Post by BlooRey DVD on Jan 29, 2016 17:47:58 GMT -5
Pale ambers eyes drifted open, the tom tired of squeezing them closed in a desperate attempt to coax forth sleep. He gave a soft sigh of defeat, lifting his head from his paws. His gaze wandered to the sleeping form of Frozenrain beside him, a softness in his amber orbs a reflection of the love he felt in his heart. He wanted to reach forward and bury his nose in her downy-soft fur, but refrained for fear of disturbing his sleeping mate. For the moment, he would need to content himself with simply seeing her.
The StoneClan leader's gaze eventually wandered to the entrance of his den. The cool air weaved its way through to the back of the den, where the pair lay together. It felt almost as though it were beckoning him. A strange restlessness coursed through his veins, his mind wandering to the events that had unfolded this Leafbare. It had been moons since he'd experienced anything as cold or as prey-less as this. Despite their best efforts, StoneClan had suffered. His head lowered sadly, his thoughts drifting to those who they had lost already. Cricketleap had been far too young to lose her life to this.
Another heavy sigh left his lungs, and he felt Frozenrain stir beside him. Knowing he'd wake her unintentionally if he stayed any longer, the big StoneClan tom rose to his paws as carefully as he could. He picked his way out of their nest, doing his best to leave Frozenrain as undisturbed as he could. Once clear of the nest, he let himself slip into a stretch, feeling his bones pop into place. A content rumble reverberated softly in his throat, the sandy brown leader straightening as he finished.
His paws carried him out the entrance of his den, Hawkstar ducking slightly as he stepped out beneath the moon's light. The skies were clear tonight, Silverpelt alive with the soft glittering of their ancestors high above. He sent a prayer to StarClan, hoping that Firecloud and Cricketleap had made it safely, and pleading that Redpaw would not join them just yet. His breath billowed from his mouth in a cloud, amber eyes scanning the quiet area below. He hadn't been expecting to see anyone out at this hour; his ears pricked forward as a familiar figure moved into the centre of the clearing before taking a seat.
StoneClan's leader blinked slowly, as though considering his options. Deciding that he didn't exactly have that many options to choose from, he picked his way down from his den, paws landing on level ground with the StoneClan deputy. Hawkstar approached slowly, not wanting to intrude on any personal reflection Wolfclaw may have been partaking in. His shoulders swayed as he moved, his frame filled mostly by muscle now; even he was affected by the famine that had raked the Clans. He was far more likely to give his meal to someone else than take it for himself. After all, the rest of his Clan had only one life to live.
As he lowered himself into a seat beside Wolfclaw, his tail wrapped around his paws. He followed his deputy's gaze to the stars above, letting the silence reign for a moment longer. Another cloud of steam rose from his mouth before he turned his attention on the gray tom at his side. "Leafbare has not been kind to us this year." He remarked, his weight shifting fractionally. "Care to share whatever is on your mind with an old, pensive soul?" He cracked a smile in the silver light, his earlier tension easing in the presence of this gray tom.
Wolfclaw had helped him see StoneClan through difficult times before. If that was not reason enough to trust the other tom with all of his remaining lives, then he didn't know what was. He couldn't help but wonder if the two of them shared similar worries, or if they both saw things in a different light. There really was but one way of finding out.
Amber
