Closed Thread [Closed] Hope for the Future

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

 Long abandoned by the elderly couple who used to call this place their territory, Kosmo lounged, touching his toes within the boathouse. It was a particularly closed off den, although bits of sunlight poked through the top now, with a long wooden tre that connected the dry portion of the den into the river that separated both sides of Cabal territory.

From there, he scanned his surroundings, approaching the stepping stones that still held his grandsire's name, although a rare few knew it. He leaped from one rock to the next, each stepping stone flat and more than able to carry the weight of a cat twice his size. When he reached the shore he glanced over his shoulder. It was a defensible area and offered the Cabal a dry place to cross. Any other intruder would have to soak themselves in river water or risk the wide expanse up north to be seen.

Kosmo continued on his way, heading south towards the East Wood and closer to the remains of Camp, defended by three sides by the thick woodland. A scent tickled his nose, one had hadn't in a long time. Perhaps he was catching smell of a ghost of his past, but the tease of it, and hope that it brought made the tom quicken his pace. If just slightly.

The natural wall of thistle came into view, and he pushed through the entrance, seeing the array of natural dens half into old, large trees. Against one of those trees and the source of his scent, and one also familiar, sat Aurelius. It had been an age since last they met, before the flooding separated the group and fractured those remaining. Once winter set in and no word came from them, hope had faded from his mind he'd ever see someone of his past again.

"Hail, Aurelius!" His voice carried out towards the tom, using the vernacular of the Cabal of which he'd surely be recognized. They felt bitter on his maw, but any uncertainty was enveloped by the fact that another still lived.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

 The initial shock and retaliation was expected. Who would dare invade such a once-sacred place where the ghost of footfalls rekindled memories of lives prior? Kosmo understood his aggression. When the hostility fell from his face it was replaced with a mixture of confusion, shock and soon familiarity. Not a single hair bristled at this greeting, for Kosmo had recognized Aurelius the very moment his scent washed over him.

"It is I, Kosmo, dead thrice over. Flooding or freezing waters, I came back eventually. I only wish it were sooner." Kosmo would never admit he did not regret the time it took for his awakening, maturity had marked him, marked him for death and yet fate had other plans. As Kosmo had plans for the Cabal. The large tom approached the other, equal in all but blood, even if Aurelius' long hair made him seem a deal bigger.

The half length of his tail was raised in confident greeting. He couldn't help but try to adopt the regal stance his grandsire and mother once adopted when in the company of the Cabal. When Aurelius revealed that his mother was not only with him but in good health he could scarcely believe it. Out of all the cats to live, Eleni had made it. He was no less pleased that another had survived. "As stubborn as a winter roosted owl, I imagine. That is good news."

Kosmo began to tour the areas around camp, paws falling slowly over the land where his ancestors had both lived and thrived. From here to the Training Lea their scents were long gone. He glanced over at Aurelius - an easy smile lifting the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were unfocused, triggered by the memory that nearly caused his grave. "It was that, or death. I chose life. As no doubt you do as well, but you're directionless, my friend. Maybe we can remedy this." He had taken noticed of the still decrepit state of the camp as it didn't seem Aurelius had done anything to try and restore it.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

 He wasn't so distracted to look back at Aurelius as he approached to greet him, an informal head bump to accompany his change in demeanor. Time had passed, they both were different, but it was a relief that he seemed more or less unchanged despite his increase in size. Stealing a quiet moment to flash him a smile in return, the edge of his shortened tail grazing his shoulder, Kosmo mewed.

"You have too, you big furball." Waking Eleni wasn't something he was particularly keen on, as the old she cat was grumpy even when he knew her, but he wanted to make it a joyful reunion sometime soon. She couldn't sleep forever. "Let her awaken naturally. I'm sure she'll sense something is amiss." Maybe she just needed a fully, uninterupted rest.

Kosmo had already forgiven Aurelius for the slight of not restoring the bones of camp. Wrestling with ghosts wasn't appealing, and he could imagine it would be more than a single cat job. He stopped by the center of camp, where the fresh kill pile had once been, and shuffled through some remains - claws stopping over the disintegrated feathers and skull of a bird. Aurelius had to know, and he would.

