Open to Join Blue Skies

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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A catfish dangled in Hailstrike’s jaws as she returned to camp, her teeth firmly clasped around its spine as she moved to the fresh kill pile. She dropped the heavy fish before shaking out some dampness from her fur. She glanced around camp, her hunt had taken some energy out of her but she still had some words in her before she decides to take a nap. But who should be victim to her chatting…

Then her sister came into view, her distinct dark stripes catching her eyes instantly and the pale green eyes glittered with a cheery recognition. "Merryaster!" She cheered, bounding over to her sister and nearly tackling her as she pounce, landing just shy of Merryaster.

"How’s Otterwhisker doing?" She asked as she plopped herself down next to Merryaster, purring happily before her sister could even respond. She simply just adored her siblings, her sisters and her brother, she loved spending time with them. There was nothing that could change that.

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster jolted upright at the sudden shadow of Hailstrike practically falling out of the sky. Her fur puffed just slightly before she forced it flat again. She exhaled through her nose smoothing her expression into something that looked resignedly fond.

"Hey, Hailstrike! Otterwhisker’s doing fine." The dark striped sibling began, voice warm. "I think she enjoyed the attention, and then she talked my ears off - we had a lot to say, actually." A small laugh escaped her, eyes softening. "We had a good chat. She’s tired but comfortable. And clean."

Hailstrike’s earlier catch caught her attention then and she nodded toward the catfish on the pile. "That's impressive. Someone's got to show off for the both of us. I haven't been bringing back anything too big - just a trout the other day."

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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Hailstrike had landed with a thump beside her sister, still buzzing with leftover energy, eyes bright as she took in Merryaster's words. Her whiskers twitched, chest puffing with a mix of pride and obvious relief, she didn't anymore relatives dead, especially not Otterwhisker or Merryaster.

"Good." She breathed, tail tip flicking rapidly. "I knew she'd like all that fussing. She always pretends she doesn't, but she eats it up like a fresh caught minnow I know it." There was a little grin in her voice, soft but undeniably fond. "And you talking her ears off? I'm shocked she even got a word in."

When her sister mentioned the catfish, Hailstrike straightened up immediately, pride swelling across her features. "Oh! Yeah, that one tried to drown me before I managed to hook it. I thought it'd get away, but nope!" She mimicked a quick, sharp forward thrust with her paws, as if mimicking how she caught the fish in an exageratted motion. "I got it right in the gills. You should've seen the splash!"

She eyed her sister with a teasing squint. "And hey, a trout's nothing to scoff at. But if you want something bigger, come to me next time! I bet I can teach you a thing or two before a sparring match! Or after. Or during." The excitement came at full force, her tail waving wildly like a banner. "Just say the word."

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster’s ears pricked at Hailstrike’s retelling but instead of amusement something tight and sharp flickered across her face. Her tail tip twitched - once, twice - before she finally exhaled with a worried glean.

"You went fishing by yourself?" She mewed, voice still warm but distinctly strained at the edges. Her whiskers pulled forward concern obvious even if she tried to keep it gentle. "Hailstrike… with that rogue still prowling around you shouldn’t be wandering the banks alone. Especially not when you’re so focused on a catch you don’t notice anything else."

Her eyes traveled from her sister, to the fresh-kill pile, then back again relief softening her posture despite her worry. Starclan...she was starting to sound more and more like Otterwhisker.

"But… I am glad you’re alright/" She admitted quietly, touching her shoulder to Hailstrike’s in an earnest half nudge. "And I’m glad you got something to show for it. You’ll have half the Clan singing your praises come dinner."

A faint smile pulled at her muzzle. "I wouldn't mind fishing with you, sister. Together, imagine what we could catch... How have you been otherwise?"

