Once he heard the rumbling of a purr from his silver counterpart, his own would rumble in reply—but Auburnflame's would be much louder and confident, not caring whether or not anyone heard them. Silversmoke made him happy, made him feel welcome and safe. The calico could only hope he felt the same way, albeit a darkness pricked at the back of his mind—self-doubt and insecurity. As the lead warrior drew back, Auburnflame would stand there as he spoke. He seemed so—conflicted? As if a cacophony of different emotions brewed within him. Was he okay? The warrior's sunlit smile soon faltered, once pinched features now softening into an expression of concern. Silversmoke moves and nudges him forward towards a more secluded part of camp, wordlessly telling him to follow and so he did.
"What's on your mind, Silver?" His crimson brow arches into a quizzical one, searching the sharp angles of the spotted tabby's face for any inclination of his mood, though he sees nothing unfortunately; only the fact that Silversmoke refused to meet his gaze. Auburnflame would step forward, reclining back onto his haunches and curling his tortoiseshell tail over mismatched paws and his head cocked in question. He listens in silence as Silversmoke finally begins to speak, frantically searching for a foundation in order to start the conversation. What could it be? He involuntarily wonders, leaning in more to give the lead warrior his undivided attention. When he does finally speak, the mention of his upbringing is the topic of the conversation. He doesn't know why, but the calico feels a twinge of relief and stifles a sigh. I thought this was going to be something a bit different. He's surprised, but relaxes himself as he listens with a small smile engraved upon pink lips. He thought it was sweet that Silversmoke wanted to reveal his past to him. "Go ahead."
It doesn't surprise Auburnflame that Silversmoke's story was one of loneliness and a fight for survival, being a rouge was never easy. He had never lived within the walls of Two-Leg Place, but living amongst the groups before the clans had been no easy feat in itself. Life wasn't so fully of happiness and sunshine, even if the calico feigned it to be. Behind a brightened smile was a young tom that had also fought for what he had, and unfortunately he's also known the grief when losing a loved one. He wasn't completely succumbed to loneliness, following Orangeblossom around and sticking by her side. They had grown close, amongst now her younger siblings as well. He has family, but Silversmoke? He has no one but his clan mates now. They were his family. His lips purse into a slight frown, mimicking the other tom's own melancholy. Auburnflame shuffles closer to the larger tom, aiming to press their flank against his own.
"You're not alone anymore, Silversmoke. You never will be as long as you're apart of SkyClan." He leans his head against the nape of Silversmoke's neck in effort to offer some sort of comfort. "And, you'll always have me. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not." A bit of laughter passes through his lips, minty eyes attempting to meet his own. "I get it, you know. Our loves aren't really that different. My father was a kitty pet, Tazmin. My mother lived among the pine group with her siblings. My father was something like a Day Light warrior back then, always coming in the day—returning at night to his Two-Legs." The crimson and white tom sighs, relishing in his memories. "My mother, Leaf Shiver, was Heavy Stone's sister along with Blazing Dawn. She was a kindred spirit, always full of love and kindness but fierce in the right setting. I was born to a litter of three: Me, Feather, and Wisteria. Unfortunately, Wisteria didn't make it—she fell ill and passed." His tone grows quiet as the faint memory of a white kit refreshes within his mind, sickly and gaunt and swathed in mint with wisteria flowers. Auburnflame's heart sinks, a wash of grief brewing within him like a green leaf storm. He never got to hardly know her, never would get to see her until it was his time. The warrior sighs, clearing his throat before continuing. "Both my parents fought in the Great Battle, as did Heavy Stone and Blazing Dawn. Me and Ora did as well—never have I seen so many lifeless bodies and blood spilled, including my father's." A surge of fierocity now blazes within his chest, a kindling flame that grew like his namesake. "He may have been a kittypet, but he held the heart of any warrior hhere. He died protecting my mother, died protecting me. He could have turn tail and ran, went back to his home—but he didn't. He fought as if StarClan itself was at his back. But he succumbed to his injuries." Pallid eyes froze now, icy and sharp as he stares at his counterpart. "That's why I do not tolerate when others look down upon kittypets. It's like someone spits on my father's grave. I get that he may have been a rarity, but to me it shows that he never let his roots stop him from his family. I vowed to myself that I will carry on that legacy of courage, and if it came down to it—I'd be happy to die to the same fate. Saving someone I love."
[ SETTING FIRE TO THE SKY ]
