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Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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For once, there was finally a time that Greypebbles was able to relax in the territory without the threat of a killer rogue running through his spine. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt at one with his surroundings. And then, a few sparrow feathers fell from a nearby tree and the small spotted tabby tom tilted his grey head and padded forward to glance up at the behaviour in the tree. Ah, just Spidertongue... the one of his siblings he had interacted with the least out of the two of them he had. He wanted to be close with Spidertongue but every time seemed to be a bad time. Hopefully they would be able to talk today.

Greypebbles then shook out his thick fur for a moment before stretching up enough so his voice could be heard clearly... if Spidertongue was awake of course "Uhm... G-good afternoon Spidertongue!" He spoke nervously but not unfriendly, if he was going to start being close with his brother again, it should start with being friendly. "Looks like a nice catch you got from down here."

For right now, Greypebbles really didn't want to climb any trees, he knew it was something he had been taught, something that he used regularly, but that didn't exactly mean that he enjoyed the activity. He was out here to enjoy himself after all, with the free time he had been given this lovely afternoon.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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As his brother greeted him, Greypebbles held back a purr, it did feel like a long time since they had very really had a conversation. But before he could make much of a response, he sensed the exact same thing that Spidertongue had and moved in beside him, crouching beside his tabby pelt in the grass, a little smaller than he was. 

Greypebbles' eyes landed on the shrew and he narrowed his eyes, but he didn't move to catch it, Spidertongue had seen the rodent first, it was only fair for him to get the first catch of it, so instead of rushing forward beside Spidertongue, he made sure that his back and hind were safe, he doubted something would try and catch him right now, but there was always a very slim chance, like his former mentor and the fox... Greypebbles quickly shook negative thoughts away before they formed and followed Spidertongue through the underbrush.

As the two got closer, Greypebbles grew more cautious, letting his paws press lightly against the grounds so he wouldn't make any harsh vibrations to startled the prey, after all, he would hate to be the reason for Spidertongue missing his catch, especially since they were just starting to bond again! At least... he thought this was bonding, but maybe to Spidertongue it was just hunting with a tiny grey puffball stuck to him. He would argue it could be either, but he liked to thing it was the first.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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At any other time, Greypebbles would have flinched at the pounce and swift killing from his brother, but how enthusiastic he was, it brought a shimmer to Greypebbles' eyes. Something he hadn't let happen around Spidertongue for a while, not because he didn't want it to, bur simply because of their own distance that had always seemed to keep them apart. Now they were hunting together... more, Spidertongue was hunting. "I wouldn't say I caught it, it was your claws that caught it after all." He supposed he could have done something that would have made the shrew dart away, perhaps his silence helped in the success.

The sight of Spidertongue so happy, so genuinely happy around him earned him a softer smile in return, much more like Greypebbles to have a soft smile than a beaming one anyway. As Spidertongue's nose rose, so did the grey dappled tom's snout, however, he was smelling exactly what his black tabby brother was smelling, stale prey. "They must have moved on, maybe a hunting patrol came by this morning." He added with a soft hum. "But we don't need prey to spend time together, you know that, right?" He asked softly, his bobbed tail twitching every few words.

"I've been doing well anyway." Greypebbles replied to his question with a soft purr. "Me and Leopardrose made up some time a few moons ago, and Bravesong and Orchidflame had their kits recently. Things are going great so far!" He was in a much more chipper mood than from the past moons. It felt nice to just let life move on its own, and with the newest of the kits in the nursery, he knew it would move forward. It always did.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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Greypebbles watched as Spidertongue groomed his fur, his eyes turned to his on pelt as he begin to lick out a few blades of grass from it, but it didn’t last long, especially since he wanted to share a clear response to his brother’s question… as clearly as he heard it anyway…

"Prey had been well enough, we’re not starving at least." He quoted with a gentle smile at his brother that faded fairly quickly. Greypebbles couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for not being the one to teach out to talk to Spidertongue in so long. But another part of him was just pleased that the interaction wasn’t ending with disaster after the first few passes of words. That was something.

