[Deleted]

do your duty in all things
never wish to do less
========

Moons had passed since she broke her leg on that stupid hole. Hollowcry had sat there and laughed his furry little tail off, but the other member of their patrol? Nettlefur had actually done something to help.

Since that day where she leaned on another for support, the walls around Slatenose's heart had been breaking down. The stillness of Smokefur's den nearly drove her mad with boredom, but he came by to liven up her life a bit. A fresh meal with each visit, maybe a story about a patrol or a hunting mishap, but always a flame. He sat next to her and spoke with her and kept her company, and slowly the heat radiated off of him and began to melt her heart.

Their friendship had taken her by surprise. It didn't really hit her until someone asked her where her friend was. "Who?" she asked in confusion. Slatenose didn't have friends. "Nettlefur" came the reply. Oh. Maybe she did have a friend, after all.

That little conversation caused Slatenose to open up her world, just a little bit. Her life was no longer about the next patrol or the next order. She opened her eyes and saw NightClan for the first time. Mates sharing tongues. Elders sharing stories. Siblings sharing prey. Kittens sharing fun. Friends sharing laughter. She suddenly felt like a kit again, new to the world and how it worked. She saw the deep relationships that drove the Clan -- the love, the jealousy, the blood, even the hate. Her injury healed, she returned to normal life with a new perspective.

Ducking low, she exited the warrior's den and made her way to the fresh-kill pile, selecting a mouse to break her fast. Mice, small though they might be, filled her and tasted the best. She settled to one side of the large cavern, devouring her meal in a few short bites. Looking around, she groomed herself and hoped, just a little bit, that a certain tom would come walking her way.

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slatenose ║ warrior ║ nightclan
nimble ║ tagged
336 ║ words
woo i finally posted this~ ║ notes
robert e. lee ║ quote

[Deleted]

A small patrol filed in to NightClan's camp. First came Mothstorm, followed closely by Frogsplash. Then, a few heartbeats later, a mottled tabby strode through the entrance, as relaxed as ever. He padded in to the dark cave that NightClan called their home by memory alone, his eyes not yet adjusted to its dark interior.

Their patrol had been uneventful. The border was quiet. As his eyes adjusted, he watched his two companions head towards the warrior's den. The two had been on an earlier hunting patrol, the tom recalled. Blinking, he scanned the camp again. Near the fresh-kill pile, Slatenose was finishing her meal. Mouse, Nettlefur had observed, was her favorite. Warmth filling his belly, he made his way to her. Purring quietly, he greeted her with a flick of his whiskers, careful to keep his distance. Though he seemed to have befriended the she-cat over the winter, he was respectful of any boundaries she might have. Never without her permission.

"Good evening, Slatenose," he mewed, good humor evident in his voice. "Care for a stroll through the pines?"

Character; Nettlefur
Word count; 180
Notes; ~

[Deleted]

do your duty in all things
never wish to do less
========

A familiar scent came over her and she looked up from her mouse to find an amused Nettlefur standing next to her.

"Good evening, Slatenose. Care for a stroll through the pines?"

She eyes the fresh-kill at her paws and took one choice bite before burying the bones. She stretched luxuriously, enjoying the new-leaf sun.

"I'd love to," she finally responded, cleaning her paws and face before rising to four paws. As they walked out of camp, she stole glances at the tom out of the corner of her eyes. He truly was a friend, she thought, simply enjoying walking with him. The silence stretched, but the lack of speech was soothing. Birds chirped overhead and the new-leaf forest shaded their path.

"Where were you?" she finally asked her companion. His absence during the day was duly noted, but he had suddenly appeared to her during her satisfying meal, and she wasn't exactly sure what he had spent his time doing. Slatenose enjoyed listening to Nettlefur; his voice was calming and he always had interesting stories. She waited patiently, wanting to hear what adventures he had participated in.

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slatenose ║ warrior ║ nightclan
nimble: nettlefur ║ tagged
192 ║ words
the muse was not strong in this one ║ notes
robert e. lee ║ quote

[Deleted]

Nettlefur accompanied Slatenose out of the camp, blinking as his eyes readjusted to the outdoor light from the dark cavern that was NightClan's home. They traveled in silence for a time, the ambient sounds of the coniferous forest filling the warm newleaf air. A few patches of snow remained between the pines, but most had melted away. The gray she-cat at his side finally broke the silence, and his blotched eyes slid over to her, ears cocked fondly towards her.

"Ravenstar sent me on a patrol with Frogsplash and Mothstorm," he told her, his tail waving contentedly. He adjusted his pace to match hers, slowing a bit, adding, "The RainClan border was quiet." He fell silent for a moment, taking to gaze at her for a moment. She was looking much better, and had filled out some. While she was ill, Slatenose had grown thin, despite Nettlefur's efforts to keep her well fed. He'd stay out in the snow, hunting for hours to bring her prey. The warrior himself had only caught minor whitecough, among the first to become ill, and among the first to recover. Smokefur had warned him against it, and Featherpaw had simply raised her brow at him, but he'd remained unphased, bringing her whatever he could get his claws on, never letting on to what it took.

Her illness had frightened Nettlefur, and her recovery delighted him. Seeing her pelt raised from her bones, her breath coming easily, he let out a purr. Something overcame him briefly and he stooped to lick her cheek affectionately.

