Post by Fireflake on Dec 26, 2018 7:57:41 GMT
Pebbleshade stared up at the stars, his paws laid out in front of him as if to reach out to them. He hadn't intended to fall into such deep thought about StarClan. He'd been staring at the moon at first, savoring its sweet silver glow and wishing he'd never seen it any other way. But of course he had. A small cloud blossomed around his mouth as he let slip a sigh. The cats from the battle were up there now, weren't they? They had found their way even through the red? The "blood", as some had described the moon? He nodded slowly to himself. The medicine cats would have made sure of it. His eyes had wandered to Silverpelt by this point, taking his mind with them, and he stared up at the clan's warrior ancestors. Not his own warrior ancestors, for several reasons, but the spirits watching over him nonetheless.
When his eyes finally dropped to the sparkles on the ground, he saw a figure shift and scrambled to stand. Was it another attacker? A tribe cat, or a rogue, or maybe a fox or a Twoleg kit? His long fur bristled and he squinted harder. The shadow of confusion fell over him. "Buckleap?"
Buckleap stirred and turned to look back at Pebbleshade. He nodded in greeting. "Bubbleface."
Pebbleshade gritted his teeth. He could feel the silly thrill the other tom got from getting his name wrong. The habit had followed him constantly when they traveled to the area together. "What are you doing out there in the snow?" he questioned.
Buckleap shrugged. "Freezing my pelt off, it looks like. I did clear a patch."
He stood and pawed at the dead grass before lying back down. Pebbleshade was giving him that look he always did when Buckleap told a joke he couldn't wrap his head around instead of giving a real answer. "I'm sleeping under the stars."
Pebbleshade shuffled a mouse-length closer. "I thought you liked the cave?"
"And you like mice, but that doesn't mean they're the only thing you like to eat."
Pebbleshade's head tipped to the side, catching the reflection of the stars as an almost accusatory glint in his eyes. "I'm not really too fond of mice. I suppose you field cats prefer open spaces? Is the cave open enough for you?"
Buckleap returned his searching gaze with a level stare. It wasn't the first time Pebbleshade had faced him with suspicion, but it was the most direct. "The cave is plenty open to me. There were-" There were secret tunnels running under his previous clan's territory... but he didn't think it was right to say so. Even now that those clans didn't exist and the warriors both served MistClan, it wasn't right to share. He went on instead, after a brief pause, "I spent my first season in a burrow. The cave's just fine."
This didn't placate Pebbleshade. If anything, it seemed to narrow his eyes further. Of course, Buckleap had only given away that he spent his first season outside of a clan.
Buckleap flicked the rounded tip of his tail. Why did it matter where he came from? "Is the cave closed in enough for a forest cat like you?"
If the damage was already done, the question couldn't hurt anything. Or so he thought. The tips of Pebbleshade's claws poked the stone and Buckleap could see that he still missed spending his nights under the trees. His voice was sharp as he answered, "It's perfectly fine for me."
Buckleap snorted. Pebbleshade leaned over further. "I wouldn't," warned Buckleap, "you might accidentally lean into the waterfall."
"I'm used to a bit of water!" Pebbleshade replied, his voice on the edge of a growl. "What I'm not used to is cats that wind you up and leave you to spin."
"Obviously you didn't have my family."
"Obviously!"
Pebbleshade bit down on his tongue, wishing he could bite back the yowl but unable to do so. Buckleap looked uncomfortable for once but it didn't make him feel any better. So he'd come out to calm down under the glow of the silky moonlight and had been reminded he wasn't from a clan, he'd never sleep in his old clan's camp again, he was terrible at protecting the one he had, and he'd never had a family. Great! The tom flattened his tufted ears and slipped behind the waterfall to pad over to the warrior's den, where he could see a curious eye already peeking out.
Buckleap pawed at the snow. It had never occurred to him to ask why Pebbleshade didn't have any littermates or parents with him when they met after the fall of their clans. Buckleap himself was traveling alone. It only seemed normal that the other warrior would be too. But Buckleap had only traveled alone because he couldn't find his mentor, or his nemesis, or the stuttering tom that couldn't look where he was going. And Pebbleshade was only traveling alone, of course, because he didn't have anyone to bring with him in the first place. "Strange that the cave is the one place we're both comfortable," he called out.