After that, the usual lack of words befell Greypebbles once again. He assumed this was why he and Spidertongue hadn’t spoke much, perhaps neither of them held much conversation. Hopefully that would change, he couldn’t imagine living without his littermates, not after ThunderClan had evidentially lost so many. He couldn’t lose them, both literally and figuratively.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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Leopardrose had been moving quietly along the edge of the clearing when the scent of prey and familiar ThunderClan pelts drifted toward her before her pale aqua gaze drifted toward the pair beneath the oak.

Greypebbles looked lighter somehow, and Spidertongue...were those flowers? Sunlight broke across her rosetted pelt in fractured dapples as she approached the siblings. "Well, this is a rare sight. The elusive Spidertongue socializing?" She purred lightly through the amusement as she moved to Greypebble's side to brush a friendly cheek bump against him.

Leopardrose stopped beside them, tail flicking once as she glanced between the brothers. "Looks like you've both already got done a bit of hunting...How can I be of help?" Blinking over at Spidertongue, she stepped forward to see if he'd be agreeable to a head bump himself.

While she wasn't the best of friends with Spidertongue, she enjoyed his company well enough as they had patrolled and hunted together at times.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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"Yes, the flowers are very- Leopardrose!" His response to his brother was soon cut off by a purr as he leaned into the uniquely patterned she-cat’s affections then returned his gaze back to Spidertongue. Almost apologetically for a brief, almost misable moment. "Lovely. They flowers are very lovely, Spidertongue." He admitted as he glanced over to the flowers taking one in between his toes and rubbing the fur of his cheek on the fragrant plant.

At Leopardrose’s comment, Greypebbles gave a small, self deprecating chuckle "Well it was Spidertongue that did all the hunting. I was simply a silent presence, I suppose." He replied before letting the flower fall from his pads onto the earthy grass, the wind brushing over its petals and nudging the flower slowly but surely. Spidertongue was right, they gave the forest color.

"You can stay here without having purpose Leopardrose, we’d accept your company regardless" Greypebbles chirped, a soft purr vibrating his voice as he gave his friend a final nuzzle before she moved to greet his littermate.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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Leopardrose flashed Greypebble's a familiar wink before she accepted the flower with visible surprise, staring down at the violet resting against her paw before her whiskered twitched. Then she hallf scooped the blossom onto her head where it rested somewhere between her ears. Whether she was teasing or genuinely pleased was difficult to tell.

When Spidertongue seemed to lose himself she didn't linger on it or call it out, and simply rose to her paws when he had asked. "Oh...that's easy." The small wildcat purred. The confidence in her voice made it seem like she was comfortable taking charge. She stepped forward between the brothers, tail lifted.

"First we make sure your catches are buried properly and then you two will be coming with me." Once their catches were secured, the she-cat turned and began trotting southward. "We'll finish patrolling the southern border with RiverClan. And then..."

Leopardrose ducked away, smiling to herself."Then we go to Sunningrocks. The river's low, the stones are warm and I've decided we've all earned a break." A breath of laughter left her as she continued down the trail, expecting both toms to follow. For once there was no rogue to hunt and no crisis waiting around the bend... Just familiar company and a day not to worry.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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As Greypebbles was about to respond to Spidertongue’s question, Leopardrose beat him to it, leaving him with his mouth agape like he were about to speak, she lowered his head "Well actually I was thinking we could… nevermind." Greypebbles murmured, but by the time he did, Leopardrose and Spidertongue were off. Leaving him to follow them or… be left behind. He didn’t wish to be abandoned, it felt worse than the previously strained relationship he had with the two cats. So he pulled himself up to his paws.

Greypebbled hung his head, his muzzle facing the grass as he followed the cats by scent alone, sure he was behind them, but he would rather be, better be behind to have their backs to be in front and not know what they would do. He trusted them, but there was a protective part of himself that wouldn’t let them fall behind. Even if he had fallen himself.

