Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──
Leopardrose padded out of the warrior’s den, the icy leafbare wind hitting her face as she squinted against the chill. She tugged her thin pelt tighter around herself, shivering as the cold gnawed at her bones, but that wasn’t the reason she felt so unsettled.
Wildcry’s words echoed in her head, sharp and heavy: "You’ve been avoiding the nursery long enough, Leopardrose. Make yourself useful and don't be a stranger."
Her foster mother’s disappointment was like a thorn in her side, but the shame sat deeper still. She knew she should have gone by now, should have congratulated the queens on their kits. It was a part of clan life, something all warriors did.
But something inside her recoiled at the thought. The moment she imagined stepping into the nursery, the stifling warmth, the sound of kits mewling and tumbling around in the nests, her chest tightened with an anxiety she could barely explain.
The idea of kitting, of raising little lives that depended on her for everything - it terrified her in ways she couldn’t describe. Kits were so fragile and unpredictable. One wrong move, one slip and everything could fall apart.
Her tail flicked in agitation as she padded through the camp. A warrior was to be expected to provide, to show her support. Wildcry expected as much...But she just... couldn’t.
The cold air helped clear her head a little. Her heart was still heavy, weighed down by her own fears and the expectations she couldn’t meet. Maybe Wildcry didn’t understand. Maybe no one did. All they could have seen was her absence, her avoidance. They didn’t see the fear that twisted in her gut, the doubts that gnawed at her whenever she thought about her future.
Leopardrose halted in front of the camp wall, sighing, as she sat down and wrapped her tail around her paws. She didn’t have the answers. She wasn’t sure if she ever would. All she knew was that the nursery felt like a place she didn’t belong - not now, and maybe not ever.
28
Leopardrose, Shadefrost, whoever, really
Camp bonding
ThunderClan Camp
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Kestrelswipe shivered as he padded back to camp, the results of a disappointing hunt in his jaws. The cold was beginning to bite more and more, and it seemed almost everything but the cats in the forest were going underground. Kestrelswipe couldn't help but wonder if they should do so as well. With the air getting chillier and chillier, hibernating in a den full of warm fur felt like such a nice option.
As he approached, he was surprised to see one of his fellow warriors sitting by the entrance. He set aside his mouse as he drew close. "Leopardrose?" he asked, brushing his coat gently against hers. "It's a bit cold to be on watch duty, isn't it?"
Think before you leap. Find the right route. ~Shadefrost
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Shadefrost had been patching up a hole in the Elders den, when he spotted Kestrelswipe and Leopardrose near the camp entrance. He wanted badly to go say hello to the she-cat but he wasn't sure how he felt about the tom. Come on, get it together, he thought to himself. She is your friend, you shouldnt be afraid just because someone else is around.
Slowly, pawstep by pawstep he make his way over, dipping his head to Kestrelswipe respectfully before muttering a soft hello to Leopardrose.
✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧
Check out my Pokemon
✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧
Windclan Cats
Breezewing: Grouchy Old Warrior
Shadowclan Cats
Echobright: Happy Go Lucky Warrior
Kittypets
Smokey: Energetic Furball
Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──
Leopardrose’s ears flicked as she heard Kestrelswipe’s voice, followed by the familiar brush of his fur against hers. She hadn’t realized she’d been sitting there for as long as she had, lost in her thoughts. Glancing up at her adopted brother, she forced a small smile, though it didn’t quite stretch to the teal of her eyes.
"No, not on watch duty. Just... thinking." She meowed, her voice quieter than usual. She was usually much better at hiding her feelings, but today the weight of her conversation with Wildcry clung to her. "The cold’s not so bad. Keeps my mind focused." The lie was thin but she hoped it would hold.
Before she could say more, she caught the hesitant approach of Shadefrost. She hadn’t expected company, and though the tom’s arrival was quiet, his presence was enough to pull her from the sour mood she was in. His respectful nod toward Kestrelswipe didn’t go unnoticed, and when he murmured his greeting, she gave him a soft purr in return.