Pebbleshade whipped around with a scowl. Was he trying to make a point? It wasn't a jeer or a smirk that he saw when he turned, though. It was only a quietly bemused expression. Seeing this, he stopped to think about it and stepped outside again to nod. His eyes drifted back to the stars.
Buckleap flicked his tail toward himself. "You get a better view from out here. I bet you could find a sheltered tree somewhere around here too."
Pebbleshade lingered hesitantly, unsure of whether Buckleap was teasing him or not. Sometimes it was hard to tell. "I can't just leave the clan alone at night."
Buckleap rolled his eyes. "The clan's got plenty of warriors. Come on. Twolegs and deer aren't that scary anyway. I'll protect you."
"I can protect myself!" But again, he didn't seem so sure. What was that quip about Twolegs? Had Buckleap somehow heard of his capture, all those moons ago?
"It's called a joke, Pebbleshade."
Pebbleshade relaxed and, perhaps just to prove he wasn't afraid, padded from the waterfall to where Buckleap was. He looked around and stalked a few fox-lengths to nestle up against some tree roots. Buckleap picked up something in his mouth and carried it to just beside the tree. Pebbleshade lightly touched it with his front paw. "Is that fresh-kill?"
"It was, a little while ago when I brought it out here."
"But warriors-"
"I haven't eaten yet. I hunted all day. Calm your fur."
Pebbleshade gave him that look again.
Buckleap explained, "It's warm. Or, again, it was when I brought it out here. S'pose I should just eat it now."
He tore a few bites from the prey, which seemed to have more bites in it than most at this time of year, then rolled it over to Pebbleshade. "Yep, it's gone cold. Want it?"
Pebbleshade pawed away the light covering of snow that had wrapped it. The scent of blood already filled his mouth. He had food earlier, but everyone's stomachs were hollow now and his was no exception. There was no use waiting until morning, and he couldn't wake someone in the middle of the night to give them a half-eaten mouse. Buckleap was clearly done with it, now staring at him only to see if he'd accept it. That was when Pebbleshade saw it for what it really was. It wasn't fresh-kill, or a mouse, or half-eaten prey. It was a peace offering. He pawed it toward himself and the remaining half filled him up. A gentle purr rolled from his lips as he turned to lay on his back. Through the branches of the spruce tree, he could still see the twinkling stars, and from here, with them mixed in with the snow, it looked like they rested on the branches. The brightest was just above the top. His thoughts and concerns still chattered away inside of his mind, and he wasn't comfortable per se, but tonight there was a barrier between his swirling mind and him. "Thank you," he muttered. "Goodnight."
When his eyes finally dropped to the sparkles on the ground, he saw a figure shift and scrambled to stand. Was it another attacker? A tribe cat, or a rogue, or maybe a fox or a Twoleg kit? His long fur bristled and he squinted harder. The shadow of confusion fell over him. "Buckleap?"
Buckleap stirred and turned to look back at Pebbleshade. He nodded in greeting. "Bubbleface."
Pebbleshade gritted his teeth. He could feel the silly thrill the other tom got from getting his name wrong. The habit had followed him constantly when they traveled to the area together. "What are you doing out there in the snow?" he questioned.
Buckleap shrugged. "Freezing my pelt off, it looks like. I did clear a patch."
He stood and pawed at the dead grass before lying back down. Pebbleshade was giving him that look he always did when Buckleap told a joke he couldn't wrap his head around instead of giving a real answer. "I'm sleeping under the stars."
Pebbleshade shuffled a mouse-length closer. "I thought you liked the cave?"
"And you like mice, but that doesn't mean they're the only thing you like to eat."
Pebbleshade's head tipped to the side, catching the reflection of the stars as an almost accusatory glint in his eyes. "I'm not really too fond of mice. I suppose you field cats prefer open spaces? Is the cave open enough for you?"
Buckleap returned his searching gaze with a level stare. It wasn't the first time Pebbleshade had faced him with suspicion, but it was the most direct. "The cave is plenty open to me. There were-" There were secret tunnels running under his previous clan's territory... but he didn't think it was right to say so. Even now that those clans didn't exist and the warriors both served MistClan, it wasn't right to share. He went on instead, after a brief pause, "I spent my first season in a burrow. The cave's just fine."
This didn't placate Pebbleshade. If anything, it seemed to narrow his eyes further. Of course, Buckleap had only given away that he spent his first season outside of a clan.
