dip your toes in |➹| skyclanner by the river

[sparrowsong!]

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It hadn't been long since Sparrowsong's release from the medicine cats' den. They had taken most of the day to simply relax, to catch up with their friends and enjoy life again. They had survived yellowcough. Fireflypaw had promised them; they knew they would. Even so, at its worst, the world had been bleak.

The idea that had driven them from the sheltered SkyClan camp had been a somewhat impulsive one. Even so, determination fueled their stroll through the pines, gaze searching and scrutinizing. This? No. This? Not quite... keep searching.

Eventually, their wandering paws led them to the murmuring river of RiverClan. Frankly, it would be a lie if they said that the trek hadn't left them somewhat breathless by the time they landed their gaze on the pebbly shore. Having been trapped in a nest for nearly a month, with the will and energy to eat few and far inbetween, their strength had been sapped and their weight had dropped. It wouldn't stop them; they were optimistic that things would continue to get better.

After taking a moment to sit by the river and take it in, gray eyes fell to the stones beneath their paws. Smooth, round, and colorful, there was an elated leap of their heart. These would do! Which one, though...?

Sparrowsong began to trail up and down the shore, searching and scouring with their head low. No, no... A thin sound rose in the back of their throat, borne of frustration and indecision. None of them spoke to them. Maybe the river would have prettier stones.

Into the river they waded, the flowing water rising halfway to their belly before they stopped for fear of being swept away. Intently, they stared into the water.

// intended to be a friendlier thread but feel free to make any assumptions !
they're kinda skinny and sad looking so assuming they're sick is on the table even if they're not​

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[hazecloud]

There was a time Hazecloud would have scoured the bottom of the river and along its shore for the perfect, smoothest stone to decorate into the perfect gift for another. She had every bit of detail planned for it; sat on a bed of sage for a pleasant fragrant, directly from the flowerbed they visited to much. Then splashed with colors from blackberries and cherries to mix into a cool toned purple. Rich like sky just before the sun dipped below and opened into the night.

Such days were now long, long gone. Flat stones hardly caught her attention anymore, no longer searching for the perfect one. More commonly the only things she sought were the any salvageable prey to return home with or whatever vibrant flowers were left to surprise Rookfang's nest with.

When she had turned toward the river that day, she hadn't planned to find a SkyClanner in the waters instead of fish.

"What are you doing in here?" Her gaze narrowed at the younger cat suspiciously. What if in their mindless wading they scared off all the good fish left? "I'd advise against taking any step further, it's dangerous for a drypaw to be in the river." ​

 

[FALLINGLIGHT]

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ⸻ They must be looking for something, with the way they're staring into the river— and Fallinglight can't discount the possibility that they're trying to fish, even if a RiverClanner would go about it differently. They're skinny enough that they might just be hungry. Or maybe they have yellowcough. He swallows and drags in a deep breath before taking a few steps of his own into the water, a friendlier face to Hazecloud's rightful suspicion. It's not that he doesn't agree the stranger shouldn't be in the water, just that he intends to go about it a little differently.

"She's right, you know, though I promise I won't let you get swept away." He glances down at the stretch of river they've stared at, but there isn't the glimmer of darting fish. With the water level still dipping lower, that's not so surprising. It's a good thing for this SkyClanner, though— if the river were at full strength, Fallinglight's not sure they'd be so secure where they are. "Can I help you find something?"
​

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ 𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 / / \ \ 𝙿𝙰𝙸𝙽𝚃 𝙰 𝚄𝙽𝙸𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙴 𝙾𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙴𝙸𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 / / 09.08.23 \ \ 𝙵𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙸𝙽𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙴

• —ooc:
• — FALLINGLIGHT / / 13 moons old / / amab and uses masculine pronouns; will be startled by the use of any others.
  — warrior of riverclan / / earned warrior name early at 10 moons / / skilled but not experienced / / mentoring [n / a].
  — npc parents / / father died in the great battle and mother left when he was apprenticed / / no contact w / siblings.
  — flirtatious & disastrous bisexual / / fairly indiscriminate (even when he should be) / / closed to long-term romance.
  
  a fairly trim, athletic cream tabby and black chimera with high white. fur is thick and a bit sharp, though tends to soften and curl primarily around his face and tail when wet. eyes are a bright, gleaming blue at home with the river on clear, sunny days. he is rarely without a devil-may-care grin, though despite his daring personality, has yet to accumulate noticeable scarring.
  
• dear shell, sometimes i wonder what it's like to grow up a drypaw. i know we have some in riverclan, but to think that there are cats in other clans who've never set paw in water— it's just different. i guess i can't say i've ever ran a rabbit down or jumped through trees.

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[ROOKFANG]

THE HERMIT ─── There was a time when Rookfang had been a reluctant drypaw, the very thought of water causing nausea to reside within him when he had first arrived in the clan. Stubborn and full of sickly resentment of being found in his pathetic state and then surrounded by strangers, he had been disgusted by their customs which had included swimming. The water was merciless, it was uncontrolled and unpredictable. One wrong current, one wrong pawstep, and you would become fish food. That was his perspective until his mentor forced him to sink or swim, tossing him in by force after the dark apprentice had refused to go in voluntarily. Now after seasons and moons had passed, the tom realized it was a great lesson to have and he enjoyed the swimming, mostly during the silent veil of the night and the moon's glow when he was unable to sleep among his clanmates.

He was attempting to remove a broken reed that had decided to cling onto his pelt as his ears pricked to the voices of his clanmates. One voice he recognized instantly was Hazecloud's and later processed the other to be Fallinglight's. He wondered who they must be speaking to, it certainly didn't sound as lax as it would if it was a fellow clanmate and so the lean figure strides over, body tensing in preparation for a fight if it ever came to that. He wasn't the best with weaving words in a diplomatic tone yet he wasn't one to seek for one's blood. However, he was always ready to face any conflict that could lead to physical strength. He arrived, halting behind Hazecloud, his shoulder faintly brushing against her side before he stepped aside to peer down at the lanky youth that he did not recognize. His heavy eyelids did not hide the shift of hardness that glossed over when he did not recognize others but the other did not appear to have any sort of sly intentions or malicious plot ready to unfold. "Cutting it a bit close, don't you think?" Rookfang warned, eyeing the way the stranger cautiously. The sable tom really did not want to rush and dive if the other feline could not swim or hold their breath underwater. ​