DIAMOND DUST \ sablemist

[FERNGILL]

The sight of the life leaving his father's eyes had not ebbed away from Ferngill's mind, yet. Like an infection, the thought persisted, kept coming back- and in the darkness of the warrior's den after nightfall, it was all he could see. Feeling the raw sting of grief-bolstered claws brought tears to his eyes before he could fully register it. So too did panting sobs strike, hitching his breath in the darkness.

He tried his best to keep his crying silent- despite the undeniable pain, he was sure his Clanmates wouldn't want to be awoken by this sort of noise. Verdant eye glimmering with the wetness of tears, Ferngill hauled himself out of his nest, keeping graceful pawsteps silent as he slunk into the starlit camp, casting his gaze to Silverpelt's gossamer streak. Unable to stop sniffling, he kept the fruitless task of trying to seek the gleam of his father's yellow eyes in those sparkles above, heart thumping with agony. If this was the way to keep smiling in the daytime, then so be it... Mudpelt would want him to be strong, would want him to keep smiling.

It didn't make it easier, though. Deafened momentarily by mourning, he heard not if he'd accidentally roused anyone from sleep.

\ @Sablemist <3​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[Sablemist]

Domino fur lay pressed against mandarin orange in a way that could only occur in her wildest dreams. While a sunset paw draped itself over midnight the pair exchanged a look, tails twining as a salmon nose reached skyward to touch her cheek. Within her nest a phantom smile tugged at the corner of lips, her face burying deeper into the mixed shades of her tail. Dreams such as these began to plague the molly after her shared moment with Ferngill some time ago. A subconscious yearning for what she secretly wished was true in her waking life. However, her floral dream was soon split in two by the mourning of another. It started with the sound of a small sniffle, then another that eventually roused her from dreamlit slumber.

Soft blue eyes blurry from sleep blink slowly open. The dimly lit den allowed her to see a familiar figure slipping away their nest after several more blinks to sharpen her clarity. Ferngill was...crying. While she blissfully dreamed of fairytale possibilities, her best friend was faced with the reality of losing his father. It was a pain she could unfortunately relate to and it was an agony she wouldn't wish on anyone. Quietly, without thinking, Sablemist peeled herself from her nest seeking to follow after him on quiet paws. She stopped her right at the entrance, leaving her shadowed figure covered as he took a seat alone in the middle of camp to gaze at the stars above. A twinge of empathy twisted within her belly as the sobs continued, intensifying.

"Ferngill...?" Despite how softly his name is spoken she felt it was too loud compared to the tense silence surrounding the tom. A dark paw trails out into the open clearing before another follows, and, eventually, she's standing by his side. Part of her nearly leans in to brush her cheek against his own. To tell him everything would be okay and that the pain will dull to some degree with time as she leaned against him. But she doesn't. Instead Sablemist takes a seat beside him, close, close enough without touching. She reminded herself that this was not the perfect world her dreams pulled her into from time to time. Instead this was reality, where they were merely friends and she needed to act as such.

A heartbeat of silence passes before she speaks again. "I'm..I'm sorry about Mudpelt," She whispered, paws kneading the spongy ground beneath. It was a sore subject, one that needed to be treated with the utmost caution. For she could recall how raw and emotion she felt after Wolverinefang's discovery. "I-I know how you feel. But I just wanted to let you know that you're not alone." She was still here. Always has been and always would be.

✿ ≖≖ riverclan warrior / seventeen moons old / she/her ≖≖ ✿​

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[FERNGILL]

Sablemist strode to his side- as ever. His eye welled up with even more tears at the sight of her, gut-punched by the appreciation he felt in that moment. And a whole rush of other emotions, too. Day after day he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have a cat like her unwaveringly in his corner. Even when he'd been an envious flame throwing himself in front of a fox to prove some fish-brained notion of worthiness, she'd been there- she'd rushed to his side in blood-blindness. "Oh... hi," he murmured, voice cracked with tears, yet still distinctly happy to see her.

Her eyes were stark in the light, beautiful blue. Again, they were close together- and Ferngill felt a familiar pull to close the distance between them. But... he stayed in place, keeping a gap despite their closeness. She hadn't... hadn't come out in the middle of the night for that, she'd come to comfort him, with her endless kindness, her patient, gentle heart. And as ever, she was wise- she knew what was ailing him, speaking her feather-voiced condolences.

