[Hellion]

Coalmask! NightClan Warriors Forty-TWo Moons TAG Abyss WORDS 275~ NOTES say something nice

Staring outward as rain fell from the clouds, Coalmask regarded the weather in quiet disdain. His heavy coat didn't allow him to enjoy the water. It clung to his fur, weighed him down to the point of discomfort. Not to mention it took too long for him to dry properly. An annoy damp feeling following him around wherever he went post-soak.  Yet, as he watched the rain patter against the ground he knew he'd have to brave it at point or another. His mother's strict upbringing didn't leave much space for him to be neglectful. He had duties to attend to, hunts to join and perhaps some training. Grateful not to have an apprentice during the rainier seasons of the year, Coalmask knew he couldn't slack.  His chest heaved, sighing loudly for those nearby to hear. Not that'd he welcome conversation. In fact he had no interest talking to his denmates. It would only prolong the inevitable.  Pulling together his inner conviction to get up and out, a fleeting she-cat caught his attention. Brindlemask, he only knew of her because of their similar names. Picking his steps carefully to avoid the few puddles in camp, Coalmask followed after her. "Brindlemask! Are you going hunting? Could I join you" Hunting in pairs meant getting it done and over sooner. The less he stayed out in the rain better, even as he waited for her reply it felt his fur start to soak up water. Flattening down the plume of his tail and scruff.

MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0

[Abyss]

Rain. It was both a blessing and a curse. When one wished to hide their scent, rain falling from the sky was a good way to do so. If a cat were to be hunting near a water source, rain could cover any quieter sounds that they made. But it also meant that the water would soak into fur, weighing down any cat who happened to be out in it. There were some cats who despised water, some that loved it, and some that didn’t care. Brindlemask was one who didn’t care.

As the torbie she-cat emerged from under a small rocky overhang she had used for brief cover, her normally fluffy tail appearing much more thin and flattened, she felt droplets of water hitting against her fur that was already smoothed down with water, quickly finding themselves at her skin. A chill ran down her spine at the feeling, but she shook it off. She had more important things to do than focus on the rain.

Amber-brown eyes blinking a few times at the sky, she turned and began to walk. Not anywhere in particular. She just walked, mouth slightly opened in case there was any prey nearby. But then she heard a voice call out to her. Her steps ceased and she turned her head back to find a black and white figure making their way towards her. Based on the black face and mostly white body, as well as the large amount of fur that appeared to be flattening by the second from the rain, she assumed that this was Coalmask. Though, she wasn’t sure what exactly he would have wanted. This question was answered as he called out asking if she was going hunting and if he could join her. Curious. This was the second time that a cat she didn’t interact with much had wished to join her on one of her excursions.

“If you wish to join me, then you may, ” she said calmly, turning once more to continue on her walk.

338
Hellion

[Hellion]

Coalmask! NightClan Warriors Forty-Two Moons TAG @name WORDS count here NOTES say something nice

Coalmask dipped his head at her words. Thank you," He muttered politetly. Walking beside Brindlemask the grey-black tom studied the undergrowth. Rain made it difficult to hunt. Scents were muddled together. Prey rarely ventured out to explore, preferring to be safe in their nests. Where Coalmask secretly wanted to be. Pushing the thought from his head, he attempted to focus more on the task at paw. Find some internal motivation to make sure he didn't miss anything of value while walking. The hum of the rain provided much-needed sound to the otherwise quiet talk. The rain's song offered a cushion so their pawsteps weren't detected. Nevermind that fact it also meant his paws would be covered in mud for days. Oh, how he longed for the dry moons of early Greenleaf. Gradually finding himself wandering away from Brindlemask, Coalmask paused. The distinct sound of ribbiting caught his attention. They had made their way to the muddy pools, the perfect place for finding frogs. One of the few creatures to venture out during the rain. Returning to Brindlemask's side, he vied for her attention. I hear frogs," His voice barely above a whisper. The last thing he wanted was for the frogs to hop away before they got the chance to grab a few.

MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0

Abyss

[Abyss]

