[Abyss]

N I G H T P E T A L

Greenleaf 10 The sky opens up and a steady rain falls all day. Some green begins to return to the valley after the intense, dry heat that has pervaded greenleaf thus far.

How long had it been? Since he last took the time to walk around camp on his own? When was the last time that he was able to just walk his home and bathe in the sun’s light among his clanmates? These thoughts had occurred to him after he woke up that morning. His dreams had been particularly bright during his rest. The warm but also cool feeling of him dashing through the Stoneclan territory, the wind rustling every inch of fur on his large body. His vibrant yellow eyes wide and shining with excitement and adrenaline. The sight of a light-colored figure running ahead of him…

The sun’s rays dancing across her silver and black coat, her long and flowing tail swirling with the wind behind her. The light steps of her paws as she ran. That look of joy and love within those gorgeous blue eyes as she looked back at him, taunting him playfully with the thought of her winning their little race. It had been so long ago, yet the memory was still so vivid in his mind.

Nightpetal’s sudden spring to action was a surprise that morning. He had done his usual slow stretching of each limb, as well as the yawn that resembled a wide open cave with teeth. But he had stood, giving himself a moment to fully gain his sense of balance. He then walked out of the Elder’s den, looking up at the sky above. Unfortunately, the sun did not grace him with its presence, rather he felt the light droplets of rain falling onto his pelt, some remaining on the surface while others slithered down against his skin. He merely stood for a moment, face leaned back towards the sky and eyes closed. He felt a single raindrop fall against his black nose, causing his eyes to slowly open. A smile formed on his face as he looked up to the clouds. He almost thought that he could see Petalwish’s face formed in those clouds, smiling down on him from Starclan. Oh how he wished to see her beautiful face.

When his head finally lowered back to its normal state, the large black tom turned and walked towards the edge of camp, getting at least a little bit of cover from the rain. He then began to just walk in a circle around the edge of the camp, that feeling of tenseness in his old muscles slowly fading. Eventually, he found himself walking normally, his tail curling behind him.

WORDS: 419 | Fawn | NOTES: -

By Cotton of Template HQ

[Fawn]

BeetlepaW

Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water

Guard duty was a droll affair. Guard duty in the rain was enough to make Beetlejaw's expression turn sourer and sourer with every fat drop that landed on his nose. I thought Greenleaf was a time without rain? He grumbled, giving himself a little shake to toss the water off before it started soaking in - wobbling slightly as his posture shifted - then returning to his half-hearted imitation of a rock. It wasn't exactly a fierce summer storm, and he was grateful for that; bad weather could be felt as a foreboding ache in his leg, and he felt the phantom sensations of his missing foot more severely just before a storm hit.

Maybe StarClan had decided to grant him with special powers? Weather prediction.

Yes, very important. Definitely worth losing an entire foot over.

Beetlejaw stared humorlessly at the unbroken gray landscape of StoneClan's territories. He sat internally debating with himself over the likelihood of getting caught leaving his post when a black-furred shape moved into view. Beetlejaw's yellow eyes snapped onto the shape like a hawk, some part of him recognizing them as a Clanmate - and thankfully, not Smokestorm, who he was certain could sense laziness. Beetlejaw relaxed, cocking his head in some surprise. It was Nightpetal, an old gray-muzzled elder whose prime had come and gone long before Beetlejaw's parents had been born.

Is he lost? Or just stretching his legs?

"The rain doesn't bother you?" Beetlejaw called, throat slightly dry from going so long without social interaction. His back legs felt stiff from sitting and standing, the warrior that was meant to relieve him yet to return from a hunting party.

Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away

Abyss || 21 Moons || StoneClan || 275 Words

[Abyss]

N I G H T P E T A L

As the old tom walked, he heard a voice call out to him. His walk stopped and his head slowly turned, catching sight of another cat not too far away. He didn’t recognize who it was at first, but as he began to walk closer, he saw their face and realized that it was Beetlejaw.

“It used to. Getting water out of a long pelt takes a lot of time. But anymore it is refreshing.” He came to a stop in front of the young Warrior, glancing back up to the sky once more. By now, both his fur and his skin underneath were nearly soaked. Despite this and the sagging of his black pelt, weighed down with water, he didn’t seem bothered. With the look on his face, he almost seemed to care for the rain.

“In a way, the rain makes me think that my mate is showering me with her affection, even from Starclan, ” he stated, half serious, half playful as he made a pun. The background behind it was pretty depressing, but it still caused the tom to hold back a chuckle. Then, almost in response to his own statement, he took a few steps closer to Beetle and lightly nudged at the young tom with his shoulder.

