Ask to Join The (Not so) Sudden Encounter

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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With a yawn that tipped the dip of his chin, Monty stretched out from an old cushion he was sequestered on. Now that the weather was warming, the older tom found himself less kept behind the doors of the manor house and allowing himself to nap outside.

He kicked out each paw in turn as he stepped from his nest and into the open air outside of the barn, tongue catching the faintest stray of mouse from the morning. He paused to admire day, blinking back sleep from his eyes as he licked at his paw to swipe it over an ear. Then the next.

He barely was finished when the wind brought him a familiar scent from the direction of the moors and he lifted his head. The voice was stolen from him as a large ruddy she-cat followed, and his tail rose in a hesitant, though polite wave. Was this her mother she had spoken before about?

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

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"Monty!" Basilflame chirped, curling her tail in the two she-cats' direction to invite her non-clan friend over to them. She had wished for this meeting to happen for a while now and she was happy to finally convince Sunbear to come with her this far. Perhaps it had been a matter of how many times she asked.

Basilflame chose to meet Monty at an in-between, not quite where he had been standing, but not quite by the fence either, an even middle in the strangely flat field. "Monty, this is my mother. Sunbear, this is the friend I've told you about earlier." 

Her tail soon lowered as she met a raised brow from her darker red mother and the corner of her muzzle crookedly curled into a shy muzzle as she turned back to Monty, leaning a little closer to the fawn colored tom's ear as she let a whisper slip from her maw "She means well, don't feel offended if she's a little stone faced."

She then turned to her mother, whispering something into her ear before taking a short step back, hoping the two would at least speak to one another.

Like the sun, I may burn fiercely, but it's my fire that warms those I hold dear.

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Basilflame's whisper wasn't much she didn't already know 'Be nice, he is a friend not a foe' it was obvious that this rogue held no threat. Otherwise Basilflame wouldn't have brought her here. And if she had brought her into an ambush, it would be Basilflame's burden, the burden of betrayal. But Sunbear knew her daughter better than anything, she wouldn't hurt a piece of prey if she didn't have to.

"Yes, I'm Sunbear." The larger of the she-cats replied, giving her chest fur a few licked before her hazel eyes met the stranger's amber eyes that were much less weathered than her own, and yet, still older than Basilflame. An interesting friend to make. "Basilflame speaks of you in passing."

She thought back to Pipertuft for a moment, how her life was ripped from her far too early by a rogue that shared very little to this one from how it seemed. "The most recent escapade was a soft-paws brawl if I remember correctly?"

A little bit of elegance never goes out of style
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Monty half startled himself at the realization of the introduction. If only he had known Basilflame was coming today he might have had enough motivation to organize the barn a bit, and maybe inquire on the madam of the house. With a flustered sort of bow, he dipped his head.

"Aye, Madam, although I'm not much for brawling even in the worst of times."

The expression came easily to him, but he kept his body language respectful and easy, allowing himself to lax near the distinguished old molly. "Basilflame has been kind enough to encourage me to defend myself, even though I'm not clanborn..." It seemed that the clans were ones of honor and pride, and how could he ever hope to be as strong as her?

"A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Sunbear. You’ve raised quite the warrior... and she's a fair friend besides." A half chuckle escaped him before his tail lifted to indicate towards the barn. "You're free to come inside and rest yourselves. There's plenty of hay and a mouse or two scurrying about."

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

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Basilflame watched the two speak in a quiet, reverent silence that allowed Sunbear and Monty to speak quietly, though her eyes were wide and glimmering like a kit about to hear an engaging story from the best storyteller in the clan. 

She glanced over at her dam who seemed to have a little indifference at meeting the stranger, but she expected no less from her mother, what she went through... if she welcomed Monty with open paws, now that would surprise Basilflame.

At Monty's offer, Basilflame's ears perked, the ginger pointed she-cat glanced over at Sunbear expectantly, but she knew realistically Sunbear would need more of a reason than 'plenty of hay and a mouse or two'.

"I've been in there before Sunbear, though we didn't really hunt anything." She spoke, a look a plead in her eyes, she wanted the two to get along, though she wasn't sure herself why.

Like the sun, I may burn fiercely, but it's my fire that warms those I hold dear.

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"Are there other cats in this barn?" Sunbear asked dryly, flicking her tail in acknowledgement of Basilflame's plea, though she didn't ignore it entirely, she didn't want to stroll into a possibly dangerous situation without any defenses. "I'm not looking to get ambushed by rogues." she added, her tone flat and firm.

Sunbear steadied her large paws and looked down at Monty, her hazel eyes narrowing at the tom that seemed all too friendly for a rogue. "You comments on my parents do very little. But they've been heard." Sunbear responded, turning to Basilflame, her pleading eyes causing the larger she-cat to let out a quiet sigh.

She then turned back to Monty, flexing their claws before returning them to their sheaths "We'll follow, but if there are others with claws ready, you will gain more than a few enemies, much more." Her tone wasn't harsh but it was hard and firm. Carrying the words of a deep seated promise.