"Shadefrost..." Her tone was a bit lighter. "Look at you braving the cold too."
Her eyes briefly flickered between the two toms, before she gave Shadefrost an easy wink. "What have you two been up to in this dreadful weather? Shouldn’t we all be curled up somewhere warm?" She tried to steer the conversation away from herself, her usual charm flickering back to life despite the heaviness still gnawing at her.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherkit, ♀ Sweet Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN:
Palestar, ♀ Stern Leader
Honeyglow, ♂ Reserved Elder
Emberdust, ♀ Artless Warrior
Duskpaw, ♂ Opportunistic Apprentice
FROM WHITEHART & BEYOND:
Ahryndae, ♀ Princess of Camelot
Lelouch Von Noon, ♂ Marquess of Noon Cattery
Kosmo, ♂ Disturbed Rogue
Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.
⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙
The cold had not been getting to Greypebbles all that much, but after the snowstorm he and Leopardrose had been trapped in, he had a new view in it entirely. It could both tear cats apart and bring them together, it was oddly poetic to him in that way. The young warrior slipped out of the elders den without any struggle and the first pelt to catch his eye was the warrior he had be stuck with no short of two days ago.
The little grey tom’s face lit up, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and he could swear it spanned outward towards his cheekbones. Leopardrose had an effect on him that just made him happy, but he couldn’t put his nose on it. Regardless, he bounded over to greet the uniquely pelted she-cat. "Leopardrose! It’s nice to see you’re doing well!" He said, he hadn’t even noticed the other two tom-cats that had joined Leopardrose prior to him, he seemed so excited to see her that the other toms somewhat faded out for a moment.
When it clicked that Kestrelswipe and Shadefrost were there also, his ears flattened with embarrassment, though he did dip his head in greeting towards the two of them, much less enthusiastic than he was with Leopardrose of course. "…Kestrelswipe …Shadefrost, nice day isn’t it?"
Bee's Characters
FROM WINDCLAN
Beewhisker - ⚧ Chirpy Warrior
Sunbear - ♀ Blunt Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN
Greypebbles - ♂ Quiet Warrior
Robinkit - ♀ Cautious Kit
FROM SHADOWCLAN
Clovershine - ♀ Optimistic Warrior
FROM RIVERCLAN
Goosesong - ♂ Stoic Warrior
Lilyriver - ♀ Independent Elder
OUTSIDERS
Sushi - ♀ Naive Domestic
Duchess ♀ - Friendly Semi-Feral
Kestrelswipe nodded a greeting back towards Shadefrost. He'd always appreciated the tom's courtesy, even if they weren't the closest of friends. Bringing his paws in close to himself, he sat down as Leopardrose's demeanor seemed to change. He frowned at that, but decided it was best not to push the issue. "Hunting," he replied flatly, nudging the half-frozen vole he'd brought back. "I was out there for ages, and this is all I managed to bring back."
Greypebbles seemed to pop over at just the right time. With a small sigh, Kestrelswipe replied, "Not nice enough to bring out the prey, apparently. I assume you all are managing as well?"
Think before you leap. Find the right route. ~Shadefrost
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
Shaking his pelt out, Shadefrost gave a slight mrow of amusement, "It helps to have a nice thick pelt." His eyes scanned Greypebbles as he approached, noticing the change in demeanor when the tom noticed himself and Kestrelswipe. He tilted his head to the side, "Hello to you as well Greypebbles. I do hope you are fairing well in the cold."
Hearing Kestrelswipes words he uterred a quick and quiet, "It will be better when newleaf comes. More prey." His gaze raked over them all before settling on the ground at his feet. He never felt comfortable with others but he knew it was something he needed to work on.
✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧
Check out my Pokemon
✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧ ⭒ ✧
Windclan Cats
Breezewing: Grouchy Old Warrior
Shadowclan Cats
Echobright: Happy Go Lucky Warrior
Kittypets
Smokey: Energetic Furball
