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Post by Fawn on Aug 9, 2016 20:18:17 GMT -5
[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]
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62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan Eagletalon had nothing to say about the irony of their proximity to RainClan being what saved them; carrying a large soaked ball of moss, he felt the water droplets cool his throat and chest, unable to fully avoid getting damp fur on his way to the nursery.
"I've brought some water," he mewed, having squeezed through the narrow rocky opening into the cool nursery, stepping on eagle feathers and sparrow-down on his way to the middle of the den. He saw Windsong blink gratefully at him from her nest in the corner, and rise to take a few much needed licks of water. "Where's Duskflower?"
"Gone to visit Dawnblossom, I think?" Windsong paused to answer only for a moment.
Eagletalon nodded. That answer made sense. Those two she-cats were very close. Fortunately, there were no kits in the nursery at the moment, but it was nice and cool and sheltered from the harsh sun and hot wind. It was considerably cooler inside their rocky dens then it was outside, where the wind-scoured rock stung even a StoneClan cat's tough paw pads.
"I'll try to bring back more water, then. Hungry? Vipertail and Ospreywing brought back a couple sparrows."
"Thanks," the queen finished drinking and squeezed out of the nursery first, Eagletalon letting her go while he stopped to survey the dark interior. Funny, StoneClan could change so much—faces came and went—but places like these? They stayed the same. Mudslides, floods, snowstorms, droughts. That was the great thing about living in a territory of stone; call it harsh, but it was durable.
They may not have TreeClan's forests, or RainClan's rivers, or LightningClan's prey-rich moorlands, but they had survivability. And that, in Eagletalon's opinion, was the best of all. --- Word Count: 298 Words Tags: @zen Notes: xD Short and kinda lousy, sorry!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2016 10:35:12 GMT -5
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl and I've come to know that the world won't change just 'cause I complain. Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl.
As she made her way back to the nursery from visiting her sister, Duskflower sighed. It was so lonely in there right now. Windsong was wonderful, but she wasn't a kit. What was a nursery without kits? She glanced around, wondering if any of the she-cats her gaze traveled over would be having any soon. She paused as Windsong made her way from the nursery. Well, it looked like she would have some time to herself for a while. Her tail flicked as she made her way inside and nearly ran right into Eagletalon.
“Oh! I'm so sorry Eagletalon, I wasn't expecting anyone to be in here!” She giggled and moved carefully around him, “You aren't expecting, are you?” Her eyes twinkled with innocent mischief. Then her ears perked and she leaned toward him conspiratorially, her voice dropping, her eyes still twinkling, “Or were you visiting Windsong?” She was aware Windsong had been Eagletalon's apprentice, Windsong had told her about some of their time together as mentor and apprentice. Perhaps he felt more for her than that. Wouldn't that be exciting? And so romantic....
She giggled again at the thought and sighed wistfully, “It would be nice to have some kits in the nursery....” She turned to look at the empty den, imagining her own kits here, playing with moss balls and feathers and begging to go outside, to explore. She wanted that again. Turning back to Eagletalon, she tilted her head. “Why don't you have a mate and kits yet, Eagletalon? I bet you would make a wonderful father. Any she-cat would be lucky to have you,” she purred, her eyes soft. She didn't know him personally very well, but the way Windsong spoke of him gave her enough of an impression that she was confident in saying such things.
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl, everybody knows that the sweetest thing you'll ever see in the whole wide world is a happy girl.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 10, 2016 12:02:38 GMT -5
[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]
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62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan If Duskflower had been more of a gossipy she-cat, he would've quickly nipped her 'visiting Windsong' idea in the bud. Instead, he laughed, the sound warming up the room as she joked with him. "I just wanted to make sure everycat had enough water. No kits, but that's no excuse not to visit." It's good to see her spirits up. Hardly 7 moons had passed since the death of Silverstorm and so many other cats, but Duskflower seemed to have bounced back from the loss of her mate. It must've been hard for Smokestorm and Mistcloud at the time; they'd been apprentices when they lost their father.
