried on the same wind that tugged at her fur. He gave a slow nod, just once. " A dark-furred she-cat..."He echoed under his breath, gaze drifting out across the moorland beyond. What Kosmo said rang true.

He turned his head to look at her again, more closely this time. The steady strength in her was unmistakable. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this grace under pressure, this courage. "I don’t think anyone should have to carry that kind of fear alone..." He said, his voice low but certain. "Not you. Not your Clanmates. And not Kosmo either."

Monty shifted his weight slightly. "If there’s anything I can do… anything you need - I’ll help. Even if I’m not Clanborn. Even if I don't think this 'knave' would appreciate a good scolding..." He gave a slant smile, tinged with something wistful. "I don’t like what this fear is doing to cats. But what you said… about not turning on each other? That’s the part that matters most."

Then he looked forward again, eyes scanning the horizon as if hoping to catch a sign of the killer or a glimpse of peace. He wasn't exactly sure where to start, but maybe Basilflame had more answers. 

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

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Basilflame's ears twitched softly at Monty's words, her gaze falling for a moment to the earthy ground beneath her paws as his offer settled into the air between them. The moor ahead was quiet, but the kind of quiet that pressed in around her thoughts, filled not with fear, but the weight of choices, of cats trying to be better in a world that wasn't making it easy. When she looked back at Monty, her hazel eyes were calm, warm with a quiet gratitude.

"That means more than you know" she said gently, her voice a little softer then it had been "Clanborn or not... it doesn't matter when it comes to doing what's right. And I've never believe kindness had borders" she spoke with a certainty, one that she knew would be the truth if ant cat chose to look hard enough. Her tail then swept lightly across the ground behind her, brushing his side for just a breath before returning to her own flank. "You are right though. We shouldn't carry it alone. Not the fear, and not the hope either." Her voice didn't waver now, but there was a softness to it. " I think... maybe that is how we start healing from things like this. Not with claws, or suspicion, but with each other."

She glanced out toward the horizon where his gaze had wandered, the wind tugging at the tips of her fur. "I don't have all the answers, I'm not sure if i want them" she admitted. "Only what I told you about the tufts of fur and whispered warnings. But I know what fear doesn't. And I know it doesn't belong in our nests, not where there are kits sleeping just tail-lengths away" She blinked slowly, her expressions tinged with a small, rueful smile. "And besides... if it ever comes to a good scolding, you'll have to let me be the first to speak, I am still a clan cat, after all." Her whiskers twitched, a spark of lightness beneath the heaviness of the talk, her resilience shining just as quietly as her compassion.

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty let out a quiet huff of laughter at that last remark, head dipping slightly as his smile deepened He tilted his head, watching her as the breeze stirred between them. She didn’t need to speak loudly to carry conviction, and somehow, that made her all the more steadying. In a moorland full of unknowns, she felt like something certain.

"I think you’re right. Fear only grows in silence." He leaned back slightly on his haunches, stretching one foreleg out to idly disturb the grass beneath. “It’s easy out here to feel like the world is bigger than any one of us. That we can’t do much more than hold our ground and hope it doesn’t wash over us."

Monty glanced back toward the horizon again, more contemplative now than watchful. The killer still roamed, the questions still burned but in this moment sitting beside Basilflame he felt less alone with them.

"Reminds me of the tale of the Hare and His Ears..." A brow rose expectantly towards the she-cat, wondering if she'd inquire further. If she cared to listen, he'd relay the human tale. Even Two-Leg tales had inspiring messages.

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

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Basilflame's determination and passion eased with Monty's voice, her fur lying flat against her body with the exception of the winds ruffling the tips of stray tufts that she hardly noticed or bothered to clean, it wasn't as if she was heading towards a meeting with a clan leader or anything of a similar formality. This was calm camaraderie with a good friend, nothing more, nothing less.

"I'm glad we have the same ideals, Monty" she replied with a softness that could have been carried with the breeze that flowed through the fur of both the cats. "The world is a bigger place than some of us think actually, I've heard kit tales of lands beyond highstones, but it's unknown for the most part, and I see no reason to leave my home and my clan for anything. Not even a hardship like this" she added with a twitch at the tip of her fiery tail.

Her ears perked at the prospect of a story, and turned her gaze towards the fawn sepia tom before moving her body info a comfortable lay on the grass, her front paws laid out in front of her and her hind legs tucked beneath her flank with her tail curling neatly around herself. The hare and his ears, she wondered to herself what the tale could contain for a moment before letting out a long and quiet breath.

"Weave you tale Monty, I'm sure it will be a good one" 

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty’s ears twitched faintly at her invitation, his mouth curving again. She had settled down like she meant to listen, and so he did the same, easing down onto his belly with one forepaw crossed over the other, his tail flicking once at his side.

"There was once a Lion who got scratched up pretty bad while eating a goat. Turns out, horns aren’t just for show. That made the Lion furious...embarrassed, maybe, so he declared that no animal with horns was welcome in his lands anymore. Just… kicked them all out."

Monty’s whiskers twitched faintly, and blinked a bit secretly towards the molly.

"So, of course, every creature with horns panicked. Started packing, leaving everything behind. But then there was the Hare. A hare with no horns and nothing to worry about? He should’ve been safe."

"But that night, the Hare had awful dreams. He saw his ears in the moonlight and started to worry. What if the Lion mistook them for horns? What if it didn’t matter what he said, because the Lion had already made up his mind? That morning when he awoke he wished his neighbor, the cricket, a good life."

He chuckled once, an airy thing, just beyond his mouth as he spoke. "So he ran, too. And never again was the Hare seen on the Lion's land."

