Open to Join Lost But Also Found [8LN20]

Redpaw had been sent out to dispose of bedding from the elder's den... and after not seeing Hickorystorm in the clearing became concerned. It wasn't like him to wander off.

So the kitten had placed the moss and gone hunting, padding after the elder, practising his tracking.  It didn't take long before he found Hickory... staring - pardon - facing a stump. Redpaw hesitated for a moment, letting his tail trail in the dead grasses around him so his friend could hear him coming.

A few cat-lengths away, he stopped. "Hickorystorm? Are you lost?" His tone was more worried than patronizing. "I - where are you going? Can I come?"

Pebbleshine had watched from her nest as Hickorystorm made his was out of camp, following quietly after. Both cats, despite being youthful had surrendered to the elders after having their sight stripped away from them. Pebbleshine had been lucky, she still had one eye, the hawk only managing to damage one side of her face, for Hickorystorm she could not say the same.

She held in a fond laugh as Hickorystorm ran into a tree, butting his forehead against its trunk. Sitting down, Hickorystorm faced the tree trunk, and Pebbleshine decided to reveal herself, 'You are still facing the tree, y'know' she had said, the laugh now escaping her mouth. What Pebbleshine hadn't noticed was that young Redpaw had followed them too, clearly concerned about what the elder was doing. She gave Redpaw an encouraging look. If Hickorystorm accepted the help, or at least the company it would be good development for the young apprentice, plus it would be good for Hickorystorm to get out for once too. Redpaw could take him around while Pebbleshine watched incase something bad happened. Pebbleshine still had most of the fitness of a warrior, it was simply her vision that lacked, sometimes making her a little disoriented to, but for the most part, the silvery she-cat was fit as a trout.

His ear twitched as he heard a something stir the grasses behind him. Though Hickorystorm had no sight, he turned to the sound out of instinct and habit, the ear that twitched angling back to hear the concerned voice of Redpaw. He sighed softly and murmured to the apprentice. "Duskpaw was right when he said I was a sitting duck."

When he heard Pebbelshine laugh at him, he raised his hackles and flattened his ears. The chocolate tabby physically turned towards the other two. "Gee, I hadn't noticed I ran face first into it, thanks!" He spat at the she-cat, his teeth bared and claws unsheathed. Great, not only could he not navigate the territory around camp, these two probably just watched him run into the tree.

If it had just been Redpaw, he would have been so bothered- the apprentice was learning the territory like he was. But then Pebbleshine had to stick her big nose into the whole mess and the had the audacity to laugh at him!

"Hey, now." Redpaw turned to the she-cat. "That wasn't very nice. I wouldn't laugh at you for matted fur or ticks cause you can't help it. Don't laugh at things that can't change." He felt that maybe he was stating the obvious but sometime he had to. For others sake, of course.

"Duskpaw likes to exaggerate. The snake we killed becomes a heron if you get him going for too long." He padded over to the elder and leaned into him, gently guiding him so that he was at least facing the right direction.

"Why do you wanna leave camp so bad?" He certainly liked to walk around outside, but the fascination that Hickorystorm had with re-gaining mobility was strange to him.

'No need to be so harsh, I've done similar things before. Do you forget you are not the only one with lost eyes?' She countered, but ultimately backed down, not wanting to provoke the arrogant tom any further. Redpaw's defense for Hickorystorm was very cute, but would not change her mind, not when half her vision was gone and she spent the first few moons of adjusting to such sight angrily wobbling around. It was respectable though, the way Redpaw acted, and she gave him a brief nod to indicate she had heard him. 

It was a tricky situation. She didn't want to make anyone any further irritated, but a small adventure out with Hickorystorm and Redpaw would be nice, at least for as long as she could handle the both of them. (Really Redpaw is fine, Hickorystorm is the problem here). So for now she would let the two toms guide the course of action.

Hickorystorm's ears remained flat but the hostile bristle of his belt had smoothed and he sheathed his claws. "At least you still have one eye." He grumbled, his tone a blend of bitter and wistful. He gave himself a brief shake before dabbing his nose with a paw in case it was actually bleeding. The fact his paw felt dry made him think it wasn't.

Tilting his ears to Redpaw again, he gave a brief shrug before shifting his weight and sitting down, curling his tail around his paws. "I suppose part of it is I know how to get around the camp but, again, like Duskpaw said, I'm a sitting duck if I'm not in the camp. So, I figured if I can figure out the terrain around the camp, maybe I wouldn't be quite so useless.....  maybe be able to do a little fighting if I absolutely had to. And if I got dragged from camp, well, I wouldn't be completely helpless on possibly knowing where I am....."

His voice trailed off and he waited for Pebbleshine to laugh at him again, but he kept his face turned to Redpaw- or he hoped he was keeping his face towards the apprentice, waiting to see what the young cat would make of his words.