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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"Merryaster," Hailstrike's grin lowered to something a little more serious as her previously waving tail stilled with the silence that soon befell the two she-cats. The pause lasted a while, but Hailstrike have hope that her serious tone would sink. "We can't just let the rogue trap us in our camp, if I hadn't gone out, that catfish would be lost. That's what being a warrior is right? Risking your life for your clan?" It came out as less of a question and more of a reminder, but Hailstrike meant it through both of its meanings. "I'd go out by myself a hundred seasons over if it meant keeping RiverClan fed, no matter what lurks."

Hailstrike stilled herself, curling her tail around her sister and smiled at her holding that mirth that was typical of her when she was in a good mood. She then turned in a small circle, just long enough for Merryaster to inspect her. "I've been well, no wounds, no bruises... just a little waterlogged from the attitude of that StarClan damned catfish!" She parted her jaws into something closer to a cackle at her own joking. "Speaking of which..."

Before she could receive any kind of response, Hailstrike smirked and shook off her fur, droplets of river water scattered, some soaking into the ground, around them and some hitting Merryaster, expectantly making her just as wet as the blue she-cat was. "Damp sisters!" She laughed, shaking the last of whatever she could shake from her pelt around her before licking down the fur that was caught astray.

"Now you know just how I was feeling!" she chirped playfully, giving Merryaster a swat over her nose with her tail "You've gotta be quicker than that if you want to go hunting with me!" she cheered, although there was a softer laugh at the end, as if all this playful arrogance was just that, play. Over all else, she loved bonding with her sister this way.

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster blinked through the sudden spray, flinching only slightly as cold droplets peppered her whiskers and cheeks. She wiped a paw over her face with a slow, resigned motion. Her sister’s laughter echoed bright and loud in the clearing but Merryaster’s gaze softened into something more muted, almost pensive.

"Hailstrike…" She mewed, voice quieter than before. She shook her pelt to shake some of the worst of the damp off even if she could still feel it. It was refreshing and brought a smile to her face. "Not everything has to be a race."

Her ears tilted back a fraction. "I’m not trying to outdo you. I just… want you safe." Her muzzle vibrated with a small purr.

"And sometimes it feels like you hear 'be careful' as 'you’re not strong enough' or 'let me help' as 'I can do better'." Her tail curled lightly around her own paws, posture dipping into thoughtfulness.

"You’re a good warrior. You always have been. I just worry because you matter." A small, reluctant spark of amusement tugged at her expression, though the underlying ache remained in her eyes "We should bring Otterwhisker with us too. I bet she could show us all sorts of techniques."

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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Hailstrike twitched her ears and narrowed her eyes, a look of something a little more perplexed, as if the idea that there shouldn't be competition in daily life was far from the norm... very far. However she decided it wasn't her place to say, instead she shrugged and mewed a simple. "I know." Hailstrike chuckled as she rolled to her side, then her back casting Merryaster a playful expression that would typically be used to make a kit laugh. "But I'm not a kit. I've trained for as long as you have. You don't have kits of your own, you don't need to worry about your Clanmates like you do." 

"RiverClan is strong, sister." Hailstrike then rolled back onto her belly and twitched her whiskers in amusement "I'm not going anywhere. If I did, you wouldn't be responsible. You're my littermate, not my mother." Her voice was softer, she moved towards Merryaster and brushed her nose against her cheek, letting out a soft chuckle as she felt the dampness of her sister's fur.

Her ears raised curiously when Merryaster mentioned going on a fishing trip with Otterwhisker and nodded. "If you want to, sure. I wonder what she'll think of the catfish I managed to wrangle." she added, voice still brimming with pride as it flared across her expression. "Maybe we can teach her a thing or two, maybe times have changed a little since she was up and training."

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster’s gaze lowered at Hailstrike’s words, something unreadable flickering behind her teal eyes before her smile returned.

"I know I’m not our mother." She murmured, voice even but soft around the edges. "But I could be a mother someday. Can't say I've met a tom worthy of me yet."

Giggling a bit to herself, she leaned lightly into the touch of Hailstrike’s nose, letting the familiar warmth linger before pulling back just enough to look her sister properly in the face.

