camp AS I GREW I DANCED WITH THEM ☾ Discovery

[Quietpaw]

The swamp's damp ground was of norm to Quietpaw. Blood of newleaf and the tolerable temperatures, born with the intelligently planned mass of litters. Waning temps were peculiar, it wasn't welcoming at all. What wasn't welcoming the most was the blank sheet that coated camp. Quietpaw stood gazing with squinted eyes and a deep frown, slowing lifting his paw and pressing it against the substance. A snort expressed his disgust, crinkling his nose and backing his paw into the warmth of the apprentice den.

Company at his shoulder he made note of, shifting his attention to this feline. "Why do the clouds think this is... necessary?" he grumbled, slowly allowing his body to creep upon the layer, paws sinking into it. "Tell me... Isn't this going to kill our prey...?" If he felt the chill through his sleek coat, then the hairless creatures would become miserable. They'd die, perhaps. Become sick if not he thought. Questions burrowed in his mind, but only two he would voice. His expression would suggest the never-ending thoughts, the two spoken had already annoyed himself alone. Why couldn't his mind be as quiet as his tongue? "This is disgusting." he murmured under his long heave of sigh. ​

 

[Wheattail]

Wheattail had always been fascinated with snow. Ever since childhood, the former loner had always looked up at the ballet of flea-sized flecks with wonder as they fell to earth. She remembered the way the plains looked when blanketed in the powder; it was like the she-cat was standing on a sprawling canvas, utterly alone. The warrior still dreamed of the memory from time to time, and from then on the weather had been associated with nostalgia.

With all that said, the Somali lookalike was still huddled in the relative warmth of the apprentices’ den the same as Quietpaw. The warrior had moved there from the comparatively empty warriors’ den, eager to leech off the heat provided by other bodies. Wheattail may have been enthralled by snow, but that didn’t mean she could stand it. A cat could appreciate the beauty of a raging river without flinging themselves in, after all.

As autumn ears caught Quietpaw’s comments, a small titter of laughter left the moggy’s maw. “I do not believe the clouds care one way or another” the girl remarked, wondering if there was a way to ease the worry in the apprentice’s correctly-placed concern. “Any prey which survives this will surely feast on those that do not, so we will have a host of fat, slow mice come Newleaf.”​

 

[lilacfur]

This would be Lilacfur's second round with leaf-bare, similar to Quietpaw in her greenleaf rearing. Her reaction to the dramatic change of weather had been similar, though at that point the lilac molly had been so focused on upholding her family name she had pushed her comfort aside and bared the change head on. Paws traversed the icy marshes and stumped over slush and snow for the sake of not placing a stain on the name of her mother, to avoid damaging the reputation of her familys dynasty. What it had been, at least.

"The forest has worked this way for moons and moons beyond even the oldest cat here. It's worked in a way that has kept it alive for us, despite the how harsh it becomes." She didn't deny, though, the thought of an endless greenleaf was a paradise. But then what would they have StarClan for? "Maybe the forest cannot sustain itself to always be full of prey and herbs. Maybe it needs the break."​

[ i need the clouds to cover me ]​

 

[FERNDANCE]

The heavily pregnant she-cat approached, her tail swinging behind her like a propellor to push her forward despite the snow that threatened to climb up her paws. Leafbare was not a new concept to the she-cat, this would be her third or fourth if her memory had not failed her, but this would be the trickiest owing to the large bundle she now carried. Consequences and the tabby had scarcely mixed, but she could feel them now through the scorn of her clanmates and the chill and hunger that seemed to worsen quicker than those around her. They hated her for inconveniencing them and now, they were going to take it out on her unborns. Thankfully, the apprentices had never been so quick to judge, and with a ditzy smile upon her muzzle, she approached Quietpaw, Wheattail and Lilacfur. Snowflakes tickled the tip of her rosy nose. "The trees still breathe when the clouds suffocate the rest of us... watching... biding their time... waiting..." she spoke under her own frosty breath. "But they always return when we need them most, when it is time to start anew, they will shed the snow from their branches and provide us with life once more." ​

