[ti]Private[/ti]Just Breathe

[Miss Tactical]

It had been a few dawns since their trip to the waterfall. Sneaking off in the night had been harder lately as she had a to-be whom had been learning rather well! Ruby's hunting technique was getting very nice! Snow was very proud of him. He would make a fine prey-hunter one day. Snow had wandered off on her own, no surprise she did that often. When she was back in camp, Wolf had often to walk with her but she had respectfully declined. She wandered a lot, lost in day dreams and it was something that she preferred to do, on her own.

Her paws took her to the thinning path, most were uncomfortable here. It had more open patches, but Snow, she was different. She liked to be able to see the sky, and felt comfortable out in the open. Sure, there were more dangers that walked in the open clearings, fox, perhaps a badger... but that was the wonder in it, to go outside her comfort zone. More prey was available here as well, and Snow felt it much easier to hunt.The long limbed she-cat dropped into a crouch, and glided across the clearings gracefully, a few mice and a wild rabbit went a long way for them. She hid them under leaves and moss, remembering to pick them up on her way back.

The she-cat circled the clearing, finding herself sitting on a stump. The sun hitting her pelt. This was warmth that she didn't get to feel in the thick forest. Her eyes closed for just a moment, she pictured herself running through clearings, leaping through trees with each breath she took, her meditative state thickened. Surely she was making herself vulnerably, but Snow didn't seem to worry about that much. It was foolish, the she-cat knew this, but life was too short.

One blue eye opened, then another as a familiar scent grabbed her attention. She had denied a home guards company to be alone, but the cat who caught her attention was one she didn't mind spending time with. Her tail wrapped around her paws, eyes sparkling as she faced the bushes and tress. "Come to join me on another adventure?" She mewed with a cheery tone.

[M'Lady]

He'd heard that Snow head out alone. Alone! Without a home guard or even another prey hunter to accompany her! He was worried, but had kept his composure as he soon left Stonehome to go after her. His steps were quick in the woods, and he did his best to stay silent, even if it certainly wasn't his strong point. He caught her scent outside of the clearing, but... He wasn't really a tracker either. He nearly swore, but refrained from doing so. He wished every problem could just be solved by tearing something apart. But alas, that wasn't the case. Many things also required an amount of finesse.. Which is why they had prey hunters.

He probably would've kept bumbling around the woods for hours if Snow hadn't found him first. She probably could've heard him a mile away. A sigh of relief escaped Sun, and finally the blood stopping pounding in his ears. He slowed his pace, ears flicked towards the voice, and walked through the undergrowth to reach the pale she-cat. A smile came to his features, as he flicked his tail in greeting.
"How c-could I say no?" Ah the infernal stuttering. It would go away, eventually, once he got over it. Blaze blue eyes gleamed with relief, though a tinge of annoyance flickered in them. "Why did you go out alone? You could've been hurt." He stated, worry clear in his voice but his tone also firm as he stood his ground. He would not be swayed by her pretty eyes or musical voice. He would not.

[Miss Tactical]

Snow's features brightened and a slight hum of happiness escaped as he answered her question about the adventure. "Good, adventures are something that keep us thriving until the sun rises the next day."She chuckled softly. Her ears swiveled when he question why she had gone out a lone. Her whiskers gave a slight twitch of amusement before her tail touched his shoulder gently. She wasn't really sure how to answer, being alone was something she did a lot. Sometimes she really didn't mean to wander far, it just kind of happened. One moment she was just a fox tail away from camp, the next moment, well here she was. She wasn't willing to admit it, but it happened a lot...

"You are here now, so now I have a home-guard with me. That counts." She waved her tail slightly before giving the tom a quick lick on his cheek. "No need to fret about me Sun, I've always been a wanderer, despite an adventurous spirit I know my limits and know when to stay out of trouble, however when I have someone with me, trouble peeks my curiosity" Her blue eyes bounced with amusement, hoping that would be a good answer for the tom. She really was unsure of what to say, and how to answer, but that was the best she could do and she supposed that would just have to work.

"So, we did the waterfall a few dawns ago, where shall our paws take us today?" She mewed. It was always fun to discover new places, and see new things. Her body shifted looking around her, there was a whole world they lived in and a vast majority of it was unknown. How neat was that?

[M'Lady]

"I know y-you can take care of yourself," He huffed, blue eyes flickering softly as he felt his ears grow hot at her affectionate actions. By the stars, this she-cat was going to kill him one of these days! He didn't say anything for another moment, wondering if he should finish his statement. Finally, he bowed his head sheepishly, with a slight smile.