“What about you? Found yourself a lover yet? You’re young, better find one while you’re good-looking still. Give Stoneclan some little ones, ” he teased playfully. He didn’t know Beetlejaw too well, but that didn’t matter. He was a younger Warrior, and Nightpetal considered all of the younger cats to be his kits, in a way. In more of a fun manner, the old Elder found that it was his job to cheer up the “little ones”.

WORDS: 290 | Fawn | NOTES: -

By Cotton of Template HQ

[Fawn]

BeetlepaW

Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water

He hadn't minded Nightpetal's old sentimental prattlings - or even the teasing nudge to his shoulder that made him plant his feet to keep his balance - until Nightpetal's words hit him like a slap to the maw. Beetlejaw's fur spiked along his shoulders, and he looked as ruffled as a fledgling bluejay, his tongue getting in the way of his teeth as he pushed out an answer. "Wh-What? No! StarClan, have you got bees in your brain?" Beetlejaw's skin felt like it was on fire from the tips of his ears to the end of his tail. He's just a senile old cat. He'd never been called handsome before, and the attention was making him want to backtrack his way to the warriors' den and hide out until Nightpetal needed a nap.

Kits! Hawkdung. Beetlejaw had never pictured himself with a family of his own, or a mate, or anything outside of what he already had: his kin and one or two cats he called friends. Trying to picture some unnamed she-cat laying in the nursery with his kits made him uncomfortable, and he almost hissed aloud, wanting to swipe away those thoughts like sticky cobwebs. "I'm just trying to be a good warrior," Beetlejaw's retort came out gruff, his fur beginning to lie flat again. "That's all."

Who in StarClan's name would pick me for a mate, anyway? He was missing a foot. Other cats could say that vanity played no part in starting a family, but Beetlejaw wasn't an idiot. There were too many other more talented, better looking bachelors who weren't missing a limb that Beetlejaw doubted he'd get so much as a second glance.

That suited him fine. He didn't need a mate. Didn't want one. If he could be half the cat his father is, and honor the cats who protected him from the fox attack, then Beetlejaw would be satisfied. He had too many debts to pay to waste his time on stupid things.

Remembering his guard duty, Beetlejaw looked to Nightpetal. "Don't wander too far from camp. It's raining but you could still run into some trouble." The Clan's elders had not become elders purely on age; there were many who simply did not have the strength or the endurance to serve the Clan the same as before.

The spirit was willing, but the body was not.

Beetlejaw's expression was set in stone, the faint scent of the elders' den on Nightpetal's pelt brought back an old worry. Nightpetal wasn't the only one who had to be careful; Beetlejaw needed to make sure that no matter what happened, he could still perform his warrior duties. He had so much to give to StoneClan, and he was willing to work twice as hard as anyone else to prove it.

Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away

Abyss || 21 Moons || StoneClan || 464 Words

[Abyss]

83 moons | Tom | Stoneclan

Nightpetal

At the sudden burst of embarrassment from the tom, the large black Elder let out a laugh, closing his bright yellow eyes and smiling wide. The expression on Beetlejaw’s face and the way he spoke were honestly a joy. As an older tom with who knew how many moons left to go, keeping his clan happy and healthy was always on his mind. But with his old bones aching often and his inability to go far from camp always reminding him of his age, he knew he couldn’t help in the same way that someone like Beetlejaw could. So he found comfort in seeing a younger clanmate take a second to feel as though he didn’t need to keep his guard up around the large tom.

Nightpetal was a sort of father-figure to the clan, or at least he saw himself as such. An Elder who had kits of his own and had been around for quite a while. He had seen many of the current Warriors when they were first coming out of the nursery. Of course, he didn’t always remember all of them. But he could make a list of Warriors that may have once came to him for advice. There was an even longer list of current Apprentices that had once came to him looking for stories.

As the little scene slowly began to fade, the Elder’s eyes opened once more, listening as Beetlejaw stated that he was just trying to be a good Warrior. At first the large black tom said nothing. But finally, a very small smirk crossed his face.

“And what does having a family have to do with being a good Warrior?” He flicked his tail behind him, looking towards the Warriors den to where his own offspring were likely sleeping. “Having relationships with your clanmates, romantic or not, is one of the best ways of being a Warrior. The closer you are to your fellow cats, the closer you are to the clan itself. You feel a connection and even more of a desire to protect them. Having a mate or a family only increases that.” His gaze turned back to Beetlejaw again.

He allowed a small silence to pass between them before another cheeky smile crossed his face. “Although~.....having kits does give the clan more future Warriors~.” His voice contained that hint of teasing once more, his fluffy tail brushing across the younger tom’s flank. He allowed another chuckle to escape his maw before he turned, beginning to walk back towards the Elder’s den.

“Don’t worry. You will be a good Warrior regardless of what future you choose, ” he stated, waving back towards the younger tom with his tail.

Made by Aqua || Tagged: Fawn || Words: 449