moth to flame | whitepaw

[Addervenom]

Tension runs higher than ever, increasing in stature as the days roll on. Sootstar's spiraling descent into madness grows stronger, refusing to wither beneath sound council, and it is a gross fact he cannot shake. Narrowed eyes glance around what remains of their tattered clan. Taking note of who stayed true the blue smoke's cause while pondering the wellbeing of those who left it. His mind rests upon Cottonfang, then Moorblossom. Disgust and resentment used to cloud his vision for their choices. Embarrassed to have traitorous littermates that stained the family name. At one point the warrior believed he would be the one to personally watch the light fade from their eyes as he delivered a final blow. But not anymore. With time to reflect Addervenom finally began to understand that this was a fruitless uphill battle. The siblings that fled were wise in their decision to do so and if he harbored any hatred in his heart it was over his failure to see it sooner and join them.

Within the same stroke of thought burning eyes find the gleaming ivory back of Whitepaw. The molly was soft spoken, tender. He couldn't fathom why she continued to remain here with the rest of them. He would be a liar if he did not assume she would have fled with the first wave of rebels. What kept her tethered to this cursed version of what windclan used to be? For him it was the siblings that remained, Bluefrost, Harrierstripe, and Shrikethorn. Sootstar's influence also kept its claws buried deep within his pelt. Fear of disappointment and disapproval keeping him in line to some degree. But whitepaw? She deserved a life better than this, despite how blasphemous the thought of becoming a deserter was.

Clear talons dig into icy soil, its grip grounding the chocolate tabby as he pushed himself to stand. A brutish shake of his pelt dislodged the fine dusting seeking to cling to his coat. Mismatched paws move forward at a steady pace, closing the distance until his shoulder brushes against her own. Applying a thoughtful amount of pressure he aimed to steer her away from the crowd conversing with her, effectively stealing her away. A venomous sneer tossed over his shoulder kept one tom's open mouth from letting any words spill out. He wanted her attention, their trivial gossip could wait. "I need to talk to you." His voice was soft, vulnerable, but only for her. He leads her to a secluded area outside camp where he settles upon his haunches, watching her carefully.

He surveyed their surroundings one last time to make sure they are alone before continuing. "You shouldn't be here, Whitepaw." He whispered hastily. The bridge of his wrinkles as if it pained him to say it. "You don't belong here." There is hesitation there, in the truth that he speaks, yet he knows it's true. She was like a delicate flower in constant danger of being trampled underfoot. "I don't understand." He muttered finally, shaking his head. @whitepaw ​

»»———- windclan warrior / thirteen moons old / he/him ———-««​

 

[whitedawn]

It had been mere hours after her argument with Greyhawk, since she returned to camp. And yet, there had been no signs of her estranged mother returning. It caused a small trickle of concern for the ivory feline before she suppressed it, continuing the conversation she found herself in. Truthfully, it was a very mindless conversation, enough that Whitepaw found herself in a minor haze as she nodded along. Only for it to be blinked away as she felt pressure at her side along with the scent of heather. Blinking, she met burning amber hues as his words reached her ears. Giving a nod, she rose fully to her paws. "Alright." She chimed lightly, following him as they traversed out of camp.
As she followed, rose-color eyes glanced across the snowy expanse of the moorlands. It was pretty, despite the spilled blood, and the chaos and tension that dug their way into their lives. Settling on her haunches across from him, she watched for a mere moment as he surveyed around them, before doing a glance around of her own. Her eyes had been still scanning the frosted-over lands before they were drawn back to him as he suddenly spoke, facing back in time to see the pained expression on his features. She remained quiet as he continued with a strange hesitance in his tone, merely watching his expressions. The words were ironically very similar to the ones Greyhawk had spoken, barbs meant to hurt her. Yet, coming from Addervenom, it wasn't an attempt to hurt her, not a deliberate one at least. The lack of aggression that he usually held was enough to dull the sharpness of the words.
She remained quiet for a moment after his final mutter, her eyes scanning the snowy moors before she spoke up quietly. "Why would I leave when you're still here?" The inquiry was spoken in her usual soft tone but lacked any of her usual hesitance that accompanied her words. She met his gaze once more, a soft smile on her face. "You're right, that I shouldn't be here, that I don't belong in a clan that is being led by a mad leader that desires nothing but death." She continued, an underlying firmness in her words. "But I don't want to leave you here, not under her rule." She finished, watching his reaction with the soft expression remaining. She feared many things, that she could acknowledge. Sootstar was among those things, but Addervenom, she had no reason to fear him. "If you want me to leave," She started again, turning to look towards Windclan's camp. "Then come with me, or let me stand by you, Addervenom." She stated finally as she turned back to him, inclining her head to the side as she waited for her response​