Rather than bring up melancholy thoughts, he opened his mouth to ask her if she would like to go for a walk to the stone stream, when Duskflower brought up a question he'd been asking himself a lot lately. “Why don't you have a mate and kits yet, Eagletalon? I bet you would make a wonderful father. Any she-cat would be lucky to have you.”
Eagletalon thought of Blacksmoke's proposition to him all those moons ago, and if he'd been eating anything, he would've choked on it. With an uneasy laugh, he also thought of Frozenrain, Silentcloud, Larkflutter... Seems like every she-cat he took an interest in, was either in love with someone else, had died too soon, and couldn't stand his presence.
"It never really happened for me, I guess." That wasn't the best answer, but it was the best one he had. Eagletalon shrugged, wearing a 'that's the way life goes' kind of smile; he didn't have a logical explanation for it. He'd just been doing what he'd always done—been a good warrior, trained any apprentice Hawkstar saw fit to give him, and did what he could to ensure the lives of his Clanmates were a little easier. --- Word Count: 310 Words Tags: @zen Notes:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2016 14:31:11 GMT -5
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl and I've come to know that the world won't change just 'cause I complain. Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl.
It took him a moment to respond, and Duskflower shook her head when he finally did, “It's such a shame that it hasn't....” She glanced at the empty nursery again, her voice taking on a fond tone, “Kits are so wonderful, especially when they're your own.” She wondered briefly if she and Silverstorm would have had another litter by now, had he survived leafbare. If not, she was sure they would be planning for one at least.
She hm'd thoughtfully before turning back to Eagletalon, making the suggestion she didn't know she had interrupted him from making himself, “Would you care to come with me on a walk? I know its not the nicest of days for one, but being stuck in camp without any kits to play with gets boring rather fast.” She chuckled and tilted her head questioningly.
Not only was she bored, but with no kits to look after it made her feel useless, like she was taking from what the Clan provided for her and not giving anything in return. “We could bring back more water. StarClan knows we need all we can get.” She paused, thinking about her conversation with her sister only a short time ago, “I'm sure Dawnblossom could use some extra water to help keep her herbs from drying out. She said she's a bit concerned about it. Something about them losing healing ability when they dry out.”
She didn't really remember all the details. Dawnblossom liked to talk about her work, but most of it was rather over Duskflower's head. There was far too much to remember. Being a warrior was so much simpler. She really respected her sister for the work she did, all the knowledge she had, and if she could help make her job easier as well as help the Clan by doing so, then she gladly would.
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl, everybody knows that the sweetest thing you'll ever see in the whole wide world is a happy girl.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 10, 2016 22:22:38 GMT -5
[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]
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62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan Eagletalon was happy to agree even before she mentioned Dawnblossom needing the water. "You read my mind, Duskflower. The stone stream isn't far, and we can be quick. The weather's turning nasty."
it was true, their territory seemed drier than it had ever been before; it was now impossible to find a single Clanmate not covered in dust or dirt or sand just from attempted hunting. there was no place to wash it off, and no cat fancied getting grit on their tongue.
As they left camp, Eagletalon let Wolfclaw know when he passed the dark tom by that they were on their way to collect water. The sun was not quite at the highest point in the sky, but the heat was creeping up on the valley even as they walked.
What Duskflower had said was still... rattling around inside his head. "You really think I'd be a good father? I mean, Hawkstar makes it look easy, but I think I make a better uncle than a father."
Eagleton frowned in consideration. Of course he wanted a family of his own, it was only natural--and there was admittedly an emptiness in his life that a thousand battles couldn't fill. Who was going to remember him when he joined StarClan? Who would continue on in his place?
There was more to it than that. Love intrigued him. He wasn't especially romantic, but the idea of loving one cat so much that you'd lay down your life to spare theirs--it just seemed... Noble. Right. Eagletalon was in no rush to die, but he wondered what that kind of love felt like.
--- Word Count:275 Words Tags: @zen Notes:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2016 0:10:18 GMT -5
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl and I've come to know that the world won't change just 'cause I complain. Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl.
Following after Eagletalon as he led the way out of camp, she narrowed her eyes to slits to shield them when a brief gust of wind kicked up dust and sand. After it had died, she looked around, feeling the sun draining her energy already, just as it had drained all the moisture from the earth. Everything seemed so dry and... dead. What little plant life there was to be found in StoneClan territory had completely withered. It no longer looked like home to Duskflower.
