SILVERSMOKE
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- Jan 1, 2023
- 497
- 142
- 43
"They're not monsters, just mousebrains." Monsters had gaping maws, signaled danger, made his fur stand to attention and his tail bristle as if preparing to be struck down at any moment. He'd never feared a WindClanner striking him down, but his gut still curdled as his fleeting attention fell to individual members of the patrol who had not been so lucky. A stray claw, a random bite, the little things could take lives - how could anyone keep track of such little things? Moving by himself with a pace like a petering tempest, Silversmoke quickly scoured the camp, finding the conversation around him drowned out by the drumming of blood in his ears. Thankfully, they were un-nicked, though the same couldn't be said for other parts of his body, clawed and bit at like he was a street cat back in the Twolegplace. His fur, thick as newleaf snow, concealed most of it, but the silvers still matted together with a mixture of his blood and the blood of his opponent. A pair of mint green eyes staring at him provided both comfort and a sudden burst of self-consciousness.
For a time though, he was able to push it away. Moving forward, step staggered with exhaustion, he met Auburnflame's affection firmly, purring as he brushed his non-stained cheek against the other's. 'Safe' was objective, but he lacked the heart to criticise, the relief on their face was enough to give the Lead Warrior pause. There was a selfishness to his battle style, victory regardless of personal cost, just as he expected his clan to conform to. Now he wasn't sure he could afford to be so selfish - he'd found someone to fight for, but now he'd found out how much it meant to stay alive, not just win. Wordless for a time, Auburnflame's question caused him to blink firmly, hoping it might just remove the fatigue from his eyes. It didn't. "It's nothing." His tone betrayed him. Physically it was nothing, wounds that would heal given enough time in the medicine den but mentally, things didn't make sense. They had the advantage, but even he hadn't been able to sink his teeth into a WindClanner's neck - what in StarClan's name had they done wrong? What in StarClan's name had he done wrong? So many possibilities ran through his head, each like an ant bobbing in and out of an open hill and Silversmoke couldn't keep track of whether it was a new thought or a different one crawling to the surface.
"Just... it was a stalemate, that's all." Personally, not for the rest of the clan. He offered a smile for Auburnflame and Auburnflame alone, blue eye giving an involuntary twitch as pain shot up his right shoulder. "I'm just happy to be home, I'm happy to see you." There'd been a chance, however slim, that he'd have never seen Auburnflame's face again. It was that realisation that made him bump his head against the calico once more, eyes closing as he tried to commit his scent to memory.