[ti]Private[/ti]Slow Steps and Opening Eyes

[M'Lady]

The effort to repair the clan camp was going slowly. No cat wished to move something the wrong way and cause another catastrophe. Some things were okay, like a new steady stone that could help serve as a wall. Others were not, such as the cats that still walked with limps, or those that would only exist in memory. Smokystep sat in the entrance of the camp. It was early, the dawn patrol had recently left but the rest of the world was still asleep. He wondered how he got here, with no parents, no siblings, and his tail tucked neatly around his paws to keep them from getting cold. He thought back to his large and lovely family, and glanced up towards the den were Heronstar slept, the den he knew in and out since he'd slept there with his mother. Owlstar's den had always been warm and cozy in those days, even if everyone was a tight fit. A ghost of a smile passed over his face, pale green gold eyes looking more like newleaf than the frozen underbrush hue that they'd adopted in past moons. His gaze flickered to where the apprentices were sleeping. 

Well, he'd done one good thing with his life so far. Waspfang, as terrifying as she was, had given him Greengale and Redwing, and Greengale in turn had had gorgeous kits with Wingedheart. Pondpaw was much like Greengale, not in his personality but his habits, and in turn was like Smokystep. He used to linger around the paws of his mother, watching, asking, wondering. Greengale had done the same to him, and Pondpaw in turn. His smile faded, and he studied his paws, or at least what he could see through the fluffy fur of his tail. 

He wondered if his mom was watching. He figured she was. He'd known her better than almost anyone, and she would never abandon her kits. Not unless they left her first. He allowed a soft sigh to escape him, ears twitching as scuffed pawsteps caught his attention. Raising his head, green gold eyes alighted on Dogdusk, a younger warrior, but eager all the same. He remembered her naming ceremony, he remembered all of them. What had it been again? 

"Serious and loyal, a mindful leader to her peers, excellent at patrols," He hummed, echoing the words that had given her her name. His voice was much deeper of course, but much like any of Owlstar's blood, his words were tinged with a warmth that seemed to encompass the entirety of the clan. 

"Dogdusk, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company this morning?" 

[Ringtail]

With her head and tail held high, Dogdusk had just finished a small morsel of a vowel, deciding to head out of camp to maybe fetch more for the fresh-kill pile. However a voice stopped her. Her bright green eyes landed on a much older warrior than herself, her white tufted ears in the direction of Smokystep.
“I was just heading out to fetch more prey.”, the young she-cat responded, padding over to him and taking a light seating arrangement in front of him. “What are you up to, Smokystep? You seem to be in deep thought, just now. Is everything alright? Perhaps maybe joining me in a patrol for fresh-kill, we are however running a bit low in the pile this evening.”
Having just eaten her fill, she figured it would be best to replace and add more the pile for others to eat from, and maybe even taking a friend along to catch prey.

The black and tan she-cat paused for a moment to lick at a few scraps on her chops, licking them away before starting her front paws and claws to make sure they will clean as well. “It’s alright if you don’t wish to join me, I understand. Camp does need a bit more work to it.”

[M'Lady]

He brightened at the mention of a hunting patrol. Smokystep was never one for marking borders, preferring to stay out of interclan politics, however hunting was a pastime that allowed him to focus more than any other. At hearing her reasoning, a rumbling purr escaped from his throat, and he rose to his paws, looking a little bit more alert than before.

"Excellent at patrols indeed, then." He glanced up at the sky, a slight frown marring his features at the cloudy atmosphere. "Best to stock up the pile as much as we can before the first frost. I can feel that this leafbare is going to be a difficult one." It was hardly a surprise, with many of their warriors constantly tired from camp repairs and the dramatics staged in the other clans. He wouldn't be surprised that if after the fire, Mothclan felt like they deserved to push their borders again. Though he hardly ever wished harm upon others, he wished that they would focus their attentions on Rootclan this time instead. The former tribe cats left a bad taste on his tongue, anyways. He wondered what Greengale thought of them. He shook out his thick smoky fur, puffing it up against the chill of the morning.

"Let's go then, no time to waste." He hummed, green gold eyes flickering a little more vividly. "Any insights on where the prey is hiding?"

[Ringtail]

She beamed up at him, ears perking in her own little excitement. "That's great, let's head out! Anything particular you're after? I know a few good spots, but only, if you know what you're looking for." On the various patrols, be it hunting or a simple border patrol, she was ready to find any and all prey or cats alike. She had the knack for finding things, she knew the hiding spots for many prey animals and even possible hangouts for intruding cats. Send her, she'll find them. 
"I was thinking rabbit if we can find them. Though I'm sure we may have to wait a little, they could still be in their burrows far off from our territory." She noted the comments he spoke of, were they words of encouragement? Interest? She couldn't tell. However, before the tom could speak, Dogdusk was already four paws ahead of him, having slipped past him to make way towards the hunting grounds, her paws scuffling along like an old coon hound. 
"Come Smokystep, no time to waste, or the prey will leave shortly!"

[M'Lady]

A laugh escaped him at her excitement, whiskers twitching with amusement. He quickly followed after her, not eager for a scolding if he slowed her down. He pondered for a moment as she mentioned rabbit, a frown flickering onto his face as he thought about it. It was unlikely they'd find rabbits this time of year, at least, not any ones worth while wasting energy after.

