camp eyes on the sky (first snow!)

[HOWLINGSTAR]

It should be sunhigh by now, but it's hard for anybody to tell. A thick blanket of gray clouds have been blocking out the sky all day. Howling Wind sits in the center of camp, speaking with one of the clan's warriors about their dawn patrol when finally, the clouds seem to plummet themselves. Soft, white flakes sprinkle down towards the ground, one landing on the tabby's ear. She twitches it, and keeps speaking. Another lands on her nose, finally causing her to pause. Blinking, her eyes cross to stare at the quickly-melting snowflake before she casts her gaze towards the sky.

"Leaf-bare's here," She murmurs, first a frown pulling at her lips. She can hear kits giggling as they stare in wonder at the falling snow; it's their first time seeing it, after all. And yes, it's magical! It's beautiful and alluring and dazzling. But a seasoned warrior like Howling Wind can't look at the snow and see beauty. No, she sees the snow, and she knows the cold season is here. ThunderClan will struggle. But, for the sake of the youth, for her grandkids who will no doubt be excited about this experience, she smiles. At least for a little while she can enjoy the magic.​

 

[Leafshade]

SO YOUNG, YET SO BROKEN​

---

Leafshade had been in the middle of speaking to the deputy when the first of many snowflakes drifted down from the heavens and landed on Howling Winds' nose. A snort of amusement would leave him as she crossed her eyes to look at it, but the small flicker of worry that touched her features wouldn't escape his notice.

He agreed with her of course, the days were only going to get harder now that the cold days were here. In a move that was very unlike him, Leafshade would lightly brush his tail against the deputy's flank and meow softly, "Thunderclan will be fine." Even if the tom would end up having to sacrifice his own meals he would be sure that Thunderclan survived.
​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ ————————————
Like many others in ThunderClan, this was Lightpaw's first Leaf-bare. Would be. Is. One of the two. Sure, he knew well enough that it would be a difficult number of moons before things got warm again. Prey would be scarce and the nights cold. On top of that, there would be snow. Any time the golden tom heard of snow, he had eyed them skeptically. It wasn't that he didn't believe in them, it just sounded so odd. White stuff falling from the sky that's freezing to the touch that would blanket the ground and turn into water when touched? It seemed so far-fetched.

Yet, today, as a speck drifted past him, his chin tilted upward at the gray sky above, and there were more. Countless little white specks, snowflakes, falling from the clouds, gentle and silent. There was no roar like rain. He felt nothing when it landed on his pelt (other than cold, but he was cold everywhere), and he heard nothing as it danced past in the breeze. Lightpaw's green gaze locked onto one, following its path to the ground like a falling leaf. Only... when it hit the ground, it vanished. All of these were supposed to cover the ground and turn it white?

The young tom was quiet as he watched the snow fall, taking a moment to reach up and bat at one. It fluttered and tumbled, touching the ground only to vanish. Although perplexed, his eyes held a distinct sense of wonder.

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

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[Fireflyglow]

WE'VE BEEN DOIN' ALL THIS LATE NIGHT TALKIN' ✧​

With the first snow, Fireflypaw was perplexed as the close-eyed apprentice makes his way through the camp; trudging through leaves to get to his grandmother. His tail touches her side, tapping for a moment before he settles beside her. Her worry is contagious, though Leafshade is quick to reassure her. Was snow dangerous? He feels a flurry grace his nose, the apprentice shriveling his nose up in response.

"This means it's gonna get real cold, right, gran?" Fireflypaw asks softly, his breath fanning out into a cloud in front of him. "I've been collecting the feathers from the birds I eat.. Do you need some for your nest, gran? I don't want your bones to hurt." He frets over his grandmother, frowning at her. He didn't know how old she actually was, but he'd heard from Morningbird that older cats don't do so well in the cold. Hurts their hips, he said once.

Lightpaw's look of awe catches his attention as his sensitive little eyes cracked open just a bit, the apprentice shyly making his way over to bat at another snowflake that fell through the air. "It's.. Pretty, isn't it?" He asks softly, avoiding looking the other apprentice in the face.​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

She feels fur brush against her flank and her attention returns to Leafshade, his words causing her eyes to crinkle with a tight smile. She only hopes he's right. But this will be her sixth leaf-bare, and she's well aware what the cold bring. Scarce prey, dead herbs, icy nights, frozen water. It's beautiful, but all too deadly. "Of course we will," She responds back, although she doesn't sound all that convincing.

Fireflypaw brushes next to her before sitting down, and his little voice causes her features to soften. She leans down to rasp her tongue across his ear affectionately before mewing, "Yes, it's going to get cold. You know what? I'd love a feather for my nest." She purrs, amusement in her eyes. She supposes she's reaching that age where her bones may start to ache in the cold. Stars, now she suddenly feels quite old! Still smiling, she watches as her grandson approach Lightpaw, who's pawing at the snow with an awestruck expression. Blinking, she leans close to Leafshade and murmurs, "I wish I could be like that again. See snow and only be filled with wonder." ​

 

[Flycatcher]

The last time he had seen snow, Flycatcher was still a young cat. Granted he had been eight moons, so not exactly a kit but he had still been young and unaware of what to expect with the snow. He hadn't really cared for the cold, or how the snow felt under his paws, but he had to admit it was a pretty sight to behold. Especially on clear days when the sun would illuminate the snow.