"And Otterwhisker would love to see that catfish. We’ll take her out. Show her we’ve both learned a thing or two since her warrior days." Who knew just how much time they had before Otterwhisker passed into StarClan, following Boldstrike. Leafbares were never kind to her and they needed to live every moment like it could be their last.

"Have you made any friendships since becoming a warrior? I swear Ashsong 's become a burr on my pelt since."

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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Hailstrike cocked her head to the side failing to suppress her soft giggling "You? A queen? I'd give up my lunch to see that." the young warrior trilled, her tail tip flicking a if trying to hold her barely contained laughter. "I can imagine it now!" She cackled, shuffling closer to Merryaster, using her paws to pat at her sides.

"Oh mama!" She began, her voice morphing to a bit of a kit-like whine "You said it was my turn with the mossball! Rainkit took it!" she added, her 'whine' growing louder as she continued to tap at Merryaster's pelt. "The horror! You have to tell him to give it back!" She exclaimed, stifling a laugh that sounded a bit like a snort.

Hailstrike then rolled her larger body onto Merryaster's back and let out a theatrical groan, giggling almost too much to much to give a believable performance. Maybe Tangleloon can teach he a thing or two. "Rainkit is making faces at me mama! You gotta tell him to stop you gotta!" 

However when Merryaster stopped to ask about if she had made any warrior friends, the large ticked she-cat shrugged "Nah, none yet." she replied, rolling back into a loaf-like position that was much more comfortable than playfully smothering her sister. "Maybe the other warriors are just so worried that their clan reputation'll be ruined by not getting along with me" she joked, placing her paw on her chest while a mischievous grin twitched the corners of her mouth.

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster let out a strangled noise somewhere between a squeak and a groan as Hailstrike flopped bodily over her like a particularly overgrown kit. It was impossible not to laugh as her sister’s dramatics escalated from whining to collapsing across her back.

"By StarClan, Hailstrike!" Merryaster wheezed, cuffing her lightly with a paw as she wriggled enough to breathe again. "You’re impossible. And heavy."

When the larger she-cat finally rolled off, Merryaster sat up, fur sticking out in odd angles where Hailstrike had flattened it. She gave her chest a slow, smoothing lick, trying to regain some dignity even as amusement still trembled at the corners of her mouth.

"For the record I think I would make an excellent queen." Her tongue lapped at her shoulder next, winking at her sister. "But...I'd need an exceptional tom for that." But the humor softened into something gentler as she looked at Hailstrike more steadily.

"No friends?" Her sister thrived on boasting and on her big presence… but connection? That seemed to slip through her paws. "Well..." Merryaster continued, shifting closer. "If they’re too mouse hearted to befriend you, that’s their loss. You’ve always got me. Even if you tackle me like a river logged water snake."

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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Hailstrike failed to suppress the snickering that followed Merryaster's complaints about her weight, however playful they may have been. She threatened to roll back onto her sister, shuffling her body closer and smirking at her with a barely subdued giggling. "Well, dear sister, that's all my muscle weighing you down!" She exclaimed with a swish of her striped tail as she pressed her body against her sister, not exactly on top of her, but something that could easily move to that.

Her ears perked at Merryaster's proclamation, but her eyes softened, not with the loving appreciation that they normally softened too, but something more like worry. "I bet. But it's one of the most dangerous things you can do, Merryaster. I've got no interest in losing you just after we become warriors." her voice was quieter this time as she placed her tail on Merryaster's back. "We go out together or not at all." she added stubbornly, her expression hardened with a little determination behind her gaze. "If you're going to go out of your way to have kits I'm not letting you do any of that alone." she stated, matter-of-factly.

At Merryaster's next words, Hailstrike's posture rose again, something more amused this time, as if the worry has ran away at the sight of something greater. "If I have anything to say about it, you won't be going anywhere." she chuckled before swatting playfully at her sister, revenge for the cuffing Merryaster gave her.

Hailstrike then sighed, something softer, more deliberate "But if you think you're going to go off and risk your life and act like you didn't just scold me for the same thing, you've got another thing coming!" She laughed, launching her soft paws at her sister and batting at her muzzle. Game on!

