- Jan 1, 2023
- 497
- 142
- 43
"Alright, gather around!" On the outskirts of the sandy ravine, the spotted tabby leaned with his flank against a tree and sharp eyes scanning the few cats who hadn't been sent on patrols that day. It felt almost cruel, to have complained so readily about the cloistered dens and lack of time to decompress from it all, only to have his wishes granted in the form of death, disease, and hunger. Silversmoke had never been serious in his prayer, but now that he seemed to speak them with urgency, they went unheard and unanswered. SkyClan, as always, would have to deal with it by themselves, and he was more than happy to carry his share of the burden if it meant getting to see the next sunrise. He turned his head to Crowpaw, jaws tight from words that he needed to speak but could not. Instead, he gestured his head and swished his tail towards the crowd, hoping to urge the boy to listen even if he'd never been keen on muddying his claws. Fighting was a necessity in life, one he only knew how to cope with by enjoying it and the taste of blood between his teeth - Stars knows how his apprentice would function if he couldn't find his own method of dealing with it.
The future was a long way away, darkened by the events of the present. Silver tried not to think about it, not when the path ahead was murky for the lot of them. "We are under attack, that much is certain, we need to shape up if we want to keep our catches and stand a chance against these rogues." How many were there? How many SkyClanners could fight? How many wanted to? The uncertainties left his claws curling in the mud - strategy was so much easier when one actually knew things, but the Lead Warrior felt like a Twoleg in the dark. "We have one clear advantage." He looked around, then to his own heavy paws. "Most of us have one clear advantage. You." With a ghostly pink nose, Silversmoke pointed to an idle face in the crowd. "What is our biggest advantage in battle? Besides knowing the territory and the like." The answer was obvious, he thought; he just needed an in to explain what they were learning without losing the crowd's attention entirely.
[ apprentice tag : @CROWPAW! ]
