- May 16, 2023
- 335
- 57
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The scent of blood has poisoned their nest.
A simmering stare rest on the fallen form of cobweb-coiled fur. Poultices smeared across exposed flesh and overwhelm the scent of old berries and gifted iris. Something has twisted within her chest and she can feel the familiarity of venom on her tongue. Moonbeam may have saved her from greeting their ancestors more times over, but she will have her mate wishing to see them again after this.
"Is this how it's going to be, then?" Lashes lower as she narrowed her eyes. Had things been different, had their life not turned over at the fall of Smokestar, she would be gazing upon her mate like this before finding a final rest below the ground. Lichentail was foolish in such ways, throwing herself forth to spare blood for her own. Where she could not for Smokestar's own sake, she had bared her flesh under the demand of another name, for a descending dictator that was only satisfied with the sight of crimson, even his own.
Hazecloud refused to entertain the possibility of Lichenstar following into the same path. The stars would not have their mind as it did for their Clans creator, they already claimed her bound to this world nine times over. Each for the sake of more lives than they could count, for cats that had not yet entered this world, even.
"I'm not going to stand here and let you do this to yourself. Not in front of your- our children. This is supposed to be different, we're supposed to be better." Better than the rampage that toiled through this very den, their own camp, that soiled those too young to understand. Pebblepaw and Shellpaw had hardly lost their kitten fat before being thrown into a vision of red and gore. It couldn't happen again.
While it felt like too many breaths between her words the queen hardly allowed her mate to fit a word herself. Hot air puffed from her maw, rapidly blinking away the sting in her eyes. "I don't care if you have nine lives- nine hundred lives- that was so mousebrained! Why must you do everything yourself? Do you not have the council for it?" A stuttered inhale sent her into pause.
Snakeblink may only be as useful as the words from his mouth, but he did as was asked. Mosspool made herself a dependable warrior, even if her will strived on the whims of the authority around her. Iciclefang was nurserybound just as herself, but she would join her fellow council in the warriors den not long after Hazecloud herself would leave. Her littermate, capable and matured as shown on the journey, had once again proven what he would do for his Clan when pushed. Foxtail was as green as a springtime meadow, but he had grand potential, anyone could see.
"Fuck- Lichen you need a Deputy. Did you forget you need one of those? You can't keep playing both, not with the amount of cats out there that would happily take up the challenge for you." Hazecloud's voice softened as she now sat, grooming the unruly fur behind Lichenstar's neck. "Promise me, you'll stop trying to do this by yourself. Not for me, not just our kits, but for you, please." Stars be damned, Hazecloud might just hold her within the willow den until she did.
The scent of blood has poisoned their nest.
A simmering stare rest on the fallen form of cobweb-coiled fur. Poultices smeared across exposed flesh and overwhelm the scent of old berries and gifted iris. Something has twisted within her chest and she can feel the familiarity of venom on her tongue. Moonbeam may have saved her from greeting their ancestors more times over, but she will have her mate wishing to see them again after this.
"Is this how it's going to be, then?" Lashes lower as she narrowed her eyes. Had things been different, had their life not turned over at the fall of Smokestar, she would be gazing upon her mate like this before finding a final rest below the ground. Lichentail was foolish in such ways, throwing herself forth to spare blood for her own. Where she could not for Smokestar's own sake, she had bared her flesh under the demand of another name, for a descending dictator that was only satisfied with the sight of crimson, even his own.
Hazecloud refused to entertain the possibility of Lichenstar following into the same path. The stars would not have their mind as it did for their Clans creator, they already claimed her bound to this world nine times over. Each for the sake of more lives than they could count, for cats that had not yet entered this world, even.
"I'm not going to stand here and let you do this to yourself. Not in front of your- our children. This is supposed to be different, we're supposed to be better." Better than the rampage that toiled through this very den, their own camp, that soiled those too young to understand. Pebblepaw and Shellpaw had hardly lost their kitten fat before being thrown into a vision of red and gore. It couldn't happen again.
While it felt like too many breaths between her words the queen hardly allowed her mate to fit a word herself. Hot air puffed from her maw, rapidly blinking away the sting in her eyes. "I don't care if you have nine lives- nine hundred lives- that was so mousebrained! Why must you do everything yourself? Do you not have the council for it?" A stuttered inhale sent her into pause.
Snakeblink may only be as useful as the words from his mouth, but he did as was asked. Mosspool made herself a dependable warrior, even if her will strived on the whims of the authority around her. Iciclefang was nurserybound just as herself, but she would join her fellow council in the warriors den not long after Hazecloud herself would leave. Her littermate, capable and matured as shown on the journey, had once again proven what he would do for his Clan when pushed. Foxtail was as green as a springtime meadow, but he had grand potential, anyone could see.
"Fuck- Lichen you need a Deputy. Did you forget you need one of those? You can't keep playing both, not with the amount of cats out there that would happily take up the challenge for you." Hazecloud's voice softened as she now sat, grooming the unruly fur behind Lichenstar's neck. "Promise me, you'll stop trying to do this by yourself. Not for me, not just our kits, but for you, please." Stars be damned, Hazecloud might just hold her within the willow den until she did.
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Hazecloud
—⊰⋅ Queen of RiverClan
—⊰⋅ She/Her
"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
—⊰⋅ LH blue smoke with green eyes.
