Open to Join Cloudless Days

Those who follow blindly will never learn to see the truth. ~Breezewing
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A beam of light broke through the branches covering the Warriors Den and landed on the face of a lump of dark gray fur. Breezewings eye opened to slits at the intrusion of light before slowly standing up and stretching the sleep from his bones. Stepping out of the den he looked around the camp, taking note of the apprentices running around as well as a red tabby pelt collecting supplies near the camp border. Grumbling to himself, he padded over to Cloudflare.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" His mew came out much grumpier than he had intended but what did he care? This cat was going about fixing the barrier but not the dens. His claws flexed at the thought of his sleep having been interrupted. Without waiting for an actual response he picked up some of the supplies next to Cloudflare and set to work helping him fix the barrier.

"So how is Brightpaws training coming along?" His voice still sharp as a stick while he glanced sideways at the broad shouldered tom. Weaving some branches together quickly, he patched the hole he was working on with the experience of seasons of wall repair.

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
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Cloudflare glanced up as Breezewing approached, catching the slight grumpiness in his tone. He held back a smile, recognizing the older warrior’s irritation. “Morning, Breezewing.” He replied, keeping his voice light. “Just reinforcing the barrier. The dens could use some work, too - figured I’d start here and move on.” Or he could try elsewhere to avoid making Breezewing even less inclined towards his tasks.

But before he could do much more, Breezewing joined him! With only a small pause, Cloudflare returned to weaving the brambles, making sure they were tightly secured. At the mention of Brightpaw, he gave a small nod, his tone warming slightly. “Brightpaw’s doing well."

"He's very eager to learn and picks up on things. Sensitive, appreciative, hardworking. Pretty much all I could have ever hoped for in an apprentice." Cloudflare positively glowed as he mentioned his half brother, but didn’t push the conversation further, sensing Breezewing’s mood - but he appreciated the help. Working together in comfortable silence, they continued repairing the barrier, ensuring it would hold strong until the next dire wind storm.

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
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Cloudflare finished securing the last bramble in place, his ears perking up at Breezewing's comment. "I do." He admitted, matter of factly, a hint of pride in his voice. "Brightpaw’s got potential, and I want to make sure he reaches it. He deserves the best we can give him."

As Breezewing mentioned the Warriors’ Den, Cloudflare nodded, catching the older tom’s expectant look. With a flick of his ear, he stepped forward, taking the lead.“Let’s get it done, then.” He mewed, striding toward the den.

His eyes swept over the den’s structure, already assessing where the light was seeping through. “We’ll reinforce the thicker spots first.” Came his suggesting mew, glancing back at Breezewing to gauge his agreement. Without waiting for a reply, Cloudflare began gathering materials, his movements brisk and purposeful, ready to make sure the den was as sturdy as the barrier they’d just fixed.

Those who follow blindly will never learn to see the truth. ~Breezewing
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Following Cloudflares lead, the older Warrior began to gather some nearby supplies. Nodding stiffly at the other cats order Breezewing began to work on patching some of the denser branches tightly together, each placement methodical. As he reached down for another branch his left foreleg gave way beneath him and he fell to the ground with a loud grunt. Dust flew up around him as he lay there panting for a moment before trying to stand again.  "Darn these old legs of mine. They just don't work how they used to." Slowly setting his paw down and putting weight onto it he quickly realized it was more then he could handle at the moment. He tried continued on as if nothing had happened even though each step was a pain filled limp.

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
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Cloudflare’s ears flicked back at the sound of Breezewing’s fall, his head snapping around to see the older tom struggling to get back on his paws. Concern flickered in his copper eyes as he quickly padded over trying to assess what might have happened to him. “Easy, Breezewing. You're not that old!” He murmured, his tone gentle but firm with just a bit of playfulness at the end.

He watched Breezewing attempt to continue working, noticing the limp in his step. Cloudflare didn’t push him right away, knowing how pride could get in the way, but he couldn’t just ignore it either. “Let me take care of the heavier work. You can guide me from here.” He suggested, keeping his voice calm. “We’ll have the den patched up in no time, and you can rest those legs.”

He stepped in to handle the branches, taking on the more strenuous parts of the task, but kept his gaze on Breezewing, ready to offer support if needed. Cloudflare didn’t press the issue further, letting the older warrior decide how much he wanted to do, but made sure to lighten the load as much as possible.