[I'M BREATHING]​

 

[Addervenom]

Cotton soft words answer his question with one of her own. Gifting him an inquiry that left him at a loss for words. "Why would I leave when you're still here?" The words echo within his mind again and still he fails to answer. "I don't know." He admits, releasing a rough snort from pale nares. It annoyed him, not having the answer to something that would be deemed a simple question. Despite facing a future so bleak and full of travesty she found it acceptable to stick by his side. The amount of loyalty she bestowed the chocolate silver tabby baffled him at times.

His gaze however never leaves as he continues to watch and listen as she confirms his decree. The wasteland they found themselves in was nothing more than a crumbling kingdom. A dream falling into ruin. Yet there is a kindling flame lapping at the walls of his belly as he listens to her mock the madness of his mother. Perhaps it was his militant teaching and blind loyalty flaring to life. The insurance policy that if all else failed Sootstar's brood would remain loyal to her. His ears flatten, combating the urge to defend the ill molly in all her wrong doing, yet swallowing the will to admit Whitepaw was right. "Don't..." He begins but doesn't finish. Amber eyes tear away, peering off into the distance with swarming thoughts. Fangs clenching within closed jaws. Even now it was hard to shake the skin deep hold the blue smoke had on him.

Her voice fills the air again, gentle as always with a proposition on her lips. "Come with me, or let me stand with you, Addervenom." His eyes soften briefly as the thought of running into the ranks of his former mentor, of being reunited with his estranged siblings again. "You know I can't do that, Whitepaw." A somber look chisels its way through his features. Neither option felt right. "Bluefrost, Shrikethorn, and Harrierstripe...I cannot leave them here." He wanted his littermates by his side and Sunstride was gracious enough to extend him enough time to try. He couldn't toss that opportunity away. But he couldn't ask her to wait for him in the meantime. "I want you at my side, I do. But you are safer with Sunstride than with me. Go to him...tell him I sent you." He murmured with a nod of his head in the direction of horseplace. ​

»»———- windclan warrior / thirteen moons old / he/him ———-««​

 

[whitedawn]

The answer to her request was met with rejection, and yet, it wasn't a surprising one. Addervenom refused to leave without his siblings, a feeling she understood as the majority of them were her friends. Her refusal came in a short shake of her head as she moved a paw step forward. "I can't." It was a simple refusal, one she didn't hesitate to say. It was such a strange experience, having to refuse when they usually agreed to each other's whims. Though, perhaps because it wasn't so simple anymore. "I want to stay with you. I don't want to be safe if you aren't there." She murmured, staring at the small mounds of snow beneath their paws. She then looks up, attempting to meet his eyes. "We don't have to leave them behind, I can stay and help you can convince them." Truthfully, she wasn't sure how well such a plan would work. Maybe, she could help talk sense into Bluefrost and Harrierstripe, but Shrikethorn? She knew little to nothing of the older tunneler. A somber look of her own crossed her alabaster face. "And if needed, well, We can fight together, can't we?" It was wishful words, even she could acknowledge. Both of them knew that fighting was far from her strong suit and that she never fully showed aggression. And yet, she was undeniably stubborn about remaining with those loyal to Sootstar, if only for a pawful of cats and willing to fight for them. "Let me stay Addervenom, please." She whispered, sparing a glance toward the camp before facing him again. ​

[I'M BREATHING]​