private BROTHERS IN ARMS — heatherpaw

[SNAKEHISS]

The very sight was an oddity — Snakepaw carrying a piece of fresh-kill, though not for himself. He has returned from his brief solo hunt successful, a juicy ouzel swiftly caught with the very intention of gifting it to a clanmate. It was a clean catch, presentable, and hopefully persuasive enough to lure his target in for a conversation (although he is almost certain that there won't need to be much persuading involved).

Plopping the limp avian down before the ruddy apprentice, hoping that the offering would be obvious enough, Snakepaw addresses formally, "Heatherpaw," He tentatively sits upon his haunches, neither judgment nor distaste glazing his piercing gaze like usual. Instead, he appears neutral and almost hopeful in a way. Very strange indeed.

"I have a proposal for you, should you wish to hear it." The midnight-hued feline meows, thick accent descending from his tongue like a rolling gale.

// @heatherpaw !! ​

 

[heathermoon !!]

Robinfang had left him to catch up on camp duties that he had been tactfully avoiding until now. Keeping the camp tidied up wasn't by any means his favorite thing to do. It just so happened that this particular morning, he didn't feel like convincing his mentor into bringing him back into the tunnels. While the spotted tom was on his patrol, Heatherpaw was free to work within his own thoughts. Free of surprise quizzes or brushing up on his skills. If anything today had felt more like a day off where his limbs could finally relax from the endless siege of work.

He was smart, taking break between chores when there were less warriors about to bite his tail. Mismatched eyes glanced around camp as he sank into the shade away from the sunlight. His gaze caught Snakepaw approaching him, and Heatherpaw's thoughts began to stir up what this could mean. The ruddy cat saw Snakepaw as some semblance of a friend, even if they weren't as close as he and Peonypaw. But a lot of his friends weren't.

"Snakepaw." He greeted back with a curious twitch of his whiskers. A proposal? Surely the Snakepaw, apprentice to the WindClan Deputy, destined Moor Running King, didn't need the lowly tunnelers help?

But he did, and Heatherpaw would bite to find out why. He would like to be better friends with Snakepaw, perhaps the dark pelted tom wanted the same.

"Well you have my attention now." The grand gesture with the ouzel may have been the perfect touch, too, as he started pulling off feathers to dig in. ​

WINDCLAN APPRENTICE ✦ RED MACKEREL TABBY ✦ 9 MOONS ✦ TAGS​

 

[SNAKEHISS]

Heatherpaw accepts his offering, much to Snakepaw's delight, and he takes this as a chance to commence his proposal, "We're not so different, you and I. We're undoubtedly some of the most skilled apprentices that WindClan has to offer, both loyal and dedicated to our clan, and we have the common sense that others around here seem to lack." He snorts the last bit with a twitch of his tail, referring to how often Heatherpaw defends Snakepaw's opinions from those who look upon him with distaste and scorn. His sentiments weren't untrue; some cats simply refused to accept the truth!

He ever so slightly cocks a brow, meeting a mismatched gaze once more. "I have not always been decent to you, but then again, I'm not decent to most cats. Not a whole lot of WindClanners actually earn my respect." Well... it would be a stretch to say that Heatherpaw had actually earned his respect, but the way that the ruddy tom constantly stuck his own neck out for Snakepaw definitely caught his eye. Why squander an opportunity for an alliance between the two males? Badgermoon had advised him to start making more friends than enemies among his peers, and this was exactly what he was doing.

Shifting himself so that he was sitting more comfortably, Snakepaw briefly took a moment to rasp his tongue over his white patch of chest fur — a habit of his. He lifted his head and meowed, "I would like your opinion on us being... allies of sorts. I will have your back if you have mine. Together, we can show those harebrains how capable we really are." They didn't need the nonsense, the noise of judgmental warriors telling them what they would amount to, how to act! Snakepaw and Heatherpaw would be the best warriors WindClan had ever seen before, especially if they aligned themselves with each other and forged a relationship. It was foreign territory, seeking out something like this, but Snakepaw was finding that life may be a whole lot easier for him if he had cats who would back him up and defend his honor.​

 

[heathermoon !!]

Snakepaw had begun his descent of explanation for the kindness while feathers began to pool around the apprentice. Occasionally a stray gust picked up a few and strung them through the clearing. Heatherpaw's eyes kept on the floating plumes before turning his head fully to Snakepaw. The two of them? The most skilled?

He was ready to ask if that fox had rattled his skull but bit the retort back. It was easy to tell when Snakepaw was being sinister, when he was gearing up to slap dirt in someone's eye. Bug he couldn't pick up anything of the sort as they met each other's gaze. He wondered if Snakepaw noticed something he had missed about their Clanmates. More importantly their peers, as Snakepaw had put they lacked the drive the two toms shared. The tenacity.

To some degree he concurred with the statement. Even in comparison to his friends, Heatherpaw considered himself better skilled than the others. He enjoyed being in the tunnels and preferred the work over anything else. Though he had begun to develop the traits of a tunneler, growing uncomfortable beneath the open sky and his balance when in open spaces lacking, he knew he had the prowess of a full-blooded tunneler. Just as Snakepaw felt he had all the characteristics to be WindClan's best Moor Runner.

I have not always been decent to you... A smile grew across Heatherpaw's maw.

"I haven't either." He admitted, shamelessly if they were to share confessions. Snakepaw used the word allies but the ruddy tom equated the term to buddies. The ruddy tom could make some room in his circle for the other.

Heatherpaw gentle pushed the ouzel to lay between them.

"I think we could make that happen. A tunneler and a moor runner, the best of WindClans ranks together. We would have both sides of our Clan looking up to us." With Admiration or envy, he didn't care. Heatherpaw was confident in his abilities already, he knew once he earned his full warrior name he would only show Sootstar just how much more he could do for the Moorlands.​

WINDCLAN APPRENTICE ✦ RED MACKEREL TABBY ✦ 9 MOONS ✦ TAGS​

 

[SNAKEHISS]

The ruddy male offers his own admission as well. Laying out their past disagreements and grievances out in the open seemed to open up a channel of communication and understanding between them... A fresh of breath air, if you will. They were now on the same page, and if Heatherpaw agreed, they would turn a new chapter in their lives as WindClan warriors together. Allies.

The black tom, for a moment, is prepared for the tabby to reject his offer but is instead met with acceptance. It feels... nice. Snakepaw has had his fair share of being spat at and scolded, especially by warriors, but Heatherpaw was someone who clearly understood him and his intentions. A swell of satisfaction fills his chest as a plan is mapped out — they would be the best warriors this clan had ever seen. "I like how you think, Heatherpaw." He takes a bite into the ouzel; a seal of agreement between the two parties. Contentment and a growing ambition glisten in his emerald hues.

That settles it, then.

// sorry for the lateness! don't feel pressured to reply but i just wanted to get a post in <33​