Those who follow blindly will never learn to see the truth. ~Breezewing
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Ears flattening at the mention of his age Breezewing bared his teeth at the young warrior while his fur started to rise. "I know how old I am!" The anger in his voice dripped like venom before his shoulders slumped and a look of defeat cross his face.

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞ Cloudflare flinched inwardly at Breezewing's initial outburst, his own ears flattening briefly in surprise to his response. He kept his expression neutral, though, understanding how much it stung to feel one's age creeping up. When Breezewing's anger melted into acceptance, Cloudflare gave a slow nod, acknowledging the older warrior's words without dwelling on them.

At Breezewing’s direction, Cloudflare followed the pointed nose and flicking tail, catching the spot where the light had broken through. He noticed the clumsy motion but chose not to comment, instead flashing Breezewing a reassuring smile. “Got it.” He said with a nod.

As he began mouthing the branches together to cover the gap, Cloudflare kept his tone light. “You’ve got a sharp eye, Breezewing. Would’ve taken me a bit longer to spot that without you pointing it out.” He made quick work of the patch, his movements efficient as he finished his work.

Stepping back, Cloudflare inspected the repair before looking back at Breezewing. “That should hold. How’s it look from your end?” Allowing the older warrior to still feel valued in their shared task despite his trip up.

Those who follow blindly will never learn to see the truth. ~Breezewing
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"Y'know... You're not to bad Cloudflare. Usually, you young warriors are constantly trying to show one another up and prove you're the best at whatever hare-brained scheme you've come up with next." He voiced was tight but there was a purr behind it. He would never tell the young tom that he was the exact same way when he was younger, even that he thought he knew better than anyone else.

Limping backwards a step to admire their work he nodded confidently. "It looks really good." He limped forward until he was next to Cloudflare. Surprising even himself, he gave the red furred tom a friendly nudge with his good shoulder. He attempted to put weight on his paw again and this time while the pain was still there it had definitely lessened to the point he could set the paw down normally.

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
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Cloudflare couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at Breezewing's words, even if the older warrior's tone was tight. He let out a low, appreciative purr in response, dipping his head to the side as he considered his response. It wasn't often he got to compare himself to the rest of his clanmates. He wasn't Barleyswipe salivating for gossip. “Thanks, Breezewing. Isn't it more important to work together than to try and one-up each other? We all have our strengths, after all, and we're all Windclan.” His tone was light but genuine, grateful for the unexpected compliment.

As Breezewing nudged him, Cloudflare responded with a warm, oh so gentle brush back, acknowledging the gesture. He was relieved to see the older warrior moving a bit easier, though he didn’t mention it directly. Instead, he turned his attention to their work, giving it a final once-over.

“I’m glad you think so. It should keep the den nice and dark for your next nap.” Cloudflare remarked with a playful glint in his eye. He stepped back, stretching his limbs. “If you’re feeling up to it, we could check the rest of the camp’s edges. Or, if you’re ready for that nap, I can handle the rest. No worries.” He offered Breezewing the choice, showing respect for the older warrior’s autonomy while still being ready to take on the heavier work if Breezewing preferred. Cloudflare would take it in stride either way, and then he'd find an excuse to take Brightpaw out.

Those who follow blindly will never learn to see the truth. ~Breezewing
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The strong sense pride in his clanmate that swelled within his chest surprised Breezewing a great deal. He enjoyed that the young tom wasn't the kind of cat to become competitive with his clanmates. "I suppose you're right young'en. Why shouldn't we pick up the slack where we excel that an ally doesn't. I like the way you think."

At the mention of his naps the grouchy older tom realized how tired his bones were beginning to feel. He stifled a yawn while looking around the camp borders. "I think i may just take you up on that. These old bones. They get tired so easily." Shooting a sharp glance at Cloudflare to let him know not to respond to that.

Taking a few paces towards the Warriors Den he turned his head back to Cloudflare and mewed quietly, "After my nap I'll find you and maybe we could go hunt. We can even drag Brightpaw along too and you can show me all you've taught that one." Dipping his head respectfully to the younger tom he padded into the den, found his nest and curled up with his tail covering his nose. After a few moments he was snoring peacefully.