"Not the Cabal, but something in its place to rise from the ashes. Caligula is dead. Andromeda is dead, ripped from me by Thunderclan. Much has happened since you last saw me. A tail is hardly the surface." His odd eyes beamed at the tom, appreciative of his loyalty, even only in word. "Caligula had raw power to expand his domain, but I wield secrets and knowledge that will do the same - and easier. If you are willing to be by my side, I will rebuild.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

Sooner or later Thunderclan would pay. Their struggle in the grasp of wirewood and vines until suffocation was a gentler demise than what he was planning for stealing the last thing he had known of his old life. Starting with vengeance taking from the wild-shrieking creature that was the Thunderclan cat that had taken her personality, but revenge was far from his mind as he stood surrounded by the ghosts of his past. There was only one think to do and that was to go forward.

"Something... never done before, Aurelius." While excitement pumped through his veins, there was a certain hint of reverence there for what was to come. What he had come to glimpse from the intense learning that followed his return from the dead. "The Cabal may be effectively gone, but it will survive in our hearts until we die." His head turned to consider the other tom's words, and while he droned on as seemed little but dribble, there was surprising clarity there too. "I never doubted you when I knew you, and I don't plan to start now. If you've been compelled to stay here, it must have been for a great reason."

He walked the edges of camp, passing over brambles and branches that had fallen or was misshapen with growth. The length of his half tail passed close by the tom's flank, one of comfort even if it hadn't touched him - with its reach only slight. "I will be happy to reveal in time. For now, yes, let's wander. We shall put the Cabal, finally, to rest through the lasting memory of my infamous grandsire." As his paws took him to the various remains of old dens and numb scents, he continued, pressing the tom for an answer. "Eneni. You've seen to her needs... does this mean you've supplemented her with herbs? Taking care of injuries and hunted herbs for remedies?"

Training in the Cabal was punctuated with the basics of emergency herb gathering. Kosmo wondered if Aurelius had bettered himself by learning the essentials... and if so, perhaps he'd have a proposition for him. 

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

"Oh, please do." He mewed simply, matter of factly, in fact. A cat who didn't question the things that transpired around them made for a poorer one. Kosmo wanted nothing more than to divulge every detail, but they were still simmering in his head - images of grandeur in theory, but he hadn't exercised properly yet. He needed a home base, and while the farmhouse up north made for a useful diversion, he could never call that place his home, nor could they fully understand his intentions. Better to keep them from the clans as much as possible; it'd be safer for them that way.

Kosmo chuckled lightly, the sound lifting from his chest like a birdlike trill. Snickering at Eneni, or perhaps Aurelius' response. Cowed as he was, he was loyal to his aging dame - another true soul from the old days. She was a treasure, much like his mother had been. He understood how Aurelius' tried to keep her close and admired him for it. Kosmo had failed in protecting Andromeda from her fate, even if it seemed long ago now.

As they walked the old Training Lea came into focus, a sandy pit between a surrounding of trees, now quite overgrown. He recalled vague memories of pushing his body to the limit here, shadowed by the haunting visage of his grandsire. To be better. He had a brother and a sister once, and no way was he destined to take the reigns before them - but fate had other plans for Kosmo, it seemed, and here he was. "You've taken good care of her. During my absence I've found a knack for herbal cattery, among other things. I would have died in the wilderness from infection if not for the cat who both saved my life and vastly enriched it. Probably the oldest cat I've ever seen... She's passed now, peacefully, her art passed down. She lived a long life, but she was an exile from Thunderclan a long, long time ago. I never knew such talented cats existed, and I carry a piece of her wherever I go. I want to share that knowledge with others, with you, Aurelius." He paused to punctuate the solemnness of his offer.

"If you want to follow in my pawsteps, and learn more about herbs, their preservation, and how to use them - I think you could be ready for the 'next step'. That is.. if you want to and if you're able to. I won't force you." In earnest he wanted what was best for his old friend, but if he followed a remnant of the old ways, then perhaps he should just be a protector. Aurelius would be useful either way.  

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

 There would always be use for cats like Aurelius, as well as whatever muse they desired. Eleni probably wasn't going to be as practical as her son, but no doubt there was knowledge to be imparted as he respected her old age as status that few achieved in life.

Kosmo gave his large companion a small chuckle. "Oh, you don't seem the kind of cat to have much of a nest-side manner, but then again, there are many ways to be a healer. You're obviously a strong cat, so we shouldn't ignore what nature has given you. It matters not." His half tail attempted to wave away any misgivings he could have had, but Kosmo was already looking to include him in his first lesson.