Greypebbles lagged behind until the trio arrived at the RiverClan border, his paws landing against the earth with a soft thump on every step, the silence making it more evident and almost unbearable. Part of him wished he had just spoke a little louder, but another was happy that Leopardrose and Spidertongue were enjoying themselves, that made him happy.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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Leopardrose had been busy refreshing a marker beneath a clump of reeds when Spidertongue's sudden jump made her ears flick upright. He stood there with his tail puffed slightly, desperately attempting to groom the water out.

"Oops. That's okay." She mewed at him even as she got a few droplets on her. "It's just some water." She recalled how she half slipped into the river on the RiverClan border. That was well worth the embarassment she felt. Here it was nothing.

Then she glanced toward Greypebbles and heaved a soft sigh, blinking over at him. "Did you say...something earlier? Sorry if I stole the conversation... I was just eager to spend some time with you. The both of you."

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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Greypebbles flinched at the droplets flicked onto his fur, though it didn't penetrate its density, the grey tom simply shook his grey and white body to get the droplets onto the ground. His bobbed tail flicked slightly as he made he way back beside Leopardrose, pressing his nose affectionately into the nape of her neck. "It's nothing, nothing that would matter now anyway." He replied before turning back to Spidertongue.

"It's alright, really. Water isn't going to shred my pelt." He purred lightly, his grey-ish eyes shut for a moment as he breathed in the scent of the river. Then his ears perked at a familiar scent something... mouth watering. His voice and posture lowered. "Mouse over there." He whispered to the others, pointing with his ears to where a small grey woodmouse was sniffing at some seeds and munching on the, too pre-occupied to notice the gaggle of ThunderClanners. 

Greypebbles' paws fell light against the earth, in spite of his speed, his side concealed him much better than it would a larger cat. But when he was close enough, he didn't hesitated like he would have in any other situation. His body launched forward and gripped the mouse in his teeth. He held until it stopped flailing and fell still, the scent of fresh kill making his mouth water around the fur of the prey.

Greypebbles then lifted his head and turned to see the positions of his impromptu patrol-mates. And part of him hoped that one may commend him on the catch, though he didn't really expect them to, it was just a mouse after all.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
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Leopardrose's eyes followed Greypebbles as he slipped away through the grasses and managed to score a furry prize on the way. The mouse never stood a chance. A small purr echoed Spidertongue's praise. "No quicker cat than Greypebbles. We can bury it here if you'd like."

Her whiskers gave a twitch as she searched the soil and pawed a little here. A little there. Here seemed soft enough... After a brief stretch with each forepaw dipped forward and causing her spine to arch, she turned towatds the path leading to Sunningrocks.

She would wait until her companions were ready to join her before she ran off to claim the smoothest, roundest rock...of course. "The sun's probably perfect by now." If she squinted she could see the dappled pattern of mottled sun beams from the treeline before it opened up towards the shore.

"If you both are ready we can go. Once we hit the treeline it'll be free game...We can see who gets the nicest rock."

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

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As Greypebbles dropped the mouse, he heard praise from both of the clanmates, for a moment, the grey tabby tom was a bit startled, but he welcomed it, to an extent of course. After all, he was nothing special. "I'm not all that. I suppose it comes with being little" He replied, almost in a self depricating tone in his voice as Leopardrose's suggestion to bury it where they stood. He gave a not to her.

"We could bury it here, We will come back the same way and collect it when we go back to camp." There was no 'if' now, the rogue was gone, the clans were out of the eye of danger... but for how long? How long until the cats of ThunderClan and beyond have to go through another wave of death and terror. Great StarClan, he was just getting complimented for his skills and now he was thinking of death? Perhaps the rogue had done more to him than he had thought.

Greypebbles easily hid the mouse beneath a pile of petrichor before moving his gaze towards Leopardrose, now moving towards Sunningrocks and nodded, following her pawsteps nearly exactly. "What should we do when we get to Sunningrocks?" He asked the patrol, flicking his ears, alert to any noises that may be hiding amongst the shadows.