private and aren't i a fool } venomstrike

[RATTLEHEART]

There's an ache deep in Rattleheart's bones, produced both by the injuries he had sustained in battle and his initial unwillingness to go into battle in the first place. They had won, sure, but that didn't mean he felt particularly good about it. He still wasn't entirely sure Skyclan had really done that much to rouse Windclan's ire, and all Sootspritespark had been doing was defending her home. He'd been obligated to clash with her on the battlefield, but when he really thought about it, all she had been doing was the exact same thing he would have done if Windclan was being attacked in the dead of night. A frightening thought, considering it reminded him of just how similar they all really were - and weren't they all just the same in the eyes of Starclan?

Had he done the right thing at all?

The tunneler's stomach was churning as he laid in camp, shoulder and jaw thankfully having been patched up by Wolfsong. He wasn't able to move around as much just yet - hence the laying - and the tunnels were a pretty stern no-go until he was sure the poultices wouldn't get rubbed off, but at least he wasn't in as much pain anymore. The stinging wasn't as sharp, and he could move around camp without feeling like he wanted to collapse into a heap. That was good enough for him, considering he could've ended up like Cygnetstare - or worse, Sootstar. Only he didn't have extra lives to fall back on. The thought made a shiver run down his spine, claws digging at the loose dirt beneath his paws. It seemed every moment his mind was coming up with something new and worse to focus on, stirring up his anxiety and leaving him breathless and twitching.

Rattleheart's anxiety only seemed to falter when a familiar tom approached, all heavy footsteps and fluff. Venomstrike. The moor runner was a good friend to him, and thankfully one that always managed to dull the rapid-fire questions plaguing his mind. He brightened as soon as the other approached, tail flicking from side to side in a friendly greeting. Normally he'd get up and press himself into the other's side, but he didn't want to risk disturbing the cobwebs on his shoulder - or getting blood on poor Venomstrike. "Hey Venomstrike, you decide to come and visit little ol' me? I'm afraid I'm not very exciting at the moment..." He offered his companion a tired smile, trying his best to make it clear that he was joking, and glad for his presence.
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[ PENNED BY EO ]​

 

[VENOMSTRIKE]

( ) Venomstrike was worried for Rattleheart not that he doubted the smaller tom couldn't hold up his own but the fact he had returned with Cygnetstare leaning on the shoulder of their clanmate and Sootstar with all that blood on her chest though he hadn't questioned it... Completely. It was a warriors dream to fight and protect their clan until they'd give up their lives for it before being welcomed into Starclan but... What about just living? They were all the same if not just a little different to one another, this thought being moved around within his head before approaching the freshkill pile searching for a meal that Rsttleheart would like and they could potentially share. "If they want to share, of course." He thought to himself standing there for a good long moment until another warrior greeted him was he able to shove aside his indecisiveness and select a rabbit, his ears laying flat on his head.

Finally, he had found Rattleheart and a frown would be hidden behind the rabbits fur as he focused on the cobwebs and poultice that was well placed onto their jaw and shoulder. When the other spoke his name, the short tailed moor runner would offer a friendly little wag of his tail before drawing near but not too close as he didn't want to mess up any of Wolfsong's hard work. Venomstrike would place the rabbit down in front of the bicolor felines paws then glanced up slightly with careful, gentle yellow eyes That's alright... You've already... Had enough excitement," He said as a dry chuckle left him, he laid down across from Rattleheart so they'd be facing each other deciding to add on "At least, I think... Anyways... I brought a rabbit, in case, y-you.. W-were hungry." He tried to keep his voice steady and not let it waver too much but it was difficult, he was upset seeing his dear friend in these conditions. If only he had been there, he could've done something to help his clanmates.

He bit the inside of his mouth while one of his back paws started to thump lightly against the ground with ears semi-down and brushing briefly against his skull before they'd lift up once more, Venomstrike struggling to keep eye contact in that given moment but he'd try and he'd always try for Rattleheart. Or anyone for that matter but mostly... Rattleheart. He felt guilt gnawing at the corner of his mind recalling how he had been more worried for the tunnler than all his other clanmates and he knew that he needed to get a lot better at that, he's certain that it isn't a good mindset to have. "They're alive. He reminded himself yet he felt selfish, the thumping of his paw interrupting any silence held between the two tomcats as he chose to ask H-h-how... Are you f-feeling?" He silently cursed himself for his stuttering. ​

( ME GUSTA LA MAÑANA; ME GUSTAS TÚ )

 

[RATTLEHEART]

There was a huge gulf between the thoughts on Venomstrike's mind and on Rattleheart's, though not because they fundamentally disagreed. Both were not prone to wanting to spill the blood of others for no good reason, and both had seemingly been uneasy about Sootstar's intended plan in the first place. However, where Venomstrike wished he could have come along and helped keep the tunneler safe, Rattleheart was infinitely glad that his friend hadn't been chosen to go along with the rest of them. Not because he thought of Venom as incapable - he'd never thought anything like that, often admiring the tom for his strength. While Rattle had never exactly felt upset about his small size, he did often find himself thinking about the size difference between himself and Venomstrike. Rattleheart was certain he would've been able to hold his own, especially against any of those scrawny, tree-dwelling Skyclanners.

The last thing he wanted was for his companion to be involved in something like that, though. The monochrome feline was fine with taking hits and gritting his teeth if it meant that Venomstrike wouldn't be in the line of fire, even if Venom felt much the same way about him. In an ideal world, neither of them would have to fight at all, being able to just remain home in Windclan and live a happy, peaceful life. Together. Their current Windclan, though, was not the result of an ideal world. Nor was it the result of ideal leadership, not that Rattle would ever speak up about that in front of anyone else. That was why, if they were going to be forced to bloody their claws anyways, he preferred his being bloodied, over Venomstrike's.

A million thoughts were running through his head as Venom approached, though they were all banished when the larger of the pair placed a rabbit at his paws and wagged his tail in greeting. That was one particular gesture that Rattleheart had never really seen another clanmate duplicate, but he found helplessly charming in the case of his friend. "I'm not sure I'd quite call it excitement... chaos, maybe. It could've been much worse, though." That he at least knew to be true, glad that at least none of them had ended up dying. At least, none of them that couldn't come back from it. Sootstar's revival was lingering on his mind as he stretched his neck out, taking a hefty bite out of the rabbit that Venomstrike had brought for them to share. He hadn't told anyone about their leader's strange outburst after she had returned from death, but if there was one cat he'd trust with that information, it would be Venomstrike.

His friend's question at least yanked him out of his overthinking, glancing up and letting his vaguely amused gaze fall on the rhythmic thumping of Venomstrike's paw. "I'm alright. Overthinking, I'm fairly sure, but really when am I not?" He placed a paw on the rabbit in between them, pushing it just a little in Venom's direction. "The soreness is a pain, but really it's everything else that's been picking at me. Like whether I did the right thing or not..." Had Sootstar's exclamation been some kind of vision from Starclan? Were they telling her that everything she had been doing was right? Or were they condemning her to flames for her actions - actions that he had now helped with.
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[ PENNED BY EO ]​