"Leafbare has finally arrived," Flycatcher mused as he stepped outside, glancing around at the falling snow. "It will get much colder in the coming days."​

 

[SHALLOW]

Shallowpaw had never been snow before, not much to anyones suprise this was his first leaf-fall to experience. Still he had feared for this day to one day come. This was the reason his parents had abandoned him telling him he would die because leaf-fall was merciless and the time most cats ended up freezing to death or died of starvation was around this season. That had been his fate, the fate he had struggled against to overcome, to prepare himself for, and now it was here.

He would blink his eyes as he stared up at the sky that was dropping this white flakes down at them all. Shallowpaw did not share the same excitement most might feel at his age right now. Instead he wonderd if they had enough prey...if his decision to not hide and store prey away had been a good decision after all. No...he shouldn't thi -

Suddenly, a snowflake fell down to land right at his nose. It was wet and cold. It made his nose start to tickle. Something was coming...Shallowpaw tried to hold it back but his nose was tickling to much. Out of the blue he would sneeze with such power that he lost his balance and fell down on his rump. Blinking, a mild confusion settled upon his never changing face. Placing a paw on his nose he sniffled, and twitched his whiskers.


​

 

[Sunfreckle]

His eyes went wide at the flurry of white dancing outside the nursery and he remained crouched in the back in concern until the voices of his clanmates finally reached his ears. Slowly Sunfreckle shuffled forward to peek outside proper, his head was still fuzzy from getting sick not too long ago so he couldn't determine if his focus was off because of the strange flakes or he was just struggling to remain alert lately. The red tabby pushed himself up to stand, inching ever further out of the den until he was properly out from under the roof of it where the white specks battered him and vanished upon the faintest contact with his pelt as if he was the sun itself. A tentative tongue went out experimentally, trying to catch one to determine just what it was.
When finally a single snowflake landed in his mouth he swiped his tongue around his maw and gave a startled blink. It didn't really have a taste, it was almost like water in a way; crispy rain. It was very strange and the three-legged tom had no idea what to think about it all!
Everyone seemed a mix of amused and alarmed, leaf-bare was here but it did look pretty...
"What was this called again?" Howling Wind had said it. "Snow? I've never seen it before."

​

 

[Flamewhisker]

Flamewhisker — I'll sleep when I'm dead

Following Flycatcher, Flamewhisker would pad outside the den and into the clearing. Her eyes brightened noticeably as she spotted the large snowfakes falling from the sky. She would hop past him, trying to catch the snowflakes with her paws once they hit the ground. The young warrior laughed with excitement, knowing very well that they were melting so she couldn't actually catchthem. This would be her second leaf-bare, but she had only been four moons last time. She had no ill memories of it, so there wasn't a doubt in her mind that this time it would be magical again.

She hopped over to Sunfreckle, who had claimed to had never seen snow before. "Oh! It's so much fun. Soon everything will be covered in it. I can't wait!"
​

 

[LIGHTSTRIKE .]

❝ WE HAVE YET TO CRASH ✧°.☀ ————————————
In his focus on the falling snow, Lightpaw hadn't quite noticed the approach of his fellow apprentice, giving a light start and head tilting from the clouds to look at Fireflypaw. Pretty? He seemed to mull it over for a moment, eyes drifting to lock onto another speck as it swirled past. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied eventually. It must be, if he was bothering to open his eyes. It seemed like every time he saw the point, he had them closed. He supposed he was just weird like that, but whatever.

As things always went in ThunderClan, a crowd was beginning to gather as more cats took notice of the change in weather. Flycatcher mentioned that it meant Leafbare had finally arrived. Shallowpaw sneezed with a rather amazing display, at which he couldn't help but let out a snicker of amusement. It was Sunfreckle's first snow too. Flamewhisker was the only one expressing excitement. "It's weird to think about," he commented, thoughts looping back to his prior line of questioning. "These tiny little things are gonna turn everything white?"

[penned by its_oliverr - ☀]

———————————— ☀.°✧ BUT WE STILL MAY AS WELL ENJOY IT ❞ ​

​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Howling Wind's attention drifts to the nursery as Sunfreckle pokes his head out. That's right - this is his first leaf-bare, too. It would be a brand new experience for youth and former kittypets alike. She's smiling, even as the excited Flamewhisker bounds over to the queen and expresses her anticipation for the snow covering the ground. The tabby's aware that the warrior is young, and the last time she had experienced the cold season she had just been a kit, most likely. She wonders how long it will take for leaf-bare to become not-so-fun for the warrior as hunger sets in. For now though, she will let her enjoy this time. Naivety is a gift, after all.

The older woman looks over her shoulder to see Flycatcher looking up at the falling snow, and nearby Shallowpaw sneezes as a snowflake lands on his nose. She chuckles warmly before turning her attention back to Lightpaw. Giving him a nod, she mews, "Sometimes, it gets high enough to reach a warrior's chin!" ​