Eagletalong's voice broke her from her thoughts about the change in StoneClan's landscape. “From the way Windsong talks about you from when you were her mentor, you'd definitely make a great father,” she purred then, looking over at him, “After all, what is a father but a mentor that chooses you, rather than being chosen for you?”
She thought briefly of her own father, always so supportive of her and her sisters. He had confessed to her when her own kits were born that he had wanted to have another litter, but their mother was more of a warrior at heart and hadn't wanted to abandon her warrior duties to have another. She had been restless as a queen, and though she had loved her kits and been as a good a mother as any cat could be, she had no desire to do it again.
Her whiskers twitched with amusement as she remembered how her father had joked with her that he would just have to make due with her kits instead. After Silverstorm died, her daughters became closer with her own father, looking for that missing part of their lives, and he was more than happy to oblige them.
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl, everybody knows that the sweetest thing you'll ever see in the whole wide world is a happy girl.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 12, 2016 10:59:07 GMT -5
62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan She always seemed so generous with her words, but they were heartfelt, at least the way he saw it. Eagletalon's head raised, pride in his eyes and in his steps over Windstep's praise--combined with Duskflower's sweet encouragement.
"In that case, you could probably say every apprentice I've trained is like a kit of mine. It really feels like that sometimes, especially with Heronpaw." He cared deeply for that little she-cat; not only was she his best friend's daughter, but she was bright and had heaps of talent. She was fun to train, and it was especially thrilling to watch her challenge herself or overcome some past difficulty.
"How are Smokestorm and Mistcloud?" He asked, knowing the subject of her daughters was very near and dear to Duskflower's heart. While he waited for her reply, Eagletalon's golden eyes narrowed, a practiced gaze scrutinizing the landscape, able to see the low-flowing stream in the distance. If the drought kept up, soon enough they wouldn't even have that.
Asking RainClan for water... His pride wasn't worth his Clan mates' suffering, they didn't deserve to pay for his grudges. He knew Hawkstar felt the same way; if their leader wanted him to suck it up and go speak with Timberstar about getting access to the river, he would go without a fuss.
Something scuttled out from the dehydrated brush, and Eagletalon instinctively stepped in front of Duskflower, muscles bunching under his scarred sand-colored pelt, ready to be the first line of defense.
But, as it turned out to be only a small lizard scuttling in search of shade, Eagletalon let out a surprised, amused mrrrow. "I think I'm getting paranoid in my old age," he mewed over his shoulder to Duskflower before, with a small wriggle of his haunches, the senior warrior pounced on the lizard, dispatching it with a swift, well-placed bite in the throat. The hide was a little tough, but he'd been doing this for quite a while.
Intending to bury it to be retrieved on the way back, Eagletalon went a little ways from the pretty tortoiseshell so as not to spray her with loose sand and dirt while he dug. --- Word Count: 365 Words Tags: @zen BlooRey DVD (for all the mentions~) Notes:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2016 21:10:35 GMT -5
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl and I've come to know that the world won't change just 'cause I complain. Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl.
Looking over at him, her gaze soft, Duskflower couldn't help but smile as he seemed to be in a better mood. She nodded in agreement to his words. “Mentors are very important parts of a young cat's life, just as their parents are. Just as two cats can make kits, it's the mentor that makes the warrior, so it really is like being a parent, to have an apprentice.” She was looking thoughtful as she spoke, her thoughts coming out as she thought them. She paused and shook her head, chuckling, “At least that's how I see it. I've never been a mentor, so it's not like I could say for sure how it compares to being a mother.”
She brightened as he asked about her daughters, “Oh, they're doing just fine. Smokestorm is still missing her father, but I sort of expected that from her. She was so close with him.... I never imagined she would request her own warrior name for him. Mistcloud seems to have let go, though. She knows he's still with her, and she'll see him again one day.” She looked over at Eagletalon as something she had been thinking about came to her, “If you could do me a favor, Eagletalon.... I know you and Hawkstar are close, and I would ask myself but I just don't want to bother him with everything that's going on... and besides she's my daughter so it will just seem biased coming from me....”
