frosty the snowman | melting snowman

[Howlfire]

Even though the blizzard had come and gone, the weather was still cold and slippery. There was still snow on the ground today, but the sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly above their heads though it didn't actually provide much in the way of warmth. Catching prey was still proving to be a challenge, unfortunately. Today, Howlfire had only managed to stumble upon a lazy mouse, though one of her clanmates had succeeded in catching a particularly juicy-looking wood pigeon that was sure to go down well. "Nice catch!" Howlfire commended, when they brought it over to show the rest of the patrol. It might not have been much overall, but with how difficult it still was to hunt in these conditions, Howlfire knew they weren't in a position to complain.

"We'll keep hunting a little longer to see if we can find anything else," Howlfire told the patrol. She was beginning to move ahead again, her head lowered in search of any scent to follow. "If we're able, we should look for some nest materials too," She was quick to add before she could move too far away. It wasn't as much a priority on this patrol, but Howlfire knew hers wasn't the only nest starting to look a little worse for wear.

The lead warrior hadn't wandered too far when she lifted her head up, and let out a sudden, startled yelp. Standing upright amongst the snows and trees was a pile of bundled up snow with a face. And more interestingly, it even had some strange red and green fabric tied to it around the middle. Howlfire stared at it for a long moment, before finally deciding to bravely inch a bit closer to it, determining it couldn't move. She sniffed the air around it tentatively, finding no particular scent jumping out to her (though the material around the middle had a vague twoleg smell about it). By now, the others on patrol were with her, and she turned to them to gauge their opinion on it. "What do you think it is?" She asked.

// its a snowman!!
also feel free to have your cat be the one who caught the wood pigeon! :)​

 

[Chickbloom]

"Hunting is - y'know - s-still hard, but after that storm, it f-feels like newleaf" Chickbloom offered around the wood pigeon in his jaws, an uncharacteristically optimistic observation meant to deflect (instead of take) Howlfire's compliment. The coward had become a skilled hunter, and even he knew it on some level, but the baby bird didn't like being reminded of it. In the whelp's eyes he was still fresh from the twolegplace, inexperienced and learning the ways of wild life.

That was something else Chickbloom didn't like: the fact that he would very soon be a wild cat for longer than He'd ever been a kittypet. The baby bird thought he knew more about twolegs than he ever would about the forest, so Howlfire's question gave him the opportunity to contribute in a way that wasn't embarrassing.

"It's a grave." Chickbloom responded grimly, the former shut-in speaking with authority on matters he'd only seen out the window, colored by an anxious imagination. "Whenever a - a t-twoleg kit dies in leafbare, the other kits c-come out and build this in their honor. It's - y'know - it's a ritual." Amber eyes never left the snowman while he spoke, worried they might find out if anything was entombed inside.​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

"Newleaf?" Figfeather echoes Chickbloom's statement with disbelief. More prey has certainly come out after the storm but to say it felt like the fringes of greenleaf seemed like a tremendous stretch to her. "With whatever hunting luck you're having, we should be sending you out on all the hunting patrols!" She exclaims with amusement, a smile creasing her face.

Since leafbare settled in early, the fresh-kill pile was difficult to keep up with. Patrols were just barely scrapping by and most warriors were going to bed with bellies half-empty. Figfeather prays that the brunt of it was over and that the rest of the cold moons would have more tame snowstorms.

Howlfire's startled yelp is what snaps her out of her thoughts about the cold. She moves quickly behind Chickbloom to peer at the strange figure in the snow. Figfeather doesn't understand its shapes, doesn't understand the fabric wrapped around it, and most certainly doesn't understand the chunks of coal were supposed to be a smile. In her eyes, it looks like a misshapen blob of snow.

Chickbloom says it's the grave of a twoleg kit. Figfeather's nose wrinkles, what?! "They picked a strange spot for it. I can't imagine burying one of my clan-mates outside of my own territory." She meows, puzzled. Wouldn't it have made more sense to build this within the depths of their own territory? "...Suppose we better leave it alone then..." She doesn't feel much sympathy for the twoleg kit who had died. She has no connection to twolegs, she mourns for it about as much as she'd mourn a fox pup.

 

[Owlheart]

"A grave?" She clears her throat uncomfortably as she stares at the strange melting sight. Owlheart was allowed to leave the medicine cat den today, the white cough may have subsided but unfortunately her throat hasn't settled comfortably. She debates just not speaking at all if she's going to carry that much of a rasp. It's disapointing that their luck regarding prey hasn't really changed yet, she remains hopeful that it just needs a little more time. Owlhead's head tilts as she stares at the little creature, this piece of Twoleg culture that she would have never known without Chickbloom's helpful presence. The chatter of her clanmates fade into the background as she studies it, keeping a clear distance but trying to see if there was anything about this grave that made a connection with their own.

She doesn't think about Twoleg's often, it's strange to think that they would mourn their own. Maybe they aren't heartless? How strange... "Maybe the kit died out here" she muses as she barely catches what Figfeather remarks. It's a sombre thought, to think of this child dying outside of it's territory. Or maybe they don't have enough room within their territory? Twolegplace always seems crowded from what she hears from the daylighters. Warm gaze shifts from the snowman towards Howlfire, it had injured the lead warrior hadn't it? "Are you okay?" she meows carefully, clearing her throat once more as it grows irritated once more. ​

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎OPEN UP YOUR HEART ☼ LIKE THE GATES OF HELL ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

• ooc.

• 

• 
  OWLHEART
  She / her ||Warrior of SkyClan || 21 moons
  ❥ An orange tabby with low white and an owls feather tucked in her tail.
  ❥ Mates with Oddgleam and Crowsight | Mother to Pearlkit, Cuckookit, Morningkit, Brightkit and Ravenkit.
  ❥ Mentoring Hollypaw
  ❥ "Speech", thoughts, attacking
  ❥ Penned by Juice ⏐ouijeejuice on discord {open to being dmed for plots}

​

 

[Howlfire]

For the most part, it seems her clanmates are jsut as confused as she is about the strange mound of snow. Chickbloom grimly informs them that it is supposedly a grave, and Howlfire gives him a brief look that's equal parts shock and horrified. "It seems like an odd spot to mark their grave," Howlfire murmured, sharing Figfeather's opinion that it seemed to be an odd place. Howlfire could not imagine doing that for one of her children or clanmates, unless there was simply no way the body could be moved. This is something Owlheart seems to theorise with her remark.

"If it really is a grave, we should leave it a move on," Howlfire decided after a moment. Her gaze then shifted to Owlheart who had asked how she was. "I'm fine," She responded with a small smile. "Just a little shaken up. I was not expecting to see such a thing."​

 

[FIGFEATHER]

Owlheart proposes the Twoleg kit may have died out here. Figfeather scrunches her nose at the thought. "What possibly would've killed a Twoleg?" Neither rogues, foxes, nor dogs could- not without a fight. Had the Twoleg frozen to death? With all the pelts they wear Figfeather finds it difficult to believe… This entire situation rests uneasy in her stomach.

Figfeather is eager to get away from the mound of snow; she begins moving the heartbeat Howlfire suggests they should. "Yes, please." She meows with a shudder, making a mental note to be sure someone informed Orangestar of this strange encounter.