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster didn’t even get the chance to finish her indignant inhale before Hailstrike’s paws were already in her face.

"Oh - oh, that’s how we’re doing this?" She sputtered, batting blindly at the air as her sister’s soft paws pummeled her muzzle with exaggerated ferocity. She threw herself forward with a playful growl more a trill than threatening. Her paws pit pattered rapid little taps, her ears angled back in delighted play.

Hailstrike shoved back and Merryaster skidded a whisker length before regaining her footing. She bounced forward again, quick on her paws.

"At least be glad you're not one big muscle like Sturgeonwhisker." She teased harmlessly. She lunged in again, aiming to bop Hailstrike right on the nose. "Yes, yes, we go together...but right now you're going down."

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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Hailstrike rolled to her side as Merryaster launched herself toward her, effectively dodging the half hearted pounce before lurching a paw forward to cover her sister's eyes "Hey, I'd rather be a bunch of well toned muscles than one big one!" she chuckled before cuffing Merryaster over the ear with her free paw. "and you're the one that's going down!"

With a swift movement, Hailstrike lumped up, aiming a pounce at Merryaster's side, from the close distance, it wouldn't do much, it was just a hope that Merryaster would lose balance from the force. However her pounce was stronger than expected and the pale warrior pummeled into her sister and rolled across the ground with the seal mink tabby in her grip.

When the two finally landed still, Hailstrike had Merryaster pinned down by her chest, she rose her chin triumphantly. "Looks like you need to shape up your form Merryaster!" She cheered, flicking her tail and flagging it enthusiastically as she landed a final, light bad onto Merryaster. Although she left her belly open, not realizing that it could leave Merryaster to counter pin her... After all, the fact that Hailstrike won was more important to her.

Garden's gem, in sunlight's blaze
༻❁༺

Merryaster lay there for a moment, blinking up at her sister with Hailstrike's triumphant grin filling her entire field of vision. Dust clung to her flank where they’d rolled, but she still managed a breathless little laugh.

"Hah!…" She huffed, ears splaying as Hailstrike’s paw tapped her chest. Her laugh were light but something softer flickered beneath them. Hailstrike always pushed everything to the very edge as if nothing was real unless she won it. Merryaster didn’t mind losing, not really… but sometimes she wished her sister didn’t need to turn every heartbeat into a victory.

Still, she smiled. For Hailstrike's sake more than her own. "You got me!" She declared with a mock solemn dip of her head eyes bright with warmth. Rolling back on her belly, she began to groom out her fur as if nothing had happened.

"...Now, feel like grabbing a bite to eat?" She suggested with a laugh, making no real attempt to retaliate even though Hailstrike's guard was hilariously open. Merryaster could have twisted for an attack but seeing Hailstrike's tail flagging with pride - that mattered more than winning ever could.

There’s always something new to try. I’m hungry for all of it!

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Merryaster's submission drew a playful rumble from the depth of Hailstrike's chest that dripped into a laugh coated with honey. "Maybe I'll let you win next time!" She chirped back, it wasn't likely, but there was a small chance, though with her nature, there'd have to be something really important for her to lose a fight so easily, even a playful one. Especially a playful one.

The prospect of lunch made the pale warrior perk up a little, she grinned, teeth peeking out from the upper lip of her mouth as she turned to Merryaster with that smirk of hers, a smirk that was usually followed by a challenge or trouble. "First one to the pile gets first pick!" She cheered, her paws twitching with that restless energy that all these competitions try to burn off, even so, she still had just as much energy and thoughts of competing the next day, possibly the day after. And if she was honest to herself, this might stay with her until she retires, even after. She was sure her siblings knew that though.

"That fat water vole over there is calling my name. Race you!" Before Merryaster could give much of a response, Hailstrike dashed in the direction of the pile. She was still young, there was still an excuse to act like a kit every once in a while. A prey race seemed like just the thing to pass. She was going to get that prey, she was going to win.