Character; Nettlefur
Word count; 259
Notes; lul to cats even have brows can I say that

[Deleted]

do your duty in all things
never wish to do less
========

She listened to his short narrative of his day, letting the warm tones of his voice washed over her. Whether she recognized it or not, Slatenose had come to associate his voice with warmth, food, and company. It was a pleasant feeling, she knew. Her life had been long void of any such friendship. Forty-something moons constant work and no play had turned her into a bitter cat, but she knew now what she had been missing. She couldn't make up for those long moons alone, but maybe now she could learn to live life fully. They padded along in comfortable silence, the she-cat comforted by Nettlefur's mere presence. Lost in thought, her focus was suddenly broken by a roughly gentle tongue on her cheek and a small purr.

Her steps hesitated for a second, thrown off by the change in rhythm. Suddenly shy, she turned her head away from him as they walked, mind whirling. He licked me?! This was the first time any cat had shown her any affection. Suddenly Slatenose felt like an apprentice again, lost and confused in the ways of the world. She needed a mentor, someone to guide her and explain the nuances like Roug--

No. Not like her old mentor. He was as fun as a rock, and hit harder anyways. She didn't need a cat to treat her like he had. She needed someone different. Someone who cared for her. The answer suddenly clear in her mind, Slatenose fartted talking.

"When I was a kit, I was normal. Bouncy, happy, curious... I had the natural energy of a kit. But once I was apprenticed, my mentor beat that out of me. Each battle training was a fight with TreeClan, each hunting practice was catching the last squirrel for the Clan. Any failure meant my Clanmates died, and I didn't want that. He used my innocence to mold me into a selfless warrior who only thought about the good of the Clan." Her breath hitched before she continued. "For around forty moons I have enslaved myself to the well being of NightClan. And as much as I want to keep taking care of my Clan, I can't keep abandoning myself."

Slatenose stopped all movement, shutting her jaw and ceasing her walk. Where did that come from? Shame filled her as she realized just how weak she had been, to open up to Nettlefur like that. "I'm sorry," she spoke quickly, making a hasty apology. "I shouldn't have..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say or do or anything. Slatenose focused her vision on her paws and prayed Nettlefur would let her down easy. There was no way he could handle someone as brainwashed as her.

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slatenose ║ warrior ║ nightclan
nimble: nettlefur ║ tagged
453 ║ words
she's getting ready to open up <3 ║ notes
robert e. lee ║ quote

[Deleted]

When Slatenose broke her stride, Nettlefur broke his, beside her. His ears flicked back, concerned, as she turned her face from him. The anger that swelled within him was directed at, and only at, himself. He should never have made such a gesture without her initiating the exchange, or without asking first. It was remorse that drove him step to the side, to a more reasonable distance from his friend. It had been unfair of him.

But now his attention was brought back to his companion as she spoke. He gazed at her gently, fondly, as she divulged what he knew had been caught in her throat like old prey for StarClan-knew-how-long. He nodded slightly as he spoke, speckled eyes seeking hers. Cruel cats shoudn't be mentors, he believed. He shuddered to think what would have happened to Hazepaw, should he have been apprenticed to another warrior of NightClan. The familiar pain made his belly churn with the agony of losing his apprentice, but he pushed it down. Now was not the time.

The tortoiseshell tom was listening intently to what she was saying, fascinated. Even as the words caught for a moment, he drew closer to her, carefully this time. Then she halted. The warrior turned to face her, shaking his head at her apology. "No, no; don't apologize. I'm glad you did." He moved slowly to nuzzle her, giving her ample time to move away or reject his advances. "And I understand. And I admire you."

Character; Nettlefur
Word count; 248
Notes; ~

[Deleted]

do your duty in all things
never wish to do less
========

"I admire you."

He what? Slatenose turned her face up then, looking at him quizzically. She allowed the nuzzle to meet her face briefly, but confusion still graced her features, the continual scowl becoming more pronounced.

"You admire me?" she finally asked. "Why? Why in St.arClan would you?" It was one of the stupidest things she'd heard. "I do things out of habit. I don't have friends. I'm horrible at relating to my Clanmates. Why?" She couldn't figure out what Nettlefur meant. All previous revelations of the way cats related to each other flew out of her mind as she thought about just how flawed she was.

Her old mentor -- she dare not even think his name -- made it so even her mother didn't recognize her. How horrible was that? She had been completely redone, inside and out. Slatekit had truly disappeared over the course of those moons. Slatepaw, and eventually the stoic, stone-cold Slatenose, had instead taken her place in the Clan. Granted, Slatenose had proven herself a valuable asset. She fought with intensity, hunted with voracity, and was passionate about anything regarding NightClan's future. Her scars told a story of their own, the scowl, tight leg, and marred pelt showing the pain she had carried for NightClan.

But now, what was she? No better than a mindless tool to be used until her reserves of strength were gone? The senior warrior shook her head and waited, unsure if she wanted Nettlefur to answer her questions or not. She felt desperate, emotions boiling up inside of her after being dormant for so long. Her entire being on edge, she paused, wondering whether she would be pushed over or pulled back from the cliff she dangled over.

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slatenose ║ warrior ║ nightclan
nimble: nettlefur ║ tagged
294 ║ words
i lost my muse a bit for this one... let's see where this goes i guess ║ notes
robert e. lee ║ quote