Buckleap flicked the rounded tip of his tail. Why did it matter where he came from? "Is the cave closed in enough for a forest cat like you?"
If the damage was already done, the question couldn't hurt anything. Or so he thought. The tips of Pebbleshade's claws poked the stone and Buckleap could see that he still missed spending his nights under the trees. His voice was sharp as he answered, "It's perfectly fine for me."
Buckleap snorted. Pebbleshade leaned over further. "I wouldn't," warned Buckleap, "you might accidentally lean into the waterfall."
"I'm used to a bit of water!" Pebbleshade replied, his voice on the edge of a growl. "What I'm not used to is cats that wind you up and leave you to spin."
"Obviously you didn't have my family."
"Obviously!"
Pebbleshade bit down on his tongue, wishing he could bite back the yowl but unable to do so. Buckleap looked uncomfortable for once but it didn't make him feel any better. So he'd come out to calm down under the glow of the silky moonlight and had been reminded he wasn't from a clan, he'd never sleep in his old clan's camp again, he was terrible at protecting the one he had, and he'd never had a family. Great! The tom flattened his tufted ears and slipped behind the waterfall to pad over to the warrior's den, where he could see a curious eye already peeking out.
Buckleap pawed at the snow. It had never occurred to him to ask why Pebbleshade didn't have any littermates or parents with him when they met after the fall of their clans. Buckleap himself was traveling alone. It only seemed normal that the other warrior would be too. But Buckleap had only traveled alone because he couldn't find his mentor, or his nemesis, or the stuttering tom that couldn't look where he was going. And Pebbleshade was only traveling alone, of course, because he didn't have anyone to bring with him in the first place. "Strange that the cave is the one place we're both comfortable," he called out.
Pebbleshade whipped around with a scowl. Was he trying to make a point? It wasn't a jeer or a smirk that he saw when he turned, though. It was only a quietly bemused expression. Seeing this, he stopped to think about it and stepped outside again to nod. His eyes drifted back to the stars.
Buckleap flicked his tail toward himself. "You get a better view from out here. I bet you could find a sheltered tree somewhere around here too."
Pebbleshade lingered hesitantly, unsure of whether Buckleap was teasing him or not. Sometimes it was hard to tell. "I can't just leave the clan alone at night."
Buckleap rolled his eyes. "The clan's got plenty of warriors. Come on. Twolegs and deer aren't that scary anyway. I'll protect you."
"I can protect myself!" But again, he didn't seem so sure. What was that quip about Twolegs? Had Buckleap somehow heard of his capture, all those moons ago?
"It's called a joke, Pebbleshade."
Pebbleshade relaxed and, perhaps just to prove he wasn't afraid, padded from the waterfall to where Buckleap was. He looked around and stalked a few fox-lengths to nestle up against some tree roots. Buckleap picked up something in his mouth and carried it to just beside the tree. Pebbleshade lightly touched it with his front paw. "Is that fresh-kill?"
"It was, a little while ago when I brought it out here."
"But warriors-"
"I haven't eaten yet. I hunted all day. Calm your fur."
Pebbleshade gave him that look again.
Buckleap explained, "It's warm. Or, again, it was when I brought it out here. S'pose I should just eat it now."
He tore a few bites from the prey, which seemed to have more bites in it than most at this time of year, then rolled it over to Pebbleshade. "Yep, it's gone cold. Want it?"
Pebbleshade pawed away the light covering of snow that had wrapped it. The scent of blood already filled his mouth. He had food earlier, but everyone's stomachs were hollow now and his was no exception. There was no use waiting until morning, and he couldn't wake someone in the middle of the night to give them a half-eaten mouse. Buckleap was clearly done with it, now staring at him only to see if he'd accept it. That was when Pebbleshade saw it for what it really was. It wasn't fresh-kill, or a mouse, or half-eaten prey. It was a peace offering. He pawed it toward himself and the remaining half filled him up. A gentle purr rolled from his lips as he turned to lay on his back. Through the branches of the spruce tree, he could still see the twinkling stars, and from here, with them mixed in with the snow, it looked like they rested on the branches. The brightest was just above the top. His thoughts and concerns still chattered away inside of his mind, and he wasn't comfortable per se, but tonight there was a barrier between his swirling mind and him. "Thank you," he muttered. "Goodnight."
Buckleap grunted.