He started by approaching one of the many sprigs growing from the sand, blocking out the training lae. His jaws clamped around the stem, and gnawed the sprig free. After spitting out the stalk into the deeper bushes, his paws began to work away the dirt towards the roots. Managing the territory was step one to regain its natural beauty. He shook the dust from his ruddy mink pelt.

"What plants in the training lae, if any, do you see that has medicinal uses?" Step one was to assess his current knowledge and go from there.

     'My return to glory is near'
      ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧

 Aurelius nodded along to his words, shrugging slightly. Despite wandering around and brushing against the outside bushes, his attention had been trained on Kosmo the entire time, gaze flicker with interest and ears pinned towards his every word. He felt stupid for how desperate he was, but it had felt like so long. So long since he had done, well, anything really. 

Kosmo surprised him when he asked if he could see anything of medicinal use around. He never really paid attention to if the plants around the area were useful. He was more of a 'get the herb when you need it' sort of cat, only having the bare basics back at home. His golden gaze sweeped the area. Nothing stood out, but that might be because all the plants just blurred together. He would need to get up close to even try identify something. What caught his eye was the sparse littering of blue-pink flowers that intertwined themselves with the hollow. He lifted his nose towards the nearest plant. 'Those blue-pink flowers. That's borage. All I know is that when Eleni gets a fever. That stuff is a lifesaver.'

There were a few, small white flowers too, which he knew could either be yarrow or chevril. He never bothered to remember the difference as from what he knew they did close enough to the same thing that it didn't matter. 'I use the little white ones for infection'. There might have been some other plants he could see, but he first turned to Kosmo, wanting to check he at least got the borage right. 

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

 Kosmo watched Aurelius closely, noting how he scrutinized the area for useful plants. The way Aurelius identified the borage with a touch of uncertainty, yet still confidently recalled its use for fevers, made Kosmo’s whiskers twitch in approval. It wasn’t about having all the answers; it was about knowing where to start and being willing to learn. Kosmo had no intention of taking a cat under his wing who wasn’t willing to put in the effort.

“Borage is good for fevers, yes. And you’re right about those little white ones—they’re yarrow, useful for infection, but don’t confuse them with chervil. Chervil has a sweeter smell, and works better for bellyaches or aide an expecting queen.” Kosmo nodded towards the flowers, his tone calm but deliberate. “You might not know every herb now, but you’ve got the instinct. That’s what matters.

His gaze softened slightly, a rare flicker of warmth crossing his eyes. “We will keep learning, Aurelius. We’ve got time, and we’ll need every advantage we can get. Knowledge, strength, strategy—all of it matters if we’re going to build something lasting.” The length of his half tail rested on his flank, supporting. Odd eyes flickered with the ghosts of the future now, imagining a time where paws fell on the land and wing beats in the sky. A shadow passed overhead, and Kosmo continued. "Together we'll lift our wings to the clouds and be part of an ever reaching flock of cats."

     'My return to glory is near'
      ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧

Yarrow. Aurelius would try remember that, for his own sake and Kosmo's. Names weren't super important in his mind, but he guessed it didn't hurt to know such. He also repeated that chevril was was the sweeter one, never having been told that before, or really never having paid enough attention to notice such. He nodded as Kosmo told him he had instinct, pride surging through his chest, but he kept a neutral face, though perhaps it contained a little grin. 

'I look forward to our future. A future where the failures and miseries of the past can be put behind us while we strive towards something better than what we had before'. The large tom drifted his golden eyes from the floor up towards the sky, giving his shoulders a gentle wriggle as he stood tall, mind only focused on what could be. What he wanted, and what he might have soon enough.

Survival demands caution, but greatness requires daring
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

 Kosmo watched Aurelius carefully, noting the subtle shift in his demeanor as pride flickered beneath his neutral expression. He could sense the growing resolve in the tom, a determination that mirrored his own. Aurelius' words about leaving the past behind and striving for something better resonated with Kosmo, affirming that he had chosen his ally wisely.

Kosmo stood, stretching his long limbs before sitting down, his gaze steady and unwavering. "Then let’s make sure the past stays where it belongs—behind us. We’ll build something stronger, something that lasts."

He turned his eyes to the sky, the same way Aurelius had moments before, the vastness above held the answers they sought. Soon. The future was uncertain, but with a cat like Aurelius at his side, Kosmo felt more assured than he had in a long time. Uprooting one more weed in the lea, he rose and nodded to Aurelius, knowing that the seeds of their shared vision had been firmly planted before padding away closer to his destiny.