She trailed off as she realized she was jumping around a bit and not making much sense, “But anyway. Could you maybe tell him that an apprentice might do Smokestorm some good? I'm sure it would help her get over her father's death to have something so important to focus on. I know Hawkstar has to think about what's best for the apprentices too, but she's a good warrior, and I'm sure she would put everything she has into training her own apprentice.” Her whiskers twitched, “Not that there are any kits soon to be apprenticed right now but....” She sighed, “Nevermind. It doesn't matter. She'll be fine eventually, it's just taking her longer is all.”
She came to a stop as he suddenly put himself in front of her, peeking around him to see the lizard that had made its appearance. She giggled at his words, “Well, better safe than sorry I suppose.” She watched him catch the lizard before taking the time to take a look around their surroundings again. It was all sort of depressing really, everything just looked so dead. She shook out her fur, as much to shake the dust out as to shake off the negative feelings the landscape imposed. She smiled softly instead, thinking of how he had stepped forward to protect her. Even it had just been a little lizard.
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl, everybody knows that the sweetest thing you'll ever see in the whole wide world is a happy girl. OOC: I'm leaving the eagle appearing to you, fawn, since my post already got a bit wordy lol
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Post by Fawn on Aug 12, 2016 23:09:01 GMT -5
62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan "Of course, Duskflower." He promised, nodding with certainty. "I'll see what I can do. Hawkstar's a pretty agreeable cat, I can see Smokestorm getting an apprentice of her own soon." As soon as there are kits in the nursery to eventually apprentice, that is.
Truth be told, he was a little surprised that no mountain cats had come down in search of water; StoneClan had little to spare, but if it was a family seeking shelter, he knew the big sandy tabby tom wouldn't turn away cats in need, especially when they did not carry the stigma of certain Clans with them.
It honored him that she would ask him for help; he appreciated it when his Clanmates trusted him. He'd never given them a reason not to trust him, but it still felt special coming from her. Eagletalon chuckled. Being a mentor IS a bit being like a mother... Mine sure henpecked me sometimes.
"If you want," he mused, partly thinking aloud. "I can ask Smokestorm to help me with Heronpaw's training. She's already fought Vipertail and with great results, too, but it would benefit her to have some additional training." Smokestorm was strong and capable; it would be a good matchup, he thought.
As they chatted, however, Eagletalon began to take notice of a long, low shadow spilling across the landscape in front of them. His pelt prickled, paw steps halting as a sixth sense for danger urged him to stop what they were doing. Eagletalon looked up.
Is that a hawk? No... No it looked bigger than a hawk... Vulture, maybe?
The bird of prey swooped down, raptor claws aiming at them. "Eagle!" He nudged the she-cat forward, urging her to make a break for it. "Duskflower, run! There's a little cave nearby, do you see it? Right near the base of the mountains! With the white flowers!"
In all likelihood those white flowers were chamomile, but the day Eagletalon stopped to take the time to learn the names of plants was the day he cut off his own tail. He had no patience for herbs, unless they were being slathered on his wounds.
If they didn't get out of the eagle's path, however, that time might happen sooner than either of them would like.
Eagletalon stayed half a rabbit length behind her, his jaw set hard as he watched the ground for the bird's shadow. Her pelt was much brighter than his. Easier to spot. He was sandy in color, and on hot, dry days like these—if he stayed still enough, the eagle would lose sight of him. But he would never try that plan, not with her out there. The queen's fighting skills likely weren't as sharp as they'd been in her apprentice days, and Eagletalon didn't want to risk a full on confrontation.
If the eagle swooped down again, he would do his best to distract it, then try to join her. --- Word Count: 489 Words Tags: @zen Notes:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 10:33:13 GMT -5
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl and I've come to know that the world won't change just 'cause I complain. Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl.
Duskflower purred when Eagletalon agreed to speak with Hawkstar for her. Of course there wasn't much Hawkstar could do to put kits in the nursery, but knowing Smokestorm would be brought to Hawkstar's attention was good enough for now. Her ears perked as he offered to ask Smokestorm to help with Heronpaw's training. She nodded, “Oh, yes! That would be wonderful!” Surely helping her Clanmates would help take Smokestorm's mind off her father, if at least for a little bit.