"Perhaps it would be better to try and find some nice and fat birds instead?" He questioned, head tilting slightly to the side in his curiosity. He's always held a fondness for birds, anyways. He supposed that was just another thing he inherited from his mother. His curiosity, though, he got that from his mentor.

"Wouldn't it be just swell if we could track down a pheasant?" It certainly was the season for them, and it would give the clan a chance to bulk up before the harsh part of Leafbare hit. He felt excited just thinking about the prospect, a little bounce coming into his step as he followed after her.

[Ringtail]

Perhaps he was right about the rabbits....She had to ponder for a moment. Yeah, he was indeed right..But she swore up and down she had caught the scent of rabbit out this way. Oh well. "Pheasant sounds even better, Smokystep, what a wonderful suggestion. I haven't had pheasant in a long time..My, I can't remember when the last time I had that. They're not common here..But I feel you may be onto something." 



Dogdusk tried to recall the last time when and where a pheasant had been hunted last. She couldn't remember when, so she figured she'd ask the one who suggested it. "Do you recall the last place pheasant was spotted? I can't seem to remember finding it on my own." Despite her knowing most of the good places, there were a few that escaped her claws. 

[M'Lady]

He paused for a moment to ponder her question, and a slow smile graced his features when he recalled the day. It was last leaf fall, if he remembered correctly. They'd found the pheasant near Mistclans border, as the farm wasn't far off, they tended to congregate in that area when the weather was appropriate. He remembered when Firechaser had brought it back to camp, the gruff warrior covered in feathers and scowling, but with pride glowing bright and fierce in his golden eyes.

"I believe it was by the Mistclan border." He hummed in response, a bit of nostalgia flickering in his tone. "It feels like that kind of day, doesn't it? Where your heart beats fast and you hold your breath, it feels like something exciting is going to happen." Smokystep spoke, wondering if his words were a little odd but didn't linger much on the thought. He'd felt this way before, of course, when miraculous things would happen. Like when Greengale shyly told him that he and Wingedheart were going to have kits, or when he'd stayed up all night during a particularly frosty leafbare just to see how the sunrise would light up the frost that coated the world.

[Ringtail]

Dogdusk hummed for a second before answering. "The Mistclan border? I haven't been over there as of yet. Maybe it's a good time to re-mark the border line there as well. I haven't heard if anyone as gone over that way today. Perhaps we can take our direction towards there. And also find those pheasants you spoke of." It was nicer territory over by Mistclan, a bit quieter for prey and a lot more space to hunt out in the open. She seemed to like that idea.

"I'm not going to lie, but I feel like that every day. I get all jittery when I know something new is out there, or a new task, or new cats to patrol and hunt with." Despite her being serious, she was also very, very hyperactive when it came to her clan duties. She lived for being a busy-body among her clan.

"What's it taste like...Pheasant, I mean. I've never had it before.", the dark colored she-cat asked, turning the direction of both cats towards the Mistclan/Ivyclan border.

[M'Lady]

It was rather true, he thought, Dogdusk could be quite a busy bee working around clan camp. He hardly ever saw her resting, but for the few times he woke up before everyone else to enjoy the brisk morning. He wondered how she found so much time to do things, it seemed as though time passed him quickly by just as the river carries away a leaf.

"I'm afraid it's been awhile since I've had pheasant," He hummed, closing his eyes briefly as they walked in an attempt to recall it better. Greengale was far better at this than he was, his son often referenced other warriors when he talked about taste. It was a peculiar habit, but endearing nonetheless.

"As I recall, it has a rather subtle flavor. Have you ever tried partridge? It's similar, in my opinion." Smokystep spoke cheerily, his tail swishing back and forth as he happily recalled the fact. He was a fan of birds, he always shared them with his family when he was younger. He supposed it brought him back to those times. It was a bit hard for Smokystep to not live in the past. With Greengale and now Redwing having families of their own, it became increasingly difficult for him to remember that he was a warrior, and not a mere apprentice wandering around the territory. Owlcry fondly called him aloof, but even his friend couldn't shake the dreamy, half paying attention state he sometimes found himself in.

[Ringtail]

"I've never had partridge before, so I really wouldn't know what it would be like." Despite her being such a busy body, it made her miss out on a lot of things. Mostly sleep, but things like trying out different types of prey, only letting it go towards other clan matters. "I guess I never had the chance to savor any of the flavors from different prey, making it seem everything is plain in that sort've taste." She hung her head, slowly starting to feel embarrassed by her lack of taste in prey. "Everything tastes the same to me..." Clearly she was missing out on another part of life, the life of tasting foods. What a wonder that must be. "But I'm sure we might run across some of those birds, if they decide to rest this way." 



Dogdusk looked to Smokystep, watching his every move. What was he thinking? What sort of things did he take to liking in prey, besides partridge and pheasant? Was there a way to get herself into enjoying these kinds of sensations in food? Maybe she should slow down in life, but her excitement for everything really got the best of her, not matter how serious she was about it. " I must confess...I really never considered food to have a taste. Just something to eat and keep myself up in strength."