BRINDLEMASK

TELL ME BABY, WHAT'S YOUR STORY? As the two cats walked in silence, there was a moment of dejavu as the torbie she-cat realized that something like this had happened before. Only the previous time had been with Frostjaw. Only somewhat intrigued by the odd occurrences, she continued walking forward, her mouth just barely open. She hadn’t really noticed when Coalmask began to wander away from her until he made his way back, movement from him out of the corner of her eye catching her attention. As she turned, amber eyes scanning his face, her ears twitched as she heard him whisper that there were frogs nearby. A very small nod was given in response as she walked silently towards him. She began to go in the direction he had been, fur just brushing over his as she passed. She didn’t go far before she also heard the ribbiting, causing her movements to cease. Her ears both perked and slowly rotated on her head in different directions, looking for the source of the croaks. One of her ears stopped when she found the direction that one was coming from, but she also heard another. When she finally did find both ways that the croaking came from, she noted that they were not too far from each other, but far enough that if she and Coalmask were quiet enough, perhaps they could catch them both. Her head slightly turned, her tail lifting and motioning in the direction that one of the frogs was in. She began to take slow and quiet steps in a slightly different direction, going for the frog that was more to the left of her and leaving the frog to the right for Coal. As she walked, each step deliberate and careful, she watched for any sign of movement, ears still swivelling to listen for any changes in direction. After a small amount of time, the dark she-cat froze. The frog she planned to go for had just jumped through the bushes ahead of her. Her body slowly lowered to the ground and her eyes locked on the creature, pupils thin and body suddenly a mix of tense and relaxed at the same time. She very slowly began to walk forward towards the frog, noticing the fact that she couldn’t really get around to the back of it like she had done before. It was facing sideways, so she needed to be careful. Each pawstep she took was very slow and quiet, for she couldn’t risk scaring off the prey by being quick. As she got closer, she found herself freezing each time that it slightly turned its head. When it came to frogs it was hard to tell if they saw you unless you were behind them, so each time the frog would shift, she couldn’t move. Finally, her chance arrived. The frog was turning and seemed to be intent on going the other way. As it did start to hop in the opposite direction, she quickly began to walk forward again, trying to keep her pawsteps quiet still as she did so. When the frog stopped, she slowed her pace, but kept going until she was within leaping distance. She waited, now frozen in place about a fox-length away from it. She listened for the croaking, tail twitching each time it did. When it croaked the third time, she launched herself forward, paws slamming down on the back of the frog. It let out a few panicked croaks before it went silent. WHERE YOU COME FROM AND WHERE YOU WANNA GO THIS TIME? WARRIORESS OF NIGHTCLAN

581 | Hellion

[Hellion]

Coalmask! NightClan Warriors Forty-Two Moons TAG Abyss WORDS count here NOTES say something nice

Taking direction from Bindlemask, the black and grey tom headed for the opposite frog. Unlucky for him, the frog ventured further into the muddy pools. Forcing back the groan for getting his paws even more wet, Coalmask followed aftr the prey. At first, he tried to avoid stepping into the pools. Playing a sort of game by only using various tree limbs or rocks to get around. He was forced to give that up fairly quickly as the frog ventured deeper into the pools. Fewer tree limbs were suitable for jumping. Forgoing his attempt to keep his paw dry, Coalmask waded into the water. Remembering which pools were too deep, the tom-cat managed to line himself up with the frog. Only a few steps away and low to the ground. He lept forward. Claws pinning down to the frog, a bite ending its slimy life. Turning to see Brindlemask a few tail-lengths away. Coalmask headed in her direction. Frog hanging from his jaw by the foot. "Nice catch," He commented around the frog, dropping his at his paws. "We should try and find more, with leafbare coming we need all that we can get," Turning to look back toward the muddy pools, he ignored the feeling of dread. His Clan needed focused members. He couldn't let himself get sidetracked.

MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0

[Abyss]

BRINDLEMASK

TELL ME BABY, WHAT'S YOUR STORY? Lifting the now lifeless frog from the ground with her jaws, the torbie she-cat looked around her, seeking out somewhere to bury her catch so she could come back for it later. Momentarily, she forgot the fact that she wasn’t alone, but once the acknowledgment of Coalmask’s presence came back to her, she turned and began walking in the direction he had gone. Surprising to her, he had gone further away than she predicted, so the frog must have seen him, or at least that was what she predicted. She could only hope that it hadn’t been another Frostjaw situation: the large white tom hadn’t wanted to get his large amount of fur dirty. As the black and white tom came into view, her steps came to a stop, just in case he hadn’t caught the frog yet. Luckily, she watched as he lifted his head with the frog hanging from his jaws. When he spotted her, he came wading back towards her, dropping his frog at their paws when he was on more solid ground. As he spoke, her amber-brown eyes watched his facial expression, her frog still hanging from her jaws. For a split second she thought she saw something in his expression, but she pushed this thought aside to listen to what he said. She nodded at his statement, turning and walking to the nearest tree, her claws unsheathing as she began to dig down into the roots of the tree. She formed a relatively decent sized hole before placing her catch within the darkness, leaving enough room for Coalmask to leave his there as well. She waited only a minute before she turned, padding further into the swamp where she knew more frogs would be. Her steps held no hesitation as her paws sunk into the more watery and muddy portions of the ground, avoiding the areas that appeared deeper than the rest. Unusual, Brindlemask found herself in an area that appeared to have hardly any solid ground. Minus the trees and a few boulders, everything appeared to be water and mud. Anywhere that did look solid were patches she could only assume were mud. As she scanned the area, she took notice that in the far distance she could just barely see a slight shimmer of straight water. They were getting closer to the river, but were still in the Muddy Pools, which explained the lack of ground. Turning her head towards the sky, she spotted a somewhat low branch from one of the trees whose roots went every which way around the base and through the water. She made her way closer to the base of the tree, hooking her claws on the bark and pulling herself upwards, managing to reach for the low branch and get herself up onto it. She then turned, checking to see if Coalmask had even followed her or if she had accidentally left him behind. WHERE YOU COME FROM AND WHERE YOU WANNA GO THIS TIME? WARRIORESS OF NIGHTCLAN

487 | Hellion

[Hellion]

