shinjitsu no uta | howlfire

[Coyotecrest]

Angry at all the things I can't change

The sudden rustling of foliage indicates the arrival of a returning patrol. Much to his delight, interwoven amongst the scents of those coming home was Howlfire's. Coyotecrest wasted little time pulling himself to his paws, loping in the direction of the camp's entrance to greet the patchwork molly. A small smile decorates his maw, tail curling over his back as he allows the rather disgruntled patrol to slip past him. The expression he wore wavers in the face of their irritation and he could not help but to wonder what happened out there. A tinge of worry slips into his consciousness, causing green eyes to search for Howlfire all the more. Once he does, Coyotecrest immediately notices her bristled appearance and taunt visage. Anger practically radiated off his fellow warrior in nearly tangible waves.

His wavering smile vanishes, replaced hastily by a cautious frown coated in a thin veil of concern. Flaxen paws hesitate for a moment but urge him to her side all the same. The cool flesh of his nose taps the edge of her ear as he attempts to formulate words. "Howlfire, are you okay?" The cream tom asks in a hushed tone, eyeing her smoldering frame for an answer. Momentarily his gaze peels away to watch Blazestar's council file into the leader's den. "What happened out there?" He questions quickly, turning back to face the fuming molly. (@Howlfire) ​

When you're lost in the universe don't lose faith​

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[Howlfire]

Although she had fled before the rest of the patrol, Howlfire had held back a bit before returning to camp, eventually falling in with the rest of the SkyClan cats as they came home.

Although she had cooled down a tad since the initial confrontation, Howlfire is still fuming when she returns to camp. She watches as some of the patrols files away into camp and her father and Slate disappear into the leader's den, the rest of the council who had remained in camp filing in afterwards. Her mind is already jumping to conclusions about what they were talking about. About me most like, she thinks bitterly. Howlfire is of half a mind to ask to speak with her father afterwards font make some sort of apology but what should she apologise for? Well, maybe for speaking harshly to Skypaw but everything else she didn't feel bad about. She wasn't going to just stand there and listen politely whilst Moonpaw disrespected her, their father, and SkyClan.

So lost in her thoughts, she jumps a bit when she feels a nose tap the edge of her ear. "Who - Oh, Coyotecrest, it's you," Howlfire's initial ire at being interrupted fades quickly when she realises who it is. She had been vaguely aware of him in her peripheral vision upon her return but had been so caught up in her rage that she didn't acknowledge him much beyond that until he interrupted her.

Coyotecrest asks what happened and Howlfire hesitates before gesturing for him to follow her. She doesn't lead him far, just somewhere a bit more tucked away in camp.

"There was an incident at the border," She begins, having to fight to keep her voice even. It wouldn't do well if she tried to explain what had happened and was already losing her temper. "Yukio foolishly crossed onto ThunderClan lands chasing a rock. An innocent mistake but ThunderClan did not see it as such. A few of us, myself included, tried to reason with them but it didn't work. My sister was there and things got a little heated between us." She dips her head a little, not entirely sure why she's suddenly embarrassed at relaying this all to Coyotecrest. "Moonpaw said some things to Slate that basically implied that we were all kittypets just for living with them. I fired back that she ought to look at her own reflection given who our father is," Howlfire continued. "She fired by back by saying she had no sister because she had no father..." Howlfire's words are interrupted by a bitter laugh. "Sisters, am I right?"

Howlfire's shoulders sagged and she emitted a deep sigh. "I suppose I'm no better with my following behaviour. I unfairly turned my anger on Skypaw - my half-sibling - and told them the only reason they were even born was to replace the kits my mother had lost."​

 

[Coyotecrest]

Angry at all the things I can't change

She gestures for him to follow and he does precisely that. Broad paws trail behind the chocolate torbie as the tension around camp begins to thicken. Lowering his haunches he takes a seat, ears pointing forward as she begins to unveil what occurred beyond the walls of camp. His expression tightens as the story unfolds and green eyes briefly skim those milling about to search for the tom that was the cause of all this. He knew Yukio was a lofty cat, but he was surprised to learn that he was so far from the nursery. He could understand thunderclan's hostility to some degree. It was a clanwide law not to trespass. But the airheaded tom wouldn't hurt a fly, even their forest dwelling neighbors should have been able to tell that from a mile away. Either way it was a difficult situation and he could understand why the group returned as tense as they did.

