private late night walks \\ hazepaw

[brookstorm]

Her tail twitches as she idly watches the mouth of the den. Last time she did this, she caught Robinpaw trying to sneak out. Choice words were exchanged and they went their separate ways shortly thereafter. Brookpaw doesn't think she will do that again, not so soon at least, but to her surprise she spots a different ruff of fur peaking out of the den. Hazepaw...?

The older she-cat dips out of their shared space swiftly, and Brookpaw wonders if she should trust her tired eyes right then. She brings herself to her paws and mimics the other, carefully stepping around sleeping apprentices and checking the clearing before stepping outside herself. She spies Hazepaw, several steps ahead, and has no qualms trotting a little quicker just to catch up with her.

"Hey," she does give the other molly the benefit of lowering her tone to a whisper, as to not alert anyone nearby of their whereabouts. After all, it seems like Hazepaw was... "Sneaking out?" Brookpaw voices her question, though for once there's a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Can I come with? I can't sleep -" at all, anymore, it seems, "- and I won't tell anyone."

@Hazepaw ​

 

[Hazewish]

TRAVELER, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED (AND NOW YOU MUST GO) ⋆⁺₊⋆

Sneaking out is an art like anything else, a skill to learn and perfect. Hazepaw does it exceptionally well. It’s that they’ve had so much practice, you see: they started sneaking out when they were two moons old and have not stopped since. Step over the sleeping apprentices; give Mosspaw a wide berth, lest their sister rat them out; slip through the den’s entrance and go immediately to the side, so the deeper shadow it casts hides them from any warrior on a late night watch.

Once there was an additional step there — nose Catfishpaw awake if she wasn’t already, a silent look asking are you coming? But Catfish has moved her nest across the den and she won’t talk to Haze anymore so. It’s that much less to do before freedom is theirs.

As good as she may be, though, the whole plot does hinge on one crucial detail: that everyone else in the apprentice’s den is either asleep or doesn’t care to call her out on it.

Brookpaw’s voice sends a jolt down their spine, whole body freezing in a guilty halt before the high pitch registers as a younger apprentice’s tone. Haze turns their head silently and narrows their eyes at Brook, daring her to say anything. The expression quickly melts into thoughtful neutrality as they find a familiar spark in the blue apprentice’s eyes and she asks to come along.

Well. Haze has been lacking a partner in crime lately…

She nods, gesturing with her tail for Brook to come along before making for the edge of camp again. In a hushed whisper, she asks them: ”First?”

[⋆]​

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