She flicked her tail, “Just don't tell her you got any ideas about it from me. She's always been more independent and doesn't usually appreciate me doing things like this.... I think it's why she was closer to her father, he gave her more space.” She didn't mind that one of her daughters favored Silverstorm over her, their natures just went together better. Every cat was bound to have cats they got along better with, even within their own family. She had always preferred her father, after all, while Darkviper seemed to prefer their mother. There wasn't any reason to get upset over it, it just was.
Duskflower noticed the shadow a few heartbeats after Eagletalon, pausing beside him to see what it was. Her eyes grew wide at Eagletalon's exclamation, and when he nudged her forward as the bird swooped low, she dug her claws into the dry earth and took off running, casting a glance back to make sure he was following and wasn't trying to be a hero and fighting the thing on his own. She could never forgive herself if she just left a Clanmate to fight without her. Luckily he was right behind her, and with a last glance up at the eagle as it followed low in the sky above them, she turned forward and looked for the cave Eagletalon had pointed out.
If they could just reach that, surely they would be safe. The eagle was gaining on them, however, as Duskflower cast a quick glance back at it. It seemed focused on her rather than Eagletalon, and she supposed her black, white and orange fur stood out far better than Eagletalon's sandy coloration. She pushed more speed into her paws, focusing on the white flowers and the cave ahead. No wonder it had descended upon them. Eagles usually didn't risk going after cats in groups that could more easily fight back. It must have thought she was alone out here, when Eagletalon blended right into the landscape. Then again, maybe it was as desperate as StoneClan was for prey during this drought and it just didn't care. They had been seeing more eagles lately, after all.
Her paws slipped on sand and grit and she felt herself sliding, panic forcing her heart to beat wildly against her chest, but she managed to stay on her paws. The eagle swooped low again, talons outstretched, having caught up with her momentary lapse in running. Doing the only thing she could think of, she stopped and dropped low, the eagle's claws brushing only air above her as it screeched in frustration and was forced to beat its wings to gain altitude or crash into the earth. She took off at full speed again, right beneath it, her head racing as she burst through the flowers and into the cave, whipping around to make sure Eagletalon was close behind her.
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl, everybody knows that the sweetest thing you'll ever see in the whole wide world is a happy girl.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 22, 2016 10:02:14 GMT -5
62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan He didn't think, just acted. As soon as the eagle dove low for Duskflower, the scarred warrior launched himself into the air, grappling with the slashing yellow talons and the long brown wings buffeting his head and ears as the eagle struggled to gain altitude. The screech Duskflower heard was not one of frustration, but of pain as Eagletalon scratched and bit his way free, his attempt at driving the eagle away nearly backfiring.
Fortunately, Eagletalon was a heavy cat. The eagle could not support the extra weight. With a writhing twist, Eagletalon hurled himself free, his paws absorbing the impact as he dropped two fox-lengths back down onto the dirt. He limped hurriedly after Duskflower, blood hammering in his ears from that close but exhilarating encounter. He wasn't scared, he was grinning, possessing the heart of a daredevil as well as a warrior.
He ducked under the chamomile flowers and circled around Duskflower, sides heaving though he looked more alive than he had a heartbeat ago. The cave was dark as well as cool, and Eagletalon knew that predator, fierce as it was, was not so stupid as to pick a ground fight with two cats when it no longer had the advantage of flying off if things got hairy. They would be safe in here.
"Whew! That was a close call." Eagletalon glanced at Duskflower, smiling in a gentler fashion. "Good ducking maneuver, I wouldn't have been able to reach it otherwise. And you might've gotten seriously hurt." They couldn't have that. He didn't even want to think about the sight of eagle talons scoring her calico pelt, marring the pretty ginger and black and white coloring with blood.