"I just worry a-about you, that's a-all." Sun hummed with his lingering stammer, but then followed her gaze to look around the area, Snow's contagious curiosity striking him after her words. "We could... Go north f-from Stonehome? I hear the f-forest is so thick, it drowns th-the sunlight." He suggested. He wasn't too keen on delving deep into the depths of that forest, but he wouldn't mind going far enough to see if the rumors are true. He was a home-guard, he had an instinctual need to stay close to home, in case he was needed at a moments notice.

He rather liked their escapades. Discovering truths among rumors, finding stories their tribe had passed down for generations. He'd have to talk to his mother, and his uncle. Anything to find more excuses to do something adventurous with Snow.

He felt his heart thud a bit faster in his chest. That's.. That's what friends were for, right? Making the other happy? Just so he could see that telltale gleam in her blue eyes?

... Yes, that's what friends were for.

[Miss Tactical]

Snow blinked slowly, her blue eyes locked for just a moment as the toms voice rung in her ears "I just worry a-about you, that's a-all." Sure she had a few friends within the prey hunters and home guards, but none of them showed or at least seemed concerned with her safety. Finally she purred in response, she was glad someone would miss her if she ever went missing. Why she thought of it that way was beyond her own thinking. "I worry about you sometimes, who knows what type of trouble home guards get into...they train you all to fight for a reason..perhaps terrible things our ancestors fought..I've heard stories I remember from when I was a kit..." The tales she heard from the elders and kit mothers at bed time, she still recalled most of them.


We could... Go north f-from Stonehome? I hear the f-forest is so thick, it drowns th-the sunlight." Snow nodded, she had heard that eventually it turns to night, the sun just isn't there, however dangerous things lurked in the dark where they were well protected. However on the opposite side of that, were things were well protected there were certainly things to discover. She closed her eyes for a moment recalling any stories she had heard about that place as a kit one story stuck out in her mind and she gave a nod piecing the puzzle together.

"I've only heard one thing about that place..." She started. "The story is, it's always night time...but it's quiet..so silent. Not even Wind can push through the tendrils. Silence was never a good thing silence made Snow nervous, silence meant there was nothing alive...and that was worrysome. "There were rumors of old old stone walls who knows...I've never heard of a cat who ever ventured in due to darkness." She mewed. She stood up on tall now, clearly ready to discover what ever was hidden through the thick shrubbery, vines, and tendrils. "Lead the way!" She mewed with an excited tone.

[M'Lady]

He smiled softly, and then nudged her shoulder lightly with his own in an attempt to provide some bit of comfort, of reassurance. "Don't w-worry, Snow. We're stronger than we look. Don't th-think that just because things are quiet, we can't f-fight off an eagle or two." Or worse things. He's heard about them too, deadly monsters bigger than statues. With black eyes and nasty claws as big as a cats head. He shook his head lightly. Myths and stories indeed, the tribe was full of them. He had a rather strange feeling that he and Snow would find out which were true and which were false.

She went from being a bit nervous to being excited rather quickly, he thought. He watched with amused azure eyes, and then rose to his paws to follow after her, and a few steps ahead of her as well. "It'll take us awhile t-to get there. I hope y-you don't mind if we m-move cautiously once we get past Stonehome, it's m-mostly unexplored territory but f-for a curious to-be or two." Sun hummed, preferring to take things slow in order to take it all in, and to make sure there wasn't any suspicious activity. As they walked, he slowly settled into home-guard mode. Ears swiveled back and forth, as did his gaze, alert for any sign of danger. His muscles were tense, which was clear by the stiffness of his gait and the heavy thumps of his paws. He refused to let anything get the jump on him, not when he was guarding one of the Tribe's loveliest prey-hunters. A rustle of tree leaves caught his attention, and his gaze whipped to the right, blue eyes ablaze, and calmed once he realize a crow merely took off from a tree. He shook his head, and resumed the trek without a word.

[Miss Tactical]

Snow dropped to a slower pace. The territory was unexplored which made it incredibly dangerous, or perhaps not at all. Sometimes elders told large stories to kits who misbehaved. Snow always thought it was amusing. Kits who were bad were told myths and legends about large monsters of some sort, and how they took kits who misbehaved. It was always so great to see how quickly their behavior changed. How quickly they became polite again listening to their mothers. Of course it probably didn't help that Sun spoiled them, always bringing them back shiny rocks to to collect and play with. her whiskers twitched with amusement just at the thought of it. She continued to walk behind him, keeping herself alert. Normally she just wandered comfortably, and unknowingly as well. However it would be important to stay alert here.

She watched as Sun's muscles tensed at the flapping of a crows wings as it took off hidden from them. She had scented it a bit back and her eyes bounced with amusement. "Don't forget to breathe Sun...you will scent anything that may be dangerous." She mewed playfully. Her tail touched his shoulder in a playful manner. Her speed turned into a slight trot as she walked in step with him now. Occasionally she paused lifting her head to make sure all was well. Some small animals ran through the underbrush, while birds took off. They weren't exactly staying downwind either. This was another adventure!

