Private Thread Between Two Skies

Tiptoe through the murk and mire
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The night air clung cool against Duskmantle's mid-furred coat as he moved through the shadow. Where he ventured was somewhere between borders and memory...of a promise that a few certain cats would appear.

His ears angled in all directions in the stillness and paused beneath sparse cover. Hoping. The thought of Flutterdream flickered unbidden, an unwelcome flash. He pushed it down with a frown and continued forward to their meeting spot. Two days after the full moon.

Then in the moonlight he spotted a familiar pelt...a scent not caught in many moons. He stepped forward into clearer view, cornflower eyes catching what little light the night offered. "Coyote..." He spoke low but just loud enough for the sound to catch. She wouldn't be an apprentice, not anymore.

If a flower can flourish in the desert, you can flourish anywhere.

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The thoughts eating away at her seemed to come to a sudden halt as a familiar voice, a familiar scent, a familiar cat caught her attention. She looked up to spot a sleek, large body slipping through the path from ShadowClan. The pale she-cat paused for a moment, paws quivering as if she was preparing herself to launch herself at him like she had when they met as apprentices. But she didn't she chose not to, it would be more... professional.

"Coyotebloom." She answered, her brother seemed, much more well off than she felt in her own clan. But she didn't want to assume things of him. Perhaps they felt the same about their place, but perhaps he didn't. She could never be sure unless he said so himself. But he was healthy, he was alive, that was more important to her. "I assume you're Dusk...something now? Or has Palestar swapped your name out again?" The last remark was lighter, trying to make a soft joke at the changing of names, since she had first known him as Murk, part of her would still remember that kit, but he was now something new, he now had something that was completely his own.

The lilac she-cat closed the distance between them pressing her nose against the fur on Duskmantle's shoulder before allowing herself to lean into him. Oh stars... she hoped he didn't forget about her much, they had spent... so much time apart. Coyotebloom would have cursed that stupid rogue herself for splitting her from her littermates if she weren't already dead. But Coyotebloom was just glad that they were safe to see one another again. Though... she wondered if the other usual company was coming. "Do you know how Fallpaw- whatever his name might be now, is doing? Or Mistypaw?" she asked, hoping she wasn't overstepping.

She hadn't seen her kin in so long, she wanted to catch up on everything. Especially since they were all warriors now.

Tiptoe through the murk and mire
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Duskmantle's ears flicked at her correction, the faintest huff of breath leaving him at the formality of it. "Coyotebloom." He repeated more to himself than for her. Clans always had some reason for name changes, no doubt hers was becoming of her. "It's Duskmantle...They call me Duskmantle now as a warrior." He clarified but was unable to say more before she closed the distance.

Fur against fur caught him off guard. He didn't let any cat in ShadowClan touch him like this...and the fact he had to remind him that it was okay, that this was his sister, made him accept the affection. "It has been a while, huh?"

He half expected more shapes to focus in the dark at her mention of their siblings, but his warm, nearly purplish eyes turned once more on her instead of the reeds. "They're both warriors now...Fallpaw's Fallheart now and I'm not so sure about Mistypaw. I'm sure she's doing fine in RiverClan."

The shadowy tom inhaled his sister's scent to engrain it to memory. "ThunderClan treating you well?"

If a flower can flourish in the desert, you can flourish anywhere.

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As her brother shared the names, Coyotebloom paused in her affections. "Duskmantle... Fallheart..." She repeated them as if tasting them on her tongue, they were no longer Murk and Waterfall, they were long gone, but now they had become warriors of ShadowClan and WindClan, like how she was a warrior of ShadowClan... as much as she didn't really feel like one. "Befitting I'm sure." she chirped softly before pulling back at his question of how she was doing in ThunderClan.

"I can easily list the cats that actually like me without judgment on one paw." Coyotebloom replied, she had only just recalled a passing interaction with Brindlespice that morning. "I don't belong there... those Fierceblooded cats have made that very clear. But... what other choice do I have? If I leave that will prove them right, but if I stay they won't stop." she explained, voice cracking under a solemn whisper. "Duskmantle, I'm stuck."

For a moment she paused, was she oversharing? She probably was, but this was her brother, not just any random ShadowClan warrior. She felt she could share as much as she needed to. And... he did ask. "Cats like Bravesong, Orchidflame, Leopardrose and Greypebbles are great, they treat me as a warrior, but I'm worried I'll be shunned forever."

Now she was oversharing... she shook her head and took a few pawsteps back. "I'm sorry, you don't need to hear all my issues. How are you in ShadowClan?" She asked, desperate to change the conversation now.