A wobbly smile spanned Ferngill's maw, past the wave of sadness that rushed at him with the reminder that Mudpelt really was dead. That his father, his idol, was gone. If Sablemist knew it then there was no denial to deploy. A shaky sigh slipped from him- but in her presence, his tears had stopped falling. Bright emerald met periwinkle, and he remembered the pain in her eyes when she'd lost her own father. To know she'd suffered this loss doubled the weight he felt.

"Thank you..." he said, softly. His breath stuttered a little. He was looking up at her again, deeply and sorrowfully. "I'm... sorry you had to go through this too. It sucks." It was decisively said, because... there was no other way about it, really. It was an awful agony, and though the grief would fade with time- just as losing Steepsnout had- a part of him would always miss him. He was sure it was the same for Sablemist and Wolverinefang.

"You- you're amazing," he said it suddenly, his voice still thick with tearfulness. Still, he looked at her. "I mean, you always know the right thing to say." I'm glad you're here, the notion was buried within the words, but... Ferngill had shocked himself. You're amazing, he'd said it out loud, hadn't he? But he supposed there wasn't any reason for her not to know. That was something a friend could think. ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[Sablemist]

By the time she looked up from kneading ebony paws she noticed a brilliant green eye trained upon her. As it still glistened with slow drying tears she found herself blinking in response to his apology, surprised at hearing his condolences for her own loss that happened many, many moons ago. A miniscule frown pulled at her features as she attempted to blot out the horrific scene flooding the forefront of her mind with little success. Her stomach churning with unease at the remembrance of her father reduced to little more than a half eaten corpse. The scream Boneripple released that day still gave her chills. It was a nightmare no young apprentice should have witnessed. "It was...hard for a while." Sablemist uttered after a shuddering breath.

Turning her attention to the stars with misty eyes of her own she skimmed the starlit sky, wondering if she'd spot Wolverinefang's star somewhere. "But," She murmured, breaking the sudden lapse of silence. "having good company around helped lessen the blow." Despite the dull ache in her heart she glanced back down with a grateful smile. Both Ferngill and Cindershade helped tremendously in keeping her grounded during that time. But then came a a compliment she wasn't prepared for. Blurted into existence with a suddenness that nearly had her reeling. Amazing? What had she done to warrant such high praise? Her maw parts briefly as if to ask, but Ferngill fills in the missing details himself.

"I mean, you always know the right thing to say." Warmth gathers in her ears. Did he really think so? She was careful with her words, yes. But she never thought of them as perfect or well timed. The corners of her eyes crinkle with mirth as she spouts off a genuine compliment of her own. "And you're resilient." Sablemist voiced. "You're like a mossball, you always bounce back." She chuckled, her shoulder bumping his as she momentarily forgets the boundaries she'd forged. "Bright and vibrant too...like your smile." The latter words that slipped out were meant to stay within the confines of her mind. But it was far too late now. So why withhold something he should know? "Because you're so encouraging...and kind...and." Her voice trails as the skin beneath her pelt starts to burn. "You're...you're just a really nice tom, Ferngill." She whispered, training her eyes upon her paws again.

✿ ≖≖ riverclan warrior / seventeen moons old / she/her ≖≖ ✿​

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[FERNGILL]

Good company, she said, and Ferngill nodded softly... despite the small flame within him that burned for her to know that, to him, she was so much more than good company. In the wake of his own loss, his heart broke for her newly; carrying all that weight on her shoulders and still shining like a comet, he didn't know how she ahd managed it. Even after losing her father in such a horrendous manner, she'd stuck steadfast at his side... and she'd always been there. When he'd been younger and more foolish, he'd taken it for granted- now, looking at her, he realised how strong and enrapturing she was and always had been.

He hadn't been expecting her to bat his praise right back at him. Resilient... the compliment glowed as it settled in his mind, shining on his face. You're like a mossball, you always bounce back. As she bumped his shoulder, a gentle laugh whispered from Ferngill's throat, a light pushing through the darkness that he'd been feeling only moments ago. He took a breath, ready to keep going, but- but she beat him to it. Every kind word that fluttered in her voice made his heartbeat quicken and swell, until it thumped in his chest- and when she looked to her paws, gentle voice trailing away, he burned with keen adoration, and the want to be so-very close to her that had plagued him for days and days.

