KEEP MY HAND IN YOURS [☼] first snow

[ROEFLAME .]

ROEFLAME — I fell in love with the fire long ago.

Roeflame was not a cat that had been built for winter. Lacking dense fur, large paws to aid steady footing, all the way down to the way her lungs seemed to freeze along with the foliage that withered in her forest.
As the warrior watches her own breath cloud around her whiskers, crouched within what remained of thick undergrowth, she knew her time of carelessness was over. Green-leaf made her bouts of no-breath more than manageable, only brought on by panic or true overexertion.
Her ears perk at the sound of a distant rustle, a snap of brittle twigs.
Akin to a snake, she moves over upturned roots and scattered leaves with ease, the fleeting trail the pale warrior was hot on bringing her to a small creek, a claw mark in the earth.
With a huff of frustration, Roeflame leans down to take a sip from the small stream.
Her tongue barely has to touch the waters surface before she knows it is undrinkable, almost feeling its icy spikes in her throat.
Before the molly can pick her head back up, something lands on her nose, its impact so soft Roeflame wouldn’t have even noticed it if it hadn’t been for its alabaster color.
Eyes cross for a heartbeat before they move sky-ward, where dozens of small flurries had begun to follow.
Leaf-bare was here.
"speech"

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[BURNSTORM]

If leaf-bare is something any cat looked forward to then he is convinced that either they are a kit or a kittypet. Someone unfamiliar with the hardship and tragedy such a season brought with it. The cold made prey go into hiding, caused many open mouths to go unfed. It was a reminder of a time that he had not been enough, a reminder of someone he could not save.

He is happy to be out on patrol today especially since Roeflame was on the same patrol as him. When she pauses to drink he pauses as well, golden eyes flickering to the canopy of trees above them, searching for tell-tale signs of prey while they indulge in this small break. When he once again looks in her direction, he cannot help the soft laugh that escapes from his jaws, though inside he can feel his heart twist. She looked fuuny, with her eyes crossed and a fleck of white on the tip of her nose, but the dread that fills him upon seeing snow in inescapable. She is looking up now, at the flurries that are now beginning to fall but his eyes are only for her in this moment. She looked so beautiful standing there in the early afternoon light with her head tipped skyward, a look of wonder crossing her soft features. He wants to stay in this moment forever, to avoid the inevitable. But he knows that that could only be a dream.

He breaks it then, the pause interrupted when he steps forwards and with his tail he brushes her back, wiping off snow before it has a chance to settle and melt into her fur. Its an impossible task, to prevent more from finding its mark, but for now at least it is what he can do. "We should hurry this up, so we don't get stuck out here if this snowstorm gets any worse" he remarks to her and the rest of the patrol. They were at the tail end of it anyways.
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[WILDHEART]

Wildheart was left wearing a permanent scowl that day as he trudged forth through the forest. Between the cold and being stuck watching the lovebirds there was enough to spoil his overall mood. Every potential rustle of prey had his ears pricking and swivelling, though he found nothing of note which forced him to keep marching on.

As the first flakes fell upon his back he was left offering up a visible shiver. "Tch! Here it comes again..." Memories of getting lost during one of the blizzards last leaf-bare sat heavily in his mind and he remembered that he had been forced to hunker down with a former kittypet-turned apprentice in order to make it through until their eventual rescue. Getting stuck out in the wilderness for a second year running certainly wasn't on his agenda. "I agree with Burnstorm, we should keep this quick. So stop gawking, more moving." He huffed before giving himself a shake to dislodge the flakes from his pelt.
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[batwing]

.i'll be your calm, —————————

————————— before the storm!.

▵ ———————— ◮ ———————— ▵

His head tilted up towards the flurry of snow as it began.

His time of tree-branch leaping was over, for now. The conditions were far too slippery, and his claws would barely begin prickling into it's bark. Leopardtongue and his young were of... need of sustenance, and he'd find it incredibly impossible to keep them fed alongside the rest of the clan. No wonder some of the cats were so cold-shouldered when he finally allowed his young into camp. A soft breath left him, air curling white in front of his muzzle as his head turned.

Burnstorm and Roeflame were being sweet with one another- but Wildheart was, as usual, vocal. A tiny grin settled on his face, and Batwing's ears twitched and perked, turning to watch amongst the bare brush. "What do some of the apprentices say... it's... pretty for a couple of days, then the worst thing ever? Or is that the elders?" Batwing asked, leaning down to sip some of the water himself thereafter.

// apprentice tag @tigerpaw.

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[nightbird]

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ "anyone with some sense says that," nightbird mutters disdainfully after batwing. she had seen enough snow in the mountains, now it laid claim to her home too. she shouldn't be surprised, but every leafbare theres a part of her that hopes it will simply skip over them that year, especially after the trouble they had with the blizzard last winter. a headache for all involved, she wanted no part in it.

it even fell too quickly to track anything, they'd all return to camp covered in a snowy blanket at this rate. "i'm sure your kits will find some joy in it, batwing." children, looking at everything with that innocent adoration. surely they'd look at the sky glittering with pure joy, fun to play in, fun to look at. they had no notion of the bad things it would bring, even when the hunger stared them in their too round eyes they wouldn't get it."if you need help squashing it, don't be a stranger." her offer was delivered with a sly grin as they treaded onwards. hopefully, they went back quickly. she'd much rather watch the landscape turn white from the comfort and warmth of the warrior's den.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎┌── AND NO RIVERS AND NO LAKES ⋅⋆⋅ CAN PUT THE FIRE OUT ──┐‎

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  NIGHTBIRD ✩ she/her, lead warrior of thunderclan, twenty-eight moons.
  ⭃ a small black smoke molly with a single white paw and pale silver eyes.
  ⭃ mate to raccoonstripe / / mentor to tba
  ⭃ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ↛ see battle info here
  ⭃ penned by vayle ↛ @vayl3 on discord, feel free to dm for plots.
  

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[ROEFLAME .]

ROEFLAME — I fell in love with the fire long ago.

The feeling of a feathered tail brushing against her spine brings Roeflame back to the present, celadon optics quick to flicker to her mate with a soft quirk of her maw.
She knows the tom is right, but as freckles of snow begin to nestle within his own midnight fur, the warrior lets herself take a mental snapshot of this moment.
Finally, Roeflame would nod in agreement, sweeping to a stand with a shake.
Towards Wildheart, the tabby would spare the grumpier-spirited tom a quirk of her pale brow bone. "You got it, boss" the quip is light hearted, accompanied by a soft breath of laughter.
As the patrol falls into a routine trek once more, cinnamon-splashed ears would angle towards Nightbird and Batwings conversation.
"Do you guys remember your first leaf-bare?" The smaller lead warrior prompts the older duo. Roeflame had only ever experienced one- and that one had been introduced with a blizzard that blanketed the forest.

"speech"

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