JOLLY GOOD ☼ FEATHERSPINE


The hills come into view and then dip right out of it in quick succession; a byproduct of the pace Dimmingsun has set for himself and Featherspine. No tension or thrill settles over them, not when the winner of the self-proclaimed race has been decided before it even began, thanks to Featherspine's excellent capabilities. It had been a call for action not out of a need to win — Dimmingsun's strength lies in his muscles, not in his speed — but rather for something simpler.

Fast-passing breeze caught in fur is a bliss to WindClanners; one of the many things that set them apart from the rest.

Featherspine is enough of a pleasant company for Dimmingsun. He had been satisfied with the opportunity to invite her out, to stretch their limbs without anybody else around. That ever-present scowl might not vanish anytime soon, as far as Dimmingsun's concerned, but that does not mean he can't keep trying.

Sparse lines of trees pass by them, an obvious indicator of their location. In the heart of the moors, the only shadow present is by the occasional big puff of cloud — never by foliage or whistling branches. Dimmingsun intends to pay them no mind, to let them fall behind their backs and eventually vanish into the near distance, but...

Squelch!

A gross, wet sound forces Dimmingsun to hit the brakes. His golden fur all but disappears within a cloud of dust that he kicks up... and when the wind blows it away, he is left staring at his own paws.

"Oh, great," comes the murmur; voice suggesting no amount of actual annoyance. The soft pawpads are covered in freshly-pressed juices, and it only takes one keen eye to find the culprit: the unassuming berry bush. "I'll be spreading a blood trail everywhere I go now. Maybe we should make that into a thing... bright reds all around our borders."


 

Foot-races were where Featherspine excelled- due to their practicality, and because his sprint didn't tire before the face was over. A lap around the territory and he would be as flat as a rabbit on the Thunderpath, but for now he could fade into a comfortable satisfaction that he was still useful, that he was still capable. She worried the moment her blood stopped broiling she would soften; she would become someone unworthy of her family. But for now, she didn't feel lit from within, and was still producing results...

That made Dimmingsun pleasant enough company.

For a moment, Featherspine let her mind wander as the breeze whispered through her ears- she cosed her eyes against that cooling caress,her homeland embracing her. Tranquility was ever-temporary, though... even with just a single cat for company. The unpleasant sound of Dimmingsun's paw squelching against some innocent berries, standing by to watch their companions crushed beneath a cruel god's paw. Yellow eyes snalled open, assumed their natural narrowedness - though a strike of creativity blazed silver through her at the sight of red residue coating pink pawpads.

"As funny as it would b-be to give ThunderClan a fright ..." There was the slightest trace of humour in Featherspine's voice, a chaotic part of him that thought it might truly be amusing, and not simply a waste of time pushing through. Even with that little ember, though, something found a way to assimilate it. "I have a b-b-buh... another idea. Stay there."

Featherspine did not have to travel far to find a tree, with light bark rotting off near the bottom. Bringing Dimmingsun his canvas, she placed it at berry-splashed paws. "It stands out remarkably well. You'll b-b-be surprised."
✦ penned by pin