[Abyss]

Things had settled down. Temporarily, at least. There was still so much work to do. So much planning, so much work around camp, so much marking and patrolling. Gorgeclan still had a long way to go. But they had only managed to get everyone into the new camp about a week ago, if that. They had spent so much stressful time with the Tribe in the mountains, and then the trek to get here, and clearing out all the dens and getting basic nests. He wanted to at least let everyone have a little bit of actual relaxation. It would give everyone time to meet and get to know their new clanmates, which he hoped wouldn’t cause too many problems. Or, at least if there were any, they would wait until later.

The large white tom had just returned from a patrol himself, alongside multiple other Warriors and a few older Apprentices, making sure to include cats from multiple of the previous clans. They had managed to get some scent markings down in the more well-known locations, only venturing close enough to one of the borders to see it in the distance. It was still hard to tell where exactly the lines were yet, so he made it a point not to cross too far into what could be assumed was the terrain of another clan.

He deposited a pair of birds into the section of camp set aside for the prey pile, allowing the others to do the same before he took a minute to breathe. There were cats out and about, some in tight knit groups, others wandering, some alone. It was hard to tell exactly how everything was going when you couldn’t be a part of every conversation at once. It was a little bit nerve-wracking, honestly. Practically all he could do was watch and hope that he wouldn’t have to jump in and stop any arguments or fights.

A flash of movement caught his singular eye and he turned slightly, spotting a familiar coat on the other side of camp. A tiny smile crossed his maw as he stood and walked towards the other tom, briefly nodding to the other to catch his attention.

“Brackenstride.” He greeted him simply, stopping at the other’s side. He glanced around the camp for a moment, watching a few of his previous patrol members sharing some of their caught prey with friends or family. “We managed to get the edge of the woods near the meadows marked, pretty well I think. That’s one thing all of us are gonna have to figure out together, is where we will actually set the borders. I imagine that will be a very biased conversation when it happens…” He sighed, dreading the day that this meeting had to happen. Though, who it would actually consist of was, for the most part, unknown. Cloverstar and Owlstar, of course, but for them…that was something he had attempted not to think on too much. For now anyway.

He looked to the co-Deputy at his side, giving the other tom a gentle nudge with the lower half of his shoulder. “What about you, how have you been holding up?”

| "Speaking." | Thinking. |

| Words: 531 | Tags: Fawn |
| Notes: notes here |

[Fawn]

Brackenstride had given up on being everywhere at once. On fixing every problem. I don't know how you did this regularly, Dad. It's enough to drive anyone insane from the pressure. In his eyes, he had overcome the biggest hurdle - getting this new Clan assembled, and it was thanks to Whitehawk that it was even possible. Once the new Clan was 'settled' in enough that certain cats could feel argumentative or pushy, Brackenstride had told it to them straight: "I'm not a kit-sitter. You can either carry your weight and help this be successful, or you can take a short jump off the ledge and save us all the headache."

Obviously he didn't expect anyone to throw themselves off the camp island, but the message was clear as rain water. Earn your keep or get out. With aching paws that were not used to this rough, and at times unwelcome terrain, Brackenstride had settled into a semi-secluded portion of GorgeClan's Camp to pick the pebbles and grit out of his paw pads, falling into a rhythm that was almost soothing. It... made him miss his mother terribly, in this moment. A lull of memory settled over him like the shadow from a dove's wing, and he closed his eyes, letting it wash over. A cozy nursery, milk scent and warm fur, the low thrum of a purring voice...

“Brackenstride.”

Reality thrust back into Brackenstride's peace like so many thorns, and he grimaced for a butterfly's wingbeat before rising to his paws, one golden ear rotating to catch Whitehawk's report. Marking the borders. Right. Brackenstride openly snorted, moving with the white-furred warrior somewhere more private to express his thoughts. "StarClan, I hate politics. It's gonna be a power move to see where we even have the conversation about what borders are whose. Offer that Cloverstar a single tree and she'll try to take the whole forest." Aware that he was about to sink into a foul mood, he found Whitehawk's gentle nudge a welcome reminder. "I mean, I'm above ground. The Clan hasn't imploded yet. Our crazy idea is working so far." It was an answer, but it wasn't a true answer. Quietly, in something just above a whisper, he glanced to Whitehawk. "I...hope there are simpler days ahead. I feel like I spent my youth being too much of a mousebrain to realize how good peace really is."

_{Abyss || 380~ Words || I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG OMG}