Coalmask! NightClan Warriors Forty-Two Moons TAG Abyss WORDS count here NOTES say something nice

His catch joining her's, Coalmask followed after his hunting partner. Activetly fighting back the urge to turn tail and leave behind the muddy pools for sturdier ground. However, he forced himself to keep moving onward. Ignoring the hatred of his paws and fur getting muddy. The further he walked the easier it was to daydream. The idea of catching a large duck or crane came to him. He'd proudly present such a catch for all the clan to feast upon. Muddy fur be damned. Gradually growing uneasy the further out they got, Coalmask paused having caught the scent of prey. Following it, he managed to divert from following Brindlemask. Poorly hidden in the roots of a half-sunken tree was the remains of some sort of birds nest. Curious, Coalmask ventured closer to find five eggs settled neatly in the damp nest. Venturing to touch an egg with a for paw he found them still warm. Their mother must have just left or been devoured by something else hunting in the swamp. "Brindlemask! I found eggs!" He called out for her, excited for the find. Just after speaking, something shifted. Unsure of how it stared, all Coalmask knew was something bad had happened. The tree started to move, muddy water bubbling up. Panic formed in Coalmask's chest, turning to escape the sinking tree, his face was caught by the roots. Unable to get out right away, he yowled. "HELP!" For the first time in a long time he prayed StarClan could hear him and get Brindlemask's attention.

MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0

[Abyss]

BRINDLEMASK

TELL ME BABY, WHAT'S YOUR STORY? The torbie she-cat’s narrowed eyes scanned the swamp ahead of her, looking for any signs of movement. Her ears slowly rotated on the top of her head, tips twitching at every little sound. Her tail held still behind her, hung prone in the falling rain, yet she didn’t seem to notice as drops hit. Surely there had to be more prey, frogs or toads at the least. It was unlikely that everything had chosen to hide away from the falling water. Despite knowing that she wasn’t alone, Brindlemask had nearly forgotten about Coalmask, or just assumed that he had chosen to go off and hunt on his own. It wasn’t until she heard her name called not too far away in the direction one would take to leave this muddy terrain that she realized he was still technically with her. Hearing his words, one of her ears flicked. Truthfully, she wasn’t all that interested in bird eggs. She had never eaten one, nor had she really seen anyone else do so either, so why did they matter? She couldn’t answer this, yet she still found herself turning her body, walking across the low-hanging branch she found herself on. Her pace was relatively slow, since she knew it wasn’t too far and that his find wouldn’t get up and run away like prey would. She reached the end of the stable portion of the branch before leaping gracefully down onto one of the many large roots that protruded from the muddy waters. It was at this moment that she heard Coalmask call out once more. But it was different. It was a yowl for help. Motivation and instinct kicking in, Brindlemask leaped forward, jumping quickly from root to root and eyes looking around to find her companion. Just as she jumped passed a larger tree, she spotted dirty white fur within the roots of another nearby tree. Coming to a sudden and nearly dangerous stop on a root, she jumped towards the tree, landing in the murky swamp. She made one final leap before reaching where she now clearly saw Coalmask trapped within the winding roots of the tree, the surrounding water slowly seeping into the roots with him. If he didn’t get untangled from the roots quickly, that water would end up completely covering him, if the roots didn’t end up around his neck first. That realization setting in fast, she lifted both front paws from the mud and used her claws to begin tearing at the roots, some stronger than others and not ripping as easily. She wouldn’t be able to get rid of all of them, and she knew this. But she did know that if she could at least destroy enough of them to get a hold of him, they had a chance. Her eyes narrowing and pupils thinning, she slammed one clawed paw through the roots, making sure she didn’t hit Coal, and opening a medium-sized hole within the tangle. She shoved her head through the roots, clamping her jaws down on Coalmask as close to his scruff as she could get. She planted one paw against the base of the tree and used the other to continue clawing through the roots, pulling on the larger tom as hard as she could. WHERE YOU COME FROM AND WHERE YOU WANNA GO THIS TIME? WARRIORESS OF NIGHTCLAN

546 | Hellion

[Hellion]

Coalmask! NightClan Warriors Forty-Two Moons TAG Abyss WORDS count here NOTES say something nice

Grateful of Brindlemask' arrival. Coalmask quicked his own efforts for escape. The thought of yummy protein filled eggs were forgotten. Survival pushing him forward. Catching on to Brindlemask of breaking down the exposed roots. The black and grey tom joined in. Clawing frantically at the roots, relief filled him once they started to splinter and break away. Freedom was closer with each passing moment. A shower of splinters caught him by surprise, turning away to avoid the wood pieces landing in his eye. Coalmask felt this scruff being pulled at. Doing his best to aid Brindlemask, Coalmask kicked off to help propel him out of the sinking tree. Tumbling out of his near-death trap, he landed in sprawled out in the thick mud. Head barely able to stay up above the gunk. His panic expression morphed into one of blissful relief. Pushing to sit up slightly, his legs still shakey for the escape. Coalmask gave himself a few solid shakes. "Thank you," He managed to mutter, heart still pounding.

MADE BY VEL OF GS, WW + ADOX 2.0