Did she really think all that about him? All those wonderful things? It made him feel like a beacon of light, made him think ... boldly, maybe... that there was some chance her outburst of fondness had come from the same place as his.

Again, his throat was dry. But Ferngill fought past it to murmur, "This is what I mean, Sablemist. Talking with you, being with you..." He tilted his head, trying to catch her eye again. "... makes me feel like I can get through everything bad that's ever happened." It was true. He smiled like daylight, when moments ago he'd been weeping under the moon.

Was grief making him act irrationally? Or had losing Mudpelt just made him want to waste not a single moment, and leave nothing left unsaid? "I'm so lucky..." he said, softly, "... to have you in my life. And... and I don't want to lose you, I'd- I'd never forgive myself." It was stupidity, he was sure of it, and his heart was beating so heavily that it was giving him vertigo, but he shuffled a little closer, still.

"But, I..."All of a sudden, he forgot what the right thing to say was- forgot what it was that had been plaguing him so desperately. Now he was here, it felt like there was only one thing to do. A fiery paw reached forward and gently rested atop inky black, the contact sending a soft electric current brushing beneath his fur.

Maybe that would do the talking.​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[Sablemist]

Hardly a moment fluttered past before the flame touched warrior is speaking again. And, despite embarrassment threatening to creep upon her for letting her words have their way, she inclines her ear to listen. Honeyed words reel her in, sweet and savory as she willed herself to turn her attention from twilight paws to an eye of shimmering green. Although there was a flicker of doubt that dared to raise it's head within her mind, what he spoke had to be true. Ferngill had no reason to lie to her, he never had before. Why would he now? In the face of his bright smile she released a small, albeit shy one of her own, as her chin remained tucked. "I think so too." There have been plenty of times where his positive demeanor pulled her from the mire of her reality.

Her fondest memory came from a moment of doubt. Struggling with her shadowclan heritage and the subsequent challenges of her natural talents clashing with the riverclan ones Cindershade wished to teach her. A mutt she'd called herself in the face of the ginger furred tom. But Ferngill had been there to uplift and strengthen her crumbling resolve, reminding her that she was riverclan through and through regardless of her roots. Sweet memories like these tethered to the recent close proximity they constantly found themselves in made her long for more. And the words that continued to leave his mouth one by one had her wondering if he wanted the same.

Closer he shuffled and her heart thrummed with the lack of space between them. Suddenly, she was acutely aware of their situation. That by some starclan given miracle they managed to reenact their shattered moment by the river. If the stars really were so kind to give second chances then she vowed within her heart not to let anything break this fragile moment.

Her breath was shallow as his paw reached out, touching her own, the only consequence being a flutter within her stomach and warmth flushing her face. Words failed to gather on her tongue and his had long since died, but the gesture shared between them spoke volumes. It was more than enough to coax her into action, igniting a fire where there were once flickering embers. Her tail swept around deliberately slow, as if to gauge permission before seeking to twine the thick plume around his own. With every nerve alight and the pounding in her chest growing ever stronger Sablemist closed what little distance remained and allowed her nose to tap the cool surface of the flame pelted tom's nose before her. A gentle vibrating hum rumbled within her chest and it took everything she just just to breathe after pulling away. But the smile she wore made her feel as if she could soar higher than the clouds themselves.

"I don't know how I didn't realize it before." She whispered, giving a slow shake of her head before continuing on. "But I...I love you Ferngill." She took a risk by throwing caution to the wind and now she sought his reaction and craved his words after laying herself bare.

✿ ≖≖ riverclan warrior / seventeen moons old / she/her ≖≖ ✿​

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[FERNGILL]

I think so too, she'd said, and his heart was beating faster. Something wonderful was dangling right in front of him, and yet- yet, he wasn't sure he could grab it without wrecking anything.