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

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Basilflame listened with her paws tucked neatly beneath her chest, the wind tugging gently at her ginger and creamy colored fur. As Monty spoke, her expression remained soft, contemplative, her eyes never leaving his face. She didn't interrupt, not once. There was a calm steadiness to her, like a well worn stone at the river's edge, shaped by years of watching and listening, of understanding more than she'd give herself credit for. When he finished, a gentle breath of laughter escaped her, though it didn't carry mockery, only warmth.

"That poor hare" she murmured, the tip of her tail curling slightly upward "He had no horns at all, but still ran just the same. I suppose that's what fear does, doesn't it? Even when there's no reason... it digs its roots into your heart until you can't see clearly anymore" she replied, her words more contemplative than before.

She tilted her head slightly, hazel eyes thoughtful. "It's a clever story. And a sad one. The lion never had the say the hare wasn't welcome, he just had to let him think it" Her gaze flicked briefly towards the moor again, as if she could see each of her clanmates in that tale. "I wonder how many of us are already halfway to running like that. And how many think their ears look too much like horns" The she looked at Monty with a small, soft smile. "But I think you're wrong about one thing." she lead on, her smile turning into a soft smirk for a moment before returning to its softness.

She leaned in a little, voice dripping with something gentler. "The hare was seen again. He's here now, telling stories to a clan cat in the wind." Her whiskers twitched, a quiet fondness in her tone. "You might not wear horns, Monty, but you do where the weight of watching others carry theirs. That is much more special." And then, just as softly. "Thank you, for that story. Would it interest you to hear one in return? Though I don't think I will be able to weave one as well as you"

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty let out a slow breath through his nose, the beginnings of a smile catching in the corners of his mouth as Basilflame spoke. It wasn’t often someone saw him so clearly, and rarer still that they named it with such grace. At first, he said nothing... just watching her with that quiet, fawn eyed stillness he sometimes wore when thoughts ran deep. Then his shoulders rose and lowered with a low exhale.

"You give the hare more credit than he ever gave himself. I think… maybe he needed someone to notice the difference between ears and horns before he stopped running." His voice was softer now, shaped by her warmth and careful understanding. The wind played gently at his fur, but he hardly noticed. Monty tipped his head at her offer, one brow quirking with intrigue. "A tale in return?" His eyes were wide with anticipation a flicker of fond amusement warming his tone. "Now that sounds like a fair trade. I think I’d like that very much."

He reclined slightly, posture easing further into the earth, forelegs stretched before him and his tail curling to one side in a relaxed, serpentine loop. His eyes didn’t leave her face, steady as dusk on the moor. "Go on, then." Would he be rewarded with a tribal, clan based story - he sure hoped so.

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

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A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty watched her like he might a sunrise on the moor. He didn’t interrupt, not once. Not even when the names of the Great Clans rang out like distant thunder in his chest.TigerClan. LionClan. JaguarClan. Grand creatures for grander times.

As she spoke of the silver sticks and StarClan’s storm, a chill rippled through his fur that had nothing to do with the wind. His ears twitched, his gaze steady, as if he could see the scene laid before him. Cats like mountains brought to their knees by something no claw could fight. And then... reborn.

By the end, Monty’s head had bowed slightly, his expression unreadable but no less attentive for it. When Basilflame’s voice faded and that smile curved her mouth, his eyes finally flicked to hers again, struck by the fire she wore so effortlessly.

"Bravo! More than fair, I'd say!" He said, his voice low. "It was the kind of story that reminds you who the earth remembers. And not just the mighty." The older sepia tom leaned forward, eyes glinting with a wryness that hinted at the youth of a younger cat. "But you might’ve made it difficult for me now. I’ll have to come up with something even better next time." A beat passed, his voice dropping just a note. "Because I do hope there’s a next time." 

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

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Basilflame's smile lingered, touched with something softer than pride, something almost wistful. She dipped her head in quiet acknowledgement of Monty's praise, the warmth in his voice settling gently against the cool air between them. "Then I'm glad it was worth the trade" she murmured, her gaze drifting for a breath to the horizon as the sun had just begun to fall. A beautiful sight that Basilflame basked in for a few heartbeats

She looked back at him with a faint, earnest glint in her eyes. "The earth remembers all kinds of paws" she said gently "Even the ones that never leave prints behind" he tail lifted as she slowly stood to her paws, the flame of her spirit still aglow, steady as ever and as steady as it forever will be. After all, she was named for it, and what a fitting name it was.

At his last words, her ear twitched ever so slightly, and her voice came quieter, hopeful. "I do, too" She said, her voice as soft as ever. "Stories always sound better when there's someone to hear them. Maybe next time, I'll have a new story to tell" The silence that followed wasn't heavy or uncomfortably, it simply felt like the kind that understood.

"As much as I'd love to stay longer, WindClan has a clan full of cats that need an extra warrior more than anything." She stated, taking a few steps forward towards her own clan's territory. But then, she turned her head to face Monty again, hazel eyes alight with enthusiasm "Next time?"

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty’s gaze held her as she spoke, that quiet stillness returning to him like a well-worn cloak. He nodded slowly, the motion subtle, as if any more would disturb the moment they’d shaped between them. "I'll remember that." His voice barely above the hush of the wind.

As Basilflame rose and stepped toward the fading sun, he didn’t try to stop her. When she turned back, eyes bright with promise, he smiled. It was small, but it reached his eyes and softened the harsh lines around them, made him look not just younger, but more present. "Next time!" He confirmed, tone easy and sure. He didn’t rise. Just watched her go with the calm patience of one who understood the world's cycles.