Fallpaw & Duskpaw
Brothers meet again!
Trespass Point, Windclan border
3
Tiptoe through the murk and mire
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧
The day was dying. Spilled gold and bruised purple across the moor’s edge, washing the tall grasses in fading warmth as the sun dipped low behind the horizon. The air held a bite - cold for newleaf. He hadn’t told anyone he was coming.
The slope gave way to the stony path that overlooked the three-clan border. Duskpaw paused beside the path, the light pooling in his fur and turning the blue of his coat dusky and soft. He sat with his back to the wind, his eyes watching the treeline with a stillness that barely resembled patience. They had all agreed to see each other again, but between them it was hard to designate a time. If he was lucky enough to see them again, he'd suggest just that.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
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, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Fallpaw's fur was fluffed up in the cold. Trekking across the moors in the chill hadn't been exactly pleasant, but it was for his siblings. The only blood kin he had that he knew how to find. As he ducked into the brush of where the moorlands ended, he shook his pelt out, and opened his maw to scent the air.
A vaguely familiar scent hit him. He spotted his brother's dark pelt in the low light a few moments later. "Duskpaw!" He greeted, stepping forward toward his sibling.
Tiptoe through the murk and mire
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧
Duskpaw’s ears twitched at the sound of his name, the voice pulling him sharply from his thoughts. He rose to his paws in one smooth motion, tail flicking as he turned toward the sound. It took only a heartbeat to recognize the pale shape cutting through the shadows - taller now, fluffed against the cold wind, but unmistakable. Fallpaw.
Something loosened in his chest. "Fallpaw..." He meowed, a little rough, like the name had been waiting too long on his tongue. He stepped forward to meet him tail up, eyes flicking briefly over the other tom as if checking to make sure he was whole. Alive.
"You came." His voice was quieter now, the edge in it dulled. "I wasn’t sure if anyone would." He looked down the slope for a moment, scanning for another silhouette, another scent...Coyotepaw, maybe.
He turned his gaze back to Fallpaw, something unreadable passing through his eyes. "You look taller." There was a faint curl of amusement at the corner of his mouth. It was a smile - a small one, but a smile nonetheless. He was happy to see his brother again.
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
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, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
Fallpaw trotted over to his littermate, happy to stretch his long legs. “So do you,” he replied. “It’s good to see you again.”
Something about Duskpaw seemed distant, though Fallpaw could easily credit it to having spent moons apart. He himself had spent the time exploring and getting to know the moorlands. He knew the clans had their rivalries, but hopefully it was nothing that could keep apart kin. “I hope the others are okay…maybe Mistypaw and Coyotepaw just weren’t able to sneak out.” He glanced toward the forest, as if either of them would appear from the foliage.
“Well…” he mewed, “how has your training been going over in Shadowclan?”
Tiptoe through the murk and mire
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ♖ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧
Duskpaw’s gaze followed Fallpaw’s toward the trees, the faint glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes. "Probably running late, anyway." His whiskers twitched faintly with the old memory of it, the ghost of a shared rhythm from their kithood. He shifted his weight slightly, letting his shoulders relax now that they stood beside each other again. The wind ruffled his fur, but he didn’t seem to notice it anymore.
When Fallpaw asked about training, Duskpaw hesitated but only for a moment. Then, he spoke, quieter than before, but with something more honest beneath the surface. "It’s been... a lot. I like sparring a lot. Keeps my head clear. Heronsong’s been good to me." His tail swept the ground once. "But lately, everything’s been tense. With that rogue..."
His ears tilted back slightly, but he kept his voice even. He looked at Fallpaw again then, eyes sharper, not in anger but in alertness. "So we’ve all been on edge. Watching everything, everyone. Training feels different now...less about skill and more about survival."
He let out a slow breath before he smiled at his brother. "But I’m still standing. Still learning. Guess that counts for something. How about you? How’s it been… being in WindClan?"
FROM RIVERCLAN:
Cottonbright, ♀ Anxious Senior Warrior
Nettleplume, ♂ Cynical Medicine Cat
Merrypaw, ♀ Steadfast Apprentice
Otterwhisker, ♀ Adventurous Elder
Tangleloon, ♂ Whimsical Elder
FROM THUNDERCLAN:
Brindlespice, ♀ Selfish Warrior
Bravesong, ♂ Gracious Elder
Leopardrose, ♀ Striving Warrior
Wildcry, ♀ Fierce Elder
Rimekit, ♀ Rowdy kit
FROM WINDCLAN:
Cloudflare, ♂ Suave Senior Warrior
Barleyswipe, ⚧ Ornery Elder
Heatherpaw, ♀ Sincere Apprentice
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, ♂ Visionary Feral
Montgomery (Monty), ♂ Sentimental Semi-Feral