There was shimmering silence, but it was the beautiful sort, warm and encompassing. No words, just feelings. The soft static of his paw on hers... then, the silken breeze of her moving tail. They wove together, holding each other in an embrace that said more than Ferngill's failing words could manage. And she was close, and drawing closer. As her nose brushed against his, feather soft, his eyes fluttered shut. His heartbeat was dragonfly wing, and his purr swelled to meet hers, uncontrollable and thundering.

Everything felt fragile and perfect all at once in the wordless warmth between them. But he'd meant it when he said Sabelmist always knew the right thing to say. I don't know how I didn't realise it before, she said in a voice like starlight. Their breath had been mingling in their closeness only moments before, but now Ferngill found he'd been holding his. But I... I love you Ferngill. With a smile like the light glimmering off the river, a face softened with the vulnerability of her words, Sablemist looked right at him.

Stupidly, for a few seconds he was speechless. It wasn't that he was especially surprised, not after they'd moved so close and stayed there. It was that he couldn't believe his fortune. A grin shone on his face, and at last he gave voice to the feeling that had been swimming in his eye all this time. "I love you too..." It escaped him in an excited whisper. "You're strong and you're beautiful and- and I want you in my life forever! I love you too!" He said it again, whipping himself into a flustered thrill, happy-tears now dancing through his eye.

What had he done to deserve this night? Something to do with StarClan, maybe- there was someone up there looking out for him. A whole host of cats looking out for them both. Because- if they loved each other, which they did, then it would be them wouldn't it? Ferngill melted against her then, nuzzling his head into the plumy night-sky of her chest. "Does this mean... are we...?" Even now, fearless, he couldn't settle on the right thing to say. Well- better to just ask, then. He drew away to meet her river-glimmer eyes, to bathe in them. "Will you... will you be my mate?" He felt dizzy with the possibility, and dizzier with the fact that she loved him, that she really loved him. There was no cat on the earth he was surer of than her, and she loved him. ​

✦ penned by pin ✦​

 

[Sablemist]

There were few words that could encapsulate this moment, but she would give just about anything to relive it time and time again. He was speechless perhaps shocked if his stunned expression was anything to go by. Truthfully she'd surprised herself by her sudden forwardness and how confident she felt despite treading into uncharted territory. However, she was thrilled to be exploring it together with him in this new chapter of their lives. A hushed excited whisper confirmed his love for her, where it spilled over into tender compliments before being reaffirmed again. A quiet chuckle, light and airy from her previous hammering heart kept her words from forming but the soon tumbled out with the same soft gusto. "There's no place I'd rather be than in your life forever." She whispered eagerly.

As the weight of his head pressed into the plush fur of her chest she too melted into his embrace. A white capped chin lowered, tipping to the side so that her cheek may caress the top of his head and lay there. Blissfully her eyes flutter shut as she notes the irony of how their night played out. It started with a dream, a longing for her deepest desires to perhaps one day manifest. She never would have imagined that tonight would have been the night. Fate had a strange way of weaving things together.

Sablemist's eyes peek open again upon hearing the beginnings of his question, lifting her head just as he pulled away. Curiously her eyes searched his, pondering what he could possibly be trying to ask until it finally slips out. "Will you...will you be my mate?" Her steady heart quicks to the pace of a hummingbird's wings, but the breathless laugh and quick nod of her head is proof of her acceptance. "Yes! Yes, I'd love to!" She chimed softly, reaching forth to brush her muzzle against the sandy cream of his own. Anyone would have been a fool to say no to him. He was one of the purest, most hardworking cats in the clan and he loved her enough to ask her to be his mate.

Her head trailed back to the warriors den with a smile. "I'm glad I followed you out here." She whispered. While her intention was to merely cheer up a mourning friend, the night allowed it to blossom into so much more. "While I don't think either of us will be getting much sleep after this I think we should try. Patrols and responsibilities won't stop just because we're mates now." She mused, turning back to face him. Although she wished it would, at least for a day. Standing to her paws she waited for him to join her. A mixture of midnight and fire melded together as she pressed her flank against his during the short walk back to the den. "Goodnight Ferngill." Sablemist whispered, touching her nose to his cheek, smiling. Reluctantly she peeled herself away, gaze lingering before stepping past multiple bodies to reach her nest.

✿ ≖≖ riverclan warrior / seventeen moons old / she/her ≖≖ ✿​

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