But learning of the heated spat between Howlfire and Moonpaw caused his lips to pull into a small frown. Family altercations were never an easy thing to navigate. Toss in an estranged sibling and well, you have a recipe for disaster. A soft airy sigh flows through Coyotecrest's nose as he mulls over everything spoken. "Windclan would say similar things while I was with them. That all of skyclan was weak simply because there are a few kittypets here. I wouldn't be surprised if all the clans thought the same way." His tail sweeps over his paws. "But we can prove them wrong, yeah?" He voices encouragingly, hoping to lift her spirits.

"Kittypet, loner, rogue, or clanborn...that hardly determines a cat's potential." He adds with a small shrug of his shoulders. But her other sibling, Skypaw, he could see the regret Howlfire had for speaking such words to them. "Maybe you could speak with them the next time you see him at the gathering? You know...to smooth things over." He was hardly the one who should be giving advice on how to correct family dysfunction. But he was only listing what he would do. ​

When you're lost in the universe don't lose faith​

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[Howlfire]

"Well, that doesn't surprise me with WindClan," Howlfire commented with a roll of her eyes. She had seen how militaristic WindClan warriors were at the gatherings and how Sootstar often addressed her father. WindClan didn't really treat any of the clans with much respect, but it seemed they had little love in particular for SkyClan. She thought he was probably right in his opinion that most of the other clans probably thought they were weak because of the cats they shared their home with. His attempts to encourage her do appear to work in lifting her spirits, and she flashes him an appreciative smile. "I mean just look at the two of us - cats born in different clans who have grown to become mighty warriors of SkyClan!"

At his following suggestion to try and make amends at the gathering, Howflire can't help but laugh. "Sorry, I don't mean to laugh," Howlfire apologised when the laughter eased. "It's just...I don't exactly have much luck speaking to my siblings at gatherings." She had tried a few times in the past, but it had always ended poorly, usually with her ThunderClan siblings saying something hurtful and then Howlfire glowering in the corner for the rest of the evening. "If Skypaw is there at the next gathering I would certainly be amenable to trying. I can't say that it would have much of an effect though. And if Moonpaw and Burnstorm are there...well, I can't imagine they'll be particularly pleasant given recent events." She shook her head. "Perhaps I ought to bring some back up with me if I do."​

 

[Coyotecrest]

Angry at all the things I can't change

Upon hearing her proclamation of becoming mighty skyclan warriors despite where they were born, he chuckled softly. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Despite it all, we made it." It still amazed him how similar their stories were to a degree. But then, a boisterous laugh escapes her jaws and he cannot help but to blink in mild confusion as she begins to wrestle it down. Stifling it over time before easing into her next comment. "Oh, yeah of course...It was silly of me to assume it might be that easy." The complexity of her relationship with her siblings must have been frustrating to say the least. It was precisely why he did not try to reach out to his own half siblings that dwelled within the moors during gatherings. "But, if I manage to go to this month's gathering and you're not there, then perhaps I could try to reach out to Skypaw for you." He highly doubted it would be received well, especially from the likes of a total stranger. But he did not mind helping Howlfire to smooth things over. Who knew, perhaps it would give the young thunderclanner something to think about on the way home. ​

When you're lost in the universe don't lose faith​

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[Howlfire]

"Tch, your perception clearly needs some work still," Howlfire teased when he responded to her laughter. His suggestion had been earnest, and if things weren't as strained as they were, it was definitely something she would have jumped at.

She raises a brow at his offer to speak to Skypaw on her behalf if she didn't attend the gathering but he did. She's surprised by the suggestion, but oddly touched that he would put himself forward to do such a task. "Well, my suggestion intended for us to do so together...but I appreciate the offer," She mewed softly, a shy smile forming on her lips. "If you want to try though, I won't stop you. Just don't put yourself at risk of getting your ears clawed off for little old me, okay?" Howlfire bumped his shoulder with her own. "You already have your own family drama to contend with, no need to add mine on top of it."​