 

[Quietpaw]

The three she-cats took turns to answer his question in unique ways but it still pressed him on why. Wasn't it selfish to kill tons of life and suffer? Quietpaw first let Wheattail's answer linger as he stared at his hidden paws in the cold substance, lifting one to study it. It melted easily on warm pads, but overtime it did have an unforgiving sting as if it were freezing the nerves upon his paws. The dark tabby shook his leg with more drawn look of disgust. "So mice. We're stuck eating them, correct? That means the hairless things are burried somehow or all dead I'm concluding." A narrow of his eyes as he turned to shift his individual attention in each she-cat.

Lilacfur announced that it has been happening for generations, lashes fluttering in slight surpise. "You're saying maybe. No one really knows the real reason then." Quietpaw bluntly pointed almost as if he were murmuring to himself. Snowflakes dappled his dark coat, looking upon the apperant white specks with an agitated puff of his fur. "It will give my hiding places away even in the shadows."

Ferndance spoke of the changing seasons and he nodded in thought, staring at the trees. Large sticks they only seemed. Without the confirmation of life, he would believe they too were dead. If he were anxious enough he would believe the whole world was dying. Curiousity it was only met with, relying on cats moons more older to educate upon situation.

"I see more failures in my training this leafbare." He pointed, lashing his tail in an irritated manner.
​

 

[NETTLEPAW ♡]

The why of Leafbare wasn't something Nettlepaw was particularly bothered to think about. Why someone his age would occupy their time running rounds around things that no sane cat could ever answer was beyond him, but- what could he do except listen? Be a friend? That was the right thing, wasn't it? And good friends tried to steer away the negative thoughts, anyway... even if he and Quietpaw weren't yet on adoring terms, he could probably win him over, couldn't he?

"Impressive, to see into the future like that," Nettlepaw jested, his tone as light and airy as ever. Nowadays he did very little except joke. What else was there to do? He was nothing, nothing, nothing like his unpopular and brooding father. Like the vengeful tom everyone had gladly gotten rid of. "You reckon you can tell my fortune, too?" He grinned, an easy occupation. "How's my training looking? 'Cos I think we'll both be fine." ​

penned by pin ♡​

 

[Quietpaw]

a jest made the youth gently swing his head. A curious blink as he focused upon Nettlepaw's features. A playful one he was, interesting, "I'm no future teller." He grumbled, "But we both stick out like misplaced fur, yes? Against this... snow. Mmm except for your face I guess.." Quietpaw pointed bluntly with his claw, drawing a metaphorical circle. He wondered if the fellow apprentice would take offense or humor, another bout of his experimentation of interaction. But who would take offense if he were pointing out his own faults alongside? He was curious of the results. "How we would really know is a hunt together." Almost a challenge hiding beneath his stoic tone and peeved expression. He knew what a good bit of fun was but just how fun it was to see if Nettlepaw would pick up on the ever so subtle challenge.
​

 

[NETTLEPAW ♡]

Humour, not offence. Never offence. Nettlepaw laughed, feigning surprise as he mockingly turned around to look at his haunches. "Oh, I do stick out a bit, don't I?" Seriousness didn't touch his voice for a second, but he did a rather good job of being melodramatically shocked that cinnamon did not camouflage with snow.

How we would really know is a hunt together. Interest piqued, jay-blue eyes flickered to meet Quietpaw's subtly challenging star. It had to be bait, didn't it? An invitation for a game- and one they could pass of as useful, no less! The perfect crime! Having fun could not be burdened with disdain when it wore a mask of training- and he was sure he stood a chance with showing Quietpaw up. And if he didn't, he could lather on the praise. In fact- he might lose on purpose, to make the other apprentice like him more. "Well, how about we find out?" Subtly taking on the challenge... ah, yes, they were on the same wavelength! "I'll warn you, my mentor says I have feet as light as a bird's feather."​

penned by pin ♡​