The undergrowth began to get thicker, and she noticed a slight temperature drop. She walked slower now. Although this was marked territory it wasn't patrolled AS often as the other areas as it was hard to get through. Snow hissed in frustration swinging her head from side to side as she felt a silk like substance stick to her fur. "Stupid Spider webs...." The trees and plants were dense enough this was paradise for creatures that liked to remain unknown and in the darkness. "W-where do we go from here?" There was no obvious path, or place to go, since cats didn't come out here that often scents were stale. Sure Snow was curious, but she also knew when something could potentially be dangerous and this was exactly that.

[M'Lady]

He huffed softly as Snow breezed past him with her amused tone and lilting words. "I'm not a-a beetlebrain," He grumbled, lashing his tail to accent his voice. "Just because I smelled a crow doesn't mean that it was the crow moving." He muttered this last part to himself, but then jogged to catch up with Snow who had moved a bit ahead of him in his mumbling. Suddenly, it seemed to get colder. Even though he'd relaxed when Snow told him to, the tom immediately tensed up again, and moved to walk right beside Snow, his fur brushing hers lightly so he could protect her from any sudden dangers.

His mother thought his blue eyes shone like the sky on a clear day. Anyone who's met Sun knew that they shone like fire. Blazing, burning, glowing, they were eyes ready to scout out and take on anything that dare harm his Tribe. These eyes shone now, filled with sapphire flames.
He glanced around when Snow asked quietly where they should go next, and he frowned, turning his gaze to get a full view.
"I'm not sure," He confessed quietly, though he didn't turn to her, rather keeping his eyes on their surroundings. "I'm n-no tracker, that part's up to you." He didn't like placing a burden on her, even one such as this, where there was actually no requirement for them to be here. For some reason, the last thing he wanted to do in life was to burden her.

[Miss Tactical]

Snow nodded closing her eyes and sitting still. She had to dig into her memories about what she was told. As she closed her eyes, she was back in camp once more, however she was a young to-be ready to do whatever ut took for her tribe. She remembered going to the elders den it was a warmer day, she remembered a bunch of kits being in there. Snow was one to always help out even if it was no longer her duty. Her breathing slow, ears flickered as she focused on the task at hand.

"Snow deary...Cicada said you had wandered far again, remember don't go past those long tendrils danger lurks back there."

It was an older tom who spoke next. "Don't listen to Nettle she's an old coot." He chuckled with a raspy tone.

Snow opened her eyes and there was a smile on portrayed on her features. "Don't go past the long tendrils..."She whispered. Her tail waved back and forth as she took the lead ever so slightly. She felt Sun's fur brush against hers and she turned her head ever so slightly the smile in response. It was comforting to have him here, and she wouldn't change that for a bit. "This way, past the tendrils." She didn't really know what she was looking for, but perhaps something would pop out at her.

"Nettle...she said danger lurks past the tendrils so someone must have saw something or she wouldn't have given me a warning when I was a to-be." She grabbed one of the tendrils with her teeth pulling it to the side, then another, then another, she was able to clear some of them, but to her dismay the roots and shrubbery were very thick. She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. "It will be hard to fight in there, but I got to see!" She mewed excitedly. She ducked under the dancing branches, keeping her head low. The deeper she went the darker and cooler it got.

"No wonder no one comes out here, it's like it's night time....." She mewed softly.

[M'Lady]

He was worried.
Oh by the stars he was worried.

And she wasn't worried. Why not? It was only right to be so. He felt her excitement, it was rather contagious, but even that couldn't stifle the threads of anxiety that wound through his being. Should he say something? She probably wouldn't listen, look how intent she was on moving forward! He shifted uneasily, blue eyes flickering back and forth to search for any sign of danger, while Snow kept on pressing forward.
He should say something, shouldn't he? There was a difference between the tales elders told kits of great adventures... And Nettle warning a to-be of danger. He hadn't heard this particular warning himself, but he wasn't a prey hunter. Sun didn't wander, he stayed close to home and close to his tribe like he was meant to. He was a home-guard, not a... Wilderness-explorer.

Especially if there was something dangerous here... Sun was strong, but he couldn't defend a prey hunter seriously by himself. Not from something in this world of night.

"Snow.. Maybe this isn't the best idea." He nearly winced at hearing himself say the words lowly. "If something were to happen, can't fight like this." He hummed quietly, his uneasiness leaking into his tone. "You could've been warned for a reason..." He didn't say anything after that, but did continue to pad along softly with her. If she wanted to continue on, it was his sworn duty to accompany her. Even against his better judgement.