Speaking of blood... Eagletalon knew he had scratches, and those scratches would turn into scars he got to tell his friends and apprentice all about later. What was bothering him was the unpleasant sting in his left paw. Sitting down unceremoniously next to her, Eagletalon raised the injured limb, holding his paw up so that he could pull the little pieces of grit and stone out of the nasty cut across the center pad.
He hated getting his paws injured; a shoulder wound or a leg wound was easy to ignore, but paw injuries? You felt those every time you moved. --- Word Count: 382 Words Tags: @zen Notes:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2016 0:08:08 GMT -5
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl and I've come to know that the world won't change just 'cause I complain. Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl.
Duskflower panted beside Eagletalon as he ducked in beside her, peering out as the eagle rose into the air and circled above. She hadn't missed the grin on the warrior's face and couldn't help it when she started laughing. It had been some moons since she had had this much excitement. Not that she wanted to be chased around by eagles on a regular basis, but something about Eagletalon's excitement over the event was contagious. She shook out her fur, looking over at him as he spoke.
She giggled, “I was terrified, but I knew I wasn't going to outrun it so I thought if I just stopped I might catch it off guard and it would miss. I'm glad I was right.” She purred in relief, turning her attention to him and looking him over for signs of injury in the dim light of the cave. He had a few cuts and scratches, but didn't seem terribly hurt, thank StarClan. She mrrowed in sudden amusement, “Did you enjoy meeting your namesake? Now you get to go home and show everyone the scars you gave yourself.” She giggled again.
When he raised his paw and she saw the gauge there, her eyes narrowed in concern and she leaned forward without a second thought, her mothering instincts taking over in a heartbeat, “Let me.” She reached forward gingerly with her own paw to hold his in place while she carefully lapped at his wound to clean it. She paused after a short time had passed, looking sheepishly up at him and pulling away quickly, burning beneath her pelt, “I'm sorry! I didn't even think, I just... you know, sometimes its nice to let someone else take care of you, and I just....”
Her ears flicked back against her head and stepped up to the entrance, peering out for any sign of the eagle and determined not to meet his eyes, “You should let Dawnblossom look at that right away. I would hate for it to get infected.” And with how dry and dusty everything was, that was a very real possibility if he wasn't diligent in keeping it clean and getting a poultice on it to keep infection out.
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl, everybody knows that the sweetest thing you'll ever see in the whole wide world is a happy girl.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 23, 2016 18:47:48 GMT -5
62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan Eagletalon had laughed at her comment about his brand new scars, though that laughter quickly faded away in surprise as Duskflower moved in close and lapped at the wound on his paw. She wasn't the only one burning beneath her pelt; the cave suddenly felt very small and very stuffy. She was right, though... It was nice to have someone take care of you every now and again.
Being a bachelor for most of his life, Eagletalon had never had the privilege of being fussed over by a mate; he was honored that she cared enough to fuss over him (though a part of him practically assumed that her role as a queen already hinted at Duskflower being naturally compassionate, and this being the proof). "Yeah, I'll see if I can find something to wrap it with."
Maybe it was the side effect of the fight with the eagle, but his heart was still beating out of its usual rhythm. He could feel it in his paws, and he explored the rest of the cave with cautious steps, using three legs until some of the pain subsided. Eagletalon resisted the urge to look back at Duskflower, and then abruptly gave in; he glanced over his scarred shoulder, the pretty she-cat framed by the narrow funneling beams of light filtering in through a few cracks in the cave ceiling. It lit up the ginger patches on her pelt as if StarClan themselves wanted to make sure he didn't miss this.
Miss what, though?
Puzzled over the indescribable feeling in the back of his mind, Eagletalon focused on the task at hand. With renewed determination, the sandy warrior stepped deeper into the cave, noticing the temperature shifting lower as the ground began to slope somewhat away from him. Perhaps he could find some cobwebs in here?
"So far so good!" He called back to Duskflower—and heard a mass of chittering in response.
Bats!
Whoops. With another low chuckle, Eagletalon circled back, careful to keep his eyes on the rocky cave floor as he rejoined Duskflower. He could've gone deeper, and would've liked to explore the cave in full, but disturbing bats during the daytime was a sure way to get harried by a thousand winged, angry mice.
Lowering his voice into a whisper, Eagletalon nudged her gently. "Guess we'd better be quiet from now on. We'll wait a bit and then head back. Eagles can't see so well when the sun goes down." If they left at sunset, the orange light of the setting sun combined with the shadows of the rocks and scrub should conceal her well. They would go carefully.
--- Word Count: 440 Words Tags: @zen Notes:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2016 12:00:34 GMT -5
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl and I've come to know that the world won't change just 'cause I complain. Let the axis twirl, I'm a happy girl.
Eagletalon padded farther into the cave and Duskflower glanced back at him, wondering if she shouldn't have offered to look instead. She'd been too caught up in her own embarrassment to think about it. Birdbrain, she chided herself. On the surface it wasn't exactly a life threatening wound, but the possibility of infection was nothing to take lightly, and a paw wound was more likely to get infected, coming into contact with all sorts of things every day. Thought she had never seen it, thanks to the care of medicine cats, Dawnblossom had told her it was possible to die from an infected wound, which was why seeing the medicine cat after getting hurt was so very important, even if the wound didn't seem like a big deal.
She shook her head and turned to go after him, to tell him to sit down so she could look instead, when he called back to her and a strange chittering sound echoed in the cave. Her ears flicked back at the sound of the bats, wary. Leaving the cave now probably wasn't the best idea, the eagle might still be waiting, watching. She would take a hoard of bats over an eagle any day, but she would rather not have to deal with either. Bats wouldn't kill them, at least. Eagletalon made his way back then and she glanced outside once more. She wished she could remember some of what Dawnblossom talked to her about all the time, maybe she could help Eagletalon now if she could, but it all just went in one ear and out the other. She could remember lots of herb names, but she couldn't begin to say what half of them looked like or what they did.
Shaking her head again, she gave a soft purr of exasperated amusement, “Well, this was a successful trip.” They had gone out to get water and now they were hiding in a cave with threats from both sides, and Eagletalon was wounded. Her whiskers twitched as she thought about it, ever the optimist, “I suppose it was far more exciting than just walking to the stream and back.” Her fluffy tail flicked against him playfully. She still couldn't quite believe he had been excited about their little run in with the eagle. He was birdbrained for sure, but she admired his courage.
Oh watch me go, I'm a happy girl, everybody knows that the sweetest thing you'll ever see in the whole wide world is a happy girl.
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Post by Fawn on Aug 29, 2016 17:17:24 GMT -5
62 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan Eagletalon chuckled as loudly as he dared without disrupting their winged hosts. "Come now, you mean to tell me you wanted things to go quietly?" His amber-golden eyes glinted in the light flowing down from a few cracks in the ceiling, which Eagletalon was sure the bats used to tell when the sun had begun to sink over the horizon line. Head tilted back, he caught a lungful of fresh air, grateful for the coolness of the cave. "Wait here a moment, Flower. I want to see if our feathered friend took off yet." He smiled brashly, using a nickname without even thinking about it, and edged his way closer to the entrance, listening hard for sounds of eagle talons on rock.
Absentmindedly, he lapped at a hard-to-reach scratch on his shoulder, and only served in straining his neck. Bah. It would seal up, scab over and leave a scar like all the rest. He didn't like going to the medicine cat's den—hard to convince a tom like him that whatever herbs they wanted to use on him couldn't be better put to a cat who really needed them.
Eagletalon poked his head out of the cave, stepping cautiously outside, his pupils narrowing to let in less of the still-bright light shining down. He nearly suspected the bird to have cleared off, but out of his peripherals, he saw a brown shape with an incredible wingspan sweep low, and heard the petrified shriek of a vole as it was plucked from its nut cache in the span of a heartbeat.
"Here's our chance, Duskflower. The eagle's caught something, it won't risk going after two cats now." He would have to go a little slower than he would ever be happy about, but that's the way it was. Of course... He could accept the inevitable grit and sand that was going to get into the pad-cut anyway, and run back to camp with Duskflower at his side. It wasn't the best strategy, but he wasn't really known for those.
He was known for getting results, and all he cared about right now was getting the sweet calico beside him back home safe and sound. --- Word Count: 358 Words Tags: @zen Notes:
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